The Dover Bronze Age Boat Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

The Dover Bronze Age Boat Reading Answers is taken from Cambridge Official Guide To IELTS Test 1. The passage of Dover Bronze Age Boat Reading Answers talks about a 3000-year-old boat and its archaeological importance. The origin of this IELTS reading passage is Boat 1550 BC: The Replica. The Dover bronze age boat reading answers passage comes with 3 IELTS reading question types:

One word answer
True/False
Answer within 3 words/numbers

The dover bronze age boat reading answers is about a boat, made around 3,000 years ago. The passages mention the appearance of the boat and how it was discovered. Also, the England workmen recovered the damages of the boat. The best way to prepare for IELTS reading is to practice sample questions from IELTS reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Dover Bronze Age Boat Reading Answers

A beautifully preserved boat, made around 3,000 years ago and discovered by chance in a muddy hole, has had a profound impact on archaeological research.

It was 1992. In England, workmen were building a new road through the heart of Dover, to connect the ancient port and the Channel Tunnel, which, when it opened just two years later, was to be the first land link between Britain and Europe for over 10,000 years. A small team from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) worked alongside the workmen, recording new discoveries bought to light by the machines.

At the base of the deep shaft six meters below the modern streets, a wooden structure was revealed. Cleaning away the waterlogged site overlying the timbers, archaeologists realized its true nature. They had found a prehistoric boat, preserved by the type of sediment in which it was buried. It was then named by Dover Bronze- Age Boat.

About nine meters of the boat’s length was recovered; one end lay beyond the excavation and had to be left. What survived consisted essentially of four intricately carved oak planks: two on the bottom, joined along a central seam by a complicated system of wedges and stitched to the others. The seams had been made watertight by pads of moss, fixed by wedges and yew stitches.

The timbers that closed the recovered end of the boat had been removed in antiquity when it was abandoned, but much about its original shape could be deduced. There was also evidence for missing upper side planks. The boat was not a wreck, but had been deliberately discarded, dismantled and broken. Perhaps it had been “ritually killed” at the end of its life, like other Bronze-Age objects.

With hindsight, it was significant that the boat was found and studied by mainstream archaeologists who naturally focused on its cultural context. At the time, ancient boats were often considered only from a narrower technological perspective, but news about the Dover boat reached a broad audience. In 2002, on the tenth anniversary of the discovery, the Dover Bronze-Age Boat Trust hosted a conference, where this meeting of different traditions became apparent. Alongside technical papers about the boat, other speakers explored its social and economic contexts, and the religious perceptions of boats in Bronze- Age societies. Many speakers came from overseas, and debate about cultural connections was renewed.

Within seven years of excavation, the Dover boat had been conserved and displayed, but it was apparent that there were issues that could not be resolved simply by studying the old wood. Experimental archaeology seemed to be the solution: a boat reconstruction, half-scale or full-sized, would permit assessment of the different hypotheses regarding its build and the missing end. The possibility of returning to Dover to search for a boat’s unexcavated northern end was explored, but practical and financial difficulties were insurmountable- and there was no guarantee that the timbers had survived the previous decade in the changed environment.

Detailed proposals to reconstruct the boat were drawn up in 2004. Archaeological evidence was beginning to suggest a Bronze- Age community straddling the Channel, brought together by the sea, rather than separated by it. In a region today divided by languages and borders, archaeologists had a duty to inform the general public about their common cultural heritage.

The boat project began in England but it was conceived from the start as a European collaboration. Reconstruction was only part of a scheme that would include a major exhibition and an extensive educational and outreach programme. Discussions began early in 2005 with archaeological bodies, universities and heritage organizations either side of the Channel. There was much enthusiasm and support, and an official launch of the project was held at an international seminar in France in 2007. Financial support was confirmed in 2008 and the project then named BOAT 1550BC got under way in June 2011.

A small team began to make the boat at the start of 2012 on the Roman Lawn outside Dover museum. A full- scale reconstruction of a mid-section had been made in 1996, primarily to see how Bronze- Age replica tools performed. In 2012, however, the hull shape was at the centre of the work, so modern power tools were used to carve the oak planks, before turning to prehistoric tools for finishing. It was decided to make the replica haft-scale for reasons of cost and time, any synthetic materials were used for the stitching, owing to doubts about the scaling and tight timetable.

Meanwhile, the exhibition was being prepared ready for opening in July 2012 at the Castle Museum in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Entitled 'Beyond the Horizon: Societies of the Channel & North Sea 3,500 years ago' it brought together for the first time a remarkable collection of Bronze- Age objects, including many new discoveries for commercial archaeology and some of the great treasure of the past. The reconstructed boat, as a symbol of the maritime connections that bound together the communities either side of the Channel, was the centrepiece.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-5:
Complete the chart below.|
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1992- the boat was discovered during the construction of a 1 Road

Answers: Road
Supporting Sentences: “It was 1992. In England, workmen were building a new road through the heart of Dover, to connect the ancient part port and the Channel Tunnel, which, when it opened just two years later, was to be the first land link between Britain and Europe for over 10,000 years”
Keywords: Building, new road
Explanation: The first paragraph states that in 1992 in England when the workmen were working on a new road they created the link through the middle of Dover. The aim was to connect the old port and the channel tunnel. This states that the selection of the answer is correct.

