UNIT 6 WEEK 4 Read the article An Ancient Mystery before answering Numbers 1 through 5. An Ancient Mystery Thousands of years ago, pharaohs, or kings, ruled the kingdom of ancient Egypt. The pharaohs were supreme monarchs for life. When a pharaoh died, he was buried in a great tomb filled with treasures. The Egyptians built these tombs in geographic locations that were difficult to find. One pharaoh was named Tutankhamen. His tomb was buried in desert sands for thousands of years until an amazing discovery would astonish the world. Finding Tutankhamen In the early 1900s, an Englishman named Lord Carnarvon had become convinced that Tutankhamen s tomb was somewhere in the Valley of the Kings. This was an area along the Nile River. In 1907, Carnarvon became partners with a man named Howard Carter. The two men launched a search for the ancient tomb that would last for 15 years. In November of 1922, Carter s team discovered what appeared to be the entrance to an underground tomb. Workers dug through the rubble and found themselves at the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamen. When they entered the first room, called the antechamber, they were stunned by the sight of the treasures. There were lifelike statues, vases, pieces of the king s chariot, and golden couches. Carter s team did not want to damage anything that they found, so they used a precise technique to remove all of the artifacts and treasures from the antechamber. It took about two months to record, catalog, and remove all of these items. Once inside the burial chamber, Carter s team made the greatest discovery of all. They found the sarcophagus, or carved stone coffin, that contained the mummy of the young king! Workers needed three years to remove the sarcophagus. Finally, by 1932, the last of the treasures were removed. The mummy was brought back to Cairo, where Howard Carter began an examination. The linen bandages were removed and, for the first time in thousands of years, the face of Tutankhamen was exposed. Further study revealed that the king was between the ages of 18 and 22 when he died. Why did the king die so young? Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 299
UNIT 6 WEEK 4 Solving the Mystery In 1968, a team of specialists was given permission to x-ray the mummy. A mark on the skull led some to conclude that the king died of a blow to the head. However, injuries to the chest area and some missing ribs led others to speculate that the king may have been hurt or killed during a chariot race. In 2005, as part of an Egyptian project to research ancient mummies, Tutankhamen underwent an imaging scan. A team of experts examined the images and concluded that the king was about 19 when he died. They also determined that the theory of a blow to the head was incorrect. In addition, they learned that the injuries to the king s chest and ribs were not a result of an accident. Now the skull and chest injuries seen on previous x-rays appeared to have been caused by Carter and his team s examination of the mummy. Experts did find a break in the king s thighbone, however. This led them to conclude that Tutankhamen may have died from an infection caused by the leg injury. 300 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on An Ancient Mystery. 1 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. The pharaohs were supreme monarchs for life. The word monarchs comes from two Greek roots, mono and arch. Arch means chief. What does mono most likely mean? A good B new C one D young Part B: What does the word monarchs mean? A large men B head rulers C past leaders D wise people 2 How does the author explain how Howard Carter s team removed artifacts from the tomb? A by describing how they found the tomb B by describing each artifact that was found C by telling the order the artifacts were taken out D by telling how they could not get into the tomb Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 301
3 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. Carter s team did not want to damage anything that they found, so they used a precise technique to remove all of the artifacts and treasures from the antechamber. The word technique has the Greek root techno, which means skill or art. What is a technique? A a wish B an idea C a lesson D a method Part B: Which word has the same root as technique? A antique B inspector C protect D technology 4 How is the section titled Solving the Mystery organized? A It compares and contrasts many events. B It states a problem and explains the solution. C It describes events in the order they happened. D It argues that one development caused another. 302 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
5 Put the events in the correct order. Write each event in the correct section of the chart. First Second Third Fourth Fifth Events: The team discovers the sarcophagus. The team locates Tutankhamen s tomb. The team removes artifacts from the tomb. The mummy of Tutankhamen is sent to Cairo. The team enters the antechamber of the tomb. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 303
