Excerpt from Stuff Matters

By Mark Miodownik

In the absence of copper, gold, and meteoric iron, our ancestors’ tools during the Stone Age were made of flint, wood, and bone. Anyone who has ever tried to make anything with these kinds of tools knows how limiting they are: if you hit a piece of wood it either splinters, cracks, or snaps. The same is true of rock or bone. Metals are fundamentally different from these other materials because they can be hammered into shape: they flow, they are malleable. Not only that, they get stronger when you hit them; you can harden a blade just by hammering it. And you can reverse the process simply by putting metal in a fire and heating it up, which will cause it to get softer. The first people to discover these properties ten thousand years ago had found a material that was almost as hard as a rock but behaved like a plastic and was almost infinitely reusable. In other words, they had discovered the perfect material for tools, and in particular cutting tools like axes, chisels, and razors. This ability of metals to transform from a soft to a hard material must have seemed like magic to our ancient ancestors.

***

In 1961 Professor Richmond from Oxford University discovered a pit that had been dug by the Romans in AD 89. It contained 763,840 small two-inch nails, 85,128 medium nails, 25,088 large nails, and 1,344 extra-large sixteen-inch nails. The hoard was of iron and steel and not gold, which most people would have found bitterly disappointing. But not Professor Richmond. Why, he asked himself, would a Roman legion bury seven tons of iron and steel? The legion had been occupying the advance headquarters of Agricola in a place called Inchtuthil in Scotland. This was at the outer reaches of the Roman Empire, and their mission was to protect its border from what they saw as the savage tribes who threatened it: the Celts. The legion of five thousand men occupied the region for six years before retreating and, in the process, abandoning their fort. They made great efforts to leave behind nothing that could help their enemies. They smashed all food and drink containers and burned the fort to the ground. But they weren’t satisfied with this. In the ashes were the steel nails that had held the fort together, and they were far too valuable to be left to the tribes that had driven them out. Iron and steel were the materials that enabled the Romans to build aqueducts, ships, and swords; they allowed them to engineer an empire. Leaving the nails to their enemies would have been as useful as leaving a cache of weapons, so they buried them in a pit before marching south.
Based on the excerpt, the reader can infer that Professor Richmond viewed the discovery of the Roman pit as –

A) Fascinating

B)Disappointing

C) Wasteful

D) Intelligent

Answers

Answer 1

Answer:

A) Fascinating

Explanation:

According to the excerpt from Stuff Matters

by Mark Miodownik, the history of metals is discussed and how their discovery helped shape mankind and how he used tools. Professor Richmond discovered a pit dug by the Romans in AD 89 which contained buried nails meant to be kept out of reach of from the Celts.

Based on the excerpt, the reader can infer that Professor Richmond viewed the discovery of the Roman pit as fascinating because he thought it interesting that they valued the nails so much to keep them out of the reach of their enemies.


Related Questions

Do you think that the inauguration was the appropriate setting for Amanda Gorman’s poem?


Answers

Answer:

Absolutely yes Amanda Gorman is an amazing poet at the young age of 22.

Explanation:

She is so awesome she just signed a 1 million dollar contract!

PLEASE PARAPHRASE THIS WILL MARK BRAINLIST PLEASE!

Answers

Answer:

Leonardo da Vinci, born during the Renaissance, was made most famous by his art, but he was also a scholar in many other subjects. Some of the most notable being science, math, inventing, and more. He was striven by his thirst for knowledge  and talent in studying and designing.

Please solve this. Nobody will solve it in the other categories and it’s due in 1 min.

Answers

Answer:

513.3

64.3

407.1

I answered them as fast as i could. Good luck! I hope you get an A :D

(stream life goes on if u want :) )

Answer:

1st ) 513.333333333

2nd) 64.3

3rd) 407.117647059

Explanation:

I hope it help :)

Is this a run-on sentence, yes or no?

Answers

Answer:

Yes

Explanation:

Because it starts off with an independent clause.

Identify the prepositional phrase in the following sentence:
Mrs. Immordino put new white ghost lights on the tree.

Answers

Answer:  on the tree

Explanation: The preposition is on. The object of the preposition is tree.

How does Shelley express victors thirst for knowledge in chapter 2
I need and Analysis paragraph with a quotation
ASAP plz !!!

Answers

Answer:

It expresses Victor's thirst for knowledge by showing how, in just one day, he eagerly read the work of several scientists.

Explanation:

Shelley shows how Victor was thirsty for knowledge through his actions on a rainy day. As he was imprisoned, unable to leave because of the Rain, Victor was not bored because he knew that he could do something that gave him more pleasure: studying. That day, at the age of thirteen, Victor read the complex work of several scientists, comprising all the concepts presented by them. On this occasion, the more Victor read, the more he wanted to read and make incredible discoveries.

