L2
讲座
1. What does the professor mainly discuss?
An early use of calendars to predict long-term weather conditions
A possible cause of a major historical event
Factors that led to the rise of a civilization in the Americas
The agricultural practices of an ancient civilization
2. What did climatologists learn from their study of lake bed sediments?
That lakes were the principal source of water for Maya cornfields
That ancient Maya corn harvests reached their peak around 950 C.E.
That rainfall levels during the Maya Classic Period were approximately the same as they are today
That four severe droughts occurred toward the end of the Maya Classic Period
3. What does the professor imply about inscriptions on Maya monuments?
Some of the inscriptions mention extreme weather events.
Some of the inscriptions contain words from more than one language.
Some of the inscriptions were added to the monuments many years after they were built.
The inscriptions are useful for determining when Maya political structure broke down.
4. Why does the professor contrast the climate of the Yucatan with that of the southwestern United States?
To suggest that the Classic Maya collapse could have been avoided
To point out a vulnerability of the Maya food supply
To highlight the superior farming methods of the Maya
To question an assumption about contact between the Maya and other Native American groups
5. According to the professor, what happens when rainwater falls on a karst landscape?
The rainwater quickly evaporates.
The rainwater forms natural pools on the surface.
The rainwater goes underground almost immediately
The rainwater causes rivers and streams to overflow
6. Why does the professor emphasize elevation differences between the northern and southern parts of the Maya territory?
To defend the climatologists’ hypothesis against possible objection
To show a connection between topography and climate
To explain why northern well water was more accessible 1,000 years ago than it is today
To highlight the expanding role of climatology researchers
