The leader of Greece wants some very old Greek statues that are in a museum in London to be brought back to Greece. He says it’s like having only half of a famous painting. A British man took the statues to London a long time ago. Now, some of the statues are in London and some are in Greece.

People have been arguing about these statues for many years. Greece says they belong to them and should be back in Greece. People who agree with Greece say these statues are a special part of their history. They want all the statues to be together again.

The museum in London says the statues should stay there. They say more people from all over the world can see them in London. The museum also says they take good care of the statues. Both sides really believe they are right, so they keep arguing.

Original news source: Elgin Marbles in UK ‘like cutting Mona Lisa in half’ (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Headline Creation
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will create catchy and informative headlines for an article about the Greek statues. They should try to capture the main points and arguments of both sides. After creating the headlines, students can share and discuss their choices with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Provide a list of key vocabulary words from the article related to the topic of the Greek statues. In pairs or small groups, students take turns choosing a word and drawing a quick sketch to represent it. The other students must guess the word based on the sketch. This activity helps reinforce vocabulary and promotes communication and collaboration.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Students individually read the article about the Greek statues. Then, in pairs, they discuss their thoughts and opinions on the topic. After sharing their ideas with their partner, they can share with the whole class in a group discussion. Encourage students to use new vocabulary and express their opinions clearly.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. One partner reads the article about the Greek statues and has one minute to summarize it to their partner. After one minute, the roles switch and the other partner summarizes the article. This activity helps develop reading comprehension and speaking skills, as students must quickly identify the main points and communicate them effectively.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In small groups, students discuss and make predictions about the future of the Greek statues. They can consider questions such as: Will they be returned to Greece? Will the museum in London keep them? How will the situation be resolved? After discussing their predictions, groups can share their ideas with the class. This activity encourages critical thinking and the use of future tenses.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why does the leader of Greece want the old Greek statues to be brought back to Greece?
2. What is the problem with the statues being in two different places?
3. Why do some people think the statues should be back in Greece?
4. What does the museum in London say about the statues staying there?
5. Why do both sides keep arguing about the statues?
6. Why do people think the statues are a special part of Greece’s history?
7. What is one reason the museum in London gives for keeping the statues there?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The leader of Greece wants some very old (1)______ statues that are in a (2)______ in London to be brought back to Greece. He says it’s like having only half of a (3)______ painting. A British man took the statues to London a (4)______ time ago. Now, some of the statues are in London and some are in Greece.

People have been arguing about these statues for (5)______ years. Greece says they (6)______ to them and should be back in (7)______. People who (8)______ with Greece say these statues are a (9)______ part of their history. They want all the statues to be together again.

The museum in London says the statues should stay there. They say more (10)______ from all over the world can see them in (11)______. The museum also says they take good care of the (12)______. Both sides really believe they are right, so they keep arguing.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a statue?
2. How would you feel if you saw a famous statue in a museum?
3. Do you think the statues should be brought back to Greece? Why or why not?
4. Why do you think the leader of Greece wants the statues back?
5. Do you think the statues are an important part of Greece’s history? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the people in Greece feel about the statues being in London?
7. Do you like visiting museums? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the people in London feel about the statues staying there?
9. Do you think it’s fair that more people can see the statues in London? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the statues feel being separated from each other?
11. What do you think the museum in London should do with the statues?
12. If you were in charge, what would you do with the statues? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Greece
2. statues
3. museum
4. London
5. arguing
6. history
7. together
8. belong

Meanings:
(a) To be owned by someone or something
(b) When people have a disagreement and talk loudly
(c) In one place, not separate
(d) Sculptures made of stone or metal
(e) The capital city of England
(f) A place where people can see art
(g) The country where the leader is from
(h) The story of the past
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who wants the old Greek statues to be brought back to Greece?
(a) The leader of London
(b) The leader of Greece
(c) The museum in London
(d) The British man who took the statues

2. Why does the leader of Greece want the statues to be brought back?
(a) He wants to sell them for money.
(b) He wants to give them to another country.
(c) He thinks they are an important part of Greek history.
(d) He doesn’t like the museum in London.

3. Where are some of the statues currently located?
(a) Greece
(b) Both London and Greece
(c) London
(d) Another country

4. What do people who agree with Greece say about the statues?
(a) They are a special part of Greek history.
(b) They are not important.
(c) They belong to the museum in London.
(d) They should be sold for money.

