Ancient Megastructures 遠古工程巡禮
Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat are two of the most amazing structures known to mankind.
馬丘比丘和吳哥窟都是最為人所知的奇特建築。
Man has always had an innate desire for fame, power, and glory. Rulers of kingdoms would force thousands of their people to do backbreaking labor for years at a time so that their names would be immortalized in the history books. This month, National Geographic Channel's Ancient Megastructures takes a look at some of the most majestic structures from around the world.
Before the airport was built in Siem Reap, travelers looking for adventure had to take a bumpy 315-kilometer truck ride deep into the heart of the jungle from Phnom Phen, the capital of Cambodia. Once they survived this treacherous journey, visitors were greeted by one of the largest religious monuments in the world, Angkor Wat. In the 12th century, Khmer King Suryavarman set out to create his vision of "heaven on Earth." As explained in Ancient Megastructures: Angkor Wat, in order to build this enormous temple in the middle of the jungle, the king needed a quarry where he could cut out and transport sandstone. Thousands of workers spent years cutting these stones, floating them down canals to the construction site, and assembling them in a way that is utterly unbelievable to this day. The blocks remain in place today because of the meticulous way the stones were placed on top of each other, which means that no nails or mortar were needed in the original construction hundreds of years ago.
Halfway around the world, the results of the construction of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes were strikingly similar. The huge blocks were cut so precisely that barely a knife blade can fit in between the rocks. While building this sacred city in the sky, Pachacuti, the Emperor-god of the Incas in the 15th century, faced problems like earthquakes and landslides from torrential rains. After many years, Machu Picchu was home to 1,000 people living at an elevation of more than 2,350 meters in the sky. This month, Ancient Megastructures: Machu Picchu treks up to the clouds and finds this lost city exactly like what Pachacuti intended it to be—mysterious and awe-inspiring.
1. According to the article, what is something that man does NOT want?
(A) To be admired by everyone.
(B) To be known by everyone.
(C) To be just like everyone else.
(D) To have more power than everyone else.
2. The term immortalized in the first paragraph means _____.
(A) being remembered forever
(B) dying at a young age
(C) having a huge grave
(D) turning over a new leaf
3. How are Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu similar?
(A) They are both located in Asia.
(B) The Incas had a hand in the building of both structures.
(C) Both temples were made of sandstone.
(D) The construction of both had similar results.
4. According to the article, what is true about Pachacuti?
(A) He was just an ordinary citizen of Peru.
(B) He eventually realized that his dream of people living in the sky was unworkable.
(C) He died in an earthquake.
(D) He envisioned Machu Picchu to have an aura of mystery about it.
Grammar Tips
as explained in... 如在……中所解釋的
注意:
在上述用法中，as 為副詞連接詞，表『如同』，"as explained in..." 即由 "as what was explained in..." 化簡而來，但使用時，已習慣將 what was 省略。類似用法尚有下列：
as expected 如預料中的
as mentioned above 如上所述
as planned 按計畫
as scheduled 按預定進度
例: This contract is between the two people as mentioned above.
（這份合約適用於上述的兩造人士。）
例: Thanks to your timely help, I was able to finish the work as scheduled.
（幸虧你適時的幫助，我得以按進度把工作完成。）
單字小舖
1. megastructure n. 巨型建築物
2. backbreaking a. 非常辛勞的
backbreaking labor 辛勤的勞動
3. bumpy a. 崎嶇不平的
4. treacherous a. 危險的
5. vision n. 憧憬
6. quarry n. 採石場
7. sandstone n. 砂岩
8. float vt. 使漂流，使漂浮
9. canal n. 運河
10. unbelievable a. 令人難以置信的
11. meticulous a. 一絲不苟的
12. nail n. 釘子
hit the nail on the head 一針見血
13. mortar n. 灰泥，灰漿；黏合物
14. halfway adv. 到中途；到一半
15. blade n. 刀片，刀鋒
16. sacred a. 神聖的
17. landslide n. 山崩
mudslide n. 土石流
18. torrential a. 猛烈的
torrential rains 豪雨
19. trek vi. 艱苦跋涉
20. awe-inspiring a. 令人驚嘆的
21. unworkable a. 難以實行的
22. aura n. 氣氛，氛圍
片語小舖
1. in place 在適當∕正確的地方
2. be home to... 是……的家鄉
3. turn over a new leaf 重新做人，改過自新
精解字詞片語
1. innate a. 與生俱來的
= inborn a.
acquired a. 後天（習得∕獲得）的
例: She has an innate talent for music and dancing.
