Mystery of King Tutankhamun's death
Tutankhamun a name shrouded in mystery
The discovery in 1922 of a treasure-packed tomb in Egypt’s
Valley of the Kings provided the perfect tonic for a depressed
Europe suffering the after-effects of World War One. The
world looked on in awe as the intact tomb of the pharaoh
Tutankhamun was picked open. Yet the archaeologists who
cleared the tomb felt a sense of disappointment. There were
many beautiful artefacts but virtually no writings, and
the tomb’s mummified owner, the boy king, remained a
shadowy figure.
Although Tutankhamun is known throughout the world,
we know surprisingly little about his background. We know
that he was born during the reign of the late 18th dynasty
King Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt from the city of Amarna
in Middle Egypt. In 1336BCE Akhenaten died and just four
years later his successor, Smenkhkare, was dead too. Now
an eight-year-old boy called Tutankhaten, became king.
Tutankhaten ruled Egypt from Amarna for up to four years
before moving his court south to Thebes where he changed
his name to Tutankhamun.
Although barely a teenager, Tutankhamun (or his advisors)
was aware of the duties of a conventional king. As Egypt grew
prosperous, Tutankhamun launched building projects and
sent his army to campaign in Syria. Meanwhile, the young
king raced his chariot across the desert, hunted and played
the board game senet, an ancient form of backgammon.
In 1322BCE, the 18-year-old Tutankhamun suffered a
fatal accident and was buried in a tomb in the Valley of
the Kings, on the western bank of the Nile at Thebes. As
time passed, Tutankhamun’s tomb, known as Tomb KV62,
insignificant in comparison to those surrounding it, was
forgotten and built over.
In 1917 Howard Carter and his patron, the wealthy George
Herbert, Lord Carnarvon, agreed on a plan to locate the
lost burial site of Tutankhamun. Carter started to clear the
Valley of the Kings of tons of rubble and sand, a slow and
expensive task that led Carnarvon to doubt the wisdom of
their mission. By the summer of 1922 Carnarvon had had
enough. Carter, though, still believed Tutankhamun could
be found.
On 1 November 1922, Carter’s team started to dig beneath
Ramesses’s tomb. Just three days later, 16 steps emerged,
leading to a sealed doorway. Carter peered through a crack
into a corridor packed with limestone chips. Showing
commendable restraint, he covered the stairs to hide
the discovery from thieves and sent a coded telegram to
Carnarvon: ‘At last have made wonderful discovery in
valley. A magnificent tomb with seals intact. Re-covered
same for your arrival. Congratulations. Carter’.
Three weeks later Carnarvon arrived and work resumed.
Soon it was possible to read the name Tutankhamun on
the door. The excavators saw that the tomb had been
robbed twice in antiquity. The first theft took place soon
5. post-reading
• Did you enjoy reading the text? Why / Why not?
• Which of the information mentioned did you find most
interesting?
• What else would you like to know about Tutankhamun
and his tomb?
Discuss.
after the funeral. But the thieves were discovered by
guards and dropped some of their loot in the entrance
corridor. A second set of robbers struck some time before
the construction of Ramesses VI’s tomb. They too were
detected and the tomb was sealed again.
Excavations halted briefly in February 1923. Carnarvon
sailed south to Aswan, where he was bitten on the cheek
by a mosquito. Upon his return to Luxor he sliced the scab
off the bite while shaving. Feeling increasingly unwell,
Carnarvon travelled to Cairo, where he developed blood
poisoning, then pneumonia. On 5 April, he died, giving
birth to the legend that Tutankhamun’s tomb was cursed.
Back in the Valley of the Kings, work continued with the
blessing of Lady Carnarvon. The shrines surrounding
the burial were slowly dismantled. In February 1924 the
cracked granite lid was lifted off a quartzite sarcophagus
base to reveal a shrouded figure. Tutankhamun had been
buried in three mummiform coffins, each placed inside
another like Russian dolls, the innermost made of solid
gold. It took several weeks to remove the coffins from the
sarcophagus before the lid of the gold coffin was raised to
reveal a mummy, coated in resin, its head covered with a
magnificent golden funerary mask.
Today many of Tutankhamun’s spectacular grave goods
are displayed in the Cairo Museum. The boy king remains
ensconced in his golden coffin in his original tomb in the
Valley of the Kings. His mummy, largely ignored by Carter,
continues to be a rich source of archaeological information.
X-rays, CT scans, DNA and reconstructive techniques are
beginning to expand our understanding of this long-dead
king.
91
1. PHRASES AND IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
WITH GIVE
vocabulary
3. VERBS STARTING WITH the pre fix DIS-
2. VERBS STARTING WITH the pre fixes
EN- AND DEA.
