研究人员发掘出土了一些迄今为止在英国发现的最大的早期史前石器。挖掘工作发现了在英国肯特郡一个河谷上方的山坡中留存的深层冰河时期沉积物中的文物。

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.

这些被敲击而成形的石制斧头有将近一英尺长，底部较厚，至尖端逐渐变细。研究人员说这些斧头如此沉重以至于早期的人类应该很难挥动使用它们，这引发了斧头可能是用于仪式活动的猜测。

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. 

和这些物品一同出土的文物共有800件，人们认为它们有超过30万年的历史。被发现时，这些文物深埋在英国梅德韦河谷上方的山坡中留存的冰河时期沉积物中。来自伦敦大学学院考古系的研究人员代表称，这些发现为研究整个冰河时期的景观是如何演变的提供了异常宝贵的契机。

词汇表

axe heads 斧头（工具斧的头部）
speculation 猜测，推测
ceremonial 仪式的，典礼的
artefacts 文物，（有历史价值的）人工制品，工艺品
sediments 沉淀，沉积物
finds 发现，发现物

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

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.