The Egyptian city Thonis-Heracleion was founded in the eighth century B.C. For centuries, its location at the mouth of the Nile River made it a gateway to Egypt which foreign traders needed to pass through. This brought it both wealth and influence. Its name shows the city' s foreign ties: Thonis was its Egyptian name, but the Greeks, who had close contact with the Egyptians, named it Heracleion after the hero Hercules.
The neighboring city Canopus shared Thonis-Heracleion' s wealth and prestige (声望). Both cities appear in the writings of ancient historians and poets. But then they disappeared from all records. For centuries, no one even knew where these once-great cities were located.
In 1933 a British pilot flew over a bay in Egypt and spotted ruins. He reported his find, but nothing came of it. Not until 2000 did anyone research into the bay thoroughly. That year French archaeologist Franck Goddio used a tool that measured variations in the earth's magnetic field ( 磁场 ) to make a detailed map of the ocean floor. The map helped him and his team choose the most promising areas to dig.
At the bottom of the ocean, Goddio’s team found the remains of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. They carefully dug the cities out from mountains of sand that had settled over them. They made some amazing discoveries, such as a five-meter-tall statue. A stele, (石碑) records the city' s name and information about laws, such as tax regulations. And 69 ships lay buried in the same bay - the largest group of ancient ships ever found.
For all their glory, these cities were built on a foundation of soft clay ( 黏 土 ). As their populations grew, the weight of people and homes pressed the clay. In A.D. 800 the ground below the city collapsed (坍塌), causing people to run away. The ground collapsed again some time later, and over the course of 1,000 years, the land sank under the waves. Under the water, sand settled gently over the ruins, saving them from being destroyed.
【小题1】What can we learn about the city Thonis-Heracicion?| A．It was less famous than Canopus. |
| B．It was once an important center of trade. |
| C．It was once under the control of the Greeks. |
| D．It was recorded in more detail than Canopus. |
| A．completely by chance |
| B．according to the historical records |
| C．with the support of the British pilot |
| D．thanks to the map of the ocean floor he made |
| A．They are still in good condition. | B．They are of little historical value. |
| C．They were hidden in the mountains. | D．They belonged to Thonis-Heracleion. |
