Module 4
Lessons 4,5,6,7 and 8
SB pages 41-42-43-44-45
How the Egyptians wrote
Before you start
Look at the picture. Who are these people? What are they doing?
They are ancient Egyptian scribes; educated men who wrote official documents and kept records for the merchants, politicians and rulers of the day.
1 Listen to the words below in context. Try to guess their meanings.
Audioscript
1. Look at that temple over there! It’s so huge!
2. Excuse me, scribe. Could you write this down for me?
3. Alphabet is a set of letters used to represent the sounds of a language. 4. We got three geometric figures in our maths test. It was difficult!
5. The combination of the two colours red and yellow results in the colour orange.
Find the words
Answers
To be a symbol of something: to represent
A person in the past who copied out documents: scribe
The act of joining two or more things: combination
2 Work in pairs. Try to answer these questions before reading the article.
1. In which country was hieroglyphic writing originated?
2. In which direction do you think hieroglyphic writing was read?
3. Do you think there are any communities still using hieroglyphic writing today? Explain.
Answers Students’ own answers
3 Now, read through the article and check your answers.
The Egyptians developed writing about 6,000 years ago. Scribes were among the few people who could read and write. They decorated their temples with hieroglyphics, which Egyptians called ‘the words of God’. The Egyptians developed hieroglyphic writing at the same time as Sumerian writing was developed on soft clay. However, the Egyptians didn’t write on clay; they wrote on papyrus, wood and rock walls.
The Egyptians were the first to use writing in everyday life. That is how they found that hieroglyphics were great for decorating temple walls, but not very useful in daily business. For these more common activities, people used a simpler script, called ‘hieratic’.
Hieroglyphic writing used symbols or pictures to represent objects. People wrote hieroglyphics in rows or columns. In the case of rows, you can read them from left to right or from right to left. You must look at the human or animal figures to work out which direction to read. (They always face towards the beginning of the line.) In the case of a column, you must read from top to bottom.
Hieroglyphic symbols are divided into alphabetical signs that represent a single sound, and signs that represent a combination of two or three consonants. There were also ‘wordsigns’. These are pictures of objects. There were at least 700 symbols, and each symbol had up to three meanings. Also, a symbol could represent just one sound or it could represent the picture it showed. Our writing system today is much simpler!
Answers
1. Hieroglyphic writing originated in Egypt.
2. Hieroglyphic writing was read in columns and in rows (either from left to right or from right to left).
3. Suggested answer: No, I don’t. Hieroglyphic writing is too complex compared to our current writing systems, and it is not very practical anymore.
4 Answer the following questions.
1. What do the pronouns in bold refer to?
2. What do the underlined words in the article mean?
3. Do you agree with the article that our writing system today is much simpler? Why / Why not?
4. Do you think that, in the future, new writing systems might be developed and be even simpler than the one we have today? Justify your answer.
Answers
1. “They” in line 3 refers to “Scribes”;
"they" in line 8 refers to "the Egyptians";
“they” in line 11 refers to “the Egyptians”;
“them” in line 22 refers to “hieroglyphics”;
“it” in line 38 refers to “a symbol”.
2. developed: invented; useful: able to be easily used; work out: understand; combination: the state of being joined in one unit
3. Students’ own answers
4. Students’ own answers
5 What can you remember? Cover the text and correct the false information in the following sentences.
1. The Egyptians developed writing about sixty centuries ago.
2. Scribes decorated their temples with clay.
3. Before they discovered papyrus, the Egyptians wrote on clay.
4. People wrote hieroglyphics only in rows.
5. You should read symbols in columns from left to right.
6. Symbols could have more than one meaning.
Answers
1. The Egyptians developed writing about 6,000 years ago.
2. Scribes decorated their temples with hieroglyphics.
3. The Egyptians didn’t write on clay.
4. People wrote hieroglyphics in rows or columns.
5. In the case of a column, you must read from top to bottom.
6. Each symbol had up to three meanings.
LISTENING
6 Listen to the text about writing and choose the correct answers.
When someone writes lightly, he is........... nervous tolerant calm
A pencil can draw a line that’s......... 55 km long 55 m long 5.5 km long
Red ink shows that someone is............ sociable dominant powerful
You can see the writing on a pencil when......... you use the right hand you use the left hand you use both hands
Writing using attached letters means you are... cautious careless artistic
Audioscript
The pressure used when writing can reveal a lot about a person’s character. When someone presses down hard when writing, they are usually nervous. When someone writes lightly, they typically deal with unpleasant situations very calmly. People who press down a medium amount are often good at dealing with stress. You can use a pencil to draw a line that reaches for about 55 km, or to write up to 45,000 words. A ballpoint pen, on the other hand, can only draw a line between 1,200 to 2,300 m long. The colour of the ink we choose can tell us a few things about our personality. For example, people who choose green ink may show a desire to adapt, and a sociable person may choose blue ink. Red ink points to violence or dominance, and black ink suggests power. If you write using your right hand, you can read the writing on a pencil. If you use the other hand, the writing will usually be upside down. Writing using separate letters suggests that you’re spontaneous or artistic. Writing using attached letters indicates that you’re highly cautious. If your writing is in between the two, then you will have a balance between reason and feelings.
