Anya's Temples Quest · an 11-year-old girl in a beige traveller's outfit with a notebook, a brass compass and a backpack, smiling against a pale watercolour skyline of domes and minarets.
Sacred Stones Expedition
Anya's Temples Quest
Six religions. Six iconic buildings. One traveller with a notebook, a compass and a question — why do humans keep building these places?
⛩ 6 sacred sites 🗺 4 continents 🎙 speaking-heavy ⏱ 90 min

Anya's Temples Quest · the journey that teaches every present tense

A B1 expedition through six cities and six religions — each stop wired to a different grammar move. Continues the Anya's series.

HeroAnya · 11 · traveller-archaeologist
Duration90 minutes
SkillsSpeaking (heavy) · Listening · Vocabulary · Grammar
Grammar focusAll 4 present tenses + will + going to
SitesIstanbul · Jerusalem · Cairo · Varanasi · Amritsar · Bangkok
ThemesWorld religions · Sacred architecture · Travel · Spirit of a place
1

Pack your suitcase · 16 expedition words

Drag-match · RU ↔ EN
Click one English word on the left, then its Russian meaning on the right. Correct pair locks gold. Wrong pair shakes red — try again.

English

Перевод

1++

Type the English word · 10 quick boxes

⌨ Type-in · вы вспоминаете и пишете
Read the Russian cue and type the English word in the box. Don't worry about CAPITAL LETTERS or articles — just the word. Tab out or click anywhere to check: green = right, red = try again.
купол (Hagia Sophia has the biggest old ___ in the world)
храм (the Golden ___ in Amritsar)
мечеть (the Blue ___ in Istanbul)
священный (the Ganges is a ___ river for Hindus)
паломник (a person who travels far to a holy place)
древний (the ___ stones of Jerusalem)
специи (the air smells of cumin, saffron and other ___)
великолепный (a truly ___ ceiling, like nothing else)
очаровательный (a small, ___ café opposite the temple)
крупный город / мегаполис (Bangkok is a giant ___)
1+++

Choose the right word · 8 temple sentences

🎯 MCQ · pick the one that fits
One sentence, three English options. Only one fits the temple-context. Tap one — green = right, red = try the other.
1. Walking inside Hagia Sophia, Anya looked up at the huge ___ above her.
→ a round roof over a temple = dome
2. The Ganges has been a ___ river for Hindus for over 3000 years.
→ holy, special to a religion = sacred
3. Some ___ walk for weeks across India to reach Varanasi.
→ people travelling far to a holy place = pilgrims
4. The Cairo bazaar smelled of saffron, cardamom and other warm ___.
→ aromatic powders for cooking = spices
5. The Western Wall is built from ___ honey-coloured stones.
→ very, very old = ancient
6. The Golden Temple is truly ___ — gold roof, marble path, reflection in the water.
→ stunningly grand and beautiful = magnificent
7. Anya found a tiny ___ café right opposite the Hanging Church.
→ small, pretty, full of personality = charming
8. Bangkok is an enormous ___ — over ten million people live there.
→ a huge city = metropolis
1+

Your turn · 6 quick questions

🗣 Speaking · use today's new words
No pressure — answer out loud in 1–2 sentences. Try to use the bold word in your answer. Press ▶ if you'd like to hear it first.
1.When you stand in a really old or sacred place — a church, an old castle, an empty temple — do you feel its spirit, or is it just stone for you?
2.Some pilgrims walk for weeks to reach one place because of their loyalty to a faith. Could you walk for two weeks to one place? Where would you walk?
3.What is the most ancient thing you have ever touched? A castle, a coin, a wall? How old — a hundred years, five centuries, even more?
4.If you could protect one old building in the world from being lost forever, which one would you save and why?
5.Imagine a hot, hot city — +40 °C outside. Your hostel has no AC. What is the most intelligent thing to do?
6.Old cities are usually a mix of shops, cafés, mosques and stations all on one street. Do you like that, or do you prefer them separate?
2

Anya's expedition map · six sacred stones

🗺 Run-the-clue · click each to unlock
Six cities. Six religions. Six grammar moves. Click each pin to read Anya's clue, hear her voice and unlock a key word. Each stop quietly trains a different tense — see if you can spot which one.
✨ Six sacred stones unlocked. Six tenses in your bag. ✨
3+

