1 . 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?

2. What commonly happens to us when we grow older according to the author?

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.

3. Who might have solved the question “why aren’t we being thrown off of the surface of the planet?”

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.

4. How does the author develop his writing on the whole?

A．By comparison and contrast.

B．By using supporting examples.

C．By using time and space order.

D．By generalization and definition

2 . 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.

2. What’s paragraph 4 mainly about?

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.

3. What’s the meaning of studying the remains?

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.

4. What do we know about the Battle of Salamis?

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.