A. Read the article. Then answer the questions.
THREE SISTERS
Millions of local Australians and tourists travel to visit the Three Sisters rock formation each year. The formation is located in Australia’s Blue Mountains located just over 100 kilometers northwest of Sydney. Its breathtaking views and fascinating folklore continue to attract visitors.
The Three Sisters are actually three peaks right next to each other that reach heights of 922, 918 and 906 meters above sea level. The peaks were formed by erosion. This means that over time, wind, rain, and rivers wore down the rock and left the three shapes people see today.
The name “Three Sisters” comes from Aboriginal folklore. The peaks are named after three human sisters—Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo. According to one story, the sisters were very beautiful and had fallen in love with three brothers from another tribe. The sisters were forbidden to marry the brothers, so the brothers decided to take the girls by force. This resulted in a tribal war. In order to protect the girls, a witch doctor turned them into stone. He intended to turn the girls back into humans again after the war ended, but he got killed instead, so the spell was never reversed. The rocks stand today to remind people of the sadness of war.
Another story talks about Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo’s father using a “magic bone” to turn them into stone. He did so in order to protect the girls from an evil monster. Then he turned himself into a bird to escape as well. When he became a bird, he lost his magic bone and was never able to turn his daughters back into humans again. It is said that the bird continues to search for the magic bone so that someday, the girls can return to their human form.
Visitors can read about these stories as they bushwalk, or hike, around the area. Some visitors walk down The Giant Stairway—a set of 800 stone and steel steps built in 1909—to get a view of the rocks from below. Others ride the historic Scenic Railway built in the 1880s to take in the sights. Any way you experience it, the Three Sisters is an incredible sight for everyone to enjoy.
1. What is the purpose of this passage?
a. to persuade people to visit a place b. to decide which story is true
c. to describe a place
2. Which paragraph scientifically explains how the Three Sisters were formed?
a. Paragraph 2 b. Paragraph 3 c. Paragraph 4
3. What does “spell” mean in paragraph 3?
a. a period of time b. how a word is written
c. words that make something happen
4. What happens in both of the Aboriginal stories?
a. The girls were turned into stone. b. A witch doctor tried to help the girls.
c. There was a war between two tribes.
5. In paragraph 3, which event from the story happened first?
a. The girls were turned into stone. b. A war started between two tribes.
