Passage
For an obscure temple no one’s heard of, Cholula (now part of Mexico) holds an impressive array of records: it’s the largest pyramid on the planet, with a base four times larger than theGreat Pyramid at Gizaand nearly twice the volume.
Never mind the largest pyramid – it’s the largest monument ever constructed anywhere, by any civilisation, to this day. To locals it’s aptly known as Tlachihualtepetl("man-made mountain”). Thanks to the church on top, it’s also the oldest continuously occupied building on the continent.
The story goes that until the locals began construction of an insane asylum in 1910, nobody knew it was a pyramid. Certainly, by the time the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez and his army arrived in the 16th century, it was already a thousand years old and entirely concealed by vegetation.
Despite its enormous size, very little is known about the pyramid’s early history. It’s thought that the construction began around 300 BC; by who exactly remains a mystery. According to myth it was built by a giant named Xelhua, after he escaped a flood in the neighbouring Valley of Mexico. Most likely, the city’s inhabitants – known as the Choluteca – were a cosmopolitan mix. “It appears to have been multi-ethnic, with a great deal of migration,” says David Carballo, an archaeologist at Boston University, Massachusetts.
Whoever they were, they probably had a lot of money. Cholula is conveniently located in the Mexican highlands and was an important trading post for thousands of years, linking the Tolteca-Chichimeca kingdoms in the North with the Maya in the South.
Cortez called it "the most beautiful city outside Spain”. By the time he arrived, it was the second-largest city in the Aztec empire, though it had already exchanged hands numerous times.
And here there are even more surprises. In fact it’s not one pyramid at all, but a great Russian doll of a construction, consisting of no less than six, one on top of the other. It grew in stages, as successive civilisations improved on what had already beenbuilt.“They made a conscious effort to maintain and in some cases display previous construction episodes. This is pretty novel, and shows deliberate efforts to link to the past,” says Carballo.
According to legend, when they heard the conquistadors were coming, the locals covered the precious temple with soil themselves. In fact it may have happened by accident. That’s because, incredibly, the largest pyramid in the world is made ofmud.“Adobe” bricks are made by mixing mud with other materials such as sand or straw, and baking it hard in the sun. To make the pyramid, the outer bricks were smoothed with more earth to create a painting surface. In its prime, the temple was covered in red, black and yellow insects. In dry climates, mud bricks are extremely durable – lasting thousands of years. In humid Mexico, the mud creation was a fertile platform for tropical jungle.
Today the city has reclaimed their pyramid, which can be explored via over five miles of tunnels constructed in the early 20th Century. Nearly 500 years after the colonial conquest, the city must contend with a new invasion: tourists.
Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 58
Try yourself:The central idea of the passage is that:
Explanation
Option 1 is incorrect. The passage states that “... the city must contend with a new invasion: tourists.” However, it does not imply that arrival of tourists can cause damage to the temple site. Also, the reference to tourists is to provide a contrast in the last paragraph. It is not the main concern of the passage. Eliminate 1.
Option 2 is incorrect. The author does state that the structure “... is not a pyramid at all, but a great Russian doll of a construction ...” However, later in the passage the author repeatedly refers to the temple as a “pyramid”. The “Russian doll of a construction” is mentioned only to emphasize that the temple was developed in stages. It is not the central idea of the passage. Eliminate 2.
Option 3 is correct. The passage starts with “For an obscure temple no one’s heard of, Cholula (now part of Mexico) holds an impressive array of records ...” This sentence clearly sets the tone of the passage by providing a contrast between the impressive records held by the temple and its relative anonymity. Throughout the passage the author highlights the fact that the pyramid was covered by forest and was discovered in the 20th century, in the year 1910. Thus, the author’s main concern is to emphasize that in spite of its impressive construction, the existence of the temple was not known till the early 20th century because it was covered in vegetation. Retain 3.
Option 4 is incorrect. The author states that “...they (the natives of Cholula) probably had a lot of money.” Also, it states that “It (the temple) grew in stages, as successive civilisations improved on what had already been built.” But, these points are made to emphasize the enormity of the temple and are not the central idea of the passage. Eliminate 4.
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Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 58
Try yourself:All these are true about Cholula EXCEPT:
Explanation
Option 1 is incorrect. The passage states that “According to myth it was built by a giant named Xelhua, after he escaped a flood in the neighbouring Valley of Mexico.” Thus, we can conclude that the story of Xelhua was passed down by a tradition of myths i.e. folklore. Thus, this option is not an exception. Eliminate 1.
Option 2 is incorrect. The passage states that “Cholula is conveniently located in the Mexican highlands and was an important trading post for thousands of years, linking the Tolteca-Chichimeca kingdoms in the North with the Maya in the South.” Thus, we can conclude that it was a center of regional importance. Eliminate 2.
Option 3 is correct. The passage states that “Certainly, by the time the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez and his army arrived in the 16th century, it was already a thousand years old and entirely concealed by vegetation.” We cannot deduce from the word “arrived”, whether Hernan Cortez and his army conquered Cholula or not. Thus, option 3 is not inferable. Retain 3.
Option 4 is incorrect. The passage states that “By the time he [Cortez] arrived, it was the second-largest city in the Aztec empire, though it had already exchanged hands numerous
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Question for 100 RCs for Practice Questions- 58
Try yourself:It can be inferred from the passage that the relics of the “great Russian doll of a construction”
Explanation
“Relics”mean remains or remnants of an historical object.
Option 1 is incorrect. Second last paragraph states that “According to legend, ... the locals covered the precious temple with soil themselves. In fact it may have happened by accident.” Thus, according to the author, the legend may not be true. Eliminate 1.
Option 2 is correct. The passage states that “To locals it’s aptly known as Tlachihualtepetl ("man-made mountain”).” Thus, we can infer that the relics looked like a mountain. Retain 2.
Option 3 is incorrect. Paragraph 4 states that, according to myth the pyramid was built by the giant named Xelhua, not the relics. Eliminate 3.
Option 4 is incorrect. According to the passage, the temple in its prime was covered by insects and not the relics. Eliminate 4.
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