Seven amazing buildings from long ago — and how six of them disappeared.
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These are the new words for this lesson. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = D (a wonder) · 2 = B (ancient) · 3 = H (a building) · 4 = G (a statue)
5 = E (a temple) · 6 = A (a lighthouse) · 7 = C (to destroy) · 8 = F (a ruin)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
A long time ago, people liked to travel and see amazing things. About two thousand years ago, some Greek writers made a list. It was a list of the seven most amazing buildings you could see. They called them the Seven Wonders of the World.
All seven wonders were near the sea, in Egypt, Greece and the Middle East. They were the biggest and most beautiful buildings that people had ever made. To see one was very special. People said, "You must see these before you die."
The seven wonders were: the Great Pyramid in Egypt; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the big Statue of Zeus at Olympia; the Temple of Artemis; the Mausoleum, a very big tomb; the Colossus of Rhodes, a huge metal statue; and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Seven amazing things — but there is a big surprise in this story.
1. Who made the list of seven wonders, and how long ago?
2. Where were the seven wonders?
1. Some Greek writers made the list, about two thousand years ago.
2. They were near the sea, in Egypt, Greece and the Middle East.
Here is the big surprise: only one wonder is still here today. It is the Great Pyramid in Egypt. It was built about four and a half thousand years ago, for a king. It is very old, but it is still standing. You can go and see it now.
The other six wonders are all gone. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are a mystery. No one has found them, so some people think there were no gardens at all. The Temple of Artemis was burned. The Statue of Zeus was lost when its temple closed. The big tomb, the Mausoleum, was slowly broken, and people took the stones for new buildings.
Two wonders were destroyed by earthquakes. When the ground shakes hard, big buildings fall down. The Colossus of Rhodes was a huge metal statue by the sea. It stood for only about fifty years. Then there was a big earthquake, and it fell down. The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood for a very long time and helped many ships. But there were more earthquakes, and in the end it fell into the sea.
1. Which wonder is still here today? How old is it?
2. What destroyed the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria?
1. The Great Pyramid in Egypt. It was built about four and a half thousand years ago, and it is still standing.
2. Earthquakes. The ground shook hard, and both buildings fell down (the Lighthouse fell into the sea).
Six wonders are gone. So how do we know about them? We know because ancient people wrote about them. They wrote, "It was very big" or "It was very beautiful." Sometimes the writers made the buildings sound bigger than they really were.
There is a little more. Some old coins show pictures of the wonders. And people who dig in the ground have found some old stones. So we have a few clues, but not many. We are not always sure what the wonders really looked like.
Why is the Pyramid still here, when the others are gone? The answer is simple: it is very, very strong. It is a mountain of heavy stone. There is nothing inside it to burn, and it is not a thin tall tower that can fall. So it just stayed. The most beautiful wonders fell fast. The strong, simple one is the one we can still touch today.
1. How do we know about the six lost wonders?
2. Why is the Pyramid still here, when the others are gone?
1. Ancient people wrote about them. There are also some old coins with pictures, and some old stones in the ground.
2. Because it is very strong — a mountain of heavy stone. There is nothing inside to burn and it is not a thin tower, so it did not fall.
This story is about buildings. We do not always know who built them or broke them. So we often use the past passive: we talk about the building, not the people.
Choose was or were to complete the sentence.
1. The Great Pyramid built for a king.
2. The Hanging Gardens watered every day.
3. There seven wonders on the list.
4. There a big earthquake in Rhodes.
1. was (one pyramid)
2. were (the gardens = more than one thing)
3. were (seven wonders)
4. was (one earthquake)
Put the verb in the past passive: was or were + verb 3. Then read it out loud.
1. The temple (burn) a long time ago.
2. The stones of the tomb (take) away for new buildings.
3. The Lighthouse (destroy) by earthquakes.
1. was burned (one temple)
2. were taken (the stones = many)
3. was destroyed (one lighthouse)
Fill each gap with was, were, there was or there were. Read it aloud when you finish.
Long ago, seven wonders. The Great Pyramid built for a king, and it is still here. But the Colossus of Rhodes destroyed. a big earthquake, and the statue fell down.
there were (seven wonders) · was (built) · was (destroyed) · There was (a big earthquake)
Use was for one thing and were for more than one. Use there was / there were to say something existed.
There is a real podcast about the Seven Wonders. 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 network. About 50 minutes. Open the "Short History Of…" show on Spotify, and search "Short History Of The Seven Wonders" to find the episode.
Open the show on Spotify →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the Seven Wonders in your own words. Use these steps to help you: Greek writers made a list → seven amazing buildings → only the Pyramid is still here → the other six are gone → earthquakes and fire destroyed some of them → we know about them from old writing.
Try to use the past passive ("it was built", "it was destroyed") and there was / there were, and some of the key words (wonder, ancient, building, statue, temple, lighthouse, destroy, ruin).
Do you like old buildings? Is there an old building or an old place near your home? What is it? Is it still strong, or is it a ruin now? Why do you think we should — or should not — keep old buildings?
Tell me about an amazing place or building you know. Use the past passive ("it was built…") and there was / there were.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: