托福阅读常考话题及练习题推荐二：希腊与罗马（2）

1托福阅读常考话题-希腊与罗马练习题

Paragraph1: In 334 B.C. Alexander the Great took his Greek armies to the east and in only a few years completed his creation of an empire out of much of southwest Asia In the new empire, barriers to trade and the movement of peoples were removed; markets were put in touch with one another. In the next generation thousands of Greek traders and artisans would enter this wider world to seek their fortunes. Alexander’s actions had several important consequences for the region occupied by the empire.

1. According to paragraph 1, Alexander the Great did which of the following?

A. Regulated the movement and resettlement in southwest Asia of thousands of Greek people

B. Opened up opportunities in new markets for traders and artisans

C. Created new restrictions on trade

D. Encouraged Greek citizens to choose military careers over careers in trade

Paragraph2: The first of these was the expansion of Greek civilization throughout the Middle East. Greek became the great international language. Towns and cities were established not only as garrisons (military posts) but as centers for the diffusion of Greek language, literature, and thought, particularly through libraries, as at Antioch (in modern Turkey) and the most famous of all, at Alexandria in Egypt, which would be the finest in the world for the next thousand years.

2. The word "diffusion" in the paragraph is closest in meaning to

A. adoption

B. spread

C. teaching

D.learning

3. In paragraph 2,the author mentions the libraries at Antioch and Alexandria in order to

A. provide evidence that the library was a cultural institution in the East before it spread to the West

B. explain why it was important for Greek to become the great international language

C. identify two of the sources of Greek cultural influence within Alexander’s empire

D.support the claim that the Greeks transformed Middle Eastern garrisons and military posts into cultural centers

Paragraph 3: Second, this internationalism spelled the end of the classical Greek city-state——the unit of government in ancient Greece——and everything it stood for. Most city-states had been quite small in terms of citizenry, and this was considered to be a good thing. The focus of life was the agora, the open marketplace where assemblies could be held and where issues of the day, as well as more fundamental topics such as the purpose of government or the relationship between law and freedom, could be discussed and decisions made by individuals in person. The philosopher Plato (428-348 B.C.) felt that the ideal city-state should have about 5,000 citizens, because to the Greeks it was important that everyone in the community should know each other. In decision making, the whole body of citizens together would have the necessary knowledge in order generally to reach the right decision, even though the individual might not be particularly qualified to decide. The philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), who lived at a time when the city-state system was declining, believed that a political entity of 100,000 simply would not be able to govern itself.

4. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the paragraph? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A. Assemblies were held in the agora to discuss some issues of the day, but more fundamental questions were decided by key individuals.

B. In a culture where philosophical discussions were frequent, some individuals questioned the value of a life focused on the marketplace.

C. Life centered around the agora, an open marketplace and site for public debate, where individuals could participate in decision making.

D. The focus of individuals was on fundamental topics such as the purpose of government and the connection between law and freedom.

5. According to paragraph 3，Plato believed that the ideal city-state should be

A. governed by a ruling body of about 5,000 city leaders with a total population of no more than 100,000

B. led by the most qualified individual

C. governed by the group of citizens with the most knowledge about the issues of the day

D. small enough so that everyone would know each other

6. Why does the author mention "The philosopher Aristotle"?

A. To provide additional evidence that the ancient Greeks believed that political units must be small

B. To demonstrate the accuracy of philosophers’ predictions about the end of the classical Greek city-state

C. To show how changes in the city-state system from the fifth to the third century B C. were reflected in the ideas of its philosophers

D. To support the claim that small city-states were ideally suited to produce philosophical inquiry

7. The word "declining" in the paragraph is closest in meaning to

A. at its best

B. rapidly expanding

C. first being formed

D. weakening