GMAT考试阅读资料(二)a
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Passage 7
  Between the eighth and eleventh centuries A.D., the Byzantine Empire staged an almost unparalleled economic and cultural revival1, a recovery that is all the more striking because it followed a long period of severe(5) internal decline. By the early eighth century, the empire had lost roughly two-thirds of the territory it had possessed2 in the year 600, and its remaining area was being raided by Arabs and Bulgarians, who at times threatened to take Constantinople and extinguish the(10) empire altogether. The wealth of the state and itssubjects was greatly diminished, and artistic3 and literaryproduction had virtually ceased. By the early eleventh century, however, the empire had regained4 almost half of its lost possessions, its new frontiers were secure, and its(15) influence extended far beyond its borders. The economyhad recovered, the treasury5 was full, and art and scho-larship had advanced.
  To consider the Byzantine military, cultural, and economic advances as differentiated6 aspects of a single(20) phenomenon is reasonable. After all, these three forms  of progress have gone together in a number of states and  civilizations. Rome under Augustus and fifth-century  Athens provide the most obvious examples in antiquity7.Moreover, an examination of the apparent sequential(25) connections among military, economic, and culturalforms of progress might help explain the dynamics8 ofhistorical change.
  The common explanation of these apparent conn-ections in the case of Byzantium would run like this:(30) when the empire had turned back enemy raids on its  own territory and had begun to raid and conquer enemyterritory, Byzantine resources naturally expanded andmore money became available to patronize art and lit-  erature. Therefore, Byzantine military achievements led to(35) economic advances, which in turn led to cultural revival.
  No doubt this hypothetical pattern did apply at times during the course of the recovery. Yet it is not clear that military advances invariably came first. economic  advances second, and intellectual advances third. In the(40) 860‘s the Byzantine Empire began to recover from Arabincursions so that by 872 the military balance with the  Abbasid Caliphate had been permanently9 altered in the  empire’s favor. The beginning of the empire‘s economic  revival, however, can be placed between 810 and 830.
  (45) Finally, the Byzantine revival of learning appears to have begun even earlier. A number of notable scholars and writers appeared by 788 and, by the last decade of  the eighth century, a cultural revival was in full bloom, a  revival that lasted until the fall of Constantinople in(50) 1453.Thus the commonly expected order of militaryrevival followed by economic and then by culturalrecovery was reversed in Byzantium. In fact, the revivalof Byzantine learning may itself have influenced thesubsequent economic and military expansion.
  1. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?
   (A) The Byzantine Empire was a unique case in which the usual order of military and economic revival preceding cultural revival was reversed.
   (B) The economic, cultural, and military revival in the Byzantine Empire between the eighth and eleventh centuries was similar in its order to the   sequence of revivals10 in Augustan Rome and fifth-   century Athens.
   (C) After 810 Byzantine economic recovery spurred a military and, later,cultural expansion that lasted until 1453.
   (D) The eighth-century revival of Byzantine learning is an inexplicable11 phenomenon,and its economic and military precursors12 have yet to be discovered.
   (E) The revival of the Byzantine Empire between the eighth and eleventh centuries shows cultural rebirth preceding economic and military revival,   the reverse of the commonly accepted order of   progress.

  2. The primary purpose of the second paragraph is which of the following?
   (A) To establish the uniqueness of the Byzantine revival
   (B) To show that Augustan Rome and fifth-century Athens are examples of cultural, economic, and military expansion against which all subsequent   cases must be measured 
   (C) To suggest that cultural, economic. and military advances have tended to be closely interrelated in different societies.
   (D) To argue that, while the revivals of Augustan Rome and fifth-century Athens were similar, they are unrelated to other historical examples
   (E) To indicate that, wherever possible, historians should seek to make comparisons with the earliest chronological13 examples of revival

  3. It can be inferred from the passage that by the eleventh century the Byzantine military forces
   (A) had reached their peak and begun to decline
   (B) had eliminated the Bulgarian army
   (C) were comparable in size to the army of Rome under Augustus
   (D) were strong enough to withstand the Abbasid Caliphate‘s military forces 
   (E) had achieved control of Byzantine governmental structures

  4. It can be inferred from the passage that the Byzantine Empire sustained significant territorial14 losses
   (A) in 600
   (B) during the seventh century
   (C) a century after the cultural achievements of the Byzantine Empire had been lost
   (D) soon after the revival of Byzantine learning
   (E) in the century after 873

