TEST 2

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading

Passage 1 below.

Stonehenge

(1)  For centuries, historians and archaeologists have puzzled over the many mysteries of Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument that took an estimated 1,500 years to erect. Located on Salisbury Plain in southern England, it is comprised of roughly 100 massive upright stones placed in a circular layout.

(2)  Archaeologists believe England’s most iconic prehistoric ruin was built in several stages with the earliest constructed 5,000 or more years ago. First, Neolithic* Britons used primitive tools, which may have been fashioned out of deer antlers, to dig a massive circular ditch and bank, or henge. Deep pits dating back to that era and located within the circle may have once held a ring of timber posts, according to some scholars.

(3)  Several hundred years later, it is thought, Stonehenge’s builders hoisted an estimated 80 bluestones, 43 of which remain today, into standing positions and placed them in either a horseshoe or circular formation. These stones have been traced all the way to the Preseli Hills in Wales, some 300 kilometres from Stonehenge. How, then, did prehistoric builders without sophisticated tools or engineering haul these boulders, which weigh up to four tons, over such a great distance?

(4)  According to one long-standing theory among archaeologists, Stonehenge’s builders fashioned sledges and rollers out of tree trunks to lug the bluestones from the Preseli Hills. They then transferred the boulders onto rafts and floated them first along the Welsh coast and then up the River Avon toward Salisbury Plain; alternatively, they may have towed each stone with a fleet of vessels. More recent archaeological hypotheses have them transporting the bluestones with supersized wicker baskets on a combination of ball bearings and long grooved planks, hauled by oxen.

(5)  As early as the 1970s, geologists have been adding their voices to the debate over how Stonehenge came into being. Challenging the classic image of industrious builders pushing, carting, rolling or hauling giant stones from faraway Wales, some scientists have suggested that it was glaciers, not humans, that carried the bluestones to Salisbury Plain. Most archaeologists have remained sceptical about this theory, however, wondering how the forces of nature could possibly have delivered the exact number of stones needed to complete the circle.

(6)  The third phase of construction took place around 2000 BCE. At this point, sandstone slabs -known as ‘sarsens’-were arranged into an outer crescent or ring; some were assembled into the iconic three-pieced structures called trilithons that stand tall in the centre of Stonehenge. Some 50 of these stones are now visible on the site, which may once have contained many more. Radiocarbon dating has revealed that work continued at Stonehenge until roughly 1600 BCE, with the bluestones in particular being repositioned multiple times.

(7)  But who were the builders of Stonehenge? In the 17th century, archaeologist John Aubrey made the claim that Stonehenge was the work of druids, who had important religious, judicial and political roles in Celtic** society. This theory was widely popularized by the antiquarian William Stukeley, who had unearthed primitive graves at the site. Even today, people who identify as modern druids continue to gather at Stonehenge for the summer solstice. However, in the mid-20th century, radiocarbon dating demonstrated that Stonehenge stood more than 1,000 years before the Celts inhabited the region. 

(8)  Many modern historians and archaeologists now agree that several distinct tribes of people contributed to Stonehenge, each undertaking a different phase of its construction. Bones, tools and other artefacts found on the site seem to support this hypothesis. The first stage was achieved by Neolithic agrarians who were likely to have been indigenous to the British Isles. Later, it is believed, groups with advanced tools and a more communal way of life left their mark on the site. Some believe that they were immigrants from the European continent, while others maintain that they were probably native Britons, descended from the original builders.

(9)  If the facts surrounding the architects and construction of Stonehenge remain shadowy at best, the purpose of the striking monument is even more of a mystery. While there is consensus among the majority of modern scholars that Stonehenge once served the function of burial ground, they have yet to determine what other purposes it had. 

(10) In the 1960s, the astronomer Gerald Hawkins suggested that the cluster of megalithic stones operated as a form of calendar, with different points corresponding to astrological phenomena such as solstices, equinoxes and eclipses occurring at different times of the year. While his theory has received a considerable amount of attention over the decades, critics maintain that Stonehenge’s builders probably lacked the knowledge necessary to predict such events or that England’s dense cloud cover would have obscured their view of the skies.

(11) More recently, signs of illness and injury in the human remains unearthed at Stonehenge led a group of British archaeologists to speculate that it was considered a place of healing, perhaps because bluestones were thought to have curative powers.

Questions 1-8

Complete the notes below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.

Stonehenge

Construction

Stage 1:

●       the ditch and henge were dug, possibly using tools made from 1…………..

●      2……………. may have been arranged in deep pits inside the circle

Stage 2:

●      bluestones from the Preseli Hills were placed in standing position 

●      theories about the transportation of the bluestones:

-       archaeological:

●       builders used 3………. to make sledges and rollers

●      4………… pulled them on giant baskets

-       geological:

●      they were brought from Wales by 5………….

Stage 3:

●      sandstone slabs were arranged into an outer crescent or ring

Builders

●      a theory arose in the 17th century that its builders were Celtic 6………….

Purpose

●      many experts agree it has been used as a 7……….. site

●      in the 1960s, it was suggested that it worked as a kind of 8…………

Questions 9-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1 

In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

9 During the third phase of construction, sandstone slabs were placed in both the outer areas and the middle of the Stonehenge site.

