Question

The distance between ancient Rome and ancient China was about 4,000 miles by land. There were terrible deserts and high mountains on the way. It was a very dangerous trip.

For a very long time, the ancient Romans did not know who was making this wonderful cloth called silk. The Romans first discovered pieces of silk in the goods they took from some of dead people they had conquered （征服）. But those people did not know where the silk was made. They only traded for the silk.

The Romans tried to find more traders as they came into villages to trade silk for other goods. But the traders did not know who made the silk either. In fact, the trading along the Silk Road was a relay （接力）system. One trader would travel for a while, stop and trade, and return home. The next trader would continue, stop and trade, and return home. And so it went. No trader made the whole trip because the trip was too dangerous.

As silk was becoming more and more popular, the demand for it in ancient Rome had grown. Ancient Rome had treasure. They hoped to find “The Silk People” to trade for more silk. But most never returned because they could not make it through the desert. They had to turn around and come back.

This went on for a very long time.

As the years went by along the Silk Road, temples appeared. There were even cities built on the oases （綠洲）. It was never easy to travel by land from ancient China to ancient Rome. But it was worth it. Ancient Rome traded treasure for ancient China’s silk and spices. In fact, more things travelled along the Silk Road than traders and goods. Ideas travelled along the Silk Road as well. The ideas changed the world.

1.Why was it difficult for the ancient Romans to know the silk maker?

A.Because the silk makers didn’t want to be conquered.

B.Because the silk makers wanted to make more money.

C.Because the traders never saw the silk makers.

D.Because the method of making silk was a secret.

2.Which of the words has the similar meaning to “demand” in paragraph 4?

A.Interest B.Price C.Need D.Value

3.What does the passage mainly tell us?

A.The discovery of ancient Rome. B.The importance of the Silk Road.

C.The history and value of the Silk Road. D.The international trade in ancient times.

4.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.The Silk Road made a great difference to the world.

B.The ancient Romans wanted to conquer the traders.

C.Silk was the only thing that people traded along the Silk Road.

D.After building the temples, the travel was much easier than before.

Answer 1