Teotihuacan (Mexico)
Teotihuacan (Mexico)
https://student.grablingo.com/materials_units/1889
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
avenue
Noun
ˈævəˌnjuː
a wide road in an urban area
New York City has many avenues.
peak
Noun
piːk
the highest, most successful point of an activity
The singer is at the peak of his career.
multiethnic
Adjective
ˌmʌl.tiˈeθ.nɪk
consisting of a vast variety of ethnicities
The USA is one of the most multiethnic countries in the world.
founder
Noun
ˈfaʊndər
a person responsible for establishing a business, institution, country, etc.
He is the founder of the company.
speculation
Noun
ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃən
a hypothetical guess that something might be true; an assumption
Lionel Messi's future has been the subject of speculation in the media lately.
sacrifice
Noun
ˈsæcrəˌfaɪs
the act of killing an animal or a person as an offering to gods
Animal sacrifices are common in many cultures.
Exercise 2
Dialogue Practice
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
Matt and Carol are talking about Mexico’s ancient city, Teotihuacan, which Carol has visited recently.
Carol
I am telling you, it was fascinating. And not just the pyramids, but the whole site! There is a long avenue that goes between the pyramids, called the Avenue of the Dead.
Matt
That sounds spooky. To be honest, I don’t know much about the ancient Aztec civilization, apart from what I’ve seen in the movies. I didn't even know about Teotihuacan, until recently.
Carol
Well, yeah, most people think about Egypt when they hear the word 'pyramids'. Anyway, at its peak, the city was the largest city in the Americas.
Matt
Wow. And who were the founders of the city?
Carol
Unfortunately, that is still uncertain. It is the subject of much speculation, but there is no definite answer. But it is believed that Teotihuacan was a multiethnic city.
Matt
Interesting. And what about the name, Teotihuacan, does it mean anything?
Carol
Yeah, it means “Birthplace of the Gods”. Oh, speaking of gods, it is believed that Teotihuacanos offered human sacrifices to the gods.
Matt
Yes, I have heard about that. It sounds scary.
Carol
Yes, very much so! And what else... Oh, yeah, we went to the museum and saw a lot of interesting masks, statues, and vessels.
Matt
That's nice. I love art, so that is definitely something I would be interested in. I wish I could see all those things. Seems like a unique experience.
Carol
It sure was! I hope you'll get a chance to go there one day.
Exercise 3
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
This society can be called , because there are people from many different races and nationalities living here.
There was a lot of about how the accident occurred but no one knew the truth.
At the of his career, he got a lot of support from the team's fans.
The of this school was my great-grandfather.
The goat was offered as a to the gods.
You can find that store on Park .
Answer Pool (Questions 1-6)
multiethnic
speculation
founder
sacrifice
peak
Avenue
Exercise 4
Discussion
Would you like to visit the ancient city of Teotihuacan? Why? Why not?
Are you interested in ancient civilizations? Why? Why not?
Do you like going to museums? What kind of museums do you like? (Art, History, Science, etc.)
What are the main forms of art in your country's culture and history?
