1 . King Tut, Egypt’s famous boy king, was buried with many valuable objects. A dagger (匕首)discovered in his tomb has recently attracted extra attention. Researchers have concluded that the dagger was probably made from a special material.
King Tut was only about nine years old when he became ruler of Egypt more than 3, 300 years ago. The young king died when he was just 19, His body was buried in a tomb filled with objects that people believed he would need in the afterlife.
In 1922, Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Up to now, it was the best preserved ancient Egyptian tomb ever found. In 1925, Carter found the dagger which has a gold handle and an iron blade (刀片).The blade had confused experts because iron was hardly used at that time in ancient Egypt. In fact, it was so rare that it was considered more valuable than gold. Where did the iron for the blade come from?
Around the time of King Tut, ancient Egyptians started using a new word for iron that translates as “iron from the sky”. This led some experts to believe that the iron for the blade came from a meteorite (陨石).But studies of the dagger carried out in the 1970s and 1990s didn’t support that idea.
That’s where modern technology comes in. Researchers used a new technique to examine the blade. They discovered that it was made up of iron and other materials found in meteorites. After comparing it to several meteorites, they even found its possible match — a meteorite that landed in northern Egypt thousands of years ago.
Scientists hope the new study will lead to more discoveries about other ancient Egyptian relics, “It would be very interesting to analyze more Pre-iron Age objects and we could gain precious discoveries.” Daniela Comelli, who is a professor, said.
1. What do we know about Tut’s tomb?| A．It was perfectly kept when discovered. | B．It was built when he was 9. |
| C．It has a lot of iron objects in it. | D．It was the first tomb to be found. |
| A．it is King Tut’s favorite object | B．its blade is made of iron |
| C．it was more valuable than gold | D．it leads to more discoveries |
| A．The iron. | B．The material. | C．A meteorite. | D．The blade. |
| A．more valuable objects are hidden in the tombs |
| B．iron is widely used in ancient Egypt |
| C．Tut’s dagger was likely made from a meteorite |
| D．ancient Egyptian objects are excellent |
2 . 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 |
3 . Can you think of something that has been around for thousands of years and is still used in different cultures around the world? Something that fits this description is makeup.
Even though makeup might seem new, it was an important part of daily life in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. At that time, both men and women utilized things like eyeshadow, eyeliner and lipstick nearly every day.
For a better make-up result, a wealthier Egyptian woman would first clear her dead skin using salts from the Dead Sea. Then, she would use a milk-and-honey face mask to wet her skin. Taking milk baths was also a way to make the beauty routine (日常) a more luxurious experience. After all of this, the makeup could then be applied.
But people in ancient Egypt didn’t just use makeup to look more attractive. They also used it for rituals (宗教仪式). For example, a black powder called kohl was used around the eyes to protect them from the bright desert sun. In fact, the Egyptian word for “makeup palette” comes from a word that means “to protect”.
These makeup palettes (调色板) were used to mix colored powders with animal fat or vegetable oils to make the different products. They usually had symbols (符号) of animals or goddesses on them. It was believed that the powers of these animals would be put into the makeup when it was mixed together, giving the wearer unusual talents.
Interestingly enough, makeup was also an important part of ancient Egyptian burial rituals. From life into death and beyond, makeup helped to shape ancient Egyptian culture. Even though makeup is still used in modern times, it is interesting to know that it is linked to the ancient world.
1. What does the underlined word “utilized” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．bought. | B．used. |
| C．removed. | D．changed. |
| A．Go swimming in the Dead Sea. | B．Drink milk to wet their skin. |
| C．Remove the dead skin with honey. | D．Follow a beauty routine. |
| A．They helped deliver messages from goddesses. |
| B．They protected them from bad luck. |
| C．They gave people special abilities. |
| D．They brought the dead back to life. |
| A．Makeup in Ancient Egypt | B．Changes in Ancient Egyptian Culture |
| C．The Rituals in Ancient Egypt | D．The Makeup Palettes in Ancient Egypt |
The Terracotta Army is a collection of 8, 099 life-size terracotta statues of warriors (勇士) and horses
The terracotta warriors are unique. Not only are they life-size and individually modelled in clay, but the detail of the statues is
Originally constructed around 256 BCE by the State of Qin
During the Warring States period, people who lived along the banks of the Min River
Archaeologists have discovered a wooden Mayan boat in southern Mexico, believed
Experts from Parises Sorbonne University have been helping with discovering the canoe’s exact age and type.
