1 . About 5,300 years ago, people from the grasslands of modern-day Russia and Ukraine expanded rapidly across Eurasia. Within a few centuries these “Yamnaya” left a lasting genetic mark on populations from central Europe to the Caspian Sea. Today, archaeologists call them “eastern cowboys” for their livestock herding (畜牧) and highly mobile lifestyle.

But one part of the classic cowboy picture was missing: horseback riding. Although cattle bones and solid carriages have been found in Yamnaya sites, horse bones are hard to find, and most archaeologists assumed people did not start to ride horses until at least 1,000 years later.

In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers say they’ve found the earliest evidence of horseback riding not in the bones of ancient horses, but in their Yamnaya riders. “Everyone has focused on horse remains to get an idea of early horse riding,” says co-author and University of Helsinki archaeologist Volker Heyd. “Our approach was to look at humans.”

The researchers looked at more than 150 bones unearthed in Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria — the western frontier of Yamnaya expansion. The Yamnaya were well-fed, healthy, and tall; the chemical composition of their bones showed protein rich diets consistent with herding cattle and sheep. But the bones showed signs of distinctive wear and tear. They also showed thick spots on the leg bone consistent with lots of time spent on the horse back. Healed injuries matched the kinds of damage a kicking horse might cause, or what sports medicine doctors today see in riders thrown from their horses.

“In terms of trying to identify people riding horses, I think they’ve done the best job possible bioarchaeologically,” says bioarchaeologist Jane Buikstra. “That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, or convincing, ultimately.”

More samples — including horse bones with signs of riding, such as bit marks or back bone damage from the weight of a rider — would help make the case, says CU bioarchaeologist Lauren Hosek. What the group has found “is really interesting”, she says. “But there’s a lot more work to be done when the risks of drawing the final conclusion are as high as the earliest horse riding.”

1. Why are the archaeologists looking for the horse bones?

A．To prove the Yamnaya’s rapid expansion.

B．To confirm the Yamnaya’s herding variety.

C．To further understand the lifestyle of Yamnaya.

D．To trace the origin of the classic cowboy picture.

2. How is Volker Heyd’s research different from others?

A．It includes field trips.	B．It focuses on human bones.
C．It is based on horse remains.	D．It compares the compositions of bones.

3. What do we know about the Yamnaya from Paragraph 4?

A．Their bones bore the evidence of horse riding.

B．Many Yamnaya people died from horse kicks.

C．Their lifestyle of herding led to severe injuries.

D．They mainly lived in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.

4. What is Lauren Hosek’s attitude to the research findings?

A．Objective.	B．Favorable.
C．Disapproving.	D．Unclear.

2 . The days when art was an Olympic sport

Did you know that creating works of art used to be an Olympic competition?     1     In the first year, Walter Winans became the first and the only Olympian to win medals for both art and sports. Despite this seemingly optimistic start, the idea of the arts being included in the Olympic Games soon met with disinterest, finally resulting in the removal of the art competition from the Olympic Games.

    2    

The idea to include art in the Olympics came from Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was the founder of the International Olympic Committee, which created the modern Olympics. Coubertin believed that the arts and sports were linked and was impressed by anyone who had a firm command of both a sport and an artistic discipline(项目).

Why aren’t the arts included in the Olympics today?

For starters, only amateurs were allowed to compete in the arts part of the Olympics.     3     Having artists of average quality competing while only the most competent athletes were allowed to compete created a dramatic divide and gave the impression that the arts were not as important as sports.

Secondly, works of art created had to have sports as the subject matter.     4     Limiting the subjects also contributed to making the arts part of the Olympic Games boring to the general public.

Finally, one of the biggest reasons was that the arts are subjective. Sports can be judged by time and distance, making it easy to determine who is the winner.     5     This difficulty in judging a definite winner resulted in the arts part becoming a non-competitive exhibition that ran for the duration of the Olympic Games.

A．Why was art made an Olympic discipline?

B．What is a discipline in the Olympic Games?

C．This rule made the objects produced seem really boring.

D．The arts, on the other hand, are not quite so easy to judge

E．However, the arts part of the Olympics Games was soon abandoned

F．This means that many famous artists were banned from participating.

