A
Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction.However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction.They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network.It passed through thousands of cities and towns.It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea.It was used from about 200 B．C.to about 1300 A．D., when sea travel offered new routes.It was sometimes called the world's longest highway.However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path.They passed through what are now 18 countries.The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles.Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product.Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods.But the traders carried more than just silk.Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia.Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China.
Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods.Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West.Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome.The Chinese had learned to graft different trees together to make new kinds of fruit.They passed this science on to others, including the Romans.The Romans used grafting to grow the apple.Trading along the Silk Road led to worldwide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods.They also shared their beliefs.The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy (外交), and religion.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了古代丝绸之路的发展及其在东西方贸易发展和文化传播中发挥的重要作用。
1．What is required to be traders along the Silk Road?
A．Remembering the entire trade route.
B．Dealing with a lot of difficulties.
C．Receiving certain special training.
D．Knowing the making of products.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第二段中“The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles.”可知，丝绸之路上的商人需要处理很多困难。故选B。
2．What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A．Silk was the most prized product.
B．The Silk Road led to worldwide business.
C．People traded many goods along the route.
D．The Silk Road used to be the world's longest highway.
解析：选B 段落大意题。根据第三段可知，通过丝绸之路的货物到达了世界各地，故本段的主要内容是丝绸之路带动了世界范围内的贸易。故选B。
3．How does the new technology travel along the Silk Road?
A．Trading goods along the route.
B．Sharing each other's beliefs.
C．Learning from one another.
D．Making a living by traveling.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“They passed this science on to others, including the Romans.”以及后文“The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy, and religion.”可知，新技术是通过互相学习并沿着丝绸之路传播的。故选C。
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A．The Silk Road: East Meets West
B．The Silk Road: Past and Present
C．The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers
D．The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning
解析：选A 标题归纳题。通读全文可知，文章介绍了古代丝绸之路，全文围绕古丝绸之路促进了中西方的货物、技术和文化交流，说明了丝绸之路为世界贸易发展和文化传播所起到的重要作用，是东西方之间的桥梁。故A选项“丝绸之路：东西方交汇”最符合文章标题。
