32 題至第 36 題:
The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. But they also believed that a person couldn’t live forever unless
the dead body stayed in good condition. So Egyptians tried to preserve the bodies of the dead. These preserved bodies are
called mummies. By studying mummies (and written records), today’s scientists have learned how they were made.
To make a mummy, priests first opened up the dead body. Then they removed most of its organs. Organs were dried
and placed in special jars. Next, the inside of the body was washed. It was also packed with linen or sawdust and sewn up.
Then, the body was covered in a powder called natron. It took 40 days for this salt-like substance to dry out the body.
Finally, the body was wrapped in linen bandages and put in a coffin.
A few mummies were placed in pyramids. But most were buried in special tombs. The ancient Egyptians knew what
they were doing. Many of the discovered mummies have been in good condition. For example, Zahi Hawass, a mummy
expert, discovered the mummy of a well-known governor. It was inside a limestone coffin. 【題組】35 How long did it take for natron to dry out the body when the Egyptians made a mummy?
(A)It depended on the weather. (B)It was a mystery.
(C)It took forty days. (D)It took many years.