Breaking News English Lesson: Grand Egyptian Museum
A new museum has opened in Cairo, Egypt. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held an opening ceremony on Saturday. Many dignitaries attended it. Egypt's president said GEM will "become an international cultural and scientific hub" and help Egypt's tourism industry. Authorities hailed the $1.2 billion museum as "Egypt's gift to the world". A tour guide hopes it will "usher in a new golden age of Egyptology". GEM offers panoramic views of the Pyramids.
GEM is the world's largest archaeological site dedicated to an ancient civilisation. It has over 50,000 exhibits. A giant 3,200-year-old, 11-metre-tall statue of the Ramesses the Great is in the entrance. GEM also houses the whole Tutankhamun collection. This was unearthed in 1922 in Luxor. Officials hope GEM will mean the return of Egyptian antiquities held in other countries, especially the Rosetta Stone, which is in the British Museum.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.arabnews.com/node/2620817/middle-east
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/31/egypts-vast-1bn-museum-to-open-in-cairo-after-two-decade-build
- https://phys.org/news/2025-10-delays-egypt-lavish-grand-museum.html
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News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- A new
- an opening
- Many dignitaries
- an international cultural and
- help Egypt's tourism
- Egypt's gift
- usher in a new golden
- panoramic
- to the world
- attended it
- industry
- ceremony
- age of Egyptology
- museum has opened
- views
- scientific hub
- the world's largest
- an ancient
- It has over 50,000
- Ramesses the Great is
- GEM also houses the whole
- This was unearthed
- the return of Egyptian
- held in other
- in the entrance
- antiquities
- civilisation
- countries
- in 1922
- archaeological site
- Tutankhamun collection
- exhibits
A new (1) ________________________________________________ in Cairo, Egypt. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held an (2) ________________________________________________ Saturday. Many (3) ________________________________________________. Egypt's president said GEM will "become an international cultural (4) ________________________________________________" and help Egypt's tourism industry. Authorities hailed the $1.2 billion museum as "Egypt's gift to the world". A tour guide hopes it (5) ________________________________________________ a new golden age of Egyptology". GEM (6) ________________________________________________ of the Pyramids.
GEM is the world's largest archaeological (7) ________________________________________________ an ancient civilisation. It has (8) ________________________________________________. A giant 3,200-year-old, 11-(9) ________________________________________________ of the Ramesses the Great is in the entrance. GEM also houses the whole Tutankhamun collection. This (10) ________________________________________________ 1922 in Luxor. Officials hope GEM will mean the return (11) ________________________________________________ held in other (12) ________________________________________________ Rosetta Stone, which is in the British Museum.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areAnewmuseumhasopenedinCairo,Egypt.TheGrandEgyptianMuseum (GEM)heldanopeningceremonyonSaturday.Manydignitariesattende dit.Egypt'spresidentsaidGEMwill"becomeaninternationalculturalan dscientifichub"andhelpEgypt'stourismindustry.Authoritieshailedthe$1. 2billionmuseumas"Egypt'sgifttotheworld".Atourguidehopesitwill"us herinanewgoldenageofEgyptology".GEMofferspanoramicviewsofth ePyramids.GEMistheworld'slargestarchaeologicalsitededicatedtoan ancientcivilisation.Ithasover50,000exhibits.Agiant3,200-year-ol d,11-metre-tallstatueoftheRamessestheGreatisintheentrance.GEM alsohousesthewholeTutankhamuncollection.Thiswasunearthedin19 22inLuxor.OfficialshopeGEMwillmeanthereturnofEgyptianantiquitie sheldinothercountries,especiallytheRosettaStone,whichisintheBriti shMuseum.
Student surveyWrite 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 questionsSTUDENT 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 writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
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