The author claims of ain't i a woman

Answers

What the question?

Read the excerpt from Heart of a Samurai.

But no sooner had he said this than the wind began to roar like a dragon. The sail filled with air and yanked the boat on its side until Denzo released the line. Freed, the sail whipped about, flapping like a wounded bird. Toraemon grabbed the oars and pulled, while Jusuke tried to lower the sail.

How does the author make this part of the story exciting?

Answers

Answer:

the use of similes

Explanation:

the author uses similes to rouse up the story. the use of similes can add a dramatic effect; it adds color to the writing. here, the author compares the wind to a dragon's roar and the flapping sail to a wounded bird. these comparisons help to make this part of the story more exciting. it helps intensify the imagination of the reader.

Some plants such as orchid plant or strangler fig have roots above the ground, what do we call them? How do they get water to grow?

Answers

Answer:

1. They are called AERIAL ROOTS

2. Their aerial roots absorb water from the air and other plants.

Explanation:

Roots are generally used for anchorage and absorption in plants, however, they do not always grow below ground level as seen in most plants. Roots called AERIAL ROOTS grow into the air above the ground as observed in plants such as epiphytic orchids and strangler fig.

These plants i.e. orchids and figs get water to grow with the aid of the AERIAL ROOTS they possess. Aerial roots in orchids absorb water from the air while those in strangler figs absorb it from the plants they entangle.

Read the paragraph.

Some people thing that healthy snacks lack flavor, but that is not true. Popcorn, which was first enjoyed by the people of Peru over five thousand years ago. is not only healthy but also quite delicious. The high rate of popcorn consumption among Americans supports this claim. Because popcorn is relatively high in nutritional value, is fairly inexpensive, and lends itself to a variety of cooking methods, it is one of the most popular American snack foods.

What is the hook in this paragraph?

A) The high rate of popcorn consumption among

B) Some people think that healthy snacks lack flavor, but that is not true.

C) Because popcorn is relatively high in nutritional value, is fairly inexpensive, and lends itself to a variety of cooking methods, it is one of the most popular American snack foods.

D) Popcorn, which was first enjoyed by the people of Peru over five thousand year ago, is not only healthy but also quite delicious.

Answers

Answer:

It's most likely B, sorry if I'm wrong

Explanation:

GIVING BRAINLIEST!!! Alright take a look at the underlined text. Which of those can be replaced by the word?



Foresight

A
My mental picture of the future inspired me to dress up for picture day.

B
I had an awful feeling afterward when I found out I'd failed.

C
Shelly had extremely good eyesight.

Answers

A is the correct answer.

A is the correct answer

Helpp meeee please :)

Answers

Answer:

1) Althea Gibson was full of energy and she was dedicated and she never gave up which shows she was determined.

2) Gibson faced some hardships such as almost going bankrupt, she suffered from a stroke which lead to her developing heart problems, and from there her health was just declining more and more, she faced the hardship of many white people not allowing her to play or her getting a hotel room because she was black.

3) Billie Jean King means that if it wasn't for Gibson then many black woman would have to work harder and they wouldn't believe that they could do it, but Gibson showed the world that you can do anything if you put your heart and dedication into it.

4) You can tell that Gibson always wanted to improve herself because she said that she wanted to be somebody "But Gibson did not let this get her down. She kept playing hard. She wanted to be the best". She kept practicing and working harder to improve herself.

5) Yes, I believe that Althea Gibson is a sport legend. I believe this because she faced so many hardships in her life but didn't give up, those hardships that she faced just shaped her more and made her more determined. Most people just give up but she was not going to because she wanted to be the best there was. I also think she is a sports legend because she had so much determination and perseverance and she was one of the people who broke the record and showed other black woman and men that they can do anything with hard work, practice, determination and they can be anyone no matter their color. "But she kept trying". "She kept playing hard". "She was named the female athlete of the year. She was the first african american to win that honor". "Her success made it easier for African Americans, and other woman, to succeed in the sport." and finally "Gibson showed it could be done".

Explanation:

Helppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

Answers

Answer:

A. is the correct answer

Explanation:

Hope that this helps. please mark me the brainliest. Peace and Love

it’s a, sorry if i’m wrong

Someone who is malnourished and/or thin to the point of weakness
could be considered emaciated.
O True
O False

Answers

Answer:

true

Explanation:

Answer:

true.

