There are many thoughts on the origins of civilization. One of the major factors involved was the increase in population. The development of techniques, primarily irrigation and flood control, which permitted agriculture in special areas such as the flood plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made possible the support of large population. Once populations reach a certain number, the older pattern of social organization breaks down and new ones develop. Specifically the older system, whereby each individual participated in food production and maintained a similar standard of living and whereby kinship(家属关系) served as the basic method of social organization, was replaced by the occupational division of labor, political and religious hierarchies(等级制度), public works such as road and public building construction, class systems, codes of law, markets, new forms of warfare, and urban centres. Allied with these important sociological traits are material traits, such as monumental architecture and the development of science and, in many cases, metallurgy(冶金学) and writing sustems.

The earliest civilization, Sumer, developed in the Middle East. This was the Bronze Age of the Old World, during which people first developed the art of metallurgy, civilization also arose in other parts of the Old World, first in Eygpt, China, and India, and later in Europe and Africa. At this time, civilization also developed independently in the New World, in the Mexican area and in Peru and its adjacent(邻近的) areas.

In the Old World the Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age, which saw the rise and fall of great empires and the shift of power from the Middle East to Greece and Rome and then to Western Europe. In the 1700s the Industrial Age began, leading directly to the modern civilization of today.

46. The author of this passage __________________________________.

   A. gives a comparison between ancient civilization and modern civilization

   B. suggests that population increase is most important in the development of civilization

   C. tries to explain how civilization developed in human history

   D. explore the relation between agriculture and industry

47. According to the first paragraph, the increase in population _____________________.

   A. resulted in the development of agricultural technology

   B. resulted from the breakdown of old social organization

   C. caused the occupational division of labor

   D. was impossible without the development of agriculture

48. The word “traits” in Paragraph One most likely means ___________________________.

   A. main appearances                    B. great achievements

   C. distinguishing features                D. outstanding successes

49. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. The Bronze Age is one of the earliest civilizations.

   B. The Industrial Age started in the Middle East.

   C. The Bronze Age developed into the Iron Age.

   D. The use of metal instruments started from the Bronze Age.

50. Which of the following is NOT included in the expression “the Old World” used in the passage?

   A. American continent.                  B. Both Western and Eastern Europe.

   C. African continent.                    D. Asian countries.

A “lost tribe” that reached America from Australia may have been the first Native Americans, according to a new theory.

If proved by DNA evidence, the theory will break long established beliefs about the southerly migration of people who entered America across the Bering Strait, found it empty and occupied it.

On this theory rests the belief of Native Americans to have been the first true Americans. They would be classified to the ranks of escapee, beaten to the New World by Aboriginals (土著人) in boats.

To a European, this may seem like an academic argument, but to Americans it is a philosophical question about identity, Silvia Gonzales, of Liverpool University said .

Her claims are based on skeletons found in the California Peninsula of Mexico that have skulls quite unlike the broad Mongolian features of Native Americans. These narrow-skulled people have more in common with southern Asians, Aboriginal Australians and people of the South Pacific Region.

The bones, stored at the National Museum of Anthropology (人类学) in Mexico City, have been carbon-dated and one is 12,700 years old, which places it several thousand years before the arrival of people from the North. “We think there were several migration waves into the Americas at different times by different human groups,” Dr. Gonzales said. “The timing, route and point of origin of the first colonization of the Americas remains a most contentious topic in human evolution.”

But comparisons based on skull shape are not considered conclusive by anthropologists, so a team of Mexican and British scientists, backed by the Natural Environment Research Council, has also attempted to take out DNA from the bones. Dr. Gonzales declined yesterday to say exactly what the results were, as they need to be checked, but indicated that they were consistent(一致) with an Australian origin.

It is generally considered that the first Native Americans came from ________.

A. North Asia                           B. Australia

C. South Pacific                               D. South Asia

The skeletons found in the California Peninsula of Mexico have ________.

A. the broad skull shape

B. the narrow skull shape

C. different features of Aboriginal Australians

D. the same features of Native Americans

The underlined “contentious” is similar in meaning to “________”.

A. likely to cause great interest            B. difficult to solve

C. well-known to all                           D. likely to cause argument

Which of the following statements is true according to the text?

