What a world 3 amazing stories from around the globe

t The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table makes us think of an age of heroi s m and romance.. 3 In the legend, Arthur is the perfect king.. Another theme in the stor

Amazi ng Stories from Around the Globe

Milada Broukal

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BEFORE YOU READ

Answer these questions

I What is a legend?

2 What famous legends do you know?

3 Wh a t are some m ov i es w hich a re ba se d o n l ege nd s? Wh y a r e th ey

po pul ar?

What Is the Legend of King Arthur?

t The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table makes

us think of an age of heroi s m and romance For a thousand years, stories about the m have been passed down from generation to generation, across Europe and the rest of the world We even encounter them today

in books, on television , and in the movies In all these stories, Kin g

Arthur and his knights fight bravely for justice and truth Of course, they

always win

2 The legendary King Arthur was known as the greatest king that ever

li ved His m ag nifi ce nt castle was called Camelct, and his wife, Guinevere ,

was the most beautiful woman in history Arthur had the greatest knights

at hi s court They were all equal and sa t at a round table to s how that no

one had a higher rank than the other The most famous knights were Sir

Gawain and Sir Lancelot The knights did many good deeds and went on adventures They saved yo un g wo men in trouble and searched for a

precious cup called the Holy Grai! They were all heroes, although they had faults like all people do

3 In the legend, Arthur is the perfect king He has a wizard by the name

of Merlin who helps him defeat his enemies He also has flashing swords

and wears a fine suit of shining armor Arthur has two magic swords At

the beginning of his reign, he pulls one from a block of stone, proving that he is the true king The other sword appears in the middle of a lake

and has powers that make Arthur immortal At the end of his reign,

Arthur returns to the lake and disappears into the mist

4 Are these stories true? Did King Arthur really exist? Was his wife, Guinevere, rea l ? Did Camelot exist? How true to fact are some of these stories? Hi storians don't know For the la st few hundred years, people

thought that the legend about Arthur had been invented However,

historians have r ealized recently that Arthur really may have existed

Most historians believe that he probably did They think that he was a

king or a great leader somewhere in Great Britain Most believe that ,

Arthur li ve d around the end of the fifth and beginning of the sixth

century They also believe that he led an anmy against the Saxons who

invaded Britain a very long time ago, that he won this great battle, and that he was the character who inspired hundreds of stories

2 UN IT 1

.5 The s t ories abo ut Arthur may bave some truths in them, but they also have a l ot of exaggerations It seems diffi c ult to se parate fac t from fiction Some peop l e quest i on how a man co uld w in s o many battles a nd swo rd

fights without getting wounded or killed And some of the things that

Arthur' s adviser MerHn says and doe s are too fanta s tic to be real For exa mpl e, h e made predictions o f stra n ge and ama z ing things that wo uld happen in th e future, and man y s tories claim that h e co uld c h a n ge him se lf int o different objects a nd animals H e cou ld c hange into a bo y or a deer, for examp l e, and he co uld c han ge th e appeara nce of ot h ers and even make them invisible Howe ve r, there are o th e r part s of the stories we acce pt more eas ily, su c h as th e magnificent cas tl e of Camelot with its man y t owers

6 Th e e h ave b ee n various theories a b out w h ere Came lot was lo ca t e d and wheth e r it eve n ex i s ted In th e late 1960 s, hi s t oria n s dug at a site in

southeastern England (Cadbury Castle) where Camelot could have been located, but they found nothing Some historians say that big stone castles

didn't ex is t in the time of Arthur Castl es durin g his t im e were made of dirt and ston e, and they were nothing Hk e th e c astle d esc ribed in the sto rie s

7 Still, the idea of Camelot as a wo nderful, perfect pla ce co ntinue s In

the 1960s, there was a popular musical show called Camelot that said that life was perfect in Arthur's castle Today in the English language, the

wo rd Camelot ha s com e to mean a n ideal place It is ofte n assoc iat e d w ith

P resi d e nt J o hn F Kenned y's White H o use years, because his pre sid e nc y

started a new "golden age" of prosperity in the United States

8 Mo st of th e stori es about Kin g Arthur were written in the ninth

ce ntu ry and l ater Th e sto ri es t e ll u s about t h e p eo ple and va lu es of these

times Most of them talk about a code of honor, or chivalry King Arthur

a nd his kni g ht s were all chivalrous They respected ot h ers A c hi va lr o u s

person did not kill his enemy after the enemy surrendered Arthur and

his knights were expected to show respect for the church and pity for the

poor, as we ll as bravery and courtesy

9 Th e mo s t famous ve r s ion of King Arthur 's l egend, a book ca ll e d Morte

d'Arthur (Death of Arthur), was written by Sir Thomas Malory in the

fiftee nth ce ntury In hi s wo rk , M a lo ry creates a s tory of ex traordinary bra very and emp has izes the triumph of goo d over ev il This wo rk

inspired kings all over Europe King Henry VIII of England saw himself

as th e new Arthur reuniting the co unt ry after civi l wa r, and eve n n a min g

hi s el dest son Arthur

What I s the L egend of King Arthur? 3

10 King Arthur's popularity is ongoing In 1986, it was estimated that

13,500 books, articles, and reviews had been written about him The

success of recent movies and books shows that the popularity of the

legend of King Arthur is still strong today Why is this? The story of

Arthur is an adventure story There are swor d fights and wars that make

the story exciting There is also romance, and the setting is far away and

exotic The themes in the stories are universal: the fight between good

and e vil , the conflict b etwee n lov e and duty Another theme in the stories

shows that although Arthur is a king, he makes mistakes and, like all

people , he is not perfe c t He is, in fact, like us in many ways Maybe it is

this combination of greatness and humanness that has made IGng

Arthur a popular figure around the world and throughout history

VOCABULARY

(1 MEANING

Circle the letter of the answer that is closest in meaning to the underlined word

