[解析]
(1)推理判断题。根据第一段Ancient builders across the world created structures that are still standing today,thousands of years later.Roman engineers built thick concrete sea barriers,for example.And Chinese builders raised walls against invaders.But there are many recent structures that are already starting to fail.The concrete that makes up much of our modern world lasts around 50 to 100 years.(世界各地的古代建设者创造了数千年后仍然屹立不倒的建筑。但有许多最近的建筑已经开始倒塌。构成我们现代世界大部分的混凝土可以使用大约50到100年。)可知,第一段对比了古代建筑和现代建筑的持久性,古代建筑能够屹立上千年,而现代建筑则只能持续50到100年;以及第二段A growing number of scientists have been studying materials from long ago.They are breaking apart pieces of buildings and reading historical texts hoping to learn how they have stood for thousands of years.(越来越多的科学家一直在研究很久以前的材料。他们正在拆开建筑碎片,阅读历史文献,希望了解它们是如何屹立数千年的。)讲述了科学家研究为什么古代建筑能够持久。因此,第一段进行对比是为了引出接下来的话题。故选A。
(2)细节理解题。根据第二段The research has turned up a surprising list of materials that were mixed into old buildings.They include tree bark,volcanic ash,rice,beer and even urine (尿液).(这项研究发现了一份令人惊讶的旧建筑材料清单。它们包括树皮、火山灰、大米、啤酒甚至尿液。)可知,科学家们发现了旧建筑材料中令人惊讶的成分。故选A。
(3)推理判断题。根据最后一段The ancient material has an unusual power to repair itself.Exactly how is not yet clear,so scientists are starting to find reasons why.(这种古老的材料有一种不同寻常的自我修复能力。确切的原因尚不清楚,因此科学家们开始寻找原因。)可知,古老的罗马材料能够自动修复的原因尚不清楚。故选D。
(4)文章来源题。根据最后一段Now,scientists think they have found an important reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years.The ancient material has an unusual power to repair itself.Exactly how is not yet clear,so scientists are starting to find reasons why.(现在,科学家们认为他们已经找到了一些罗马混凝土支撑结构数千年的重要原因。这种古老的材料有一种不同寻常的自我修复能力。确切的原因尚不清楚,因此科学家们开始寻找原因。)可知,本文主要围绕古代建筑持久的原因展开,讲述了古代和现代建筑的持久性和建筑材料,由此可推测出,本文最有可能出自一篇建筑文章。故选C。