Cleopatra Finds Her Voice

Eleven-year-old Princess Cleopatra sailed the Nile River on the royal barge. Her father, the king of Egypt, played his flute.

Who was Cleopatra

• the King of Egypt

• a Prince

• a Princess

• a girl on a boat

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They were sailing from their palace in Alexandria to cities along the Nile. The king would often lead important ceremonies. Cleopatra watched for slithering crocodiles and yawning hippos. Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of a Sacred ibis bird tiptoeing along the marshy banks.

Which animals was Cleopatra looking for?

• lions, tigers, and elephants

• crocodiles, hippos and flamingos

• crocodiles, Ibis bird, and giraffes

• crocodiles, hippos, and an Ibis

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As the royal barge sailed, people crowded the banks, hoping to see the princess and her father. They sang and chanted and threw flowers. But it bothered Cleopatra that she could not understand what they said.

How does Cleopatra feel about not understanding what the people said?

• she felt intimidated

• she felt honorable

• she felt smart

• she felt unhappy

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Her father explained to her that the people of Egypt spoke Egyptian, while Cleopatra's family spoke Greek. But her father was the ruler of Egypt! Why didn't he and his family speak the native language?

What language did Cleopatra's family speak?

• Egyptian

• Greek

• English

• Spanish

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They could thank their ancestors for that, the king said. The royal family traced its history back 250 years to the time of the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great. Alexander had conquered Egypt. When he died, his Greek general Ptolemy, took over. Every since, all of the rulers of Egypt had spoken Greek.

Which is the most likely reason Cleopatra's father doesn't speak Egyptian?

• Rulers of Egypt had spoken Greek for 250 years

• Alexander the Great had banned the teaching of Egyptian

• The king is more interested in playing the flute than learning a new language

• Cleopatra's father and General Ptolemy had agreed not to speak Egyptian.

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Once back home, Cleopatra insisted on learning the Egyptian language. She believed that a ruler should know her people. And that meant knowing her words.

Which sentence tells you that Cleopatra will most probably be a good ruler?

• Cleopatra insisted on learning Egyptian

• And that meant knowing her words

• She believed that a ruler should know her people

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Cleopatra studied hard and soon learned to speak Egyptian. But she didn't stop there. She also learned Hebrew, Aramaic, Persian, Latin and some African dialects. She loved learning and excelled in math and science too.

What does Cleopatra find out about herself after she learns to speak Egyptian?

• Speaking Egyptian helps her understand her religion better

• She no longer thinks her father is a good king

• Her family's old language no longer sounds right

• She has a love for learning

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Later she ruled as queen, one of her first acts was to visit the city of Memphis for an important religious ceremony. This time, she spoke to the people in Egyptian. The people loved her for learning their language. She showed them respect and honor in many other ways too.

How did Cleopatra honor and respect the people in Memphis?

• she came to their ceremony

• she was nice to them

• she learned to speak their language

• she gave them gifts

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Cleopatra is remembered as a brilliant queen. She was the only Egyptian ruler in hundreds of years to learn the language of her people.

How was Cleopatra different from the other rulers of her people?

• she was the only one to learn their language

• she was the only queen

• she was the only one to sail on a barge

• she was the only one to attend ceremonies

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Which sentence from the story tells that Cleopatra was a caring person?

• As the royal barge sailed, people crowded the banks, hoping to see the princess and her father

• She believed that a ruler should know her people

• She loved learning and excelled in math and science too

• Cleopatra is remembered as a brilliant queen

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