The hill of the king

On reaching the camp, Leila was dead tiredمتعبة. She slept, but she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again. It was due to the jet-lag تعب و عناء السفر, the altitudeالإرتفاعات and the time differences.و الإختلاف فى الوقت
Leila: I'm still pretty tired. I've got a bit headache.صداع
Hafez: Go and see Amalia. She has got some headache pillsأقراص. Take a couple of those.

Dr. Hafez was going to Quenco to meet the UNESCO representativeمندوبة who was expected to visit their site. The UNESCO supportsتمول the project and they wanted to find something important to continue their support.
Hafez: We want to make sure that she gets a good impression إنطباعof what we are doing.
If we don't find something important, they may not want to support us.
Dr. Hafez asked Leila to make Amalia show her around the site and see what they had achieved. Amalia gave Leila the pills with a glass of water.
Leila: Could you show me around the site? I'd like to know how far you have got.
Amalia didn't seem glad to do that, but she had to. She asked Leila what she knew about the Inca civilization.

Leila: I did work on the Incas when I was studying in the Italian Institute. I've read Dr.
Hafez's reportsتقارير about the excavation.
Amalia: Oh yes, Dr. Hafez. I suppose that's why you are here in Peru.
Leila had to defendتدافع عن herself after Amalia's accusationإتهامات. Leila told her that she was in Peru because Dr. Hafez thought that her experienceخبرتها would be useful in their work.
Leila: Of course I'm happy to be working with Dr. Hafez. I've worked with him before.
Don't get the wrong idea. I'm here because I'm experienced.
Amalia: Where did you work with him?
Leila: In the valley of the Nobles. We excavated the tomb of Sennofer.

Amalia didn't say much and she had to show Leila around the site. They were on the top of a hill and they were surrounded by other peaks.على قمة تل محاط بقمم أخرى
There were hutsأكواخ. One hut had spades جاروف and other tools. She could see some workers. Dr. Hafez told her that the workers were 20. She could see the outlinesالخطوط الرئيسية of the buildings and foundationsأساسات of walls. The workers were brushingيعمل بالفرشاة carefully. Amalia told Leila that the side of the hill meant in the Inca civilization the tomb of the king because they used to buryيدفن their kings in hills.
"The Chimu built their tombs in hillsides," said Amalia.

She told her that the Incas conquered غزواthe Chimu and allowed their kings to ruleيحكم if they were loyalوفى to the Incas. They had to send their sons to Cuzco to make sure that their fathers were loyal. They have found some potteryفخار and bones of animals.
Amalia: We think it is a kind of entrance hall. It is where the priestsالكهنة carried out their rituals.أقاموا الطقوس الدينية
Leila: So you think the tomb is behind that wall?
Amalia: Yes, but we won't know until we make a hole in the wall and see what lies behind. Suddenly they heard one of the workers shouting. It was Ramon who was a small dark man with a face burned by the sun.
Amalia: It looks like Ramon has found something interesting. Let's have a look.
Ramon: It is a gold figure of a child. The Incas sacrificed ذبح children to please the gods.
They put these figures beside the little girl or boy.


Leila was frightened.
Amalia: Yes, a person's life didn't have much value ليس للحياة قيمة for the Incas.
Ramon told something to Amalia and went off.
Amalia: Ramon has gone to get Pablo Alvarez. We show him everything we find here.
Pablo worked for the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and he was on the committeeلجنة that advised the UNESCO representative. He used to make notes of everything they found.
Amalia: Everything we find stays in Peru. It belongs to the Peruvian people.
You know there are thieves here who try to rob يسرق our tombs.
Leila: We have the same problem in Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs.


