A River Reveals its Roman Past
Read A River Reveals its Roman Past, an IELTS Reading practice passage. 2,000 years ago the town of Arles, in what is now south-western France, was a busy gateway to the area of the Roman Empire known as Gaul. Goods from all over the Mediterranean were transferred there to barges - long, shallow ri…
Passage preview
2,000 years ago the town of Arles, in what is now south-western France, was a busy gateway to the area of the Roman Empire known as Gaul. Goods from all over the Mediterranean were transferred there to barges - long, shallow riverboats - then pulled up the Rhône river to supply the northern half of the great empire. Today, Arles is a small, quiet place, and the Rhône is polluted and mostly ignored.
Vocabulary from this passage
6 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- infuse verb
To slowly add a substance to something else to give it a new quality or property.
The conservators decided to slowly infuse the fragile wood with a stabilizing chemical.
- intact adjective
Not damaged or impaired in any way; remaining completely whole and unbroken.
Finding an entirely intact Roman vase is a rare and highly significant archaeological event.
- microbial decay noun
The breakdown or rotting of organic matter caused by the action of microscopic organisms.
The freezing temperatures preserved the ancient wood, preventing any significant microbial decay.
- murky water noun
Water that is dark, dirty, and difficult to see through due to suspended sediments.
The divers struggled to locate the shipwreck in the murky water of the river.
- personal effects noun
Privately owned items, typically consisting of clothing, jewelry, and small everyday objects belonging to an individual.
Researchers discovered the crew's personal effects perfectly preserved in the mud of the riverbed.
- subside verb
To become less intense, violent, or severe; or for water to return to its normal level.
The archaeologists had to wait for the floodwaters to subside before continuing their excavation.