Grammar

1 Complete the text with the correct form of the
verbs given.
When Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, he
(1) ……………………………………………… (leave) no heir so there
were three contenders to the English throne: Harald
Hardrada, also King of Norway, Harold Godwinson,
Anglo-Saxon King, and William, Duke of Normandy.
Hardrada (2) ……………………………………………… (invade)
England in September but was defeated and killed by
Godwinson’s troops in a battle on 20 September. While
Godwinson (3) ……………………………………………… (fight)
one contender, the other, William, was landing on
the south coast of England. Once Godwinson
(4) ……………………………………………… (defeat) Hardrada, he
hurried south to meet William’s troops and defend
England against a second invasion. However, in the
famous Battle of Hastings on 16th October 1066,
Godwinson (5) ……………………………………………… (kill) and
William became King of England.
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2 Complete the text with the correct form of these
words. There are two extra words.
be • become • discover • do • erupt
give • thrive
Pompeii is a unique place because it gives us a vivid
insight into a Roman town that (1) ……………………………………
around 2,000 years ago. When Mount Vesuvius
(2) ……………………………………………… and covered the town in
ash, it preserved it rather like an enormous time capsule.
During the excavations, archaeologists found many
intact buildings and wall paintings, which since then,
(3) ……………………………………………… us a clearer perception
of the Roman culture. In addition, empty spaces
(4) ……………………………………………… around human remains
found in the ash and, by following a special procedure, the
excavators were able to recreate the forms of people and
work out what they (5) ……………………………………………… at the
time of the disaster.
3 Complete the text with the correct answer, A, B,
C or D.
The Antiques Roadshow is a (1) ………… TV programme
that has been on air since 1979. It takes place in
different locations each week and people bring their
antiques along to be valued by experts. This week
someone produced a (2) ………… spoon with a family
crest on the handle, which they said had been in the
family for years. The expert liked it tremendously and
valued it at £1,500. A similar success story was a
(3) ………… locket that had a lock of hair inside. Another
(4) ………… heirloom was given a price tag of £1,200.
Less successful was a/an (5) ………… painting of a castle.
Although it looked quite old, the expert decided it had
been painted in the 19th century and was only worth
£150.
1 A long-running, successful, British
B successful, long-running, British
C successful, British, long-running
D British, long-running, successful
2 A delicate, soup, silver
B silver, soup, delicate
C delicate, silver, soup
D silver, delicate, soup
3 A round, gold, large
B large, round, gold
C gold, round, large
D large, gold, round
4 A old, beautiful, family
B beautiful, family, old
C beautiful, old, family
D family, old, beautiful
5 A immense, rather dark, oil
B rather dark, immense, oil
C oil, rather dark, immense
D immense, oil, rather dark
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4 Find and correct five mistakes in the text.
There have been quite a few successful treasure hunters
in the UK in the last decade. In 2009, a hoard of
Anglo-Saxon art was discovered in a field near
Lichfield. The treasure included finely golden shaped
animals, engagement rings beautiful and heavy
bejewelled sword hilts. The find was valued at
£3.26 million. In 2007, a father and son were using
their metal detector in a muddy field in North Yorkshire
when they discovered a silver, exquisite engraved
bowl. After initiating a full-scale dig, 617 silver small
coins and 65 other fragile items were also found.
These included French delicate ornaments and gold
ingots. The treasure seekers made £1 million from
their find!

