История и тайна? History or mystery?

ИСТОРИЯ И ТАЙНА?

HISTORY OR MYSTERY? 

Учебно - методическое пособие 
по английскому языку  

3-е издание, стереотипное

Москва
Издательство «ФЛИНТА» 
2020

Н.Н. Зеркина

Зеркина Н.Н. 
ИСТОРИЯ И ТАЙНА? HISTORY OR MYSTERY?
[Электронный ресурс]: учеб.– метод. пособие по английскому языку / 
Н.Н. Зеркина. — 3-е изд., стер. — М.: ФЛИНТА, 2020. — 26 с.

ISBN 978-5-9765-2418-7

Цель пособия - развитие  навыков и умений чтения и 
понимания тематических текстов в условиях самостоятельной 
работы.  Тексты 
содержат 
необходимые 
лексические 
единицы 
по специальности, знание которых позволяет читать 
соответствующую литературу 
и вести беседу по широкому 
кругу страноведческой тематики, а также способствуют  расширению
кругозора читателя. 

Пособие предназначено для студентов первых и вторых
курсов, обучающихся по следующим специальностям и направлениям:
030600.62 «История», 
031400.62 
«Культурология», 
032700.62 
«Филология», 100100.62 «Сервис»,100400.62 «Туризм». 

УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК  81.2Англ-923

З57

Р е ц е н з е н т ы :  

Жакова Т.Е,  к. филол.н., доцент кафедры английского языка и
методики его преподавания ФГБОУ ВПО СмолГУ. 

Заболотнева О.Л. к. филол.н., доцент кафедры теории и
практики английского языка ФГБОУ ВПО ЧелГУ 

©Зеркина Н.Н., 2015
© Издательство «ФЛИНТА», 2015

З57

ISBN 978-5-9765-2418-7

УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК  81.2Англ-923

CONTENTS 

Introduction____________________________________________________4 

Unit 1 The PYRAMID of the SUN _________________________________5 

Unit 2 SEVEN WONDERS of the ANCIENT WORLD_________________8 

Unit 3 The  “'MARY CELESTE”_________________________________________________12 

Unit 4 GOLD RUSH___________________________________________15 

Unit 5 WHAT IS MONEY?______________________________________18 

Unit 6 The JUNK-SHOP ________________________________________22 

References____________________________________________________25 

Introduction

Данное учебно-методическое пособие разработано на основе  

аутентичных текстов и материалов, объединенных общей тематической 

направленностью: присутствие мистики в культурно-исторических факта 

и артефактах.

Пособие предназначено для студентов первых и вторых курсов

обучающихся по следующим специальностям и направлениям 030600.62 

«История», 
031400.62 
«Культурология», 
032700.62 
«Филология», 

100100.62 «Сервис»,100400.62 «Туризм».

Цель пособия - развитие  навыков и умений чтения и понимания 

тематических текстов в условиях самостоятельной  работы.

Пособие состоит из 6 частей (Units), каждая из которых состоит 

из базового текста и комплекса упражнений, направленных на 

активизацию лексики, развитие навыков и умений перевода, а также  на 

развитие языковой догадки.

Пособие также
способствует развитию
культурологической 

компетенции студентов.

Unit1 
The Pyramid of the Sun 

1.
Прочитайте два текста о Пирамиде Солнца, они
содержат одну и ту же информацию. Один текст рассказывает гид, а 
другой содержит  информацию из путеводителя. 
2.
Определите, какой текст является более официальным  и
объясните почему. 

Exercise 1 
1.
достопримечательности

2.
установить происхождение
3.
быть разрушенным, в руинах
4.
строить, сооружать
5.
великолепный
6.
храм
7.
человеческие жертвы
8.
заключенные
9.
разрывать
10. квaдратный

Read the text and find English equivalents to the following words and
expressions. Make up your own sentences using the words. 
Text A 
The Pyramid of the Sun is the most impressive construction on the 
site of Teotihuacan in Mexico. Built around two thousand years ago by a 
people whose origins have not been clearly established by archaeologists. 
Teotihuacan was already in ruins when the Aztecs found it. They gave it the 
name Teotihuacan, which means ‘place of the gods’, because they believed 
that only gods could have constructed buildings of such size and 
magnificence. The centre of the city was formed by a group of temples on 
either side of a wide, straight road  nearly two kilometers long, which the 
Aztecs called  ‘the street of the dead’. The Pyramid of the Sun used for human 
sacrifice by the Aztecs, who killed as many as 80,000 prisoners a year on the 
altar to the sun god, tearing their hearts from their bodies, is over 60m high; it 
has  asquare base 220m long on each side. At the other end of ‘the street of 
the dead’ is the Pyramid of the Moon, built in a similar style but rather smaller 
(about 40m high and  with  a base 120m by 150m.) 