Look at the extract from the text on pages
What does the phrase in bold mean?
B. Read the sentences below and match the
phrases/expressions in bold with their
meanings.
a. to withdraw, retreat
b. to express forcefully
c. to use or experience something in order to
test it
d. to dismiss
e. to give a warning or make an
announcement in advance
1. I’ve never had Japanese food before, so when
Andrew invited me to a Japanese restaurant for
dinner, I thought I’d give it a try.
2. Alex gave vent to his frustration and shouted at
James for breaking his computer.
3. Although both men had been arguing over
the issue for several months, neither seemed
prepared to give ground.
4. After being late to work for six successive days,
my cousin was given the sack.
5. Our landlord gave us two months notice to leave
the house.
On 5 April, he died, giving birth to the legend that
Tutankhamun’s tomb was cursed.
A. Read the examples below and answer the
questions that follow.
B. Look at the verbs in the box. What do you think
they mean? Use them to complete the sentences
1-5. Make any necessary changes.
A. Look at the extract from the text on pages 90-91.
What does the word in bold mean? Choose a, b or c.
The shrines surrounding the burial were slowly dismantled.
disorientate disobey disarm
disorganise disembark
NOTE
The prefix dis- when used before a verb indicates
the opposite effect or the reverse of the process
described by the original verb,
e.g. agree Ô disagree, charge Ô discharge.
a. destroyed b. covered c. taken apart
1. The Pharaoh demoted his general for neglecting his
duties.
What does demoted mean?
a. made important
b. moved to a lower rank
c. awarded
2. The boy king remains ensconced in his golden coffin in
his original tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
What does ensconced mean?
a. inaccessible
b. uncovered
c. settled comfortably
B. Read the following sentences. How do the prefixes
en- and de- alter the meaning of the word code?
No matter what forms our military use to encode
confidential information, it seems that the enemy always
finds a way to decode the messages.
NOTE
• The prefix en- when used to form a verb indicates
to put into a situation or to cause something to
become e.g. danger Ô endanger, large Ô enlarge.
• The prefix de- when used to form a verb indicates
the opposite or to remove something e.g.
compose Ô decompose, forest Ô deforest
C. Complete with the correct prefix, en- or de-.
1. We want to close the play area, so the baby
doesn’t get into things he shouldn’t.
2. I know the hard work might motivate you at
first, but it will be worth it in the end.
3. I usually use the microwave to frost frozen food.
4. The runner has to drink a lot of water to keep from
getting hydrated.
5. This class will able you to practise CPR in the
event of an emergency.
1. Luckily, the police were able to
the robbers and arrest them.
2. Don’t worry, the ship won’t leave before we
.
3. The kids will get in trouble if they
their babysitter.
4. The roller coaster might
you for a few minutes when you get off the ride.
5. Look at his desk! He’s the most
person I’ve ever met!
92
Join the sentences using an appropriate relative pronoun or adverb. Make all the necessary changes and use
reduced relative clauses whenever it is possible.
1. We must arrange a time. Then we can discuss the project in detail.
2. His latest book didn’t live up to my expectations. This came as a surprise to me.
3. Charles Dickens is a famous English author. His novels are still loved by people all over the world.
4. The statues in this museum are very impressive. They were made in ancient times.
5. The new history professor seems to be very strict. I have already been introduced to him.
6. We visited a famous library the other day. Valuable books are kept there.
7. My father is planning something. I have no idea about it.
8. The hotel is situated at the top of a hill. It has a breathtaking view of the bay.
grammar
1. RELATI VE CLA USES
2. Practice
Read the examples and answer the questions that follow.
Grammar Reference p. 113.
1. Yet the archaeologists who cleared the tomb felt a sense
of disappointment.
2. Now an eight-year-old boy called Tutankhaten, who
may already have been married to Ankhesenpaaten,
daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, became
king.
3. Carter had first taken an interest in Egyptology as a
17-year-old artist, employed to copy and preserve the
vibrant reliefs that decorated Egypt’s tombs.
• In which of the two sentences does the relative clause
provide additional information about someone?
• In which of the two sentences does the relative clause
provide information which is necessary to define
someone?
• In which of the two relative clauses could that be used
instead of who?
• Can who be omitted in any of the two relative clauses?
Why / Why not?
• Which other relative pronoun could be used instead of
that?
• Is the relative clause defining or non-defining?
4. Carnarvon sailed south to Aswan, where he was bitten
on the cheek by a mosquito.
5. Now an eight-year-old boy called Tutankhaten
became king.
