The city of Memphis, located on the Nile near the modern city of Cairo, was founded around 3100 B.C. as the first capital of a recently united Egypt. The choice of Memphis by Egypt's first kings reflects the site'sstrategicimportance. First, and mostobvious, theapexof the Nile Riverdeltawas a politically opportune location for thestate's administrative center, standing between the united lands of Upper andLowerEgypt and offering readyaccessto both parts of the country. The olderpredynastic(pre-3100 B.C.) centers of power, This and Hierakonpolis, were tooremotefrom thevastexpanse of thedelta, which had been incorporated into the unifiedstate. Only a city within easyreachof both the Nilevalleyto the south and the morespreadout, difficultterrainto the north could provide the necessarypoliticalcontrol that the rulers of early dynastic Egypt (roughly3000-2600 B.C.) required.

Theregionof Memphis must have also served as an important node fortransportand communications, even before the unification of Egypt. Theregionprobably acted as aconduitfor much, if not all, of the river-basedtradebetween northern and southern Egypt. Moreover, commodities (such as wine,preciousoils, and metals) imported from the Near East by the royal courts ofpredynasticUpper Egypt would have been channeled through the Memphisregionon their way south. In short,therefore, the site of Memphis offered the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period anideallocation for controllinginternaltradewithin theirrealm, anessentialrequirement for a state-directedeconomythat depended on the movement of goods.

Equally important for the nationaladministrationwas the ability to control communications within Egypt. The Nile provided the easiest and quickestarteryof communication and the national capital was, again, ideally located in thisrespect. Recent geological surveys of the Memphisregionhave revealed much about itstopographyinancienttimes. It appears that the location of Memphis may have been even moreadvantageousfor controllingtrade,transport, and communications than waspreviouslyappreciated. Surveys anddrillcores have shown that thelevelof the Nilefloodplainhas steadily risen over the last five millenniums. When thefloodplainwas muchlower, as it would have been inpredynasticand early dynastic times, theoutwashfans (fan-shaped deposits of sediments) of various wadis (stream-beds or channels that carry water only during rainy periods) would have been much moreprominentfeatures on the east bank. The fan associated with theWadiHof extended asignificantway into the Nilefloodplain, forming a constriction in thevicinityof Memphis. Thevalleymay have narrowed at this point to amerethree kilometers, making it theidealplace for controlling river traffic.

Furthermore, the Memphisregionseems to have been favorably located for the control not only of river-basedtradebut also ofdeserttraderoutes. The twooutwashfans in the area gaveaccessto theextensivewadisystems of the easterndesert. Inpredynastictimes, theWadiDigla may have served as atraderoutebetween the Memphisregionand the Near East, to judge from the unusualconcentrationof foreign artifacts found in thepredynasticsettlementof Maadi. Accessto, and control of,traderoutes between Egypt and the Near East seems to have been apreoccupationof Egypt’s rulers during the period ofstateformation. Thedesiretomonopolizeforeigntrademay have been one of theprimaryfactors behind thepoliticalunification of Egypt. Thefoundationof the national capital at thejunctionof an importanttraderoutewith the Nilevalleyis not likely to have been accidental. Moreover, the Wadis Hof and Digla provided the Memphisregionwithaccessibledesertpasturage. As was the case with the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab, thecombinationwithin the same area of bothdesertpasturageandalluvialarableland (landsuitablefor growing crops) was a particularlyattractiveone for earlysettlement; thiscombinationnodoubtcontributed to theprosperityof the Memphisregionfrom earlypredynastictimes.

Questions:
question_stem: The word "vast" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: fertile

tag: B
text: huge

tag: C
text: unique

tag: D
text: irregular
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中“vast”这个词的意思最接近于
A 选项：fertile 的意思是“肥沃的” 
B 选项：huge 的意思是“巨大的”
C 选项：unique 的意思是“唯一的，独一无二的”
D 选项：irregular 的意思是“不规则的，无规律的”

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“vast”,定位到原句“This and Hierakonpolis, were too remote from the vast expanse of the delta, which had been incorporated into the unified state. ”

【词汇解析】：词汇“vast”的意思是“巨大的；大量的”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“这座城和 Hierakonpolis 城（耶拉孔波利斯），距离广袤的尼罗河三角洲太遥远了，而这片区域已经被并入了统一后的埃及王国中。”

