🪄 1A 词汇表

01 blessing n. C1
/ˈbles.ɪŋ/
释义 Definition
A prayer asking for God's help and protection; something that brings happiness or good fortune.
祝福；神赐的福分；幸运之事
课文例句 Example
“He stood in front of an altar praying for the holy blessing of rain.”
他伫立在祭坛前，虔诚祈祷降下神圣的甘霖。
02 constitute v. C1
/ˈkɒn.stɪ.tjuːt/
释义 Definition
To be the parts that form something; to make up.
构成，组成；设立
课文例句 Example
“Corn, beans, and squash constitute their basic source of protein.”
玉米、豆类和南瓜构成了他们基本的蛋白质来源。
03 demise n. C1
/dɪˈmaɪz/
释义 Definition
The end or failure of something that was previously great or powerful; death.
衰亡；败落；终止
课文例句 Example
“Severe droughts possibly caused the demise of the ancient Maya civilization.”
严重的干旱可能正是导致古代玛雅文明走向衰亡的原因。
04 flourish v. C1
/ˈflʌr.ɪʃ/
释义 Definition
To grow or develop successfully; to thrive.
繁荣，昌盛；旺盛生长
课文例句 Example
“More than 40 Maya cities flourished throughout the Yucatán region.”
40多座玛雅城邦在尤卡坦地区繁荣发展。
05 grueling adj. C1
/ˈɡruː.ə.lɪŋ/
释义 Definition
Extremely tiring and demanding; exhausting.
使人精疲力竭的；艰辛折磨的
课文例句 Example
“A crew of Maya farmers is working hard in the grueling Yucatán heat.”
一群玛雅农夫在尤卡坦半岛酷热难耐的烈日下艰苦劳作。
06 inspect v. C1
/ɪnˈspekt/
释义 Definition
To look at something carefully in order to discover information or check its condition.
检查，审视，视察
课文例句 Example
“He began inspecting the walls of the cenote a few meters below the surface.”
他开始仔细勘察水面下方数米处的溶井岩壁。
07 penetrate v. C1
/ˈpen.ɪ.treɪt/
释义 Definition
To move into or through something; to pierce.
穿透，渗入，刺入
课文例句 Example
“The roots of ancient trees penetrate deep into the limestone rock.”
古树的根系深深地穿透了坚硬的石灰岩石。
08 plunge v. C1
/plʌndʒ/
释义 Definition
To dive or fall suddenly and quickly into water or space.
骤降；纵身跳入；笔直射入
课文例句 Example
“A vertical beam of light plunged straight down into the sacred well.”
一束垂直的阳光笔直地射入了神圣的溶井深处。
09 sacrifice n./v. C1
/ˈsæk.rɪ.faɪs/
释义 Definition
The act of offering something valuable to a god; to give up something for a purpose.
献祭，祭品；牺牲
课文例句 Example
“They found a stone knife probably used centuries ago for sacrifices.”
他们发现了一把数百年前可能用于宗教祭祀的石刀。
10 soil n. C1
/sɔɪl/
释义 Definition
The upper layer of earth in which plants grow.
土壤，土地
课文例句 Example
“Wherever there was enough soil, the Maya planted their crops.”
只要有足够土壤的地方，玛雅人就会播种庄稼。
Reading 1A: Secrets of the Maya · 课文互动精读
Paragraph A The Zenith Discovery
1 From deep in a well near the ruins of the Maya city of Chichén Itzá, archaeoastronomer Arturo Montero shouts to his colleague on the surface, “I saw it! I saw it! Yes, it’s true!”
在玛雅古城奇琴伊察遗址附近的一口深井深处，考古天文学家阿图罗·蒙特罗向地面上的同事大喊：“我看见了！我看见了！是的，是真的！”
2 Leaning over the mouth of the well, archaeologist Guillermo De Anda hopes to hear what he has suspected for many months. “What is true, Arturo?” he shouts.
考古学家吉列尔莫·德安达探身趴在井口，急切地想听到他几个月来一直猜测的事情。“什么是真的，阿图罗？”他高声喊道。
3 And Montero yells up again: “The zenith light! It really works! Get down here!”
蒙特罗再次向上大喊：“天顶光！真的起作用了！快下来！”
Paragraph B Sacred Sundial and Timekeeper
1 The two archaeologists are anxious to confirm whether this cenote could have acted as a sacred sundial and timekeeper for the ancient Maya.
两位考古学家急于证实，这处天然溶井（cenote）是否曾作为古代玛雅人的神圣日晷与计时器。
2 On two days every year—May 23 and July 19—the sun reaches its zenith over this part of Mexico.
每年的两天——5月23日和7月19日，太阳会直射墨西哥这一地区的正上空（达到天顶）。
3 At those moments, the sun is vertically overhead and there is no shadow.
在那些时刻，太阳位于头顶正上方，地面没有任何阴影。
4 On the morning of their descent, on May 24, Montero and De Anda see that the sun’s rays are nearly vertical.
在他们下井的5月24日早晨，蒙特罗和德安达看到太阳的光线几乎是垂直的。
