Question

    Landscapes are not only the setting for history; they are also a major source of our sense of history and identity. Read them right, and historical landscapes can be more informative than any other kind of source. This is even more the case with sacred landscapes, which were reflection of our ancestors’ beliefs about their relation to the cosmos and can still today seem to hold a spiritual influence.

Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to have spent time in many historical landscapes, hoping to picture something of the spirits of the people who shaped them over the centuries. I still remember years ago walking along the Inca sacred lines around Cusco, Peru. In this ancient landscape, old sites that once belonged to Incan royals had become torn Spanish mansions. Or many years ago, before the Gulf Wars, I took a journey through south Iraq, the heart land of civilization, where the desert is still crossed by dried-up riverbeds of the Euphrates and canals that once sustained the world’s first cities.

Britain also has its own magical ancient landscapes. From the Mesolithic to the Bronze and Iron Ages, rich layers of the past are still present in the landscape surrounding Stonehenge, even as traffic rushes down the A303. It is the A303 that is the problem. As the main road to the south west from the home counties, the road runs right past Stonehenge. One of humanity’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge is an archaeological landscape without parallel in Europe, and perhaps the world. The first circle at Stonehenge was made 5,000 years ago, and the great stone circle itself in a round 2,500 BC — the age of the pyramids! And the mysteries of this amazing monument and the complex prehistoric societies that produced it are by no means exhausted, as new discoveries continue to show.

All the more worrying to me then, this unique landscape is currently at the centre of a projected plan by Highways England, which aims to relieve congestion on the A303 by creating a four-lane road with a 1.8-mile tunnel, and an expressway interchange 1.5 miles to the west. While the National Trust and English Heritage have offered qualified support for the plan, UNESCO has expressed its opposition. Meanwhile, the Stonehenge Alliance, a group of archaeologists and environmental campaigners, says the plan is based on inadequate and obsolete information. In the end, the argument is about the totality of an ancient landscape, and that includes the ancient astronomical alignment that was purposefully chosen by our ancestors, and that will, in my view, be wrecked by the expressway interchange. Time perhaps for a rethink in the name of future generations?

1.What can historical landscapes offer us?

A.Details of ancient lifestyle. B.Sacred writings

C.Rich historical information D.Breathtaking sights.

2.What did the author want to explore when touring historical landscapes?

A.Different architecture. B.His sense of belonging.

C.The rise of ancient cities. D.The spirits of ancestors.

3.Which of the following is True about Stonehenge?

A.The first stone circle has a longer history than the pyramids.

B.New discoveries have solved the mysteries of the monument.

C.The ancient monument must have been the heart land of civilization.

D.The landscape surrounding Stonehenge has rich layers of the present.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the projected plan by Highways England?

A.He is for it because it will benefit the future generations.

B.He keeps cool but believes a better solution could be adopted.

C.It should be stopped because it will destroy the totality of the monument.

D.It is rather practical especially with qualified support from the government.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇夹叙夹议的文章。根据作者常年的观察研究，历史景观不仅是历史的遗留也是我们追朔自己身份的重要资源，它们对于人类有重要意义。同时文章指出，为了人类的下一代，我们要尽量保护这些历史景观。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中Read them right, and historical landscapes can be more informative than any other kind of source.(正确阅读它们，历史景观比其它任何资源都具信息性)可知，历史景观可以提供大量的历史信息。故选C项。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第二段的I’ve had the good fortune to have spent time in many historical landscapes, hoping to picture something of the spirits of the people who shaped them over the centuries.（我有幸在历史景观中度过了很多时间，希望能描绘出几个世纪以来塑造它们的人的精神面貌）可知，作者在参观历史景观时想要探索的是几个世纪前的人的精神。故选D项。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段中The first circle at Stonehenge was made 5,000 years ago, and the great stone circle itself in a round 2,500 BC —the age of the pyramids!(巨石阵的第一圈是5000年前形成的，巨石阵是2500年前形成的—同金字塔同岁)可知，first circle是5000年前形成的，金字塔是2500年前建造的，所以first circle比金字塔早。故选A项。

4.推理判断题。根据第四段中All the more worrying to me then, this unique landscape is currently at the centre of a projected plan by Highways England.(更让我担心的是，这一独特景观是目前英格兰高速公路计划的中心)和that will, in my view, be wrecked by the expressway interchange. Time perhaps for a rethink in the name of future generations?(在我看来，那将被高速公路的立交破坏，或许是时候以后代子孙的名义进行反思了)可以看出，作者担心英格兰的高速路计划会破坏这个历史遗迹且会对后代有影响，所以是不支持的态度。故选C项。