1、 1.What natural phenomena are mentioned in the video? 2.How were these explained in the past? What are the scientific explanations behind them? Watch the video and answer the questions. The natural phenomena that are mentioned in the video include: the earthquake, the solar eclipse, thunder and ligh
2、tning, and the mirage. Starting out For the earthquake: Native Americans used to believe that earthquakes were caused by a struggle between a large bird, called the Thunderbird, and a whale. An ancient Japanese belief was that earthquakes were caused by the movements of a giant catfish that carried
3、the world on its back. Scientists now know that earthquakes are actually caused by the movement of tectonic plates. For the solar eclipse: In many cultures, there were ancient beliefs that solar eclipses were caused by a creature eating the Sun. In Vietnam, that creature was a giant frog, in Norway,
4、 a wolf, and in China, it was a huge dog. In fact, solar eclipses happen when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking the Suns light. For thunder and lightning: In Medieval Europe, people thought that supernatural forces caused thunder and lightning. It was a sign of bad time
5、s ahead. Modern science tells us that lightning is an electric charge moving between clouds, or between clouds and the earth. Thunder is a shock wave of sound caused by lightning. For the mirage: 1.What do you know about these mysteries? 2. What other unsolved mysteries do you know of ? 3. Which of
6、these do you most want to investigate? Look at the pictures and answer the questions. Atlantis Atlantis is a legendary city, which is described in the work of the Greek philosopher Plato. The story of Atlantis with its fabulously wealthy and advanced civilisation which was swept into the sea to be l
7、ost for ever has captured the imagination of readers for over two millennia. Nazca Lines The Nazca Lines are a collection of giant geometric patterns and animal shapes. Drawn into the landscapes of southern Peru, the majority of the lines are believed to be the work of the Nazca people around 1AD to
8、 700. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, numerous studies and theories have so far not explained the reason why the lines were created. Tunguska event Tunguska event, enormous explosion that is estimated to have occurred at 7:14 am plus or minus one minute on 30 June 1908, at an altitu
9、de of 510 kilometres, flattening some 2,000 square kilometres and charring more than 100 square kilometres of pine forest near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Central Siberia, Russia. Black hole A black hole is a region of space-time exhibiting gravitational acceleration so strong that nothing, n
10、ot even light, can escape from it. Understanding ideas 1.What do you know about these ancient civilisations? 2.What might be the reasons behind the collapse? 3.What other ancient civilisations do you know of? Share what you know with the class. Look at the pictures and answer the questions. Do furth
11、er research if necessary. Read the passage and find out the possible reasons for the disappearance of Maya civilisation. The power of the secrets of Ancient Maya civilisation among people Intrigued by Maya civilisation from a very young age, 15-year-old Canadian William Gadoury thought he had made a
12、n incredible discovery from his study of ancient star charts. Through comparison, he found that the locations of the 117 known Maya cities correspond to the positions of the stars. Based on this , he believed he had spotted an unknown Maya city buried deep in the jungle. Maya civilisation location E
13、xtending south from parts of what we now know as Mexico into Central America Impressive buildings representative step pyramids The Mayas understanding of mathematics and astronomy was also quite amazing. They applied this understanding to the Maya calendar, which was accurate to within 30 seconds pe
14、r year. Maya calendar On top of all this was an achievement unique in the Americas at that time: a true writing system. It contained more than 800 characters, with some signs representing animals , people and objects and others representing syllables. It was a writing system so complicated that, so
15、far, no one has been able to interpret it completely. Maya writing system The fact that Maya society was technologically primitive makes its achievements all the more incredible and mysterious . By 700 AD, Maya civilisation was at its peak. But the greatest mystery of all is what caused the Maya to
16、abandon most of their great cities. Within just a couple of generations, it began to mysteriously decline. The cities were left to be taken back by the jungle. The collapse of Maya Was it a natural disaster? A deadly disease? Conflicts between cities? Or was it a combination of several different fac
17、tors? They had turned wetlands into fields for growing grains, and had dug huge canal systems. As their population expanded, yet more land was needed for agriculture and more trees for construction. These droughts would have led to food shortages, conflicts and , ultimately, the downfall of the citi
