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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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

[答案與考點解析]

1. 【答案】D

【考點解析】這是一道中心主旨題。本文的中心主旨句在尾段的倒數(shù)第二句。如果考生能夠識別出本文的中心主旨句，就會迅速地推導出本題的正確答案D?？忌诮忸}時應首先尋找出全文的中心主旨句。

2. 【答案】B

【考點解析】這是一道細節(jié)推導題。從題干中的“territorial losses”可迅速確定本題答案信息的來源在第一段的第二句。通過仔細閱讀本句的內容并且進行深入的推導就可得出本題的正確選項B?？忌诮忸}時應該善于依據(jù)原文的內容進行深入地推導。

3. 【答案】B

【考點解析】本題是一道段落之間的關系題型。旨在考察學生的語言基本功，尤其是考察學生對段落之間相互關系理解和掌握的能力，這是一道比較難的題。本文第三段主要向我們介紹一種“common explanation”(通常的解釋)。根據(jù)一般的行文規(guī)律，介紹“common”(通常的)是為了文章接下來闡述“不通常的”內容做一個鋪墊，也是為了進行鮮明的對照和對比。這是考生在解答閱讀題時需要掌握的一個規(guī)律。如果考生懂得這個規(guī)律并且把第三段和第四聯(lián)系起來加以閱讀和理解就不難得出本文的正確選項B?？忌诮忸}時一定要牢記平時所積累的解題技巧和方法，尤其是要注意一些規(guī)律性的解題技巧和方法。

4. 【答案】D

【考點解析】這是一道審題定位題。根據(jù)題干中的“concerning the manner in which the Byzantine revival began”可將本題的答案信息迅速確定在本文的尾段。本題具體的答案信息在尾段的倒數(shù)第三句。因為尾段的倒數(shù)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證據(jù)本應在該句之前。由于本題的題干涉及“Byzantine revival began”，故本題的答案應該是強調“拜占庭帝國文化復興開始時間”的選項D?？忌诮忸}時一定要對段落的行文發(fā)展和結構有所把握，這樣才能迅速地審題定位。

5. 【答案】C

【考點解析】這是一道段落間關系與指代詞題型。題干中的“common explanation”將我們帶到了本文的第三段。但是本文提到“common explanation”的目的是要講這種“common explanation”不能完全應用到拜占庭帝國的復興。第四段的前三句是作者對這種“common explanation”的具體態(tài)度和觀點。尾段首句中的指代詞“this”和“at times”對我們推導本題的正確選項C起了重要的作用?？忌诮忸}時一定要牢記原文作者的寫作意圖，要十分重視段落之間的相互關系。

[參考譯文]

在8—11世紀之間，拜占庭帝國出現(xiàn)了一次無與倫比的經(jīng)濟和文化復興，這次復興之所以引人注目是因為它出現(xiàn)在一次嚴重的內部衰落之后。8世紀時，帝國失去了它600年時所擁有領土的大約2/3。僅存的部分也受到阿拉伯人和保加利亞人的侵襲，這些國家經(jīng)常威脅說要攻占首都君士坦丁堡，把拜占庭徹底消滅掉。帝國的財富和臣民大幅減少，文學藝術也實際上陷于停頓。不過，到了11世紀初期，帝國重新收回了淪陷領土的幾乎一半，新的邊界是安定的，其影響遠及疆土之外。經(jīng)濟也恢復了，國庫充實，文學藝術也向前發(fā)展。

把拜占庭軍事、文藝以及經(jīng)濟上的復興理解為同一現(xiàn)象的不同表現(xiàn)是合理的。畢竟，這三者在相當多的同家中是一同出現(xiàn)的。奧古斯都統(tǒng)治下的羅馬和公元前五世紀的雅典就是古代社會最好的例證。而且，對三者之間次第出現(xiàn)的聯(lián)系做一番考察也有助于解釋歷史變化的原因。

通常，對于拜占庭帝國中三者復興的聯(lián)系會這樣解釋：當?shù)蹏褤敉藬橙说倪M攻并反攻到敵國疆土之時，拜占庭的財富自然就會增長，從而有更多的金錢可用來投資于文化藝術事業(yè)。因此，帝國軍事成就促進經(jīng)濟昌盛，后者又引起了文化繁榮。

毫無疑問，這種假設能夠解釋復興中的一些現(xiàn)象。但是我們不能明確地認為軍事成就一定最先出現(xiàn)，經(jīng)濟其次，文化最后。(事實上)860年左右拜占庭帝國開始收復阿拉伯人占領的失地，直到872年，和哈里發(fā)阿拉伯國家的軍事對比才有利于帝國。而經(jīng)濟的復興在810—830年間就已開始。文化的復興更早，早在788年，一批有名的學者、作家就出現(xiàn)了，8世紀最后十年，文化復興已達極盛，并一直延續(xù)到1453年君士坦丁堡的陷落。因此，通常所認為的軍事、經(jīng)濟、文化復興三者次第出現(xiàn)的順序在拜占庭是完全顛倒的。實際上，拜占庭文化的復興可能反而影響了后來的經(jīng)濟、軍事進步。

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（責任編輯：rhj）

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