Terracotta Army it is amazing sight in Xi’an. There are more than 8, 000 statues
2 . For archaeologists (考古学家) in Israel, eight prehistoric ostrich (鸵鸟) eggs-thought to be between 4,000 and 7,500 years old-proved as valuable as treasure when they were dis-covered near an ancient fire pit in the Negev, a desert region in the south of the country.
They were discovered during an archaeological excavation (挖掘) in the agricultural fields of Be’er Milka, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Thursday. The eggs’ location suggests that they were collected by the prehistoric (史前的) desert nomads (游牧民) who used the campsite, according to a press release from IAA, and further lab analysis will provide more information about their uses and ages. Although the nomads did not build permanent structures at this site, the finding allows us to feel their presence in the desert. The campsites were covered by sand, keeping the eggs exceptionally well-preserved.
Ostriches were common in the region until they became extinct in the wild during the 19th century. Their eggs were beautifully decorated and were prized items during the Bronze and Iron Ages (青铜和铁器时代). As well as being used as decorative items, ostrich eggs were also used as a source of food. One ostrich egg has the nutritional value of about 25 normal chicken eggs.
While ostrich eggs are not uncommon in excavations, the bones of the large bird are not found. This may indicate that in the ancient world, people avoided dealing with the ostrich and were content with collecting their eggs.
1. What did archaeologists find in Israel?| A．Ostriches. | B．Burnt tools. | C．Ostrich eggs. | D．The bones of ostriches. |
| A．The trees. | B．The fire pit. | C．The campsites. | D．The sand. |
| A．To provide shelter for them. |
| B．To protect agricultural fields. |
| C．To get food or decorations. |
| D．To do some research on them. |
| A．Ostrich eggs have high nutritional value. |
| B．Ostriches were found near an ancient fire pit. |
| C．People tended to hunt ostriches as food sources. |
| D．Ostriches were common in Israel in the 20th century. |
A great number of artifacts from eight tombs
Six Eastern Han Dynasty tombs are brick tombs, three of
It is also the first time that archaeologists
“This excavation(挖掘)is
4 . Imagine this: You’re digging a well, and instead of hitting water, you unearth a headless human body made of pottery. This actually happened to farmers in Shanxi province in central China in 1974. Local archaeologists heard of the find and biked over to investigate. They realized that the figure had come from a tomb built over 2,000 years ago for China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang. Archaeologists finally discovered three separate pits (穴) filled with 8,000 life-sized statues, all made from terracotta — a type of fired clay.
About a mile away from these pits, there’s a large mound (山丘). Archaeologists know that this is the main part of Qin Shihuang’s tomb, but they have never looked inside. They have left it alone out of respect for the first emperor and to protect the tomb as it is.
“Many people wish to see the treasures and mysteries inside, but we cannot,” says Xiuzhen Li, an archaeologist. Opening the tomb could damage its contents. Someday, Li hopes, we’ll have technology that will let us see inside the main part of the tomb without opening and disturbing it.
“Probably in the near future we’ll have some new technology that can see inside like an x-ray,” she says. Scientists are working on techniques that make it possible to see underground. Another idea is that a tiny robot could enter through a small hole and capture videos of what it sees. Even if this robotic exploration is done very carefully, however, it would still damage the tomb. For now, the Chinese government prefers to wait to do anything until they have even better technology.
1. What’s the suitable description of the figure from the tomb?| A．A copy of real soldiers. | B．A model of emperors. |
| C．In ruins. | D．In colors. |
| A．It might be ruined. |
| B．It is very dangerous. |
| C．The robot is not clever enough. |
| D．The government doesn’t allow it. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Hopeful. | D．Objective. |
| A．An encyclopedia. | B．A history textbook. |
| C．A newspaper. | D．A travel guide. |
5 . In 1823, a young woman noticed a strange fossil (化石) on a beach near Lyme Regis, England. She dug out the bones and had them carried to her home.She carefully arranged the skeleton(骨架) on a table. Then she saw something extraordinary. The creature’s neck was a meter long-more than half the length of its body. It was unlike any animal living on Earth.
Even at a young age, Mary Anning had a talent for spotting unusual fossils. Her father died in 1810, leaving her family in.debt, so Mary began selling her fossils to collectors. At 12, she made her first major discovery—a crocodile-like skull(头骨) with a long skeleton. It turned out to be a sea creature that lived long ago. Named ichthyosaur, or “fish-lizard”, it was the first extinct animal known to science.
Fossil hunting brought in money, but it was a dangerous job. One day, a rock fall killed her dog and almost buried Mary. Despite the dangers, she continued to look for mew finds The long-necked fossil she unearthed in 1823 was another long-dead sea reptile(爬行动物). Known as a plesiosaur, it would inspire legends—including that of the Loch Ness Monster.
Mary was not only a skilled fossil hunter; she also carefully examined and recorded her finds. However, she wasn’t widely recognized in the scientific community. Only one of her scientific writings got published in her lifetime, in 1839. She was also not allowed to join London’s Geological Society, as membership was only available to men.
Mary Anning died in 1847, but her contributions have not been forgotten. Her finds are now displayed in museums in London and Paris. The beach near her home is a UNFSCO World Heritage Site, known as the Jurassic Coast. Her life continues to inspire visitors hoping to find their own fossil wonders. According to Britain’s Natural History Museum, Mary Anning was “the greatest fossil hunter the world has ever known”.
1. The first paragraph is written to_________.| A．stress the hard work Mary Anning carried out |
| B．prove the uniqueness of Mary Anning;s finds |
| C．introduce the readers to Mary Anning;s story |
| D．show the importance of Mary Anning;s discovery |
| A．Her main purpose was to make scientific contributions. |
| B．She found it hard to make ends meet as a fossil hunter. |
| C．She made her first major discovery in 1823. |
| D．She had a narrow escape from a rock fall. |
| A．Mary Anning deserved more credit. |
| B．More people should join in fossil hunting. |
| C．The Jurassic Coast is in need of protection. |
| D．Mary Anning is the greatest scientist in the world. |
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By following the order of importance. |
