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.
The author uses a simile to compare nails and weapons to –

A) reinforce the danger.

B) show how they took everything.

C) emphasize the value.

D) describe the importance.

Answers

Answer 1

Answer:

D) describe the importance.

Explanation:

According to the excerpt from Stuff Matters

by Mark Miodownik, it narrated that the discovery of metals changed the history of mankind. The author discussed how the Romans destroyed everything of value so that the Celts could find nothing useful left behind and even destroyed the nails and irons.

The author uses a simile to compare nails and weapons to describe the importance of the nails to their empire.


Related Questions

The dash in the sentence below is
used to do which of the following?
"I worked with three of my
classmates to complete a science
project--one of my group mates
was my brother."
A. set off further detail or explanation
B. indicate an abrupt change in the sentence
C. show an abrupt, unfinished end to the
sentence
D. set off humor in an informal sentence

Answers

Answer:B

Explanation:When you see the dash the tone changes the sentence like this person mag not be so happy to be working with their northern they clarified that one of the people was their brother.

Answer:

A. set off further detail or explanation

Explanation:

I did this on Acellus and got it correct, so you can trust this answer.

please help me my principle has to watch me present a poem that I haven't even done yet, it's due tmr


-it has to be 5 lines long
-original
-appropriate
-it has to be related to MONEY
-it must include rhyming words and have a labeled rhyme scheme​

Answers

Money

All we need is Money

Ain't that right Honey?

For we are in debt

And start to regret

For we have gotten our self into this mess

But all we need is Money

Ain't that right Honey?

Ack- I don't know I'm sorry I'm not really a poet-

how do i write a abc poem​

Answers

start with
(a)
then so on?

try finding words that rhyme or connect with each other in a way, make it tell a story maybe?

Need help ASAP
Thankss + BRAINLIST only for correct answers

Answers

Answer:

The free, open plain, the smell of the fresh air, the beautiful blue sky!

Explanation:

These are examples

Hope this Helps! :)

Answer:

"foxes barked in the hills and deer silently crossed the fields, half-hidden in the mists of the fall mornings. " (Rachel Carson, Silent Spring)  "streams which flowed clear and cold out of the hills and contained shady pools where trout lay."

Explanation:

What type of person is concerned with harmony, will look at the facts, but bases their decision on how it will affect others, sees the exception to the rule, and avoids conflict?

Extroverts


Thinkers


Judgers


Feelers

Answers

Answer:

Feelers

Explanation:

They are most likely to inspect a situation and think about how it will affect everyone involved

8. The clock struck passive voice​

Answers

Ce clasă ești sa văd daca te pot ajuta

If I did a bottle flip 2 times but missed 18 times what fraction would it be simplified

Answers

Answer:

-2/18

Explanation:

Whatever the person said above me :)

guys help ​. I'll give brailiest ​ ​

Answers

Answer:

1. In conclusion, ...

2. The word noise has multiple meanings; ...

3. If I won the lottery, ...

4. She invited Mark, Alice, and Joan...

5. I had no intention of attending the wedding, however, ...

6. he ordered fish, and she ordered pasta

7. The service was excellent, ...

8. Nick, who had poor grades in high school, ...

9. Louis Pasteur, a french scientist, ...

10. "expect snow overnight," predicted...

11. The air was clear; it was a beautiful day. (might be wrong)

12. "Hockey," Sam explained, "is my favorite sport."

13. David told me he was born in Seoul, Korea on April 15, 1979

14. The office was closed; as a result, ... (might be wrong)

or it could be: The office was closed, as a result, ...

15. Our dog seems to have a built-in alarm clock; He wakes up at exactly the same time every morning.

Explanation:

hope this helps.

Put the words into the correct order​

Answers

Answer: by the time Mr. James retire for forty years for the company he work.

Jack you forgot by the end of this month.

by tomorrow our english teacher give us our term works.

she leaves cambridge at the station when we arrive.

