World
Select a Level
NEW
19 Jul 2026
Ephesus: The ancient city of Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage site in western Turkey’s İzmir Province. Orhan Fatih Dogan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Magic of Ancient Ephesus: Exploring History Under the Stars
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) An old city in Turkey with a large library
b) A modern theme park with rollercoasters
c) A deep ocean cave filled with treasure
Ask:
(1) Do you like visiting old buildings?
(2) What can we learn from history?
VOCABULARY
ancient
(adjective)
city
(noun)
famous
(adjective)
stones
(noun)
beautiful
(adjective)
theatre
(noun)
very old; from a long time ago.
Example: The family visited an ancient castle during their holiday.
a large and important town where many people live.
Example: London is a big city with lots of traffic.
known by many people in different places.
Example: The actor is famous all around the world.
hard, solid pieces of rock found in the ground.
Example: Children like to throw small stones into the river.
very pretty or pleasing to look at.
Example: The garden is full of beautiful red flowers.
a large building or outdoor area for shows and plays.
Example: We went to the modern theatre to see a musical.
Ephesus is an ancient city in Turkey. Many thousands of years ago, a lot of people lived there. Today, it is a very famous place because it is still standing. Visitors from all over the world travel to see the big buildings. Walking on the old streets makes you feel like a time traveller. The streets are made of white marble stones. One of the most beautiful buildings is the old library. It has tall walls and pretty stone carvings. There is also a huge ancient theatre where people watched shows in the past. It can hold thousands of people. Today, scientists are still working hard to find more secrets hidden under the ground. Visitors can walk around the old streets at night now too. The special lights make the old city look magical under the stars.
Listen
Great Theater: This 19th-century engraving shows how the city's ampitheater might have looked in Roman times. Design Pics Inc/Shutterstock
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Would you like to visit Ephesus? Why or why not?
2. What do you think is hidden under the ground in old cities?
3. Do you prefer visiting big modern cities or old historic places?
4. Why do people like to see things under the stars at night?
5. What is the oldest object or building in your hometown?
6. If you were a time traveller, which century would you visit?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: ancient, famous, stones, theatre
Ephesus is an _______(1) city in Turkey. Many thousands of years ago, a lot of people lived there. Today, it is a very _______(2) place because it is still standing. Visitors from all over the world travel to see the big buildings. Walking on the old streets makes you feel like a time traveller. The streets are made of white marble _______(3). One of the most beautiful buildings is the old library. It has tall walls and pretty stone carvings. There is also a huge ancient _______(4) where people watched shows in the past. It can hold thousands of people. Today, scientists are still working hard to find more secrets hidden under the ground. Visitors can walk around the old streets at night now too. The special lights make the old city look magical under the stars.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the story?
a) A guide on how to build a library with white marble
b) An introduction to the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey
c) A story about how modern actors perform in theatres
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. Ephesus is a brand new city built last year. T/F
2. The streets of the city are made of white marble stones. T/F
3. People can now visit the old city at night with special lights. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
a) Scientists find more secrets under the ground.
b) A lot of people lived in the city of Ephesus thousands of years ago.
c) Today, modern visitors travel from all over the world to see the ruins.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. ancient
2. famous
3. beautiful
4. city
a. very old
b. a large town
c. very pretty
d. known by many people
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. I think visiting an ancient city sounds very _______ because I love history.
a) boring
b) exciting
c) scary
d) painful
2. If I travel to Turkey, I want to see the famous library and take many _______.
a) showers
b) photos
c) naps
d) meals
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. A-Ephesus B-is C-an D-ancient E-city
2. A-The B-streets C-are D-very E-beautiful
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: a
Section 1 Answers:
(1) ancient
(2) famous
(3) stones
(4) theatre
Section 2 Answer:
b
Section 3 Answers:
False
True
True
Section 4 Answers:
b, c, a
Section 5 Answers:
1-a, 2-d, 3-c, 4-b
Section 6 Answers:
1-b, 2-b
Section 7 Answers:
Ephesus is an ancient city.
The streets are very beautiful.
Section 8 Answers:
Student's own answers.
Thank you for your feedback!