1 . The first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, is remembered for the many things he did during his rule.

Between 221 and 210 B.C, he started the construction of the Great Wall of China. He built a large network of roads. He introduced a new writing system, currency (货币流通), and set of measurements. The emperor also ordered the construction of a huge army of life-sized terracotta (陶器) soldiers. These, he hoped, would protect his tomb (基) after his death.

Today, the soldiers in Xi’an’s terracotta museum are light brown, but they weren’t always this color. They began as an army of red, blue, yellow, green, white, and purple. Sadly, most of the colors did not last to the present day. Before their discovery, the clay soldiers were protected by being underground. When they were ___▲___, however, the air caused the coating under the paint to fall off. The paint disappeared in less time than it takes to boil an egg, taking with it important pieces of history.

New techniques are now starting to reveal (揭露) the army’s true colors. Scientists have recently discovered an area with more than a hundred soldiers. Many of these still have their painted features, including black hair, pink faces, and black or brown eyes. Chinese researchers have developed a special liquid (液体) to help keep the soldiers’ colors. After they find a soldier, scientists spread the liquid over it. They then cover it in plastic.

Scientists are also finding colors in the dirt around Xian’s terracotta warriors. “It’s important not to move the dirt, so the colors won’t be lost. We are treating the earth as an art piece,” says Rong Bo, the museum’s leading chemist. The next challenge, says Rong, is to find a way to put the colors to the army again. Once that happens, artists can bring Emperor Qin’s army back to life in full color.

1. What is the reading mainly about?

A．why the emperor’s clay army was built.

B．the real colors of the terracotta soldiers.

C．what life was like for soldiers under Emperor Qin.

D．why the emperor’s tomb was built.

2. In paragraph 3,what can be put into ___▲___?

A．cleaned up

B．dug up

C．looked over

D．fixed up

3. What have scientists recently discovered?

A．A museum with many art pieces.

B．A liquid in the tomb that keeps the soldiers’ colors.

C．A place with over a hundred terracotta soldiers.

D．A new tomb for Emperor Qin.

4. Which statement would Rong Bo probably agree with?

A．The soldiers should be left the way they were found.

B．Artists should be able to paint the soldiers the colors they want.

C．We should try to repaint the army’s real colors.

D．we should clear up the earth around the army for visitors to see them.

3 .

Like detectives, archaeologists use evidence to solve mysteries. Detectives look for clues to solve crimes. Archaeologists look for clues to help them understand how people lived long ago. In fact, the word “archaeology” means “the study of ancient things”. One type of evidence used to learn about the past is pottery.

People have used pottery for thousands of years all over the world. Old pottery is usually found in pieces called “potsherds”. Sometimes potsherds found in the same place can be put back together to recreate the original pot. Even in pieces, old pottery can teach us about the past. When examining pottery, archaeologists consider not only its appearance but what it was made of and how it was made. With this knowledge, they can get information about people’s lives in ancient times. ①

Pottery is made by first adding water to a kind of soil called clay. When wet clay can be formed into shapes. It is then heated. This hardens (使变硬) the clay and allows it to keep its shape. To make clay easier to shape and heat, potters (制陶工) use something called “temper”. Different materials can be used as temper. An archaeologist can tell where a pot came from by the types of clay and temper that were used. Sometimes a pot found in one location might have materials from another place. ②

Some of the earliest pots were made quite simply. A piece of clay was hollowed (掏空) out and shaped into a bowl. It was then heated at a low temperature. The finished pot was rough (粗糙), and often undecorated. This type of pot might be used for cooking.③

Later, coiled pots were made. These were made by first rolling the clay into a long snake shape. The coil was then wound (绕) in circles to form a pot. They were often decorated in different ways. These pots were heated at high temperatures. The higher the temperature, the harder and longer-lasting the pot. Further improvements in pottery-making developed in different times and places. ④

A pot’s shape and decoration can provide clues about the past. Painted pictures might show events from daily life or from ancient stories. Archaeologists know certain shapes and styles that were common in different times and places.

Archaeologists study the differences in types of pottery closely. Because of their work, these daily objects can tell some of the mysteries of the past.

1. Why are detectives and archaeologists mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To compare the pottery with evidence.	B．To show the long history of pottery.
C．To lead to the topic of the passage.	D．To catch readers’ attention to archaeology.

2. We can put “This can provide clues about how people traded or travelled.” in Blank ________.

A．①

B．②

C．③

D．④

3. When is temper added to the clay?

A．Before the clay is shaped.	B．After the pot is heated.
C．While the pot is being decorated.	D．When the clay is hollowed.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．People have used pottery for thousands of years all over the world.

B．Pots are decorated with pictures that show events from ancient stories.

C．Ancient pottery can tell about the lives of the people who made and used it.

D．Archaeologists look for clues to solve mysteries in different times and places.

4 .

What? A flush toilet (抽水马桶) from over 2,000 years ago? Is that even possible?

Well, according to a research team in China, the answer is yes!

Not long ago, Chinese researchers discovered several broken parts of a 2,400-year-old flush toilet. They believe it might be the world’s oldest flush toilet.

“It is the first and only ancient flush toilet that has been found in China,” said Liu Rui, a researcher. “Everybody on the research team was taken by surprise when we found it, and then we all couldn’t help laughing.”

Described by researchers as a “luxury (奢华的) object”, the toilet is thought to have been placed inside the palace. According to the researchers, this toilet might have been used by Duke Xiao of Qin or his father, Duke Xian of Qin. Liu pointed out that the toilet was probably set indoors and connected to an outdoor hole.

