Question

Does a 600-year-old Chinese map prove that Christopher Columbus was not the first international explorer to navigate(航行) the New World?

In his book “Who Discovered America?”, published on Tuesday, author Gavin Menzies says the settling of North America by nonnative peoples is more complex than previously thought.

“The traditional story of Columbus discovering the New World is absolute fantasy. It’s fairy tales,” Menzies, 76, said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

However, not everyone is sold on the theory. It has been described as “Unreal” by critics, who say Menzies’ claims are impractical and not based in historical fact.

Menzies has primarily focused his studies on when and how North America was first explored. He also has enthusiastic supporters—his previous books have been best-sellers, and supporters of his theories have donated millions to his efforts, allowing him to hire a number of experts to join in his investigatons.

Menzies says that the Chinese map, found in a bookstore, was drew by Chinese navigator Zheng He and shows a detailed map of America dating back to 1418. That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus. In fact, Menzies says Columbus used a copy of Zheng He’s map to plot his own voyage.

The map itself has been authenticated(鉴定), but there is currently no way of proving the map was based on images drafted in the 1400s. However, Menzies says that certain observations on the map, including descriptions of communities and other cultural landmarks in Peru, coincide with known data from that period. In addition, Menzies makes an even broader claim in his book, saying that Chinese sailors were the first to cross the Pacific Ocean 40,000 years ago. Menzies says there is DNA evidence to support his claim.

So how does Menzies believe the Chinese pulled off such a giant historical accomplishment thousands of years before anyone else?

“If you just go out in a plastic bathtub, the currents will just carry you there,” Menzies told the Mail. “They just came with the current; it’s as simple as that.”

Critics of Menzies point out that he holds no degrees or professional training as a historian. But the Daily Mail says he “can no longer be called an amateur” after his most recent efforts.

1. The first paragraph serves as a(n)       .

A. comment      B. introduction

C. summary     D. example

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?

A. All people are not enthusiastic about the theory.

B. Not all people are surprised at the theory.

C. Not everyone wants to sell the theory.

D. Everybody believes the theory.

3. Critics of Menzies hold that Menzies      .

A. is just playing a joke      B. creates the map himself

C. is no longer an amateur     D. has no academic background

4. According to Menzies,       .

A. Zheng He once reached South America

B. Columbus discovered America in about 1490

C. Zheng He helped Columbus discover the New World

D. it was quite hard for Chinese to cross the Pacific Ocean

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.A

【解析】

试题分析:本文是一篇科学调查发现。在研究中Gavin Menzies认为不是哥伦布首先发现的美洲，而是中国的郑和先到过美洲，然后哥伦布利用郑和绘制的地图到达了美洲。他的证据是在书店里发现的一张地图。而很多评论家对此持反对看法。

1.推理判断题。在本文中作者首先提出了一个问题，即Does a 600-year-old Chinese map prove that Christopher Columbus was not the first international explorer to navigate(航行) the New World? 然后在第二段介绍了Gavin Menzies在新书中提出对哥伦布发现美洲的新看法，由此判断文章首段目的作为引子，引出下文，选B。

2.推理判断题。在上文中Menzies,提出了一种新的看法，通过however的转折可以判断后面是一种相反的意思，再根据后面内容who say Menzies’ claims are impractical and not based in historical fact.可以推断不是所有人都同意他的说法，选A。

3.细节理解题。从文章倒数第二段 Critics of Menzies point out that he holds no degrees or professional training as a historian.可知评论家们认为Menzies没有专业的学术知识，他的理论不正确，选D。

4.细节理解题。根据文章第六段内容……That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus…可以判断Menzies认为郑和曾经航海到过美洲，而且时间早于哥伦布，答案选A。

考点：考查社会科学类短文阅读