Grammar lab · the whole picture, with temples

🎓 Theory · 4 presents + will + going to
Read this slowly. Every rule has a formula, the moment you use it, and a temple example. Press ▶ to hear any example. No exercise here — just absorb. The drills start in section 4.
Temple Tense Map · Six sacred gates, six ways to speak. Visual one-page summary of Present Simple (facts/routines), Present Continuous (right now), Present Perfect (experience/result), Present Perfect Continuous (how long), Will (decided now / promise), Be Going To (plan / evidence). Each gate paired with one temple example.

Part 1 · The four present tenses

① Present Simple — facts that stay true

Formula I / you / we / they visit
he / she / it visits
When to use it A fact about the world. A daily routine. Something that's always-true. Time words: every day, usually, often, sometimes, never, on Sundays.
Temple examples · ▶
"The Golden Temple opens its doors to people of every faith."
"Pilgrims visit the Western Wall every single day."

② Present Continuous — happening RIGHT NOW

Formula am / is / are + verb-ing
When to use it An action in progress at the moment of speaking — or around this time in your life. Time words: now, right now, at the moment, today, this week.
Temple examples · ▶
"Right now the monks at Wat Pho are polishing the gold on the Buddha's feet."
"A pilgrim is pressing a tiny paper prayer into a crack of the Western Wall."

③ Present Perfect — finished action, the result is HERE NOW

Formula have / has + V3 (past participle)
e.g. have visited, has changed
When to use it An action that finished in the past but the result still matters now. Also: life experience ("ever / never"), count up-to-now ("three times"), recent action with "just". Time words: already, just, yet, ever, never, this week, in my life.
Temple examples · ▶
"Hagia Sophia has changed religions three times."
"Anya has just lit her first candle at the ghats."
"I have already visited four sacred sites this trip."

④ Present Perfect Continuous — duration, still going on

Formula have / has + been + verb-ing
When to use it An action that started in the past, is still going on now (or only just stopped). The focus is HOW LONG. Always with for + a length or since + a starting point.
Temple examples · ▶
"Pilgrims have been bathing in the Ganges for 3000 years."
"Builders have been working on the Sagrada Familia since 1882."
⚠ The classic trap · Perfect vs Perfect Continuous "Hagia Sophia has stood for 1500 years." → Present Perfect — the FACT of standing, the result.
"Builders have been working on Sagrada Familia for 140 years." → Present Perfect Continuous — the PROCESS, the ongoing action, it's still happening.
Tip: if the verb describes a state (be, know, have) — use Present Perfect. If it's an action you can picture in progress — use Present Perfect Continuous.

Part 2 · Two ways to talk about the future

⑤ WILL — decision made RIGHT NOW · promise · gut feeling

Formula will + verb (base form)
negative: won't
short form: 'll
When to use it • A decision made in the moment of speaking ("Don't worry, I'll get it.")
• A promise ("I'll send you a postcard.")
• A prediction from the heart, without proof ("I think she'll love it.")
• Spontaneous offer ("I'll hold your hand.")
Temple examples · ▶
"Don't worry, mum — I 'll send you a postcard from every city. Promise."
"Tomorrow Anya will drop a coin into each of 108 bowls at Wat Pho."

⑥ BE GOING TO — plan made BEFORE · prediction with EVIDENCE

Formula am / is / are + going to + verb
e.g. is going to rain
When to use it • A plan or intention you decided BEFORE the conversation ("I'm going to visit Cambodia next summer — saved up two years.")
• A prediction based on visible evidence ("Look at those clouds — it's going to rain.")
Temple examples · ▶
"Tonight volunteers are going to feed 100,000 pilgrims at the Golden Temple."
"Look at those grey clouds above Varanasi — it 's going to rain tonight."
⚡ The split-second rule Ask yourself: "Did I decide this before we started talking?"
→ YES (already a plan, ticket bought, scaffolding up, plan in my head) → use be going to.
→ NO (I'm deciding right now, in this moment, hearing what you just said) → use will.
Bonus: predictions. Visible proof in front of you (clouds → rain) → going to. Just a feeling, opinion, hope → will.
4

Tense Detective · Sacred Stones case

🕵 Sort 12 clues into 6 time columns
Twelve sentences from Anya's six stops. Each one belongs in one of six columns — four present tenses plus the two ways to talk about the future (will and be going to). Click an evidence pill, then click the right column. Press Check when ready.
Tense Detective · Sacred Stones case. A vintage leather notebook on an expedition desk with a magnifying glass, brass compass, ink bottle and six small postcards from Istanbul, Jerusalem, Cairo, Varanasi, Amritsar and Bangkok. Six tense badges along the spine of the open notebook and twelve handwritten clue cards spread below.

