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Stonehenge may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple
in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more
than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups,
seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was "the ancient healthcare centre of
southern England" because of the existence of "bluestones"-the smaller columns of dolerite (辉绿岩) that
formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff
Wainwright, of the Society of Amtiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury
Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was
built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: "I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered.
We're able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why-all of which changes our
previous understanding of the monument."
The research reveals the importance of the henge's famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips
gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects-the
key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles
from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have
concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and
holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease,
and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the
construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally
thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the "Amesbury Archer"-a sick traveler from the Swiss or
German Alps who had an infected knee-whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge.
The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing
powers of the monument.
1. Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people _____.
A. to recover from poor health
B. to observe star movements
C. to hold religious ceremonies
D. to gather huge bluestones
2. What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A. The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B. The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C. Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D. The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.
3. The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be ______.
A. a devoted religious person from Stonehenge
B. one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge
C. the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones
D. a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge
4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest
B. Stonehenge: Still Making News
C. Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers
D. Stonehenge: Still Curing Patients
