1 . The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre has recently “rediscovered” an ancient shark skeleton that has been sitting in the museum’s collection for nearly 50 years. Could this shark be a part of a newly discovered ancient shark species?
This fossil’s original discovery was in 1975 on a farm just west of Morden, Manitoba. The skeleton was brought into the museum and was forgotten within the ever-growing fossil collection. The skeleton was hidden in the collections room for over 40 years and the center just recently found the fossil in its storage around eight years ago.
Adolfo Cuertara, the director of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, explained that “It’s a very special shark for many reasons. It’s highly possible that we are talking about a new species.” Although the shark has not been given a scientific name yet, the museum has unofficially named the skeleton, “Dave”, in honor of the farmer on whose land the skeleton was found.
After the fossil rediscovery, Dave was exhibited at the fossil center museum. Dave is around 15 feet long and is one of the largest well-preserved shark skeletons in the entire world. Within the paleontology (古生物学) world, complete shark fossils are extremely rare due to their soft cartilage (软骨结构) which disintegrates as they age. Dave’s shark species are filter feeders with no teeth, who receive their nutrition by absorbing it out of the water. Cuertara emphasizes Dave’s uniqueness by explaining, “The shape of the jaws and the skull and the kind of structures that it has, because the preservation is really amazing, is telling us that it is probably going to be a new species. The problem is now we need scientific papers and scientific research and this paper is underway.”
The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre is hopeful that more scientific research will provide more information on Dave’s ancient shark species. For now, Dave is currently on display at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre and the museum has the exhibit up to date with their current information.
1. Where probably could you find this article?A.Science textbook of college. |
B.Advertising brochure of museum. |
C.Discovery column of magazine. |
D.Bulletin board of animal world. |
A.Die away. | B.Break down. | C.Build up. | D.Lie down. |
A.The structure of skull and jaw. |
B.The preservation of jaw and the skull. |
C.The uniqueness of no teeth structure. |
D.The rare soft cartilage. |
A.Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre displays Dave ancient shark species. |
B.Dave’s shark species is a new species of ancient shark. |
C.Canadian Museum rediscovers a new ancient shark species. |
D.Dave’s shark skeleton is in honor of the farmer who rediscovered it. |
2 . When ancient Egyptians put pen to paper—or, more accurately, ink to papyrus (纸莎草纸) —they took steps to ensure that their words would last forever, a new study suggests. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have found that ancient scribes (抄写员) likely added lead to their inks to help their writing dry. More than 1,000 years later, reports Cosmos Magazine, 15th-century European artists employed lead as well. According to the London National Gallery, lead-based pigments found in many Old Master paintings are “known to aid the drying of paint films.”
According to a statement from the University of Copenhagen, the study’s authors analyzed 12 papyrus pieces dating back to between 100 and 200 C.E., when Egypt was under Roman control. The team used X-ray microscope to determine the raw materials used in different inks, as well as the chemical structure of the dried ink attached to the ancient paper. Ancient Egyptians began writing with ink—made by burning wood or oil and mixing the resulting material with water—around 3200 B.C. Typically, scribes used black, carbon-based ink for the body of text and reserved red ink for headings and other key words in the text. Though black and red inks were most common, shades of blue, green, white and yellow also appeared in ancient texts.
The researchers write that the Egyptians created red inks with iron-based combinations—most likely natural earth pigments. The team also identified the presence of lead. They were bowled over that there was no lead white or other combinations that would typically be present in a lead-based pigment. Instead, the ancient ink’s lead pigments appeared to wrap around the papyrus cell walls and iron particles (微粒). The resulting effect looked “as if the letters were outlined” in lead. This finding indicates that the ancient Egyptians invented a system of adding lead to red and black inks specifically for the purpose of sticking the words to paper.
The 12 analyzed papyrus pieces are part of the University of Copenhagen’s Papyrus Carlsberg Collection. The documents originated in Tebtunis, the only large-scale institutional library known to have survived from ancient Egyptian times.
