اللغة الإنجليزية فصل ثاني

Unit 9

Lesson 1 

Student’s Book pages 70-71

 

Tourist attractions

 

Before you begin

Look at the picture

 

The key words

The word / phrase	The meaning	The part of speech
overlook	having a view of something, usually from above	Noun
spectacular	wonderful	Adjective
courtyard	an unroofed area that is completely or partly surrounded by buildings	Noun
marble	a white hard kind of stone that is often used in architecture and making statues	Noun
fountain	a pool from where water goes high in the air and falls back down	Noun
arch	an opening in a structure that has the form of a semicircle and supports what is built above it	Noun
dome	a rounded roof on a building or a room, or a building with such a roof	Noun
plasterwork	plaster as part of the interior of a building, especially covering the surface of a wall or formed into decorative shapes and patterns	Noun
calligraphy	the art of producing beautiful writing using special pens or brushes	Noun
arcade	a covered passageway with arches along one or both sides	Noun

 

While reading

 

Alhambra Palace

Alhambra Palace in Granada is part of the impressive heritage of the long-lasting Islamic empire in Spain. Its name in Arabic (Qasr al Hamra) means ‘The Red Castle’. This refers to the red colouring of the bricks that the original palace was built from. It has become an important tourist attraction in Spain because of its rich Islamic history. It has also had a lot of influence on worldwide art and architecture since it was built.

 

This palace, which was built on a hill overlooking Granada, has beautiful views. The first king arrived in the thirteenth century and constructed a royal palace. After that, other kings added more parts to the palace. This is why it has so many different styles.

 

Many tourists come to visit Alhambra Palace today to see the Islamic architecture. This includes the spectacular Court of the Lions, which is probably the most famous part of the building. It is a square open-air courtyard with an impressive marble fountain in the centre. The fountain’s name comes from the twelve lions that support the fountain. The lion was a symbol of power in Islamic history and art. From this courtyard you can walk under arches into the Hall of the Two Sisters, whose wooden doors are over eight hundred years old. This room attracts tourists because of the beautiful dome, shaped like a flower, and the detailed plasterwork on the walls. Islamic Spain was famous for its artwork and calligraphy, and there are many well-preserved examples in this room.

 

There is a great difference between the plain outside walls and the paintings and sculpture that cover the inside walls. It seems to be paradise on earth with the column arcades, fountains and pools that are preserved there.

 

 The text talks about:

- The most important elements of Islamic style of Alhambra Palace.

- The lion was a symbol of power in Islamic history and art.

- We should preserve Alhambra Palace.

 

After reading

• Where was the palace built?
• It was built on a hill overlooking Granada, has beautiful views..