A: Pre-reading Vocabulary

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Gwen Dalton
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1 - 1 - In this text you are going to read about Egypt and the Egyptian people. There are some words in this text that you won t see very often when you are reading but are important for this text. These words are in bold in the text. Look at the questions below about these vocabulary items and try to answer them. You should use a dictionary if you are unsure of the answers. A: Pre-reading Vocabulary 1. To cluster (v) 95% of Egypt is desert. That means that most Egyptians cluster around Egypt's only major source of water the Nile River. If you clus ter, does it mean that (a) you spread apart or (b) you group closely together? 2. To overflow (v) Every spring, waters would overflow the banks of the Nile River. Does overflow mean that (a) the river rises above its normal level and floods the land or that (b) all the people in Egypt jumped in the river? 3. F ertile (adj) The land next to the Nile was rich and fertile when the waters flowed back. Farmers grew crops along the Nile. In this example, does fer tile mean (a) bad for growing things in or (b) very good for growing things in? - 1 -

2 To revolt against something (v) and a revolt (n) When some Egyptians revolted against outside forces, Great Britain stopped the uprising and took control over Egypt. British troops stayed in Egypt until a revolt by Egyptian army officers forced the Egyptian king and the British troops to leave. If you revolt against something, do you (a) agree to help it or do you (b) fight against it? 5. A wonder (n) Egypt is one of the world's great tourist destinations for people who want to see the wonders of its ancient empire. In this sentence, are the wonders (a) incredible things that everyone wants to see or (b) boring things that no one wants to see? B: Scanning for Information How are you going to answer these questions? These are scanning questions to answer these questions in the time available, you will have to look at the text very quickly. You only need to look at the Did you know.. section! Remember; you are looking for names, dates or numbers. Look at the Did you know... section. These questions test your ability to find pieces of information from a text as quickly as possible. All of the answers relate to numbers, dates or names of things. Allow yourself only one (1) minute to answer these questions. 1. What is the name of the University that was founded in the tenth century? 2. How many blocks of stone make up the Great Pyramid of Khufu? 3. How much rainfall does Cairo receive in an average year? - 2 -

- 3 - Country Portrait One of the world's great civilizations bloomed 1 here during ancient times. Today, this desert nation lies in the center of one of the world's most important political regions.

3 - 3 - Country Portrait One of the world's great civilizations bloomed 1 here during ancient times. Today, this desert nation lies in the center of one of the world's most important political regions. Located in the northeastern corner of Africa, Egypt is connected on the east to Asia and is bordered by the Mediterranean and the Red seas. It shares borders with the countries of Libya, Sudan, and Israel. Ninety-five percent of Egypt is desert. That means that most Egyptians cluster around Egypt's only major source of water the Nile River, the longest river in the world. Despite its vast 2 desert, Egypt was once known as the breadbasket 3 of the world. Every spring, waters would overflow the banks of the Nile River. This helped to make the land next to the Nile rich and fertile when the waters flowed back. Farmers grew crops along the Nile. Some people also have called Egypt the world's largest open-air museum. Vast sculptures, temples, and pyramids remain from a time when Egypt was the greatest civilization on Earth. Under the pharaohs (kings and queens so powerful they were considered gods) Egypt became rich and prospered. From approximately 3100 B.C. to 525 B.C., Egypt was the richest, most powerful empire in the world. During this period, Egyptians advanced the study of literature, science, and the arts. They created paper from the papyrus plant, as well as their own form of writing, known as hieroglyphics. They used the latest technology of their day to successfully irrigate crops and improve farming. The Egyptians developed a calendar based on the yearly cycle of seasons. Their land became a center of both trade and learning. 1 To bloom is to grow or to develop. 2 Vast = very big. 3 In this sentence breadbasket means a place where a lot of crops grow easily

4 - 4 - Eventually the Egyptian civilization collapsed. For almost two thousand years, other civilizations controlled this once-mighty empire. The Greeks, the Romans, the Turks, and the British, among others, dominated Egypt. The completion of the Suez Canal 4 in 1869 brought increased attention to Egypt, especially from the British and the French. Great Britain considered the Suez Canal an important route for its ships. When some Egyptians revolted against outside forces, Great Britain stopped the uprising and took control over Egypt. This lasted until after World War I, when Egypt became an independent kingdom. However, British troops stayed in Egypt supporting the monarchy 5, until a revolt by Egyptian army officers forced the Egyptian king and the British troops to leave. Egypt became an independent republic in Today, a powerful president rules the republic of Egypt. Although there is a mix of backgrounds among the people in the country, Egypt considers itself an Arab nation. Its official name is the Arab Republic of Egypt. Egypt joined other Arab nations in wars against Israel, but signed a historic peace agreement with that country in Today, Egypt remains one of the world's great tourist destinations for people who want to see the wonders of its ancient empire and enjoy its climate, beauty, and culture. The country is a peaceful one, but it faces challenges from those who want to disrupt this peace and make the country have a nastier opinion of Israel. Egypt's population is rapidly 6 growing, and the country is working to develop new ways to house and feed its growing population. Daily Life Popular foods in Egypt include flat bread, vegetable stews, and a special brown bean dish called "ful medanes." Family life is very important in Egypt. Most people have large families, and most Egyptian young men and women live with their parents until they marry. 4 A canal is a man-made river. The Suez Canal is one of the biggest canals in the World. 5 Monarchy is a word that relates to royalty, kings and queens. 6 Rapidly = very quickly - 4 -

