12.2* Complete the sentence with the past simple or past continuous form of the verb in brackets:



Alexander the Great

While he 1) (grow up) was growing up, the philosopher Aristotle was his teacher. Alexander 2) (become) _______ interested in science, medicine, philosophy and literature. While his father Philip 3) (attend) _______ his daughter's wedding, a young nobleman 4) (murder) _______ him. Alexander was king of Macedonia at the age of 20.

While he 5) (fight) _______ his enemies in the north, the Greeks in the south 6) (start) _______ a rebellion. He 7) (destroy) _______ all their cities. He 8) (lead) _______ his army against the Persian Empire through what is now Turkey 9) (stay) _______ in the ancient city of Gordium, he 10) (undo) _______ the Gordian knot. A legend said that only a future king of Asia could do this.

While his army 11) (march) _______ through Persia, it 12) (defeat) _______ Darius, the king of Persia. He 13) (found) _______ the city of Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile while he 14) (visit) _______ Egypt. While he 15 (travel) _______ with his army, he 16) (give) _______ his name to many other towns.

He 17) (kill) _______ his friend Clitus in a quarrel, while they 18) (have) _______ dinner.

While he 19) (attack) _______ the city of Mali in India, he 20) (receive) _______ a serious wound from an arrow.

While he 21) (attend) _______ a banquet in Babylon in 323 BC, he 22) (fall) _______ ill and 23) (die) _______.