1 . 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 |
| A．A positive effect. | B．A valuable suggestion. |
| C．A quick decision. | D．A comprehensive view. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
2 . When the discovery of fossilized (化石的) footprints made in what’s now New Mexico was made public in 2021, it was an astonishing moment for archaeology (考古学), seemingly rewriting a chapter of the human story. Now new research is offering further evidence of their significance.
While they look like they could have been made yesterday, the footprints were pressed into mud 21,000 to 23,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating of the seeds of a water plant that were preserved above and below the fossils. This date dramatically pushed back the timeline of humans’ history in the Americas, the last land to be settled by prehistoric people. The 61 dated prints, which were discovered in the Tularosa Basin, near the edge of an ancient lake in White Sands National Park, were made at a time when many scientists think that massive ice sheets had stopped human passage into North America, indicating that humans arrived in the region even earlier.
However, some archaeologists questioned the age of the footprints established by those initial findings. They noted that water plants such as Ruppia cirrhosa — the one used in the 2021 study — can acquire carbon atoms from the water rather than the air, which can result in a misleadingly early date.
In a follow-up study published Thursday in the journal Science, researchers said they have produced two new lines of evidence to support their initial dates. “Even as the original work was being published, we were speeding up to test our results with multiple lines of evidence,” said Kathleen Springer, co-lead author on the new Science paper, in a news release. “We were confident in our original ages, as well as the strong evidence.”
When and how early humans first moved to the Americas has long been debated and remains poorly understood. Current estimates range from 13,000 years ago to more than 20,000 years ago. However, the earliest archaeological evidence for the region’s settlement is insufficient and often controversial, making the footprints especially important.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The purpose of the new research | B．The method of the dating |
| C．The significance of the footprints. | D．The efforts of the scientists |
| A．It goes against the prior knowledge. |
| B．The prints seem to be made recently. |
| C．The previous research method is improper. |
| D．The then massive ice sheets are misleading. |
| A．The doubt about the age of the footprints. |
| B．The new evidence of the fossilized footprints. |
| C．An agreement between the two sides of the debate. |
| D．Early humans hardship of moving to the Americas. |
| A．To explain the process of archaeological study. |
| B．To report the discovery of fossilized footprints. |
| C．To introduce a debate on the age of the footprints. |
| D．To present the progress of the footprint research. |
3 . New research confirms that human footprints found in New Mexico are probably the oldest direct evidence of human presence in the Americas, a finding that upends what many scientists knew about human habitation and migration (迁徙).
The footprints were discovered at the edge of an ancient lakebed in White Sands national park. According to the new paper published in the journal Science, they date back to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago. Actually, the estimated age of the footprints was first reported in Science in 2021, but some researchers raised concerns about the dates. Questions focused on whether seeds of water plants used for the original dating may have absorbed ancient carbon from the lake — which could, in theory, throw off radiocarbon dating by thousands of years. But the new study presents two additional lines of evidence for the older date range. It uses two entirely different materials found at the site, ancient pollen (花粉) and stone grains.
The reported age of the footprints challenges the once conventional wisdom that humans did not reach the Americas until a few thousand years before rising sea levels covered the Bering land bridge between Russia and Alaska, perhaps about 15, 000 years ago. “This is a subject that's always been controversial because it's so significant. It's about how we understand the last chapter of the peopling of the world,” said Thomas Urban, an archaeologist (考古学家) at Comell University, who was involved in the 2021 study but not the new one.
Thomas Stafford, an independent archaeological geologist in New Mexico, who was not involved in the study, said he “was a bit suspicious before” but now is convinced. The new study isolated about 75, 000 grams of pure pollen from the same stone layer that contained the footprints. ‘Dating pollen is laborious but worthwhile,” said Kathleen Springer, a research geologist at the US Geological Survey and a co-author of the new paper.
Ancient footprints of any kind can provide archaeologists with a quick look of a moment in time. While some archeological sites in the Americas point to similar date ranges — including necklaces carved from giant animal remains in Brazil — scientists still question whether such objects really indicate human presence. “White Sands is unique because there's no question these footprints were left by people,” said Jennifer Raff, a scientist at the University of Kansas, who was not involved in the study.
1. The underlined word “upends” (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to “_______”.
| A．comprises | B．connects | C．challenges | D．compares |
| A．It shows the footprints were made by the Russians. |
| B．It offers more convincing lines of evidence for dating. |
| C．It confirms that the ancient humans enjoyed living by the lake. |
| D．It reveals the footprints are much younger than previously thought. |
| A．necklaces are valuable objects for archaeologists to date animals |
| B．human footprints are often sure signs of human presence |
| C．ancient objects in Brazil are excluded from the study |
| D．White Sands is one important archaeological site |
| A．Scientists Discovers New Species of Humans in Americas |
| B．Humans Reached Americas 15, 000 Years Earlier Than Believed |
| C．American Archaeologists Unearthed Valuable Manmade Objects |
| D．New Research Confirms Early Human Presence in Americas |
The Confucian Analects or The Analects (论语) is a collection of the sayings and teachings of Confucius and his disciples (门徒). It
The present-day analects is based on the Lu version compiled during the Han Dynasty and contains
Apart from ren, Confucius put forward another concept, which is yi or righteousness. Yi is the codes of conduct under the
5 . A previously hidden corridor buried deep in the 4500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt has been mapped in detail for the first time-and researchers have also taken a glimpse inside using tiny camera called endoscopic camera (内窥镜照相机).
