1 . A group of scientists are hurrying to document and protect the ancient ruins along Puerto Rico’s coasts. They are working as fast as they can before rising sea levels destroy a large part of the island’s history.
The work started in August 2017. With the help of 3D imaging and other advanced technologies, the scientists have explored a large piece of land along Puerto Rico’s north coast and identified an ancient ceremonial center used by the Taino Indians. About 2,000 years ago, the Tainos lived on many islands in the Caribbean Sea. But after the arrival of Christopher Columbus and other Europeans, they were all killed.
Scientists also found a large living place just east of the site, which is seriously endangered by rising sea levels and other natural disasters. Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural Resources has said the sea level around the island is rising by more than 3 mm every year,
However, climate change has more immediate effects. These include the destruction of the Puerto Rico coastline and natural habitats by storms.
Warmer temperatures in the Caribbean increase the number and strength of storms and Puerto Rico faces the possibility of storms every year for six months during the Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Maria had already washed away part of its history.
Scientists are now trying to find out how badly the hurricanes and loss of land have affected the heritage site they are studying. Eric Lo is an engineer who flew to Puerto Rico in August 2017 to start the project one month before Maria struck the island. Lo was surprised at what he saw when he returned months later.
“Pieces of land where I stood do not exist anymore. They are underwater,” he said.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To tell us what the scientists are doing. |
| B．To explain why the scientist went to Puerto Rico’s coasts |
| C．To introduce the island’s history to readers. |
| D．To lead to the topic of the passage. |
| A．Under the Caribbean Sea. | B．In a European country. |
| C．On Puerto Rico’s north coast. | D．Along Puerto Rico’s east coast. |
| A．They were killed by the Europeans. | B．They were destroyed by Hurricane Maria. |
| C．They were driven away by the rising sea levels. | D．They were moved away by their government. |
| A．The serious damage caused by storms. | B．The plan to protect the heritage sites. |
| C．The loss of natural habitats in Puerto Rico. | D．The worsening climate conditions in the world. |
| A．The Obvious Effects of Global Climate Change |
| B．Efforts to Preserve Puerto Rico’s Coastal Heritage |
| C．New Discoveries of Ancient Taino Indians’ Ruins |
| D．Technologies Used to Identify the Ancient Ruins |
2 . Personally, there is nothing I love more than asking “stupid” questions, especially the ones that have no right answers. I remember once asking some kids what time it was, at home, in Singapore, and finally on the Moon. After a long giggling silence, finally a shy girl ventured (试探地说) to say that it was “every time” followed by an energetic Einstein who shouted it was “no time”. Both kids shared that week’s Noble Prize, because no humans live in that distant world and time is a human construct.
As a matter of fact, we are all good at asking questions by nature, but sadly as we age, we get accustomed to the world around us and take things for granted. We became more results-oriented (注重结果的) and concentrate our efforts on success. If something is working, don’t fix it or worry about the cause; just relax and go with the flow. Conventional wisdom may work well, but that does not mean it is always right. Throughout history, it has been those who have questioned conventional wisdom and those who have challenged our common-sense notions of the world that have been the ones to have ushered in (开) the major advancements of human civilization.
In 500 BC, the ancient Greeks wondered whether the Earth was round because sailors on the sea had noticed that the farther south they went, the more different stars they saw in the sky. Why was the sky changing? Nearly 2,000 years later, the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei became interested in this question and ended up demonstrating the “crazy” concept of heliocentrism (日心说), in which the Sun lies at the center of the universe while the Earth revolves (旋转) around it at 30 kilometers per second. But if the Earth is spinning around so quickly, why aren’t we being thrown off of the surface of the planet? The answer to this question would not end up being revealed to us for another century.
People like routine, but past performance is no guarantee of future results. While those who challenge conventional wisdom tend to be subjected to abuse, the progress of humankind would have otherwise been impossible without these persistent people and their “stupid”questions.
1. What is the best title of this article?| A．Asking “stupid” questions. |
| B．Is conventional wisdom useless? |
| C．Some major advancements of human civilization |
| D．What caused them to ask conventional questions? |
| A．We lay too much emphasis on process. |
| B．We still refuse to relax and go with the flow. |
| C．We start to challenge common-sense notions of the world |
| D．We gradually lose the ability to question conventional wisdom. |
| A．An ancient Greek scientist living in 500 BC |
| B．Galileo Galilei living between 1564 and 1642. |
| C．Isaac Newton living between 1643 and 1727. |
| D．Albert Einstein living between 1879 and 1955. |
| A．By comparison and contrast. |
| B．By using supporting examples. |
| C．By using time and space order. |
| D．By generalization and definition |
Poetry (诗歌),
Poetry plays with sounds, words, and grammar,
4 . Hand gestures (手势) have been commonly used in our daily communication. They add to the message by filling in what words sometimes leave behind. But are you somewhat aware of the history that goes behind some of these popular hand gestures?
