Question

    We don’t know who first discovered a way to measure time. It was probably the Hindus, the Greeks, or the Egyptians. We do know, however, that more than 7, 000 years ago the Hindus looked at the sky and measured time by looking at the position of the stars and the sun.

The Egyptians used the water clock. This measured the time it took for a certain amount of water to pass from one place to another. The Egyptians were also the first people to make a calendar of 365 days. The earliest known water clock was found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh(法老)Amenhotep I, who was buried around 1, 500 BC.

The hourglass(时漏) was probably invented in the 3^rd century BC. No one knows for sure. This was similar in a way to the water clock. Time was measured by the amount of sand that moved from one container to another. We still use this kind of clock today in the form of an egg timer(煮鸡蛋的定时器). This measures time in three minute periods.

The first clock of any kinds to be used in China were brought there by European explorers. And it was in Europe that the first mechanical clock was invented. The word “clock” comes from the Latin “clocca” which means bell, and it was first used in the 14^thcentury.

根据短文内容，填写适当的单词或短语，完成下列句子。每空不超过两个单词。

1.More than 7, 000 years ago, the Hindus measured time with the help of looking at__________ of the stars and the sun.

2.People found the earliest water clock in________ where the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I was buried.

3.No one knows when the hourglass was invented_________.

4.__________ first brought clocks to China.

5.The first mechanical clock was invented in___________.

Answer

1.the position

2.the tomb

3.for sure

4.European explorers

5.Europe

【解析】

本篇介绍古人测量时间的方法及时钟的发明。印度教徒通过观察恒星和太阳的位置来观察天空和测量时间，埃及人使用水钟，沙漏可能是公元前3世纪发明的，第一个机械钟是在欧洲发明的，在中国使用的第一个钟是由欧洲探险家带来的。

1.

根据第一段“more than 7, 000 years ago the Hindus looked at the sky and measured time by looking at the position of the stars and the sun.”可知7000多年前，印度教教徒通过观察恒星和太阳的位置来测量时间，故答案为the position。

2.

根据第二段“The earliest known water clock was found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I, who was buried around 1, 500 BC”可知人们在埋葬埃及法老阿蒙霍特普一世的坟墓中发现了最早的水钟，故答案为the tomb。

3.

根据第三段“The hourglass was probably invented in the 3rdcentury BC. No one knows for sure.”可知没人确切知道沙漏是什么时候发明的，故答案为for sure。

4.

根据第四段“The first clock of any kinds to be used in China were brought there by European explorers”可知在中国使用的第一个钟是由欧洲探险家带来的，故答案为European explorers。

5.

根据第四段“And it was in Europe that the first mechanical clock was invented”可知第一个机械钟是在欧洲发明的，故答案为Europe。