Long ago, in ancient China, there was a story about the invention of silk. People believed that silk was first invented by Leizu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor. Leizu learned how to make cocoons (蚕茧) into soft and strong cloth. This magical cloth became known as “silk”, and it was so valuable that it was called “China’s Gold”. Following kings’ orders, the Chinese kept the secret of making silk for centuries.

But then, something amazing happened! During the Han Dynasty, the brave officer Zhang Qian traveled west as far as Central Asia and brought silk there. As years passed by, silk became so important that the trade road from Europe to China got its name—the Silk Road.

The Silk Road became a busy highway for traders who carried things across deserts and mountains. From China, people sold silk and tea. In return, they received treasures such as spices (香料), gold and silver from the West. At the very beginning, it was mainly about trade; then people began to share ideas, technologies and cultures. For example, Chinese inventions like papermaking were spread to the West, while new ideas about math and science came to China.

Most importantly, the Silk Road helped different cultures learn from each other. Art, music and even language were shared along this ancient road. In places like the Dunhuang Grottoes (敦煌石窟) in China, you can see how art pieces combined (融合) Eastern and Western styles into something distinctive. It can not be seen anywhere else.

The story of the Silk Road tells us how people from faraway lands could become friends through trade and shared ideas. Today, we remember the Silk Road as one of the greatest examples of cooperation and exchange in history. It shows us how important it is to learn about and respect each other’s traditions, and that different cultures can work together to create amazing things.

1.1．Who invented silk in ancient China?

A Leizu.

B The kings.

C Zhang Qian.

D The Yellow

解析：选A。细节理解题A。根据第一段“People believed that silk was first invented by Leizu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor.”可知，丝绸是由嫘祖发明的。

2.2．What was spread from China to the West according to paragraph 3?

A Silk and gold.

B Tea and papermaking.

C Spices and silver.

D New ideas of science.

解析：选B。细节理解题B。第三段提到“From China, people sold silk and tea.” 以及“Chinese inventions like papermaking were spread to the West”。因此，茶叶和造纸术是从中国传到西方的。A项中的黄金和C项中的香料、白银是从西方传入中国的，D项的“科学新思想”是从西方传入中国的。

3.3．What is the right order of the following facts from the passage? ① Zhang Qian traveled west with silk. ②Art and language were shared along the Silk Road. ③ Traders from China and the West exchanged things. ④The Chinese were ordered to keep the secret of making silk.

A ①→④→③→②

B ①→③→④→②

C ④→①→③→②

D ④→③→②→①

解析：选C。细节理解题C。事件顺序为：④（第一段“Following kings’ orders, the Chinese kept the secret...”）→①（第二段“Zhang Qian traveled west... brought silk there”）→③（第三段“traders who carried things across... exchanged things”）→②（第四段“Art, music and even language were shared...”）。

4.4．What does the underlined word “distinctive” mean in paragraph 4?

A Special.

B Public.

C Popular.

D Strong.

解析：选A。词义猜测题A。该词所在句子的意思是“你可以看到艺术品如何将东西方风格融合成某种______的东西”，并且后一句补充说“这在其他地方是看不到的”。结合上下文，这种融合了东西方风格的艺术品应该是“独特的”、“特别的”。因此，“special”最符合此意。

5.5．What does the story of the Silk Road mainly tell us?

A The change of world trade.

B The introduction of silk cloth.

C The influence of technology in history.

D The importance of cross-cultural communication.

解析：选D。主旨大意题D。文章最后强调“different cultures can work together... the importance of cross-cultural communication”，核心是跨文化交流的重要性。