8/13/2019 Nonfiction Egypt

1/4

Egypt: One nation on two continents

Egypt: One nation on two continents

Egypt is in the northeast corner of Africa. Most of it lies in Africa. But its Sinai Peninsula is in Asia. The

Suez Canal runs between these two continents. It joins the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The French

completed the Canal in 1869. It shortened the distance between Europe and India by 6,000 miles.

Egypt has the second-biggest population in Africa. Cairo is the capital city of Egypt. It is the largest city in

Africa. More than nine million people live there. Most Egyptians think of themselves as Arabs. They

speak Arabic language. Educated people know English, too. But only half of the adults can read and

write.

About 96 percent of the land in Egypt is desert. Yet one of

the first civilizations began here. Why? The Nile River is the

longest on Earth. It runs through the nation. Rich farmland

lies along its banks. Most of the people live along its banks,too.

Rounded towers filled with holes stand scattered across

the land. These holes are made of mud and clay. They serve

as birdhouses. Pigeons nest in them. Egyptians eat these

birds. And the birdsdroppings make great fertilizer. It is important in a country like Egypt where most

people work in farming. Farmers, here, grow cotton, oranges, rice, and sugar cane. The Nile provides the

water for these crops. The farmers grow enough crops to sell to other nations, too.

Egypt is famous for its pyramids. Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They felt that a person

needed a human body forever. So they preserved the bodies of dead rulers. They made them into

mummies. Some mummies have been found in good condition after thousands of years. From 2700 to

1700 BCE the mummies were put inside pyramids. A total of 35 big pyramids were built for kings. Forty

smaller ones were made for queens. The biggest is the Great Pyramid. It has about two million stone

blocks. Each one of them had to be placed carefully. And each one weighed two tons! How did they do it

without modern equipment? No one knows.

Before you readHave you heard about a country named Egypt?

What do you know about it?

8/13/2019 Nonfiction Egypt

2/4

The Egyptians buried their kings and queens inside pyramids. No one knows why they chose this odd

shape. Some people think that the sides represent the suns rays. The three biggest pyramids were built

along the Nile River near Cairo. It is now the capital city of Egypt.

These pyramids were built between 2600 and 2500 BCE. The largest one is called the Great Pyramid at

Giza. It was built for King Khufu. To make it, 100,000 workers worked for 20 years. Then the king was laid

inside it along with many treasures.

When it was done, the Great Pyramid stood 481 feet tall. For more than 4,300 years it was the tallest

building on Earth. But now it no longer comes to a point at the top. It has lost about 30 feet due to

weathering.

Even though each pyramid was designed to stop thieves, just one tomb has been found untouched. The

robbers who broke into the Great Pyramid took the treasures and the mummy. It has never been found.

Word power

1. Find the following words in the word puzzle below.mummies pyramid Egyptian Nile Cairo

E G Y P T I A N G PE T H I O P W I Q Y

C A J L D A Q L J R

A Q M U M M I E S A

I M A W C Z T G K M

R Z R E X D G I G I

O P T S V S D N L D

8/13/2019 Nonfiction Egypt

3/4

2. Use the words given above in sentences of your own. Write two sentences for each of thewords given above.

Comprehension check

1. Answer each of the following questions.a. Which two seas does Suez Canal join?b. Why did one of the first civilizations begin in Egypt even though most of it is desert?c. What are the crops commonly grown in Egypt?d. Why did Egyptians build pyramids?e. Who were the pyramids built for and how many were there?

2. All of the following information given about Egypt is incorrect. Rewrite the sentences withcorrect information.

a. Egypt has the second-biggest population in Asia.b. Most Egyptians think of themselves as English.c. Egypt is famous for its gardens.d. The largest pyramid in Egypt is called the Grand Canyon at Cairo. e. The Great Pyramid stood 181 feet tall when it was completed.

3. Tick ()the right answer.a. Egypt lies on which two continents?

i. Africa and Asiaii. Africa and Europeiii. Asia and Europeiv. Asia and Australia

b. The largest city in Egypt isi. Nileii. Arabiciii. Sinaiiv. Cairo

c. Which of these people would likely be made into a mummy after death?i. the kings brotherii. the kings most trusted advisoriii. the queeniv. the queens favorite servant

d. Which language do Egyptians speak the most?i. Arabicii. Englishiii. Mexican

8/13/2019 Nonfiction Egypt

4/4

iv. Spanishe. To complete the Great Pyramid at Giza

i. 200,000 workers worked for two yearsii. 100,000 workers worked for 20 yearsiii. 10,000 workers worked for 20 years

Talk time

Would you like to have your body made into mummies just like in Egypt? What would you like to take

with you?

Project work

Group work Make a country profile of Nepal in a chart paper. Include the following things:

Language people use, special and popular things of Nepal, major occupation of Nepalese, etc.

Also put a map of Nepal, picture of Nepali flag and picture of people wearing Nepali dress.