5 The day before, they realized, a beam of light would have plunged straight down into the water.
他们意识到，在前一天，一束阳光一定会笔直地射入水底深处。
Paragraph C Inside the Cathedral Cave
1 Beneath its narrow mouth, the walls of the cenote open up to become a giant dome.
在狭窄的井口之下，天然溶井的岩壁向外扩展，形成一个巨大的穹顶。
2 It looks like a cathedral, except for the roots of trees that penetrate the rock.
它看起来宛如一座大教堂，唯有穿透岩石盘根错节的树根昭示着大自然的神力。
3 The beam of sunlight dances like fire on the surrounding stalactites, and it turns the water a beautiful transparent blue.
阳光的光柱如同火焰般在周围的钟乳石上跃动，将井水映照成澄澈透明的美丽蔚蓝。
4 The archaeologists were probably the first people in centuries to watch the sun move slowly across the cenote’s water.
这两位考古学家大概是几个世纪以来，第一批亲眼目睹阳光在溶井水面上缓缓移动的人。
Paragraph D Astronomical Enigmas
1 Did Maya priests wait in this well, known as the Holtun cenote, to observe and correct their measurements of the sun’s angle when it reached the zenith?
玛雅祭司当年是否曾守候在这口被称为霍尔顿（Holtun）的溶井中，在太阳直射天顶时观察并修正他们对太阳角度的测算？
2 Did they come here during times of drought to make offerings to their water god, and at other times to give thanks for a good harvest?
他们是否在干旱时节来到这里向水神进献祭品，并在丰收之年在此表达感恩？
3 These and other questions involving the Maya religion and its extraordinarily accurate calendar are what the two explorers were investigating.
正是这些涉及玛雅宗教及其精准绝伦的历法体系的谜团，促使这两位探险家展开深入探索。
Paragraph E Doors to Chaak’s Underworld
1 In recent years, archaeologists have been paying more attention to the meaning of caves, the zenith sun, and cenotes in the beliefs of the ancient and modern Maya.
近年来，考古学家们越发关注洞穴、天顶太阳以及天然溶井在古代和当代玛雅人信仰中的深刻寓意。
2 Archaeologists already knew that the ancient Maya believed cenotes to be doors to a world inhabited by Chaak, the god of life-giving rain.
考古学家此前已知古代玛雅人将天然溶井视为通往赐予生命之雨的神灵——查克（Chaak）所居水下世界的门户。
3 But the significance of this fact has only recently started to become clear.
但这一事实的深远意义直到最近才逐渐清晰展现。
Paragraph F The Sacred Relics of Holtun
1 De Anda began exploring Holtun in 2010.
德安达于2010年开始探索霍尔顿溶井。
2 One day, inspecting the walls of the cenote a few meters below the surface, he felt something above his head.
一天，在井口下方数米处检查溶井岩壁时，他察觉到头顶上方有异物。
3 He was astonished to find a natural rock shelf holding human and animal bones, pottery, and a knife probably used for sacrifices, all neatly placed there centuries earlier.
他惊讶地发现一处天然岩架上整齐地摆放着人类与动物骨骼、陶器以及一把可能用于祭祀的石刀，全都完好保存了数百年之久。
4 Below the water, he saw a number of columns and Maya stone carvings. The well was clearly a sacred site.
在水面之下，他看到了多根石柱和玛雅石雕。这口溶井显然是一处极其神圣的祭祀圣地。
Paragraph G Key to Survival
1 Three years later, in the cornfield on the surface above the cenote, a crew of Maya farmers is working hard in the grueling Yucatán heat to pull the explorers out of the well.
三年后，在溶井上方的玉米地里，一群玛雅农民在尤卡坦半岛酷热难耐的烈日下辛勤劳作，将探险队员拉出井口。
2 “There was a good rain the other day,” says the crew’s leader, Louis Un Ken, as he wipes the sweat off his face. “The Chaak moved.”
“前几天下了场透雨，”施工队长路易斯·乌伊卡布擦了擦脸上的汗水说道，“雨神查克显灵了。”
3 For men like Un Ken, the old gods are still very much alive, and Chaak is among the most important.
对于像乌伊卡布这样的人来说，古老的神灵依然鲜活存在，而雨神查克正是其中最至关重要的一位。
Paragraph H The Power of Rain
1 For the benefit of living things, he pours from the skies the water he keeps in jars.
为了造福世间万物，他将储存在瓦罐中的雨水倾洒至人间。
2 Thunder is the sound of Chaak breaking a jar open and letting the rain fall.
雷鸣正是查克砸开水罐、降下甘霖的轰鸣之声。
3 The Chaak had moved, Un Ken said, and that meant the planting season would soon arrive.
乌伊卡布说，雨神查克动身了，这意味着播种的季节即将来临。
4 Chaak’s absence can cause disasters for the Yucatán Maya, possibly the demise of the ancient Maya civilization itself.
