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ACT Practice Test 2

The following passage is excerpted from a popular journal of archeology. About fifty miles west of Stonehenge, buried in the peat bogs of the Somerset flatlands in southwestern England, lies the oldest road known to humanity. Dubbed the “Sweet Track” after its discoverer, Raymond Sweet, this painstakingly constructed 1800- meter road dates back to the early Neolithic period, some 6,000 years ago. | ACT Practice Test 2 READING Passage V SOCIAL SCIENCE The following passage is excerpted from a popular journal of archeology. About fifty miles west of Stonehenge buried in the peat bogs of the Somerset flatlands in southwestern England lies the oldest road known to humanity. Dubbed the Sweet Track after its discoverer Raymond 5 Sweet this painstakingly constructed 1800-meter road dates back to the early Neolithic period some 6 000 years ago. Thanks primarily to the overlying layer of acidic peat which has kept the wood moist inhibited 10 the growth of decay bacteria and discouraged the curiosity of animal life the road is remarkably well-preserved. Examination of its remains has provided extensive information about the people who constructed it. 15 The design of the Sweet Track indicates that its builders possessed extraordinary engineering skills. In constructing the road they first hammered pegs into the soil in the form of upright Xs. Single rails were slid 20 beneath the pegs so that the rails rested firmly on the soft surface of the bog. Then planks were placed in the V-shaped space formed by the upper arms of the pegs. This method of construction allowing the 25 underlying rail to distribute the weight of the plank above and thereby prevent the pegs from sinking into the marsh is remarkably sophisticated testifying to a surprisingly advanced level of technology. 30 Furthermore in order to procure the materials for the road several different species of tree had to be felled debarked and split. This suggests that the builders possessed high quality tools and that they 35 knew the differing properties of various roundwoods. It appears also that the builders were privy to the finer points of lumbering maximizing the amount of wood extracted from a given tree by slicing 40 logs of large diameter radially and logs of small diameter tangentially. Studies of the Sweet Track further indicate a high level of social organization among its builders. This is supported by