No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock ‘n’ roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say.
“Technically, I think what they're proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said.
People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there's no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.
The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand. .
Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.
However, physicist Joseph West, who led the new study, thinks there might have been a simpler way. West said, “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction. I thought, ‘Why don't they just try rolling the things?’” A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides, he realized. That, he noted, should make a block of stone “a lot easier to roll than a square”.
So he tried it. He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground.
They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled. The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的) path.
West hasn't tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding. At least, workers wouldn't have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
1. It's widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by _________.A.rolling them on roads | B.pushing them over the sand |
C.sliding them on smooth paths | D.dragging them on some poles |
A.Made the paths wet. | B.Made the paths hard. |
C.Made the paths wide. | D.Made the paths slippery. |
A.Because more force is needed for sliding. |
B.Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle. |
C.Because sliding on smooth roads is more dangerous. |
D.Because less preparation on paths is needed for rolling. |
A.An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
B.An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
C.An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
D.An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
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【推荐1】Making my way slowly along the cliff (悬崖) face, I gazed (注视) at the great appearance of each temple I passed. As I entered the first cave and looked up at the feitian—an imagined flying god in Buddhist art, I wondered how many hundreds of thousands of others, from near and far, have looked at the same great paintings and statues.
Sometime between the 4th and 14th century, Mogao was an important Buddhist center connecting East Asia and South Asia. Hundreds of caves were carved into a cliff face running along the Daquan River. Located on the ancient Silk Road, one of the great trade routes in ancient times, it created an environment of artistic and cultural exchange between the different cultures.
My personal adventure to Dunhuang had taken me, by way of train and bus, from Xining in Qinghai Province to Lanzhou in Gansu Province, and through the Jiayu Pass. From there, I continued on through Yumen Pass, also known as the Jade Gate, and crossed the Gobi Desert to find this small and sleepy desert town, and to see these caves for myself.
As I explored the temples,I was amazed by the vividness (生动性) of the paintings and statues. It was almost as though they were painted or carved the day before. I had discovered the reason why people travel.
There are more than 2,000 coloured statues that were carved 1,500 years ago. More than 1,400statues are well-protected so they can still be appreciated. During the thousand years of artistic activity,the style of the wall paintings and statues changed. The early caves show greater Indian and Western influences,while during the Tang Dynasty the influences of Chinese painting styles became noticeable.
Today, the Mogao Caves stand out from the desert like a shinning pearl on the Silk Road.
1. What do we know about Mogao?A.It was a Buddhist center in West Asia. | B.It can be easily reached by train and bus. |
C.It has carved caves on Daquan Mountains. | D.It was the meeting point for different cultures. |
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
A.The well-protected temples. | B.The large number of tourists. |
C.The preserved coloured statues. | D.Some paintings made not long ago. |
A.Highly developed. | B.Plain. | C.Culturally mixed. | D.Noticeable. |
A.Style Changes Over Years | B.The Pearl of the Silk Road |
C.Influential Western Culture | D.My Views on Dunhuang |
【推荐2】Lonely? You’re hardly alone. Since COVID-19 struck, people of all ages have struggled with this. But even before the pandemic, loneliness was becoming a growing problem for teens — especially girls. That’s the finding of a new study. And that appears throughout industrial nations across the globe. The study linked rising loneliness to greater use of smartphones and the Internet over the same years.
Jean Twenge, a psychologist, took part in the study. Her team has found that since 2012, US teens have been spending less time together face-to-face.
The new study pulled its data from a survey. Some 1 million 15- and 16-year-old students from 37 countries took part in this survey in 2000, 2003, 2012, 2015 and 2018. Its questions mostly dealt with education. But they also included six statements about loneliness, such as “I feel awkward and out of place in my school”. Students could strongly disagree, disagree, agree or strongly agree with each statement.
“Smartphones can help keep us connected with friends,” says Twenge. “But they can also make people feel excluded (排斥).” Girls, especially, may feel this way. One reason may be that they like to post more photos and selfies (自拍照) than boys. Studies have shown that if those images don’t get a lot of “likes”, it can affect a teen’s mental health.
And there’s “phubbing”, a combination of “phone” and “snubbing (冷落)”. It’s that moment at which a friend or family member takes out a phone and keeps looking at it, paying no attention to everybody else, including you. Phubbing is one way technology can affect you, even when you’re not the one using it.
