1 . The commonly held view is that people arrived in North America from Asia via a land bridge once connecting the two continents at the end of the Ice Age around 13,000 to 16,000 years ago. But recent discoveries have suggested humans might have been there earlier. Researchers studying fossilized human footprints in New Mexico say that humans were there at least 23,000 years ago.
Matthew Bennett, a specialist in ancient footprints and author of a study on the new findings published in Science, and his colleagues studied 61 footprints by radiocarbon(放射性碳) dating layers of aquatic (水生的) plant seeds preserved above and below the footprints and accurately dated they were made 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. The people who made the footprints were living there in the last Ice Age when two massive ice sheets covering the continent and cold temperatures would have made a journey between Asia and Alaska impossible, indicating humans must have been there much earlier than previously thought.
According to their analysis of the footprints, they were likely made in soft ground at the edge of a wetland by children who were sent to do the work like fetching and catching by adults. Wind probably blew dust over the surface, accumulating in the prints, thus, leaving footprints that previously recorded.
Their finding also makes it possible to explore the older and more controversial sites. One such site is Chiquihuite Cave in central Mexico, where stone tools dating back to 30,000 years ago have been found.
David Rachal, an experienced geoarchaeologist (地质考古学家) thought the footprint dates provided by Bennett and his team looked extremely solid, with seeds providing very reliable and precise ages through radiocarbon dating. “You could not ask for a better setup,” said Rachal. However, he was puzzled that no artifacts, such as stone tools, had been found in the area. “We need to be cautious and more research needs to be done.” Rachal said.
1. What is the most essential evidence dating the time in the passage?| A．The aquatic plant seeds. | B．The fossilized human footprints. |
| C．The unearthed tools. | D．The massive ice sheets. |
| A．To introduce a historical site. |
| B．To show the significance of the finding. |
| C．To compare geoarchaeological discoveries. |
| D．To explain the course of making a discovery. |
| A．Optimistic and trustful. | B．Conservative and cautious. |
| C．Negative but curious. | D．Favorable but confused. |
| A．The Discovery of Human Footprints. |
| B．Scientific Methods of Dating Footprints. |
| C．The Earlier Arrival of People in North America. |
| D．A Discussion on Human History Among Researchers. |
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As we all know, culture is similar with an iceberg. There are cultural rules where are obvious and easily to understand. Most of our cultural values, however, is not clear or hidden. For example, when you will visit a restaurant in Japan, chance are that people may sit on the floor and use chopsticks to eat. These eat habits are easy to come across. You may not know, therefore, that it’s common for a man to sit cross-legged on the floor, but it’s not considered acceptable for woman to do so. You have to study people’s body language to understanding this less obvious cultural rule.
3 . The symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower opened to the public on March 31, 1889, and its beauty has continued to spellbind the world for 130 years. But some little-known facts about the Eiffel Tower may surprise you. We've put together a list.
It's the world's most visited paid tourist attraction
Almost seven million visitors each year pay the admission fee to visit the Eiffel Tower, Since it opened in 1889, nearly 300 million people have experienced the tower.
There’s an apartment at the top
A personal apartment that Gustave Eiffel used as an office was created at the top of the tower. Eiffel entertained many important persons there, and today visitors to the apartment will see it as it looked in Eiffel's day, with life-like wax models （蜡像）of Eiffel and Thomas Edison.
You could send a postcard by balloon from the Eiffel Tower
During the 1889 World's Fair, visitors could buy a commemorative （纪念）postcard that was attached to a balloon and a small parachute （降落伞）.Visitors would write an address on the postcard and release it into the air from the tower. The postcard would fall back to earth gently due to the parachute, but it's not known how many of these postcards ever made it to their intended addresses.
19th-century elevators are still in operation
Two of the original elevator cars are still functioning in the Eiffel Tower elevators that go to the third floor in the east and west pillars （铁柱）.The equipment has been updated, but it is basically the same technology that was used more than a century ago.
1. What do you know about the apartment at the top?| A．It was used as Eiffel's office. |
| B．It used to be a public apartment. |
| C．It sells wax models of Eiffel and Edison. |
| D．It only provides service for important persons. |
| A．The symbol. | B．The fee. | C．The way. | D．The time. |
| A．To update the equipment. | B．To show some interesting stories. |
| C．To explain the amazing history. | D．To share some little-known facts. |