【选项分析】
A 选项：fertile 的意思是“肥沃的”，意思不符，故排除。 
B 选项：huge 的意思是“巨大的”，意思符合，故为正确答案。 
C 选项：unique 的意思是“唯一的，独一无二的”，意思不符，故排除。 
D 选项：irregular 的意思是“不规则的，无规律的”，意思不符，故排除。

question_stem: According to paragraph 1, why was Memphis a better choice for the capital of a united Egypt than either This or Hierakonpolis?
choices: tag: A
text: Memphis was in a better location for maintaining administrative control.

tag: B
text: Memphis had long been a regional administrative center by the time Egypt was united.

tag: C
text: This and Hierakonpolis had never actually been incorporated into the unified state.

tag: D
text: Egyptian rulers had failed to keep political control over This and Hierakonpolis in predynastic times.
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第1段，为什么孟菲斯是统一的埃及的首都更好的选择，而不是这个或希拉孔波利斯？

A：孟菲斯在维持行政控制方面处于更好的位置。

B：在埃及统一之前，孟菲斯长期以来一直是一个地区行政中心。

C：希拉康波利斯和希拉康波利斯实际上从未被并入统一的国家。

D：埃及统治者未能保持对这个和希拉孔波利斯的政治控制。

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】根据题干中的关键词“choice”定位到第一段中的这句话。“The choice of Memphis by Egypt's first kings reflects the site's strategic importance.”意思是：埃及第一位国王对孟菲斯的选择反映了这个遗址的战略重要性。
还有一句话：“First, and most obvious, the apex of the Nile River delta was a politically opportune location for the state's administrative center, standing between the united lands of Upper and Lower Egypt and offering ready access to both parts of the country.”意思是：首先，也是最明显的是，尼罗河三角洲的顶点是该州行政中心的政治合适位置，它位于上埃及和下埃及的统一土地之间，提供通往该国两地的方便通道。

【逻辑分析】这2句定位句说明了：1、孟斐斯的选址有战略意义；2、还着重强调了孟斐斯的地理位置处于国家的两个部分之间，其地理位置非常有利于管理整个国家。而后作者所举的“This”和“Hierakonpolis”的例子，是在于孟斐斯的位置作对比，这两个城市距离尼罗河三角洲太遥远了，无法为早期埃及王朝的统治者们提供政治统治的必要条件。

【选项分析】
A 选项：与原文意思相符，正确。 
B 选项：孟斐斯在埃及统一之前就一直是该地区的行政中心。错误， 因为文中说“The older predynastic (pre-3100 B.C.) centers of power. This and Hierakonpolis, were too remote from the vast expanse of the delta……”明确提到埃及的前政治中心是“This”和“Hierakonpolis”。故 B 选项错误。 
C 选项：“This”和“Hierakonpolis”从来没有真正被并入到统一后的埃及。错误，因为文章说“This and Hierakonpolis, ……had been incorporated into the unified state.”C 选项与原文矛盾，故排除。 
D 选项：在前王朝时代，埃及统治者们在“This”和“Hierakonpolis”无法进行政治统治。文中并未提及，故排除。

question_stem: It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that one consequence of the unification of Egypt was
choices: tag: A
text: the reduction of the strategic importance of older centers of power

tag: B
text: the opportunity for the recently united Egypt to become economically self-sufficient

tag: C
text: the increase in political tensions between the rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt

tag: D
text: the reduction of Egypt's dependence upon the Nile for trade and communications
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】从第1段可以推断，埃及统一的一个结果是

A：降低老权力中心的战略重要性

B：最近联合的埃及经济自给自足的机会

C：上埃及和下埃及的统治者之间的政治紧张局势加剧

D：减少埃及对尼罗河贸易和通讯的依赖

【判定题型】：根据题干中出现的关键词“imply”/“infer”/“suggest”等其他表示推断的词，判定本题为推理题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“xx”,定位到 Passage 1 第4句，原句为“The older predynastic (pre-3100 B.C.) centers of power, This and Hierakonpolis, were too remote from the vast expanse of the delta, which had been incorporated into the unified state”。


【逻辑分析】题目问埃及统一的一个结果是什么。根据第一段最后2句话，我们可以得知，“This”和“Hierakonpolis”是埃及的旧都，但是因为距离尼罗河三角洲太遥远了，所以无法为早期埃及王朝的统治者们提供政治统治的必要条件，因而地理位置更优越的孟斐斯所取代。

