Page 42 - READING COMPANION TO ENGLISH EXAMS

Answer the questions 24–26 according to the
passage below.

If you think gaming is just a modern-human 25. The underlined word ‘enigma’ in the passage
activity, think again. In the excavations that began is closest in meaning to ----.
in 2013 at Başur Höyük, Siirt, approximately A) symbol
5,000-year-old gaming pieces were discovered
in a grave from the Early Bronze Age. The game, B) nuisance
which is probably a strategy game, is thought to C) mystery
be the ancestor of chess. A dice-like object and
the last of the 39 pieces, consisting of two kinds D) attraction
of animal figures and various geometric shapes, E) insight
were unearthed during the excavations in 2019.
Considering the shapes, colours, and numbers
of the pieces, the archaeologists conducting the
studies at the site state that the game is based
on the number 4 and played by two people, while
how the game was played is still an enigma.
“Figuring this out is not only our responsibility
but also of those working on cultural heritage
and gaming history. We could not find the game
board on which the pieces were moved. The one
found in the grave was decayed and carbonised,
so it could not be recovered, making it harder
to understand the game rules,” said the head
archaeologist. He also added that a Japanese
game history expert and a US company had
expressed interest in collaborating on a project to
uncover the game’s secrets and transform it into
a 3D game.

24. According to the passage, chess ----. 26. It is pointed out in the passage that
A) would be played on a board, using animal deciphering the game’s rules was more
figurines and geometric-shaped pieces difficult since ----.
A) few game history experts were willing to
B) is believed to have developed from the game
discovered at Başur Höyük eliminate the question marks hanging over
the game rules
C) is considered the ancestor of strategy
games, given that it is almost 5,000 years old B) the pieces used in the game were just
discovered during the excavations in 2019
D) used to be a strategy game consisting of 39
pieces and a dice-like object C) the US company was far more interested in
making a profit than solving the puzzle about
E) might have revolved around the number 4 the game
and been played by two people
D) gaming is not an exclusively 21 -century
st
human activity, contrary to popular belief
E) the game board found had carbonised and
deteriorated, making it irretrievable

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