Lesson 1 Finding fossil man 发现化石人

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

Why are legends handed down by storytellers useful?

We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago in the Near East, where people first learned to write. But there are some parts of the world where even now people cannot write. The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas-legends handed down from one generation of storytellers to another. These legends are useful because they can tell us something about migrations of people who lived

5 long ago, but none could write down what they did. Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian peoples now living in the Pacific Islands came from. The sagas of these people explain that some of them came from Indonesia about 2,000 years ago.

But the first people who were like ourselves lived so long ago that even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten. So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find out where the first 'modern 10 men' came from.

Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint, because this is easier to shape than other kinds. They may also have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away. 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.

Robin Place Finding fossil man

Polished axeheads found at Seamers Moor in Yorkshire

Unit 1 Lesson 1

New words and expressions 生词和短语

fossil man (title) /'fɒsəl-'mæn/ adj. 化石人

recount (1.3) /rɪ'kaʊnt/ v. 叙述

saga (1.3) /'sɑːɡə/ n. 英雄故事

legend (1.3) /'ledʒənd/ n. 传说, 传奇

migration (1.4) /maɪ'ɡreɪʃən/ n. 迁移, 移居

anthropologist (1.5) /,ænθrə'pɒlədʒɪst/ n. 人类学家

archaeologist (1.9) /,ɑːki'ɒlədʒɪst/ n. 考古学家

ancestor (1.5) /'ænsestə/ n. 祖先

Polynesian (1.6) /,pɒlɪ'niːziən/ adj. 波利尼西亚 (中 太平洋之一群岛) 的

Indonesia (1.7) /,ɪndə'niːziə/ n. 印度尼西亚

flint (1.11) /flɪnt/ n. 燧石

rot (1.12) /rɒt/ v. 烂掉

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 read of, 读到, 和 read about 是相同的意思。

2 the first people, 原始人。

3 when even the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace, 这个以 when 引导的状语从句表示让步的意思,而 when 可以译成 “虽然”,“尽管”。

参考译文

我们从书籍中可以读到 5,000 年前近东发生的事情,那里的人最早学会了写字。但直到现在,世界上仍然有些地方,人们还不会书写。他们保存历史的唯一办法是将历史当作传说讲述,由讲述人一代接一代地将史实描述为传奇故事口传下来。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。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, 当地人的传说却告诉了人们: 其中有一部分是约在 2,000 年前从印度尼西亚迁来的。

但是, 和我们相似的原始人生活的年代太久远了, 因此, 有关他们的传说即使有如今也失传了。于是, 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。

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形。他们也可能用过木头和兽皮,但这类东西早已腐烂殆尽。石头是不会腐烂的。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。

Comprehension 理解

Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer.

1 How can anthropologists learn about the history of ancient peoples who have not left written records?

2 Why did ancient men prefer to use flint for making tools?

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: preserve (1.3); recount (1.3); migrations (1.4); anthropologists (1.5); remote (1.5); decay (1.13); without trace (1.14).

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Unit 1 Lesson 1

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Sentence structure 句子结构

A Combine the following statements to make complete sentences. Add conjunctions and relative pronouns of your own and omit the words or phrases in italics. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1 These legends are useful. They can tell us something about migrations of people. These people lived long ago. None could write down what they did. (ll.4-5)

2 The first people who were like ourselves lived long ago. Even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten. (II.8-9)

3 Archaeologists have no history to help them to find out where the first 'modern men' came from. Archaeologists have no legends to help them to find out where the first modern men came from. (II.9-10)

4 Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint. This is easier to shape than other kinds. (ll.11-12)

5 They may also have used wood and skins. These have rotted away. (I.12)

B Write a sentence to describe the work of an archaeologist.

C Write three short sentences on the history of early man using the following words in each sentence:

1 Written records.

2 Sagas.

3 Stone tools.

Key structures 关键句型

A Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying:

The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas-legends which have been handed down from one generation of storytellers to another.

We can say:

The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas-legends handed down from one generation of story tellers to another. (ll.2-4)

Write sentences using the following phrases:

tools made of stone; legends recorded; remains found.