The corridor was first discovered in 2016,but researchers didn’t want to damage the monument to gain access. The pyramid is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing, and was, for millennia, the world’s tallest human-made structure at 146 metres. It was built around 2560 BC during the reign of the pharaoh (法老) Khufu.
Using a technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography (宇宙射线μ子成像), an international team of researchers was able to certify that the corridor was 9metres long, with across section of about 2 metres by 2 metres.
Cosmic-ray muon radiography tracks the level of muons (μ介子) passing through the pyramid. In the technique, researchers use muon detectors which are placed at various points around the monument. Muons are partially absorbed by the stone used to build the pyramids, which means the method allows researchers to identify cavities (洞) inside the structure.
This approach has been used to map the internal structures of pyramids since 1971,when it was first used at Giza. Using their precise map of the corridor, the researchers identified an opportunity.
“We knew the cavity was there, but of course it’s totally different when you see it,“ says Procureur. “We felt strange when we saw this.” Still, Procureur was glad of one thing. “It’s a controversial opinion, but I’m relieved the cavity was empty. I wouldn’t have liked to participate in opening a tomb.”
1. Why didn’t the researchers want to damage the monument to gain access to the corridor?| A．Because it is the world’s tallest structure. |
| B．Because it is the largest pyramid in the world. |
| C．Because it was built around 2560 AD during the reign of the pharaoh Khufu. |
| D．Because it is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing. |
| A．Confirm. | B．Imagine. | C．Approach. | D．Reach. |
| A．It was first used at Giza in 1917. |
| B．It tracks the size of muons passing through the pyramid. |
| C．It has been used to map the external structures of pyramids. |
| D．It allows researchers to identify cavities inside the structure. |
| A．There was nothing in the cavity. |
| B．The corridor was the same as previously thought. |
| C．Procureur was interested in participating in opening a tomb. |
| D．The cavity used to be the tomb of the pharaoh Khufu. |
6 . A rich burial was unearthed by archaeologists at La Almoloya, southeastern Spain that is the cradle of the El Argar civilization, which lived in the region during the Bronze Age.
La Almoloya was a primary center of politics and wealth in the El Argar territory, and although the discovery was made in 2014, experts are now taking a closer look at the sociological and political context of the unearthed treasure.
The remains of a woman, along with a man who may have been her husband, were discovered in the forested hills of the area. Radiocarbon dating suggests the burial happened around 1700 BC. The pair were found with 30 objects containing precious metals and semi-precious stones, including the silver diadem (王冠), which encircled the skull (颅骨) of the woman.
Experts believe that the man in the grave was probably a warrior; wear and tear on his bones indicate he spent a lot of time on horseback, and his skull had deep scars from a facial injury, while gold plugs through his earlobes indicated he was someone of distinction.
The woman, named the “Princess of La Almoloya”, was buried a short time after the man, with vast quantities of jewellery: bracelets, earlobe plugs and rings, to name a few. The grave goods of the woman were worth tens of thousands of dollars in today’s money.
“We have two ways of interpreting this,” says archaeologist Roberto Risch of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Either you say, it’s just the wife of the king; or you say, no, she’s a political personality by herself.”
Risch is a co-author of a study that was recently published about the important findings, that noted the building under which the grave was found was of equal importance—a building specifically dedicated to governing purposes in Western Europe. A wide hall was excavated (挖掘), with high ceilings, a raised platform, and a capacity for more than 50 people to sit on benches that lined the walls. “It’s a building where people could be sitting listening to each other, or to someone explaining something,” says Risch, “There is no evidence of food and no clear-cut religious artefacts, so it doesn’t look like a home or a temple.”
The discovery at La Almoloya shed new light on the politics and gender relations in one of the first urban societies of the West. Previous findings have revealed that women were considered adults at a much younger age than boys were. Excavated grave goods have highlighted that girls as young as six were buried with knives and tools, but boys would be in their teens by the time they would be buried alongside such objects.
Additionally, the graves of some women from EI Argar were reopened generations later to bury other men and women, an unusual practice that experts believe would have been a very high honor. “What exactly their political power was, we don’t know,” Risch adds. “But this burial at La Almoloya questions the role of women in [Bronze Age] politics... it questions a lot of conventional wisdom.”
