雅思阅读真题（Part 2）
维京人何时来到爱尔兰？都柏林考古新发现
本篇也叫：维京人爱尔兰、维京爱尔兰、维京人入侵爱尔兰、都柏林维京墓葬、维京人什么时候到爱尔兰
Part 2 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2026.3.28
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 2）《Viking Ireland》，共 16 题，2026.3.28雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
都柏林南大乔治街发掘出四名年轻男子墓葬，随葬维京盾牌、匕首和饰物。考古学家Linzi Simpson检测发现，他们下葬时间比公认的维京人定居都柏林年份早数十年，说明维京人先以小规模定居和贸易接触爱尔兰，而非突然入侵；僧侣文献记载的暴力劫掠并非首次接触。
A recent excavation in Dublin challenges long-held ideas about when the Scandinavian raiders known as Vikings arrived in Ireland.
A
When Irish archaeologists working under Dublin's South Great George's Street unearthed the remains of four young men buried with fragments of Viking shields, daggers, and personal ornaments, in the excavation, appeared to be simply more evidence of the Viking presence in Ireland. At least 77 Viking burial sites have been found across the base of artifacts that accompanied them, and the South Great George's Street burials seemed to be further examples. Yet when archaeologist Linzi Simpson sent the remains for analysis, the tests showed that the men had been buried in Irish soil for years, or even decades, before the accepted date for establishing the first year-round Viking settlement in Dublin.
B
Simpson's findings are now adding new weight to an idea gaining growing acceptance that instead of a sudden, calamitous Invasion, the arrival of the Vikings in Ireland started with small-scale settlements and trade links connected Ireland with Northern Europe. Furthermore, those trading contacts may have occurred generations before the violent raids described in contemporary texts, works written by monks living in isolated monasteries. These were often the only places where literate people lived and were especially targeted by Viking raiders for their food suppliers and treasures. Scholars continue to examine the texts written by monks but are also considering their limitations. “Most researchers accept now that the raids were not the first contact, as the old texts suggest,” says Viking expert Gareth Williams. How did the Vikings know where all those monasteries were? It's because there was already contact. They were already trading before those raids happened.”
C
Although the earlier dates for a Viking presence in Dublin that have been identified by Simpson and independent archaeologists differ from the later dates by only a few decades, when combined with other evidence, they are challenging the chronology of Viking settlement in Ireland. Since the 1960s, archaeologists have been gathering information about the mid-ninth-century settlement that lay under the sidewalks of Fishamble Street in Dublin. According to archeologist Ruth Jonson, the Vikings started with sporadic summer raids, but after some years of profitable plunder, they decided to stay and built settlements for the winter.
D
Carbon dating, which measures the age of organic materials based on the amount of radioactive carbon 14 remaining in a specimen, usually gives a range of likely dates for the time of death. The older the material, the wider the range. In the case of the four individuals excavated at the South Great George's Street site, Simpson found that two of them had a 95 percent probability of having died between 670 and 680, with a 68 percent probability of death occurring between 690 and 790. Thus, the entire most likely range was before the first documented arrival of Vikings in 795. A third individual lived slightly later, with a 95 percent probability of having died between 680 and 882. The dates were not what Simpson had thought they would be. These dates seem impossibly early and difficult to reconcile with the available historical and archaeological sources,” she says.
E
The fourth individual excavated at South Great George's Street was the most intact of the group and revealed the most about the lives and hardships of Vikings at this time. A powerfully built man in his late teens or early 20s, he was approximately 1.70m. tall by the day's standards, with the muscular torso and upper limbs that would have come from hard, ocean-going rowing. His bones showed stresses associated with heavy lifting beginning in childhood. Unlike the three other men, he was not buried with weapons. Like one of the other men found at the site, he had a congenital deformity at the base of his spine, perhaps indicating they were relatives. Carbon dating gave a wider range for his lifetime, showing a 95 percent probability that he died between 786 and 955.
