The Zhoukoudian Beijing Man Site is one of the most important world heritage sites in China.Since the discovery, which changed China’s knowledge of its history, was made in the 1920s, Zhoukoudian has become an important place for ar
chaeologists from all over the world.At the site in the south-west suburb of Beijing, there is, for example, the earliest evidence of the use of fire by humans.It has also been proved that people lived there continuously between 500,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Today, however, Zhoukoudian is in serious danger.Parts of the cave have been badly affected by rain and exposure to the air.Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage.Pollution from nearby cement factories has also contributed to the problem.
The site is extremely expensive to maintain and it will cost between three and five million yuan to repair it.At the moment, visitors are not allowed to v
isit the caves.
Zhoukoudian is on the World Cultural Heritage List, organized by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.The list is constantly checked.Any site which is seriously damaged or which is not properly protected is an endangered heritage, and UNESCO is very quick to do something about situations like this.They have recommended that the site be closed and repaired.If nothing is done to repair it, it could be removed from the list.
This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness about it.They have suggested that the general public be encouraged to help with the problem.A professor at the Academy has proposed that a fund be established to raise money.
Dr Zhu Ming of the Academy said, “ We have requested that the government get involved, but we also need assistance from ordinary people.They can help by c
ontributing to the cost of repairing the caves.They are a precious part of our cultural heritage—it is of vital importance that we do something.If not, it will be a catastrophe.”
【小题1】Why is Zhoukoudian of great importance in China?
| A.Because the site tells some information about how man lived in the old times. |
| B.Because it has brought in lots of money as a place of interest.[来源:学&科&网] |
| C.Because it is the only place in China on the World Cultural Heritage List. |
| D.Because it chan |
| A.Zhoukoudian’s discovery | B.Zhoukoudian’s future |
| C.Zhoukoudian’s in danger | D.Zhoukoudian’s protection |
| A.Weeds | B.Rain | C.Fire | D.Cement factories |
| A.Archaeologists from all over the world |
| B.Government and the public |
| C.Experts from UNESCO |
| D.Visitors |
| A.case | B.worry | C.wonder | D.disaster |
The first true piece of sports equipment that man invented was the ball. In ancient(古代) Egypt, as everywhere, pitching (投掷)stones was a favorite children’s game. But a badly thrown rock could hurt(伤害) a child. Looking for something less dangerous to throw, the Egyptians made what were probably the first balls.
At first, balls were made of grass or leaves(树叶) held together by vines(藤). Later they were made of pieces of animal skin sewed together and stuffed(塞满)with feathers or hay.
Even though the Egyptians were warlike, they found time for peaceful games. Before long they had developed a number of ball games, each with its own set of rules. Perhaps they played ball more for instruction than for fun. Ball playing was thought of mainly as a way to teach young men the speed and skill they would need for war.
【小题1】 The ball was probably invented because_______
| A.throwing stones often caused injuries | B.throwing stones was not fun |
| C.games with stones did not have rules | D.rocks were too heavy to throw |
| A.animal skins stuffed with rocks | B.twists of hay |
| C.hides stuffed with hay or feathers | D.grass and leaves tied with vines |
| A.many different games with balls | B.many different kinds of games |
| C.only one ball game | D.different games with similar rules |
| A.childish | B.difficult | C.not enjoyable | D.worthwhile |
| A.The First Ball Games | B.How Egyptian Children Played Games |
| C.Egyptian Sports | D.The Beginning of Sports |
Over a hundred years ago people in London were surprised to see a very unusual boat come sailing up the Thames River. The boat was eighty feet long, flat-bottomed, with big wooden eyes on both sides in the front and was colorfully painted at the back.
People came to know that it was a sailing boat from Fuzhou in distant China. The boat
had sailed round the Cape of Good Hope(好望角), up the western coast of Africa, and finally to England. It had covered(航行) fifteen thousand miles — more than half of the distance round the world.
Although it wa
s unexpected, the Chinese were warmly welcomed. The boat carried goods such as silk and tea as well as a number of gifts from the Emperor of China for the Queen of England.
People had always mistakenly thought of the Chinese as a people not used to the sea. However, from centuries of trading and sailing in dangerous seas, the Chinese had learned how to build good boats and sail them well. The coming of this sailing boat to
London proved once again that the Chinese could sail to distant countries in the world.
【小题1】 The Chinese sailing boat arrived in London .
| A.before she sailed to Africa | B.in the nineteenth century |
| C.hundreds of years ago | D.in the twentieth century |
| A.it was a small wooden boat | B.it carried Chinese silk an |
| C.it had travelled fifteen thousand miles | D.it looked strange in several ways |
| A.The distance round the earth measures less than thirty thousand miles. |
| B.The Chinese Emperor gave silk and tea to the English Queen as gifts. |
| C.The Chinese boat came to London by accident. |
| D.The Chinese people were not good at sailing in dangerous seas. |
| A.carried silk, tea and other goods to England |
| B.could reach many parts of the world by sea |
| C.could sail along the Thames River |
| D.surprised Londoners with an unusual boat |
For well over a thousand years,smallpox was a disease that everyone feared.The disease killed much of the native population in South America when the Spanish arrived there in the early sixteenth century.By the end of the eighteenth century,smallpox was responsible for about one in
ten deaths around the world.Those who survived the disease were left with ugly scars on their sjun.