I Arthur returns to the lake and disappears into the mill

3 The setting is far away and exotic

a familiar and like home

h s imil ar to th e way things always are

c hard to understand

d different from the usual

4 UNIT I

"If_

4 There have been various theories about where Camelot was located

6 He was the character who inspired hundreds of stories

a was the force behind

b caused not to happen

c took away from

d helped to write

7 They saved young women in trouble and searched for a precious cup

a having great value

b being very beautiful

c containing lots of decorations

10 The themes in the stories are universal

a different in every country

b common to a few areas

c the same everywhere

d unlike anything else

WORDS THAT GO TOGETHER

A Find words in the reading that go together with the words below to make phrases

B Complete the sentences with the phrases from Part A

I If you knew someone who _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , she could tell you

what is going to happen in the future

2 Important items and stories that are given by elders to the children in a

3 If you take two or more things and put them together, you have a

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ those things

4 If something is having a certain quality or being

a certain way, it means that many people are aware of that fact or

characteristic

5 When something is a certain way over many, many years, it is that way

6 If you are having a serious problem or difficulty, you are

7 To do _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ means to do things that help others

C Now use the phrases in your own sentences

Example: She was known as a very good doctor

6 UN IT 1

f

USE

Work with a partner to answer the questions Use complete sentences

1 What are two things that are precious to you?

2 What are some common good deeds that people can do for others?

3 When was the last time you were in trouble? Describe what happened

4 What is a famous historical site in your country?

5 What is something that has been passed down from one generation to another in your family?

6 What are some signs of prosperity?

7 Where is it common to see mist?

8 What exotic place would you like to visit?

COMPREHENSION

<r UNDERSTANDING MAIN IDEAS

Some of the following statements are main ideas, and some are supporting statements Some of them are stated directly in the reading Find the statements Write M for each main idea Write S for each supporting statement

_ I The knights saved people in trouble and searched for the Holy

Grail

_ _ _ 2 The stories about King Arthur contain both truth and fiction

_ _ _ 3 People have different opinions about whether Camelot existed and

where it might have been located

_ 4 Many historians believe that Arthur led an army against the

Saxons who invaded Britain

_ 5 In the English language, the word Came/at has come to mean an

ideal place

_ 6 People from many different times and places have been fascinated

by the legends of King Arthur

What Is th e Legend o f Kin g Arthur? 7

REMEMBERING DETAILS

-Reread the passage and answer the questions Write complete sentences

1 What is the m os t famous ve r s i o n of King Arthur 's l eg end ?

2 What are three things that were expected of a chivalrous knight?

3 What did many legends claim about Merlin?

4 Why did the knights sit at a round table?

5 What do hi s t orians b e li eve that cast l es were mad e from durin g the time of

King Arthur?

6 What is probably one of the reasons why King Arthur has always been such

a popular figure?

7 Where did Arthur get hi s seco nd magic sword?

8 Duri ng what tim e do most historians be li eve th a t Arthur li ve d ?

MAKlNGINFERENCES

The answers to these questions can be inferred, or guessed, from the reading Circle the letter of the best answer

I The reading implies that _ _ _ _

a Merlin most likely did exist

b Merlin 's ac tion s are ba se d in fact

c M er lin i s no t a believable c hara c ter

d Merlin did not live in Camelot

8 UNIT I

2 It can b e infelTed from the reading that people many centuries ago

a lik ed stories about love and adventure

b didn't believe their heroes should have any faults

c were tired of stories about knights and kin gs

d didn't have much imagina tion

3 From the reading, it can be concluded that Arthur was probably

a a person who never really existed in history

b a milital), leader whose real life became exaggerated

c several different people who became one c haracter

d one of the most famous knights in all of British history

4 The reading implies that the legends of King Arthur _ _ _ _

a could only be understood by the royalty of their day

b cau se d a c ivil war during the time o f Kin g He nry VIII

c showed only the good side of the king and his knights

d touched everyone, fro m kings to ordinary people

DISCUSSION

Discuss the answers to these questions with your classmates

J What legends are associated with certai n cou ntri es?

2 Why do you think people like stories about great heroes? Why are the

most popular heroes those who h ave human faults?

3 Many people say that "chivalry is dead" today Do you agree? Why or why not?

4 What is your idea of a perfect place like Came/or?

WRITING

On separate paper, write a paragraph or an essay about one of the following topics:

I Write the story of a legend you know

2 Describe a perfect place to live

3 Tell about a romantic or adventure movie you have seen

What I s th e L ege nd of King Arthur? 9

Arthur has two magic swords

Of course, they always win

Two subjects joine d by and take a plural verb

King Arthur and his knights fight for justice and truth

2 Word s betwe n the subject and the verb do not change subject-verb

a greement

The story of King Arthwand the Knights of the Round Table makes us think of an age of romance (The subject is the story, not King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.)

Phrases like together with, as well as, and accompanied by do not cha nge the subject-verb agreement

King Arthur , together with his knights, sits at the Round Table

3 When a sentence starts with there , the verb must agree with the subject that follows

There is also romance

There are sword fights

U n derline t h e correct form of t h e ve rb in pare nth eses

1 There (is ' are) parts of the stories that (is' are) easier to accept

2 The magnificent castle of Camelot with its many towers (is' are) believable

3 King Arthur, with his beautiful wife, Guinevere, (live ' lives) in Camelot

4 Sir Lance lot and Sir Gawa i n (is I are) the most famous knig h ts

5 King Arthur, together with his knights, always (win' wins) the battle

6 The stories about Arthur (has' have) some truths

7 There (has ' have) been many theories about where Camelot was located

8 The most famous version of the stories about King Arthur (was I were)

written by Sir Thomas Malory

9 King Arthur, like all people, (is' are) not perfect

10 The combination of greatness and humanness (make ' makes) King Arthur popular

10 \INn: \

2 How long ago do you think the Incas lived?

3 In what part of the world do you think the Incas lived?

11

Why Did the Inca Empire Disappear?

