Ancient Egypt was the birthplace of one of the world's first civilizations. This advanced culture arose about 5,000 years ago in the Nile River Valley in north-eastern Africa. It thrived for over 2,000 years and so became one of the longest lasting civilizations in history.
The mighty Nile River was the lifeblood of ancient Egypt. Every year, it overflowed and deposited a strip of rich, black soil along each bank. The fertile soil enabled farmers to raise a huge supply of food. The ancient Egyptians called their country Kemet, meaning ‘black land’, after the dark soil. The Nile also provided water for irrigation and was Egypt's main transportation route. For all these reasons, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt "the gift of the Nile."
The ancient Egyptians made outstanding contributions to the development of civilization. They created the world's first national government, basic forms of arithmetic, and a 365-day calendar. They invented a form of picture writing called hieroglyphics. They also invented papyrus, a paper like writing material made from the stems of papyrus plants. The Egyptians developed one of the first religions to emphasize life after death. They built great cities in which many skilled architects, doctors, engineers, painters, and sculptors worked.
The best known achievements of the ancient Egyptians, however, are the pyramids they built as tombs for their rulers. The most famous pyramids stand at Giza. These gigantic stone structures — marvels of architectural and engineering skills have been preserved by the dry climate for about 4,500 years. They serve as spectacular reminders of the glory of ancient Egypt.
Choose the option that is incorrect.
The Nile River was considered "the life blood of ancient Egypt" because
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → It provided fertile soil and water for irrigation
Note: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. However, there appears to be a discrepancy in the key: the correct answer should be Option (3) → It caused havoc when it overflowed, as explained below.
The question asks for the reason that is not given in the passage. The second paragraph says the Nile overflowed every year and left rich, black soil. The fertile soil fed the people. The Egyptians named their country Kemet, "black land", after that soil. The river gave water for irrigation and was the main transportation route.
Option 1: It was the main transportation route — Incorrect. True in the passage: the Nile "was Egypt's main transportation route".
Option 2: It has black land — Incorrect. True in the passage: the rich, black soil along its banks, which gave the country its name, is part of the passage's account.
Option 3: It caused havoc when it overflowed — Should be Correct. (Incorrect as per NTA) Havoc means great damage and disorder. The passage presents the yearly flood as a gift: it deposited fertile soil. Nothing is said about destruction, so this is the incorrect statement the question asks for.
Option 4: It provided fertile soil and water for irrigation — Should be Incorrect. (But this is the correct answer in the NTA Answer Key.) Both parts are in the passage: "The fertile soil enabled farmers to raise a huge supply of food" and "The Nile also provided water for irrigation". It is one of the true reasons, not an incorrect one.
Advice for the exam: In the real exam, mark the answer that is grammatically or factually correct. If NTA’s provisional answer key marks a different option, challenge it during the answer-key challenge window and give the reason in one or two lines.