Ancient Egypt

The people of ancient Egypt emerged as one of the first Western civilizations. Sustained by the
River Nile and protected by vast deserts, the Egyptians lived in comparative security, prosperity
and peace for thousands of years. When such conditions exist, the civilization and its arts usually
flourish. To this day, many of the Egyptian artistic creations display the wealth, splendour and
talent of this great civilization.
Ancient Egypt has been called a land of temples and tombs. For centuries people have been filled
with wonder at the ingenuity of the Egyptians, whose impressive works have withstood the ravages
of time so well. Had it not been for the long-lasting nature of their monuments and carved
inscriptions in the form of hieroglyphics', much evidence of their activities would have vanished
from all historical records. In about 3000 BC, Upper and Lower Egypt were united under the first
pharaoh, and generally from that time until the invasion by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Egypt
prospered as a nation of skilful craftsmen and artists.
The Egyptians were an industrious, highly civilized and deeply religious people, who obediently
accepted the supreme authority of their pharaohs. The people were content to serve and work for
the state in return for a secure livelihood. They considered this earthly life to be a segment in a
great cycle, at the end of which everything would be returned to its original form. The richer and
more important the person, the more careful and elaborate would be his or her burial, and the
stronger and safer the tomb in which they would be buried.
The burial of the dead in the ground was not considered sufficiently safe for kings, queens and
court officials, so sunken, sealed tombs were ingeniously constructed to protect personal treasures,
food and instructions for the safe conduct of the soul after death. The design of these tombs
developed into the stepped pyramid, and finally into the square pyramid that we know today.
There are about 80 ancient pyramids in Egypt. The Great Pyramid at Giza, which King Cheops
built as his tomb 5000 years ago, holds most interest. It stands with two other pyramids on a slight
rise overlooking the River Nile. At the centre of the pyramid is the King's Chamber and leading
down from there is a long narrow area known as the Grand Gallery. The pyramid covers 13 acres
and contains 2,300,000 blocks of limestone, each weighing an average of 1.5 tons. Its pyramidal
form has a perfectly square base with sides of 756 feet and a height of 481 feet. Situated directly
below the King's Chamber is the Queen's Chamber and there are two air channels leading upwards
from the centre of the pyramid to the outside.
Originally the exterior was covered in highly polished limestone slabs, all of which have been
stolen over the years. It is estimated that a total of 100,000 men laboured for 20 years to build this
gigantic structure, and although architecturally unimportant in design, it has aroused the curiosity
of millions of people because of the uncanny accuracy of its measurements and proportions. It
reveals the remarkable ingenuity and the great organizing ability of the ancient Egyptians.
Near these pyramids stands the Great Sphinx, the origin and purpose of which constitutes one of
the world's most famous puzzles. Shaped from an outcrop of stone in the form of a human headed

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 Ancient Egypt

lion, the face is possibly a portrait of King Khafra, the son of Cheops, who was buried in the second
largest pyramid. The Sphinx is one of the biggest statues ever made.
The Egyptian people showed reverence towards natural objects such as the lotus flower, the scarab
beetle, the falcon, the lion, the sun and the River Nile. All these subjects and many more were used
symbolically and conventionally as motifs in low-relief carving and painting. It was the custom of
the Egyptians to depict the various parts of the human figure, usually in the most characteristic
positions. The head was shown in profile except for the eye, which was represented from the front,
the shoulders and a portion of the arms were portrayed from the front, while the hips and legs were
side views. Wall decoration showed little or no attempt to indicate depth or perspective, except by
placing distant objects above near things. It was essentially two-dimensional, and relative size
indicated the status of the person, so the pharaoh was the largest figure in the composition.
Egyptian art is characterized by a passion for permanence, a desire to impress by size, and a
determination to make each item serve its function without much regard for the whole. It is obvious
that art among these people reached a very high level and the strong influence of Egyptian art can
be seen in the work of nearby civilizations.
The fortunate discovery and subsequent deciphering in 1822 of the Rosetta Stone, which showed
the same laws inscribed both in Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Egyptian demotic, or popular
version of their language, as well as the Greek language, eventually gave the key to the meaning
of Egyptian inscriptions, and therefore the significance of much Egyptian art.

Questions 1-3:
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage.
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers 1-3 in your answer sheet.
conditions
1) Security and peace are two ……………….. that are necessary for a civilization to be successful.
artists and craftsmen
craftsmen and artists / ………………………………...
2) Ancient Egyptians worked as both ………………………..
3) Ordinary Egyptians expected to receive ………………………………
a secure livelihood for their hard work.

Questions 4-7:
Label the diagram below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS from the passage for each
answer.

Write your answers 4-7 in your answer sheet.

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 Ancient Egypt

the Grand Gallery

481 feet
(5) …………………..

the Queen's Chamber

the air channels

Questions 8-12:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage.
In your answer sheet, write:
TRUE if the statement is true according to the passage
FALSE if the statement is false according to the passage
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

8) The surface of the Great Pyramid is covered in polished limestone slabs. False
9) King Khafra died before King Cheops. Not Given
10) Egyptian carvings were often based on things found in nature. True
11) Important characters in Egyptian carvings were bigger than less important characters. True
12) Egyptian art was greatly influenced by the art of neighbouring cultures. False

Question 13:
Choose the correct Letter A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in your answer sheet.
The writer's aim in this passage is to:
A describe the construction methods of the pyramids.
B explain the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.
C offer an interpretation of Egyptian art and sculpture.
D provide an overview of early Egyptian society.

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