考古学家可以通过对古代陶器的研究挖掘出藏在陶器背后的故事，而且这些古代陶器也为我们研究祖先的生活提供了全新的材料。
Digging up the Past
Like detectives, archaeologists u evidence to solve mysteries. Detectives
look for clues to solve crimes. Archaeologists ek clues to help them
understand how people lived long ago. In fact, the word “archaeology”means
“the study of ancient thin gs”. One type of evidence ud to learn about the
past is pottery(陶器)．
People have ud pottery for thousands of years all over the world. Old
pottery is usually found in pieces called “potsherds”. Sometimes potsherds
found in the same place can be put back together to re-create the original pot.
Even in pieces, old pottery can teach us about the past. When examining pottery, archaeologists consider not only its appearance but what it was made of and how it was made. With this knowledge, they can gain interesting information about people’s lives in times past.
Pottery is made by first adding water to a kind of soil called clay. When wet, clay can be formed into shapes. It is then heated. This hardens the clay and allows it to keep its shape. To make clay easier to shape and heat, potters u something called “temper”. An archaeologist can
tell where a pot came from by the types of clay and temper that were ud. Sometimes a pot found in one location might contain materials from another place. This can provide clues about how people traded or traveled.
A pot’s shape and decoration can provide clues about the past. Painted pictures might show events from daily life of legends(传说). Archaeologists know certain shapes and styles that were common in different times and places.
Archaeologists study the differences in types of pottery cloly. Becau of their work, the everyday objects can reveal(揭露) some of the mysteries of the past.
Section ⅠWarming Up & Reading—Comprehending
重点单词
win8密钥
写作词汇
1.alternative n. 可能的选择
adj. 供选择的；其他的
2.__regardless ad v. 不管；不顾
4.primitive adj. 原始的；远古的；简陋的
5.category n. 种类；类别；范畴
拓展词汇
6.botany n．植物学→botanical adj.植物学的；与植物学有关的
7.accuracy n．精确；准确→accurate adj.精确的；准确的→accurately ad v.精确地；准确地
8.interrupt v t.& v i.打断……讲话；打岔；暂时中断或中止→interruption n．打扰；中断(时间)
9.sharpen v i.& v t.(使)锋利；尖锐；清晰→sharpener n．磨具；削具→sharp adj.锋利的；尖锐的；清晰的
11.analysis n．分析→analys(复数)→analyze v t.分析
12.assume v t.假定；设想→assuming prep.假设→assumption n．设想；假定；担任
13.starvation n．挨饿；饿死→starve v i.挨饿；饿死
14.__ripen v t.& v i.使……成熟；成熟→ripe adj.成熟的
阅读词汇链接服务器
15.identify v t. 确认；识别；鉴别
16.archaeology n. 考古学
18.acute adj. 有观察力的；敏锐的；严重
的；深刻的
19.mat n. 席子；垫子
20.quilt n. 被子；棉被
21.beast n. 野兽
又红又专
22.ample adj. 足够的；充足的；富裕的
23.ashell n. 海贝壳
重点短语
< 把……和……相比较
2.show__sb.__round 领某人参观
4.at__most 至多；最多
5.cut__up 切碎
6.be__aware__of 知道
<__to__a__conclusion 得出结论
8.differ__from 不同于
重点句型
1.It is a great pleasure to do sth.很高兴做某事：
It__is__a__great__pleasure__to__meet__you__students__from__England(很高兴见到你们这些葭萌关读音
来自英国的学生), who are interested in archaeology.
2.do you think作插入语：What__el__do__you__think(你认为还有其他什么) it might have been ud for？
新时代雷锋精神3.as引导非限制性定语从句，意为“正如，正像”：Yes, indeed,
as__the__botanical__analys__have__shown__us(正如植物学的分析结果告诉我们的一样), all the fields around here ud to be part of a large shallow lake.
4.why引导表语从句：That’s__why(那就是为什么) they are called hunters and gatherers.
ⅠFast-reading
Skim the text and do the following exercis.
1．Read the conversation and match the three topics with what the archaeologist talked about.
Topic 1A．What can we learn from a necklace?
Topic 2 B．Life in the cave.
Topic 3 C．What can we learn from a needle?
答案：BCA
2．What’s the main idea of the text?
The main idea is about ________________________________ in the Zhoukoudian caves.
答案：the life and habits of the earliest people
ⅡCareful-reading
Read the text carefully and choo the best answer.
1．Where do the caves lie?
A．In the forest.
B．On the aside.word自动换行
C．At the foot of the hill.
D．Higher up the hill.
2．Which of the following is the CORRECT order about how early people made clothes?
a．remove the fat and meat from the skin
达芬奇画作
b．cut up animals
c．rub salt onto the skin
d．remove their skin
e．w the pieces together
A．b－d－c－a－e B．b－d－a－c－e
C．b－a－d－c－e D．b－a－c－d－e
3．Which of the following shows us early people and modern people have something in common?
A．People hang animal skins to keep out the cold.
B．People never grow their own crops.
C．People u science.
D．People care about their appearance.
4．What will the group of students most probably do next?
A．They will go into the caves to have a clo look.
B．They will say goodbye to the archaeologist.
C．They will have an immediate discussion.
D．They will continue asking questions about the earliest people.
答案：1－4.DBDA
ⅢStudy-reading
商务谈判英语Analyze the following difficult ntences in the text.
1．You must be aware that it’s here that we found evidence of some of the earliest people who lived in this part of the world.
①本句是一个主从复合句。
②You must be aware是主句；that it’he world是宾语从句。
③宾语从句使用了强调句型，被强调内容是________；其中又包含一个由who引导的定语从句，修饰先行词________。
[翻译]你们想必都知道，正是在这个地方，我们找到了世界上在这个地区居住的最早人类的证据。
答案：here；people
2．We have been excavating layers of ash almost six metres thick, which suggests that they might have kept the fire burning all winter.
[翻译]我们一直在挖掘一层层的积灰，几乎有六米厚。这意味着他们可能整个冬天都在烧火。
答案：定语；宾语
