# Maori middens - 科目：雅思听力真题（Part 4） - 考频：超高频 - 最近考试：2018.1.18Asia/2014.9.6/2012.2.9 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/d99c6151-e358-41fd-9a81-9e30caf9d80e（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 00:00:00,600 Now turn to section four on page six. 00:00:09,600 Section four. 00:00:12,080 You will hear part of a lecture about archaeological diggings in New Zealand. First, you have some time to look at questions thirty-one to forty on page seven. 00:01:13,260 Now listen carefully and answer questions thirty-one to forty. 00:01:19,740 Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the lecture. 00:01:23,620 Today, I'm going to be asking the question: What can archaeologists learn from studying middens? 00:01:30,590 'Midden' is an Old English word meaning a domestic rubbish dump. 00:01:36,000 By way of providing a local New Zealand example, let me tell you about an ancient midden I excavated recently that was made by the Maori people in this country. 00:01:47,360 It consisted primarily of leftovers from meals, particularly a great quantity of shells from seafood. I also came across something very exciting, an ax that had been discarded because it was damaged. Finds of this kind are of great interest because they tell us about the technologies developed by people in the past. 00:02:11,780 For the same reason, I was most pleased to unearth several fish hooks, another item commonly found in Maori middens. 00:02:20,180 Their hooks were manufactured using bone, which is a durable material that can last for hundreds of years in the right conditions. 00:02:29,340 But why is rubbish like this important, you might well ask? Well, the reason archaeologists are fascinated by rubbish is that it provides information about ordinary life, and written history doesn't always do that. 00:02:45,120 Now, having whetted your appetite for middens, I should just mention that they are protected by law. 00:02:52,500 If you wish to make any excavation at a midden, you must first obtain a permit from the Historic Places Trust. It is an offense to work on a midden without doing this. 00:03:05,200 So how can you find a midden? The best place is on the beach or among sand dunes. Look for low mounds of shells. 00:03:15,520 Some sort of erosion is often important because middens were usually buried. 00:03:21,500 For this reason, it's not uncommon to find a midden where a road is being constructed and the contractors are digging into the land. 00:03:30,820 Now, in the past, we could only make rough estimates regarding the age of a midden. But with modern radiocarbon dating techniques, archaeologists can accurately ascertain the date it was made. It's even possible to establish what season of the year the midden was created. This may not sound like useful information at first, but it actually gives us an insight into Maori migration, when and where they traveled. 00:04:04,120 What else can we discover from middens? Well, we can learn a great deal about diet. For example, the study of middens has revealed that the Maori people who lived here before Europeans arrived first concentrated their hunting on giant birds, which were rich in fat. But later, as this resource became scarce, they had to find an alternative, so mostly turned to fish, which of course, has a much lower fat content. 00:04:35,770 This kind of discovery is most useful because it allows us to speculate about how healthy people were and also what life expectancy the population could look forward to at different stages of its history. 00:04:50,520 Well, I'm now going to talk about different varieties of middens. The most common type in this country are those made up of shells, which of course, are found close to beaches. 00:05:02,440 The other thing to remember with shell middens is that New Zealand has several species of freshwater mussels, as well as the much more common saltwater varieties. 00:05:12,860 This means that small middens made up of these shells are occasionally found beside lakes, which can be hundreds of kilometers from the sea in quite mountainous areas. 00:05:25,700 --> 00:05:41,480 Middens containing no shell material have occasionally been discovered in various regions of the South Island, particularly Central Otago and on the East Coast. However, the thing to emphasize here is that they are extremely rare. 00:05:42,540 I don't know of any new discoveries in the last ten years. 