UNIT SEVEN

THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS

Task 1 Now much do you know about the Egyptian Pyramids? See if you can answer these
questions. Then compare your results with a partner.

1 How old are the Egyptian Pyramids?

a 10,000 b 4,500 c 2,000 years old.
2 How many workers were probably needed to build the pyramid?
a 5,000 b 10,000 c 100,000
3 The pyramids were built to be used as
a tombs b temples c fortresses
4 Why was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone so important?
a It contains important data about the construction of the pyramids. b It
describes life in ancient Egypt.
e It led to the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs_
at Pyramid of Cheops?
5 How long did it take to build the Gre
a 10 years b 20 years c 5 years

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Task 2 Read the text quickly to check your answers to Task 1.

1. FOR THOUSANDS of years the need to use their bodie,z in the next life.
Egyptian pyramids in Giza were The process of mummification took about
considered among the Seven Wonders of 70 days. The brains were taken out
the World and they are the only ones still through the nose and the other organs
existing. Of the ten pyramids at Giza, the were removed and placed in special jars.
first three are the most important. The Only the heart was left so that it could be
largest one, the Great Pyramid of Cheops weighed in the next life. Embalming
was erected for the tomb of Pharaoh involved drying the body out with salty
Khufu, who died in 2566 BC. It is about crystals called natron. Afterwards, it was
147m high (having lost about 10m off the stuffed and covered with oils and then
top over the years), and its base is about wrapped in bandages. The mummy was
230m2 in area. It is made up of about then placed inside two or three richly
2,300,000 massive blocks of stone, each decorated coffins in the shape of the body.
one weighing about 2.5 tonnes. It is 5. In 1922 the English archaeologist
believed that the construction took about Howard Carter made an amazing
20 years and 100,000 workers. discovery in Egypt. He found the tomb of
2. Many scholars think that the pyramid the young pharaoh Tutankhamun. This
shape had an important religious meaning ifnd has provided a great deal of
for the Egyptians, perhaps symbolising the information about the way of life of the
slanting rays of their god the Sun. The ancient Egyptians.
slanting sides of the pyramid were 6. The written language left by the
intended to help the soul of the king to Egyptians, the hieroglipbs, consisted of a
climb to the sky and join the gods. thousand pictures and symbols. Each of
3. The ancient Egyptians believed in life these could stand for an object, an idea or
after death, so when a pharaoh was buried, a sound. However, by AD 600 no one
many treasures and useful objects for the understood hieroglyphs, so the secrets of
next world were buried with him. Inside ancient Egypt were lost for 1,200 years
the burial chambers the painters drew until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in
pictures and hieroglyphs narrating the 1799. This stone, which contained a
pharaoh's life. The work had to be done royal
very carefully because the Egyptians decree written in 196 BC, had the same
believed that the scenes would come to life words in three languages, hieroglyphic text
when the dead pharaoh was sealed in the at the top, Demotic (a later Egyptian
tomb. Inside the pyramid there was a language) in the middle, and Greek at the
labyrinth of passages and rooms intended bottom. This enabled a French scholar,
to prevent the burial chamber from being Jean Francois Champollion, to decipher
robbed. and translate the hieroglyphs.
4. Over the ages, the Egyptians became 7. Now that hieroglyphs can be read, it is
experts at preserving bodies by embalming possible to learn a great deal about the
them. They believed that the dead would ancient Egyptian world. -

Task 3 Look back at the text and find words that mean the same as the Spanish words below.
(The first number indicates the paragraph in which the words appear and the second,
the line in the paragraph.)

maravillas (Paragraph 1; Line 3 ) wonders evitar (Para. 3, L. 13) ……………………..

constituida (Para. 1, L. 12) …… colocados (Para. 4, L. 8) ,,,,
forma (Para. 2, L. 2) ……………. rellenado (Para. 4, L. 13 )
oblicuos (Para. 2, L. 4) … envuelto (Para. 4, L. 14)
alma (Para. 2, L 6) asombroso (Para. 5, L. 2 )
enterrado (Para. 3, L. 2) rep resentar (Para. 6, L. 4)
sellado (Para. 3, L. 10) permitio (Para. 6, L. 14)

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Task 4 In pairs, read the text again and put these four topics in the order in which
they appear.

