1.1 What do you know about the lost city of Atlantis? Where was it? What happened to it? Discuss.

1.2 You are studying the mystery of Atlantis in your History class and your teacher has asked you to make a short presentation to a group of British students who are visiting your school. You have already done some research, but some information is missing from your notes below. Listen to part of a BBC radio programme about Atlantis and fill in the gaps in your notes.

NOTES

✓ Earliest records of Atlantis: 370 BC.
✓ Plato learned the story from Solon.
? Solon learned the story when he travelled to (1) ……………
✓ The island was named after Atlas.
✓ On top of a hill, there was a temple.
? Inside the temple was a (2) …….......…… statue of the God of the Sea driving six
winged (3) …………. .
? A violent (4) ……………....….. shook the land, giant (5) …………….....… rolled over the
shores and the island sank into the sea.

Did you know?

Over 5,000 books
have been published
on the legend of
Atlantis.

LESSON 4 • MYSTERIES OF OUR WORLD

2.1 Work in pairs. Complete the first two columns of the KWL chart with what you already know about
Atlantis and what else you would like to know about it.

2.2 Mr. Alexandros Demetriou, a famous Greek archaeologist, was interviewed about Atlantis for an
English language newspaper, “The Athens Tribune”. Read the interview and find three more
interesting facts about Atlantis. Complete the last column of the KWL chart above.

A MATHS PROBLEM FOR YOU
Akrotiri was buried 15 feet below the ground.
Can you calculate how many metres that is?
Ask your Maths teacher for help.

2.3 Do you think Atlantis really existed or is it a
myth? Why?

4.1 Suppose you are Mr. Brown, a British archaeologist. You have just made an interesting discovery
and you want to send an e-mail to your colleagues to inform them about it. Here are your notes.
Use them to write your e-mail.

NOTES

• investigate / archaeological
site
• discover / ruins / temples
• excavate statues / pots
• find coins / jewellery
• see wall paintings / carvings

4.2 Work in pairs. One of you is Mr. Brown and the other one is a reporter who is writing an article
about Mr. Brown’s amazing discovery. Act out the interview using the information from the
e-mail in 4.1.

e.g. Reporter: Mr. Brown, would you like to say a few words to our readers about the amazing discovery you made two weeks ago?
Mr. Brown: Yes, I’d be glad to share this experience with you.
What would you like to know?
Reporter: What exactly did you investigate?
Mr. Brown: I investigated a new archaeological site.
Reporter:………………………

Work in groups. What do we call the giant waves that washed away Atlantis? What do you know about
them? Find out which parts of the world these waves usually occur in and why.

LESSON 5 • ACROSS THE AGES

1.1 Many museums all over the world exhibit items from people’s everyday life in the past. What would
you expect to see in these museums? Is there such a museum in your town?

1.2 Mr. Vabriani, a famous geologist, is being interviewed on Sky-TV. He is talking about a geological
phenomenon that changed a city completely. Listen to the interview and take down notes to answer
the questions. Compare your answers with your partner’s.
1. What place is the geologist talking about? ..............................................................................................................
2. What was the place like 2,000 years ago? ...............................................................................................................
3. What happened to this place? When? ........................................................................................................................
4. What can you see in the local museum in this city today? .............................................................................

1.3 These pictures show findings from this city. Can you guess what they show?

LESSON 5 • ACROSS THE AGES

2.1 Read the text and look at its title. Why do you think the writer chose this specific title?

… When Time Stood Still... I Almost 2,000 years ago, and only a few days’ journey from Rome by coach, the lively city of Pompeii lay at the foot of a volcano named Mount Vesuvius. II Pompeii was a dynamic, commercial centre full of life. There were dozens of shops where shopkeepers sold jewellery and perfumes, potters worked with clay, and metalworkers and glassblowers amazed passers-by with their skill. There were theatres, bars, taverns and public baths where people used to go to relax and socialise. There was also an amphitheatre where people used to watch gladiators fight. III Vesuvius had not erupted in more than a thousand years. There had been an earthquake some years earlier, but no one could imagine what would follow… Then, in August AD 79, the earth started to shake again, and a few hours later, the volcano erupted with a tremendous bang. Tons of rocks, ash and hot lava buried Pompeii. Buildings collapsed, fires broke out everywhere. It was a terrifying scene. People everywhere were screaming, children were crying, and others were praying for the destruction to stop. For the city of Pompeii, time stopped here. IV In 1748, when archaeologists began excavations, they discovered that the lava had not only destroyed Pompeii, but it had also preserved it. Everything was found exactly the way it had been almost two thousand years ago. Archaeologists found shops, temples, a theatre, wall paintings. The hot ashes had hardened around people’s bodies preserving the positions they were in at the time of the eruption. The bodies had turned into dust, but by pouring plaster into holes in the hardened ash, archaeologists were able to make out their shapes. In some cases, they could even see the expression on a person’s face. Inside the houses they found a half-eaten loaf of bread, eggs, a kettle on the fire. They even found a sign at the entrance of a house saying ‘Cave Canem’, which means: ‘Beware of the Dog’! Adapted from: “Lost Civilisations: Pompeii, The Vanished City”, Time Life Publications

