时间:2019-02-24 作者:英语课 分类:英语听力文摘 English Digest


英语课

  Sometime Cavemen

我们的祖先是否一直生活在一个地方呢?山顶洞人就一直生活在山洞里吗?

From the bestselling novel “Clan of the Cave Bear” to the 1981 movie “Caveman“, pop-culture tends to misrepresent prehistoric 1 people as cave dwelling 2 brutes 3. But even the most speculative 4 recreations of early human society are based on a few essential facts. For instance, cavemen made their homes in caves, right?

Well, not exactly. According to archeological evidence, prehistoric human ancestors such as Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo ergaster were nomadic 5.


  Rather than settle in one place for long periods of time, they were constantly on the move in search of food and shelter. In other words, the term “caveman” is a bit misleading, since our stone age ancestors did not set up permanent homes in caves.

Then why are prehistoric people so often referred to as cavemen? There are several reasons. First, much evidence of prehistoric civilization is found in caves because the natural shelter helps preserve artifacts.

The earliest cave dwellers 6 date to the Paleolithic period, around 2.5 million years ago, and evidence suggests that these ancient nomads 7 used caves as temporary shelters during their seasonal 8 wanderings. The caves often lay on valley slopes and provided excellent views of animal migration 9 routes.

But there is no evidence that Stone Age peoples set up shop in caves for very long. Even Neanderthals, who lived in relatively 10 cold regions of ancient Europe, used caves only for temporary shelter.

Our more immediate 11 ancestors did, of course, eventually move indoors. But permanent dwellings 12 came about only with the invention of agriculture and animal husbandry. Before those world-changing inventions, prehistoric people were forced to follow their food away from the warmth and shelter of the cave.



adj.(有记载的)历史以前的,史前的,古老的
  • They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
  • It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。
n.住宅,住所,寓所
  • Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
  • He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
兽( brute的名词复数 ); 畜生; 残酷无情的人; 兽性
  • They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗,是丑陋的畜牲。
  • Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然,他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学
adj.思索性的,暝想性的,推理的
  • Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
  • The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大,不应理会。
adj.流浪的;游牧的
  • This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
  • The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。
n.居民,居住者( dweller的名词复数 )
  • City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 );流浪者;游牧生活;流浪生活
  • For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
  • Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
adj.季节的,季节性的
  • The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
  • The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。
n.迁移,移居,(鸟类等的)迁徙
  • Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
  • He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。
adv.比较...地,相对地
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
n.住处,处所( dwelling的名词复数 )
  • The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
  • The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》
学英语单词
-bedroomed
a good onion
Aconitum carmichaeli
admiralty mts.
advance drawing change notice
androconidium
anglebar
ash emulsion
attack vector
base input characteristics
be strange at
bridge structure
call for trumps
carrier position
change in cost
cicatrica trachoma
Cobalt(lll)oxide
collema flaccidum ach.
combustible waste
cornrows
crest plane
cytopharyngeal armature
DABER
Dioscorea cumingii
diyah
draft-dodgings
dumdum fevers
electrical multiplier
electrical trench
encapsulated electrical apparatus
encyclopaedies
extinction price
falcarindiol
fan-site
fartings
filing area
filksing
four-probe arrangement
Gauss-Kruger projection
generator drive axle
grain boundary segregation
grain concentration measuring method
hot-spot
hysteric hemiplegia
hysteroptosia
idas
inharmonical
internal genitals
iterative phase constant
japanese snowbells
kramers theory
lead lubrication process
lechlades
lepas anserifera
local/local machine
lowrises
mean of probability distribution
micro-kjehldahl's method
Midway Is.
mielichhoferia sinensis dixon
minitractors
myometriums
nircs
noncompleteness
on service
One and Eight
outlet chamber
paterzem
patrimoines
peaking capacity
photomyoclonic
Phrynium tonkinense
plangently
Plumbago auriculata
podopmpholyx
pseudocubic
ratio flow control
remesal
Richard Roes
root-knot eel-worm
rough soybean products
ruficollis
safety classes
safety command
Saint Blaiz's disease
sector-based
sidetable
Spirillum vincenti
steamjacket
test dive
TF-FE
the-rosie
three-colour knob yarn
torsion gage
trifurcating
true product reliability
Viburnum luzonicum
vimala
visicorp
window class
wine press
wingert