高考英语之人与社会类阅读(二)

2021届高考英语之人与社会类阅读(二）

游平遥古城

After reaching the ancient city of Pingyao, my first sight of the city was its famous wall, surrounding the whole city. The city is also known as u Turtle City" because of the wal l’s structure. There are six gates along the wall. Four are symmetrically （对称地）set on the east and west sides, looking like the legs of a turtle. The southern and northern gates resemble the head and tail.

I thought of the city as a living museum. Its complete city wall, its common houses and shops and even its government offices were all preserved in the style of China's Ming and Qing Dynasties. Furthermore, it has retained the Han city features. It is a great resource for studying the social form, economic structure, military defense, traditional thinking, cultural values and dwellings（民居）of the country. Walking on the road, it's easy to imagine what life was like in times long gone, when Pingyao was the financial center of China.

The most important place is Rishengchang Exchange Shop. It is known as the “Father of Chinese Banking”. With more than 30 branches throughout the country, this bank allowed bills instead of gold and silver, allowing it to be used for business transactions （交易）. What this meant was that merchants going to other parts of the country to do business did not have to transport large quantities of gold or silver with them.

The only way to explore the city is on foot, since there are no cars allowed within the walls of the city. The night view of the street is amazing. Traditional lamps are lighted and red Chinese lanterns hang in front of every shop and house. More romantic are the dusty backstreets, where chickens find food from the ground and people ride bikes on the rough roads. I walked on top of the city walls, examining the awe-inspiring architectural designs. This carried my thoughts to the past, mixing ancient times and modem times. It's my first time to experience such a place.

1 How many gates are there on the east side of the wall?

A.Two.

B. Three.

C. Four.

D. Five.

2. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A.Pingyao has a living museum.

B.Pingyao is the only city with the Han city features.

C.Pingyao was the social and financial center of China.

D.Pingyao was very important in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

3.What would the merchants do in Rishengchang Exchange Shop?

A.To get some branches.

B.To buy a lot of gold and silver.

C.To do business with bank notes.

D.To know the father of Chinese Banking.