Foreign guests from
In AD 79, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, in southern Italy,
Researchers, Danilo Campanaro and Giacomo Landeschi, from Lund University in Sweden, used data that were collected by drones to create
A skull of the dinosaur, named Guemesia ochoai, was discovered in Argentina. Researchers said it likely belongs to a meat-eating, or carnivorous, group of dinosaurs
“Guemesia is so different
The animals existed for a few million years before
Scientists believe abelisaurs lived on what is now Africa, South America and India. Several abelisaurs have been dug up in Argentina in the past but almost all of them were in southern Patagonia, far from the site
Guemesia takes its name from Argentine independence hero Martin Miguel de Guemes and Javier Ochoa, a museum worker who made the
A water system from more than 3,600 years ago
In one of the ditch sections, archaeologists found artificial open channels and stone facilities for water diversion,
Discovery of this water system enhanced our understanding of
A stone tablet(牌匾)
The tablet,
The inscription(碑文)recorded the process of building the King of Medicine Temple in the county during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and
According to the inscription, after the
This stone tablet is
More than 500 items were discovered at Sanxingdui Ruins site in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. These items, including remains of a gold mask,
Sanxingdui is believed to have sat at the heart of the Shu state,
Archaeologists(考古学家) realized they had just got
On the north bank of Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province sits a straw-hat-shaped mountain
Scientists have obtained a large number of research results on Chengjiang Fossil Site. The reason why Chengjiang fauna (动物群) is
Up to now, more than 20 phyla and more than 280 species
The UNESCO evaluation says the Chengjiang Fossil Site is one of the
8 . Some 30, 000 years ago, artists who lived in caves in Europe painted pictures of the animals around them.The paintings were highly realistic. Some even showed movement.The artwork is considered the oldest group of human cave drawings that have ever been discovered. The drawings were created tens of thousands of years ago before human history was written. They were preserved because the cave was closed off for more or less 23,000 years.
Fast forward to December 18, 1994, a group of French cave scientists were exploring caves in southern France. Jean-Marie Chauvet, who led the group then, described the process of discovering the cave paintings.“At that time I was in the front, Eliette just walked behind me, Christian behind.Eliette said she saw two marks made with red ochre and she said, ‘They came here.’ And at this very moment everything began. The drawings and everything were linked to the parietal art. That is where it started.” Cave art expert Jean Clottes reviewed the paintings.“I was amazed at the number of paintings there and their quality.”
The Chauvet Cave has been named after the explorer who first entered it. However, its environment and drawings are too fragile to be visited by human beings. So the cave is closed, and only people there for scientific purposes can go inside and see the artwork.
However, French authorities asked experts to create an exact copy of the cave, called the Pont d’Arc Cavern. The copy cost more than 59 million dollars to build.Pascal Terrasse is the president of the cave. He says everyone will be able to experience the thrill of looking at drawings made by the first humans in Europe. He says the place is magic because it is done so well.
1. Who is the first scientist to enter the cave?A.Christian. | B.Eliette. |
C.Jean Clottes. | D.Jean-Marie Chauvet. |
A.Elegant and abstract. | B.Vivid and superior. |
C.Complicated and creative. | D.Delicate and colourful. |
A.It was closed off for some 30, 000 years. |
B.It’s the origin of modern parietal art. |
C.The artwork is very easy to damage. |
D.No one is given access to it now. |
A.To show admiration for early artists in Europe. |
B.To arouse visitors’ awareness of protecting art. |
C.To offer visitors chances to enjoy the artwork. |
D.To collect money for preserving the cave. |
Archaeological (考古的)
They’re key witnesses
10 . Scientists have uncovered a series of 3,000-year-old items at Sanxingdui in China’s Sichuan province since 2019 and identified that the creators belonged to the Shu state, a highly developed civilization united by the neighboring state of Qin in 316 BC.
One of the major finds is a 0. 6-pound gold mask that may have been worn by a churchman during religious ceremonies. About 84% pure gold, the whole piece likely weighed close to one pound in its entirety, making it one of the heaviest gold masks from that time period discovered in China to date.
Other discoveries made at the site included two kinds of silk. Silk has played an important role in China’s history. As the researchers point out, the ancient people of Sanxingdui probably wore silk clothes during religious ceremonies. The silk was thought to serve as a means of communication between heaven, earth, man and god. Besides these religious ceremonies, silk was also used to make fine clothing, fans and wall hangings. Civilizations across the ancient world, from Rome, Persia, Egypt to Greece, similarly treasured Chinese silk. Traders were sent along the Silk Road to China to obtain the highly sought-after material. The presence of silk at Sanxingdui indicates that the ancient Shu state was one of the important origins of silk in ancient China.
Other important discoveries included bronze animals and carvings that bear distinct similarities to objects found along the Yangtze River and in Southeast Asia, suggesting that the Shu civilization engaged in broad exchanges with many areas.
Since 1929 when a local farmer accidentally found Sanxingdui, researchers have uncovered more than 50,000 ancient items at the site. For example, more than 1,000 items, including well-kept bronze masks, were unearthed in 1986 alone.
1. What can we say about the gold mask found at Sanxingdui?A.It is not made of pure gold. | B.It is the heaviest ever uncovered. |
C.It weighs close to one pound. | D.It might be used during festivals. |
A.The Shu people used silk just for decoration. |
B.The Shu people brought silk to the other countries. |
C.The Shu state was far more developed than Europe. |
D.The Shu state might be one of the earliest silk producers. |
A.The discoverer of Sanxingdui. | B.The timeline of the discoveries at Sanxingdui. |
C.The long history of Sanxingdui. | D.The achievements of Sanxingdui unearthing. |
A.To promote an attraction in Sichuan province. | B.To report the important discoveries at Sanxingdui. |
C.To explore the relationship between Shu and Qin. | D.To evaluate the ancient civilizations in the world. |