Question
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
(1) The city of Babylon, located in ancient Mesopotamia, has always been an intriguing location for historians. Situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Babylon was a beautiful city which flourished for several years and at a certain period was even referred to as the "Holy City." However, the aspect that fascinates historians the most about this ancient city is the Hanging Gardens.
(2) The Hanging Gardens, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is the only artifact which has no conclusive proof of its existence. The wonder is named as Hanging Gardens because the gardens were built high above the ground on multi-level stone terraces. Rather than plants being rooted in the conventional manner, they were planted all across the multi-level walks. This created a pyramid-like effect, but with beautiful and exotic plants instead of stone blocks.
(3) According to historians, the Hanging Gardens are said to have been built around 600 BC. The unique layout of the gardens has an interesting story. King Nebuchadnezzar II, who was the ruler at that time, decided to create this garden as a present for his wife. Amyitis, Nebuchadnezzar's wife, came from a land that was lush and green. As a result, she found the dry, flat lands of Mesopotamia rather dull. Thus, in order to cheer her up, King Nebuchadnezzar II decided to create the Hanging Gardens as a replica of the mountainous regions of the queen's native land.
(4) Being enormous, the garden required at least 8,200 gallons of water each day to keep the plants thriving. This was a large quantity of water for the rather dry Mesopotamia lands. Furthermore, Babylon rarely received rainfall. This meant that the water required for the garden had to be irrigated from the Euphrates River. To add to this, the water had to be carried to the very top of the garden so that when the water was released, it would spread to all the levels of the garden. This was a Herculean task since modern engines and pressure pumps did not exist during that period. The architects of the garden had come up with different solutions to fix this problem by devising the chain pump or the screw pump. However, this pump had to be manually handled and this was a rigorous task for the workers.
(5) Watering the plants in the garden wasn't the only problem that the architects of the Hanging Gardens faced. Since stone was difficult to gather in the Mesopotamia plains, the Hanging Garden was built using bricks. The bricks were created using clay and bitumen. As a result, when in contact with water, the bricks would begin to dissolve. To resolve this situation, the architects created the platform of the garden with huge slabs of stone which was covered in sheets of lead. This prevented the water from seeping through and affecting the foundation of the garden. On top of the stone slab and lead sheets was a layer of soil, thick enough for large trees. The most beautiful plants grew in this soil, and created a remarkable sight.
(6) In spite of several efforts, there is no concrete evidence of the existence of this garden. A number of Greek historians have written about the Hanging Gardens, which makes the possibility of its existence rather strong. Some say that the garden was destroyed in an earthquake in the second century BC. Others have stated different theories about its destruction. Nevertheless, the garden has been a source of intrigue for historians and archaeologists for several centuries.
2
Which of the following sentences best states the topic of paragraph 5?
A.
Nebuchadnezzar II is well renowned even today because he was responsible for creating the beautiful monument.
B.
In spite of the name, the plants in the garden did not actually hang, but grew on the different terrace levels.
C.
Nebuchadnezzar II is said to have planted plants from Amyitis' native land so that she wouldn't feel homesick.
D.
Creating a strong foundation for such an enormous monument was another problem that the architects faced.
(1) The city of Babylon, located in ancient Mesopotamia, has always been an intriguing location for historians. Situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Babylon was a beautiful city which flourished for several years and at a certain period was even referred to as the "Holy City." However, the aspect that fascinates historians the most about this ancient city is the Hanging Gardens.
(2) The Hanging Gardens, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is the only artifact which has no conclusive proof of its existence. The wonder is named as Hanging Gardens because the gardens were built high above the ground on multi-level stone terraces. Rather than plants being rooted in the conventional manner, they were planted all across the multi-level walks. This created a pyramid-like effect, but with beautiful and exotic plants instead of stone blocks.
(3) According to historians, the Hanging Gardens are said to have been built around 600 BC. The unique layout of the gardens has an interesting story. King Nebuchadnezzar II, who was the ruler at that time, decided to create this garden as a present for his wife. Amyitis, Nebuchadnezzar's wife, came from a land that was lush and green. As a result, she found the dry, flat lands of Mesopotamia rather dull. Thus, in order to cheer her up, King Nebuchadnezzar II decided to create the Hanging Gardens as a replica of the mountainous regions of the queen's native land.
(4) Being enormous, the garden required at least 8,200 gallons of water each day to keep the plants thriving. This was a large quantity of water for the rather dry Mesopotamia lands. Furthermore, Babylon rarely received rainfall. This meant that the water required for the garden had to be irrigated from the Euphrates River. To add to this, the water had to be carried to the very top of the garden so that when the water was released, it would spread to all the levels of the garden. This was a Herculean task since modern engines and pressure pumps did not exist during that period. The architects of the garden had come up with different solutions to fix this problem by devising the chain pump or the screw pump. However, this pump had to be manually handled and this was a rigorous task for the workers.
(5) Watering the plants in the garden wasn't the only problem that the architects of the Hanging Gardens faced. Since stone was difficult to gather in the Mesopotamia plains, the Hanging Garden was built using bricks. The bricks were created using clay and bitumen. As a result, when in contact with water, the bricks would begin to dissolve. To resolve this situation, the architects created the platform of the garden with huge slabs of stone which was covered in sheets of lead. This prevented the water from seeping through and affecting the foundation of the garden. On top of the stone slab and lead sheets was a layer of soil, thick enough for large trees. The most beautiful plants grew in this soil, and created a remarkable sight.
(6) In spite of several efforts, there is no concrete evidence of the existence of this garden. A number of Greek historians have written about the Hanging Gardens, which makes the possibility of its existence rather strong. Some say that the garden was destroyed in an earthquake in the second century BC. Others have stated different theories about its destruction. Nevertheless, the garden has been a source of intrigue for historians and archaeologists for several centuries.
2
Which of the following sentences best states the topic of paragraph 5?
A.
Nebuchadnezzar II is well renowned even today because he was responsible for creating the beautiful monument.
B.
In spite of the name, the plants in the garden did not actually hang, but grew on the different terrace levels.
C.
Nebuchadnezzar II is said to have planted plants from Amyitis' native land so that she wouldn't feel homesick.
D.
Creating a strong foundation for such an enormous monument was another problem that the architects faced.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The sentence that best states the topic of paragraph 5 is:
D. Creating a strong foundation for such an enormous monument was another problem that the architects faced.
This option encapsulates the main focus of paragraph 5, which discusses the challenges the architects encountered regarding the foundation of the Hanging Gardens, particularly due to the materials used and the need to prevent water damage.
D. Creating a strong foundation for such an enormous monument was another problem that the architects faced.
This option encapsulates the main focus of paragraph 5, which discusses the challenges the architects encountered regarding the foundation of the Hanging Gardens, particularly due to the materials used and the need to prevent water damage.