泰州市姜堰区2016届期初考试英语试题及答案(4)

        driving extraordinarily fast. How many points will he get?
       A. 6 points.          B. 9 points.                 C. 12 points.               D. 16 points.
57. What will happen to you if you have got 18 points for the first time?
        A. You will get a warning letter from the Transport Department.
         B. Your driving license will be taken away.
        C. You will have to give up driving for 3 months.
        D. You will be defined as guilty.
                                 B
      Marco was the original travel writer, whose trade contacts with Asia changed Europe, opening
it up to new ideas and cultures.
    Marco Polo was born in the Venetian Republic around 1254. At the time, Venice was one of
the most powerful trading cities in the world, and was ruled as an independent city state. Marco's
mother died when he was young, so he was brought up by his aunt and uncle. When Marco was
born, his brother (Maffeo) and father (Niccolo), who were successful merchants, were away on a
trading voyage. They didn't get back until Marco was about 15.
     In 1271, Niccolo and Maffeo set off again for Asia, this time taking Marco with them. On a
previous journey they'd met Kublai Khan (the Yuan Dynasty), and they were keen to establish
trade links between Kublai's empire and Venice. The Polos sailed across the Mediterranean to
Acre (now in northern Israel). Then, they traveled by camel to the port of Hormuz in the Persian
Gulf. Their plan was to sail to China but they couldn't find any good boats. So, they continued the
journey overland, finally meeting Kublai Khan at his summer palace in Xanadu, about 275 kms
north of modern Beijing. Marco was now probably 21 years old. The journey had taken over three
years.
  The Polos had learnt a great deal about the world during their travels and so Kublai employed
Marco as a government official. This gave Marco the opportunity to travel around much of
Kublai's empire in China. In fact, Kublai found the Polos so useful that he was unwilling to let
them return home. However, in 1292, the Polos eventually left, sailing from China and ending up
in Hormuz again. The journey was extremely dangerous: of the 600 travelers who set off, only 18
arrived in Hormuz, including all three of the Polo family.
    The Polos finally returned to Venice in 1295, twenty-four years after setting off. They had
traveled 24,000 kms. By this time Venice was at war with Genoa, its trade rival. Unfortunately for
Marco, he was captured by the Genoese and imprisioned. However, he used his time as a prisoner
to write a book about his family's travels: II Milione (known as The Travels of Marco Polo in
English). It was the first book to tell Europeans about China and the East. No original copy
survives, but there are several versions of it. Marco's writings influenced many other travelers,
most notably Christopher Columbus, who carried a copy of II Milione with him on his voyage in
search ofAsia.
   After his release from prison in 1299, Marco rejoined his father and uncle in Venice. The
family were now even wealthier than before thanks to the many treasures they'd brought back
from the East. Marco financed many more trading journeys but never left the city again. He died
in 1324 and was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.
58. What is the correct order of what Marco Polo has done?
      a.  met Kublai Khan in Xanadu
      b.   sailed across the Mediterranean
      c.   sailed for Hormuz
      d.   left Venice for Asia
      e.   went to Hormuz by camel
      f.     employed as a government official in China
   A. b-c-d-f-a-c        B. d-c-b-a-f-e          C. b-d-c-f-a-e          D. d-b-e-a-f-c
59. The last paragraph but one mainly tells us something about
       A. Marco's life in Genoa
           B. Marco's book II Milione
       C. Marco's influence on Columbus
       D. Marco's safe return to Venice
60. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
       A. Soon after his mother's death, Marco was raised by his father.
       B. Marco spent about six years on the way to China and back to Venice.
         C. Marco died at the age of 70 in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.
        D. Marco was born into a very poor family but died in wealth.
61. The passage is most probably taken from _             .
   A. a newspaper       B. a geography book    C. a history book   D. a traveler's guide