The Travels of Ibn Battuta

Transcription

DOMINOES
The Travels of
Ibn Battuta
LEVEL ONE
4247726 Ibn Battuta FP.indd 1
400 HEADWORDS
7/7/10 15:19:31
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19/9/11 14:10:56
DOMINOES
Series Editors: Bill Bowler and Sue Parminter
The Travels of
Ibn Battuta
Janet Hardy-Gould
Illustrated by Ollie Cuthbertson
Janet Hardy-Gould has worked as a teacher of English for many
years. In her free time she enjoys reading history books and
modern novels, visiting other European countries, and drinking
tea with her friends. She lives in the ancient town of Lewes in
the south of England with her husband and their two children.
She has written a number of books, including Henry VIII and
his Six Wives, and King Arthur in the Oxford Bookworms series,
and The Great Fire of London, Sinbad, Mulan, Hercules, and
an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes: The Emerald Crown in the
Dominoes series.
7/7/10 15:19:31
ACTIVITIES
BEFORE READING
1 Ibn Battuta is a famous traveller. Which country did he come from?
a
d
Morocco
Tunisia
b
e
Egypt
Oman
c
f
Bahrain
India
2 Which places did Ibn Battuta visit? Choose six.
a
the pyramids near Cairo
b
c
the deserts of Australia
d
e
the Maldive Islands
f
the city of Constantinople (Istanbul)
g
the city of Damascus
h
the Colosseum in Rome
the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria
Adam’s Mountain in Serendib
(Sri Lanka)
7/7/10 15:19:57
Chapter 1 - The journey begins
My uncle, Ibn Battuta, sat by the window of his house in
Tangier. It was the hot time of the day and his eyes were
half-open. I went into the room.
‘Uncle?’ I said quietly. He looked up at me suddenly.
‘Ah, Ahmed, it’s you again,’ he smiled.
‘Yes, Uncle,’ I answered. ‘Can you tell me today about
your journeys, please? I want to travel when I’m older,
too,’ I said.
‘Is that right?’ he answered. Then he looked carefully at
me. ‘How old are you now?’ He could remember things
from long ago easily, but things from the day before not
very well.
‘I’m eleven,’ I said.
‘Well, perhaps in four or five years you can begin
to travel. But it’s not easy, you know. You can see
wonderful towns and cities, meet interesting
people, and do exciting things. But there are
bad times, too. You can get ill, meet big,
hungry animals, or lose all your money.’
‘No!’ I said. My eyes were big and open.
‘Yes, Ahmed,’ he answered. ‘But
listen to my stories, and perhaps
you too can learn to come home
alive!’ he laughed. ‘Now,
where shall I begin?’
I sat down, ready to
listen to him. Every time
my uncle told his stories
they were different,
new, and interesting.
uncle your
father’s (or
mother’s) brother
journey when
you go far; to
go far
travel to go;
(plural noun)
times when you
go to different
places
city (plural
cities) a big and
important town
1
7/7/10 15:20:01
judge a person
who says what is
right and what
is wrong
pilgrimage a
journey to a holy
town or city
holy a place,
person, or thing
that is near to
God
donkey an
animal like a little
horse with long
ears that makes
a lot of noise
pilgrim a person
who goes to a
holy town or city
ruler someone
who tells people
what must
happen in a
country
other different
caravan many
people on a
journey in an
Arab country
lighthouse this
tall building by
the sea stops
ships having
accidents
‘I was born here in Tangier,’ he began. ‘But of course, you
know that,’ he smiled. ‘My father, and his father before him,
were judges. So I learnt to be a judge, too. When you’re a
judge, it’s easy to travel. You’re important, you see.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Perhaps I can be a judge too, one day.’
‘Perhaps,’ he smiled. ‘My first journey was a pilgrimage
to the holy city of Makkah. I got on a donkey and said
“Goodbye” to my mother and father in Tangier when I was
twenty-one. My mother cried.
‘After some days’ journey, I came to the town of Algiers.
Here I met more pilgrims, and we travelled to the city of
Constantine. I met the rich ruler there. He looked at my dirty
old coat, smiled, and gave a beautiful new coat to me!’
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘Good men help people when they need it. After some
days, I left Constantine with the other pilgrims. We never
stopped moving because we were afraid. Perhaps people
could take our money from us when we slept, we thought.
I was soon ill, and I wanted to go to bed and die. But my
friends put me on my old donkey, and hit the animal from
behind to make it go quickly down the road.’
‘Did you want to come home then, Uncle?’
‘Of course,’ he smiled. ‘But I journeyed to Tunis. A good
traveller doesn’t stop easily.
‘I left Tunis in a caravan of pilgrims. They asked me,
“Can you be the judge in our caravan?” Of course I said,
“Yes.” A caravan judge! Not bad work for a young man!
When our caravan arrived in Alexandria, I was excited. I
wanted to see the famous Pharos there.’
‘I know,’ I said quickly. ‘That’s a big lighthouse from
long ago. Did you go up it?’
2
7/7/10 15:20:04
‘No!’ he laughed. ‘The Pharos was in
ruins. There wasn’t a lot to see. But not far
from Alexandria I met a holy man – Burhan
Al-Din. He could see into the future.
‘And what did he tell me? “You’re going to
visit India and China! And on your travels you’re
going to meet many old friends!” I was happy about
this. “I’m going to go far!” I thought.’
‘And did you go to India and China in the end?’
‘Wait and see, Ahmed!’ smiled my uncle. ‘I arrived in
Cairo eight months after I first left home. What a big city!
And what a lot of people! And they never stop running
here and there, day and night! And near Cairo there are
the pyramids – big, old buildings from the rulers of Egypt
long ago.’
‘And were they in ruins?’ I asked.
‘No. Not the pyramids!’ he smiled. ‘Next, I journeyed up
the river Nile. After this we travelled on camels through
the hot desert. There were lots of hungry hyenas there,
and at night we needed to be very careful.’
‘Of course,’ I cried excitedly.
in ruins old and
in pieces
future what is
going to happen
pyramid a
building with a
flat bottom and
four sides; these
meet in a point at
the top
camel this
animal can live
for a long time
with no water
desert a place
which has no
water
hyena a wild
animal, like a dog,
that eats things
which it finds
3
7/7/10 15:20:06
pray to speak
privately to God
‘One night a big hyena came and took everything
from my bag!’ he said. ‘But we soon left the desert. Then
I travelled to the holy city of Jerusalem and visited the
famous buildings there. Next I went to Damascus. What
a beautiful city! Then I travelled to Arabia and visited
Medina, and in the end I arrived in Makkah.
‘After a year and a half, it was wonderful to arrive in the
city of my pilgrimage! I learnt from holy men there and
prayed for three weeks.’
‘And did you come back home then?’ I asked.
‘No. Every night I thought of the holy man, Burhan
Al-Din, and of India and China. I was a true traveller now,
and I didn’t want to stop!
‘So I left Makkah with the ruler of Persia’s caravan.
When I was young, I heard many stories about the
wonderful towns near there. But on my journey I saw
something very different. Years before, the Mongols came
4
7/7/10 15:20:17
to these towns. They killed a lot of people, and I saw many
houses in ruins there.
‘Perhaps the most interesting town on that journey was
Wasit. A number of men with no money lived there in a
big house. In the evening, they prayed and ate their dinner.
Then they sat near a big fire and told stories. Suddenly some
of them walked into the fire! Then they ate the fire. One man
put a snake’s head in his mouth and ate it alive!’
‘And you saw all that?’ I cried.
‘Yes,’ he laughed. ‘I visited many interesting towns after
that, but I never saw men eat fire and snakes again!
‘Then I went to Baghdad. What a wonderful city! But I was
ill there. So I soon went back to Makkah. I learnt from holy
men and prayed there for a year, and slowly I felt better.’
‘And what did you do next?’ I asked.
‘I travelled by sea for the first time. It was my worst
journey!’ he said. ‘You can hear all about it tomorrow.’
fire this is red
and hot, and it
burns
snake a long
animal with no
legs
5
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ACTIVITIES
READING CHECK
Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Ibn Battuta is Ahmed’s father / uncle.
