10

The famous clay soldiers in

Xi’an,
China, remained hidden for
more than 2,000 years until their
Answers will vary. Possible answers include:
1. They were meant to protect the tomb of an
important Chinese ruler.
2. Some important archeological discoveries were
the Inca mountaintop city of Machu Picchu in
1911, the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1923, the
discovery of early hominid fossils in Africa, and
finding the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940s.
3. Answers will vary, but encourage students to
share what they know about ancient monuments
in their countries.

U10-p.133
 10A

˄ Warriors in the front and side rows of the Emperor’s terracotta army carried long-range weapons such as
crossbows. Officers, horses, and foot soldiers stood in the army’s central sections.

Before You Read

A. Completion. Read the paragraph. Then match the words in bold to the correct
definitions below.
Can you imagine digging in your yard one day and finding a life-sized soldier
made completely of clay? That’s what happened several decades ago when
farmers in Xi’an, China, were digging wells. Archeologists have since found
about 6,000 more of these soldiers, along with horses, weapons, tools, and
other artifacts. The huge army was meant to protect the tomb of the first ruler
of China. The image above shows how it might have originally looked.

U10A-p.134
 1.Archeologists
____________ are scientists who study objects from the past.
2. ____________
Artifacts are objects that people made in the past, such as tools.
3. A(n) ____________
soldier is a person in a large fighting group, or ____________.
army
4. A(n) ____________
tomb is a place where a dead body is kept.

B. Predict. Look at the photo on page 136. Why do you think the clay soldiers
today are brown, and not in full color? Read the passage to check your ideas.

Answers will vary. Essentially, the soldiers lost their

original color when they were exposed to the air
during excavation.

U10A-p.134
The first emperor1 of China, Qin Shihuang, accomplished a huge amount
during his rule. Between 221 and 210 B.C., he started the construction of the
Great Wall. He built a large network of roads. He introduced a new writing
system, currency, and set of measurements. The emperor also ordered the
construction of a huge army of life-sized terracotta2 soldiers. These, he hoped,
would protect his tomb after his death.

▌Lost in Time
The soldiers in Xi’an’s terracotta museum are today light brown, but they
weren’t always. They began as an army of red, blue, yellow, green, white, and
purple. Sadly, most of the colors did not last to the present day. After being
exposed to air during excavation,3 the coating under the paint began to fall off.
The paint disappeared in less time than it takes to boil an egg, taking with it
important pieces of history.

1 An emperor is a leader who rules a group of regions or countries.

2 Terracotta is dirt or clay used for pottery and building construction.
3 Excavation is the act of removing objects from the ground.

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▌New Techniques

Now new techniques are starting to reveal the army’s true colors. Archeologists
have recently discovered an area with more than a hundred soldiers. Many of
these still have their painted features, including black hair, pink faces, and black
or brown eyes. Chinese and German researchers have developed a special liquid
to help preserve the soldiers’ colors. After they find a soldier or other artifact,
archeologists spray it with the liquid. They then cover it in plastic.

▌Back to Life

Archeologists are also finding colors in the dirt around the soldiers. It’s important
not to disturb the dirt, so the colors won’t be lost. “We are treating the earth as an
artifact,” says archeologist Rong Bo, the museum’s leading chemist. The next
challenge, says Rong, is to find a way to apply the colors to the army again.
Once that happens, artists can bring Emperor Qin’s army back to life in full, vivid
color.

U10A-p.136
˄ More than 1,000 warriors have been unearthed in Pit 1, burial ground of the emperor’s main
army.
U10A-p.136
Reading Comprehension

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer for each question.

Gist 1. What is the reading mainly about?

a. the death of Emperor Qin
b. how the emperor’s tomb was built
c. the original colors of the terracotta soldiers
d. the life of soldiers under Emperor Qin
Detail 2. The terracotta soldiers were constructed to _____.
a. show the outside world China’s greatness
b. be enjoyed by everyday people
c. frighten China’s enemies
d. protect Emperor Qin’s tomb
Main Idea 3. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. The soldiers lost their colors very quickly.
b. The soldiers’ paint fell off because of the high temperature.
c. Visitors to the museum are not actually seeing the
real soldiers.
d. Being exposed to water is bad for the soldiers.