（她具有音樂與舞蹈的天份。）
2. immortalize vt. 使永恆不朽
immortal a. 不朽的，不死的
mortal a. 凡人的；會死的
例: Tim and Tina carved their names into the tree to immortalize their love.
（提姆和蒂娜把他們的名字刻在樹上以誌彼此永恆不渝的愛。）
例: The hero has passed away, but his spirit remains immortal.
（這位英雄雖然已經過世，但他的精神長存。）
例: Needless to say, man is mortal.
（不用說，人都難逃一死。）
3. set out to V 開始（從事）……
例: The police set out to investigate the murder case.
（警方對這樁謀殺案展開調查。）
4. transport vt. 運送
例: They used trains to transport coal.
（他們利用火車運送煤炭。）
5. construction n. 建築物；建造
construction site 建築工地
under construction 建造中，施工中
例: This road is under construction, so I will have to go a different direction.
（道路正在施工，所以我得改走別條路。）
6. assemble vt. 組合，組裝
例: We assembled the bed in the middle of the room.
（我們在房間中央組裝好那張床。）
7. utterly adv. 完全地
= completely adv.
例: Steven's plan to build an elevator to space was utterly ridiculous.
（史蒂芬要建造電梯直達太空的計畫真是荒謬至極。）
8. strikingly adv. 顯著地，明顯地
例: The genius thought the math puzzle was strikingly simple.
（這名天才覺得這道數學謎題真是再簡單不過了。）
9. precisely adv. 精確地
例: The plane is leaving at precisely 10:00 PM.
（這班飛機將準時在晚上 10 點鐘起飛。）
10. fit in... 可以放入∕放得進……
例: I don't think that wallet will fit in your pocket.
（我不認為那個皮夾放得進你的口袋。）
11. elevation n. 高度；海拔
at an/the elevation of... 在海拔……的高度
例: The temple is located at an elevation of 1,000 meters.
（那座廟宇位於海拔 1,000 公尺高的地方。）
12. intend sb/sth to V 打算讓某人∕某物……
例: Maggie intended her new cell phone to impress her friends.
（瑪姬打算用她新買的手機讓朋友們驚艷。）
13. have a hand in... 參與……；涉入……
例: The detective was trying to find out if Nick had a hand in the theft of the painting.
（該探員正在調查尼克是否涉入這宗竊畫案。）
14. envision vt. 想像；展望
例: Tammy envisions her company expanding by the end of this year.
（泰咪展望她的公司在年底時能擴大經營。）
人類天生就渴望能聲名大噪、掌握權力以及擁有光榮的事蹟。一國之君會強迫數千子民長年辛勤勞動，好讓自己能名垂青史。本月國家地理頻道的《遠古工程巡禮》系列，將帶領大家看看世界上一些最雄偉的建築。
在暹粒機場尚未建造前，尋求冒險的觀光客得從柬埔寨的首都金邊搭乘卡車，行經 315 公里崎嶇不平的道路，才能深入叢林的中心。一旦他們熬過這段危險的旅程，映入眼簾的就是世界上規模最大的宗教遺跡之一──吳哥窟。12 世紀時，高棉王國的蘇耶跋摩國王開始建造他憧憬的『人間仙境』。正如《遠古工程巡禮：吳哥窟》（暫譯）裡所述，這位國王為了在叢林中央建造這座巨大的寺廟，必須要有一座採石場，在那裡將砂岩切割後運送出去。上千名工人花費數年的時間將這些石頭切割、利用運河將石塊運送到建築工地，並將它們以至今仍難以置信的方式堆疊組裝。這些石造遺跡至今能保持完整，靠的就是石塊間一絲不苟的層層堆疊，也就是說這數百年前的原始建築完全不需要用到任何釘子或灰泥來接合。
世界另一端的秘魯安第斯山上，馬丘比丘的建築和吳哥窟的石造遺跡有明顯的相似之處。這裡所用到的巨大石塊都經過精準地切割，石塊間的空隙小到連刀片都塞不進去。印加國王帕查庫提在 15 世紀建造這座神聖的『空中都市』之際，要面對地震和豪雨所引起的山崩等挑戰。數年後，馬丘比丘這座位於海拔 2,350 公尺以上的空中都市，成為 1,000 個居民的住所。本月份的《遠古工程巡禮：馬丘比丘》（暫譯）將千里跋涉，登上雲端尋訪這座失落的城市，證實她就像帕查庫提國王心之所往的，神秘又令人心生敬畏。
1. 根據本文，什麼是人類不想要的？
(A) 受人欽佩。
(B) 無人不知，無人不曉。
(C) 和其他人沒什麼兩樣。
(D) 比其他人更有權力。
題解: 根據本文第一段，人類天生就渴望能聲名大噪、掌握權力以及擁有光榮的事蹟，可知 (C) 選項不包括在內，故選之。
2. 第一段的 "immortalized" 是 _____ 的意思。
(A) 被永遠記得
(B) 年輕早逝
(C) 擁有巨大墓穴
(D) 改過自新
題解: 根據本文第一段，一國之君會強迫數千子民長年辛勤勞動，好讓自己能『名垂青史』，選項 (A) 的意思最相近，故選之。
3. 吳哥窟和馬丘比丘有何相似之處？
(A) 兩者均位於亞洲。
(B) 印加人參與這兩座建築的建構。
(C) 這兩座寺廟均用砂岩建造而成。
(D) 這兩者的結構有相同的效果。
題解: 根據本文第二段，吳哥窟的石造遺跡保持完整，靠的就是石塊間精確的層層堆疊；第三段則說明馬丘比丘的建築和吳哥窟的石造遺跡有明顯的相似之處，也就是這裡的石塊經過精準地切割，石塊間的空隙小到連刀片都塞不進去，可見這兩者的結構有相同的效果，故選 (D)。
4. 根據本文，關於帕查庫提國王的敘述何者正確？
(A) 他只是祕魯的一位普通百姓。
(B) 他終於領悟到人們住在空中的夢想是無法實現的。
(C) 他在一場地震中喪生。
(D) 他想像馬丘比丘瀰漫著神秘的氛圍。