Ahmed is five / eleven years old.
Ibn Battuta comes from a family of travellers / judges.
To begin with, Ibn Battuta journeys to the city of Makkah / Tangier.
The ruler of Constantine gives Ibn Battuta an old donkey / a nice coat.
Ibn Battuta learns about his future / the pyramids from Burhan Al-Din.
In the desert, hyenas / camels take things from Ibn Battuta’s bag.
In the town of Wasit, some of the men walk into a big fire / a lot of snakes.
WORD WORK
1 Find ten more words from Chapter 1 in the wordsquare.
P
I
L
G
R
I
M
A
G
E
Q
K
R
X
F
Z
N
C
L
U
W
S
P
U
J
I
Y
R
H
O
L
Y
D
Y
Q
U
R
K
U
B
X
V
C
Q
R
J
N
E
B
I
W
N
E
L
Z
A
E
C
T
R
N
P
R
A
Y
P
M
L
L
W
G
S
E
S
K
M
D
I
J
E
C
A
R
A
V
A
N
I
D
B
J
C
P
Z
L
O
Q
H
W
S
V
T
R
A
V
E
L
M
S
K
R
L
I
G
H
T
H
O
U
S
E
2 Use the words from Activity 1 to complete these sentences.
f_b]h_cW][ to the ………………… city of Makkah.
a Ibn Battuta goes on a …………………
b This is my ………………… Karim. He’s my father’s brother.
c One day I would like to ………………… across the desert by camel.
6
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ACTIVITIES
d A rich family once lived in that house. Nobody lives there now because it’s
………… ………… .
e When I went to Egypt, I visited the famous ………………… .
f Ships could see the tall ………………… in Alexandria from far away.
g My father and mother ………………… five times every day.
h We saw a lot of smoke in the sky because there was a big ………………… .
i In the desert, there was a long ………………… with hundreds of people on camels
in it.
GUESS WHAT
Ibn Battuta travels by ship in the next chapter. What happens? Tick one box.
Ibn Battuta …
a
finishes his journey in the sea when
the ship goes down.
b
feels very ill because the ship goes
up and down a lot.
c
loses his bags when the ship
suddenly hits a different ship.
d
gets on the wrong ship and goes to
the wrong country.
7
8/7/10 09:34:14
Chapter 2 - From Makkah to Chagatay
world where we
all live; people live
in lots of different
countries in the
world
coast the place
where the land is
next to the sea
sail to go by ship
wind air that
moves
dangerous
something that
could kill you
place where
something is
guide someone
who shows other
people where
to go
clothes people
wear these
I arrived at my uncle’s house early the next morning.
‘So where did you go on your first sea journey, Uncle?’ I
asked.
‘Listen, and learn,’ he said, and then he told me more of
his story:
After my first visit to Makkah, I wanted to see more of
the world. So I travelled with friends to Jeddah on the Red
Sea coast, and we sailed down to Yemen. For two days the
wind was behind us, but suddenly it changed. The sea can
be dangerous, Ahmed. One minute it’s beautifully quiet,
and the next minute it’s dark and angry.
The wind made our little ship go up and down in the
water, and I felt very ill. When we stopped at a village on
the coast, my friends and I got off. We finished our journey
to the city of Aden by camel.
There we heard stories about a number of famous places
in East Africa. So we got on a new ship and sailed down the
African coast. Happily, I wasn’t ill at all this time!
After we visited different East African places, we sailed
back to South Arabia some months later. Then we wanted
to visit Oman, so we took a ship there. But we got off it
early because we didn’t like the sailors. This wasn’t a good
thing to do. I understood that later!
My friend and I found a guide to take us on foot to
Oman. I had a big bag of expensive clothes with me. So I
gave it to the guide, and he carried it. But after some time,
the guide suddenly ran away with my bag! I went after him
and I put my knife near his face. That stopped him! You
must always look big and angry with bad men, Ahmed!
Never forget that!
8
7/7/10 15:20:31
The guide came back, but now I watched him day and
night. He wanted to kill us, I think, and take our things.
After a week of walking, we arrived in Oman. We were
tired, hungry, and thirsty, but happy to be alive!
After Oman, I journeyed to the island of Bahrain. I saw
young men in little ships there. Some of them weren’t any
older than you, Ahmed. They stood on the ships, looked
down into the sea, and then went far under the water for
a very long time.
When they came up, they had shells in their hands.
They quickly opened the shells with their knives. And
what was in them? Wonderful pearls – the biggest and
most beautiful pearls in the world! People give a lot of
money for them, you know.
After Bahrain, I went back to the holy city of Makkah for
a year. There I heard interesting stories about the rich ruler
of India. He gave work to judges from different countries,
people said. So I looked at different ways to travel to India.
In the end, I went across country to Syria, and then sailed
up to Anatolia. There are sometimes big caravans to India
from there, you see.
I had a very nice journey across Anatolia! In every village
young men took us to a house for travellers. There they
gave us lots of good things to eat and drink. And when we
left, all the people of the village cried and said ‘goodbye’!
I then journeyed north with some new friends. On the
mountain roads, something strange happened. One
afternoon there was a lot of snow, and when I looked
behind me, I couldn’t find my way back to my friends.
So I went on my horse to find help. After some time, I
came to a dark little house. At the door, I spoke to an old
island a country
in the sea
shell the hard
outside part of a
small animal
pearl a little,
round, expensive
stone that
is found in a
shellfish
way how to get
from one place to
a different place
mountain big hill
strange not
usual
snow something
cold, soft and
white
9
7/7/10 15:20:31
mosque Muslim
people go here
to pray
man, but he couldn’t understand me. So he called to a
younger man. And when I saw him, I knew him! He was
an old friend from home. What good luck! He helped
me to find my new friends, and we stayed the night at
his house. The holy man Burhan Al-Din was right
about meeting old friends on my travels!
We then journeyed to the Black Sea, sailed
across it, and travelled to the town of Al-Qiram.
This was in green, open country. People called
this place the Steppe. There we heard something
exciting! The caravan of ruler Khan Ozbeg was
only three days away! It was a big city with
shops, mosques and places to eat in it. And
it moved from place to place.
I was interested to meet Khan Ozbeg. He
sat on a big chair with his wife, Bayalun, near
him. She had a different caravan. We travelled
with his caravan, and I learnt about Bayalun
– the daughter of the ruler of Constantinople.
She wanted to visit her home city, so Khan Ozbeg
asked me, ‘Can you take her there?’ I was very
happy to travel with Bayalun’s caravan.
After seventy-five days we arrived in
Constantinople. I stayed for a month and visited all the
important places there. Then I began the long journey back
to the Steppe. It was now winter – a dark and dangerous
time for Steppe travellers, so I journeyed south to the
country of Chagatay, and stayed with the ruler there.
My uncle stopped, and began to close his eyes.
‘And did you go to India?’ I asked.
‘That’s a story for tomorrow, Ahmed,’ he said.
10
7/7/10 15:20:42
11
7/7/10 15:20:45
ACTIVITIES
READING CHECK
Correct the mistakes in these sentences.
YWc[b
a Ibn Battuta arrives by ship in the city of Aden.
b Ibn Battuta’s guide wants to run away with his donkey.
c The old men in Bahrain find shells with pearls in them in the sea.
d After Bahrain, Ibn Battuta wants to find a way to travel to America.
e The young men in Anatolia give Ibn Battuta lots of things to wear and look at.
f Something strange happens to Ibn Battuta. He meets an old teacher from home.
g Bayalun’s caravan has shops, mosques and places to eat in it.
h Ibn Battuta travels to Constantinople with Khan Ozbeg’s daughter.
WORD WORK
1 Match the words with the pictures.
f
a
b
c
d
e
g
1 mountain
2 sail
3 mosque
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
island
wind
world
pearl
snow
coast
shell
clothes
h
i
j
k
12
8/7/10 09:34:15
ACTIVITIES
2 Use the words from Activity 1 to complete the dialogues below.
a ‘Do you like travelling by plane or by ship?’ ‘By plane. I always feel ill when I
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
iW_b
…………….’
