alongside the fossils which showed they had used fire for cooking food and also for light, warmth, and protection against wild animals. This is the earliest evidence of the use of fire anywhere in the world. They also made tools of bones and stones. Unfortunately, when Japan invaded China in 1937, excavations at the Beijing Man Site stopped and most of the fossils disappeared, including a Beijing Man skull. After the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the work started again.

Zhoukoudian was listed as a World Heritage Site in December 1987. It has not only given us important information about prehistoric Asian societies, but also provided amazing evidence about the process of evolution. Today, parts of the caves have been badly affected by rain. Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage. Pollution from the nearby factories has also contributed to the problem. This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness of it.

【文章大意】文章向我们介绍了周口店"北京人"遗址, 它的位置、发现过程以及考古意义。

1. Archaeologists __________.

A. thought that Zhoukoudian was a beautiful village

B. thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian wouldn't change the history of China

C. discovered some prehistoric human bones in Zhoukoudian

D. thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian are the first evidence of human life in Asia

【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第一段中的"In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered some prehistoric human bones there which changed people's view of China's history. "可知答案。

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The digging was delayed by the Japanese invasion in the 1930s.

B. These ancient Chinese were the first people to use fire in daily life.

C. Some valuable things excavated from the site are still missing.

D. The digging of Zhoukoudian is famous and is well-funded.

【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据最后一段后半部分描写的情况, 长期以来, 风吹雨淋、杂草丛生、破烂不堪。说明是没有进行修复, 没有提得到资助的情况。故选项D说法是错误的。

3. What's the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. The digging of Zhoukoudian is still under way.

B. Zhoukoudian plays an important part in the study of prehistoric societies.

C. Zhoukoudian is a World Heritage Site.

D. Zhoukoudian is in great need of protection.

【解析】选D。段落大意题。本段在开头叙述完周口店对于考古的意义之后详细叙述周口店现在所处的糟糕状况, 因此D项才是该段的大意。

4. From the passage, we can infer that __________.

A. the work of excavating the Beijing Man Site has not proceeded smoothly

B. Beijing Man had a short life

C. Beijing Man lived in the caves of Longgushan

D. archaeologists found six complete skulls and more than 150 teeth in 1929