A (2020·天津5月卷·D)
Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task.If you're studying history，asking yourself the question “why is history important” is a very good first step.History is an essential part of human civilization.You will find something here that will arouse your interest，or get you thinking about the significance of history.
History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study，and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper，more meaningful glimpse (一瞥) into our ancestral pasts，and how we got to where we are today.Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging，which is something that studying your roots and being openminded to the evolution of your culture can provide.
History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago.According to the experts，problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same.With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.
History makes us more empathetic (具有共情能力的)．Studying history can give us insight (洞察力) into why our culture does certain things，and how the past has shaped it into what we know now.It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures.Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance (无知)．We're scared of the things that we don't understand.History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.
History can inspire us to learn more. What's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons.It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts.Study the 19th century England，and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.Look up Charles Dickens，and you might learn a thing or two about realism.Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels，and discover the history of romantic poets in England.It can go anywhere，and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.
The value of history cannot be underestimated.We don't have to live in the past，but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇议论文，讨论了历史的意义以及学习历史的重要性。
1．The underlined part “where we are today” in Para.2 probably means ________.
A．the turning point in our history
B．the present state of our nation
C．the location of our homeland
D．the total area of our country
B [句意理解题。根据画线部分所在句“History is an important...learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper，more meaningful glimpse (一瞥) into our ancestral pasts，and how we got to where we are today.”可知，作者意在表达学习祖国的历史可以让我们更深入、更有意义地了解我们祖先的过去，以及我们是如何到达现在的状态的，故“where we are today”指的是我们国家现在的状态，故B项正确。]
2．According to the experts，why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life?
A．The problems at present are similar to those in the past.
B．Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today.
C．The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors.
D．People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems.
A [细节理解题。根据第三段中的“According to the experts，problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same.With the information about the ancestors，one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.”可知，现在的人们面对的问题与过去的人们面对的问题是相同的，故现在的人们可以借鉴古人解决问题的方法，故A项正确。]
3．What can be concluded from Para.4?
A．It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers.
B．People are willing to accept foreign cultures.
C．Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore.
D．History helps us improve our crosscultural awareness.
D [细节理解题。根据第四段中的“It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures.”“History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.”可知，学习历史可以帮助我们了解其他的文化，提升我们的跨文化意识，故D项正确。]
4．With the example in Para.5，the writer intends to show that ________.
A．Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature
B．Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity about romantic poets
C．reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period
D．studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields
D [推理判断题。根据第五段主题句“History can inspire us to learn more.” 以及所举例子的内容可知，当学习十九世纪的英国历史时，你可能会看到查尔斯·狄更斯的小说《雾都孤儿》。当查阅有关查尔斯·狄更斯的信息时，你可能会学到一些关于现实主义的东西。或者你可能最终会把注意力从小说上移开，了解到浪漫主义诗人的历史。由此可推知，作者举例是为了说明学习历史可以引起人们对其他领域的兴趣，故D项正确。]
5．What could be the best title for the passage?
A．How to Build Cultural Identity
B．Why Studying History Matters
C．Know the Past，Know the Present
D．History：a Way to Broaden One's Horizons
B [标题判断题。根据第一段中的“If you're studying history，asking yourself the question ‘why is history important’ is a very good first step.History is an essential part of human civilization.”可知，作者开篇提出“历史为何重要”的问题，之后从四个方面(第二至五段)来回答这一问题；最后一段中的“The value of history cannot be underestimated.”呼应主题，强调历史的价值不可被低估。综上所述，文章意在向读者说明学习历史为何重要，故B项作文章标题最佳。]
