1 . Macaques don’t use the sharp flakes they create for anything, Luncz adds, noting that the monkeys have sharp teeth and don’t need cutting tools. The similar ancient stone tools collected from some of the earliest known sites, however, show evidence of being used for cutting tasks. For example, in Oldowan, a site dating between 3.3 million and 1.5 million years ago, researchers analyzed use-wear patterns on the tools and found that some of the flakes showed damage along their edges, indicating that they had been used for cutting. Cut marks on some fossils revealed that hominins had used stone tools for butchering the animals, making it clear that the sharp stone tools were anything but unintentional by-products of other pounding activities.

Why does the author mention the Oldowan site in paragraph 3?

A．To provide specific proof.	B．To clarify a complex concept.
C．To present an interesting fact.	D．To make a detailed comparison.

2 . Lisa St. Coeur Cormier, a high school science teacher in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, found a tree root. When she took a closer look, she found the shape was very strange. She realized it wasn’t a tree root though it shared the same color. She felt it was hard to break and noticed an impression of bones of what looked like some kind of animal.

Cormier sent a photo of the find to Laura MacNeil who used her knowledge in this field to confirm that what Cormier had seen really was a fossil (化石). MacNeil runs tours of sites where prehistoric fossils have been found and also helps people identify fossils. She visited the site of Cormier’s find to take more photos of it.

MacNeil contacted John Calder, a scientist, who examined the fossil and led a team of scientists to study it. John Calder said it could be as much as 300 million years old. He said it’s probably from a reptile (爬行动物) of some kind — likely one that is unknown to scientists. Scientists spent 5.5 hours carefully digging out the fossil from the ground so they could study it more in-depth and find out exactly what kind of animal it is. That research could take a year or more.

“This is an important discovery here on Prince Edward Island. It is the second of the only two articulated skeletons (关节相连的骨头) found on PEI,” Laura MacNeil said. “This creature lived about 300 million years ago. This find tells us there is a great possibility for future scientifically important fossils that could be discovered on PEI. It will lead to more researchers paying a visit.”

1. How might Cormier feel when looking at the root carefully?

A．Satisfied.

B．Surprised.

C．Concerned.

D．Proud.

2. What can we learn from the research work?

A．The scientists will have a detailed study on the fossil.

B．The scientists have identified the species of the fossil.

C．The scientists will keep the fossil under the ground.

D．The scientists discovered the first articulated skeleton.

3. What does Laura MacNeil stress about PEI in the last paragraph?

A．Its long history.	B．Its wide popularity.
C．Its scientific value.	D．Its economic importance.

4. Which of the following could be a suitable title for the text?

A．A scientist’s research on fossils	B．PEI is attracting more researchers
C．Cormier’s unforgettable tour in PEI	D．A science teacher discovered a fossil

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did the divers do when they found the objects?

A．They gave them to their company.

B．They kept on digging deeper.

C．They told a historical expert.

2. How did Ambrose know the sinking time of the ship?

A．By doing research in museums.

B．By analyzing the goods on the ship.

C．By collecting information from a story.

3. What was the ship used for according to Ambrose?

A．Looking for gold.

B．Delivering big guns.

C．Seeking metal.

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。

The true origins of silk fabric will likely never be known. The best that can be done is    1     (search) the archaeological (考古) record for its earliest traces. A silkworm cocoon (茧) was discovered at a site in China     2     (date) to 5,000-3,000 BCE. Those    3    found it thought that the cocoon had been cut open    4     (deliberate).

This seems unlikely to have been done if the cocoon was to be used to produce silk     5    cutting the cocoon reduces the length of the silk fibres. Silkworm larvae (幼虫) have been, and still     6     (eat) in several countries, so it may be that this example was used for food rather than fashion.The    7     (old) examples of silk fabric that still exist were discovered in Qianshanyang from 2,700 BCE. These    8     (part) of threads and ribbons show how threads of silk were woven at    9     early stage. Discoveries of artefact (人工制品)     10     (use) in spinning and weaving also point to an early development of silk fabrics in China.

8 . “Some inconspicuous (不起眼的) artifacts, once unearthed and cleaned, can transport me back across time as I touch them. It’s as though I were in the same space with ancient people who lived millions of years ago.” This is what Xu Danyang, a young member of the Communist Party of China responsible for excavation of the No. 4 sacrificial pit (祭祀坑) at the Sanxingdui ruins site in Deyang, Sichuan province, says of his view of his job.

