1.（2020年，天津卷，第一次高考）
Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task. If you're studying history, asking yourself the question "why is history important "is a very good first step. History is an essential part of human civilization. You will find something here that will arouse your interest, or get you thinking about the significance of history.
History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study, and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse（一瞥）into our ancestral pasts, and how we got to where we are today. Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging, which is something that studying your roots and being open-minded to the evolution of your culture can provide.
History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.
History makes us more empathetic（具有共情能力的）, Studying history can give us insight （洞察力）into why our culture does certain things, and how the past has shaped it into what we know now. It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures. Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance （无知）. We're scared of the things that we don't understand. History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.
History can inspire us to learn more. what's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons. It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts. Study the 19th century England, and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Look up Charles Dickens, and you might learn a thing or two about realism. Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels, and discover the history of romantic poets in England. It can go anywhere, and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.
The value of history cannot be underestimated. We don't have to live in the past, but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.
1.The underlined part "where we are today" in Para. 2 probably means __________.
A.the turning point in our history
B.the present state of our nation
C.the location of our homeland
D.the total area of our country
2.According to the experts, why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life?
A.The problems at present are similar to those in the past.
B.Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today.
C.The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors.
D.People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems.
3.What can be concluded from Para.4?
A.It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers.
B.People are willing to accept foreign cultures.
C.Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore.
D.History helps us improve our cross-cultural awareness.
4.With the example in Para.5, the writer intends to show that______________.
A.Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature.
B.Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets.
C.reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period.
D.studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields.
5.What could be the best title for the passage?
A.How to Build Cultural Identity
B.Why Studying History Matters
C.Know the Past, Know the Present
D.History: a Way to Broaden Horizons
【答案】1.B 2.A 3.D 4.D 5.B
【解析】本文是议论文。开头提出问题为什么历史重要。然后分四方面论述学历史的好处，最后总结扣题说明学历史的意义——历史的价值不可低估，通过从中学习，并利用学到的教训过更有意义的生活。
1.猜测词义题。根据上句learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse(一瞥 )into our ancestral pasts.,可知学习我们祖国的历史能更深、更有意义地了解我们祖先的过去。此处指学历史着眼于大局，是从国家层面讲的，与之一致，可推知画线的where we are today指的是我们国家的现状。故选B。
2.细节理解题。根据第三段According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.可知专家认为，无论过去和现在，人们面临的问题都是一样的。有了祖先的信息，我们在处理生活中的挑战时会更有经验。故选A。
3.推理判断题。根据第四段中It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures和History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.可知历史为跨文化的同理心提供了一个相当坚实的基础，历史有可能打破对未知事物的恐惧和憎恨，为我们提供洞悉整个世界的机会。由此推之历史帮助我们提高跨文化意识。故选D。
4.推理判断题。根据第五段标题是 History can inspire us to learn more:(历史可以激励我们学习更多),下面列举了阅读Oliver Twist的例子,通过Oliver Twist我们能去了解作者 Charles Dickens,还可能会学到一些关于现实主义的东西，会发现英国浪漫主义诗人的历史。作者通过这个例子是为了说明学习历史可以引起人们对其他领域的兴趣。故选D。
5.主旨大意题。根据第一段If you're studying history, asking yourself the question" why is history important" is a very good first step.提到学历史前先问自己为什么历史重要。下文分四方面论述学历史的好处，最后一段总结扣题说明学历史的意义——历史的价值不可低估，通过从中学习，并利用学到的教训过更有意义的生活。故Why Studying History Matters?能概括全文内容。故选B。
