People worldwide have enjoyed noodles for thousands of years. But did you ever stop
Some people claim that Marco Polo brought pasta (意粉) to Italy. The tale of his discovery was likely enhanced to promote pasta consumption in America. Marco Polo’s writings suggest that noodles were already present in Italy during his time, as he compared Chinese noodles to
So who REALLYinvented noodles? We may never know-the history of noodles is as complicated as a bowl of pasta. But
The ancient Chinese built two great engineering wonders: the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. Though the Great Wall’s effect in military
The Grand Canal,
In ancient times, the Grand Canal served
Years ago, it
The Terracotta Army (兵马俑) was found in 1974 near Xi’an. It is formed of more than 8,000 sculptures, which
4 . 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. |
On Feb 8, 2001, workers at a construction site in Jinsha village, Chengdu, found many pieces of ivory and jade and the hidden ruins of the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom were brought
In 2005, the pattern was
To write his own medical text, Li Shizhen referenced over 800 medical texts, countless books on history and geography, and works of literature. He even studied the complete works of many ancient poets, from
After over a decade of field research, Li
Since its first publication in 1596, the book
Today, there are a
7 . Before the 1830s, most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America, usually $8 to $10 a year. Today $8 or $10 seems a small amount of money, but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most citizens. Accordingly, newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades. In addition, most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience. They were dull and visually forbidding. But the revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that.
The trend, then, was toward the “penny paper”—a term referring to papers made widely available to the public. It meant any inexpensive newspaper; perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single copies on the street.
This development did not take place overnight. It had been possible(but not easy) to buy single copies of newspapers before 1830, but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer’s office to purchase a copy. Street sales were almost unknown. However, within a few years, street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities. At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny—usually two or three cents was charged—and some of the older well-known papers charged five or six cents. But the phrase “penny paper” caught the public’s fancy, and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny.
This new trend of newspapers for “the man on the street” did not begin well. Some of the early ventures(企业) were immediate failures. Publishers already in business, people who were owners of successful papers, had little desire to change the tradition. It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling.
1. Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s?A.Academic. |
B.Unattractive. |
C.Inexpensive. |
D.Confidential. |
A.They would be priced higher. |
B.They would disappear from cities. |
C.They could have more readers. |
D.They could regain public trust. |
A.It was a difficult process. |
B.It was a temporary success. |
C.It was a robbery of the poor. |
D.It was a disaster for printers. |
In early November in 2023, a diver, swimming off the coast of Sardinia,
The saying ‘All roads lead to Xianyang’ may not be widely known, but it is the
Like the Great Wall, these roads,
The mysterious ancient roads,
10 . Mesopotamia was home to some of the very first cities in existence, leading many to link it to the birth of civilization. The origin of these cities is still unknown today, although many theories exist. One suggestion is that the development and building of temples created a place where people would gather, and thus served as points of contact between different groups of people.
Others believe that people sought sanctuary from natural disasters. As the Mesopotamians were able to develop technology to help them control the nearby rivers, such as levees, they could ensure a good crop. They had no need to be nomadic, and were able to settle in one place comfortably. It is for this reason that all the early cities were built along the two major rivers.
From the moment the Sumerians began to form these cities, it forever altered human history. People went from being ruled by nature, to attempting to control it and make it work for them. By 4,500 BCE the first recorded city rose in the form of Uruk. However, the only urban structure at this point was the temple, which regulated all economic and social matters.
The central purpose of these early cities was to help regulate trade, as southern Mesopotamia was reliable on outside resources. This need encouraged the spread of urbanization. However, communication between the cities was difficult, so each city developed into an individual city-state. This led to territorial disputes and, inevitably, war.
In order to keep their cities protected, the Mesopotamians built fortifications, and walled cities rose. Migration to these cities increased, and more buildings were erected. Cities gradually expanded and rulers were proclaimed, who then began looking outwards for trade and conquest.
1. What does the underlined word “sanctuary” mean?A.Rescue. | B.Stability. | C.Shelter. | D.Accommodation. |
A.The function of early cities. | B.The structure of early cities. |
C.The regulation of early cities. | D.The appearance of early cities. |
A.War and conflicts. | B.Limited interaction. |
C.The spread of urbanization. | D.Competition for resources. |
A.The birth of city-states. | B.The first cities in the world. |
C.The urban expansion in the world. | D.The conquest of nature in Mesopotamia. |