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Text 2 great sphinx

From the 15th century AD European travellers carried home tales of the mysterious and amazing remains of the civilization of Egypt. One of its most remarkable monuments, which still evokes this sense of awe and might, is the Great Sphinx of Gizeh, the oldest surviving sphinx, dating from c2550 BC, carved from a rock with the crouching body of a lion and a human face

(74,4 m. long, 20,1 m. high, and 4,2 m. broad, at its widest point; the head is 8,7 m. high from chin to crown).

The human head was the means of individualizing the sculpture, so that the Great Sphinx probably bears the idealized features of Khephren whose

pyramid is nearby.

The concept of the king as a powerful lion goes back into prehistoric times, and several ceremonial objects have survived which depict him in this guise, overthrowing his enemies. The sphinx was, therefore, a natural de­velopment, personifying the divine power of the king as a force protecting his land and repelling the power of evil.

The Great Sphinx is one of the most distinctive and dominant of all the images of ancient Egypt, which is perhaps the source of the misconception that sphinxes are of central importance in Egyptian culture. However, those that have survived are among the most impressive as well as intriguing ex­amples of Egyptian sculpture.

Vocabulary

amazing — удивительный

remains — (зд.) руины

to evoke — вызывать (чувства)

awe — (благоговейный) страх, трепет

might — могущество, мощь; энергия, сила

sandstone — песчаник(овый)

to survive — выжить, уцелеть, сохраниться

to crouch — припасть к земле для нападения (о животных)

to depict — изображать

divine —духовное лицо; божественный

to repel — отгонять, отражать (нападение)

distinctive — отличительный

misconception — неправильное представление

I. Choose the synonyms to the words in italics.

1. European travellers saw the mysterious and amazing remains of the ancient Egyptian civilization.

a) astonishing b) interesting c) modern

2. The Great Sphinx probably bears the idealized features of Khephren.

a) remains b) characteristics c) points

3. The concept of the king as a powerful lion goes back into prehistoric times.

a) idea b) story c) theme

4. The sphinx personifies the divine power of the king,

a) individual b) human c) sacred

5. The Great Sphinx is one of the most distinctive and dominant of all the images of ancient Egypt.

a) structures b) idols c) persons

II. Circle a), b), or c) to complete the sentence.

1. The European travellers saw the mysterious and amazing ...

a) ruins of the Hanging Gardens of Semeramide

b) remains of the civilization of Egypt

c) ruins of the Parthenon

2. The Great Sphinx of Gizeh was ...

a) made of marble

b) created by Imhotep

c) carved from rock

3. The Great Sphinx has a crouching body of a lion and ...

a) a dragon's head

b) a human face

c) a cow's head

4. The sphinx personified ...

a) the divine power of the king

b) the mighty of God

c) the greatness of the Roman Empire

5. The concept of the king as a powerful lion goes back into ...

a) the Middle Ages

b) the Archaic period

c) prehistoric times