To us,it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains.But in fact the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain.Its first use was as a sunshade （遮阳伞）.
Nobody knows who first invented it,but the umbrella was used in very ancient time.Probably the Chinese were the first to use it,back in the 11th century BC．
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade.And there was a strange thing that connected with its use:it was a symbol of honor and power.In the Far East in ancient times,the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in the upper class or by royal people such as kings or queens.
In Europe,the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade.The umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece,but it is believed that the first people in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.During the Middle Ages in Europe,the use of the umbrella almost disappeared.Then it appeared again in Italy in the late 16th century.And again it became a symbol of power.
The umbrella has not changed much in style during all the time,though it has become much lighter in weight.It wasn\’t until the 20th century that the umbrellas for women began to be made in all kinds of colors.

（1）Ancient people first used umbrellas as ______.
A．a symbol of honor
B．protection against the sun
C．a symbol of power
D．protection against the rain
（2）What does the underlined word "royal" mean in Chinese? ______
A．王室的
B．富裕的
C．中产的
D．平民的
（3）According to the passage,which of the following is NOT true? ______
A．The ancient Greeks used the umbrella in their daily life.
B．Europeans hardly used the umbrella during the Middle Ages.
C．The umbrellas for women were made colorful in ancient time.
D．The style of the umbrella hasn\’t changed a lot during all the time.
（4）What\’s this passage mainly about? ______
A．The sales of the umbrella.
B．The differences among umbrellas.
C．The invention of the umbrella.
D．The history and use of the umbrella.