A Words, words, words

A1 Listen and repeat.

A1 Listen and repeat.

A1 Listen and repeat.

A1 Listen and repeat.

A2 Match.

A2 Match.

B Reading and listening

This is indeed India; the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a thousand nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition…

Excerpt from Following the Equator

B1 Listen and read.

Backstory
From 1858 until 1947 most of India was ruled by Great Britain as the Indian Empire. At the time, it was a much larger country and part of the British Empire. This was called “the empire on which the sun never sets”, because the British ruled over 25% of all the territory on Earth. The British made many positive changes during their time in India, such as organising the railway system, and improving education, health and living conditions. But, at the same time, they also used Indiaʼs wealth only for their own benefit, and often treated the Indians as second-class citizens.

To-do
If you visit New Delhi today, you will see a bustling megalopolis which almost 22 million people call home. You will also get to experience some amazing sights, such as the Qutub Minar and the Red Fort, as well as taste delicious street food, such as chole bhature, at the world-famous Chandni Chowk market.

B1 Listen and read.

Backstory
Varanasi has been the spiritual heart of India ever since the 11th century BC. It is home to all of Indiaʼs major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam. According to legend, Buddha himself started Indiaʼs second-most popular religion, Buddhism, here. And Hindus, the most populous of Indiaʼs religious groups, hold it especially sacred because of the River Ganges, which runs through it. Hindus believe that, by being cremated next to the river, on one of the river ghats (as the stone river banks are called), you will stop being reincarnated and go to heaven.

To-do
Indians of all religions love to travel to holy places and go on pilgrimages across India. There are always going to be Hindus who want to visit all the seven sacred cities of India, but if theyʼre going to see just one in their lifetime, it should be Varanasi.

B1 Listen and read.

Backstory
After Delhi and Jaipur, Agra completes the Golden Triangle of must-see sights in India. Agra is not just a beautiful city full of monuments left behind by its Muslim, Hindu and British rulers, but also a place that houses one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the famous Taj Mahal. It may look like any of the other magnificent palaces that India is full of, but it is actually a tomb built by Shah Jahan for his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Legend has it that he loved her so much that, after her death, he decided to build a monument which would remind him of her beauty and perfection.

To-do
Thanks to amazing architecture, spirituality and bright colours, India looks great in every photo. That is why, next year, it is expected that more than 10 million tourists are going to visit it and take pictures in front of its colourful sights. They usually start in New Delhi, where trains leave every morning for all the tourist hotspots.

B2 Choose the correct answer.

B2 Choose the correct answer.

B2 Choose the correct answer.

C My grammar

For expressing the future we use will, going to, the present continuous tense and the present simple tense.

Will for the future is used to make predictions and promises, and to report our own decisions.
You will love Taj Mahal! It’s amazing.
Tell me your secret, I won’t tell anybody.
I’ll take an umbrella on the trip.

Going to for the future is used to talk about future plans and intentions, and predictions for which we have proof that they are going to happen.
They are going to visit India in May.
It’s going to rain. (There are black clouds in the sky.)

The present continuous tense for the future is used to talk about arrangements for the future.
I am flying to India tomorrow.

The present simple tense for the future is used for talking about a future action that follows a timetable or schedule.
The plane to India takes off at 10 o'clock.

C1 Choose the correct option. Use WILL or GOING TO.

C1 Choose the correct option. Use WILL or GOING TO.

C2 Fill in. Use WILL or GOING TO.

C2 Fill in. Use WILL or GOING TO.

C3 Choose the correct option. Use WILL, GOING TO, the PRESENT SIMPLE or the PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

C3 Choose the correct option. Use WILL, GOING TO, the PRESENT SIMPLE or the PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

C4 Fill in. Use WILL, GOING TO, the PRESENT SIMPLE or the PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

C4 Fill in. Use WILL, GOING TO, the PRESENT SIMPLE or the PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

C4 Fill in. Use WILL, GOING TO, the PRESENT SIMPLE or the PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

Lesson 1A: India the Marvellous

A Words, words, words

A1 Listen and repeat.

B Reading

This is indeed India; the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a thousand nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition…

Excerpt from Following the Equator

C My... Grammar!

For expressing the future we use will, going to, the present continuous tense and the present simple tense.

Will for the future is used to make predictions and promises, and to report our own decisions.
You will love Taj Mahal! It’s amazing.
Tell me your secret, I won’t tell anybody.
I’ll take an umbrella on the trip.

Going to for the future is used to talk about future plans and intentions, and predictions for which we have proof that they are going to happen.
They are going to visit India in May.
It’s going to rain. (There are black clouds in the sky.)

The present continuous tense for the future is used to talk about arrangements for the future.
I am flying to India tomorrow.

The present simple tense for the future is used for talking about a future action that follows a timetable or schedule.
The plane to India takes off at 10 o'clock.