1. What is the main function of lead in the masterpieces of the ancients?A.To make the colors brighter. | B.To stick the ink to the pen. |
C.To help the writing dry. | D.To increase their thickness. |
A.It was easy for X-ray microscope to detect the raw materials. |
B.Only wet inks can be used to determine their chemical components. |
C.Ancient Egyptians already knew black could catch eyes easily. |
D.The inks used by the ancient Egyptians came in a variety of colors. |
A.Amazed. | B.Concerned. | C.Angry. | D.Worried. |
A.By combining several kinds of colors. |
B.By adding lead to red and black inks. |
C.By breaking the structure of the colors. |
D.By analyzing the elements of the paper. |
3 . People believe that every word has its correct meaning(s). When we are not sure, we usually check online, or turn to our teachers or dictionaries. But do you know how dictionaries were made in the past?
Dictionary writers first read the important books of the period or the subject that the dictionary was about. As they read, they copied necessary information on cards: interesting words, common words — both in their daily uses and unusual uses, and also the sentences where they were used. That is to say, the words, along with the uses of each word, were collected. For a really big dictionary, millions of such cards were collected. This task could last for years. As the cards were collected, they were put in alphabetical (字母的) order (A-Z). When this was done, there would be several hundred cards for each single word.
Then, to define (定义) a word, the dictionary writer placed its hundreds of cards before him. He read the cards closely, threw away some, read the rest again, and divided up the cards according to what he thought were the common uses of the word. Finally, he wrote the definitions, following the hard-and-fast rule: each definition must come from an example on a certain card in front of him.
So, the writing of a dictionary was not a task of inventing meanings of words, but a task of recording their meanings. The writer of a dictionary was a historian, not a law maker.
As time develops, the way of producing dictionaries has greatly changed. Nowadays, we can use online dictionaries too. When choosing our words in speaking or writing, we can be guided by the dictionary. However, we cannot be controlled by it, because new situations, new experiences, new inventions, and new feelings are always pushing us to give new uses to old words.
1. Why did dictionary writers read important books?A.To know more about the period. | B.To collect words and their uses. |
C.To understand different subjects. | D.To learn to use interesting words. |
A.It was long-time hard work. | B.It had to use the law-making rules. |
C.It should be done by historians. | D.It was a task of inventing and recording. |
A.①—③—④—② | B.①—②—④—③ |
C.③—①—④—② | D.③—④—②—① |
A.Dictionaries: The Long-lost Art |
B.Guidebook of Using A Dictionary |
C.Famous Dictionary Writers in History |
D.Creating A Dictionary: A Brief History |
4 . When ice cream maker Adrienne Borlongan first experimented with a White Rabbit flavor, she thought it tasted like “cheap vanilla (香草)”. A few weeks after she added it to her Los Angeles shop, Wanderlust Creamery, visitors showed little interest. But when Borlongan posted a photo of an ice cream cone wrapped in White Rabbit-branded paper, word quickly spread on social media.
The candy, first produced in Shanghai in the 1940s, is known for its red-white-and-blue packaging and is beloved by kids all over China. And when Chinese people began to live in other countries, their love for the white, creamy candy went with them.
Soon after Borlongan posted that photo, people were driving to Wanderlust from all over California. Since then, White Rabbit has been the mainstay of Wanderlust’s ice cream lineup and is regularly sold out in their webshop.
But the story of the ice cream is about way more than taste — it’s about the power of nostalgia (怀旧) and eye-catching branding. White Rabbit’s origins date back to a business called the ABC Company, founded in Shanghai in 1943. It was later sold to the state-owned Guan Sheng Yuan Food Group, which owns it to this day.
The mix of colorful wrappers and the sweet milky taste proved a winner. Kids from Beijing to Hong Kong grew up on the sweets, and it also became a national symbol of the country — most famously, US President Richard Nixon was given some when he made his historic visit to China in 1972.
As for the flavor? The creamy consistency (黏稠度) actually comes from milk, and there’s a piece of rice paper between the candy and the wrapper to prevent melting. Over the years, White Rabbit has tried out other flavors, including red bean and peanut. But it’s the first version that has the most nostalgia connected to it.