Explanation:

the definition is "abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or a lack of food."

what is the beggining central idea in touching the spirit bear ​

Answers

Answer:

Lesson Summary

Major themes such as violence, personal transformation, and isolation show up in the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. The story follows a young man named Cole Matthews who is subjected to physical abuse at home by his father, which results in him lashing out at others.

what colour rhymes with "colour"?

Answers

Bowelr (it’s a dark grey almost navy)

ILL GIVE BRAINLYIST PLZZ PLZZZ HLP

Answers

Answer:      C

Explanation:

this might not be the best anwser

but im trying to help

I need it by today plz answer will give 20 points

Answers

Answer:

1. Yes, because it explains how the brain matures when you get older.

2. The author's claim is that an adult's maturity is higher than that of a child. The author states his claim indirectly by giving examples and percentages.

3. The author use quotes, facts, percentages, and textual evidence. The author is trying to prove that adults have higher rates than teenagers/children, and teenagers have a higher maturity rate than kids.

4.The author use quotes, facts, percentages, and textual evidence. I would rank it as a 5 because teenagers can be smarter than adults, and kids can be smarter than teenagers.

BRAINLIST PLS!

A humanities curriculum is one that

is taught only in Greek or Latin languages.
emphasizes military tactics and strategies.
focuses primarily on religious teachings.
includes instruction in philosophy and history

Answers

Answer:

includes instruction in philosophy and history.

Explanation:

The Humanities Curriculum focuses on the following major objectives:

1. To understand the nature of humans.

2. To understand the roles and behavior of humans.

3. To understand humans.

Humanities curriculum includes subjects English, history, art history, philosophy, a foreign language, religious studies.

A humanities curriculum is one that includes instruction in philosophy and history.

A humanities curriculum is a course of study that includes instruction in philosophy and history, among other subjects.

It encompasses a broad range of disciplines that explore human culture, society, and thought. While some humanities curricula may incorporate the study of Greek and Latin languages, this is not a defining characteristic.

Rather, the primary emphasis is on developing critical thinking skills, fostering an understanding of human experiences, and examining the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which they occur. Religious teachings may be included as part of the curriculum, but they are not the sole focus.

The study of military tactics and strategies, while important in certain historical contexts, is generally not a central component of a humanities curriculum.

To learn more about humanities, follow the link:

https://brainly.com/question/11655619

#SPJ6

What happens when the moon is directly behind the Earth?

Answers

Answer:

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

Explanation:

Other answer is false, that’s when it’s the other way around

The moon will be completely dark since the earth blocks all sunlight

the great migration directly impacted
A) the harlem renaissance
B) the roaring 20'S
C) The Stock Market Crash is not it
D) The Great Depression

Answers

Answer:

A - The Harlem Renaissance

Explanation:

According to research, the Great Migration increased mortality of African Americans that were born in the South in the early twentieth century. This is known to be a landmark event in U.S. history.
It’s not B or D, because those are events that impacted the U.S. (and maybe the whole world) in general.

It is easy to make a delicious-looking hamburger at home. But would this hamburger still look delicious after it sat on your kitchen table under very bright lights for six or seven hours? If someone took a picture or made a video of this hamburger after the seventh hour, would anyone want to eat it? More importantly, do you think you could get millions of people to pay money for this hamburger?

These are the questions that fast food companies worry about when they produce commercials or print ads for their products. Video and photo shoots often last many hours. The lights that the photographers use can be extremely hot. These conditions can cause the food to look quite unappealing to potential consumers. Because of this, the menu items that you see in fast food commercials are probably not actually edible.

Let’s use the hamburger as an example. The first step towards building the perfect commercial hamburger is the bun. The food stylist—a person employed by the company to make sure the products look perfect—sorts through hundreds of buns until he or she finds one with no wrinkles. Next, the stylist carefully rearranges the sesame seeds on the bun using glue and tweezers for maximum visual appeal. The bun is then sprayed with a waterproofing solution so that it will not get soggy from contact with other ingredients, the lights, or the humidity in the room.

Next, the food stylist shapes a meat patty into a perfect circle. Only the outside of the meat gets cooked—the inside is left raw so that the meat remains moist. The food stylist then paints the outside of the meat patty with a mixture of oil, molasses, and brown food coloring. Grill marks are either painted on or seared into the meat using hot metal skewers.

Finally, the food stylist searches through dozens of tomatoes and heads of lettuce to find the best-looking produce. One leaf of the crispest lettuce and one center slice of the reddest tomato are selected and then sprayed with glycerin to keep them looking fresh.

So the next time you see a delectable hamburger in a fast food commercial, remember: you’re actually looking at glue, paint, raw meat, and glycerin! Are you still hungry?