It had long been well known among farmers that people who worked with cows seldom caught smallpox;instead,they often caught a similar but much milder disease called cowpox (牛痘) .A Bridsh doctor called Jenner was extremely interested in this,and so he studied cowpox He believed that,by vaccinating (给接种疫苗) people with the disease,he could protect them against the much worse disease smallpox.In 1796,he vaccinated a boy with cowpox and,two months later,with smallpox.The boy did not get smallpox.In the next two years,Jenner vaccinated several children in the same way,and none of them got the disease.
News of the success of Jenner’s work soon spread.Vaccination soon became a common method to protect people against other diseases caused by virus,such as rable (狂犬病),and vaccines (疫苗) were sent across the world to the United States and India.
It took nearly two centuries to achieve Jenner’s dream of getting free of smallpox from the whole world.In 1967,the world Health Organization (WHO) started a great vaccination program,and the last known case of smallpox was recorded in Somalia in 1977.The story of vaccinations does not end there,however.There are many other diseases that kill more and more people every year.Besides,many new diseases are being discovered.The challenge for medical researchers will,therefore,probably continue for several more centuries
【小题1】Smallpox was so serious that by the end of l8th century
| A.its death rate was up to ten percent |
| B.those who caught it were certain to die |
| C.one in ten people in the world died of smallpox |
| D.one in ten deaths in the world was caused by smallpox |
| A.make smallpox much milder |
| B.stop people from getting smallpox |
| C.protect people against any disease |
| D.prevent people’s scars after smallpox |
| A.The first experiment with cowpox was made by a British doctor |
| B.After 1977 smallpox disappeared around the world according to WHO. |
| C.Vaccination had existed among ordinary farmers before being discovered |
| D.Vaccination can be used to protect people in the world against not only smallpox |
| A.vaccinations bring many new problems |
| B.vaccinations end the spread of diseases |
| C.there is a long way to go to fight against diseases |
| D.there is along way to go to discover new diseases |
The Chinese invented paper in 105 A. D. They mixed the bark of a tree and rags (破布) with water, put a screen into the mixture, and lifted out a thin piece of wet paper. They dried the paper in the sun.
The Chinese kept their secret of how to make paper until a war with Muslims in the ninth century. The art of papermaking soon spread throughout the Muslim world.
The Mayan Indians in Central America and Pacific Islanders also discovered how to make paper, but their knowledge never spread to the rest of the world.
For centuries, all paper was made by hand. Rags were the main material. Then a French scientist discovered that people could make paper from wood, too. Finally, in the eighteenth century. a Frenchman invented a machine to make paper from wood.
【小题1】Who discovered how to make paper?
| A.The Chinese. | B.The Pacific Islanders. |
| C.The Mayan Indians. | D.All of the above. |
| A.About 1 ,800 years ago. | B.About 1, 900 years ago. |
| C.About 2, 000 years ago. | D.About 2, 100 years ago. |
| A.Through wars. | B.Through the Muslims. |
| C.Through the Mayan Indians. | D.Through the Pacific Islanders. |
| A.The Invention of Paper. | B.The History of Papermaking. |
| C.Different Ways of Making Paper. | D.The Invention of a Papermaking Machine. |
Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. It is the poorest of the poor. Only small sums are available for excavating(挖掘)and even less is available
for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet archaeologists deal with priceless objects every day. Besides, there is the problem of unlawful excavation, resulting in museum-quality pieces being sold to businessmen at the highest price..
I would like to make a suggestion that would at once provide money for archaeology and reduce the amount of diggings against law. You might say that professionals excavate to get knowledge, not money. Moreover, ancient artifacts(古器
物) are part of our global cultural heritag
e(遗产), which should be there for all to appreciate, not sold at the highest price. I agree. Sell nothing that has scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has scientific value. Here,
we disagree. In theory, you may be correct in saying that every artifact has hidden scientific value.
People can not help appreciate every unearthed treasure but there is not enough money even to put the finds in good order; as a result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered. Indeed, with the help of the Internet, sold artifacts could be more reachable than are the pieces stored in museum basements. Before sale, each could be photographed and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer. A purchaser could even be required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed for scientific purposes.
【小题1】What’s the problems that archaeology as a profession has to face?
| A.Money and unlawful excavation | B.Effectively duplicates. |
| C.Scientific purposes. | D.Excavation law. |
| A.putting them in the museum | B.having sold artifacts returned |
| C.making use of the Internet | D.solving the money problem |
| A.No selling of any unearthed ancient artifacts. |
| B.Some money should be raised for the purpose. |
| C.Selling some unearthed ancient artifacts and having them returned when needed. |
| D.Ancient artifacts, our global cultural heritage, should be evenly shared by us all. |