Introduction
Simon Reeve is probably one of the most interesting men in our lives at the moment because with his series of 1________________ adventures which are absolutely 2________________ he takes us along three of the 3___________________ rivers in the world. They have 4____________________ some of the world's greatest civilisations, for centuries we've 5____________________ their life-giving waters and 6________________ their awesome destructive powers. " 7__________ is a killer!"On these 8____________________ Simon will meet some extraordinary characters and experience the very different cultures, religions and countries that have 9__________________ our sacred rivers.
In this first instalment, he journeys along the Nile, a river which is formed by two great 10_________________, the White Nile and the Blue Nile which 11_______________ the
from highlands of Ethopia, where Simon will start his journey 12___________ to sea. He finds himself taking in the 13____________ landscape of Sudan, moving onwards through Egypt, and finishing up in the Mediterranean Sea. The life-giving river is one of the 14_____________ of humanity.
But the stability of the region now looks rather uncertain, with the population along its banks ever-growing, an ever-greater 15_____________ is being placed on the river.
A dam that is currently being built along the river is one of the greatest potential 16_____________ in the world with Nile countries 17________________ over having greater shares of the sacred waters.
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Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt. Near the royal pyramids there is a hill called Jebel Barkal. The views from the top are so breathtaking that they make you 18____________________. The rock is so special that it feels like the imagination and beliefs of our 19____________________ is invested in it.
For many centuries ancient Nubians and Egyptians' relationship 20_________________ by conflict and its 21____________________________ are still present along the river.
Further down the river there is a lake 22_______________________ 350 miles. It is the longest 23_____________________ in the world. There is a 24____________________ great dam. Before it was built, heavy floods could 25__________________ crops.
Even though the dam helped Egyptians to control the levels of the river 26__________________, the Nubians had to pay a 27_______________________ since underneath are the remains of dozens of Nubian 28_________________________ which were 29________________________ by the rising waters of the lake.
The Nubians were relocated in less fertile land where they struggle to 30_______________________ a living in Egypt's 31___________________ tourist industry.
The crocodiles don't seem to 32_________________________to them because they even have them in their own houses. When they grow they kill them, 33_____________ them and hang them outside.
This comes to show that these people struggle to 34__________________ meet.
Tempers often flare between Arab and Nubian families and 25 people were even killed during 35_________________. Many Nubians still feel 36______________________ from Egyptian life.
When the river was 37_______________ the lake began to rise almost submerging the temple of Isis at Philae. Fortunately it was saved. It was actually 38__________________ 40.000 blocks, moved and 39_____________________ rebuilt on a new site. It is absolutely 40______________. It is striking to see what they were able to do when the rest of the world was in 41___________________. They created magic and mystery and 42___________________________!
It is a temple to the god Isis. Ancient Egyptians believed that the river 43______________ by her tears. It also 44_____________________________________________ in our history.
On one of the walls we come across the last known text written in 45_________________________. The last 46___________________ of a culture and a civilization which had 47______________ for centuries.
Other inscriptions that are 48____________________ the stones show that Christianity came to the 49________________. Egypt was Christian until Islam 50_______________ North Africa.
Religious 51___________________ and political conflict 52_______________ this Nile state.
Some fundamentalists want to 53_______________ Egypt of its pre-Islamic past. They think this temple is 54_____________________. Simon thinks that to tear them down would be 55___________
KEY
1. astonishing
2. stunning
3. mightiest
mighty: very strong and powerful
4. given rise to
give rise to something (formal) to cause something to happen or exist. E.g. The novel's success gave rise to a number of sequels.
5. worshipped
worship: to show respect for God. To love and admire somebody very much. E.g. She worships her children.
6. feared
7. current
killer: something that is very difficult, very exciting or very skilful. E.g. The exam was a real killer. The new movie is a killer.
8. epic journeys
9. emerged along
10. tributaries
tributary: /ˈtrɪbjətri/ a river or stream that flows into a larger river or a lake.
11. springs from
spring from (sprang, sprung) (informal) to appear suddenly and unexpectedly from a particular place. Originate or arise from. E.g. madness and creativity could spring from the same source. Where on earth did you spring from?
12. from source
source: the place where a river or stream starts. E.g. the source of the Nile.
at source at the place or the point that something comes from or begins. E.g. Is your salary taxed at source (= by your employer)? It is better to deal with such problems at source.
13. arid
take something in: to include or cover something. E.g. The tour takes in six European capitals. Her lecture took in all the recent developments in the subject.