The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is to

A
convince readers not to eat at fast food restaurants

B
explain how fast food companies make their food look delicious in commercials

C
teach readers how to make delicious-looking food at home

D
criticize fast food companies for lying about their products in commercials

Answers

Answer:

B

Explanation:


Act II, Scene I
4. How does the arrival of George Murchison change the mood of the scene?

Answers

Answer:

George's arrival changes the mood because he complains that Beneatha is giving them a lecture on their African past

Explanation:

George Murchison was apparently disgusted when he came into the house to find Beneatha dressed in an African attire and dancing happily with Walter to some African drums. He derided Beneatha for celebrating a culture which he referred to as "nothing but...some grass hut."

Beneatha accused him of being an assimilationist who was not proud of his heritage. So, George Murchison changed a happy scene to a tense one.

Thomas has a degree in engineering. He currently designs the steps that are taken to construct a new smartphone. Thomas chooses the machinery that will be used to create parts and then designs the layout of the factory so that the process will work smoothly. The pathway in the Manufacturing career cluster that Thomas works in is _____.

Answers

Answer: Its b

Explanation: I took the test and got it right

Answer: B,  Manufacturing Production Process Development

(sorry if im wrong)

1. Complete the sentence with the correct answer: This horse ________ very dangerous. *
A. Am
B. Is
C. Are
2. Complete the sentence with the correct answer: They ____ ______ worried. *
A. Am not
B. Is not
C. Are not
3. Complete the sentence with the correct answer: They ____ ______ in the room. *
A. Am not
B. Is not
C. Are not
4. Using the simple present, complete the next sentence with the correct answer: She _____ ______accept my decision. *
A. do not
B. Is not
C. does not
5. Using the simple present, complete the next sentence with the correct answer: Paul never ______ his homework. *
A. does
B. doing
do
6. Using the simple present, complete the next sentence with the correct answer: ______ you_______ my T-shirt?. *
A. Does/likes
B. Do/like
C. Do/likes
7. Using the simple past, complete the next sentence with the correct answer: Yesterday I __________ your husband at the cinema. *
A. Meet
B. met
C. meeting
8. Using the simple past, complete the next sentence with the correct answer: Where _____ you ____ those chocolates? *
A. did/buy
B., did/bought
C. do/buy
9. Using the simple past, complete the next sentence with the correct answer: Last year I ______ to Europe with my aunt. *
A. go
B. goes
C. went
10. Using the present perfect , complete the next sentence with the correct answer: We ______ ______ here before. *
A. Has/ was
B. Have/ was
C. Have/been
D. Has/ been
11. Using the present perfect , complete the next sentence with the correct answer: ______ you _____ my dog?. *
A. Has/ saw
B. Have/ seen
C. Have/saw
D. Has/ seen
12. Using the present perfect , complete the next sentence with the correct answer: She _____ already ______ those exercises. *
A. Has/ done
B. Have/ does
C. Have/ done
D. Has/ does
13. Using the past perfect , complete the next sentence with the correct answer: They _______ ________ English before they went to London. *
A. Had/ study
B. Had/ Studying
C. Had/ Studied
D. Had/ Studies
14. Using the past perfect , complete the next sentence with the correct answer: When I arrived at the cinema, the film ______already ________. *
A. Had/ start
B. Had/ Starting
C. Had/ Starts
D. Had/ Started

Answers

1. B
2. C
3.c
4. C
5 a
6. B
7,b
7. A
9. C
10 c
11. B
12. A
13. C
14. D
Hope that helped

WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THIS
The Manson trial was chaotic and bizarre. Manson sought to represent himself, but was denied by Judge William Keene. After initially granting in propria persona rights to Manson, Judge Keene later forced Manson to work with a lawyer when he grew tired of Manson's theatrics and delay tactics, including a request that the prosecuting attorneys be imprisoned like he was to level the legal playing field [source: New York Times]. One of Manson's successful requests? He had Judge Keene replaced. Judge Charles Older oversaw the trial in his place.​

Answers

Answer:

Manson

Explanation:

Choose the best sentence closer to complete the sentence below.
Into the bay sailed the tattered and worn ship
Please select the best answer from the choices provided.
A. after a delightful cruise
B. carrying many merry passengers
C. because it sank to the bottom of the ocean
D. at the conclusion of the terrible storm at sea
Please select the best answer from the choices provided

Answers

Answer:

Explanation:

D. at the conclusion of the terrible storm at sea

Answer:

I would say D.