雨神的缺席会给尤卡坦的玛雅人带来灭顶之灾，甚至可能正是古代玛雅文明最终走向衰亡的根本原因。
Paragraph I A Land Without Rivers
1 Their land is an endless limestone shelf. Rain sinks through the porous limestone down to groundwater levels, and consequently, no river runs through the land.
他们的土地是一片无边无际的石灰岩地质。雨水迅速渗透多孔的石灰岩下沉至地下水层，因此地面上没有任何常流的河流。
2 From the air, one sees a green sea of dense jungle, but at ground level, the tropical forest appears very thin.
从空中俯瞰，这里是一片茂密的热带丛林绿海，但在地面上，热带森林的土壤层却极其贫瘠稀薄。
3 Wherever there is enough soil, the Maya plant corn, or a milpa—a crop-growing system including corn, beans, and squash that constitutes their basic source of protein.
只要有足够的土壤，玛雅人就会种植玉米，或经营“米尔帕”（milpa）传统轮作系统——包含玉米、豆类和南瓜，这构成了他们基本的蛋白质来源。
4 But corn is a hungry crop. It sucks lots of nutrients from the soil.
然而玉米是一种消耗极大的作物，会迅速抽干土壤中的大量养分。
Paragraph J The Delicate Dance of Milpa
1 For thousands of years, milpa farmers have kept their small fields productive by burning a different area of trees every year and planting in the corn-friendly ashes.
数千年来，米尔帕农夫通过每年轮流焚烧不同区域的林木并在肥沃的草木灰中播种，使他们的小块土地保持高产。
2 As for water for the fields, that’s where Chaak comes in. Only seasonal rains can make the corn grow, and they must arrive in an exact pattern:
至于灌溉农田的水源，这正是雨神查克发挥威力的时刻。唯有季节性降雨才能让玉米茁壮成长，且降水必须严格遵循精准规律：
3 No rain in winter so that the fields and forests will be dry enough to burn by March, some rain in early May to soften up the soil for planting,
冬季不能下雨，以便林地干燥能在三月前焚烧；五月初需有适度雨水软化土壤以备播种；
4 then very gentle rain to allow the seeds to begin to grow, and finally plenty of rain so the corn can flourish.
随后需有绵绵细雨助幼苗萌芽破土，最后必须有充沛的大雨使玉米成熟繁盛。
Paragraph K Pleasing the Rain God
1 In the village of Yaxunah, many people still depend on milpa, and an annual ceremony is held there to please the rain god.
在雅苏纳（Yaxunah）村庄，许多人仍依赖米尔帕农业为生，每年那里都会举行盛大的祭祀仪式以取悦雨神。
2 They walk a long way through the forest to a sacred cave, and climb down to its center to bring up the water the ceremony requires.
村民们穿过森林长途跋涉来到神圣的溶洞，攀爬至洞穴深处取回仪式所需的圣水。
3 They raise the altar, dig a large cooking pit, and provide 13 fat chickens for the ritual meal.
他们筑起祭坛，挖出巨大的烹饪地坑，并为祭祀盛宴准备了13只肥美的土鸡。
4 They cook them in the pit so the steam can rise directly to the rain god as an offering.
他们在土坑中烘烤鸡肉，让袅袅蒸汽直接升入天际作为献给雨神的馨香祭品。
Paragraph L The Blessing of the Hmem
1 One recent such ceremony in Yaxunah was guided by Hipólito Puuc Tamay, a Maya holy man called a hmem. He stood in front of an altar, praying for the holy blessing of rain.
雅苏纳最近举行的一次此类仪式由希波利托·普克·塔马伊主持，他是一位被称为 hmem 的玛雅通灵祭司。他伫立在祭坛前，虔诚祈祷降下神圣的甘霖。
2 On instructions from the hmem, one of the villagers sat on a rock near the altar, blowing from time to time into one of the gourds in which Chaak stores the wind. He was just one of the neighbors, but he was also the rain god.
在祭司的指引下，一位村民坐在祭坛旁的巨石上，不时吹响用来代表查克储存狂风的葫芦。他虽是普通的邻里村民，但在仪式中却化身为雨神的化身。
3 And he sat with his eyes closed so as not to harm the ceremony with his terrible glance.
他双目紧闭端坐，以免用雨神可畏的目光冲撞神圣的仪式。
4 Two other participants brought him to the altar, facing backward to receive a blessing from the hmem.
另外两位参与者背对祭坛将他搀扶至台前，接受祭司的神圣祝福。
5 Out of nowhere, a wind came up, and thunder could be heard in the distance. As the ceremonial meal was being distributed, the rain started.
刹那间狂风平地而起，远方雷声隐隐滚过。就在分发祭祀圣餐之时，甘霖倾盆而下。
6 A sign, the hmem said, that Chaak had received his offering and was pleased with his people’s prayer. Soon, perhaps, the earth would be ready for planting.
祭司宣告，这是雨神查克已悦纳祭品并垂听子民祈祷的神圣预兆。很快，广袤大地便将做好迎接耕种的准备。
Before You ReadReading ComprehensionReading Skill
📖 Reading Practice · 阅读与技能练习
得分: 0 / 21 题

