文化遗产，历史的根基

第一部分 阅读（共两节，满分50分）

第一节 （共15小题;每小题2.5分，满分37.5分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

A

Pingyao， in the center of Shanxi Province， is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site. Its 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River. People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a county government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites， with a 2，700⁃year history.

Ninety⁃nine of them are under government protection， including Zhenguo Temple， Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties， businessmen organized commercial groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823， a store， known as Ri⁃shengchang （Sunrise Prosperity）， traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia， leading to great development in Pingyao. Its lacquer ware （漆器） became well known. In Pingyao Ancient City， there are many traditional houses and commercial buildings， 3，797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxis history and culture， but this large number is valuable for studying its history， customs， ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops for local people. In 1997， Pingyao Ancient City was listed in the World Heritage List.

1. What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 2 refer to？

A. Historic buildings and sites in Pingyao. B. The two temples.

C. Bank checks. D. Branch banks.

2. Which of the following about Pingyao is excluded from the text？

A. Its location.            B. Its tourism.

C. Its business.            D. Its history.

3. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties， Pingyao was a leading center in .

A. agriculture              B. raising cattle

C. commercial trade        D. making gold coins

B

Hu Guanmei， a 66⁃year⁃old woman of the Dong ethnic group， is the inheritor of the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group （侗族大歌 ）， a national intangible cultural heritage in China. Her hometown Zaidang Village in Guizhou， southwestern China， is home to the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group.

The Grand Song of Dong dates from more than 2，500 years ago. The way Dong singers use their vocal cords （声带 ） is different from how formally trained singers do. It is a folk chorus with multi⁃parts， no conductor， and no accompaniment. Organically growing from their natural surroundings， it is recognized internationally as “the sound of Nature”.

Before the Dong people had a writing system in 1958， the Dong culture， their history and stories were all recorded by means of songs. As a Dong saying goes， “Rice feeds the body and songs enrich the soul.” The Dong people sing right from their childhood. While not singing， they all work in their rice field.

Guanmei has been singing the Grand Song of Dong all her life， making her a famous singing teacher in her hometown and nearby areas. “The songs are our means of passing on wisdom， knowledge and life experiences to others. I will not exist in this world 100 years later， but Grand Songs will. Im honored to do this job，” Guanmei said.

Kind⁃hearted， Guanmei has been volunteering to teach the Grand Song of Dong to the Dong children for over 30 years. Now she has more than 300 students. Guanmei is pleased to see the village children come to her house willingly when they have free time.

“Nowadays， more and more young people leave the village and settle in cities. Decades later， the Dong children out of the village might know nothing about Grand Songs. We should do something just now. Its our mission. What is once lost might be lost forever，” added Guanmei.

4. What makes the Grand Song of Dong known as “the sound of Nature”？

A. The outstanding conductor.

B. The special musical instrument.

C. The attractive natural environment.

D. The inspiration from Nature.

5. What can we know about the Dong culture？

A. The Dong singers are professionals.

B. The Dong culture before 1958 has been largely lost.

C. Singing is of vital importance to the Dong people.

D. They have a written system with a history of over 2，500 years.

6. How does Guanmei feel about the future of Grand Songs？

A. Concerned. B. Excited. C. Optimistic. D. Satisfied.

7. Whats the authors main purpose in writing the text？

A. To call on young people to return to the Dong village.

B.  To teach the Dong children to learn the Grand Song of Dong.

C. To show a womans efforts to keep the Dong culture alive.