Page 4 - Book II Unit 4

language, and changed the way people built houses. The Vikings came in the eighth
century and left behind lots of new vocabulary, as well as the names of many locations
across the UK. The last group were the Normans. They conquered England after the well-
known Battle of Hastings in the 11th century. They had castles built all around England,
and made changes to the legal system. The Normans were French, so many French words
slowly entered into the English language.

There is so much more to learn about the interesting history and culture of the United
Kingdom. Studying the history of the country will make your visit much more enjoyable. The
capital city London is a great place to start, as it is an ancient port city that has a history
dating all the way back to Roman times. There are countless historic sites to explore, and
lots of museums with ancient relics from all over the UK. The UK is a fascinating mix of
history and modern culture, with both new and old traditions. If you keep your eyes open,
you will be surprised to find that you can see both its past and its present.

3 Read again and sort out the information according to the timeline.

When? What happened? What changed?

Romans arrived
Anglo-Saxons came
Vikings came

11th century
16th century

18th century
19th century
20th century

4 Complete the conversation about the UK using the phrases in their correct forms.

as well as belong to add to join to break away keep your eyes open

A: I can never remember what the UK means! There’s England, Britain, Great
Britain!
B: Well, it helps if you remember that there are four countries that the UK.
That’s why it’s called the United Kingdom.
A: Four countries? I must have been asleep in that part of our history class! So the first
country was England, and the others were that?
B: Yes, right. First England, then Wales, then Scotland. The last country was Ireland, but later
the southern half didn’t want to be the United Kingdom.

A: Oh, I remember now! The southern part from Northern Ireland, right?
B: Yes, you got it well remembered! But in history class next time!

5 Discuss the questions in groups.

1 Why is it important to study the history and culture of a country before visiting it?
2 What important things should visitors know about before they come to China?

UNIT 4 HISTORY AND TRADITIONS 41