The recent opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, in Sichuan province, made the place
For those who cannot make it to Guanghan,
It provides a time-travel experience for both an educational and artistic appeal. The journey begins
On show
Images of these objects found at Sanxingdui and their patterns have been digitalized, animated
On March 29, 1974, farmers were digging
The
Only a small part of the area around Qinshihuang’s tomb bas been explored, and the contents of the tomb itself is still a mystery. According to old stories, it contains a
Almost a century after archaeological excavations (挖掘) began at the Yinxu in Anyang, Henan province, new, fruitful and
The inscriptions, mainly
Xu Lianggao, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the information helped confirm the location of key buildings and structures. In an area
A 15-meter-wide road north of the Huanhe River, and two other roads south of Yinxu’s palace area were also found. Xu believes they were
4 . Sometimes shipwrecks（沉船）contain sunken treasure, loads of gold or jewelry. Other shipwrecks are themselves the treasure—the stories of their ill-fated voyages creating a legend that makes them sparkle far more than any gold or precious stones.
The wreck of HMS Endurance, which has finally been located deep beneath the icy seas of Antarctica after being lost 107 years ago, was arguably the most valuable shipwreck ever sought. That’s because its discovery adds another thrilling new chapter to an already fascinating tale of perseverance and survival that has echoed down the decades and still inspires today.
Incredibly well preserved at a depth of almost two miles, the ship is little changed from the day in November 1914 when it finally sank beneath the ice. Endurance became embedded in ice while crossing Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. The video shot by underwater search vehicles shows painted timbers, an undamaged guardrail（护栏）and the name “Endurance” written above the five-pointed symbol of a polar star.
“I tell you, you would have to be made of stone not to feel a bit soft at the sight of that star and the name above,” Mensun Bound, the mission’s marine archaeologist, told the BBC. “You can see a porthole（舷窗）that is in Shackleton’s cabin. At that moment, you really do feel the breath of the great man upon the back of your neck.” Shackleton’s leadership was crucial to getting his men out alive. The reason why Shackleton is still applauded as a great man becomes obvious when you consider what he achieved in the face of disasters and hardships during his 1914-16 expedition. The practicality and humanity he showed in the face of severe situations was arguably praised.
1. What makes Endurance the most valuable shipwreck?| A．The treasure aboard. | B．Its inspiring stories. |
| C．Its undamaged guardrail. | D．The symbol of a polar star. |
| A．The floating ice is as hard as stones. |
| B．The well-preserved shipwreck is amazing. |
| C．The heroic deeds of Shackleton are touching. |
| D．The discovery of Endurance is challenging. |
| A．A book review. | B．A news report. |
| C．A biography. | D．A travel journal. |
5 . Born into poverty on 21 May 1799, Mary Anning had to work hard from a young age. Her parents had 10 children, of whom only two survived childhood — Mary and her elder brother Joseph. Mary’s own survival was said by her parents to be a wonder. At the age of 15 months, a sudden rainstorm hit the shelter, where Mary, her babysitter, and two children stayed. A lightning strike killed them all except Mary.
She didn’t have formal education and was only taught to read at a Sunday school. Raised in the seaside holiday village of Lyme Regis in Dorset, Mary and Joseph made a living by selling fossils to holidaymakers at their father’s waterfront booth.
Her life changed in 1811 when Joseph noticed bones mixed together with rock. Unknown to them, this was the first ever discovery of an ichthyosaurus (鱼龙), a marine lizard from the Triassic period. Anning noted down every find she made, and after failing to find any new fossils for over a year, in 1821 she made her next discovery, digging up three more ichthyosaur skeletons. This was followed two years later by an even more impressive find — a complete plesiosaur (蛇颈龙). This was so extraordinary that many leading scientists declared it fake, unwilling to believe that an uneducated 24-year-old could find such remarkable remains. Additionally, society at the time was highly religious and many rejected these discoveries as they conflicted with the teachings of the Bible.
Despite the setback, Anning continued to make more shocking revelations. Anning also dug up fossilized waste, which made experts know the diets of prehistoric creatures. But her biggest find of all was the first complete skeleton of a pterosaur (翼龙) in 1828.
All of Mary Anning’s discoveries helped influence the study of paleontology (古生物学) as scientists began to take an increased interest in fossilized animals and plants. Her work also encouraged people to question the history of the Earth in more detail and encouraged girls and those from poor backgrounds by proving that they could succeed in scientific study, a profession mainly controlled by wealthy upper-class men.
