英语选修8人教版新课标Unit5第6课时教案（文化背景知识）文化背景知识ThePekingManWorldHeritageSiteatZhoukoudianZhoukoudianisasmallvillagesituatedabout50kmsouthwestofBeijing.Embracedbyachainofmountainsfromthenorthwestandrollinghillsfromthenortheast,thevillageopenstothevastHuabeiplains.Onehalfkilometrenorth,onefindsanarrowpassleadingtoabasin.Baerhestreamwrigglesoutofthepassandflowsdownsouth.ItpassesthentothewestofZhoukoudianandfinallydrainsintoLiuliheabout10kmsouthofthevillage.ThePekingManSiteisjustonthewestsideofZhoukoudianVillage.TheexposureofsedimentarystrataaroundZhoukoudianisquiteextraordinary,especiallythoseofthePlioceneandPleistocene,andthereforeattractgeologiststovisitthearea.Ontheotherhand,theareaalsobearsrichOrdovicianlimestonewithwhichthelocalhabitantsmakelime.Itisbyquarryingthelimestonethatlocalhabitantsfind,insomefissures,theso-calledDragonBones,whichscientistscallfossils.Withintheresearchframeworkofthelaboratory,FatherTeilharddeChardin,aneminentFrenchpaleontologist,andC.C.YoungstudiedthefossiliferousdepositsatZhoukoudiananddividedtheminto10layersin1929.Andthemostimportantdiscoveryofallwasmadeonthe2ndofDecemberin1929.ItwasinabranchingcavewhereafissurecrossesthemaincavethatPeifoundthefirstandalmostcompleteskullcapofPekingmanintheredsandyclay,whichisequivalenttothe10thlayerinthemainsection.Thediscoveryattractedgreatattentionfromscientificcircles.Thetwohuman-liketeethfoundbeforewerenotenoughtoconvinceeveryonethattheybelongtoPekingMan,buttheskullcapgavemoreanatomicalproofandwasmuchmoreconvincing.AnimportantPaleolithicsite,thissitewasfirstexcavatedin1927,inacaveonDragonBoneHillatZhoukoudian,southwestofBeijing.In1929,skullfossilsofPekingmanwerediscoveredhere,providingconcreteevidencefortheexistenceofprimitivemanintheBeijingareaandmarkingamile-stoneinthehistoryofpaleo-anthropology.Sofar,atotalof6skulls,15piecesoflowerjaw-bones,157teethandnumerousotherbonesegmentsfromthebodiesofabout40humanshavebeenexcavated,providingconcretedataforthestudyoftheevolutionofpre-historicbiologyandthedevelopmentofpre-historicculture.ThestudyofgeologicalstrataindicatedthatPekingmanlivedabout700,000to200,000yearsago.Theaveragebrainvolumeofthesepeoplewas1,088ml(theaverageformodernpeopleis1,400ml).Anditisestimatedthattheiraverageheightreached156cmformalesand150cmforfemales.PekingManwasamongthefirsthumanbeingstolearnhowtousefire,andcouldhuntlargeanimals.Theiraveragelifeexpectancywasshort;itisestimatedthat68.2%ofthemdiedbytheageof14,andonly4.5%livedupto50years.Fossilsofprimitivemenliving20,000yearsagowereexcavatedin1930nearthetopofDragonBoneHill,andwerenamedUpperCaveManfossils.In1973,fossilsofNewCaveManwerediscovered.NewCaveManwasbelievedtohavelivedintheperiodbetweenPekingmanandUppercaveMan,suggestingacontinuityofdevelopment.UnmaskingSanxingduiRuinsSome100yearsago,Sanxingduiintoday’sSichuanProvincehadn’tseemedtoanyoneanythingmorethanatypicalruralarea,andjust20yearsagoitssignificancewasnotfullyknown.Butwhenafarmerhollowingoutajust-dugditchin1929foundsomejadeheunwittinglyopenedthedooronanunknownculturebetween3,000to5,000yearsold.Perhapsit’snotsostartlinginitselfthatanaccidentalstrikeofthehoewouldunearthruinsasnewarcheologicalsitesfromChina’srichhistoryarebeingdiscoveredalmosteveryday.ButwhatnoonecouldhaveexpectedwasthatthisparticulardiscoverywouldrewriteChinesehistorybyunearthingaculturecontempo...