14. cradles
15. strain
16. flashpoints
flashpoint: a situation or place in which violence or anger starts and cannot be controlled. Sp detonante. E.g. Tension in the city is rapidly reaching flashpoint. Potential flashpoints in the south of the country. The conflict reached a flashpoint last year.
17. arguing
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18. bite your lip
bite your lip: to stop yourself from saying something or from showing an emotion.
19. forefathers
forefather: a person (especially a man) in your family who lived a long time ago. Ancestor.
20. was marred
mar something to damage or spoil something good. E.g. The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans.
21. repercussions
repercussion: /ˌriːpəˈkʌʃn/ consequence.
22. stretching
stretch: to spread over an area of land. Extend. E.g. Fields and hills stretched out as far as we could see. Beyond the mountains stretches a vast desert.
23. reservoir /ˈrezəvwɑː(r)/
24. whopping
whopping (great) /ˈwɒpɪŋ/ very big. E.g. The company made a whopping 75 million dollar loss.
25. decimate
decimate something /ˈdesɪmeɪt/ to kill large numbers of animals, plants or people in a particular area. E.g. The rabbit population was decimated by the disease.
26. downstream
27. heavy price
28. settlements
29. swallowed (and submerged)
30. carve out
carve: to work hard in order to have a successful career, reputation, etc. Carve something (out) He succeeded in carving out a career in the media. Carve something (out) for yourself She has carved a place for herself in the fashion world. Carve out a living.
Other expressions:
Eke out a living: to manage to live with very little money. E.g. For years he eked out a miserable existence in a dreary (/ˈdrɪəri/ depressing) bedsit (a room for both living and sleeping in) in Bristol.
They eke out a precarious existence (= they have hardly enough money to live on).
breadline: the lowest level of income on which it is possible to live. E.g. Many people without jobs are living on the breadline (= are very poor).
live (from) hand to mouth to spend all the money you earn on basic needs such as food without being able to save any money.
Existence: a way of living especially when this is difficult or boring. E.g. E.g. The farmer worked in poor soil and lived a poor existence. The family endured a miserable existence in a cramped apartment. We led a poor but happy enough existence as children. They eke out a precarious existence (= they have hardly enough money to live on). The peasants depend on a good harvest for their very existence (= in order to continue to live).
to make a good/decent/meagre living
meagre: /ˈmiːɡə(r)/ small in quantity and poor in quality. Sp. escaso. E.g. She supplements her meagre income by cleaning at night. Families eke out a meagre living. Gradually I was able to make a meagre living.
31. flagging
flagging: declining; weakening. E.g. flagging strength.
32. pose a threat
33. stuff
stuff something to fill the dead body of an animal with material and preserve it, so that it keeps its original shape and appearance. E.g. They had had their pet dog stuffed.
34. make ends
make (both) ends meet to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things you need. E.g. Many families struggle to make ends meet.
35. clashes
clash: conflict
flare (up): (especially of anger and violence) to suddenly start or become much stronger. Erupt. E.g.
Violence flared when the police moved in. Tempers flared towards the end of the meeting.
36. ostracized
ostracize somebody (formal) /ˈɒstrəsaɪz/ to refuse to let somebody be a member of a social group; to refuse to meet or talk to somebody. E.g. He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. She was declared a witch and ostracized by the villagers.
37. dammed
dam: (v) to build a dam across a river, especially in order to make an artificial lake for use as a water supply, etc. E.g. plans to dam Colorado's South Platte River.
38. chopped up into
39. meticulously /məˈtɪkjələs/
40. breathtaking
41. intellectual darkness
42. stuff that lasts
43. was swollen
swell, swelled, swollen /ˈswəʊlən/
44. bears witness to seismic shifts
bear/give witness (to something) to provide evidence of the truth of something. E.g. The crowd of mourners at his funeral bore witness to the great affection in which he was held. This landscape bears silent witness to one of the greatest tragedies in history. Little is left to bear witness to the past greatness of the city.
seismic: /ˈsaɪzmɪk/ 1 connected with or caused by earthquakes. E.g. seismic waves. Seismic activity 2 having a very great effect; of very great size. Causing a very great change in a situation. E.g. a seismic shift in the political process. A seismic shift in people's attitudes.
45. hieroglyphics /ˌhaɪərəˈɡlɪfɪks/
hieroglyph: /ˈhaɪərəɡlɪf/ a picture or symbol of an object, representing a word, syllable or sound, especially as used in ancient Egyptian and other writing systems.
