1 . Men hunted. Women gathered. That has long been the common view of our prehistoric ancestors. But the discovery of a woman buried 9000 years ago in the Andes Mountains with weapons and hunting tools, and an analysis of other burial sites in the Americas challenges this widely accepted division of labor in hunter-gatherer society.
“Labor practices among recent hunter-gatherer societies are highly gendered, which might lead some to believe that sexist inequalities in things like pay or rank are somehow 'natural' , ”said lead study author Randy Haas, an assistant professor of anthropology (人类学) at University of California, Davis, in a news release. "But it's now clear that sexual division of labor was fundamentally different-likely more equal and reasonable-in our species deep hunter-gatherer past."
The burial site was discovered in 2018 during excavations (发掘) at a high-altitude site called Wilamaya Patjxa in what is now Peru. The woman, thought to be between 17 and 19 years old when she died, was buried with items that suggested she hunted big-game animals.
Although some scholars have suggested a role for women in ancient hunting, others have dismissed this idea even when hunting tools were uncovered in female burials. To examine whether this woman found at this site was an outlier, the researchers examined 429 skeletons (骷髅) at 107 burials sites in North and South America around 8000 to 14000 years ago. Of those, 27 individuals were buried with hunting tools—11 were female and 15 were male. The sample was sufficient to "support the conclusion that female participation in early big-game hunting was likely not unusual".
The findings add to doubts about man — the hunter assumption that informed much thinking about early humans since the mid-20th century. “They suggest hunting was very much a community-based activity, needing the participation of all able-bodied individuals to drive large animals”, the paper said. The weapon of choice at that time had low accuracy, encouraging broad participation, and using it was a skill learned from childhood.
1. What does the recent burial site at Andes Mountains show?| A．The origin of sexual inequality. |
| B．Hunting skills of ancient times. |
| C．The social system of prehistoric hunters. |
| D．Job division of hunter-gatherer society. |
| A．Gender plays no part in recent hunter-gatherer society. |
| B．Sexist inequality is a natural result of prehistoric society. |
| C．Ancient division of labor might be fairer than we'd thought. |
| D．Public ideas of women's role will be changed abruptly. |
| A．Exception. | B．Failure. |
| C．Role model. | D．Easy target. |
| A．Lack of able-bodied individuals. |
| B．Imperfection in hunting weapons. |
| C．Better accuracy of females in hunting. |
| D．Need for large animals as food source. |
2 . When I was a boy there were no smart phones, and our television only got one channel clearly. Still, I was never bored. The fields, hills, and woodlands around my home were the perfect playground. I can remember once hiking to a nearby lake. At the backside of it I was amazed to find an old dirt road that I had never seen before. It was full of muddy tracks and deep woods bordered it on both sides, but exploring it still seemed like a fine adventure.
I walked on and on for hours. I was sure my guardian angel was whispering in my ear “Turn around and head back home”, but I was stubborn, so I walked on. There was still neither a car nor a house in sight. I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and I grew scared. I didn’t want to end up trapped on this road, and I was worried that it would be dark before I could make my way back to the lake again.
I continued to walk on with something growing inside of me. My heart was pounding and my legs were aching. I was almost in tears when I turned one last curve and saw something in the distance. It was a house that I recognized. I jumped up and down and laughed out loud. It was still over a mile away, but my legs felt like feathers and I hurried back to my house in no time. I walked in with a big smile on my face just in time for dinner.
I remembered this recently when I saw a sign that said “All roads lead home”. It is true. In life, all roads, no matter how they twist and turn, can lead us home again. What is important, though, is how we travel them. Are we going to go forth in fear or are we going to go forth in faith? Are we going to make this life a terrible trip or are we going to make this life a joyful journey? The choice is ours.
1. Why did the author hardly feel bored when he was young?| A．Because he could have fun in nature. |
| B．Because he could watch TV all day. |
| C．Because he had many friends. |
| D．Because he used to explore the old dirt road. |
| A．He thought he would be scolded by his parents. |
| B．He felt contradictory in mind. |
| C．He thought he would be trapped in the woods. |
| D．He was unconscious. |
| A．The dirt road. | B．His house. |
| C．The lake. | D．A passing car. |
| A．Always make choices on our own. |
| B．All roads lead home. |
| C．It’s our attitude that matters in our life. |
| D．Every effort is worthwhile. |
3 . There have been fires in every Australian state, but New South Wales has been hardest hit. Fires have torn through bushland (丛林地), wooded areas, and national parks. Some start and are controlled in a few days, but the biggest fires have been burning for months.
Each year there is a fire season during the Australian summer, with hot, dry weather making it easy for fires to start and spread. Natural causes are responsible for fires most of the time, like lightning hits in drought-affected forests. Dry lightning was to blame for starting a number of fires in late December, which then traveled more than 20 kilometers in just five hours. Humans can also be responsible. Police have charged at least 24 people with starting bushfires on purpose, and have taken action against 183 people for setting fire since November.
