In 1938 an archaeologist in Iraq acquired a set of clay jars that had been excavated two years earlier by villagers constructing a railroad line. The vessel was about 2,200 years old. Each clay jay contained a copper cylinder surrounding an iron rod. The archaeologist proposed that vessel were ancient electric batteries and even demonstrated that they can produce a small electric current when filled with some liquids. However, it is not likely that the vessels were actually used as electric batteries in ancient times.
First of all, if the vessels were used as batteries, they would probably have been attached to some electricity conductors such as metal wires. But there is no evidence that any metal wires were located near the vessels. All that has been excavated are the vessels themselves.
Second, the copper cylinders inside the jarslook exactly like copper cylinders discovered in the ruins of Seleucia, an ancientcity located nearby. We know that the copper cylinders from Seleucia were used for holding scrolls of sacred texts, not for generating electricity. Since the cylinders found with the jars have the same shape, it is very likely they were used for holding scrolls as well. That no scrolls were found inside the jars can be explained by the fact that the scrolls simply disintegrated over the centuries.
Finally, what could ancient people have done with the electricity that the vessels were supposed to have generated? They had no devices that replied on electricity. As batteries, the vessels would have been completely useless to them.
The reading and listening materials have a debate on the use of the vessel found by local villagers. The author believes that vessel was unlikely to be used as electric batteries, While the following speaker holds an opposite view.
First, the author claims that the lack of electricity conductors such as a wire attached to the vessel is a proof that the vessels weren't used as electrical batteries. The speaker explains that excavation was done by the local villagers and not archaeologists, therefore, It is not precise. they could have missed or overlooked some materials or even throw away an important materials serving as wire due to their ignorance.
Second, the author points out to a similarity between these copper cylinders and the ones discovered in ruins of Seleucia. The copper cylinders found in Seleucia functioned as sacred scroll's preserver hence the vessel should act in the same way. The speaker refutes this point by saying it is true that originally the copper cylinder might have originally used as a mere scroll holder. However, an ancient inventor may have found that with use of iron rod and some liquid it can produce electricity. So the cylinder copper maybe originally used for one purpose and later on adapted for a new purpose.
Lastly, the author argues that there was no device in ancient time which could use generated electricity by vessel. The professor mentions other use of generated electricity like producing a mild shock to convince superstitious people of having magic power or use it for healing as modern doctors do by stimulating muscles for muscle's growth or reducing pain.
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| 2020-01-26 | supergirl20 | 3 | view |
| 2020-01-26 | supergirl20 | 3 | view |
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| 2019-12-27 | joyce05 | 3 | view |
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Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 132, Rule ID: EN_CONTRACTION_SPELLING
Message: Possible spelling mistake found
Suggestion: weren't
... the vessel is a proof that the vessels werent used as electrical batteries. The speak...
^^^^^^
Line 3, column 292, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: They
...ologists, therefore, it is not precise. they could have missed or overlooked some ma...
^^^^
Line 3, column 375, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...aterials or even throw away an important materials serving as wire due to their i...
^^
Line 5, column 124, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: The
...e ones discovered in ruins of Seleucia. the copper cylinders found in Seleucia func...
^^^
Line 5, column 184, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'scrolls'' or 'scroll's'?
Suggestion: scrolls'; scroll's
... found in Seleucia functioned as sacred scrolls preserver hence the vessel should act i...
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 247, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: The
... the vessel should act in the same way. the speaker refutes this point by saying it...
^^^
Line 5, column 501, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: So
...some liquid it can produce electricity. so the cylinder copper maybe originally us...
^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
first, hence, however, lastly, look, may, second, so, therefore, while, such as, it is true, in the same way
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 7.0 10.4613686534 67% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 6.0 5.04856512141 119% => OK
Conjunction : 8.0 7.30242825607 110% => OK
Relative clauses : 8.0 12.0772626932 66% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 15.0 22.412803532 67% => OK
Preposition: 26.0 30.3222958057 86% => OK
Nominalization: 2.0 5.01324503311 40% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1293.0 1373.03311258 94% => OK
No of words: 256.0 270.72406181 95% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.05078125 5.08290768461 99% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.0 4.04702891845 99% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.71928593407 2.5805825403 105% => OK
Unique words: 148.0 145.348785872 102% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.578125 0.540411800872 107% => OK
syllable_count: 420.3 419.366225166 100% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.55342163355 103% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 2.0 3.25607064018 61% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.23620309051 121% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.51434878587 0% => OK
Preposition: 0.0 2.5761589404 0% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 11.0 13.0662251656 84% => Need more sentences. Double check the format of sentences, make sure there is a space between two sentences, or have enough periods. And also check the lengths of sentences, maybe they are too long.
Sentence length: 23.0 21.2450331126 108% => OK
Sentence length SD: 43.3934526805 49.2860985944 88% => OK
Chars per sentence: 117.545454545 110.228320801 107% => OK
Words per sentence: 23.2727272727 21.698381199 107% => OK
Discourse Markers: 9.81818181818 7.06452816374 139% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 7.0 4.19205298013 167% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 2.0 4.33554083885 46% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 3.0 4.45695364238 67% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.27373068433 140% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.120827380286 0.272083759551 44% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0524599147432 0.0996497079465 53% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0265264092976 0.0662205650399 40% => Sentences are similar to each other.
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0744340058021 0.162205337803 46% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0303642568021 0.0443174109184 69% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.0 13.3589403974 105% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 48.13 53.8541721854 89% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 5.55761589404 158% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 12.3 11.0289183223 112% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.31 12.2367328918 101% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.48 8.42419426049 101% => OK
difficult_words: 60.0 63.6247240618 94% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 10.7273730684 103% => OK
gunning_fog: 11.2 10.498013245 107% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.2008830022 98% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 85.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 25.5 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.