Archaeologists have uncovered a collection of 3,000-year-old handicrafts at Sanxingdui, Sichuan province. The researchers found more than 500 objects at the site in 2019, most of
Experts are unsure who made the handicrafts, but they guess that the creators belonged to the Shu state, a
A major highlight of the find is a 0.6-pound fragment (碎片) of a gold mask that may have been used
Other
2 . 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 |
3 . When archaeologist(考古学家)Zahi Hawass and his team set out to excavate an area near the Egyptian city of Luxor in September 2020, all they were hoping to find was King Tutankhamun's mortuary temple. Instead, the archaeologists came across the largest ancient city ever found in Egypt. Hawass, who exposed the discovery on April 8, 2021, believes the extremely large, well-preserved city is the "So'oud Atun", or the "Rise of Aten".
"The discovery of this lost city is the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun," Betsy Bryan, an Egyptology professor at Johns Hopkins University and member of the team, said in the statement.
The city dates back 3, 400 years to the times of Amenhotep III, one of Egypt's most powerful pharaohs(法老), who ruled Egypt from 1391 to 1353 BC. The ninth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty ruled during a time of peace, allowing him to accumulate large amounts of wealth. While archeologists suspected the pharaoh had used some of his riches to build what Hawass refers to as "the golden city", they'd never been able to find it.
The researchers believe that his son, King Akhenaten, briefly lived in So'oud Atun before founding the city of Amarna about 250 miles away. Historians think the pharaoh and his followers left to escape the priests(祭司)who were unhappy about his decision to give up all other deities(神抵)in favor of the sun god Aten. Following Akhenaten's death, his son, Tutankhamun, moved to Thebes, which also served as Ancient Egypt's capital. The scientists aren't sure if So'oud Atun was ever occupied again.
So far Hawass and his team have unearthed thousands of amazing artifacts(手工艺品). Among them are rings, amulets, and pottery vessels. They also found a well-preserved bakery, cooking, and food preparation area, complete with ovens and storage vessels. Due to its size, the researchers believe it may have been a commercial operation. Hawass, who says the team has only explored about a third of the lost city so far, believes there're a lot more surprises to be found.
1. What word can best describe the discovery of the ancient city?A.Accidental. | B.Profitable. | C.Intentional. | D.Difficult. |
A.The ancient pharaohs' desire for wealth. |
B.The demand for an ancient Egypt's capital. |
C.No wars during the period of Amenhotep III. |
D.The religious belief in gods in the ancient times. |
A.It should be more than 3, 500 years old. | B.It is a sign of ancient architectural art. |
C.It used to be the largest city in the world. | D.It has not been explored before. |
A.A well-preserved temple. | B.An archaeological discovery. |
C.A great Egyptian archaeologist. | D.A new research on an ancient city. |
4 . An ancient tomb was recently discovered in southern Siberia in which there may be treasure, priceless objects, and the 3, 000-year-old remains of an ice mummy.
Swiss scientist Gino Caspari with the University of Bern was looking carefully at the pictures of the area in the Russian Tuva Republic, when he came across what appeared to be a tomb. It is a tomb of the Scythians, an ancient group of Eurasians.
This summer, together with researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Hermitage Museum, a dig at the site not only proved Caspari's idea, but told us the site is the largest and oldest of its kind ever discovered in what's increasingly known as the “Siberian Valley of the Kings.”
While any discovery dating back to a period between the Iron Age and Bronze Age is exciting, it's the nature of this site that makes scientists want to begin carefully clearing away the layers of rock and earth. First, the tomb appears to have never been dug, because it is in a Siberian wetland faraway from the nearest place where people live. Second, and most important, is its possible resting place under a thick layer of permafrost.
“There's permafrost in the area,” Caspari said. “There are really only a handful of permafrost tombs and very few that have not been damaged, where there have been ice mummies in good condition, and all the things in the tomb are untouched.”
While not as large, other tombs discovered in the area have produced fantastical treasures and objects, including thousands of gold objects and other things about the past. By studying all these tombs, researchers hope to have a better understanding of the Scythian people.
Caspari said his team is in a race against time to uncover the tomb and find out its secrets. “We now have to act fast,” he said, “because with the rising temperatures, the permafrost could melt and damage all the things in that tomb. And these are things that are over 3,000 years old, that look like new, like they were put there yesterday.”
