1 . Scientists say they have found stone tools that might represent the oldest-known evidence (证据) of humans in Europe. The recent research suggests that the human ancestors (祖先) started settling in Europe 1.4 million years ago. That is hundreds of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
The stone tools were first discovered in the 1970s near the town of Korolevo, close to Ukraine. But the tools’ age remained unclear.
The place of the find is important for understanding how humans first spread into Europe. They moved into the area during warm periods, called interglacial periods. Those were times, in between Ice Ages, when huge amounts of ice covered Europe.
The scientists judged the age by identifying (识别) the effects of rays from space on some kinds of minerals (矿物). In this way, they found the age of the remains containing the stone tools was at around 1.4 million years.
The researchers believe that the maker of the tools was likely a human ancestor called Homo erectus. That early human species appeared around 2 million years ago and spread across Africa, Asia and Europe before disappearing perhaps 110,000 years ago.
“No bones were found at Korolevo, only stone tools. But their age manifests the idea that Homo erectus was the only possible human species at the time. We know very little about our earliest ancestors. They used stone tools for killing and probably used fire,” said Roman Garba, who was the lead writer of the research published in Nature.
Homo erectus was the first member of human developing history. They had the same body building as us, only a smaller brain.
The tools, made of volcanic rock, were made in a way that is called Oldowan. While simple, they represent the beginning of human technology.
It was believed that the oldest-known evidence of humans in Europe was from about 1.2million years ago from a place called Atapuerca in Spain.
1. What have these researchers found in this discovery?| A．The earliest stone tools used by humans. | B．Remains of the daily life of ancient people. |
| C．The earliest evidence of humans in Europe. | D．The earliest human ancestor ever discovered. |
| A．Living conditions in ancient times. | B．The research method used by scientists. |
| C．Places where the stone tools stayed. | D．The minerals in the stone tools. |
| A．Proves. | B．Hides. | C．Changes. | D．Challenges. |
| A．They are signs that humans walked upright. |
| B．They were advanced tools in ancient times. |
| C．They are key points in human development. |
| D．They show that humans started hunting earlier than thought. |
2 . For late 19th-century North Americans and Europeans, a display of tableware (餐具)could reveal much about someone’s social position, as the wealthy took great care to get different kinds of forks for everything. Before the 18th century, people of all classes usually ate with a knife and a spoon.
The fork’s path to the table was hard-won and slow. In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, forks were used for slicing food into pieces or lifting meat from a pot or fire.
Following a reduction in size, the fork appeared to have entered dining areas in the courts of the Middle East and Byzantine Empire by the eighth and ninth centuries, and became common among wealthy families there by the tenth century. Early in the 11th century, it appeared in various pieces of European art. In the late 11th century, St.Peter Damian from Ostia wrote about a Byzantine princess who used forks and regarded her dying of a disease as punishment for such “luxury”.
The fork’s slow conquest of Europe was carried out from Italy. Motivated by the same concerns for hygiene(卫生)，forks were bought by wealthy Britons，inspired by Queen Victoria, who regarded fork use as a sign of good manners.
The fork’s introduction to North America dates back to 1633, when John Winthrop, a founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was gifted a set of forks. The Industrial Revolution strengthened the fork’s presence on dining room tables as production of flatware became less expensive. Writing in 1896 inSocial Eriquere，Maud C. Cooke declared the fork had finally conquered the knife in America and “any attempt to give the knife importance at table is looked upon as an offense(冒犯)against good taste.”
1. What can we learn about forks from paragraph1?| A．They were used improperly in the 18th century. |
| B．They had many different types in the 19th century. |
| C．They were popular in Europe before the 18th century. |
| D．They led to North American’s rise in social position. |
| A．To eat food. | B．To decorate tables. |
| C．To cut food. | D．To create works of art. |
| A．St.Peter Damian. | B．Thomas Coryate. |
| C．Queen Victoria | D．Maud C.Cooke. |
| A．The appearance of flatware |
| B．The start of the Industrial Revolution. |
| C．John Winthrop receiving forks as presents. |
| D．Maud C.Cooke writing Social Etiquette. |
3 . Here are some properties that the British royal family owns.
