Question

read the passage. stonehenge is the most famous stone circle in the world. located on salisbury plain in southern england, it was most likely built about 5,000 years ago, but no one knows why or by whom. no one knows how the stone circle was built, either. of the stones that remain standing in the circle, the sarsens (sandstone boulders found in southern england) are the biggest. they are extremely heavy, each weighing up to 25 tons, or 50,000 pounds—about the weight of a fire truck or a fully loaded bus. the tallest sarsens stretch 30 feet into the sky, as tall as two - story houses. these stones are thought to have come from about 20 miles away. how could the prehistoric people who built stonehenge which idea does the speaker emphasize by using description in this passage? the purpose of the stone circle is unknown. the construction of the stone circle was a challenging task. stonehenge is a very large stone circle. stonehenge is made of stones from other locations.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option A: The passage's description focuses on the stones' weight, height, and origin, not the unknown purpose. Eliminate A.
2. Analyze Option B: The details about the sarsens' weight (up to 25 tons), height (30 feet), and origin (20 miles away) highlight the difficulty of transporting and constructing with such stones, emphasizing the construction was challenging.
3. Analyze Option C: While the stones are large, the description also includes their weight and origin, which relate more to construction challenges than just size. Eliminate C.
4. Analyze Option D: The origin of stones (20 miles away) is a detail, but the main emphasis from the description (weight, height, and the question of how they were built) is on construction difficulty, not just stone origin. Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. The construction of the stone circle was a challenging task.