Explanation: because the other option's don't sound right

Lightning and thunder are related events. Lightning is a sudden, violent flash of electricity that occurs between a
cloud and the ground. It
can also occur between two clouds in the sky. A lightning bolt can be several miles long and
can be straight or forked. It is very hot, with an average temperature of 34,000 degrees Celsius. This causes the air
around the electric bolt to expand, producing lots of sound energy. It is this sound energy that we hear as thunder.
Lightning and thunder are caused by the same event. Yet lightning is light energy, or electromagnetic energy,
whereas thunder is sound energy. Thus, we see lightning and hear thunder.
Compare and contrast or sequence ?

Answers

Answer:

Yes you do see lighting and hear thunder

Explanation:

weather

Based on the events and dialogue of this passage, what can the reader
safely infer about Kristin's future behavior?
A)
In the future, Kristin will probably try to teach
Mallory to be more environmentally aware.
Kristin will likely get into a huge fight with Mallory
B)
over her being bossy and their friendship will end.
Kristin's mother will likely be quite angry with both
9) Kristin and Mallory for taking so long to shop at the
grocery store.
In the future, Kristin will likely buy cloth grocery bags
D) for shopping and be more attentive to how to help
the environment.

Answers

Answer:

A)

In the future, Kristin will probably try to teach

Mallory to be more environmentally aware.

Kristin will likely get into a huge fight with Mallory

Explanation:

The above statement are part of the scenario that would play out should Kristin continue with what she was trying to accomplish towards Mallory. This scenario could be infered from the way the events and dialogue went by in the passage.

please help with this..........​

Answers

Answer:

”It may reveal certain details about pesonalities of the character through the way the characte speaks.”

Explanation:

Becasue if you re-read the other answers it would not be dialouge to would be thoughts, or something a charater is not saying aloud.

Answer:

you need post your storie for ansered it

Mr. Smithers left one last water balloon, in the
bucket, for you.

Answers

Answer:

simpsons

Explanation:

help me please its easy

write a sentence that includes if and then

like this: If ______ then _______

Answers

Answer:

here's some to choose from:

If she lied then he'd be hurt

If they agreed then she'd be happy

If he won the championship then he'd become team captain

If she stole then she'd be committing a crime

Imagine you have won the first prize in the basket ball tournament conducted in your school.You have been selected as the best sportsman of the year.Express your thoughts and feelings.

Answers

Answer:

Explanation:

The school year begins on August 1 and ends the first day following the spring ... Your team may begin practice twenty (20) days prior to the first day of the state tournament, ... Evaluating players and selecting teams is a coach's responsibility. ... Q&A-26: As a state championship basketball coach, I have been asked to assist ...

Explicit bias can be stated obviously. True or False?
Help please

Answers

Answer:

True

Explanation:

Explicit bias refers to the attitudes and beliefs we have about a person or group on a conscious level. Because it is a concious thought rather than an abstract thought about that subject, it can be stated clearly and concisely.

Which is an example of a primary source?

Answers

Answer:

Example: A primary source is from someone who was in the event.

For example, a girl who went through the Oregon Trail and she wrote everything in her diary. She can be a primary source, if she is still alive. Her diary can also be a primary source.

More Examples: Public Records.

Personal papers (Journals/Diaries) (Correspondence / letters)

Organization records.

Newspaper articles.

Original research.

Original works of literature.

Photographs.

Art.

Background Info:

Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Primary sources can include: Texts of laws and other original documents. Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did.

Answer:

Examples of primary sources:

private diaries

photographs

direct results of research

laws--(U.S. Constitution)

novels, poems, plays

movies, screenplays

interviews with the person(s) directly involved

contracts

a report written by a witness of an event (composed that day); for example, newspaper articles describing that day or previous day's events;

"contemporary" accounts

musical score

results of an experiment or a poll

documents directly relevant to an event or issue

artifacts--tools, clothing, furniture, buildings, etc.

GET 25 POINTS


how does the word " wrote" connect to racism in America ?

Answers

Answer:

It does not connect. Racism has nothing to do with the word wrote. It has to do with bad people.

Explanation:

I don't think there is any way to explain this better.

