Comprehension理解
Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer. www.xiao84.com
1 Why will future historians not have to rely entirely on the written word when they come to record the history of our own times?
2 Why do historians who write about the distant past have a difficult task?
3 When was it believed that calendars were first used?
Vocabulary词汇
Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: record(1. 2); select (1. 3); great mass of evidence (1. 3); accumulates (1. 4); solely (1. 4); bewildering (1. 6); insignificant (1. 9).
Summary writing摘要写作
In not more than 80 words describe what historians have learnt from the strange markings made by early man. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph.
Composition作文
In not more than 250 words describe some of the things future historians will be able to learn about us. Use the ideas given below. Do not write more than four paragraphs.
Title: Studying the past.
Introduction: The future historian's sources: films, video, CDs, CD----ROMs.
Development: Social and political history: how we dressed---- what we ate ---- what houses we lived in ---- what our citieswere like ---- the forms of entertainment we enjoyed ---- the news day by day ---- the way we fought our wars ---- great moments in history ---- leading figures of the time as well as ordinary people.
Conclusion: Study of history will provide interest and excitement ---- the past will be brought to life.
Letter writing书信写作
For several years you have been writing to a penfriend whom you have never met in person. Write him a letter of about 100 words in three paragraphs telling him that you will be visiting his country soon and expressing pleasure that you will be able to meet each other for the first time.
Key structuresandSpecial difficulties关键句型和难点
Exercises练习
1 Give the correct form of the verbs in parentheses. Do not refer to the passage until you finish the exercise:
Up to now, historians ______ (assume) that calendars ______ (come) into being with the advent of agricul ture, for then man ______ (face) with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence ______ (seem) to indicate that this assumption ______ (be) incorrect. Historians long ______ (puzzle) by dots, lines and symbols which ______ (engrave) on walls, bones, and the ivory tusks of mammoths. The nomads who ______ (make) these markings ______ (live) by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which ______ (begin) about 35, 000 B. C. and ______ (end) about 10, 000 B. C. (11. 10-15) (Mainly IKS 29) (主要参见第2册第29课关键句型)
2 it is connected with (1. 17). Put with or for after the following verbs: agree, account, mistake, cope, correspond, apologize, blame, reason, satisfied, quarrel, wait, search. (聚散两依依) (参见第2册第46课关键句型)
3 between these paintings and the markings (1. 20). Write two sentences illustrating the difference between between and among. (ISD 76b) (参见第2课第76课难点b)
Multiple choice questions多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension理解
1 In assuming that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, historians made the mistake of
a．relying solely on the written word
b．disregarding the markings that early man had been responsible for
c．supposing that nomadic man had no reason to understand the seasons
d．not connecting the passage of days with the phases of the moon
2 The scientific evidence that has recently come to light is that ______ .
a．nomads engraved the bones and tusks of the animals they killed
b．nomads lived by hunting and fishing
c．nomads travelled widely in various parts of the world
d．the markings made by various nomadic groups all have a definite pattern
3 The paintings which have been found on the walls of nomadic dwelling places ______ .
a．have taught historians something about the nomadic way of life
b．have no other content than their artistic merit
c．are not thought to be connected with an ancient calendar system
d．are invariably accompanied by odd dots, lines and symbols
Structure结构
4 It ______ as if they could see and hear us in action. (11. 6-7)
a．was
b．were
c．should be
d．will be
5 Even ______ seem insignificant remains can shed interesting…(11. 8-9)
a．they
b．which
c．what
d．those to
6 Historians are now able to read this difficult code ______ markings made in… (11. 15-16)
a．with correlating
b．having correlated
c．which correlates
d．for they correlate
7 ______ be a definite relation between these paintings and the…(11. 19-21)
a．It could
b．There can
c．There may
d．It might
Vocabulary词汇
8 Historians have long tried to ______ dots, lines and… (1. 13)
a．puzzle
b．puzzle out
c．riddle
d．detect
9 By correlating markings made in ______ parts of the world…(11. 15-16)
a．different
b．several
c．many
d．other
10 ---- historians have been able to read ______ . (1. 16)
a．these puzzling signs
b．this hard law
c．these difficult signals
d．this uneasy letter
11 Until recently historians assumed that calendars ______ with the advent of agriculture. (1. 10)
a．came to existence
b．came to existing
c．came to exist
d．were existential
12 The people who lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age ______ . (11. 14-15)
a．wandered from place to place
b．lived in villages
c．first learnt to write
d．learnt how to farm the land
