{"id":"jezyk-angielski-2026-maj-matura-dwujezyczna/zad/5","paper_id":"jezyk-angielski-2026-maj-matura-dwujezyczna","number":"5","points":null,"ptype":"closed","subject":"jezyk-angielski","category":"matura","year":2026,"month":"maj","level":null,"text":"TASK 5. (0-4)\nRead the article. Four paragraphs have been removed from the text. Complete each\ngap (5.1.-5.4.) with the paragraph which fits best and put the appropriate letter (A-E)\nin each gap. There is one paragraph which you do not need to use.\nWHAT DID STONEHENGE SOUND LIKE?\nThrough the doors of a university building, down a concrete hallway and inside\na foam-covered room, stands a shin-high replica of one of the most mysterious monuments\never built: Stonehenge. However, these miniature standing stones aren’t there just to be\nadmired. Instead, this scale model is at the centre of ongoing research into Stonehenge’s\nacoustic properties.\n5.1.\nHow did Cox come up with the idea of researching this particular issue? While working on\n“the sonic wonders of the world” 10 years ago, Cox began to ponder whether studying\nthe acoustic properties of Stonehenge would help uncover some of its secrets. He realized\nthere was a technique in acoustics that had never been applied to prehistoric sites before,\nnamely that of acoustic scale modelling. Cox created a 1:12 scale replica of Stonehenge\nwhich he could test inside the university’s semi-anechoic chamber, a room that absorbs\nvirtually all sound, thanks to the geometric foam covering every surface except the floor.\n5.2.\nIt turned out that the original ancient structure consisted of 157 stones. The process of\ncreating the miniature stones through 3D printing and moulding techniques took about six\nmonths and then they had to be arranged correctly. When Cox finally achieved the qualities\nof real stones at scale, to complete each test his team placed loudspeakers around the\nstones and played the various frequencies they were interested in measuring. Microphones\nin the room collected data on how the stones affected the sound. Through mathematical\nprocessing, Cox was able to create a computer model that simulated the acoustic properties\nof Stonehenge and could distort voices or music to give a sense of what they would sound\nlike within the circle.\n5.3.\nThis meant that people gathered inside the circle would have heard each other quite well,\nwhile those standing outside Stonehenge would have been excluded from any ceremonies\ntaking place. Thus, Cox’s research adds to a growing body of evidence that Stonehenge may\nhave been used for rituals reserved for a select few, with one study even pointing to the\npossibility of a hedge grown around the site to shield the participants from view.\n5.4.\nThis follow-up study also takes a closer look at how listeners hear sounds coming from\ndifferent angles, since whether sound reaches people from the side or front changes how\nthey perceive it. For example, sound reflections from the side improve the quality of music in\na concert hall. Once Cox analyses his new set of data, he hopes to publish the findings later\nthis year.\nAdapted from: www.bbc.com\nMJAA-D0-100\nA. Once Cox discovered this difference in sound perception, he and his colleagues began to\ninvestigate how people within the circle might affect the acoustics. The team recently\nfinished a new set of measurements by placing up to 100 small, wooden figurines inside\nthe model. “We know that people being inside would have changed the acoustics\nbecause human bodies absorb sound,” he said. “We want to quantify how it might have\nchanged as more people went inside the circle.”\nB. The latter experiment shows that the late Neolithic people who built Stonehenge weren’t\nused to the acoustics of large walls and enclosed spaces. Thus, they would have likely\nfound the effect mesmerizing. Cox likens Stonehenge’s acoustic properties to\nthe difference between standing in an empty cinema as opposed to a cathedral.\nC. Although Stonehenge is the world’s most architecturally sophisticated ancient stone\ncircle, archaeologists still don’t know who built it and what it was used for, so the massive\nmonument remains a mystery. However, thanks to a study carried out in 2020 by Trevor\nCox from the University of Salford, one more fascinating detail about this site was\ndiscovered: it once acted as a giant echo chamber, amplifying sounds made inside the\ncircle to those standing within it.\nD. The results of this experiment surprised Cox: although Stonehenge has no roof, sound\nbounces between the gaps in the stones and lingers within the space. And the stones\nplay an important role. It turned out that in an open, natural environment, like the grassy\nhill Stonehenge is built on, a listener facing away from a speaker would have only\nunderstood about one-third of the words. However, the reflections from the stones at\nStonehenge would have amplified the voice by four decibels, increasing\ncomprehensibility to 100%.\nE. Obviously, in order to be reliable, this miniature copy had to be as close to the original\nstructure as possible. That’s why, prior to building his model, Trevor Cox needed to know\nwhat Stonehenge looked like 4,000 years ago. And here English Heritage came to his\nrescue by providing him with a computer visualization of Stonehenge.\nTRANSFER YOUR ANSWERS TO THE ANSWER SHEET!\nMJAA-D0-100","answer":null,"answer_text":"5. Jeżeli lukę należy uzupełnić dłuższym fragmentem tekstu lub zadanie wymaga\nodpowiedzi pełnym zdaniem, kluczowe jest przekazanie komunikatu.\nUwaga!\n1. W zasadach oceniania rozwiązań zadań ustalanych dla zadań w konkretnym arkuszu\negzaminacyjnym mogą zostać określone wyjątki od powyższych zasad,\nnp. dopuszczające uzgodniony katalog błędów w przypadku danego wyrazu.\n2. Akceptowane są wszystkie odpowiedzi nieujęte w zasadach oceniania, które są\nmerytorycznie poprawne i spełniają wszystkie warunki zadania.\nRozumienie ze słuchu\nZadanie 1.\nZadanie\nWymagania określone w podstawie programowej1\nPoprawna\nodpowiedź\nWymaganie ogólne\nWymagania szczegółowe","solution":null,"image":"img/jezyk-angielski-2026-maj-matura-dwujezyczna/zad-5.webp","solution_image":null,"topics":null,"page_from":10,"source":"ocr","answer_source":null,"answer_text_source":"ocr","solution_source":null,"text_source":"ocr","source_label":"Język angielski · Matura · maj 2026","subject_label":"Język angielski","category_label":"Matura","text_html":"