Text B 
This is the Pyramid of the Sun. 
It’s the most impressive construction on the site of Teotihuacan. It was 
built around two thousand years ago but archaeologists haven’t clearly 
established the origins of the people who built it.  

The 
Aztecs 
gave 
it 
the 
name 
Teotihuacan. 
That 
means 

‘place of the gods’. It was already in ruins when they found it, but they 

thought that only gods could have constructed such magnificent buildings. The 
wide road you can see is nearly two kilometers long. It’s absolutely straight, 
isn’t it? The buildings on either side were temples and this was the center of 
the city. The Aztecs called the road ‘the street of the dead’. They used the 
Pyramid of the Sun for human sacrifice. They killed as many as 80,000 
prisoners a year on the altar to the sun god. They used to tear their hearts out
of their bodies! Horrible, don’t you think? The Pyramid is over 60m high, and 
the base is square. It’s 220m long on each side. At the other end of ‘the street 
of the dead’ is the Pyramid of the Moon. It was built in a similar style but it’s 
not quite so large. It’s about 40m high and its base is 120m by 150m.

Exercise 2
Write out all irregular verbs, give their forms and learn them by heart, 

use them in your own sentences.

Exercise 3
Prepare the highlighted words for a dictation. Use them in your own 

sentences.

Exercise 4
Translate into English.

Теотиуакан

Город Теотиуакан возник на том месте, где, по преданию родился 

бог Солнца. Над священной пещерой в Iв.н.э. построили огромную 
пирамиду Солнца, а вокруг нее вырос культовый ансамбль. В период 
наивысшего рассвета в Теотиуакане жило около 200 тыс. человек. Это 
был один из самых крупных городов в мире. Богатые люди селились 
ближе к храму, а земледельцы и ремесленники жили на окраине, в 
хижинах.

Теотиуакан был разрушен в 750 г.н.э., а все его жители покинули 

город. Но храм солнца остался местом паломничества. Несколько веков 
спустя на этом же месте вырос  ацтекский город Теночтитлан.

Exercise 5
Imagine you are on the site of Teotihuacan. 
Which questions would you like to ask?

Exercise 6
Imagine you are a guide on the site of Teotihuacan. 
Prepare the story for tourists. 
(It may be a backtranslation of the text).

Exercise 7 
Do you know any similar sites? If “yes”, tell us about them? 

Exercise 8 
Give an annotation to the text. Use the plan. 

1. The title of the article (text) is …
2. It is published (distributed, issued) in…
3. The purpose (aim, intention, reason) of this article is to show…
4. The author analyses (explains, characterizes, estimates, interprets,
investigates)… 
5. Some parts of the article deal with …
6. The author points out …
7. It is aimed at … (increasing students’ knowledge and understanding
of…) 
8. The author discusses the…, emphasizing …
9. This discussion is of utmost importance for (the preservation of safety
and well-being) 
10.
In conclusion the author says that

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Теотиуакан

Unit 2

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Exercise 1 
Do you know the Seven Wonders of the World? What are they? 

Exercise 2

Test your general knowledge!

1.
Who built the Great Pyramid?

2.
Where is the Great Pyramid?

3.
What is the city of Babylon famous for?

4.
Why did King Nebuchadnezzar plant the gardens on the tops of 

the  walls?

5.
Who built the statue of Zeus?

6.
What was the temple to the goddess Diana remarkable for?

7.
What is the Tomb of King Mausolus?

Exercise 3
Read the text and name the Wonders. Check your answers.

*1*

In 
ancient 
times, 
long 

before there were great machines 
to help him, man showed that he 
was a clever builder. Some of the 
things built long ago were so 
remarkable that they are called the 
Seven Wonders of the Ancient 
World. The Seven Wonders were 
the Great Pyramid, the Handing 
Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of 
Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of 
Diana, 
the 
Tomb 
of 
King 

Mausolus, the Colossus of Rhodes, 
and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

First to be built of the 

Seven Wonders was the Great 
Pyramid. The Pyramid was a tomb 
which King Khufu of Egypt had 
built for him self. It was made of 
more than 2 million huge blocks of 

limestone, each weighing about 3 
tons. The Pyramid was as high as a 
40-storey 
building. 
Many 

thousands of slaves worked to pull 
the big blocks to their proper 
places. After the blocks had all 
been set in place, the Pyramid was 
covered with a facing of fine white 
limestone. 

Although it was the first of 

the Seven Wonders to be built, the 
Great Pyramid is the only one of 
the seven still standing. A large 
part of the limestone facing has 
been removed, but the main part of 
the Pyramid is as solid as when it 
was built more than 4,500 years 
ago. It is at Giza, not far from the 
present big city of Cairo.

