Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 kilometers to Beijing City. 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, archaeologists 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 Peking Man and their relatives lived were discovered on the northern face of Longgushan. They lived in the caves in the area.

However, the lifespan of Peking Man was short. About 70% of the people 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 in the world. They also made tools of bones and stones.

Unfortunately, when Japan invaded China in 1937, excavations at the Peking Man Site stopped and most of the fossils disappeared, including a Peking 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 eroded (侵蚀) 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.

【小题1】According to the passage, archaeologists ______.

A．thought that Zhoukoudian was a beautiful village

B．thought that the findings wouldn’t change the history of China

C．discovered some prehistoric human bones in Zhoukoudian

D．thought that the findings were the first evidence of human life in Asia

【小题2】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.

【小题3】From the passage, we can infer that ______.

A．Peking Man had a short life

B．Peking Man lived in the caves of Longgushan

C．the work of excavating the Peking Man Site didn’t proceed smoothly

D．archaeologists found six complete skulls and more than 150 teeth in 1929

【小题4】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.