Buckingham Palace | The most famous palace for the British monarchy(君主), Buckingham Palace, is easily recognized. It was originally built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and acquired by King George Ⅲ in 1761 and has remained in the royal family ever since. This is where the family tends to greet visitors and crowds, and serves as the administrative offices of the monarch of the United Kingdom. It is valued at $4.9 billion. |
The Diamond Diadem(王冠) | This Diamond Diadem was made in 1820 for George Ⅳ, which was regularly worn by Queen Victoria after it was reset with jewels from the royal collection. Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ wore it in 1953. The jewelry experts estimated it to be worth around $ 6.9 million. |
Painting by Claude Monet | The royal family is known for its extensive art collection as well. This is “Study of Rocks; Creuse: ‘Le Bloc’” by Claude Monet (1840-1926). In 1949, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother purchased it for $2,300, and by the time of her death in 2002, it was worth about $17,000. The Monet painting hung in her main residence at Clarence House for several years, but is now on display at Buckingham Palace. |
Tower of London | It’s built in 1066. It’s not a working palace any more, but it used to be. The Tower of London, officially called His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, now functions as a museum and is a protected World Heritage Site due to its extensive history. It’s also the single most valuable piece of property in the United Kingdom, estimated to be worth about $81 billion. |
| A．It was built in memory of King George Ⅲ. |
| B．All the British royal family lives there. |
| C．It’s a working place of the British monarchy. |
| D．The Diamond Diadem is on display there. |
| A．It has the shortest history. |
| B．Its value cannot be estimated by money. |
| C．It was passed down by previous monarchs. |
| D．It was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s favorite. |
| A．Buckingham Palace. | B．The Diamond Diadem. |
| C．Painting by Claude Monet. | D．Tower of London. |
4 . Icehouse and ice ticket
As early as Pre-Qin Dynasty, people used natural ice to keep food fresh and make cold drinks. The Zhou royal court had a specialized department called “ice administration”. They collected natural ice blocks each December to store in the icehouse. During the Qing Dynasty, “ice tickets” were used and they were available only to officials and the rich.
Ice container
The most commonly used cooling tool is called “Jian”, which is a big container filled with ice. It was made of clay in early Chinese history, and was later made of copper (铜). The “Jian” can be seen as an ancient refrigerator, which can be used to make cold drinks.
Hiding food in the well
During the Qin and Han dynasties, for common people, the most common way to cool off is by using their wells. Some families put a pot in the well as a cold closet, or put food in a basket and lowered the basket into the well with a rope.
Herbal drinks
During the Qing Dynasty, taking Chinese herbal medicine was popular in Beijing. In hot summer, some people preferred to drink ice water, some boiled perilla leaves, and liquorice as summer soup to keep off the heat. Ancient people also loved to make lotus seed soup in summer for the benefit of strengthening the body.
1. What does “Jian” have the same function as?| A．Container. | B．Refrigerator. | C．Clay. | D．Copper. |
| A．Ice tickets. | B．Ice container. | C．Hiding food in the well. | D．Herbal drinks. |
| A．To strengthen the body. | B．To keep food fresh. |
| C．To escape the summer heat. | D．To make cold drinks. |
5 . Pillows(枕头) are a universal part of our lives and there are more choices than there have ever been, each with its own claim of support and comfort. While the idea of pillows being a soft place to rest your head is not a new concept, it certainly wasn’t its original purpose.
The earliest pillows date back over 9,000 years to Mesopotamian, or modern-day Iraq. Formed from stone, the top was carved in a half-moon shape to support the neck. The idea obviously wasn’t comfort. The basic function of the pillow was to keep the head off the ground and prevent insects from crawling (爬) into mouths, noses and ears.
The Egyptians believed that the head was an important spiritual and life center for the body, so pillows were created to hold and protect it. Pillows were carved of wood and reserved mainly for wealthy people.