Fire season in Australia is always dangerous -- the 2009 Black Saturday fires killed 173 people in Victoria, making it the deadliest bushfire disaster on record. But conditions have been unusually bad this year, making fires burn more strongly and making firefighting conditions particularly difficult. Australia is experiencing one of its worst droughts over the years. Meanwhile, a heatwave in December broke the record for highest nationwide average temperature, with some places under temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius. Strong winds have also made the fires and smoke spread more rapidly, and have led to deaths.
About half a billion animals have been affected by the fires across NSW, with millions likely dead -- and that's lower than what is probably the real number. That number of total animals influenced could be as high as one billion nationwide. Almost a third of koalas in NSW may have been killed in the fires, and a third of the places where they live have been destroyed.
Some species, like koalas, aren't in any immediate danger of extinction because they are spread out across the country. But others that live in more suitable environments with lower populations, including certain types of frogs and birds, could be destroyed entirely if their home is hit by the fires.
1. Fires in Australia _________.| A．may last a long time | B．often happen in spring |
| C．mainly happened in some states | D．are easily controlled in a few hours |
| A．spread rapidly | B．caused by humans |
| C．were put out by police | D．were due to wet weather |
| A．big fire | B．strong wind |
| C．serious drought | D．period of hot weather |
| A．Because they can run fast. |
| B．Because they live far and wide. |
| C．Because their home is well protected. |
| D．Because they have a lower population. |
4 . Yao Ming was born in Shanghai in 1980. At 229 centimeters, he was the third tallest player in NBA history. Yao made his first appearance in the NBA during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He surprised many critics with his first games, and was fast becoming an international fan favorite, as he broke Michael Jordan’s record for votes (投票) received. In July 2011 Yao announced his retirement from the NBA due to frequent problems in his left foot.
He continuously works to raise awareness of endangered species and even went as far as to stop using shark fin soup at his wedding in 2007. Yao has been saying no to shark fin soup since 2006 when he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador (亲善大使) for wildlife protection. “Shark’s are friends of human beings. They are not our food.” Since his retirement he has become a surprise international force in the field of wildlife protection, and he is using his fame to tell us the difficulties faced by sharks.
Most recently he went to Houston Zoo, as part of his continuing effort to educate young people about the importance of wildlife protection. He is part of a large campaign (运动) by the wildlife protection charity WildAid, and has traveled through Africa to see and document the difficulties facing elephants and rhinos in the wild. With elephant and rhinoceros poaching (偷猎) on the rise, Yao also said, “When the buying stops, the killing can too. Get rid of the demand for rhino horn and ivory right at the source. That’s what I want to do.”
Although Yao is not the first Chinese player in the NBA, it could be argued that he is the most important one, not just for his taking part in charity and wildlife protection work. He built a bridge between two completely different worlds and introduced millions to the Chinese way of life, and the American lifestyle separately.
1. The first paragraph mainly tells us ____________.| A．the history of MBA | B．how high Yao Ming is |
| C．the life of Michael Jordan | D．Yao Ming’s basketball life |
| A．Because shark fin soup is not food. |
| B．Because he wants to set a good example. |
| C．Because sharks are not endangered species |
| D．Because shark fin soup is too expensive for him. |
| A．The demand for wildlife leads to killing. |
| B．He wants to appeal to others to stop illegal selling. |
| C．WildAid plays an important role in wildlife protection. |
| D．Young people make a difference in wildlife protection. |
| A．The first Chinese player in the NBA |
| B．A super basketball star -- Yao Ming |
| C．Yao Ming and his wildlife protection |
| D．When the buying stops, the killing can too |
5 . It can be hard to keep kids busy sometimes, especially when school is out. That's why you usually reach for tablets, phones, or other electronic devices for your kids to play with when they're bored. Whether your kid is in pre-school or high school, there are fun, educational, and even some free apps on this list for them.
ABCmouse.com
ABCmouse.com is available both as an app and a website. It uses fun storyline-based videos, quizzes, and activities — there's even a virtual map outlining your child’s learning path to keep kids engaged.
Ages: 4-8
Cost: One-month free trial, then $10/month subscription (订阅)
EPIC!
Epic! is an app for kids with an e-book library that contains over 35,000 children's books. This app is a perfect way to take reading wherever your device goes, and it's great for families with kids of various ages.
Ages: 2-12
Cost: one-month free trial, then $8/month.
QUICK MATH
Kids know that math can be boring, but this app transforms numbers into something more creative and interactive. Quick Math Jr. is an app for kids with 12 different math games that feature fundamental math skills and concepts. It has unique pictures and buildable characters to keep kids engaged, and all answers are handwritten or drawn on the screen so kids can also practice handwriting.