【选项分析】
A 选项：旧都战略重要性的降低，是正确答案。 
B 选项：近代统一后的埃及有了实现经济自给自足的机会。错误，因为第一段根本没有提及与经济有关的任何内容，故 B 选项直接排除。 
C 选项：上埃及和下埃及统治者之间的关系变得紧张。错误，第一段中只有这句话提到了上埃及和下埃及“First, and most obvious, the apex of the Nile River delta ……standing between the united lands of Upper and Lower Egypt and offering ready access to both parts of the country.”但是这句话是在描述孟斐斯优越的地理位置，与政治关系紧张没有任何联系。所以 C 选项文中未提及，排除。 
D 选项：埃及通过尼罗河进行贸易和通讯的依赖性降低。错误，因为第一段中还没有提到埃及依靠尼罗河进行贸易和通讯，而依赖性降低更是无从谈起。故 D 选项在第一段未提及，排除。

question_stem: Which of the following best describes how paragraph 1 is organized?
choices: tag: A
text: Two simultaneous developments are described, as well as the reasons why neither one would have occurred without the other.

tag: B
text: A hypothesis is presented, and then points in favor of that hypothesis as well as points against it are discussed.

tag: C
text: A major event is described, and then the most obvious effects of that event are presented.

tag: D
text: A decision is described, and then one likely motivation for that decision is presented.
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】下面哪一个最能描述段落1的组织？

A：描述了两个同时发生的发展，以及为什么没有另一个，两者都不会发生。

B：提出了一个假设，然后讨论了支持该假设的点以及反对它的点。

C：描述了一个重大事件，然后给出了该事件最明显的影响。

D：描述了一个决策，然后给出了该决策的一个可能的动机。

【判定题型】：根据题目问法，题目询问段落的组成或构成方式/段落与段落的关系/某一段在全文中所起的作用，故判断本题为组织结构题。

【内容分析】通读第一段，寻找逻辑词，来剖析这一段文字的结构。第1句描述孟斐斯的地理位置和历史背景。第2句提出孟斐斯的选址体现出了战略重要性。第3句话给出了原因：孟斐斯处于国家上、下半部分之间，拥有国家行政中心的极佳位置。第4句话用“This”和“Hierakonpolis”两座城市遥远的地理位置作反比，衬托出孟斐斯的地理优越性。第5句做概括，说明孟斐斯距离南、北地区都很近，能够为早期埃及王朝的统治者们提供政治统治的必要条件。

【选项分析】
A 选项：同时描写2种发展，以及2者缺一不可的原因。错误，因为文中没有描述2种发展，只描述了孟斐斯的战略重要性。故 A 排除。 
B 选项：提出一种假象，然后讨论支持该假设以及推翻该假设的内容。本段提出“孟斐斯的选址体现出了战略重要性”,并给出了支持的理由，但是并没有推翻假设。故 B 选项排除。 
C 选项：描述了一个主要事件，然后讨论了它所造成的影响。错误，因为第一段中并没有讨论选择孟斐斯作为首都的影响。 
D 选项：先描述一个结论，然后提出一个可能的原因。正确，第一段描述的结论是“The choice of Memphis by Egypt's first kings reflects the site's strategic importance.”而提出的1个原因是“First, and most obvious, the apex of the Nile River delta was a politically opportune location for the state's administrative center,……”故 D 选项符合第一段的组织结构。

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, when did Egypt import goods from the Near East?
choices: tag: A
text: Once internal trade was fully controlled from Memphis

tag: B
text: Not until early dynastic Egypt established its state-directed economy

tag: C
text: As early as predynastic times

tag: D
text: Only when local supplies of those goods had been completely used up
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第2段，埃及何时从近东进口货物？
A：孟菲斯一度全面控制国内贸易
B：直到王朝早期，埃及才建立了国家主导的经济。
C：早在旧王朝时代
D：只有当地供应的那些货物完全用完

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】根据题干中的关键词“import”和“Near East”,可以定位到第二段第3句“Moreover, commodities (such as wine, precious oils, and metals) imported from the Near East by the royal courts of predynastic Upper Egypt would have been channeled through the Memphis region on their way south.”

