2001春季高考英语—第一卷III(D)

D

    You are what you eat. This saying has provided¹ scientists with clues²(线索)about the diet of hominids- our early relatives of 3 million years ago.

    Studying carbon³ atoms(碳原子)locked up in tooth enamel⁴（珐琅质）,two researchers argue against the widely held belief that hominids ate little more than fruits and leaves. Sponheimer and Julia Lee-Thorp of the University of Cape⁵ Town, South Africa, report their findings⁶ in Friday’s Science.

    There aren’t many clues for us to know the life of early hominids. The shape of hominids’ teeth offered the first clues. Large and flat-edged with thick enamel, they looked perfect for eating nuts and fruits, different from the sharp teeth one would want to tear into meat with. The first stone tools, which would help in eating meat, didn’t appear until about half a million years later.

    Scientists have also found marks on hominids’ teeth with patterns very similar to those on the teeth of modern-day fruit eaters. Sponheimer and Lee-Thorp tried a new method , looking at the chemical composition of the tooth enamel. They studied the enamel for the carbon-13. Animals that eat grasses have higher carbon-13 levels than those eating fruits and other plants.

    What they found was that the teeth to the hominids had an in-between amount of carbon-13, which meant not only they were eating fruits, they were eating a lot of grasses, or animals eating grasses. The lower⁷ carbon-13 levels could also come from eating certain types of insects (昆虫).

    But there are people who understand differently. Prof. Ungar of the University of Arkansas agrees the study offers new suggestions of hominids diet, but disagrees about the suggestion that meat could explain the lower carbon-13 levels .

    One suggestion might be true though-take good care of your teeth .In 3 million years, a scientist might be using them to figure out what you ate for dinner.

64. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A. Protect Your Teeth B. What the Hominid Ate  C. Where the Hominid lived  D. The Formation⁸ of Teeth Enamel

65. Before the two scientists' findings, most people thought that hominids______.

A. lived half a million years ago  B. ate mainly fruits and leaves

C. used tools to dig⁹ grass  D. had sharp teeth.

66. The two scientists' findings were mainly based on the study about _____.

A. the shape of hominids' teeth  B. the teeth marks of early fruit eaters

C. the grasses of 3 million years ago  D. the make-up of the tooth enamel

67. What is it that Prof. Ungar finds doubtful¹⁰?

A. Hominids possibly ate grass-eating animals.  B. Hominids probably had different diets.

C. Hominids were basically¹¹ fruit- and grass-eaters.  D. Hominids had lower level of carbon-13 in the teeth.

1 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

2 clues   

n.线索( clue的名词复数 )；提示；（帮助警方破案的）线索；（纵横填字谜、游戏或问题的）提示词语

参考例句：

• The police think the videotape may hold some vital clues to the identity of the killer. 警方认为那盘录像带可能录有能确认凶手身份的一些重要线索。
• contextual clues to the meaning 上下文提供的理解其含义的线索

3 carbon   

n.碳元素

参考例句：

• Diamonds are pure carbon.钻石是纯净的碳。
• Carbon is an element,while carbon dioxide is a compound.碳是一种(化学)元素，而二氧化碳则是一种化合物。

4 enamel   

n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质

参考例句：

• I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
• He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

6 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

7 lower   

adj.较低的；地位较低的，低等的；低年级的；下游的；vt.放下，降下，放低；减低

参考例句：

• Society is divided into upper,middle and lower classes.社会分为上层、中层和下层阶级。
• This price is his minimum;he refuses to lower it any further.这个价格是他开的最低价，他拒绝再作任何降价。

8 formation   

n.形成，组成；形成物，结构；队形，排列

参考例句：

• This is the formation of a new government.这是新政府的构成。
• The aircraft are flying in formation.飞机编队飞行。

9 dig   

v.挖（洞，沟等）；掘

参考例句：

• It is difficult to dig the ground when it is frozen.地面冻住了就不易挖掘。
• In those days we often went to dig for wild vegetables.那时候我们常常出去挖野菜。

10 doubtful   

adj.难以预测的，未定的；怀疑的，可疑的

参考例句：

• Let's try to clear up our difficult and doubtful points.让我们设法把难处和疑点解决一下。
• Everyone was doubtful at first,but his statement in detail held up.起初大家都怀疑，但他的详细叙述证明情况属实。

11 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。