🧭 Quick reminder · 6 ways to talk about time

Need a refresher? Scroll back to section 3+ (Grammar Lab) — every formula and rule is there with temple examples. Then come back and sort.

Present Simple

fact · routine

Present Continuous

happening right now

Present Perfect

experience · result · count

Present Perfect Continuous

duration · for / since

WILL · future

decided now · promise · gut prediction

BE GOING TO · future

planned before · evidence prediction

After-detective check · 6 quick MCQs

Same kind of sentences, but now you build them. Pick the form that fits the time word.

1. The Golden Temple ___ free meals to over 100,000 people every single day.
→ "every single day" = routine → Present Simple
2. Look — right now a monk ___ a candle in front of the Reclining Buddha.
→ "right now" = action in progress → Present Continuous
3. Anya ___ four sacred sites already on this trip.
→ "already" + count = result → Present Perfect
4. Pilgrims ___ to the Ganges for more than three thousand years.
→ "for more than 3000 years" + still going → Present Perfect Continuous
5. — I'm tired. — Sit down, I ___ get you some tea right now.
→ decision made at the moment of speaking → WILL
6. Anya has packed her backpack — tomorrow she ___ fly to Amritsar.
→ a plan made BEFORE (backpack ready) → BE GOING TO
4+

For or Since? · 10 quick taps

⏳ Drill · how long?
FOR + a length of time (three weeks, five years, ages). SINCE + a point in time (Monday, 2019, I was 8). Tap one — green is right.
1. The dome of Hagia Sophia has been standing ___ the year 537.
→ "537" = a starting moment → SINCE
2. Pilgrims have been pressing notes into the Western Wall ___ centuries.
→ "centuries" = a length → FOR
3. Builders have been working on the Sagrada Familia ___ 1882.
→ "1882" = a starting year → SINCE
4. Anya has been studying the carvings of a temple wall ___ two hours.
→ "two hours" = a length → FOR
5. The Golden Temple has been serving free meals to everyone ___ the 16th century.
→ "the 16th century" = a starting point → SINCE
6. The monks at Wat Pho have been polishing the gold Buddha ___ all morning.
→ "all morning" = a length of time → FOR
7. The minarets of the Blue Mosque have been calling worshippers ___ 1616.
→ "1616" = a starting year → SINCE
8. Anya has wanted to see the Reclining Buddha ___ ages.
→ "ages" = a length (a long time) → FOR
9. Hindus have been performing the evening aarti at the Ganges ___ ancient times.
→ "ancient times" = a starting point → SINCE
10. The mosaics of Hagia Sophia have been hiding under plaster ___ five hundred years.
→ "five hundred years" = a length → FOR
5

Stop 5 · inside the Golden Temple kitchen · what do you say?

🎲 Choose your path · langar at Amritsar
There's no wrong choice here. Every answer is human — but each one reveals a different value, and a different way to use your new words.
Inside the langar kitchen of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Long rows of pilgrims sit cross-legged on the floor, eating from steel plates. Volunteers in orange turbans walk between them with huge pots of dal. The air smells of cumin and warm flatbread.
The scene: You've taken off your shoes, covered your head, and walked across the cold marble path to the Golden Temple's langar — the free kitchen that has been feeding everyone, of every faith, every single day, for nearly five hundred years. An elderly volunteer in an orange turban hands you a steel plate. He smiles. "I have been serving here every Sunday for thirty-two years," he says. You sit down. Three things you could say to him:
A
"Thirty-two years? What keeps you coming back?"
Loyalty · верность You honour the long quiet thread of his service. He smiles a slow smile. "When I lost my wife, this kitchen kept me standing. Now I stand for it." Loyalty isn't loud — sometimes it just means showing up, every Sunday, for thirty-two years.
B
"Honestly — why do you feed people who don't even share your faith?"
Honest · честный You ask the real question, gently. He looks at you for a long moment. "Because hunger doesn't ask about faith. So why should we?" That's the honest answer — and the whole point of langar.
C
"…can I help wash the plates after?"
Spirit · дух You don't ask anything. You just offer your hands. He nods, eyes warm. Two hours later you are still there, up to your elbows in soapy water, laughing with three strangers. You felt the spirit of the place — and joined it.