題解: 根據本文第三段，帕查庫提是印加國王，他在建造這座神聖的『空中都市』之際，要面對地震和豪雨所引起的山崩等挑戰，數年後，馬丘比丘這座位於海拔 2,350 公尺以上的空中都市，成為 1,000 個居民的住所。而文章最後一句則提到，國家地理頻道千里跋涉，登上雲端尋訪這座失落的城市，證實她就像帕查庫提國王心之所往的，神秘又令人心生敬畏。由此可知，(A)、(B)、(C) 均為錯誤選項，僅 (D) 的敘述正確，故選之。
標準答案: 1. (C) 2. (A) 3. (D) 4. (D)
馬丘比丘和吳哥窟都是最為人所知的奇特建築。
Man has always had an innate desire for fame, power, and glory. Rulers of kingdoms would force thousands of their people to do backbreaking labor for years at a time so that their names would be immortalized in the history books. This month, National Geographic Channel's Ancient Megastructures takes a look at some of the most majestic structures from around the world.
Before the airport was built in Siem Reap, travelers looking for adventure had to take a bumpy 315-kilometer truck ride deep into the heart of the jungle from Phnom Phen, the capital of Cambodia. Once they survived this treacherous journey, visitors were greeted by one of the largest religious monuments in the world, Angkor Wat. In the 12th century, Khmer King Suryavarman set out to create his vision of "heaven on Earth." As explained in Ancient Megastructures: Angkor Wat, in order to build this enormous temple in the middle of the jungle, the king needed a quarry where he could cut out and transport sandstone. Thousands of workers spent years cutting these stones, floating them down canals to the construction site, and assembling them in a way that is utterly unbelievable to this day. The blocks remain in place today because of the meticulous way the stones were placed on top of each other, which means that no nails or mortar were needed in the original construction hundreds of years ago.
Halfway around the world, the results of the construction of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes were strikingly similar. The huge blocks were cut so precisely that barely a knife blade can fit in between the rocks. While building this sacred city in the sky, Pachacuti, the Emperor-god of the Incas in the 15th century, faced problems like earthquakes and landslides from torrential rains. After many years, Machu Picchu was home to 1,000 people living at an elevation of more than 2,350 meters in the sky. This month, Ancient Megastructures: Machu Picchu treks up to the clouds and finds this lost city exactly like what Pachacuti intended it to be—mysterious and awe-inspiring.
1. According to the article, what is something that man does NOT want?
(A) To be admired by everyone.
(B) To be known by everyone.
(C) To be just like everyone else.
(D) To have more power than everyone else.
2. The term immortalized in the first paragraph means _____.
(A) being remembered forever
(B) dying at a young age
(C) having a huge grave
(D) turning over a new leaf
3. How are Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu similar?
(A) They are both located in Asia.
(B) The Incas had a hand in the building of both structures.
(C) Both temples were made of sandstone.