I Th e l a n d o f the In cas includ e d w h a t i s no w B o li v ia , P e ru , Ec u a d o r ,

a nd pa rt of A rge ntin a and C hil e In t h e ce nt e r o f th e In ca E mpir e was it s

ca pi t al, CU ZCQ, th e " S acr ed Ci ty o f th e Sun " From every p ar t of th e

e m p ir e, g r a in , go ld a nd s il ve r , clo th , a nd food pour e d into th e ca pit a l

2 Th e In cas bega n a s a s m a ll tribe livin g in the Peru v i a n And es in

the I lOOs In the 1 00s, their strong leader, Mayta Qapaq, began to

co nqu e r neigh boring land s B y th e 1400 s, t he Inca s ' hu ge e mpir e b ec am e

t h e l a r ges t e mpi re kn ow n in t h e Am e ri c a s Alth o u g h th e r e we r e o nl y

40,000 Incas, they ruled a population of about 12 million, which included

100 diff ere nt p eo pl es Th e I n c a s w e re cl e ver gov ern ors a nd did not a l ways

fo r ce th e ir ow n id eas o n o th e r g r o up s Th e p e op l e t h ey co nqu e r d h a d t o acce pt th e In ca g od s, but , th ey w ere a ll owed to w or s hip in th e i r ow n way

a nd k ee p th e i r ow n c u s t o m s

3 Eac h n ew rul e r of th e e mpir e w a s c all e d th e Sapa In ca, and e a c h

Sapa Inca claimed to be the child of the sun and was treated as a god When a Sapa Inca died, his body was kept and taken care of by the

p eo pl e, a nd h e co ntinu e d t o "li ve" in hi s pal ace Th e de a d In c a sa t o n a

golden stool, and a woman watched him day and night, whisking the flies

away ( T o m hi s face Th e d ea d rul ers we r e se rv e d fo o d e ac h d ay , a nd on special occasions th ey w e r e c arried o ut of th e ir pala c s t o fe as t to ge ther

Each new ruler had to build a new palace By 1500, Cuzco was full of palaces of dead Incas

4 E a ch S a p a In c a had a que e n , o r Coya Sh e w a s a l m os t a l ways th e

rul e 's own s i s t e r Lik e him , s h e was th o u g ht t o b e a c hild of th e s un

Th e S a p a In ca m ar ri e d hi s s i s ter t o m a k e s u re th e ir c hild r en o nl y had th e

pure blood of the sun One of their sons would be the next Sapa Inc

H owever, eac h S a p a In ca h a d m a n y un o fficia l w i ves a nd d oze n s of

children who would become the Inca nobility

5 Th e In cas rul e d ove r o n e o f t h e b e st o r g ani ze d empir es in hi s t ory

The y co ntroll e d th e li ves o f everyo n e th ro u g h a sys t e m o f o ffici a l s Thi s sys t e m was lik e a tri a n g l e o r p y ramid At th e bott o m w e r e milli o n s o f

o rdin ary f a rm ers Abo ve t h e f ann e r s w e r e o ffi ci a l s a nd hi g h er o fficial s ,

a n d above th ese o ffici a l s we r e th e f o ur g ve rn o r s o f th e qu a rt ers of th e

e mpir e At th e very to p o f the p y r a mid was the S a p a In c a

1 2 U N I T 2

6 Ordinary people had to spend part of each year working for the

state-mining, buildings roads, or serving in the army They could not

leav e their villages witho ut official permission The y had no choice but to

work on the land and send one-third of their produce to the governme nt stores The empire had hug e storeho us es where food was kept The Inea s made s ur e no one starved In return , everyone was expected to work

7 Even maniage of the ordinary people was contro ll ed Although nobles

often had severa l wives an ordinary man co uld only h ave one The state

co ntroll e d whom and w hen eac h ordinary person could marry Each year

the local chiefs assembled all the eligible young men over twenty-four

and women over eighteen They were grouped into two lines and then

paired together For the first year of marriage, the couple did not have to

pay taxes on either goods or labor However, they wou ld have to work hard for the rest of their live s When they were elderly and became too frail or

sick to take care of themselves, they received free food and clothes from

the state storehouse and their family group would care for them

8 The In cas had no horses or wheels to help them with transportation

but they had a sophisticated road system Their network of roads ran the length of the empire, from today's Peru to Chile One road, called the Royal Road, was 3,250 miles (5,200 km) long It was built through the

Ande s Mountain s Even today with modem tool s it would be difficult to build that road The Incas also made extraordina ry suspension bridges of ropes; these hung 300 feet (91 meters) above deep rivers Since most peop le were not allowed to travel the roads were used by soldiers and

chasquis, who were government messengers They were highly trained runn e s who were stationed at intenrals of about two miles (3.2 km) along the roads and carried messages to and from CUlCO the capital

Relay teams could run up to 200 miles (322 km) a day and bring fish

from the se a to the capita l in two days But the main reason for the roads was for th e so ldiers who kept the empire under control

9 Although they had no system of writing the Incas sent messages in

quipus, which were colored strings with knots in them The color of the

s tring represented what was being counted For example a yellow strin g

stood for gold and a red string for soldiers The knots stood for numbers

10 The Incas were expert builders, although they only had basic tools

Instead of building walls with cement, they used stones that fit together perfectly Many of the Inca walls remain in place to this day In 1950,

