1 . Born in Wales in 1950, Martin Lockley was a pioneer in the study of the dinosaur tracks and footprints preserved in rocks around the world. His work helped his fellow paleontologists (古生物学家) understand what the footprints can tell us about dinosaurs and the world that they lived in.

The footprints and tracks left behind by dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals are called trace fossils (痕迹化石). They can offer clues to how quickly an animal walked or ran and even what their skin may have looked like. Compared with the body fossils of bones and teeth, trace fossils contain evidence of the interactions that the animals had with their environment and can describe what the physical environment may have looked like. They offer a more reliable way to imagine the speed of a dinosaur than analyzing the bones.

Lockley’s mother and father were nature lovers. Lockley loved to observe nature. His father inspired him to “just go out and observe and trust your observations”, which proved important in Lockley’s launching his future career in dinosaur research. He took that advice with him to Gunnison, southwest of Denver, the United States. While North America is home to some of the largest number of fossil footprints in the world, Lockley’s work with prints and his father’s words took him far and wide. He explored fossil and track sites in China, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom.

In addition to finding the tracks, Lockley devoted time and energy to preserving these important parts of the fossil record. This includes guiding the politics needed to create UNESCO world heritage sites so that future generations wouldn’t lose out on these precious relics of the past.

1. What can we know about trace fossils?

A．They can reflect the then environment.

B．They are mainly left by some larger animals.

C．They can be easier to preserve than teeth fossils.

D．They are as accurate as bone fossils in analyzing animals’ speed.

2. What contributes to Lockley’s beginning his career in dinosaur tracks?

A．His family’s tradition.

B．His father’s encouragement.

C．His love for dinosaurs and their footprints.

D．His desire to find the largest dinosaur track site.

3. What did Lockley do besides his professional research?

A．He explored places of interest around the world.

B．He guided fellow paleontologists in their work.

C．He conserved and promoted dinosaur track sites.

D．He educated the next generation of track hunters.

4. Which can best describe Lockley’s work?

A．Dangerous.

B．Time-consuming.

C．Far-reaching.

D．Demanding.

2 . 阅读下边短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

On Thursday, the National Cultural Heritage Administration in Beijing     1     (reveal) that archaeologists had discovered two sunken ships in the depths of the South China Sea. It offered tangible evidence of commercial and     2     (culture) exchanges along the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

The latest underwater archaeological     3     (explore) carried out by the National Center for Archaeology have     4     (significant) uncovered important artifacts. In addition to the shipwrecks, a variety of artifacts, including pottery, porcelain and ironware, have been unearthed, most of     5     were made in kilns (窑炉) in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, known as China’s “porcelain capital.” The precise locations of the shipwrecks and the associated cultural relics     6     (determine) through the use of oceanographic technology and underwater investigations involving manned submersibles, which conducted 41 dives throughout the year, as confirmed by Song Jianzhong,     7     researcher at the National Center for Archaeology.

The Ming Dynasty’s No.1 shipwreck,     8     (measure) 37 meters long and 11 meters wide, has yielded 543 artifacts, suggesting it sailed from Fujian or Guangdong to Southeast Asia trade centers like Malacca. The No. 2 shipwreck dates     9     the rule of Emperor Hongzhi and measures about 21 meters long and 8 meters wide. A total of 36 artifacts have been found on it, porcelain and pottery     10     (include).

3 . Lindsey Stallworth, a high school student from Alabama, is on her way to a promising career in paleontology (古生物学) due to an unexpected discovery on family property. For years, she had been collecting fossils on their land in Monroe County, unaware of significant scientific value. However, her teacher at the Alabama School of Math and Science, Dr. Andrew Gentry, a paleontologist himself, took an interest when she showed him her collection.

“Upon examining the fossil shark teeth Lindsey presented, I quickly identified one and became eager to learn about its origin,” said Andrew.

Lindsey guided her mentor through the rural area where she had unearthed various relics, including shark teeth. Before long, they encountered an especially significant find on the grounds: a large bone from a 34-million-year-old whale skeleton! This led the pair to launch the huge project of uncovering the rest of the bones. After two months of hard work, they’ve managed to find the animal’s skull.