1. Why was Leila terribly tired?
It was a mixture of jet lag, high altitude and time difference.
2. What did Dr. Hafez advise Leila to do to relieveتخفف her headache?
To take a couple of pills from Amalia.
3. Why would Dr. Hafez go to Quenco?
To meet the UNESCO representative before her inspection.
4. Why did Dr. Hafez want the UEESCO representative to have a good impression about their excavation?
They needed their support for another year for the project to continue.
5. Why was Leila in Peru according to Amalia's view?
As Dr Hafez was a family friend.
6. Why was Leila in Peru according to her point of view?
She was experienced and he r experience would help DR Hafez in his work.
7. Where did the Incas bury their kings?
In the hillside.
8. Where did Leila work with Dr. Hafez before and what did they discover?
In the valley of the Nobles. They discovered the tomb of Sennofer.
9. How did the Chimu show their loyalty to the Incas?
They sent their sons to their capital Cuzco.
10. Why did the Incas take the Chimu's sons to Cuzco?
To make sure that their fathers were loyal.
11. What did the marks on the walls show?
The tomb might be royal.
12. What did Amalia think the entrance was used for?
It was used by the priests to carry out their rituals. طقوس
13. Who was Ramon?
He was a small man. His face was burnt by the sun.
14. What did Ramon discover?
A gold figure of a child.
15. Why did the Incas sacrifice children?
To please their gods.
16. Who was Pablo Alvarez?
He was responsible for everything they found. He was the representative of the Peruvian ministry culture. He was on the committee that advised the UNESCO people.
17. What problem did the Egyptian and the Peruvians have?
Their tombs are robbed.


Pablo was a tall man. He asked about the figure that Ramon had found.
Pablo: There may be wonderful things inside this tomb. When are you going to open it?
Amalia: In the next few days.
Amalia introduced Leila to Pablo who welcomed her and asked her about she knew about their civilization.
Pablo: Do you know much about Peru and its ancient culture?
Leila: Not as much as you. I read quite a lot about Peru before I came here.
Pablo: I hope you have learnt what the Inca culture means to the people of Peru today.
The Incas were a great civilization. They ruled over a huge area.
Their empire extendedإمتدت from Colombia to Chile. They ruled more than ten million people. They built great cities and made great things. We are proud of the Inca heritageالتراث. We allow foreigners to come here and excavate our ancient cities.
We want to keep the things found here in Peru. There are many robbers who come
here to steal our culture and sell it to rich collectors. There are museums that buy
objects that have been stolen from Peru.

Three days later, they broke into the tomb. Leila wrote a long e-mail to tell her sister Samira about that exciting day. She allowed Samira to write about it in the newspapers.
She told Samira in her long e-mail that they thought the tomb might be a king's tomb. The area around the wall had been cleared. Before that it had been covered with thick bushes. The blocks of the stones were so beautifully cut. They had to work slowly in order not to damage the rocks which looked like a giant jigsaw puzzleلغز الصور التقطعة. Eventuallyأخيرا they could move a stone and make a hole which is big enough for a small one to enter.
Dr. Hafez asked Ramon who was small enough to enter into the tomb and securedأمن his way inside the tomb. He gave him a large flashlightكشاف and a radio جهاز لاسلكى to speak and listen. Also he tied a long rope round Ramon's waistوسط and the other end الطرف الأخرwas around Dr. Hafez's waist.
Hafez: Be careful. Go as far as you can. Tell us what you see.
Dr. Hafez let the rope pass through his hands. A couple of minutes later, they heard Ramon's voice on the radio.
Ramon: I 'm at the bottom of the cave. It is really quite deep. I can see some bones and some bits of pottery.
Hafez: Are these bones animal bones or human bones?
Ramon: Human bones.
Hafez: Good .We will put a ladder downينزل and Ramon can fix يثبت it securely.بأمان
After Ramon got out, Dr. Hafez ordered that the wall should be shut up again.
Hafez: We can't do any work today. We will get our equipment ready to start our
exploration of the tomb tomorrow. Well done, Ramon. Well done, everybody.
Leila told Samira that one of the archaeologists didn't like her because she became Dr. Hafez first assistant and was in charge of her team.

1. Who found the gold figure of a child?
Ramon.
2. Who was the representative of the Peruvian government?
Pablo.
3. What did Pablo ask Leila?
If she knew about Peru and its ancient culture.
4. How did Leila know about the Incas?
She did some work on the Peru while she was studying. She read Dr Hafez's reports.