F
Tests were also carried out on the four South Great George's Street men's isotopic oxygen levels. Such tests indicate where a person spent their childhood based on a chemical signature left by groundwater in developing teeth. The results showed that the two men with the spinal had spent their childhood in Scandinavia. However, the other two had spent their childhoods in Ireland or Scotland, another sign of permanent settlement by Viking families and not just summer raids by warriors.
G
The evidence of an earlier-than-expected Viking presence in Ireland, based as it is on forensic tests conducted on a handful of burials, may seem slight. But seemingly small pieces of evidence can overturn well-established conventions in archaeology. Both Simpson and Johnson stress more excavations and tests will be needed before anyone can rewrite the history of Viking settlement, and such work is years away. Williams adds, There are two possibilities raised by (Simpson's) work. Either there was Viking activity earlier than we've realized in Ireland, or there is something in the water or soil in Dublin skewing the data, and both possibilities need further research.” Nevertheless, Williams agrees with Simpson and others that the chronology of the Viking presence in Ireland is uncertain and that they were possibly trading or raiding in Ireland before 795. 'It's a poorly documented part of history, says Williams. But before there was Viking settlement, there was this big trading zone in the North Sea. Did it extend to the Irish Sea? We don't have any evidence to say that, but it could be just a matter of time.”
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答案：doubts about the truth of historical documents
原文定位：Scholars continue to examine the texts written by monks but are also considering their limitations. “Most researchers accept now that the raids were not the first contact, as the old texts suggest
同义替换：「doubts」↔「considering」，「historical」↔「old」，「documents」↔「texts」
答案：a decision to remain in Ireland for longer periods
原文定位：According to archeologist Ruth Jonson, the Vikings started with sporadic summer raids, but after some years of profitable plunder, they decided to stay and built settlements for the winter
同义替换：「decision」↔「decided」，「remain」↔「stay」
答案：a research technique providing unexpected information
原文定位：Carbon dating, which measures the age of organic materials based on the amount of radioactive carbon 14 remaining in a specimen, usually gives a range of likely dates for the time of death;The dates were not what Simpson had thought they would be
同义替换：「unexpected」↔「not」，「information」↔「thought they would be」
答案：an insight into the lifestyle of a particular Viking
原文定位：The fourth individual excavated at South Great George's Street was the most intact of the group and revealed the most about the lives and hardships of Vikings at this time
同义替换：「insight into」↔「revealed」，「particular」↔「individual」
答案：an insight into the lifestyle of a particular Viking
原文定位：The fourth individual excavated at South Great George's Street was the most intact of the group and revealed the most about the lives and hardships of Vikings at this time
同义替换：「insight into」↔「revealed」，「particular」↔「individual」
答案：the particular locations Vikings grew up
原文定位：Such tests indicate where a person spent their childhood
同义替换：「grew up」↔「childhoods」
答案：the need for additional data
原文定位：more excavations and tests will be needed
同义替换：「additional」↔「more」
答案：Ruth Johnson
原文定位：after some years of profitable plunder, they decided to stay and built settlements for the winter
同义替换：「financial benefits」↔「profitable」
答案：Gareth Williams
原文定位：Most researchers accept now that the raids were not the first contact, as the old texts suggest
同义替换：「written accounts」↔「old texts」
答案：Linzi Simpson
原文定位：These dates seem impossibly early and difficult to reconcile with the available historical and archaeological sources
同义替换：「inconsistency」↔「difficult to reconcile」
答案：Gareth Williams
原文定位：there is something in the water or soil in Dublin skewing the data
同义替换：「being affected by」↔「skewing」
答案：standards
原文定位：he was approximately 1.70m. tall by the day's standards
答案：torso
原文定位：with the muscular torso and upper limbs that would have come from hard, ocean-going rowing
同义替换：「well-developed」↔「muscular」，「arms」↔「upper limbs」
答案：childhood
原文定位：His bones showed stresses associated with heavy lifting beginning in childhood
同义替换：「dated from」↔「beginning in」
答案：spine
原文定位：he had a congenital deformity at the base of his spine
同义替换：「genetic abnormality」↔「congenital deformity」，「lower」↔「base of」
答案：weapons
原文定位：Unlike the three other men, he was not buried with weapons
同义替换：「included」↔「with」