The Chinese on the other hand, created decorated pillows from many materials including wood, stone, bamboo and jade (玉). Though they had the knowledge and ability to create soft pillows, they believe that such pillows stole energy from the body while one slept and were ineffective at keeping the bad spirits away.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used pillows more similar to those we know today—cloth bags filled with materials such as feathers or straw. By the Middle Ages in Europe, however, pillows had fallen out of favor with many. Many men viewed pillows as a sign of weakness, and their use was primarily limited to people with health problems.
Pillows did not become nearly as universal as they are today until the Industrial Revolution. The improvements in technology made mass production of pillows possible, meaning everyone could sleep with a pillow at night.
For such a simple idea, it’s amazing to see that pillow is still changing—new materials and shapes arise constantly. The pillow has been an important piece of human culture throughout much of our history and continues to be today.
1. Why were the earliest pillows invented?| A．To make people comfortable. | B．To protect the head from insects. |
| C．To provide energy for the body. | D．To drive away bad spirits at night. |
| A．The rich. | B．The mass. | C．Patients. | D．Spirits. |
| A．many people nowadays view pillow as a sign of weakness |
| B．more and more Europeans began to favor pillows in the Middle Ages |
| C．the ancient Chinese believed decorated pillows could keep bad spirits away |
| D．ancient Greaks and Romans used pillows in a quite different way from today |
| A．Pillows throughout the ages | B．Technology changes pillows |
| C．Mass production of pillows | D．Ways of promoting sleep |
6 . Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum
Location and History
Arbeia Roman Fort is situated on Hadrian's Wall. It was the most important structure built by the Romans in Britain, and now it has been a World Heritage Site. Built around AD 160, Arbeia Roman Fort was the military supply base for the soldiers who were stationed along Hadrian's Wall. The fort has been gradually uncovered and some original parts have been revealed. There are reconstructions that show how Arbeia Roman Fort would have looked.
The Reconstructions
The reconstructions of the Commanding Officer's house and soldiers' quarters are strikingly different. The accommodation for soldiers is dark and uncomfortable, while the Commanding Officer's house is spacious and luxurious, with courtyards with fountains for him and his family to enjoy.
The Museum
Visit the museum and see many objects that were found at Arbeia. They are historically important and show what daily life was really like at that time. You will see weapons, tools, jewellery, and so on. You can also discover how the Romans buried their dead and see tombstones which survive to this day. There is a "hands-on" area allowing visitors to dig on a certain site and study their findings with the help of museum staff. You can piece together pottery (陶器), or try writing just as the Romans would have done. For children, they can build this Roman fort with building blocks by themselves.
| Opening Times and Getting There April 1—October 31: Monday to Saturday 10:00am—5:00pm, Sunday 2:00pm—5:00pm. November 1—March 31: Monday to Saturday 11:00am—4:00pm, closed Sunday. (Closed December 25—26 and January 1) Entry is free. Arbeia is only a ten—minute walk from the bus station at South Shields. Free car park nearby. Website: www.twmuseums.org.uk/arbeia |
| A．was related to the military | B．got reconstructions around AD 160 |
| C．was built in a small area in Rome | D．provided a comfortable life for soldiers |
| A．See historical objects. | B．Build tombstones for the dead. |
| C．Write to Romans, | D．Try using old tools and weapons. |
| A．On April 1. | B．On October 31. |
| C．On November 1. | D．On December 26. |
7 . Wearing sports clothes, many Chinese people will go outdoors happily with their families or friends on March 12. They are just planting trees on this special day―China's Arbor Day （中国植 树节）.
When it comes to China's Arbor Day, we can't help thinking of Mr. Ling Daoyang. He was born in 1888. When he worked as an English teacher in Beijing, he got a chance to study forestry （林业）at Yale University. After graduating in 1914, he returned to China and became a famous expert in forestry science. In 1915, he advised that the Qingming Festival should also be China's Arbor Day. His suggestion was welcomed by most people. In 1929, National Arbor Day was moved to March 12, the day Mi. Sun Yat-sen passed away, who did much to support forestry.