6. Just three days later, 16 steps emerged, leading to a
sealed doorway.
• Does the relative clause provide additional or essential
information about Aswan?
• Why is where used?
• Which words have been omitted before known and
leading?
• Find two more examples of reduced relative clauses
introduced with a present or past participle in the
text on pp. 91-92 in paragraphs 4, 8 and 9.
93
• Why do you think the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is so important?
• In your opinion, what was the reason for the boy king’s untimely death?
1. Pre-listening
Listen carefully to the introduction as this will help you
understand what topic is being discussed and can activate
any background knowledge you already have.
While listening, take notes of names, dates, places,
numbers, events, or anything else you may think is
important. It is advisable to use abbreviations instead of
writing out full words.
Keep the question in mind when looking at the answer
choices.
Remember only one answer choice is correct. The other
two choices may be misleading, as they may repeat words
or phrases from the segment, though they do not answer
the question.
Don’t work on a question when the next question is being
spoken.
Refer back to the text on pages 90-91 and discuss the following.
2. PREPARING FOR THE EXAM TAS K
1. Why was Tutankhamun’s tomb intact and
full of treasures?
a. Strict security measures prevented thieves
from robbing it.
b. The tomb entrance was not visible.
c. The hieroglyphic inscriptions were not
intelligible.
2. Where were the mummies of the two baby
girls found?
a. in the antechamber
b. in the burial chamber
c. in the Treasury
3. What does the latest research concerning
Tutankhamun’s death suggest?
a. He was murdered.
b. He had a fatal accident.
c. He died as the result of a blow on the head.
4. Which of the three teams was unaware
of the fact that they were working on
Tutankhamun?
a. the French
b. the Egyptian
c. the American
5. What does Dr Zahi Hawass think might have
been the cause of Lord Carnarvon’s death?
a. an infection from a germ
b. a biological booby trap
c. Tutankhamun’s curse
You will hear a segment from a radio programme.
After the talk, you will be asked some questions
about what was said. Read the questions 1-5
and guess which topics are discussed in the
radio programme.
Read the questions and answer choices and try
to predict the content of the radio programme.
3. EXAMINATION TAS K
Now listen to the radio programme and the questions.
As you listen, take some notes to help you remember
the information given in the talk. From the three answer
choices given, choose the one that best answers the
question according to the information you heard.
94
Tutankhamun a name shrouded in mystery
The discovery in 1922 of a treasure-packed tomb in Egypt’s
Valley of the Kings provided the perfect tonic for a depressed
Europe suffering the after-effects of World War One. The
world looked on in awe as the intact tomb of the pharaoh
Tutankhamun was picked open. Yet the archaeologists who
cleared the tomb felt a sense of disappointment. There were
many beautiful artefacts but virtually no writings, and
the tomb’s mummified owner, the boy king, remained a
shadowy figure.
Although Tutankhamun is known throughout the world,
we know surprisingly little about his background. We know
that he was born during the reign of the late 18th dynasty
King Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt from the city of Amarna
in Middle Egypt. In 1336BCE Akhenaten died and just four
years later his successor, Smenkhkare, was dead too. Now
an eight-year-old boy called Tutankhaten, became king.
Tutankhaten ruled Egypt from Amarna for up to four years
before moving his court south to Thebes where he changed
his name to Tutankhamun.
Although barely a teenager, Tutankhamun (or his advisors)
was aware of the duties of a conventional king. As Egypt grew
prosperous, Tutankhamun launched building projects and
sent his army to campaign in Syria. Meanwhile, the young
king raced his chariot across the desert, hunted and played
the board game senet, an ancient form of backgammon.
In 1322BCE, the 18-year-old Tutankhamun suffered a
fatal accident and was buried in a tomb in the Valley of
the Kings, on the western bank of the Nile at Thebes. As
time passed, Tutankhamun’s tomb, known as Tomb KV62,
insignificant in comparison to those surrounding it, was
forgotten and built over.
In 1917 Howard Carter and his patron, the wealthy George
Herbert, Lord Carnarvon, agreed on a plan to locate the
lost burial site of Tutankhamun. Carter started to clear the
Valley of the Kings of tons of rubble and sand, a slow and
expensive task that led Carnarvon to doubt the wisdom of
their mission. By the summer of 1922 Carnarvon had had
enough. Carter, though, still believed Tutankhamun could
be found.
On 1 November 1922, Carter’s team started to dig beneath
Ramesses’s tomb. Just three days later, 16 steps emerged,
leading to a sealed doorway. Carter peered through a crack
into a corridor packed with limestone chips. Showing
commendable restraint, he covered the stairs to hide
the discovery from thieves and sent a coded telegram to
Carnarvon: ‘At last have made wonderful discovery in
valley. A magnificent tomb with seals intact. Re-covered
same for your arrival. Congratulations. Carter’.