1. How did Caspari discover the tomb?A.By studying pictures. | B.By visiting a Russian area. |
C.By talking with Russian researchers. | D.By comparing other scientists, ideas. |
A.It is covered by a lot of rocks. | B.It is well kept by the Scythians. |
C.It is too small to draw attention. | D.It is hidden in a wild cold place. |
A.To better protect the tomb. | B.To save the treasures inside. |
C.To learn more about the Scythians. | D.To have a good understanding of mummies. |
A.The tomb is too old. | B.It is getting hotter and hotter. |
C.Some treasures are being damaged. | D.They want to save time for other tombs. |
Since Chinese archaeologists(考古学家)
Recognized as one of the most important ancient
It
The masks’ eyes and eyebrows are delicately hollowed out,
6 . No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock ‘n’ roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say.
“Technically, I think what they're proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said.
People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there's no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.
The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand. .
Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.
However, physicist Joseph West, who led the new study, thinks there might have been a simpler way. West said, “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction. I thought, ‘Why don't they just try rolling the things?’” A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides, he realized. That, he noted, should make a block of stone “a lot easier to roll than a square”.
So he tried it. He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground.
They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled. The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的) path.
West hasn't tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding. At least, workers wouldn't have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
1. It's widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by _________.A.rolling them on roads | B.pushing them over the sand |
C.sliding them on smooth paths | D.dragging them on some poles |
A.Made the paths wet. | B.Made the paths hard. |
C.Made the paths wide. | D.Made the paths slippery. |
A.Because more force is needed for sliding. |
B.Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle. |
C.Because sliding on smooth roads is more dangerous. |
D.Because less preparation on paths is needed for rolling. |
A.An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
B.An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
C.An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
D.An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site. |
7 . The discovery of Liangzhu Culture
From December 1936 to March 1937, three archaeological diggings were carried out in the suburbs of Hangzhou,where loads of black ceramics and stoneware were brought to light.
Inspired by these relics, an archaeology lover named Shí Xingeng, who came from West Lake Museum in Hangzhou, wrote several detailed reports on the digging. However, he had to put his work aside when China started to fall into Japan's military aggression. Shi joined the resistance movement against Japanese invasion and died of disease in 1939. What passed away along with him during the war were many of Liangzhu's precious relics.
Fortunately, Shi's reports were finally published in Shanghai in 1938, which caught considerable attention of archaeological circles, In 1959,the name Liangzhu Culture was given to the independent regional culture by archaeologist Xia Nai. It represented an earlier civilization that had remained unknown to historians. The culture, as the radiocarbon dating applied to the relics proved, existed between 3,300 and 2,200 B.C.
It is commonly believed that the earliest known Chinese written language dates back to more than 3,000 year ago; when oracle bone script appeared in Shang Dynasty. But Liangzhu Culture might provide evidence of a written language that appeared in China at least 1,000 years ealiler.
In 2007, Liangzhu Ancient City was reported to be discovered in Hangzhou, where archaeological diggings revealed a large and early walled city in Chinese history. There were man-made hills and streams in the city area, which were very likely part of the early designed urban landscape. To protect the urban space which was formed by waterways and entrances both Inside and outside the city, a flood control system was connected to the river networks and 11 dams. In the fields outside the wall, archaeologists discovered rains of the residences, tombs, workshops, and docks with wooden boats.
1. What can we learn about Liangzhu Culture?A.It was well preserved. | B.It was named by Shi Xingeng. |
C.Many of its relics were lost during the war. | D.It was discovered In 1959. |
A.It proved that Chins has a long history. |
B.It unearthed a great number of relics. |
C.It showed the professionalism of Chinese archaeology. |
D.It might prove the existence of an earlier Chinese written language |
A.It was e well-designed city. | B.It showed the rules left by flood. |
C.There were no hills or streams in the city. | D.It was the largest city in Chinese history. |
A.A travel brochure. | B.A history lecture. |
C.A cultural website. | D.An archaeological report. |
出生年月 | 1938年7月 |
主要贡献 | 1. 建立“数字敦煌”; 2. 编写了许多与敦煌莫高窟相关的书籍。 |
评价 | 2019年9月,被授予“文物保护杰出贡献者”国家荣誉称号。 |
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A search of the surrounding area revealed no evidence of a Hittite settlement dating back to the time of the statues. Also, the steep size of the sculptures meant that the sculptors likely did not intend to move them very far.