【逻辑分析】题目中问的是什么时候开始从近东进口货物，那么就只要找到定位句后再在题目的选项中选出与“埃及统一之间”相对应的时间段。

【选项分析】
A 选项：在孟斐斯控制国内贸易的时候。根据“internal trade”定位到第2段最后一句“In short, therefore, the site of Memphis offered the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period an ideal location for controlling internal trade within their realm……”但这是一句总结句，与题目无关，故 A 排除。 B 选项：直到新王朝早期埃及建立国有经济的时候。国有经济 state directed economy 一词只在第二段最后1句中提到，但与题目无关，故排除。 
C 选项：定位句中的“predynastic”正好对应选项中的“predynastic time”。此外，第二段第一句也给了提示，说孟斐斯地区也必然是交通运输和通讯的重要枢纽，即使是在埃及统一之前也是如此。这里的“埃及统一之前”指的就是 predynastic time 前王朝时期。故 C 选项正确。
D 选项：当本地的商品用完的时候。文中未提及，故排除。

question_stem: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
choices: tag: A
text: Thus in Memphis, the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period were ideally placed to control internal trade, which they had to do in order to run their economy.

tag: B
text: Therefore the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period thought Memphis was the ideal location for trade with nearby countries.

tag: C
text: In short, a state-directed economy like that of the Early Dynastic Period requires choosing a single location to which goods can be moved-Memphis, in this case.

tag: D
text: In sum, then, a state-directed economy first developed during Egypt's Early Dynastic Period because Memphis was an ideal location for controlling trade.
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】下面哪个句子最能表达文章中突出句子的基本信息？
A：因此，孟菲斯王朝早期的统治者处于控制内贸的理想位置，他们为了管理自己的经济不得不这样做。

B：因此，早期统治者认为孟菲斯是周边国家进行贸易的理想场所。

C：简而言之，像早期王朝时期那样由国家主导的经济，需要选择一个单一的货物运输地点——孟菲斯。

D：总之，在埃及王朝早期，由于孟菲斯是控制贸易的理想地点，国家主导的经济首先发展起来）。

【判定题型】：根据题目问法，题目要求选择和高亮句意思逻辑都最为接近的句子，故判断本题为句子简化题。

【句子分析】控制国内贸易，是建立依赖货物流通的国有经济的必要条件。句子主语是 site，意思是说孟斐斯的选址能够给早期埃及王朝时代的统治者们提供控制国内贸易的理想地理位置，而后半句话中的“an essential requirement”是“controlling internal trade within their realm”的同位语。

【选项分析】
A 选项中，“were ideally placed”正好对应原文中的“an ideal location”， 句子的意思和要简化的句子基本一致，主要成分一个不少，故 A 为正确答案。 
B 选项缺少关于原文后半句中“控制国内经济，以建设国有经济的内容”，故 B 选项缺少句子重要成分，排除。 
C 选项喧宾夺主，将“state-directed economy”作为句子的主要内容，说为了建设国有经济，需要寻找一个货物能够流通的地点，例如孟斐斯。而原句主要是在强调孟斐斯地理位置的重要性。故 C 选项逻辑错误，排除。 
D 选项和 C 选项一样，主要强调国有经济的出现。但原句是在强调孟斐斯地理位置的重要性。故 D 选项逻辑错误，排除。

question_stem: The word "appreciated" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: proposed

tag: B
text: understood

tag: C
text: approved

tag: D
text: expected
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中的“appreciated”一词最接近于
A 选项“proposed”，提议；建议
B 选项“understood”，理解，认识 
C 选项“approved”，赞成，支持
D 选项“expected”,期待，期望

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“appreciated”,词汇在文中所在句“It appears that the location of Memphis may have been even more advantageous for controlling trade, transport, and communications than was previously appreciated.”

【词汇解析】：词汇“appreciated”的意思是“领会；理解，认识”，原句的意思是“由此看来，孟斐斯的地理位置对控制贸易、运输和通讯来说，可能比人们之前所认为的还要有利。”

【选项分析】
A 选项“proposed”，提议；建议，意思不符，故排除。 
B 选项“understood”，理解，认识，意思最接近，故为正确答案。 
C 选项“approved”，赞成，支持，意思不符，故排除。 
D 选项“expected”,期待，期望，意思不符，故排除。

question_stem: According to paragraph 3, recent research into the topography of the Memphis region in ancient times suggests which of the following?
choices: tag: A
text: The level of the Nile floodplains was much higher in predynastic and dynastic times than in later times.

tag: B
text: The sediment deposits of wadis were not as noticeable in predynastic and dynastic times than in later times.

tag: C
text: The Nile valley at the point of Memphis was narrower in predynastic and dynastic times than it was in later times.