Why Did th e I nca Empire Disappear? 13

two-thirds of Cuzco was destroyed in an earthquake, but none of the

old walls collapsed Today the well-prese",ed town of Machu Picchu

sh ws the remarkable skills of the Inca builders This town, which was

abandoned b y th e In eas fo r unknown r eas on s, was o nl y di scov ered in

1 11

11 The Inca Empire fell very quickly after the death of their great ruler

H uay n a Ca p ac in 1525 Two of hi s s on s , At a hualp a a nd Hu a s c ar ,

quarreled over who should be the next Sapa Inca They fought against

each other in a war and finally, in 1532, Atahualpa won During the war,

n ews ca m e th at st ran g e p e ople h a d a rri ve d on t he co a s t Th ese v i s itor s,

th e Sp a ni a rd s , we r e dr esse d in m e tal s uit s, rod e unknown animal s

(horses), and had hair growing down their chins After his victory,

At a hu a lp a wa n te d to see the se s t r an ge p eo pl e and in v it e d them to v i s it

him T h ere w er e o nl y, 1 0 Sp a niards, s o At a hu a lpa w a s n o t afraid

However, the Spaniards attacked the Inca army with guns and fired their

can n o n s Th ey t oo k Atahualpa pri s oner and promi s ed to g iv e him hi s

fr ee dom in exchange for a ro o m fu ll o f go ld a nd t wo r oo m s full o f s ilver:

Th e In e a s gave th e Sp a ni a rd s th e go ld and s il ve r Ho we v e r , th e Spani a rd s

didn't free Atahualpa; they killed him instead With no leader, the Inca

so ldi e s we r e wea k, an d t h e Spaniard s s oon d e feated th e m The

Sp a ni a rd s g av e th e In c as o rd e r s , nd the Inca s ob eye d th e m b eca u se th ey

w ere u se d to o b ey in g a ll th e ir li ves Th e Sp a ni ar d s we r e o nl y inter es ted

in t h e In ca go ld a nd s il ve r, so th ey mad e th e p e opl e wo rk in th e min es

a nd neglect th e f a nnin g M a n y In cas di e d from o v erwork and hunger

Th e gre at In ca Empi re was so on de s tro ye d

12 Thou g h th e In ca civili za tion di sa pp e ar e d, t r a ces o f it s c ultur e a nd

p eo pl e s u rvive A s a m a tt er o f f a c t , tod ay th e Inc as' d esce nd a nt s f o nn th e

majority of the population in the Andes of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia

VOCABULARY

<r MEANING

Circle the letter of the answer that is closest in meaning to the underlined word

I The Incas had a sophisticated road system

a not well developed

b plain and simple

c a d va n ce d a nd co mpli ca t e d

d roughly put together

1 4 UN IT 2

-2 Each Sapa Inca claimed to be the child of the sun

d g i ven p e rmi ss ion

4 Th ey mad e th e p eo p l e work in the min es and n ee; l ec t the farming

b went w ith o ut food

c was forced to buy food

d stored food

7 When they became too frail or sick to take care of themselves, they

received free food and clothes

a completely unhappy

b lonely and afyaid

c poor and hungry

d thin and weak

Why Did the Inca Empire Disappear? 15

9 Each year the local chiefs assembled all the eligible young men

a very intelligent

WORDS THAT GO TOGETHER

A Find words in the reading that go together with the words below to make

B Complete the sentences with the phrases from Part A

1 When you give something in order to get something else in return,

po

4 The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the people is most of the people

5 You are when you become a member of and spend time working in that part of a country's military

6 Things that are are spaced certain distances apart from each other

7 If certain letters or objects represented something else, then they

_ _ _ _ _ that thing

C Now use the phrases in your own sentences

Example: The traffic lights changed at intervals of two minutes

(1 USE

Work with a partner to ans,:\,er the questions Use complete sentences

1 What place was abandoned by early people who once lived there?

2 Where have you seen an object group of letters, or a sign that stood for something else? What did it represent?

3 What are some of the characteristics of a sophis ti cated person?

4 In your country what are the requirements to be eligible for marriage?

5 What do you wear on spec ial occasions in your country? Talk about two different occasions

6 What are two things that you are allowed to do when you reach a certain age in your family or in your country?

7 What are some things that occur at intervals of either time or space?

8 Why shouldn't you neglect your work or obligations?

COMPREHENSION

~ UNDERSTANDING MAIN IDEAS

Circle the letter of the best answer

1 The main idea of paragraph 2 is that _ _ _ _

a the Incas allowed conquered people to keep their customs

b the first Incas lived in the Peruvian Andes in the 1100s

c Mayta Qapaq was a strong Inca leader

d a small tribe of Incas grew to a huge empire

Why Did the In ca Empire Disappear? 17

2 The main idea of paragraph 5 is that _ _ _ _

a th e Inca govern m ent had many officials

b the Sapa Inca was at the top of the pyramid

c In ca r ul e w a s very organized a nd co ntrolled

d the farmers had many people telling them what to do

3 The main idea of paragraph 8 is that _ _ _ _

a the Inca roads would be hard to build today even with modern tools

b the In ca r oad system was used mainly by so ldi ers

c m o st p eop le were n ot a ll owed to travel in In ca soc i ety

d th e In eas built a very advanced and co mple x sys t em of roads

4 Paragraph 11 is mainly about how _ _ _ _

a th e d ea th o f H uayna Capac l ed to wa r between hi s two so n s

b the great Inca Empire was destroyed by the Spaniards

c the Spaniards were o nl y int eres t e d in In ca go ld an d s ilv er

d Atahualpa was not afraid of the Spaniards

,~ REMEMBERING DETAILS

Reread the passage and fill in the b l anks

I One Inca road, called the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , was 3,250 miles

(5,200 km) long

2 For their first year of marri age , a co upl e did not ha ve to pa y

3 In quipus, a y ellow st rin g s to od for , a red

stood for , and the knots stood for

4 Farmers h ad to se nd to govern men t stores

5 The Spaniards promised Atahualpa his freedom in exchange for

6 The Sapa Inca claimed to be _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

8 Th e Ineas had a m az in g s u s p e n s i on bridges m ade from

1 8 UNIT 2

2 What did the Incas probably believe about their dead rulers?

3 What can be inferred about the Incas' attitude toward the elderly?

6 Wh a t can you infer from the fact that nobIes co ul d h ave severa l w i ves b ut

an ordinary man cou ld on l y h ave one?

