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 reader can infer that the discovery of metal –

a) changed the face of hunting.

B) happened as an accident.

c) was the greatest discovery of all time.

d) changed humanity forever.

Answers

Answer 1

Answer:

D. hanged humanity forever.

Explanation:

According to the excerpt from Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik, it is narrated that in the Stone Age, our ancestors made use of flint, wood and bone which were not reliable and malleable for use. However, metal was discovered which solved the earlier problem of using stones and bones for construction.

Metals were malleable and the process could be reversed by melting it. Therefore, the discovery of metal changed humanity forever.


Related Questions

Completa las frases con la forma correcta del verbo que se encuentra entre paréntesis; haciendo sus formas interrogativas, negativas y afirmaciones

1. She _____ (clean) up the kitchen by the time we arrived.

2. They _____ ( study) a lot the days before, so they were ready for the exam.

3.I ____ (be) at home all day. I had to get out and go for a walk.

4.She ____ (teach) Shakespeare before.

5._____ you _____ to that restaurant before?

6._____ you _____ (eat) breakfast when you left the house?

7.We ____ (not/finish) the document when the computer crashed.

8.She ____ (prepare) dinner before leaving for work that day.

9.I ____ (not/do) all my homework when I went to class.

10._____ you _____ (meet) her before?

Answers

1. Cleaned
2. Studied
3. Have been
4. Taught
5. Have, been
6. Did, eat
7. Did not finish
8. Prepared
9. Didn’t
10. Have, met

help anyone?? it would mean the world if you helped loolll

Answers

Answer:

I would want them to focus on something they already promised to do... the climate problem. Climate is a really big problem and it needs to be fixed! :)

Explanation:

I would want President and Vice President should focus on the Corona virus the first 100 days of them being in office. I think they should implement mask for 100 days, give states the opportunity to lockdown (if they can financially do so), and continue to relay to the public the truth about the virus so everyone can truly know what they need to do to get through these challenging times.

explanation: just helping :) hope this helps, it wouldn’t let me put names

what colour rhymes with "colour"?

Answers

Bowelr (it’s a dark grey almost navy)

Henry thinks of himself as introverted a loving father a football player and smart these are all aspects of henrys

Answers

Hi, you've asked an incomplete question. However, I provided a brief explanation about key terms.

Explanation:

Introverted: The term usually used to refer to persons who are perceived to be quiet or reserved. In other words, these persons often like to remain unnoticed and rarely speak at social gatherings.

Hence, since Henry displays all these attributes, he can refer to himself as introverted.

PLS HURRY! 33 POINTS

What does Deza’s attitude toward the little boy she meets in the camp reveal about her character? Cite text evidence from the selection to support your answer.


Answers

Answer:

She was shocked that he kissed her so she gained a different personality than what she had previously have.

Explanation:

As it says in the passage She kissed him 3 times but she was hesitant at first.

Hope u find this helpful!

Read the stage direction from act 1 of The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street. The crowd picks this up again and with it their suspicions come back with a rush. The murmur becomes a loud chant filling the air with accusations and demands for action. Two of the men pass Don right up the steps. Goodman flattens himself against the screen door. What does this stage direction tell the reader about Goodman’s viewpoint?
A. He is nervous the crowd may ask him to join them.
B. He is worried the crowd may take his generator.
C. He is frightened the crowd may harm him.
D. He is concerned the crowd may leave him by himself.
ill mark brainiest

Answers

Answer:

c

Explanation:

Answer:

i believe its c

Explanation:

this is because it says how they flattened him

Vocabulary Skill Match the archaic word on the right with the correct modern definition on the left.



1.
mood


2.
hurt


3.
slow up; wait


4.
angry


5.
at once; soon



a.
soft
b.
humor
c.
tetchy
d.
scathe
e.
anon

Answers

Answer:

1b, 2a, 3d, 4c, 5e

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which answers should you eliminate first if you are not sure of the answer? A. Highly Implausible answers. B. Highly plausible answers. C. Statements with the words "may" or "might". D. Positive statements.

Answers

Answer:

A. Highly implausible answers

Explanation:

which detail best supports the idea that in this futuristic setting the landscape is very dry?​

Answers

Answer:

It’s a constant war these days against the dust that sweeps across the city limits.

Which point of view does the narrator use in the passage? He laid down his fork. ... There was silence save for the tinkling of his brother's fork against a plate. He kept staring at his sister till her eyes fell. "I wish you'd let me eat," he said again. As he ate, he felt that they were thinking of the job he was to get that evening, and it made him angry; he felt that they had tricked him into a cheap surrender. From Richard Wright, Native Son. Copyright 1940 by Richard Wright first person second person third person limited third person omniscient​

Answers

Answer:

Third person limited.

