The Secret of the Great Sphinx

For a very, very long time, people have wondered about a giant statue in Egypt. This statue is called the Great Sphinx. It has the body of a lion and the head of a person. The Sphinx is so old that it was already ancient when the pyramids were built! For many years, it was one of the world‘s biggest mysteries. People asked: “Who built it?” and “Why is it there?”

Just recently, in the year 2024, scientists made an exciting discovery. They found an answer that was hiding in plain sight! “Hiding in plain sight” means the clue was right in front of everyone all along, but no one saw it the right way.

The scientists weren’t digging in the sand. Instead, they were looking carefully at the land and rocks around the Sphinx. They studied the shape of the land and the different layers of rock.

They realized that long, long ago, a strong wind blew across the desert. This wind helped to carve, or shape, part of the Sphinx‘s body naturally from a big hill of rock. Then, clever ancient Egyptian builders came along. They saw the rock that looked like a lion’s body. They had a wonderful idea! They used tools to carefully finish carving the body and to create the famous human head. They added details to make it beautiful.

This means the Sphinx was not built from the ground up like a tower of blocks. It was already partly there in the hill! The ancient people saw the possibility in the stone and used their skills to complete it. This discovery helps us understand how creative and smart those builders were. They worked with nature to create something amazing that has lasted for thousands of years.

The Great Sphinx is no longer such a big mystery. Thanks to the scientists in 2024, we now have a better idea of its amazing story. It is a story about wind, rock, and the brilliant people who saw a lion in a stone hill. It reminds us that sometimes, the answers to big questions are right in front of us, waiting to be discovered.

Vocabulary Words:

Statue: A model of a person or animal, usually made from stone or metal.
Mystery: Something that is difficult to understand or explain.
Discovery: Finding something new or learning something for the first time.
Carve: To cut into a material like wood or stone to make a shape.
Ancient: Very, very old.

Comprehension Questions:

What is the Great Sphinx?
A. A big sand dune in the desert.
B. A giant statue with a lion‘s body and a person’s head.
C. A type of Egyptian pyramid.
D. A modern building in Egypt.
When did scientists make the new discovery about the Sphinx?
A. A thousand years ago.
B. When the pyramids were built.
C. In the year 2024.
D. Last week.
What does “hiding in plain sight” mean in the story?
A. Buried under a lot of sand.
B. The clue was secret and locked away.
C. The answer was right in front of people all along.
D. Only children could see it.
What helped to naturally carve part of the Sphinx first?
A. Ancient Egyptian tools.
B. Strong desert wind.
C. Rain from a storm.
D. Scientists with machines.
What did the ancient Egyptian builders do?
A. They moved the Sphinx to a new country.
B. They finished carving the rock that the wind had started.
C. They painted the Sphinx bright colors.
D. They built the Sphinx from small stones.