In 1979, March 12 was officially announced as China's Arbor Day. Since then, thousands of trees have been planted all over China, making our country much more beautiful.
China's Arbor Day is educational for all of us. It reminds us that we should protect our earth and thank our old generations, who planted green, hope and joy for us.
1. According to the text, people often go outdoors on March 12 to_______________.| A．do sports | B．study English | C．find jobs | D．plant trees |
| A．A farmer. | B．A student. | C．A teacher. | D．A worker. |
| A．To show interest in the season. | B．To show respect to Sun Yat-sen. |
| C．To make use of people's free time. | D．To make progress in agriculture. |
| A．In 1888. | B．In 1914. | C．In 1915. | D．In 1979. |
| A．The studies of China's Arbor Day. | B．The activities of China's Arbor Day. |
| C．The demands of China's Arbor Day. | D．The meanings of China's Arbor Day. |
8 . The idea that history is an outdated course of study that will lead to limited career options has spread.
Understanding where people come from is key in understanding who we are.
Learning from the past prevents future mistakes.
| A．You will understand the world much better. |
| B．History degrees can lead to well-paying careers. |
| C．Many people don’t know well about themselves. |
| D．Learning history can change how you think. |
| E．But the truth is that studying history is still important. |
| F．The idea that history repeats itself is rooted in truth. |
| G．History has shaped cultures, attitudes, and social structures. |
9 . We now think that chocolate is sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it’s an ingredient（构成部分）in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called Mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices like chili peppers.
Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say “Ugh!” and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste.
The word “chocolate” comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.
When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao, too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.
In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.
Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are the chocolate cream pie and, of course, an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.
1. It was _______ that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao.| A．the Spaniards | B．the people in England |
| C．the owner of a chocolate factory | D．the workers in the chocolate factory |
| A．The word “chocolate” comes from a Mexican word. |
| B．The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys like them. |
| C．Workers must dry and roast the beans to remove the bitter taste. |
| D．Nobody had the idea of adding sugar until the sixteenth century. |
| A．it cured man’s diseases | B．it was good for digestion |
| C．it was strong and bitter | D．it was a kind of drink for good health |
a. The Spaniards started drinking cacao.
b. A factory mixed milk and chocolate together.
c. It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.
d. Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England.
e. A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.
| A．a-c-d-e-b | B．a-c-b-e-d |
| C．a-c-e-b-d | D．d-e-a-c-b |
10 . An election year is one in which all four numbers can be divided by four (1944, 1948, etc.). Since 1840, American presidents elected in years ending in zero have been noticed to die in office. William H. Harrison, the man who served the shortest term, died of a kind of deadly illness several weeks after he took office.
Abraham Lincoln was one of the four presidents who were murdered. He was elected in 1860, and his death came just five years later.
James A Garfield, a former Union Army general from Ohio, was shot during his first year in office (1881) by a man to whom he wouldn't give a job.
While in his second term of office (1901), William McKinley, another Ohioan, attended the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, New York. During the reception, he was killed while shaking hands with some of the guests.
Three years after election in 1920, Warren G. Harding died in office. Although it was never proved, many believed he was poisoned.
Franklin D. Roosevelt had been elected four times (1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944), the only man to serve so long a term. He had suffered from poliomyelitis(小儿麻痹)in 1921 and died of the illness in 1945.
John F. Kennedy, the last of the line, was shot in 1963, only three years after his election.
1. Which of the following was an election year?| A．1962 | B．1928 | C．1890 | D．1846 |
| A．Abraham Lincoln | B．Warren G. Harding |
| C．William McKinley | D．William H. Harrison |
| A．All presidents elected in years ending in zero have died in office. |
| B．Only presidents from Ohio have died in office. |
| C．Franklin D. Roosevelt completed four times as president. |
| D． President Abraham Lincoln died in the year of 1865 |
| A．7 | B．6 | C．5 | D．4 |
