English Stage 5 Paper 1 Non-fiction Cambridge Primary Progression Test Insert 3125_01_INS_RP © UCLES 2022 2022 2 Text A The Aztecs The Aztecs were Native American people who came from an area known today as northwest Mexico. During the 13th century, the Aztecs became more powerful and their empire expanded across Central America. The Aztecs ruled their empire until they were defeated by the Spanish in the 16th century. When the Aztec Empire was at its largest, it spread throughout most of Central America, controlling about 11,000,000 people. The capital of the empire was called Tenochtitlan, and it was one of the greatest cities of the world at the time. By the early 1500s, at least 200,000 people lived there. The Aztecs called themselves ‘Mexica’, and modern-day Mexico City now covers the area where Tenochtitlan used to be. 10 The Aztec people believed in many gods. One of the most important gods was the god of learning and civilisation. His name was Quetzalcoatl, meaning feathered snake. Two other important gods that they worshipped were the god of the sun and war, and the god of rain. The Aztecs made offerings to keep these gods happy, which they believed prevented the world from ending. 15 The Aztecs ate plants and vegetables that grew easily in Central America. Their main foods were maize, beans and squash – a type of vegetable. To these, they often added spices such as chilli, and tomatoes. The Aztecs also created a chocolate drink but did not have sugar, therefore they flavoured their chocolate with chilli. These foods later became popular around the world. 20 Between 1519 and 1521, Hernán Cortés, the Spanish explorer and soldier, joined forces with the enemies of the Aztecs and together they destroyed the Aztec Empire. Cortés then made it into a Spanish colony. © UCLES 2022 E/S5/INSERT/01 5 3 Text B Mexico Where to go in Mexico This incredible country stretches from the deserts of the north to the grand cities of the centre and the historic ruins, beaches and jungles of the south. Because Mexico is such a large country, it’s probably best to concentrate on just one or two areas of the country, such as the inland cities of Guadalajara and the capital – Mexico City – or cities along the Pacific Coast such as Acapulco. 5 Best time to go to Mexico Mexico is a popular destination throughout the year. Visitors tend to go to the highlands in the summer (April-September) and to the coasts in winter (OctoberMarch). June to October is generally the rainy season, though how much rain falls varies from place to place. Late winter is the traditional tourist season so December to March are some of the busiest months. 10 How to get around Mexico Bear in mind that Mexico is a large country, and journeys between key areas can be very long. Although public transport is frequent and quite efficient everywhere, flying saves a lot of time. If you want to travel around Mexico as cheaply as possible, buses are best. Renting a car is often a good way of seeing a small area that would otherwise take days to explore using public transport. Accommodation in Mexico Finding accommodation in Mexico is not difficult. In areas that don’t have many tourists, the inexpensive hotels are usually found around the main square – the zócalo – or the bus and train stations. The more modern and expensive ones often lie on the edge of towns. © UCLES 2022 E/S5/INSERT/01 15 4 BLANK PAGE Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced annually and is available to download at https://primary.cambridgeinternational.org/. Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge. © UCLES 2022 E/S5/INSERT/01
