1 . In ancient Maya civilization, cacao — which chocolate is made from — wasn’t just for the elites (精英). Traces of the sacred plant show up in antiques from all types of neighborhoods and in and around a former Maya city, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding suggests that, contrary to previous thinking, cacao was consumed at every social level of Maya society.

“Now we know that the ceremonies with cacao were likely played out by everyone,” says AnabelFord, an archaeologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Cacao was sacred to the ancient Maya, consumed in ceremonies and used as a currency. The cacao tree itself was linked to Hun Hunahpu, a Mayan god. Previous research found cacao in burials (墓地), suggesting that its use was restricted to those at the top.

To explore the extent to which cacao was used in broader Maya society, Ford and colleagues examined 54 antiques dating from A. D. 600 to 900. The antiques come from jars, mixing bowls, serving plates and vases thought to be drinking vessels. All the pieces were found in residential and ceremonial civic areas of varying size and status from city centers, foothills, upland areas and the valley around the former Maya city of El Pilar, on the present-day border of Guatemala and Belize.

To identify cacao, the researchers searched for theophylline, a compound found in trace amounts in the plant. The team found the compound on more than half of the samples, on all types of antiques and distributed throughout social contexts.

Future research will move beyond who consumed cacao and explore the role of farmers in managing the critical resource. “A better question is to understand who grew it,” Ford says, because those people probably had greater access to the valuable commodity.

1. What do traces of cacao found in Mayan antiques indicate?

A．Cacao was once unique to Maya society.

B．Cacao was only available to wealthy Mayan people.

C．Cacao was accessible to Mayan ordinary people.

D．Cacao left more traces in the Mayan city center.

2. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．There is no need to do further research on cacao.

B．Mayan people liked eating chocolate very much.

C．Mayan festivals were the same as those of the modern times.

D．There were some limitations in previous research about cacao.

3. Why did Ford and his colleagues examine 54 antiques?

A．To make copies of Mayan antiques.

B．To learn about the Mayan eating habits.

C．To find out cacao’s relationship with the religion.

D．To know about Mayan social groups of cacao use.

4. Which of the following will be the focus of the research about cacao?

A．The varieties of cacao.	B．Ways cacao was spread out.
C．Cacao tree growers.	D．The cacao’s value.

2 . The periodic table of elements is a common sight in classrooms, campus hallways and libraries. The mode periodic table arranges the elements by their atomic numbers and periodic properties (周期性). Several scientists worked over a century to assemble the elements into this format.

In 1789, French chemist Antoine Lavoisiertried grouping the elements as metals and nonmetals. Forty years later, German physicist Johann Wolfgang Dobereiner observed similarities in physical and chemical properties of certain elements. He arranged them in groups of three in increasing order of atomic weight and called them triads, observing that some properties of the middle element, such as atomic weight and density, approximated the average value of these properties in the other two in each triad.

A breakthrough came with the publication of a revised list of elements and their atomic masses at the first international conference of chemistry in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1860. They concluded hydrogen would be assigned the atomic weight of 1 and that the atomic weight of other elements would be decided by comparison with hydrogen. For example, carbon, being 12 times heavier than hydrogen, would have an atomic weight of 12.

In 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev created the framework that became the moder periodic table, leaving gaps for elements that were yet to be discovered. Mendeleev predicted the properties of some undiscovered elements and gave them names such as “eka-aluminum” for an element with properties similar to aluminum. Later “eka-aluminum” was discovered as gallium.

German chemist Lothar Meyer produced a version of the periodic table similar to Mendeleev’s in 1870. He left gaps for undiscovered elements but never predicted their properties. The Royal Society of London awarded the Davy Medal in 1882 to both Mendeleev and Meyer. The later discovery of elements predicted by Mendeleev verified (证实) his predictions and his periodic table won universal recognition. In 1955 the 101st element was named mendelevium in his honor.

On UNESCO website, it wrote, “The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is more than just a guide or catalogue of the entire known atoms in the universe; it is essentially a window on the universe, helping to expand our understanding of the world around us.”

1. What is the breakthrough at the conference in Germany?

A．The atomic weight of carbon was calculated by scientists.

B．A brand-new periodic table was published at the meeting.

C．The elements in the table were rearranged by the properties.

D．The atomic weight of elements was quantified based on hydrogen.

2. How did Mendeleev contribute to the modern periodic table?

A．He made it more complete.

B．He made it easier to understand.