tag: D
text: Frequent rainy periods may have caused a significant reduction of trade traffic during the predynastic and dynastic times.
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第3段，最近对孟菲斯地区古代地形的研究表明了什么？
A：尼罗河洪泛区前汛期和王朝时期的水位明显高于后汛期。

B：河底沉积物在前、王朝时期不如后期明显。

C：孟菲斯山顶的尼罗河谷在先秦和王朝时期都比后来窄。

D：频繁的雨季可能导致前王朝时期贸易量的显著减少。

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“in ancient times”,定位到 Passage 3 第6句，原句为“When the floodplain was much lower, as it would have been in predynastic and early dynastic times, the outwash fans (fan-shaped deposits of sediments) of various wadis (stream-beds or channels that carry water only during rainy periods) would have been much more prominent features on the east bank. ”，意思是“当洪泛平原低得多时，如前王朝和早期王朝时期那样，各种洼地（河床或只在雨季运水的河道）的冲刷扇（沉积物的扇形沉积物）将会是东岸更加显著的特征。”。

【逻辑分析】根据时间关系来推断答案。

【选项分析】
A 选项：尼罗河泛滥平原的高度在“predynastic and dynastic times”的时候要更高。定位到原文这句话“When the floodplain was much lower, as it would have been in predynastic and early dynastic times……”因此，我们可以知道在埃及前王朝时期和埃及王朝早期，泛滥平原的高度要低得多，故 A 选项与原文矛盾，排除。 
B 选项：相比后来，河流沉积物在“predynastic and dynastic times”这一时期更多，但文中并未提到这两个时间段河流沉积物的对比。文中只提到“much more prominent features on the east bank.”东岸的沉积物更多。故 B 选项文中未提及，排除。 
C 选项：尼罗河谷在“predynastic and dynastic times”这一时期更窄。对应文中这句话“The valley may have narrowed at this point to a mere three kilometers, making it the ideal place for controlling river traffic.”意思是这个山谷在当时变得很窄，宽度仅为3公里，这也使它成为了控制河流交通的理想地点。故 C 选项符合原文，正确。 
D 选项：频繁的降雨使“predynastic and dynastic times”的贸易交通减少。错误，因为文中并未提及。

question_stem: The word "vicinity" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: center

tag: B
text: fields

tag: C
text: city

tag: D
text: surrounding area
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中“vicinity”一词的意思最接近于
A 选项“center”, 意思是“中央；中心”
B 选项“fields”,意思是“场地；领域” 
C 选项“city”,意思是“城市”
D 选项“surrounding area”,意思是“附近的地方”

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“vicinity”,定位到原句词汇在文中所在句“The fan associated with the Wadi Hof extended a significant way into the Nile floodplain, forming a constriction in the vicinity of Memphis.”

【词汇解析】：词汇“vicinity”的意思是“附近”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“Hof 河的冰水扇扩展到了尼罗河的泛滥平原上，在孟斐斯城附近造成了挤压。”

【选项分析】
A 选项“center”, 意思是“中央；中心”，意思不符，故排除。 
B 选项“fields”,意思是“场地；领域”，意思不符，故排除。 
C 选项“city”,意思是“城市”，意思不符，故排除。 
D 选项“surrounding area”,意思是“附近的地方”，意思符合，故为正确答案。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, which of the following is NOT a reason Memphis was chosen as the capital of a united Egypt?
choices: tag: A
text: It was at the junction of a major trade route with the Nile valley.

tag: B
text: It was near land that could be used for animal grazing and for growing crops.

tag: C
text: The nearby outwash fans led into wadis that could be used as desert trade routes.

tag: D
text: Since foreign traders had settled in nearby Maadi, trade between the two cities could be established.
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第4段，以下哪个不是孟菲斯被选为统一埃及首都的原因？

