Unit 29: Osiris and the Nile

Click or select any word to translate.

Word List

  • adj. An abstract thing is an idea or thought, not a physical thing.
    The idea of beauty is abstract and changes over time.
  • adj. An annual event happens once a year.
    The only time I see my aunts and uncles is at our annual family picnic.
  • n. Clay is a type of heavy, wet soil used to make pots.
    She made a bowl out of the clay.
  • n. Cloth is material used to make clothes.
    His shirt is made of a very soft type of cloth.
  • n. A curtain is a cloth hung over a window or used to divide a room.
    She opened the curtains to let light into the room.
  • v. To deserve is to be worthy of something as a result of one's actions.
    The dog deserved a bone for behaving very well.
  • n. Feathers are the things covering a bird's bodies.
    That bird has orange feathers on its chest.
  • adj. Fertile land is able to produce good crops and plants.
    The farmer grew many vegetables in the fertile soil.
  • n. A flood is an event in which water covers an area that is usually dry.
    After three days of rain, there was a flood in the city.
  • n. Furniture means the things used in a house such as tables and chairs.
    His living room only had a few simple pieces of furniture.
  • n. A grave is the place where a dead person is buried.
    We visit our grandfather's grave each year.
  • adj. An ideal thing is the best that it can possibly be.
    This house is an ideal place for my family. It has everything we need.
  • n. Intelligence is the ability to learn and understand things.
    Because of his high intelligence, he finished school early.
  • v. To obtain is to get something you want or need.
    After I passed the test, I obtained my driver's license.
  • adj. Religious means related to or about religion.
    The holy man spoke about religious topics.
  • adj. Romantic means related to or about love.
    The young couple went to see a romantic movie.
  • n. A shell is a hard covering that protects the body of some sea creatures.
    There were many pretty shells on the beach.
  • n. A shore is the edge of a large body of water.
    All of the boats were floating near the shore.
  • n. A wheel is a round thing on a vehicle that turns when it moves.
    A car has four wheels.
  • adj. Wooden objects are made of wood.
    My mother gave me a wooden spoon.

 

Exercise

A ‣ Complete the puzzle with the word that is similar in meaning to the bolded part.

DOWN
  1. I need your help to move the tables and chairs. _____
  2. I don't like to be in dark rooms with covers over the windows. _____
  3. I need to get a ticket before I can board the train. _____
  4. Tom and Rob are the best roommates. _____

 

ACROSS
  1. This problem will test your ability to understand. _____

 

B ‣ Write the word from the word bank that best fits each sentence.

WORD BANK
  • clay
  • cloth
  • fertile
  • graves
  • flood

Jimmy went on a trip to Egypt. There, he visited the great pyramids. Inside them were the 1_____ of old kings. He also visited a village near the river and learned about a recent 2_____. People grew many crops on this 3_____ land. They used 4_____ pots to carry water from the river into their homes. One friendly man gave Jimmy a white 5_____ to cover his head from the hot sun. It was a wonderful trip.

 

C ‣ Write the word that best fits each sentence.

  1. flood / shell
    I dropped the egg and its _____ broke.
    In the past three years, the city has not had a single _____ .
  2. annual / wooden
    The _____ baking competition will be held in the town of Mulberry.
    The antique _____ horse was sold at a toy auction for over $2,000.
  3. feathers / wheels
    Most birds have _____ .
    You cannot ride a bicycle if it doesn't have _____ .
  4. feathers / religious
    Some people enjoy reading _____ books.
    Birds use their _____ to help them fly.
  5. deserve / romantic
    Many people enjoy watching _____ movies.
    If you get good grades, you _____ to graduate.
  6. shell / shore
    A crab is an example of an animal that has a _____ .
    Some people go walking along the _____ .
  7. deserve / flood
    People who do bad things _____ to be punished.
    A _____ of letters arrived through the mail.
  8. religious / grave
    The woman placed flowers on her husband's _____ .
    Although I'm not _____ , I find churches very beautiful.
  9. romantic / shore
    If you are _____ , you probably like movies about love.
    There are beaches along the _____ of some oceans and lakes.
  10. annual / wheels
    You should see your doctor once a year for an _____ checkup.
    Gasoline keeps the _____ turning.

 

Osiris and the Nile

Long ago, Osiris was the king of Egypt, and Isis was the queen. They controlled the fertile land by the Nile River. They were not only interested in everyday things. Because of their intelligence, they explored abstract ideas as well. Osiris taught the Egyptians how to make wheels and furniture. Isis taught them how to make things from clay and cloth. The people thought the king and queen deserved a gift. So they built Osiris and Isis a pyramid. Everyone loved Osiris except his brother, Set. Set wanted to be king.

Osiris made his annual trip around Egypt and led religious events. The people gave him beautiful shells and colorful feathers as gifts.

When Osiris returned, Set brought a beautiful wooden box from behind a curtain.

"If someone fits inside this box, I will give it to him or her, Set said.

Osiris got in it. It was an ideal fit!

Suddenly, Set closed the box and threw it into the river. "Now, I will be king!" Set said.

The box washed up on a foreign shore after a flood. Isis brought his body home and obtained a grave for him in Egypt. The Egyptian gods thought Isis had done something very romantic. Because of this love, the gods made Osiris the god of the underworld, and Osiris returned every spring to help the farmers. Even nowadays, people say Osiris keeps their crops alive.

 

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

  1. What is this story about?
    • a. Why Osiris built a pyramid for Isis
    • b. How Set created a grave for Osiris
    • c. How Osiris died and returned to make Egypt fertile
    • d. Why the gods thought Isis' actions were romantic
  2. What happened each spring?
    • a. Osiris gave people feathers and shells.
    • b. Set obtained furniture from people.
    • c. Set hid a box behind a curtain.
    • d. Osiris made an annual trip to villages.
  3. In the last paragraph, readers can infer that _____.
    • a. the shore is the ideal home for Osiris
    • b. Set had greater intelligence than the gods
    • c. the gods felt that Isis did a good deed
    • d. nowadays, the Egyptians don't use Osiris' abstract ideas
  4. According to the passage, all the following are true EXCEPT _____.
    • a. the Egyptians made wheels
    • b. the Egyptians used clay pots
    • c. the Egyptians made cloth
    • d. the Egyptians built religious villages
  5. What did the Egyptians do for their king and queen?
    _____

 

Answer Key

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