Задание

Read the text about Inca culture and answer the questions below.

The Inca worshipped the Sun god Inti and believed that gold was his sweat as well as a symbol of the Sun's mystic powers. Since they considered the Inca emperor to be the descendant of Inti, all gold was his property. Gold was an ideal choice for offerings because it did not tarnish like other metals nor did it perish like food.

However, golden statuettes are rare survivors thanks to the Spanish invaders, who conquered the Inca Empire and melted down Inca objects made from gold and silver for their own gain. Not many of them were lucky enough to be preserved in the remote treasuries. In comparison, gold had no material value to the Inca, who considered it to be a sacred metal.

Llamas were absolutely necessary to the Inca, particularly because the only other domestic animals available to them were guinea pigs and alpacas. They had plenty of uses, providing meat for food, wool for clothing and fertiliser for crops, as well as serving as transport and as pack animals for the empire. On top of this, llamas could also bear the high altitudes of mountain ranges and survive in the cold, so it's no surprise that the Inca bred thousands of them.

The archaeological research shows that while llamas were sacrificed to the gods, miniature gold llama statuettes were often used alongside miniature human statuettes as offerings to the mountain spirits who they honoured likewise. The Inca practised the mysterious ritual known as capacocha (which means "royal obligation") in response to important events such as the death of the reigning emperor, or as a way to prevent or bring an end to natural disasters such as droughts or floods.

Write one number in each gap.

Ancient Inca thought that gold...

1. was very expensive and made its owner rich.

2. belonged to nobody except for the emperor.

3. wasn't the best choice for an offering.

Answer:

Why were llamas so popular with Ancient Incas?

1. They were smarter than guinea pigs.

2. They could find gold in the ground.

3. They were endurant and produced different goods.

Answer:

What was a capacocha?

1. A tiny figure of a llama or a human.

2. The name of the Inca mountain spirit.

3. A ritual that could stop bad weather.

Answer: