There were many different cultures in the ancient world,but the

There were many different cultures in the ancient world,but the two that had the most influence?on European and American civilizations were the Greek and the Roman．Often these two eultures are?lumped together in our minds,as if they were really exactly alike．But that is not the case．In many?ways the Greeks and the Romans could not have been more different． The Greeks were truly democratic,often without a single leader but instead governed by a group?of men chosen by the people．The Romans were semi-democratic．They had a governing Senate,but?the political power was mostly or completely in the hands of a single emperor． Both cultures were great builders．But the construction interests of the two cultures were also?different．The Greeks tended to be more artistic．Their buildings were well constructed and they were?especially interested in temples,columns,and decorative forms．The Romans,on the other hand,were more engineers than artists．They concentrated their efforts on urban planning,well-functioning?water pipes,and the best roads． Only in cooking and eating habits are the two cultures really similar．Both peoples ate very well?indeed:lots of fish,fresh vegetables and fruits,healthy meals,holding at the same time long?discussions and tasting excellent wines． In fact,it would probably be fair to say that they both loved life in their warm, sea-oriented?climates,and they both lived a full life． What is the first paragraph about?
A、The Greek and the Roman were similar．
B、People misunderstood European civilization．
C、Greek civilization was quite different from Roman civilization．
D、European civilization influenced American civilization greatly．
【正确答案】：C
【题目解析】：【考情点拨】主旨大意题。 【应试指导】文章第一段首先说人们将希腊和罗马文化混为一谈是错误的，最后一句又强调了两者是非常不同的。所以本段主要讲的是希腊文化和罗马文化两者有巨大差异，故选C。