The Reading / Listening - Level 2

The ancient city of Pompeii in Italy gets hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. It is one of Italy's big tourist destinations. Most tourists leave the 2,000-year-old city with happy memories, photos and souvenirs, but some take more. They take historic relics, like small statues, stones or mosaic tiles. Many people are now regretting this. They say the relics are cursed and have filled their lives with bad luck. A senior official at Pompeii said he has had hundreds of relics from across the world returned. Many people apologised and wrote stories about their bad luck.

The senior official, Massimo Osanna, said one man from Latin America wrote about his life being full of traumas after he got home from Italy with a small tile from Pompeii. A man from Spain returned five packages, including a bronze statue he stole in 1987. He complained that the statue had put, "a curse on his entire family". Mr Osanna now wants to set up an exhibition of all the letters he has received. He said the letters might be more interesting than the relics. He added: "It's not that the stolen pieces are highly interesting or valuable. It's more the letters."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11932368/Pompeiis-pilferers-punished-with-a-curse-from-the-gods.html
    http://www.thelocal.it/20151013/pompeii-thieves-claim-relics-are-cursed
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

The ancient city

a.

with happy memories

2.

hundreds of thousands

b.

cursed

3.

It is one of Italy's big

c.

of tourists

4.

tourists leave the 2,000-year-old city

d.

regretting this

5.

historic relics,

e.

and wrote stories

6.

Many people are now

f.

of Pompeii

7.

They say the relics are

g.

tourist destinations

8.

apologised

h.

like small statues



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

senior

a.

has received

2.

five

b.

statue

3.

a bronze

c.

than the relics

4.

put a curse

d.

valuable

5.

set up

e.

packages

6.

all the letters he

f.

official

7.

more interesting

g.

on his entire family

8.

highly interesting or

h.

an exhibition

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The (1) ___________________ Pompeii in Italy gets hundreds of thousands (2) ___________________ year. It is one of Italy's big tourist destinations. Most tourists leave the 2,000-year-old city with happy memories, photos and souvenirs, but (3) _______________. They take historic relics, like small statues, stones or mosaic tiles. Many people are (4) ___________________. They say the relics (5) ___________________ have filled their lives with bad luck. A senior official at Pompeii said he has had hundreds of (6) ___________________ the world returned. Many people apologised and wrote stories about their bad luck.

The senior official, Massimo Osanna, (7) ___________________ Latin America wrote about (8) ___________________ of traumas after he got home from Italy with a small tile from Pompeii. A man from Spain returned (9) ___________________, including a bronze statue he stole in 1987. He complained that the statue had put, "a (10) ___________________ family". Mr Osanna now wants to set up an exhibition of all the letters he has received. He said the letters (11) ___________________ interesting than the relics. He added: "It's not that the stolen pieces are highly (12) ___________________. It's more the letters."

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TheancientcityofPompeiiinItalygetshundredsofthousandsoftourists
everyyear.ItisoneofItaly'sbigtouristdestinations.Mosttouristsleavet
he2,000-year-oldcitywithhappymemories,photosandsouvenirs,bu
tsometakemore.Theytakehistoricrelics,likesmallstatues,stonesorm
osaictiles.Manypeoplearenowregrettingthis.Theysaytherelicsarecur
sedandhavefilledtheirliveswithbadluck.AseniorofficialatPompeiisaid
hehashadhundredsofrelicsfromacrosstheworldreturned.Manypeopl
eapologisedandwrotestoriesabouttheirbadluck.Theseniorofficial,Ma
ssimoOsanna,saidonemanfromLatinAmericawroteabouthislifebeing
fulloftraumasafterhegothomefromItalywithasmalltilefromPompeii.
AmanfromSpainreturnedfivepackages,includingabronzestatuehest
olein1987.Hecomplainedthatthestatuehadput,"acurseonhisentirefa
mily".MrOsannanowwantstosetupanexhibitionofallthelettershehasr
eceived.Hesaidthelettersmightbemoreinterestingthantherelics.Hea
dded:"It'snotthatthestolenpiecesarehighlyinterestingorvaluable.It'
smoretheletters."

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about old cities for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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