C1 Reading worksheet 5 (plus)

Who were the Vikings really?

Warmer
1 Work in small groups. You have two minutes to write as many words as
possible connected to the Vikings. Use the photos to help you.

2 What do you know about the Vikings?

Vocabulary
1 Read the sentences and match the words in bold to a synonym in the box.

dug up ​violence ​taking over ​colouring ​criticised ​boring ​

similar ​travelled ​stole from ​proved wrong ​fighting

1 The Vikings had a reputation for brutality and it was thought their only interest was
in conquering foreign lands.
2 New evidence has been unearthed from Viking burial sites, which has, to some
extent, discredited previous research.
3 The genetics of skin pigmentation is more complex than originally thought.
4 It has become clear that the Vikings voyaged from Scandinavia with their families,
but this depiction is too prosaic for filmmakers.
5 We can’t deny that the Vikings engaged in warfare and plundered the lands they
invaded, but they also made positive contributions to many parts of the world.
6 It is now known that the Vikings were not a racially homogenous group.
7 New research has led to a resurgence of interest in the much-vilified Vikings.

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C1 Reading worksheet 5 (plus)
Who were the Vikings really?
Reading
1 You are going to read an article about the Vikings. Skim read the ‘frame’ of the text
(without the missing paragraphs). Which structure (A-C) best describes the text?
A Who the Vikings are, how they are portrayed in the media, discussion of whether this is fair.
B The general public conception of the Vikings, the new evidence that has been discovered, and how
this forces us to review our ideas.
C The negative aspects of Viking culture, the positive contributions they made, discussion of whether
the positive or negative dominates.

2 Answer the questions.

1 Read the paragraph before the first gap. What kind of information do you think will come next?
2 Read the paragraph after the first gap. Which phrase in the first line gives you a clue about the
content of the missing paragraph?
3 Given your answers to questions 1 and 2, read the missing paragraphs and decide which of the
missing paragraphs fits the first gap?

3 Seven paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A to H
the one that fits each gap (1–7). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

What comes to mind when you think of the Vikings? In addition to construction, it is now clear that
You probably think of helmets with horns, massive the Vikings were skilled farmers, boat builders,
wooden ships and huge bearded men engaging in mariners and craftsmen. Most fascinating of all,
violent warfare in foreign lands. That’s the cliché though, may be the new understanding of the
at least. Arguably, more than any other group essence of Viking identity. It had always been
in history, the Vikings have been stereotyped in assumed that a Nordic racial origin defined them:
ways which historians have now discovered are that Vikings shared the blue eyes and blonde hair of
somewhat unfair. their depictions on celluloid.
1 4
Even though this type of behaviour lessened over The scientists compared the genetic material from
time, it is the aspect of Viking life that captured the the ancient people with that of several thousand
imagination of storytellers and film-makers and modern-day people from the UK, Denmark and
has become lodged in the public imagination. Most Sweden and discovered considerably more
people will not look beyond the myths to the more intermixing than they had expected. The finding
prosaic reality of a group of migrants who travelled suggests that the Vikings may have had darker hair,
with their families and were traders and farmers as skin and eyes than is assumed from their origins in
well as fighters. Scandinavia.
2 5
While historians had long suspected that this was The Copenhagen study has also brought to light
the case, DNA analysis has confirmed it. Maternal more information about what it meant to be a
DNA has been found in Viking remains that matches Viking. DNA testing has revealed that some native
that of modern-day inhabitants of Scottish islands, Pict people of Scottish and Irish descent with no
proving that the females were from similar genetic genetic connection to Scandinavia were afforded
backgrounds to the males, and not natives of the Viking burials. This suggests that being a Viking was
lands the Vikings had invaded. more an internal identity than a matter of family
3 background.

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C1 Reading worksheet 5 (plus)
Who were the Vikings really?
6 7
Recent discoveries about the genetic makeup of
the Vikings has led to a resurgence of interest in
Viking history and culture. Regions inhabited by
the Vikings owe much to this vilified group. Place
names and vocabulary can be traced back to the
Vikings in areas from England to Russia. The first
trading towns in Ireland, including Dublin, Wexford
and Limerick were all founded by the Vikings.
Not only did the Vikings create useful and
decorative objects, they also left an extensive
body of literature known as the Icelandic sagas.
This evidence suggests that the one-dimensional
representation of the Vikings as destructive brutes
is unfair. The Viking era may have ended in the 11th
century, but as science develops, we continue to
learn more about this fascinating period of history.

A As well as this kind of insight into Viking
culture, scientists have also acquired a greater
comprehension of how different traits such as
immunity, pigmentation and metabolism are
selected for across genetic groups. This has clear
applications in many areas of science.
B DNA evidence has destroyed the myth of a
homogenous Viking heritage. A six-year study by
researchers at the University of Copenhagen has
found genetic influence from Southern Europe
and Asia among the remains of 442 individuals
unearthed from Viking burial sites.
E This interracial mingling has been found to
pre-date the Viking era (generally accepted as
750–1050 AD). This was particularly surprising
to researchers as it had been assumed that any
mixing occurred after the eighth century.
F The people of York in the north of England
have a particular connection to the Vikings, as
it was once their capital, known as Jorvik. The
town bears many reminders of this heritage,
particularly the innovative manufacturing
practices of diverse products including
household items, tools, coins and jewellery.