Explanation:

A- definitely not a delightful cruise. B- You don't know if there are many people, neither would they be merry if there was a worn and tattered ship. C- It didn't sink to the bottom of the sea because it had sailed into the bay.

Hope this helps!

Why do you think the queen changed from being angry and threatening to sympathetic? Cite evidence to support your claim.

Answers

What Queen there’s been at least seven you could mean

Answer:

I think that the queen changed from being angry and threatening to sympathetic because the queen realized that Edmund is a Son of Adam. She knows that she needs Edmund to get all of his siblings to return to Narnia, so she changes her attitude.

Explanation:

I don't have to book so I cant cite evidence

Riddle: 3/7 chicken,2/3 cat, 1/2 goat. what is the name of the city?

Answers

Answer:

what is your question?

Explanation:

Answer:  Easy, I know this one.

Explanation:

The city is Chicago.

CHICKEN:it is seven lettered word.so,we will extract the letters out of it as per the given fraction,i.e. 3/7. The letters thus exracted are first 3 letters of the word,which are CHIC.

CAT:this is a three lettered word.So,we will extract first two letters from it(as per the given fraction,that is 2/3).So,the extracted letters are CA.

GOAT:this is a four lettered word.So,we will extract the first two letters out of it(as the given fraction is 2/4).So,the extracted letters are GO.

CHI + CA + GO = Chicago

Hope this helps! :)

we don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. in times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. the human capacity of survival and renewal is awesome


what do you think the writer is trying to say?

Answers

Answer:

the writer is trying to say, you don't know what you are capable of. when we keep working we get stronger mentally and phsically.

Explanation:

Other Questions
what is 8 4/8 - 4 5/6? The school band is having its end-of-year dinner at a local restaurant. The director wants to give the server a 20% gratuity, and the sales tax is 8.25%. Hewill use the amount of the bill to find each additional amount.Part AWhich components would the director use to write an equation to determine the total cost of the meal, given the amount of the bill, 1. What is the goal of mitosis? In many parts of the world, there is a rock layer rich in the metal iridium. Iridium is very rare on Earth, but it is relatively common in meteorites and other debris that comes from outer space. All occurrences of this iridium layer are from the same geologic epoch, at the very end of the Cretaceous. Most of the fossils in rock layers below the iridium layer, including dinosaur fossils, do not appear in layers above the iridium layer.Based on this evidence from the rock and fossil record, A. meteoroids and other space debris did not impact the Earth at the end of the Cretaceous. B. an asteroid impact likely caused a mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. C. meteorites and other space debris no longer contain the metal iridium. So why study the development and tenets of these major religions? This is history class, afterall. What do you think is the connection between history and the study of world religions? Which is an appropriate tool for viewing small organism Question 6Determine whether the following sentences are written with consistentverb tense and do not need to be changed, or if they are written withinconsistent verb tense and need to be changed.Thomas loved fishing and teaches himself to bait his own hooks.a. change bait to baitedb. change teaches to teachedC. change teaches to taughtd. no change is needed In triangle ABC, the measure of angle A is 80. Angle B is congruent to angle C. What is the measure of angle B in degrees? A. = 100 C. = 50 B. = 60 D. = 80 8/5 = ? Pls help this is my math Choose the form of the verb tener that corresponds to the subject given.Yo___________diecisis aos.Question 6 options:tengotienestienetenemostenistienen Please advise this is URGENT. I am give 75 points and BRAINLIEST to anyone that can help with this. write a well-developed, text-based response of two to three paragraphs. In your response, identify a central idea in the text and analyze how the authors useof one writing strategy --> Literary Technique. Why is investment in capital goods important for a country like Japan? Japan's economy depends heavily on industry and must be modern to be competitive. Japan needs investment in capital goods to develop its rich natural resources. Investment in capital goods makes up for a poor literacy rate in Japan. Investment in capital goods makes overseas trade unnecessary. round off 2409725 to nearest 10 Which of the following points could be tied to the coordinate graphiasathind point tocreate an isoscelestrande Choose all that apply5-5(2 points)(1,3)(-2,50 (4,-2) How are prokaryotic cells classified by shape? Explain in detail. How many solutions does 5(x - 3) + 6 = 5x - 10 have?(Will mark brainlest) Construct an argument. Do you believe it's ethical or unethical to artificially select traits in plants and or animals? Provide evidenco to suoport your claims. It doesn't matter what side you chose, but I need it asap.I will give you any mark you want. Write a linear function for the data in each table using function notation. Someone plz help me its history and its about The Colonists Rebel plz help me Prokaryotic does not have... A.) lifeB.) cell membraneC.) DNA or RNAD.)membrane bound F.)organelles