Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing. In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered some prehistoric human bones there which changed people’s view of China’s history. They came from an unknown species of man and were the first evidence of human life in China thousands of years ago. The remains were three teeth!
In 1929, a complete skull was also discovered. Eventually, archaeologist found almost 200 items, including six skulls and more than 150 teeth. These discoveries proved the existence of a human species who lived in the area between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago. Four sites where Beijing Man and his relatives lived were discovered on the northern face of Longgushan. They lived in the caves in the area.
However, the life span of Beijing Man was short. About 70% of the peole probably died before the age of 14. Fewer than 5% lived to the age of 50. Ashes were found 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（侵略） China in 1937, excavations（挖掘） 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.
46. Archaeologists _________________.
A. thought that Zhoukoudian was a beartiful village
B. thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian wouldn’t change the history of China
C. discovered some prehistoric human bounes in Zhoukoudian
D. thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian are the first evidence of human life in Asia
47. Beijing Man used fire to do all of the following things EXCEPT _______________.
A. light in the dark B. keep warm
C. make tools D. scare wild animals away
48. 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（得到很好的资助）.
49. 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.
50. From the passage, we can infer that ______________.
A,. the work of excavating the Beijing Man Site has not proceeded（进行） smoothly
B. Beijing Man had a short life
C. Beijing Man lived in the caves of Longgushan
D. arvhaeologists found six complete skulls and more than 150 teeth in 1929.