If technology causes loneliness, should we stop using it? “No, not at all,” argues Twenge. “Everybody of all ages is trying to figure out how we can best use technology and stay mentally healthy.” Her advice is to “use your smartphone for what it’s good for. Then put it away.” That includes putting it away overnight — ideally in another room.
1. How do girls differ from boys in smartphone use in the study?A.They need it to stay in style. |
B.They use it as a learning tool. |
C.They depend on it to keep in touch. |
D.They like to post more pictures with it. |
A.To show the harm of the smartphone. |
B.To give an example of communication. |
C.To introduce an embarrassing situation. |
D.To present a scene with the smartphone. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Supportive. |
C.Worried. | D.Uninterested. |
A.The Smartphone — the Focus of a Study |
B.The Smartphone — a Communication Tool |
C.The Smartphone — a Friend of Teenagers |
D.The Smartphone — a Source of Loneliness |
【推荐3】Many people believe it is crucial to have gender equality in the workplace. But achieving equality means overturning centuries of social norms. Recent research by Oxford University suggests that sometimes it is women themselves who are limiting their career opportunities.
The study surveyed 3,698 students from 63 schools and colleges across the UK . It found out that female students tend to choose “worthwhile” jobs, while male students often go after jobs that offer big salaries. Researchers noticed that secondary school girls said they were more willing to accept low-income jobs like charity work or museum positions, while boys focused more on getting high-prestige careers, reported The Guardian.
“Compared with boys, girls are more concerned about each aspect of job application. They are more interested in careers that offer job security, in a cause they ‘feel good about’,” Jonathan Black, director of the Oxford University Careers Service, told The Telegraph.
China faces a similar gender gap. This month, a poll by Chongqing Morning Post indicates that female college graduates care more about their working environment. As for male graduates, career prospects are more important. “This has the knock-on effect that girls may be self-limiting their choice of careers, especially because the types of jobs they seek often have informal entry processes, like getting an internship or doing unpaid work,” Black said.
1. What kind of job do girl graduates tend to look for?A.Well-paid. | B.Promising. |
C.Challenging. | D.Safe and easy. |
A.Women’s self-limit in career. | B.Social gender discrimination. |
C.Men’s attitude towards jobs. | D.Job application in the UK and China. |
A.by comparison | B.by classification |
C.by order of space | D.by order of time |
A.Girls are fighting against restrictions in jobs. |
B.There are not many jobs open to girls after graduation. |
C.The gender gap in employment has narrowed recently in China. |
D.Research in the UK shows that the gender gap exists in employment. |
【推荐1】The remains of a huge building from ancient Greece have been discovered by underwater researchers working at a site of a historic battle that took place 2,500 years ago.
The monumental construction was found in the shallow waters off the coast of Salamis during excavation (挖掘) work that took place in June and July last year. The Greek Culture Ministry, which announced the discovery, said it dates back to the time of the Battle of Salamis — a naval battle between Greek and Persian states. Underwater researchers were carrying out a study of the area when they found the remains in the shallow waters. They believed it was a large public building that was used until the late Roman times, in the third century C.E.
The researchers said it would likely have been one of the main public buildings in the area. The team found many other features relating to the building and marble sculptures. This, the ministry said, appears to date back to the fourth century B.C.E.
During the 2018 study, the researchers used a new technique where a flexible barrier was constructed, allowing them to drain (排水) the area being excavated, get a better view of the site and take samples of the remains, helping them date the building.
The discovery of the building is important as it is helping the researchers reconstruct the geography of the area 2,500 years ago. At this time — 480 B.C.E.— the Battle of Salamis took place in the straits between Salamis Island and mainland Greece. Following successful invasions (入侵) by the Persian army, the Greek ships had withdrawn to Salamis. At this point Themistocles, a politician and general, convinced Greek friends to fight, a report of the battle by the U.K.’s Cardiff University notes. The Persians thought they had the advantage. They entered the straits of Salamis with a view to blocking the entrance. However, their large ships failed to operate well in the tight waterways and the Greeks were victorious. After this win, the Greeks defeated the Persians in several other key battles, ending the period of invasion.
