【In1841abookwaspublishedwhichastonishedtheworld.Itwascalled“IncidentsofTravelinCentralAmericaChiapasandYucatan”.TheauthorJohnLoudStephenshadjustreturnedfromalongdifficultanddangerousjourneythroughthe】

　　In1841abookwaspublishedwhichastonishedtheworld.Itwascalled“IncidentsofTravelinCentralAmericaChiapasandYucatan”.TheauthorJohnLoudStephenshadjustreturnedfromalongdifficultanddangerousjourneythroughthethickrainforestofsouthernMexicoandGuatemala.HehadoncebeentherewithFrederickCatherwoodanarchitectandartisttosearchfortheremainsofalostcivilizationknownastheMayas（玛雅）.VerylittlewasknownabouttheMayasatthattimebutCatherwood’sdrawinginthebookshowedincrediblecitieswithtemplespyramidsandotherbuildingsasimpressiveasthoseoftheirnorthernneighborstheAztecs.Thesecitieshoweverweredeserted.Theinhabitants（居民）haddisappearedalmostathousandyearsbefore.

　　Sincethattimefarmorehasbeenlearnedaboutthisremarkablecivilization.TheMayashadahighlydevelopedsystemofgovernmentandofagricultureaswellasanincrediblyaccuratesystemofmeasuringtime.Theywerealsowonderfulengineerscapableofmovinghugeblocksstonelongdistancesandcuttingthemtoaccurateshapesandsizes.

　　AndyetalthoughtheMayasknewaboutthewheeltheyneverusedit.Neitherdidtheyusemetalsotherthancopper.Whatisevermoresurprisingisthattheysuddenlyabandonedmanyoftheircitiesandbuiltnewonesinthejungle.SometimearoundAD900Mayancivilizationcollapsed.Bytheyear1200theirlastgreatcapitalChichenItzawasdeserted.

　　Whowerethesestrangepeopleandtheevenstrangergodstheyworshipped(崇拜)?Whatbroughtabouttheirsuddenandmysteriouscollapse?SomewritershavetriedtoprovethattheMayashadcontactwithvisitorsfromspaceandeventhattheythemselvescamefromanotherplanet.SomepeoplebelievethattheircivilizationcametoanendbecausetheMayasneverdevelopedaproperresistancetolocalgermsanddiseases.AllwereallyknowisthatwhenthefirstEuropeansappearedofftheircoastin1517thisgreatandmysteriousculturewasonlyamemory.

　　65．Stephen’sbookastonishedtheworldbecause .

　　A．itwasthefirsttimepeopleheardaboutMayas

　　B．theMayaswereexcellentbuildersandfarmers

　　C．hehadexperiencedsomaydifficultiestofindthislostcivilization

　　D．itdescribedthattheMayasusedtobeanadvanced