2.2 The sentences below summarise the paragraphs of the text. Match each one with an appropriate paragraph.
Paragraph
1. What happened on the day of the eruption. ...................................
2. What Pompeii was like 2,000 years ago. ...................................
3. Where Pompeii is located. ...................................
4. The archaeological discoveries in Pompeii. ...................................

4.2 Look at this sentence.
• Scientists poured plaster into holes and made plaster casts of people and things.
There are two actions in the sentence. When did they happen?
a. one after the other
b. at the same time
What tense is used? ……………………………….

4.3 Now read the following sentences and circle
the correct answer in the box.
• They used to go to baths to relax.
• They used to watch gladiators fight.

4.4 Compare the following examples. Is there a difference in meaning?
• They used to go to baths to relax.
• They went to baths to relax.

5.1 It was 12:00 noon on August 24th in Pompeii. Look at the pictures and say what was happening
at that time.

The Romans invented the calendar and gave names to the
months we use. What month were you born in? Can you find out where its name comes from? Ask your History teacher for help or visit the site: www.calendar-origins.com

You have received the following e-mail from your Swedish penfriend. Read the e-mail and reply to your friend answering his questions.

LESSON 6 • LIFE ON THE WATER

1.1 Look at the pictures below and discuss how civilisations began.

1.2 You are doing a project on pyramids from all over the world. You have drawn up a chart to show
your classmates, but you haven’t been able to find all the information yet. You have just come
across an educational programme on TV that may be useful. Listen and fill in the blanks.

LESSON 6 • LIFE ON THE WATER

LAND OF THE PHARAOHS

We have all heard of the sophisticated civilisation of the Egyptians. Not only was it one of the first, it
also lasted the longest: nearly 3,500 years!
The Egyptians were superb engineers, astronomers, accountants, mathematicians and surgeons, and
they used mysterious symbols, called hieroglyphics, to write. They built temples dedicated to their Gods
and a famous statue, the Sphinx. What they are best known for, though, are the pyramids they built.
The main role of these tombs was to protect the pharaohs’ bodies from decay, since the Egyptians firmly
believed that after death, their spirits lived on and would need their bodies in the afterlife! They
preserved the bodies by using salt and various substances to dry them out, after they had removed all the
internal organs. Afterwards, they
wrapped the bodies in linen bandages
to become mummies. Many things
the pharaohs had used while they
were alive accompanied them into
the tombs: jewellery, furniture,
make-up, toys and especially food!
One reason for this was Egypt’s location.
It lies in a valley between two deserts,
and the great river Nile, almost 1,000
kmlong, crosses it from top to bottom. Every year, for about 4 months, the Nile overflowed and flooded
the surrounding fields. As the water slowly receded, it left behind a thick layer of mud. This made the
fields very fertile and gave Egypt its ancient name, Kemet, which meant ‘black land’.
How did they build them? No one really knows how they managed to lift the tremendously heavy stone
blocks and lay them in place. What is even more remarkable is that they had no heavy equipment, such
as cranes, to help them; they didn’t even use the wheel until a few centuries later! Probably, thousands
of men dragged and pulled the blocks up specially made ramps. These imposing stone structures were
constructed as tombs for their kings and queens, the Pharaohs.
Our fascination with the Egyptians has no end. We will always owe this magnificent civilisation more
than we will ever know.

Adapted from: “History of Man: The Last 2 Million Years”, Reader’s Digest

2.3 Listen to check if you have found the right order.

2.4 Read the article again and tick whether the statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Mentioned (NM).

1. The river Nile flows through Egypt and other countries as well.
2. Egypt got its ancient name from the mud.
3. The Egyptians were very good at most sciences.
4. They used heavy equipment to move the stones for the pyramids.
5. The Pharaohs decided where the pyramids would be built.
6. Many Pharaohs were buried in the same pyramid.

