Question

【题目】Marco Polo

Marco Polo was born in Italy in 1254. A traveller and businessman, he was one of the first Europeans to travel across Asia and into China. His journey lasted 24 years.

He set out, aged 17, with his father Nicolo and his uncle Maffeo on their great journey to China. They sailed south from Venice, Italy and stopped off in the Middle East. They ofen carried on overland to Persia (now Iran), through the Pamir Mountains and the Gobi Desert before they got to Beijing, China.At that time, China was more advanced than Europe. They already had paper, so large numbers of books were available. They also used paper money in many parts of the country.

After he got back to Italy, Marco Polo talked about his experiences in China, and he wrote a book describing the riches of Asia. His book was the first western record of porcelain(瓷器), coal, gunpowder, printing and silk.Unfortunately, not many people believed Polo’s stories and he became known as “the man of a million lies”. He died in 1324.

Jacques Cousteau

Jacques Cousteau was a French undersea explorer, environmentalist and inventor. He was born in France in 1910. When he was young, he was attracted by the sea, machines and filmmaking. In the French navy, Cousteau began exploring underwater and worked on a special breathing machine which allowed divers to stay underwater for several hours. This gave them time to really look around under the ocean. In 1948, Cousteau began travelling the world’s oceans in his research ship Calypso.Cousteau produced many films and books about his underwater experiences, including the TV series The Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau, which introduced the public to the world of sharks, whales, dolphins and treasure.

Cousteau started the Cousteau Society to protect ocean life. In 1989, he received a great honour: he was made a member of the French Academy. Finally, after a long and varied life, Cousteau died on 25th June, 1997.

【1】What do we know about Marco Polo’s trip to China？

A. He travelled all the way by boat.

B. He planned to trade with the East.

C. He travelled with members of his family.

D. He brought advanced technologies to China.

【2】What did Marco Polo do after he returned to Italy?

A. He started to sell books.

B. He taught people to make paper.

C. He made up stories to fool people.

D. He recorded his experiences in China.

【3】Which of the following is TRUE about Jacques Cousteau?

A. He cared for the environment.

B. He invented his research ship Calypso.

C. He was really interested in China.

D. He published books about his family life.

【4】What can we infer about the two men mentioned in the text?

A. They were great explorers.

B. They were highly talented.

C. They were imaginative.

D. They were sea-lovers.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】A

【4】A

【解析】两篇文章均为人物传记。第一篇讲述了Marco Polo少时跟随父亲叔叔出行中国，在回到意大利记录下了当时繁华的中国却不被相信，被扣上撒谎的帽子的故事。第二篇讲述了Jacques Cousteau探险环游保护环境的故事。

【1】细节理解题。A选项中有desert 沙漠，因此不可能一直乘船。B选项与原文They sailed south from Venice, Italy and stopped off in the Middle East.，不符，D选项After he got back to Italy, Marco Polo talked about his experiences in China, 是从中国带走一些东西，而不是讲技术带给中国，D错误。而C选项He set out, aged 17, with his father Nicolo and his uncle Maffeo on their great journey to China.和爸爸叔叔一起出行中国，故选C

【2】细节理解题。原文After he got back to Italy, Marco Polo talked about his experiences in China, and he wrote a book describing the riches of Asia可知，他返回意大利时记录了在中国的经历，故选D

【3】细节推断题。由原文中讲他是enviomentist环境学家以及Cousteau started the Cousteau Society to protect ocean life. 可知他和关注环境问题故选A

【4】主旨大意题。两段分别讲了两个人旅行探索的经历，B.C文中没有提到，D项是用来描述故Jacques Cousteau的，选A