Passage 3
 Before modern Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa perhaps 60,000 years ago, scientists tellus that another group, Neanderthals, had occupied Europe and Asia for maybe 200,000 years.Although there were probably no more than 15,000 of them at their population’s peak, groups ofNeanderthals were __31__ over an immense area throughout Europe, into the Middle East, andeven as far east as Mongolia. In 1856, the first Neanderthal bones were found buried in Germany’sNeander Valley by workers digging for stones. These thick bones indicated that Neanderthals wereshorter than modern humans, but physically stronger. Their tools were rough and simple, and not as __32__ as those of later Homo sapiens. Additionally, their food was not as varied； the __33__ oftheir diet was the meat of large and medium-sized animals. At some point after modern humansentered Europe and Asia, the Neanderthals __34___ from Earth； the reason for their disappearanceremains a mystery. There are, however, a number of theories. As modern Homo sapiens __35__ their lands, they may have killed the Neanderthals off. Other possible causes include diseasesintroduced by the newcomers, or climate change.
【題組】31.
(A) preempted
(B) proved
(C) scattered
(D) warranted