7 What do the Inca roads, buildings, and walls tell us about the Inca people?

8 What terrible mistake did Atahualpa make?

DISCUSSION

Discuss the answers to these questions with your classmates

1 Why did the Spaniards so easily defeat the Incas? Do you think there was

any po ss ibilit y that th e In cas cou ld ha ve wo n ?

2 Why do you think the Incas abandoned Machu Picchu?

Why Did the Inc a Empire Disappear? 19

3 What are some of the good points about the Inca system of government? What are some of the bad points?

4 Were the Spaniards wise leaders like the Incas were when they conquered people? Explain your answer

WRITING

On separate paper, write a paragraph or an essay about one of the following topics:

1 What are two advantages and two disadvantages of living in an organized and controlled society such as the society of the Incas?

2 Each country is different and has its own way of doing things Write about two or three things that are done differently in another country

3 Who should take care of the elderly? Write the advantages and / or

disadvantages of the government's taking care of the elderly

GRAMMAR AN 0 PUNCTUATION

~ FOR EXAMPLE , THEREFORE, AS A MATTER OF FACT

We use transitional expressions to act as a bridge between one sentence

and another, and between parts of a sentence Transitional expressions

can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence

We set them off with commas

For the f i rst yea r, the couple did not pay taxes However, they would have to

work hard for the rest of their lives

For the first year, the couple did not pay taxes They would have to work hard ,

however, for the rest of their lives

A Add commas to the following sentences where necessary

1 The Incas conquered many different peoples in South America However they allowed them to keep their own customs

2 There were huge storehouses all over the country Therefore no one

starved

3 The roads were used by government messengers The main reason for the roads however was for the soldiers to keep the empire under control

20 UN IT 2

4 The Royal R oad is a great ach ie ve ment A s a matter of fact it wou ld be

difficult to build even today

5 The colors on the quipus represented what was being counted Yellow for example stood for gold

B Connect the two sentences with a transitional expression

1 The Spaniards were only interested in the gold and silver of the Incas They made the people work in mines and neglected the farming

2 Ordinary people had no freedom to go where they liked They could not

l eave th eir v illage w ithout permission

•

Wh y Did the Inca Empire Disappear? 21

1 What is your favonte holiday? Why?

2 What special things do you do to celebrate the h liday?

3 How lon g do th e ce l ebrations l ast?

22

,

How Do Hindus Celebrate the Diwali Festival?

1 Diwali is the Hindu festival of light The Hindus in India celebrate their

favorite festival on the dark and cold nights of late October or early

November Diwali, which is short for dipawali, means "row of lights."

There are lights everywhere during this festival which is as important to

Hindus as Christmas is to Christians Houses have lights in front of their

doors and windows, the streets are decorated with lights, and the temples

have tiny rows of lights all over Diwali, which lasts for five days, is one of

the longest festivals for Hindus In India, it's a time when everything stops

Families get together, eat together, and exchange gifts, usually of candies

They go shopping and buy things, from new clothes to new homes

2 As with other Iridian festivals, Diwali has different significance for

people in various parts of India, depending upon which gods the people

worship at this time However, the basic reason for this festival is the

same all over India: Diwali is a time for new beginnings It is a time when

light triumphs over darkness and good triumphs over evil

3 Before celebrating Diwali, Hindus prepare and decorate their homes

People make sure that their houses are spotless Every house is repainted

and thoroughly cleaned They decorate the floors and sidewalks outside

their homes with special rangoli patterns to welcome guests Rangoli

means "a mixture of colors." The patterns are created from a paste made

from rice flour The paste is usually colored red or yellow The Hindus

believe red and yellow make the evil spirits go away One traditional Hindu

pattern is the lotus flower, which is the symbol of one of their gods,

Lakshmi

4 Lights play an important part in the Diwali festivaL Weeks before the

festival potters make clay lamps called diwas On the first day of Diwali,

every family buys a new lamp, which symbolizes new beginnings There"

are lights everywhere in the streets Even in parts of India where there is

no electricity, thousands of these clay lamps can be seen The lamps

welcome travelers and help visitors find the houses they are going to visit

They are also there so the gods that people are remembering will see the

lights and pay them a visit In addition to light, there is noise- the noise

of firecrackers Families spend a lot of money on firecrackers and light

them for four or five hours at night in their backyards and gardens At the

end of Diwali, there are also big fireworks displays that light up the sky

How Do Hindus Celebrate the Diwali Festival? 23

1

,

, Hindus start every day of Diwali by taking a bath After their baths,

fam il y m emb e s w ill rub sce n te d o il s int o eac h o th e 's hai r Th e n the y get dresse d in n ew clot h es fo r th e fes ti v al Wom e n will wear lot s of j ewe l ry

a nd m ay dra w s p e cial p a t terns o n th e i r h a nd s a nd f ee t w ith h e nna Th e n

they pray at the family shrine Every Hindu home has a shrine with

pic t ures a nd stat u es of diff ere n t go d s Th e s hrin e i s u s u a ll y in th e li in g room of t h e h o u se, w h e e i t i s easy to ge t t oge th e r e very d ay a nd pray