00:05:47,300 Finally, middens dating from the early European period of New Zealand's history are also fascinating. How can we distinguish European and Maori middens? Well, certain items are only found in European middens, notably things made of glass, which was a material unknown to Maori. 00:06:08,060 But in other respects, the two types are often remarkably similar, suggesting that in many ways, the first European settlers adapted to the Maori way of life. 00:06:19,060 One other distinguishing feature I should just mention is that the two types of middens tend to be found in different locations. Historic European middens are less restricted to the coastlines, and particularly large ones have been left behind in places where soldiers had their camps. Well, that's the end of the formal part of the lecture. 00:06:45,700 That is the end of section four. You now have half a minute to check your answers. ## 题目与答案 ### 31. Maori Middens General information ·Midden: rubbish dump ·Studying middens in New Zealand reveals information Contains: ·Food scraps (mainly seashells) ·A broken 31_____ Maori Middens General information ·Midden: rubbish dump ·Studying middens in New Zealand reveals information Contains: ·Food scraps (mainly seashells) ·A broken 31_____ **答案**：ax 原文定位：I also came across something very exciting, an ax that had been discarded because it was damaged 同义替换：「broken」↔「damaged」 ### 32. ·Some hooks made of 32_____ . ·Some hooks made of 32_____ . **答案**：bone 原文定位：Their hooks were manufactured using bone, which is a durable material that can last for hundreds of years in the right conditions 同义替换：「made of」↔「manufactured」 ### 33. ·If you want to study a midden, you need to get a 33_____ . ·If you want to study a midden, you need to get a 33_____ . **答案**：permit 原文定位：If you wish to make any excavation at a midden, you must first obtain a permit from the Historic Places Trust 同义替换：「need to get」↔「must first obtain」 ### 34. Research findings ·Middens can be found on the beach, but erosion is important ·It is hard to find a midden where a 34_____ is being built. Research findings ·Middens can be found on the beach, but erosion is important ·It is hard to find a midden where a 34_____ is being built. **答案**：road 原文定位：it's not uncommon to find a midden where a road is being constructed and the contractors are digging into the land 同义替换：「built」↔「constructed」 ### 35. ·It can offer information on the 35_____pattern of those Maori. ·It can offer information on the 35_____pattern of those Maori. **答案**：migration 原文定位：It's even possible to establish what season of the year the midden was created. This may not sound like useful information at first, but it actually gives us an insight into Maori migration, when and where they traveled 同义替换：「information on」↔「insight into」 ### 36. Dietary habit ·Early Maori ate 36_____ (very fatty) ·Later Maori ate fish (not fatty) Dietary habit ·Early Maori ate 36_____ (very fatty) ·Later Maori ate fish (not fatty) **答案**：birds 原文定位：the Maori people who lived here before Europeans arrived first concentrated their hunting on giant birds, which were rich in fat 同义替换：「ate」↔「hunting on」；「very fatty」↔「rich in fat」 ### 37. More Findings ·Shell middens can be found close to the beaches and 37_____ . More Findings ·Shell middens can be found close to the beaches and 37_____ . **答案**：lakes 原文定位：This means that small middens made up of these shells are occasionally found beside lakes, which can be hundreds of kilometers from the sea in quite mountainous areas 同义替换：「close to」↔「beside」 ### 38. ·Middens can be found in the South Island, but are very 38_____ . ·Middens can be found in the South Island, but are very 38_____ . **答案**：rare 原文定位：Middens containing no shell material have occasionally been discovered in various regions of the South Island, particularly Central Otago and on the East Coast. However, the thing to emphasize here is that they are extremely rare 同义替换：「very」↔「extremely」 ### 39. ·European middens contained 39_____ objects. ·European middens contained 39_____ objects. **答案**：glass 原文定位：Well, certain items are only found in European middens, notably things made of glass, which was a material unknown to Maori 同义替换：「contained」↔「made of」；「objects」↔「things」 ### 40. ·Large European middens were found in the places where 40_____ stayed. ·Large European middens were found in the places where 40_____ stayed. **答案**：soldiers 原文定位：particularly large ones have been left behind in places where soldiers had their camps --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。