TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing Task
Ancient Library
Reading notes
Main Idea:
ancient library at Alexandria
MP1
--- greatest collection in ancient world
-- founded by Ptolemy I
MP2
--- expanded by Ptolemy II
-- Pt. wanted every Greek text ever
written + other countries’
-- had 300,000 to 700,000 scrolls
MP3
--- how scrolls were obtained
-- from all over Western world
-- from foreign powers in trade
-- from citizens in payment of debt
-- from ships in port
Ancient Library
Listening notes
Main Idea: How
library was destroyed
MP1 ---was
thought to have been dest. by Caesar
-- C’s army attacked Alexandria 48
B.C.
-- C’s soldiers set fire to ships in port
-- maybe fire spread to library
MP2 ---
evidence that Caesar did not destroy library
-- library mentioned in literature
up to 4th cent., long after Caesar died
-- movement to destroy temples and pagan texts in 4th century (probably
library destroyed then)
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