‘What’s the tallest …………… in the ……………?’ ‘Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
It’s 9,100 metres tall, but most of it is under the sea.’
‘Did you walk by the sea today?’ ‘Yes, and look: I found this nice, big …………… there.’
‘My mother gave me this big, expensive, white …………… .’ ‘Really? It’s very beautiful.’
‘Where’s your father going?’ ‘He’s going to pray at the …………… near our house.’
‘Do you have …………… in the winter in your country?’ ‘No, never. It’s always very
hot.’
‘Where does your uncle live?’ ‘On a little …………… in the sea.’
‘What do you think of my new ……………?’ ‘I like the coat, but I don’t like the shirt.’
‘Is the weather going to be good today?’ ‘No, there’s going to be lots of ……………
and rain.’
‘Do you live on the ……………?’ ‘No, I live 200 kilometres from the sea.’
GUESS WHAT
In the next chapter Ibn Battuta
meets the Sultan of Delhi. Look
at his picture. Tick three boxes.
The Sultan of Delhi is …
a very rich ruler.
a famous judge.
always happy and nice to people.
e.
sometimes happy, but often
angry with people.
a good man to work for.
a dangerous man to work for.
13
7/7/10 15:20:53
Chapter 3 - From Chagatay to Calicut
horn some
animals have one
or two of these on
their heads
for fighting
rhinoceros a
big animal with a
horn on its nose
sultan a ruler in
a country in North
Africa or the
Middle East
When I went back the next afternoon, my uncle was
happy to see me.
‘Ah, Ahmed, you’re here again. Good,’ he smiled, and he
began his story at once:
For my long winter journey to India the ruler of Chagatay
gave me a warm coat, two horses, two camels, and lots
of money. We travelled south to Samarkand – a city of
beautiful buildings and wonderful gardens. From there, we
journeyed to the Hindukush mountains.
Many people die in the snow in these famous mountains,
so we stopped and waited for the bad weather to change.
A good traveller always thinks about the weather, Ahmed.
When it was better, we got up early one morning and went
slowly over the cold and dangerous mountains. There was
lots of snow under our feet, and we needed to put down
coats for our big camels to walk on. We didn’t want them
to stop in the snow and die of cold. We were all very happy
when the Hindukush mountains were behind us.
After four long months, we arrived in the north of India,
and there I saw something strange. We were on the road one
day when a big animal came out from the trees. It had a fat
body, little legs, and a very big head with a dangerous horn
on it! The animal ran at my friend’s horse, and it hit the
horse’s leg with its horn. The horse nearly died. I later learnt
the name of that strange animal. It was a rhinoceros.
We journeyed to the city home of the Sultan of Delhi –
Muhammad Tughluq. I knew a lot about this man before
I arrived. He liked judges from different countries. You see,
Ahmed, sultans often need people from other countries to
help them.
14
7/7/10 15:20:58
I soon learnt
more about the Sultan. It is very
important to arrive in Delhi with expensive
gifts for him. He then gives you back better gifts
and lots of money. And in the end, you’re richer
than before! So, I got thirty beautiful horses and
three camels for the Sultan. Remember that, Ahmed:
when you meet a new ruler, always arrive with gifts!
When we first came to Delhi, the Sultan was away. But
when he heard about me, he made me one of his judges.
I was now a rich and important man! I was, of course,
excited to meet him when he arrived home. His house was
very big, and I needed to walk through door after door to
find his room. He sat there on a gold chair with soldiers
all about him. He took my hand, and spoke warmly to me
for some time.
The next day, I went by horse with the Sultan and his
soldiers through the streets of Delhi. Lots of men on
elephants came after us. They left gold money on the
road behind them when they went past, and people ran
here and there to find it!
gift something
that you give to
someone
gold expensive
yellow metal
soldier a person
in an army
elephant a very
big animal with a
long nose
15
7/7/10 15:21:01
trouble
problems
enemy (plural
enemies)
someone who is
not your friend
fight (past
fought) to hit
someone again
and again
tusk these are
long and white; an
elephant has two
of them next to
its mouth
The Sultan could write beautifully, and he could speak
four different languages. But he was often angry, too.
Every day he asked his soldiers to kill people, sometimes for
very little things. I needed to be very careful.
For two years, my work went well. But then the Sultan
began to have trouble with his enemies. One ruler near
Delhi fought with him. And what did the Sultan do with
his enemy when he found the man?
Well, Sultan Muhammad had lots of elephants, and he
took some of them and put big knives on their tusks. He
then put his enemy in front of the elephants. The animals
played with the man. They moved their knives up and
down and cut his body open. He died, of course, and it was
a very bad thing for us all to watch.
I took a wife, a wonderful woman, to live with me in my
house in Delhi. But then my wife’s father began to fight
with the Sultan. This wasn’t good because people began
to speak badly about me. Perhaps I was an enemy of the
Sultan too, they said.
Then something worse happened. A famous holy man
– Shaikh Shihab Al-Din – lived on a hill near Delhi. I was
very interested in him, and I sometimes visited his home.
But Sultan Muhammad was very angry with Shaikh
Shihab Al-Din. He asked the holy man to do many different
things, but Shaikh Shihab always said ‘No’ to him. So in
the end, the Sultan’s men went and killed the holy man!
And when the Sultan asked about the holy man’s friends,
people gave my name to him! ‘Is Sultan Muhammad going
to be angry with me?’ I thought. ‘What can I do? I can’t
run away from him because then his soldiers are going to
come and kill me too.’
16
7/7/10 15:21:01
I was very afraid. I stopped eating and drank only water.
In the end I left Delhi and stayed with a different holy man
for five months. I gave away all my expensive things and
beautiful clothes, and I prayed from morning to night.
Then one day the Sultan’s soldiers came to visit me with
horses and new clothes. ‘The Sultan wants to see you,’
they said. I put on my new clothes, went back to Delhi, and
sat before the Sultan.
‘Ibn Battuta, you’re going to be my man in China!’ he
smiled. ‘I have fifteen Chinese visitors here. Go back to
China with them, and take gifts from me for their ruler.’
I couldn’t say ‘No’ to the Sultan, and of course I wanted
to see China. But, very importantly, I could now leave the
Sultan and stay alive! So I said ‘Yes’ at once.
I left Delhi in a big caravan with gifts for the ruler of
China – lots of horses and big bags of gold. My wife and
young daughter came with me, too. We had a thousand of
the Sultan’s best soldiers with us. That was good because
four days later we met four thousand of the Sultan’s
enemies! We fought and killed them all, but I soon had
more trouble.
One afternoon, I went for a walk in the mountains far
from the caravan. Suddenly, forty bandits came out from
behind some rocks. They wanted to take all my expensive
clothes from me, and to kill me, too! Of course, I didn’t
want to die, so I told them lots of good stories, and I gave
them all my clothes. In the morning, I was a free man, but
I had nothing to wear – only my trousers!
For days I walked in the mountains with nobody to help
me. From time to time, I saw more bandits. But I went
quickly behind rocks and trees, and they didn’t see me.
bandit a robber
who attacks
travellers
rock a very big
stone
17
7/7/10 15:21:01
In the end, I was tired, cold, and hungry. One day, a
good traveller found me, and he carried me to the next
village. I had the best dinner in the world there, and it was
wonderful to put on warm clothes, too! Two days later, I
found the caravan again. My wife and young daughter
were very happy to see me.
We journeyed to the town of Cambay, and carried all
our beautiful gifts onto four ships. Then we
sailed south to Calicut, and
put everything on three
big, Chinese ships there. I
went to the mosque that
afternoon and prayed
for a good journey.
But before I got on
the ship, something
very bad happened!
The weather suddenly
changed, and the wind
broke two of our ships
on rocks by the coast.
We lost everything – the
gifts, the people, and the
animals. The third ship – with
my wife and daughter on it – sailed
away, and I never saw it – or them – again.
I needed to go back to the Sultan and tell him about
all this. But I was afraid. When the Sultan was angry,
he often killed people.
‘So did you go back to Delhi, Uncle?’ I asked.
‘You can hear about that tomorrow, Ahmed,’ he smiled.