◆Handshake
Whether you’re greeting someone for the first time, or successfully negotiating (商定) an agreement, shaking hands is usually the go-to gesture. Who decided on this customary gesture, anyway? The history of the handshake dates back to ancient Greece, showing that neither person was carrying a weapon.
◆Thumbs up and thumbs down
Maybe you’re familiar with the popular story of this hand gesture dating back to Roman times. When a gladiator (角斗士) lost, the crowd would either stick their thumbs out to have him killed or just not make any sign at all. The thumbs up decided the gladiator’s fate (命运) . After WWII, thumbs up only came to mean that things were going smoothly. And thumbs down meant the opposite.
◆High five
According to some sources, the high five first became popular when baseball players performed at Dodger Stadium on October 2, 1977. Glenn Burke, one of the capable players, lifted his am high above his head and slapped palms with his teammate Dusty Baker to celebrate a milestone home run, marking what is widely regarded as the first recorded example of a high five.
◆The fist bump
The fist bump comes from boxers in the 1970s after people began imitating how they touched gloves before a competition. Later, instead of shaking hands, first bumps became popular among basketball players. The gesture soon spread to all basketball lovers, and, before long, to the President of the United States.
1. What did “thumbs up” mean to a gladiator in Roman times?| A．Being cheered. | B．Being killed. | C．Being appreciated. | D．Being blamed. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The history. | B．The future. | C．The power. | D．The importance. |
5 . The remains of a gold mask are among a huge quantity of 3,000-year-old artifacts (文物) found at an archaeological (考古的) site in China’s Sichuan province.
Weighing about 280 grams and estimated to be made from 84% gold, the ceremonial mask is one of over 500 items unearthed from six newly discovered “sacrificial pits” (祭祀坑), according to the country’s National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The finds were made at Sanxingdui, a 4.6-square-mile area outside the provincial capital of Chengdu. Some experts say the items may shine further light on the ancient Shu state, a kingdom that ruled in the western Sichuan basin before 316 BC.
In addition to the gold mask, archaeologists uncovered bronzes (青铜器) and artifacts made from other materials such as bone. The six pits also contained an as-yet-unopened wooden box and a bronze container with owl-shaped patterning.
More than 50,000 ancient artifacts have been found at Sanxingdui since the 1920s, when a local farmer accidentally came upon some remains at the site. A major breakthrough occurred in 1986, with the discovery of two ceremonial pits containing over 1,000 items, including delicate and well-preserved bronze masks. Discoveries made at the site date back to the 12th and 11th centuries BC.
Sanxingdui has completely revolutionized experts’ understanding of how civilization developed in ancient China. In particular, evidence of a unique Shu culture suggests that the kingdom developed independently of neighboring societies in the Yellow River Valley, which was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Chinese civilization.
Though not yet recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sanxingdui is on the organization’s list for possible future inclusion. Along with other Shu archaeological sites, it is credited by the UN agency as “an outstanding representative of the Bronze Age Civilization of China, East Asia and even the world.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “shine further light on” in paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Make greater progress in. | B．Have a deeper influence on. |
| C．Provide more information about. | D．Engage more attention to. |
| A．It changes experts’ understanding of how Chinese civilization developed. |
| B．It confirms that the Shu Kingdom developed in the Yellow River Valley. |
| C．It implies that the Yellow River Valley is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. |
| D．It shows Sanxingdui symbolizes a fundamental change in Chinese society. |
| A．Sanxingdui’s history of discovery. | B．The world’s recognition of Sanxingdui. |
| C．The difficulty in discovering Sanxingdui. | D．The preservation of Sanxingdui’s remains. |
| A．Sanxingdui Accidentally Discovered by a Local Farmer |
| B．3,000-year-old Gold Mask Uncovered in Southwest China |
| C．Outstanding Representatives of the Bronze Age Kingdom |
| D．New Addition to the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites |
6 . The remains of a huge building from ancient Greece have been discovered by underwater researchers working at a site of a historic battle that took place 2,500 years ago.
