Interesting facts. Modern Welsh is a descendant of Celtic, one branch of the Indo-European family of languages. The Welsh had emerged as a distinct tongue by the second half of the sixth century. It is therefore by far the oldest language spoken in Britain today and is among the oldest in Europe with its origins dating from at least 2,500 (maybe 4,000) years ago.
In Wales, there are more sheep than people. The population of Wales is 2,921,000 with approximately 5,000,000 sheep.
The longest place name in Britain is 58 letters long and belongs to the Welsh village known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which translates as ‘The church of St Mary in a hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and near St Tysilio’s church by the red cave’.
I. True or False? Write True if you agree, or False if you don’t.
1. Most people of Wales live in the south-east of the country
2. Snowdonia is the largest National Park in Britain
3. A part of Wales is mountainous
4. Most people in Wales speak Welsh, not English
5. The Welsh language receives a lot of public support
II. Find the right answer. Write a, b or c.
1. In the Statute of Wales puts the whole country under the control of the English monarch.
a) 1284
b) 1536
c) 1900
2. Snowdon is in England and Wales.
a) the highest mountain
b) the deepest lake
c) the largest city
3. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, .
a) is a large city
b) has a population of about a quarter of a million
c) is the second largest city in Wales after Swansea
4. National festivals of Welsh song and poetry in the form of competitions date back to .
a) the 19th century
b) the medieval period
c) the end of the 20th century
5. The Church of Wales .
a) is the equivalent of the Church of Scotland
b) is a part of the Anglican Church
c) does not exist
6. Identifying symbols of Wales are: .
a) rose, St. George’s Cross and the white colour
b) thistle, St. Andrew’s Cross and the blue colour
c) daffodil, the Dragon of Cadwallader and the red colour
7. In 1292 Wales was invaded by .
a) Edward I
b) William the Conqueror
c) Richard the Lionheart
8. In Wales is more popular than football.
a) tennis
b) rugby
c) basketball
9. Road signs and official documents in Wales are all .
a) in English
b) in Welsh
c) bilingual
10. The Welsh are famous for exporting to other parts of Britain and beyond.
a) teachers
b) football players
c) engineers
