The Reading / Listening - Necropolis - Level 2

Archaeologists in Egypt have found a huge cemetery under the sand south of Cairo. It is a 2,000-year-old necropolis. The word necropolis is from ancient Greek and means "city of the dead". The necropolis has thousands of artifacts, including coffins and statues. Archaeologists started digging on the site last year. They found tombs belonging to Thoth. He was the ancient god of the moon and wisdom. People believe he invented writing. Egypt's Antiquities Minister said: "We will need at least five years to work on the necropolis. This is only the beginning of a new discovery."

Mostafa Waziri, the head of the dig, said he was very excited about the site. His team has uncovered eight tombs so far. He expects many more to be found soon. The tombs contain many historic treasures. One includes more than 1,000 statues, and pottery jars with the remains of the internal organs of important ancient Egyptians. Mr Waziri also said there were 40 sarcophagi. A sarcophagus is a stone coffin. Waziri hopes the new site will help to bring more tourists to Egypt. There has been less tourism since the revolution that took place there in 2011.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Necropolis - Level 0 Necropolis - Level 1   or  Necropolis - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ancient-egyptian-necropolis-contains-message-from-the-afterlife/
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-archaeology/egypt-uncovers-ancient-necropolis-south-of-cairo-idUSKCN1G80QI
  • http://www.newsweek.com/ancient-egypt-spectacular-2000-year-old-tomb-complex-discovered-40-sarcophagi-819863


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Archaeologists in Egypt have found
  2. under the
  3. It is a 2,000-year-
  4. The word necropolis is from
  5. The necropolis has thousands
  6. the ancient god of the
  7. We will need at least
  8. the beginning of a new
  1. old necropolis
  2. of artifacts
  3. sand
  4. discovery
  5. moon and wisdom
  6. five years
  7. ancient Greek
  8. a huge cemetery

Paragraph 2

  1. the head of
  2. he was very excited
  3. His team has uncovered
  4. He expects many
  5. The tombs contain many historic
  6. internal
  7. bring more tourists
  8. since
  1. to Egypt
  2. more to be found
  3. organs
  4. the revolution
  5. the dig
  6. treasures
  7. eight tombs so far
  8. about the site

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Archaeologists in Egypt have found (1) ___________________ under the sand south of Cairo. It is a 2,000-year-old necropolis. The word necropolis is (2) ___________________ and means "city of the dead". The necropolis has thousands of artifacts, including (3) ___________________. Archaeologists started digging on the site last year. They found tombs belonging to Thoth. He was the ancient god of the (4) ___________________. People believe he invented writing. Egypt's Antiquities Minister said: "We will (5) ___________________ five years to work on the necropolis. This is only the beginning of (6) ___________________."

Mostafa Waziri, the head of the dig, said he was very excited (7) ___________________. His team has uncovered eight tombs so far. He expects many more to (8) ___________________. The tombs (9) ___________________ treasures. One includes more than 1,000 statues, and pottery jars with the remains of the internal (10) ___________________ ancient Egyptians. Mr Waziri also said there were 40 sarcophagi. A sarcophagus is (11) ___________________. Waziri hopes the new site will help to bring more tourists to Egypt. There has been less tourism (12) ___________________ that took place there in 2011.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ArchaeologistsinEgypthavefoundahugecemeteryunderthesandsout
hofCairo.Itisa2,000-year-oldnecropolis.Thewordnecropolisisfroma
ncientGreekandmeans"cityofthedead".Thenecropolishasthousands
ofartifacts,includingcoffinsandstatues.Archaeologistsstarteddiggin
gonthesitelastyear.TheyfoundtombsbelongingtoThoth.Hewasthean
cientgodofthemoonandwisdom.Peoplebelieveheinventedwriting.Eg
ypt'sAntiquitiesMinistersaid:"Wewillneedatleastfiveyearstoworkont
henecropolis.Thisisonlythebeginningofanewdiscovery."MostafaWaz
iri,theheadofthedig,saidhewasveryexcitedaboutthesite.Histeamhas
uncoveredeighttombssofar.Heexpectsmanymoretobefoundsoon.Th
etombscontainmanyhistorictreasures.Oneincludesmorethan1,000s
tatues,andpotteryjarswiththeremainsoftheinternalorgansofimporta
ntancientEgyptians.MrWazirialsosaidtherewere40sarcophagi.Asarc
ophagusisastonecoffin.Wazirihopesthenewsitewillhelptobringmoret
ouriststoEgypt.Therehasbeenlesstourismsincetherevolutionthattoo
kplacetherein2011.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You