1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The saying ‘All roads lead to Xianyang’ may not be widely known, but it is the     1    (true)in history. After Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, unified the country in 221 BCE, he began building state-level roads, Xianyang     2    the center. Several long roads were therefore completed,     3    (cover) a distance of about 750 kilometers, running through plains, mountains, grasslands, deserts, and finally leading to Xianyang, the capital city.

Like the Great Wall, these roads,     4    (call) Qin Zhidao, literally the Qin Direct Paths or Qin Highways, are considered another miracle in Qin Dynasty. Generally, the roads were 20 to 60 meters wide and 50 cars could run side by side at the same time on their     5     (wide) sections. The firmly made surface     6    (shape) like a turtle back above the ground to avoid standing water at that time. Another amazing fact is that grass     7    (rare)grow on the road and many parts are still in good condition even today.

The mysterious ancient roads,     8     date back over 2,200 years and predate the Roman Roads by over 200 years, are known to be     9     natural museum in the history of road construction. Historians evaluate it this way: if the Great Wall is compared to a defensive shield (盾牌), then Qin Zhidao is the weapon     10    (guard) the stability and prosperity (繁荣) of the Qin Empire.

2 . Lisa St. Coeur Cormier, a high school science teacher in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, found a tree root. When she took a closer look, she found the shape was very strange. She realized it wasn’t a tree root though it shared the same color. She felt it was hard to break and noticed an impression of bones of what looked like some kind of animal.

Cormier sent a photo of the find to Laura MacNeil who used her knowledge in this field to confirm that what Cormier had seen really was a fossil (化石). MacNeil runs tours of sites where prehistoric fossils have been found and also helps people identify fossils. She visited the site of Cormier’s find to take more photos of it.

MacNeil contacted John Calder, a scientist, who examined the fossil and led a team of scientists to study it. John Calder said it could be as much as 300 million years old. He said it’s probably from a reptile (爬行动物) of some kind — likely one that is unknown to scientists. Scientists spent 5.5 hours carefully digging out the fossil from the ground so they could study it more in-depth and find out exactly what kind of animal it is. That research could take a year or more.

“This is an important discovery here on Prince Edward Island. It is the second of the only two articulated skeletons (关节相连的骨头) found on PEI,” Laura MacNeil said. “This creature lived about 300 million years ago. This find tells us there is a great possibility for future scientifically important fossils that could be discovered on PEI. It will lead to more researchers paying a visit.”

1. How might Cormier feel when looking at the root carefully?

A．Satisfied.

B．Surprised.

C．Concerned.

D．Proud.

2. What can we learn from the research work?

A．The scientists will have a detailed study on the fossil.

B．The scientists have identified the species of the fossil.

C．The scientists will keep the fossil under the ground.

D．The scientists discovered the first articulated skeleton.

3. What does Laura MacNeil stress about PEI in the last paragraph?

A．Its long history.	B．Its wide popularity.
C．Its scientific value.	D．Its economic importance.

4. Which of the following could be a suitable title for the text?

A．A scientist’s research on fossils	B．PEI is attracting more researchers
C．Cormier’s unforgettable tour in PEI	D．A science teacher discovered a fossil

4 . The recently opened time capsule at the U.S. Military Academy West Point has sparked excitement and curiosity. Although the initial disappointment was palpable when the box seemed to contain only dirt, the discovery of hidden treasures has reawakened interest in the historical   significance of the artifacts.

The time capsule, believed to have been placed by West Point military students, was found inside the base of a memorial dedicated to Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Revolutionary War hero. The contents of the capsule, revealed during a ceremonial opening at the military school, included six silver American coins dating from 1795 and 1828, as well as a medal commemorating (纪念) the Erie Canal from 1826.

While the live opening event did not provide the expected glimpse into historical military objects or documents, it has deepened the mystery surrounding the purpose of the time capsule. The discovery of these valuable coins and medal supports the theory that the box was buried by the military students sometime between 1828 and 1829. Additional research will be conducted to explore other potential surprises within the capsule.

