King Tut

What are the eyebrows on King Tut's mask made of?

• copper from Cyprus

• solid gold

• papyrus

• lapis lazuli

What does the author describe in the first half of the passage?

• different uses of lapis lazuli by the Ancient Egyptian ruling class

• the ancient trade routes that led from Badakhshan toward the Middle East and Egypt

• the similarities between the founding of Ancient Egypt and the founding of Ancient Rome

• the discovery and importance of King Tut's tomb and the mask from his sarcophagus

Read the evidence below and answer the following question.

(1) Although it was very difficult to extract lapis lazuli and transport it to Egypt, traders would risk anything to bring the stone to market. (2) The people who made King Tut's golden mask used real lapis lazuli for the eyebrows but used cheaper, fake lapis lazuli for the headdress.

Based on these two pieces of evidence, what can you infer about lapis lazuli in Ancient Egypt?

• Ancienc Egyptians preferred using imitation lapis lazuli to using real lapis lazuli.

• Ancient Egyptians were unable to get as much lapis lazuli as they desired.

• Ancient Egyptians were able to get as much lapis lazuli as they desired.

• Ancient Egyptians did not want to use lapis lazuli.

Based on the passage, what can be concluded about the value of lapis lazuli in Ancient Egypt?

• Lapis lazuli was not very valuable in Ancient Egypt.

• Lapis lazuli was less valuable than copper in Ancient Egypt.

• Lapis lazuli was valuable only to pharaohs in Ancient Egypt.

• Lapis lazuli was very valuable in Ancient Egypt.

What is this passage mostly about?

• the story of King Tut's life and the impact of his death on Egyptian culture, trade, and crafts

• the importance of the eyes and eyebrows to Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology

• the ways in which the discovery of King Tut's tomb and golden mask affected Western culture

• the discovery of King Tut's tomb and golden mask, and the history behind the mask's lapis lazuli eyebrows

The passage ends with these two sentences:

"Today, you can see the mask on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The eyebrows are as vibrantly blue as they were when Howard Carter discovered them in 1922 - and most likely as blue as they were when they were pulled from the earth in Afghanistan, more than 3,000 years ago."

Why might the author compare the blueness of the eyebrows today to their blueness when Howard Carter discovered them and whey they were pulled from the earth?

• to demonstrate the durability of lapis lazuli and reinforce its value in Ancient Egyptian and present-day Western cultures

• to direct the reader to visit Egypt in person to learn more about the history of King Tut, his mask, and the lapis lazuli eyebrows

• to connect the present-day reader to the two main historical settings in the passage, Howard Carter's discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922 and the time of the Ancient Egyptians

• to emphasize the importance of properly preserving historic objects

Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

King Tut's tomb was filled with hundreds of beautiful and impressive artifacts; _____________________, it contained his death mask.

• in particular

• on the contrary

• as a result

• although