1.
My name is Keks. I live with a hunter-gatherer band. We use stone tools.
People probably started making very simple stone tools around...
Correct Answer
A. 2 million years ago
Explanation
The first stone tools could have been made about 2 million years ago, perhaps even earlier. At that time, all hominids were hunter-gatherers. That means that they travelled around, collecting wild foods and following the migrating herds of animals that they hunted for meat. The people at that stage did not look like us. They were an earlier species, smaller both in stature and brain size. One species has been called "homo habilis" or "handy man/person" by paleontologists.
2.
We travel constantly from place to place. We cannot carry many possessions, because we are constantly on the move. In fact, it is even difficult for the adults to have more than two or three children, because when the children are small they must be carried from place to place.
The word for us is ___________.
Correct Answer
C. Nomads
Explanation
The given passage describes a lifestyle of constant travel and the inability to carry many possessions. It also mentions the difficulty of having more than two or three children due to the need to carry them from place to place. This lifestyle aligns with that of nomads, who are known for their constant movement and lack of permanent settlements. Therefore, the word "nomads" is the correct answer.
3.
I carry the following tools and weapons from place to place:
Correct Answer
B. Pieces of flint, bone needles and knife blades
Explanation
Flint was a kind of hard but workable stone that was favoured by tool-makers in the Stone Age. It was still used by the common people of ancient Egypt, whose sickles often had flint teeth.
4.
My sister Lea learns her role in our clan from my mother. The women spend a large part of every day gathering food.
The main types of food they gather are:
Correct Answer
C. Herbs, wild grains, berries, nuts and tubers
Explanation
There were no domesticated goats until about 10,000 years ago. There were no crops either. People did gather wild wheat, but not cropped wheat. There were also no bakeries! There is however evidence to show that around 12000 years ago there were people in the Middle East who were pounding wheat with mortars and pestles and probably cooking a rough, flat kind of bread.
5.
I am proud that I am learning to be a hunter, although I know it is a very dangerous occupation. One of the dangers is that
Correct Answer
B. We might be injured by the wild animals we hunt, for example, fracture a bone
Explanation
Option A is incorrect, because even if the hunters could not kill an animal for meat, the gatherers could generally be relied upon to find wild plant foods. You should have rejected Option C because it is very unlikely that the hunters would have got lost. They would have known the terrain intimately and would have been experts at finding their way around. Option B is the most accurate answer because the archaeological evidence shows that many hunter-gatherers sustained serious bone injuries, mainly through hunting.
6.
One day I tell Lea that the men were going to hunt a mammoth. Mammoths are huge, dangerous animals, but every part of a mammoth is useful. We can eat their meat, use their bones to make tent structures and needles, and tan their skins for warmth. It is very important that all the hunters work together, because...
Correct Answer
A. ...careful planning and group strategies are needed to bring down a mammoth.
Explanation
Hunting a mammoth is a challenging task due to their size and danger. Bringing down a mammoth requires careful planning and group strategies to ensure the safety of the hunters and increase the chances of success. Working together as a team allows the hunters to coordinate their efforts, surround the mammoth, and effectively take it down. This explanation aligns with the information provided in the passage about the importance of teamwork and cooperation in hunting mammoths.
7.
It is actually very rare to hunt a mammoth. The reason is that
Correct Answer
B. We have quite simple weapons and normally hunt smaller, less dangerous animals such as hares and wild goats.
Explanation
Option A is incorrect because mammoths were actually very useful, though dangerous and daunting to hunt. Option C is incorrect because by perhaps 500,000 years ago humans could use fire to cook meat. Option B is the best answer because the hunters of that time did indeed have basic weapons and a mammoth hunt would have been a huge challenge; smaller animals were a much better bet.
8.
At night time I sleep...
Correct Answer
B. ...on the ground with something to soften it, such as moss.
Explanation
In the Stone Age family members generally slept close together for warmth and safety. Although they had no proper beds, they probably had ways of improving on the hard ground. They would also have used animal skins and furs for blankets.
9.
There are advantages to our lifestyle. For one thing,...
Correct Answer
B. ...since we have no sugar and very rarely eat anything sweet, we hardly ever experience tooth decay.
Explanation
There was actually no sugar available, which was an advantage for people's dental health. Honey was rare. The way of life was actually quite dangerous. Hunger was not uncommon and hunting often led to fractures, as shown by the bones of people who lived as hunters.
10.
My sister and I don't go to school, but we still have to learn. The main things we learn are...
Correct Answer
C. ...how to make tools, start a fire and collect edible plants.
Explanation
Nobody could tame bears, hyenas or cave lions. They were some of the most dangerous animals of the Stone Age. No one could learn to read and write either, because no one in the world could write before about 3,500 years BC, when the people of Sumer developed the first kind of writing.