..... Beliefs of the Egyptians about the next life ...... Discovery of Tutankhamun

..... Characteristics of the Great Pyramid ...... The preservation of bodies

Task 5 Read the first part of the text carefully and complete the chart below.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS

Height: ................................
Area of base: ...........................
Number of stone blocks:.
Weight of each stone:
Construction time:
Number of workers:

Task 6 Practise taking notes of relevant facts completing the following with
information from the text.

1 What the pyramid shape symbolises. ....The slanting rays of the sun ...
2 The reason for the labyrinths inside the pyramid. ......
.....................................................
3 The reason for embalming the dead. .....................................................
.....................................................
4 The substance used for embalming.
.....................................................
5 Why the heart was left inside the body. ....................................................
6 How long the process took.
7 What hieroglyphs represented.
8 What Howard Carter found.
9 The importance of his discovery. ...................................................
10 The Rosetta Stone and its importance. ..................................................

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 Task 7 Reading for Gist (Skimming)
ut in general, so you
Learning Note 16lien you read for gist you only wan! to know what the text is abo do
not need to read or understand every word. This technique of reading is called skimming it is a good idea to
read a text for gist before you try to understand it in detail in order to have a general ide of the topic.

To practise skimming, read the text below very quickly, then, from the there sentences
below, put a cross against the one that does not correspond to what the text is abaut
1 The origin of the Great Pyramid
2 Its amazing characteristics
3 The technology used in building the Great Pyramid

Task 8 Contextual Reference

MYSTERIES OF THE GREAT PYRAMID Using the line references given,
1 THE GREAT PYRAMID poses some vital questions which the scientific and find what the words in bold
archaeological community has been unable to solve so far. refer to:
There has been a controversy between two groups of serious students of
Ex: that he directed Noah (line 5)
the Great Pyramid. One group, which included Sir Isaac Newton, believes
5 that good sent prophets to direct the building in the same way that, he dicte d He = god
Noah to build the ark before the biblical flood. The other thinks that the 1 ... which the scientific and
geometric marvels of the pyramid are the results of knowledge lost with archaeological ... (line 1 )
Atlantis or other highly advanced, but now destroyed civilisations. The Great ...........................................
Pyramid has been called 'The Bible in Stone' because its passage systems
10 reveal in a silent geometry a remarkable chronography of prophetic time in 2 ... the other thinks that (line 6)
stone. The Egyptians were not even supposed to have had this knowledge. ................................................
Analysing the pyramid mathematically and using the system of pyramid 3 ...character of its placement
inches, some scientists have found the dimensions of the Earth, the (line 21) .............................
equatorial circumference of the Earth and even a calendar of human history.
15 Through the narrow passages, wide galleries and chambers, it has been
4 ... and it is at the Great
found that the walls and turns coincide perfectly with significant world events,
Pyramid (line 28)
such as the birth of Christ, the Crusades, both World Wars and a highly ...............................................
significant event that was going to take place in September, 2001. Of course, 5 ... a circle has to its radius
there are firm believers (and non-believers) in the authenticity of this claim. (line 35) .............................
20 But the real and concrete facts include the following:
a) The remarkable character of its placement. Joseph Seiss and other serious Task 9 Find words in the text
archaeologists have demonstrated that the pyramid is in the centre of gravity which mean the same as:
of the continents. It is also located in the exact centre of all the land area of
the world, dividing the Earth's landmass into approximately equal quarters. Ex. Ask a question (line 1) pave.
25 The north-south axis (31 degrees east of Greenwich) is the longest land
meridian, and the east-west axis (30 degrees north) is the longest land
parallel on the globe. There is obviously only one place where these land- 1 Without sufficient ability (l. 2)
lines of the terrestrial Earth can cross, and it is at the Great Pyramid! This ......................................
incredible fact requires an explanation. 2 Understanding of a subject
30 b) The measurement of the pyramid is done in what is called 'pyramid
(1. 11) ...........................
inches'. Adding up the feet and inches of the pyramid and applying a little
math ,we find that the precision of the monument is incredible .First of all, the 3 Locality, position (1. 21)
value of pi (7r) can be found: the original pyramid was 481.3949 feet which,
when compared to its base of 3032.16 feet is the same relationship that the ......................
35 circle has to its radius (481.3949 feet x 2 x 3.14 = 3023.16 feet).
4 Exactly, precisely (1. 37)
c) While it is the oldest man-made structure on the face of the Earth, the
Great Pyramid is also the most accurately oriented and extended due north,
south, east and west with only three minutes deviant, although some 5 Directly towards (1. 37)
engineers think that this is mainly due to subsidence. Modem man's best
40 construction, the Paris Observatory, is six minutes of a degree off true north. 6 Going down slowly (1. 39)
Many architects and engineers who have studied the pyramid structure, agree that
with all our technological development, we could not build the same structure
today. 7 To have the same opinion
Does this mean 1')at the development of technology sometimes runs in (1.41)
reverse?