There are many historical records about toilets in ancient China and some ancient toilets have been found. It shows that the ancient Chinese already realised the importance of hygiene (卫生). And to people’s surprise, it seems that there is not too much difference between ancient toilets and the modern ones we see today.

1. How did the researchers feel when they found the ancient toilet?

A．Common.

B．Bored.

C．Quiet.

D．Surprised.

2. Which of the following is mentioned in Paragraph 5?

A．The toilet was hard to use.	B．The toilet was used outdoors.
C．The toilet was a luxury object.	D．The toilet was used for hygiene.

3. What does the underlined word “ones” in the last paragraph refer to (指的是)?

A．Toilets.

B．Objects.

C．Palaces.

D．Records.

4. In which part of a magazine can we read the text?

A．Art.

B．History.

C．Science.

D．Education.

5 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容，完成下列各题。

One day in 1974, some farmers dug a well (水井) in Lintong, Shannxi. As they were digging down, they discovered a strange “pot”. They cleaned the earth. Then, they found the “pot” was the head of a terracotta warrior.

Archaeologists came to take a look. They dug out more terracotta pieces: broken arms and legs, headless bodies, and houses. They even found some broken bronze chariots (铜战车). The place was only 1,500 meters away from Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum (陵墓). The terracotta army was made for him.

The discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses shocked the world. They are over 2,000 years old, but they are still in good condition.

Why did Qinshihuang build the army?

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are only one part of Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum. The emperor built a very large “house” for his afterlife.

In the past, many Chinese people believed they could take things to the other world after death. So did Emperor Qinshihuang. He beat his enemies with his strong army and joined China together for the first time. He wanted to keep his wonderful life after death. He hoped his army could protect and fight for him forever. So he built the terracotta army and took it underground.

The year 2024 is the 50th anniversary (周年) of the discovery of this great wonder. Every year, millions of visitors come here, including many heads of foreign states and governments. It is the most well-known name card of Xi’an City.

1. When was the first terracotta warrior discovered?
It was discovered in Lintong in ________.
2. Who does the underlined word “him” refer to?
It refers to ________.
3. Which English word in the third paragraph means “使震惊”?
It’s “________”.
4. Why did Qinshihuang build the army?
Because he wanted to ____________ and hoped his army could protect and fight for him forever.
5. How long has the Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum been discovered?
It has been discovered for ________ years.

6 .

Dinosaur (恐龙) Footprints Discovered A customer eating in a restaurant’s outdoor yard, in Sichuan Province, has discovered dinosaur footprints on the ground. After using a 3D scanner (扫描仪), scientists made sure that the footprints are 100 million years old.
______________ Marley and Bob say they became interested in archaeology (考古学) from studying history at school, going to museums and watching Human Histories! They do digs (挖掘) at archaeological sites (地点) and carefully research their finds. “You never know what you might discover, and it is an interesting way to discover old things on a real dig. It makes me really happy,” says Bob.
Students Find Ancient Mural A group of students have discovered a 1,000-year-old mural (wall painting). The 30-meter mural could tell us what the life was like in ancient Peru. Professor Luis says, “The discovery is the most exciting and important find of recent years.”

1. In which part of the newspaper can we read the news?

A．BUSINESS.

B．TRAVEL.

C．HISTORY.

D．ART.

2. Those dinosaur footprints were found ________.

A．through a scanner	B．by scientists
C．millions of years ago	D．during a meal

3. The best heading for the second piece of news would be ________.

A．Come to Our Museum	B．Dig and Discover the World
C．Find Out Your Hobby	D．Study Human Histories

4. Professor Luis finds the mural very important mainly because ________.

A．it shows us ancient Peru’s life	B．it’s the world’s earliest wall painting
C．it shows the birth of the mural	D．it has a very large size

8 .

A     Dinosaur (恐龙) Prints Discovered      A diner eating in a restaurant’s outdoor yard, in Sichuan Province, has discovered dinosaur footprints on the ground. After using a 3D scanner (扫描仪), scientists made sure that the footprints are 100 million years old. They belonged to two dinosaurs with long necks and tails.

B     ________ Marley and Bob say they became interested in archaeology (考古学) from studying history at school, going to museums and watching Human Histories! They also go to the Young Archaeologists’ Club and they do digs at archaeological sites (地点) and carefully research their finds. “You never know what you might discover, and it is a fascinating way to uncover old remains on a real dig. It makes me really happy,” says Bob.

C       Students Find Ancient Murals A group of student archaeologists have unearthed a 1,000 year-old mural (wall painting). The 30-meter mural shows mysterious scenes, which could reflect what the life was like in ancient Peru. Professor Luis says, “It is the most exciting and important find of recent years.”

D       Uncovering the Earliest Highways Scientists are uncovering more secrets about the ancient Maya civilization (文明) with the discovery of 417 cities dating back to 2,000 years ago. The cities were found to be connected by 110 miles of “highways”, which is believed to be the “world’s first-ever system of highways”. The “highways” were wide roadways made in stones.

1. In which section of the newspaper can we read the news?

A．TRAVEL.

B．HISTORY.

C．ART.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the four passages above?

A．The dinosaur footprints were discovered through a 3D scanner.

B．Marley and Bob studied archaeology in school.

C．Maya people built the world’s earliest highways with stones.

3. Which is the best title for ________?

A．Come to Our Club

B．Dig and Discover the World

C．Find Out Your Hobby

4. What does the underlined word “It” in Passage C refer to?

A．The mysterious scene.

B．The life in ancient Peru.

C．The mural.

5. What’s the common point shared by all the passages above?

A．They all say hello to the past.

B．They all report new archaeological finds.

C．They all tell ancestors’ stories.