In the mountainous rain forest of Peru sits one of the world's greatest treasures: Machu Picchu. Known as the "Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu is an ancient stone village built sometime in the 1400s. When the Spanish conquered the Incan empire, they missed Machu Picchu. It was too well hidden in the jungle. The Incas abandoned the city, but it was not destroyed. Eventually, the jungle grew over the city, and the city was forgotten for over 400 years.

Question

In the mountainous rain forest of Peru sits one of the world's greatest treasures: Machu Picchu. Known as the "Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu is an ancient stone village built sometime in the 1400s. When the Spanish conquered the Incan empire, they missed Machu Picchu. It was too well hidden in the jungle. The Incas abandoned the city, but it was not destroyed. Eventually, the jungle grew over the city, and the city was forgotten for over 400 years. 
      In 1911, Hiram Bingham was led to Machu Picchu by Peruvian natives. Bingham was a historian at Yale University in the United States. Though the jungle had taken over, Bingham knew that he had found something spectacular. He led the excavation and restoration of the city and took away many items for study. 
      The architecture is what Machu Picchu is most known for. The buildings were constructed of heavy stones brought from far below up to the top of the mountain. They were designed according to the location of the Sun, stars, and the Moon at certain times of the year. A visit to Machu Picchu amazes most visitors, thinking about the abilities of such an ancient civilization.
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Which of these is the best summary of the first paragraph?
  A. 
Machu Picchu is an ancient Incan city in Peru that was abandoned, overlooked by invaders, and lost for over 400 years.
  B. 
Machu Picchu was not conquered by Spanish invaders because of its location, but it was later abandoned by the Incas.
  C. 
Machu Picchu was forgotten for over 400 years because it was so well hidden in the mountains and jungle.
  D. 
Machu Picchu is an important treasure that was built in the 1400s high in the mountains of Peru and was lost in the jungle.

GPT-4o · Answer

A. Machu Picchu is an ancient Incan city in Peru that was abandoned, overlooked by invaders, and lost for over 400 years.

This summary effectively captures the key points mentioned in the first paragraph: the ancient origin of Machu Picchu, its abandonment, the fact that it was missed by the Spanish conquerors, and its subsequent loss and concealment by the jungle for more than four centuries.