U10A-p.137
 Detail 4. What have archeologists recently discovered?
a. a place with over a hundred soldiers
b. a written description of the soldiers’ true colors
c. a special liquid in the tomb to preserve the soldiers’ colors
d. a new tomb for Emperor Qin
Vocabulary 5. In line 23, what does the word preserve mean?
a. identify
b. save
c. destroy Did You Know?
Each of the clay
d. enjoy
soldiers has
Reference 6. In line 25, what does they refer to? different facial
a. soldiers features. Emperor
b. visitors Qin ordered that
every warrior be
c. colors completely unique.
d. archeologists
Inference 7. Which statement would Rong Bo probably agree with?
a. The soldiers should stay in their current, brown color.
b. Artists should be able to paint the soldiers in any
color they want.
c. Archeologists can only guess at the soldiers’ original
colors.
d. We should try to restore the army’s vivid colors.
U10A-p.137
Reading Skill
Identifying Homonyms
Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but have
different meanings. You can usually tell the correct definition of a word by identifying
its part of speech and using the context. For example:

back (n.) a body part: My back hurts from moving furniture the whole day. (adv.) the
opposite way from the one you are facing or traveling: She took a step back when
the dog barked at her.

part (n.) a piece of something that can be combined to make a whole:

The story had many parts to it. (v.) to leave or be separated from each other: They
were very sad to part after a long journey together.

U10A-p.138
A. Definitions. Read these sentences from the reading passage. Then decide which
definition matches the word in bold.
1. The first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, accomplished a huge amount during his
rule.
a. (n.) a law b. (n.) a period of control
2. He built a large network of roads.
a. (n.) a system of connected lines b. (n.) a group of people who work
together
3. The soldiers in Xi’an’s terracotta museum were not always light brown.
a. (adj.) not dark b. (adj.) not heavy
4. Sadly, most of the colors did not last to the present day.
a. (adj.) most recent or final b. (v.) continue to exist
5. Many of these still have their painted features, including black hair, pink faces, and
black or brown eyes.
a. (v.) contains something important b. (pl. n.) parts of the face
6. We are treating the earth as an artifact.
a. (n.) land or soil b. (n.) the third planet from the sun
7. Once that happens, artists can bring Emperor Qin’s army back to life in full, vivid
color.
a. (adv.) when; as soon as b. (adv.) one time only

U10A-p.138
Critical Thinking

Discuss with a partner. Do you think it’s a good idea to paint the soldiers
again? Why or why not?

Answers will vary. Students should support their

opinions with reasons.

U10A-p.138
Vocabulary Practice

A. Completion. Complete the passage by circling the correct word in each pair.

The tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang was 1. (constructed / exposed) more

than 2,000 years ago and has never been opened. This is because
archeologists, as well as the Chinese government, want to 2. (apply /
protect) what lies inside it.

Many archeologists feel we don’t have the 3. (currency / techniques) right

now to preserve whatever is found there. Once the artifacts are 4. (exposed /
protected) to air, they may lose their 5. (technique / vivid) colors, much like
the terracotta soldiers.

Modern tests have also 6. (accomplished / revealed) high levels of mercury,

a liquid metal, in the area. It is thought that Emperor Qin’s tomb is surrounded
by a 7. (currency / network) of rivers filled with mercury, which symbolized
never-ending life.

U10A-p.139
B. Words in Context. Read the sentences and circle T (true) or F (false).

1. If you accomplish something, you do it successfully. T F

2. When you reveal something, you keep it secret. T F
3. A country’s currency refers to its money. T F
4. Colors that are vivid are very dull. T F
5. Techniques are ways of doing something using special talent or skills. T F
6. In a network of roads, the roads are connected to each other. T F
7. If you apply paint to something, you remove it. T F
8. If you protect someone, you keep the person safe. T F

Word Partnership Use reveal with: (n.) reveal information, reveal a

secret, reveal the truth, reveal the reason.

U10A-p.139
 A 10B

˄ Close to the Giza pyramids (A), an ancient city has been unearthed (B). Archeologists believe the
people who built the pyramids once lived there; their tombs are hidden a short distance away (C).

U10B-p.140
Before You Read

A. Quiz. What do you know about the Egyptian pyramids? Read the sentences below
and circle T (True) or F (False). Check your answers on page 146.

1. The pyramids at Giza are older than the pyramids of Central T F

America.
They were built over 4,000 years ago—starting in about 2550
B.C.
T F
2. When they were first built, the pyramids at Giza were white.
The top of one of the pyramids still has its white-colored
covering.
T F
3. The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza was the world’s tallest structure
forwas
It over the
3,000tallest
years. structure for 3,800 years—until England’s
Lincoln Cathedral was built in about A.D.1300.

