Central Ideas and Purpose in The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone
Question 4 • DAEP-English 7 A(20 Day Term)
Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, by James Cross Giblin.Another, more complete copy of the same decree that appeared on the Stone was found on a slab at Philae in 1848. Fuller translations of the hieroglyphic text soon followed. A Latin version came out in 1851, a French one in 1867, and an English one in 1871. But many of the hieroglyphs on this slab were missing also, so only a few words and phrases could be added to what was already known from the Rosetta Stone.Which detail from the excerpt develops the idea that scholars faced many challenges in deciphering the meaning of the decree on the Rosetta Stone?
Answer
A
more complete copy of the same decree
B
found on a slab at Philae in 1848
C
A Latin version came out in 1851
D
many of the hieroglyphs on this slab were missing
Explanation
The excerpt explains that the copy found at Philae was also incomplete: “many of the hieroglyphs on this slab were missing.” Missing hieroglyphs meant scholars had less evidence to use when interpreting the decree, showing one of the challenges they faced. The detail “more complete copy” suggests the Philae slab helped, but choice D identifies the obstacle directly.
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