(D) The construction of both had similar results.
4. According to the article, what is true about Pachacuti?
(A) He was just an ordinary citizen of Peru.
(B) He eventually realized that his dream of people living in the sky was unworkable.
(C) He died in an earthquake.
(D) He envisioned Machu Picchu to have an aura of mystery about it.
Grammar Tips
as explained in... 如在……中所解釋的
注意:
在上述用法中，as 為副詞連接詞，表『如同』，"as explained in..." 即由 "as what was explained in..." 化簡而來，但使用時，已習慣將 what was 省略。類似用法尚有下列：
as expected 如預料中的
as mentioned above 如上所述
as planned 按計畫
as scheduled 按預定進度
例: This contract is between the two people as mentioned above.
（這份合約適用於上述的兩造人士。）
例: Thanks to your timely help, I was able to finish the work as scheduled.
（幸虧你適時的幫助，我得以按進度把工作完成。）
單字小舖
1. megastructure n. 巨型建築物
2. backbreaking a. 非常辛勞的
backbreaking labor 辛勤的勞動
3. bumpy a. 崎嶇不平的
4. treacherous a. 危險的
5. vision n. 憧憬
6. quarry n. 採石場
7. sandstone n. 砂岩
8. float vt. 使漂流，使漂浮
9. canal n. 運河
10. unbelievable a. 令人難以置信的
11. meticulous a. 一絲不苟的
12. nail n. 釘子
hit the nail on the head 一針見血
13. mortar n. 灰泥，灰漿；黏合物
14. halfway adv. 到中途；到一半
15. blade n. 刀片，刀鋒
16. sacred a. 神聖的
17. landslide n. 山崩
mudslide n. 土石流
18. torrential a. 猛烈的
torrential rains 豪雨
19. trek vi. 艱苦跋涉
20. awe-inspiring a. 令人驚嘆的
21. unworkable a. 難以實行的
22. aura n. 氣氛，氛圍
片語小舖
1. in place 在適當∕正確的地方
2. be home to... 是……的家鄉
3. turn over a new leaf 重新做人，改過自新
精解字詞片語
1. innate a. 與生俱來的
= inborn a.
acquired a. 後天（習得∕獲得）的
例: She has an innate talent for music and dancing.
（她具有音樂與舞蹈的天份。）
2. immortalize vt. 使永恆不朽
immortal a. 不朽的，不死的
mortal a. 凡人的；會死的
例: Tim and Tina carved their names into the tree to immortalize their love.
（提姆和蒂娜把他們的名字刻在樹上以誌彼此永恆不渝的愛。）
例: The hero has passed away, but his spirit remains immortal.
（這位英雄雖然已經過世，但他的精神長存。）
例: Needless to say, man is mortal.
（不用說，人都難逃一死。）
3. set out to V 開始（從事）……
例: The police set out to investigate the murder case.
（警方對這樁謀殺案展開調查。）
4. transport vt. 運送
例: They used trains to transport coal.
（他們利用火車運送煤炭。）
5. construction n. 建築物；建造
construction site 建築工地
under construction 建造中，施工中
例: This road is under construction, so I will have to go a different direction.
（道路正在施工，所以我得改走別條路。）
6. assemble vt. 組合，組裝
例: We assembled the bed in the middle of the room.
（我們在房間中央組裝好那張床。）
7. utterly adv. 完全地
= completely adv.
例: Steven's plan to build an elevator to space was utterly ridiculous.
（史蒂芬要建造電梯直達太空的計畫真是荒謬至極。）
8. strikingly adv. 顯著地，明顯地
例: The genius thought the math puzzle was strikingly simple.
（這名天才覺得這道數學謎題真是再簡單不過了。）
9. precisely adv. 精確地
例: The plane is leaving at precisely 10:00 PM.
（這班飛機將準時在晚上 10 點鐘起飛。）
10. fit in... 可以放入∕放得進……
例: I don't think that wallet will fit in your pocket.
（我不認為那個皮夾放得進你的口袋。）
11. elevation n. 高度；海拔
at an/the elevation of... 在海拔……的高度
例: The temple is located at an elevation of 1,000 meters.
（那座廟宇位於海拔 1,000 公尺高的地方。）
12. intend sb/sth to V 打算讓某人∕某物……
例: Maggie intended her new cell phone to impress her friends.
（瑪姬打算用她新買的手機讓朋友們驚艷。）
13. have a hand in... 參與……；涉入……
例: The detective was trying to find out if Nick had a hand in the theft of the painting.
