Continue with Microsoft TeamsRead the Following Selection
Read the following selection, or click on the play button below to listen aloud.
Two Ancient Pyramids
The Great Pyramid, the largest pyramid in Egypt
In ancient times, people built large pyramids made of stone blocks. Stone is a very strong building material, so some of these pyramids are still standing today, even though they are over 1,000 years old. Read on to learn about two ancient pyramids that are very famous and are visited by many tourists.
The Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid in Egypt. It was built over 4,000 years ago from millions of blocks of stone.
The Great Pyramid was built for an ancient Egyptian pharaoh (say it like this: fair-oh). A pharaoh was like a king. Most experts believe the pyramid was built to be a tomb—a place to keep the pharaoh’s body after death.
El Castillo
El Castillo, ancient stone pyramid in Mexico
El Castillo (say it like this: ca-stee-yo) is an ancient stone pyramid in Mexico. The name of this pyramid means “the castle” in Spanish. People called the Maya built this pyramid over 1,000 years ago. El Castillo is called a pyramid even though the sides do not come to a point at the top.
Each side of El Castillo has a staircase that leads to a rectangular building at the top. This building is a temple created to honour Kukulkan, a snake god that the Maya people worshipped.
Now, show what you know!
Complete some questions about the reading selection by clicking “Begin Questions” below.
