At HSBSS First English work sheet For Grade10 Students In 2016
THE MAYA
Thousands years ago, not a single human being lived in all of North or South America. Then,
around 23000 B.C., the first people arrived from Asia. Slowly, they roamed, south and some
settled in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Later, they became known as the
Maya. From this humble beginning, the Maya created one of the most splendid civilizations of all
time. They erected magnificent palaces, developed an elaborate system of writing and an accurate
calendar, and were able to predict eclipses. Then, around A.D. 800, something terrible must have
occurred. During the next century, many Maya cities became deserted. In time, the jungle once
again claimed this Maya land.
There is a saying: "Rome was not built in one day." It means that it takes a long time to create
something significant and lasting. This saying applies to the Maya. The earliest Maya hunted
animals, fished, and gathered wild berries, nuts and seeds for food. By around 7000B.C., these
roving bands of Maya began making homes themselves - in caves, rock shelters, and open camps.
Slowly, over the next several thousand years, they began living a more settled village life. They wore
animal-skins clothing and used flint-tipped spears. As time went on, cities appeared, some
containing as many as 75,000 people. The Maya reached great heights in the arts, scientific
learning, architecture, and writing. Their economy flourished. Huge palaces, plazas, courtyards,
and ball court were erected. Towering temple-pyramids dotted the area.
Maya civilization flourished for many centuries. But then, from about A.D. 800 to 900, nearly all
Maya cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned. Many theories have been proposed to
explain this phenomenon: conquering armies of Mexicans, climatic changes, earthquakes,
epidemics, economic failure, social disintegration, overpopulation and starvation, uprisings among
the masses, or a combination of all these factors. A good guess is that a combination of outside
pressures and internal tensions led to the collapse of the Maya. Although the southern lowlands
were nearly deserted, Maya splendor did continue in the Yucatan peninsula. When Spanish
explorers set foot there in the early part of 16th century, they found cities thronged with people,
highly decorated palaces, temple raised on terraced pyramids, paved stone roads, and bustling
marketplaces. They met leaders who wore jade and gold jewelry, intricate head dresses, jaguar-skin
skirts, and brightly colored feathered capes. They also found warriors with bows, arrows, and clubs.
, At HSBSS First English work sheet For Grade10 Students In 2016
For years, The Spanish had been searching for the legendary El Dorado, where great riches were
supposed to be found. The cities of the Maya could have been it. But the desire of the Spanish to
convert others to their religion led ultimately to the destruction of the most brilliant civilization in
pre-Colombia America.
Most of the impressive examples of ancient Maya life palaces, temples, plazas, ----- were not
unearthed until the late 19th century, almost 1,000 years after the Maya civilization flourished.
What took archeologists so long to discover this fascinating civilization? one reason that much of
the Maya land is difficult, if not impossible, to reach because of dense rain forests, mountains, or
volcanic peaks. Another reason for the delay in unearthing ruins is that the Spanish royal
government forbade foreigners to travel in its colonies. In spite of overwhelming hardships, many
hardworking, dedicated people spent many years of their lives unearthing what had become the
lost culture of the Maya. Without their perseverance, an entire civilization could have been wiped
off the face of the earth, without a trace.
1. According to the passage which one of this statement is correct?
(A) The Maya people are indigenous dwellers for South and North America.
(B) The Maya people are the Pioneer settler for North America but not the South one.
(C) The Maya are indigenous for Asia but pioneer dwellers for both South and North America.
(D) The Maya people are not indigenous for Asia but pioneer for North America
2. Which one is not the contribution of Maya people for American civilization?
(A) The establishments of magnificent palaces. (B) An accurate calendar and eclipses study.
(C) System of irrigation and navigation. (D)Masonry architectures such as pyramid and courtyards
3. According to the passage one of the following is not natural phenomenon which abandoned
Maya's civilization.
