For untold centuries man depended almost entirely on his hunting ability to obtain food. From sunrise to sundown, armed with clubs and spears, and aided by trained wild dogs, he searched for game—his foremost source of food with his primitive weapons, the largest and swiftest animals often eluded him, and the hunter and his family frequently went for days without meat.
While the men were hunting game, the women and children searched for edible vegetation. From nearby plants and trees they gathered berries, nuts, grain, and roots. These meager staples stayed the pain of hunger when the hunters returned empty handed. When the supplies of game and plants in an area were exhausted, the entire tribe was forced to move on to a new and hopefully better region. Thus man led a nomadic existence. He could never settle in one place for long because his growing population outstripped the available supply of food in the area.
Then man made one of his greatest discoveries—agriculture. This revelation of raising plants and domesticating animals was one of the major steps in civilization. Agriculture did not by itself create civilization, but without it man could not have settled in one place long enough to build a permanent home. Anthropologists are uncertain about when or how man first learned to farm. They suggest it may have resulted from casual observation. A tribe or many tribes over a wide area might have stayed in one place long enough to see a true bear fruit for more than one season. They may also have observed that young plants grew out of ground to produce food as they matured.
Or, as one anthropologist suggests, a handful of wild groin may have thrown onto the ground, and later the seeds grew into new plants. Regardless of the exact circumstances, man did eventually recognize that he could have a dependable source of food if he planted seeds and later harvested his crop.
After man learned that he could grow food, the next step was mastering crop cultivation. The early farmer realized that he could grow more food if the seeds were covered with broken ground. This insight led to the making of the first farm equipment-sticks shaped into spades and hoes. From examination of the remains of the earliest known farming tools, archaeologists have determined that this occurred about seven thousand years ago. These implements were found in the area known as the Fertile Crescent, which lies between the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf. Evidence also indicates that the farmers of this area—possibly the first in the world—cultivated large wheat crops. To tend these crops, the hoe and spades were transformed into plows.
About the same time as the growing of the first crops, man, relying on the experience he had gained in training wild dogs to aid in hunting, began domesticating other animals. Over the years, he developed herds of animals for food and to aid in his work.
With the cultivation of crops and the domestication, of animals, man had a fairly dependable and permanent food supply. This accomplishment allowed him time for other work. Instead of spending most of his waking hours hunting for food, he was able to establish villages, and he had leisure time to ponder new ideas and keep records of events in his life. With the discovery of agriculture, man ceased his animal-like existence and began to build the foundation for civilization.
1. The word “elude” in the first paragraph most probably means ______.
2. What is the significance of raising plants and domesticating animals?
3. From this passage we can conclude that ______.
4. According to the passage, with the discovery of agriculture ______.
5. During the period in which man was hunting for animals for food, man could never live in one place permanently because ______.
6. With regard to when and how man first learned to farm, the passage ______.
7. Man stopped his animal-like living after he ______.
问题1选项
A.abandon
B.desert
C.escape
D.mummify
问题2选项
A.Men didn’t have to lead a nomadic life.
B.They didn’t have to search for edible vegetation.
C.The largest and swiftest animals couldn’t elude them anymore.
D.This indicates that men entered the civilized society.
问题3选项
A.men mastered cultivation method from their experiences
B.they learned how to chase animals from watching them run
C.men searched for game with primitive weapons
D.sometimes they were aided by some trained wild dogs
问题4选项
A.men spent most of their time hunting for food
B.civilization began
C.the early farmer made the first farm equipment
D.men began domesticating other animals
问题5选项
A.he lived a nomadic life
B.the population grew so quickly
C.the food supplies were exhausted
D.the animals often escaped his hunting
问题6选项
A.explains in details
B.provides some guesses
C.doesn’t mention it at all
D.offers sure answers by anthropologists
问题7选项
A.stopped hunting animals
B.learned to make tools for hunting
C.trained dogs to aid in hunting
