HISTORY

PART 1

Do you like (to learn about) history?

Yes, I am a big fan of reading historical stories. When I was a little boy, I always
took some historical books from my father’s bookshelf and read the historical
events. I feel that history not only can cultivate my mental development, but
also give me a better picture of human society.

What historical event do you find most interesting?

Personally I am fond of the Battle of Red Cliffs happened in the early period of
Three Kingdoms, which was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty. It was
also the typical battle in Chinese history renowned for the fewer and weaker
defeating the more and stronger.

Do you think history is important?

Yes, the main factor is that like our native language, history forms a cultural
identity and keeps a unique record of country, and also we can learn the
experiences from history to correct our current actions.

Do you like to watch programmes on TV about history?

Yes, I enjoy watching some documentaries about history on TV because I can see a
lot of video materials that cannot be seen in the textbooks. I always watch them at
home during my time off.

Do you think you can really learn history from films and TV programmes?
I don’t feel that watching the current TV series can make you be aware of the
history, you know, TV programmes are more engaging than books, however the
true historical events in most of the TV series have been distorted by the producers
to cater for the audience. It’s really shame as the young people will misunderstand
the history by these irresponsible productions.

Do you think the internet is a good place to learn about history?

Yes. History is full of debates so you can find both of the two sides of opinion
online which will help you be aware of the true facts and think critically. I always
Google some engaging historical materials, for example, to know about the truth
and satisfy my curious.

Can you name a person from history who you would like to learn more about?

The people I’d like to learn about is Trần Quốc Toản, was a marquis of the Trần
Dynasty who was well known for his active role in the second war of resistance
of Đại Việt against the Mongol invasion. I want to know about his stories as much
as possible and I believe that his imagination is what is lack of nowadays.

Which historical person do you admire?

History has never been able to make me stick to it. But, the one person who made
an impact on me was Mahatma Gandhi. It was a few years back when I read his
autobiography, I came to know the person more than his name. The fact that I
really liked about him was that he stuck with his principles in thick and thin.
Surely he was not born the Mahatma that people know him, but he definitely
changed himself and learned things like no one else. It amazes me even today how
his truth and non-violence proved to be the best asset that helped India and South
Africa gained independence.
Are you interested in knowing about the history?

Not particularly history but yes I have a keen desire to know about the culture of
our country. In my opinion, with the globalization happening all across the world,
the existing cultures are fading away. Religions are losing their importance and we
are shifting towards a culture where people don’t have any grounds to live. Before
that happens, I want to know about the culture of India, its history what made India
what it is today.

Have you ever seen a historical movie?

Yes, there have been quite a few historical movies that I have seen. The one that I
would like to talk about his Lagaan. The movie takes us to the time when
Britishers ruled our country and we had to pay huge taxes. It is the story of a
village where the villagers challenge the Britishers for a cricket match. If the
Indians win, they get to be free from the heavy levied taxes, else they had to pay
double the amount. It showed in a very beautiful way the ongoing mental hustle in
the country and how Indians lived their lives back then. Obviously, in the end,
Indians win the match and are freed of the Lagaan or the taxes.

Have you even been to a historical place?

India is home to a lot of historical places. I had an opportunity to visit the Mysore
Palace while I was working for an IT firm.  The palace was the official residence
of the Wadiyar dynasty who ruled the Kingdom of Mysore. It is also known as
Amba Vilas Palace and is known for its spacious halls and the beautiful gardens
that it has. The palace was once burnt during the princess’ wedding and it was
rebuilt. One should surely visit the palace to get a feel of the affluence in which the
king lived.
PART 2

Describe an important event in history. You should say

 when it happened
 what the event was
 and what effect you think this event had. and explain why it is an
important event in history

You should say:

 Who is s/he
 How s/he is famous
 Where & when s/he lived

and explain his/ her contribution to the world.

Ok so a person from history I’m going to talk about today is Leonardo DaVinci.
Leonardo DaVinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath whose areas of interest
included invention architecture, sculpting, science and there are so many more that
I can’t remember them all right now. But in general he was a multi-talented man.
Um … and he’s also considered one of the greatest painters of all time. And many
historians and scholars regard Leonardo DaVinci as a universal genius or a
Renaissance man. And among his works the Mona Lisa is the most famous and
duplicated portrait with ‘The Last Supper’ being the most reproduced religious
painting of all time. And I think one – there was a historian – that I can’t remember
the name – once said that “Leonardo DaVinci went beyond his time” – that he
could – he could think of inventions that were so advanced that most of his work
and designs weren’t feasible during his lifetime, and most of his designs weren’t
recognised or realised until 100 years later. And during his time, which was like
500 years ago, he was able to conceptualise the flying machine, armored fighting
vehicle and even concentrated solar power. The reason why
I admire him is because I think that he – I agree with all other historians and
scholars that he was one of the greatest paintersof all time and somehow I think his
personality and – his personality was quite mysterious and remote in a way that it
has made me more curious to learn more about him.

PART 3

1. What do you think we can learn by studying events of the past?

I think we can learn a lot by studying history. Just as individual people learn from
their mistakes, societies can learn from the mistakes made by previous
governments or leaders. For example, from what I’ve read in the newspapers,
many economists are looking back to the time of the Great Depression, around 80
years ago, in order to understand the financial crisis that is currently affecting
many countries around the world. Even if we don’t always learn from mistakes, I
think it’s fascinating to study history because it gives us an insight into who we are
and where we come from.

2. What important events do you think might take place in the future?

It’s really difficult to predict what will happen in the future; most of the big,
historic events of the past would have been impossible to foresee. For example, I
don’t think that anyone living 100 years ago could have imagined that people
would one day walk on the moon! If I had to guess what I might happen in the
future, I’d like to think that scientists will invent cures for diseases like cancer, and
we’ll all live longer.