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Small discoveries in Indonesia are causing a stir(轰动 ) in the science world. Researchers have
unearthed (挖掘) tiny bones that they believe belong to an entirely new human species. If that' s true,
it will change how we think about our ancestors.
Clues that the little people may have lived long ago were first revealed last year in the scientific joumal Nature. Scientists said that they had found the bones of a three-foot-tall female on the island of Flores,in
Indonesia. When they looked more closely, they saw that the nearly complete skeleton(骨骼) belonged
to a full-grown adult. Researchers named her Hobbit, after the tiny heroes of the Lord of the Rings books.
Now the team is saying it has unearthed even more pieces of the puzzle,including a jawbone and
parts of arms , legs and hands from several individuals , as well as stone tools. They reported their find
in Nature this month. " The new evidence makes it very clear that these people are a new species, distinct
from modem humans," Peter Brown, a scientist on the team, said. They named these ancient humans
Homo floresiensis.
Brown says that these little people lived as recently as 12,000 years ago. If Homo floresiensis was a
different species from modern humans,that would make our family tree bigger than we knew. It means ,
says Brown ,that " until recently , a relative shared the planet
with us. "
Many scientists think a new species is unlikely. Some argue that the bones must have belonged to
modern humans whose small size was the result of a genetic problem.
Daniel E. Lieberman , a scientist at Harvard University, thinks that the debate over the discovery
is healthy. He believes that the questions and arguments raised by critics will help us learn more about
these unusual skeletons. " Disagreement is an important part of the scientific process" , Lieberman said.
" As far as I'm concerned, the story's only just begun. "
1. Researchers name the skeleton Hobbit because_________.
A. it proves to be a full-grown adult
B. it belongs to an ancient human species
C. it resembles the tiny heroes in a set of book
D. it is a figure described in the Lord of the Rings
2. Small discoveries in Indonesia are important because__________.
A. they are about ancestors of modern humans
B. they are revealed in the scientific journal Nature
C. they are made by Peter Brown,a famous scientist
D. they might provide new evidence for human study
3. According to Daniel E. Lieberman_____________.
A. the investigation hasn't begun yet
B. disagreement leads to further research
C. Homo floresiensis doesn't exist on earth
D. our family tree is bigger than we knew
4. What does the underlined word " a relative" in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Another human species.
B. The little people in fictions.
C. Our ancestors like monkeys.
D. One of Peter Brown's relatives.
5. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. History of Indonesian People
B. Arguments Over Human Origin
C. Comparison Between Different Peoples
D. Discovery of a Possible New Human Species
