The largest－ever chariot pit(战车坑)of relics with carts and horse bones has been discovered in Henan Province. It may lead to the uncovering of chariot pit groups that could be a key to understanding Chinese civilizations that existed more than 2,000 years ago.

Experts said the relics are dated more than 300 years earlier than the famous warriors(武士)in Shanxi Province. What excited the experts were two other projects that located two huge pits with similar features.

“It is absolutely a miracle. These relics indicate that there could be a tomb group in this area, which is likely to be important for China's archaeological(考古学的)studies，”said Ma Juncai，a leading relic researcher in the province.

In ancient China，carts，sheep，spoons and so on were buried to ensure that dead people had a happy afterlife. The number and quality of the sacrifices indicated the social status of the dead The custom was carried into the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qinshihuang's tomb，located near Xi'an，the capital of Shanxi Province，is accompanied by thousands of wood or clay figures of warriors and horses. The tomb is probably the most well－known.

The discovered pit measures 10.4 meters long,8.4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It holds 20 carts in different sizes. The smallest one is 1.05 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.

Experts think that 40 horses are likely to be found as well. Careful plans need to be made to deal with the demanding uncovering.“The clay is very weak and a small misstep can destroy the whole project. That's why we need to take every step very carefully to protect these cherished cultural relics，”Ma said.

1. What's the passage mainly about?

A. The dead people's sacrifices in ancient China.

B. China's archaeological studies.

C. The discovery of a large chariot pit in Henan.

D. The history of Chinese civilizations.

2. According to Ma Juncai, the uncovering of the three pits is a miracle because ________.

A. it shows there may be a tomb group there

B. it's helpful in discovering Emperor Qinshihuang's tomb

C. the relics are dated such a long time ago

D. the relics are more than 300 years older than the ones in Shanxi

3. It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that ________.

A. all dead people had sacrifices in ancient China

B. the discovered pit is the most well－known in the world

C. the discovered pit dates back to the Qin Dynasty

D. Emperor Qinshihuang wanted to maintain his power after death

4. Careful plans for the uncovering are needed because ________.

A. another 40 horses are likely to be found as well

B. the whole uncovering could be destroyed easily

C. experts are too busy to spare time for it

D. the government hasn't agreed to it

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The discovery has drawn the leading experts' attention.

B. A lot of cultural relics have been discovered in Henan.

C. 40 horses have been discovered together with the chariot pit.

D. The discovered carts in the chariot pit are similar in size.

Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of horses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern-day horse breeds（种类） come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds— typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horses were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new form of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
【小题1】Before domestication horses were ______.

Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.

Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.

As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of houses would show more of these chosen characteristics.

Modern day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.

The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horse were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new from of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.

1. Before domestication horses were ______.

A. caught for sports

B. hunted for food

C. made to pull ploughs

D. used to carry people

2. The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.

A. it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse

B. horse used to have gentle personalities

C. some horses have better shaped than others

D. horses were of less variety before domestication

3.Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.

A. carrying heavy loads

B. changing farming methods

C. serving as a means of transport

D. advancing agriculture in different areas

4. The passage is mainly about _______.

A. why humans domesticated horses

B. how humans and horses needed each other

C. why horses came in different shapes and sizes

D. how human societies and horses influenced each other

Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.

Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.

As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of horses would show more of these chosen characteristics.

Modern-day horse breeds（种类） come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds— typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.

The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horses were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new form of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.

Before domestication horses were ______.

A. caught for sports                           B. hunted for food

C. made to pull ploughs                      D. used to carry people

The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.

A. it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse

B. horses used to have gentle personalities

C. some horses have better shapes than others

D. horses were of less variety before domestication

Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.

A. carrying heavy loads                      B. changing farming methods

C. serving as a means of transport        D. advancing agriculture in different areas

The passage is mainly about _______.

A. why humans domesticated horses    

B. how humans and horses needed each other

C. why horses came in different shapes and sizes

D. how human societies and horses influenced each other

The largest-ever chariot pit (战车坑) of relics with carts and horse bones has been discovered in Henan Province. It may lead to the uncovering of chariot pit groups that could be a key to understanding Chinese civilizations that existed more than 2,000 years ago.

 Experts said the relics are dated more than 300 years earlier than the famous warriors (武士) in Shaanxi Province. What excited the experts were two other projects that located two huge pits with similar features.

 “It is absolutely a miracle. These relics indicate that there could be a tomb group in this area, which is likely to be important for China’s archaeological (考古学的) studies,” said Ma Juncai, a leading relic researcher in the province.

 In ancient China, carts, sheep, spoons and so on were buried to ensure that dead people had a happy afterlife. The number and quality of the sacrifices indicated the social status of the dead. The custom was carried into the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qinshihuang’s tomb, located near Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, is accompanied by thousands of wood or clay figures of warriors and horses. The tomb is probably the most well-known.

 The discovered pit measures 10.4 meters long, 8.4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It holds 20 carts in different sizes. The smallest one is 1.05 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.

 Experts think that 40 horses are likely to be found as well. Careful plans need to be made to deal with the demanding uncovering. “The clay is very weak and a small misstep can destroy the whole project. That’s why we need to take every step very carefully to protect these cherished cultural relics,” Ma said.

What’s the passage mainly about?

  A. The dead people’s sacrifices in ancient China.

  B. China’s archaeological studies.

  C. The discovery of a large chariot pit in Henan.

 D. The history of Chinese civilizations.

According to Ma Juncai, the uncovering of the three pits is a miracle because _______.

  A. it shows there may be a tomb group there

  B. it’s helpful in discovering Emperor Qinshihuang’s tomb

  C. the relics are dated such a long time ago

  D. the relics are more than 300 years older than the ones in Shaanxi

It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that ______.

A. all dead people had sacrifices in ancient China

B. the discovered pit is the most well-known in the world

C. the discovered pit dates back to the Qin Dynasty

D. Emperor Qinshihuang wanted to maintain his power after death

Careful plans for the uncovering are needed because ______.

  A. another 40 horses are likely to be found as well

  B. the whole uncovering could be destroyed easily

  C. experts are too busy to spare time for it

  D. the government hasn’t agreed to it

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

  A. The discovery has drawn the leading experts’ attention.

  B. A lot of cultural relics have been discovered in Henan.

  C. 40 horses have been discovered together with the chariot pit.

  D. The discovered carts in the chariot pit are similar in size.