Ages: 4-8
Cost: free
Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week
For 20 years, Brainpop has been providing kids all over the world with in-depth, yet easy to understand educational videos on everything ranging from Mozart to food allergies. Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week is an app that helps younger kids get these videos, plus short quizzes on them.
You’ll need a subscription to get the full library of videos, but the free version still gets you the movie of the week, plus more free videos on internet safety, and other subjects.
Ages: 6-9
Cost: free, optional subscription (订阅) is $6.99/month
1. How much is it if you want to use ABCmouse.com for the first year?| A．$120 | B．$96 | C．$110 | D．88 |
| A．ABCmouse.com | B．EPIC! |
| C．QUICK MATH | D．Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week |
| A．read e-books | B．get all the videos for free |
| C．learn from educational videos | D．practice his or her handwriting |
6 . Think “art”. What comes to your mind? Is it Greek or Roman sculptures in the Louvre, or Chinese paintings? Have you ever imagined it’s a dancing pattern of lights?
The artworks by American artist Janet Echelman look like colourful floating clouds when lit up at night. Visitors could not only enjoy looking at them but also interact with them literally — by using their phones to change the colors and patterns. But are they really art?
Whatever your opinion, we cannot deny art has existed for thousands of years and art and technology have always been two separate things.
Today, however, technological advances have led to a combination of art and technology, changing the art world greatly. Now art is more accessible to us. For example, people used to queue six hours but spend limited time admiring the famous 5-metre Chinese painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival. Thanks to technology, however, viewers can leisurely experience a digital version of this painting, where the characters can move and interact with their surroundings.
The art-tech combination is also changing our concepts of “art” and the “artist”. Not only can we interact with art, but take part in its creation. With new technological tools at our fingertips, more people are exploring new art forms, such as digital paintings and videos. However, it has also raised questions over its overall quality. Can a video of someone slicing a tomato really be called “art”?
Similarly, such developments are making the line between art and technology less distinct. Can someone unfamiliar with traditional artists’ tools really call themselves an “artist”? And is the artist the creator of the art itself, or the maker of the technology behind it?
Where technology will take art next is anyone’s guess. But one thing is for sure — with so many artists exploring new possibilities, we can definitely expect the unexpected.
1. How could viewers interact with Janet Echelman’s artworks?| A．By talking to her on the phone. | B．By lighting up the artworks. |
| C．By touching their phone screens. | D．By coloring the patterns. |
| A．Achievements of China’s technology. |
| B．The influence of art on technology. |
| C．Interaction between viewers and art. |
| D．Easier access to art caused by technology. |
| A．It lowers the quality of artworks. |
| B．It involves common people in innovation. |
| C．It shortens the time of painting. |
| D．It makes scientists the real creators of art. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Objective. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Conservative. |
7 . New Zealand Car Rental
Customers who demand superior service and value hire Apex rental cars. With a wide section of over 15 different types of vehicles including small economical cars, medium-sized and full-size sedans（轿车），station wagons（旅行车），4WDs and people movers as well as 14 conveniently located branches throughout New Zealand, you can be sure to find a vehicle that is perfect for your travel needs.
Guaranteed No Hidden Costs
When you hire a car from Apex Car Rentals, there are no hidden surprises. All rates include GST（消费税），comprehensive insurance and unlimited kilometers. Apex also offers a very affordable Collision Damage Waiver upgrade option which allows customers to reduce their legal responsibility for paying money for damage in the event of an accident to $ 0.
With Apex there are no hidden costs, guaranteed：
* No extra charges for one-way hires and free airport/hotel transfers
* No booking or administration fees
* No credit card processing fees
* No extra driver fees
* No surcharges for seniors and drivers under 25
* No hidden fees； all rates include GST, insurance and unlimited kilometers
Free Ferry Tickets
Crossing Cook Strait? Your vehicle ferry ticket could be free, and Apex can help you book passenger tickets. Check vehicle availability for more information.
Apex Car Rental Optional Extras
| GPS navigation hire | $ 7.60/day |
| Affordable Roadside Assistance Cover | $ 4.00/day |
| 4G portable wi-fi units hire | $ 12.00/day |
| Child and booster seats（车载的儿童座椅） | $ 12. 00 each |
Winter Extras
| Ski and snowboard racks（搁物架）hire | $ 25. 00 each |
| Snow chains hire | $ 25.00 each |
1. Which of the following is an advantage of Apex Car Rentals?
| A．It values private cars for free. |
| B．It has 15 branches in New Zealand. |
| C．It has more than 15 types of vehicles. |
| D．It has a wide section of payment methods. |
| A．Hiring a driver. | B．Purchasing insurance. |
| C．Paying by credit card. | D．Renting a child seat. |
| A．Apex can’t help you book passenger tickets. |
| B．You needn't pay to rent Ski and snowboard racks or snow chains. |
| C．There are extra charges for one-way hires and airport/hotel transfers. |
| D．Customers can pay no money for damage due to their legal responsibility. |
8 . The first kind of air transportation was not a plane. It was a balloon. People traveled by balloon 100 years before there were planes or jet aircraft. Those early days of ballooning were exciting, but they were also dangerous. Sometimes the balloons fell suddenly. Sometimes they burned. However, the danger did not stop the balloonists.
