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必修第二册 Unit 4 History and Traditions
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A(★)
Scientists have solved a puzzle about modern humans，after research showed that a famous
skull of a human ancestor found in South Africa is a million years older than experts thought.This
discovery has changed what we know of human history.
The skull，which scientists have named “Mrs Ples”，is from an ape-like human relative
from a species called Australopithecus africanus( 南方古猿非洲种 )．It was found near
Johannesburg in 1947 and，based on evidence from its surroundings，was thought to be between
2.1 and 2.6 million years old.This puzzled scientists，because although Mrs Ples looks like a
possible early ancestor of early humans，the first true humans had already evolved by the time she
apparently lived.For this reason，scientists had decided that Australopithecus afarensis，a similar
species from East Africa that lived about 3.5 million years ago，was our most likely ancestor
instead.
To get a more accurate age for Mrs Ples，a team led by Professor Darryl Granger of Purdue
University in Indiana，US，used a new method to date the sandy rocks where the skull lay.They
measured the amount of certain chemicals in rocks，which form at a steady rate when they are
exposed to cosmic rays (宇宙射线) on Earth’s surface.Once rocks are buried，these chemicals
stop forming and slowly disappear；the surviving amount reveals how much time has passed since
the rocks (or bones) were on the surface.
The new study shows that Mrs Ples and other australopithecine bones nearby are between 3.4
and 3.7 million years old.This means they lived at the same time as their East African relatives，so
that either group could have given rise to modern humans.However，team member Dr Laurent
Bruxelles pointed out that over millions of years，at only 2,500 miles away，these groups had
plenty of time to travel and to breed with each other.In other words，the groups could quite easily
have met，had children together and both been part of the history of modern humans.
1．What can we learn about Mrs Ples from the first two paragraphs?
A．It is a skull found in East Africa.
B．It is the most possible ancestor of humans.
C．It is a million years older than scientists expected.
D．It is proved to live between 2.1 and 2.6 million years ago.
2．How did scientists get the accurate age of “Mrs Ples”？
A．By studying the effect of cosmic rays.
B．By calculating the forming rate of chemicals.C．By locating the sandy rocks where the skull lay.
D．By measuring the surviving amount of chemicals.
3．What can we infer from the new study?
A．Modern humans came into being in East Africa.
B．Mrs Ples travelled and had children with East African relatives.
C．The history of modern humans might begin 3.5 million years ago.
D．Ape-like species from Africa could have interacted with each other.
4．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A．Historical Puzzle Unsolved
B．Ancestor Mystery Solved
C．Mrs Ples: The Earliest Human Being
D．Mrs Ples: A Famous Skull
B(★)
A new study analyzing stone tools from southern China provides the earliest evidence of rice
harvesting，dating to as early as 10,000 years ago.The researchers identified two methods of
harvesting rice，which helped start rice domestication.
To harvest rice，some sort of tools would have been needed.“For quite a long time，one of
the puzzles has been that harvesting tools have not been found in southern China from the early
Neolithic period or New Stone Age (10,000－7,000 Before Present)—the time period when we
know rice began to be domesticated，” says lead author Jiajing Wang，an assistant professor of
anthropology at Dartmouth.
“However，when archaeologists(考古学家) were working at several early Neolithic sites in
the Lower Yangtze River Valley，they found a lot of small pieces of stone，which had sharp edges
that could have been used for harvesting plants.”
“Maybe some of those small stone pieces were rice harvesting tools，which is what our
results show.”
In the Lower Yangtze River Valley，the two earliest Neolithic culture groups were the
Shangshan and Kuahuqiao.
The researchers examined 52 flaked( 成 薄 片 的 ) stone tools from the Shangshan and
Hehuashan sites，the latter of which was occupied by Shangshan and Kuahuqiao cultures.
To determine if the stone flakes were used for harvesting rice，the team conducted use-wear
and phytolith residue(植物化石残渣) analyses.
For the use-wear analysis，micro-scratches on the tools’ surfaces were examined under a
microscope.The results showed that 30 flakes have use-wear patterns similar to those produced by
harvesting siliceous(silica-rich) plants，likely including rice.
Through the phytolith residue analysis，the researchers analyzed the microscopic residue left
on the stone flakes known as “phytoliths”(silica skeletons of plants)．They found that 28 of thetools contained rice phytoliths.