U10B-p.140
B. Predict. Read the photo caption and skim the reading on the next page.
Who do you think built the Giza pyramids? Circle your answer. Then read
the passage to check.

a. foreign workers
b. foreign slaves
c. Egyptian workers
d. Egyptian slaves

U10B-p.140
For centuries, the pyramids of Giza have been timeless symbols of Egyptian
culture. But who actually built them? For years, we did not know for sure. But
archeologists recently discovered an ancient village near the pyramids. Close
by, there was a cemetery where pyramid builders were buried. From studying
these places, archeologists can now confirm that the pyramids were not built
by slaves or foreigners (or space aliens!). Ordinary Egyptians built them.

It took about eighty years to build the pyramids. According to archeologists,

about 20,000–30,000 people were involved in completing the task. The
workers had different roles. Some dug up the rock, some moved it, and some
shaped it into blocks. People also worked on different teams, each with its own
name. These teams often competed to do a job faster.

U10B-p.141
▌A Pyramid Builder’s Life
Life for these workers was hard. “We can see that in their skeletons,”
says Azza Mohamed Sarry El-Din, a scientist studying bodies found in the
cemetery. The bones show signs of arthritis,1 which developed from
carrying heavy things for a long time. Archeologists have also found many
female skeletons in the village and cemetery. The damage to their bones
is similar to that of the men. Their lives may have been even tougher:
Male workers lived to age 40–45, but women to only 30–35. However,
workers usually had enough food, and they also had medical care if they
got sick or hurt.

The work was challenging, but laborers were proud of their work. On a
wall in Khufu’s Great Pyramid, for example, a group of workers wrote
Friends of Khufu.“It’s because they were not just building the tomb of their
king,” says Egyptian archeologist Zahi Hawass. “They were building
Egypt. It was a national project, and everyone was a participant.”2

1 Arthritis is an illness that causes the hands, knees, or other joints to hurt.
2 A participant is a person who joins a certain activity.

U10B-p.141
Reading Comprehension

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer for each question.

Purpose 1. The main purpose of this reading is to describe _____.

a. who the pyramid builders were and what they did
b. how Khufu’s Great Pyramid was constructed
c. what life was like for Egyptian kings
d. why Egyptian kings wanted to build pyramids
Vocabulary 2. What does dug up in line 10 mean?
a. took out of the ground
b. broke into small pieces
c. placed on top of each other
d. joined together
Detail 3. Which statement about building the pyramids is true?
a. It took over a century to complete.
b. Builders all did the same work.
c. More than 30,000 workers were involved.
d. Builders worked in teams.

U10B-p.142
 Gist 4. What is the third paragraph mainly about?
a. how long female workers lived
b. information on the lives of pyramid builders
c. the benefits of being a male worker
d. men’s vs. women’s roles in Egyptian society
Reference 5. In line 20, what does their refer to?
a. archeologists
b. male workers
c. female workers
d. medical workers
Vocabulary 6. In line 24, what does the word laborers mean?
a. kings
b. archeologists Did You Know?
c. workers The Great Pyramid
d. Women is made up of more
Inference 7. What can we infer about the people who wrote than two million
blocks of stone,
“Friends of Khufu” on a wall? each one weighing
a. They were looking for new friends. about 2,200
b. They were pleased with their accomplishments. kilograms (about 2.5
tons).
c. They were very angry with their bosses.
d. They were in trouble because of
their bad behavior.
U10B-p.142
Reading Skill

Creating an Outline Summary

Creating an outline helps readers organize their thoughts. It also

helps to organize large amounts of information. To create an
outline, first pick out the main ideas of the text. Next, write down
the subtopic—what the author says about each main idea. Lastly,
write the details given about each subtopic (usually two or three).

U10B-p.143
A. Outline. Use these notes about the passage to complete the outline.
national project 30–35 years arthritis
teams and roles 80 years to build proud of work
ordinary Egyptians medical care

ordinary Egyptians

80 years to build

teams and roles

arthritis
30–35 years

medical care

proud of work
national project
U10B-p.143
Critical Thinking
Discuss with a partner. Does the author feel the pyramid builders were mostly
positive or negative about their work? What evidence does the author give?

Answers will vary. Students should support their opinions

with examples from the reading.