After they pray at the shrine, they go out and visit fami y, friends, and business coUeagues They take gifts with them of candies and dry fruits They believe if you give sweet things, people will think sweet things about

yo u S o m e p eop l e m ay g o to t h e m a rk e t w h ere th e r e a r e s t a s se llin g swee t s, flowers , an d j ewe l ry Th e e's a l so vi ll a ge d a n ci n g, a nd e v ery on e

can join in At the end of the day, they all go home to eat and light

firewo rk s

• Diwali is a time when people look forward to good luck and wealth

in the year to come The Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi , is honored during the festival People h pe that a visit from this goddess will bring them good luck To help Lakshmi enter their homes, they leave all the

w i n d ows a n d d oors ope n an d m a k e s ur e t h e e a r e li g h ts s hini ng at e very

d oo r a nd w ind ow so th a t s he ca n find h e r way in e a s il y Bu s in esspeo p l e put o ut a ll t h e ir a cco un t b oo k s for L aks hmi to in s p ec t Hindu s pay th e i r

b ill s a nd l e a ve mo n ey and j ewe l ry o n th e s hrin e to h e r in th e i r h o u se

7 In wes t e n Ind ia, Di wa li s t arts th e n ew bu si n ess y ear Th ere i s a cere m o n y of clos in g t h e acco un t b oo k s a nd s h owi n g t h e m to L a k s hmi

Bu s in ess p eo pl e w h o ta k e p art in th e ce r m o n y ha ve r d mark s o n t h e ir forehea d s Duri ng Di wa li , peop l e a l w a ys v i s it th e i r c o wor k ers a nd se nd

" H a pp y Di wa }i " cards and exc h a n ge g i fts

8 Hind us i n o th er parts of th e wo rld a l so ce l e br ate Di wa li Ou ts id e

In d i a, th e tem pl e i s m or e im po rt a nt in th e f est i v i ties t h a n th e h o m e i s

Th is i s b ecause Di wa li i s n ot a l o n g p ubl ic h o lid ay in o th e r co untri es, and

Hi nd u s h ave t o go to wo rk as u s u a l Th e te mpl e i s a good pl ace fo r th em

t o m ee t f o r th e fest i v iti es Ou ts id e Indi a, Hindu s u s u a ll y s pend th e i r

whole day in the temple, whereas in India they would go there to pray to

the gods and then go home In the temple during Diwali, the priests dress the figures of the gods in brightly colored silk clothes to receive their visitors When visitors come, they ring the temple bell to let the gods know that they have arrived, and they bring gifts of swe ts and flowers

Th e t e mpl e is u s u a y c o vere d w ith offe rin gs o f s w ee t s, fl owers, fru it , a nd

cakes People bring food not only for the gods but also for themselves

24 UN I T 3

Everybody eats and listens to traditional music There are no fonnal

religious services, but every visitor says a private prayer to the gods and

asks for good fortune

9 Diwali is a time to be happy and enjoy family and friends It's a time

when people exchange sweets, wear their new clothes, buy jewelry, and

have a festive time However, for the Hindus, Diwali is more than eating

and sh pping Its burning lamp is a message of peace and harmony to

the world

VOCABULARY

Circle the letter of the answer that is closest in meaning to the underlined word

1 They thoroughly clean their houses

a partly

b mostly

c completely

d generally

2 There are no fonnal religious services

a not like any other

b official

c taking a long time

d taking place every day

3 In various parts of India, different gods are honored

a showed praise and respect

b asked a favor of

c given special names

d talked about by everyone

4 The burning lamp is a message of peace and harmony

a acting according to reason

b having a great love for other people

c being quiet and restful

d being in agreement with others

Ho w D o Hindu s Ce l ebrate th e Di wa li F es ti val? 25

1

S They pray at the family shrine

a a kind of cere mony

b a place for worship

c an area for e ntertainment

d completely clean

7 It i s a time when light triumphs over darkness

a tries to control

b wins a vic tory

c has a strong feeling against

d makes better

8 They visit business colleagues

a people w ho wor k together

b people who play on the same sports team

c people who are wealthy

d family members

9 Diwali has different significance for people in various parts of

a history and customs

b type of ceremony

c importance and meaning

d time and place

10 There are fireworks displays that light up the sky

a s h ows that people see

b songs that people sing

c noises that people hear

cl, ceremo ni es that people take part in

26 UNIT 3

~ WORDS THAT GO TOGETHER

A Find words in the reading that go together with the words below to make phrases

B Complete the sentences with the phrases from Part A

1 When you have things, they are arranged side by

s id e in a lin e

go to see them and spend time with them

3 If o ne thing m ay c han ge becaus e of something else, it i s

_ _ _ _ _ something else

so m et hin g you t e ll th em about it

5 When you use part of a word instead of the whole word, then the smaller

6 When you something happens, you do everything

yo u ca n t o b e ce rt a in that it does happen

7 When you do something with other people, you _ _ _ _ _ _ _

that activity

C Now use the phrases in your own sentences

Example: I let my friend know about the free concert tickets

Work with a partner to answer the questions Use complete sentences

What i s the n ame of a famous shrine? Wh ere i s it? Why is it famous? What is the si g nificance of a white dress in yo ur c ulture ?

Where ca n yo u find rows of chairs?

Whi c h people are honored in yo ur country? Wh y a r e th ey honored ?

Ho w Do Hind us Celebrate the Diwali Festival? 27

5 If you cou ld pay so meone famous a visit, w h o wou ld yo u c h oose to

6 In your culture, what type of clothing is fonna l ?

7 What h appens w h en peo pl e don't li ve in harmony?

8 W h at are some words that y ou use every da y th a t are s hort for other wor d s?

COMPREHENSION

tr UNDERSTANDING MAIN IDEAS

Some of the following statemen ts are main ideas, and some are s upportin g ,t.,teIl"

Some of them are sta t ed directl y in the reading Find the statements Write M main idea Write S for each supporting statement

I Diwali, which lasts for five days, is one of the longest testiv,lls I

Hindus

_ 2 Lights play an important part in the Diwali festival

_ 3 Diwali is a time when people look forward to good luck and

wealth in t h e year t o co m e

_ _ _ 4 Bu sinesspeop l e who take part in the ceremo n y have r e d marks

their fore h eads

_ _ _ S Hindus in ot he r parts o f the world a l so ce l ebrate DiwaH

REMEMBERING DETAILS

Reread the passage and answer the questions Write co mplet e sentences

1 How do Hindus start every day of Diwali?

2 What do es ral'lgoli m ea n ?

3 Durin g Di wa li, w h at de co rate s th e w i n d ows and d oors of houses?

4 What do family members do after they pray at the shrine?

s In the temple, how do the priests dress the [jgures of the gods?