The preservation and investigation of the time capsule hold immense historical value, casting light on the past and connecting the present generation with the stories and legacy of those who came before. Archeologist Paul Hudson, despite the initial letdown, remains optimistic about the ongoing research possibilities and the potential insights awaiting discovery.

As experts explore further into the remains of the time capsule, they aim to uncover any remaining artifacts and gain a better understanding of the time period and the motivations behind burying this historical treasure. The challenge lies in preserving and studying the fragile materials, considering the potential damage caused by moisture and the passage of nearly two centuries.

The exploration of this time capsule serves as a reminder of our shared history and the importance of preserving and celebrating the contributions and sacrifices made by those who paved the way for future generations. The story of the West Point time capsule continues to capture the imagination of historians, researchers, and the public, as they eagerly await further discoveries and insights from this extraordinary find.

1. What does the underlined word “palpable” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Apparent.

B．Unreasonable.

C．Lasting.

D．Impossible.

2. What does the discovery of the coins and medal confirm about the time capsule?

A．It was placed to commemorate the Erie Canal.

B．It was buried during the Revolutionary War.

C．It was treated well as a gift from a foreign country.

D．It was likely buried by military students in the 1800s.

3. What is Paul Hudson planning to do next with the remains of the time capsule?

A．Donate them to a museum.	B．Sell them to collectors.
C．Bury them again for future generations.	D．Continue studying them for further insights.

4. Why is preserving and studying the materials from the time capsule challenging?

A．They are difficult to analyze due to their small size.

B．They may have been seriously damaged over the two centuries.

C．They had been heavily damaged before the capsule was buried.

D．The time capsule had been placed in a remote and inaccessible location.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The new Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan province, began trial operations on Thursday.

With a total area of about 54,400 square meters and an     1     (invest) of more than 1.4 billion yuan ($196 million), the construction of the museum started in March 2022.

The new museum has a display area of 22,000 square meters, with more than 1,500 sets of cultural relics (遗迹)     2     (comprehensive) exhibiting the latest findings at the Sanxingdui Ruins,     3     (locate) 40 kilometers north of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.

The newly     4     (unearth) relics on display include a bronze altar (祭坛) and a net covering a vessel shaped like a tortoise shell.

Visitors to     5     museum are also offered a more immersive experience with the glasses-free 3D technology,     6     enables them to view excavation (挖掘) sites from the perspective of archaeologists.     7     (cover) 12 square kilometers, the Sanxingdui Ruins site, on which the museum     8     (sit), includes the remains of an ancient city, residential quarters and tombs.

The site is one of China’s most important archaeological     9     (discovery) in the 20th century. Chen Xiandan, an archaeologist who took part in excavations, said that before excavation work was carried out, it was thought that Sichuan had a history of about 3,000 years. It is now believed that civilization in     10     is now Sichuan goes back 5,000 years.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Archaeologists in China have recently found the world’s oldest known coin manufacturing(制造)site. The site     1     (use) to make metal money around 2,600 years ago. It is located in the ancient city of Guanzhuang, in     2     is now China’s Henan Province.

Using radiocarbon(放射性碳)dating, the researchers came to the     3     (conclude) that the workshop began minting(铸造)operations between 640 BC and 550 BC. The discovery of the coin mint is     4     (true) exciting as it shows the existence of a very old coin workshop.

The coins     5     (make) at the workshop are “spade money”. They replaced     6     (shell) during the Spring and Autumn Period (about 770 to 476 BC). The workshop was close to the city’s administrative center,     7     suggests that it may have begun minting coins on government orders.

The new study adds fuel     8     a long-standing debate about the origins of currency. Some scholars argue that money     9     (begin) as a way to help trade between merchants and customers. Others say governments created it     10     (allow) for the collection of taxes and debts.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What attracted the speaker to archaeology (考古学)?

