The Pyramid of Cestius
Read The Pyramid of Cestius and check the IELTS Reading answers. Though Rome draws tourists from around the world to its many impressive sites, one notable monument there has never attracted nearly as much interest: the Pyramid of Cestius. But why would there be a pyramid in Italy? After the Roman…
Passage preview
Though Rome draws tourists from around the world to its many impressive sites, one notable monument there has never attracted nearly as much interest: the Pyramid of Cestius. But why would there be a pyramid in Italy? After the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 B.C., Egyptian architectural style became the fashion in Rome.
Vocabulary from this passage
6 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- entrepreneur noun
A person who organizes and operates a business, taking on financial risks.
A Japanese entrepreneur donated millions of euros to fund the renovation of the pyramid.
- excavation noun
The action of excavating something, especially an archaeological site.
During the excavation of the site, workers found fragments of ancient bronze statues.
- fresco noun
A painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling.
Visitors can still see the ancient frescoes of the goddess Victoria inside the tomb.
- notable adjective
Worthy of attention or notice; remarkable.
The Pyramid of Cestius is a notable monument that is often overlooked by tourists.
- obelisk noun
A stone pillar, typically having a square or rectangular cross-section and a pyramidal top.
Many obelisks were erected in Rome following the fashion for Egyptian-style architecture.
- prohibit verb
Formally forbid something by law, rule, or other authority.
Strict Roman laws used to prohibit the burial of citizens within the city walls.
Answers with explanations
- 1. FALSE
The answer is **FALSE**. The passage explicitly states that while other sites in Rome are popular, the Pyramid of Cestius has '**never attracted nearly as much interest**,' contradicting the claim that it has always been a top attraction.
- 2. NOT GIVEN
The statement says the building work was finished **before Cestius' death**. The text says Cestius **ordered** the work to be completed within 330 days and that **construction** took place between 18 B.C. and 12 B.C. It gives no date for his death and never says whether he lived to see the pyramid finished. An order to build quickly does not show when he died, so the text neither confirms nor contradicts the claim. The answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 2-3: Gaulish
2: The statement says the building work was finished **before Cestius' death**. The text says Cestius **ordered** the work to be completed within 330 days and that **construction** took place between 18 B.C. and 12 B.C. It gives no date for his death and never says whether he lived to see the pyramid finished. An order to build quickly does not show when he died, so the text neither confirms nor contradicts the claim. The answer is NOT GIVEN.
3: The question refers to the **Middle Ages** and an **original founder** of Rome. By the Middle Ages, a **popular myth** said the pyramid might be a tomb for Romulus or Remus, 'regarded as the men who had **established** the city of Rome'. 'Established' paraphrases 'founder', and 'might be a tomb' matches 'people thought ... was buried'. The belief is stated as held at that time, so the statement agrees with the text. The answer is TRUE.
- 3. TRUE
The question refers to the **Middle Ages** and an **original founder** of Rome. By the Middle Ages, a **popular myth** said the pyramid might be a tomb for Romulus or Remus, 'regarded as the men who had **established** the city of Rome'. 'Established' paraphrases 'founder', and 'might be a tomb' matches 'people thought ... was buried'. The belief is stated as held at that time, so the statement agrees with the text. The answer is TRUE.
- 3-4: F
3: The question refers to the **Middle Ages** and an **original founder** of Rome. By the Middle Ages, a **popular myth** said the pyramid might be a tomb for Romulus or Remus, 'regarded as the men who had **established** the city of Rome'. 'Established' paraphrases 'founder', and 'might be a tomb' matches 'people thought ... was buried'. The belief is stated as held at that time, so the statement agrees with the text. The answer is TRUE.
4: The statement says tourists and residents **immediately notice** the pyramid's height. Scan the paragraph about the present day. Its foundations lie below street level beside a busy junction, so 'passing tourists and residents could **easily fail to notice** its full height of 119 feet'. 'Fail to notice' directly contradicts 'immediately notice', as the text says people are likely to miss the **height**. Because the claim is the opposite of what the text states, the answer is FALSE.
- 4. FALSE
The statement says tourists and residents **immediately notice** the pyramid's height. Scan the paragraph about the present day. Its foundations lie below street level beside a busy junction, so 'passing tourists and residents could **easily fail to notice** its full height of 119 feet'. 'Fail to notice' directly contradicts 'immediately notice', as the text says people are likely to miss the **height**. Because the claim is the opposite of what the text states, the answer is FALSE.
- 5. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims Yagi **admired** Italian and Egyptian **architecture**. The only evidence about his motives is that he offered to help pay for the **renovation** as 'an act of **gratitude**', because his company 'has grown thanks to Italy'. This gives a business reason, not admiration for any style of building. Nothing mentions Egyptian architecture or his taste at all. The text is therefore silent on his feelings about architecture, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 6. TRUE
The question asks whether the **restoration** funded by Yagi finished **earlier than expected**. The final sentence of the paragraph on the renovation says work 'was completed **ahead of schedule** thanks to his 2-million-euro **contribution**'. 'Ahead of schedule' paraphrases 'earlier than expected', and 'funded by' matches his contribution. Every part of the claim is supported, so the answer is TRUE.
- 7. FALSE
The answer is **FALSE**. The passage mentions that while some **frescoes** (Victoria and vases) remain, the '**majority have disappeared**' over time, contradicting the idea that most of them have survived.
- 8. brick
The gap in '___, marble and cement' needs a **construction material**. The paragraph on construction says the pyramid had an outer layer of white Carrara **marble** and 'was constructed from **brick** held together by a basic kind of **cement**'. The note lists marble and cement, so the missing item is the third material named in the same sentence. One word is required, and the passage prints only the singular 'brick', so the answer is brick.
- 9. shape
The note says its ___ **differs** from the pyramids in Egypt, so the gap needs a noun for a physical feature. The writer says the pyramid is very **steep**, 'so that the **shape** of Cestius' pyramid is quite **unlike** that of typical Egyptian ones'. 'Unlike' matches 'is different to'. 'Shape' is a single word, as ONE WORD ONLY requires. The following sentences suggest reasons for the difference but do not give a different noun.
- 10. countryside
The answer is **countryside**. At the time it was built, Roman law forbade tombs inside the city. Therefore, the monument was located in the **countryside**, which was then outside the city limits before Rome expanded.
- 11. statues
The note describes 'some broken ___' found **next to** the pyramid in the **1660s**. Scan the paragraph about the rediscovery and excavations. Workers found two marble bases in front of the pyramid and **fragments** of bronze **statues** that had once stood on them. 'Fragments' paraphrases 'broken', and 'in front of' matches 'next to'. The bases are not broken, so the noun that fits the gap is 'statues'.
- 12. tunnel
The note says the ___ inside the tomb suggests that **robbers** had been there. In the excavation paragraph, the workers did not find the **urn** that would have held Cestius' remains, but they came across a **tunnel**. The writer concludes that 'robbers had at some earlier time removed the contents'. The tunnel is the physical clue behind that conclusion, and it is a single noun that fits the gap.
- 13. pollution
The answer is **pollution**. The passage notes that climbers are needed to clean the marble exterior to get rid of the buildup caused by **urban pollution**, which is a recurring problem for monuments in modern cities.