18
7/7/10 15:21:15
19
19/7/10 10:46:57
ACTIVITIES
READING CHECK
Match the two parts of the sentences.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
Ibn Battuta journeys across the Hindukush mountains on a …
On the road, Ibn Battuta and his friends see a …
Ibn Battuta arrives in Delhi with a lot of …
The Sultan of Delhi makes Ibn Battuta a …
The Sultan fights and kills his …
The holy man Shaikh Shihab Al-Din says ‘No’ to the …
The Sultan wants Ibn Battuta to go to …
In the mountains, some bandits take Ibn Battuta’s …
Ibn Battuta loses three ships in …
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
gifts.
big camel.
enemies.
China.
clothes.
rhinoceros.
rich judge.
Calicut.
Sultan.
WORD WORK
Find words from Chapter 3 to complete the sentences.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
The rhinoceros is dangerous and it hits one of the horses with its big h _ehd
_ _. [rhno]
When Ibn Battuta first arrives in the city of Delhi, the S _ _ _ _ _ is away. [atusln]
At home, the Sultan always sits on a beautiful g _ _ _ chair. [ogdl]
Hundreds of men on big e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ leave money on the streets of Delhi.
[lepseathn]
The Sultan puts big knives on the t _ _ _ _ of some of his elephants. [uksts]
Some s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ come and kill the holy man Shaikh Shihab Al-Din. [oisrdles]
The Sultan has a lot of t _ _ _ _ _ _ because many people are against him. [rtuoleb]
Soon after the caravan leaves Delhi, the Sultan’s men need to stop and f _ _ _ _. [ifhtg]
The b _ _ _ _ _ _ in the mountains want to kill Ibn Battuta. [sabidtn]
Because Ibn Battuta goes behind some r _ _ _ _ nobody can see him. [skorc]
20
7/7/10 15:21:21
ACTIVITIES
GUESS WHAT
In the next chapter Ibn Battuta visits many different places. What does he find in
each place? Tick the boxes.
a In the Maldives there are …
big snakes.
1
2
beautiful shells.
3
dangerous bandits.
b On the island of Serendib he gets
some …
1
wonderful clothes.
2
gold shoes.
3
expensive pearls and red rubies.
c On the island of Java he finds …
1
a lot of people on elephants.
d In China he sees …
1
dogs with long ears.
2
cats with blue-green eyes.
3
horses with little legs.
2
3
some very hungry hyenas.
hundreds of pilgrims.
21
7/7/10 15:21:24
Chapter 4 - From the Maldives
to China
alone with
nobody
My uncle didn’t answer his door at once the next day. So
I waited in the street, and I thought about the Sultan of
Delhi. In my head, I could see his big, angry face when he
heard all about those three ships.
Just then, my uncle opened the door. ‘Ah, hello, Ahmed.
Come in, and sit down!’ he said, and then he began his
story again:
Of course I couldn’t go back to the Sultan. That was
dangerous. I needed to leave India at once, I knew. Then I
remembered the holy man Burhan Al-Din’s words about
visiting China. Perhaps I could go there alone, without
the Sultan’s help.
First I sailed to the Maldives. They are truly wonderful
islands and there are about 2,000 of them. The
Maldives are famous for their beautiful shells. The
people there don’t have gold money. For them,
shells are money.
I stayed on the island of Male. I wanted
only to visit the place, but the rulers there
needed a new judge. When I arrived,
they brought gifts of gold and pearls
to my house. It wasn’t easy
for me to leave the island
after that.
22
7/7/10 15:21:30
So I had new work to do. I was the judge on Male. At
first, everything went well. I took a wife from an important
family, and I did my usual work. But I soon began to have
enemies. I was a rich man and people didn’t like that. So
they said bad things about me.
After nine months, it was time to sail away. My wife
wasn’t a good sea traveller. So I left her behind on the
island. You sometimes need to leave a place quickly,
Ahmed – before things go badly wrong!
I left for China, but first I sailed to the island of Serendib.
When we were nine days away from it, we could see its
famous mountain – Adam’s Mountain – across the sea.
Many people make the pilgrimage to this holy mountain
because on it you can see a footprint of Adam – the first
man in our world.
I stayed with the Sultan of Serendib for three days. He
loved listening to my traveller’s stories, and he gave me
pearls and big rubies. Serendib is famous for its rubies,
you see. The women there wear them all over their arms
and legs.
The Sultan told me all about Adam’s Mountain, There
are two ways to walk up to Adam’s footprint, an easy way
and a dangerous way. You’re a true pilgrim only when you
go the dangerous way, so of course I went up that way!
It was a long journey over big rocks and between dark
trees. But we arrived in the end at Adam’s footprint. It
was wonderful there. You’re up in the sky, and you can see
things very far away.
After that I left Serendib by ship for India. I was a happy
man with lots of pearls and rubies in my bag! But soon
things went wrong. One day, sudden winds took our ship
footprint the
hole that
someone’s foot
makes in soft
ground when
they walk
ruby (plural
rubies) an
expensive red
stone
23
7/7/10 15:21:30
swim (past
swam) to go
through the water
moving your arms
and legs
pirate a person
on a ship who
takes things from
other ships
onto some rocks. I was afraid because I can’t swim. The
sailors took some of the women travellers away, but I
stayed alone all night on the ship and prayed.
In the morning, some people found me and took me back
to the coast of Serendib. I sailed away once more, but this
time lots of pirates came onto our ship. They took all my
pearls, rubies, and expensive clothes – and then left me on
an island in only my trousers! ‘Not again!’ I thought.
I sailed back to the Maldives once more, and there I got
on a ship to China.
On the journey, I stopped at a number of places and
visited two islands – Sumatra and Java. Java was very
interesting. Everybody there has an elephant, and people
visit the shops on them!
After Java, we sailed for forty days with a good wind behind
us, and arrived in China. There’s a lot to tell you about China,
Ahmed. Chinese people can make many different things very
well – from wonderful pictures to beautiful boxes.
China is a very nice country for travellers, and I journeyed
easily from town to town. Some of their animals are
24
7/7/10 15:21:42
different from our animals, too, and that interested me.
They have cats with blue-green eyes, you know. And
when I stopped in one city called Fuzhou, something very
interesting happened.
A judge arrived in the city, and my friends took me to
meet him. We said ‘Hello’, and then this man looked at me,
and I looked at him.
‘I know you!’ I cried. ‘You’re Al-Bushri and you’re from
Ceuta – not far from my home town of Tangier!’
‘That’s right!’ he smiled.
We laughed and talked for hours. You meet people in the
strangest places, Ahmed! The holy man Burhan Al-Din
was right again about finding old friends on my journeys!
After some months in China, I was ready to begin my
long journey home. So I went to look for a ship.
‘And did you come home at once?’ I asked.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I stopped at cities from my earlier journeys
– Damascus, Cairo, and many more. But when I went back
they were dark and different places,’ he said slowly. ‘I can
tell you all about that tomorrow.’
25
7/7/10 15:21:45
ACTIVITIES
READING CHECK
Are these sentences true or false? Tick the boxes.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
Ibn Battuta goes back to see the Sultan of Delhi.
The people in the Maldives have shells for money.
Everybody in the Maldives likes Ibn Battuta.
After nine months, Ibn Battuta leaves the Maldives.
The Sultan of Serendib loves Ibn Battuta’s stories.
Ibn Battuta walks up the easy way to Adam’s footprint.
Ibn Battuta swims away when his ship hits some rocks.
Some pirates take Ibn Battuta’s pearls, rubies, and clothes.
China is a difficult place for people to travel through at this time.
Al-Bushri and Ibn Battuta are old friends.
True
False
WORD WORK
sswimcfootp
a
e
rin
on
tu
al
s
iratearuby
p
d
m
1 Find four more words from the story in the photograph.
26
7/7/10 15:21:52
ACTIVITIES
2 Use the words from Activity 1 in the correct form to complete the dialogues.
a
Some people stopped
a big ship last week and took a
lot of money from it.
Is that true? Are
f_hWj[i in the
there really …………….
world today?
b
Do you walk to school
with your friends?
c
Does your younger brother
like ……………?
