ARCHAEOLOGISTS(考古学家) GUIDED BY laser images of a remote region of northern Guatemala have discovered 20-foot-high walls, watchtowers, and other evidence that ancient Maya societies had been annoyed by warfare threat over many years. The finds have upended long-established impressions of a civilization that it tamed the jungle and built thriving cities,then declined and disappeared quietly beneath the dense tropical forest.
Among the most surprising discoveries was a large stone complex now called La Cuemavilla. Built on a steep ridge, the heavily fortified site included high walls. Moats which serves as the largest defensive system ever discovered in the region.
This was surprising says an archaeologist, "because we had a tendency to romanticize Maya warfare as something that was largely ritualized. But the fortifications were seeing suggest an elevated level of antagonism over centuries. Rulers were so deeply alarmed that they felt the need to invest in all these hilltop fortifications. There is an almost visible sense of fear in this landscape.
All these findings owe credit to PACUNAM LIDAR Initiative, a laser survey of some 800 square miles of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala. Using revolutionary Laser technology, the survey revealed the long-hidden ruins of a sprawling pre-Columbian civilization that was far more complex and interconnected than most Maya specialists had supposed.
Guided by the new Laser treasure maps, the LIDAR team deployed through the jungle over the past year to conduct hands-on investigations of more than a dozen of the most promising sites-most of which would have been imperceptible without LIDAR.
"You could walk over the top of a major ruin and miss it, "says an archaeologist who's part of the PACUNA project. But LIDAR picks up the patterns and makes the features pop out with surprising clarity.
Three-dimensional maps generated by the survey yielded surprises even at Tikal, the largest and most extensively explored archaeological site in Guatemala. The ancient city was at least four times bigger than previously thought, and surrounded by a massive ditch and fortified base stretching for miles.
Archaeologists stress that LIDAR, for all its utility, will never see below the ground or yield direct dates of occupation. “we still need to dig and hack our way through the jungle, but now we have a very accurate map to guide us.
1.How did people think of Maya before the discovery of the defense ruins?
A. It was the most advanced civilization in the history of mankind.
B. It was long under the threat of large-scale wars
C. Its rise and decline were under way peacefully
D. It was finally destroyed by a large-scale war
2.The underlined word antagonism is closest in meaning to ____.
A. misery
B. revolution
C. population decrease
D. opposition
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The military mechanism found in La Cuemavilla was intended for occupying more lands.
B. The new laser technology was mainly used to enlarge the original site size.
C. The LIDAR helps to avoid the traditional digging task in site exploration.
D. The Tikal site was found to be protected by certain defense works
4.The passage is mainly about ____.
A. people' s long-time misunderstanding of Maya civilization.
B. discovery of Maya military works aided by new explore technology
C. the finding of a big warfare resulting in the disappearance of Maya civilization
D. The various advantages of new technologies in the field of archaeology.
While faking and fierce looks are among animals great defenses, many species know that everyone runs from a big stink(臭气)too.
Vulture(秃鸳)
Vultures, are street sweepers that feast on the rotting flesh of dead animals, which benefits us by ridding our highways and landscapes of animal bodies and the bacteria they might carry. When vultures feel threatened they vomit, and the smell of vomited-on dead bodies puts of most predators. Throwing up allows the vulture to fly away more quickly-and the vomit can hurt the aggressor's eyes and face.
Opossum(负鼠)
In some ways opossums have it easy. In order to become “dead", they don’t have to fax anyone a death certificate. They just lie there with their tongues hanging out with the smell of dead flesh, sometimes for hours, effectively convincing potential predators they can find a much fresher meal elsewhere. Even if they keep getting attacked, they won't move any more than a human statue until the threat has passed.
Hoatzin(磨雉)
Hold your nose and meet the hoatzin, a bird of distinctions, not the least of which is that it smells like fresh cow shit. The animal mostly eats leaves and it's the only bird known to digest by fermentation, like a cow. This process is what causes its smell and has earned it the nickname the “stink bird
Millipedes (千足虫)
Millipedes are tricky. For starters they look wormy. Their name is deceptive, too: Their legs number about 750. Their major defense is to curl up into a ball. They, though, also release a harm eyes, and leave a horrible smell on their attackers.
Sea Hare(海兔)
The graceful sea hare is plain in taste in the first place, so it's not the most popular dish in the seafood chain. Nonetheless this type of sea creature has a pretty creative smell-related defense that is almost the opposite of its smelly companions on this list. The sea hare gives out a slimy, purple ink, the substance which makes food less palatable to predators.
Researchers using lobsters(2-f)as model predators found that the sea blocks the lobsters receptive mechanism. In other words, the sea hare gives its attacker the equivalent of a stuffy nose so they don't know how appealing it is.
