Question

The flag, the most common symbol(象征) of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.

The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive(原始的)artifact. It is , rather, the product of thousands of years' development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.

Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People's food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems(图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.

These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.

1.The best title for the passage would be              .  

A. Development of the National Flag     B. Power of the National Flag

    C. Types of Flags                       D. Uses of Flags

2.The underlined word "vulnerable" in Paragraph 3 means           .

A. impossible to make sure of               B. likely to be protected

    C. easy to damage                       D. difficult to find

3.The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because.           .

A. they could tell wind direction

B. they could bring good luck to fighters

C. they were handed down by the ancestors

D. they were believed to stand for natural forces

4.What does the author know of the first national flag?

A. He knows when it was sent to Europe.

B. He believes it was made in Egypt.

C. He thinks it came from China.

D. He doubts where it started.

5.What will the author most probably talk about next?

A. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

B. The second ancestor of the national flag.

C. The use of modern flags in Europe.

D. The importance of modern flags.

Answer

1.A

【解析】：文章中有以下几个线索：

①It is , rather, the product of thousands of years' development.

②Early human beings used

③These flags developed very slowly into modern flags从这几处可以看的出文章发展的顺序和文章所要表达的核心内容。那么旗帜的力量类型和用途都是在历史中不断转变的所以只有A才全面的概括了文章。

【考点】：篇章总结概括题。

【易错点】：对文章线索的忽视，容易片面的选择B、C、D中的任何答案。

2.C

【解析】：从文章可以看到：Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats.而同时下文有：People's food supplies were similarly vulnerable. ”similarly”的意思是相似的。因此这个次的意思和上句中的“fragile-易受伤害的，易脆弱的“意义相同。因此选C。

【考点】：通过上下问猜测词义题。

【易错点】：因为没有看到“similarly“一词，很容易错选D或者B答案。

3.D

【解析】：文章中第四段提到：Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable还有he connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable.从这些句子可以看出根据旗帜能判断风的方向这其实就是一种人类利用东西掌握大自然的现象，因此它就代表了“自然力量”。A只是说明了现象没有谈到本质，而B答案文章中是说：the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods是风的力量给他们带来好运而不是旗帜。C答案说的相差更远。

【考点】：文章细节理解题。

【易错点】：容易片面的选择A或者B。

4.D

【解析】：本题根据文章可以了接到：The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked。在历史上没有记载，所以作者也是不确定，只是流传而已。

【考点】： 细节理解题。

【易错点】因为文章提到了对中国和埃及这两个国家的猜测所以容易错选C、B。

5.B

【解析】：本篇文章主要是谈到远古的旗帜的地位、作用和意义，那么从文章的主题：旗帜的发展史这个标题来看接着就是谈第二代祖先的旗帜。第五自然段看到有以下提示：These flags。。。slowly into modern flags。。。The first known flag。。。met up with the other ancestor of the national flag从这些信息可以看出正确答案应该是B。

【考点】：细节推理题。

【易错点】：容易错选D。

【篇章分析】：这篇文章很明显看的出一个节选的文章，在这一部分里面主要谈的是国旗产生的历史，以及其在历史上所做的作用和古人为什么使用旗帜的原因。本文说明性质比较强，读起来稍微的有点艰涩，需要我们有极好的耐心和细心，往往这样的文章其命题相对来说还要简单一些，更多的是考查了表层知识。