雅思阅读 122: A Prototype Stonehenge for the Solstices

改编自 Scientific American 2026 年真实文章，去广告后按雅思阅读题型出题。

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Reading Passage

Ancient Britons may have built a "prototype" of Stonehenge, the famous prehistoric megalith in England. That is what a new analysis of separate ruins found just five kilometers from the more famous archaeological site suggests.

Located in the village of Bulford, the site was first excavated between 2015 and 2017. The dig revealed 48 pits. Using carbon dating, researchers found they were created around the year 2950 B.C.E., about 500 years before Stonehenge was completed.

All that remains of this earlier and simpler monument are those pits. But 5,000 years ago, the structure likely centered on two wooden poles stationed 120 meters apart. They were positioned so they formed a line pointing directly at the sun as it rose during the summer solstice and as it set during the winter solstice.

That led a team at Wessex Archaeology, led by British archaeologist Phil Harding, to conclude they likely functioned as a design prototype for the more famous megalithic structure. The analysis revealed the alignment with the solstices was so exact that they would have been aligned to within one degree of the sun.

"This discovery is probably one of the greatest finds of my career and what makes it so important is just how early it is," Harding said. "Up till now, our knowledge of this ancient feat of astronomy was based on Stonehenge and other monuments of a similar period, but what we've discovered at Bulford is 500 years earlier than the famous stones we know so well."

Along with the pits, researchers found artifacts such as pottery, animal bones and charcoal at the site. These indicate that ancient people likely gathered there to celebrate religious rituals tied to the solstices. Because the site dates to about the same time as the first earthworks at Stonehenge, archaeologists believe it may have functioned as a temporary ritual site until the more permanent Stonehenge stones were put in place.

"This discovery helps us understand Stonehenge not as a singular creation, but as part of a much longer conversation between people, the land, and the sky," said Fabio Silva, an archaeologist at the Skyscape Academy, who reconstructed the ancient sky and landscape.

"The alignment shows that communities were already engaging with both the summer and winter solstices in the Stonehenge landscape, centuries before the sarsen stones were raised. Rather than marking the beginning of a story, Stonehenge now more clearly appears to have emerged from traditions and practices with much deeper roots in this landscape," Silva said.

The team has not yet published the findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal but expects to do so later this year. The discovery challenges the traditional view that Stonehenge was a sudden, isolated creation. Instead, it appears to be the culmination of centuries of astronomical observation and ritual practice in the region.

The Bulford site also raises questions about how these early communities organized themselves to build such precise alignments. Without modern instruments, positioning two poles to within one degree of the solstice sunrise required careful observation over many years. This suggests a level of social coordination and mathematical understanding that archaeologists are only beginning to appreciate.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

1. How far is Bulford from Stonehenge?

   • A. About 5 kilometers.
   • B. About 50 kilometers.
   • C. About 500 meters.
   • D. About 1 kilometer.

2. How many pits were found at Bulford?

   • A. 48.
   • B. 120.
   • C. 500.
   • D. 2.

3. What were the two wooden poles aligned with?

   • A. The moon and stars.
   • B. The summer and winter solstices.
   • C. The nearby river.
   • D. The neighboring village.

4. How precise was the alignment?

   • A. Within 10 degrees of the sun.
   • B. Within one degree of the sun.
   • C. No alignment was found.
   • D. It matched the moon cycle.

5. What does Silva say about Stonehenge?

   • A. It was built in a single generation.
   • B. It emerged from traditions with deeper roots.
   • C. It was the first solstice site.
   • D. It has no astronomical meaning.

Questions 6-8

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? 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

6. The Bulford site was first excavated in the 1950s.
7. Artifacts at Bulford included pottery and animal bones.
8. The findings have already been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Questions 9-13

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The Bulford site is a prototype Stonehenge built around 2950 BCE. Two wooden poles were aligned with the solstices to within one degree. Artifacts suggest people gathered there for religious rituals. The site may have been temporary until Stonehenge was built.

Answers

1. A
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. FALSE
7. TRUE
8. FALSE
9. prototype
10. degree
11. rituals

Key Vocabulary

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