Summers assumes that, rather than being meant for a palace or a great city, the lions were being created for a monument to mark something else- water
“I think it's highly likely that that monument was going to be associated with one of the very abundant springs that are quite close,” he said in the interview, ”There are good parallels (平行线) for association of Hittite sculptural traditions with water sources”
Indeed one well-known monument site, known as Eflatun Pnar, holds a sacred pool that "is fed by a spring beneath the pool itself,” write Yiit Erbil and Alice Mouton in an article that was published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Near Eastern Studies. The two researchers were writing about water religions in ancient Anatolia (Turkey).
"According to the Hittite cuneiform(楔形文字)texts, water was seen as an effective purifying element,” Erbil and Mouton write, "used in the form of cleaning or even full baths during ritual performances, its cleaning power is self-evident."
To the Hittites the natural world, springs included, was a place of great religious importance, one worthy of monuments with giant lions. "These things (water sources) were sacred, just as their mountains were sacred,” Summers said.
1. According to the text ,how did the two life-size lions impress the archaeologists?
A.Very massive | B.Well-constructed |
C.Unbelievable | D.Mysterious |
A.They were intended to be moved far away, |
B.They were used as a monument in honor of their ancestor. |
C.They were created as a monument to mark water. |
D.They were built to mark their territory. |
A.Water was highly valued by the Hittites. |
B.There was a serious shortage of water in ancient Anatolia |
C.Lions were of great religious importance |
D.The Hittites used to fight over water resources. |
A.The Hittite cuneiform |
B.What were the lions intended for? |
C.A confusing archaeological find |
D.Digging up lions |
The time capsule was buried in Aspen .Colorado .in 1983, shortly after Jobs attended the International Design Conference being held in that city. Organizers called the device the Aspen Time Tube and contributed items like Rubik's cubes(魔方) and some iconic music. Jobs added his own items to the capsule ,including the " Lisa" ( also known as an "Apple" )"mouse he used for his presentation at the conference. '
Younger readers may not recognize the name but the Lisa Apple mouse was one of the first commercial mice released to consumers. The mouse was specially designed for the Apple Lisa computer. It's also the first personal computer to offer users a graphical user interface(图形用户界面)
Initially ,the plan was to dig up the time capsule in the year2000,but organizers forgot its exact location. Recently .they brought in researchers working with the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to find the device. Eventually they came across the 13-foot-long.1. 5-foot-diameter tube. inside they found a lot of 1980s artifacts(人工制品)that are still being catalogued.
“When the end came off .literally things just poured out .”noted Diggers host Tim Saylor "There must be literally thousands of things in there.”
“They had the foresight to put a bunch of stuff in plastic bags." Saylor said .“I could see at least a dozen plastic bags and other items. But I know for sure there got to be photographs in there. People had hand-written things on the back of the photographs ,so there will be some really interesting things inside.”
Among the artifacts researchers expect to discover inside :a Steve Jobs speech in which the Apple visionary outlines his predictions for future technologies. We should know more about the researchers ,discoveries once the Diggers program airs this fall.
1. Which of the following is true about the Lisa mouse?
A.The mouse was the first commercial one for consumers |
B.The mouse was created only for the Apple Lisa computer |
C.The mouse was buried in Aspen ,Colotado for two decades. |
D.The mouse was invented after the International Design Conference |
A.Because it was not the time set by Steve Jobs. |
B.Because it could not be accurately located. |
C.Because organizers forgot its precise shape . |
D.Because the local government didn't approve. |
A.there were some special photographs found-inside the time capsule |
B.a Steve Jobs speech with future predictions was found inside the cap |
C.Steve Jobs predictions for future technologies have come true |
D.more about the capsule will be discovered in the Diggers program |
A.The "Lost" Steve Jobs Time Capsule |
B.The Mystery of Steve Jobs Speech Solved |
C.Steve Jobs' 1983 Time Capsule Recovered |
D.Co-founder & Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs |