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Ancient Egypt

Pyramids

Pyramids
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.87

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    awkward-looking, determined, grand-looking, human-headed, mastaba, mastabas, mortuary, standing, unimpressive, unsolved, demise, covering, blueprint, midway, last-minute, specification
     content words:    When Imhotep, Step Pyramid, Meidum Pyramid, So Sneferu, Bent Pyramid, Great Pyramid, Pharaoh Khufu, Pharaoh Khafra

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Pyramids
By Vickie Chao 		  
1     Every ancient civilization had its own famous landmarks. Some were destroyed by disasters like fires, earthquakes, and wars. But others have survived and remained standing even today. Egypt's pyramids are those fortunate ones in the second category. They have weathered all sorts of obstacles, including the demise of the very civilization that helped create them.
 
2     About 4,600 years ago, an Egyptian pharaoh (king) named Djoser ordered the construction of his own tomb. His specification was fairly straightforward. He wanted something unique. Pharaoh tombs before his time were rectangular bunkers made out of stones. Those tombs (called mastabas) looked bulky and unimpressive. Djoser didn't like them, so he commissioned an architect named Imhotep to come up with a new design.
 
3     Imhotep did not let the pharaoh down, for he built the world's first pyramid!

Paragraphs 4 to 9:
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