Question

    Although we can’t know for certain how the earliest human beings kept track of the time, scientists believe they probably relied on the natural world around them. For example, historically, humans have relied upon the movement of the sun across the sky to track time. The ancient Egyptians built tall obelisks (方尖碑) that would cast shadows to help divide the day into sections.

These obelisks worked in much the same way as sundials (日晷), which were a popular means of timekeeping long ago. Of course, sundials didn’t help much at night or on cloudy days. To help keep time when it wasn’t sunny, ancient people also learned to track the movement of the planets and constellations (星座) after dark.

Other devices were developed over time, including hour glasses and water clocks. These devices relied upon the time it would take a particular substance (物质), such as sand or water, to move from one part of a container to another. Rather than clocks, though, these devices were more like timers.

How did people long ago set up a meeting at a certain time in the future? Some historians believe many people relied on a technique as simple as pointing to an area of the sky. When the sun reached that point, that’s when you would meet the next day.

Of course, humans, being the clever creatures we are, relied on a variety of natural solutions to the problem of timekeeping. For example, many people simply trained their bodies to wake up at the first light of dawn. Others may have relied upon animals, such as roosters, as alarm clocks.

If people had to be up before dawn, they might have depended on the full bladder (膀胱) method. By drinking a lot of water before going to bed, they would be assured of waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!

1.What do the examples suggest in Paragraph 1?

A.It was hard for people to track time.

B.The sun was important to people’s life.

C.People tracked time by the natural world.

D.The sun had something to do with time.

2.What might be helpful when people get together in the day?

A.The animal calls.

B.The shadows of obelisk

C.The position of the sun.

D.The planets and constellations.

3.Why did some people drink too much water at night?

A.To get up on time. B.To wake up at dawn.

C.To prevent thirst. D.To go to the bathroom.

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A.When did Clock Appear?

B.Why is the Sun Important?

C.Where does Clock Come From?

D.How did People Keep Time before Clock?

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.A

4.D

【解析】

本文为一篇说明文。文章介绍了古人在古时候记录时间的方法。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中的Although we can’t know for certain how the earliest human beings kept track of the time, scientists believe they probably relied on the natural world around them.可知，虽然我们无法确定最早的人类是如何记录时间的，但科学家相信他们可能依赖于周围的自然界。由此推测，第一段中的例子是为了说明古时候的人们通过自然界来追踪时间。故选C项。

2.细节理解题。根据第四段中的Some historians believe many people relied on a technique as simple as pointing to an area of the sky. When the sun reached that point, that’s when you would meet the next day.可知，一些历史学家认为，许多人依赖于一种简单的技术，比如指向天空的某个区域。当太阳到达那一点时，就是你第二天见面的时候。由此可知，太阳的位置可能会对人们的聚会有帮助。故选C项。

3.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的If people had to be up before dawn, they might have depended on the full bladder (膀胱) method. By drinking a lot of water before going to bed, they would be assured of waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!可知，如果人们必须在黎明前起床，他们可能会依赖充满膀胱法。睡前喝很多水，他们就可以放心半夜醒来上厕所了！由此可知，有些人晚上喝太多水是为了准时起床。故选A项。

4.主旨大意题。结合全文可知，文章介绍了古时候的人们如何记录时间，按时遵守约定的方法。由此可知，D项“人们是如何守时的？”适合做本文最佳标题。故选D项。