1 . Humans evolved from apes. This is what we learned in biology class. But what came before apes? Chinese scientists have discovered fossils that could enrich the evolutionary story of how humans evolved from fish.
According to four articles published in the journal Nature in late September, Chinese researchers found fish fossils that provide the “missing link” about the origin of the jaw, a key feature that 99.8 percent of vertebrate (脊椎动物) species have.
Zhu Min, a lead researcher of the studies from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the findings drew a large amount of interest in the science world due to the importance of jaws in animal evolution.
However, the rise of the jaw had been a mystery due to a lack of sufficient fossil evidence to support that jawed vertebrates lived 450 million years ago.
The latest findings made by Zhu’s team presented a set of five surprisingly well-preserved fish fossils that included three whole-bodied fish, helping scientists paint a more accurate evolutionary picture of the origin of the jaw. The fish fossils were discovered at two sites in Chongqing and Guizhou, whose strata (岩层) date back to the Silurian Period that began around 440 million years ago.
These fossils show that jawed fish were already thriving (繁荣) in the world’s ancient oceans at that time. Later on, more diverse and larger jawed fish evolved and began to spread around the world, paving the way for some fish to eventually go on land and evolve into other animals — including humans.
“These fossils provide an unprecedented (前所未有的) opportunity to peek into the ‘dawn of fish’ and help scientists trace many human body structures back to these ancient fish thus filling some key gaps in the evolutionary history of how fish evolved into humans,” Zhu said.
1. In which column of a magazine will you most probably read the passage?| A．Your Voice. | B．Animals. |
| C．Science Study. | D．History. |
| A．Because jaws are a key trait of all vertebrate species. |
| B．Because jaws are significant in animal evolution. |
| C．Because the rise of the jaw had been a mystery. |
| D．Because there is a lack of sufficient evidence. |
| A．Around 440 million years ago. |
| B．Around 450 million years ago. |
| C．When jawed fish began to spread around the world. |
| D．When fish evolved into humans. |
| A．Who Are Our Ancestors? | B．What Came Before Apes? |
| C．The Origin of the Jaw | D．Key Gaps in Evolution |
2 . The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington brought together many different civil rights groups, labor unions, and
On August 28, 1963, 250,000 protesters gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC to demonstrate
The last speaker of the day was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who delivered what became the most famous speech of the entire civil rights era, the “I Have a Dream” speech, which
Because of this, a popular
The sole purpose of the March on Washington was not to eliminate Jim Crow laws, which meant Southern blacks would continue to live in conditions of poverty and inequality, with whites
| A．academic | B．religious | C．vocational | D．commercial |
| A．Furthermore | B．Therefore | C．Instead | D．Nevertheless |
| A．reputation | B．community | C．agreement | D．status |
| A．approach | B．tendency | C．intensity | D．exposure |
| A．criticism | B．apologies | C．donations | D．challenges |
| A．on behalf of | B．in favor of | C．by means of | D．on account of |
| A．justification | B．symbol | C．example | D．version |
| A．presence | B．interpretation | C．potential | D．promise |
| A．sponsoring | B．opposing | C．striking | D．emerging |
| A．analyzed | B．envisioned | C．compromised | D．emphasized |
| A．phenomenon | B．theory | C．practice | D．misconception |
| A．founded | B．opposed | C．headed | D．favored |
| A．granting | B．denying | C．threatening | D．declining |
| A．substantial | B．royal | C．swift | D．remarkable |
| A．prosperity | B．security | C．policy | D．justice |
3 . On 15th June 1996, a huge bomb in Manchester, in the north-west of England, destroyed the city centre, causing nearly a billion pounds’ worth of damage. The bomb, which had been planted by a terrorist group called the IRA, injured over 200 people but remarkably killed no one as police had evacuated the area following a warning from the IRA.