7 Now, listen again and check your answers.
Answers
When someone writes lightly, he is calm.
A pencil can draw a line that’s 55 km long.
Red ink shows that someone is dominant.
You can see the writing on a pencil when you use the right hand.
Writing using attached letters means you are cautious.
SPEAKING AND WRITING
8 Choose one of the civilisations that created its own system of writing. Imagine you are one of the earliest writers of the system. Explain its importance to a partner.
Example
Hello! I’m a caveman. If I want to tell my friends that the hunting is good here, I have to leave them a message. If I want to leave them a message, I have to do it on the walls. If I draw the animals we can find here, my friends will know what to hunt…
Answers Students’ own answers
9 Create a new writing system in a group. Decide if it is based on ideograms, pictograms, hieroglyphics or sounds. Write a short message to the class. Then, exchange your work with another group and write a short paragraph giving your constructive feedback about the other group's writing system.
Answers Students’ own answers
Lesson 6
Communication Workshop
Translating proverbs
Before you start
What do you think proverbs can tell us about the place they came from? Can you think of any Jordanian values expressed in Arabic proverbs?
Answers Students’ own answers
• Actions speak louder than words.
• Speech is silver, but silence is golden.
• Words cut more than swords.
• Wrong hears, wrong answer gives.
• Brevity is the soul of wit.
الأفعال أعلى صوتًا من الأقوال
الكلام أقطع من السيوف.
إذا كان الكلام من فضة فالسكوت من ذهب
من أخطأ السمع أساء الإجابة.
خير الكلام ما قلَّ ودلّ
1 Work in a group. Take it in turns to act out a proverb of your choice without speaking or writing. You may choose from the list above.
Answers Students’ own answers
2 Discuss how we would communicate with each other without speech or writing.
Answers Students’ own answers
3 Read the Writing Strategies. Then, answer the following questions.
Writing Strategies
Translating proverbs
● Read the proverb carefully and try to understand the general meaning.
● Do not translate the proverb word for word because the translation of proverbs might have a different structure in the other language.
● When you do the translation, make sure you maintain the gist of the proverb.
● Write down any proverbs you know about communication in either English or Arabic.
● In what ways is it useful to be able to communicate in more than one language? Write your answer in a short paragraph, using linking words for coherence.
Answers Students’ own answers
Lesson 7
Language Development
1 Complete the sentences with the phrases from the box.
will match must give may want should take can don’t allow will be |
1. If you do your homework on the computer, it .................quicker.
2. You ............. use my dictionary if you want to check the meaning of these words.
3. If you are still in pain, you .............. the medicine that your doctor prescribed.
4. Fadia will not watch TV tonight if her parents ................... her.
5. If you want to find more information about science, you ............... to use this encyclopaedia.
6. If we paint this wall purple, it ....................the new furniture.
7. If you see an old person standing on the bus, you .............. up your seat to them.
Answers
1. will be;
2. can;
3. should take;
4. don’t allow;
5. may want;
6. will match;
7. must give
2 In pairs, complete these sentences. Then share your responses.
Example
A: If you get good grades, you will feel very happy.
B: Yes, I will.
A: What will you do if your friend has a problem?
B: If my friend has a problem, I will ask my parents for advice.
1. If you get good grades, .................
2. What will you do if …………….?
3. If you get angry, you ……………..
4. You will feel bad if …………
5. If you get into a trouble, you………..
3 There is one mistake in each definition. Correct it and match the definitions with the words.
word |
definition |
1. efficient |
a. the act of separating two or more things |
2. communicate |
b. used in a disorganised way |
3. combination |
c. a person who receives a message |
4. messenger |
d. to exchange information with yourself |
Answers
1. b: used in a well-organised way
2. d: to exchange information with other people
3. a: the act of joining two or more things
4. c: a person who delivers a message from one person to another
Crossword Puzzle
Read the clues and write the words in the puzzle.