Explanation:

The narrative voice is the manner or source of narration that the speaker uses in a text. And through this voice, we can know what or how involved is the speaker/ narrator in the story.

In the novel "Native Son" by Richard Wright, the narrator is speaking in the third person limited point of view. This means that the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of one character and not of the others. This is evident in the given passage from the text when the narrator used the pronoun "he" for Bigger Thomas. Moreover, the statement "he felt that they were thinking of the job he was to get that evening, and it made him angry; he felt that they had tricked him into a cheap surrender" shows the narrator can only infer from the character of Bigger and not know the thoughts of the other characters in the scene.

Thus, the correct answer is third-person limited.

Answer: third person

Explanation:

Diary entry about your feeling when you hame just returned from music competition​

Answers

"Yesterday I got the golden opportunity to watch an inter-city music competition in Hyderabad.

4 teams reached the final of this music competition. They are Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Warrangal.

Noted singer SP Balasubramaniam hosted the show wonderfully which was well judged by MM Keeravani sir and Anup Ruebens.

I felt amazing because all the singers were very good. I was fortunate to take a selfie with SP Balasubramaniam sir and I requested him for an autograph which he accepted.

The same competition would be held next year and I am looking forward to that.

Explanation:

Answer:

(i am writing this as if i won)

   Dear Diary, finally the wait is over. I did my best, and they saw it. The judge loved my act, I am glad I added those different notes. I heard about 3 people do the same notes I was gonna do. The look on my face was surprised, but I understood. The judges saw how hard I had worked, and how original my music was.

help pls .. Which story premise is most clearly a classic tragedy?

Answers

The answer is D

Because for it become a tragedy it has to deal with death and power and with by that sentence that is a tragedy

Who did Douglass make into teachers?

Answers

the kids at the camp

2. At first, Sindbad kicks
aside this precious
material because he is so..

Answers

Answer:

I am also working on that but I hope this helps:

I ate part of my little store of food and lay down to sleep, but all through the night the serpents crawled to and fro, hissing horribly, so that I could scarcely close my eyes for terror. I was thankful when the morning light appeared, and when I judged by the silence that the serpents had retreated to their dens I came tremblingly out of my cave and wandered up and down the valley once more, kicking the diamonds contemptuously out of my path, for I felt that they were indeed vain things to a man in my situation. At last, overcome with weariness, I sat down upon a rock, but I had hardly closed my eyes when I was startled by something which fell to the ground with a thud close beside me.

The werid athlete stereotype is an example of a flat character.

True
False

A protagonist can do bad and villainous things and still be considered a protagonist.

True
False

Answers

Answer:

1. true

2. true

Explanation:

im just that good.

Which combination of text structures is used in this
passage?

sequence and description

description and cause-effect

cause-effect and problem-solution

problem-solution and sequence

Answers

Answer:

answer should be description- cause and effect

Explanation:

Answer:

B. Description and cause-effect.

Explanation:

A story about a family trying to stick together and survive through the great depression in the midwest in the 1930s what is the authors purpose

Answers

OG just did at my school lol.

The author's purpose is to entertain the reader. U would be able to tell this because it is not an informational text, and it does not persuade u.

Northstar

    。 .  .   。  ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ ඞ 。  . • . [SLWCA] got rekt by a bird. . .   。 .     。      ゚   .     . ,    .  .   ..  。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。。    •   ゚  。   .   .      .     。

From the article "CHARLES" on common lit
How does Charles’ behavior vary throughout the story?

A
Laurie describes Charles’ behavior as improving but having occasional setbacks.
B
Laurie describes Charles’ behavior as steadily improving throughout the story.
C
Laurie emphasizes how Charles is always misbehaving even if he’s not caught.
D
Laurie shows how Charles wants to change at the end of the story, but he doesn’t know how.

Answers

Answer:

A

Explanation:

Laurie describe Charles as Behavior as improving but having occasional setbacks .

How do you deal with difficult days?

Answers

Answer:

i cry everything out and then go watch netflix lol

Explanation:

if you or anybody is feeling down , im here !!! ;)

Read the following text:
The room was very dark, mainly from the many plants that blocked the sun coming from the single high window.

This text is an example of which of the following? (1 point)
_____________________________________________________
A. Backstory
B. Conflict
C. Plot
D. Setting

Answers

Answer:

the answer is setting

Explanation:

because it describes a vivid example of the place youre in

fact or opinion Patrick Henry's speeches before the Virginia House of Burgesses were the most stirring political speeches made in colonial America.​

Answers

Answer:

FACT

Explanation:

Thats just how it works

Answers:

It's actually a fact.

Assignment 1:

Assignment: Focus on Commentary:

Reply to this with commentary that connects the evidence to the claim:

Claim: Another function of education is to promote the welfare of all children in the US.