A. Research on skulls can draw an exact conclusion.

B. DNA tests have proved the fact that the first Native Americans came from Australian.

C. Scientists are still not sure about the origin of the Native Americans.

D. People began to enter America across the Bering Strait about 12,700 years ago.

There are many thoughts on the origins of civilization. One of the major factors involved was the increase in population. The development of techniques, primarily irrigation and flood control, which permitted agriculture in special areas such as the flood plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made possible the support of large population. Once populations reach a certain number, the older pattern of social organization breaks down and new ones develop. Specifically the older system, whereby each individual participated in food production and maintained a similar standard of living and whereby kinship(家属关系) served as the basic method of social organization, was replaced by the occupational division of labor, political and religious hierarchies(等级制度), public works such as road and public building construction, class systems, codes of law, markets, new forms of warfare, and urban centres. Allied with these important sociological traits are material traits, such as monumental architecture and the development of science and, in many cases, metallurgy(冶金学) and writing systems.

The earliest civilization, Sumer, developed in the Middle East. This was the Bronze Age of the Old World, during which people first developed the art of metallurgy, civilization also arose in other parts of the Old World, first in Egypt, China, and India, and later in Europe and Africa. At this time, civilization also developed independently in the New World, in the Mexican area and in Peru and its adjacent(邻近的) areas.

In the Old World the Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age, which saw the rise and fall of great empires and the shift of power from the Middle East to Greece and Rome and then to Western Europe. In the 1700s the Industrial Age began, leading directly to the modern civilization of today.

46. The author of this passage __________________________________.

A. gives a comparison between ancient civilization and modern civilization

B. suggests that population increase is most important in the development of civilization

C. tries to explain how civilization developed in human history

D. explore the relation between agriculture and industry

47. According to the first paragraph, the increase in population __________________.

A. resulted in the development of agricultural technology

B. resulted from the breakdown of old social organization

C. caused the occupational division of labor

D. was impossible without the development of agriculture

48. The word “traits” in Paragraph One most likely means ____________________.

A. main appearances                        B. great achievements

C. distinguishing features                      D. outstanding successes

49. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The Bronze Age is one of the earliest civilizations.

B. The Industrial Age started in the Middle East.

C. The Bronze Age developed into the Iron Age.

D. The use of metal instruments started from the Bronze Age.

50. Which of the following is NOT included in the expression “the Old World” used in the passage?

A. American continent.                         B. Both Western and Eastern Europe.

C. African continent.                                   D. Asian countries.

The main reason why Apple’s products always manage to capture the imagination of people worldwide is their attention to _____. Each and every part of an Apple product is perfect in its body.

A．details            B．functions          C．features          D．trends

There are many thoughts on the origins of civilization. One of the major factors involved was the increase in population. The development of techniques, primarily irrigation and flood control, which permitted agriculture in special areas such as the flood plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made possible the support of large population. Once populations reach a certain number, the older pattern of social organization breaks down and new ones develop. Specifically the older system, whereby each individual participated in food production and maintained a similar standard of living and whereby kinship(家属关系) served as the basic method of social organization, was replaced by the occupational division of labor, political and religious hierarchies(等级制度), public works such as road and public building construction, class systems, codes of law, markets, new forms of warfare, and urban centres. Allied with these important sociological traits are material traits, such as monumental architecture and the development of science and, in many cases, metallurgy(冶金学) and writing systems.
The earliest civilization, Sumer, developed in the Middle East. This was the Bronze Age of the Old World, during which people first developed the art of metallurgy, civilization also arose in other parts of the Old World, first in Egypt, China, and India, and later in Europe and Africa. At this time, civilization also developed independently in the New World, in the Mexican area and in Peru and its adjacent(邻近的) areas.
In the Old World the Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age, which saw the rise and fall of great empires and the shift of power from the Middle East to Greece and Rome and then to Western Europe. In the 1700s the Industrial Age began, leading directly to the modern civilization of today.
46. The author of this passage __________________________________.
A. gives a comparison between ancient civilization and modern civilization
B. suggests that population increase is most important in the development of civilization
C. tries to explain how civilization developed in human history
D. explore the relation between agriculture and industry
47. According to the first paragraph, the increase in population __________________.
A. resulted in the development of agricultural technology
B. resulted from the breakdown of old social organization
C. caused the occupational division of labor
D. was impossible without the development of agriculture
48. The word “traits” in Paragraph One most likely means ____________________.
A. main appearances                        B. great achievements
C. distinguishing features                      D. outstanding successes
49. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The Bronze Age is one of the earliest civilizations.
B. The Industrial Age started in the Middle East.
C. The Bronze Age developed into the Iron Age.
D. The use of metal instruments started from the Bronze Age.
50. Which of the following is NOT included in the expression “the Old World” used in the passage?
A. American continent.                         B. Both Western and Eastern Europe.
C. African continent.                                   D. Asian countries.