1. The woman discovered at La Almoloya ________.| A．proved to be a princess during the Bronze Age |
| B．was buried long after her husband’s death |
| C．lived in an ancient society called El Argar |
| D．was holding a silver diadem when unearthed |
| A．he had gold plugs through his earlobes | B．he was buried next to the woman |
| C．he was buried with knives and tools | D．he had injuries and scars on his bones |
| A．have been used for political meetings | B．have served some religious purposes |
| C．be the first temple built in Western Europe | D．be specially dedicated to food trading |
| A．Women were buried with more riches than men in the Bronze Age. |
| B．The role of women in Bronze Age politics had been overestimated. |
| C．Women may have been powerful rulers in the El Argar civilization. |
| D．Women were considered adults at a much younger age than boys. |
When it comes to ancient civilizations, most people think of the Greeks and Romans. It’s understandable as both
The Jiahu settlement is located in the central plain of ancient China,
The settlement’s end came around 5700 BCE when the nearby rivers overflowed and flooded the area. It is assumed that the Jiahu people left their home
The classical gardens of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, date back to the 6th century
Built in the 11th century on the site of an
The classical gardens of Suzhou
9 . In 1888 an Egyptian farmer digging in the sand near the village of Istabl Antar uncovered a mass grave. The bodies weren't human. They were feline-ancient cats that had been mummified（木乃伊化的）and buried in holes in astonishing numbers. "Not one or two here and there", reported English Illustrated Magazine, "but dozens, hundreds, hundreds of thousands, a layer of them, a layer thicker than most coal joints, ten to twenty cats deep." Some of the linen-wrapped cats still looked presentable, and a few even had golden faces. Village children peddled the best ones to tourists for change; the rest were disposed of as fertilizer. One ship transported about 180,000, weighing some 38, 000 pounds, to Liverpool to be spread on the fields of England.
Those were the days of generously funded explorations-that dragged through acres of desert in their quest for royal tombs, and for splendid gold and painted masks to decorate the estates and museums of Europe and America. The many thousands of mummified animals that turned up at religious sites throughout Egypt were just things to be cleared away to get at the good stuff. Few people studied them, and their importance was generally unrecognized.
In the century since then, archaeology has become less of a treasure hunt and more of a science. Archaeologists now realize that much of their sites' wealth lies in the majority of details about ordinary folks-what they did, what they thought, how they prayed. And animal mummies are a big part of that.
"They're really displays of daily life," says Egyptologist Salima Ikram. After peering beneath bandages with x-rays and cataloguing her findings, she created a gallery for the collection-a bridge between people today and those of long ago. "You look at these mummified animals, and suddenly you say, "Oh, King So-and-So had a pet". I have a pet. And instead of being at a distance of 5,000-plus years, the ancient Egyptians become clearer and closer to us."
1. Which of the following words has the closest meaning to "peddled"（paragraph 1）？| A．Presented | B．sold |
| C．illustrated | D．introduced |
| A．People put great value on the majority of details about ancient people. |
| B．Animal mummies could be made into fertilizer which is very valuable. |
| C．It was hard to find animal mummies since they were buried under dirt. |
| D．People sought the remains of ancient Egypt merely for their material value. |
| A．She wishes to establish the continuity of pets over history. |
| B．She believes that studying the remains can help modern society relate to the past. |
| C．She wants to identify the King's personal belongings and catalogue them. |
| D．She doubts if current society will understand the significance of Egyptian remains |
| A．value the past by studying the remains left behind by our ancestors |
| B．make full use of the remains our ancestors have left behind |
| C．understand that animal mummies are more important than gold and masks |
| D．become more sensitive to the ancient lifestyle of our ancestors |
10 . The human societies that have the fewest social divisions are known as hunting and gathering societies. As the name implies, these groups depend on hunting and gathering for their survival. In some, the men hunt animals and the women gather plants. In others, both men and women (and children) gather plants, the men hunt large animals, and both men and women hunt small animals. Beyond this basic division of labor by sex, there are few social divisions. The groups usually have a shaman, an individual thought to be able to influence spiritual forces, but shamans, too, must help obtain food.
In addition to sex, the major unit of organization within the group is the family. Most members of the group are related by shared ancestors or marriage. Because the family is the only social structure in these societies, it performs many functions that in modern societies are divided among different institutions. Thus, the family distributes food to its members, educates its children (especially in food skills), gives medicine to the sick, and so on.
Hunters and gatherers are the most equal of all societies. Because the food that they hunt and gather cannot be preserved or stored, the people cannot accumulate possessions. Thus, no one becomes wealthier than anyone else. There are no rulers, and most decisions are arrived at through discussion. Because their needs are basic and they do not accumulate possessions, hunters and gatherers have the most leisure time of all human groups.
All human groups were once hunters and gatherers, and until several hundred years ago, such societies were common. Their way of life ended when other groups took over the areas on which they depended for their food. Today only a few remain, such as the Pygmies of central Africa, the San of the Namibian desert, and the Aborigines of Australia.
1. According to paragraph 1, in hunting and gathering societies, social divisions are mainly based on ________.| A．different responsibilities for finding food |
| B．how many possessions a person has |
| C．the size of a person’s family |
| D．the ability to influence spiritual forces |
| A．education |
| B．government |
| C．family |
| D．religion |
| A．store food for future use |
| B．make decisions as a group |
| C．meet their basic needs |
| D．enjoy very much leisure time |
| A．knowledge |
| B．property |
| C．sickness |
| D．relationships |
| A．were limited in the past to Africa and Australia |
| B．no longer exist |
| C．are the oldest form of human society |
| D．easily coexist with farming societies |
