Answer Explanation - The White Horse of Uffington
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Answer explanations - The White Horse of Uffington
Go to the Reading Passage using the link - The White Horse of Uffington.
Questions 1-8:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
In boxes 1–8 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
Question 1: Most geoglyphs in England are located in a particular area of the country.
Answer: TRUE.
Keywords: most geoglyphs, England, particular area.
Explanation: The first two sentences in the first paragraph of the reading passage state that there are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the country's southern counties. This indicates that most geoglyphs are indeed concentrated in a specific region.
Here, the vast majority = most, & country's southern counties = in a particular area of the country.
Evidence: The cutting of huge figures or ‘geoglyphs’ into the earth of English hillsides has taken place for more than 3,000 years. There are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the country’s southern counties.
Therefore, the correct answer is: TRUE.
Question 2: There are more geoglyphs in the shape of a horse than any other creature.
Answer: NOT GIVEN.
Keywords: geoglyphs, shape of a horse.
Explanation: The passage mentions that the figures include giants, horses, crosses, and regimental badges but does not specify whether horse-shaped geoglyphs outnumber those of other creatures.
So, the correct answer is: NOT GIVEN.
Question 3: A recent dating of the Uffington White Horse indicates that people were mistaken about its age.
Answer: TRUE.
Keywords: recent dating, Uffington White Horse, mistaken about age.
Explanation: We can find the answer to this question in the first two lines in the second paragraph of the reading passage. It describes that the White Horse has recently been re-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age date, indicating earlier assumptions about its age were incorrect.
Evidence: The most famous of these figures is perhaps also the most mysterious – the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire. The White Horse has recently been re-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age* date.
Here, re-dated = a recent dating.
So, the correct answer is: TRUE.
Question 4: Historians have come to an agreement about the origins of the Long Man of Wilmington.
Answer: FALSE.
Keywords: historians, agreement, origins, Long Man of Wilmington.
Explanation: The last two sentences in the second paragraph state that the origin of the Long Man of Wilmington is controversial, with some historians convinced it's prehistoric and others believing it was created between the 11th and 15th centuries, indicating a lack of consensus.
Evidence: More controversial is the date of the enigmatic Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex. While many historians are convinced the figure is prehistoric, others believe that it was the work of an artistic monk from a nearby priory and was created between the 11th and 15th centuries.
Here, date = origin, and while ..... others believe that .... = means disagreement among opinions and thoughts.
So, the correct answer is: FALSE.
Question 5: Geoglyphs were created by people placing white chalk on the hillside.
Answer: FALSE.
Keywords: geoglyphs, created, placing white chalk.
Explanation: The first sentence in the third paragraph explains that the method of creating these figures involved removing the overlying grass to reveal the white chalk below, not by placing chalk on the hillside.
Evidence: The method of cutting these huge figures was simply to remove the overlying grass to reveal the gleaming white chalk below ...
Therefore, the correct answer is: FALSE.
Question 6: Many geoglyphs in England are no longer visible.
Answer: TRUE.
Keywords: many geoglyphs, no longer visible.
Explanation: The reading passage in paragraph three (sentence three) mentions that the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared because the traditions associated with them faded, leading to neglect and overgrowth.
Evidence: One reason that the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared is that when the traditions associated with the figures faded, people no longer bothered or remembered to clear away the grass to expose the chalk outline.
Here, many geoglyphs = the vast majority of hill figures, & have disappeared = no longer visible.
So, the correct answer is: TRUE.
Question 7: The shape of some geoglyphs has been altered over time.
Answer: TRUE
Keywords: shape, geoglyphs, altered over time
Explanation: Sentence four in paragraph three states that over hundreds of years, the outlines or shapes of some geoglyphs changed or altered due to people not always cutting in exactly the same place, altering their original shapes.
Evidence: Furthermore, over hundreds of years the outlines would sometimes change due to people not always cutting in exactly the same place, thus creating a different shape to the original geoglyph.
Here, over time = over hundreds of years, outline = shape, and creating a different shape = shape altered.
So, the correct answer is: TRUE.
Question 8: The fame of the Uffington White Horse is due to its size.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Keywords: fame, Uffington White Horse, due to size
Explanation: While the passage refers to the Uffington White Horse as the most famous of the hill figures, it does not say that its fame is due to its size. There is no direct connection mentioned between the horse’s dimensions and its recognition, so we cannot infer this as a reason for its fame.
Thus, the correct answer is: NOT GIVEN.
Questions 9-13:
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Question 9: near an ancient road known as the ....................
Answer: Ridgeway.
Keywords: ancient road, known as
Explanation: In the last sentence in paragraph four, the author states that the Uffington White Horse is located below the Ridgeway, a long-distance Neolithic track. This indicates that the ancient road near the White Horse is called the Ridgeway.
Evidence: The horse is situated 2.5 km from Uffington village on a steep close to the Late Bronze Age* (c. 7th century BCE) hillfort of Uffington Castle and below the Ridgeway, a long-distance Neolithic** track.
So, the correct answer is: Ridgeway.
Question 10: first reference to White Horse Hill appears in .................... from the 1070s.
Answer: documents.
Keywords: first reference, White Horse Hill, 1070s
Explanation: At the beginning of the sixth paragraph, the writer mentions that the earliest evidence of a horse at Uffington is from the 1070s CE when 'White Horse Hill' is mentioned in documents from the nearby Abbey of Abingdon.
Evidence: The earliest evidence of a horse at Uffington is from the 1070s CE when ‘White Horse Hill’ is mentioned in documents from the nearby Abbey of Abingdon...
Here, first reference = earliest evidence, and appears in = mentioned in.
So, the correct answer is: documents.
Question 11: according to analysis of the surrounding ...................., the Horse is Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age.
Answer: soil.
Keywords: analysis, surrounding, Late Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age.
Explanation: The passage in paragraph seven explains that in 1995, Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) testing was carried out on soil from the horse's body, resulting in a date between 1400 and 600 BCE, indicating a Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age origin.
Evidence: However, in 1995 Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) testing was carried out by the Oxford Archaeological Unit on soil from two of the lower layers of the horse’s body, and from another cut near the base. The result was a date for the horse’s construction somewhere between 1400 and 600 BCE – in other words, it had a Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age origin.
Thus, the correct answer is: soil.
Question 12: was a representation of goddess Epona – associated with protection of horses and .................... .
Answer: fertility.
Keywords: goddess Epona, protection, horses, associated with
Explanation: Paragraph eight (sentence 3) states that some researchers see the horse as representing the Celtic horse goddess Epona, who was worshipped as a protector of horses and for her associations with fertility.
So, the correct answer is: fertility.
Question 13: was a representation of a Welsh goddess called .................... .
Answer: Rhiannon.
Keywords: Welsh goddess, representation
Explanation: In the last sentence in paragraph eight, the author mentions that the carving may represent a goddess in native mythology, such as Rhiannon, described in later Welsh mythology as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse.
So, the correct answer is: Rhiannon.
This is the end of the answer explanation for the reading passage "The White Horse of Uffington". We hope you find this section helpful. If you have any questions or confusion regarding this section, please leave it in the comment section.
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