No, he’s afraid of
the water, and he never goes
into the sea.
d
Come and look at
these beautiful …………… in
the shop window!
e
How did the detectives
find the killer?
No. I usually walk
…………… . My friends always
go by bicycle.
They’re a wonderful red
colour. I’d love to buy them for you,
but I haven’t got the money.
They saw some of his
…………… in the snow next to
the dead body.
3 What are the extra letters in the photograph of the elephant? Write them in order
and find the name of a famous city in the next chapter.
D_______
GUESS WHAT
In the next chapter Ibn Battuta goes back to some
cities from his earlier journeys. What does
he find there? Tick the boxes.
Yes
No
Perhaps
A lot of the people in these cities are now very ill.
The cities are now in ruins because of very bad weather.
Hundreds of dangerous bandits are now living in the cities.
Many of his friends from before are dead.
There is a lot of water in these places because of the winter rains.
27
7/7/10 15:21:53
Chapter 5 - To Tangier and Granada
news when
someone tells you
something new
plague a very
bad illness; it can
kill lots of people
‘So what was the trouble with those cities when you visited
them again?’ I asked my uncle when I arrived the next day.
‘Let’s talk about my journey from China first,’ he
answered quietly.
On my way back from China, I stopped in Sumatra again.
Then I got on a big ship and sailed for forty days to India.
When I arrived there, I thought about visiting the Sultan,
but I was afraid. Perhaps he remembered his gifts for the
ruler of China, and the time when I lost them all!
From India, I sailed to the south coast of Arabia. I then
travelled through Persia to Baghdad. I journeyed across
the desert and – in the end – I arrived once more in the city
of Damascus. It was twenty years from the time of my last
visit, but I remembered it well!
In Damascus, I heard something interesting. A teacher
from Tangier now lived and worked in the city! I was
excited to meet this man, and I asked him at once for news
from home. My father was dead, but my mother was alive,
he told me. I felt bad about my father, and suddenly, after
twenty-four long years away, I began to think of going
back home, and of seeing my mother.
I journeyed to Aleppo, but there I heard some bad news.
The plague wasn’t far away, and many people were ill
with it. At first, I travelled quickly from city to city in Syria.
I wanted to stay in front of the plague, you see. But – after
a time – when I arrived in new places, the plague was there
before me.
So I went back to Damascus. Here I learnt the worst – at
that time, lots of men, women and children died of plague
there every day. Everybody came out into the streets with
28
7/7/10 15:21:53
their holy books and prayed for their families, but nobody
could stop the plague.
The news of the plague made me think of my mother
again. Was she ill, too, perhaps? So I travelled on pilgrimage
to Makkah one more time, and then began my way
back home through Cairo. Of course, I knew
this wonderful city from years before. But it
was very different now. Twenty-one thousand
people died from the plague there every day.
My uncle stopped and looked out of the
window.
‘Did you get ill, Uncle?’ I asked.
‘No, I didn’t,’ he said slowly. ‘And I thank God
for that.’
I left Cairo, travelled to Tunis, and then got on a
ship to the island of Sardinia. We didn’t stay there
long. There were bandits on the island and they
wanted to fight and kill us, so we left quickly.
After Sardinia, I sailed to North Africa and
then travelled by donkey to Tangier. But not
long before I arrived home, I heard bad news
about my mother. She was dead, people in
the town of Taza told me. I was very sorry to
hear this.
In the end, I went to the most important
city in our country – Fez – and I met
our ruler, Sultan Abu Inan, there. To
me, he was more wonderful than all
the rulers in the world. Sometimes,
Ahmed, the things in your home
country are the best.
29
7/7/10 15:21:58
grave where
you put someone
under the ground
when they are
dead
kingdom a
country where a
king is the ruler
king the most
important man in
a country
After that I went back to Tangier and visited my mother’s
grave. I was ill for three months, but then I heard my
friends talk about trouble in the Kingdom of Granada –
Al-Andalus. ‘King Alfonso of Castile is going to fight our
brothers there,’ they said. ‘We must help them.’
Soon after that, we sailed to the Kingdom of Granada.
But King Alfonso died of the plague before we arrived,
and we didn’t need to fight. So I stayed and visited all the
interesting places in that country.
Now I must tell you a story about my time there. One
day, I was on the coast road to Malaga when I met twelve
soldiers on horses. They asked me to journey with them
because the road to Malaga was dangerous. There were
enemy ships near the coast. I wanted to go with them, but
in the end I stayed behind and travelled with my friends.
Later, on the road to Malaga, we found a dead horse in
our way. It was one of the twelve soldiers’ horses, and I
30
7/7/10 15:22:13
soon learnt their story. Those soldiers were now in the
hands of dangerous enemy sailors, but I was free. I thanked
God for that, and I prayed for all of our brothers.
Then I journeyed to the famous city of Granada. In one
of the beautiful gardens there I met some writers. They
were interested in my traveller’s stories and one young
man, Ibn Juzayy, listened carefully and began to write
about my long journey. I didn’t know it at the time, but Ibn
Juzayy was later a very important friend to me.
Soon after that, I left the Kingdom of Granada and sailed
back to Morocco.
‘And this time you stayed at home in our country! Is that
right, Uncle?’ I said.
‘Well, no,’ he smiled. ‘I didn’t. There was one more
country to visit – a place of hot deserts and dangerous
snakes. Come back to hear about that tomorrow morning,
Ahmed.’
31
7/7/10 15:22:16
ACTIVITIES
READING CHECK
Choose the right words to finish the sentences.
a Ibn Battuta comes back from China
on …
1
an old camel.
2
a little donkey.
3
a big ship.
b … gives Ibn Battuta news about his
parents.
1
A traveller from Aleppo
2
A teacher from Tangier
3
A pilgrim on the way to Makkah
c When Ibn Battuta hears about his
parents, he …
1
wants to go home.
2
prays at the mosque.
3
buys some beautiful gifts.
d In Damascus, people are dying
because they …
have nothing to eat.
1
2
live in the streets.
3
have the plague.
e Ibn Battuta leaves Sardinia because …
1
there are dangerous bandits on the
island.
2
the people on the island have the
plague.
3
there is sudden bad news about his
mother.
f In Fez, Ibn Battuta meets …
1
his mother’s brother.
2
the ruler of his country.
3
some of his old friends.
g In the Kingdom of Granada, twelve
soldiers …
1
ask Ibn Battuta to travel with them.
2
want to fight and kill Ibn Battuta.
3
begin to write down Ibn Battuta’s
stories.
h Ibn Battuta talks to … in a garden in
Granada.
King Alfonso of Castile
1
2
some writers
3
some travellers
32
7/7/10 15:22:16
ACTIVITIES
WORD WORK
1 Find words from Chapter 5 in these sentences and complete the puzzle.
a
b
c
d
My brother told me some bad ensw. He lost his expensive new camera yesterday.
Our country isn’t very big. It’s only a small dikogmn in the desert.
Hundreds of years ago, many people died from the lpugae.
The ruler of that country is a young
a d [ m i
inkg, but he comes from an old and
b
famous family.
c
e When we visited the old city, we saw the
d
e
vrega of a traveller from long ago there.
2 Read the blue squares above and find the name of a dangerous animal.
This animal makes a lot of trouble for one traveller in the next chapter.
GUESS WHAT
In the next chapter Ibn Battuta travels south from Morocco and then home again.
Which people does he meet? Tick four boxes.
The Sultan of Delhi.
Ibn Battuta worked
for him in India.
The holy man
Burhan Al-Din. He
once told Ibn Battuta
about his future.
Al-Bushri’s brother.
Ibn Battuta once met
Al-Bushri in China.
The Sultan of
Morocco – the ruler
of Ibn Battuta’s home
country.
King Mansa
Sulayman – the rich
and famous king of
Mali.
The writer Ibn
Juzayy. Ibn Battuta
met him in Granada.
33
7/7/10 15:22:18
Chapter 6 - To Mali and back
piece some,
but not all, of
something
salt this is white
and it comes from
the ground; we
put it on things
before we eat
them
When I arrived the next day, my uncle said, ‘Ahmed,
you wanted to be a traveller before. Do you want to be a
traveller now?’
