The Pyramids of Egypt

Written by Studio AM.

Thousands of years ago, the rulers of ancient Egypt, called pharaohs, ordered giant stone tombs to be built for themselves. The most famous of these tombs are the pyramids, which still stand near the Nile River today.

The pyramids were built from heavy stone blocks. Workers cut the blocks from quarries, moved them to the building site, and stacked them into a shape that narrowed toward the top. Large teams of workers used ramps to raise the stones. Historians still debate the exact arrangement of those ramps.

The Egyptians believed that a pharaoh would continue to live in some way after death. Because of this belief, they filled the tombs with treasures, food, and objects the ruler might need. They also worked hard to protect the tombs from robbers, by sealing entrances and blocking passages, though many tombs were still broken into over the centuries.

Questions

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  1. Question 1 of 4

    Who ordered the pyramids to be built?

  2. Question 2 of 4

    Why did the Egyptians fill the tombs with treasures and food?

  3. Question 3 of 4

    What is the passage mainly explaining?

  4. Question 4 of 4

    In the passage, "quarries" are:

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