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。
Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his time at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin (普通话) class, he quickly changed his mind.
“I thought Mandarin would be more beneficial than Latin，” said Cheatham.
He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read social media posts from his Chinesespeaking friends. While it's a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be important for his career. “Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power，” he said.
Many experts agree that proficiency (熟练) in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy.
“People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing fast，” said Marty Abbott, director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. “We're seeing it in all parts of the country.”
Abbott predicts that as many as 100,000 students are now studying Mandarin in public and private schools throughout the US. She said the US government has designated (指定) Mandarin as an “important need” language and provides professional development programs for teachers. “Our government wants to increase our language ability for economic competitiveness，” Abbott added.
At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes set up in many US states. For example, the Confucius Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas has been the home of a Confucius Institute for decades. It sponsors Confucius Classrooms at 21 local public and private schools, where tens of thousands of students are learning Mandarin.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述普通话在美国学生中日益流行。
5．Why did Thomas Cheatham decide to study Mandarin instead of Latin?
A．Mandarin was easier to learn than Latin.
B．Mandarin could be helpful to his future career.
C．Mandarin might help him learn more about China.
D．Mandarin could enable him to study computer engineering.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第三段第二句可知，Thomas Cheatham认为学习普通话对他的未来职业有帮助，所以才决定学习普通话。
6．The underlined word “edge” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
A．a slight advantage B．the outside limit
C．a sharp tone of voice D．an exciting quality
解析：选A 词义猜测题。根据语境尤其是第三段最后一句中的“Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power”和第四段第一句中的“a language spoken by a billion people”可知，随着中国的发展，学习普通话大有裨益，由此可推知，学习普通话会给美国学生在全球经济中带来一定的优势，这与文章第五段的内容呼应。故画线词意为“优势”，与A项含义相近。
7．Which of the following statements might Marty Abbott agree with?
A．Mandarin should be taught in classrooms throughout the US.
B．Those skilled at Chinese will be the most competitive in the future.
C．The US government's policy has helped popularize Mandarin in the US.
D．Americans learn Mandarin because they worry about their economic security.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第六段的内容可推知，在Marty Abbott看来，美国政府的政策有助于普通话在美国的推广。
8．What does the author mainly talk about in this passage?
A．The rising popularity of Mandarin among American students.
B．The great benefits of learning Mandarin for American students.
C．The influence of China's growing power on American education.
D．The effect of Confucius Institutes in promoting Mandarin in the US.
解析：选A 主旨大意题。通读全文可知，本文主要讲述的是普通话在美国学生中日益流行的现象，这与最后一段的进一步论述呼应。故选A。