A．The dinosaur egg stories.

B．The old coin exhibition.

C．The Egyptian pyramid program.

2. What period did the speaker concentrate on after university?

A．The Stone Age.

B．The Iron Age.

C．The Bronze Age.

3. What does the speaker think is the most difficult part of his job?

A．Giving talks.

B．Doing lab analysis.

C．Digging for buried objects.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

ZHENGZHOU—Pingdingshan University in Central China’s Henan province has found more than1,000 ceramic (陶瓷) balls used in a golf-like ball game in ancient China. The university make the     1     (discover) while     2     (sort) out its ceramic collection.

The relics are related to an ancient game called “Chuiwan” in Chinese,     3     shares various features with modern golf, such as knocking balls into holes using sticks; and is     4    (wide) known as the ancient “Chinese golf”.

Most of the balls arc about 5 centimeters in diameter. The relics date back to as early as the Tang Dynasty,     5     more than l,800 such balls made in the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties.

“This is the first time that China     6     (find) so many Chuiwan balls, providing important materials for     7     (refer) when it come to studying the origin and development of the ball game.” said Cui Lequan, a researcher.     8     (locate) between the two ancient capitals of Luoyang and Kaifeng, the Pingdingshan area boasted a highly     9     (develop) porcelain handicraft industry in ancient times.     10    was likely a large production base for Chuiwan balls, said Cui.

9 . Fossilized (化石的) footprints found on a beach in southern Spain reveal what may have been a nursery for an extinct species of elephant.

The track-rich coastal site is typically covered by 1 ¹/₂ meters of sand. Storm surges (风暴潮) in the spring of 2020 washed away much of that sand and exposed the preserved footprints of ancient elephants, cattle, deer, pigs, and so on. The sandy-clay sediments (沉淀物) hosting this treasure of tracks were probably laid down about 106,000 years ago, previous studies suggest.

Among the newly uncovered tracks are the first-of-their kind footprints of newborn straight-tusked elephants, an extinct species that probably died out during the last ice age. The teeny tracks — which measure 9.6 centimeters across, about the size of a drink coaster — suggest that the petite, possibly 2-month-old elephants stood about 66 centimeters tall at their shoulders and weighed around 70 kilograms, slightly heavier than a Newfoundland dog. Based on previous finds elsewhere of actual bones, adult straight-tusked elephants may have weighed 5.5 metric tons for females and 13 tons for males.

The mix of elephant tracks at the site suggests that family groups including newborns, youngsters and adult females frequented the area and possibly used it as a nursery, the researchers say. Other fossils found at the site, including those preserving traces of ancient roots, indicate that the area was rich in vegetation and lakes and ponds.

The team’s findings “are a thrilling study,” says Anthony Martin, a trace fossil expert at Emory University in Atlanta, Series of footprints show how the ancient elephants were moving, offer insight into their social structure and even provide a sight of their reproductive ecology, he says, If newborns were part of the family group and “if they were acting anything like modern elephants, the mother had to be nearby,” Martin says.

What’s more, the presence of preserved Neandertal footprints at the site suggests that the ancient people hunted young elephants or other creatures, Martin says. The Neandertals “probably were not foolish enough to take on a full-sized elephant.”

1. What helped the discovery of elephants’ footprints in southern Spain?

A．People’s farming.	B．The researchers’ efforts.
C．The bad weather.	D．Records about the place.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．The extinction of the elephants.	B．Inferrence about the elephants.
C．The course of the new discovery.	D．Weigh of straight-tusked elephants.

3. What can we know about the mix of elephant tracks?

A．The site was suitable for animals’ living.

B．Volcanoes must have happened in the site.

C．These tracks indicated the danger of the site.

D．Elephants’ enemies must have lived in the site.

4. What can the preserved Neandertal footprints show to us?

A．The slow growth of the elephants.

B．The movements of the elephants here.

C．The development of elephant species.

D．The living style of the local people.