“Assuming the entire skeleton is present, it may require several years for us to have the entire animal back in the lab,” Andrew explained.

Lindsey secured a research scholarship to persist in her fossil-digging expeditions alongside her instructor. Her enthusiasm for the project was at an all-time high, though she had never imagined a childhood pastime would lead her down this road. “We would go out and pick up shark teeth and fossil shells, but we never knew anyone that could tell us anything about them,” she recalled. “We just thought they were cool.”

“The Research Fellows Program allows Lindsey to gain real-world experience in scientific research and even present that research at professional conferences,” Andrew said. “ It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a high school student to stand out when applying to college and maybe even discover a new career path.”

1. Why was Andrew fascinated by Lindsey’s finds?

A．He had a personal interest in geography.

B．He recognized the significance of one fossil.

C．He wanted to start a paleontology club at school.

D．He was hoping to make money from the discoveries.

2. What inspired Andrew and Lindsey to start a fossil uncovering project?

A．Some shark teeth.	B．Some fossil shells.
C．An animal’s skull.	D．A primitive whale’s bone.

3. Which of the following best describes Andrew and Lindsey’s project?

A．Risky but romantic.	B．Dangerous but interesting.
C．Demanding but motivating.	D．Boring but groundbreaking.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The unexpected joy of discovering fossils.

B．The additional benefits of applying to college.

C．Lindsey’s potential to become a high school teacher.

D．Lindsey’s unique opportunities for future development.

4 . 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。

Scientists have discovered the remains of     1     appears to be an ancient sheep-drawn chariot (战车) near the famous Terracotta Army in the western tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The main structure of the chariot has likely rotted (腐烂) away after     2     (spend) more than 2,000 years in the ground but researchers did find a row of six sheep skeletons (骨架) wearing attachments used for pulling a chariot, so they     3     (infer) this was a sheep-drawn chariot.

Horse-drawn chariots were common in ancient China, but a sheep-drawn chariot is     4     extremely rare find. The founder of the Western Jin Dynasty, Emperor Wu, or Sima Yan, who ruled from 266 to 290CE, is said     5     (ride) in a sheep-drawn carriage around his palace complex every night and would sleep wherever the sheep stopped. Researchers hope laboratory     6     (analyze) on the western tomb’s burial chamber, which is currently underway, will help them determine who was buried there.

In addition to the six-sheep chariot, scientists unearthed a four-wheeled     7     (wood) chariot, probably drawn by horses,     8     (equip) with a fancy umbrella. It is the oldest of     9     (it) type ever found. They also found a wealth of iron tools and weapons, providing new insight     10     the period when iron tools first began to appear.

5 . Antarctica has not always been a land of ice and snow. Earth’s southernmost continent once was home to rivers and forests full of life. Researchers are using satellites to look deep under the ice in Antarctica, finding a large ancient landscape buried under the continent’s ice sheet. The landscape is located in East Antarctica’s Wilkes Land area bordering the Indian Ocean, covering an area about the size of Belgium. The researchers said the landscape is estimated to have been buried beneath the ice shelf for between 14 million to 34 million years, when Antarctica entered its deep freeze.

“The landscape is like a snapshot of the past,” said Stewart Jamieson, a professor of glaciology at Durham University in England and co-leader of the study published in the journal Nature Communications, “It is difficult to know what this lost world might have looked like before the ice came along, but it was certainly warmer back then. Ancient palm tree pollen has been discovered from Antarctica, not far from our study site.”

Some earlier studies have uncovered ancient landscapes beneath Antarctica’s ice including mountains. But the landscape discovered in the new study was the first of its kind. It is estimated that such an environment would likely have been populated by wildlife. But the area’s fossil record is too incomplete to know which animals may have lived there. The ice above the ancient landscape measures about 2.2 kilometers to 3 kilometers thick.

The researchers said one way to learn more would be to drill through the ice and take a piece of the earth below. This could uncover evidence showing ancient life, as was done with samples taken in Greenland dating back two million years ago.

