Building the historical context...

VOCABULARY England 800 years ago

1. Match the social groups to the descriptions on the left Comentado [lr1]: 1-gente que compra y vende cosas
/artesanos
people who buy and sell things 2-agricultores/campesionos
ARTISANS 3-terratenientes /barones
4-
farmers PEASANTS
the ruler KING
( BARONS
landowners (people who own land)

fighters who ride horses KNIGHTS

ARTISANS
skilled workers
PEASANTS
unfree farmers (they have to stay in their village)

2. Decide if these adjectives are positive or negative (or both)

greedy brave lucky cruel selfish kind popular wise

bad-tempered stupid unkind coward ambitious unlucky proud

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

3. Listen to a short talk about King Richard and King John. Tick the adjectives from Task 2 that you
hear. Write R if the word describes Richard; write J if it describes John

ambitious greedy selfish bad-tempered cruel proud

kind stupid brave lucky wise

unkind cowardly popular unlucky

King Richard and King John listening activity.mp3

(double click on the icon to listen- only in computers is available, if not go to aula virtual)

4. Listen again and answer the questions

1. Why was Richard called Lionheart‘?

a) because he was brave b) because he was 16

 2. What language did Richard and John speak?

a) English b) French

3. How did Richard feel about England?

a) He loved it b) He wasn‘t interested in it

4. How long did King Richard actually live in England?

a) ten months b) ten years

5. Who was more successful in fighting foreign wars?

a) Richard b) John

6. Who enjoyed collecting gold and jewels?

a) Richard b) John

7. Who made the people pay taxes to pay for the foreign wars?

a) Only John b) Richard and John

8. Why did the barons want John to agree to the Magna Carta?

a) To get some of their money back from him

b) To stop him being able to do whatever he wanted.

5. Read these questions and think possible answers:

a. How do you feel about paying tax?

b. Does it make a difference what the tax is for? E.g. hospitals, schools, foreign wars?
c. Do you think it is fair that Richard is still popular, while John is remembered as a bad king?
Why/why not?
d. Using some of the adjectives from exercise 2, how could you describe King Richard or King
John?
6. Look at the picture

1. Who are the people?

2. What are they doing?
3. Are they happy?
4. Where do you think they are?
5. When do you think this happened?

a. 2015 b. 1615 c.1215

 ➢ Pre-reading activities

7. Match the words below to the meaning on the right

a widow Money that you pay to the government.

a trial Rule the government makes.

a sheriff A place that people might go when they break the law.

to inherit When people decide if someone broke the law or not.

a measure An old-American word for police officer.

a prison Things that someone owns.

taxes A woman whose husband is dead.

law To get a house or money from someone when they die.

possessions Money that you pay when you break a law.

a fine An amount of something to check its size – e.g. kilograms or litres.

8. Fill in the gaps with the words from above

Before the Magna Carta

Before King John sealed the Magna Carta he was not a fair king. Rich people were
angry because he made them pay him high (a)____________. John made criminals
pay unfair (b) for small crimes.
His (c) took people‘s possessions and didn‘t know the every shop at
the market had a different (d) for flour and beer so sometimes people paid too
much. When a woman‘s husband died she did not (e) his home
or (f) . As a (g) , the women often had to marry again. People
made John seal the Magna Carta to promise things would change.

➢ Post-reading activities

9. What problems did England have before the Magna Carta?

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 READING COMPREHENSION

10. Read the promises the Barons made King John consider when he sealed the Magna
Carta

1. The English Church will be free.

2. A widow will inherit her husband‘s possessions. She won‘t need to marry again.

3. All cities and towns will be free.

4. Poor people will not have to pay very large fines for small crimes.

5. Sheriffs will not take people‘s possessions without permission.

6. There will be only one measure for corn and one measure for beer.

7. Every man or woman will have a fair trial.

8. Towns will not have to build bridges over rivers.

9. Sheriffs will know the law and will be fair.

10. No free man will suffer punishment without the lawful

judgment of his peers and life in England will be fair.

11. Do you think they are similar to today‘s laws? Are any of them strange to you?

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