GRADE 12 Trimester 2 ADEC ENGLISH TEACHING RESOURCE BANK ANCIENT AND MODERN BUILDINGS Non-Differentiated
Before you read 1) Work with a group. Create a mind map to answer the question: 2) Why do you think civilizations built huge buildings? 3) Include as many reasons as you can think of. 4) When you read the text add ideas you didn t think of before to your mind map. Ancient & Modern Buildings Ancient Buildings Archaeologists and historians have studied the ruins of ancient buildings and tell us that ancient civilizations built huge buildings for several reasons. First, they built them to demonstrate their great power. They also built them to create a strong society. Large buildings illustrate that the civilization was rich and the people could work together. People who lived there felt strong and proud and people who visited thought so too. The buildings also showed the progress and reflected the pride citizens felt about their culture. Modern Buildings The reason for building enormous buildings in the modern world has not changed much. For example, H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had the Burj Khalifa built in order to exhibit something really amazing to the world and focus attention on the U.A.E. Today the Burj Khalifa is famous around the world. The Burj Khalifa also reflects the U.A.E. s progress and its skill in using technology. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was a dream in the heart of the late H. H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan (May God rest his Soul), and embodies the character of a visionary leader who believed that nothing is impossible and that most achievements start from the heart. H. H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed said that Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque represents the great sentimental and moral values of the people of the U.A.E. and their leadership. The Grand Mosque therefore is both a powerful and beautiful building that symbolizes the importance of the Emirati values laid out so clearly by its founding father, the Late H. H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nayan (May God rest his Soul.) 37
Reading Comprehension Answer the questions in full sentences in the spaces provided. 1) List four reasons why ancient civilizations built huge buildings. 2) What does the Burj Khalifa show the rest of the world about the U.A.E.? 3) Why was H. H. Sheihk Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan a visionary leader? 4) What does the Grand Mosque symbolize? 38
Grammar Present simple and past simple tenses The present simple tense is used to talk about things that exist or actions that happen today. For example: The Burj Khalifa is famous around the world. Hundreds of people visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque every day. In the present simple the subject and the verb have to agree with one another. For example: The Empire State Building is tall. You are tall. I am tall. For example: Thousands of people visit The Burj Khalifa every year. You visit the Burj Khalifa every year. Hamad visits the Burj Khalifa every year. The past simple tense is used to talk about things that existed in the past (but not now) or actions that started and ended in the past. For example: Egyptians built the pyramids thousands of years ago. The Colossus of Rhodes was the tallest statue in the world. Some verbs are regular and to form the past tense you just add ed to the end. For example: I visited the Burj Khalifa last year. Other verbs are irregular. These verbs form the past tense in many different ways. For example: I saw the Great Pyramid at Giza last year. Write the words in each sentence in the correct order. The first one is done as an example. 0) wealth. / symbols / and / of / power / Large / buildings / were / civilization s / a Large buildings were symbols of a civilization s power and wealth. 1) the / ruins / historians / of / buildings. / Archaeologists / study / and / ancient 2) famous / Burj Khalifa / of / U.A.E. s / and / The / the / is / technology. / a / symbol / progress 3) is / tourist / The / famous / Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / a / attraction. 4) for / ancient / built / buildings / similar / civilizations / Both / and / modern / reasons. / large 5) a / values / Large / exhibit / buildings / society s / culture. / and 6) used / create / strong / to / Ancient / societies. / civilizations / buildings / large 39
Vocabulary Skim the text and find a word that means the same as the phrases below. The first one is done for you. 0) ruins The fallen or destroyed remains of something. 1) Very old or existing a long time ago. 2) To show or display something publicly. 3) Science or knowledge put into practical use. 4) Thinking about the future or advancements in a creative way. 5) A person s or society s beliefs about good behavior and what is important. Critical Thinking Building large structures is something that every major civilization has done throughout history. Work with a partner and consider the advantages and disadvantages of building big structures. Advantages of building big structures Disadvantages of building big structures Writing Choose one ancient and one modern building and research them. Write an essay comparing and contrasting the two buildings you chose. Extension Choose an ancient or modern structure and make a video presentation about the structure itself and the benefits it provides to the society or country which built it. 40