20．Valcamonica has one of the largest collections of rock drawings in the world．There have been about 200，000figures and symbols carved into the rocks over a time period of approximately 8，000years，Valcamonica's pictures show various scenes and are connected through common themes like magic，war，navigation and agriculture．
The rock drawings discovered in Valcamonica were the first prehistoric symbols of their kind recognized anywhere in the world．UNESCO first recognized the drawings in 1979when about 140，000were discovered，however，since then many more have been uncovered．
These drawings are spread all across the valley．The carvings began to taper off during the Iron Age and fewer appeared after that．The last period had been attributed to （归功于…） the Camunni people．Still there are drawings that have been identified as being from the 19th century．Many of these were created using the technique of engraving （雕刻）．
Some of the figures discovered in Valcamonica have been superimposed （叠印） withouit any order，but in most cases they appear in logical orders and also explain the relationship between each picture or symbol to tell a story．
The first known modern report of the rock carvings was in 1909 when Walther Laeng happened upon two decorated rocks in Capo di Ponte．Scholars only took interest in the drawings in the 1920s．More rocks with engravings were soon found in the areas nearby and research into their history began．In the 1930s comprehensive study campaigns were undertaken．
It was after the Second World War that the cataloging and mapping of the engravings began．This task was taken up by various teams of experts from Italy and other countries that were led by Laeng．In 1955preservation work on the rocks began．
In 1968，a large series of conferences were held where scholars from all over the world met to discuss the rock drawings，which give us some idea of what various societies of the past might have been like．
32．What do we know about Valcamonica's pictures？B
A．They tell a long whole story．
B．They are interrelated in some ways．
C．They were carved 8，000years ago．
D．They were first discovered in 1979．
33．The underlined"taper off"in Paragraph 3can best be replaced by"C"．
A．turn up．
B．go up
C．die out
D．stand out
34．What is Paragraph 5mainly about？C
A．The history of the rock drawings．
B．The features of the rock drawings．
C．The discovery of the rock drawings．
D．The formation of the rock drawings．
35．Studies of the rock drawingsD．
A．show us the development of art．
B．started after the Second World War．
C．were conducted by scholars from UNESCO．
D．help us know something about societies of the past．
分析 本文是说明文．文章主要介绍了意大利梵尔卡莫尼卡谷地的岩画．
解答 32．B．细节理解题．由第一段中的Valcamonica's pictures show various scenes and are connected through common themes like magic，war，navigation and agriculture 可知，梵尔卡莫尼卡谷地的岩画展示了不同的场景，并且通过共同的主题连接在一起．故选B．
33．C．词义猜测题．由划线部分下文中的 fewer appeared after that 可知，这些雕刻在铁器时代逐渐减少，故由此推断，taper off意为"逐渐减少"．故选C．
34．C．段落大意题．由第五段中的The first known modem report of the rock carvings was in 1909 W More rocks with engravings were soon found in the areas nearby可知，本段主要讲述了岩画的发现．故选C．
35．D．细节理解题．由最后一段中的give us some idea of what various societies of the past might have been like 可知，对梵尔卡莫尼卡谷地岩画的研究能让我们对过去的人类社会有所了解．故选D．
点评 此篇介绍性的阅读难度比一般阅读较大，它存在的生词比较多，因此考生应当综合略读、跳读和查读，猜词等阅读技巧来做题，平时也应加强练习．