1. What can be learned about the huge building?A.It was ruined during a naval battle. |
B.It was still used after Roman times. |
C.It was built after the Battle of Salamis. |
D.It was discovered in the shallow waters. |
A.Why the researchers built a barrier. |
B.How the researchers drained the area. |
C.Why the researchers dated the building. |
D.How the researchers conducted the study. |
A.It tells people of a great politician’s achievements. |
B.It shows why the Persian army carried out invasions. |
C.It helps the researchers know what the area used to be like. |
D.It confirms the report by the U.K.’s Cardiff University. |
A.It ended with the Greeks’ victory. |
B.It put an end to the Persians’ invasion. |
C.It took place in the mainland of Greece. |
D.It forced the Persians to abandon their ships. |
【推荐2】Imagine this: You’re digging a well, and instead of hitting water, you unearth a headless human body made of pottery. This actually happened to farmers in Shanxi province in central China in 1974. Local archaeologists heard of the find and biked over to investigate. They realized that the figure had come from a tomb built over 2,000 years ago for China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang. Archaeologists finally discovered three separate pits (穴) filled with 8,000 life-sized statues, all made from terracotta — a type of fired clay.
About a mile away from these pits, there’s a large mound (山丘). Archaeologists know that this is the main part of Qin Shihuang’s tomb, but they have never looked inside. They have left it alone out of respect for the first emperor and to protect the tomb as it is.
“Many people wish to see the treasures and mysteries inside, but we cannot,” says Xiuzhen Li, an archaeologist. Opening the tomb could damage its contents. Someday, Li hopes, we’ll have technology that will let us see inside the main part of the tomb without opening and disturbing it.
“Probably in the near future we’ll have some new technology that can see inside like an x-ray,” she says. Scientists are working on techniques that make it possible to see underground. Another idea is that a tiny robot could enter through a small hole and capture videos of what it sees. Even if this robotic exploration is done very carefully, however, it would still damage the tomb. For now, the Chinese government prefers to wait to do anything until they have even better technology.
1. What’s the suitable description of the figure from the tomb?A.A copy of real soldiers. | B.A model of emperors. |
C.In ruins. | D.In colors. |
A.It might be ruined. |
B.It is very dangerous. |
C.The robot is not clever enough. |
D.The government doesn’t allow it. |
A.Unconcerned. | B.Doubtful. |
C.Hopeful. | D.Objective. |
A.An encyclopedia. | B.A history textbook. |
C.A newspaper. | D.A travel guide. |
【推荐3】The researchers say they have discovered two huge magma chambers (岩浆库) under Wei Mountain in Heilongjiang. If it is true, it will be a surprising discovery since the volcano last erupted over 500,000 years ago.
Zhang Haijiang and his team visited nearly 100 sites across Wei Mountain. They were looking for magma, and they found an unusual signal from 15km underground, followed by another one at 8km. Their computer modelling suggested there could be two huge magma chambers with a depth of more than 9km. According to their research, 15 percent of the upper chamber is now filled with molten (熔化的) rock. Some studies have suggested that a volcanic eruption could take place when a chamber is filled to 40 percent magma.
They suggested that the volcanic activity in northeast China is likely to be in an active stage, and the active volcanic monitoring is needed to further understand the magma system in this area.
Xu Jiandong, director of the volcanic research, said seismic (地震的) stations had been monitoring this area for many years. "If there are really huge magma chambers in the area, we should have found some related seismic activities—When the lower chamber fills the upper one, there should be some movement," he said. "But so far, after decades of monitoring on the site, we've picked up almost nothing. The whole area has been very, very quiet," he added.
So did the researchers really find huge magma chambers? While the unusual signals found by Zhang's team looked like magma chambers, they could also have been caused by other things.
But what is for sure is that the area is active. It's like porridge boiling in a pot. But since the studies in recent years have suggested a low risk of immediate eruption in the area, the government has not set up seismic stations around. And it is certain that they aren't prepared for a big eruption over there.
1. What do Zhang Haijiang and his team say they've found under Wei Mountain?A.Lots of frozen rocks. | B.Two magma chambers. |
C.Nearly 100 volcanic sites. | D.A huge magma system. |
A.They don't find any seismic activities. |
B.The active volcanic monitoring is needed. |
C.Their efforts to monitor volcanoes are useless. |
D.Volcanic eruptions never happened in this area. |
A.Volcanic eruptions. | B.Zhang's team members. |
C.The seismic stations. | D.The unusual signals. |
A.What Can Cause Volcanoes to Erupt in Northeast China? |
B.Is Chinese Government Ready for Volcanic Eruptions? |
C.Are There Magma Chambers Under Wei Mountain? |
D.Is Active Volcanic Monitoring Needed in China? |