C．He was the first to arrange the elements by atomic masses.

D．He discovered many new properties of some known elements.

3. What is the significance of the discovery of the periodic table?

A．It is a window into chemistry.

B．It is a helper to learn about history.

C．It is a guide to exploring the microworld.

D．It is a description of school curricula’s history.

4. How is the text developed?

A．In order of the elements’ importance.	B．By following the time order.
C．In order of scientists’ achievements.	D．By making comparisons.

3 . 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。

Today, the USS Arizona lies     1     it sank: in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its location is marked with a memorial shaped like a bridge, which crosses the ship’s sunken remains. Each year, more than two million people visit the memorial. They come to see the shadow of the ship at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, to learn about the attack, to show respect for those who had lost their lives in the attack     2     to pray for world peace. Although about eight decades has passed, the attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the darkest episodes in American history, will never     3     (forget).

4 . 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。

The Olympics play    1     significant role in the sports calendar. The extraordinary sporting event took place in the year 776 BCE. At that time, only Greek men were allowed    2     (take) part. The modern Olympics were first held in 1896, in Athens. A Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin,     3     dream was that the Olympics would help people of different racial origins and from different cultures live side by side in peace,     4     (bring) the Olympics back to life. In the history of the Olympics, a lot of sportspeople deserve     5     (praise). Among them the boxer Cassius Clay and the track and field athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill are     6     (extreme) excellent. Cassius Clay draw     7     (people) attention during the 1960 Rome Olympics, when he won the light heavyweight gold medal. Jessica Ennis-Hill’s story is a remarkable example of how hard work and    8     (devote) can lead to outstanding performance in sports.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics appealed    9     the whole world to join in the Olympic spirit and build a better future for humanity with the slogan “One World, One Dream”. Another     10     (history) moment for China came when Beijing successfully hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics after winning the election in 2015.

5 . Every day people joined archaeologists and artists in finding some of the year’s most dramatic discoveries. Below are some examples of 2023.

“Naughty pupils”-ancient punishment method resurfaces

Archaeologists discovered 18,000 ink-carved pieces of pottery-known as “ostraca”—at the site of Athribis early this year, and among them were hundreds of fragments(碎片)with a single symbol repeated front and back.

Those scribbles(潦草的文字)are evidence of ‘naughty “pupils” being made to write lines, according to researchers a Germany’s University of Tuebingen. The fragments also included receipts, school texts, trade information and lists of names.

Van Gogh peers out in hidden portrait

There is one more known van Gogh’s self-portrait in the world, and it was hidden behind a painting of a peasant woman. People made the discovery when they took an X-ray of one of his portraits from 1885 and discovered the artist’s own image behind layers of cardboard and glue. While X-rays often reveal how artists-changed their compositions, the full self-portrait of van Gogh came as a huge surprise, who was known to reuse canvase(画布)to save money.

Another treasure collection from Sanxingdui

The Sanxingdui archaeological site has produced thousands of relics. The latest discovery, reported by Chinese state media in June includes 3,155 objects, a turtle shell-shaped box and a sacrificial altar among them. A team has been digging six places of the site, turning up more than 13,000 objects so far. Last year, the relics they uncovered included a golden mask, ivory artifacts(手工艺品)and a jade knife. The Sanxingdui culture still remains mysterious, as it left behind no written records or human remains, though many believe it to be part of the ancient kingdom of Shu, which ruled along the upper stream of the Yangtze River until it was conquered in 316 BC.

1. What led to the researchers’ conclusion about the fragments?

A．The repeated symbol.	B．Trade information.
C．Lists of pupils’ names.	D．The mark of ink.

2. Why did van Gogh hide his self-portrait in a painting?

A．To keep away from X-rays.

B．To save money.

C．To make his works more mysterious.

D．To help people find his composition.

3. Which is the newly-unearthed relic of 2023 in Sanxingdui site?

A．A jade knife.	B．A golden mask.
C．A written record.	D．A turtle shell-shaped box.

6 . As archaeologists (考古学家) examined ancient tombs in Turfan in western China, they discovered some surprisingly well-preserved and familiar relics. Though hardened from over 1,000 years, there sat little dumplings.

Exactly who invented dumplings remains a mystery. But some scholars suspect they were first spread by nomadic (游牧的) Turkic peoples living in western China and Central Asia. This is thought to be the case because “manti,” meaning “dumpling” or “steamed bun” in many Turkic languages, appears to be the root word for dumpling in several other languages. Ancient Turkic people probably filled their dumplings with meat. But it’s unclear when this practice began, or whether they learned the art of dumpling-making from others. However this happened, dumplings certainly gathered steam in ancient China.

