[解析]
(1)语境衔接题。根据上文If you travel to nearly any Chinese city in the summertime,you will see people,mostly men wearing T﹣shirts,sitting out on the sidewalks on low chairs in the shade,playing a game with large round disks of wood.(如果你在夏天去几乎任何一个中国城市旅行,你都会看到人们,大多是穿着T恤衫的男人,坐在阴凉处的矮椅子上,在人行道上用大圆木盘玩游戏。)可知,描述了玩游戏的景象,说明这种游戏在中国非常普及和受欢迎,和下文Xiangqi dates back as early as the Warring States period. (象棋的历史可以追溯到战国时期。)可知,介绍象棋可以追溯到战国时代,指出这个游戏就是象棋,下文进一步介绍象棋,D项The game is called Xiangqi,a game of ordinary people.(这个游戏叫象棋,一个普通人的游戏)符合语境。故选D。
(2)语境衔接题。根据上文Xiangqi dates back as early as the Warring States period.While experts have different opinions as to who created Xiangqi and how it is linked to Western chess,there is no doubt that by the Tang Dynasty Xiangqi was a popular game in China.(象棋的历史可以追溯到战国。虽然专家们对象棋的创造者以及它与国际象棋的联系有不同的看法,但毫无疑问,到了唐代,象棋在中国已经成为一种流行的游戏。)可知,介绍象棋在中国历史悠久,很受欢迎。和下文And in the 20th century both Sun Yat﹣sen and Zhou Enlai were big fans of the game.(在20世纪,孙中山和周恩来都是象棋的忠实粉丝。)可知,介绍了近代象棋在中国的受欢迎程度,根据上下文可知此段按照时间顺序介绍了象棋在中国的发展,所以空处应该按照时间介绍唐朝之后的一个时期象棋的发展情形。B项During the Qing Dynasty its popularity grew.(在清朝,它的流行程度越来越高)符合语境。故选B。
(3)语境衔接题。根据上一段And,though it may look quite a bit different than Western chess,Xiangqi is actually quite similar in what the pieces can do and how the game is played.Like Western chess,the object of the game is to capture the other player's "king".Actually,in Xiangqi he is just a general.(尽管象棋看起来与西方国际象棋有很大的不同,但在棋子的功能和游戏方式方面,象棋实际上非常相似。就像国际象棋,游戏的目标是抓住其他玩家的'王'。其实,在象棋里他只是个将军。)可知,说明了中国象棋与国际象棋的相似之处,和下文Another big difference between Western chess and Xiangqi is that there is a large empty space in the middle of the board,which the elephants cannot cross. (国际象棋和象棋的另一个很大的不同是,棋盘中间有一个很大的空地,象不能越过的。)可知,设空处应该阐述国际象棋和象棋的一个不同之处,A选项Unlike Western chess,instead of placing the pieces in squares,the pieces are placed on the intersections of lines.(与西方国际象棋不同的是,棋子不是放在方格里,而是放在线的交叉点上。)符合语境。故选A。
(4)语境衔接题。根据上文Another big difference between Western chess and Xiangqi is that there is a large empty space in the middle of the board,which the elephants cannot cross. (象棋和国际象棋的另一大区别是棋盘中间有一大块空白,象无法通过。)可知,提到中国象棋中有个空间是象不能越过的;和下文This space refers to an area in China where Liu Bang and Xiang Yu had a life﹣or﹣death war. (这个空间指的是中国的一个地区,刘邦和项羽在那里进行了一场生死战)可知,提到这个空间就是刘邦和项羽打生死战的地方,所以空处应是对这个空间进行定义,C项It is called "the Chu River and the Han Boundary" .(它被称为'楚河汉界'。)符合语境。故选C。
(5)联系上文题。根据上文The war was so influential that "the Chu River and the Han Boundary" has become a metaphor(隐喻) referring to any boundary between two opposing armies.When the Chinese people today see this name on the board,the battle scenes come to their mind,as though they are surrounded by thick smoke,able to hear the beating of war drums. (这场战争的影响是如此之大,以至于"楚汉边界"已经成为一个隐喻,指的是两个敌对军队之间的任何边界。当今天的中国人看到这个名字在棋盘时,战斗的画面浮现在他们的脑海中,仿佛被浓烟包围,能够听到战鼓的敲击声。)可知,提到楚河汉界是一种隐喻,下象棋时棋盘也是个战场,人们看到这个名字就好像沉浸在硝烟四起、战鼓喧天的战争场面。F选项An intense battle is about to take place on this small chessboard.(一场激烈的战斗即将在这个小棋盘上进行。)符合语境。故选F。