1.The sea hare defends itself from predators by ____.
A. becoming plain in taste at the discovery of a predator
B. giving out purple ink to make itself invisible to predators
C. releasing substance to make predators unable to smell it
D. giving off smelly gas to try to drive predators away.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The vulture carries bacteria so that predators dare not get close to it.
B. The opossum fakes its death to avoid being targeted by predators.
C. The hoatzin eats cow shit so that it is nick-named as “stink bird
D. The gas released by millipede was basically harmless
3.The species that enjoys more than one defense mechanism is
A. vulture
B. opossum
C. millipede
D. sea hare
After some blood tests, Dr Stubs stood before me, a tall man, but short on personality and sporting a cold expression. You have systemic lupus. he said matter-of-factly."Lupus, "he continued, "is an auto-immune disease and ….” I remember certain details but mostly I remember him talking about children. “Children are no harm. But childbirth would jumpstart additional symptoms that could be life threatening. You already have two kids anyway.”
As I got up to leave, shaken and drained, he said his parting words, “I would discourage any further research. There is no cure and nothing can prevent its progression.”
Still, I did research lupus and its symptoms tiredness and joint pain-were both consistent with what I was experiencing. And eventually some major organs could be affected, causing shutdown and possibly death.
I studied and found out that echinacea had a record in making immune system stronger. I decided that along with the plant I would strengthen my mindset by immersing myself in my family with my one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter.
After another visit, I decided never to go back to Dr. Stubs. How could one endure repeatedly hear desperately words coming from an emotionless mouth even though they were truth? The years passed. When I would feel tired and achy I pulled support from my children and their laughter.
Finally, after eight years, I went to Dr. Kirstein who was recommended by a friend. She stood there holding my hand and looking into my eyes warmly
"So, let’s talk a little
Instantly my defenses were down. Before I knew it, she had me running on and on about my children, my husband, my life and dreams. I told her about all the meaningful activities I was involved in, those things I might have never done without the disease.
After several follow-up tests, and greater research into my family history, Dr. Kirsteincame to conclusive answer. I did not have systemic lupus. There must be something wrong with the initial tests 8 years before.
I didn't know whether I should jump for joy or scream because I had been living the last eight years in fear of a fatal disease. But then I realized that I had been living every day, not so much in fear, but happiness Even day was a gift and I knew it.
1.Dr. Strubs warned the author against having more children because _____.
A. The process of giving birth put her life in danger.
B. Taking care of children will gradually worsen her disease.
C. Her disease will threaten the health of her children.
D. She already has enough children.
2.why did the author stop seeing doctor Strubs after two visits? .
A. Because she not qualified to treat her disease.
B. Because he recommended Dr.Kirkstein to her.
C. Because his cold attitude upset the author.
D. Because she suspected his diagnosis about her disease.
3.How did the author deal with the disease?
A. She calmly waited for major organs to shut down.
B. she took effective medicine regularly to fight the disease.
C. She turned to Dr. Kirstein to get cure for the disease
D. She tried to strengthen immune system and drew strength from family.
4.Why did the author think every day in the past 8 years was a gift?
A. Because systemic lupus was no longer a deadly disease.
B. Because she made every day valuable in spite of disease
C. Because she received a gift every day from her family
D. Because she only occasionally felt pain and tiredness.
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word of phrase that best fits the context.
From the nation's earliest days, farming has held a crucial place in the American economy and culture. Farmers play an important role in any society, of course, since they feed people. But farming has been particularly ______ in the United States with intensified attention from civilians and government as well.
Early in the nation's life, farmers were seen as exemplifying economic ______ such as hard work, perseverance, and self-sufficiency. Moreover, many Americans, particularly immigrants who may have never held any land in the country, found that owning a farm was the ______ to enter the American economic system. They were immediately playing a part in the country’s economy.
The American farmer has generally been quite successful at producing food. Indeed, sometimes his success has created his biggest problem: the agricultural sector has suffered periodic explosions of overproduction that have ______ prices. When the government have to step in and ______ the worst of these events.
American farmers owe their ability to produce large yields to a number of factors. For one thing, they work under ______ natural conditions. The American Midwest has some of the richest soil in the world. Rainfall is ______ over most areas of the country; rivers and underground water permit extensive irrigation where it is not.
Increasing use of high-quality ______ labor also have contributed to the success of American agriculture. It is not unusual to see today's farmers ______ plows or harvesters. One farmer can manage large lands of farms. Fertilizers and pesticides are commonly used although some environmentalists ______ it. Computers track farm operations, and even ______ technology is utilized to find the best places to plant and fertilize crops. US agriculture is among the most advanced in the world.