C So, how did these misconceptions come about?
At the start of the Viking era, in the second half of
eighth century AD, the early raids on vulnerable
and unprotected monasteries may have led to
their reputation for brutality.
D It is widely known that the word ‘Viking’ comes
from the old Norse word, ‘Vik’, meaning ‘bay’ or
‘creek’, but what is less well-known is that there
were Finnish, Estonian and Saami Vikings as well
as those from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
G The assumption that Viking activities were
limited to raiding and plundering other countries
has also been discredited by historical inquiry.
One illustration of this is the discovery of the
magnificent Trelleborg fortresses in Denmark,
which date back to the tenth century and
demonstrate impressive architectural ability.
H Historians have long been aware of the actual
lifestyle of the Vikings. They realise, for instance,
that the image of the all-male invaders ‘stealing’
women from the lands they conquered was
not the complete picture. Evidence reveals that
women and children voyaged from Scandinavia
alongside their menfolk.

Tip
Start by reading the whole frame of the text and identify the structure. Carefully study the
paragraphs before and after each gap. Use referencing words like this and such and synonyms
and paraphrases as clues to help you choose the correct paragraph. Also look at linking words
and phrases like As well as this, So, In addition, Even though to think about how ideas between
paragraphs are connected to each other.

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C1 Reading worksheet 5 (plus)
Who were the Vikings really?
4 Work in pairs. Discuss or explain why each of the paragraphs 2–7 belongs where
it does.

5 Put the paragraphs in order to form a short text about the Jorvik Centre. The
first paragraph is given. Then discuss with a partner which of the following
strategies you used:
• Thinking about a logical ordering of information
• Look for referencing words (something had been referred to earlier in the text)
• Using time references and tenses
• By focussing on linking words and phrases

A This model town was inhabited by characters such as Thorfast the bone carver,
Lothin the woodturner and Svein the leather worker. Visitors were conveyed to the past
in ‘time cars’, which provided a convenient way to view the exhibits.
B The Jorvik centre is committed to historical accuracy and all aspects of the
experience are based on archaeological evidence. Firmly located at the cutting edge of
museum technology, this is a learning experience like no other.
C As time moved on, and technology developed, York Archaeological Trust who own
and managed the Centre, strived to make the experience even more authentic. Using
computer technology and a skeleton from the tenth Century burial ground, they created
Eymund the fisherman by reconstructing the skeleton’s face.
D 1 For visitors to the northern English city of York, a visit to the Jorvik Centre is a vital
part of the experience. Popular with school groups, it provides a fascinating insight into
the Vikings and their way of life.
E The Centre was opened in 1984 in response to the findings of the Coppergate
archaeological dig, which between 1976 and 1981 uncovered the preserved remains of
Viking houses as well as other evidence of the way of life in Anglo-Scandinavian York.
F The Centre has continued to upgrade every few years, as both historical knowledge
and technology move forward. Eymund and the other villagers are now animatronic,
conversing with visitors in Old Norse. Four Viking ghosts were introduced to further add
to the atmosphere.
G The three years from the end of the dig to the opening of the Jorvik Centre were
a time of intense research and practical work by a range of experts, scholars and
craftsmen, determined to recreate as authentic a Viking village as possible.

Speaking
1 Work in pairs or small groups. Ask and answer the questions.
1 How important is it to understand the history and development of your own
culture / country?
2 Can you think of any stereotypes that people might use about your culture? Or
the British?
3 Do you think it is common for people to stereotype other cultures or nationalities? If so,
why do people use these stereotypes? Are there any dangers in stereotyping people?
4 Do you think it’s important to understand cultures which are different to your own?

