Interesting facts. For about a thousand years after the Romans left the British Isles nearly all books in Britain were written in Latin.
The Saxons divided the land into new administrative areas, based on shires, or counties. These shires, established by the end of the tenth century, remained almost exactly the same for a thousand years. “Shire” is the Saxon word, “county” the Norman one, but both are still used. Over each shire was appointed a shire reeve, the king’s local administrator. In time his name became shortened to “sheriff”.
The words “lord” and “lady” are also of Anglo-Saxon origin. Each Anglo-Saxon village had its lord. The word “lord” means “loaf ward” or “bread keeper”, while “lady” means “loaf kneader” or “bread maker”, a reminder that the basis of Saxon society was farming. The duty of the village head, or lord, was to protect the farm and its produce.
I. True or False? Write True if you agree, or False if you don’t.
1. The Romans brought the skills of reading and writing to Britain
2. The Anglo-Saxon migrations gave the larger part of Britain its name, England
3. Richard the Lionheart, one of England’s most popular kings, had spent no more than four or five years in the country of which he was king
4. By the end of the 19th century Britain controlled the oceans and much of the land areas of the world
5. Britain got the 1st prize in the first Eurovision Song Contest held in Switzerland in 1956
II. Find the right answer. Write a, b or c.
1. The most famous prehistoric monument in Britain situated on Salisbury Plain is .
a) Mayburgh Henge
b) Stonehenge
c) Knowlton Henge
2. The Romans first came to Britain in .
a) 55 BC
b) 43 AD
c) 66 AD
3. The Romans ruled Britain for .
a) 367 years
b) 467 years
c) 567 years
4. After the Norman Conquest in 1066 became the official language in England.
a) Latin
b) Norman
c) French
5. The document signed in 1215 by King John of England at Runnymede was known as .
a) The Great Charter
b) The Great Convention
c) The Great Agreement
6. The first real parliament was brought together by in 1275.
a) King John
b) Henry III
c) Edward I
7. The only British republic, established by Oliver Cromwell in 1649, lasted until .
a) 1659
b) 1660
c) 1666
8. The struggle between the noble family of Lancaster and the noble family of York was named by the novelist Walter Scott .
a) the Wars of the Roses
b) the Hundred Years War
c) the Napoleonic wars
9. The British and the Prussian army under the command of finally defeated Napoleon and the French at Waterloo in 1815.
a) Admiral Horatio Nelson
b) Duke of Wellington
c) King George III
10. The English military commander who led the British army to victory at El Alamein in 1942 was .
a) F. M. Montgomery
b) D. D. Eisenhower
c) W. Churchill