The Mayan civilisation flourished (繁荣) before Spain conquered the region. In their time, the Mayans ruled large stretches of territory in
The boat has been dated
Around this period, the Mayan civilisation
No single theory for this collapse has been widely accepted,
An ancient culture dating back more than 5,000 years proved China’s early exchanges with other societies, experts say.
Experts believe the Majiayao culture had a close
Swedish expert Johan first
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8 . For centuries, generations of clothing designers and garment makers in China have been devoted to building the “Garment Kingdom”, making the garments an important component of Chinese culture.
♦Origin of Chinese clothing
In primitive society, the Chinese lived in caves. To keep warm, they covered themselves with natural materials like leaves, grasses and animal furs.
About 18,000 years ago, the Chinese invented sewing. Animal skins were cut to fit the human body using sharpened stone and bone tools and then sewn together using bone needles.
♦
Chinese rules of etiquette regarding garments and ornaments started taking shape in the Zhou Dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Period, the idea of fashion reached new heights. Qin Shihuang established many social systems, including that of uniforms to distinguish people’s ranks and social positions. In the Tang dynasty, clothing was more varied than before because the state was more open to the outside world.
Today, some people in China follow world fashion, but individuality has become the main trend. More and more people can enjoy beautiful fashions with traditional features and the modern chic.
| A．it influenced people’s lives. |
| B．Development of clothing. |
| C．Chinese garments of the 20th century ranged greatly in style. |
| D．thus bringing vigor (活力) and life force to clothing culture. |
| E．The invention of sewing allowed the early Chinese to make better fitting clothes to protect them from harsh conditions. |
| F．What is worth special mention is that women of the Tang dynasty did not have to abide by the traditional dress code. |
| G．Fashion designers today are finding new ways to combine modern fashion trends with traditional Chinese symbols of good fortune. |
Considering our limited knowledge, it's not surprising that exploration of the oceans constantly brings about discoveries in various
First, many archaeological finds are made in shallow waters, including whole cities
Amazing biological discoveries are also being made, like the barreleye living 6,000 meters below the ocean's surface. Such discoveries enable us
Additionally, so far more new natural resources such as fire ice
Humankind is entering a new age of oceanic discovery. Oceans will be as familiar
10 . On July 31, 1697, a French lawyer named Jacques Sennacques wrote a message to remind a cousin in the Netherlands to send him a relative’s death certificate. To prevent others from reading the message, the note was carefully folded, or “letter locked.” The technique was used before the invention of envelopes. However, for reasons unknown, the note never reached the recipient and was instead stored in a postmaster’s trunk, where it remained undetected for centuries. Now, a team of international researchers has deciphered (破译) the contents of the over 300-year-old sealed letter — without opening it!
The chain of events leading to this technology began in 2015 when MIT expert Jana Dambrogio got a call from Daniel Starza Smith, a researcher at King’s College London. “He asked me, ‘What would you do if I told you there was a trunk with 600 unopened letters?’”
The trunk had once belonged to 17th-century postmaster Simon de Brienne. Historians believe the post office stored the undelivered letters. That’s because, in the 17th century, it was the recipient, not the sender, who bore the postage cost. When Brienne died in 1707, he donated the trunk of letters to an orphanage. Somehow, the trunk eventually made its way to the postal museum, where it lay until recently.
Since opening the letters would destroy them, Dambrogio and her team decided to develop technology to unseal them virtually. They began by using a high-resolution X-ray scanner to create a detailed three-dimensional image of a sealed letter. While the writing inside showed up very clearly, the numerous layers of folded paper pressed close together caused the words to overlap (重叠).
To solve the issue, the researchers created sophisticated algorithm (算法) capable of deciphering the writing in the cleverly folded letter, crease by crease. The virtual opening allowed the team to read the contents “while preserving letter locking evidence.” The algorithm took almost five years to perfect. Once perfected, they used it to open four locked letters and fully decode(解码) the one from Sennacques.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Quite a few people could write letters. | B．Envelopes were not invented in 1697. |
| C．Jacques Sennacques was a postmaster. | D．Researchers couldn’t figure out the letter. |
| A．To get paid. | B．To find the senders. |
| C．To save the cost. | D．To scan the letters. |
| A．were badly damaged | B．were all decoded |
| C．remained very fresh | D．were very fragile |
| A．Physically. | B．Chemically. | C．Occasionally. | D．Digitally. |
