1 . Researchers in Germany have found leftovers of 5,000-year-old burnt porridge inside a ceramic (陶瓷的) pot. The pot was unearthed at a Neolithic settlement known as Oldenburg LA 77. Historians say the site was once home to one of the oldest villages in the German region of Schleswig-Holstein. “As soon as we looked inside the person’s cooking pot, it was obvious that something went wrong.” says Lucy Kubiak-Martens, an archaeobotanist with the Dutch research firm BIAX Consult.
The problem? Whoever attempted to make their meal that day must have cooked it for a bit too long, burning the grains inside.
The research was a teamwork between Kiel University and Kenaz Consult and Laboratory, both in Germany, and BIAX Consult. The team used electron microscopy (显微术) to learn about the chemical composition of the food leftovers. Although burning the food may have ruined someone’s meal thousands of years ago, it also helped preserve the leftovers, allowing today’s researchers to get a better look.
“While the animal fats are absorbed into the ceramic and leave a signal there, the plant food components can only be detected in the burnt food crust,” says Kubiak-Martens in a statement from Kiel University. The researchers found that the leftovers contain barley (大麦) and emmer grains, as well as seeds from a white goosefoot plant. They also learned that the barley was harvested and prepared in a style similar to that of contemporary German farmers. The wheat appears to have been processed in a sprouted (发芽) state., which has “several advantages over unsupported grain”, according to the study. Sprouted gains also have nutritional benefits, such as higher levels of important vitamins like iron and vitamin C, and they are easier to digest.
“Food in the Neolithic Age was therefore by no means tasteless, but rather varied,” according to the statement. “People had a highly differentiated sense of taste and attached great importance to good flavour.”
Previously, researchers thought the pot held dairy products. The new analysis revealed that the leftovers were actually a “sophisticated preparation of plant-based foodstuffs”. The team hopes their findings will help provide a more comprehensive understanding of dietary habits in the region.
1. Why did the food leftovers get preserved?| A．They were burnt by accident. | B．They were inside a ceramic pot. |
| C．They were stored in a special way. | D．They contained some special chemicals. |
| A．They liked to eat burnt food. | B．They had a poor sense of taste. |
| C．They paid little attention to nutrition. | D．They knew how to make different foods. |
| A．Burnt porridge. | B．Dairy products. | C．Animal fats. | D．Plant seeds. |
| A．An Analysis of Food Leftovers | B．A Teamwork on Food Research |
| C．The Dietary Habits of Ancestors | D．Burnt Porridge Inside an Ancient Pot |
The recent opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, in Sichuan province, made the place
For those who cannot make it to Guanghan,
It provides a time-travel experience for both an educational and artistic appeal. The journey begins
On show
Images of these objects found at Sanxingdui and their
3 . This is a story that happened in Europe in the 17th century. Tulips (郁金香) were introduced into Holland before the 17th century but it did not take long for the flowers to gain popularity among the upper classes. Flowers of such beauty soon became symbols of power and the rich tried their best to lay their hands on some to display them in their gardens. When more people learned of the prices thatthe rich were willing to pay for tulips, they knew they just found a “get-rich-quick” gold mine.
By 1634, the whole country was so attracted by tulips that all other activities almost came to a stop. People were trading in tulips and even buying and selling bulbs (球茎). At that time, one rare bulb cost as much as ten tons of cheese.
Many made a fortune in the beginning. As the prices moved in one direction, they only needed to buy low and sell high, buy high and sell higher. After the gains, confidence rose and many sold away all their property in order to invest more money in tulips, hoping to make more money. The desire was so strong that those who were watching also rushed to the tulip market. Everyone thought that the high demand for tulips would continue forever and prices could only go up because more and more people from all over the world would start to like tulips.
When the prices of tulips was much higher than it should be, few people bought them for planting in their gardens. The real demand for the flowers seemed greater than it really was. Many people were buying them for speculation (投机), not appreciation. In 1637, for some unknown reasons, a group of people suddenly realized the danger. The prices of tulips began to fall and the market crashed. When confidence was destroyed, it could not be recovered and prices kept falling. Soon the nobles and the rich became poor. Cries of suffering were heard everywhere in Holland.
1. Why did the upper classes buy tulips in the beginning?| A．Because the prices of tulips were low. |
| B．Because they wanted to make a fortune. |
| C．Because tulips were introduced from abroad. |
| D．Because tulips were beautiful and represented power. |
| A．greed(贪婪) was the reason why so many people were mad about tulips |
| B．tulips became popular among the upper classes very slowly |
| C．people who were mad about tulips bought them for appreciation |
| D．when the prices were extremely high, most people planted tulips in their gardens |
| A．Europe in the 17th century | B．buying and selling tulips |
| C．being mad about tulips | D．the life of the nobles and the rich |
