The White Horse of Uffington Reading Answers

Jan 2, 2023

The White Horse of Uffington Reading Answers contains a write up about the white horse of Uffington. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. This passage lists out various details about the white horse of Uffington also called Oxfordshire. The White Horse of Uffington Reading Answers contains a total of 9 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 13 questions. The White Horse of Uffington Reading Answers comprises two types of questions:Complete the Sentence andTrue/False and Not Given.

Candidates to complete the summary must grasp the concept and skim the passage for key terms. To answer the questions provided in the IELTS Reading passage,Applicants must attentively read each passage. The information provided in the paragraphs must be interpreted and paid attention carefully. The questions are from within the paragraphs. In the true/false and not given many details might not be provided in the paragraph which must be answered as not given. While in the sentence competition the answer must be one or two words only.To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on the reading passage below.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The White Horse of Uffington Reading Answers

The cutting of huge figures or ‘geoglyphs’ into the earth of English hillsides has taken place for more than 3,000 years. There are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the country’s southern counties. The figures include giants, horses, crosses and regimental badges. Although the majority of these geoglyphs date within the last 300 years or so, there are one or two that are much older.
The most famous of these figures is perhaps also the most mysterious – the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire. The White Horse has recently been re-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age* date. More controversial is the date of the enigmatic Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex. While many historians are convinced the figure is prehistoric, others believe that it was the work of an artistic monk from a nearby priory and was created between the 11th and 15th centuries.
The method of cutting these huge figures was simply to remove the overlying grass to reveal the gleaming white chalk below. However, the grass would soon grow over the geoglyph again unless it was regularly cleaned or scoured by a fairly large team of people. One reason that the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared is that when the traditions associated with the figures faded, people no longer bothered or remembered to clear away the grass to expose the chalk outline. 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 the original geoglyph. That fact that any ancient hill figures survive at all in England today is testament to the strength and continuity of local customs and beliefs which, in one case at least, must stretch back over millennia.
The Uffington White Horse is a unique, stylised representation of a horse consisting of a long, sleek back, thin disjointed legs, a streaming tail, and a bird-like beaked head. The elegant creature almost melts into the landscape. The horse is situated 2.5 km from Uffington village on a steep close to the Late Bronze Age* (c. 7th century BCE) hillfort of Uffington Castle and below the Ridgeway, a long-distance Neolithic** track.
The Uffington Horse is also surrounded by Bronze Age burial mounds. It is not far from the Bronze Age cemetery of Lambourn Seven Barrows, which consists of more than 30 well-preserved burial mounds. The carving has been placed in such a way as to make it extremely difficult to see from close quarters, and like many geoglyphs is best appreciated from the air. Nevertheless, there are certain areas of the Vale of the White Horse, the valley containing and named after the enigmatic creature, from which an adequate impression may be gained. Indeed on a clear day the carving can be seen from up to 30 km away.
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, and the first reference to the horse itself is soon after, in 1190 CE. However, the carving is believed to date back much further than that. Due to the similarity of the Uffington White Horse to the stylised depictions of horses on 1st century BCE coins, it had been thought that the creature must also date to that period.
However, 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, and from another cut near the base. The result was a date for the horse’s construction somewhere between 1400 and 600 BCE – in other words, it had a Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age origin.
The latter end of this date range would tie the carving of the horse in with occupation of the nearby Uffington hillfort, indicating that it may represent a tribal emblem making the land of the inhabitants of the hillfort. Alternatively, the carving may have been carried out during a Bronze or Iron Age ritual. Some researchers see the horse as representing the Celtic*** horse goddess Epona, who was worshiped as a protector of horses, and for her associations with fertility. However, the cult of Epona was not imported from Gaul (France) until around the first century CE. This date is at least six centuries after the Uffington Horse was probably carved. Nevertheless, the horse had great ritual and economic significance during the Bronze and Iron Ages, as attested by its depictions on jewelry and other metal objects. 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.
The fact that geoglyphs can disappear easily, along with their associated rituals and meaning, indicates that they were never intended to be anything more than temporary gestures. But this does not lessen their importance. These giant carvings are a fascinating glimpse into the minds of their creators and how they viewed the landscape in which they lived.

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*Iron Age: a period (in Britain 800 BCE – 43 CE) that is characterized by the use of iron tools

*Bronze Age: a period (in Britain c. 2,500 BCE – 800 BCE) that is characterized by the development of bronze tools

**Neolithic: a period (in Britain c. 4,000 BCE – c. 2,500 BCE) that is significant for the spread of agricultural practices, and the use of stone tools

***Celtic: an ancient people who migrated from Europe to Britain before the Romans

Section 2

Questions 1 – 8

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

In boxes 1-5 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

1. Most geoglyphs in England are located in a particular area of the country.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: There are 56 hill figures in England, most of which are found in the chalk downlands of the south of the country. Giants, horses, crosses, and regimental insignia are among the figures.
Keywords: 56 Hill Figures, mostly found in Chalk Downlands.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1
Explanation: The statement of Paragraph 1 clearly states that the geoglyphs also called hill figures are in vast numbers. Most of the hill figures are located in the south of the country. The statement matches with the question. So, the correct answer is True as per the explanation provided.

2. There are more geoglyphs in the shape of a horse than any other creature.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no relevant information provided in the paragraphs related to the question statement. So, the correct answer is Not Given.

3. A recent dating of the Uffington White Horse indicates that people were mistaken about its age.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Re-dating of The White Horse has recently revealed that it is actually far older than the previously assumed pre-Roman Iron Age* age.
Keywords: re-dating, far older, previously assumed.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2
Explanation: The lines of paragraph 2 clearly states that while re-dating the white horse, revealed that it was far older than assumed. So, the people were mistaken about its age and then it was re-dated and correct revelations were made. So, the correct answer is True as per the explanation.

