The flag, the most common symbol(象征) of a nation in the
modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning,
the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships
and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in
no way a primitive(原始的)artifact. It is , rather, the product of thousands of years'
development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the
earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses
and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves
that endangered travelers. People's food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even
after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature
to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the
wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the
top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than
earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The
connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early
human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems(圖騰) before carrying them
into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the
good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into
modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The
king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of
him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the
past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India,
then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other
ancestor of the national flag.
1.The
best title for the passage would be
.
A. Development of the National Flag B.
Power of the National Flag
C. Types of Flags D.
Uses of Flags
2.The
underlined word "vulnerable" in Paragraph 3 means .
A. impossible to make sure of B.
likely to be protected
C. easy to damage D.
difficult to find
3.The
earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because.
.
A. they could tell wind direction
B. they could bring good luck to fighters
C. they were handed down by the ancestors
D. they were believed to stand for natural
forces
4.What
does the author know of the first national flag?
A. He knows when it was sent to Europe.
B. He believes it was made in Egypt.
C. He thinks it came from China.
D. He doubts where it started.
5.What
will the author most probably talk about next?
A. The role of China in the spread of the
national flag.
B. The second ancestor of the national flag.
C. The use of modern flags in Europe.
D. The importance of modern flags.
