英国剑桥郡出土一尊2000多年前的凯尔特丰盛之神雕像
A 2,000-year-old figurine considered as a Celtic fertility God has been uncovered in an old Roman settlement by archaeologists in farmland in Cambridgeshire. The discovery shows there were strong links between the ancient people of Britain and Roman from 100BC to 150AD. The small figure’s face has been worn away and holds a “torc”, a neck ring which represents Cernunnos, the Celtic god of nature, life and the underworld.
It dates back to the second century AD in which time the area was a rural settlement from the Late Iron Age to the Early Roman period. Similar figures of Cernunnos have been found carved in stone, but it is the only metal figurine of this Celtic god known in Britain, according to the National Trust.
It was found by archaeologists on the National Trust’s Wimpole Estate. The settlement is believed to have been at the centre of a strong trading network, with around 300 metal objects uncovered during the dig. Other discoveries included coins, horse harness fittings, Roman military uniforms, an axe head, key handles and a ring.
Stephen Macaulay, the professor at Oxford Archaeology who carried out the excavation, told its importance of the finding. Mr Macaulay said, “The face of the figurine has been rubbed away, which was a pity, but we see similar figures of Cernunnos, so it’s the shape you expect to see.”
The figurine is being cleaned, catalogued and analysed and will form the basis of future exhibitions at Wimpole. Shannon Hogan, an archaeologist, said, “This is an incredibly exciting discovery, which to me represents more than just the deity, Cernunnos. It almost seems like the mysterious ‘face’ of the people living in the landscape some 2,000 years ago.”
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1.What does the underlined word “torc” in the first paragraph refer to?
A The Roman settlement.
B The small face.
C The Celtic god.
D The neck ring.
解析：选D。词意指代题。根据画线单词所在句子的前后语境可知，a neck ring which represents Cernunnos, the Celtic god of nature,life and the underworld是“torc”一词的同位语，因此“torc”即指代的是后面的a neck ring。故选D。
2.Why is the 2,000-year-old figurine special according to the passage?
A It was made of metal.
B It was carved in stone.
C It had such a long history.
D It was from a rural settlement.
解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第二段第二句的Similar figures of Cernunnos have been found carved in stone, but it is the only metal figurine of this Celtic god known in Britain可知这尊雕像之所以特别是因为它是同类雕像中唯一用金属做成的。故选A。
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A The figurine was found in an old Roman settlement.
B The site of finding the figurine was once a trade center.
C Stephen Macaulay didn’t think highly of the discovery.
D The figurine will be on show at Wimpole.
解析：选C。细节理解题。根据第四段的内容可知Stephen Macaulay谈到了发现此雕像的重要性，因此他应该是对此次发现评价颇高。故选C。
4.What can we infer from Shannon Hogan’s words?
A The figurine for her is nothing but a deity.
B The discovery of the figurine has a significant meaning.
C The discovery of the figurine makes her too excited to sleep.
D The figurine can make her fully learn about the people’s life 2,000 years ago.
解析：选B。推理判断题。根据最后一段中的Shannon Hogan所说的话可知，她认为此次发现十分振奋人心，对她来讲这次发现的不仅仅是一尊神像，更能从该雕像一瞥2000多年前生活在那里的人们的神秘风貌，意义重大。故选B。