Dumplings continued to take off and diversify in China over the next thousand years. Instead of the traditional meat filling, some communities chose vegetarian (素食) dumplings. People developed new cooking methods. The relationship between Chinese dumplings and those in other areas is tricky to trace, but food historians have made their best guesses based on available clues.

Besides Turkic tribes, some scholars believe that the Mongol Empire also contributed to the spread of dumplings, perhaps introducing them to parts of Eastern Europe. These dumplings could have come by way of China or directly from some of the Turkic peoples the Mongols hired to run their empire. One theory is that this gave rise to dumplings like pelmeni in Russia, pierogi in Poland and vareniki in Ukraine. The Mongol Empire also controlled Korea and might have likewise introduced dumplings there. Later, after Chinese dumpling varieties were introduced to more countries, English speakers began calling them dumplings, which means “little lumps”. During the Second World War, Chinese “jiaozi” were brought to Japan. So what about the Italian dumpling-like pasta? Some historians think it might be brought by Arab conquerors.

It’s unlikely that all dumpling dishes came from the same root tradition. However, we can appreciate the mysterious historical web that made dumplings so various.

1. What made Turkic peoples suspected to first spread dumplings?

A．The languages they used.	B．Their eating habits.
C．Their dumpling-making skills.	D．The newly found tombs.

2. What does the phrase “gathered steam” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Originated.	B．Stabilized.
C．Got well-cooked.	D．Became popular.

3. What does paragraph 4 focus on?

A．The spreading process of dumplings.

B．The possible origins of dumplings.

C．Differences between various dumplings.

D．Reasons for the popularity of dumplings.

4. Which of the following best describe dumplings according to the passage?

A．Delicious.

B．Diverse.

C．Unusual.

D．Regional.

7 . Football has found its way to the most remote corners of the globe, becoming one of the hottest topics of the day     1     . According to the International Football Association, it was the origin of football as a sport.

Cuju became popular during the Warring States Period.     2    .

During the Han Dynasty, the popularity of Cuju gradually spread from the army to the royal courts and upper classes. Football matches were often held inside the Imperial Palace. A type of court called “ju cheng” was built especially for Cuju matches.     3    .

The sport was improved during the Tang Dynasty. First of all, the feather-stuffed ball was replaced by an air filled ball with a two layered hull(外壳)     4    . One was made by setting up posts with a net between them and the other consisted of just one goal post in the middle of the field.

The popularity of the sport exploded during the Song Dynasty due to social and economic development, extending to every class in society. At that time, professional Cuju players were quite popular, and the sport began to take on a commercial edge. Cuju organizations were set up in large cities called Qi Yun She or Yuan She-now known as the earliest professional Cuju club——whose members were either Cuju lovers or professional performers.

    5    .   And the 2,000 year old sport finally faded away from about the 16th century.

A．Also, two different types of goal posts showed up.

B．Both adults and children played Cuju in everyday life.

C．Cuju began its decline during the Ming Dynasty due to neglect.

D．Back then, it was used to strengthen the fighting power of soldiers.

E．Meanwhile, Cuju games were standardized as rules were established.

F．About 2,500 years ago in China there was a similar game called “Cuju”.

G．Dating back to over 2,000 years ago, it has changed and developed over time.

8 . Before humans stored memories as zeroes and ones, we turned to digital devices of another kind — preserving knowledge on the surface of fingers and palms.

When Mogao Caves was uncovered in 1900, an aging drawing was lifted from a trove of religious manuscripts. The drawing illustrates a mnemonic (助记符号) system, a way of projecting knowledge onto the hands so it can be studied, memorized, and stored in a pocket. Around the same time this mnemonic was made, a monk named Bede halfway around the world was developing a different system of manual knowledge. These two systems are perhaps the earliest examples of manual mnemonics.

Beginning roughly twelve hundred years ago, we started using the hand itself as a portable (便携的) place of knowledge, a place to store whatever tended to slip our mental grasp. The hand became an all-purpose memory machine.

In different times and places, hands provided mnemonic maps of sound. As early as the thirteenth century, Chinese scholars were projecting syllable charts (音节图表) onto the palms and fingers. The so-called “Guidonian hand” owes its name to the eleventh-century Italian music teacher, Guido d’Arezzo. Arranging the different pitches in a scale onto the joints, he developed this technique to help students learn “unheard melody most easily and correctly”. Other thinkers in Europe, perhaps inspired by Guido, developed systems for learning the sounds of language.

