Hiram Bingham and the Lost City of Machu Picchu

Hiram Bingham (1875-1956) was a history teacher. He wanted to learn about the
ancient people of South America. He visited South America five times and discovered
many ancient ruins. His most famous discovery was in Peru. It was the ruins of Machu
Picchu, the lost city of the Incas.
The Incas lived in South America for three hundred years. Then, in the 1500s, they
lost a war with the Spanish. The Spanish tried to destroy everything that the Incas built,
but people said there was still an old city somewhere in the mountains.
Many people searched for Machu Picchu, but no one found it. Then, in 1911,
Bingham learned about some ruins on a mountain next to the Urubamba river. Bingham
climbed the mountain, and there was the city!
At one time, a thousand people lived in Machu Picchu. They built long streets and
beautiful stone buildings. One building was an observatory where they watched the sun,
moon and stars. They told time by the stars and made a calendar to mark the hours, days
and years.
When did these people leave Machu Picchu? Where did they go? No one knows.
Today, tourists can take buses up to these famous ruins. They walk on the streets and
take pictures of the houses. They like to be in this ancient place.

Exercises
Find the Word in the text. Choose the alternative that has the similar meaning.

1. visited (line 2) a) read about b) looked for c) went to

2. lost (line 4) a) not won b) not found c) old
3. searched for (line 8) a) talked about b) saw c) looked for
4. tourists (line 16) a) people on business b) people on vacation c) bus drivers
5. up (line 16) a) ↓ b) ↑ c) ←
Answer in English

1. Who was Hiram Bingham?

2. What did he discover?

3. Where is located Machu Picchu?

4. Did the Spanish know Machu Picchu

5. Why Machu Picchu was named: “The lost city of the Incas” ?

6. Why do you consider The Incas an intelligent culture?