(A) earth quake (B) epidemics (C) Mexican aggression (D) Starvation
4. Currently, Maya's people and their civilizations study is difficult for archeologists due to___.
(A) Jungles, mountains and volcanoes peaks. (B) uprising among the masses
(C) Social disintegration (D) The Spanish aggression
5. What does the phrase “unearthing ruins” means?
(A) destructed buildings in the earth (C) Uncovered old buildings
(B) ruins laid on the ground (D) undistracted buried buildings
6. A saying: "Rome was not built in one day." contextually related to:
THE MAYA
Thousands years ago, not a single human being lived in all of North or South America. Then,
around 23000 B.C., the first people arrived from Asia. Slowly, they roamed, south and some
settled in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Later, they became known as the
Maya. From this humble beginning, the Maya created one of the most splendid civilizations of all
time. They erected magnificent palaces, developed an elaborate system of writing and an accurate
calendar, and were able to predict eclipses. Then, around A.D. 800, something terrible must have
occurred. During the next century, many Maya cities became deserted. In time, the jungle once
again claimed this Maya land.
There is a saying: "Rome was not built in one day." It means that it takes a long time to create
something significant and lasting. This saying applies to the Maya. The earliest Maya hunted
animals, fished, and gathered wild berries, nuts and seeds for food. By around 7000B.C., these
roving bands of Maya began making homes themselves - in caves, rock shelters, and open camps.
Slowly, over the next several thousand years, they began living a more settled village life. They wore
animal-skins clothing and used flint-tipped spears. As time went on, cities appeared, some
containing as many as 75,000 people. The Maya reached great heights in the arts, scientific
learning, architecture, and writing. Their economy flourished. Huge palaces, plazas, courtyards,
and ball court were erected. Towering temple-pyramids dotted the area.
Maya civilization flourished for many centuries. But then, from about A.D. 800 to 900, nearly all
Maya cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned. Many theories have been proposed to
explain this phenomenon: conquering armies of Mexicans, climatic changes, earthquakes,
epidemics, economic failure, social disintegration, overpopulation and starvation, uprisings among
the masses, or a combination of all these factors. A good guess is that a combination of outside
pressures and internal tensions led to the collapse of the Maya. Although the southern lowlands
were nearly deserted, Maya splendor did continue in the Yucatan peninsula. When Spanish
explorers set foot there in the early part of 16th century, they found cities thronged with people,
highly decorated palaces, temple raised on terraced pyramids, paved stone roads, and bustling
marketplaces. They met leaders who wore jade and gold jewelry, intricate head dresses, jaguar-skin
skirts, and brightly colored feathered capes. They also found warriors with bows, arrows, and clubs.
, At HSBSS First English work sheet For Grade10 Students In 2016
For years, The Spanish had been searching for the legendary El Dorado, where great riches were
supposed to be found. The cities of the Maya could have been it. But the desire of the Spanish to
convert others to their religion led ultimately to the destruction of the most brilliant civilization in
pre-Colombia America.
Most of the impressive examples of ancient Maya life palaces, temples, plazas, ----- were not
unearthed until the late 19th century, almost 1,000 years after the Maya civilization flourished.
What took archeologists so long to discover this fascinating civilization? one reason that much of
the Maya land is difficult, if not impossible, to reach because of dense rain forests, mountains, or
volcanic peaks. Another reason for the delay in unearthing ruins is that the Spanish royal
government forbade foreigners to travel in its colonies. In spite of overwhelming hardships, many
hardworking, dedicated people spent many years of their lives unearthing what had become the
lost culture of the Maya. Without their perseverance, an entire civilization could have been wiped
off the face of the earth, without a trace.
1. According to the passage which one of this statement is correct?
(A) The Maya people are indigenous dwellers for South and North America.
(B) The Maya people are the Pioneer settler for North America but not the South one.
(C) The Maya are indigenous for Asia but pioneer dwellers for both South and North America.
(D) The Maya people are not indigenous for Asia but pioneer for North America
2. Which one is not the contribution of Maya people for American civilization?
(A) The establishments of magnificent palaces. (B) An accurate calendar and eclipses study.
(C) System of irrigation and navigation. (D)Masonry architectures such as pyramid and courtyards
3. According to the passage one of the following is not natural phenomenon which abandoned
Maya's civilization.
(A) earth quake (B) epidemics (C) Mexican aggression (D) Starvation
4. Currently, Maya's people and their civilizations study is difficult for archeologists due to___.
(A) Jungles, mountains and volcanoes peaks. (B) uprising among the masses
(C) Social disintegration (D) The Spanish aggression
5. What does the phrase “unearthing ruins” means?
(A) destructed buildings in the earth (C) Uncovered old buildings
(B) ruins laid on the ground (D) undistracted buried buildings
6. A saying: "Rome was not built in one day." contextually related to:
