Unit 1
The Main Text
The Main Text
Each unit begins with its article laid out in a format mimicking a newspaper. As this version of the text does not contain diacritics (tashkeel), it presents a challenge and is the best place to start and end your study of a unit. Before you move on to the other sections of the unit, try reading the main text to see how much you understand and how well you can read the text aloud without the help of diacritics. Then read along while listening to the audio. After you have studied the article in more depth by completing the other sections of the unit, return to the main text and read it again. From time to time, as a review, you should return to previously studied units and read the main texts again.
مصر أحسن بلد تزورها في ٢٠٢٠
مصر كانت أول بلد على قايمة البلاد اللي جرنال الإندپندنت اقترح إن الناس يزوروها في ٢٠٢٠.
المتحف المصري الكبير هيكون أكبر متحف أثري في العالم. المتحف هيكون فيه ٣٠ ألف قطعة أثرية جديدة.
الإندپندنت قال إن كان فيه حوالي ١١ مليون سايح في مصر في ٢٠١٨. الجرنال الإنجليزي برضه بيتوقع إن السياحة في مصر ترجع قوية تاني، بالذات بعد ما الطيران لشرم الشيخ اتفتح تاني، بعد ما كان اتقفل.
ناشونال چيوجرافيك برضه اختارت مدينة أسوان في مصر من ضمن المدن المقترحة في ٢٠٢٠.
بسبب كورونا، المتحف المصري الكبير هيفتح في ٢٠٢١. لكن الطيران اتفتح تاني في مصر، و سياح كتير بدأوا ييجوا مصر، بالذات لشرم الشيخ و الغردقة.
Key Words
Key Words
Several important words from the article are listed in the right-hand column. Irregular plurals of nouns and adjectives, as well as the imperfect form of verbs, are shown in parentheses. Each key word is followed by its definition in Arabic to help you work out the meaning of words that are new to you. Listen to the audio track for key words. If you feel the definitions are too challenging for your level, you can ignore them. After you have studied the key words, match them to their English translations that follow. You can easily match definitions for words you already know and then try to deduce the meaning of other key words through a process of elimination and other clues.
قايْمة (قَوائِم): مجْموعِةْ حاجات ليها علاقة بِبعْض
اِقْترح (يِقْترح): إدّى رأْيُه
سايِح / سايْحة (سُيّاح): شخْص زائر لِبلد أَوْ مدينة
جُرْنال (جرانيل): مجْموعِةْ صفحات فيها أخْبار بِشكْل أساسي
اِتْوَقع (يِتْوَقع): خمِّن حاجة هتِحْصل في المُسْتقْبل
سِياحة: زِيارِةْ بلد أَوْ مدينة
ممْنوع: مِش مسْموح بيه
banned • list • newspaper • to expect • to suggest • tourism • tourist
The Article
The Article
This section presents a version of the article augmented with tools to help you read and understand it better. The article is divided into numbered lines so you can match lines to their translations in the Answer Key. The text contains diacritics. Foreign names (of people, companies, cities, and regions¬–but not countries) appear bold to help you avoid confusion thinking they are Arabic words.
- مصْر أحْسن بلد تِزورْها في عِشْرين عِشْرين
- مصْر كانِت أوِّل بلد على قايْمِةْ البِلاد اللي جُرْنال الإنْدِپِنْدِنْت اِقْترح إنّ النّاس يِزوروها في عِشْرين عِشْرين.
- المتْحف المصْري الكِّبير هَيْكون أكْبر متْحف أثري في العالم.
- المتْحف هَيْكون فيه تلاتين ألْف قِطْعة أثرية جِديدة.
- الإنْدِپِنْدِنْت قال إنّ كان فيه حَوالي حِداشر مِلْيوْن سايِح في مصْر في ألْفيْن و تمانْتاشر.
- الجُرْنال الإنْجِليزي برْضُه بِيِتْوَقّع إنّ السِّياحة في مصْر تِرْجع قَوية تاني، بِالذّات بعْد ما الطَّيَران لِشرْم الشّيْخ اِتْفتح تاني، بعْد ما كان اِتْقفل.
- ناشونال چِيوجْرافيك برْضُه اِخْتارِت مدينِةْ أسْوان في مصْر مِن ضِمْن المُدُن المُقْترحة في عِشْرين عِشْرين.
- بِسبب كوروْنا، المتْحف المصْري الكِّبير هَيِفْتح في ألْفيْن واحِد و عِشْرين.
- لكِن الطَيَران اِتْفتح تاني في مصْر، و سُيّاح كِتير بدأوا ييجوا مصْر، بِالذّات لِشرْم الشّيْخ و الغرْدقة.
Comprehension and Discussion Questions
Comprehension and Discussion Questions
Following the article are three comprehension questions. You can find the answers by referring back to the article if needed. Five discussion questions provide ideas for discussion about the topic. If you are studying on your own, you are encouraged to answer them aloud or write your answers. English translations of the questions can be found in the Answer Key.
