Stonehenge’s altar stone traveled over 460 miles from Scotland, reveals new research

admin 2024年8月24日

Beginner

science & technology, science & technology - beginner

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

講師がそれぞれの質問を読むので答えましょう。

Have you ever heard of or seen Stonehenge?
Can you name one famous ancient monument or structure in your country?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

単語、意味、例文を読みます。講師に続いて音読しましょう。

mystery /MIS-tuh-ree/

[noun] – something strange or not known that has not yet been explained or understood
The disappearance of the ancient civilization remains a mystery.

publish /PUHB-lish/

[verb] – to make information available to people, especially in a book, magazine, or newspaper, or to produce and sell a book, magazine, or newspaper
The author published her first novel last year.

dig /dig/

[noun] – the process of carefully removing soil and objects from an area of historical interest
The archaeologists conducted several digs at the ancient site.

advanced /ad-VANST/

[adjective] – highly developed or complex; moving beyond basic levels
The new technology is an advanced version of the previous model.

ceremony /SER-uh-moh-nee/

[noun] – formal events or rituals performed on special occasions
The ancient ceremony involved several rituals, including the lighting of candles and chanting of prayers.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

記事を音読しましょう。講師はあなたの発音とイントネーションを確認します。

Stonehenge, the famous stone circle in southern England, has always been a mystery. New research published in Nature gives more details about a big flat stone in the middle, called the “altar stone.” This 16-foot-long (5 meters) in length stone was thought to come from Wales, but it actually came from northeast Scotland. The stone’s special features do not match the Welsh rocks, so scientists now know where it came from. To figure out the stone’s origin, researchers looked at old rock samples from past digs, some dating back to the 1840s. They found that the stone matches rocks from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, including the Scottish peninsula and the Orkney Islands. This unique “fingerprint” is not found anywhere else in the UK. The stone traveled over 460 miles (740 kilometers), showing that the people who built Stonehenge had advanced skills and strong links with faraway places. Stonehenge, built about 5,000 years ago, was used for ceremonies. Researchers are still studying the altar stone’s role in Stonehenge.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

文章を読んで、記事に基づいて正誤を答えましょう。

Stonehenge was used for ceremonies.
The altar stone’s special features do not match the Welsh rocks.
Researchers found that the stone matches rocks from Wales.
The altar stone at Stonehenge was originally thought to come from Scotland.
The researchers have fully explained the stone’s role in Stonehenge.

Fill in the blanks:

Choose the correct word from the table, then fill in the blanks.

適切な言葉を選んで空欄を埋めましょう。

mystery

published

digs

advanced

ceremony

Solving the __________ of the missing keys took hours of searching.
Historical __________ often reveal surprising artifacts from the past.
The company’s __________ machinery improves production efficiency.
The citizenship __________ was an emotional event for many immigrants, as they took the oath to become new citizens of the country.
After months of editing, the magazine finally __________ the special issue.