A：它位于一条主要贸易路线与尼罗河谷的交汇处。

B：它离土地很近，可以用来放牧和种植庄稼。

C：附近的洗衣粉丝们进入了可以用作沙漠贸易路线的洼地。

D：由于外国商人在附近的马迪定居，这两个城市之间的贸易可以建立。

【判定题型】：根据题干中出现的大写“EXCEPT”/"NOT" 等其他明显表示否定的词，可以判定本题为否定事实信息题，需要找出与原文信息不符的那个答案。

【关键词定位】：根据题干关键词“the capital of a united Egypt”,可以将出题范围锁定在 Passage 4。

【选项分析】
A 选项中，根据关键词“junction”定位到这一句“The foundation of the national capital at the junction of an important trade route with the Nile valley is not likely to have been accidental.” 综合第四段来看，控制埃及和近东地区之间的贸易路线，是埃及统治者们在国家刚建成时的当务之急，故 A 选项符合原文，排除。 
B 选项对应第四段倒数1、2句话，这两句话说沙漠牧场和冲积耕地在该地区结合，所以 B 选项符合原文，排除。 
C 选项对应第四段第2句“The two outwash fans in the area gave access to the extensive wadi systems of the eastern desert.” 故 C 选项符合原文，排除。 
D 选项说外国商贩在马迪城附近定居，促进了两地的贸易。文中并未提及该信息，故 D 选项为正确答案。

question_stem: The phrase "to have been accidental" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: to have gone wrong

tag: B
text: to have been helpful

tag: C
text: to have occurred by chance

tag: D
text: to have made a difference
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中“to have been accidental”这个短语的意思最接近于
A 选项的意思是“出了问题”。 
B 选项的意思是“很有帮助” 
C 选项的意思是“偶然的” 
D 选项的意思是“变得不同”

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“to have been accidental”,定位到原句“The foundation of the national capital at the junction of an important trade route with the Nile valley is not likely to have been accidental.”

【词汇解析】：词汇 to have been accidental”的意思是“偶然的”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“在重要贸易路线与尼罗河谷的交汇处建立国家首都绝非偶然。”

【选项分析】
A 选项的意思是“出了问题”，意思不符，故排除。 
B 选项的意思是“很有帮助”，意思不符，故排除。 
C 选项的意思是“偶然的”，意思符合，故为正确答案。 
D 选项的意思是“变得不同”， 意思不符，故排除。

question_stem: In paragraph 4, why does the author mention the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab?
choices: tag: A
text: To give an indication of the level of prosperity that Memphis is thought to have enjoyed from its earliest days

tag: B
text: To compare the Memphis region to them in terms of their similar combinations of characteristics providing advantages for early settlement

tag: C
text: To identify the models that the founders of Memphis followed in laying out the national capital

tag: D
text: To suggest that the combination of desert pasturage and alluvial arable land in the same area was very common
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】在第4段中，作者为什么提到 Hierakonpolis 和 Elkab 的城市？

A：表明孟菲斯自古以来的繁荣程度。

B：比较孟菲斯地区与它们相似的特征组合，为早期定居提供优势。

C：确定孟菲斯创建者在规划国家首都时遵循的模式。

D：建议在同一地区荒漠牧场和冲积可耕地的结合非常普遍。

【判定题型】：根据题干问法“why …… mention”，题目询问“ the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab”(文章引用内容)的修辞目的，可以判断本题为修辞目的题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“ the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab”,定位到 Passage 4 最后一句，原句为 As was the case with the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab, the combination within the same area of both desert pasturage and alluvial arable land (land suitable for growing crops) was a particularly attractive one for early settlement; this combination no doubt contributed to the prosperity of the Memphis region from early predynastic times.

【引用内容分析】本段最后一句，意思是“沙漠牧场和冲积耕地（适合耕种农作物的土地）在同一片区域的结合，使这片地区成为一个特别有吸引力的早期定居点；这样的组合无疑促进了前王朝时代早期孟斐斯地区的繁荣。”再来看前一句话“Moreover, the Wadis Hof and Digla provided the Memphis region with accessible desert pasturage.”通过结合这两句话，我们可知孟斐斯和 Hierakonpolis and Elkab 一样，都是沙漠牧场和冲积耕地结合的地区，因此作者举例是为了说明沙漠牧场和冲积耕地，同样能够促进孟斐斯的繁荣，为定居提供有利条件，这也是孟斐斯选址所考虑的一个重要原因。

【选项分析】
A 选项：举例说明孟斐斯早期的繁荣水平。错误，因为作者举这两个城市的例子，并不是为了说明早期的孟斐斯有多么的繁荣，而是为了强调它们拥有相似的地理特征，这一地理特征对城市繁荣非常有利。故 A 选项排除。 
B 选择：符合文章意思，正确。
C 选项：建造者是参照这两座城市来建造孟斐斯的。错误，因为文章没有提及该信息。故 C 排除。 
D 选项：说明在该地沙漠牧场和冲积耕地的结合非常普遍。错误，文章没有提及该信息，而且这不是作者举这两个城市的例子的主要目的。故 D 排除。