Solution for fake news

Answers

Answer:

There really isn't one.

Explanation:

You can't change the mindsets of reporters, and you can't change hearing blunders, misinformation, things like that....

Hope I helped!

The only solution really is to teach people how to point out fake news and whether something is true or not.

please help will give brainliest and 50 points.

Answers

Answer:

The answer is: Stormy, dark

Answer:

Ominous means something like threatening.

Explanation:

What is an argument?
A)A practical statement based on emotion
B)A political statement based on fear
C) A position statement based on logic
D) A scientific statement based on humor

Answers

A.)

I think that it is A because most arguments continue due to emotion, which is even conveyed when someone is trying to prove a point or a fact.

Hope this helps.

    。 .  .   。  ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ 。  . • . [Northstar] was ejected. . .   。 .     。      ゚   .     . ,    .  .   ..  。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

Answers

Answer:

I think is B

Explanation:

I used process of elimination. Sorry if Im wrong though...

Mrs. Markley is as fast as a rabbit.
A Simile
B Metaphor
C Hyperbole
D Idiom

Answers

Answer:

doodoo

Explanation:

just not right

B is the answer :)) I hope this helped lol

Read It! In Ken Marquis's art gallery in Pennsylvania, a strange world exists. A toothy dog chomps on a disk. A mysterious sea creature rests in a pool of oil. Barack Obama announces "I AM A PRESIDENT." The works of art can be a bit puzzling. But perhaps that is the point. Since 2008, Marquis has persuaded artists to take part in the Landfillart Project. The project reuses metal hubcaps, plastic wheel coverings, and other found objects. Artists turn the reclaimed items into works of wonder and delight. So far, his collection contains more than 800 pieces. Artists from every state and 52 countries have taken part.
Do It! Marquis's show features _________ objects. A framed
B buried
C discarded
D mistaken

Answers

The answers is going to be c I think

Marquis's show features discarded objects .

Who is Barack Obama?

Barack Obama is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School.

Prior to his presidency, Obama served as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and Illinois state senator. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 and gained national attention with his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

During his presidency, Obama's administration passed several landmark pieces of legislation, including the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

He was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation.

Learn more about Barack Obama here:

https://brainly.com/question/28620442

#SPJ2

help me get more points just ask me a very ez question please and alot of points to the question please anybody please

Answers

Ok thank you for the free points doe

Answer:

                   

Explanation:

Someone please open pic I really need help , I’ll give a Brainly star rate 5 out of 5

Answers

Answer:

huH Wat is the question

Explanation:

Verb: I will move the chair
Noun: I want to move seats
Adjective:I need to move on from this break up

Look at the following lines. Which line uses dialect? Explain how you know.

"There! I might 'a' thought of that closet. What you been doing in there?"

"His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh."

Answers

The first line, because dialect in literature means a form of writing that shows the accent and way people talk. Because of the definition where it says “might ‘a’ thought” is dialect.

Answer:

im doing thiss so you can mark

itskaityn branlest

Explanation:

anyone have remind.com?

Answers

Answer:

Yea

Explanation:

Answer:

I can get it but what is that I've never heard of it

which statement best describes all activist

Answers

What’s the actual question
need a more descriptive question.

3 Which sentence best describes how the two paleontologists influenced each other? A Cope and Marsh would do almost anything to become public celebrities. B The competition between Cope and Marsh pushed each man to make amazing discoveries. C Cope and Marsh's mistakes destroyed their credibility as paleontologists. D Cope and Marsh would have discovered even more dinosaur bones if they had worked together.

Answers

Answer:

B. The competition between Cope and Marsh pushed each man to make amazing discoveries.

Explanation:

A paleontologist refers to an expert (individual) who is saddled with the responsibility of studying the various forms of life that were in existence during geologic or prehistoric ages through the use of fossils.

We know that influence is a function of how much power a person has to affect, control or manipulate another person so as to cause a change in the person's action or activity.

Hence, the sentence which best describes how two paleontologists influenced each other is; the competition between Cope and Marsh pushed each man to make amazing discoveries.

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