5. What does the museum in London say about the statues?
(a) They should stay in London.
(b) They should be given to Greece.
(c) They should be sold to another country.
(d) They are not important.

6. Why does the museum in London want the statues to stay there?
(a) They don’t want Greece to have them.
(b) They want to sell them for money.
(c) They don’t think the statues are important.
(d) More people can see them in London.

7. Why do both sides keep arguing?
(a) They want to make money from the statues.
(b) They don’t like each other.
(c) They want to keep the statues a secret.
(d) They both believe they are right.

8. What is the main topic of this article?
(a) Famous paintings in Greece
(b) Greek statues in a London museum
(c) The history of London
(d) Arguments between Greece and London

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The museum in London believes the statues should stay there so that more people from around the world can see them.
2. Both sides weakly believe they are right and continue to argue.
3. The statues are currently split between London and Greece.
4. People who disagree with Greece want all the statues to be together again.
5. Greece believes the statues should not be returned to them as they are not an important part of their history.
6. There has been a long-standing argument about who the statues belong to.
7. The museum claims to take good care of the statues.
8. The leader of Greece wants some old Greek statues to remain in a museum in London.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why does the leader of Greece want the old Greek statues to be brought back to Greece?
2. Where are some of the statues currently located?
3. Why do some people think the statues should be returned to Greece?
4. What is the museum in London’s opinion about the statues?
5. Why do both sides keep arguing about the statues?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why does the leader of Greece want the old Greek statues to be brought back to Greece?
The leader of Greece wants the old Greek statues to be brought back to Greece because he believes they belong to Greece and should be part of their history.

2. What is the problem with the statues being in two different places?
The problem with the statues being in two different places is that they are not all together. It’s like having only half of a famous painting.

3. Why do some people think the statues should be back in Greece?
Some people think the statues should be back in Greece because they are a special part of Greece’s history and should be with the rest of their historical artifacts.

4. What does the museum in London say about the statues staying there?
The museum in London says that the statues should stay there because more people from all over the world can see them in London and they take good care of the statues.

5. Why do both sides keep arguing about the statues?
Both sides keep arguing about the statues because they both believe they are right. Greece thinks the statues should be back in their country, while the museum in London thinks they should stay there.

6. Why do people think the statues are a special part of Greece’s history?
People think the statues are a special part of Greece’s history because they were made a long time ago in Greece and they represent their culture and heritage.

7. What is one reason the museum in London gives for keeping the statues there?
One reason the museum in London gives for keeping the statues there is that more people from all over the world can see them in London and learn about Greek history and art.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Greek
(2) museum
(3) famous
(4) long
(5) many
(6) belong
(7) Greece
(8) agree
(9) special
(10) people
(11) London
(12) statues
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Greece
Answer: (g) The country where the leader is from

2. statues
Answer: (d) Sculptures made of stone or metal

3. museum
Answer: (f) A place where people can see art

4. London
Answer: (e) The capital city of England

5. arguing
Answer: (b) When people have a disagreement and talk loudly

6. history
Answer: (h) The story of the past

7. together
Answer: (c) In one place, not separate

8. belong
Answer: (a) To be owned by someone or something
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who wants the old Greek statues to be brought back to Greece?
Answer: (b) The leader of Greece

2. Why does the leader of Greece want the statues to be brought back?
Answer: (c) He thinks they are an important part of Greek history.

3. Where are some of the statues currently located?
Answer: (c) London

4. What do people who agree with Greece say about the statues?
Answer: (a) They are a special part of Greek history.

5. What does the museum in London say about the statues?
Answer: (a) They should stay in London.

6. Why does the museum in London want the statues to stay there?
Answer: (d) More people can see them in London.

7. Why do both sides keep arguing?
Answer: (d) They both believe they are right.

8. What is the main topic of this article?
Answer: (b) Greek statues in a London museum
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The museum in London believes the statues should stay there so that more people from around the world can see them. (Answer: True)
2. Both sides weakly believe they are right and continue to argue. (Answer: False)
3. The statues are currently split between London and Greece. (Answer: True)
4. People who disagree with Greece want all the statues to be together again. (Answer: False)
5. Greece believes the statues should not be returned to them as they are not an important part of their history. (Answer: False)
6. There has been a long-standing argument about who the statues belong to. (Answer: True)
7. The museum claims to take good care of the statues. (Answer: True)
8. The leader of Greece wants some old Greek statues to remain in a museum in London. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