Evidence: For example, public schools are provided with federal money to give impoverished children free meals.

Commentary: (complete this sentence) By ensuring students are fed...

Answers

Answer:

Fill it out and turn it in: that’s the message thousands of school districts send parents each year when they offer applications for the federal government’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP). And each year, millions of parents comply. But new data suggest that the process for verifying eligibility for the program is fundamentally broken and that taxpayers may be picking up the tab for participation by ineligible families. The NSLP, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at an annual cost of $8 billion, serves 31 million American children each day. The program’s goal is to help low-income students succeed in public and private school classrooms by ensuring they have adequate nutrition, a mission that is compromised if substantial funds are being spent on ineligible families or the program fails to reach the neediest students.

Explanation:

How long does Penelope's shroud burial trick work for?

Answers

Answer:

three years

Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud, until Melantho, a slave, discovers her chicanery and reveals it to the suitors.

Write sentences with the Past Continuous
in your notebooks.
1 the students / not eat / breakfast / in the
classroom / this morning​

Answers

Answer:

the students are not eating breakfast in the classroom this morning

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?


After working with the trainer, I was able to get Champ to sit and stay.

The dog trainer worked easily with Champ using a bag of treats.

We take our new puppy, Champ, to dog training classes at the park.

The dog trainer showed us how to get Champ to sit on command.

Answers

Answer:

A

Explanation:

Why is it important for a student to become familiar with a wide range of academic vocabulary words? Group of answer choices These words will be used to describe your academic performance and progress. Your parents will be pleased to hear you use these terms in everyday conversations. Your teachers are likely to quiz you regularly on the meaning of these words. These words are used to discuss school subjects in a serious, analytical way.

Answers

Answer:

These words are used to discuss school subjects in a serious, analytical way.

Explanation:

The need to know and enlarge one's knowledge of the academic vocabulary words is a must for any student. Not only will it help in academic life, but it will also be a huge development for anyone with a vast knowledge of the vocabulary. The more vocabulary one knows, the better it is for communication, writing, and even speaking abilities.

So, the main important reason for a student to become familiar with a wide range of academic vocabulary words is that such words may be used while discussing school subjects in a serious, analytical way. It will enhance the student's word knowledge and help him/ her understand whatever's been described or talked about.

Thus, the correct answer is the last option.

Which sentence from "Why Do We Lie?" best contradicts
this statement?
Choose 1 answer:

Answers

Answer:

D

Explanation:

I don't know if it's correct, just my opinion

Help me plz 50 points

Student Guide

Writing a Supreme Court Opinion

Assignment Information

Purpose

Write a Supreme Court opinion that describes your decision for United
States v. Fields.

Assignment Prompt

In this assignment, you will write a three-to four-paragraph Supreme Court opinion for
the fictional case of United States v. Fields. Remember, you are serving as a Supreme
Court justice. Your opinion must summarize the facts of the case, state your decision,
and cite precedent to support your ideas.

Answers

Answer:

According to a 2012 decision by the US Supreme Court, Abel Fields's actions are protected by the First Amendment.

In the fictitious case study scenario of Abel Fields, he claimed to have received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat, when in fact he had never served in the military. He asserted his claim as a freedom of speech issue.

In a real-life decision by the US Supreme Court, United States v. Alvarez, the the Court struck down the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (signed into law by President G.W. Bush in 2006). The law had criminalized false statements about having a military medal. By a 6-3 majority, the Supreme Court determined that the Stolen Valor Act was unconstitutional under the First Amendment's protection of free speech.

The question above is intended to assess your ability to analyze and conclude a legal case. For that reason, I cannot write an answer for you, but I will show you how to write it.

First, you will have to read the case that your question refers to. During this reading, you will need to analyze what the case is about, the evidence that is presented in the case, and the context to which the whole case refers.

All of this should direct you to a decision that should be based on everything you read about the case.

After that, you can write your answer as follows:

Present the basic information of the case.Present your decision on the case.Present the evidence that led you to that decision.Show the laws that apply to this case.

More information:

https://brainly.com/question/1322192?referrer=searchResults

Please help me with this one I will mark you brainlist I swear

Answers

Answer:

Its the last one

If a sentence uses the conjunction while, what can you say about the two ideas in the sentence? A.They are happening at the same time B.They cannot happen at the same time. C.One happens before the other.

this is langauges arts WILL GIVE BLAINLEST IF YOU GET IT RIGHT

Answers

Answer:

A.  They are happening at the same time

Explanation:

Bob was watching TV while his wife was taking a shower.

Answer:

A. They are happening at the same time

Explanation:

Consider the following sentence: "Gracie read her book while the teacher was talking." Gracie is reading her book at the same time that the teacher was talking.

I hope I could help!

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