Across
1. When a building falls down suddenly
2. A very old time in history
3. To have a particular meaning of something
Down
4. A hard sticky earth used to make pottery
5. Someone in the past who was employed to make copies of written documents
6. A person or an animal's shape
7. A type of paper used in Ancient Egypt
8. A place of worship in Ancient Egypt
9. Someone in your family, who is generations older than you
Answers
Across
1. COLLAPSE
2. PRIMITIVE
3. REPRESENT
Down
4. CLAY
5. SCRIBE
6. FIGURE
7. PAPYRUS
8. TEMPLE
9. ANCESTOR
The Rhind Papyrus is one of the oldest known mathematical documents. It contains 84 mathematical problems and their solutions. It also provides a clue to the Ancient Egyptian value for . Who was the scribe and when did he copy it?
Ask students to read through the information and the following question. To answer it correctly, they should do some research on the Internet or visit the school library or any public library. Note that should be pronounced /paI/. Set a point in the near future when they should share their findings. Students should report back that the Rhind Papyrus /raInd p´"paIr´s/ was copied down by a scribe called Ahmes around the year 1650 BCE (almost 4,000 years ago).
Lesson 8 Project
An email in hieroglyphics
A Your first assignment In pairs:
• Decipher the email using the alphabet on page 42. Try to write it in English.
• Discuss with your partner any problems you face.
B Your second assignment
• Write a short email in English. Then rewrite it using Egyptian hieroglyphics.
• When you have fnished, give it to another pair of students to decipher.
Your task is … To write an email in hieroglyphics.
Answers
From: Habib@gmail
To: Karim@gmail
Kom hir to stady with mi Habib
(come here to study with me)
Activity Book page 33
Third section
Talking about a language learning experience
1 Read the text below about Sam’s language learning experience. What foreign language did you learn? Was it easy or difficult to learn it? In groups, talk about your language learning experience. Make a list in your notebook of the words you need to talk about and that you don’t know in English.
I studied German for three years when I was in secondary school. I thought I was quite good at it, but that was before I had an opportunity to interact with other German native speakers. I believe that you can’t really ‘know’ a language until you have spoken to a native speaker in that language to see if they understand you. This way is very helpful to see what you can do in the language.
Another thing that helped me was having a teacher from Germany, because that way I learnt a lot about the culture, too. The most difficult thing about German is that there are three versions of the article ‘the’. One is feminine, one is masculine and the other is neither this, nor that. I keep getting them mixed up! I think the easiest part of learning German was the alphabet, since it is so close to English. The letters just have different sounds.
I think that, overall, German is easier for English speakers to learn because there are so many things in common between the two languages. I’m going to try and learn Arabic now, and I think that’s going to be more difficult!
2 Write down notes. Answer these questions to help you.
a. What have you found easy / difficult / helpful about learning a foreign language?
b. What are the things (apart from language learning in the classroom) that helped you learn a foreign language?
c. What other languages would you like to learn in the future? Do you think it’s going to be difficult? Why / Why not?
3 Use your notes to write three paragraphs in your notebook. Use the text as a model. Then, exchange your notebook with your partner to edit each other’s paragraphs.
1.Students’ own answers
2. Students’ own answers
3. Students’ own answers
Fourth section
Punctuation: An informal letter
1 Read this email from Olivia to her penfriend Muna. Add full stops, question marks and capital letters where necessary.
From: olivia To: muna Attachments: My family hi, muna! how are you i hope you and your family are all well i haven’t been in touch for some time because I’m studying hard for my exams how’s life are you also studying hard this is the latest photo of my family please send me one photo of your family! do you remember our friend salma her dad has won a scholarship, and they are all going to move to london for two years! can you imagine Some people are really lucky! do you think you can come and visit for the summer holidays We are going to my grandparents’ house by the sea in august, and Mum says you can come if your parents agree please say yes! Love from olivia |
Punctuation: Commas
2 Add commas to these statements and questions.
1. Before the Egyptians discovered papyrus , people wrote on clay.
2. Although papyrus was better than clay people kept looking for a better material to write on.
3. After the discovery of papyrus the Chinese invented paper.
4. If you want to send a letter you need a stamp.
5. If you see my cousin Hisham in the computer shop will you send him my regards?
6. However until the printing press was invented books were in short supply.
Answers
- From: Olivia
- To: Muna
Attachments: My family
Hi, Muna! How are you? I hope you and your family are all well. I haven’t been in touch for some time because I’m studying hard for my exams. How’s life? Are you also studying hard? This is the latest photo of my family. Please send me one photo of your family!
Do you remember our friend Salma? Her dad has won a scholarship, and they are all going to move to London for two years! Can you imagine? Some people are really lucky!
