1 . Experts have found a group of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest. The cities were home to at least 10,000 farmers around 2,000 years ago.
Recent mapping using laser (激光) technology revealed those places to be part of a group of settlements and connecting roads. The settlements are in the forested areas near the Andes mountains.
“It was a lost valley of cities,” said Rostain, who directs research at France’s National Center for Scientific Research. “It’s unbelievable,” he added. The Upano people lived in the settlements between around 500 BC and 300 to 600 AD. That was around the same time period as the Roman Empire in Europe, the researchers found.
Ancient people built on over 6,000 earthen mounds (堆) in an area surrounded by agricultural fields with drainage (排水) canals. The largest roads were 10 meters wide and went for 10 to 20 kilometers.
While it is difficult to determine populations, the area was home to at least 10,000 people, and possibly about 15,000 or 30,000 at its highest point. That is comparable to the possible population of London, then Britain’s largest city.
It would have required a complex system of organized labor to build the roads and thousands of earthen mounds. The Incas and Mayans built with stone, but people in Amazonia didn’t usually have stone available to build — they built with mud.
The Amazon is often thought of as a wild area with only small groups of people. But recent discoveries have verified that the past was really more complex.
Scientists have recently also found evidence of complex rainforest societies that came before European contact elsewhere in the Amazon, including in Bolivia and Brazil.
“There’s always been an unbelievable diversity of people and settlements in the Amazon, not only one way to live,” said experts. “We’re just learning more about them.”
1. Which statement best describes the lost cities?| A．They are the oldest ever found in the area. | B．They were discovered by laser technology. |
| C．They were recognized in the map. | D．They are covered by a thick layer of dust. |
| A．They were engaged in agriculture. | B．They mainly made a living by hunting. |
| C．They devoted themselves to business. | D．They made use of rivers to develop fishing. |
| A．The cities’ large size. | B．The cities’ ancient history. |
| C．The cities’ large population. | D．The cities’ advanced agriculture. |
| A．Confirmed. | B．Ignored. | C．Replied. | D．Hoped. |
2 . 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。
Located in Wuhan City as a landmark (地标), the Yellow Crane Tower has
During the Tang Dynasty, many popular poems were written in praise of the Yellow Crane Tower.
The Yellow Crane Tower had different architectural features in different dynasties. However, the tower
On top of the tower, visitors are treated to a fantastic view of the Yangtze River, its bridge and the
Enjoying the fame (名声) of “The First Scenery under Heaven”, the Yellow Crane Tower is one of the most famous towers south of the Yangtze River.
1. What did Spanish merchants take to the Americans?
| A．Corn. | B．Wheat. | C．Potatoes. |
| A．He saw the Pacific Ocean. |
| B．There were many jungles. |
| C．Panama was so narrow. |
| A．In 1513. | B．In 1524. | C．In 1533. |
| A．Wildlife. | B．Rocks. | C．Gold and silver. |
The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England—many people are
The United Kingdom has a long and interesting history to explore. Some of the Romans’ great
5 . Human faces cut into stone up to 2,000 years ago have again been found on a rocky area along the Amazon River in northern Brazil. The stone carvings (雕刻品) appeared as a result of a big drop in water levels because of dry weather in parts of northern Brazil. The water level had dropped to the lowest level in the history of the river.
“People had reported some of the stone carvings before during periods when water levels were low. But now a greater number have been identified. That will help researchers establish the history of the carvings, and more secrets of historical relics will come to light,” researcher Jaime de Santana Oliveira said recently.
One area shows smooth marks in the rock thought to be where natives once sharpened their tools such as arrows and spears before European settlers arrived.
“The carvings are prehistoric, or precolonial (殖民地时期前的). We can’t be sure of their precise date but based on the evidence of human living places of the area, we believe they are about 1, 000 to 2, 000 years old.” Oliveira said.
The rocky area is on the north shore of the Amazon River near the place where the Rio Negro River joins it.
Oliveira said the carvings were first seen in 2010, but this year’s drought has been more serious than earlier dry periods. The Rio Negro’s levels have dropped 15 meters since July, uncovering large areas of rocks and sand where there had been no beaches.
