Magy's English Edu. Club
Cambridge 16 Academic Reading Test Two Passage One
The White Horse of Uffington
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
Write True, False, or Not Given
1. Most geoglyphs in England are located in a particular area of the country.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph one, there are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the country’s southern counties.
2. There are more geoglyphs in the shape of a horse than any other creature.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph two, the figures include giants, crosses, and regimental badges.
3. A recent dating of the Uffington White Horse indicates that people were mistaken about its age.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph two, the White Horse has recently been re-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age.
4. Historians have come to an agreement about the origins of the Long Man of Wilmington.
The answer is FALSE.
In paragraph two, more controversial is the date of enigmatic Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex.
5. Geoglyphs were created by people placing white chalk on the hillside.
The answer is FALSE.
In paragraph three, the method of cutting these huge figures was simply to remove the overlying grass to reveal the gleaming white chalk below.
6. Many geoglyphs in England are no longer visible.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph three, one reason that the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared is that when traditions associated with the figures faded, people no longer bothered or remembered to clear away the grass to expose the chalk outline.
7. The shape of some geoglyphs has been altered over time.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph three, 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 all original geoglyphs.
8. The fame of the Uffington White Horse is due to its size.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph two, the most famous of these figures is perhaps also the most mysterious – the Uffington White Horse in Oxford.
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
The Uffington White Horse
The location of the Uffington White Horse:
9. near an ancient road known as the …….
The answer is RIDGEWAY.
In paragraph four, the horse is situated 2.5 km from Uffington village on a steep slope close to the Late Bronze Age (c. 7th century BCE) hillfort of Uffington Castle and below the Ridgeway, a long-distance Neolithic track.
Dating the Uffington White Horse:
10. first reference to White Horse Hill appears in …… from the 1070s
The answer is DOCUMENTS.
In paragraph five, 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.
11. according to analysis of the surrounding ……, the Horse is Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age
The answer is SOIL.
In paragraph six, 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.
Possible reasons for creation of the Uffington White Horse:
12. was a presentation of goddess Epona – associated with the protection of horses and …..
The answer is FERTILITY.
In paragraph seven, 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.
13. was a representation of a Welsh goddess called …….
The answer is RHIANNON.
In paragraph seven, it is possible that the carving represents 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.