单选题

I have just come home after viewing some astonishing works of art that were recently discovered in Church Hole cave in Nottinghamshire. They are not drawings, as one would expect, but etchings, and they depict a huge range of wild animals. The artists who created them lived around 13,000 years ago, and the images are remarkable on a variety of counts. First of all, their sheer number is staggering. There are ninety all together. Moreover, fifty-eight of them are on the ceiling. This is extremely rare in cave art, according to a leading expert, Dr. Wilbur Samson of Central Midlands University. "Wall pictures are the norm," he says. "But more importantly, the Church Hole etchings are an incredible artistic achievement. They can hold their own in comparison with the best found in continental Europe." I am not a student of the subject, so I have to take his word for it. However, you do not have to be an expert to appreciate their beauty.
In fact, it is the wider significance of the etchings that is likely to attract most attention in academic circles, since they radically alter our view of life in Britain during this epoch. It had previously been thought that ice-age hunters in this country were isolated from people in more central areas of Europe, but the Church Hole images prove that ancient Britons were part of a culture that had spread right across the continent. And they were at least as sophisticated culturally as their counterparts on the mainland.
An initial survey of the site last year failed to reveal the presence of the etchings. The reason lies in the expectations of the researchers. They had been looking for the usual type of cave drawing or painting, which shows up best under direct light. Consequently, they used powerful torches, shining them straight onto the rock face. However, the Church Hole images are modifications of the rock itself, and show up best when seen from a certain angle in the natural light of early morning. Having been fortunate to see them at this hour, I can only say that I was deeply and unexpectedly moved. While most cave art often seems to have been created in a shadowy past very remote from us, these somehow, convey the impression that they were made yesterday.
Dr. Samson feels that the lighting factor provides important information about the likely function of these works of art. "I think the artists knew very well that the etchings would hardly be visible except early in the morning. We can therefore deduce that the chamber was used for rituals involving animal worship, and that they were conducted just after dawn as a preliminary to the day's hunting."
To which I can only add that I felt deeply privileged to have been able to view Church Hole. It is a site of tremendous importance culturally and is part of the heritage, not only of this country, but the world as a whole.

单选题 According to the passage, the images in Church Hole cave are ______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】这是一道细节理解题。根据文章第一段中部的"First of all，their sheer number is staggering，there are ninety a11 told．Moreover，fifty-eight of them are on the ceiling．This is extremely rare in cave art，according to a leading expert，Dr．Wilbur Samson of Central Midlands University．‘Wall pictures are the norm，’he says．‘But more importantly，the Church Hole etchings are an incredible artistic achievement．’”可以知道本句后半句的内容才是作者的本来意思，更为重要的是，这种洞窟艺术是一种让人难以置信的艺术成就，所以可以看出应该选D，而A选项很有迷惑性，unique指表示很与众不同，却不提表达她的艺术价值。

单选题 What is the broader significance of these images?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】这是一道细节理解题。根据原文第二段前几句"In fact，it is the wider significance of the etchings that is likely to attract most attention in academic circles…but the Church Hole images prove that ancient Britons were part of a culture that had spread right across the continent．”(事实上，该蚀刻版画具有更广泛的意义，而正是这一点吸引了学术界的目光……之前大家认为冰河时代的这个国家的猎人是欧洲更贴近中心的人区别开来的，但是教堂洞穴图证明了这样一个事实：古代不列颠是欧洲大陆文明的组成部分。)可以知道，欧洲也有这种冰川文化，故选C。

单选题 Why were the images not discovered during the initial survey?

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】这是一道细节理解题。根据原文第三段前几句"The reason lies in the expectations of the researchers． They had been looking for the usual type of cave drawing of painting，which shows Up best under direct light，Consequently，they used powerful torches，shining them straight onto the rock face．”(研究者的先人为主之见是导致失败的原因。他们以为此次的图画与以往发现的洞穴画一样，用光直射就可以完美显现。因此，他们使用了强光手电筒，利用它们直射到石头表面。)可以知道，以往的做法此次是行不通的，所以选项A“Traditional way of viewing was employed．”(启用传统视图方法)是失败之源。故选A。

单选题 What conclusions does Dr. Samson draw from the lighting factor?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】这是一道细节理解题。根据原文第四段中萨姆森博土所言“I think the artists knew very well that the etchings would hardly be visible except early in the morning．We can therefore deduce that the chamber wasu sed for rituals involving animal worship，and that they were conducted just after dawn as a preliminary to the day's hunting．”(我认为艺术家深谙这样一个道理，那就是蚀刻画只有在清晨才清晰可见。因而我们可以推断，该洞穴用于举行动物崇拜仪式，这些仪式总是在清晨举行，之后就开始一整天的狩猎活动。)deduce等于infer，可以说deduce sth from sth，意即演绎，推断，例如：Detectives deduced from the clues who had committed the crime．(侦探根据所掌握的线索推断出作案者。)而选项C“The images were intended for early morning rituals．”(这些图画是为清晨仪式而画的。)与原文符合，故选C。

单选题 It is obvious that the writer ______.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】这是一道观点态度题。根据原文最后一段"To which I can only add that I felt deeply privileged to have been able to view Church Hole. It is a site of tremendous importance culturally and is part of the heritage，not only of this country，but the world as a whole．”(我只能说，能够观赏教堂洞穴内图画，我感到三生有幸。此洞穴具有极高的文化意义，是本国以及世界文化遗产的组成部分。)可以看出，作者对洞穴画是十分赞叹的。选项B“was profoundly impressed by the images in the cave"(深深地被洞穴艺术所触动)符合文意，故选B。