1 . While conducting a survey by airplane of northern Guatemala, researchers detected an ancient Maya site. “We can now see the entire landscape of the Maya region” in this section of Guatemala, said Carlos Morales-Aguilar, one of the researchers from the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas.

The findings were the result of the survey using lidar (雷达), or light detection and ranging, which has been revolutionary for studying historic sites. In lidar, lasers are sent out and the reflected light is used to create imagery of a landscape. The technology is particularly beneficial in areas with limited visibility such as the rainforest in maya site, as lasers can enter the heavy tree canopy, the thick cover formed by the leafy upper branches in a forest.

The lidar data showed “for the first time an area that was integrated politically and economically, and never seen before in other places in the Western Hemisphere (西半球),” Carlos wrote in the study. Using data from the scans, the team identified more than 1,000 settlements dotting the region. They were interconnected by 100 miles of causeways that the Maya likely traveled on foot. They also detected the remains of several large platforms and pyramids, along with canals and reservoirs used for water collection.

So what made this region so attractive that the Maya would want to settle there in the first place?

“For the Maya, the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin was the ‘Goldilocks Zone’,” Ross Ensley wrote, partner of Carlos, a geologist from the Institute for Geological Study of the Maya Lowlands in Houston, Texas. “The Maya settled in this region because it had the right mix of uplands for settlement and lowlands for agriculture.” Uplands lie above the level where flooding occurs. They provided a source for limestone, their primary building material, and dry land to live on. The lowlands are mostly seasonal swamps (沼泽), which provided space for wetland agriculture as well as organic-rich soil for use in terraced agriculture.

Researchers hope lidar technology will help them explore sections of Guatemala that have remained a mystery for centuries.

1. Why did the researchers use lidar in the survey?

A．It detects a wide range of lasers.	B．It pictures quick and clear imagery.
C．It passes lights through forests easily.	D．It improves the visibility of rainforests.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Why Maya drew great attention.	B．How Maya people made a living.
C．The research process after surveying the Maya.	D．The findings through observing the Maya region.

3. What can we infer about the Maya people according to Ross Ensley?

A．They transformed the land to survive.	B．They were good at upland agriculture.
C．They preferred to build houses using limestone.	D．They made a sound choice about where to settle.

4. Which is the best title for the text?

A．The Perfect Habitat for the Maya People

B．The Secrets of the Ancient Maya Civilization

C．Revolutionary Use of Lidar Reveals Maya Settlements

D．Lidar Technology Unlocks New Discoveries of Rainforests

2 . Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a Sphinx statue (狮身人面像) with a smiley face near the Hathor Temple, one of the country’s best preserved ancient sites. The smiling Sphinx is much smaller than the famous Sphinx in Giza, which is 20 metres high. The stone work of art, believed to be a stylized representation of an ancient Roman emperor, was found inside a two-level tomb near the temple in southern Egypt.

Next to the beautifully and accurately carved Sphinx, researchers had found a Roman stone written in hieroglyph (象形文字). Once fully translated, the stone may unveil the identity of the sculpted ruler, who could be Emperor Claudius.

The smiling Sphinx is among a series of discoveries announced over the past few months. The country has uncovered major archaeological discoveries in recent months, primarily in the Saqqara cemetery (墓地) south of Cairo as well as in Giza, home to the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Recently, Egypt announced the discovery of a hidden nine-metre passage inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, which may lead to the actual burial room of pharaoh (法老) Khufu, or Cheops. Further south, in Luxor, archaeologists had discovered a 1,800-year-old complete residential city from the Roman times.

Hathor Temple, about 500 kilometres south of the capital Cairo, was home to the Dendera Zodiac, a heavenly map which has been displayed at the Louvre in Paris for more than a century. Since Frenchman Sebastien Louis Saulnier took it out of the temple in 1922, Egypt has been attempting to get it back.

