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Reading Comprehension
A
Though we usually associate the ancient Egyptian civilization with mummies(木乃伊) and pyramids, ancient Egyptians did come up with a number of inventions. Some of their most outstanding inventions are as follows:
Papyrus (莎草纸)
We owe the invention of paper to the ancient Egyptians who, as early as 3000 BC, had developed a technique of making paper from the papyrus plant that is commonly found along the banks of the Nile. These plants were placed over each other and placed under a weight for a couple of days. The quality of papyrus is clear as they are still complete almost 5,000 years after they were first written on.
Reed pen (芦苇笔)
With the invention of papyrus to write on, it was necessary for the ancient Egyptians to find out how they would write on it. Papyrus sheets were thick and stiff, so the tool that would be used to write with on them had to be hard too. Reed pens were invented by them to serve the purpose. These pens have been recovered from several ancient Egyptian sites, showing how widely they were used during ancient times. These pens date back to the 4th century BC.
Black ink
Of all the inventions by the ancient Egyptians, one of the greatest and most used was the invention of black ink, which was invented in 2980 BC. They mixed soot (煤烟) with vegetable gum and beeswax (树胶和蜂蜡). They replaced soot with other organic materials to make ink of different colors. These mixtures were quite resultful, as the Egyptian documents survive till date, in a full or partially readable condition.
Water clock
The Egyptians invented the water clock as early as 1417 BC. It was a stone container with walls and a small hole at the bottom, through which water would fall in small drops at a constant rate.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The ancient Egyptian history.
B. The historical role the Nile played in ancient times.
C. Some inventions of ancient Egypt.
D. Contributions ancient Egypt made to the world.
2. Which one is the first to appear in the world?
A. Papyrus.
B. The reed pen.
C. Black ink.
D. The water clock.
3. The underlined word “resultful” in the passage most probably means ____.
A. effective
B. harmful
C. strange
D. soft
4. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Papyrus is of good quality.
B. Reed pens were widely used in ancient Egypt.
C. Ancient Egyptians could make ink in different colors.
D. The water clock seems like the modern clock.
B
While flat bread has a history that dates back to ancient Egypt, real pizza ?pinzza with tomato sauce — was invented in Naples, Italy. Legend holds that pizza margherita — filled with tomato, cheese, and basil(罗勒), in the red, white and green of Italy’s flag — was first created by Naples’ Pizzeria Brandi to honor Queen Margherita of Italy during an 1886 visit.
Today, of course, there are all kinds of pizza shapes, sizes and flavors around the world, but the original Neapolitan pizza is round, with a soft, thin center and thick, friable(脆的) sides. You should be able to fold it in four and eat it like a cake. And that’s the delicious treat that’s now up for protection as an irreplaceable piece of global human heritage(遗产): This year, Italy is putting “the art of the Neopolitan pizza maker” on the list of candidates to become treasures of world heritage recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Universally recognizable, “pizza” happens to be the Italian language’s best-known word, and worldwide, but that doesn’t mean it’s a certain winner. “UNESCO has never listed a cultural tradition linked to food production,” Pierluigi Petrillo, who offered the material to be discussed at UNESCO, told The Local, an English-language digital news publisher.
The European Union included pizza in its official list of “guaranteed traditional specialities” in 2024. The list specifies that any pizza called “Neapolitan” must be no more than 35 cm wide, with crust(面包皮) of up to 2 cm high, topped with canned tomatoes, cheese from Naples’ Campania region, oil and basil. The pizza must be cooked in a wooden oven, and be elastic(有弹性的) and soft.
Italy also says that it has more UNESCO-recognized cultural treasures than any other country. The final decision on whether pizza-making makes one more will be announced in 2024, after discussion with all 193 UN member-states.
1. Pizza margherita got such a name because ____.
A. Queen Margherita gave it the name
B. it was specially created for Queen Margherita
C. it was created in Queen Margherita’s time
D. Queen Margherita liked eating it very much
2. This year Italy is going to make ____.
A. Neapolitan pizza known in the world
B. Neapolitan pizza sold all over the world
C. the pizza-making art become a world heritage
D. Neapolitan pizza be thought highly of
3. What conclusion can be drawn according to what Pierluigi Petrillo said?
A. Neapolitan pizza is only well-known in Italy.
B. Neapolitan pizza will be recognized in the world.
C. The dream of Italy is sure to come true in 2024.
D. Neapolitan pizza might be refused by UNESCO.
4. Pizza included in the list of “guaranteed traditional specialities” ____.
A. has specific requirements
B. will become popular next year
C. must be admitted by UNESCO
D. must be created by Naples’ Pizzeria Brandi
C
When everything is lost it can be the best time to try the impossible. History contains many examples of individuals taking brave action and turning around desperate situations. Take the case of Venice in the year 1314, with interest rates(利率) at 20% that made it almost impossible for anyone to borrow money. Since the king of France had forbidden Flemish merchants to take part in the Fairs of Champagne, imports of cloth into Venice had stopped altogether. Without Flemish cloth, Venetian dyers(染坊) had been forced to fire hundreds of workers, pushing the economy into a deep recession(衰退).