Manchester had already undergone some changes as it recovered from the economic depression of the early 1990s that had destroyed much of its industry and created large-scale unemployment. It had won the right to host the Commonwealth Games (a large sporting event) and redeveloped some deserted areas through the building of the National Velodrome, an exhibition centre and an award-winning concert hall. However, at the time of the bombing, the city centre was still badly neglected — dominated by the Arndale Shopping Centre (once described as looking like an enormous public toilet) and squares that were run-down and affected by drug addiction. So, dreadful though the bombing was, it actually provided an opportunity to start again that might not have happened otherwise.
Within weeks of the explosion, the government had set up a public-private company to manage the recovery and launched an international competition to design the redevelopment. The winning plan involved restoring the historic buildings that had been damaged, tearing down and rebuilding some of the ugly buildings, creating new public spaces and improving life for pedestrians. Alongside this, the government reduced traffic in the centre by changing the direction of some main roads and developed an integrated public transport system, making access to the centre easier. Since these improvements, the city has attempted to boost tourism by using some of the city’s historical sites for major public events and by creating the Urbis building, which now houses the National Museum of Football. In turn, these changes have been key in attracting new investors, such as the Qatari royal family who own Manchester City Football Club.
Since 1996, the Manchester economy has grown in all areas. However, there are some concerns that inequality has also increased. Nor are all the new spaces appreciated. One new garden square designed by an international architect was rated as the worst attraction in the city. Others argue that in changing market stalls and industry for luxury consumption and glass buildings, the city has lost some of its soul.
1. What does the word “evacuate” (paragraph 1)most probably mean?| A．Looking for something in a place. | B．Estimate the losses in a ruined place. |
| C．Remove people from a place of danger. | D．Determine a numerical value of a place. |
| A．It presented an unexpected opportunity for Manchester. |
| B．It destroyed the city centre that used to be busy and crowded. |
| C．It resulted in a lot of people getting hurt or killed in Manchester. |
| D．It cost Manchester its chance to host the Commonwealth Games. |
| A．It set up Manchester City Football Club. |
| B．It organised an international competition to attract new investors. |
| C．It tore down some historical sites to make room for public events. |
| D．It developed a public traffic system to make the city center more accessible. |
| A．Damage Manchester suffered due to the IRA bombing. |
| B．The IRA bombing in Manchester and its consequences. |
| C．Challenges related to the redevelopment of Manchester. |
| D．The long-term effects of the changes made in Manchester. |
| A．He established some professorships. |
| B．He set up the administration system. |
| C．He founded the first modern university. |
| D．He ordered students to learn Greek and Latin. |
| A．They talk with each other. | B．They read books to seek truth. |
| C．They play tricks on each other. | D．They improve the way of reasoning. |
| A．The use of the abstract. | B．The nature of universals. |
| C．The way to tell right from wrong. | D．The importance of individual acts. |
5 . A rare 765-year-old gold coin found on farm land in Devon in south-west England is expected to sell for up to half a million pounds at auction. It is believed that the coin was made more than 750 years ago, during the rule of the English King Henry III. It is one of only eight known to exist.
Featuring a picture of King Henry III on one side and a cross and roses on the other, the coin is around 2.5 centimetres across. It was made with gold that came from north Africa. It was found in September last year by a detectorist (someone who looks for items buried underground using a metal detector) in Hemyock village. The detectorist had no idea how rare the coin was until he posted a photo of it on social media, where it was spotted by a history expert.
The finder, who doesn’t want to be named, was told to take the coin to the British Museum, where it was confirmed that the coin was very rare. According to the law, the finder is allowed to keep it because it’s a single coin and not part of a bigger haul but he has decided to sell it. He told the BBC, “The coin was found in an unappealing field and could quite easily have never been recovered. Now it is protected for future generations to enjoy.”
The coin is especially valuable because it was one of England’s first gold coins. The country’s coins were made of silver until King Henry III, who ruled from 1216 until his death in 1272, introduced gold ones with his picture on them.
Professor David Carpenter at King’s College London, has traced the coin back to a man called John de Hidon, who was the lord of Hemyock Manor. Carpenter thinks the coin may have fallen out of someone’s pocket—either de Hidon himself or one of his staff.
