Ancient Egypt: The Pyramids of Giza

Read the sentences below.

They are the first part of a summary of the article.

The huge pyramids in Egypt were built more than 4, 000 years ago as tombs for ancient pharaohs. When a pharaoh died, his body and many precious gold, silver and bronze artifacts went into the pyramid. Artists painted scenes of human life on the walls of the secret chambers.

Which answer BEST completes the summary?

• Egyptologists study the Great Sphinx to find out why King Chefren wanted the Great Pyramids to be guarded.

• Egyptologists study the Seven Wonders of the World to find out the how ancient civilizations make huge structures.

• Egyptologists study the approximately 80 pyramids that remain today to learn more about ancient Egyptian civilization

• Egyptologists study the ka, or the second self to learn how a person can live eternal life after their body has died.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

In the section "Why Pyramids ?" what is the MOST likely reason the author has provided information about Osiris and the Egyptian belief in the afterlife?

• to explain the steps that need to be taken to achieve a good afterlife

• to provide a possible reason behind the construction of the giant pyramids

• to define what a ka is and its relationship to the physical body

• to give examples of how powerful pharaohs were in ancient Egypt

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

Select the sentence from section "You CAN Take With You" that BEST explains why the ancient Egyptians tried to conceal the pharaoh's inner chambers.

• Egyptians who ranked high in status often wanted to take their most prized possessions with them in death, so the ka could enjoy them in its next life.

• Although their outer limestone layers have long since been stripped or passed into dust, the pyramids still stand.

• The pharaoh's mummy was placed in a huge coffin called a sarcophagus, which was made of the hardest known stone blocks

• Egyptians believed that a defiler of a pharaoh's resting place would be cursed for eternity.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

Which sentence from the introduction (paragraphs 1-6) BEST describes the possible methods used by ancient Egyptians to construct the pyramids?

• The Pyramids of Giza, built over 4,000 years ago, still stand atop an otherwise flat, sandy landscape.

• How could a civilization that lacked bulldozers, forklifts and trucks build such massive structures?

• Only a powerful pharaoh could marshal the necessary human resources to build giant pyramids.

• Egyptologists theorize that the workers used either rollers or slippery clay to drag the blocks from the quarries to their eventual placement on the pyramid.