TASK 5. (0-4)
Read the article. Four paragraphs have been removed from the text. Complete each
gap (5.1.-5.4.) with the paragraph which fits best and put the appropriate letter (A-E)
in each gap. There is one paragraph which you do not need to use.
WHAT DID STONEHENGE SOUND LIKE?
Through the doors of a university building, down a concrete hallway and inside
a foam-covered room, stands a shin-high replica of one of the most mysterious monuments
ever built: Stonehenge. However, these miniature standing stones aren’t there just to be
admired. Instead, this scale model is at the centre of ongoing research into Stonehenge’s
acoustic properties.
5.1.
How did Cox come up with the idea of researching this particular issue? While working on
“the sonic wonders of the world” 10 years ago, Cox began to ponder whether studying
the acoustic properties of Stonehenge would help uncover some of its secrets. He realized
there was a technique in acoustics that had never been applied to prehistoric sites before,
namely that of acoustic scale modelling. Cox created a 1:12 scale replica of Stonehenge
which he could test inside the university’s semi-anechoic chamber, a room that absorbs
virtually all sound, thanks to the geometric foam covering every surface except the floor.
5.2.
It turned out that the original ancient structure consisted of 157 stones. The process of
creating the miniature stones through 3D printing and moulding techniques took about six
months and then they had to be arranged correctly. When Cox finally achieved the qualities
of real stones at scale, to complete each test his team placed loudspeakers around the
stones and played the various frequencies they were interested in measuring. Microphones
in the room collected data on how the stones affected the sound. Through mathematical
processing, Cox was able to create a computer model that simulated the acoustic properties
of Stonehenge and could distort voices or music to give a sense of what they would sound
like within the circle.
5.3.
This meant that people gathered inside the circle would have heard each other quite well,
while those standing outside Stonehenge would have been excluded from any ceremonies
taking place. Thus, Cox’s research adds to a growing body of evidence that Stonehenge may
have been used for rituals reserved for a select few, with one study even pointing to the
possibility of a hedge grown around the site to shield the participants from view.
5.4.
This follow-up study also takes a closer look at how listeners hear sounds coming from
different angles, since whether sound reaches people from the side or front changes how
they perceive it. For example, sound reflections from the side improve the quality of music in
a concert hall. Once Cox analyses his new set of data, he hopes to publish the findings later
this year.
Adapted from: www.bbc.com
MJAA-D0-100
A. Once Cox discovered this difference in sound perception, he and his colleagues began to
investigate how people within the circle might affect the acoustics. The team recently
finished a new set of measurements by placing up to 100 small, wooden figurines inside
the model. “We know that people being inside would have changed the acoustics
because human bodies absorb sound,” he said. “We want to quantify how it might have
changed as more people went inside the circle.”
B. The latter experiment shows that the late Neolithic people who built Stonehenge weren’t
used to the acoustics of large walls and enclosed spaces. Thus, they would have likely
found the effect mesmerizing. Cox likens Stonehenge’s acoustic properties to
the difference between standing in an empty cinema as opposed to a cathedral.
C. Although Stonehenge is the world’s most architecturally sophisticated ancient stone
circle, archaeologists still don’t know who built it and what it was used for, so the massive
monument remains a mystery. However, thanks to a study carried out in 2020 by Trevor
Cox from the University of Salford, one more fascinating detail about this site was
discovered: it once acted as a giant echo chamber, amplifying sounds made inside the
circle to those standing within it.
D. The results of this experiment surprised Cox: although Stonehenge has no roof, sound
bounces between the gaps in the stones and lingers within the space. And the stones
play an important role. It turned out that in an open, natural environment, like the grassy
hill Stonehenge is built on, a listener facing away from a speaker would have only
understood about one-third of the words. However, the reflections from the stones at
Stonehenge would have amplified the voice by four decibels, increasing
comprehensibility to 100%.
E. Obviously, in order to be reliable, this miniature copy had to be as close to the original
structure as possible. That’s why, prior to building his model, Trevor Cox needed to know
what Stonehenge looked like 4,000 years ago. And here English Heritage came to his
rescue by providing him with a computer visualization of Stonehenge.
TRANSFER YOUR ANSWERS TO THE ANSWER SHEET!
MJAA-D0-100

","answer_text_html":"
  1. Jeżeli lukę należy uzupełnić dłuższym fragmentem tekstu lub zadanie wymaga
\n

odpowiedzi pełnym zdaniem, kluczowe jest przekazanie komunikatu.
Uwaga!

\n
  1. W zasadach oceniania rozwiązań zadań ustalanych dla zadań w konkretnym arkuszu
\n

egzaminacyjnym mogą zostać określone wyjątki od powyższych zasad,
np. dopuszczające uzgodniony katalog błędów w przypadku danego wyrazu.

\n
  1. Akceptowane są wszystkie odpowiedzi nieujęte w zasadach oceniania, które są
\n

merytorycznie poprawne i spełniają wszystkie warunki zadania.
Rozumienie ze słuchu
Zadanie 1.
Zadanie
Wymagania określone w podstawie programowej1
Poprawna
odpowiedź
Wymaganie ogólne
Wymagania szczegółowe

","solutions":[]}