2002-an international 2 Conference was held to gather information

Answers: Conference
Supporting Sentences: “At the time, ancient boats were often considered only from a narrower technological perspective, but news about the Dover boat reached a broad audience. In 2002, On the tenth anniversary of the discovery, the Dover Bronze-Age Boat Trust hosted a conference, where this meeting of different traditions became apparent.”
Keywords: 2002, hosted, conference
Explanation: In 2002, on the tenth anniversary of the discovery the Dover Bronze-Age Boat Trust hosted a conference, where this meeting of different traditions became clear thereby making the keyword selection correct. The archaeological surveys were conducted which arranged the cultural context of the boat.

2004- 3 Proposals for the reconstruction were produced

Answers: Proposals
Supporting Answers: “Detailed proposals to reconstruct the boat were drawn up in 2004”
Keywords: 2004, detailed proposals, reconstruct
Explanation: the proposal to reconstruct the Dover Boat was proposed in 2004. The changes required as mentioned in the detailed proposal are “a boat reconstruction, half scale or full-sized, would permit assessment of the different hypotheses regarding its built and the missing end”. Therefore, this states that the selection of the answer is correct.

2007- the 4 Launch Of BOAT 1550BC took place

Answers: Launch
Supporting Sentences: There were much enthusiasm and support, and the official launch of the project was held at an international seminar in France in 2007
Keywords: 2007, official launch, international seminar
Explanation: “There were much enthusiasm and support, and the official launch of the project was held at an international seminar in France in 2007” this statement talks about the excitement and enthusiasm during the launch of the drover age bronze boat. This event was followed by financial support in the year 2008.

2012- the Bronze-Age 5 Exhibition featured the boat and other objects

Answers: Exhibition
Supporting Sentences: “Meanwhile, the exhibition was being prepared for opening in July 2012 at the Castle Museum in Boulogne-sur-Mer.”
Keywords: 2012, bronze-age, exhibition
Explanation: The exhibition in 2012 presented in the exhibition some antique pieces of the bronze age boats and this took place for the first time. This exhibition included bronze age boat objects too. The exhibition also included pieces of commercial archaeology and some treasured past pieces.

Questions 6-9:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet, 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

Archaeologists realized that the boat had been damaged on purpose.

Answers: TRUE
Supporting Sentences: “The boat was not a wreck but had been deliberately discarded, dismantled, and broken. Perhaps it had been “ritually killed” at the end of its life, like other Bronze- Age objects”
Keywords: deliberately discarded, dismantled, and broken.
Explanation: “The boat was not a wreck but had been deliberately discarded, dismantled, and broken. Perhaps it had been “ritually killed” at the end of its life, like other Bronze- Age objects,” this statement from the passage tells how the author feels the boat has been damaged on purpose. This makes the answer selection accurate.

Initially, only the technological aspects of the boat were examined.

Answers: TRUE
Supporting Sentences:“At the time, ancient boats were often considered only from a narrower technological perspective, but news about the Dover boat reached a broad audience”
Keywords: ancient boats, narrower technological perspective
Explanation: From the explanation, the author states how initially the ancient boats were examined only through the technological aspects. Later on, the cultural aspects of the boats were also examined. This, therefore states how the answer selection is correct.

Archaeologists went back to the site to try and find the missing northern.

Answers: False
Supporting Answers: Insulin opens the doors that let glucose go from the blood to the body cells where energy is made. This process is called glucose metabolism.
Keywords: Practical and financial difficulties, insurmountable
Explanation: “The possibility of returning to Dover to search for a boat’s unexcavated northern end was explored, but practical and financial difficulties were insurmountable- and there was no guarantee that the timbers had survived the previous decade in the changing environment.” This is a statement from the passage that talks about how finding the boat had its own difficulties.

Evidence found in 2004 suggested that the Bronze-Age Boat had been used for trade.

Answers: Not Given

Questions 10-13:
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

How far under the ground was the boat found?

Answers: 6 metres
Supporting Sentences: “At the base of the deep shaft six meters below the modern streets, a wooden structure was revealed. Cleaning away the waterlogged site overlying the timbers, archaeologists realized its true nature”
Keywords: six meters, below modern streets
Explanation: From the statement mentioned it can be noted that deep down six meters of the modern streets, a type of wooden structure was recognized. The archaeologists recognized the original nature and realized that they had found a prehistoric boat of ancient time.

What natural material had been secured to the boat to prevent water from entering?

Answers: (pads of mosses)
Supporting Sentences:“The seams had been made watertight by pads of moss, fixed by wedges and yew stitches.”
Keywords: seams,watertight by pads of moss, fixed
Explanation: The remains of the bronze age boat is being illustrated here. About 9 meters of the boat was discovered and among the discovered parts were: oak plants, and “The seams had been made watertight by pads of moss, fixed by wedges and yew stitches.”

What aspect of the boat was the focus of the 2012 reconstruction?

Answers: (Hull Shape)
Supporting Sentences:“In 2012, however, the hull shape was at the center of the work, so modern power tools were used to carve the oak planks, before turning to prehistoric tools for finishing”
Keywords: 2012, the hull shape, center of work
Explanation: The refurbishment of the boat started in the year 2012, and the main focus was given on the hull-shaped section. This work used tools to carve the oak planks and also prehistoric tools for the completion of the work.

Which two factors influenced the decision not to make a full-scale reconstruction of the boat?

Answers: Cost and time
Supporting Sentences:“It was decided to make the replica half-scale for reasons of cost and time, any synthetic materials were used for the stitching, owing to doubts about the scaling and tight timetable.”
Keywords: Replica haft-scale, cost and time
Explanation: During the refurbishment of the boat in 2012, the boat was advised to be made in half-scale due to certain reasons of cost and time. Synthetic materials were used for stitching as there were timetable issues. Therefore, the quoted sentence states the boat was asked to be made half due to financial and time constraints.

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