Some experts see such announcements as having more political and economic weight than scientific, as Egypt is counting on tourism to revive its vital tourism industry in a severe economic crisis. The government aims to draw in 30 million tourists a year by 2028.

1. What do we know about the smiling Sphinx?

A．Its owner was confirmed as an ancient Roman ruler.

B．It has been the best-preserved Sphinx till now.

C．It is as high as 20 metres like the Sphinx of Giza.

D．It was discovered close to the Hathor Temple.

2. What does the underlined word “unveil” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Reveal.

B．Seek.

C．Deny.

D．Maintain.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The diversity of cultural relics in Egypt.

B．The discoveries made recently in Egypt.

C．The status of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

D．The new discovery about pharaoh Khufu.

4. What does Egypt expect most from the recent discoveries?

A．Scientific progress.

B．Political position.

C．Economic advance.

D．Cultural exchange.

3 . My name is Arianna Traviglia and I’m a senior cultural and heritage researcher at the Centre for Cultural Heritage Technology at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy.

As head of the team, I encourage the development of new technologies to maintain and protect important archaeological (考古学的) findings. Right now, I am working in the field of Pompeii, an ancient Roman city which was destroyed and buried under 13 to 20 feet of ash and small rocks during a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. With the help of a robot, I try to carefully reconstruct (重建) the city’s 2,000-year-old broken frescoes (壁画). The project is called RePAIR.

There are thousands of fresco pieces in Pompeii, and it was nearly impossible for a human to reconstruct all the irregular pieces into big, meaningful paintings in the past. Technology now allows us to do it-the robot we use is running by artificial intelligence (AI). As it examines a piece, it searches a database for a match, and then sends the data back to its hands to fit matching pieces together, saving a lot of hours. Its soft human-like arms and hands allow it to hold and examine the easily broken pieces without damaging them. The technology is likely to allow many museums around the world to reconstruct large-scale broken frescoes or similar objects in the future.

In RePAIR, I’m studying the hyperspectral (高光谱的) images of the fresco pieces in storage and comparing them with the paintings on the walls of the House of the Painters at Work, part of a building in Pompeii. By comparing the resemblances in the images, we will be able to work out whether the broken pieces were from the same wall.

I studied history and archaeology in college. Archaeology helps us understand where we come from, and technology enriches that exploration. I’m glad I’m a translator of the two worlds. My mind runs wild when I think about the exciting Roman life that we are still missing because Pompeii’s frescoes were damaged and haven’t been reconstructed.

1. What is the author mainly responsible for now?

A．Repairing the damaged archaeological findings.	B．Designing robots used for archaeology.
C．Discovering ancient cities hidden beneath the ground.	D．Reporting on recent studies of historical ruins.

2. What is mentioned about the robot used in the project?

A．It may cause further damage to artworks.	B．It takes more time to the examine the artworks.
C．It doesn’t need human operators.	D．It has already been widely used in museums.

3. What does the underlined word “resemblances” in Paragraph4 mean?

A．Mistakes.

B．Similarities.

C．Damages.

D．Documents.

4. How does the author find her work in RePAIR?

A．Dangerous.

B．Meaningful.

C．Relaxing.

D．Successful.

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。

A complete skeleton (骨架) of an animal, which was later confirmed to be that of a giant panda, was unearthed at     1     end of 2021 in Xi’an. It was the first time in history that giant panda remains had been unearthed from a tomb     2     (date) back to the Western Han Dynasty.

The skeleton had well-developed teeth, and was placed within a neatly     3     (lay) brick structure facing towards the direction of the tomb, with its tail pointing westward. After comparing the skeleton     4     existing giant pandas’, researchers discovered that it     5     (actual) belonged to a giant panda.

The researchers thought this giant panda might have originated from the forests on the northern side of the Qinling Mountains, where the climate was possibly     6     (warm) than today.