Then questions arise. First, what makes the hand so popular as a mnemonic prop? A large part of the answer, surely, involves portability. The hands are always, well, ready to hand. A further advantage stems from how hand mnemonics offer both visual and kinesthetic (动觉的) routes to memory: They are both seen and felt.

It’s also hard to determine when and why hand mnemonics faded out. Hand mnemonics are still used to teach the “right-hand rule” in physics classrooms and remain especially popular in medicine. Today, we increasingly store our “thoughts” in virtual realms (领域), but we sometimes still reach for that original “digital” repository (存储库) in our pockets.

1. What do we learn about the two earliest examples of mnemonics?

A．Bede made a hand mnemonic in Mogao Caves.

B．They are the same system of manual knowledge.

C．The drawing was uncovered on the fingers and palms.

D．The drawing from Mogao Caves illustrates a mnemonic system.

2. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Human hands mapped sound charts.

B．Human hands played a role in sound mnemonics.

C．Guido helped his students learn unheard melody.

D．Scholars projected syllable charts onto the palms and fingers.

3. Why does the hand gain popularity as a mnemonic prop?

A．The hand is always available for use.

B．The hand can feel what people memorize.

C．Fingers can easily be marked with characters.

D．Hand mnemonics help memorize visible things.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the future of hand mnemonics?

A．Positive.

B．Pessimistic.

C．Uncertain.

D．Indifferent.

9 . Honesty has always been a traditional virtue in China. Despite the passage of time, honesty has been passed down as a mainstream value.     1    

A famous Chinese idiom (成语), yinuo qianjin, tells such a story. In the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), a general named Ji Bu was known for being courageous and honest. Legend has it that whenever Ji made a promise, he would spare no effort to fulfill it.     2     There was a saying widely spread: It is better to have a promise from Ji Bu than to get hundreds of ounces of gold.

    3     During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Li Daquan, a successful businessman in Shanxi province, was visited by a friend who came up with a new idea. In ancient China, carrying a large quantity of cash was not only a heavy burden but could also put the owner in danger. His friend proposed that a draft (汇票) be issued to replace the real cash. This draft was not only a promise to pay, but also a claim that an amount of coin equals to the specified amount and the draft could be cashed everywhere. Li readily agreed and kept his word. The story soon got around, and Li’s honesty brought him a flood of customers and a booming business.     4     It is called the predecessor (前身) of the Chinese banking industry. His banking business eventually expanded into 35 branches across the country. Rishengchang has been preserved and turned into a museum now.

In today’s China, the spirit of honesty is still well-respected.     5     Their stories are broadcast across the country to set good examples and promote the virtue of honesty.

A．China selects national role models every year.

B．China is a country that values and rewards honesty.

C．Everyone should follow suit and be an honest person.

D．Honesty is priceless and honesty also brings creativity.

E．Such a virtue of honesty earned him a good popularity.

F．It is also shown in countless tales throughout China’s history.

G．Li Daquan later set up China’s first draft bank, Rishengchang.

10 . 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。

In 2023, the Dragon Boat Festival falls on Thursday, June 22 in China. Chinese people will have    1    3-day holiday from June 22 to 24. The Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie is celebrated    2    (recall) and show respect for Qu Yuan, a famous scholar in ancient China.

Dragon boat racing is one of the most important    3    (tradition) at the Dragon Boat Festival. The activity is    4    (wide) held in China’s Southern and southeastern areas    5    there are more rivers and lakes. The origin of the activity    6    (date) back to the Warring States Period. When Qu Yuan drowned himself in the river, the locals were very sad about it. Many fishermen rowed their boats trying to find his body. From then on, at this time every year the locals will row the dragon boats,     7    (hope) to drive away creatures under the river in this way. Eating Zongzi is also a part of the Dragon Boat Festival celebration. The taste of Zongzi is different according    8    the location and region of China. Generally speaking, people in southern China prefer the salty one while those in northern China like the sweet one.

As the festival is celebrated in memory of the    9    (die) of an ancient Chinese scholar, it is not proper to say “Happy Dragon Boat Festival” to others.     10    , you’d better greet each other with “Wish you peace and health at the Dragon Boat Festival ( Duānwǔānkāng).”