单选题
Between the eighth and eleventh centuries A. D., the
Byzantine Empire staged an almost unparalleled economic and cultural revival, a
recovery that is all the more striking because it followed a long period of
severe internal decline. By the early eighth century, the empire had lost
roughly two-thirds of the territory it had possessed in the year 600, and its
remaining area was being raided by Arabs and Bulgarians, who at times threatened
to take Constantinople and extinguished the empire altogether. The wealth of the
state and its subjects was greatly diminished, and artistic and literary
production had virtually ceased. By the early eleventh century, however, the
empire had regained almost half of its lost possessions, its new frontiers were
secure, and its influence extended far beyond its borders. The economy had
recovered, the treasury was full, and art and scholarship had
advanced. To consider the Byzantine military, cultural, and
economic advances as differentiated aspects of a single phenomenon is
reasonable. After all, these three forms of progress have gone together in a
number of states and civilizations. Rome under Augustus and fifth-century Athens
provide the most obvious examples in antiquity. Moreover, an examination of the
apparent sequential connections among military, economic, and cultural forms of
progress might help explain the dynamics of historical change.
The common explanation of these apparent connections in the case of Byzantium
would run like this. when the empire had turned back enemy raids on its own
territory and had begun to raid and conquer enemy territory, Byzantine resources
naturally expanded and more money became available to patronize art and
literature. Therefore, Byzantine military achievements led to economic advances,
which in turn led to cultural revival. No doubt this
hypothetical pattern did apply at times during the course of the recovery. Yet
it is not clear that military advances invariably came first. Economic advances
second, and intellectual advances third. In the 860's the Byzantine Empire began
to recover from Arab incursions so that by 872 the military balance with the
Abbasid Caliphate had been permanently altered in the empire's favor. The
beginning of the empire's economic revival, however, can be placed between 810
and 830. Finally, the Byzantine revival of learning appears to have begun even
earlier. A number of notable scholars and writers appeared by 788 and, by the
last decade of the eighth century, a cultural revival was in full bloom, a
revival that lasted until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Thus the commonly
expected order of military revival followed by economic and then by cultural
recovery was reversed in Byzantium. In fact, the revival of Byzantine learning
may itself have influenced the subsequent economic and military
expansion.
单选题
Which of the following best states the central idea of the text?
A. The Byzantine Empire was a unique case in which the usual order of
military and economic revival preceding cultural revival was reversed.
B. The economic, cultural, and military revival in the Byzantine Empire
between the eighth and eleventh centuries was similar in its order to the
sequence of revival in Augustan Rome and fifth-century Athens.
C. After 810 Byzantine economic recovery spurred a military and, later,
cultural expansion that lasted until 1453.
D. The revival of the Byzantine Empire between the eighth and eleventh
centuries shows cultural rebirth preceding economic and military revival, the
reverse of the generally accepted sequence of progress.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题为主旨大意题。考生在解题时应最先找出全文的中心主旨句，通读全文可知，本文的中心主旨句在最后一段的倒数第二句“Thus the commonly expected order of military revival followed by economic and then by cultural recovery was reversed in Byzantium.”，即通常所认为的军事、经济、文化复兴三者出现的顺序在拜占庭是完全颠倒的，如果考生能够识别出本文的中心主旨句就会迅速地推导出本题的正确答案为D。
单选题
It can be inferred from the text that the Byzantine Empire sustained
significant territorial losses ______
A. in 600.
B. during the seventh century.
C. a century after the cultural achievements of the Byzantine Empire had
been lost.
D. soon after the revival of Byzantine learning.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】本题为细节推理题。文章第一段的第二句“By the early eighth century，the empire had lost roughly two-thirds of the territory it had possessed in the year 600, and its remaining area was being raided by Arabs and Bulgarians, who at times threatened to take Constantinople and extinguished the empire altogether.“通过仔细阅读本句的内容并且进行深入的推导就可得出本题的正确选项B。考生在解题时应该善于依据原文的内容进行深入地推导。
单选题
In the third paragraph, the author most probably provides an
explanation of the apparent connections among economic, military, and cultural
development in order to ______
A. suggest that the process of revival in Byzantium accords with this
model.
B. set up an order of events that is then shown to be not generally
applicable to the case of Byzantium.
C. cast aspersions on traditional historical scholarship about
Byzantium.
D. suggest that Byzantium represents a case for which no historical
precedent exists.
单选题
Which of the following does the author mention as crucial evidence
concerning the manner in which the Byzantine revival began?
A. The Byzantine military revival of the 860's led to economic and cultural
advances.
B. The Byzantine cultural revival lasted until 1453.
C. The Byzantine economic recovery began in the 900's.
D. The revival of Byzantine learning began toward the end of the eighth
century.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题为细节题。根据文章最后一段的倒数第三句“A number of notable scholars and writers appeared by 788 and, by the last decade of the eighth century, a cultural revival was in full bloom，a revival that lasted until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.”可将本题的答案信息迅速确定在本文的尾段。因为尾段的倒数第二句是全文的中心主旨句，所以支持全文中心主旨句的最主要证据本应在该句之前。由于本题的题干涉及“Byzantine revival began”，故本题的答案应该是强调“拜占庭帝国文化复兴开始时间”的选项D。考生在解题时一定要对段落的行文发展和结构有所把握，这样才能迅速地审题定位。
单选题
According to the author, "The common explanation" (line 1, paragraph 3)
of connections between economic, military, and cultural development is ______
A. revolutionary and too new to have been applied to the history of the
Byzantine Empire.
B. reasonable, but an antiquated theory of the nature of progress.
C. not applicable to the Byzantine revival as a whole, but does perhaps
accurately describe limited periods during the revival.
D. equally applicable to the Byzantine case as a whole and to the history of
military, economic, and cultural advances in ancient Greece and Rome.