18、es. The downfall of the cities Some recent studies have found that there were far fewer tropical cyclones than usual between 700 AD and 1000 AD. This is likely to have led to a series of droughts, each lasting for a couple of years, including a “ megadrought” around 900 AD. Whatever the reasons, May
19、a civilisation largely disappeared within the deep jungle. Its once- great cities fell into ruin, leaving various mysteries for later people to solve. Meanwhile , the rise and fall of this civilisation must also leave us thinking about our own past, present and future. Organise information from the
20、passage and complete the file of Maya civilisation. 1 Mexico 2 Central America 3 natural disasters 4 turning wetlands into fields 5 digging huge canal systems 6 population 7 droughts 8 lasting for a couple of years Complete the cultural comparison with information from the passage. Comparing the hig
21、hly-sophisticated civilisations of Maya and Ancient China reveals some surprising similarities. They both possessed a detailed understanding of 1_and astronomy, which helped them maintain an accurate 2_ , and a complex 3_ that used signs to represent sounds and meanings. It can therefore be difficul
22、t to explain why, despite their excellent construction skills, the Maya never learnt to use 4_, while the ancient Chinese did. Facts such as these add to the mystery surrounding Maya civilisation, driving people to find out why it 5_ while others, such as Ancient China, survived and thrived. mathema
23、tics calendar writing system wheels, metal tools or even animal power disappeared 1.What is the authors purpose in starting the passage with the story about William Gadoury? 2.What other things do you think could destroy a civilisation? Share an example with the class. The story about William Gadour
24、y shows how the secrets of Ancient Maya civilisation have captured peoples imaginations. Think & Share 1.Canadian William Gadoury spotted an unknown Maya city. 2.The secrets of Ancient Maya civilisation are powerful among people. 3.The writing system of the Maya was hard to understand. 4.The Maya we
25、re expert at dealing with disasters. 5.By 700 AD , Maya civilisation was at its peak. F T T F T True or False 1.What do we know about Gadoury from the first paragraph? A.Scholars agreed with his theory. B.He drew many ancient star charts. C.He found the positions of 117 stars. D.He was fascinated by
26、 Maya civilisation. 2.What is most extraordinary about these complex structures? A.Who built them. B.Why people built them. C.When people built them. D.How people built them without machinery. Reading comprehension 3.What can we infer about the Maya people? A.They were very talented. B.They were fon
27、d of animals. C.They lived in step pyramids. D.They left many written records. 4.What played an important role in the decline of the Maya according to some researches? A.Conflicts between cities. B.The European setters. C.The spread of diseases. D.The people themselves. 5 What is the scholars attitu
28、de towards William Gadourys discovery? A Incredible. B Disapproving. C Favorable. D Shocked. 6 What was the most amazing and unique achievement of the Mayans at that time? A The use of metal tools. B Their understanding of mathematics. C Palaces and temples. D A true writing system. 7 When was Maya
29、civilisation at its peak? A Around 700AD. B Around 700BC. C Around 900AD D In the early 16th century. 4 According to the passage, which of the following is not the likely reason for the downfall of Maya civilisation? A A deadly disease. B Droughts. C Conflicts between cities. D Population growth. 5
30、What can we learn from the passage? A Scientists have found out the reasons for the downfall of Maya civilisation. B The locations of the 117 known Maya cities correspond to the positions of the stars. C Why Maya civilisation collapsed remains to be studied further. D Mayans applied modern technolog
31、ies when building palaces. Maya civilisation has been a mystery since it was rediscovered in the 19th century . The Maya built many splendid structures , among 1_ the step pyramids are most famous.2_ puzzles people is how they built these structures with 3_(they) own hands . To peoples 4_ (amaze),th
32、ey applied their understanding of mathematics and astronomy to the Maya calendar , which was accurate to within 30 seconds per year . They also developed a real 5_ (write) system . It was so complicated that no one has been able to interpret it 6 _(complete) so far. which what their amazement writin
33、g completely 直击高考直击高考 Why Maya civilisation collapsed remains a mystery . Some research seems 7_ (indicate) that the people themselves were to blame for the downfall while others also suggest that 8_(nature) disasters many have led to the decline of it . Whatever the reasons , Maya civilisation left many 9_(mystery) for people to solve . Meanwhile the rise and fall of the civilisation leave us thinking about our own past , present 10_future. to indicate natural mysteries and Can we predict our future?
