On March 20, the Sanxingdui Ruins in Guanghan, Sichuan drew the world's attention. Chinese archaeologists (考古学家) announced that they have found more than 500 cultural relics (遗址) in six pits (坑) at the site, which dates back to over 3,200 years ago. The relics include bronze ware (青铜器), gold and bronze masks, ivory, jade and textiles (纺织品).
The Sanxingdui Ruins, which were first discovered in 1929, are believed to be the remains of the ancient Shu Kingdom. The kingdom was a center of civilization along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
In 1986, archaeologists discovered two pits that they believed were used for sacrificial (献祭的) ceremonies. At that time, over 1,000 artifacts were found, including bronze ware, face masks and "divine (神圣的) trees"- bronze sculptures of trees.
The discovery of Sanxingdui raised an important question about the origins of Chinese civilization. The ancient Shu civilization that built Sanxingdui is believed to be one of the earliest examples of Chinese civilization. The site, along with the Liangzhu and Shijiahe sites along the Yangtze River, shows that the birthplace of Chinese civilization might not have been only along the Yellow River Basin (域) in north China.
The newly-discovered relics are similar to those found in 1986, as they also include divine trees and bronze masks . They further support the idea that the pits were used for sacrificial purposes.
"These artifacts show that the Sanxingdui site had a close connection with Central China, but it also marks an original ancient civilization (in Sichuan) with strong creativity," said Chen Xiandan, a member of the excavation (发掘) project.
(1) What do we know about the relics found at the Sanxingdui Ruins recently?
A. They are made of gold.
B. They were all found in the same pit.
C. They were created about 3,200 years ago.
D. They were used for sacrificial ceremonies in 1986.
(2) What does the word "artifacts" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. The remains of a building.
B. Ancient ceremonies.
C. Historical objects.
D. Bronze sculptures.
(3) Paragraph 4 shows that Chinese civilization ______.
A. started earlier than was believed before
B. might have several different origins
C. was centered along the Yangtze River
D. developed from the ancient Shu civilization
(4) What do the newly-discovered relics suggest?
A. Sanxingdui is more important than the sites in Central China.
B. The Sanxingdui Ruins are part of the Liangzhu Ruins.
C. Sanxingdui was built by the ancient Shu Kingdom.
D. The ancient Shu civilization was creative.
(5) What is the best title for this passage?
A. New Discovery of Sanxingdui
B. Chinese Cultural Relics
C. Ancient Civilization
D. Work of Chinese Archaeologists