‘Yes,’ I answered. ‘It’s not easy, I know. But I truly want
to travel.’
‘Good,’ he said. ‘So listen carefully – because there’s
more to learn.’
For my last journey, I travelled south because I wanted
to visit Mali. You see, years before in Cairo, I heard many
stories about the famous King of Mali – Mansa Sulayman
– and all his gold.
So I left Fez and journeyed across the Atlas mountains
to the town of Sijilmasa. Now, do you remember – I met
a man called Al-Bushri in China? Well, in Sijilmasa I met
Al-Bushri’s brother! It was strange. The two brothers were
in very different places, but I met the older one and the
younger one!
Then I travelled by camel with a caravan to Taghaza.
It wasn’t a beautiful village, but it had some interesting
buildings. The people there take big pieces of salt from the
desert and make houses with them. There’s a salt mosque
there too!
I stayed in a little salt house in the village. But the water
there was very bad to drink, so after ten days we left and
began our long and dangerous journey south across the
hot desert.
At first, a friend and I left our caravan every morning to
look for things to eat for our camels. But one day we heard
some bad news. Ibn Ziri, a man from our caravan, walked
alone into the desert with no water bottle. Later, friends
34
7/7/10 15:22:19
found him dead under a tree.
After that, we always stayed
with the caravan. You must
never go alone into the desert,
Ahmed. You can easily forget your way
and die quickly in the hot sun.
There were lots of big snakes in this desert
too, and one man in the caravan liked playing
with them. What happened to him? A snake
put its teeth into one of his fingers one
morning, and he nearly died! In the end,
with a knife, he cut this finger from his
hand, and so he lived. Remember – playing
with snakes is very dangerous!
We journeyed for many weeks to the biggest city
in Mali to meet King Mansa Sulayman. But soon after we
arrived, I ate something bad, and I was ill for a long time.
Usually, when you’re an important traveller, the ruler
takes expensive gifts to you when you first arrive in a town.
So I waited in my bed day after day for Mansa Sulayman’s
men to visit me.
After some weeks, the King’s men arrived with gifts.
Perhaps it was some nice clothes or some pieces of gold, I
thought. But no! They gave me some old bread and meat!
When I felt better, I visited the King’s beautiful house
every day. I waited for more gifts, but I got nothing. In the
end, I spoke to the King. ‘I’m a world traveller. In every
country rulers give me wonderful gifts when I arrive. I
arrived in your city four months ago, but you do not speak
to me or give me nice things. What can I say about you to
other people?’
finger you have
five of these on
your hand
cut (past cut)
to take off with
a knife
35
7/7/10 15:22:23
hippopotamus
a large African
animal, with thick
skin, that lives in
or near water
Things soon changed after that. Mansa Sulayman was
now very good to me, and he gave me a house and a lot
of gold. And when I left the city with a friend to visit the
country, his men brought me more gold!
In the end, my friend and I came to a big river. I saw some
very strange animals in the water there – horses with big
fat bodies, little legs and elephants’ feet. My friend called
them ‘hippopotamuses’ but they were new to me!
I travelled north to Timbuktu, but in a town near
Timbuktu I was very ill once more. Then one day, I got a
letter from the Sultan of Morocco. He needed me at once.
‘What does he want?’ I thought.
We travelled north for a long time, and went back over
the Atlas mountains. The winter snow there made the
roads very dangerous, and we journeyed slowly.
In the end, after some months, I arrived back at the
Sultan’s home in Fez. ‘I have important work for you!’ he
said when he saw me. ‘There’s a young writer here. His
name is Ibn Juzayy, and he wants to write down all your
stories. Then everybody can learn about them.’
‘Ibn Juzayy?’ I said at once. ‘I know him! I met him
in Granada! A holy man once told me about meeting
friends in different places. It happened before, and now it’s
happening again!’
Of course, it was wonderful to speak to Ibn Juzayy
again. I told him all about the exciting places, the different
animals, and the interesting people from all my journeys.
And now Ahmed, all these stories are in a book. I’m not
going to be here always. But take this. It’s my gift to you.
You can read it, and learn more about my travels when
you want.
36
7/7/10 15:22:29
With that, my uncle put a big book into my hand.
‘Thank you, Uncle!’ I said. I took the book home with
me that afternoon. My uncle died not long after that. But I
have his book – and I often read it – to this day.
37
7/7/10 15:22:33
ACTIVITIES
READING CHECK
1 Correct ten more mistakes in the story.
7jbWi
Ibn Battuta travels south across the Hindukush mountains to Sijilmasa. Here he
meets the son of a man called Al-Bushri. He once met Al-Bushri long before in
China.
He then travels to the small
village of Taghaza. The people
there make interesting buildings
from snow. But Ibn Battuta doesn’t
stay very long in Taghaza because
the water is very expensive there.
Next, Ibn Battuta journeys south
across the desert with a caravan.
One man, Ibn Ziri, leaves the
caravan without his water bottle
and sleeps alone under a tree.
Then a different man plays with
a big hyena and it puts its teeth
into his finger. The man nearly
dies, but in the end he loses
only one hand, and lives.
When Ibn Battuta arrives at last in Mali, the King’s men bring him some pearls
and some rubies. But Ibn Battuta isn’t happy about this, and he goes to speak to
the King. The King then gives him a lot of bread.
When Ibn Battuta journeys north to Timbuktu, he suddenly gets a letter from the
Sultan of Serendib. So he travels back to Fez. At the Sultan’s home, Ibn Battuta
meets Ibn Juzayy – the old writer from Granada. Ibn Juzayy writes Ibn Battuta’s
stories in a book for people to read.
38
7/7/10 15:22:40
ACTIVITIES
WORD WORK
Write sentences with words from the snake.
cut
piece
salt
a Would you like
ke a
hippopotamus
finger
of this apple? It’s very good.
MekbZoekb_a[Wf_[Y[e\j^_iWffb[5?j½il[ho]eeZ$
oekb_a[Wf_[Y[e\j^_iWffb[5?j½il[ho]eeZ
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
b There are wonderful
onderful pictures of animals in this book. Look at that
!
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
c Be careful with
th that knife. You don’t want to
your hand.
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
d Do you need any
on your dinner? There’s some here on the table.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
er closed the door with her
e My little sister
in it, and she cried for half an
a hour.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
GUESS WHAT
What do you think happens to Ahmed after the end of the story? Tick the boxes.
Ahmed …
a learns to be a judge in Tangier.
b travels to lots of different countries in the world.
c goes to China and lives there for a long time.
d stays at home and never travels.
e tells everybody about his uncle’s wonderful book.
f writes a book about his travels.
Yes
No
39
7/7/10 15:22:44
PROJECTS
Project A A travel letter
1 Read the letter. Complete the table.
Dear James,
Thank you for your letter. It was good to hear your news about going to
Morocco next month. I went there last year, and I travelled across the country
for three weeks. Here are some of the best things to see and do:
ing
I liked visiting the old cities of Fez and Marrakech. There are lots of interest
in
and
a,
Madras
Inania
Bou
places to see there. In Fez you must go to the old
Marrakech you need to visit the Koutoubia Mosque and, of course, the famous
market. You can buy things to eat there too in the evening.
les.
One of the best things to eat in Morocco is couscous with meat or vegetab
And don’t forget to drink the green tea with sugar. It’s very good on a hot
afternoon.
The country is famous for its beautiful cities on the coast, too. The city of
Essaouira in the west has a long beach for swimming and an interesting fort.
It’s a good place to stay for two or three days.
look
Don’t forget to buy some gifts for your family before you go home. You can
for these in the markets. There are a lot of beautiful carpets and other things
for the house.
Have a wonderful time, James! Write and tell me all about it when you get
home.
All the best
Hassan
Moro
Mo
ro
occco
Ciiti
C
iti
tieess to vviisi
isi
st
Pa
Pl
acceess to seee
What
Wh
a to ea
at
at
Wh
hat
at to dr
d in
ink
nk
W att to buy
Wh
bu
uy
40
7/7/10 15:22:45
PROJECTS
2 Read the letter about Tunisia. Choose the best words to complete the sentences.
Dear Lucy
It was good to hear your news about visiting
Tunisia. I went there earlier this year and had a
wonderful time.
Tunisia is a country of thirty islands / big country
with a lot of things to see – I visited a number of
different cities but my favourite was the capital
Tunis / Manama with its wonderful old shops and
markets / modern buildings.
Of course, there are other things to see there. Don’t
forget to visit the old city of Carthage / Bahrain fort,
too. It’s a very interesting place to see.
You must go to some of the wonderful restaurants.
One of the best things to eat in Tunisia is
machboos / tajine. It comes in squares and is very
good. You can find it in most places. People usually
drink mint tea / coffee with their friends.
Before you go home, remember to buy some Tunisian
gifts for your family. The best things to buy are the
wonderful pots / pearls. They are very nice.
See you soon!
Karima
3 Write a letter to a friend who is going to visit Bahrain. Use the other words from
exercise 2 to help you.
4 Make notes about places to visit and things to eat, drink, and buy in your country.
Use your notes to write to a friend from a different country.
41
7/7/10 15:22:48
PROJECTS
Project B Writing about a famous person
1 Read about Ibn Battuta. The words in green are not correct. Correct them.
Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta was born in Casablanca,
Morocco in 1304. He came from an
important family of doctors and
when he was a young man he learnt
to be a doctor, too. But he wanted
to journey and to see different
places. So he left his home town in
1325 and began to travel.
Ibn Battuta journeyed for nearly
thirty years and visited many
countries. At first, he went on a
pilgrimage to Medina, and then he
made a long journey through the
Middle East. Next he went to India, and worked for the famous
Sultan of Delhi.
He sailed to the west, and he visited Japan at this time. After many
years, he went home to Morocco. But he didn’t stay there for long,
and he soon began to travel again, first to Al-Andalus, the Kingdom of
Granada, and then to Egypt in Africa.
In the end, he journeyed back to his home town. He told his travel
stories to a young teacher, Ibn Sina, and he put them in a big book called
The Rihla.
Ibn Battuta died in 1369. But all these years later people from
different countries can read his wonderful book, and through it they can
understand more about the world of his time.
42
7/7/10 15:22:53
PROJECTS
2 Use the words in the box to complete the text about Ibn Sina.
after / and / but / end / first / later / so / soon / then / too / when
Ibn Sina
Ibn Sina was born near Bukhara, now in Uzbekistan, in the year 980. His father
was a clever man, and young Ibn Sina was very interested in learning, ………. He
had many questions about the world when he was young, ……… his father found
some good teachers for him.
Ibn Sina was a quick student. At ………, he began to read different famous
books with his teachers, and ……… he began to learn from the holy Koran.
……… he was only ten years old, he could remember all of the Koran. Six years
………, at the age of sixteen, he began to study medicine and learn all about the
body. In two years he was not a student any more,
……… a doctor.
……… many people in Bukhara heard about
this clever young doctor. One day the King of
Bukhara, Nuh Ibn Mansur, was very ill and he
called Ibn Sina to his palace.
Ibn Sina worked quickly and made Nuh Ibn
Mansur better. The king was very pleased
and ……… this he opened his library to the
young man. For years Ibn Sina studied science
and medicine in the library, and at twenty-one he
began writing the first of his many books.
Ibn Sina worked for rulers in many different countries. Over the years, he
learnt a lot about the body, and in the ……… he wrote a very famous book about
medicine. It was called Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb.
Ibn Sina died in 1037, ……… for hundreds of years Al-Qanun was the most
important book for students of medicine from all over the world to read.
43
7/7/10 15:22:58
PROJECTS
3 Use the information in the table
to write about Al-Battani. Use the
text about Ibn Sina to help you.
Name
Abu Abdullah Al-Battani
Born
In Harran, now Turkey, in year 858
Father
famous scientist (young Al-Battani very interested in science)
Early years
young boy – had a lot of questions about stars and sun – father
began to teach him astronomy at home
Al-Battani very quick student – learnt everything from his father
Al-Battani went to town of Raqqa, next to Euphrates River, to study
more
Important work
Al-Battani studied with very clever teachers in Raqqa – in 877 carefully
began to study stars and sun alone – studied for number of years –
learnt something very important: Earth takes 365 days, 5 hours,
46 minutes and 24 seconds to go round sun!
Al-Battani looked for new stars – wrote about 489 different stars
Famous book
Al-Battani wrote famous book about sun and stars – called Kitab al-Zij
Died
In 929 (Many students of astronomy all over world read, and learnt
from, his book for hundreds of years)
44
7/7/10 15:23:05
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Going to Future: affirmative and negative
We make the going to future with the verb be + going to + infinitive without to. We use
the going to future for plans, intentions and predictions.
‘On your travels you’re going to meet many old friends,’ said Burhan Al-Din.
‘I’m not going to have a quiet life,’ thought Ibn Battuta.
1 What is Ahmed going to do when he is older? Put the words in the correct order to
make sentences using the going to future.
$
a travel / Ahmed is / to different / going to / in the world / countries
7^c[Z_i]e_d]jejhWl[bjeZ_\\[h[djYekdjh_[i_dj^[mehbZ …………………………………………………………………………………………
b going to / make / He’s / Makkah / to / pilgrimage / a
…………………………………………………………………………………………
c see / in Egypt / He’s / the pyramids / going to
…………………………………………………………………………………………
d going to / across / the sea / big ship / sail / in a / He’s
…………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
e He’s / different / many / learn / going to / languages
……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
f a wife / going to / isn’t / He / take
…………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
g isn’t / have / going to / children / any / He
………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………
h isn’t / He / forget / his uncle’s stories / going to
…………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
i going to / come / He’s / he’s / old man / home / when / an
…………………………………………………………………………………………
45
7/7/10 15:23:08
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Linkers: so and because
We use so to link two sentences when the second sentence explains a result. We put
a comma before the so clause.
We wanted to visit Oman, so we took a ship there.
(result of first part of sentence)
We use because to link two sentences when the second sentence explains a reason.
We got off the ship because we didn’t like the sailors.
(reason for first part of sentence)
Because can go at the beginning of the sentence, too. We put a comma after the
because clause when it comes first in the sentence.
Because we didn’t like the sailors, we got off the ship.
(reason for second part of sentence)
2 Complete these sentences with so or because.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
X[YWki[ it had lots of things in it.
Ibn Battuta didn’t want to carry his big bag ……………
He gave the bag to his guide, …………… the guide carried it for him.
…………… the guide wasn’t very rich, he needed money badly.
The clothes in Ibn Battuta’s bag were expensive, …………… the guide wanted them.
…………… the guide ran away with the bag, Ibn Battuta ran after him.
Ibn Battuta soon found the guide …………… the man couldn’t
ldddnn t run fast with
with the bag
under his arm.
The guide stopped running away …………… Ibn Battuta
put a knife near his face.
Ibn Battuta spoke angrily to the guide, …………… he
gave back the bag.
The guide came back with Ibn Battuta …………… he was
afraid of him.
…………… Ibn Battuta didn’t want to lose his bag again, he watched the guard day
and night.
Ibn Battuta didn’t sleep much on the way to Oman, …………… he was tired when
he arrived.
46
7/7/10 15:23:09
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Adverbs of frequency
We use adverbs of frequency to say how often something happened.
always
usually
often
sometimes
never
These adverbs go after the verb to be, but before other verbs.
The Sultan of Delhi was often angry.
A good traveller always thinks about the weather.
3 Choose the correct adverb of frequency from the words in brackets and put it in
the correct place in each sentence.
kikWbbo
a Visitors to Delhi arrived with nice gifts for the sultan, Muhammad Tughluq. (usually /
sometimes)
b He gave back better gifts to these visitors. (always / never)
c The Sultan of Delhi needed help from people from other countries. (never / often)
d He sat on a gold chair with his soldiers all about him. (usually / never)
e He gave money to the people of Delhi. (sometimes / never)
f Tughluq’s soldiers killed people for very little things. (always / sometimes)
g The Sultan had trouble with different enemies. (never / sometimes)
h He was very nice to his enemies. (usually / never)
i Shaikh Shihab Al-Din said ‘No’ to the Sultan. (sometimes / always)
j Ibn Battuta visited Shaikh Shihab Al-Din’s home. (never /
sometimes)
k Ibn Battuta was afraid of the Sultan. (sometimes / never)
l He said ‘Yes’ to the Sultan. (never / always)
m The Sultan killed people when he was angry. (never / often)
47
7/7/10 15:23:11
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Adverbs of manner
We use adverbs of manner to talk about how we do things.
