托福阅读：玛雅预言 地球真的要完了么 2012倒计时！（2）

　　The Mayan calendar is based on advanced astronomical knowledge - the ancient Mayans studied the stars and were extremely proficient mathematicians. We tend think of ancient cultures as being somewhat primitive, but modern science has yet to truly explain how the pyramids were built, how or why the Nazca lines were created, or how the ancients built great stone structures all over the world, like Stonehenge, Macchu Picchu, or the monoliths on Easter Island.

　　The ancient people had knowledge and wisdom that has been lost to us today, but what if they had some form of ancient computer in which they stored their secrets for others to unlock at some time in the future? Could that time be now? And could it be possible that crystal skulls might be the computers that the ancients used as receptacles for this wisdom and knowledge? Some may scoff at this idea, but if someone thousands of years from now found a laptop computer, would he know what it is or recognize the vast amount of information that it contains, and would he know how to access that information?

　　Computers are powered by quartz crystal - in fact, quartz crystals run our modern technological world: cell phones, televisions, radios, lasers, ultrasound, etc. Crystals are even the heartbeat of time itself in all quartz watches and clocks. Quartz is not only a source of power and energy, but it is also capable of storing information. A computer is powered by a tiny chip of quartz crystal that holds all of its memory - just imagine what a quartz crystal weighing 10 or 20 pounds could contain.