One of the most feared monsters of Greek myth was Sphinx. This creature, with a woman’s head attached to the body of a winged lion, frightened travellers outside the city of Thebes. She promised not devour them if they answered her riddle : “ What walk on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and thr ee atnight?”. Until Oedipus met Sphinx, no one escaped being eaten, but Oedipus gave her the correct answer –MAN. Her power lost, Sphinx threw herself from a cliff.Ancient Egypt had many huge sphinx–like monsters. Carved statues of winged lions with human or animal heads guarded the Pyramids of dead rulers from tomb–robbers. One monument, over 4,800 years old, is a tourist attraction today.
1.The hunting–ground of the Sphinx was outside
a. Greek cities b. Egyptian cities c. Thebes d. Corinth
2.Travellers unable to answer Sphinx’s riddle were
a. Asked a second riddle b. imprisoned c. eaten d. kept as slaves
3.In the riddle, the span of one day–morning, afternoon, and evening–refers to man’s
a. life–span b. childhood c. adulthood d. old age
4.When Oedipus answered Sphinx’s riddle, she
a. was killed by him b. died a natural death c. threw herself from a cliff d. threw herself into the sea
5.Egytian sphinx–like monsters were meant to frighten
a. dead Pharaohs b. live rulers c. tomb–robbers d. travellers
One of the most feared monsters of Greek myth was Sphinx. This creature, with a woman’s head attached to the body of a winged lion, frightened travellers outside the city of Thebes. She promised not devour them if they answered her riddle : “ What walk on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and thr ee atnight?”. Until Oedipus met Sphinx, no one escaped being eaten, but Oedipus gave her the correct answer –MAN. Her power lost, Sphinx threw herself from a cliff.Ancient Egypt had many huge sphinx–like monsters. Carved statues of winged lions with human or animal heads guarded the Pyramids of dead rulers from tomb–robbers. One monument, over 4,800 years old, is a tourist attraction today.
1.The hunting–ground of the Sphinx was outside
a. Greek cities b. Egyptian cities c. Thebes d. Corinth
2.Travellers unable to answer Sphinx’s riddle were
a. Asked a second riddle b. imprisoned c. eaten d. kept as slaves
3.In the riddle, the span of one day–morning, afternoon, and evening–refers to man’s
a. life–span b. childhood c. adulthood d. old age
4.When Oedipus answered Sphinx’s riddle, she
a. was killed by him b. died a natural death c. threw herself from a cliff d. threw herself into the sea 5.Egytian sphinx–like monsters were meant to frighten
a. dead Pharaohs b. live rulers c. tomb–robbers d. travellers