Right before 34 million years ago, Antarctica’s landscape and wildlife was likely similar to today’s cold temperate rainforests. That includes places like Tasmania, New Zealand and South America’s Patagonia area. When the climate cooled even more, an ice sheet grew which covered the whole continent.

1. How long ago was the landscape not buried at the latest?

A．14 million years ago.	B．34 million years ago.
C．20 million years ago.	D．48 million years ago.

2. Why does Jamieson mention the word “snapshot”?

A．To show it is hard to explore this lost world.

B．To indicate there exist some vivid remains.

C．To present the influence of terrible weather.

D．To explain the landscape was too warm to live in.

3. Where does the newly-discovered landscape differ from others?

A．The landscape contains many hills and mountains.

B．Animal skeletons have been uncovered in the landscape.

C．There seems to have existed a mass of wild animals.

D．The ice above the landscape is too thick to measure.

4. What is the proper title for the passage?

A．Antarctica Once Witnessed Kinds of Wildlife.

B．Areas of Rainforests Found in Antarctica.

C．Many Landscapes under Antarctica Discovered.

D．Ancient Landscape Found Buried in Antarctic Ice.

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。

On Feb 8, 2001, workers at a construction site in Jinsha village, Chengdu, found many pieces of ivory and jade and the hidden ruins of the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom were brought     1    light by archaeologists. Among the over 5,000 precious relics     2    (excavate)from the ruins, the most eye-catching is the Golden Sun Bird. It is made from delicate gold foil(箔), just one     3    (five)of a millimeter thick. It has two sections: The center is a sun pattern with 12 rays     4    (indicate)the rotation(自转)of the sun and around the sun are four birds flying anticlockwise. According to archaeologists, the four birds symbolize four seasons, while the 12 rays     5    (mean)to represent 12 months of the year. Hence, it could be inferred that over 3000 years ago ancient Shu people possessed     6     good knowledge of astronomy and nature. Furthermore, this masterpiece is believed to be an illustration of an ancient Chinese myth recorded in the classic The Legends of Mountains and Seas,     7     was written about 2,500 years ago. According to the book, ancient people believed the sun was carried up     8    down by birds daily.

In 2005, the pattern was     9    (successful)selected as the symbol of China’s cultural heritage to showcase the ancient Chinese people’s     10    ( wise)and aspirations.

7 . 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。

More than 3,000 stone tools have been unearthed during the latest work at the Piluo site, a large-scale Paleolithic site     1     can date back to more than 200,000 years ago in Daocheng county, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, reported by the Sichuan TV on Monday.

The Piluo site,     2     (locate) at the southeastern foothills of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau at an altitude of about 3,750 meters,     3     (reveal) more than 15,000 stone artifacts, including hand axes (斧头) and thin-blade axes, since the beginning of the archaeological excavations (考古挖掘) in April 2021.

The latest stage, kicking off in July, was the third of its kind and covered about 150 square meters,     4     (provide) archaeologists with crucial materials to comprehend the stratigraphic accumulation, artifact distribution and stone tool making across     5     (difference) regions of the site.

According to     6     same report, during this year’s excavation, archaeologists found out that some areas had layers (层) which were     7     (little) than a meter thick, while others had layers as thick as seven to eight meters. This variability allowed them     8     (construct) a time framework spanning from 200,000 years ago to tens of thousands of years ago.

The     9     (discovery) at Piluo site have been listed     10     one of China’s top 10 archaeological revelations of 2021, recognized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

9 . 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。

Foreign guests from     1     (participate) countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) spoke highly     2     Chinese cultural relics, after they     3     (pay) a visit to the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan Province on Sunday. The guests,     4     are also representatives of the first Silk Road Global News Awards winners, agreed on promoting     5     (culture) exchanges in future cooperation.     6     (discover) in the late 1920s, the Sanxingdui site was considered as the     7     (large) ancient kingdom site from the pre-Qin period in Southwest China. In 1986 and 2019,     8     total of eight sacrificial pits were discovered at Sanxingdui. They held     9     (near) 20,000 precious cultural relics     10     they made the site one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in modern times.