5 - 5 - The vast majority of Egypt's people are Muslim. The religion of Islam was first introduced here in the seventh century. Some Egyptians are also Coptic Christians. In big cities such as Cairo, most people wear Western-style clothes. However in rural areas, traditional clothing is popular. There, many men wear a long, full skirt, called a galabiyah, over pants. Women who dress traditionally often wear long robes and cover their hair with a veil. All children in Egypt are supposed to go to school for at least six years, but many poor children cannot afford to stay that long. This means that the literacy rate (the number of people who can read) is relatively low; about 63 percent of males and 39 percent of females can read. Kids under 15 years of age make up almost 40 percent of Egypt's population. In the United States, only 22 percent of the population is under 15. If you travel into the scorching Egyptian desert, you should be careful to cover your head and neck, and take these supplies: water, food, hat, sunglasses, and salt tablets to fight dehydration. And Did You Know That... The pyramids of Egypt are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still exists. The largest pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, covers 13 acres and is made up of 2.3 million blocks of stone, each of which weighs about two and a half tons. The Sahara Desert is usually very hot in the day and chilly at night. It is rarely in between. Egypt has one of the world's oldest universities: the University of Al-Azhar, which was founded in 970 A.D. Many people love to go scuba diving in the Red Sea. It has huge underworld forests of coral. Cairo gets only an average of one inch of rainfall per year! This text was taken from and has been adapted by Adam Simpson (June, 2002) - 5 -

6 - 6 - C: Comprehension Questions Look at the Country Portrait section. These questions test your ability to analyse and understand the information that you have read. For the first question you must choose the correct answer from A, B, C or D. For the other questions you must answer in your own words. How are you going to answer these questions? Most of these questions ask you to answer in your own words. You may find the answers in specific sentences in the text. Sometimes you may have to read a whole paragraph. Use the bold and italic key words to help you. 1. Which of the following statements about Egypt is/are not true? A) Almost all of the country is desert. B) Breadbaskets are made in the River Nile. C) Crops are grown on the fertile land near the River Nile. D) Egypt is described as a very big open-air country. 2. In what way did Egyptians successfully use technology? 3. What were the consequences of the construction of the Suez Canal? 4. What events led to Egypt s declaration of independence, in 1953? 5. What is the biggest threat to peace in modern-day Egypt? 6. What is happening to the demographics (population statistics) of Egypt, and what steps are being taken to cope with this? - 6 -

7 - 7 - D: True / False Questions Look at the Daily Life section. These questions test your ability to analyse and understand the information that you have read. Circle true or false. If the sentence is false, you will write a correct sentence. How are you going to answer these questions? These questions ask you to decide if each statement is correct or incorrect. In this type of question, each statement is likely to be very similar to a part of the text, whether it is true or false. When you have found the related part of the text, read it carefully several times. If it is false, the difference may be very small! 1) A great deal of importance is placed on family relationships in Egypt. T F 2) Egypt is a totally Muslim country. T F 3) Western clothing is popular in urban areas, such as Cairo, but elsewhere more traditional clothing is more common. T F 4) Children learn to read for six years until they have a literacy rate of 63 %. T F 5) A larger percentage of the Egyptian population is under 15 than in the United States. T F These questions have been written by Adam Simpson (June, 2002) for a text entitled Portrait of Egypt, taken from

8 - 8 - A: Vocabulary 1. You group closely together. 2. The river rises above its normal level and floods the land. 3. Very good for growing things in. 4. Fight against it. 5. Incredible things that everyone wants to see. B: Scanning 1. Al-Azhar million Blocks of stone. 3. One inch of rainfall per year. C: Comprehension 1. A and C are true, B and D are false. 2. They used the latest technology to successfully irrigate crops and improve farming. 3. It brought increased attention to Egypt from the British and the French. Great Britain considered the Suez Canal an important route for its ships. Great Britain later took control over Egypt. 4. A revolt by Egyptian army officers forced the Egyptian king and the British troops to leave. Egypt became an independent republic in Egypt faces challenges from countries who want to disrupt its peace and make the country have a nastier opinion of Israel. 6. Egypt's population is rapidly growing, and the country is working to develop new ways to house and feed its growing population. D: True/False 1. True. 2. False - Some Egyptians are also Coptic Christians. 3. True. 4. False - Children are supposed to go to school for at least six years. The literacy rate is low; about 63 percent of males read. 5. True

Egypt is located in northeastern Africa and southwestern Asia. It covers 385,229 square

Egypt Location Egypt is located in northeastern Africa and southwestern Asia. It covers 385,229 square miles. Egypt lies on the coordinates 27 N, 30 E. Libya lies on Egypt s west border, Sudan on its south,