👀 Notice the tenses you've just heard

"I have been serving here for 32 years"→ Present Perfect Continuous · duration that still continues
"It has been feeding everyone for 500 years"→ Present Perfect Continuous · since the past, still true today
5+

Pick the right tense · 6 mini-questions

🎯 Practice · Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous
Quick check. Has done = it's finished, look at the result. Has been doing = how long it's been going on (and maybe still going). Tap one button per row — green = right, red = try the other.
1. Anya ___ four cities already.
→ result/score, finished action = Present Perfect
2. She ___ in Varanasi for three days.
→ duration ("for three days") + still there = Present Perfect Continuous
3. The Sikhs ___ free meals at the Golden Temple for more than 500 years.
→ "for more than 500 years" + still serving = Present Perfect Continuous
4. Look! Anya ___ a postcard from Amritsar!
→ "just" + we see the result now = Present Perfect
5. They ___ this temple for fifteen centuries.
→ "for fifteen centuries" — long duration that continues = Present Perfect Continuous
6. I ___ to Bangkok twice in my life.
→ life experience, you can count it = Present Perfect
5++

Anya's Varanasi diary · pick the right tense

📔 Mixed tenses · 10 gaps
Anya wrote this at dawn, sitting on the stone steps of a ghat above the Ganges. Help her pick the right verb form for each gap — Past Simple, Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, will or going to.

Day 11 · Varanasi · dawn at the ghats. "We (1) at the Ganges three days ago. This river (2) the most sacred place I have ever stood beside. I (3) already lit two small candles for people I love. Right now I (4) on the cold stone steps, watching the mist rise. A priest (5) the morning aarti for almost an hour. Yesterday I (6) a cup of spiced chai from a barefoot boy and we just smiled at each other for a whole minute. The old boatman told me his family (7) people across this river for nine generations. Look at the sky — it (8) rain in fifteen minutes. Tomorrow we (9) for Amritsar — the tickets are already in my bag. I (10) never forget this dawn."

1. We ___ at the Ganges three days ago.
→ "three days ago" = finished moment → Past Simple
2. This river ___ the most sacred place I have ever stood beside.
→ a general truth, true right now → Present Simple
3. I ___ already lit two small candles for people I love.
→ "already" + result you can count → Present Perfect (have lit)
4. Right now I ___ on the cold stone steps, watching the mist rise.
→ "right now" + action in progress → Present Continuous
5. A priest ___ the morning aarti for almost an hour.
→ "for almost an hour" + still going → Present Perfect Continuous
6. Yesterday I ___ a cup of spiced chai from a barefoot boy.
→ "yesterday" = finished moment → Past Simple
7. The old boatman said his family ___ people across this river for nine generations.
→ "said" (past reporting) + ongoing duration → Past Perfect Continuous
8. Look at the sky — it ___ rain in fifteen minutes.
→ visible evidence (clouds, dark sky) → going to
9. Tomorrow we ___ for Amritsar — the tickets are already in my bag.
→ a fixed arrangement (tickets bought) → Present Continuous (future)
10. I ___ never forget this dawn.
→ a personal promise / prediction from the heart → Will-future
5+++

Will or Going to? · planning the next leg

🔮 Future move · 6 mini-questions
WILL = a decision right now, a promise, or a guess from the heart. BE GOING TO = a plan you already made before, or a prediction with visible evidence. Tap one — green is right.

