Unit 6 1

Unit 6

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Mystery ToursMystery Tours


Travel with us to mysterious locations that still baffle archeologists to this day. We offer tours to three spectacular locations: Easter Island in the South Pacific, Stonehenge in England, and the Nazca Desert of Peru.

1-1THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA


These places hold extraordinarily impressive, ancient structures created by prehistoric civilizations. Scientists can only speculate as to how they were made. Take this opportunity to experience these mysteries in person!

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Located in the South Pacific, Easter Island is one of the most isolated places on Earth and is famous for the large stone statues that line its coast.

2-1STATUES OF EASTER ISLAND

The Moai of Easter Island

These intriguing statues, which were carved by ancient people to

resemble human heads, range in height from about 31/2 to 12 meters. Today, roughly 600 of the statues, called moai, are still standing.

2-2STATUES OF EASTER ISLAND


Archeological research suggests that Easter Island was first inhabited by Polynesians' around 400 A.D. Scientists believe these early inhabitants carved the island's moai - believed to be religious symbols - from volcanic rock, and then pulled them to their different locations.

3STATUES OF EASTER ISLAND

StonehengeStonehenge

On the opposite side of the world stands Stonehenge. This ancient English site is a collection of large stones arranged in two circles - one inside the other. Although only ruins of the original formation exist today, archaeologists believe that the inner circle of bluestones, each weighing about four tons, was built first.

4-1STONEHENGE

The giant stones that form the outer circle, known as sarsen stones, each weigh as much as 50 tons! Exactly how and why Stonehenge was constructed remains a mystery.

4-2STONEHENGE

Research suggests that it may have been designed and built by an ancient religious group who used it for one of two purposes; either as a sacred temple or as an observatory to study the sky.

4-3STONEHENGE

Scientists believe that the enormous stones were transported from places around the country - some up to 240 miles away - to their present site on Salisbury Plain in southern England. Work on the monument is thought to have started around 2000 B.C. and continued to 1500 B.C.

4-4STONEHENGE

Today, engineers estimate that approximately 600 people were needed to transport each sarsen stone from its point of origin to Salisbury. Scientists consider this a remarkable feat, given that heavy lifting equipment used in modern construction was not available at that time.

4-5STONEHENGE

The Nazca LinesThe Nazca Lines

In South America, another mysterious phenomenon exists. Near the coast of Peru, on the high plateau of the Nazca Desert, some remarkable art is etched into the earth.

5-1NAZCA LINES

Viewed from the ground, these etchings seem insignificant. Viewed from high above, however, these large drawings on the Earth's surface resemble birds, fish, seashells, and geometric' shapes.

5-2NAZCA LINES

These drawings are thought to be at least 1,500 years old, yet have remained preserved for centuries by the dry, stable climate of the desert.

5-3NAZCA LINES


Many theories exist about the ancient peoples of the Nazca Desert and their purposes for creating these 45 mysterious lines.

6NAZCA LINES


Some scientists suggest that the lines at Nazca are related to the religious beliefs of an ancient civilization.

7-1NAZCA LINES


These people believed that the mountain gods protected them by controlling the weather and the supply of water.

7-2NAZCA LINES

Mystery ToursMystery Tours7-3NAZCA LINES

Many of the figures formed by the lines are associated with nature or water in some way. As the ancient people lived in a desert region, water was a valuable but scarce resource.

Mystery ToursMystery Tours7-4NAZCA LINES

Exactly how the lines were drawn without the help of aerial monitoring equipment, though, remains an enigma.


Awaken your inner explorer and sign up now for one of our unforgettable mystery tours. The incredible sensation of witnessing first-hand these prehistoric marvels defies description. You simply have to experience it for yourself.

8THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA

baffle (v.)

not to understand something at all, to confuse completely

His disappearance baffled the police.

THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA

VocabularyVocabulary

enigma (n.)

a mystery, a puzzle

No one knows what happened to the airplane; its disappearance is an enigma.



insignificant (adj.)

important, without not meaning

We thought the book had too many insignificant details about George Washington's life and not enough history.



intriguing (adj.)

interesting, causing curiosity, fascinating

Psychologists find human emotions intriguing.



isolated (adj.)

separated from others, alone

It is hard to know what goes on in the isolated parts of the country.



phenomenon (n.)

a fact, event, or image that strikes one's attention and attracts interest

Snow was a phenomenon he had never seen before.



resemble (v.)

to look like someone or something else

The boy resembles his father; they both have blond hair and blue eyes.



speculate (v.)

to guess aboutShe is so quiet; we can only speculate about what she is thinking.



witness (v.)

to see, to observe an incident

He witnessed the auto accident and wrote a report.


Unit 6 1

Technology

Transcript of Unit 6 1