“What’s interesting about rice phytoliths is that rice husk and leaves produce different
kinds of phytolith，which enabled us to determine how the rice was harvested，” says Wang.
The findings from the use-wear and phytolith analyses illustrated that two types of rice
harvesting methods were used—“finger-knife” and “sickle” techniques.Both methods are
still used in southern China today.
5．What is the long-lasting puzzle about southern China?
A．It has a history of 10,000 years.
B．It produces many harvesting tools.
C．Rice could hardly grow in that area.
D．Ancient rice harvesting hasn’t been proven there.
6．In what tone do the researchers talk about their findings?
A．Certain. B．Careful. C．Critical. D．Correct.
7．On what basis was the use-wear analysis carried out?
A．How the stones were used. B．Where the stones were found.
C．When the stones were used. D．Whether the tools were used.
8．What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A．Asian countries are promoting harvesting methods.
B．Only two harvesting methods are still used in China.
C．Rice domestication existed in southern China long ago.
D．“Finger-knife” and “sickle” are very advanced techniques.
Ⅱ.完形填空
(2024·四川成都诊断性检测)
The Language of Flowers
Ding dong！I looked up from the couch.Who in the world could that be? My body was
troubled with illness，so I’d 1 myself away.Friends telephoned，texted，emailed and sent
cards.I didn’t 2 ，thinking that I had nothing to offer anyone in the miserable condition I
was in.
I 3 got up and opened the door to a flower delivery.As I put the flowers on my dining
table，I was struck by its 4 .It was comprised of solitary blossoms of many varieties that
shouldn’t really 5 yet somehow did.The mystery flowers had come in a blue jar，without a
card.
Instead of returning to the couch，I 6 the florist.He told me some of my friends were
behind the 7 ，secretly.“They wanted to get a 8 to you，” he said，“through the
language of flowers.”
The group had followed him and picked very 9 stems after consulting an old book.“I
learned some things，” the florist said，then 10 ：The red carnation(康乃馨) meant “Ourhearts ache for you”．The yellow tulip(郁金香) wanted to see 11 in my smile again.The
pink carnation had a few 12 words to say about never forgetting me.
The more I understood what the flowers were 13 ，the more I started to remember the
woman who might have 14 them before I separated myself from everyone and everything.My
friends knew I was still that woman，with 15 beyond my health.
1．A.hidden B．given C．driven D．broken
2．A.forbid B．accept C．act D．respond
3．A.carefully B．unwillingly C．instantly D．cheerfully
4．A.size B．style C．uniqueness D．shape
5．A.go together B．stand out C．mix up D．fade away
6．A.informed B．thanked C．rewarded D．telephoned
7．A.delivery B．program C．mystery D．scene
8．A.companion B．message C．commitment D．gift
9．A.expensive B．rare C．specific D．fresh
10．A.explained B．clarified C．defined D．analyzed
11．A.pain B．fortune C．sympathy D．sunshine
12.A.modest B．tolerant C．formal D．meaningful
13．A.involving B．saying C．smelling D．signing
14．A.advocated B．confirmed C．required D．earned
15．A.ambition B．value C．curiosity D．fantasy
Ⅲ.语法填空
(2023·全国乙)
Beijing is a city bridging the ancient and the modern.From Buddhist temples to museums，
narrow hutong 1. royal palaces，it is home to more than 3,000 years of glorious
history even down to its layout，with the city keeping its carefully 2. (build) system
of ring roads.
But for all its ancient buildings，Beijing is also a place 3. welcomes the fast-
paced development of modern life，with 21st-century architectural 4. (wonder)
standing side by side with historical buildings of the past.
It is a distinct visual contrast(反差) that shouldn’t work,5. somehow these
two very different worlds make a good combination.6. (visit) several times over the
last 10 years，I 7. (amaze) by the co-existence of old and new，and how a city was
able to keep such a rich heritage(遗产) while constantly growing.As a photographer，I have spent
the last two years 8. (record) everything I discovered.
The 9. (remark) development of this city，which is consciously designed to
protect the past while stepping into the modern world,10. (mean) there is always
something new to discover here，and I could be photographing Beijing for the next 50 years.
