单选题
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the
water off when it rains. But actually the umbrella was not invented as
protection against rain. Its first use was as a shade against the sun.
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very
ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, was back in the
eleventh century B. C. We know that the umbrella was used in
ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected
with its use: it became a symbol of honor and authority. In the Far East in
ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royalty or by those
in high offices. In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use
the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in common use in ancient
Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella
as protection against rain were the ancient Romans. During the
Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared
again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And against it was considered a
symbol of power and authority. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and
later on in England. By the eighteenth century, the umbrella
was used against rain throughout most of Europe. Umbrellas have not changed much
in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight.
It wasn't until the twentieth century that women's umbrellas began to be made in
a whole variety of colors.
单选题
The first use of umbrella was as ______.
A. protection against rain
B. a shade against the sun
C. a symbol of power
D. a symbol of honor
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第一段的最后一句话可确定B项(遮挡阳光)为本题的正确答案。
单选题
______ were the people who first used umbrellas.
A. Chinese
B. Romans
C. Greeks
D. Egyptians
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第二段最后一句话可以判断A项为正确答案。
单选题
The umbrella was used only by royalty or by those in high offices
______.
A. in Europe in the 18th century
B. in ancient Egypt and Babylon
C. in the Far East in ancient times
D. during the Middle Ages
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第三段最后一句话可以确定C项为最佳选择。
单选题
According to the passage, which of the following is not true?
A. Women enjoy using umbrellas with varied kinds of colors nowadays.
B. The inventor of the umbrella is unknown.
C. Once ordinary people had no fight to use umbrellas.
D. Umbrellas were popular and cheap in ancient times.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] D项是本题的最佳答案。
单选题
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?