The Nile and Ancient Egypt

The Nile and Ancient Egypt

The Nile and Ancient Egypt
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.6

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		akhet, equal-sized, fluctuation, headwaters, silt, starvation, irrigate, so-called, upstream, downstream, existence, leading, vegetation, aspect, civilization, dominant
	content words:		Mediterranean Sea, Blue Nile, White Nile, Aswan High Dam

Print The Nile and Ancient Egypt
edHelper.com subscriber options:

	Print The Nile and Ancient Egypt (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)
	Quickly print reading comprehension
	Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on The Nile and Ancient Egypt

Leave your feedback on The Nile and Ancient Egypt (use this link if you found an error in the story)

The Nile and Ancient Egypt
By Vickie Chao

¹     About 5,000 years ago, there was an ancient civilization slowly taking root in Africa. That civilization lasted more than 3,000 years. When it finally folded, it left behind a rich culture and some of the world's most fascinating structures. Amazingly, the civilization in question owed much of its existence to a river that flowed right through its land. That river is the Nile, and the civilization it nurtured is ancient Egypt.

²     The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It is also the longest river in the world. Stretching more than 4,100 miles long, the river travels from south to north. It passes nine countries along the way before it finally drains into the Mediterranean Sea.

³     Like many great rivers, the Nile is made up of several smaller rivers. Its three main streams are the Blue Nile, the White Nile, and the Atbara. The Nile gathers its headwaters near the Ethiopian highlands. Every year between June and September, melting snow and heavy rainfalls in that region would swell the Nile and create floods. This once-a-year overflow (called "akhet") had been going on for thousands of years. It was eventually put to a stop after the Aswan High Dam was opened for use in 1970.

Paragraphs 4 to 7:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

Copyright © 2008 edHelper