课文阅读
Finding fossil man 发现化石人
fossil man 化石人
We can read of things that happened 5000 years ago in the Near East, where people first learn to write. 我们从书籍中可以读到 5000 年前近东发生的事情，那里的人最早学会了写字。
read of 等同于 read about 即“读到”
the Near East 近东，即距离西欧较近的国家和地区
But there are some parts of the world where even now people cannot write. 但直到现在，世界上仍然有些地方，人们还不会书写。
The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas – legends handed down from one genreation of storytellers to another. 他们保存历史的唯一方法是将历史当作传说叙述，由讲述人一代接一代地将史实描述为传奇故事口传下来。
recount v. to tell somebody about something that you have experienced 叙述
~ sth. (to sb.): She was asked to recount the details of the conversation to the court. 她被要求向法庭陈述谈话细节。
~ what, how, etc….: They recounted what had happened during those years. 他们叙述了那些年里发生的事。
+ speech: ‘It was before the war,’ he recounted. “那是在战前。”他叙述道。
saga n. a long story about events over a period of many years （讲述许多年间发生的事情的）长篇故事，长篇小说
a family saga 家世小说
one generation of 一代的……的人
These lengends are useful because they can tell us something about migrations of people who lived long ago, but none of them could write down what they did. 这些传说是很有用的，因为它们能告诉我们以往人们迁居的情况。但是，没有人能把他们当时做的事情记载下来。
migration n. the movement of people to a new country or area in order to find work or better living conditions （为工作或改善生活状况的）移民，移居，迁居 [U,C]
~ (from …) (to …)：migration from rural to urban areas 从农村到城区的迁移
write sth. <-> down * to write something on paper, especially in order to remember or record it 写下，记录下
Write down the address before you forget it. 把地址记下来，免得忘了。
Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian peoples now living in the Pacific Islands came from. 人类学家过去不清楚如今生活在太平洋诸岛上的波利尼西亚人的祖先来自何方。
anthropologist n. a person who studies anthropology 人类学家
anthropology n. the study of the human race, especially of its origins, development, customs and beliefs 人类学 [U]
anthropological adj. connected with the study of the human race, especially of its origin, development, customs and beliefs 人类学的
remote adj. far away in time 遥远的，久远的 [only before n.]
in the remote past / future 在遥远的过去 / 将来
a remote ancestor 远祖
people n. all the people who live in a particular place or belong to a particular country （统称）人民，国民；民族；种族 [C]
people of color 有色人种（非白人）
the indigenous peoples of Mexico 墨西哥原住民
The sagas of these people explain that some of them came from Indonesia about 2000 years ago. 当地人的传说却告诉了人们：其中有一部分是在约 2000 年前从印度尼西亚迁来的。
But the first people who were like ourselves lived so long ago that even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotton. 但是，和我们相似的原始人生活的年代太久远了，有关他们的传说即使有如今也失传了。
the first people 原始人
两个逗号之间可以有插入语：…, if they had any, …
So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find out where the first ‘morden’ men came from. 所以，考古学家们既缺乏历史记载，又无口头传说来帮助他们弄清最早的“现代人”是从哪里来的。
Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint, because this is easier to shape than other kinds. 然而，幸运的是，远古人用石头制作了工具，特别是用燧石，因为燧石较之其他石头更易成型。
flint n. a type of very hard grey stone that can produce a SPARK when it is hit against steel; a piece of this stone 燧石；火石 [U,C]
prehistoric flint implements 史前燧石工具
They may also have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away. 他们也可能用过木头和兽皮，但这类东西早已腐烂殆尽。
skin n. the skin of a dead animal with or without its fur, used for making leather, etc. （兽）皮；毛皮；皮张
The skins are removed and laid out to dry. 皮剥下来，摊开烘干。
rot v. * to DECAY, or make sth DECAY, naturally and gradually （使）腐烂，腐败变质 [I,T]
~ (away): The window frome had rotted away completely. 窗框已经完全烂掉了。
Stone does not decay, and so the tools of long ago have remained when even the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace. 因此，尽管制造这些工具的人的骨头早已荡然无存，但远古时代的石头工具却保存了下来。
when conj. although 虽然；然而；可是
She claimed to be 18, when I know she’s only 16. 她自称是 18 岁，可是我知道她才 16 岁。
trace n. a mark, an object or a sign that shows that sb / sth existed or was present 痕迹；遗迹；踪迹 [C,U]
It’s exciting to discover traces of earlier civilizations. 发现早期文明的遗迹，真令人兴奋。
without (a) ~: The ship vanished without (a) trace. 那艘船消失得无影无踪。
课文理解
选择题
- In illiterate societies, story-telling is a way of _____.