Three weeks later Carnarvon arrived and work resumed.
Soon it was possible to read the name Tutankhamun on
the door. The excavators saw that the tomb had been
robbed twice in antiquity. The first theft took place soon
5. post-reading
• Did you enjoy reading the text? Why / Why not?
• Which of the information mentioned did you find most
interesting?
• What else would you like to know about Tutankhamun
and his tomb?
Discuss.
after the funeral. But the thieves were discovered by
guards and dropped some of their loot in the entrance
corridor. A second set of robbers struck some time before
the construction of Ramesses VI’s tomb. They too were
detected and the tomb was sealed again.
Excavations halted briefly in February 1923. Carnarvon
sailed south to Aswan, where he was bitten on the cheek
by a mosquito. Upon his return to Luxor he sliced the scab
off the bite while shaving. Feeling increasingly unwell,
Carnarvon travelled to Cairo, where he developed blood
poisoning, then pneumonia. On 5 April, he died, giving
birth to the legend that Tutankhamun’s tomb was cursed.
Back in the Valley of the Kings, work continued with the
blessing of Lady Carnarvon. The shrines surrounding
the burial were slowly dismantled. In February 1924 the
cracked granite lid was lifted off a quartzite sarcophagus
base to reveal a shrouded figure. Tutankhamun had been
buried in three mummiform coffins, each placed inside
another like Russian dolls, the innermost made of solid
gold. It took several weeks to remove the coffins from the
sarcophagus before the lid of the gold coffin was raised to
reveal a mummy, coated in resin, its head covered with a
magnificent golden funerary mask.
Today many of Tutankhamun’s spectacular grave goods
are displayed in the Cairo Museum. The boy king remains
ensconced in his golden coffin in his original tomb in the
Valley of the Kings. His mummy, largely ignored by Carter,
continues to be a rich source of archaeological information.
X-rays, CT scans, DNA and reconstructive techniques are
beginning to expand our understanding of this long-dead
king.
91
1. PHRASES AND IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
WITH GIVE
vocabulary
3. VERBS STARTING WITH the pre fix DIS-
2. VERBS STARTING WITH the pre fixes
EN- AND DEA.
Look at the extract from the text on pages
What does the phrase in bold mean?
B. Read the sentences below and match the
phrases/expressions in bold with their
meanings.
a. to withdraw, retreat
b. to express forcefully
c. to use or experience something in order to
test it
d. to dismiss
e. to give a warning or make an
announcement in advance
1. I’ve never had Japanese food before, so when
Andrew invited me to a Japanese restaurant for
dinner, I thought I’d give it a try.
2. Alex gave vent to his frustration and shouted at
James for breaking his computer.
3. Although both men had been arguing over
the issue for several months, neither seemed
prepared to give ground.
4. After being late to work for six successive days,
my cousin was given the sack.
5. Our landlord gave us two months notice to leave
the house.
On 5 April, he died, giving birth to the legend that
Tutankhamun’s tomb was cursed.
A. Read the examples below and answer the
questions that follow.
B. Look at the verbs in the box. What do you think
they mean? Use them to complete the sentences
1-5. Make any necessary changes.
A. Look at the extract from the text on pages 90-91.
What does the word in bold mean? Choose a, b or c.
The shrines surrounding the burial were slowly dismantled.
disorientate disobey disarm
disorganise disembark
NOTE
The prefix dis- when used before a verb indicates
the opposite effect or the reverse of the process
described by the original verb,
e.g. agree Ô disagree, charge Ô discharge.
a. destroyed b. covered c. taken apart
1. The Pharaoh demoted his general for neglecting his
duties.
What does demoted mean?
a. made important
b. moved to a lower rank
c. awarded
2. The boy king remains ensconced in his golden coffin in
his original tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
What does ensconced mean?
a. inaccessible
b. uncovered
c. settled comfortably
B. Read the following sentences. How do the prefixes
en- and de- alter the meaning of the word code?
No matter what forms our military use to encode
confidential information, it seems that the enemy always
finds a way to decode the messages.
NOTE
• The prefix en- when used to form a verb indicates
to put into a situation or to cause something to
become e.g. danger Ô endanger, large Ô enlarge.
• The prefix de- when used to form a verb indicates
the opposite or to remove something e.g.
compose Ô decompose, forest Ô deforest
C. Complete with the correct prefix, en- or de-.
1. We want to close the play area, so the baby
doesn’t get into things he shouldn’t.
