1.  Intricate  Page 363: Why do you think the professor’s find was the discovery of a lifetime?  Complicated; made up of many details  The professor’s find was the discovery of a lifetime because the Temple was a building of great importance, in what was once the most powerful empire in North America. Also, the Aztecs were his own ancestors.

2.  Sites  Metropolis  Causeways  Conquered  Tributes  Places where things are located  A major city; a center of culture  Raised roadways across water or marshlands  Defeated in battle  Gifts given to those in power by people who have been defeated or want protection

3.  Page 365: In what ways was Technochtitlan like a major city? In what ways was it different?  The author uses the word remarkable to describe Technochtitlan. What does this tell you about her viewpoint?  Technochtitlan was like a major city in that it had a large population, large buildings, and gardens. It was different because it was in the middle of a lake and no streets for motor vehicles.  This positive word, remarkable, shows a favorable opinion of the author.

4.  Momentous  Page 369: What kind of animal are the huge deer? What does this phrase tell you about the Aztec’s experience with this kind of animal?  Based on the author’s description of Moctezuma, what kind of person do you think he was?  Extremely important  The huge deer were horses. This phrase tells you Aztecs had never seen horses before and did not know what to call them.  Based on the author’s description of Moctezuma, it is likely he was smart, thoughtful, and superstitious.

5.  Empire  Page 370: Moctezuma thought several unusual events were warnings from Aztec gods. What other explanations could there be?  A large area made up of many territories under one government  Instead of being signs from the gods, the events could have been caused by comets (tongues of fire), underwater gases (boiling lake), and wind or animals (woman wailing).

6.  Page 371: What do you think Cortes’s intentions were when he landed in Tenochtitlan?  What do Moctezuma’s reactions to Cortes’s arrival suggest about the importance of religion in Aztec culture?  I think Cortes was intending to see if the Aztecs had treasures he could steal.  Moctezuma’s reactions to Cortes’s arrival suggest religion was very important to the Aztec culture. People believed in the power of their gods.

7.  Adorned  Page 372: Why do you think Moctezuma wanted to offer Quetzalcoatl gifts?  Why do you think the author includes the sentence Surely he was Quetzalcoatl himself?  Decorated  Moctezuma wanted to offer Quetzalcoatl gifts because the god would not be angry at them.  The author includes this sentence to show the messengers were thinking about Cortes.

8.  Page 374/375: Why do you think Cortes fired his gun for Aztec messengers?  How can you tell that the biographical information about Cortes and Moctezuma is not part of the main text?  Cortex fired his gun at the Aztec messengers to frighten them and to show his power.  The biographical information is clearly separate from the main text in that it is set off in a shaded box, it gives additional information, and, and does not continue the story.

9.  Page 376: Why do you think the author chose to end this segment with the sentence When Moctezuma heard all this, he could not sleep or eat?  What information does the summary give that is not included in the main selection?  The author chose to end the segment with this sentence to show how concerned Moctezuma was about the messenger’s report.  The summary explains how Cortes was able to conquer the Aztec city, which is not in the main selection.