English with Jo

Ancient Places and Civilizations

This is the preparation material for an English Conversation Lesson about Ancient Places and Civilizations. Watch a video about the fascinating ancient site of Machu Picchu; discover some common phrasal verbs that we might use when talking about ancient places; and learn how to answer conversation questions about this interesting subject.

A video about the Ancient Civilization of Machu Picchu

• Do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing that sites like Machu Picchu have been opened up to the world?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages?
• Do you think it is right for people to capitalize on the ancient sites, for example, by selling souvenirs? 

Phrasal Verbs 

Closed off – when an area has been blocked to stop people from entering

Why are some areas of ancient sites, for example, certain tombs in Egypt, closed-off to stop tourists entering? 

Run-down – in disrepair

Why do you think some amazing ancient sites have become run-down and are not preserved? 

Mock-up – a model showing how something will look when it is built or how it used to look when it existed.

How do you think mock-ups are useful in helping us understand more about ancient sites? 

Laid out – how something is arranged, its structure

What is interesting about the way the Machu Picchu site is laid out? 

Steeped in  – 'steeped in tradition' means it has a lot of tradition. 

To what extent do you think that the place you live is steeped in tradition? 

Conversation Questions about Ancient Places 

• Do you think old buildings and monuments are more beautiful than modern ones?
• Why do you think ancient buildings are able to last for thousands of years while modern buildings are not?
• Are there any ancient monuments in your country?
• How important are ancient monuments in defining a nation and culture?
• How do you think ancient civilizations constructed such enormous structures, such as the pyramids?
• Why do some civilizations seem to disappear mysteriously?
• Are there any ancient ruins you would really like to visit?
• Which do you think is the most mysterious ancient site?
• What is problem with ancient sites becoming popular tourist destinations?
• Do you think there are many more ancient sites which have not been discovered yet?