1. What can we learn about the White Rabbit ice cream?A.It used to be popular in China. | B.It is available online. |
C.It is shaped like a white rabbit. | D.It was first produced in Shanghai. |
A.Fanciest design. | B.Newest brand. |
C.Cheapest goods. | D.Bestselling product. |
A.To look back on the historic visit. |
B.To show Chinese people’s hospitality. |
C.To prove White Rabbit’s popularity. |
D.To indicate Nixon’s interest in White Rabbit. |
A.The story behind the success of the White Rabbit ice cream. |
B.Childhood memories carried with White Rabbit. |
C.The international reputation of the ABC Company. |
D.The history of the White Rabbit candy. |
5 . Over the streets of Paris, France, rises the Eiffel Tower. An internationally recognized symbol of France and one of the most famous structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower was originally built as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
More than 100 artists competed with plans for the monument, but the contract was given to Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, a bridge builder, architect, and metals expert who had already designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty. The final design required more than 18,000 pieces of iron and 2. 5 million rivets(铆钉) to construct. It took hundreds of workers more than 2 years to finish, and when it was completed in March of 1889,it was almost 1,000 feet high—more than twice the height of the pyramids at Giza—making it the tallest structure in the world at that time.
The tower was originally meant to be a temporary structure, and only stand for 20 years. Many of the people of Paris disliked the tower. They thought it was ugly, or that it was dangerous and might fall down. By the time the tower was supposed to be removed, however, people had realized that it was a valuable way to transmit wireless telegraph and radio signals, and city officials decided to keep it. It continues to be used for communications today, with more than 100 antennas(天线) on it.
The tower is completely repainted every seven years to protect it from rusting(生锈), using 60 tons of paint each time. Originally, the tower was reddish brown and the color was changed sometimes when it was repainted. These days it is painted a bronze color called “Eiffel Tower Brown”.
Today, the Eiffel Tower is the most popular paid attraction in the world, with about 7 million visitors each year. It has been the inspiration for replicas(复制品) and imitations around the world. No longer considered an eyesore, the Eiffel Tower is an icon of France and is inside the World Heritage Site that includes certain parts of Paris.
1. What was the purpose of building the Eiffel Tower?A.To be an important symbol of the country. |
B.To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. |
C.To be the exit to the 1889 World’s Fair. |
D.To help France gain international recognition. |
A.The people of Paris liked the beautiful tower very much. |
B.It didn’t fall down after 20 years as it was originally designed. |
C.City officials made it more beautiful and safer. |
D.It was used for transmitting wireless telegraph and radio signals. |
A.It was constructed with an amount of iron and rivets. |
B.There are more than 100 antennas on it. |
C.It is the most popular paid attraction in the world. |
D.It is repainted every six years. |
A.An Icon of France | B.The Most Popular Attraction |
C.The World Heritage Site | D.A Tower for Communication |
6 . 2000 years ago, the most powerful army in the world belonged to the Romans. They conquered (占领) almost all of Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa. Life in the army was harsh. And many of the soldiers long for the comforts of home. They wanted to get married and set up families. The emperor whose name was ClaudiusⅡ, grew worried that his army was growing soft. And so he made a law that no soldier was allowed to get married.
By that time, many of the Romans were Christians (基督徒). And one of their leaders was a bishop, called Valentine. He believed that if a man and a woman fell in love with each other, they should get married. And so he decided to let soldiers get married in his church, even though it was against the law. The soldiers’ weddings were meant to be kept secret. But as you know, all secrets are hard to keep. And soon the word got out. Valentine was arrested and brought before the emperor who demanded that he stop helping soldiers to marry. When he refused, the emperor sentenced him to death.
While Valentine was in prison, the Jailer’s daughter used to bring him food. She was a young blind woman. She and Valentine used to spend long hours talking to each other. And soon they fell in love. One day, Valentine put his hand through the bars of the cell and touched the lids of her closed eyes. When she opened them again, she could see. It was a miracle. The love story didn’t continue. Unfortunately, Valentine’s execution was set for February 14th.
This took place in the year 270. And ever since, people have observed the day of February 14th called Valentine’s Day, in honor of this brave bishop.
