Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. archeological
    • ex. We visited an archeological site to learn about an old civilization.
  2. sacred
    • ex. The temple is a sacred place where people come to pray.
  3. worship
    • ex. In some cultures, people believe nature has power and spirit, so they worship it.
  4. an archeologist
    • ex. The archeologist found a 2,000-year-old pot in the desert while studying an ancient city.
  5. an offering
    • ex. People left an offering of flowers at the temple.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) is helping people in Mexico City learn about ancient civilizations through guided tours. One popular site is Cuicuilco, a quiet archeological area surrounded by busy roads and modern buildings. The circular pyramid at Cuicuilco was once a sacred place where people worshiped a fire god. Each month, INAH experts, including archeologists and historians, lead tours that share knowledge about the site.

Cuicuilco was a large and important city from 400 to 200 B.C. It may have had up to 40,000 people. Although much of its history is unknown, its name means “the place where songs and dances are made” in the Nahua language. Even after its fall, the Teotihuacan people continued to return to make offerings. Today, only part of the old city can be seen.

INAH has been doing educational tours since 1957. Experts create routes for the tours that are approved and shared with the public for a fee of about 260 Mexican pesos (more than ¥2,100). The tours help visitors connect with Mexico’s rich past and understand how ancient societies lived, thought, worshiped, and interacted with the world.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Ancient and Archeological Sites

  • Cuicuilco was once an important ancient city where people worshiped a fire god. Would you like to visit an ancient site like this? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In Mexico, the ancient site of Cuicuilco is now surrounded by modern buildings and city life. What do you think about having modern buildings near ancient sites? Discuss.
  • Do you think your country is protecting ancient or archeological sites/places well? Why or why not? Discuss.

Tours

  • INAH experts lead guided tours to teach people about Mexico’s ancient history. Do you prefer guided tours or exploring on your own? Discuss.
  • The price for tours led by INAH experts is about 260 Mexican pesos (more than ¥2,100). Would you pay that amount for a guided tour? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • The circular pyramid at Cuicuilco was once a sacred place where people worshiped a fire god. Should tours be allowed in sacred places or in places that were once sacred? Why or why not? Discuss.