28 UN IT 3

6 What colors do the Hindus believe make the evil spirits go away?

7 During DiwaJi, what does a new lamp symbolize?

8 Lak s hm i is the goddess of what?

MAKlNGINFERENCES

The answers to these questions can be inferred, or guessed, from the reading Circle the letter of the best answer

I The reading implies that the Diwali festival _ _ _ _

a is celebrated in the same way by all Hindus

b is a time for family and friends to get together

c makes many people wealthy

d is a good time for praying alone and having quiet thoughts

2 It can be inferred from the reading that the festival is celebrated with

a a belief in the importance of the past

b a sense of sorrow for one's mistakes

c a spirit of hope for the future

d a joy in showing off one's wealth

3 From the reading, it can be concluded that Hindus _ _ _ _

a work hard to prepare for the festival

b don't believe in praying for good luck

c celebrate Diwali mostly in their homes

d dress very plainly during the festival

4 The reading implies that DiwaH is a time for _ _ _ _ _

a working hard at your job

b going to bed early and getting lots of rest

c staying home and praying

d doing good things for others

How Do Hindu s Celebrate th e Diwali Fe stival? 29

DISCUSSION

Discuss the answers to these questions with your classmates

I Why are holidays and festivals important to societies?

2 Many colors have special meanings or create certain feelings when we

look at them Name three colors and what they symbolize What is your favorite color? Why?

3 All countries have their own customs What is one custom that you like? What is one that you don't like? Explain your reasons

4 Food is an important part of many festivals Why do you think it is?

WRITING

On separate paper, write a paragraph or an essay about one of the following topics:

1 Write about your favorite holiday and how it is celebrated in your co untry

2 Write about two or three customs that you like Give reasons why you like them

3 Sometimes a festival you know is celebrated differently in another

country Compare and/or contrast the similarities and differences of a festival celebrated in another country

~ DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

We use quotation marks for direct speech (a person ' s exact words) We

use Quotation marks at the beginning and at the end of each part of a

direct Quotation We put punctuation inside the second pair of Quotation

marks We do not use quotation marks for reported, or indirect, speech

The woman said, "We must keep the tradition alive outside India."

Write C for correct sentences Rewrite the incorrect sentences with correct

punctuation

_ 1 The wo man said that " there were statues of di fferen t gods in the

s hrine."

_ 2 He told us that Hindus usually end their meal with lassi

_ 3 The woman said, " Guests who visit betwee n mealtimes recei ve

special snacks."

_ 4 "The symbol of Lakshmi, she said, is a lotus flower."

_ 5 He said that today they are putting metal lamps on their shrines

_ 6 Spices she sa.id are the essence of Indian c uisin e

_ _ _ 7 " Lots of foods, including special sweets, are eaten together on a

special plate called a thali, she said

H ow Do Hindu s Ce l ebrate the D iwali Festival? 3 1

UNIT4

What Is the Story

Ar abian Nights?

BEFORE YOU READ

Answer these questions

1 What kinds of stories do you like? Adventure? Mystery? Romance?

2 What are some famous stories or folktales?

3 Which stories are popular in your country?

32

What Is the Story Behind The 1,001 Arabian Nights?

t Th e 1,001 Arabian Nights, also known as The B ook of One Th ousand

and O,1e Nights, is one of the most famous pieces of Arabic literature It includes many well-known stories, such as "AB Baba and the Forty Thieves," "Sinbad the Sailor," and "Aladdin's Lamp." In all, the collection

of stories contains about 200 folk tales from Arabia, India, Persia (modem day Iran), and even China Many people in these countries shared a religion, Islam, and the Arabic language of the Koran

2 These stories are very ancient and are believed to first have been told

by an Arab storyteller in the ninth century There are various types of stories: love stories, historical tales, comedies, tragedies, poems, and religious legends the stories depict what life was like at the lime and

include good and bad rulers, magicians, and lots of adventure The

stories have been told and retold for generations Later on, in the Middle Ages, a "frame" to all these stories was added The frame for the large

group of stories is the story of Sherezade In her tale, she tells many of

Th e 1,001 Arabian Nights stories

3 The story of Sherezade begins with the tale of a king named Shahryar who rules an unnamed island "between India and China." Shahryar had

a wife whom he loved more than anything in the world He was devoted

to her and would do anything for her However, after several years, he

discovered completely by accident that she had been unfaithful to him Betrayed, the King carried out the law of the land and ordered his chief minister to put her to death Then the heartbroken king went out of his mind and declared that all women were unfaithful like his wife The fewer there were of them, he thought, the better the world would be So every evening he married a new wife and commanded that she be executed the following morning

4 It was job of the chief minister to provide the king with these unfortunate brides The chief minister did his duty with great reluctance, for it was hard for him to see a woman married one day and then killed

the next The people of the town lived in sadness and fear Fathers and mothers cried about the fate of their daughters The chief minister himself had two daughters: Sherezade and Dinarzade Sherezade was older; she

was a clever and brave girl Her father had given her the best education, and she was one of the most beautiful girls in the kingdom

