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Cold Reads Practice

November 3-7, 2025

📖 Directions: Read the selection carefully and answer the questions that follow. Click on your answer choice for each question.

Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

Informational

The ancient Egyptians built enormous pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs, who were the kings and queens of Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest pyramid ever built and was constructed around 4,500 years ago for a pharaoh named Khufu. This massive structure took approximately 20 years and an estimated 100,000 workers to complete.

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The pyramid is made of over two million stone blocks, with each block weighing as much as a small car or even more! Workers cut these heavy stones from rock quarries using copper tools and wooden wedges. Then they moved the enormous blocks using wooden sleds, log rollers, and dirt ramps. Scientists are still amazed by how the ancient Egyptians accomplished this incredible feat without modern machinery.

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Inside the pyramids, Egyptians placed golden treasures, fancy furniture, food, clothing, and many other objects they believed the pharaoh would need in the afterlife. The pyramids were built with secret passages and hidden rooms to protect these valuable items from robbers. Ancient Egyptians believed that when pharaohs died, they became gods and needed their belongings in the next world.

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The pyramids were designed and built to last forever as monuments to the pharaohs' power and greatness. Many pyramids still stand today in the Egyptian desert as reminders of one of history's most advanced ancient civilizations and their amazing engineering and building skills.

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1 Why did ancient Egyptians build pyramids?
AAs schools for children
BAs tombs for their pharaohs
CAs houses
DAs stores
2 How long did it take to build the Great Pyramid of Giza, and how many workers did it require?
A5 years and 50,000 workers
B20 years and 100,000 workers
C50 years and 200,000 workers
D100 years and 500,000 workers
3 Based on the passage, what can we learn about ancient Egyptian beliefs about death and the afterlife?
AThey believed pharaohs became gods after death
BThey didn't believe in afterlife
CThey buried pharaohs with nothing
DThey believed pharaohs stayed ordinary people
4 What does 'quarries' mean in this passage?
AAncient tools
BPlaces where stone is cut from rock
CType of pyramid
DEgyptian workers
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