Archaeology used to be a field few university students wanted to study, Xu says. However, discoveries at Sanxingdui have changed students’ preconceptions. The increasing popularity of Sanxingdui is a good thing, Xu says. The reason why the site has attracted international attention is that bronze ware and gold decorations unearthed there have given people fresh glimpses of the ancient Shu Kingdom, illustrating the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.

Speaking of the pit team, Xu says more than half the members were born in the 1990s. The daily work of Xu and his team can be split into two parts: the indoor work of reorganizing materials and conducting research, and the outdoor archaeological fieldwork, both of which require great meticulousness (谨小慎微). The process of dig needs careful teamwork, and everyone performs their duties extremely. One does not expect quick success or instant rewards. So patience is a must. The infinite nature of human history can be reflected as one connects seemingly insignificant discoveries.

1. What does the underlined words “excavation” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Discovery.

B．Dig.

C．Invention.

D．Breakthrough.

2. What effect have the discoveries at Sanxingdui had on students’ view of archaeology?

A．Decreased interest in studying archaeology.

B．No change in people’s view.

C．Decreased attention on Sanxingdui.

D．Increased interest in studying archaeology.

3. What has attracted international attention to the Sanxingdui ruins site?

A．Unearthed bronze ware and gold decorations.

B．Careful teamwork.

C．Xu Danyang’s view of his job.

D．The inclusive nature of Chinese civilization.

4. What quality is crucial for success in the field of archaeology?

A．Quick success and instant rewards.

B．Careful teamwork and patience.

C．Decreased attention.

D．Reorganizing materials.

9 . 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.

10 . Frozen in time, a 125-million-year-old mammal attacking a dinosaur. A 39-million-year-old whale, the heaviest animal that ever lived. The oldest known jellyfish, from 505 million years ago. Paleontology (古生物学) produces newsworthy discoveries.

Fossils (化石), moreover, provide direct evidence for the long history of life, allowing paleontologists to test hypotheses (假设) about evolution with data only they provide. They allow investigation of present and past life on Earth. Flows of biological diversity, appearances of new life forms and the extinctions of long existing ones, would go undiscovered without these efforts. But the headlines over exciting new fossils greatly underestimate the true importance of paleontology. Its real significance lies in how such discoveries brighten the grand history of life on Earth. From its beginnings, more than three billion years ago, to the present day, fossils record how life adapted or disappeared in the face of major environmental challenges.

Paleontologists provide us with a unique vantage on modern climate change. They play an essential role in interpreting ancient environments, in reconstructing ancient oceans, continents and climates. Fossils provide key limitation on the climate models that are essential for predicting future climate change. And the fossil record gives important insights into how life will respond to predicted future climate conditions, because these have occurred before in Earth’s history.

In addition, paleontology has provided a fundamental contribution to human thought: the reality of species extinction and thus of a world that has dramatically changed over time. In documenting the history of life, paleontologists recognized that many extinction episodes could occur suddenly, such as the event 66 million years ago that ended the dinosaurs. The search for the causes of past mass extinctions started pioneering studies from across the scientific spectrum (科学界), focusing on potential future threats to humanity.

Not only do paleontologists know what happens to life when things go bad, they also know how long it takes for ecosystems and biodiversity to recover from these disasters, which can take far longer than modern humans have existed.

Paleontologists thus provide a unique perspective on the nature and future long-term ecological impact of the current human-produced biodiversity crisis, the so-called Sixth Extinction, and therefore the importance of protecting modern biodiversity. The very concept of a Sixth Extinction would not exist without paleontologists documenting the first five.

Paleontologists know that understanding life’s past is critical to anticipating and adapting to life’s and humanity’s future. Paleontology is important because it brings its unique and critical perspective to current challenges in climate change, biodiversity loss and the environment. Paleontologists can predict the future because they know the past.

1. The first two paragraphs are written to _______.

A．describe an event	B．raise a question
C．present an opinion	D．make a comparison

2. What does the underlined word “vantage” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．A positive effect.	B．A valuable suggestion.
C．A quick decision.	D．A comprehensive view.

3. Which of the following would the author agree with?

A．Ecological recovery takes shorter than imagined.

B．Past lessons can help to predict the future threats.

C．Paleontologists can handle the biodiversity crisis.

D．Fossil studies focus on the causes of mass extinctions.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Paleontology: A Pioneering Study

B．Paleontology: A History Recorder

C．Paleontology Tells More About Nature Than Humans

D．Paleontology Is Far More Than New Fossil Discoveries