1. The correct order of the events that happened is .①The value of the coin was confirmed.
②A coin was unearthed in the field.
③The coin was on display at the British Museum.
④The coin was intended for sale.
⑤The coin caught the attention of a history expert.
| A．①③②④ | B．②⑤①④ |
| C．②①⑤④③ | D．④②①③⑤ |
| A．Its exhibition. | B．Its significance. |
| C．Its preservation. | D．Its distribution. |
| A．stolen or illegal things | B．imported goods |
| C．patented cultural items | D．hidden mineral resources |
| A．How to Discover Hidden Treasure | B．A Coin Sold for Millions |
| C．History Miraculously Repeats Itself | D．Treasure Hunter Strikes Gold |
A Very Brief History of Greetings
Physical greetings may be part of human nature, but they also vary hugely from culture to culture. The oldest evidence of the handshake, for example, can be seen in an Assyrian (亚述人) relief from the 9th century BC, which shows King Shalmaneser’s
Evidence of kissing is even older. The social kiss dates to at least the Roman Empire, where it
Some cultures touch noses as a greeting. This is known as the hongi to New Zealand’s Maori population, to
Many cultures prefer socially distanced greetings, such as bowing, to symbolize trust and cooperation, and these, too, are ancient. Bow greetings are still common in countries such as India, Japan, and Thailand. In Tibet, China, people will stick their tongues out of their mouth
These distanced greetings remain the safest option for anyone who wants to convey good wishes
7 . While DNA from animal bones or teeth can cast light on an individual species, environmental DNA enabled scientists to build a picture of a whole ecosystem.
A core of ice age sediment (沉积物) from northern Greenland has yielded the world’s oldest sequences of DNA. The 2 million-year-old DNA samples revealed the now largely lifeless polar region was once home to rich plant and animal life — including elephant-like mammals known as mastodons (乳齿象), reindeer, hares, lemmings, geese, birch trees and poplars, according to new research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
The finding is the work of scientists in Denmark who were able to detect and restore environmental DNA — genetic material drop into the environment by all living organisms — in tiny amounts of sediment taken from the Copenhagen Formation, in the mouth of a strait in the Arctic Ocean in Greenland’s northernmost point, during a 2006 expedition.
They then compared the DNA pieces with libraries of DNA collected from both extinct and living animals, plants and microorganisms. The genetic material revealed dozens of other plants and creatures that had not been previously detected at the site based on what’s known from fossils and pollen records.
“The first thing that blew our mind when we’re looking at this data is obviously this mastodon and the presence of it that far north, which is quite far north of what we knew as its natural range,” said study co-author Mikkel Pedersen.
The mix of temperate (温带) and Arctic trees and animals suggested a previously unknown type of ecosystem that has no modern equivalent — one that could act as a genetic road map for how different species might adapt to a warmer climate, the researchers found.
Love Dalen, a professor at the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University, said the finding “pushed the envelope” for the field of ancient DNA. “Also, the findings that several temperate species (such as relatives of spruce and mastodon) lived at such high latitudes are exceptionally interesting,” he added.
Further study of environmental DNA from this time period could help scientists understand how various organisms might adapt to climate change. “It’s a climate that we expect to face on Earth due to global warming and it gives us some idea of how nature will respond to increasing temperatures,” he explained.