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Vocabulary
5 Complete the dialogue with these words. There
is one extra word.
cynical • gullible • reliable • sceptical
supportive • tolerant
A: So, what did you think of the film in the end?
B: Well, I’m glad you dragged me to see it. It wasn’t
as boring as I thought it would be. I’m still a bit
(1) ……………………… about how much of it is true
though.
A: Really? I think this director is known for trying to
portray events as they happened. I would like to think
that he got his facts from a (2) ……………………… source.
B: Maybe it’s just me. I’m probably too (3) ………………………
about these things. But do you honestly think that in
the 1800s an experienced explorer like that would
have been so (4) ……………………… as to believe the
story about the hidden treasure?
A: I know, that part did seem a little far-fetched, but
I’m usually quite (5) ……………………… of minor
discrepancies like that as long as the basic story is
based on the truth.
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Total / 20
6 Choose the correct alternatives to complete
the text.
Charles Darwin started studying medicine at Edinburgh
University, but he had no real desire to be a doctor like his
father and neglected his studies. His father, being perhaps a
little (1) naive/cynical, suggested he move to Cambridge
University with the idea of working towards a clerical
position. This was another career that held little interest for
Charles and it was during this time that he became
(2) gullible/sceptical of the theory of the world’s creation. In
1831, he joined a scientific expedition, which lasted five
years and took him around South America. Initially taken on
as a companion, he worked so hard collecting specimens,
cataloguing all his finds and establishing theories that he
became the ship’s naturalist and was considered a very
(3) trustworthy/tolerant member of the crew. On his return,
he wrote his book On the Origin of Species, which became a
best-seller. Not everyone was (4) cynical/supportive of
his theory of natural selection but, perhaps surprisingly,
a large selection of the educated classes were
(5) tolerant/reliable towards his viewpoints. One thing is
certain, his writing made him famous and made history.
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7 Complete the text. Write one word in each gap.
History is the collection of information from the past put
together by historians so that people in the present
have an understanding of how events have come
(1) ………………………. Historians face a difficult task as they
have to count (2) ……………………… documents that have been
through wars, revolutions and natural disasters and may be
in poor condition. There may be gaps in the evidence as
people in the past may have made (3) ……………………… with
papers known to be important, or, worse still, destroyed
them in order to cover up certain acts or events. In
addition, some documents may be almost illegible,
or in another language, which adds to the challenge,
but historians put their heads down and stick
(4) ……………………… it because they might uncover some
previously unknown facts. If they do, then they have to go
(5) ……………………… the documents several times to be sure
they’ve grasped the new information correctly.
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8 Find and correct five mistakes in the text.
Marco Polo was an intrepid explorer in the 13th century. He
set up on his first voyage when he was 17, accompanying
his father and uncle on a trip to China, his aunt having
seen him through at the harbour. He and his family ended
up living in the court of a Mongol governor in China for
17 years because they couldn’t get over from there. Finally,
in 1292, the governor asked Marco Polo to escort a Mongol
princess to Persia. They carried in this assignment and
then returned to Italy. Marco Polo then wrote the book
which made him famous. However, at the time a lot of
people thought he’d made out the stories of his adventures
as they sounded too implausible. However, his tales
encouraged others to explore though, including Magellan,
who is considered to be the first man to sail around the
world.
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 Reading
9 Read the article about history. Five paragraphs have been removed. For gaps 1–5, choose from the
paragraphs (A–F). There is one extra paragraph.

The intertwining of past and present

People going about their daily lives don’t usually stop to think how much of it is linked to the past. In this
day and age, we tend to think of ourselves as very modern. However, several times a day we cross paths with
history perhaps without even realising it.
(1) ………
Bridges are a similar case. Many villages and towns around the world rely on bridges that were built
centuries ago. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is a prime example. It was the only bridge across the river Arno
until 1218. The bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345 and has withstood the test of time.
(2) ………
Many people don’t even need to leave their house to find links to the past. In many European towns it’s
quite common to live in a dwelling with over 150 years of history. It may have started off as a tiny one-room
cottage and now be almost unrecognisable due to extensions and alterations, but the historical origins are
there somewhere.
(3) ………
A third link to the past could be something as simple as how people choose their holiday destinations. The
historian in everyone is revealed as they decide they want to visit Teotihuacan to learn more about the
Aztecs or trek to Bagan in Myanmar to explore those ancient temples. It also applies to city breaks when
people choose to see the historic centre of Budapest or wander around the Byzantine mosque in Istanbul.
(4) ………
Another cultural link to the past which is impossible not to mention is the written word. Oral storytelling
shaped and defined cultures long before drawings were used to depict a sequence of events or script was
invented. Anyone who reads literature written centuries ago can see if a culture has remained the same or
has evolved over time. No-one can deny that writers have not only changed history but managed to record it.
(5) ………
Indeed, this is something that can only be built up over time. Inventors and scientists use it to make new
advances and discoveries. Nowadays, with the world appearing to be a much smaller place sharing it is even
more important. Theories can be proved more quickly or different experiences collated to share results
faster. However, let us not forget that we are using the past to build our future and there is no getting away
from history.