The monumental construction was found in the shallow waters off the coast of Salamis during excavation (挖掘) work that took place in June and July last year. The Greek Culture Ministry, which announced the discovery, said it dates back to the time of the Battle of Salamis — a naval battle between Greek and Persian states. Underwater researchers were carrying out a study of the area when they found the remains in the shallow waters. They believed it was a large public building that was used until the late Roman times, in the third century C.E.
The researchers said it would likely have been one of the main public buildings in the area. The team found many other features relating to the building and marble sculptures. This, the ministry said, appears to date back to the fourth century B.C.E.
During the 2018 study, the researchers used a new technique where a flexible barrier was constructed, allowing them to drain (排水) the area being excavated, get a better view of the site and take samples of the remains, helping them date the building.
The discovery of the building is important as it is helping the researchers reconstruct the geography of the area 2,500 years ago. At this time — 480 B.C.E.— the Battle of Salamis took place in the straits between Salamis Island and mainland Greece. Following successful invasions (入侵) by the Persian army, the Greek ships had withdrawn to Salamis. At this point Themistocles, a politician and general, convinced Greek friends to fight, a report of the battle by the U.K.’s Cardiff University notes. The Persians thought they had the advantage. They entered the straits of Salamis with a view to blocking the entrance. However, their large ships failed to operate well in the tight waterways and the Greeks were victorious. After this win, the Greeks defeated the Persians in several other key battles, ending the period of invasion.
1. What can be learned about the huge building?| A．It was ruined during a naval battle. |
| B．It was still used after Roman times. |
| C．It was built after the Battle of Salamis. |
| D．It was discovered in the shallow waters. |
| A．Why the researchers built a barrier. |
| B．How the researchers drained the area. |
| C．Why the researchers dated the building. |
| D．How the researchers conducted the study. |
| A．It tells people of a great politician’s achievements. |
| B．It shows why the Persian army carried out invasions. |
| C．It helps the researchers know what the area used to be like. |
| D．It confirms the report by the U.K.’s Cardiff University. |
| A．It ended with the Greeks’ victory. |
| B．It put an end to the Persians’ invasion. |
| C．It took place in the mainland of Greece. |
| D．It forced the Persians to abandon their ships. |
While most westerners know the story of Hua Mulan through an animated film, she
Traditionally, no women
In short, the story is about a girl, Hua Mulan,
Hua Mulan is a symbol to many Chinese people because she strongly illustrates values that they appreciate. A loyal daughter, she fights first for her family, and then for her country,
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 2,200 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor in Chinese history, established the official Chinese writing characters. The new, simplified characters made writing calligraphy (书法)
Aspirin, invented in 1897, has its
More effects of aspirin were discovered, such as reducing the risk of cancer, avoiding strokes,
Penicillin, discovered by Alexander Flemming in 1928, is considered to be the most vital medicine in contemporary society. It can
Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to the scientists devoted to the
10 . In Europe many people died during the Second World War. As a result, at the end of the war there were many orphans (孤儿) there. A man called Hermann Gmeiner wanted to help these children. His idea was simple. He wanted orphans to have a home, and he wanted them to have the care and kindness of parents. Gmeiner asked people to give him some money. With this money he built the first SOS Children's Village at Imst, in Austria. It opened in1949. This is how the SOS stand for “Save Our Souls.” This means, “Please help us!” An SOS Children’ village gives help to orphans. Hermann Gmeiner’s idea for helping orphans soon spread all over the world. By 1983 there were 170 SOS Children's Villages in the world. People in many countries give money to help the villages.
Today the children from the first village have grown up. Now some of them work in other SOS Children’s Villages. In SOS Villages orphans live in family groups. There are several houses in each village. The biggest village has 40 or 50 houses! Between seven and ten children live in a house. A woman lives with each group of children and looks after them. She gives the children a lot of love and kindness. She cooks meals for them and makes comfortable, happy home for them.
Of course, the children don’t spend all their time in the village. They go to school; they go out with their friends. But the village gives them a home—sometimes for the first time in their lives.
1. The SOS Children’s Villages are built for________ first.| A．the children who are poor | B．the orphans in Europe |
| C．the kind women | D．people who died in the war. |
| A．governments | B．special organization |
| C．people in different countries | D．the orphans themselves |
| A．She lives with the children and looks after them. |
| B．She gives the children a lot of love and kindness. |
| C．She cooks meals for children. |
| D．She teaches the children how to use the computer. |