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Task 10 Test your understanding of both texts by answering the following questions.
1 What was the original height of the Great Pyramid?
2
What was its total weight?
3
How many years ago was Tutankhamun's tomb discovered?
4
How long did the mummification process take?
5 Name three things some scientists claim that the structure of the pyramid reveals.

Task 11 Filling Gaps

Read the text below and complete the blanks with words from the box.

remains * lost * believe * discovered * located * robbed * constructed * stones

There are many ancient (1) remains all over the world that have been surrounded
by mystery. One of these is at Tiahuanaco. Massive (2) .............................. were used to
build this ceremonial centre. Archaeologists (3) .......................... that Tiahuanaco was
(4) ..................................... around 700 AD, but after 1200 AD it was abandoned and became a
ruin.
Tiahuanaco is (5) ..................................... near Lake Titicaca and it was soon
(6) ............................................... by the Spanish who (7) .......................... most of its treasures
and statues.
Much of the information about this structure has been (8) ..................................... and many
of its secrets may never be known.

Language Focus Passive Structures

Compare these sentences:

Active The Egyptians built the Great Pyramid in 2566 BC.

object
Passive The Great Pyramid was built in 2566 BC.
stibjed
itten English when an impersonal effect is
The passive structure or passive voice is often used in wr
ther words, we use the passive when the doer of an
required to express an objective reporting. In o
done.
action is less important than the action
iliary Be in its different tenses + the past participle of the
The structure is formed by using the aux verb.
assive voice.
Look at the basic structures in the p

THE PASSIVE VOICE

Verb Be Past Participle

Subject
_.._._.._._ ._.._._
Scenes of daily life are shown on the tomb walls. (Present Simple)

The Egyptian tools were made of wood and copper. (Past Simple)

Most of the treasures have been lost through the years. (Present Perfect)

New excavations are being done in other sites. (Pres. Continuous)

The pyramids' shape may be connected with the sun worship. (Modal Verb)

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Task 12 Look at these sentences, underline the correct form of the verb and d,,‘cide
whether the sentences are in active or passive voice.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops built/ was built more than 2,000 years ago.
2 Many archaeologists have/have been examined this pyramid.
3 The Egyptians believed that the hieroglyphs painted on the tombs walls would be/ would
come to life.
4 The Rosetta Stone enabled/ was enabled a French scholar to decipher the hieroglyphs.
5 Some people believe/ are believed that the Great Pynunid contains revelations about an
event which will be taken/ will take place on September 17th, 2001.
6 2,300,000 blocks of stone were used/used in its construction.
7 The Great Pyramid of Cheops called/has been called the Bible in stone.
8 New archaeological sites are being discovered/discovered in other places of the world.

Task 13 Look back at the passage you completed in Task 11 about Tiahuanaco. Underline
all the sentences which have a passive verb structure.

LESSON SUMMARY

Here are the things you studied in this lesson.

• Reading for gist
• Reading and taking notes
• The passive The great Pyramid of Cheops was built around 4,500 years ago
It is visited by thousands ofp eople every year.
Many of its secrets have not been discovered yet.

KEY WORDS
agree a great deal
believe body
bury deviant
dry out fact
include foot/inch
intend jar
involve knowledge
join shape
make up so far
place such as
prevent way
remove
take place

What other useful new words did you find in this lesson ? write them in the table at the end of this unit.
ords. Remember, a good vocabulary is essen
Make sure you learn all these w tial for reading.
this lesson?
LESSON EVALUATION How did you find Tick the best answer.

