Scientists find oldest-known Mayan structure

河北乐亭第一中学 胡金莹

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1. Mayan /'maːjən/ adj. 玛雅人的

2. rectangle /'rektæŋɡl/ n. 矩形；长方形

3. laser /'leɪzə(r)/ n. 激光器

4. three-dimensional /θriːdə'mεnʃənl/ adj. 三维的；立体的

5. jade /dʒeɪd/ n. 玉制品；玉器

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听下面的文章，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。 文章读三遍。

1. When was the structure probably built?

A. About 1,500 years ago. B. About 1,800 years ago. C. About 2,900 years ago.

2. What was the structure made with?

A. Stones and bricks. B. Clay and earth. C. Grasses and woods.

3. What was the structure used to do?

A. Serve the rich. B. Hold ceremonies. C. Raise cattle.

4. How long does the structure measure?

A. Nearly 400 meters. B. Nearly 1,400 meters. C. Nearly 4,000 meters.

5. What can we know about Mayan by studying the structure?

A. They were probably equal.

B. They were probably powerful.

C. They were probably wealthy.

文 本 解 说

在墨西哥塔巴斯科州的阿瓜达费尼什的土路和大量植被下， 科学家发现了一个占地约56万平方米的玛雅遗迹，这是迄今为止发现的最大、最古老的玛雅文明建筑。

题材 体裁 文章词数 建议用时科学发现 说明文 约270 5分钟

Scientists have discovered the largest and oldest-known structure that was built by the ancientMayanpeople.

Large and shaped like arectangle, the structure was built between 2,800 and 3,000 years ago in what is now the Mexican state of Tabasco. Unlike the large Mayan pyramids built some 1,500 years later, the newly discovered building was made with clay and earth. It was likely used for ceremonies, researchers said.Built near the Guatemalan border, the structure measured nearly 400 meters wide and nearly 1,400 meters long. It stood between 10 and 15 meters high. It had more volume—the amount of space—than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza.

Researchers noted that there were no signs of statues of powerful or wealthy people. This suggests Mayan culture may have had more equality during this period. Takeshi Inomata, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, led the research. The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature.

Inomata said that because the structure is so large. “It just looks like a natural landscape,but its form comes out nicely in LiDAR,” he added. LiDAR is short for Light Detection and Ranging, a method for measuring distances. It uses alaserand other information collected by flying over an area to createthree-dimensionalinformation about a surface's shape. Some parts of the site are currently covered with cattle ranches. Other parts have trees.

But in ancient times, Inomata said, the structure was likely used for special events.People probably walked on raised paths and inside the rectangular structure. He said they left symbolic objects behind, such asjadeaxes.