U10B-p.143
 Vocabulary Practice

A. Completion. Complete the information by circling the correct word in each pair.

Cleopatra became queen of Egypt at age 18, when her brother became king.
The couple 1. (competed / confirmed) for control of Egypt, and Cleopatra lost.
Later, two important leaders from Rome—Julius Caesar and Marc Antony—both
fell in love with her. 2. (According to / Involved) legend, Cleopatra was very
beautiful. She was also apparently very smart. With the help of Caesar and
Antony, she became queen and played an important (role / block) in Egyptian
society.

But staying in power was not an easy 4. (task / role). Cleopatra had many
enemies1 who eventually took power from her. In the end, the queen was too 5.
(ordinary / proud) to surrender2 and instead chose to kill herself. Her legend
survived, however, and today Cleopatra remains a(n) 6. (timeless / according)
symbol of ancient Egypt.

1 An enemy is someone who wants to harm you.

2 If you surrender, you stop fighting and admit you have lost.

U10B-p.144
B. Completion. Use the correct form of the words in red in A to complete the
definitions.

ordinary it is common or usual.

1. If something is __________,
task
2. A(n) __________ is an activity or some kind of work
you do.
confirmed it is shown to be true.
3. If something is __________,
block
4. A(n) __________ has flat sides and is usually square or
rectangular in shape.
5. If you are __________
involved with something, it means you
are connected or concerned with that thing.

˄ A sculpture recovered
from what is thought to
Word Partnership Use task with: (v.) complete be Cleopatra’s palace
a task, give someone a task, perform a task;
(adj.) difficult task, easy task, important task,
impossible task, simple task.

U10B-p.144
 Before You Watch
A. Matching. Read the information and match the words below with the definitions.

Tomb raiding, also known as grave robbing, is the

act of uncovering a tomb and stealing jewelry,
pottery, or other artifacts. Robbers can often sell
these items for very high prices. This photo shows a
tomb that, luckily, archeologists found before it was
robbed. It shows the remains of a priest who held
great power during Peru’s ancient Moche
civilization.
c 1. remains • • a. a man who leads or performs religious ceremonies
a 2. priest • • b. cups, dishes, and other objects
b made from baked clay
3. pottery • • c. parts of the body that are left after
d a person has been dead for a long time
4. Grave • • d. a place where a dead person is buried
Viewing-p.145
While You Watch

A. Noticing. Check (✓) the sentences about the Moche people that are true.

1. □
✓They lived in northern Peru.
2. □ They lived at the same time as the Inca.
3. □ They grew corn, beans, and peanuts.
4. □ They disappeared at the end of the tenth century.

Viewing-p.145
B. Completion. Circle the word or words that best complete each caption.

1 2

The Moche people were successful The archeologist says reconstructing

farmers and (hunters / traders). a culture is like putting together a
(jigsaw puzzle / broken mirror).

3 4

The warrior priest in the art is (probably People will be able to see the
/probably not) the same person in the tomb’s artifacts in (a museum /
tomb. an art gallery).
Viewing-p.146
After You Watch
Critical Thinking. Discuss these questions with a partner.

1. Sometimes ancient artifacts are sold to private collectors. Do you

think this is OK, or should they always be kept in public museums?

2. In what ways is the discovery in this video similar to and different

from the other discoveries discussed in this unit?

Answers will vary.

Viewing-p.146
Explore More

Read the essay question. Visit the website to research information. Then plan
your paragraph response.

How is this discovery similar to others you have read about?

Click the link to visit National Geographic and read about the discovery of an
ancient treasure.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/11/pictures/121109-thracian-gold-
hoard-treasure-bulgaria-science
/
10A Vocabulary Definitions
accomplish (v.) to succeed in doing (something)
construction (n.) the building or creating of something
network (n.) the act or process of building something (such as a house or a
road)
currency (n.) something that is used as money
protect (v.) to keep (someone or something) from being harmed
expose (v.) to lay uncovered to something
technique (n.) the method of doing something
reveal (v.) to make known; disclose
apply (v.) to put or spread (something) on a surface
vivid (adj.) very bright in color
10B Vocabulary Definitions
timeless (adj.) used to describe something that is so good or beautiful that
it is not affected by changes in society or fashion
confirm (v.) to state that (something) is true or correct
ordinary (adj.) normal; not special or different in any way
according (to) (phrase) as stated by or in agreement with a particular source
involve (v.) to take part or participate in a situation, event, or activity
task (n.) an activity or piece of work that one has to do
role (n.) a position or function in a situation
block (n.) a large rectangular or square piece of stone
compete (v.) to take part in a contest or a game and try to win
proud (adj.) pleased and satisfied about something good you’ve done