（該探員正在調查尼克是否涉入這宗竊畫案。）
14. envision vt. 想像；展望
例: Tammy envisions her company expanding by the end of this year.
（泰咪展望她的公司在年底時能擴大經營。）
人類天生就渴望能聲名大噪、掌握權力以及擁有光榮的事蹟。一國之君會強迫數千子民長年辛勤勞動，好讓自己能名垂青史。本月國家地理頻道的《遠古工程巡禮》系列，將帶領大家看看世界上一些最雄偉的建築。
在暹粒機場尚未建造前，尋求冒險的觀光客得從柬埔寨的首都金邊搭乘卡車，行經 315 公里崎嶇不平的道路，才能深入叢林的中心。一旦他們熬過這段危險的旅程，映入眼簾的就是世界上規模最大的宗教遺跡之一──吳哥窟。12 世紀時，高棉王國的蘇耶跋摩國王開始建造他憧憬的『人間仙境』。正如《遠古工程巡禮：吳哥窟》（暫譯）裡所述，這位國王為了在叢林中央建造這座巨大的寺廟，必須要有一座採石場，在那裡將砂岩切割後運送出去。上千名工人花費數年的時間將這些石頭切割、利用運河將石塊運送到建築工地，並將它們以至今仍難以置信的方式堆疊組裝。這些石造遺跡至今能保持完整，靠的就是石塊間一絲不苟的層層堆疊，也就是說這數百年前的原始建築完全不需要用到任何釘子或灰泥來接合。
世界另一端的秘魯安第斯山上，馬丘比丘的建築和吳哥窟的石造遺跡有明顯的相似之處。這裡所用到的巨大石塊都經過精準地切割，石塊間的空隙小到連刀片都塞不進去。印加國王帕查庫提在 15 世紀建造這座神聖的『空中都市』之際，要面對地震和豪雨所引起的山崩等挑戰。數年後，馬丘比丘這座位於海拔 2,350 公尺以上的空中都市，成為 1,000 個居民的住所。本月份的《遠古工程巡禮：馬丘比丘》（暫譯）將千里跋涉，登上雲端尋訪這座失落的城市，證實她就像帕查庫提國王心之所往的，神秘又令人心生敬畏。
1. 根據本文，什麼是人類不想要的？
(A) 受人欽佩。
(B) 無人不知，無人不曉。
(C) 和其他人沒什麼兩樣。
(D) 比其他人更有權力。
題解: 根據本文第一段，人類天生就渴望能聲名大噪、掌握權力以及擁有光榮的事蹟，可知 (C) 選項不包括在內，故選之。
2. 第一段的 "immortalized" 是 _____ 的意思。
(A) 被永遠記得
(B) 年輕早逝
(C) 擁有巨大墓穴
(D) 改過自新
題解: 根據本文第一段，一國之君會強迫數千子民長年辛勤勞動，好讓自己能『名垂青史』，選項 (A) 的意思最相近，故選之。
3. 吳哥窟和馬丘比丘有何相似之處？
(A) 兩者均位於亞洲。
(B) 印加人參與這兩座建築的建構。
(C) 這兩座寺廟均用砂岩建造而成。
(D) 這兩者的結構有相同的效果。
題解: 根據本文第二段，吳哥窟的石造遺跡保持完整，靠的就是石塊間精確的層層堆疊；第三段則說明馬丘比丘的建築和吳哥窟的石造遺跡有明顯的相似之處，也就是這裡的石塊經過精準地切割，石塊間的空隙小到連刀片都塞不進去，可見這兩者的結構有相同的效果，故選 (D)。
4. 根據本文，關於帕查庫提國王的敘述何者正確？
(A) 他只是祕魯的一位普通百姓。
(B) 他終於領悟到人們住在空中的夢想是無法實現的。
(C) 他在一場地震中喪生。
(D) 他想像馬丘比丘瀰漫著神秘的氛圍。
題解: 根據本文第三段，帕查庫提是印加國王，他在建造這座神聖的『空中都市』之際，要面對地震和豪雨所引起的山崩等挑戰，數年後，馬丘比丘這座位於海拔 2,350 公尺以上的空中都市，成為 1,000 個居民的住所。而文章最後一句則提到，國家地理頻道千里跋涉，登上雲端尋訪這座失落的城市，證實她就像帕查庫提國王心之所往的，神秘又令人心生敬畏。由此可知，(A)、(B)、(C) 均為錯誤選項，僅 (D) 的敘述正確，故選之。
標準答案: 1. (C) 2. (A) 3. (D) 4. (D)