“This time we found not just more carvings, but the statue of a human face cut into the rock,” said Oliveira, who works for the Brazilian government’s National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute. The organization watches the care of historic places in Brazil.
1. What plays a key role in finding the stone carvings?| A．People’s report. | B．Natural disaster. |
| C．High technology. | D．Researchers’ effort. |
| A．Explore the history of historical sites. | B．Move the valuable carvings to safety. |
| C．Discover more underwater stone carvings. | D．Make the carvings popular among visitors. |
| A．Fixed. | B．Exact. | C．Best. | D．Future. |
| A．The human face stone carvings. | B．The number of stone carvings. |
| C．The real value of stone carvings. | D．The place where stone carvings were found. |
6 . Up to one quarter of the world’s population use chopsticks as their main eating tool. Called kuaizi in Chinese, chopsticks were developed in China about 5,000 years ago. Often made of wood, chopsticks allow users to pickup pieces of food by holding together and releasing (松开) the sticks with the thumb (拇指) and first three fingers.
Before the invention of chopsticks, the Chinese used only their hands to eat. One reason why chopsticks were invented is that eating with one’s hands allowed some people to take more food than others. This was considered rude, so using chopsticks, which limited the amount of food that could be taken at one time, was thought to be a more polite practice. Another one was about the great Chinese philosopher Confucius, who was a vegetarian. He objected to the use of knives at the table, feeling that they reminded eaters of the slaughterhouse (屠宰场), so he preferred chopsticks.
At first, chopsticks were used only by nobles (贵族). Later on, during the Western Han Dynasty, which began in 202 BC, commoners (平民) began to use chopsticks as well. At that time, people used chopsticks only to eat side dishes; spoons were used for rice and for soups. During the Northern Song Dynasty, which lasted from AD 960 to 1127, noodles became a popular dish. It is very diffcult to eat noodles with a spoon, so chopsticks were used more often. Today, chopsticks are the main eating tool in China, Japan, and Vietnam; and people from countries all over the world commonly use this tool while eating Asian dishes.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The popularity of chopsticks. |
| B．The process of making chopsticks. |
| C．The method of using chopsticks. |
| D．The reasons for inventing chopsticks. |
| A．Led to. | B．Went against. |
| C．Believed in. | D．Agreed with. |
| A．Philosophers. | B．Common people. |
| C．Nobles. | D．Vegetarians. |
| A．After noodles became popular. | B．Just before forks came into use. |
| C．During the Weatern Han Dynasty. | D．Before the Northern Song Dynasty. |
1. What did Charles I do with ice cream?
| A．He passed a law for it. | B．He improved the recipe. | C．He created a festival for it. |
| A．An English woman. | B．A New Jersey woman. | C．A Frenchwoman. |
| A．The varieties of ice cream. | B．The flavour of ice cream. | C．The development of ice cream. |
1. What made the white T-shirts popular?
| A．A fashion show. | B．Hollywood movies. | C．The American soldiers. |
| A．In 1948. | B．In 1959. | C．In 1970. |
| A．For a black leader. | B．For a fashion designer. | C．For an American actress. |
9 . English history is vast, from its rule under the Romans to the rise, heights and decline of the British Empire. When choosing a book to recommend on my country’s history, I wanted something that could summarize this sweeping history but didn’t get stuck in the details of things that hold me back from thoroughly engaging with this truly rich history. Then, I found Dominic Haynes’ A Brief History of England. It had just what I was looking for and was a real joy to read.
The book is a whistle-stop tour through the whole of English history, from its earliest people to the movement of settlers from Europe. It looks at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Elizabeth I’s reign (统治) and the lasting impact of Shakespeare. Then it touches on the English Civil Wars and the shift of rule from kings and queens to the parliament (议会) running the country and the establishment of the political parties of the Whigs (辉格党) and Tories (托利党) still functioning today in some form as the currently ruling Conservative Party (保守党). It also covers the Napoleonic Wars and the world wars and even contemplates (思考) England’s post-Brexit (脱欧后的) present and future.