1. What can we know about environmental DNA from the passage?| A．It makes it easier to understand individual species. |
| B．It is a collection of DNA from all kinds of living things. |
| C．It includes DNA of mammals living 2 million years ago. |
| D．It was first discovered in sediment from northern Greenland. |
| A．By looking at the data of mastodon. |
| B．By detecting DNA samples at the site. |
| C．By analyzing fossils and pollen records. |
| D．By comparing the newly-found DNA with existing ones. |
| A．broke the limit | B．laid a foundation |
| C．raised a new question | D．attracted wide attention |
| A．Northern Greenland faces species extinction |
| B．Oldest DNA reveals a solution to global warming |
| C．Northern Greenland faces increasing temperatures |
| D．Oldest DNA reveals a 2 million-year-old ecosystem |
| A. alternative B. capacity C. characteristic D. extinct E. exclude F. identity G. increasingly H. interacting I. measuring J. narrative K. restore |
The earliest storytellers
A stunning cave painting discovered in Indonesia may be the earliest evidence of storytelling. The artwork is at least 43,900 years old, and shows that humans were depicting scenes tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
The painting is a 4.5-metre-wide hunting scene, discovered by Maxime Aubert of Griffith University, Australia and his colleagues. It depicts at least eight small human-like figures hunting two pigs and four dwarf buffaloes with spears or ropes. “It’s a(n)
“It’s really an exciting discovery,” says Genevieve von Petzinger at the University of Victoria, Canada, “It shows a (n)
The cave painting gives us a glimpse into the minds of the people who created the Indonesian art, but we don’t yet know whether they were modern humans or one of our
One possible group is the Denisovans, who may also have lived in Asia at this time. Earlier this year, while studying a site in China thought to have been home to Denisovans, a team of researchers revealed artistic engravings on a piece of bone.
“We can’t completely
The discovery comes as archaeologists
9 . St Kilda is a tiny archipelage (群岛) of the North Atlantic Ocean. The islands are among the most spectacular, but the greatest fascination is that, for over a thousand years, people lived there and possessed a sense of community. Cut off from the mainland, the islanders had a distinct way of living their lives, mainly eating the seabirds that returned to breed on the rocks.
Isolation also had a big effect upon St Kildans’ attitudes and ideas. The people sacrificed themselves year in and year out, in a constant battle to secure a livelihood. In such harsh conditions, life was only possible because the whole community worked together.
In the 19th century St Kilda was subject to pressures from the outside world. Education, religion and tourism all attempted to throw the St Kildans’ way of life into doubt. In the early 20th century, the strength of the community became weakened as contact with the rest of Britain increased. When disease cut their numbers, and wind and sea made it difficult to get adequate food, the St Kildans were forced to turn to the mainland for assistance.
In 1930, the St Kildans finally agreed to abandon their homes. They settled on the Scottish mainland, not realizing it meant throwing themselves into the 20 century. As adults, they had to accept those values most Scots believe in. For instance, the islanders found difficult to base their existence upon money. They had never lived in a world where they bought goods and services from each other.
The islanders showed themselves indifferent to the jobs they were given on the mainland. The labours asked of them were unskilled compared with the spectacular skills they had once performed in order to kill seabirds. Moreover, killing birds had once provided the community with food to survive. On the mainland, however, the tasks they were asked to perform did not provide them immediately with what was needed to keep them fed and warm.
The history of the St Kildans after the evacuation (撤离), of their inability and lack of resolution to fit into urban society, makes sad reading. When they were resettled on the mainland, the St Kildans were forced to live in a society whose values were unacceptable and incomprehensible to the majority of them. For many, the move was a tragedy.
1. According to Paragraph 3, the following factors lead to St Kildans seeking help from outside EXCEPT ________.| A．unbearable wind | B．insufficient food supply |
| C．contact with Britain | D．worsening health |
| A．soon learned how to buy goods and services from others |
| B．had trouble adapting to the value of dominant society |
| C．exhibited willingness to carry out their given jobs |
| D．had the opportunity to show their skills of killing seabirds |
| A．The major source of food was found locally. |
| B．It was essential for people to help each other. |
| C．Very few people had visited mainland Scotland. |
| D．Money played an insignificant role in life. |
| A．The role of money in modern communities. |
| B．How a community adapted to a different form of life. |
| C．The destruction of an old-fashioned community. |
| D．How a small community fight against opposite conditions. |
In the 19th century, thousands of poor people struggled to survive in the slums of London, where diseases spread
A young doctor, John Snow, anxious to help, obtained a map of the slums, on
Snow concluded that at the center there
