英语分站

　　In Ancient Egypt too, the centralisation of harvests in state warehouses led to the development of a system of banking. Written orders for the withdrawal of separate lots of grain by owners whose crops had been deposited there for safety and convenience, or which had been compulsorily deposited to the credit of the king, soon became used as a more general method of payment of debts to other people, including tax gatherers, priests and traders. Even after the introduction of coinage, these Egyptian grain banks served to reduce the need for precious metals, which tended to be reserved for foreign purchases, particularly in connection with military activities.

　　5. In both Mesopotamia and Egypt the banking systems

　　A. were initially limited to transactions involving depositors.

　　B. were created to provide income for the king.

　　C. required a large staff to administer them.

　　D. grew out of the provision of storage facilities for food.

　　6. What does the writer suggest about banking?

　　A. It can take place without the existence of coins.

　　B. It is likely to begin when people are in debt.

　　C. It normally requires precious metals.

　　D. It was started to provide the state with an income.