  5. In the third paragraph, the author most probably provides an explanation of the apparent connections among economic,military, and cultural development in order to
   (A) suggest that the process of revival in Byzantium accords with this model
   (B) set up an order of events that is then shown to be not generally applicable to the case of Byzantium
   (C) cast aspersions on traditional historical scholarship about Byzantium
   (D) suggest that Byzantium represents a case for which no historical precedent15 exists
   (E) argue that military conquest is the paramount16 element in the growth of empires

  6. Which of the following does the author mention as crucial evidence concerning the manner in which the Byzantine revival began?
   (A) The Byzantine military revival of the 860‘s led to economic and cultural advances.
   (B) The Byzantine cultural revival lasted until 1453.
   (C) The Byzantine economic recovery began in the 900‘s.
   (D) The revival of Byzantine learning began toward the end of the eighth century.
   (E) By the early eleventh century the Byzantine Empire had regained much of its lost territory.

  7. According to the author, “The common explanation” (line 28) of connections between economic,military,and cultural development is
   (A) revolutionary and too new to have been applied to the history of the Byzantine Empire
   (B) reasonable, but an antiquated theory of the nature of progress
   (C) not applicable to the Byzantine revival as a whole, but does perhaps accurately describe limited  periods during the revival
   (D) equally applicable to the Byzantine case as a whole and to the history of military, economic, and cultural advances in ancient Greece and Rome
   (E) essentially not helpful, because military, economic,and cultural advances are part of a single phenomenon

 



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1 revival UWixU     
n.复兴,复苏,(精力、活力等的)重振
参考例句:
  • The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
  • He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。
2 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
3 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
4 regained 51ada49e953b830c8bd8fddd6bcd03aa     
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
  • She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻,但很快恢复了镇静。
5 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
6 differentiated 83b7560ad714d20d3b302f7ddc7af15a     
区分,区别,辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 ); 区别对待; 表明…间的差别,构成…间差别的特征
参考例句:
  • The development of mouse kidney tubules requires two kinds of differentiated cells. 小鼠肾小管的发育需要有两种分化的细胞。
  • In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上,大麦,苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。
7 antiquity SNuzc     
n.古老;高龄;古物,古迹
参考例句:
  • The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
  • There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。
8 dynamics NuSzQq     
n.力学,动力学,动力,原动力;动态
参考例句:
  • In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利,你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
  • Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。
9 permanently KluzuU     
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地
参考例句:
  • The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
10 revivals 27f0e872557bff188ef679f04b8e9732     
n.复活( revival的名词复数 );再生;复兴;(老戏多年后)重新上演
参考例句:
  • She adored parades, lectures, conventions, camp meetings, church revivals-in fact every kind of dissipation. 她最喜欢什么游行啦、演讲啦、开大会啦、营火会啦、福音布道会啦--实际上各种各样的娱乐。 来自辞典例句
  • The history of art is the history of revivals. 艺术的历史就是复兴的历史。 来自互联网
11 inexplicable tbCzf     
adj.无法解释的,难理解的
参考例句:
  • It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的,现在已经无法说清楚了。
  • There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。
12 precursors 5e19fce64ab14f5a4b5c8687640c2593     
n.先驱( precursor的名词复数 );先行者;先兆;初期形式
参考例句:
  • Phenyl (or polyphenyl) substituted epoxides serve as excellent precursors to phenyl (or diphenyl) carbenes. 某些苯代(或多苯)环氧乙烷是制取带苯环(或二苯)碳烯的极好原料。 来自辞典例句
  • Note the presence of megakaryocytes, erythroid islands, and granulocytic precursors. 可见巨核细胞,红细胞岛和粒细胞前体细胞。 来自互联网
13 chronological 8Ofzi     
adj.按年月顺序排列的,年代学的
参考例句:
  • The paintings are exhibited in chronological sequence.这些画是按创作的时间顺序展出的。
  • Give me the dates in chronological order.把日期按年月顺序给我。
14 territorial LImz4     
adj.领土的,领地的
参考例句:
  • The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
  • They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。
15 precedent sSlz6     
n.先例,前例;惯例;adj.在前的,在先的
参考例句:
  • Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗?
  • This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
16 paramount fL9xz     
a.最重要的,最高权力的
参考例句:
  • My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国,摧毁奴隶制度。
  • Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。
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