2019学年度人教版选修八Unit5Meeting your ancestors Period3Learning about language作业

Ⅰ. 阅读理解

New archaeological discoveries suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk Road probably began many centuries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a range of scientific and historical research, could add a fascinating new page to the epic of the Silk Road.

The latest and most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1, 000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt.

The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wudi returned from a dangerous secret mission(使命)across the western desert into the remote Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world's two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthians of old Persia in exchange for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury markets of Rome.

But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and wonder the mystery of just when and how Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture.

【语篇概述】最新的考古学研究表明, 古代欧亚大陆之间的主要贸易通道--丝绸之路, 其起源可能比我们之前认为的要早许多世纪。

1. The underlined word "coupled" in the first paragraph could best be replaced by_______.

A. produced　　　　　　　　 B. continued

C. doubled D. combined

【解析】选D。词义猜测题。由第一段第二句的句意"这些发现, 结合一系列的科学历史研究, 可以为丝绸之路历史新纪元增添迷人的一页"可以推知答案为D。

2. The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that_______.

A. Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

B. trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

C. historical research often achieves fascinating results

D. new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

【解析】选B。推理判断题。由第一段第一句话和第二段可以推知B项正确。A项不合常识和事实; C项句意本身没有错误但太宽泛; D项不合文意, 故排除。

3. Until recently most historians officially believed that trade along the Silk Road_______.

A. originated in the 2nd century BC

B. extended human migration into eastern Asia

C. began a million years ago

D. primarily benefited the Egyptians

【解析】选A。细节理解题。由第三段首句"The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2nd century BC"可知答案为A。