★ The split second of difference

WILL · decided right now — "I'm thirsty."
— "Don't move, I 'll get you some chai."
Decision made in the moment.
BE GOING TO · already a plan "Anya bought a ticket last week. She 's going to fly to Bangkok on Friday."
Plan exists before the conversation.
1. Look at those grey clouds above Varanasi. It ___ rain tonight.
→ visible evidence (grey clouds) → BE GOING TO
2. — I have no Egyptian pounds for the taxi! — Don't worry, I ___ pay for both of us.
→ decision made at this exact moment → WILL
3. Anya has bought her ticket. She ___ leave Cairo for Varanasi on Friday.
→ plan made before now (ticket already bought) → BE GOING TO
4. Don't worry, mum. I ___ send you a postcard from every single city. Promise.
→ a promise → WILL
5. The kitchen at the Golden Temple is already buzzing — volunteers ___ feed 100,000 pilgrims tonight.
→ planned ritual you can see preparing → BE GOING TO
6. — Which temple should we visit first in Bangkok? — Hmm… I think we ___ start with Wat Pho.
→ decision in the moment, with "I think" → WILL
7. The scaffolding is already up — workers ___ restore the dome of Hagia Sophia next month.
→ visible evidence (scaffolding) + already planned → BE GOING TO
8. — I'm scared to walk barefoot on the marble. — Don't worry, I ___ hold your hand.
→ a kind offer made in the moment → WILL
9. Anya has saved up for two years. Next summer she ___ travel to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat.
→ a long-prepared plan (two years of saving) → BE GOING TO
10. I'm not sure, but I think the Sagrada Familia ___ be finished by 2030.
→ a guess / prediction from the heart, not based on evidence → WILL
6

Describe a postcard · pick one of six temples

🗣 Speaking with cheat sheet · 60–90 sec mic drill
Pick one postcard from the six below. Then describe it out loud — at least 10–12 sentences. Each card secretly trains a different grammar move (the one we used for that stop on the map). Use words from today and the cheat sheet.
Six painted postcards laid out in a 2-by-3 grid. A · Istanbul · Present Perfect (a girl sketching the Blue Mosque across the Bosphorus). B · Jerusalem · Present Simple (the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall). C · Cairo · Present Continuous (a hand drawing hieroglyphs in a notebook beside ancient temple stones). D · Varanasi · Present Perfect Continuous (a girl releasing a tiny candle into the Ganges at dawn). E · Amritsar · going to (the Golden Temple across the sacred pool, pilgrims walking the marble path). F · Bangkok · will (Wat Arun spires above a long-tail boat on the river).
A · Istanbul ★ Present Perfect
B · Jerusalem ★ Present Simple
C · Cairo ★ Present Continuous
D · Varanasi ★ Present Perfect Continuous
E · Amritsar ★ going to
F · Bangkok ★ will

🎯 Cheat sheet · use today's grammar

Open with structure: In the postcard I can see… · In the foreground there is… · In the background there are…

★ Match the secret grammar move on your card:

→ Istanbul: "Hagia Sophia has changed religions three times…" (Present Perfect)

→ Jerusalem: "Pilgrims come here every day. The bells ring at dawn." (Present Simple)

→ Cairo: "Right now Anya is walking past mountains of spices." (Present Continuous)

→ Varanasi: "Pilgrims have been bathing in this river for 3000 years." (Present Perfect Continuous)

→ Amritsar: "Tonight volunteers are going to feed 100,000 people." (going to)

→ Bangkok: "Tomorrow Anya will drop a coin into each of 108 bowls." (will)

Spice with new vocab: temple · mosque · dome · sacred · pilgrim · ancient · spices · charming · magnificent · metropolis · boulevard

Close with opinion: I think this place is… · I would love to visit because…

7

Your travel diary · 3 quick speaking tasks

🗣 Speaking finale · pick & talk
Choose any task. Talk for 1.5–2 minutes — that's about 10–12 sentences. Use today's words and Perfect tenses where you can. Press ▶ to hear the task first.
1.Pick a city. If you could fly to one of Anya's six cities tomorrow, which one and why? Give me three reasons, with one example each. Aim for ~10 sentences. Try to use "I would love to visit because…"
2.Write a postcard out loud. Pretend you have just sent a postcard home from your favourite city. What did you write on the back? Say it in 8 sentences (start with "Hi mum/dad, I have…").
3.Your own travel memory. Tell me about a place you have visited that you really loved. Use "I have been to…" and "I have seen…" — aim for 10–12 sentences.