The first real balloon flight was in France in 1783. Two Frenchmen, the Montgolfier brothers, made a balloon. They filled a very large paper bag with hot air. Hot air is lighter than cold air, so it goes up. The Montgolfier’s hot air balloon went up 1,000 feet in the sky.
Later that same year, two other Frenchmen ascended (上升) in a basket under a balloon. They built a fire under the balloon to make the air hot. This made the balloon stay up in the air for a few hours. But their balloon was tied to the ground. So it could not go anywhere.
The first free balloon flight was in December, 1783. The balloon flew for 25 minutes over Paris. It traveled about 5.5 miles. Flying a balloon is not like flying a plane. The balloon has no engine and therefore no power of its own. The wind directs the balloon. It goes where the wind blows. The pilot can control only the altitude of the balloon to find the right wind direction. That is how a good pilot controls where the balloons goes.
Soon balloonists tried longer flights. A major event in the history of ballooning was the first long flight over water. In 1785, an American and a Frenchman flew over the English Channel.
During the nineteenth century, ballooning became a popular sport. There were balloon races in Europe. Balloons were also used by scientists to study the air and by armies in wartime. After the airplane was invented, people lost interest in balloons. Planes were much faster and easier to control. But some people today still like to go up in balloons. High up in the balloon basket, they find quietness. They have wonderful view of the world below.
1. The first kind of air travel was in .| A．a jet plane | B．an aircraft |
| C．a balloon | D．a ship |
| A．England | B．the United States |
| C．Italy | D．France |
| A．colder | B．hotter | C．out | D．fell |
| A．use the engine |
| B．find the right wind direction |
| C．ask the pilot |
| D．not change altitude |
You can get custom (订制的) shirt printed for girls from a number of custom print stores. Of course you have to make sure that they are legally allowed to use the logos (商标) and colours of the team you want to support.
You can also go through official channels to get the shirt you want. The official channels will generally be the large sportswear stores or the official stores of the teams. These stores will be able to use the colours of the teams and even put the name of the person who the shirt is for on it.
If you do not feel like you have to try the T-shirts on, then an online store may be your best choice. The reason for this is that you can visit various stores and find the best ones.
If you want to see what the T-shirt looks like in real life, then going to a store is the best choice. Large sportswear stores often have football shirts. These are the best places to go if you do not live close to an official store. And these stores usually have lower prices than the official stores.
1. According to the text, football T-shirts ________.
| A．are all made by boys |
| B．are seldom loved by girls |
| C．are only designed for boys |
| D．are difficult to find for girls |
| A．could use any colours and logos as they like |
| B．should be operated by the football teams |
| C．could print anything that official stores sell |
| D．should legally use your favourite logos |
| A．official stores |
| B．online stores |
| C．large sportswear stores |
| D．custom print stores |
| A．Football players. |
| B．Clothes store owners. |
| C．Female football fans. |
| D．Physical education teacher |
10 . Welcome to the Grand Hotel. To make your stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you will use our facilities (设备) to the full.
Dining-room
Breakfast is served in the dining-room from 8 to 9 a.m. The room staff will bring breakfast to your room at any time after 7 a.m. In this case, please fill out a card and hang it outside your door when you go to bed.
Lunch: 12 to 2:30 p.m..
Dinner: 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Room service
This operates 24 hours. Phone the Reception Desk, and your message will be passed to the room staff.
Telephones
To make a phone call, dial (拨号) 0 for the Reception Desk to be connected.
Shop
The hotel shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Laundry (洗衣房)
We have a laundry in the building, and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours. Ask the room staff to collect them.
Bar (酒吧)
The hotel bar is open from 12 to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Banking
The Reception staff will cash checks and change money in many foreign currencies (货币).
1. The above service notice can be seen ______.| A．in a hotel dining-room |
| B．in a restaurant |
| C．in a bedroom of a large international hotel |
| D．at the entrance of a small family hotel |
| A．Go to the hotel shop. |
| B．Go to the hotel bar. |
| C．Hang a message outside your door. |
| D．Phone the hotel shop assistants. |
| A．You can’t have your breakfast in your room. |
| B．You can make a phone call in your bedroom. |
| C．Lunch is served from 12 to 2 p. m. |
| D．You can have dinner at midnight. |