B Note the use of tell in this sentence:

They can tell us something about migrations of people. (II.4-5)

Supply the correct form of say or tell in these sentences:

1 What did he _____ to you?

2 He _____ everybody that he had been ill.

3 Did you _____ that you have written a novel?

4 I can't _____ you about it now.

C Note the use of where... from in this sentence:

Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian peoples came from. (II.5-6) Write two sentences using the same construction with the verbs get and buy.

Unit 1 Lesson 1

D Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying:

So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find out where the first 'modern men' came from. (ll.9-10)

We can say:

So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them find out where the first 'modern men' came from. Write two sentences using these expressions: help me to lift; helped me make.

E Supply the word the where necessary in this paragraph. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

Fortunately, however, _____ ancient men made _____ tools of _____ stone, especially _____ flint, because this is easier to shape than _____ other kinds. They may also have used _____ wood and _____ skins, but these have rotted away. _____ stone does not decay, and so _____ tools of long ago have remained when even _____ bones of _____ men who made them have disappeared without trace. (II.11-14)

F Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: It is possible that they used wood and skins, but these have rotted away.

We can say:

They may have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away. (1.12)

Write these sentences again using the construction with may have.

1 It is possible that your mother called when you were out.

2 It is possible that you left your umbrella in the waiting room.

3 It is possible that he changed his mind.

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 parts (1.2) - places

Ancient rock paintings have been found in many parts of Spain and Portugal.

Of all the wonderful places in Italy, Florence and Venice are the two that most tourists wish to see.

2 history (1.3) - story

We often know little about the history of our own times.

Climb into bed and I'll read you a bedtime story.

(Please note: a story is an account, often fictional, of what happened in someone's experience; history is a factual

account of past public or universal events)

3 wonder (1.5) - wander

I wonder if we've made a mistake here.

I love wandering around second-hand bookshops.

4 like $\left( {1.8}\right) -$ as

There's no one like you.

Please do as I say.

5 find out (1.9) - find

What we have to do now is find out why the accident happened.

I'm sure I've already paid this bill, but I can't find the receipt. Unit 1 Lesson 1

6 ancient (1.11) - old

Property developers often have little regard for ancient/old buildings. (old in terms of time; ancient = old in terms of history)

World leaders are often old men.

Mr. Briggs is an old friend of mine. (= one I have known for a long time)

7 tool (1.11) - instrument

We need some basic tools like a hammer and a screwdriver.

A dentist's instruments need to be constantly sterilized.

8 stone (1.11) - rock

The old church is full of beautiful stone sculptures.

Rocks had fallen from above, making the roads impassable.

9 skin (1.12) - leather

I've such a bad skin, I'm always coming out in spots.

Shoes made of real leather have become so expensive.

B Study the use of happen in these sentences:

We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago ... (1.1)

He happened to be an archaeologist.

It happened that he knew the answer.

Complete the following sentences:

1 Do you happen _____ ?

2 It so happens that _____.

3 Can you tell me what _____?

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 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 5,000 years ago

(c) passing knowledge of the past from one generation to another

(d) preserving sagas recounted by story-tellers

2 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

3 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

Unit 1 Lesson 1

4 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 from stone

Structure 句型

5 In some parts of the world people are still _____ to write. (ll.1-2)

(a) incapable (b) impotent (c) enable (d) unable

6 They can preserve their history _____ down legends. (1.3)

(a) by hand (b) by handing (c) to hand (d) in hand

7 The _____ why these legends are useful is that they tell us about migrations. (1.4)

(a) cause (b) effect (c) why (d) reason

8 There weren't _____ of them who could write down what they did. (1.5)

(a) any (b) none (c) no one (d) no Vocabulary 词汇

9 The only way they can preserve their history is to _____ stories. (II.2-3)

(a) tell (b) make (c) say (d) recount

10 The people who lived long ago could not _____ their history. (1.5)

(a) make (b) know (c) record (d) note

11 Some sagas tell us about the _____ of Polynesian peoples. (11.6-7)

(a) origin (b) ancestors (c) explanation (d) legend

12 Tools made of stone, especially flint, were made by _____. (1.11)

(a) old men (b) men who lived long ago

(c) men of old (d) past men