英语听力精选进阶版 7144

Background: Tutankhamun (图坦卡蒙) 是三千年前的一位埃及法老，其墓穴中的宝藏世界闻名，不过，令专家们百思不得其解的是，为什么图坦卡蒙过世这么早，现在一项新调查对这一疑问提供了可能的答案。

Ever since Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922, scholars have speculated over why the 19-year-old boy king died so young.

Some believe he was killed by a fall from his chariot, conspiracy¹ theorists say he was murdered, but scientists who painstakingly² studied the pharaoh's remains³ think Tutankhamun died from a bout⁴ of malaria⁵ that attacked his already weakened body. They say he had a cleft⁶ palate and club foot, likely forcing him to walk with a cane⁷.

In the journal of the American Medical Association, lead scientist Dr ZahiHawass says how he found traces of the malaria parasite⁸ in Tutankhamun's blood along with signs of bone disease. The scientists' DNA⁹ studies also suggest the true identity of the king's parents and grandparents, something that has divided archaeologists for decades.

Glossary¹⁰ 词汇表

tomb 墓穴 

the Valley of the Kings 帝王谷 

speculated over 揣测 

chariot（古代双轮马拉）战车 

conspiracy theorists 阴谋论者 

painstakingly 艰苦地 

the pharaoh's remains 法老的遗骸 

a bout of malaria 疟疾发作 

cleft palate 腭裂 

club foot 畸形足 

cane 拐杖 

traces of 痕迹 

parasite 寄生虫 

DNA 脱氧核糖核酸 

divided 使意见分歧 

archaeologists 考古学家

Questions and Answers

When was Tutankhamun's grave found? 

1922.

Was Tutankhamun a strong young man? 

No, he probably needed a cane to help him walk.

What diseases have the scientists' DNA studies revealed? 

Malaria and bone disease.

True or false: experts have disagreed about Tutankhamun's identity for many years. 

True. It has "divided archaeologists for decades".

1 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

2 painstakingly   

adv. 费力地 苦心地

参考例句：

• Every aspect of the original has been closely studied and painstakingly reconstructed. 原作的每一细节都经过了仔细研究，费尽苦心才得以重现。
• The cause they contrived so painstakingly also ended in failure. 他们惨淡经营的事业也以失败而告终。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

5 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

6 cleft   

n.裂缝；adj.裂开的

参考例句：

• I hid the message in a cleft in the rock.我把情报藏在石块的裂缝里。
• He was cleft from his brother during the war.在战争期间，他与他的哥哥分离。

7 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

8 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

9 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

10 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。