The Plain of Jars is an archaeological site in the Southeast Asian country of Laos. At the site, hundreds of large stone jars, ranging in size from one to three meters, are scattered across the countryside These numerous large containers are around 2,000 years old. The original purpose of the jars is unknown, but archaeologists have several theories.
First； the jars may have been used for fermentation. In fermentation, food or drink is left in a sealed container in order to undergo a chemical change According to some local residents, the jars were originally constructed by a king in order to ferment a special beverage to celebrate a great victory It would be possible to use the jars for fermentation, so the local people's story could be true.
Second, the jars may have been used for water storage. Laos experiences rainy and dry seasons, and finding water during the dry seasons can be difficult. The Plain of Jars is located near ancient trade routes, where traveling traders may have needed drinking water. The jars could have been constructed to collect water during the rainy season so that traders passing through the area would have a source of drinking water during the dry seas on.
Third, it is possible that the Plain of Jars was an ancient burial site, and the jars were tombs (places where human remains are deposited). Much of the contents of the ancient jars is now gone, but they are large enough to hold human remains. Furthermore, artifacts such as metal tools, jewelry, and glass beads have been found in some of the jars. Burying the dead alongside valuable artifacts was a common practice in ancient cultures. Ancient people may have buried their dead in the jars along with the
In this set of materials, the reading passage explains three possible theories about the purpose of the Plain of Jars on an archaeological site. However, the lecturer believes that despite these theories, they are still mysterious, and scientists are uncertain about them. Then he provides some evidence to refute them all.
First of all, it is mentioned in the article that people used the jars for fermentation to celebrate special ceremonies such as a great victory. On the contrary, the lecturer asserts that clay pots also can serve this purpose while the Plain of Jars were made of stone. It was difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to make such a huge jar by a stone while clay jars were accessible. Hence, it is unconvincing that ancient people used them for such a purpose.
Furthermore, the author of the passage claims that another reasonable theory is that they have been used for water storage. In contrast, the professor points out that although jars were found near trade routes, there were also rivers and streams close to those routes. It shows that traveling traders did not need to have other sources of water when they could easily have access to freshwater nearby. In fact, it is impossible to keep water in large jars near rivers and streams.
Finally, the passage states that people may use them as tombs to place human remains. Conversely, the professor argues that even though some metal tools, jewelry, and glass beads have been found in some jars, nobody can assume they belong to dead people since researchers did not find any covers on or near jars. It was necessary to protect dead bodies from weather and animals, and without covering, it was impossible. Therefore, people did not use the jars as tombs.
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Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, conversely, finally, first, furthermore, hence, however, if, may, so, still, then, therefore, while, as to, in contrast, in fact, such as, first of all, on the contrary
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 15.0 10.4613686534 143% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 5.0 5.04856512141 99% => OK
Conjunction : 8.0 7.30242825607 110% => OK
Relative clauses : 11.0 12.0772626932 91% => OK
Pronoun: 30.0 22.412803532 134% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 38.0 30.3222958057 125% => 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: 1448.0 1373.03311258 105% => OK
No of words: 294.0 270.72406181 109% => OK
Chars per words: 4.92517006803 5.08290768461 97% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.14082457966 4.04702891845 102% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.53233062863 2.5805825403 98% => OK
Unique words: 171.0 145.348785872 118% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.581632653061 0.540411800872 108% => OK
syllable_count: 448.2 419.366225166 107% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 8.0 3.25607064018 246% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 7.0 8.23620309051 85% => OK
Subordination: 0.0 1.25165562914 0% => More adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 4.0 1.51434878587 264% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 4.0 2.5761589404 155% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 15.0 13.0662251656 115% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 21.2450331126 89% => OK
Sentence length SD: 43.2704158622 49.2860985944 88% => OK
Chars per sentence: 96.5333333333 110.228320801 88% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.6 21.698381199 90% => OK
Discourse Markers: 11.6 7.06452816374 164% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 0.0 4.19205298013 0% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 2.0 4.33554083885 46% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 4.0 4.45695364238 90% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 9.0 4.27373068433 211% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.139504497367 0.272083759551 51% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0487296443157 0.0996497079465 49% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.058419590944 0.0662205650399 88% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0830492291213 0.162205337803 51% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0411042877167 0.0443174109184 93% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.6 13.3589403974 87% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 60.65 53.8541721854 113% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.5 11.0289183223 86% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.31 12.2367328918 92% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.07 8.42419426049 96% => OK
difficult_words: 65.0 63.6247240618 102% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 10.5 10.7273730684 98% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 10.498013245 91% => OK
text_standard: 10.0 11.2008830022 89% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 80.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 24.0 Out of 30
---------------------
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.
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, conversely, finally, first, furthermore, hence, however, if, may, so, still, then, therefore, while, as to, in contrast, in fact, such as, first of all, on the contrary
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 15.0 10.4613686534 143% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 5.0 5.04856512141 99% => OK
Conjunction : 8.0 7.30242825607 110% => OK
Relative clauses : 11.0 12.0772626932 91% => OK
Pronoun: 30.0 22.412803532 134% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 38.0 30.3222958057 125% => 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: 1448.0 1373.03311258 105% => OK
No of words: 294.0 270.72406181 109% => OK
Chars per words: 4.92517006803 5.08290768461 97% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.14082457966 4.04702891845 102% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.53233062863 2.5805825403 98% => OK
Unique words: 171.0 145.348785872 118% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.581632653061 0.540411800872 108% => OK
syllable_count: 448.2 419.366225166 107% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 8.0 3.25607064018 246% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 7.0 8.23620309051 85% => OK
Subordination: 0.0 1.25165562914 0% => More adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 4.0 1.51434878587 264% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 4.0 2.5761589404 155% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 15.0 13.0662251656 115% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 21.2450331126 89% => OK
Sentence length SD: 43.2704158622 49.2860985944 88% => OK
Chars per sentence: 96.5333333333 110.228320801 88% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.6 21.698381199 90% => OK
Discourse Markers: 11.6 7.06452816374 164% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 0.0 4.19205298013 0% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 2.0 4.33554083885 46% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 4.0 4.45695364238 90% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 9.0 4.27373068433 211% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.139504497367 0.272083759551 51% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0487296443157 0.0996497079465 49% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.058419590944 0.0662205650399 88% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0830492291213 0.162205337803 51% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0411042877167 0.0443174109184 93% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.6 13.3589403974 87% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 60.65 53.8541721854 113% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.5 11.0289183223 86% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.31 12.2367328918 92% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.07 8.42419426049 96% => OK
difficult_words: 65.0 63.6247240618 102% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 10.5 10.7273730684 98% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 10.498013245 91% => OK
text_standard: 10.0 11.2008830022 89% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 80.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 24.0 Out of 30
---------------------
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.