研究人員發掘出土了一些迄今為止在英國發現的最大的早期史前石器。挖掘工作發現了在英國肯特郡一個河谷上方的山坡中留存的深層冰河時期沉積物中的文物。

At almost a foot long, researchers say the knapped-shaped stone axe heads, thick at the base and tapering to a finer point, would have been so heavy that it would have been hard to handle by early humans, sparking speculation that they may have had a ceremonial purpose.

這些被敲擊而成形的石制斧頭有將近一英尺長，底部較厚，至尖端逐漸變細。研究人員說這些斧頭如此沉重以至于早期的人類應該很難揮動使用它們，這引發了斧頭可能是用于儀式活動的猜測。

The items are among 800 artefacts thought to be more than 300,000 years old, found buried deep inside sediments preserved on a hillside above the Medway Valley [UK]. Representatives from the Institute of Archaeology said the finds provided an incredibly valuable opportunity to study how an entire Ice Age landscape developed. 

和這些物品一同出土的文物共有800件，人們認為它們有超過30萬年的歷史。被發現時，這些文物深埋在英國梅德韋河谷上方的山坡中留存的冰河時期沉積物中。來自倫敦大學學院考古系的研究人員代表稱，這些發現為研究整個冰河時期的景觀是如何演變的提供了異常寶貴的契機。

詞匯表

axe heads 斧頭（工具斧的頭部）
speculation 猜測，推測
ceremonial 儀式的，典禮的
artefacts 文物，（有歷史價值的）人工制品，工藝品
sediments 沉淀，沉積物
finds 發現，發現物

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. Why would the stone axe heads have been hard to handle by early humans?

2. Where were these prehistoric stone tools buried?

3. True or false? These prehistoric stone tools were definitely just used for ceremonial occasions.

4. What opportunity does this find offer to archaeologists?

答案

1. Why would the stone axe heads have been hard to handle by early humans?

Researchers say the stone axe heads would have been so heavy that it would  have been hard to handle by early humans.

2. Where were these prehistoric stone tools buried?

800 artefacts were found buried deep inside sediments preserved on a hillside above the Medway Valley [UK].

3. True or false? These prehistoric stone tools were definitely just used for ceremonial occasions.

False. There was only speculation that the stone tools may have had a ceremonial purpose.

4. What opportunity does this find offer to archaeologists? 

Representatives from the Institute of Archaeology said the finds provided an incredibly valuable opportunity to study how an entire Ice Age landscape developed.