4. Historians have come to an agreement about the origins of the Long Man of Wilmington.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: The mysterious Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex's date is more contentious. While many historians are of the opinion that the sculpture is prehistoric, some think it was made between the 11th and 15th centuries by an artistic monk from a local priory.
Keywords: Many historians, controversial
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2
Explanation: the question statement is contradictory to the lines stated in paragraph 2. The Question statement says that historians have an agreement. While paragraph 2 states that there are different viewpoints regarding
the origins of Long Man of Wilmington. So, the cOrrect Answer is False as per the explanation given.

5. Geoglyphs were created by people placing white chalk on the hillside.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: These enormous figures were cut by simply removing the grass on top to expose the sparkling white chalk beneath. However, unless it was routinely cleaned or scoured by a sizable crew of workers,
the grass would soon regrow over the geoglyph.
Keywords: cut, removing the grass, white chalk beneath.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: The question statement is contradictory to the statements of paragraph 3. The question states that geoglyphs were created by people placing and using white chalk on the hillside. While the actual procedure was cutting down the top layer of grass. This revealed the already present sparkling white chalk beneath. So, as per the explanation given the correct answer is False.

6. Many geoglyphs in England are no longer visible.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: When the customs around the figures faded, people no longer bothered or remembered to remove the grass to reveal the chalk outline, which is one reason why the vast majority of hill figures have
vanished.
Keywords: faded, vanished.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: In paragraph 3, the writer puts light on the vanishing of hill figures. In the lines he states that customs around faded and people did not bothered ro remove the upper layer of grass to reveal the underneath white chalk. This made the hill figures disappear and vanish. So, the correct answer is True, as per the explanation.

7. The shape of some geoglyphs has been altered over time.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Additionally, because people didn't consistently cut in the exact same spot over hundreds of years, the outline occasionally changed, changing the shape of the original geoglyph.
Keywords: changed, changing the shape.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: In the lines of paragraph 3, it is clearly mentioned about the changing shape of the geoglyphs. The people did not bother to remove the grass layer and didn't cut it at the exact position. This made the shapes of geoglyphs changeover timer. So, the correct answer is True as per the explanation provided.

8. The fame of the Uffington White Horse is due to its size.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no relevant information provided in the paragraphs related to the question. So, the answer is Not given.

Questions 9 – 13

Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 6-13 on your answer sheet.

The Uffington White Horse

The location of the Uffington White Horse:

a distance of 2.5 km from Uffington village

near an ancient road known as the 9 ……………………

close to an ancient cemetery that has a number of burial mounds

Dating the Uffington White Horse:

first reference to White Horse Hill appears in 10 …………………… from the 1070s

horses shown on coins from the period 100 BCE – 1 BCE are similar in appearance

according to analysis of the surrounding 11 ……………………, the Horse is Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age

Possible reasons for creation of the Uffington White Horse:

an emblem to indicate land ownership

formed part of an ancient ritual

was a representation of goddess Epona – associated with protection of horses and

12 …………

was a representation of a Welsh goddess called 13 ……………………

Question 9)

Answer: Ridgeway
Supporting Sentence: The horse is located 2.5 kilometers from Uffington village, below the Ridgeway, a long Neolithic** route, and adjacent to the Late Bronze Age* (about 7th century BCE) hillfort of Uffington Castle.
Keywords: 2.5 kilometers, Ridgeway
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4
Explanation: It is clearly mentioned in paragraph 4,about the location of the white horse of Uffington. A distance of 2.5 Kilometers from the Uffington village the road name is Ridgeway. So, the correct answer is Ridgeway as per the explanation.

Question 10)

Answer: Documents
Supporting Sentence: The oldest record of a horse in Uffington dates back to the 1070s CE, when documents from the adjacent Abbey of Abingdon describe "White Horse Hill," and the first mention of the horse itself comes soon after, in 1190 CE.
Keywords: documents, white horse hill.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6
Explanation: It has been clearly mentioned in paragraph 6th about the first appearance of the Uffington;s white horse hill. The first appearance was found in the documents. So, the correct answer is documents as per the explanation provided.

Question 11)

Answer: Soil
Supporting Sentence:: However, the Oxford Archaeological Unit conducted Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) tests on earth soil from two of the horse's lower layers as well as from a different cut close to the base in 1995.
Keywords: Oxford Archaeological Unit, tests on earth soil.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7
Explanation: As mentioned in the paragraph th, the horse is of late Bronze age or Early Iron age. This was predicted by testing the surrounding soil by the Archaeological unit. So, the correct answer is Soil as per the explanation given.

Question 12)

Answer: Fertility
Supporting Sentence:: According to some researchers, the horse represents the Celtic*** horse deity Epona, who was revered for her associations with fertility and as a guardian of horses. However, it wasn't until the first century CE that the religion of Epona was brought over from Gaul (France). At least six centuries have passed since the Uffington Horse's carving as of this time.
Keywords: fertility, Epona
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8
Explanation: In paragraph 8ty, it is mentioned the celtic horse goddess Epona. It has been mentioned that the horse and Epona represented the worship of gods. The goddess was also associated with fertility. So, the correct answer is fertility as per the explanation.

Question 13)

Answer: Rhiannon
Supporting Sentence:: It's conceivable that the engraving depicts a native deity like Rhiannon, who was later pictured in Welsh legend as a stunning woman riding a white horse while wearing gold.
Keywords: Rhiannon, Welsh.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8
Explanation: It is mentioned in paragraph 8 about the deity and Welsh goddess. The Welsh goddess Rihannon was picturised as a stunning woman riding a white horse wearing gold. So, the correct answer is Rhiannon as per the explanation.

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