- (a) teaching people how to write
- (b) allowing us to find out about things that happened 5000 years ago
- (c) passing knowledge of the past from one generation to another
- (d) preserving sagas recounted by story-tellers
(c). 根据原文第 3 句，可知说故事的目的在于一代一代地传递历史知识。
illiterate adj. (of a person) not knowing how to read or write （人）不会读写的；不识字的；文盲的
- It is extremely likely that ancient people _____.
- (a) moved from one place to another
- (b) came from Indonesia
- (c) have left us information about their migrations
- (d) preserved their sagas and legends
(a). 根据原文第 4 句，可知远古人留下的传奇故事记录了他们迁居的过程，也就是说，远古人会迁居。
- Anthropologists have been curious about _____.
- (a) how Indonesia came to be inhabited
- (b) how the Polynesian islands came to be inhabited
- (c) why the Polynesian people travelled from Indonesia
- (d) how the sagas told by ancient people were written
(b). 根据原文第 5 句，人类学家想知道的是波利尼西亚人的祖先是谁。
inhabit v. to live in a particular place 居住在；定居于
~ sth: some of the rare species that inhabit the area 生活在这个地区的一些罕见物种
- Though wood and skins rot away, anthropologists can learn a great deal from _____.
- (a) materials that are easy to shape
- (b) the bones of men who made tools
- (c) stones that do not decay
- (d) ancient tools made of stone
(d). 根据原文第 11 句，石制工具不会腐烂，因此考古学家们可以通过研究石制工具来获得信息。
简答题
How can anthropologists learn about the history of ancient peoples who have not left written records?
- Anthropologists collect the sagas and legends to guess the history. If there aren’t any sagas or they were forgotten, anothropologists can work with archaeologists to study stone tools made by our ancestors which can reflect our ancestors’ living conditions at that time.
Why did ancient men prefer to use flint for making tools?
- Flint is a kind of stone, so it is strong enough to be used for daily works. It is also easier to shape than other kinds, so when crafting flint-made tools, the first men need less time and energy, thus helping them growing stronger in ancient times.
语法
- In some parts of the world people are still _____ to write.
- (a) incapable
- (b) impotent
- (c) enable
- (d) unable
(d).
impotent adj. having no power to change things or to influence a situation 无能为力的；不起作用的
Without the chairman’s support, the committee is impotent. 没有主席的支持，委员会是无能为力的。
incapable & unable
二者均有“不能”的意思。但是：
incapable of sth / doing sth
unable to do sth
- They can preserve their history _____ down legends.
- (a) by hand
- (b) by handing
- (c) to hand
- (d) in hand
(b).
by hand
- by a person rather than a machine 手工
The fabric was painted by hand. 这个织品是手染的。
- if a letter is delivered by hand, it is delivered by the person who wrote it, or sb who is sent by them, rather than by post （信件）亲手交付，由专人递送
in hand
- if you have time or money in hand, it is left and available to be used 在手头；可供使用
- if you have a particular situation in hand, you are in control of it 在掌握中；在控制中
- the job, the question, etc. in hand is the one that you are dealing with 正在处理中
- if sb works a week, month, etc. in hand, they are paid for the work a week, etc. after they have completed it （按星期、月等）领取公资
- The _____ why these legends are useful is that they tell us about migrations.
- (a) cause
- (b) effect
- (c) why
- (d) reason
(d).
- There weren’t _____ of them who could write down what they did.
- (a) any
- (b) none
- (c) no one
- (d) no
(a).
词汇
- The only way they can preserve their history is to _____ stories.
- (a) tell
- (b) make
- (c) say
- (d) recount
(a).
- The people who lived long ago could not _____ their history.
- (a) make
- (b) know
- (c) record
- (d) note
(c).
- Some sagas tell us about the _____ of Polynesian peoples.
- (a) origin
- (b) ancestors
- (c) explanation
- (d) legend
(a).
- Tools made of stone, especially flint, were made by _____.
- (a) old men
- (b) men who lived long ago
- (c) men of old
- (d) past men
(b).
(a) 项，old men 指老男人或者老年人；
(b) 项，生活在很久以前的人
(c) 项，men of old 指古代圣贤
(d) 项，past men 指的是过去的男人