Before You Read · A. Discussion

Look at the photo and read the caption. What do you know about the Maya civilization? Share your ideas with a partner.

Teacher's Guide · Possible answers

They built pyramids; they developed a writing system; they had a calendar system.

B. Predicting

Why do you think cenotes were important to the ancient Maya? Discuss your ideas with a partner. Then read the passage to check your answer.

Teacher's Guide · Possible answer

I think cenotes were important as a water source.

讨论与预测不计入答题成绩。

查看教材图片与说明（第 8 页）
Reading Comprehension (Page 14)

Part A · Multiple Choice

MAIN IDEA · Q1Para A
1. Why were Guillermo de Anda and Arturo Montero excited?
REFERENCE · Q2Para A
2. In paragraph A, what does it refer to in “I saw it, I saw it!”?
DETAIL · Q3Para D
3. What are Arturo Montero and Guillermo de Anda NOT investigating in the cenote?
INFERENCE · Q4Para G
4. In paragraph G, what did Luis Un Ken mean when he said, “The Chaak moved”?
DETAIL · Q5Para I
5. Why is farming particularly difficult for the Maya?
SEQUENCE · Q6Para J
6. To get the best crops, what must happen immediately after the fields are burned?
COHESION · Q7Para K
7. Where would be the best place to insert this sentence in paragraph K?
“The villagers work without rest or sleep to persuade Chaak to come to them.”

Part B · Matching Paragraphs

Match each paragraph (1–5) with the information it contains (a–g). Two options are extra.

1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
Q5
5. Paragraph F
Reading Skill: Understanding Complex Infographics (1) (Page 16)

Part A · Infographic Matching

Section 1 (Holtún Cenote Sun Angle)
Section 2 (Artifacts on Shelf & Floor)
Section 3 (In Line with the Sun & Pyramid)
Section 4 (Four Surrounding Cenotes)

Part B · True or False

1. The Holtún cenote and the Kanjuyum cenote are the same distance from Chichén Itzá.
2. During the sun’s zenith, its rays are reflected onto the cave walls.
3. The water surface is 70 meters below the mouth of the Holtún cenote.
4. During droughts, the Maya put offerings on an exposed rock shelf.
5. A broken Jaguar man was found on the rock shelf.