What I s the SlOry Behind The /,001 Arabian N i g ht s? 33

• •

, One day, Sherezade asked her father a favor Her father loved her very much, and he would not refuse her anything that was reasonable Sherezade then told him that she was determined to end the cruel practice of the king She had a plan to save the women of the kingdom from their terrible fate Since her father had to provide the king with a

new wife every da y, s he implored him to c ho ose her Her father was

shocked by her request and thought she had lost her senses But Sherezade explained that if her plan succeeded, she would do a great service for her country After she begged and begged him, her father finally agreed to Sherezade's wish He went to the palace to tell the king that the following evening he would bring him Sherezade to be the new

queen The astonished king asked him why he wou ld sacrifice his own

daughter The chief minister replied that it was her wish The king then

told th e mini ster to bring his daughter to the palace

6 When her father returned to tell her, Sherezade was happy and thanked her father for agreeing to her wish She then went to prepare

hers e lf for the marriage But , first, she wanted to speak with her sister,

Dinarzade Sherezad e told her sister that she had a plan and needed her

help She said her father was going to take her to the palace to celebrate her marriage with the king As a final wish, she would ask the king to let

her sister sleep in their bedroom during the last night that s he was alive

If the king granted her wish, which she hoped he would, then Dinarzade

should wake her up an hour before daybreak and say these words to her,

"My s i s ter , if yo u are not as l eep, please teU me one of your charming

stories." Then Sherezade would begin to tell a tale, and she hoped by this

to save the people from their terrible fate Dinarzade said she would do

what her sister asked of her

7 Wh e n the time for the marriage came, the chief minister took

Sherezade to the palace and left her alone with the king The king told her

to rai se her veil and was ama ze d at her beaut y But Sherezade had tears

in h er eyes Wh en the king asked what was the matter, Sherezade said that

she had a sister whom she loved very much, and she asked the king if he

wo uld allow her s ister to spend the night in the same room since it would

be the last time they would be together The king agreed to her wish

• An hour before daybreak, Dinarzade woke up and asked Sherezade,

"My sister, if you are not as l eep, please tell me one of yo ur charming stories befor e the s un rise s It is the la s t time I'll ha ve th e plea s ure of

34 UN IT4

hearing you." Sherezade asked the king if he would let her do as her sister requested "Of course," answered the king So Sherezade began to

tell the king a story But when she reached the most exciting part of it,

she stopped She said that if he wanted to hear the end he would have to

let her live another day Each night she would tell him a story, ending at

daybreak with a "cliff hanger"-Ieaving off at an exciting part

9 Th e enc h anted king always wa nt e d to h ear the rest of th e s tory , and

so he put off her death night after night He was dazzled by her thrilling

s tori es, a nd soo n he fe ll in l ove w ith h er Sherezad e w as ab l e to spin a

new tale for 1,00 I nights By this time, she had given birth to three sons,

a nd t h e kin g b eca me con v in ce d of h er fai thfulness Sherezad e's plan was

successful and all the people rejoiced because the women in the

kingdom were saved

VOCABULARY

~ MEANING

Circle the letter of the answer that is closest in meaning to the underlined word

1 T he c hi ef min is t e r did his dut y with grea t re lucta n ce

4 Th e stor i es d e pi c t w h at li fe was lik e a t th e tim e

10 The king was betrayed by his wife

a warned

b controlled

c treated dishonestly

d ot taken care of

A Find words in the reading that go together with the words below to make phrases

B Complete the sentences with the phrases from Part A

1 A person who makes up stories knows how to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2 When something is accomplished or a rule is followed, it is

3 If a man was so upset that he acted unreasonably, you might say that he

4 When you _ _ _ _ _ _ _ something, you delay it or make it

wait until a later time

5 If you are someone or something, it means that

you love and give great importance to that person or thing

7 If a woman did something crazy and unusual, her friends might think

that she had _ _ _ _ _ _ _

C Now use the phrases in your own sentences

Example: The manager watched his workers to make sure they carried out

hi s reque s ts

What Is the Story Beh ind The 1,001 Arabian Ni g hts? 37

USE

Work with a partner to answer the questions Use complete sentences

1 Besides folktales, what else might dep i ct what life was like in the past?

2 H a s anyo n e eve r g r anted a w i s h f o r yo u ? Wh a t w a s yo ur wi s h ?

3 Wh a t are t wo hi s t o ri ca l eve nt s th a t aston i s h ed yo u ?

4 Wh a t career wo uld be g o o d f o r so m eo n e w h o ca n s p i n a ta l e?

5 H ave yo u ex p e ri e n ce d a s itu a t io n w h e r e p e opl e r ejo i ced? What w e re

of the things they did to celebrate?

6 Wh o i s a f amo u s p e so n in hist ory w h o w as bet raye d ?

7 Where might you be dazz l ed by what you see or hear?

8 W o uld yo u lik e to do a s erv ic e fo r yo ur c ount ry? Wh at ty p e of s ervice?

COMPREHENSION

' ~ UNDERSTANDING MAIN IDEAS

Circle the letter of the best answer

1 The main idea of paragraph 2 is that _ _ _ _

a the frame for many of the tales is the story of Shere ade

b t h e s t o ri es we r e t o ld in th e ninth ce ntu ry

c t he b o o k i s m a de up of m a n y a n c i e nt s t o ri es

d the tales tell us about the past

2 The main idea of paragraph 5 is that _ _ _ _

a Sh e re za d e's f ather l o v e d h e r v e ry mu c h

b Shere ade wanted to marry the king in order to help her country

c both the king and Sherezade's father were shocked by her wish

t o m arry

d Sherez de had to beg her father to let her marry the king

3 Paragraph 6 is mainly about Sherezade's _ _ _ _

a h app in ess o v e r h e r fa th e 's d ecis i o n

b w i s h to h ave h e r s i s t e r w ith h e r

c marri age to th e kjn g

d pl a n t o save t h e w om e n

38 UN IT 4