Pietro Alvise, the son of a Venetian merchant, did not allow the situation to bring him down. Instead, he discussed a plan with his father, Luigi Alvise. “What you are planning is impossible, Pietro,” advised the old man, shaking his head. “Many have tried it before and no one has succeeded. It’s better if we wait until the market recovers.” Pietro Alvise thought if he could not convince his own family, how would he be able to convince anyone else? So he insisted, “The market isn’t going to recover. Don’t you see the rising interest rates? Aren’t our friends going broke one after another? I know that it can be done, father,” said Pietro. “We can build larger ships able to sail around Spain and France. We will take leather and glassware to Bruges and return with cloth.”
During the next weeks, Luigi Alvise and Pietro Alvise called on other businessmen until they managed to line up 100 investors(投资者) ready to offer money to the building of a big ship. The new ship weighed 500 tons. This was something unheard of at that time. Traditional Venetian ships had only one deck and were seldom more than 200 tons in weight. The big ship was built in the middle of the worst economic situation. In June of 1314, the ship sailed away from Venice, arriving two months later in Bruges. The trade expedition was a great success, turned around the economy of the area, and served as a basis for Venetian control of the world trade during the following centuries.
1. Why was it impossible for anyone to borrow money in the year 1314?
A. At that time most people were very poor.
B. The king of France forbade borrowing money.
C. The interest rates of money were too high.
D. The wars at that time stopped borrowing money.
2. With no Flemish cloth into Venice, ____.
A. Venetian factories had to produce more cloth
B. a large number of workers lost their jobs
C. the economy in Venice grew rapidly
D. Flemish businessmen had to find other partners
3. What suggestion did Pietro Alvise give to his father?
A. Doing what they could to help his friends.
B. Persuading his friends to lend him money.
C. Trying to take part in the Fairs of Champagne.
D. Building much bigger ships to do business.
4. We can infer from this passage that Pietro Alvise ____.
A. was supported by his father at the beginning
B. insisted on what he thought and was fearless and able
C. was the richest person in the world at that time
D. designed the ship and had it built with less money
Reading Comprehension
A
Though we usually associate the ancient Egyptian civilization with mummies(木乃伊) and pyramids, ancient Egyptians did come up with a number of inventions. Some of their most outstanding inventions are as follows:
Papyrus (莎草纸)
We owe the invention of paper to the ancient Egyptians who, as early as 3000 BC, had developed a technique of making paper from the papyrus plant that is commonly found along the banks of the Nile. These plants were placed over each other and placed under a weight for a couple of days. The quality of papyrus is clear as they are still complete almost 5,000 years after they were first written on.
Reed pen (芦苇笔)
With the invention of papyrus to write on, it was necessary for the ancient Egyptians to find out how they would write on it. Papyrus sheets were thick and stiff, so the tool that would be used to write with on them had to be hard too. Reed pens were invented by them to serve the purpose. These pens have been recovered from several ancient Egyptian sites, showing how widely they were used during ancient times. These pens date back to the 4th century BC.
Black ink
Of all the inventions by the ancient Egyptians, one of the greatest and most used was the invention of black ink, which was invented in 2980 BC. They mixed soot (煤烟) with vegetable gum and beeswax (树胶和蜂蜡). They replaced soot with other organic materials to make ink of different colors. These mixtures were quite resultful, as the Egyptian documents survive till date, in a full or partially readable condition.
Water clock
The Egyptians invented the water clock as early as 1417 BC. It was a stone container with walls and a small hole at the bottom, through which water would fall in small drops at a constant rate.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The ancient Egyptian history.
B. The historical role the Nile played in ancient times.
C. Some inventions of ancient Egypt.
D. Contributions ancient Egypt made to the world.
2. Which one is the first to appear in the world?
A. Papyrus.
B. The reed pen.
C. Black ink.
D. The water clock.
3. The underlined word “resultful” in the passage most probably means ____.
A. effective
B. harmful
C. strange
D. soft
4. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Papyrus is of good quality.
B. Reed pens were widely used in ancient Egypt.
C. Ancient Egyptians could make ink in different colors.
D. The water clock seems like the modern clock.
B
While flat bread has a history that dates back to ancient Egypt, real pizza ?pinzza with tomato sauce — was invented in Naples, Italy. Legend holds that pizza margherita — filled with tomato, cheese, and basil(罗勒), in the red, white and green of Italy’s flag — was first created by Naples’ Pizzeria Brandi to honor Queen Margherita of Italy during an 1886 visit.