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A A lot of people cannot see the point in studying the 10 Read the article again. Are the statements True
past. They believe we should move forward so that we (T), False (F) or is the information Not Given
(NG)?
don’t miss out on progress. Perhaps someone should
point out that this is not always the case. According to the article ...
B Travel is one way as we often need to get somewhere
1 we still use ancient routes to get around. T/F/NG
in the morning: school and work being the two obvious
2 glancing at monuments offers you the chance to
destinations. How do we get there? Some of us use
remember the past. T/F/NG
roads which have been used as a route for centuries, in
3 even the homes people live in are linked to
some cases millennia. Think of the old Roman roads
the past. T/F/NG
which are still in use when you travel in countries like
4 history is irrelevant to people making travel
Italy, Spain and England.
decisions. T/F/NG
C The buildings we use and the monuments we pass are
5 people’s idea of beauty has changed a great
another link to the past. Those people lucky enough to
deal over the years. T/F/NG
live in ancient towns and cities probably take the
6 storytellers have contributed to the development of
buildings for granted and pass statues without thinking
different cultures for hundreds of years. T/F/NG
but every now and again, something makes one stop
7 many children dislike studying history because
and look around. If you were in Madrid you might enjoy
there are too many facts. T/F/NG
looking at the beautiful Cibeles Fountain and in Rome
you could take yourself back to Roman days by /7
wandering around the Colosseum.
Total / 12
D A popular pastime for many holidaymakers or weekend
travellers is visiting museums and art galleries to gather
information about the past and see the art that was
produced years ago. Paintings by da Vinci, Picasso and
many others still delight us centuries after being
painted, and show that our taste in beauty hasn’t
changed all that much over the years.
E Perhaps the most obvious link of all is the knowledge
which has been collected over centuries. Even in
school today children still learn Pythagoras’s theorem,
first established by a Greek some 2,000 years ago but
just as relevant in today’s world. Mathematical
constants such as pi, represented by the Greek letter π,
have been used for millennia and are still key in today’s
equations. Many schoolchildren may be sceptical of
studying history and say it’s boring or irrelevant, but it’s
important to show them that we count on it constantly.
F Take my mother’s cottage in a village in Oxfordshire.
Built over 300 years ago, it still has the old bread oven
at the back of the kitchen and there are two separate
hidden staircases in addition to the one currently used,
harking back to the past.

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 Use of English
11 Complete the text with the correct answer, A, B, C
or D.
Have you ever wondered how the idea for canned food
(1) ……………? During the Napoleonic Wars in the 1800s,
while the British Army (2) …………… to supply its troops with
the food they needed, an Englishman came up with an idea
that is now commonplace in the kitchen. Peter Durand
learnt that the French preserved a lot of food in (3) ……………
jars and he thought this was a good idea. He was granted
a patent for this process in 1810. However, he was a little
(4) …………… about using something as fragile as glass, so
in his process the raw vegetables or meat were placed in a
tin can. They were then boiled in order to preserve them
and they could last months in storage. Durand (5) ……………
the process of canning; instead he sold his patent to
Donkin and Hall, who set up a canning factory to supply
troops. The first cans produced were heavy and required a
knife or hammer to open them. People (6) ……………
because there was no other option and the tin opener that
we know today wasn’t invented until 1925!
12 Complete the text. Write one word in each gap.
On the afternoon of January 15th 1919, a rather unusual
disaster known as the Great Molasses Flood struck the city
of Boston. A metal tank full of molasses, which was around
15 metres tall and 27 metres in diameter and contained
8,700m3 of the dark brown syrup, collapsed. A huge wave
of molasses then swept (1) ……………………… the street at
around 56 km/h. A little boy said he had (2) ………………………
walking home when the wave picked him up and carried
him along for quite a way. When his family found him, he
was OK but covered in a very sticky substance. The
weather was blamed for the accident as temperatures
had fallen rapidly overnight and the heat the next day
(3) ……………………… caused some kind of chemical reaction
in the tank. Sadly, a few people died in the accident
and many people were injured. The local community
(4) ……………………… on the emergency services to help with
the rescue and clean-up operations. However, individuals
were very (5) ……………………… of one another as well,
helping the injured and looking after children. The clean-up

