四、閱讀測驗
第一篇：
          Wilhelm Grimm and his older brother Jacob studied German folklore and oral traditions and published acollection of stories eventually known as Grimms’ Fairy Tales（格林童話）which includes stories like SleepingBeauty and Little Red Riding Hood. Several of the brothers’ tales have been adapted into successful TV showsand movies. Although the two brothers are famous for sharing the classic tales bearing their name, there are somefacts that most people might not have known about them.
          Despite the fact that Jacob and Wilhelm are often associated with Snow White and Rapunzel, the brothersdidn’t actually write any of those stories. In fact, the stories existed long before the two men were born inGermany in the mid 1780s. The fairy tales, in fact, were part of a rich oral tradition—passed down fromgeneration to generation, often by women seeking to pass the time during household chores. But asindustrialization took root, local traditions changed and scholars, like Jacob and Wilhelm, began a quest to savethe stories from extinction. They interviewed relatives and friends, collecting whatever tales they could,sometimes even making small changes to make them more appealing. In 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm published thestories as part of a collection titled Nursery and Household Tales, or what is now referred to as Grimms’ FairyTales.
          Originally, Grimms’ Fairy Tales were not meant for children. The stories regularly included sex, violence,and copious footnotes. Worse yet, they didn’t even have illustrations. Initially aimed at adults, the early editionsof Nursery and Household Tales contained unusually dark elements. In its original version, for example,Rapunzel became pregnant after a casual fling. In Cinderella, the stepsisters cut off their toes and heels to try tofit into the slipper. These sorts of scenes were eventually revised once the stories became popular amongchildren.
【題組】41. What is the passage mainly about?
(A) Women and fairy tales
(B) TV shows based on German folklore
(C) Grimms’ Fairy Tales
(D) Modern nursery tales