Sentence starters · pick & use

I would love to visit ___ because… · The first reason is… · Another reason is…

Hi mum, I have just arrived in… · I have already seen… · I have been walking around…

I have been to ___ twice. · I have seen… · What I loved most was…

7+

Question chain · pick one, answer all five

🔗 Speaking chain · build the story
Three chains to choose from. Pick ONE chain — then answer Q1, then Q2, then Q3, then Q4, then Q5. Each answer is 2–3 sentences. Together you'll tell a whole little story (about 10–12 sentences).
1.Where have you been that you loved most? (use Present Perfect: I have been to…)
2.How long ago did you go and how long did you stay there? (Past Simple + "for" / "ago")
3.What were you doing while you were there? (Past Continuous: I was walking… we were eating…)
4.Have you been back since? Why or why not? (Present Perfect + since)
5.Would you go again? What would you do differently? (would-conditional)
8

📚 Homework · 4 tasks for the week

✍️ Write · type · check yourself
Do these between now and our next lesson. Type your answer in the box — when you tab out or click somewhere else, the box turns green if it's right, red if it needs another try. Don't worry about capital letters or punctuation — I'm easy on those.

1. Going to · 12 plans + predictions (Murphy Unit 26)

Be going to = a plan you already made, OR a prediction with visible evidence. Type only the verb part (e.g. is going to visit).

Anya's plan for Friday: visit Wat Pho. → On Friday Anya ___ Wat Pho.
The monks' plan for tonight: cook dinner for 100,000 pilgrims. → Tonight the monks ___ dinner.
My plan for tomorrow: get up at 6. → Tomorrow I ___ at 6.
Look at those clouds! → It ___ rain in a minute.
Mum and dad's plan: fly to Istanbul in July. → In July they ___ to Istanbul.
Anya already saved up: see Angkor Wat next summer. → Next summer Anya ___ Angkor Wat.
The car has no petrol. → It ___ stop very soon.
I bought the paint yesterday. → I ___ the temple gate red.
The pilgrims already packed lunch. → They ___ for two hours along the river.
Look — that man on the boat is shouting! → He ___ into the water.
Anya's tickets are in her bag. → On Monday she ___ Bangkok and ___ to Amritsar.
I'm at the airport, my plane leaves in 20 min. → I ___ home before midnight.

2. Will · 12 offers, promises, predictions (Murphy Unit 28)

I'll / will = decision made right now, an offer, a promise, OR a prediction from the heart ("I think… will"). Type the response in full.

"This bag is too heavy!" → (offer · carry)
"I haven't got any chai money." → (offer · pay)
"It's freezing in this temple." → (offer · close the window)
"Don't forget to write to me." → (promise · write every day)
"I'm so tired." → (offer · make some tea)
"The bus is leaving!" → (sudden decision · run)
"I'll keep your secret about the fox at the gate." → (promise · not tell anyone)
Prediction: Do you think the Sagrada Familia will be finished one day? → "Yes, I think ___ ."
Prediction: Do you think the queue at the Western Wall will be long? → "No, I ___ ."
"I forgot my umbrella!" → (offer · lend you mine)
"Where's Anya?" → (guess · think she is in the kitchen)
"I'm getting a coffee. Do you want one?" → (sudden decision · have a tea, please)

3. Might · 10 things that are not certain yet (Murphy Unit 29)

Might = perhaps will. Anya is not sure about tomorrow. Re-write each sentence with might or might not.

Perhaps Anya will visit the Golden Temple tomorrow.
Perhaps it will rain in Varanasi tonight.
Perhaps Anya will not take any photos at Wat Pho.
Perhaps the monks will sing the morning prayer at 5.
Perhaps I will see a fox at the temple gate.
Perhaps the museum will not be open on Sunday.
Perhaps Anya will buy a small souvenir at the bazaar.
Perhaps we will visit the Great Pyramid one day.
Perhaps Mum will not come with us to the mosque.
Perhaps I will study Japanese next year.

3+. Plans for tomorrow · sure or not sure? · 6 sentences

Two columns: things Anya is SURE about (use am going to) and things she is NOT sure about (use might). Type just the verb part (e.g. am going to wake up / might buy).

