Question

The Silk Road was a historical network of trade routes that connected China and the Mediterranean Sea，allowing cultural and economic interaction between the East and the West. Begun in the 2nd Century B C” the Silk Road carried goods，ideas, and even illness for thousands of miles between great civilizations for more than a thousand years. 1. It was the creation of Germany’s Ferdinand von Richthofen, who traveled to China several times in the second half of the 19th Century.

China’s powerful Han Dynasty began expanding its trade routes towards the West in the years around 100 B.C. 2. Some shipments made it through to Europe and to northern and eastern Africa, through the port of Alexandria.

As its name suggests, the Silk Road was home to large amount of silk, which made its way from China to the Mediterranean and，to Rome. It wasn’t only silk，however, that was carried along the Silk Road  3. Chinese traders brought delicate porcelain plates and thin but durable paper money. Romans brought delicately carved pottery (陶器）and jewelry to China.

4. Merchants carried shipments from major center, and then others carried the foods farther on the route. Many merchants traveled in groups, called carvans (商队). Many carvans and individual merchants traveled with bodyguards because theft along the routes was not uncommon.

Several cities along the Silk Road became major trading centers. Some of the more famous of these were Alexandria，Karakorum, Antioch，Constantinople, and Persepolis. Local taxes placed on goods traveling along the route were quite common. 5.

A. The name，however，is a modem idea.

B. Diseases also spread along the Silk Road.

C. It sent silk and other goods to other civilizations.

D. Merchants would prepare some supplies in advance.

E. Goods did not travel with the same person all along the route.

F. As a result, many goods traveled only part of the way due to the high cost

G. Many other things made their way from the East to the West, or from the West to the East.

Answer

1. A

2. C

3. G

4. E

5. F

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了丝绸之路的历史、发展及其对东西方文明的影响。

1.上文说丝绸之路始于公元前2世纪，一千多年来，伟大文明之间的货物和思想都通过丝绸之路传输，下文又说这个称呼是由德国人Ferdinand von Richthofen发明的，19世纪中叶他曾多次访问中国，此处需要一个承上启下的句子，故A项（然而，这个名字是一个现代的概念）符合语境。

2.根据本空后的“Some shipments made it through to Europe and to northern and eastern Africa, through the port of Alexandria.”可知，一些货物通过亚历山大港送往欧洲、东非和北非，此处是说货物通过丝绸之路运送到别的地方，故C项（它把丝绸和其他商品送到其他文明）符合语境。

3.上文说沿着丝绸之路运送的不只是丝绸，下文又说中国商人带来了精致的瓷盘和薄而耐用的纸币，罗马人把雕刻精美的陶器和朱宝带到中国，此处是说丝绸之路还运送除了丝绸以外的东西，故G项（还有很多别的东西，从西到东，从东到西，都在这条路上运输）符合语境。

4.根据本空后的“Merchants carried shipments from major center, and then others carried the foods farther on the route.”可知，商人们从主要的运输中心运送货物，然后其他人把货物运送到更远的地方，故E项（货物并不是一路由一个人运送的）符合语境。

5.根据本空前的“Local taxes placed on goods traveling along the route were quite common.可知，对丝绸之路上运输的货物征收地方税是很常见的，此处说的是征收地方税的影响，故F项（因此，由于成本高，许多货物只能走一部分路）符合语境。