📘 1A 词汇复习

01 blessing n. C1
/ˈbles.ɪŋ/
释义 Definition
A prayer asking for God's help and protection; something that brings happiness or good fortune.
祝福；神赐的福分；幸运之事
课文例句 Example
“He stood in front of an altar praying for the holy blessing of rain.”
他伫立在祭坛前，虔诚祈祷降下神圣的甘霖。
02 constitute v. C1
/ˈkɒn.stɪ.tjuːt/
释义 Definition
To be the parts that form something; to make up.
构成，组成；设立
课文例句 Example
“Corn, beans, and squash constitute their basic source of protein.”
玉米、豆类和南瓜构成了他们基本的蛋白质来源。
03 demise n. C1
/dɪˈmaɪz/
释义 Definition
The end or failure of something that was previously great or powerful; death.
衰亡；败落；终止
课文例句 Example
“Severe droughts possibly caused the demise of the ancient Maya civilization.”
严重的干旱可能正是导致古代玛雅文明走向衰亡的原因。
04 flourish v. C1
/ˈflʌr.ɪʃ/
释义 Definition
To grow or develop successfully; to thrive.
繁荣，昌盛；旺盛生长
课文例句 Example
“More than 40 Maya cities flourished throughout the Yucatán region.”
40多座玛雅城邦在尤卡坦地区繁荣发展。
05 grueling adj. C1
/ˈɡruː.ə.lɪŋ/
释义 Definition
Extremely tiring and demanding; exhausting.
使人精疲力竭的；艰辛折磨的
课文例句 Example
“A crew of Maya farmers is working hard in the grueling Yucatán heat.”
一群玛雅农夫在尤卡坦半岛酷热难耐的烈日下艰苦劳作。
06 inspect v. C1
/ɪnˈspekt/
释义 Definition
To look at something carefully in order to discover information or check its condition.
检查，审视，视察
课文例句 Example
“He began inspecting the walls of the cenote a few meters below the surface.”
他开始仔细勘察水面下方数米处的溶井岩壁。
07 penetrate v. C1
/ˈpen.ɪ.treɪt/
释义 Definition
To move into or through something; to pierce.
穿透，渗入，刺入
课文例句 Example
“The roots of ancient trees penetrate deep into the limestone rock.”
古树的根系深深地穿透了坚硬的石灰岩石。
08 plunge v. C1
/plʌndʒ/
释义 Definition
To dive or fall suddenly and quickly into water or space.
骤降；纵身跳入；笔直射入
课文例句 Example
“A vertical beam of light plunged straight down into the sacred well.”
一束垂直的阳光笔直地射入了神圣的溶井深处。
09 sacrifice n./v. C1
/ˈsæk.rɪ.faɪs/
释义 Definition
The act of offering something valuable to a god; to give up something for a purpose.
献祭，祭品；牺牲
课文例句 Example
“They found a stone knife probably used centuries ago for sacrifices.”
他们发现了一把数百年前可能用于宗教祭祀的石刀。
10 soil n. C1
/sɔɪl/
释义 Definition
The upper layer of earth in which plants grow.
土壤，土地
课文例句 Example
“Wherever there was enough soil, the Maya planted their crops.”
只要有足够土壤的地方，玛雅人就会播种庄稼。
Vocabulary Practice (Page 17)
Part APart BPart C

Part A · Completion

Complete the information using the words: demise, flourish, grueling, inspect, plunge, soil. (One word is extra)

得分: 0 / 13 题
1. What caused this society that once ________ to suddenly collapse?
2. According to one study, three ________ droughts led to the demise of the Maya.
3. ...led to the ________ of the Maya.
4. Researchers who ________ sediment from the Yucatán Peninsula found that these droughts corresponded with declines...
5. Without rain, the ________ couldn’t support crops, leading to mass starvation.

Part B · Words in Context

1. If someone plunges into a lake, they:
2. A ________ is likely to give a blessing to someone else.
3. The sacrifice of an animal involves:
4. If several people constitute something, they are:
5. If water penetrates a surface, it:

Part C · Collocations with grueling

1. After a grueling ________ through rough terrain, we finally reached our destination.
2. Running a marathon requires months of grueling ________.
3. I have a grueling ________ next week. Eight exams in seven days!

🏆 Unit 1A 学习完成

完成本课阅读练习与词汇复习后，可以打卡并继续 Unit 1B。

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0 / 13
词汇复习
0 / 34
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