Stonehenge (England)

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Exercise 1

Vocabulary

archaeology

Noun

ˌɑːrkiːˈɑːlədʒiː

the study of prehistoric cultures

I have always been interested in history and archaeology.

Archaeology is the study of ancient people through their material culture.

You know, the more I read about Stonehenge, the more I want to study archaeology.

burial

Noun

ˈbɛriːəl

a ritual in which the body of a deceased person is placed in the ground

The family attended their grandfather's burial.

solstice

Noun

ˈsɑːlstɪs

the time of year when the sun reaches its lowest or highest point in the sky; the shortest and longest days of the year

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer solstice usually falls on June 21st.

accuracy

Noun

ˈækjərəsiː

precision; the quality of being correct, exact, or precise

The object needs to be weighed with a high degree of accuracy.

Investors questioned the accuracy of the company's financial data.

place

Verb

pleɪs

to put something in a certain position

He placed his papers on the floor.

She's placing a cup in the dish washer.

Yes, and how they placed them with such accuracy.

underestimate

Verb

ˌəndərˈɛstəˌmeɪt

to estimate that something is smaller than it is in reality

Never underestimate what people can do when they work together on a shared goal.

It's important not to underestimate the competition.

I admit that I underestimated her level of skill.

remarkable

Adjective

riːˈmərkəbəl

extraordinary or extremely unusual

The Alps are remarkable for their high peaks.

Peacocks have remarkable tail feathers.

I found it remarkable that she could make such a beautiful speech on such short notice.

Despite its remarkable population growth, the school district has managed to keep class sizes down.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your tutor.

Jessica is reading about Stonehenge and is telling her friend about it.
	Jessica You know, the more I read about Stonehenge, the more I want to learn about archaeology.
	Nicole Why? What did you learn about Stonehenge?
	Jessica Well, for example, I have just read that Stonehenge might have actually been a burial site, at first.
	Nicole Really? I thought it was designed to help people observe events such as an eclipse, or a solstice.
	Jessica That's also one of the theories. The truth is, no one really knows. Some researchers say it may have been built as a symbol of peace and unity; others say that it was originally built as a place for healing. And a lot of them also believe that Stonehenge was used as a “clock”, to observe the passing of the seasons, like you said.
	Nicole That's interesting. I always wondered how they managed to carry those large rocks.
	Jessica Yes, and how they placed them with such accuracy!
	Nicole It’s sort of a mystery for us now...
	Jessica Yes. But this means we should not underestimate the abilities of people from that time.
	Nicole True. I think it is truly remarkable how they managed to build something that, nowadays, we could only build with advanced tools and machines.
	Jessica Yes, that really is amazing.

Exercise 3

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.

In most cultures, people are all dressed in black when they attend ceremonies.

I thought my rival was weak, but he defeated me. I him.

Could you the flowers in the vase, please?

My sister is a doctor and my brother studies .

We need to check the reports for the of the information.

Leonardo da Vinci was a truly man.

Answer Pool (Questions 1-6)

place
remarkable
underestimated
burial
accuracy
archaeology

Exercise 4

Discussion

Would you like to visit Stonehenge? Why? Why not?

What do you think about the people who built it, and the reason why it was built?

How do you think ancient people studied the sky without telescopes?

Is there any place in your country that is believed to have mystical powers?