Architectural Change in Eighth-Century Japan Japanese construction techniques and architectural styles changed in the eighth century C.E. from more traditional Japanese models to imported continental (especially Chinese) models. Several factors contributed to this, in particular with respect to the creation of two new capital cities. In essence, changes then occurring in Japanese political life were rendering past arrangements for the rulers’ headquarters obsolete, and continental models offered an alternative. The word “rendering” in the passage is closest in meaning to •A.Actually•B.Basically•C.However•D.MoreoverTo elaborate, before the eighth century, the elite marriage practice, which was an important instrument of political alliance making, had encouraged rulers to maintain multiple palaces: that of their own family and those of their spouses, who commonly remained at or near their native family headquarters, at least for some years after marriage. These arrangements had the effect of encouraging frequent changes in royal residence as children matured and marriage alliances changed. The customs of multiple palaces and a moveable court were feasible as long as a ruling group was modest in size and its architectural practices relatively simple. The word “feasible” in the passage is closest in meaning to •A.practical•B.customary•C.acceptable•D.supportedMoreover, because buildings using the traditional construction of thatched roofs and wooden poles placed directly in the ground rotted away in two decades or so, periodic replacement of palaces, shrines, warehouses, gate towers, and fortress walls was essential. The custom of residential mobility was thus not especially wasteful of labor and material resources: when the time came, one simply erected a new building at a new site—reusing valuable timbers as appropriate—and burned the rest. The practical necessity of replacement was given religious sanction because the regular replacement of buildings was regarded as necessary to provide spiritual cleansing of the site. In paragraph 3, why does the author discuss the natural decay of the wooden structures built in eighth-century Japan? •A.To argue that the necessity of replacing buildings every two decadesapplied to all eighth-century structures, not just residences•B.To argue that the custom of residential mobility was not unreasonablegiven the building practices of the eighth century•C.To explain why the elite of the eighth century had to move periodicallyto new residences•D.To explain why in the sixth and seventh centuries Japanesearchitectural practice changed to the construction of more permanentstructuresAccording to paragraph 3, each of the following was true of the practice of periodic replacement of buildings EXCEPT: •A.It was followed for a wide variety of structures.•B.It involved the reuse of building materials that were still good•C.Or...
