What I Know about Aboriginal During Adventure
During my adventure, what impresses me most is something about Aboriginal in Australia, which is worth mentioning. They have a complex and fascinating spiritual life. Their culture is filled with ceremonies with special meaning, among which the Walkabout coming of age ceremony for 16-year-old young men is definitely an intense one.
Traditionally, young men who are undertaking their Walkabout ceremony are dressed noticeably. So others know what they are doing. Their bodies are covered with paint and the way they are decorated varies based on region—some will even receive a permanent mark when they set out, such as removal of a tooth.
The journey can cover as much as 1, 000 miles. The landscape of Australia is famously dangerous with soaring temperatures and poisonous creatures, so the young man must be able to adequately and safely provide for himself. He needs to know how and where to get clean water, to build safe shelter, to hunt for food and to identify edible plants. He must also know which plants are medicative as to care for his own wounds and injuries.
While the physical aspect of the Walkabout helps young men prove they are capable members of their tribe, the spiritual aspect makes them a worshiper. He is expected to reflect on his relationship with his ancestral land. He is taught to sing traditional spiritual songs known as “songlines”, which describe their ancestral milestones such as rivers and rock formation. They boys are not given modern instruments such as compasses or drawn maps, so the boy makes his journey with the aid of a spoken map.
Today, the traditional Walkabout ceremony is still considered as an extremely important part of their identity by some young boys, but the physically demanding aspects of the Walkabout seem to lose out. Some young men want to complete Walkabout but do not feel comfortable doing so on foot. Others are unable to take a monthly Walkabout due to school or work. They may choose to experience the Walkabout as a road trip, driving through their ancestral lands.
Nevertheless, as long as the ceremony helps boys connect with their ancestors, the tradition will never fade.
【小题1】How do people know about what aboriginal young people are doing at the Walkabout ceremony?| A．From their famous landscape. | B．From the communication with local people. |
| C．From the songs they often sing. | D．From the features of their dressing. |
| A．lack of efficient transportation | B．their good ability to build shelter |
| C．the harsh condition of landscape | D．the aid of a spoken map |
| A．Walkabout ceremony is the most important ceremony among aboriginal. |
| B．Ancestral milestones still have an impact on capable young man in the tribe. |
| C．The tradition of the ceremony is likely to disappear even if preserved well. |
| D．The physically demanding aspects are taken into account at the Walkabout ceremony. |
| A．criticize the negative aspects of Walkabout ceremony of aboriginal |
| B．call on us to preserve the tradition of Walkabout ceremony |
| C．appeal to us to worship our ancestors more |
| D．give an objective introduction of a traditional ceremony |
