Passage C: Questions 45-50       The excellence of ancient Chinese bronze casting has never been equaled. Though the earliestbronze predated the Shang dynasty (1 523 B.C.--1028 B.C.), general use in state worship rituals bythe ruling elite became common early in that period. Towards the end of the Shang dynasty, bronzevessels were also used in private rituals. After then, and up to 220 A.D., bronze vessels were widelyused as utensils for daily life.         The Chinese made bronzes by methods that differed greatly from those used in ancientMesopotamia and Greece. Instead of cold-working the alloy to make the shapes and designs, theyused a direct-casting process. In this process, clay molds were assembled around a clay core. Themold sections contained a negative image of the design which had been carved directly into the clay.To make the vessel, the hot molten alloy (a combination of tin and copper) was poured into themold assembly and left to cool. The finished vessel required no more carving.        The decoration of the vessels developed through the years. Early designs had a narrow band ofgeometric designs, while later designs had complex patterns covering the entire vessel. Often thedesign included stylized dragons, birds, or snakes. Inscriptions of ancient script were also cast intovessels, with inlaid gold and silver adding contrasting color to the designs.
【題組】45. This passage mainly discusses the
(A) excellence of Chinese bronze vessels.
(B) techniques of producing bronze.
(C) types of decorations on bronze vessels.
(D) time period of the use of bronze vessels.