6．Walls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture．In ancient times，not only towns and villages，but also the houses and the temples within them were surrounded with walls．Also，the houses had no windows overlooking the street．Thus，walking in a city would give the feeling of wandering around a huge maze （迷宮）．The word"city'in Chinese also means"wall"．The god of walls and mounts，whose duty was，and still is，to protect and be responsible for the welfare of the residents in these cities，villages，houses and temples．So a great and extremely hard task such as constructing a wall，which was supposed to run the length of the country，might not sound absurd（荒誕的）．
However，it is indeed a common mistake to think of the Great Wall as a single building structure，and it would also be a mistake to assume that it was built during a single dynasty．Actually，several dynasties somehow contributed to the construction of the Great Wall，the foundations of which had been laid many centuries ago．It was during the fourth and third centuries BC that warring states started building walls lo protect their kingdoms，both against one another and against the northern nomads （游牧民族）．
The Great Wall played an important role in the growth of Chinese economy in history．Many settlements were established along the new border．Armies were instructed to reclaim （開墾） wasteland and to plant crops there．Also，roads and canals were built．All of the work greatly helped increase the country's trade and cultural exchanges with many remote areas and also with the southern，central and western parts of Asia．
59．Why did ancient Chinese cities seem like a maze？A
A．Because the outside walls of houses had no windows．
B．Because there were usually more walls than houses．
C．Because the word"city"means"wall"．
D．Because there were legends about the god of walls．
60．According to the passage，constructing a wall running the length of the country．B
A．was an order from the god of walls and mounts
B．might make sense within Chinese culture
C．was a completely absurd task
D．seriously prevented the spread of Chinese culture
61．The second paragraph is mainly aboutD．
A．why the Great Wall is so popular
B．how advanced the Great wall was
C．who should pay a visit to the Great Wall
D．how the Great Wall was constructed．
分析 本文是一篇社會文化類閱讀．主要敘述了長城在中國的重要性．簡單介紹了長城是如何建造的、長城在中國文化中的作用以及長城在中國經濟增長上發(fā)揮的作用．
解答 59-61 ABD
59．A．細節(jié)理解題．根據"the houses had no windows overlooking the street．Thus，walking in a city would give the feeling of wandering around a huge maze （迷宮）．"可知古長城看起來像迷宮是因為墻上沒有窗戶．故選A．
60．B．推理判斷題．根據"So a great and extremely hard task such as constructing a wall，which was supposed to run the length of the country，might not sound absurd（荒誕的）"可知建造一個橫跨國家的墻在中國有意義．故選B．
61．D．細節(jié)理解題．根據"several dynasties somehow contributed to the construction of the Great Wall，the foundations of which had been laid many centuries ago"可知第二段主要敘述的是長城是如何建造的．故選D．
點評 本文是一篇社會文化類閱讀．主要敘述了長城在中國的重要性．此類題型主要考查學生的細節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力．細節(jié)理解題是針對文中某個細節(jié)、某句話或某部分具體內容設置問題，所以在做細節(jié)理解題時要結合原文和提干有針對性的找出相關語句進行仔細分析，再結合選項選出正確答案．在做推理判斷題時不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要聯(lián)系上下文根據文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