Back in 1975, a buried giant panda     7     (discover) near the tomb of Empress Bo. Researchers said that it is not yet possible to conclude that Empress Bo had a special     8     (prefer) for giant pandas. It appeared to be a royal garden feature.

Besides the giant panda, the remains of other rare animals were also found in the tomb,     9     reflects the belief in the Han Dynasty that people would live a life in the underworld, similar to that when they     10     (be) alive.

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。

A Stone Age bird sculpture     1     (cover) in China could be a “missing link” in our understanding of prehistoric art.     2     (date) back almost 13,500 years, the sculpture is now the oldest known example of three-dimensional art in East Asia.

Described     3     being in “an exceptional state of preservation,” the sculpture was found at an archeological site in Lingjing, Henan Province. It was hand-carved from burned animal bone. Researchers say the sculpture depicts (刻画) a bird on a base, pointing to deliberate marks     4     the creature’s eyes and bill (嘴) would be. It is believed that the bird’s oversized tail was made     5     (prevent) the sculpture from leaning forward when     6     (lay) on a surface. This discovery identifies a(n)     7     (origin) artistic tradition and pushes back by more than 8,500 years the representation of birds in Chinese art. The sculpture differs     8     (technology) and stylistically from other sculptures found in Western Europe and Siberia, and it could be the missing link tracing the origin of Chinese statues back to the early part of the Stone Age. Li Zhanyang, who led     9     study, has contributed to other archeological findings in Lingjing, including various ancient     10     (tool) and two skulls belonging to an extinct species of early humans.

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。

A stone tablet(牌匾)    1    (date) back to the year 1693, which falls within the Qing Dynasty(1644—1911), was discovered in Daming County, north China’s Hebei Province, said local authorities.

The tablet,    2     (find) in Jindong Village, measures 1.4 meters high, 0.61 meters wide, and 0.14 meters thick. Made of bluestone, it has     3     total of 307 characters on it.

The inscription(碑文)recorded the process of building the King of Medicine Temple in the county during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and     4     (describe) the grand occasions of temple fairs and humanistic stories at that time.

According to the inscription, after the     5     (complete) of the temple, the local medicine expert meeting     6    (organize) here on April 28 in most years of the Qing Dynasty, during     7     all kinds of talented people performed, and the vocal music lasted for more than ten days, said Wang Jianping, an expert in literature and history of the county.

This stone tablet is     8     (relative) well preserved with clear characters, which is significant for studying cultural and economic     9    (activity) in the southern part of Hebei during the Qing Dynasty. It also provides evidence     10     the researchers about the development of local pharmacies(制药), Wang said.

8 . A waterworks maintenance team discovered a possible one-of-a-kind Roman road in a field in Worcestershire that may date back 2,000 years.

If asked to name a place where you might make a once-in-a-lifetime archaeological (考古的) discovery, your mind may go to the pyramids of Egypt or the peaks of the Andes...not a field in Worcestershire. But a field in Worcestershire is exactly where workmen recently discovered what is thought to be a Roman road up to 2,000 years old！

The road was discovered during routine (常规的) waterworks maintenance by Severn Trent. Archaeological experts from Wychavon District Council were called to the scene and immediately recognised the find’s significance.

Wychavon District Council’s archaeology officer Aidan Smyth said, “When I first saw it, it took my breath away. If proven to be from the first century AD, it would be beyond rare.”

Experts say it is constructed in a traditional Roman technique, with similar roads only being found in Rome and Pompeii. Ruts (车辙) in the stones show that it was used by carts for a long time. A team from Historic England is expected to investigate further to determine the exact origin of the structure.

This is actually not the first significant historical discovery in Worcestershire. A number of possible forts have been suggested in Worcestershire since the 1950s, and Worcestershire is thought to possibly have been the site for the Roman town of Vertis.

It is too early to say without 100 per cent certainty that the road is Roman, but even if it is a road in the Middle Ages, it will still be a nationally significant discovery. If it is indeed a first-century Roman road, then it is the only one of its kind in Britain.