Comprehension Questions
- الإنْدِپِنْدِنْت اِقْترح مدينِةْ أسْوان مِن ضِمْن المُدُن المُقْترحة في ٢٠٢٠؟
- المتْحف المصْري الكِّبير هَيِفْتح إمْتى؟
- الطّيَرَان لِشرْم الشّيْخ اِتْفتح وَلّا لِسّه؟
Discussion Questions
- أيْه رأْيَك في الخبر ده؟
زُرْت مصْر قبْل كِده؟ لَوْ آه، شارِك - تجْرُبْتك. لَوْ لأ، تِحِبّ تِزورْها؟
- زُرْت كام بلد في حَياتك؟
- أيْه التّغْيير اللي الكوروْنا عملِتُه في حَياتك؟
- أيْه أكْتر حاجة بِتْحِبّها في السّفر بِالطَّيّارة؟
Expressions and Structures
Expressions and Structures
This multiple-choice exercise helps you notice (and develop skills for noticing) how words work together in context and chunks of useful language. The English translations of four expressions or structures from the article are each followed by four choices in Arabic. One is correct, and three are either grammatically incorrect or do not match the translation. Take your time analyzing and comparing the choices before checking your answers in the Answer Key or searching for the answer in the article.
Try to remember the Arabic expressions and structures from the article. Each English translation is followed by four choices, only one of which is correct. Refer back to the article to check your answers.
- the largest museum
- الأكْبر متْحف
- أكْبر المتْحف
- أكْبر متْحف
- المتْحف الأكْتر كِبير
- eleven million tourists
- حِداشر مِلْيوْن سايِح
- حِداشر مِلْيوْن السّايِح
- حِداشر مِلْيوْن سُيّاح
- حِداشر مِلْيوْنات مِن السُّيّاح
- especially
- بِالظّبْط
- بِالذّات
- بِسبب
- بذاتًا
- because of
- مِن سبب
- لِإنّ
- بِسبب
- عشان كِده
Answer Key
Answer Key
The Answer Key provides the answers to the Key Word matching exercise and the Expressions and Structures multiple-choice exercise. You can also find English translations of the article and the comprehension and discussion questions. {Curly brackets} show literal translations, while [square brackets] are necessary in English but are not present in the Arabic.
Key Word Answers
- list قايْمة
- to suggest اِقْترح
- tourist سايِح
- newspaper جُرْنال
- to expect اِتْوَقع
- tourism سِياحة
- banned ممْنوع
Translation of the Article
- Egypt Is the Number One Country to Visit for 2020
- Egypt was the first country on the list of countries that {the newspaper of} The Independent suggested people visit in 2020.
- The Grand Egyptian Museum will be the largest archaeology museum in the world.
- The museum will include thirty thousand new artifacts {archaeological pieces}.
- The Independent said that there were about 11 million tourists in Egypt in 2018.
- The English newspaper also expects that tourism in Egypt will return strong again, especially after flights {flying} to Sharm El-Sheikh have been resumed {opened again after it was closed}.
- National Geographic also chose the city of Aswan in Egypt as one of the suggested cities in 2020.
- Because of coronavirus, the Grand Egyptian Museum will open in 2021.
- But flying has been resumed in Egypt, and many tourists have started coming to Egypt, especially to Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada.
Phonemic Transcription of the Article
- maʂr(ə) ʔáɧsan bálad tizúrha fi 3išrīn 3išrīn
- maʂr(ə) kānit ʔáwwil bálad 3ála qáymit ilbilād ílli gurnāl il[Independent] iqtáraɧ inn innās yizurūha fi 3išrīn 3išrīn.
- ilmátɧaf ilmáʂri -lkibīr haykūn ʔákbar mátɧaf ʔásari fi -l3ālam.
- ilmátɧaf haykūn fī talatīn ʔalfə qíʈ3a ʔasaríyya g(i)dīda.
- il[Independent] ʔāl innə kān fī ɧawāli ɧidāšar milyōn sāyiɧ fi maʂr fi ʔalfēn wi tamantāšar.
- ilgurnāl ilʔingilīzi bárɖu biyatawáqqa3 inn issiyāɧa f maʂrə tírga3 qawíyya tāni, bi-zzāt ba3də ma -ʈʈayarān li-šarm iššēx itfátaɧ tāni, ba3də ma kān itʔáfal.
- [National Geographic] bárɖu ixtārit madīnit ʔaswān fi maʂr min ɖimn ilmúdun ilmuqtáraɧa fi 3išrīn 3išrīn.
- bi-sábab kurōna, ilmátɧaf ilmáʂri -lkibīr hayíftaɧ fi ʔalfēn wāɧid wi 3išrīn.
- lākin iʈʈayarān itfátaɧ tāni fi maʂr, wi suyyāɧ kitīr bádaʔu yīgu maʂr, bi-zzāt li-šarm iššēx w ilɣardáʔa.
Translation of the Questions
- Did the Independent recommend Aswan among its recommended cities in 2020?
- When will the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) open?
- Have flights resumed yet?
- What is your opinion of this news?
- Have you visited Egypt before? If so, share your experience. If not, would you like to visit it?
- How many countries have you visited in your life?
- What changes has/did coronavirus make in your life?
- What do you like most about traveling by plane?
Answers to Expressions and Structures
- the largest museum أكْبر متْحف
- eleven million tourists حِداشر مِلْيوْن سايِح
- especially بِالذّات
- because of بِسبب