*2*
Twenty-five hundred years 
ago, the city of Babylon, in the 
land of the Tigris and Euphrates 
rivers, was famous for its towering 
walls. 
The 
whole 
city 
was 
surrounded by walls. Other walls 
surrounded the palace of the king. 
Ancient writings tell that on the 
tops of the walls protecting the 
king's palace there were gardens 
even more wonderful than the 
walls themselves. The gardens 
were called the Handing Gardens 
of 
Babylon. 
King 
Nebuchadnezzar, it is said, had 
them planted to please his wife, 
who missed the trees and flowers 
around her former home in the 
mountains.  
*3*
 Zeus was one of the Greek 
gods. At Olympia in Greece the 
famous sculptor Phideas built a 
statue of him some 24 centuries 
ago. The statue was covered with 
thin sheets of ivory and gold. The 
eyes were jewels. This statue 
lasted for hundreds of years.     

*4*
About 400 BC a marble 
temple was built at Ephesus, in 
Asia Minor, to the goddess Diana. 
The temple was remarkable for its 
great pillars. After standing for 
about 600 years it was looted and 
badly damaged by barbarians.  

*5*
When Mausolus, the king 

of a part of Asia, died, a tomb was 
built for him at Halicarnassus in 
Asia Minor. This tomb was not 
nearly as large as the Great 
Pyramid, but it is supposed to have 
been the most beautiful tomb built 
in ancient times. It was more than 
100 feet high. At the top there was 
a statue of a chariot drawn by 
prancing horses. Two figures in 
the chariot were supposedly King 
Mausolus and the queen. This 
tomb built in 353 BC remained 
standing for about 1,900 years. It 
was 
then 
destroyed 
by 
an 
earthquake, but it was so famous 
that the word «mausoleum» came 
to be a word for tomb. 

*6*
 In 280 BC the people of 
Rhodes, a city on an island in the 
Aegean Sea, had a great statue 
built to celebrate a victory. The 
statue, called the Colossus, was at 
the entrance to the harbour at 
Rhodes. Some claim that the statue 
stood astride the harbour entrance. 
The Colossus of Rhodes was 
destroyed by an earthquake in 224 
BC, after it had stood only 56 
years. 
*7*
The 
Lighthouse 
of 
Alexandria in Egypt guarded a 
harbour, too. It was a stone tower 
about 400 feet nigh. On its top 
bonfires burned to warn sailors 
that there were rocks near by. The 
Lighthouse, built before 250 BC, 
lasted for more than 1,500 years. 

Exercise 4 
Use English words instead of Russian ones. Translate into Russian. 

1.
Many thousands of (рабов) worked to pull the big blocks to
their proper places.

2.
The whole city was (окружен) by walls.

3.
The statue of Zues was covered with thin sheets of (слоновой
кости золота)

4.
At the top of the tomb there was a statue of a (колесницы)
drawn by prancing horses.

5.
The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by an (землетрясением) in 224
BC.

Exercise5 
Give the meaning of  the underlined words without a dictionary 

1.
First to be built of the Seven Wonders was the Great Pyramid.

2.
At Olympia in Greece the famous sculptor Phideas built a statue of
Zues.

3.
It was made of more than 2 million huge blocks of limestone.

4.
Two figures in the chariot were  King Mausolus and the queen.

Exercise 6

Replace the underlined words and phrases in the postcard with a word or 

phrase from the list. 

Evening – Fabulous - Food - Helsinki - Lots - Love - Sightseeing - terrible 

-Mum and Dad - Places f interest - Professor of archaeology -  Go in the afternoon
- Some interesting ruins -  Take photographs

Dear Ann,

I got here last Friday and I’m having a great time. The weather is 

not good, but there are plenty of things to do. There are a few cafés near the 
hotel where I play cards and chat with other tourists. I’ve met a lovely girl
from Madrid who is taking me to a great new club tomorrow. The nightlife is 
interesting – so different from at home. I’m always really tired in the morning 
after so much going out – I’ll need a holiday after this!

Best wishes 

Exercise 7 
Imagine you are on one of the sites. 
Now write your own postcard. Replace the underlined words with words of 

your own choice. 
Describe one of the Wonders in your letter. 

Exercise 8 
Translate into English. 

Пирамиды 

К самым известным памятникам Древнего Египта относятся 

пирамиды, построенные более 4500 лет назад и служившие  усыпальницами 
для фараонов. Особенно знаменита Великая пирамида Хеопса в Гизе – это 
единственное из Семи чудес  света, сохранившееся до наших дней. Там же 
находятся еще две большие пирамиды. На строительстве пирамид в течение 
долгих лет работали тысячи людей. 

Exercise 9 
Organize a virtual excursion around the Seven Wonders of the Ancient 

World. 

Exercise 10 
Give an annotation to the text. 

http://www.7chydessveta.com/