4.1 Look at the following sentence.
• Many things the pharaohs had used during their livesaccompanied them into their tombs.

What happened first? Tick.
o The pharaohs used these things during
their lives.
o These things accompanied them into
their tombs.

You are writing an article about activities in the ancient world for your school newspaper. Below are
the notes you took during your research. Use your notes to write the paragraphs that refer to Egypt
and Greece.

1. Egyptian farming

• Egyptian farmers [clear away] the stones and branches / the floods [go down] (after)
• they [clear] the soil / they [plough] it (before)
• they [plough] the soil / they [scatter] seeds (after)

e.g. Egyptian farmers cleared away the stones and branches from their fields after the floods had gone down.

2. Wall paintings in Santorini

• Theran artists [begin] a wall painting / they already [think] carefully about what images to draw (before)
• They [rub] the plaster walls with pebbles to make them smooth / they [draw] ideas directly onto the wall (after)
• They [make] sure all details [be] accurate / they [use] colours to fill in the sketches (before)

Imagine you are taking a guided tour
on a riverboat down the Nile during an
educational trip to Egypt. The leaflet
you were given was not clearly printed.
Listen to the guide and write down the
missing words on the leaflet.

7.1 Minoas was a young boy who lived in ancient
Greece in the year 1470 BC. Read the story
about a day that changed his life and answer
the questions. Compare your answers with
your partner’s.

NOTES

1. Who is the main character in
the story?
2. What happened in the story?
3. When did the disaster happen?
4. Where did it happen?
5. How did it happen?
6. Why did it happen?
7. How did life for the villagers change after
the disaster?
8. How did the main character feel?

7.2 Find the following in Minoas’s story.
1. What does he say in the first and last
paragraphs?
2. Why does he use his mother’s actual
words in paragraph 2?
3. Underline all the time expressions in the
story. What are they used for?

7.3 You have decided to enter a story competition.
The title of the competition entry is the following:
“Imagine you are living in ancient Greece,
or another ancient civilisation. Write your
own story about a life-changing experience
you had”. Make notes first and look at the
‘Useful Tips’ for help.

7.4 Write your story.

7.5 Read your partner’s story and help him/her
to improve it. Look at p.162 for tips on how to
give peer feedback and write comments on
your partner’s writing.
.

7.6 Rewrite your story in order to improve it. Take
into consideration your partner’s comments.

1. Vocabulary

1. They evacuated the town after the volcanic
e………….............................…
2. They do not c………….............................… his ideas. He’s
an expert.
3. We can p………….............................… that this is the best
solution to our problem. We have evidence.
4. The violent earthquake made a lot of buildings
c………….............................… .
5. They haven’t found the l………….............................… of the
ancient city yet.
6. They are going to c………….............................… a bridge
to link the remote areas.
7. She is a r………….............................… scientist. Everybody
admires her for her work and intelligence.
8. Schliemann’s curiosity led to the d…………...................…
of Troy.

... / 8

1.2 Circle the appropriate phrasal verb in the
sentences below.
1. Someone broke into / broke down our friends’
house and stole all their belongings.
2. The war which broke up / broke out last year
has finally ended.
3. Tom has broken out / broken up with Joan.
They don’t go out anymore.
4. We were driving to hospital when our car broke
up / broke down.

... / 4

3. When did you last visited Egypt? Two years ago.
4. They had finished the preparations when I had arrived.
5. They didn’t use to travel a lot.
6. I wasn’t reading history books when I was nine
years old.

... / 6

3. Writing

Imagine you had the chance to travel back in time and visit an ancient civilisation. Write a short story
about your experience. Make sure your story answers the following questions: Where did you go? Who

Work by yourself and tick the sentences that are true for you. You can discuss your answers in class.

Working in Groups

When working in groups,
o I work well with the others in my group.
o I always consider what the others in my group say.
o I put forward my own point of view.
o I do the same amount of work as the others in my group.
o I always finish my part of the work.
o I learn from the others in my group.
o I use English to communicate with the others in my group.
o other ………….............................………

In Lessons 4, 5 and 6 you worked in pairs or groups. Write down some good and bad points and discuss
them in class. How can you work better together next time?

Reflecting on your Learning

Tick the sentences that are true for you.

At the end of Lessons 4, 5 and 6, I think I can

o discuss ancient civilisations
and life in the past
o describe natural disasters
o talk about past habits and events
o talk about past actions in progress