Use of English (2023)

Caravanserais were roadside inns that were built along the Silk Road in areas including China, North Africa and the Middle East. They were typically [1] outside the walls of a city or village and were usually funded by governments or [2].

The word “Caravanserai” is a [3] of the Persian words “kārvān”, which means a group of travellers or a caravan, and “sarāy”, a palace or enclosed building. The term caravan was used to [4] groups of people who travelled together across the ancient network for safety reasons, [5] merchants, travellers or pilgrims.

From the 10th century onwards, as merchant and travel routes became more developed, the [6] of caravanserais increased and they served as a safe place for people to rest at night. Travellers on the Silk Road [7] possibility of being attacked by thieves or being [8] to extreme weather conditions. For this reason, caravanserais were strategically placed [9] they could be reached in a day’s travel time.

Caravanserais served as an informal [10] point for the various people who travelled the Silk Road. [11], these structures became important centers for cultural [12] and interaction, with travellers sharing their cultures, ideas and beliefs, [13] taking knowledge with them, greatly [14] the development of several civilisations.

Caravanserais were also an important marketplace for commodities and [15] in the trade of goods along the Silk Road. [16], it was frequently the first stop for merchants looking to sell their wares and [17] supplies for their own journeys. It is [18] that around 12,000 to 15,000 caravanserais were built along the Silk Road, [19] only about 3,000 are known to remain today, many of which are in [20].

1.

[A]displayed

[B]occupied

[C]located

[D]equipped

2.

[A]privately

[B]regularly

[C]respectively

[D]permanently

3.

[A]definition

[B]transition

[C]substitution

[D]combination

4.

[A]classify

[B]record

[C]describe

[D]connect

5.

[A]apart from

[B]instead of

[C]such as

[D]along with

6.

[A]construction

[B]restoration

[C]impression

[D]evaluation

7.

[A]doubted

[B]faced

[C]accepted

[D]reduced

8.

[A]assigned

[B]subjected

[C]accustomed

[D]opposed

9.

[A]so that

[B]even if

[C]now that

[D]in case

10.

[A]talking

[B]starting

[C]breaking

[D]meeting

11.

[A]By the way

[B]On occasion

[C]In comparison

[D]As a result

12.

[A]heritage

[B]revival

[C]exchange

[D]status

13.

[A]with regard to

[B]in spite of

[C]as well as

[D]in line with

14.

[A]completing

[B]influencing

[C]resuming

[D]pioneering

15.

[A]aided

[B]invested

[C]failed

[D]competed

16.

[A]Rather

[B]Indeed

[C]Otherwise

[D]However

17.

[A]go in for

[B]stand up for

[C]close in on

[D]stock up on

18.

[A]believed

[B]predicted

[C]recalled

[D]implied

19.

[A]until

[B]because

[C]unless

[D]although

20.

[A]ruins

[B]debt

[C]fashion

[D]series

答案与解析 (Answers)

1. [C] located. 解析：指这些客栈通常“位于（located）”城墙或村庄外。

2. [A] privately. 解析：与由“政府（governments）”资助相对应，通常也由“私人（privately）”资助。

3. [D] combination. 解析：后文提到它是由 kārvān 和 sarāy 两个波斯词拼成的，因此是两个词的“组合（combination）”。

4. [C] describe. 解析：这个术语被用来“描述（describe）”那些为了安全结伴同行的人群。

5. [C] such as. 解析：列举人群，如商人、旅行者或朝圣者，用“例如（such as）”。

6. [A] construction. 解析：随着商业路线的发展，客栈的“建设（construction）”数量增加了。

7. [B] faced. 解析：丝路上的旅行者“面临（faced）”被袭击或极端天气的可能性。

8. [B] subjected. 解析：be subjected to 是固定搭配，意为“遭受/经受（极端天气）”。

9. [A] so that. 解析：客栈被战略性地安置，“以便于（so that）”一天内能够到达。

10. [D] meeting. 解析：这些客栈成为了各种人群的非正式“聚集点（meeting point）”。

11. [D] As a result. 解析：由于大家都在这里聚集，“结果（As a result）”这些建筑成了文化交流的中心。

12. [C] exchange. 解析：文化“交流（exchange）”与后文的“分享文化和思想”相呼应。

13. [C] as well as. 解析：他们分享思想，“以及（as well as）”带走知识。连接两个并列的伴随动作。

14. [B] influencing. 解析：文化交流极大地“影响了（influencing）”几个文明的发展。

15. [A] aided. 解析：这些客栈作为市场，在丝路的商品贸易中起到了“帮助/促进（aided）”作用。

16. [B] Indeed. 解析：“确实/实际上（Indeed）”，它通常是商人们的第一站，起强调补充作用。

17. [D] stock up on. 解析：商人们不仅要卖货，还要为旅途“囤积/备货（stock up on）”补给品。

18. [A] believed. 解析：It is believed that... 意为“人们相信/据信...”，据信曾经建了大约1.2万到1.5万座。

19. [D] although. 解析：曾经建了成千上万座，但“尽管（although）”如此，如今只有约3000座留存。

20. [A] ruins. 解析：留存的这3000座中，许多都已经成为“废墟（ruins，固定搭配 in ruins）”。

核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)

1. 宾语从句与同位语：
"The word 'Caravanserai' is a combination of the Persian words 'kārvān', which means a group of travellers or a caravan, and 'sarāy', a palace or enclosed building."
【解析】which 引导非限制性定语从句，修饰 kārvān。而句末的 a palace or enclosed building 则是 sarāy 的同位语，起解释说明的作用。
【翻译】“Caravanserai”一词是波斯语“kārvān”（意为一群旅行者或商队）和“sarāy”（意为宫殿或封闭式建筑）的组合。

2. 动名词与分词复合结构：
"As a result, these structures became important centers for cultural exchange and interaction, with travellers sharing their cultures, ideas and beliefs, as well as taking knowledge with them, greatly influencing the development of several civilisations."
【解析】with + 宾语 (travellers) + 宾补 (sharing... as well as taking...) 构成了 with 复合结构，作伴随状语。句末的 influencing 则是现在分词作结果状语，表示这一系列交流活动带来的深远影响。
【翻译】结果，这些建筑成为文化交流与互动的重要中心，旅行者们分享着各自的文化、思想和信仰，并带着新知识继续前行，极大地影响了几个文明的发展。

3. 形式主语与定语从句的嵌套：
"It is believed that around 12,000 to 15,000 caravanserais were built along the Silk Road, although only about 3,000 are known to remain today, many of which are in ruins."
【解析】It 为形式主语，that 引导真正的主语从句。many of which 引导非限制性定语从句，修饰 3,000。
【翻译】据信，沿着丝绸之路曾建有大约1.2万到1.5万个商队客栈，尽管如今已知仅存约3,000个，而且其中许多已经成为废墟。