Do you think you can come and visit for the summer holidays? We are going to my grandparents’ house by the sea in August, and Mum says you can come if your parents agree.
Please say yes!
Love from Olivia
2. 2. Although papyrus was better than clay, people kept looking for a better material to write on.
3. After the discovery of papyrus, the Chinese invented paper.
4. If you want to send a letter, you need a stamp.
5. If you see my cousin Hisham in the computer shop, will you send him my regards?
6. However, until the printing press was invented, books were in short supply.
Spelling
3 Complete the words with the correct spelling. About 6,000 years ago, the Egyptians developed hieroglyphic writing that used symbols to (1) re_ _e_ _nt objects. Around the same time, (2) S_ _er_a_ writing was also developed. However, unlike the Sumerians who wrote on soft (3) c_a_, Egyptians wrote on (4) p_ _yr_s. This type of writing material was discovered by the Egyptians 2,500 years ago – it is (5) _i_ht and (6) p_r_ _b_e. This important discovery made communication among people in the past and today a lot easier and (7) e_ _ic_e_t.
Answers
- 1. represent 2. Sumerian 3. clay 4. papyrus 5. light 6. portable 7. Efficient
Linking words Review
4 Complete these sentences using the words in brackets and information about yourself.
1. I love reading … (as well as)
2. My favourite sport is … (however)
3. I don’t eat … (because)
4. My brother’s favourite subject is … (although)
5. I’ve been to … (also)
4. Example answers
1. I love reading as well as writing.
2. My favourite sport is football. However, basketball is easier to play.
3. I don’t eat chocolate because I don’t like it.
4. My brother’s favourite subject is biology, although he doesn’t like animals.
5. I’ve been to France with my parents. Also, my best friend has been there too.
Guided writing
5 Write a short paragraph in your notebook about the different types of writing you use in your everyday life. Then, exchange your notebook with a partner to revise the choice of vocabulary, sentence structure, linking words and the use of punctuation marks. Think about these questions:
1. How often do you write letters / cards / postcards / stories / lists?
2. What other kinds of writing do you do at school and at home?
3. What do you usually write with?
4. How often do you send emails or text messages?
5. How does your language differ, when you write these electronic messages, from other written forms?
Students’ own answers
Activity Book page 36
What I have learnt
1 Read this dialogue. Then complete it with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. (1 mark each)
Fahd: Hi, Ahmad! Can I ask you a favour? Ahmad: Sure! What is it? Fahd: I’m having trouble doing the maths homework. If I (1) ……… (not finish) it by tomorrow, I (2) ………. (get) a bad mark. Can you help me? Ahmad: Of course, but if I (3) ………. (help) you with the maths homework, (4) …………… (you/help) me with our English homework? Fahd: OK! (5) ………… (it/be) alright if we (6) …………. (meet) at your house to study? If it (7) (be) OK, I (8) …………..(be) there in ten minutes. Ahmad: If Mum (9) …………… (say) it’s OK, you (10) …………. (come), no problem.
………… /10
Answers
1. do not finish
2. will get
3. help
4. can you help
5. Will it be
6. meet
7. is
8. will be
9. says
10. can come
2 Use the words to write statements or questions in the First Conditional. Use the right punctuation. (2 marks each)
1. you / don’t wear / a jumper / you / get / cold
2. I / phone / you / you / not be / busy
3. what / you / do / you / want / pass / your / exams / ?
4. Dad / cannot / drive / us / to school / we / go by bus
5. you / go for a walk / with me / the weather / is nice tomorrow / ? ……….. / 10
Answers
1. If you don’t wear a jumper, you will get cold.
2. I will phone you if you are not busy.
3. What will you do if you want to pass your exams?
4. If Dad cannot drive us to school, we will go by bus.
5. Will you go for a walk with me if the weather is nice tomorrow?
Choose the correct answer. (2 marks each)
1. If you ………. to be an engineer, ………. maths!
a. want/study
b. want/will study
c. will want/will study
2. If Dad ………. still at home at 7 o’clock tomorrow, he ………. my little brother get ready for school.
a. will be/will help
b. will be/help
c. is/will help
3. Mum and Dad ………. us on a trip to Petra if we ……. good grades.
a. take/get
b. will take/get
c. take/will get
4. If you write lightly without pressing down, that means you are ………..
a. calm
b. nervous
c. sleepy
5. The symbols that were used for writing in Ancient Egypt are called …………
a. Sumerian
b. scribe
c. hieroglyphics
……….. /10
Answers
1. a
2. c
3. b
4. a
5. c