1. Why does the author mention the pyramids of Egypt?

A．To make a comparison with the Andes.

B．To identify the importance of pyramids.

C．To show the find in Worcestershire is rare.

D．To prove the archaeological discovery is true.

2. What can the road discovery be described as?

A．Long expected archaeology news.

B．The result of a careful exploration.

C．The effort of world archaeologists.

D．An unexpected result of a repair service.

3. How does Aidan Smyth sound when called to the scene?

A．Excited.

B．Confused.

C．Annoyed.

D．Satisfied.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A once-in-a-lifetime archaeological literature.

B．An unfortunate waterworks maintenance team.

C．A nationally significant event in ancient Rome.

D．A possible Roman road discovered in a field in Britain.

9 . Metal detecting (探测) is a big hobby in the U.K. This year, more people have been doing this because of the corona-virus (新冠病毒). Social distancing is very easy when people work with their metal detectors. More than 47,000 objects were found with metal detectors in 2020. People have been recording their finds on an app on the British Museum’s website. The U.K. Culture Minister said, “It is amazing to see the app growing from strength to strength during lockdown thanks to garden discoveries and digital reporting.”

The British Museum said people have dug up many exciting and interesting things this year. Perhaps the best find among the new discoveries are two hoards (批) of coins. One of the hoards contained 50 South African gold coins found 50 miles northwest of London. The other coin hoard contained 63 gold coins and one silver coin featuring (刻有) the British kings Edward IV and Henry VIII. Experts believe they were buried in the 16th century. Another find was an ancient Roman furniture fitting made of copper. It featured the face of the god Oceanus and dates back to AD 43-200.

The UK’s Treasure Act of 1996 requires that finders report each discovery more than 300 years old to the local government in the area where they found it. If the local authority defines the object as treasure, the government then pays a fair market price to the discoverer.

The database of the British Museum contains records of more than 1.5 million objects discovered since 1998 by the general public rather than by professional archaeologists. The museum said that the app ensures that finds are not lost but instead recorded, which are important for understanding Britain’s past.

1. Why has metal detecting become more popular this year?

A．Because metal is more expensive.	B．Because the equipment is cheaper.
C．Because there are more gold coins.	D．Because people have fewer social activities.

2. How many coins are there in the two hoards mentioned in Para 2?

A．114.

B．113.

C．63.

D．50.

3. What may “copper” be?

A．A type of metal.

B．A shell.

C．A symbol.

D．A piece of wood.

4. When does a finder of treasure get paid by the government?

A．When he sells the treasure he finds in the market.

B．When he hands in the over-300-year-old treasure he finds.

C．When he reports his discovery in time to the government.

D．When he records his finds on the British Museum’s website.

10 . 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。

Over 2,500 pieces of cultural relics dating back up to 2,200 years were unearthed in Guang zhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, local authorities said Friday. The cultural relics were unearthed at     1     construction site near Zhongshan Liu Lu (Road), Yuexiu District (区).     2     (cover) a total area of 2,400 square meters, the site used to be a commercial center of Guangzhou in ancient times. Besides, many important archaeological discoveries     3     (find) nearby up to now.     4     (prepare) the land for further development, Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology started an excavation(挖掘) project there from May to December this year, uncovering an amazing number of     5     (history) remains and cultural relics. The unearthed objects     6     (main) include pottery, porcelain, bronze and iron wares,     7     date from the Han Dynasty (202 BC - AD 220) to the early 20th century, according to Cheng Hao, an official with the institute. Remains of 196 pits, 57 wells, 43 pools and three roads were also among the discoveries.

The     8     (ruin) of a large Song Dynasty (960-1279) building, which belonged to the upper class was     9     highlight of the excavation, Cheng said.

“The excavation outcomes are     10     great significance for understanding the changes of the history and geography in Guangzhou’s urban areas,” Cheng added.