This really is quite the sweeping tome. However, it’s very short. This means it’s easy to navigate and get a hold of a huge amount of history, but it also means it’s very light on the details. At times, this can be frustrating, as there are parts where it feels like just another paragraph or page would really elevate this book. But for an introduction to English history or perhaps a reminder or refresher, it’s great and particularly useful as it is likely to fill in some gaps in your knowledge.
Furthermore, because of the pace of the book, there’s not a dull moment. It’s a real page-turner, covering the succession (交替) of kings and queens, wars, famines (饥荒) and changes in the social order of the country at home and the country’s influence across the world.
One reviewer on Amazon described the book as “a small masterpiece”, and said, “This is a great book for anyone who wants to get a crash course in English history or for those who want a quick reference to that subject.”
So, jump in, dear readers, and get a hold of what made England what it was, what it went on to be, and where it may stand in our global future.
1. What is the main focus of Dominic Haynes’ A Brief History of England?| A．Detailed exploration of England’s political parties. |
| B．An introduction to the British Empire’s rise and fall. |
| C．A brief overview of England’s historical shifts and events. |
| D．In-depth analysis of England’s post-Brexit policies. |
| A．Its pace is slow and frustrating. |
| B．There’s a shortage of information on wars. |
| C．It dives too deeply into political complexities. |
| D．It lacks detailed information due to its shortness. |
| A．A book that is exciting to read. | B．A book that has lots of pages to turn. |
| C．A book that is easy to understand. | D．A book that is complicated. |
| A．Jump into the UK’s past. | B．The ebb and flow of the UK. |
| C．The significance of studying the UK’s history. | D．The UK, you always live in people’s hearts. |
10 . Nearly 13,000 cultural relics have been unearthed from six pits (坑) of the Sanxingdui Ruins site, including many objects and statues never seen before, and they help present a more complete view of the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom.
The digging work mainly aimed at the sacrificial (献祭的) area of the ruins and six newly discovered pits. From 2020 to 2022, a total area of 1,834 square meters was explored in the sacrificial area, which covered a total area of nearly 13,000 square meters.
The significant discoveries include thousands of cultural relics made of different materials such as bronze, gold and jade and unearthed in six new pits, ruins of architecture, time of building the pits and the proof of exchanges between the ancient Shu Kingdom and the Central Plains in the Shang dynasty. Among the cultural relics newly unearthed, archaeologists found 3,155 comparatively complete relics.
“All cultural relics have significant meanings for archaeological research. If I have to choose one, I want to select the crowned bronze statue with a snake’s body,” said Ran Honglin, director of the Sanxingdui Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute. He noted that the relics prove the diversity of Chinese culture and offer another powerful example of Chinese civilization’s unity in diversity, because the bronze statue’s shape melted cultural factors of different areas in China during ancient times.
Researchers used Carbon-14 dating to confirm that nearly 200 samples unearthed in different pits were made from 1131 BC to 1012 BC, so they concluded that in addition to the fifth and sixth pits appearing later, the rest of the pits should have been built in the late Shang dynasty, dating from 3,000 to 3,200 years ago. The discovery has solved an argument over the age of sacrificial pits found in the past three decades.
“The digging and research work is continuing. There will be more discoveries with further work.” Ran said.
1. What is the significance of the newly unearthed relics?| A．They are the first complete relics to be unearthed. |
| B．They are helpful in protecting the Sanxingdui Ruins site. |
| C．They prove statues appeared first in the ancient Shu Kingdom. |
| D．They help better understand the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom. |
| A．Its origin. | B．Its form. | C．Its material. | D．Its meaning. |
| A．The time of building them. |
| B．The time of finding them. |
| C．The way of studying them. |
| D．The order of numbering them. |
| A．To explain the meaning of cultural relics. |
| B．To remember an archeologist in Sanxingdui. |
| C．To introduce the new discoveries in Sanxingdui. |
| D．To recommend Sanxingdui as a tourist destination. |
