A large conch（海螺）shell brought little attention in a French museum for many years，but it is now quickly gaining attention.The shell is thought to be the oldest known seashell instrument.And it still works，producing a deep sound，like a foghorn from the distant past.
The shell was found during the exploration of a cave with prehistoric wall paintings in the Pyrenees Mountains in southwestern France.It was believed to be a ceremonial drinking cup.Scientists from the University of Toulouse in France recently took a fresh look at the conch shell.They now believe it was changed thousands of years ago to serve as a wind instrument.They also invited a French horn，player to play it.
The researchers estimate it to be about 18，000 years old.Conch shells have been used widely in musical and ceremonial traditions，including in ancient Peru，Greece，Japan and India.The shell instrument found in the Marsoulas cave is now the oldest known example.Earlier，Gilles Tosello，another archaeologist in Toulouse，said a conch shell instrument found in Syria was estimated to be about 6，000 years old.
The latest discovery was made after a recent inventory at the Natural History Museum of Toulouse.The researchers noticed some unusual holes in the shell.Especially important is that the end of the shell was broken off.That created a hole large enough to blow through.Inspections with a microscope showed that the opening was made by humans. "It was not accidental breakage or wear，" Tosello said.
This discovery reminds us that ancient people's lives were more complex than making stone tools and hunting large animals. "Marsoulas cave is not near an ocean.So the prehistoric people must have either moved around or traded to get the shell，" the researchers said.
（1）What's the Conch shell found in France，actually？ DD
A．A tool.
B．A decoration.
C．A drinking cup.
D．A musical instrument.
（2）What can be learned from paragraph 2 and 3？ BB
A．Researchers explored the cave in order to find the horn.
B．Scientists got wrong with the estimation of the shell at first.
C．Conch shells have been widely used all over Europe.
D．According to archaeologists，the shell found in Syria is the oldest one.
（3）What made it possible for the shell to turn into a horn？ AA
A．A large hole at the end.
B．A telescope.
C．Some accidental breakage.
D．A natural opening.
（4）What's the main idea of the passage？ CC
A．Ancient people lived a more complex life.
B．Musical instrument changed a lot over time.
C．An ancient musical conch shell was discovered.
D．Scientists disagreed on the use of conch shells.
【考點(diǎn)】傳統(tǒng)習(xí)俗與文化；說明文．
【答案】D；B；A；C
【解答】
【點(diǎn)評(píng)】
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發(fā)布：2024/4/20 14:35:0組卷：13引用：2難度：0.7
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