EP7 The Taj Mahal: A Love Poem in Stone?

The Taj Mahal: A Love Poem in Stone? | 短故事＋5个词＋before/after/when + past simple＋小练习

Listening Text
P1: The Taj Mahal in India is often called “a love poem in stone.” It is one of the most famous and beautiful buildings in the world. People say it is also one of the most beautiful ways to show love. The emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. They were very close and lived happily together for many years. But in 1631, Mumtaz died while giving birth to their fourteenth child. Shah Jahan was heartbroken. Before she died, he made a promise: he would build the most beautiful monument in the world to remember her.

P2: Building the Taj Mahal was a huge job. It is said that more than twenty thousand workers helped, and about one thousand elephants carried heavy stones. The work continued for over twenty years. The builders used white marble, precious stones, and careful designs. In the center, they built a large white dome that shines in the light. Step by step, the monument grew, and slowly the Taj Mahal took its famous shape.

P3: Years later, after the Taj Mahal was finished, Shah Jahan’s son became emperor. He put his own father in prison, in a place where Shah Jahan could only see the Taj Mahal from his window. Shah Jahan stayed there until he died, and then he was buried next to Mumtaz inside the Taj Mahal. Today, many stories and legends are told about the Taj Mahal, but most people believe the true love story is already strong enough. Millions of tourists visit the building every year. They come to see how the white marble changes color in the early morning light or under the full moon. More than three hundred years later, the Taj Mahal still stands as a quiet love poem written in stone.

Words
- emperor: the ruler of an empire, a very powerful king.
- promise: something you say you will definitely do.
- monument: a large building or statue built to remember a person or event.
- marble: a hard, smooth stone often used in beautiful buildings and statues.
- legend: an old story many people tell; some parts may not be true.

Practice
Q1: Make one sentence about your own life using before or after and the past simple.