读时请注意意群分割：大停顿// 小停顿/ bold 加重语气

In the middle ages中古时期,/ the design and use of flags/ were considered a means方式 of identifying识别 social status社会地位.// Flags were, therefore,/ the symbols not of nations,/but of the nobility贵族.// The design of each flag/ resembled 类似于 the devices图案/ on the noble’s贵族的 Coat of Arms盾徽,// and the size of the flag/ was an indication指示/ of how high/ the owner stood in the nobility.