Pyramids and Ziggurats Reading Comprehension

What was the primary purpose of the pyramids in ancient Egypt?

• To entomb Egypt's dead rulers and assure their safe transition to the afterlife

• To serve as astronomical observatories

• To serve as temples for the worship of gods

• To store grain and supplies for the community

What is believed to have been at the top of the ziggurats?

• A burial chamber for kings

• A shrine to the greatest god of the location or an area for astronomical observation

• A library containing ancient texts

• A marketplace for trading goods

Which pyramid is considered the first Egyptian pyramid?

• The Great Pyramid of Giza

• The Step Pyramid of Djoser

• The Bent Pyramid

• The Red Pyramid

Who built the Great Ziggurat of Ur?

• Sargon II

• Imhotep

• Khufu

• Ur-Nammu

What was the main material used in the construction of the Great Ziggurat of Ur?

• Gold

• Sunbaked mud bricks with a baked brick casing

• Limestone

• Granite

Which pyramid did Sneferu build that is known as the first true pyramid to survive?

• The Step Pyramid of Djoser

• The Red Pyramid

• The Bent Pyramid

• The Meidum Pyramid

What was the unique feature of the Etemenanki ziggurat?

• It was the tallest ziggurat ever built

• It had a garden on top

• It was made entirely of gold

• Each layer was a different color

What problem occurred with Sneferu's Meidum Pyramid?

• It sank into the ground

• Part of its limestone casing fell off

• It was never completed

• It was destroyed by invaders

What did pyramids develop from?

• Previous wooden structures

• Natural hills

• An earlier one-layer rectangular tomb called a mastaba

• Ziggurats

What was the purpose of the food and supplies placed inside the pyramids with mummified bodies?

• To feed the workers who built the pyramids

• To serve as offerings to the gods

• For the comfort and support of the ruler in the afterlife

• To show the wealth of the deceased