Exercises for The Ancient Great Wall in A New Era
Part I Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1. According to the author, it is from the word Qin that the empire was known to the West as
China. ( T )
2. The real contribution of Qin Shi Huang is the construction of the Great Wall. ( F )
3. The history of imperial dynasties with absolute power in the hands of a monarch in China lasted
for more than 2,000 years. ( T )
4. Great Wall was repaired and rebuilt again and again along the same line of the previous
sections. ( F )
5. The tragic human aspect of the construction of the Great Wall in old China is illustrated by
Meng Jiang. ( T )
Part II For each of the following questions or unfinished sentences there are four choices
marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the best answer to each question.
1. Which of the following statement is correct? __A______
A. Qin Shi Huang, the founder of Qin Empire came to the throne in 221 A.D.
B. China had already had a long period of historical development before the Qin Empire.
C. Qin empire was actually the first feudal society in the history of China.
D. Walls were built in China as military fortifications were attributed to Qin Shi Huang.
2. The word “sheer” in “...this massive but ingenious engineering achievement made by sheer
hands of man.” in paragraph 4 can be replaced by __B______.
A. steep
B. complete
C. sole
D. isolated
3. According to the author, the legend of Meng Jiang symbolizes the following except
__A______?
A. the strong power of heaven
B. pure and sincere love
C. the spirit of opposition against suppression
D. the tragic human aspect of building the Great Wall in old China
4. The expression“all men are brothers”in paragraph 7 indicates that ___C_____
A. the former battlefield along the Great Wall has been changed into the good earth of the new
epoch.
B. under the guidance of the socialist principle every nationality is equal.
C. different ethnic groups in China have been united as one big family.
D. the sweat and blood, toil and effort make innumerable peasants have intimate relationship.
5. Which of the following does not belong to the important features of the Great Wall revealed in
modern times? ___C_____
A. The real length of the Great Wall is far longer than what had been previously known.
B. The Great Wall is part of a complex defensive system following various topographical features.
C. Some information on the intricacy of the design of the Great Wall has been discovered
nowadays.
D. Substantial contributions have been made either to the study or the preservation of the Great
Wall.
Part III Express Your Ideas.
What do you think the significance of the Construction of the Great Wall in China?
- Stretching thousands of miles, the Great Wall is the longest man-made structure in the world,
but that isn’t its only significance. It was important in defending China from northern invasion for
centuries, and has become a national symbol, and China’s top tourist sight.
Great Defensive Infrastructure
Symbol of the Chinese Nation
Popular Tourist Attraction
Before the Great Wall was built, the northern nomad tribes often ravaged northern China. The
nomads’ fierce horsemen were stronger than the Han Chinese infantry. But, after the Wall was
built, the nomadic tribes could no longer raid and intrude into northern China.
The Great Wall protected China’s economic development and cultural progress, safeguarding
trading routes such as the Silk Road, and securing the transmission of information and
transportation in northern China.
The Great Wall is also a great subject of Chinese literary art. A sentence in the Chinese national
anthem is sung to praise and memorize the Wall. What's more, many phrases and sayings have
been carried down from generation to generation to commemorate this magnificent man-made
wonder.
The Great Wall is famous all over the world and attracts 4 million tourists every year. It attracts
tourists for its historical and archeological value, as well as the majestic scenery seen from the
Wall.
