The Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra is often
portrayed in movies as a woman of great
beauty. But writers of the time and portraits of
her tell a different story. Although she was pretty,
those who met her praised her mind and manner
more than her beauty.
Cleopatra was born in 69 B.C.E. in
Alexandria. At that time, the city was the capital
of Egypt. The daughters of pharaohs played as
large a role in governing as the sons did. The
children of a pharaoh married each other and
then ruled as co-pharaohs. So Cleopatra
received the same education as her male
relatives.
Her education was broad. Cleopatra studied
the classics of Greek literature. She read the
works of Herodotus and Thucydides. (These
writers are still studied today as important
thinkers.) From them she would have learned
about history, war and politics. She also learned
arithmetic, geometry and astronomy. She
practiced the art of speechmaking. She even
took courses on medicine. Her real talent,
though, lay in learning foreign languages. One
historian of the time wrote that she could speak
at least seven languages, if not more.
Alexandria was known as the most learned
city in the ancient world. In the third century
B.C.E., the famous "School of Alexandria"
thrived there. This was a group of poets, artists
and scientists. Euclid, who gave us geometry,
was part of this group. During Cleopatra's time,
scholars came from all over to study there.
Alexandria had the largest library of the ancient
world. Cleopatra was a product of this tradition
of learning.

Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

A.
The pharaoh Cleopatra was a smart woman. As a future pharaoh of Egypt, she learned the same things that her male relatives did. She studied the many subjects that a leader needs to know. She could speak more than seven languages. Cleopatra was a product of the culture of learning that thrived in ancient Alexandria.
B.
Cleopatra was pharaoh of Egypt. She lived in Alexandria, which was then the capital city. It had the largest library in the ancient world. She was very smart and highly educated. She studied hard. Today people emphasize her beauty, but that is not the most important thing about her.
C.
The pharaoh Cleopatra is portrayed as a woman of great beauty. She had a broad education. She read the Greek classics. Cleopatra was very smart and eventually learned more than seven languages. She also studied history, war and politics.
D.
Cleopatra is often portrayed in movies as a woman of great beauty. During Cleopatra's time, scholars came from all over to study in Alexandria. Alexandria had the largest library of the ancient world. Cleopatra was a product of this tradition.