Today, of course, there are all kinds of pizza shapes, sizes and flavors around the world, but the original Neapolitan pizza is round, with a soft, thin center and thick, friable(脆的) sides. You should be able to fold it in four and eat it like a cake. And that’s the delicious treat that’s now up for protection as an irreplaceable piece of global human heritage(遗产): This year, Italy is putting “the art of the Neopolitan pizza maker” on the list of candidates to become treasures of world heritage recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Universally recognizable, “pizza” happens to be the Italian language’s best-known word, and worldwide, but that doesn’t mean it’s a certain winner. “UNESCO has never listed a cultural tradition linked to food production,” Pierluigi Petrillo, who offered the material to be discussed at UNESCO, told The Local, an English-language digital news publisher.
The European Union included pizza in its official list of “guaranteed traditional specialities” in 2024. The list specifies that any pizza called “Neapolitan” must be no more than 35 cm wide, with crust(面包皮) of up to 2 cm high, topped with canned tomatoes, cheese from Naples’ Campania region, oil and basil. The pizza must be cooked in a wooden oven, and be elastic(有弹性的) and soft.
Italy also says that it has more UNESCO-recognized cultural treasures than any other country. The final decision on whether pizza-making makes one more will be announced in 2024, after discussion with all 193 UN member-states.
1. Pizza margherita got such a name because ____.
A. Queen Margherita gave it the name
B. it was specially created for Queen Margherita
C. it was created in Queen Margherita’s time
D. Queen Margherita liked eating it very much
2. This year Italy is going to make ____.
A. Neapolitan pizza known in the world
B. Neapolitan pizza sold all over the world
C. the pizza-making art become a world heritage
D. Neapolitan pizza be thought highly of
3. What conclusion can be drawn according to what Pierluigi Petrillo said?
A. Neapolitan pizza is only well-known in Italy.
B. Neapolitan pizza will be recognized in the world.
C. The dream of Italy is sure to come true in 2024.
D. Neapolitan pizza might be refused by UNESCO.
4. Pizza included in the list of “guaranteed traditional specialities” ____.
A. has specific requirements
B. will become popular next year
C. must be admitted by UNESCO
D. must be created by Naples’ Pizzeria Brandi
C
When everything is lost it can be the best time to try the impossible. History contains many examples of individuals taking brave action and turning around desperate situations. Take the case of Venice in the year 1314, with interest rates(利率) at 20% that made it almost impossible for anyone to borrow money. Since the king of France had forbidden Flemish merchants to take part in the Fairs of Champagne, imports of cloth into Venice had stopped altogether. Without Flemish cloth, Venetian dyers(染坊) had been forced to fire hundreds of workers, pushing the economy into a deep recession(衰退).
Pietro Alvise, the son of a Venetian merchant, did not allow the situation to bring him down. Instead, he discussed a plan with his father, Luigi Alvise. “What you are planning is impossible, Pietro,” advised the old man, shaking his head. “Many have tried it before and no one has succeeded. It’s better if we wait until the market recovers.” Pietro Alvise thought if he could not convince his own family, how would he be able to convince anyone else? So he insisted, “The market isn’t going to recover. Don’t you see the rising interest rates? Aren’t our friends going broke one after another? I know that it can be done, father,” said Pietro. “We can build larger ships able to sail around Spain and France. We will take leather and glassware to Bruges and return with cloth.”
During the next weeks, Luigi Alvise and Pietro Alvise called on other businessmen until they managed to line up 100 investors(投资者) ready to offer money to the building of a big ship. The new ship weighed 500 tons. This was something unheard of at that time. Traditional Venetian ships had only one deck and were seldom more than 200 tons in weight. The big ship was built in the middle of the worst economic situation. In June of 1314, the ship sailed away from Venice, arriving two months later in Bruges. The trade expedition was a great success, turned around the economy of the area, and served as a basis for Venetian control of the world trade during the following centuries.
1. Why was it impossible for anyone to borrow money in the year 1314?
A. At that time most people were very poor.
B. The king of France forbade borrowing money.
C. The interest rates of money were too high.
D. The wars at that time stopped borrowing money.
2. With no Flemish cloth into Venice, ____.
A. Venetian factories had to produce more cloth
B. a large number of workers lost their jobs
C. the economy in Venice grew rapidly
D. Flemish businessmen had to find other partners
3. What suggestion did Pietro Alvise give to his father?
A. Doing what they could to help his friends.
B. Persuading his friends to lend him money.
C. Trying to take part in the Fairs of Champagne.
D. Building much bigger ships to do business.
4. We can infer from this passage that Pietro Alvise ____.
A. was supported by his father at the beginning
B. insisted on what he thought and was fearless and able
C. was the richest person in the world at that time
D. designed the ship and had it built with less money