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C1 Reading worksheet 5 (plus)
Teacher’s notes
Aims
This worksheet trains students to recognise the
overall structure of a text and use connections
between different parts of a text to complete a C1
Reading and Use of English part 6 style-exam task.
• It starts by generating interest in the topic
through the use of photos and by activating
students’ existing knowledge of the topic.
• It then teaches students to predict what comes
next in a text and use clues to identify the missing
paragraphs.
• The worksheet then provides practice of a
C1 Reading and Use of English part 6 exam
style task.
• Finally, it gives students practice of the type of
discussion questions they might encounter in the
C1 Speaking exam part 4.
Warmer
1 Draw students’ attention to the photos and
check they know who the Vikings were. Elicit
some information about them. Don’t correct any
misconceptions at this stage. Hand a blank sheet
of paper to each group. Tell them they are going to
write as many words connected to Vikings as they
can in two minutes. Elicit a few of the words (e.g.
helmets, Scandinavian) to check they understand
the task. After two minutes, elicit ideas from
students in feedback.
2 Ask students to share anything they know about the
Vikings. Limit this discussion to a few minutes. Write
up ideas on the board, even if they are inaccurate.
Answers
Students’ own answers
Vocabulary
1 Tell students they are going to learn some words
which they will encounter in the text. Ask them to
read the sentences and use the context to work out
the meanings of the words in bold and match them
to the words in the box. Encourage them to break
down the words where possible and to think about
the part of speech, e.g. un|earthed (the context tells
us this is a verb related to burials, the prefix un- tells
us it is negative or opposite and it relates to earth,
the ground = dug up).
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Answers
1 violence; taking over 4 travelled; boring
​2 dug up; proved 5 fighting; stole from
wrong 6 similar
3 colouring 7 criticised
Reading
1 Ask students if they know what part 6 of the Reading
and Use of English paper involves. Ask them to look at
the text ‘frame’ and missing paragraphs and explain
that in this part of the test, they need to choose a
paragraph that fits in each gap. Ask them whether
they need to use all the paragraphs (no, there is one
paragraph they don’t need).
Tell students that this task tests their ability to
understand a text as a whole and understand
connections between different parts. Read through
the Tip box together. Then ask them to skim read
the frame (main text without the paragraphs) and
think about how the text is organised. They then
choose the options which best summarises the
structure of the text. Explain that reading the frame
first is helpful for completing this task.
Answers
B
2 Ask students to read the first paragraph and direct
them to the three questions. You may wish to go
through these as a class one by one. After checking
answers, tell students that they should always make
predictions and look for references to previous and
following paragraphs in a task like this.
Answers
1 Sample answer: The preceding paragraph
explains that the Vikings have been
inaccurately stereotyped and that
historians are now discovering this. Logical
continuations of this idea might be to talk
about what would be a fairer way to depict
the Vikings or where did the inaccurate ideas
come from.
2 this type of behaviour – this phrase clearly
refers back to something in the previous
paragraph, namely a description of Viking
behaviour.
3 C
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C1 Reading worksheet 5 (plus)
Teacher’s notes
3 Students work alone to complete the rest of the
exam task.
Answers
2 H ​3 G ​4 B ​5 E ​6 A ​
7 F
4 After checking answers to Exercise 3, put the
students in pairs or groups and ask them to reflect
on and share any strategies they used to do the
task, and which words in the text or missing
paragraphs helped them choose their answers.
Suggested answers
Gap 2 (H) – Historians have long been aware of
the actual lifestyle of the Vikings. This refers back
to the previous paragraph which describes the
perceived stereotypical lifestyle of the Vikings.
Evidence reveals that women and children
voyaged from Scandinavia alongside their
menfolk. The paragraph after the gap continues
this topic (females were from similar genetic
backgrounds to the males).
Gap 3 (G) – The assumption that Viking activities
were limited to raiding and plundering other
countries has also been discredited by historical
inquiry. This links back to the previous paragraph
where the myth of Vikings genetic background is
also discredited. The paragraph then describes
castles built by the Vikings which connects by
topic with the first line of the paragraph after the
gap (In addition to construction…)
Gap 4 (B) – DNA evidence has destroyed the myth
of a homogenous Viking heritage continues the
theme of discrediting preconceptions about
the Vikings, and the paragraph before and after
both discuss Viking genetics so the topic is the
consistent. In the first sentence of the paragraph
after the gap (The scientists compared the genetic
material from the ancient people), the use of the
tells us that the text has mentioned these two
things before in the previous paragraph (genetic
influence from Southern Europe and Asia among
the remains of 442 individuals unearthed from
Viking burial sites).
Gap 5 (E) – This interracial mingling – the word
this tells us that this topic has been mentioned
before in the previous paragraph. (the scientists
… discovered considerably more intermixing than
they’d expected)
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Gap 6 (A) – First sentence of paragraph A (As
well as this kind of insight into Viking culture),
the word this refers to an insight in the previous
paragraph (This suggests that being a Viking was
more an internal identity than a matter of family
background…)
Gap 7 (F) – The previous paragraph introduces
the idea of Viking trading towns and this
paragraph focusses on one in particular
(York). The end of paragraph F (innovative
manufacturing practices of diverse products
including household items, tools, coins and
jewellery) connects to the start of the next
paragraph by topic (Not only did the Vikings
create useful and decorative objects…)
5 Direct students to the jumbled text and ask them to
put the paragraphs in order, pointing out that the
first one is done for them. Ask them to think about
which of the four strategies given helped them
make their choices.
Answers
1 D ​2 E ​
3 G ​
4 A ​
5 C ​6 F ​
7 B
For this text, the first three strategies are the
most useful, as there are not many linking words
and phrases.
Speaking
1 The aim of this task is to develop some of the
themes of history and stereotypes from this lesson
in the style of questions found in the C1 Speaking
part 4 exam. Put students into pairs or small groups
to discuss the questions for five minutes. Then open
it up as a class discussion by going through the
questions one by one, eliciting answers and asking
the rest of the class to give their opinions.
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