A broken stone that helped people read a lost language again.
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Before we read, let's learn the important words. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a stone) · 2 = F (hieroglyphs) · 3 = A (a script) · 4 = E (to translate)
5 = H (to decipher) · 6 = D (ancient) · 7 = G (an object) · 8 = B (a museum)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
In 1799, French soldiers were in Egypt. The army of Napoleon was fighting there. The soldiers were building a wall near a town called Rosetta. While they were working, one soldier found a big, dark stone. There was writing on it.
This was not a normal stone. It was very ancient — more than two thousand years old. And it had the same words on it three times, in three different scripts.
At the top were Egyptian hieroglyphs — small pictures. In the middle was another old Egyptian script. At the bottom was ancient Greek. This was very important. People could still read Greek, but nobody could read the hieroglyphs.
1. Who found the stone, and where?
2. What three scripts were on the stone?
1. French soldiers found it in 1799, near a town called Rosetta in Egypt.
2. Egyptian hieroglyphs, another old Egyptian script, and ancient Greek.
The British won the war against the French in 1801. So the stone was given to the British, and it was sent to London. It is still in the British Museum today.
But why was the stone so special? People could read the Greek part. The Greek words were the same as the hieroglyphs. So the Greek was a "key". It could help people read the old pictures at last.
Two clever men tried to do this. One was English: Thomas Young. He found some important clues. The other was French: Jean-François Champollion. In 1822, Champollion understood the secret. The hieroglyphs were not only pictures — some of them were sounds, like letters! After more than a thousand years, people could read ancient Egyptian again.
1. How did the stone come to London?
2. Who finally read the hieroglyphs, and when?
1. The British won the war in 1801, so the stone was given to them and sent to London (the British Museum).
2. Champollion, a French man, in 1822. (Thomas Young, an English man, found important clues first.)
This was a huge moment. Now people could read all the old Egyptian writing — on temples, on walls, and on tombs. A whole ancient world came back to life. The Rosetta Stone was the key to all of it.
Today, the stone is in London. Many people visit it every year. But it is not in Egypt, the country where it was made.
Now there is a big question. Egypt says, "This is our stone. Please give it back." But the British Museum says no. Some people think old objects belong to one country. Other people think they belong to the whole world. What do you think?
1. Why was reading the stone so important?
2. What does Egypt want today?
1. Because now people could read all the other old Egyptian writing too. A whole ancient world came back to life.
2. Egypt wants the stone back. But the British Museum says no.
This story is full of reasons and results. Why did something happen? What happened next? We use these little words to join a cause to its result.
Choose because (for the reason) or so (for the result).
1. The Greek part was the key, people could read the hieroglyphs at last.
2. Egypt wants the stone back it was made in Egypt.
3. Champollion knew old languages, he understood the secret.
1. so (the result: people could read it)
2. because (the reason: it was made in Egypt)
3. so (the result: he understood the secret)
Join the two sentences. Use that's why or as a result before the result.
1. The stone had three scripts. , it was very special.
2. Nobody could read hieroglyphs for a thousand years. , ancient Egypt was a mystery.
1. That's why / As a result
2. That's why / As a result
Both work. They both come before the result, in a new sentence.
Fill each gap with because, so, or as a result. Then read it out loud.
The stone had Greek on it, people could understand it. The Greek words were the same as the hieroglyphs, the Greek was a key. Champollion was very clever. , he read the hieroglyphs in 1822.
so · so · As a result
"because" gives a reason; "so" and "as a result" give a result.
There is a real podcast about the Rosetta Stone. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast. About 50 minutes. Listen to a few minutes now, or all of it for homework.
Listen on Spotify →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the Rosetta Stone in your own words. Use these steps to help you: soldiers find a stone in 1799 → three scripts (hieroglyphs, old Egyptian, Greek) → Greek is the key → Champollion reads it in 1822 → people can read ancient Egyptian again → the stone is in London today.
Say what caused what — why did each thing happen, and what happened next? Use because, so, that's why and as a result, and some of the key words (stone, hieroglyphs, script, translate, decipher, ancient, museum).
The stone was made in Egypt, but it is in London. Who should own old objects — the country where they were made, or the museum that has them now? What do you think, and why?
Tell the story of any famous object you choose — a painting, a building, a crown, a statue. Where was it made? Where is it now? Why is it special? Say what caused what — use because, so, that's why and as a result.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: