高中英語人教版選修8課件：Unit5MeetingyourancestorsUnit5話題導(dǎo)入

“Around500,000yearsago,atthePekingManSiteatZhoukoudianinBeijing'ssuburbanFangshandistrict，whichisabout50kmfromthecityofBeijing,therelivedearlyhumanbeings，”

saysaChinahistorytextbook.Thetextbooknowhastoberevised.NewdatingtechniquessuggesttheremainsofPekingMan—foundinthe1920s—areover200,000yearsolderthanpreviouslythought.What'simportantaboutthatdate,about770,000yearsago，isthatthiswasaniceageonEarth.OverEarth'slonghistory,therehavebeenanumberoftimeswheniceandsnowcoveredalargepartofitssurface.Suchperiodsareknownasiceages.Earthisinaniceagenow.Itstartedabout2millionyearsago.Despitethemanywarmperiodssincethen,scientistsregardthewholetimeasoneiceagebecauseofthecontinuousexistenceofatleastonelargeicesheet—theoneoverAntarctica.ThenewdiscoverywasmadebyChineseandUSscientists.ItsuggestsPekingManisprobablyouroldestcoldweatherhumanbeing,saidDarrylGranger,anatmosphericscientistatPurdueUniversitywhoseresearchappearsinThursday'seditionofthejournalNature.TheaverageyearlytemperatureatthetimeinthatpartofChinawasaroundthefreezingmark，butitwastoodryforanicesheet,Grangersaid.Thisraisesaquestion.HowdidPekingMansurvivethecoldweather?RickPotts，aSmithsonianInstitutionhumanoriginsexpertwhowasn'tinvolvedintheresearch,raisedthreepossibilities:First，fire.EarlyfindingsshowedsignsofafireinPekingMan'scave.Buttherehasbeendebateaboutwhetherthefirewasaccidentalorcontrolled.Second，fur.ThereisnoevidencethatPekingManusedsimpletoolstomakemoreform-fittingclothes.It'smorelikelyheworeanimalfur.Last,hemayhavedevelopedgraduallytohandlethecold.PekingManmayhaveexperiencedphysiologicalchangesthatallowedmorebloodtoflowtohishandsandlegs,Pottssaid.“Peopleingeneralwholiveincolderclimatestendtobeshorterandwider，”

heexplained.UnlikethetimesofPekingMan,todaytheglobaltemperatureisrisingduetothegreenhouseeffect.Inthefuture,couldhumansdeveloptohandlethewarmthjustasPekingMandidtofightthecold?最新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)北京人的年代應(yīng)該是處于冰河世紀(jì)，比我們原先的估計早二十多萬年。1．Accordingtothenewresearch,PekingManactuallydatesbackto________.A.around500,000yearsagoB.over200,000yearsagoC.about770,000yearsagoD.about2millionyearsago答案：C細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由第二段最后一句話“What'simportantaboutthatdete,about770,000yearsago,isthatthiswasaniceageonEarth.”可知。2．Whatisthemostimportantstandardforscientiststodecideaniceage?A.Theweatherconditions.B.Thecontinuousexistenceofanylargeicesheets.C.Theaverageyearlytemperature.D.Thelongperiodofsnowfall.答案：B推理判斷題。由第四段第三句話“...scientistsregardthewholetimeasoneiceagebecauseofthecontinuousexistenceofatleastonelargeicesheet—theoneoverAntarctica.”可知。3．WhichofthefollowingisTRUEofPekingMan?A．Heistheoldesthumanbeing.B．Heusedfiretokeepwarm.C．Heworeform-fittingclothesmadefromfurwithsimpletools.D．Hemighthavebeenshorterandwiderthanpreviouslythought.答案：D細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由倒數(shù)第二段“Peopleingeneralwholiveincolderclimatestendtobeshorterandwider”可推知，北京人可能比我們原先預(yù)計的要矮胖，這樣才能與當(dāng)時的氣候相適應(yīng)。4．Whatdoesthepassagemainlywanttoconveytous?A.ThelatestdiscoveryaboutPekingMan.B.ThelifeofPeking