10 There is scientific proof that the bluestones stood in the same spot until approximately 1600 BCE.

11 John Aubrey’s claim about Stonehenge was supported by 20th-century findings.

12 Objects discovered at Stonehenge seem to indicate that it was constructed by a number of different groups of people.

13 Criticism of Gerald Hawkins’ theory about Stonehenge has come mainly from other astronomers.

Đáp án và giải thích chi tiết: 

1.   Đáp án: deer antlers 

Giải thích: Thông tin nằm ở đoạn 2, trong câu “Neolithic Britons used primitive tools, which may have been fashioned out of deer antlers, to dig a massive circular ditch and bank, or henge”, tức là ditch và henge được đào bằng cách sử dụng các công cụ có thể làm bằng gạc hươu (deer antlers)

2.  Đáp án: timber posts

Giải thích: Thông tin ở đoạn 2, trong câu “Deep pits dating back to that era and located within the circle may have once held a ring of timber posts, according to some scholars.”, nghĩa là có thể có những “timber posts” (cột làm bằng gỗ) nằm bên trong những hố sâu nằm trong một vòng tròn từ thời đại đó. 

3.   Đáp án: tree trunks 

Giải thích: Thông tin nằm ở đoạn 4, trong câu “…Stonehenge’s builders fashioned sledges and rollers out of tree trunks…”, tức là những người thợ xây đã dùng thân cây (tree trunks) để làm thành xe kéo và bánh lăn giúp vận chuyển bluestones. 

4.   Đáp án: oxen 

Giải thích: Thông tin nằm trong đoạn 4, câu cuối cùng “…transporting the bluestones with supersized wicker baskets on a combination of ball bearings and long grooved planks, hauled by oxen.”, tức là bò (oxen – số nhiều của “ox”) được dùng để kéo những rổ đan bằng cây gai kích cỡ lớn với sự kết hợp của các vòng bi và các tấm ván có rãnh.

5.   Đáp án: glaciers 

Giải thích: Thông tin nằm trong đoạn 5, câu “… some scientists have suggested that it was glaciers, not humans, that carried the bluestones to Salisbury Plain”, tức là một số nhà khoa học cho rằng các tảng băng (glaciers) đã mang bluestones đến Salisbury Plain, chứ không phải con người. 

6.   Đáp án: druids

Giải thích: Thông tin về thế kỷ 17 nằm ở đoạn 7, câu “In the 17th century, archaeologist John Aubrey made the claim that Stonehenge was the work of druids, who had important religious, judicial and political roles in Celtic** society.”, tức là Stonehenge là tác phẩm của những tu sĩ (druids) – những người có vai trò tôn giáo, pháp luật và chính trị trong Celtic society.

7.   Đáp án: burial

Giải thích: Thông tin nằm ở đoạn 9, câu “While there is consensus among the majority of modern scholars that Stonehenge once served the function of burial ground…”, nghĩa là nhiều học giả (scholars) đồng ý rằng Stonehenge có chức năng như một khu chôn cất. (consensus = agreement)

8.  Đáp án: calendar

Giải thích: Thông tin về 1960s nằm ở đoạn 10, trong đó Gerald Hawkins cho rằng các viên đá cự thạch hoạt động như một cuốn lịch (“In the 1960s, the astronomer Gerald Hawkins suggested that the cluster of megalithic stones operated as a form of calendar, …”)

9.     T

Giải thích: Giai đoạn 3 của công trình được mô tả trong đoạn 6, trong đó có câu “At this point, sandstone slabs -known as ‘sarsens’-were arranged into an outer crescent or ring; some were assembled into the iconic three-pieced structures called trilithons that stand tall in the centre of Stonehenge.”, tức là sandstone được đặt ở cả bên ngoài (“into an outer crescent or ring”) và bên trong (“into the iconic three-piêcd structures”)

10.   F 

Giải thích: trong đoạn 7, chúng ta có thông tin ở câu cuối là “…until roughly 1600 BCE, with the bluestones in particular being repositioned multiple times.”, tức là bluestones đã được di chuyển rất nhiều lần. Điều này mâu thuẫn với câu hỏi, cho rằng bluestones chỉ đứng một chỗ.

11.   F

Giải thích: Lời khẳng định của John Aubrey về Stonehenge nằm trong đoạn 7, ông ta khằng định Stonehenge là tác phẩm của các tu sĩ, trong khi đó vào giữa thế kỷ 20, các bằng chứng radiocarbon lại chứng minh rằng Stonehenge đã ở đó hơn 1000 năm trước khi người Celt định cư ở khu vực này. “…in the mid-20th century, radiocarbon dating demonstrated that Stonehenge stood more than 1,000 years before the Celts inhabited the region…”. Do đó phát hiện vào thế kỷ 20 mâu thuẫn với khẳng định của John, bởi vậy câu này sai.  

12.   T 

Giải thích: thông tin nằm ở đoạn 8, trong đó viết “Many modern historians and archaeologists now agree that several distinct tribes of people contributed to Stonehenge”, nghĩa là nhiều sử gia và khảo cổ học đồng ý rằng nhiều bộ lạc khác nhau đóng góp cho Stonehenge. Câu này đúng với thông tin trong bài (“it was contructed by a number of different groups of people”)

13.   NG

Giải thích: giả thuyết của Gerald Hawkins về Stonehenge nằm trong đoạn 10, trong đó lý thuyết này tuy nhận được sự chú ý trong nhiều thập kỷ, các nhà phê bình cho rằng những thợ xây Stonehenge có lẽ thiếu kiến thức cần thiết để dự đoán các sự kiện. Tuy vậy, không có thông tin về những chỉ trích này có đến chủ yếu từ các nhà thiên văn học không. Do đó thông này thiếu thông tin xác nhận. “While his theory has received a considerable amount of attention over the decades, critics maintain that Stonehenge’s builders probably lacked the knowledge necessary to predict such events or that England’s dense cloud cover would have obscured their view of the skies.”