INTEGRATED LISTENING AND READING

Read the text about Alfred the Great then watch a video on the same topic. You will notice
that some ideas coincide and some differ in them. Look through the statements 1-40 and
choose A if the idea is expressed in both materials, B if it can be found only in the video, C
if it can be found only in the reading text, and D if neither of the materials expresses the
idea. Now you have 7 minutes to read the text and then to look through the statements 1-40.
Then you will watch a video on the same topic. You will watch the video twice.

King of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex and one of the outstanding figures
of English history, as much for his social and educational reforms as for his military
successes against the Danes. He is the only English monarch known as 'the Great'.

Alfred the Great (849 AD - 899 AD)

Alfred was born at Wantage in Oxfordshire in 849, fourth or fifth son of Aethelwulf, king
of the West Saxons. Following the wishes of their father, the sons succeeded to the kingship
in turn. At a time when the country was under threat from Danish raids, this was aimed at
preventing a child inheriting the throne with the related weaknesses in leadership. In 870
AD the Danes attacked the only remaining independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Wessex,
whose forces were commanded by Alfred's older brother, King Aethelred, and Alfred
himself.
In 871 AD, Alfred defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in Berkshire. The following
year, he succeeded his brother as king. Despite his success at Ashdown, the Danes
continued to devastate Wessex and Alfred was forced to withdraw to the Somerset marshes,
where he continued guerrilla warfare against his enemies. In 878 AD, he again defeated the
Danes in the Battle of Edington. They made peace and Guthrum, their king, was baptised
with Alfred as his sponsor. In 886 AD, Alfred negotiated a treaty with the Danes. England
was divided, with the north and the east (between the Rivers Thames and Tees) declared to
be Danish territory - later known as the 'Danelaw'. Alfred therefore gained control of areas
of West Mercia and Kent which had been beyond the boundaries of Wessex.
Alfred built up the defences of his kingdom to ensure that it was not threatened by the
Danes again. He reorganised his army and built a series of well-defended settlements across
southern England. He also established a navy for use against the Danish raiders who
continued to harass the coast.
As an administrator Alfred advocated justice and order and established a code of laws and a
reformed coinage. He had a strong belief in the importance of education and learnt Latin in
his late thirties. He then arranged, and himself took part in, the translation of books from
Latin to Anglo-Saxon.
By the 890s, Alfred's charters and coinage were referring to him as 'king of the English'. He
died in October 899 AD and was buried at his capital city of Winchester.

1. Alfred was the fifth son in his family

2. Alfred was born in 849 AD
3. Alfred became King after his elder brother was killed in a battle
4. Alfred is a renowned figure in the history of England for his successful resistance
against the Vikings
5. Before Alfred became King, Wessex was the only remaining independent kingdom
6. Alfred was a Saxon
7. Alfred won his first battle in 871 AD
8. Alfred had to be a guerrilla for some time
9. The battle of Edington made Alfred popular
10. The battle of Edington was won by Alfred
11. Alfred baptized the king of Danes, who actually became Alfred’s spiritual son
12. After having been baptized, the king of Danes baptized many other Vikings
13. In 886 Alfred had a treaty with the Danes according to which England was divided
14. The Northern and Western parts belonged to the Vikings
15. Alfred wanted to establish justice and order in his country
16. Alfred is the only king with the epithet ‘Great’
17. King Alfred believed in the importance of education
18. Alfred learned Latin on his own
19. Alfred was a merciful man
20. The ideas that Alfred had were based on the principles of Christianity
21. Alfred translated books from Latin into Anglo-Saxon
22. The Bible was translated by king Alfred the Great himself
23. Alfred invited scholars from other countries to teach in England
24. Alfred believed he had to issue God’s law to people
25. Alfred won 54 battles
26. Alfred opened schools in England
27. He had 2 wives
28. Alfred reorganized the army
29. He was the first to establish the navy
30. Alfred reformed the coinage system in the country
31. Alfred had 6 children
32. Alfred was a writer himself
33. Alfred believed that country could never become successful unless its citizens are
educated
34. Alfred can be called the Great Man of God
35. Alfred the Great died in 899 AD