5. "We've had the same problem in Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs."
a) By whom and to whom was this statement said?
Leila said this to Amalia.
b) What was that problem?
Their tomb are robbed.
c) What was the work of the listener?
She was an archaeologist.
6. What are the people of Peru proud of?
Their heritage.
7. On what condition do the Peruvian allow foreigners to dig in their land?
Things found stay in Peru.
8. What do the thieves do with the treasures they do in Peru?
They sell them outside Peru and even to museums.
9. Who allowed Samira to publish about the Incas in the newspapers?
Leila.
10. What was the area of the tomb covered with?
Trees and bushes.
11. Why did Dr. Hafez choose Ramon to be the first to get into the tomb?
He was small enough.
12. How did Dr. Hafez secure Ramon inside the tomb?
He tied him with a long rope. He gave a radio to speak and listen. He gave him a big flash light.
13. Why did Dr. Hafez tie a rope round Ramon's waist?
In order secure him inside the tomb.
14. What did Ramon see inside the tomb?
He saw some bones and pieces of pottery.
15. What did Ramon fix in the tomb? Why?
He fixed a ladder in order to be used later to get into the tomb.
16. What did Dr. Hafez order the workers to do with the open hole?
Make a wooden door and stop work on that day.
17. Why did Dr. Hafez thank Ramon and everybody?
For their efforts.
18. What did Leila complain about to her sister Samira?
Amalia wasn't friendly towards her.
19. Why did Leila think that Amalia didn't like her?
She was jealous of her as she was Dr Hafez's first assistant and in charge of her team.
20. How did Ramon get out of the tomb?
By using the ladder fixed by him.
21. "Go as far as you can. Tell us what you see."

a) Where was Ramon going?
Inside the tomb.
b) How was Ramon safely secured?
............................................................................................................... .
c) What did Ramon see there?
............................................................................................................... .



1. What is meant by the hill of the king in the Inca language?
It meant the tomb of the king.
2. Why did Leila feel tired when she reached Peru?
She suffered from the jet –lag, high altitude and the time differences.
3. What did Dr Hafez Leila to do to relieve her headache?
He advised her to take a couple of headache pills from Amalia.
4. Why did Dr Hafez go to the Quenco in the first time?
He wanted to meet the UNESCO representative before she would come to inspect them.
5. Why did they need to find an important thing on the site?
They needed the support of the UNESCO for another year.
6. In Amalia's opinion, why was Leila in Peru?
She thought Leila was in Peru because Dr Hafez was a family friend.
7. How did Leila defend her self against Amalia's accusations?
She said that she was in Peru because she was experienced and Dr Hafez thought her experience would be useful in their excavation.
8. Where did Leila work with Dr Hafez before?
They worked together in the valley of the nobles.
9. How was the site similar to Machu Picchu?
Both are on rocky hills and surrounded by other peaks.
10. What did they find before entering the tomb?
They found some pieces of pottery and bones of animals.
11. Why was the entrance hall used?
It was used by the priests to carry out their rituals.
12. What did Ramon find before entering the tomb?
He found the gold figure of a child and it proved the Incas were tough and a person's life didn't have much value for the Incas.
13. Why did the Incas sacrifice children?
They sacrificed children to please their gods.
14. Who was Pablo?
He was responsible for everything they found on the site. He worked the ministry of culture in Peru and on the committee that advised the UNESCO representative.
15. What problem do the modern Egyptians and Incas suffer from?
Their tombs are robbed and their valuable artifacts are sold abroad and shown in museums abroad without permission from them.
16. On what condition do the Peruvians allow foreigners to come and dig in their land?
On condition the things found stay in Peru.
17. Why did the choose Ramon to be the first to enter into the tomb?
Because he was small enough.
18. How did Dr Hafez secure Ramon's way inside the tomb?
He gave him a big flashlight, a radio and tied him with a long rope round the waist.
19. What did Ramon see inside the tomb?
He found some pottery and human bones.
20. "Go as far as you can."
a) Who said this to whom? b) Where was he going?
b) Why was the listener chosen for that mission?
21. The Incas ruled a huge empire from ………………………………………………..
22. A person's life for the Incas …………………………………………………………..