2. I know the hard work might motivate you at
first, but it will be worth it in the end.
3. I usually use the microwave to frost frozen food.
4. The runner has to drink a lot of water to keep from
getting hydrated.
5. This class will able you to practise CPR in the
event of an emergency.
1. Luckily, the police were able to
the robbers and arrest them.
2. Don’t worry, the ship won’t leave before we
.
3. The kids will get in trouble if they
their babysitter.
4. The roller coaster might
you for a few minutes when you get off the ride.
5. Look at his desk! He’s the most
person I’ve ever met!
92
Join the sentences using an appropriate relative pronoun or adverb. Make all the necessary changes and use
reduced relative clauses whenever it is possible.
1. We must arrange a time. Then we can discuss the project in detail.
2. His latest book didn’t live up to my expectations. This came as a surprise to me.
3. Charles Dickens is a famous English author. His novels are still loved by people all over the world.
4. The statues in this museum are very impressive. They were made in ancient times.
5. The new history professor seems to be very strict. I have already been introduced to him.
6. We visited a famous library the other day. Valuable books are kept there.
7. My father is planning something. I have no idea about it.
8. The hotel is situated at the top of a hill. It has a breathtaking view of the bay.
grammar
1. RELATI VE CLA USES
2. Practice
Read the examples and answer the questions that follow.
Grammar Reference p. 113.
1. Yet the archaeologists who cleared the tomb felt a sense
of disappointment.
2. Now an eight-year-old boy called Tutankhaten, who
may already have been married to Ankhesenpaaten,
daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, became
king.
3. Carter had first taken an interest in Egyptology as a
17-year-old artist, employed to copy and preserve the
vibrant reliefs that decorated Egypt’s tombs.
• In which of the two sentences does the relative clause
provide additional information about someone?
• In which of the two sentences does the relative clause
provide information which is necessary to define
someone?
• In which of the two relative clauses could that be used
instead of who?
• Can who be omitted in any of the two relative clauses?
Why / Why not?
• Which other relative pronoun could be used instead of
that?
• Is the relative clause defining or non-defining?
4. Carnarvon sailed south to Aswan, where he was bitten
on the cheek by a mosquito.
5. Now an eight-year-old boy called Tutankhaten
became king.
6. Just three days later, 16 steps emerged, leading to a
sealed doorway.
• Does the relative clause provide additional or essential
information about Aswan?
• Why is where used?
• Which words have been omitted before known and
leading?
• Find two more examples of reduced relative clauses
introduced with a present or past participle in the
text on pp. 91-92 in paragraphs 4, 8 and 9.
93
• Why do you think the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is so important?
• In your opinion, what was the reason for the boy king’s untimely death?
1. Pre-listening
Listen carefully to the introduction as this will help you
understand what topic is being discussed and can activate
any background knowledge you already have.
While listening, take notes of names, dates, places,
numbers, events, or anything else you may think is
important. It is advisable to use abbreviations instead of
writing out full words.
Keep the question in mind when looking at the answer
choices.
Remember only one answer choice is correct. The other
two choices may be misleading, as they may repeat words
or phrases from the segment, though they do not answer
the question.
Don’t work on a question when the next question is being
spoken.
Refer back to the text on pages 90-91 and discuss the following.
2. PREPARING FOR THE EXAM TAS K
1. Why was Tutankhamun’s tomb intact and
full of treasures?
a. Strict security measures prevented thieves
from robbing it.
b. The tomb entrance was not visible.
c. The hieroglyphic inscriptions were not
intelligible.
2. Where were the mummies of the two baby
girls found?
a. in the antechamber
b. in the burial chamber
c. in the Treasury
3. What does the latest research concerning
Tutankhamun’s death suggest?
a. He was murdered.
b. He had a fatal accident.
c. He died as the result of a blow on the head.
4. Which of the three teams was unaware
of the fact that they were working on
Tutankhamun?
a. the French
b. the Egyptian
c. the American
5. What does Dr Zahi Hawass think might have
been the cause of Lord Carnarvon’s death?
a. an infection from a germ
b. a biological booby trap
c. Tutankhamun’s curse
You will hear a segment from a radio programme.
After the talk, you will be asked some questions
about what was said. Read the questions 1-5
and guess which topics are discussed in the
radio programme.
Read the questions and answer choices and try
to predict the content of the radio programme.
3. EXAMINATION TAS K
Now listen to the radio programme and the questions.
As you listen, take some notes to help you remember
the information given in the talk. From the three answer
choices given, choose the one that best answers the
question according to the information you heard.
94
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