雅思真题剑7Test4阅读Passage1真题解析

最权威的国际教育服务平台资料来源：教育优选雅思真题：剑7Test4阅读Passage1真题解析剑桥雅思7，第四套试题，阅读部分Passage1，阅读真题原文部分：READINGPASSAGE1Youshouldspendabout20minutesonQuestions1-13,whicharebasedonReadingPassage1below.PullingstingstobuildpyramidsNooneknowsexactlyhowthepyramidswerebuilt.MarcusChownreckonstheanswercouldbe'hangingintheair'.ThepyramidsofEgyptwerebuiltmorethanthreethousandyearsago,andnooneknowshow.Theconventionalpictureisthattensofthousandsofslavesdraggedstonesonsledges.Butthereisnoevidencetobackthisup.NowaCaliforniansoftwareconsultantcalledMaureenClemmonshassuggestedthatkitesmighthavebeeninvolved.WhileperusingabookonthemonumentsofEgypt,shenoticedahieroglyphthatshowedarowofmenstandinginoddpostures.Theywereholdingwhatlookedlikeropesthatled,viasomekindofmechanicalsystem,toagiantbirdinthesky.Shewonderedifperhapsthebirdwasactuallyagiantkite,andthemenwereusingittoliftaheavyobject.Intrigued,ClemmonscontactedMortezaGharib,aeronauticsprofessorattheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology.Hewasfascinatedbytheidea.'ComingfromIran,IhaveakeeninterestinMiddleEasternscience,'hesays.HetoowaspuzzledbythepicturethathadsparkedClemmons'sinterest.Theobjectintheskyapparentlyhadwingsfartooshortandwideforabird.'Thepossibilitycertainlyexistedthatitwasakite,'hesays.AndsinceheneededasummerprojectforhisstudentEmilioGraff,investigatingthepossibilityofusingkitesasheavyliftersseemedlikeagoodidea.GharibandGraffsetthemselvesthetaskofraisinga4.5-metrestonecolumnfromhorizontaltovertical,usingnosourceofenergyexceptthewind.Theirinitialcalculationsandscale-modelwind-tunnelexperimentsconvincedthemtheywouldn’tneedastrongwindtoliftthe33.5-tonnecolumn.Evenamodestforce,ifsustainedoveralongtime,woulddo.Thekeywastousea最权威的国际教育服务平台资料来源：教育优选:thepyramidbuilderscouldhaveusedkitestoliftmassivestonesintoplace.'Whethertheyactuallydidisanothermatter,'Gharibsays.Therearenopicturesshowingtheconstructionofthepyramids,sothereisnowaytotellwhatreallyhappened.'Theevidenceforusingkitestomovelargestonesisnobetterorworsethantheevidenceforthebruteforcemethod,'Gharibsays.Indeed,theexperimentshaveleftmanyspecialistsunconvinced.'Theevidenceforkite-liftingisnon-existent,'saysWillekeWendrich,anassociateprofessorofEgyptologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles.Othersfeelthereismoreofacaseforthetheory.HarnessingthewindwouldnothavebeenaproblemforaccomplishedsailorsliketheEgyptians.Andtheyareknowntohaveusedwoodenpulleys,whichcouldhavebeenmadestrongenoughtobeartheweightofmassiveblocksofstone.Inaddition,thereissomephysicalevidencethattheancientEgyptianswereinterestedinflight.AwoodenartefactfoundonthesteppyramidatSaqqaralooksuncannilylikeamodernglider.Althoughitdatesfromseveralhundredyearsafterthebuildingofthepyramids,itssophisticationsuggeststhattheEgyptiansmighthavebeendevelopingideasofflightforalongtime.Andotherancientcivilisationscertainlyknewaboutkites;asearlyas1250BC,theChinesewereusingthemtodelivermessagesanddumpflamingdebrisontheirfoes.最权威的国际教育服务平台资料来源：教育优选