The Prehistoric Temples of Malta (Malta)
The Prehistoric Temples of Malta (Malta)
https://student.grablingo.com/materials_units/1890
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
prehistoric
Adjective
ˌpriːhɪˈstɔːrɪk
dating back to times before history was recorded
The team has excavated prehistoric weapons from the cave.
farmer
Noun
ˈfɑːrmər
a person who grows crops or breeds animals
He works as a sheep farmer.
inhabit
Verb
ɪnˈhæbɪt
to live in a particular place
The polar bear is one of few animals that inhabit the Arctic.
chamber
Noun
ˈtʃeɪmbər
a room that has a particular purpose
The local government meets in this chamber.
restrict
Verb
rɪˈstrɪkt
to impose boundaries; to limit
Smoking is restricted in this area.
priest
Noun
priːst
a member of the clergy, authorized to perform religious rituals
I asked to receive the priest's blessing.
ritual
Noun
ˈrɪtʃuːəl
a pre-established series of actions, often performed regularly and/or for religious purposes
In this ritual, a priest pours water over a baby's head.
come to mind
Phrase
kʌm tu maɪnd
(of an idea) to occur instantly, without putting too much thought into something
First thing that comes to mind when you see him is that he needs a haircut!
Exercise 2
Dialogue Practice
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
Zach is telling his friend, Hannah, about the ancient temples of Malta.
Zach
Did you know that the oldest buildings in Europe, and possibly in the whole world, are located in Malta?
Hannah
Really? I had no idea. When I think about ancient Europe, the Romans and Greeks usually come to mind.
Zach
Well, actually, Malta became part of the Roman Empire, but that was much later. What I'm talking about is prehistoric Malta, and the buildings are from that period of time. They’re even older than the Pyramids of Egypt.
Hannah
Wow. So, what kind of buildings are they?
Zach
The remains of some large, stone temples with surprisingly small chambers.
Hannah
Why were the chambers small? Is there an explanation for that?
Zach
It is believed that the access to the chambers was restricted. Only the priests and priestesses could enter and they would perform rituals for the gods there.
Hannah
I probably don't want to know all the details about those rituals... And who were the people that lived there?
Zach
The first people that inhabited the islands were most probably farmers from Sicily. I found an article with a lot of information about all this. I can send it to you, if you're interested.
Hannah
Please do! You've got me interested now.
Exercise 3
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
That house has not been for years. I have never seen anyone there.
The officiated the wedding ceremony.
Please lead the guests to that .
My grandfather was a .
In every culture, there are certain for important events.
I tried to think of a plan, but nothing .
The access to that area is . No one can go in there.
I like to read about the history of ancient people.
Answer Pool (Questions 1-8)
came to mind
inhabited
farmer
prehistoric
restricted
chamber
priest
rituals
Exercise 4
Discussion
Valetta - the capital city of Malta
Can you describe some of the oldest buildings in your country?
Are there any temples, fortresses or shrines in your country? How are they different from those in Malta?
Would you like to visit the prehistoric temples of Malta? Why? Why not?
Can you give an example of a ritual performed at a certain event in your country?
