By any measure, computers are among the most influential and powerful tools of the modern age. They represent the high-tech revo

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问题 By any measure, computers are among the most influential and powerful tools of the modern age. They represent the high-tech revolution that has transformed the ways in which human beings interact with each other and with the world at large. Seemingly, computers are the very definition of the modern era. Although modern computers have only been a part of our everyday world for a few decades, a discovery made just over a century ago found that the concept behind them is far older than anyone could have imagined. In fact, according to the experts who have studied an ancient Greek shipwreck, one particular "computer" dates back more than 2,000 years.
    Made of metal, this mechanism is approximately the size of a shoebox. It was found in 1901 by divers working off the isle of Antikythera. Uncertain of the mechanism’s function, the divers named it after the island near which it was found. At the time, the Antikythera was in terrible shape from being underwater for so long. Its pieces had merged into a broken mass and all experts could deduce was that it had something to do with astronomy. Recently, thanks to a combination of advanced imaging methods and x-ray computer tomography, scientists have been able to re-create the possible design of the apparatus.
    The Antikythera mechanism once had at least 30 bronze gears with as many as 225 hand-cut teeth. Scientists believe it was designed to compute eclipses of the sun and moon a number of years into the future, as well as show the motions of the planets. While experts are still uncertain as to why the device was made, there is no doubt that its technology was at least 1,000 years ahead of its time.
The primary purpose of the passage is to

选项 A、explain how computers were originally designed
B、provide details on how to compute solar and lunar eclipses
C、introduce the concept of an ancient device with a modern application
D、describe the discovery of a computer-like machine designed more than 2,000 years ago
E、show how x-ray computer tomography has helped scientists explore ancient discoveries

答案D

解析 The best answer is D. The passage describes an ancient scientific device that functions like a computer and whose purpose is not currently understood by modern scientists.
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