G．For 36 years, from 1912 to 1948, artists participated in the Olympic Games.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空处填入1个适的单或插号内单词的正确形式。

Located in Guanghan city of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province and covering an area of 12 square kilometers. Sanxingdui Site is the remains of the ancient Shu culture, which dates back     1     4,800-2,600 years ago, and is considered to be one of the     2     (great) archaeological (考古的) discoveries in the 20th century. This particular discovery is a strong proof of the     3     (exist) of the ancient Shu State and the integrative pattern of the multi-cultures of the Chinese nation.

In fact, as a cultural site,, Sanxingdui had come into the notice of archaeologists in as early as the 1930s, and     4     (exploration) were made soon. It all began     5     a farmer called Yan Daocheng dug out a number of treasures     6     (accidental) in the spring of 1929. In the summer of 1986, thousands of rare treasures were unearthed from two large newly-discovered sacrificial pits (祭祀坑). The unearthed objects are unique in shape and superior in techniques,     7     (confirm) the extraordinary creativity of the ancient Shu people and their desires     8     (connect) with and understand the universe.

After sleeping for 3,000 years, their awakening has shocked the world. When our eyes     9     (caught) by the creations of the ancient Shu ancestors, it is     10     encounter with a civilization lost for 3,000 years.

4 . Why You Should Visit the Four Imperial Cities of Morocco

Fez

Fez is arguably the most storied of the four imperial (皇家的) cities. It was founded in the late 9th century and it served as a capital seven times, most recently in 1912. Thanks to its long run as a capital in different eras, the city is home to numerous historical museums and important monuments. Visit Fez to learn more about Morocco’s history, check out its unique architecture, and experience its energetic culture.

Marrakesh

Marrakesh was founded in the late 11th century and it served as the capital for four different dynasties. It is now considered the No.1 tourist destination in Morocco, with visitors from all over the world coming to see its luxury imperial palaces, splendid gardens, and ancient markets and try some of the best food in this part of the world.

Meknes

Meknes was Morocco’s capital between 1672 and 1727. Even this short period was enough to leave a lasting mark on the city in the form of old imperial palaces, castles, and gates. The city also has plenty of other fascinating things to check out, like the Museum of Moroccan Art, several old mosques (清真寺), old markets, and nearby Roman   Ruins.

Rabat

Rabat is the current capital of the country. It was founded by the Almohad dynasty in the 12th century with this purpose, although it took until 1955 for the city to claim this status officially. There are numerous historical tourist attractions to check out in Rabat, including the Mausoleum of Mohamed V, the unfinished Hassan Tower, and the Chellah Roman Ruins. Being situated at the seaside also means that you will be able to have other activities besides sightseeing.

1. What is Fez famous for?

A．Its luxury palaces.	B．Its numerous art museums.
C．Its Roman Ruins.	D．Its long term as a capital.

2. What can you see in both Marrakesh and Meknes?

A．Old markets.	B．Imperial castles.
C．Ancient mosques.	D．A Splendid gardens

3. When was the current capital confirmed?

A．In the 12th century.	B．In the 17th century.
C．In the 19th century.	D．In the 20th century.

5 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Oracle bones (甲骨) were believed to be first unearthed in Anyang, once called Yin, the capital of the Shang Dynasty. Villagers then had little idea of what they had found and sold the bones to drugstores as     1    (tradition) Chinese medicines. The medicines gained the notice of historians. The discovery     2    (follow) by a series of archaeological excavations (挖掘).

Over the past 120 years, major systematic excavations have been carried     3    . A relic site museum has been built at the Yinxu site,     4    (recognize) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovering the oracle bones and inscriptions helped explore the cultures of Xia and Shang dynasties,     5     trace the origins of the Chinese civilization.

The content of the inscriptions emphasizes the respect for ancestors and other core Chinese values     6     have been passed on until today. It     7    (appeal) to not only scholars but also those outside the circles of archaeology. Chen Nan, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Academy of Arts and Design, has energized the life of these ancient symbols by     8    (feature) them in the biaoqingbao (emoticons) he developed.

“They represent the     9    (clue) to our cultural lineage (传承), ” Chen says. “I feel     10     our responsibility to communicate about the charm of the primitive inscription with the younger generations and foreigners.”