46. gasp
gasp: a quick deep breath, usually caused by a strong emotion. E.g. to give a gasp of horror/ surprise/ relief.
47. endured /ɪnˈdjʊə(r)/ to continue to exist for a long time. Last.
48. carved into
49. shrine
shrine: a place where people come to worship because it is connected with a holy person or event. Sp. santuario. E.g. shrine (to somebody/something) a shrine to the Virgin Mary. Shrine (of somebody/something) to visit the shrine of Mecca.
50 swept across
sweep: to spread quickly. E.g. Rumours of his resignation swept through the company.
51. strife
strife: angry or violent disagreement between two people or groups of people. Conflict. E.g. civil strife. The country was torn apart by strife.
52. dog
dog: to cause you trouble for a long time. E.g. He had been dogged by bad health all his life. Her career was dogged by misfortune.
53. rid.
rid somebody/something of somebody/something (formal) to remove something that is causing a problem from a place, group, etc. E.g. Further measures will be taken to rid our streets of crime.
54. idolatrous /aɪˈdɒlətrəs/
E.g. The Islamic militants leading the insurgency have destroyed a number of historical and religious monuments they view as un-Islamic or idolatrous.
idolatry: /aɪˈdɒlətri/ Idolatry means the worship of images as if they were gods. Many religions prohibit idolatry, some even to the extent of forbidding any representational objects in houses of worship.
Idol sits at the head of the word idolatry. If you worship––or even just look up to––a person or a thing, you are said to idolize them. For some modern idolaters, money is their idol, while for others it is celebrities and for still others their jobs.
Idolater: A person who worships an idol or idols.
55. obscene /əbˈsiːn/ Offending against moral principles; repugnant. So unfair or immoral that you feel angry. E.g. using animals' skins for fur coats is obscene. The amount of money that top-class footballers earn is positively obscene.
Read more about the programme here:
http://home.bt.com/entertainment/tv/tvfeatures/take-an-exotic-cruise-without-leaving-your-sofa-11363935798066
Discussion:
1. Are you an armchair backpacker? What travelogue series do you find most compelling?
What other travel programmes make for compelling viewing?
2. Do you sometimes get itchy feet? Or do you prefer staying on terra firma?
4. What time of year do you enjoy getting out and about? When was the last time you jetted off? Did you don your backpack?
5. Are you pressed for time? Do you prefer short jaunts?
6. What kind of holiday goer are you? Are you a seasoned independent traveller? Are you a city sightseeing type of person? Do you like to go hiking or skiing or on safari? Are you an adventurer? Do you consider yourself an intrepid traveller?
armchair (adj) knowing about a subject through books and television, rather than by doing it for yourself. E.g. an armchair critic/ traveller. A generation of armchair athletes who prefer to watch sports on TV rather than play.
travelogue: a film/ movie, broadcast or piece of writing about travel. E.g.
compelling: that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting. E.g. Her latest book makes compelling reading.
(get/have) itchy feet (informal) to want to travel or move to a different place; to want to do something different. E.g. After a few years in one place, I get itchy feet.
terra firma /ˌterə ˈfɜːmə/ safe dry land, as contrasted with water or air. E.g. After two days at sea, it was good to be back on terra firma again. They needed to rest themselves on terra firma. You can't keep this man on terra firma.
out and about: travelling around a place. E.g. We've been out and about talking to people all over the country. We don't like to stay in the hotel all day and enjoy getting out and about for a walk along the beach and stopping off for a smoothie.
jet: to fly somewhere in a plane. E.g. They have just jetted off for a honeymoon in New York.
don: to put clothes, etc. on. E.g. He donned his jacket and went out. In the dressing room the players donned their football shirts.
jaunt /dʒɔːnt/ a short journey that you make for pleasure. Excursion. E.g. Simon Reeve isn't long back from his jaunt to the other side of the world. He enjoys talking about his jaunts to Europe.
-goer (in compounds) a person who regularly goes to the place or event mentioned. E.g. a cinema-goer. A moviegoer.
seasoned: having a lot of experience of doing something and therefore knowing how to do it well. E.g. a seasoned traveller. E.g. a seasoned campaigner for human rights.
go hiking to spend time going for long walks for pleasure. E.g. If the weather's fine, we'll go hiking this weekend.
intrepid: very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties. E.g. an intrepid explorer.
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