✅ SURE — wake up at 6. → "I ___ at 6."
❓ NOT SURE — buy a small Buddha figure. → "I ___ a small Buddha figure."
✅ SURE — meet Anya at 9 at the temple gate. → "I ___ Anya at 9 at the temple gate."
❓ NOT SURE — take a boat trip on the river. → "I ___ a boat trip on the river."
❓ NOT SURE — visit the Reclining Buddha. → "I ___ the Reclining Buddha."
✅ SURE — fly to Amritsar in the evening. → "In the evening I ___ to Amritsar."

4. Write to Anya · "Three temples I'm going to visit next" · 10–12 sentences

Imagine you are writing back to Anya. Tell her about three sacred places you'd like to visit one day. The text MUST contain: 2× going to ("I'm going to see…"), 2× will ("I will visit…" or a promise to Anya), 1× might ("I might also…"), and at least 3 words from today (temple · mosque · dome · sacred · pilgrim · ancient · spices · magnificent · metropolis).

target: 10–12 sentences · words: 0

📤 Send your homework to Maria

When you've finished — sign your name, press the button, and send the link to Maria on WhatsApp or Telegram. She'll open it and see exactly what you typed, with the auto-check already done.

Or bring this tab open on your screen to our next lesson — we'll go through together.

9

Bonus reading · The Fox at the Temple Gate

🦊 Reading + comprehension + grammar gap-fill
Read the short story below at your own pace. Press ▶ on any line to hear it. Then do the two mini-tasks under the text: A. five True/False questions, B. five grammar gaps — pick the right tense.
The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox — a Japanese folktale illustration. A magnificent white fox with nine glowing tails sits on a stone lantern beside a temple at night, full moon above, red lanterns, cherry blossoms, a wooden torii gate in the background.

The Fox at the Temple Gate

Every morning at half past five, a small red fox visits the back gate of the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. The monks have been seeing her for nearly six years now. They do not know where she comes from, but they always leave a small bowl of rice and water for her under the wooden door.

Right now Anya is sitting on the stone steps opposite the gate, holding her camera very still. She has been waiting for almost an hour. The first monks are sweeping the courtyard. The huge golden Buddha inside the temple has been resting on his side for nearly three centuries, and outside, the city is just beginning to wake up.

Suddenly Anya hears a soft sound. The little fox steps out from the shadows. Her fur is the colour of saffron. She looks at Anya for one long moment — and then, very calmly, she drinks from the bowl. An old monk smiles from the doorway. He has fed her every morning since the spring after his mother died.

Tomorrow Anya is going to leave Bangkok. She has bought her ticket to Amritsar already. But this morning, she thinks, she will not take a single photo. Some things are better kept inside the eyes. The fox finishes the water, looks up once more, and disappears into the trees.

A · True or False · 5 quick checks

1. The monks have been feeding the fox for about six years.
→ "for nearly six years now" → True
2. The fox usually comes in the late evening.
→ "every morning at half past five" → False
3. The huge golden Buddha inside Wat Pho is about 300 years old.
→ "for nearly three centuries" → True
4. Anya is going to fly home tomorrow.
→ she's going to Amritsar, not home → False
5. Anya decided not to take a photo of the fox.
→ "she will not take a single photo" → True

B · Pick the right tense · 5 grammar gaps from the story

1. The little fox ___ to the back gate of Wat Pho every morning at half past five.
→ a daily routine ("every morning") → Present Simple
2. The monks ___ the fox for almost six years.
→ "for almost six years" + still going → Present Perfect Continuous
3. Right now Anya ___ on the stone steps, holding her camera very still.
→ "right now" + action in progress → Present Continuous
4. Tomorrow Anya ___ Bangkok — her ticket to Amritsar is already in her bag.
→ a plan made BEFORE, ticket bought → BE GOING TO
5. "This morning," Anya thinks, "I ___ a single photo."
→ a decision made in this exact moment → WILL (negative)

End of the expedition · six sacred stones

Six cities. Six religions. Six grammar moves. One traveller with a notebook — and the quiet idea that humans everywhere build their highest stones to ask the same question. Now it's your turn to pick one stone and tell its story.

Anya · NG English · 2026