1. Why couldn’t the soldiers get married?A.Life in the army was full of difficulties. |
B.The soldiers who got married will be punished. |
C.The soldiers are not interested in marriage. |
D.The emperor ClaudiusⅡ banned marriage. |
A.Soldiers shouldn’t get married in his church. |
B.Two people who love each other should get married. |
C.Soldiers shouldn’t get married secretly. |
D.It is against social custom for soldiers to get married. |
A.People want to get married on that day. |
B.A bishop cured his beloved girl on that day. |
C.Valentine’s birthday was on February 14th. |
D.A bishop called Valentine was sentenced to death on the day. |
A.Geography. | B.Travelling. | C.Festival. | D.Life. |
7 . The Masai(马赛人) are continually trying to keep their own ways in an increasingly modern world. They live along the border of Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, moving their homes from time to time to follow their cattle, the source of their livelihood. They rely on their cattle in many parts of their life. They like drinking the cows’ milk.
They don’t kill their cattle for food. But if a cow is killed, the parts of its body are used to make containers, shoes, clothin, ropes, bed coverings and so on. Not all of the men have cows. The more cattle a man owns, the richer he is considered to be. A man who owns 50 or fewer cattle is considered poor. Rich men have a thousand or more. The cattle, though owned by the man, are considered to belong to the man’s entire family. The family names the cattle and can recognize each animal’s special voice.
The Masai men have become known as warriors(勇士), protecting their cattle against other wild animals. They wear their red long hair. Most women often take care of their children, cook food, clean clothes and make clothing at home. They also make necklaces dresses and headdresses. A few women can also become authorities once they are powerful enough. They speak a language called Maa.
The houses of Masai made from sticks and grass, which are held together with a mixture of mud, are not very firm or safe. These plain houses with some basic supplies are built in a circle and make up a Masai village. They are not meant to last long since the migration(迁徙) of the cow population means that the Masai move as well. In the meantime, in order to prevent animals from entering, they also form a wall of branches. The whole setup is to protect the cattle, which sleep at night in the middle of the village. They seem to live a natural and self-sufficient life but lack modern civilisation.
1. What do we know about the Masai?A.They don’t move in their lives. |
B.They each have their own cows. |
C.They don’t kill their cattle at all. |
D.They are heavily dependent on cattle. |
A.Designers. | B.Authorities. |
C.Housewives. | D.Warriors. |
A.Modern. | B.Lasting | C.Simple. | D.Safe. |
A.Africans: Living a Moving life |
B.Africans: Brave People in the World |
C.The Masai: Rich People in East Africa |
D.The Masai: Maintaining a Traditional Lifestyle |
8 . When people think of Beijing, the hutong style always comes to mind. It is no exaggeration (夸张) to say within hutong lives the city’s history.
The word “hutong” referred to a place where people live, which was borrowed from the Mongolian word to mean “water well” about 700 years ago. Hutong we see today are made up of small paths formed by walls of siheyuan. They were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, there were more than 3,000 hutong. Most of the city’s population lived in this traditional housing. But with the modernization of the city in the 1980s and early 1990s, many hutong were pulled down to build roads, skyscrapers and modern houses.
The government has recognized the importance of hutong to Chinese cultural heritage. In 2002, Beijing listed 40 protected historical zones and increased its efforts to rebuild some key relics and older streets in the city. Nearly 500 hutong have survived.
Hutong that still exist are like oases (绿洲) of calm in the noisy city. Walking through them, it’s common to see groups of elderly people sitting together playing cards, mahjong (麻将) or Chinese chess. In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as Taijiquan as well as dancing and singing folk songs or Peking Opera. Hutong have become a museum of Beijing’s folk customs and history.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?A.To add background information of hutong. | B.To bring in the topic of the context. |
C.To stress the importance of hutong. | D.To introduce the benefits of hutong. |
A.More hutong were built. |
B.Lots of hutong disappeared. |
C.Most hutong became historical zones. |
D.Some hutong were placed under protection. |
A.The future of hutong. | B.The change of hutong. |
C.The beauty of hutong life. | D.The history of hutong life. |
A.Negative. | B.Unclear. | C.Supportive. | D.Doubtful. |
9 . Fossils are well preserved remains, impressions, or traces (痕迹) of animals and plants that lived long ago. Paleontologists (古生物学家) divide fossils into two main groups. Some fossils, called body fossils, show the structure of the plant or the animal. They form directly from the remains of plants and animals. Other fossils, called trace fossils. They record signs of animal or plant activities, such as walking, feeding, scratching, or even resting.