Ibn Battuta left India quickly. In China, he journeyed easily from town to town.
We make adverbs from adjectives by adding –ly.
bad – badly
For adjectives that end in –y, we change y to –ily.
angry – angrily
Some adverbs are irregular.
fast – fast
good – well
4 Write the adverbs of these adjectives.
a
b
c
d
easy
happy
beautiful
strange
[Wi_bo
………………
………………
………………
………………
e
f
g
h
interested
good
sudden
bad
………………
………………
………………
………………
5 Complete each sentence using an adverb from exercise 4.
[Wi_bo .
a After all the islanders’ gifts, Ibn Battuta couldn’t leave Male very ………………
b At first, his work on Male went ………………
for him.
c Then people began to speak ………………
about him and all his money.
d The Sultan of Serendib listened ………………
to Ibn Battuta’s stories.
e Ibn Battuta left Serendib ………………, with
pearls and rubies in his bag.
f Winds ……………… took Ibn Battuta’s ship
onto some rocks.
g Chinese people can make boxes and other
things ……………… .
h ……………… Ibn Battuta met an old friend
from Ceuta when he was in China.
48
7/7/10 15:23:12
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Past Simple: information questions
In Past Simple questions, most verbs take did + subject + infinitive without to.
Where did you stop on the way back from China? In Sumatra.
The verb be is different. With be we put the subject after the verb to make past
questions.
Why were you afraid? Because I didn’t want to meet the Sultan of Delhi.
Different question words before did or be ask for different information – who (people),
what (things), when (times), why (reasons), how (ways), where (place), how many
(quantities).
6 Write Ahmed’s questions in the Past Simple. Match the questions with Ibn Battuta’s
answers (1–8).
a For how many / days / you / sail / to India?
<ehêmcWdoZWoiZ_ZoekiW_bje?dZ_W5(<ehjo$
……………………………………………………………
……………
b How many / years / earlier / you / visit / Damascus?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
c Who / you / meet / in Damascus?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
d Where / he / from?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
e What / he / tell / you?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
f When / you / say ‘Goodbye’ / to your father?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
g Why / people / in Syria / ill ?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
h How / you / travel / through Syria?
…………………………………………………………… ……………
1
2
3
4
Tangier.
Forty.
Twenty.
Quickly.
5
6
7
8
A teacher.
News from home.
They had the plague.
Twenty-four years before.
49
7/7/10 15:23:12
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Modal auxiliary verbs: can, can’t and must
We use can + infinitive without to to talk about things that we are able to do or that
are possible.
You can easily forget your way in the desert.
We use can’t + infinitive without to to talk about things that we are not able to do or
that are not possible.
You can’t see hippopotamuses in Morocco.
We use must + infinitive without to to talk about things that we think are necessary or
very important, or that are an obligation.
You must never go into the desert alone.
7 Choose the correct verb to complete each of Ibn Battuta’s sentences about
Chapter 6.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
You can / must meet old friends in the strangest places.
You can / can’t see a salt mosque in Taghaza.
You can / must never drink bad water.
You must / can’t go into the desert without a water bottle.
You can’t / must stay with the caravan when you journey across the desert.
You can’t / can always remember your way easily in the desert.
You must / can die quickly under the hot desert sun.
You can / must never play with dangerous snakes.
You must / can’t eat meat when it’s old and bad.
You can’t / must go to bed when you are ill.
You must / can’t speak carefully when you talk to
a king.
You must / can see lots of hippopotamuses in the
rivers of Mali.
You must / can’t say ‘No’ to the Sultan when he
asks for you.
You must / can’t travel quickly across mountains
in winter when it’s snowing.
You can’t / can learn more about my travels from
my book.
50
7/7/10 15:23:13
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR CHECK
Superlative adjectives
We add the + –est to make the
superlative form of most short
adjectives.
rich
the richest
When adjectives finish in consonant + y,
we change y to i and add –est.
hungry
the hungriest
When adjectives finish in e, we add the
+ –st.
nice
the nicest
With longer adjectives we put the most
before the adjective.
interesting the most interesting
When adjectives finish in a short
vowel + consonant, we double the final
consonant and add the + –est.
big
the biggest
Some adjectives have an irregular
superlative form.
good
the best
bad
the worst
8 Complete Ibn Battuta’s text about his travels using the superlative form of the
adjectives in brackets.
j^[h_Y^[ij (rich) of them all was
I met many rich men on my travels. But a)……………………
the Sultan of Delhi. He was often b)…………………… (angry) man in the world, too.
I visited lots of holy places many times on pilgrimage. Of course Makkah, for me, was
c)…………………… (holy) of all. I saw many dangerous animals in different countries,
but d)……………………(dangerous) of all these was the rhinoceros, I think, and it was
e)…………………… (strange) animal, too. f)…………………… (famous) buildings
of all time are of course the pyramids, and I was very happy to see them in Egypt. I sailed
to many countries on my travels, but g)…………………… (bad) sea journey of all was
my first time on a ship – when I sailed from Jeddah to Yemen. h)……………………
(hot) times of all were when I travelled across deserts. What were i)……………………
(happy) days of my time away from home? When I lived in the Maldives with my wife,
perhaps. Of course, I have lots of good friends now, but j)…………………… (good) of
them all is Ibn Juzayy. And home is k)…………………… (nice) place in the world, I feel.
51
7/7/10 15:23:14
DOMINOES
THE STRUCTURED APPROACH
TO READING IN ENGLISH
Dominoes is an enjoyable series of illustrated classic and modern stories in four
carefully graded language stages – from Starter to Three – which take learners
from beginner to intermediate level.
Each Domino reader includes:
a good story to read and enjoy
integrated activities to develop reading skills and increase active vocabulary
personalized projects to make the language and story themes more meaningful
seven pages of grammar activities for consolidation.

Each Domino pack contains a reader, plus a MultiROM with:
a complete audio recording of the story, fully dramatized to bring it to life
interactive activities to offer further practice in reading and language skills
and to consolidate learning.
If you liked this Level Two Domino, why not read these?
Five Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
The year is 1386 and the first flowers of spring are here. A number of
pilgrims are going to Canterbury to visit the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket,
and they all tell stories on the way.
Who should be the stronger in a marriage – the husband or the wife? And
what happens when two men fall in love with the same woman? In these five
stories from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales we find different answers
to these questions from the Knight, the Wife of Bath, the Clerk of Oxford, the
Merchant, and the Franklin. This retelling is good for all ages.
Book ISBN: 978 0 19 424758 0
MultiROM Pack ISBN: 978 0 19 424722 1
True Heroes of Sport
Donatella Fitzgerald
Some people in the world of sport are heroes only because they are the best
at their sport. But the sportsmen and sportswomen in this book – Oscar
Pistorius, Michael Phelps, Wilma Rudolph and Natalie du Toit – are all that
and much more. All of them went through bad times and learned to be
stronger people through sport. Because it isn’t living through good times, but
living through bad times that makes you into a true hero!
Book ISBN: 978 0 19 424770 2
MultiROM Pack ISBN: 978 0 19 424734 4
You can find details and a full list of books in the Dominoes catalogue and Oxford English
Language Teaching Catalogue, and on the website: www.oup.com/elt
Teachers: see www.oup.com/elt for a full range of online support, or consult your local office.
CEFR
Cambridge
Exams
IELTS
TOEFL iBT
Level 3
B1
PET
4.0
57-86
550
Level 2
A2–B1
KET-PET
3.0-4.0
–
–
Level 1
A1–A2
YLE Flyers/KET
3.0
–
–
Starter
A1
YLE Movers
–
–
–
TOEIC
22/9/11 11:50:00