TACHS CHSEE Reading Practice Test 2026

Passage 3 In ancient Egypt, there once was a pharaoh who turned the entire kingdom upside down. The ancient Egyptians believed that many deities existed and these deities controlled all of nature and human activity. For example, there were deities who controlled the flood stages of the Nile, the stars in the sky, and the weather. Others had responsibilities in the afterlife. Egyptians never questioned this system until Amenhotep IV took the throne. Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to Akhenaton, did away with the system of worshipping many deities and replaced it with the worship of a single deity, Aton, who was the sun god. Historians debate Akhenaton’s motives. Some argue that he was mentally disturbed and obsessed with the sun. Others argue that he made a brilliant political move by taking power away from the kingdom’s many priests who were loyal to various deities. Regardless of his motives, Akhenaton’s bold decision temporarily altered life for everyone in Egypt. Which of the following, based on the information in the paragraphs, is most likely true?