The city that was lost and rediscovered

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The city that was lost and rediscovered

Warm-up

What UNESCO World Heritage Sites do you know of?

Vocabulary Match

thriving -   - found again
legends -   - stories
disguised -   - dressed up
rediscovered -   - cut
architecture -   - graves
carved -   - successful
tombs -   - buildings

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Petra, an ancient city in Jordan, was lost to the Western world for centuries. Hidden among the mountains, only the local people knew of its existence.

This all changed in 1812 when Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, ________ Petra. He had heard ________ of a lost city and ________ himself as an Arab to explore the region. Burckhardt's discovery amazed the world. Petra was a city ________ directly into red cliffs, complete with ________, temples, and an advanced water system - signs of a once ________ civilization.

Today, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts tourists from all over the world, eager to see its beautiful rock-cut ________ and to learn about its fascinating history.

Quiz

  1. What is Petra?
  2. What did Burckhardt disguise himself as?
  3. What kind of structures were carved into the cliffs of Petra?

True or False

  1. Petra was lost to the Western world for decades.  T  |  F
  2. Petra was a city painted directly onto red cliffs.  T  |  F
  3. Petra attracts tourists from all over the world.  T  |  F

Conversation

A: Can you believe we're here in Petra?
B: It's amazing! It looks better than in the pictures.
A: Look at these buildings carved into the cliffs.
B: And the tombs and temples, just like in the film!
A: Which film was that?
B: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!

Discussion

  1. Have you ever visited a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
  2. Would you like to explore a lost city like Petra? Why or why not?
  3. Have you seen the Indiana Jones films? Did you like them?

True Story Answers

Petra, an ancient city in Jordan, was lost to the Western world for centuries. Hidden among the mountains, only the local people knew of its existence.

This all changed in 1812 when Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, rediscovered Petra. He had heard legends of a lost city and disguised himself as an Arab to explore the region. Burckhardt's discovery amazed the world. Petra was a city carved directly into red cliffs, complete with tombs, temples, and an advanced water system - signs of a once thriving civilization.

Today, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts tourists from all over the world, eager to see its beautiful rock-cut architecture and to learn about its fascinating history.

Vocabulary Answers

rediscovered → found again
legends → stories
disguised → dressed up
carved → cut
tombs → graves
thriving → successful
architecture → buildings

Quiz Answers

  1. Petra is an ancient city in Jordan.
  2. He disguised himself as an Arab.
  3. Tombs, temples and an advanced water system.

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. False
  3. True

Further Reading

https://www.exoticca.com/uk/magazine/lost-city-of-petra/

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ESL Lessons: True Stories