Name: ..................................................... Mark: ....................

Reading 20 points
Many years ago, Vikings crossed the North Sea to Britain. The people of Britain were frightened of the
noisy Vikings with their long boats and helmets. But today, we love listening to stories about Vikings and
there are many celebrations to remember them.
After the Vikings came to York in 866, it became an important Viking city in Britain and they controlled
5 the city for over 100 years. In 1972, archeologists discovered some surprising items under the ground in
York. There were Viking clothes, buildings, food and many other items. The archeologists learned about
Viking life from those discoveries.
Viking clothing was a lot like the clothing of people in England, Scotland and Wales. Women wore long
dresses with a long apron, and men wore tunics and trousers. The clothes were made of linen, wool or
10 animal skins.
Viking houses were long and narrow and their homes usually had only one big room. The floor of the
house was often below the ground, and the walls were made of sticks and mud. Most homes didn’t have a
lot of furniture, but sometimes there was a wooden table and benches for sitting and sleeping on. There
weren’t any bathrooms or toilets inside the homes, but there were big, open toilets for everyone to use
15 outside. The streets in a Viking town were very dirty and smelly!
The Vikings had domesticated animals like sheep, pigs and chickens. They made cheese and butter from
milk and they ate chicken, ham and many types of vegetables, too. The vegetables were smaller than
vegetables today and carrots weren’t orange. They were dark purple! Vikings also baked bread, hunted
wild animals, and smoked fish and meat.
20 At Viking celebrations, there were huge meals with singing and dancing. There were many celebrations
because Vikings loved them. Some celebrations were for a week or more.
Does Viking life sound exciting? Well, you can see a Viking celebration at the Jorvik Viking Centre in
York because they’ve got a big festival there every year in February. Actors and actresses dress up in
colourful Viking clothes and families compete in competitions. Everyone has a wonderful time!

1 Read the text and complete the sentences. (5 points)

1. Vikings wore …………………… on their heads.

2. The items the archeologists discovered helped them learn about …………………… .
3. The Vikings had open toilets, so their streets were …………………… .
4. Viking celebrations included …………………… and singing and dancing.
5. At a modern Viking festival, actors wear …………………… .

2 Find a synonym in the text for each word below. (5 points)

1. scared (lines 1-3) ……………………
2. found (lines 4-7) ……………………
3. things (lines 4-7) ……………………
4. not wild (lines 16-19) ……………………
5. parties (lines 20-21) ……………………

1
3 Answer the questions. (10 points)
1. How did the Vikings travel to Britain?
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2. What did Viking houses look like?
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3. What kind of furniture was sometimes in a Viking home?
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4. What was unusual about the carrots Vikings ate?
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5. When and where can you enjoy a Viking celebration today?
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