A Lecture on the Mystery of The Great Pyramids of Khufu - IELTS Listening Sample Answer

Nov 2, 2021

The IELTS Listening section comprises two conversations and two monologues. Candidates need to answer 40 IELTS listening questions. This topic - A Lecture on the Mystery of The Great Pyramids of Khufu is the IELTS Listening section four.

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Candidates need to answer the following question types:

No more than two words/ a number
No more than one word/ a number

Topic: A Lecture on the Mystery of The Great Pyramids of Khufu

Audio Transcript
Section 4
First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 35.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 35.

Hello everybody. So as part of our study program this term we've researched and aspect of archaeology which has some kind of mystery attached to it. I'm going to talk about the mysteries of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. In particular, I'm going to concentrate on the theories surrounding how the pyramids were built. I'm going to start by putting pyramids into the historical context.

Then I am going to look at different ideas surrounding the building of the pyramids at the end. There will be the chance to ask questions. So why are we so fascinated with the building of the pyramids? It's well, it's to do with their enormous size and weight the Great Pyramid of Khufu for example at Giza in Egypt has a mass of 5.9 million tons and it is around 146 meters tall approximately 2.3 million stone blocks were used to build it. Today's architects would have difficulties building a pyramid of this size and weight in the middle of a desert even with the help of powered machinery. For the Architects of 2550 BC who didn't have modern technology to help them building a pyramid must have been almost impossible. There's no doubt that they had a big Workforce during the eighty years of building this pyramid between 20,000 and 30,000 workers helped with its construction. However, this doesn't explain how workers could lift and move a stone block which weighed over two tons. There have been several theories about this from leading archaeologists.

You now have some time to look at questions 36 to 40.
Now listen to the rest of the lecture and answer questions 36 to 40.

One common theory states that a straight ramp or slope was built outside the pyramid and workers could walk up the ramp pulling the stone block. This diagram at the top illustrates the theory. As you can see, one problem is the size of the ram in order to get it to reach right to the top of the pyramid, the ramp would have to be around one kilometer long. There wasn't this space for this sort of ramp. Pyramids were built on a high platform with other buildings around them as shown in the diagram. This second diagram shows another theory, which has been suggested by French architect - Jean Pierre Hooda. Hooda believes that a shorter 60-meter-long ramp was used on the outside of the pyramid workers would pull the stone blocks up the ramp in order to build the base of the pyramid as the bottom of the pyramid was being built using the external ramp a second ramp was being built inside the pyramid the internal ramp begins at the bottom is about six feet wide and is much less steep than a large external straight ramp would be. So, I've outlined two of the main theories associated with the building of the pyramids. I personally think that Hoodan’s theory is the most believable. However, I'd like to know your opinions. Would anyone like to say what they think or ask a question.

Question 31-40
Questions 31-35

Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu
Reason for interest	Because of the 31_______________ and size of the pyramid
32________________	5.9 million tons
Height	33____________ meters tall
Material	34_________________stone blocks
Date	2550 BC: took 35___________________ to complete
Number of workers	20,000 – 30,000
Mystery	How could workers move a stone block weighing two tons?

Answer 31: weight

Explanation: The enormous size and weight of the Great Pyramid of Khufu for example at Giza in Egypt has a mass of 5.9 million tons and it is around 146 meters tall approximately 2.3 million stone blocks were used to build it.

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Answer 32: mass

Explanation: The enormous size and weight the Great Pyramid of Khufu for example at Giza in Egypt has a mass of 5.9 million tons and it is around 146 meters tall approximately 2.3 million stone blocks were used to build it.

Answer 33: 146

Answer 34: 3 million/ 2,300,000

Answer 35: 80 years

Explanation: There's no doubt that they had a big Workforce during the eighty years of building this pyramid between 20,000 and 30,000 workers helped with its construction.

Questions 36-40

Complete the diagrams.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Diagram

Answer 36: straight

Explanation: One common theory states that a straight ramp or slope was built outside the pyramid and workers could walk up the ramp pulling the stone block.

Answer 37: stone

Explanation: One common theory states that a straight ramp or slope was built outside the pyramid and workers could walk up the ramp pulling the stone block.

Answer 38: buildings

Explanation: the pyramid’s internal ramp begins at the bottom is about six feet wide and is much less steep than a large external straight ramp would be. So, I've outlined two of the main theories associated with the building of the pyramids.

Answer 39: 60/sixty

Explanation: Hooda believes that a shorter 60-meter-long ramp was used on the outside of the pyramid workers would pull the stone blocks up the ramp in order to build the base of the pyramid as the bottom of the pyramid.

Answer 40: internal

Explanation: the pyramid’s internal ramp begins at the bottom is about six feet wide and is much less steep than a large external straight ramp would be.

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