Farmers still fight with forces beyond their control, ______. Despite its generally benign weather, North America also experiences frequent floods and droughts. Changes in the weather give agriculture its own economic cycles, often ______ the general economy. When negative factors hit farmers, calls for government assistance are particularly intense. In the 1930s, for instance, bad weather, and the Great Depression combined topush farms over the edge into a(n) ______ situation. The government responded with ______ agricultural reforms -- most notably, a system of price supports, whose significance toward the large-scale campaign lasted for many years.
1.A. valued B. accessed C. implemented D. illustrated
2.A. regulations B. virtues C. obligations D. requirements
3.A. shortcut B. implication C. reward D. substitute
4.A. maintained B. margined C. depressed D. refunded
5.A. take over B. cover up for C. come up with D. smooth out
6.A. varied B. favorable C. extreme D. visible
7.A. moderate B. predictable C. timely D. acid
8.A. labor B. investment C. chemical D. landscape
9.A. complicated B. flexible C. accessible D. executive
10.A. criticize B. recall C. evaluate D. identify
11.A. medical B. mobile C. space D. process
12.A. for example B. in all C. however D. additionally
13.A. subject to B. unrelated to C. reduced to D. applied to
14.A. vague B. desperate C. isolated D. feasible
15.A. struggling B. traditional C. sweeping D. permanent
Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
For several decades, various types of artificial intelligence kept shocking the world. Robots could 1. people in highly competitive games and then quickly destroyed their human competitors.
AI long ago mastered chess, the Chinese board game Go and even the Rubik's cube, which it managed to solve in just 0.38 second.
Now machines have a new game that will allow them to 2. humans: Jenga, the popular game in which players 3.remove pieces from an increasingly unstable tower of 54 blocks, placing each one on top until the entire structure would 4..
A newly released video from MIT shows a robot developed by the school's engineers playing the game with surprising accuracy. The machine is equipped with a soft gripper(夹子), a force-sensing wrist and an external camera, allowing the robot to detect the tower’s 5. the way a human might do
Unlike in purely recognitive tasks or games such as chess or Go, playing the game of Jenga also requires mastery of physical acts such as pushing, pulling, placing, and arranging pieces. It must 6. interactive physical operation, where you have to touch the tower to learn how and when to move blocks.
Imitating it is rather difficult, so the robot has to learn in the real world, by working with the real Jenga tower. Recently, a relevant research was published in the journal Science Robotics. Researchers say the robot demonstrates that machines can learn how to perform certain tasks through actual touching instead of relying heavily on visual 7.. That physical 8. is significant, researchers say, because it provides further proof that robots can be used to perform 9. tasks, such as separating recyclable objects from landfill trash and assembling consumer products.
In a cellphone assembly line, the felling of any component is coming from force and touch rather than vision. To become an accomplished Jenga player, the robot did not require as much repetitive practice as you might imagine. Hoping to avoid reconstructing a Jenga tower thousands of times, researchers developed a method that allowed the robot to be trained on about 300 games. Researchers say the robot has already begun facing off against humans, who remain 10. players—for now.
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
When Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her way to accept her best actress Oscar one year, her pink princess-like Dior dress 1. (capture) in all its glory. The unscripted moment became hot topic throughout social media.
That bonus air-time for a single dress at one of the worlds global events is priceless for the likes of Dior, one of the 2. (influential) fashion houses in the luxury marketplace.
Success on the red carpet can earn exposure and profits for luxury brands for years 3.(come). The red carpet, which will be televised live before Academy Award ceremony, presents a great opportunity for a designer to reach an audience that expands 4.the fashion setting. The Lawrence dress received about 40 million mentions on various social media.
One way of estimating the monetary benefits of having a standout dress on the red carpet is to compare how much a brand would otherwise spend on commercial advertising during the same time. 5.Lawrence had only 75 seconds of solo camera time for her Oscar acceptance speech, Dior had to pay more than $4 million for a commercial spot of the same duration on similar occasions. And this didn't include the time 6. (devote) to Lawrence and her dress on the pre-show televised red carpet. Lawrence, 23, had an advertising contract with Dior. 7.the group’s deal with Lawrence affected its sales was clearly stated in its annual financial report. That year, the group clothing section’s profits 8.(total)165 million euros, up 26 percent from the previous year.
Heston, the founder of a publicity firm, 9.success stories include introducing Jimmy Choo shoes and designer Saab to Hollywood, believes that the Oscar red carpet is today dominated by established luxury brands. Finding it much more difficult to compete with big brand names to dress super stars on big events, many young designers turn to 10.(bet) on promising rising stars, expecting an overnight success if the young stars rise to sudden fame.