1. What can we learn about Mary Anning from the first two paragraphs?| A．It was not easy for her to survive. |
| B．She didn’t experience the lightning strike. |
| C．She sold fossils to the locals in the supermarkets on weekends. |
| D．It was impossible for her to find a job outside. |
| A．Because Joseph mixed bones together with rock. |
| B．Because Anning didn’t study the ichthyosaurus when she was at school. |
| C．Because Anning wasn’t well-educated and the discovery conflicted with the Bible. |
| D．Because Anning didn’t believe in the Bible. |
| A．her get international fame |
| B．make her become more professional |
| C．experts better understand prehistoric creatures |
| D．convince the leading scientists of her discovery |
| A．The process of her findings. |
| B．The significance of her discoveries. |
| C．The discoveries of fossilized animals. |
| D．The background of her scientific study. |
6 . The commonly held view is that people arrived in North America from Asia via a land bridge once connecting the two continents. But recent discoveries have suggested humans might have been there earlier. Researchers studying fossilized (化石的) 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 correctly 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 huge 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 (积累) in the prints, thus, leaving footprints that previously recorded.
Their finding also makes it possible to explore the older and more controversial (有争议的) sites with a different light. 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 uninvolved but experienced geoarchaeologist (地质考古学家) thought the footprint dates provided by Bennett and his team looked "solid", with seeds providing very reliable and exact 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. He thought it was just a theme that would inspire others to explore further.
1. What is the most important evidence dating the time in the passage?| A．The aquatic plant seeds. | B．The fossilized human footprints. |
| C．The stone tools. | D．The huge ice sheets. |
| A．To introduce a historical site. | B．To show the significance of the footprints. |
| C．To compare geoarchaeological discoveries. | D．To explain the course of making a discovery. |
| A．Unconcerned and uncertain. | B．Doubtful and dissatisfied. |
| 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. |
Xi’an, or Chang’an as it was called for many centuries,
These days, the city has made effective exploration in
8 . 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. |
9 . Born into poverty on 21 May 1799, Mary Anning had to work hard from a young age. Her parents had 10 children, of whom only two survived childhood --- Mary and her elder brother Joseph. Mary’s own survival was said by her parents to be a wonder. At the age of 15 months, a sudden rainstorm hit the shelter, where Mary, her babysitter, and two children stayed. A lightning strike killed them all except Mary.
She didn’t have formal education and was only taught to read at a Sunday school. Raised in the seaside holiday village of Lyme Regis in Dorset, Mary and Joseph made a living by selling fossils to holidaymakers at their father’s waterfront booth.
Her life changed in 1811 when Joseph noticed bones mixed together with rock. Unknown to them, this was the first ever discovery of an ichthyosaurus ( 鱼 龙 ), a marine lizard from the Triassic period. Anning noted down every find she made, and after failing to find any new fossils for over a year, in 1821 she made her next discovery, digging up three more ichthyosaur skeletons. This was followed two years later by an even more impressive find --- a complete plesiosaur(蛇颈龙). This was so extraordinary that many leading scientists declared it a counterfeit, unwilling to believe that an uneducated 24-year-old could find such remarkable remains. Additionally, society at the time was highly religious and many rejected these discoveries as they conflicted with the teachings of the Bible.
Despite the setback, Anning continued to make more shocking revelations. Anning also dug up fossilized shit, which made experts know the diets of prehistoric creatures. But her biggest find of all was the first complete skeleton of a pterosaur in 1828.
All of Mary Anning’s discoveries helped influence the study of paleontology(古生物学) as scientists began to take an increased interest in fossilized animals and plants. Her work also encouraged people to question the history of the Earth in more detail and encouraged girls and those from poor backgrounds by proving that they could succeed in scientific study, a profession mainly controlled by wealthy upper-class men.
1. What can we learn about Mary Anning from the first two paragraphs?| A．It was not easy for her to survive. |
| B．She didn’t experience the lightning strike. |
| C．She didn’t get basic knowledge about science. |
| D．It was impossible for her to find a job outside. |
| A．Something not needed. |
| B．Something not valuable. |
| C．Something not authentic. |
| D．Something not beneficial. |
| A．her get international fame |
| B．make her become more professional |
| C．experts better understand prehistoric creatures |
| D．convince the leading scientists of her discovery |
| A．the process of her findings |
| B．the significance of her discoveries |
| C．the discoveries of fossilized animals |
| D．the background of her scientific study |
Chinese archaeologists (考古学家) announced Saturday that some new major discoveries have been made at the legendary Sanxingdui Ruins site in Sichuan Province.
Archaeologists have found six new sacrificial pits (祭祀坑) and unearthed more than 500 items
The pits are rectangular (矩形的),
The discoveries have shown the distinctiveness of the Shu civilization and the
