17.The ancient Egyptians appeared to be among the first early civilizations to learn how to grow roses.In 1888,at Hawara in the El Faiyum area of Egypt,two-thousand-year-old roses were found in ancient tombs.The discovery suggested roses were an important part of the complex burial ceremony which took place when an important person died.The roses found in the tombs are thought by modern experts to be the oldest preserved flowers ever found in the world.They must have been cut and dried before flowering so that they would remain undamaged.Over the centuries,the roses had shrunk and became tight balls,but on careful examination it was discovered that the petals (花瓣) themselves were hardly damaged.
Egypt's skill in mass-cultivation(大面積栽培)of roses in early times led to the flowers becoming an important export product.At the height of the Roman Empire,Egypt exported large quantities of roses to the Roman courts.Wealthy Romans loved the beautiful colors and sweet smells of roses.So the Romans attempted to grow their own roses and they eventually mastered the art of mass cultivation.Egypt then decided to concentrate on growing grain instead of roses,so grain soon took over as the number-one agricultural product of Egypt.
Roses were appreciated in other early civilizations too,including Greece and Persia.They are a decorative feature on coins,sculpture,and vases dating back thousands of years.There is also evidence that roses were highly valued by the Chinese who believed that the flowers could be used to help treat a wide range of illnesses,from toothache to skin and chest diseases.
In the modern world,the rose has not lost its popularity as the"Queen of Flowers"-the name given to it by the Greek poetess Sappho.Even today more roses are sold than any other flower.Modern techniques have enabled people to create ever more beautiful roses.Transportation by air makes it possible to grow roses in countries with favorable climates and sell them within twenty-four hours in profitable markets all over the world.Tons of roses are transported this way every week.Roses from Ecuador,a country in northern South America,can be bought in Holland,even though that country itself has a huge rose-growing business.
36.The roses discovered at Hawara in 1888wereD.
A.buried about four thousand years ago B.cut after they flowered
C.used to keep the dead body fresh D.finely preserved
37.Grain replaced roses to become the number-one agricultural product of Egypt becauseC.
A.the Egyptians showed less interest in roses
B.the competition in rose export became fierce
C.the Romans could grow roses for themselves
D.grain was in great demand in the world market
38.Paragraph 3is developed mainlyD.
A.by cause and effect B.by order in space
C.by order in time D.by examples
39.With the example of roses from Ecuador,the author showsB.
A.modern techniques help the cultivation of roses
B.a(chǎn)ir transport helps the rose trade worldwide
C.roses grown in Ecuador are world-famous
D.roses are sold more than any other flower
40.What would be the best title for the passage?A.
A.Queen of flowers B.History of growing roses
C.Big archeological discovery D.Rose trade around the world.
分析 本文是說明文.文章介紹了花中女王--玫瑰的早期文明和生長歷史以及它受歡迎的原因.詳細(xì)說明了古埃及時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)玫瑰文明的國家,埃及大規(guī)模的飼養(yǎng)玫瑰,玫瑰的作用,和現(xiàn)代人用技術(shù)手段創(chuàng)造出了更美麗的玫瑰等方面.
解答 36.D.細(xì)節(jié)理解題.由第一段的they would remain undamaged和the petals themselves were hardly damaged可知,這些出土的玫瑰保存完好.故選D.
37.C.細(xì)節(jié)理解題.由第二段的 So the Romans …mastered the art of mass cultivation可知,羅馬人最終掌握了大面積栽培玫瑰的技術(shù),不需要大量進(jìn)口埃及人的玫瑰了,因此埃及人把種植谷物放到了首位.故選C.
38.D.寫作手法題.本段介紹了玫瑰在其他文明古國一樣受歡迎,列舉了玫瑰在希臘、波斯、中國的用途.故選D.
39.B.推理判斷題.聯(lián)系上一句Transportation by air…all over the world可知,空運(yùn)促成了玫瑰銷售的全球化.這個(gè)例子正是用來說明這一點(diǎn).故選B.
40.A.標(biāo)題歸納題.本文對玫瑰栽培的歷史和當(dāng)今玫瑰產(chǎn)業(yè)進(jìn)行了簡要介紹.第四段提到了the"Queen of Flowers",因此用A項(xiàng)作標(biāo)題十分恰當(dāng).故選A.
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