Too easy About right Too difficult

Interesting So-so Boring

Would you like to read more about this topic?

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PRACTICE EIGHT

SYNTHETIC STONES - CLUE TO MYSTERY OF PYRAMIDS

Task 1 Read quickly through the article and find out:

1. Where was this article published? 4. How many workers built the pyramids
according to him?
2. Which pyramids does it refer to?
5. What did this scientist find so he can
3. Who is the person being interviewed?
prove his theory?

1 A French industrial chemist says that he has discovered the mystery, of

how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramids of Giza with only
primitive tools. He thinks they just poured their own synthetic stones one on
top of another.
5 We have now studied the stones from a chemical and a microscopic point of view and
we have proof that they are gnthetic,' Dr Joseph Davidovits told the Miami
Herald yesterday. He said a strand of hair gave him the key to the mystery that
has baffled scientists for nearly 5,000 years.
People have always asked themselves how a society without up-to-date 10
machinery could bring millions of blocks of stone from places that were
miles away and then pile them one on top of the other up to more than 140
metres high. Some eminent scientists assume that brute stre ngth and pulleys
were used. Others are sure that extra-terrestrial creatures built the pyramids.
Davidovits said that his tests on five small stones from the largest of the 15
great pyramids showed that they were composed of a mixture of concrete.
He said this substance was so hard that it was not possible to distinguish
from natural stone.
He said that his theory is proved by a two and a half centimetre-long
strand of human hair found encased in one of the stones. The hair fell into
at
20 the mixture when the pyramid was being built. He also said: 'We think th
did not
the mixture was transported in baskets that weighed 20 or 30 poundc, thus they
ar were only .1
need 50,000 or 100,000 workers. to build the pyramids as it is assumed, M
1,500 workers on site, and so this is the end of the mystery... , he said.

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Task 2. GUESSING WORDS. Using the line references given, underline the col rec,
these terms:

Example: tools (Line 3) a. equipo b. herrarnientas c. Obreros ,

1. poured (Line 3) a. verter (una mezcla) b. acarrear c. arrasrrar

2. proof (Line 6) a. creencia b. prueba c. teoria
3. strand (Line 7) a. puriado b. adorno c. mechOn
1. baffled (Line 8) a. confundido b. burlado c. atemorizado
2. up-to-date (Line 9) a. complicada b. pesada c. moderns
3. strength (Line 12) a. fuerza b. capacidad c. perseverancia
4. pulleys (Line 12) a. ruedas b. carretillas c. poleas
5. mixture (Line 15) a. mezcla b. sustancia c. material
6. thus (Line 21) a. sin embargo b. asi, de este modo c. no obstante

Task 3 Now read the article more carefully and decide if the following sentences are true (T)
or false (F). Justify your answer underlining and numbering the part of the text where the
information appears; then make changes in the false items so that they become true.

1. Dr Joseph Davidovits was born in France. T F

2. The Egyptians used microscopes to build the pyramids. T F
3. Dr Davidovits is a journalist for the Miami Herald. T F
4. The mystery of the pyramids has worried scientists for thousands of years. T F
5. Some hair gave Davidovits the clue to solve the problem. T F
6. According to him, the synthetic mixture was transported by 1,500 workers. T F
7. Davidovits analysed small pieces of stone from the great pyramids. T F
8. Some investigators have wondered how the Egyptians managed to stack
millions of blocks of stone.

Task 4 Here is a summary of Dr Davidovits' interview, but some words are missing. Complete
the summary with the words in the box. Be careful, there are some extra words.

mixture stacked test workforce amazing scholars

secret chemist baskets strand observation credited

Dr Davidovits, an industrial ................................ gave an interview to the Miami Herald at his

hotel last night. Among other things, he said: "I am quite sure that I found the
..................................... behind the mystery of the Pyramids - through chemical and microscopic

...................... , we are now in the position to answer what ................................. have

been asking themselves for thousands of years: Were pyramids built using a ......................
of more than 50,000 men or are supermen from the outer space to be .............................. for

these ................................. monuments? A ....................... of human hair found in the

synthetic ............................. from which the stone blocks were made gave us the clue"

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