The Reading / Listening - Level 1

The ancient city of Pompeii gets thousands of tourists every year. It is one of Italy's biggest tourist sights. Most tourists leave the city with happy memories and photos, but some take more. They take historic relics, like small statues or mosaic tiles. Many people now regret this. They say the relics have brought them bad luck. Hundreds of people from around the world have returned the relics. Many apologised and wrote about their bad luck.

A senior official at the 2,000-year-old Pompeii, Massimo Osanna, talked about the letters. He said one man from Latin America wrote about his life being full of bad luck after he took a small tile from Pompeii. A Spanish man who stole a bronze statue in 1987 complained that the statue had put, "a curse on his entire family". Mr Osanna wants to set up an exhibition of all the letters. He said the letters might be more interesting than the relics.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   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.

one of Italy's biggest

a.

brought them bad luck

2.

leave the city with happy

b.

tourist sights

3.

They take historic relics,

c.

their bad luck

4.

Many people now

d.

like small statues

5.

They say the relics have

e.

relics

6.

Hundreds of people from

f.

regret this

7.

returned the

g.

memories

8.

wrote about

h.

around the world



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.

A senior

a.

of all the letters

2.

one man from

b.

of bad luck

3.

being full

c.

on his entire family

4.

he took a small tile

d.

Latin America

5.

a bronze

e.

than the relics

6.

put a curse

f.

official

7.

set up an exhibition

g.

statue

8.

more interesting

h.

from Pompeii

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The ancient city of Pompeii (1) ___________________ tourists every year. (2) ___________________ Italy's biggest tourist sights. Most tourists (3) ___________________ with happy memories and photos, but some take more. They take historic relics, (4) ___________________ or mosaic tiles. Many people now regret this. They (5) ___________________ have brought them bad luck. Hundreds of people from around the world have (6) ___________________. Many apologised and wrote about their bad luck.

A senior (7) ___________________ 2,000-year-old Pompeii, Massimo Osanna, talked (8) ___________________. He said one man from Latin America wrote about (9) ___________________ of bad luck after he took a small tile from Pompeii. A Spanish man (10) ___________________ statue in 1987 complained that the statue had put, "(11) ___________________ entire family". Mr Osanna wants to set up an exhibition of all the letters. He said the letters (12) ___________________ interesting than the relics.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TheancientcityofPompeiigetsthousandsoftouristseveryyear.Itisone
ofItaly'sbiggesttouristsights.Mosttouristsleavethecitywithhappyme
moriesandphotos,butsometakemore.Theytakehistoricrelics,likesm
allstatuesormosaictiles.Manypeoplenowregretthis.Theysaytherelic
shavebroughtthembadluck.Hundredsofpeoplefromaroundtheworld
havereturnedtherelics.Manyapologisedandwroteabouttheirbadluck
.Aseniorofficialatthe2,000-year-oldPompeii,MassimoOsanna,tal
kedabouttheletters.HesaidonemanfromLatinAmericawroteabouthis
lifebeingfullofbadluckafterhetookasmalltilefromPompeii.ASpanish
manwhostoleabronzestatuein1987complainedthatthestatuehadput
,"acurseonhisentirefamily".MrOsannawantstosetupanexhibitionofal
ltheletters.Hesaidthelettersmightbemoreinterestingthantherelics.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

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e)

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f)

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g)

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h)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

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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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