Ⅳ. Read the passage and complete the following tasks.
Nebraska Secrets: Ancient Surprises
Dr. Michael Voorhies grew up in Nebraska, USA. When he was a kid, he thought he'd have to travel all the way to Africa to see rhinos*. But in 1971, something amazing happened—he found a part of a baby rhino's bones* right there in Nebraska! He kept digging* and soon uncovered five more rhino bones. At that moment, he knew he found something really surprising.

Since then, scientists have made even bigger discoveries. Near that place in Nebraska, they've found more than 240 complete animal bones. One of the most surprising findings is a small horse with three toes*!
These findings have told scientists a lot about animals' past life. For example, ancient rhinos probably lived in groups—unlike most rhinos today, they prefer to live alone. Scientists even found grass seeds inside one rhino's body. Now we know what ancient rhinos ate!
How were all these animals kept so well? It started ten million years ago. Back then, a group of ancient rhinos lived at a watering hole near Nebraska. Far away, a volcano* broke up. Strong winds carried the volcanic ash* across the land like a blanket*. The ash fell from the sky, covering the animals quickly under the earth. This ash "froze" them, keeping their bones safe and complete. We feel really surprised at it.
Today, scientists are still digging in Nebraska—a place now called Ashfall Fossil State Park—to find more ancient surprises!
Task 1 Choose the best answer.
()1. What is the main topic of this passage?

A.The danger of volcanic ash.
B.The ways to protect animal bones.
C.A valuable ancient discovery in Nebraska.
D.Dr. Voorhies' travel experiences in Africa.
Task 2 Complete the mind map.

Challenge yourself
7*. What do you think of Nebraska Secrets? Why?

Ⅳ. 1. C 2. three toes 3. past life 4. in groups 5. were kept 6. quickly 7*. One possible version: It is amazing. It
helps people understand the animals' past life. Also, finding so many complete rhino bones is surprising.