UNIT 6 WEEK 4 Read the article Excavating the Past before answering Numbers 6 through 10. Excavating the Past History can be learned through writings and pictures from the past. To study ancient history, however, scientists, historians, and archaeologists work together. They find and explain artifacts that help us learn how ancient cultures lived. As technology advances, so does our understanding of the past. Finding Pompeii More than 1,900 years ago, a massive volcanic explosion occurred in what is now Italy, near the small city of Pompeii. Volcanic ash and rocks hit the city like a giant wave, taking the people who lived there by surprise. The entire city and surrounding terrain were covered with nearly ten feet of rock and ash, and Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. Then, in the mid-1700s, workers found the remains of an ancient building near the site. The lost city had been discovered. In the 1860s, a man named Giuseppe Fiorelli came up with a plan to dig Pompeii out from under the ash and rock. Slowly, the buried city was unveiled through the science of archaeology. The basis of archaeology is excavation, or digging out the land to find what is hidden underneath. In the 1860s, archaeologists began to dig up Pompeii using very basic tools, such as picks, trowels, mesh screens, and brushes. They found homes, bakeries, shops, tools, pottery, and furniture. By studying these kinds of artifacts, we can learn about past civilizations. Archaeology in the United States About 100 years ago, a discovery was made in an area of Colorado called Mesa Verde. Built into the walls of a huge cliff were stone buildings several stories high. At the site, archaeologists found tools, pottery, baskets, and cloth. These artifacts had been left by a civilization known as the Anasazi. By examining the rings of trees at Mesa Verde, the archaeologists determined that there had been a drought around 1300 A.D. A logical conclusion was that the Anasazi suddenly left the area in part because of the drought. 304 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
UNIT 6 WEEK 4 Recently, archaeologists have made discoveries related to colonial life before the American Revolution. A discovery was made in Boston in the 1990s. At the time, new roads, bridges, and tunnels were being built to help with traffic problems. Archaeologists began to do some digging of their own. They discovered the foundation stones from the Three Cranes Tavern, built in 1635 and destroyed during the Revolutionary War. They also discovered the tavern s fancy china and glasses that had been imported from Europe. These artifacts provided new details about colonial life. Amazing New Tools Today, modern archaeologists have tools that are very different from the picks, trowels, and brushes used at Pompeii. For example, they now use special infrared cameras to find buried buildings and cities. These cameras measure thermal changes. Carbon dating can determine the age of artifacts. Archaeologists are using computers to build virtual 3-D models of excavation sites. As they find new ways to use technology, we can learn more about the people that came before us. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 305
Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on Excavating the Past. 6 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the paragraph from the text. More than 1,900 years ago, a massive volcanic explosion occurred in what is now Italy, near the small city of Pompeii. Volcanic ash and rocks hit the city like a giant wave, taking the people who lived there by surprise. The entire city and surrounding terrain were covered with nearly ten feet of rock and ash, and Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. Then, in the mid-1700s, workers found the remains of an ancient building near the site. The lost city had been discovered. How is the paragraph organized? A It describes events in sequence. B It compares one event to another. C It lists problems created by an event. D It explains the effect of two different events. Part B: Which detail best shows how the paragraph is organized? A... near the small city of Pompeii. B Volcanic ash and rocks hit the city like a giant wave,... C... covered with nearly ten feet of rock and ash,... D Then, in the mid-1700s, workers found the remains... 306 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
7 Archaeology was used to uncover Pompeii. Underline the sentence that best states this main idea. In the 1860s, a man named Giuseppe Fiorelli came up with a plan to dig Pompeii out from under the ash and rock. Slowly, the buried city was unveiled through the science of archaeology. The basis of archaeology is excavation, or digging out the land to find what is hidden underneath. In the 1860s, archaeologists began to dig up Pompeii using very basic tools, such as picks, trowels, mesh screens, and brushes. They found homes, bakeries, shops, tools, pottery, and furniture. By studying these kinds of artifacts, we can learn about past civilizations. 8 Read the sentence from the text. A logical conclusion was that the Anasazi suddenly left the area in part because of the drought. The word logical comes from the Greek root logos, which means reason. What is true about a logical conclusion? A It is new. B It is simple. C It is confusing. D It makes sense. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 307
9 Which of the following happened most recently? A Archaeologists used computers to build 3-D models. B Archaeologists learned about the Anasazi civilization. C Archaeologists discovered the ancient city of Pompeii. D Archaeologists made discoveries about the American colonies. 10 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. These cameras measure thermal changes. The word thermal comes from the Greek root thermos, which means warm or heat. What do these thermal cameras measure? A distances B the weather C temperatures D the age of objects Part B: Which word has the same root as thermal? A bother B breakthrough C therapy D thermostat STOP 308 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4