9、不定项选择题 Read the following text. Choose the best word（s） fo
单选
9、不定项选择题 Read the following text. Choose the best word（s） for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. （10 points）
Caravanserais were roadside inns that were built along the Silk Roadin areas including China, North Africa and the Middle East. They were typically （1） _____ outside the walls of a city or village and were usually funded by local governments or （2） _____.
The word ‘caravanserai’ is a （3） _____ of the Persian words ‘karvan’, which means a group of travellers or a caravan, and ‘saray’, a palace or enclosed building. The term caravan was used to （4） _____ groups of people who travelled together across the ancient network for safety reasons, （5） _____ merchants, travellers or pilgrims.
From the 10th century onwards, as merchant and travel routes became more developed, the （6） _____ of caravanserais increased and they served as a safe place for people to rest at night. Travellers on the Silk Road （7） _____ the possibility of being attacked by thieves or being （8） _____ to extreme weather conditions. For this reason, caravanserais were strategically placed （9） _____ they could be reached in a day’s travel time.
Caravanserais served as an informal （10） _____ point for the various people who travelled the Silk Road. （11） _____, these structures became important centres for cultural （12） _____ and interaction with travellers sharing their cultures, ideas and beliefs, （13） _____ taking knowledge with them, greatly （14） _____ the development of several civilisations.
Caravanserais were also an important marketplace for commodities and （15） _____ in the trade of goods along the Silk Road. （16） _____, it was frequently the first stop for merchants locking to sell their wares and （17） _____ supplies for their own journeys. It is （18） _____ that around 12000 to 15000 caravanserais were built along the Silk Road, （19） _____ only about 3000 are known to remain today, many of which are in （20） _____.
