The Reading / Listening - Iraqi Antiquities - Level 4

The UK will return 5,000 ancient artefacts to Iraq. The announcement was made during the visit of Iraq's Prime Minister to London this week. The return is the largest ever by the UK. Many of the items were stolen and smuggled from Iraq in the past century. A lot of this happened after the last Iraqi war. There is a profitable trade in stolen artefacts. Iraq's ambassador in London said: "We extend our gratitude [to the UK] for their efforts and cooperation."

Many of the artefacts were found by British archaeologists a century ago. One valuable item is a rare Sumerian plaque from 2400BC. It was smuggled out of Iraq and auctioned in 2019. It was seized by police in London. The British Museum said it would continue to "fight against the illicit trade in antiquities". It added: "It is vital that we preserve and protect the world's cultural heritage for future generations to appreciate and enjoy."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Iraqi Antiquities - Level 5 or  Iraqi Antiquities - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/britain-to-return-5-000-ancient-iraqi-artefacts-1.1098462
  • https://www.arabnews.com/node/1741376/lifestyle
  • https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200929-britain-to-return-stolen-artefact-to-iraq/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The announcement was made
  2. the largest ever by
  3. Many of the items were
  4. smuggled from Iraq
  5. There is a profitable trade in
  6. Iraq's ambassador
  7. We extend our gratitude
  8. for their efforts and
  1. cooperation
  2. in the past century
  3. in London
  4. during the visit
  5. to the UK
  6. stolen
  7. stolen artefacts
  8. the UK

Paragraph 2

  1. a rare Sumerian plaque
  2. It was smuggled
  3. It was seized
  4. The British Museum said it
  5. fight against the illicit
  6. protect the world's cultural
  7. future
  8. appreciate and
  1. by police in London
  2. trade in antiquities
  3. enjoy
  4. out of Iraq
  5. generations
  6. from 2400BC
  7. would continue
  8. heritage

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK will return 5,000 ancient artefacts to Iraq. The announcement was made (1) ___________________ of Iraq's Prime Minister to London this week. The return is (2) ___________________ by the UK. Many of the items were (3) ___________________ from Iraq in the past century. A lot of this (4) ___________________ last Iraqi war. There is a profitable (5) ___________________ artefacts. Iraq's ambassador in London said: "We extend our gratitude [to the UK] for their (6) ___________________."

Many of the artefacts were found by British archaeologists (7) ___________________. One valuable item is a rare Sumerian plaque from 2400BC. It was (8) ___________________ Iraq and auctioned in 2019. It was (9) ___________________ in London. The British Museum said it would continue to "fight against (10) ___________________ in antiquities". It added: "It is vital that we (11) ___________________ the world's cultural heritage (12) ___________________ to appreciate and enjoy."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUKwillreturn5,000ancientartefactstoIraq.Theannouncementwa
smadeduringthevisitofIraq'sPrimeMinistertoLondonthisweek.There
turnisthelargesteverbytheUK.Manyoftheitemswerestolenandsmug
gledfromIraqinthepastcentury.AlotofthishappenedafterthelastIraqi
war.Thereisaprofitabletradeinstolenartefacts.Iraq'sambassadorinL
ondonsaid:"Weextendourgratitude[totheUK]fortheireffortsandcoop
eration."ManyoftheartefactswerefoundbyBritisharchaeologistsacen
turyago.OnevaluableitemisarareSumerianplaquefrom2400BC.Itwa
ssmuggledoutofIraqandauctionedin2019.ItwasseizedbypoliceinLon
don.TheBritishMuseumsaiditwouldcontinueto"fightagainsttheillicitt
radeinantiquities".Itadded:"Itisvitalthatwepreserveandprotectthew
orld'sculturalheritageforfuturegenerationstoappreciateandenjoy."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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