Most animals and plants don’t become fossils after they die. They break down into little bits or may be eaten by other animals. But some remains get buried too fast, avoiding those things happening. An animal might die near a body of water and sink to the bottom, where its remains get covered in sediment (沉积物). As sediment builds up, mineral-rich water seeps into the remains, leaving minerals in the tiny spaces of the bones and even replacing the original bones. The new minerals react with those in the animal’s remains and then harden into fossils.
Most fossils are buried deep in the Earth. As the Earth’s surface changes, scientists can dig up new fossils and learn more about past life and the Earth’s history. In rock that formed before a certain time, roughly 2.8 million years ago, scientists will not find human fossils.
Fossils are our keys to understanding prehistoric life and the Earth’s history. By studying fossils, we learn about a great variety of plants and animals that lived in the past. We can know what they looked like, how and where they moved and what they ate. By comparing fossils from different time periods, we can track the evolution of a species, see how it adapted to changes in its environment, and understand more about the climate and environment where the fossils were buried.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?A.Fossils are remains of plants and animals. |
B.Trace fossils only tell us the activities of animals. |
C.Trace fossils form directly from the remains of creatures. |
D.Body fossils show almost the original structure of creatures. |
A.Where we can find fossils. | B.How animals and plants become fossils. |
C.Different fossils have different features. | D.Which methods are used to study fossils. |
A.Engages in. | B.Succeeds in. | C.Delights in. | D.Sinks in. |
A.Ridiculous. | B.Complex. | C.Significant. | D.Inspiring. |
10 . Six “sacrificial pits(祭祀坑)”, dating back 3,200 to 4,000 yeas, were newly discovered in Sanxingdui Ruins site in Guanghan. Over 500 artifacts, including gold masks, bronze wares, ivories, jades and textiles were unearthed from the site. Sanxingdui site is located in Sanxingdui Town, Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, on the south bank of Qianjiang River (Yangtze River), a tributary of Tuojiang River in the north of Chengdu Plain. The site covers an area of about 12 square kilometers, and the core area is the ancient city of Sanxingdui, with an area of about 3.6 square kilometers. It is the largest and highest-grade central site found in Sichuan Basin during the Xia and Shang period.
Sanxingdui site, first found in 1929, is generally considered as one of the most important archaeological sites along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. However, the work of excavation on the site only began in 1986, when two pits — widely believed for sacrificial ceremonies — were accidentally discovered.
Investigation in the area around No.1 and 2 pits was relaunched in October 2019, and No.3 pit was found in December 2019, according to Lei Yu, a researcher of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute who heads the ongoing excavation. Thirty four research universities and research institutes have cooperated in this project. He said the new discoveries will help to better understand many unexplained findings in 1986.
More excavation followed in March 2020, and five more pits were found last year. And detailed research began in October. Excavation capsules with hi-tech equipment were set up in the pits in order to prevent the site from further damage.
According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, studies of Sanxingdui site will become a crucial project in an ongoing program Archaeology China, which tries to explain the origins of Chinese civilization and how diverse cultures communicate and come together.
1. What does the underlined word “excavation” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Check. | B.Dig. | C.Protection. | D.Extension. |
A.By conducting more experiments around the site. |
B.By dividing the task of excavation into several parts. |
C.By cooperating with research universities and institutes. |
D.By using excavation capsule armed with hi-tech equipment. |
A.There are 6 sacrificial pits discovered in Sanxingdui site in all. |
B.The size of the core zone is about 1/3 of Sanxingdui site. |
C.The discovery of Sanxingdui site only began in 2019. |
D.All sacrificial sites were discovered in the meantime. |
A.Sanxingdui site needed protecting. |
B.Hi-tech helped to explore Sanxingdui site. |
C.Sanxingdui discoveries reveal ancient China. |
D.Sacrificial pits were unearthed in Sanxingdui site. |