1 A come about B came about of the immediate area was (6) ……………………… out quickly in

C had come about D was coming about the first few weeks after the incident, but it took months to

2 A did struggle B had struggled remove the mess from the suburbs as molasses had got

C was struggling D were struggling everywhere.

3 A strong, glass, large B large, glass, strong /6

C glass, strong, large D strong, large, glass
4 A sceptical B cynical
C naive D reluctant
5 A hadn’t continued B wasn’t continuing
C didn’t continue D continued
6 A put with this up B put up with this
C put this up D put up this

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 Listening
13 Listen to a history lecture. Choose the correct 14 Listen again and complete the study notes.
answer, A, B or C. Write one word in each gap.
1 Prior to today, the students had covered ... Florence Nightingale
A politics, war and society in 19th-century Britain.  Born: 1820
B world politics and war in the 19th century.  Battled family’s desire that she (1) ……………………… and
C politics, war and royalty in 19th-century Britain.
settle down
2 Florence disagreed with her parents because ...
 1850 Started at nursing school
A she didn’t want to follow the traditional path of
middle-class women.  1853 Sent to Scutari to nurse troops in Crimean War
B she was reluctant to study nursing.  Post Crimean War highlighted importance of
C she didn’t want to marry the man they suggested. (2) ……………………… in hospitals
3 After the Crimean War, Florence ...  Thought to be the founder of modern (3) ……………………
A continued to work as a nurse in the Crimea.  Died in 1910
B led a campaign to improve cleanliness in hospitals.
C wrote a detailed report on nursing conditions in the
Mary Seacole
Crimea.
 Born: 1805, Jamaica
4 Mary Seacole had an unusual youth because ...
A she was able to travel widely despite her age and
 Spent her youth nursing and (4) ……………………… in
gender. Caribbean, Central America and England
B she was of mixed race and grew up learning about  1854 British War Office refused her offer of nursing
two cultures. help
C she was allowed to work as a nurse alongside her  Determined to fight the prejudice towards her position
mother.
in (5) ………………………
5 The War Office in London probably refused to send
Mary to the Crimea because ...  Travelled alone to Crimea and (6) ……………………… a
A she didn’t have the necessary nursing qualifications. hotel to nurse injured soldiers
B she was a widow and therefore didn’t fit the social  Died in 1881
requirements.
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C her mixed race made her social standing uncertain.
6 The professor talked about Florence and Mary because
he wanted to ...
A give his students examples of ordinary women
in 19th-century Britain.
B highlight the difficulties women faced in
19th-century Britain.
C give his students examples of the type of women
he wanted them to research.

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 Writing
15 You are a student and you have seen this advert for work experience. Write a covering letter to accompany
your application form. Make sure you identify all the relevant information in the advert and address each
point in your letter. Remember to use a clear paragraph structure, too.

Online fashion house offering students a two-month work experience programme

You will work in the following departments:
• Catalogue development
• Packaging and distribution
• Customer service
• Publicity and promotions
Candidates should be studying a relevant qualification and be ready to work in any area at any given time.
Complete an application form and submit it together with a covering letter stating why you would like to join
us for the summer, any relevant experience you may have and how you are suitable for the position.

Write 250–275 words.

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Speaking
16 Look at the three pictures. They show places or items of historical interest.

Compare two of the pictures, and say what the items or places represent, and what they can tell us about
the past.
Then choose one picture and say why you think it is the most important discovery for historians.

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