D.discovered agriculture
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:A
第4题:B
第5题:C
第6题:B
第7题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
The word “elude” in the first paragraph most probably means ______. 第一段中的“elude”很可能是______的意思。
A. abandon A. 抛弃，遗弃
B. desert B. 背弃，放弃
C. escape C. 逃跑，摆脱
D. mummify D. 使干瘪
【考查点】词汇推断题
【解题思路】根据下文：…the hunter and his family frequently went for days without meat.（……猎人和他的家人经常几天吃不到肉。），说明这些动物都躲着猎人，所以“eluded”指的是躲避，逃避；故选项C正确。
【干扰项排除】A、B、D不能根据后文语义推理出来。
第2题:
【选项释义】
What is the significance of raising plants and domesticating animals? 养植物和驯养动物的意义是什么？
A. Men didn’t have to lead a nomadic life. A. 人们不必过游牧的生活。
B. They didn’t have to search for edible vegetation. B. 他们不需要寻找可食用的植物。
C. The largest and swiftest animals couldn’t elude them anymore. C. 最大最快的动物再也逃不了了。
D. This indicates that men entered the civilized society. D. 这表明人类进入了文明社会。
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据第三段的内容可知：Agriculture did not by itself create civilization, but without it man could not have settled in one place long enough to build a permanent home.（农业本身并没有创造文明，但是如果没有农业，人类不可能在一个地方定居足够长的时间来建立一个永久的家园。）也就是说，有了农业，人不必再过游牧生活，选项A正确。
【干扰项排除】
B、C选项在文中没有提及，属于无中生有；
D选项根据第三段的内容可知，饲养植物和驯养动物的启示是人类文明的重要步骤之一，并没有说明人类已经进入了文明社会，属于偷换概念。
第3题:
【选项释义】
From this passage we can conclude that ______. 从这篇文章我们可以得出______的结论。
A. men mastered cultivation method from their experiences A. 人们从他们的经验中掌握了种植方法
B. they learned how to chase animals from watching them run B. 他们通过观察动物奔跑来学习如何追赶动物
C. men searched for game with primitive weapons C. 人们用原始的武器寻找猎物
D. sometimes they were aided by some trained wild dogs D. 有时他们会得到一些训练有素的野狗的帮助
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据第五段的内容After man learned that he could grow food, the next step was mastering crop cultivation. The early farmer realized that he could grow more food if the seeds were covered with broken ground. This insight led to the making of the first farm equipment-sticks shaped into spades and hoes.（在人类学会种植食物后，下一步就是掌握作物种植。早期的农民意识到，如果把种子覆盖在破碎的土地上，他可以种出更多的食物。这一见解促成了第一批农具的制造——形制成铁锹和锄头的棍子。）可知，人们从他们的经验中掌握了种植农作物的方法，推知选项A正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项在文中没有提及，属于无中生有；
C、D是文章中提到的事实细节，不用推理出来，不符题意。
第4题:
【选项释义】
According to the passage, with the discovery of agriculture ______. 根据文章，随着农业的发现______。
A. men spent most of their time hunting for food A. 人类大部分时间都在寻找食物
B. civilization began B. 文明开始
C. the early farmer made the first farm equipment C. 早期的农民制造了第一批农业设备
D. men began domesticating other animals D. 人类开始驯养其他动物
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据最后一段的最后一句：With the discovery of agriculture, man ceased his animal-like existence and began to build the foundation for civilization.（随着农业的发现，人类停止了动物般的生存，开始建立文明的基础。）可知选项B符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项根据最后一段提到的：Instead of spending most of his waking hours hunting for food, he was able to establish villages, and he had leisure time to ponder new ideas and keep records of events in his life.（他不再把大部分清醒的时间花在猎取食物上，而是能够建立村庄，他有闲暇时间思考新的想法并记录生活中的事件。）可知属于反向干扰；
C、D选项，早期的农民制造了第一批农业设备和驯养其他动物是开始种植时，而不是发现农业之后，属于张冠李戴。
第5题:
【选项释义】
During the period in which man was hunting for animals for food, man could never live in one place permanently because ______. 在人类猎取动物作为食物的时期，人类无法在一个地方永久居住，因为______。
A. he lived a nomadic life A. 他过着游牧的生活
B. the population grew so quickly B. 人口增长如此之快
C. the food supplies were exhausted C. 食物供应耗尽
D. the animals often escaped his hunting D. 动物经常逃脱他的狩猎
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据第二段的最后两句：He could never settle in one place for long because his growing population outstripped the available supply of food in the area.（他不可能在一个地方长期定居，因为他不断增长的人口超过了该地区的食物供应。）可知选项C符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、D选项在文中提及，但与题干无关，属于出处错位；
B选项根据解析可知，人口增长如此之快是食物供应耗尽的原因，而不是人类无法在一个地方永久居住的原因，属于张冠李戴。
第6题:
【选项释义】
With regard to when and how man first learned to farm, the passage ______. 关于人类何时以及如何开始学会耕作，文章______。
A. explains in details A. 详细解释
B. provides some guesses B. 提供一些猜测
C. doesn’t mention it at all C. 完全不提
D. offers sure answers by anthropologists D. 为人类学家提供了肯定的答案
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】文章第三段提到：Anthropologists are uncertain about when or how man first learned to farm. They suggest it may have resulted from casual observation.（人类学家不确定人类何时或如何学会耕种。他们认为这可能是偶然观察的结果。）由此可知，本文只是提供了一些猜测，所以选项B正确。
【干扰项排除】A、C、D选项根据解析可知属于曲解原文。
第7题:
【选项释义】
Man stopped his animal-like living after he ______. 人类停止了他的动物般的生活后______。
A. stopped hunting animals A. 停止了狩猎动物
B. learned to make tools for hunting B. 学会了制作狩猎工具
C. trained dogs to aid in hunting C. 训练狗来帮助狩猎
D. discovered agriculture D. 发现了农业
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据最后一段的最后一句：With the discovery of agriculture, man ceased his animal-like existence and began to build the foundation for civilization.（随着农业的发现，人类停止了动物般的存在，开始建立文明的基础。）可知选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】A、B、C选项在文中提及，但与题干无关，属于出处错位。
