History of London

from Romans to Modern Days

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I Match the words with their meanings. Use four words in your sentences.
desired; pinnacle; worldwide; competition; iconic; significantly; decline; court;
conquer; unprecedented ; wealth

1. a large amount of money or valuable possessions

2. that is wanted
3. very famous or popular, especially because it represents particular time
4. a situation in which someone is trying to be more successful than
someone else
5. by a large amount
6. existing in all parts of the world
7. never having happened in the past
8. to gradually become less, worse
9. the most successful part or achievement
10.to take control of foreign land by force
11.the official home of a queen or king

II Match the numbers in the list to make facts about London. Watch the video
and check your answers.

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from-romans-to-modern.html

1300; 1666; 50; 20; 45,000; 1/3; 1040s

1. The year when the Roman founded Londinium =

2. The population of Londinium in the second century =
3. The height of the wall surrounding Londinium =
4. The period of time Edward the Confessor moved his court to Westminster
Abbey=
5. The part of the London population killed by the Black Death =
6. The year the Great Fire of London broke out =
7. The number of houses destroyed by the Great Fire of London =
III Watch the video and fill in the missing words.
London is one of the most 1)________ cities of the modern world. While
being one of the most 2)________ tourist 3)________, London also has a great
political and 4)________ influence worldwide. And for several 5)________ the
capital city of the British 6)________ was the centre of the world with no
competition.
It’s hard to imagine that around 2,000 years ago this 7)________ city was
just a 8)________ outpost town for another great world 9)________ of its time,
the Roman Empire. Romans 10)________ the city about 50 AD and called it
Londinium. They decided that it was a great 11)________ to build a port. By
the end of the second century Roman London had a population of 45,000 and a
20 foot high 12)________ around it. Like most of the other Roman cities it had
a 13)________, public baths, and an amphitheatre 14)________ to Roman
Colosseum that could hold 8,000 people and was hosting gladiator fights.
Although modern London is 15)________ bigger these days, Roman London
still 16)________ at the heart of it, but is more known as the Square Mile or the
City of London, or just the City, the well-known 17)________ centre of United
Kingdom. Although being a part of London, City is officially a 18)________
county and has a dedicated 19)________ and local authorities, but back to
Romans.
When the Empire was 20)________, Rome refused to send new soldiers
to London and by 407 AD the city was completely 21)________. For the next
600 or so years the area was torn between the Angles, the Saxons, the Jutes, and
the Vikings. These were the centuries of constant 22)________ and clashes of
cultures. In the 1040s King Edward the Confessor 23)________ his court to
Westminster Abbey, and so London became a 24)________ city. Soon another
group of invaders, Normans, 25)________ Westminster Abbey and crowned
their King William there. William built a castle and a 26)________ for himself
from which he 27)________ his newly conquered territories. His home is now
known as the Tower of London.

IV Open the brackets and fill in the gaps with the Active or Passive Voice of the
verbs in brackets. Watch the video and check your answers.

Medieval London 1)_____(grow) bigger and was a lively place. It had a

horse market where horse races and public executions took place attracting
large crowds. Londoners 2)_____(enjoy) archery tournaments, wrestling and
ice-skating in winters but it also could be a brutal place to live. For example, the
city had suffered from numerous plague outbreaks. The biggest one known as
the Black Death which 3)_____(kill) almost 1/3 of the city population. But the
biggest disaster to hit London of that time was the Great Fire of 1666. Most of
the buildings of the City 4)_____(make) of wood, and when a small fire
5)_____(start) in a baker’s house, the wind 6)_____(spread) the fire rapidly
across the town. More than 1300 houses 7)_____(destroy) before sailors
8)_____(manage) to stop the fire. To prevent such a disaster from happening
again the king commanded that all new houses in London should
9)_____(build) of brick and stone. Despite the disasters, London was growing
bigger and wealthier particularly when the British Empire was becoming more
powerful in the world. Colonisation and maritime-driven trade
10)_____(provide) the Empire with unprecedented wealth turning London into
the world’s busiest port city and a banking capital by the 18th century. The
pinnacle of London’s accelerated development was during Queen Victoria’s
reign, when the population of the city 11)_____(grow) from 1 million to 6
million in just one century. This was a result of dynamic industrialization,
railway construction as well as the opening of the first ever underground metro
in 1863.
In the 20th century the city 12)_____(shape) by two world wars.
Particularly during World War II London heavily 13)_____(damage) and tens
of thousands 14)_____( kill) by the intensive bombing of the City.
Today London is a vibrant and multicultural city of almost nine million
and 15)_____(remain) one of the world capitals of finance, art and fashion. So
if you had a chance to spend a day in any historical period of London of your
choice, which year would it be and why?

V Watch the video and answer the questions

1 When was London founded?
2 Why was the location near the Thames chosen for the city?
3 Was London an important centre for economy and commerce in all
periods of its history?
4 What tribes fought for control over London?
5 What invaders conquered London?
6 What was the role of Edward the Confessor I the history of London?
7 What were the leisure activities of the population in medieval London?
8 What made London a dangerous city to live in?
9 What were the biggest disasters that shaped London?
10 What period of time is believed to be the period of the fastest
development of the city?
11What part of London is the City?

VI Restore the word order in the sentences.

1) biggest / of / and / cities / one / capital / England / the / is / / the / the / of /
city / London / world. / in
2) the / back / by / history / to / London’s / Romans, / named / who / its / it /
goes / Londinium. / founding

3) history / began / when / William the Conqueror / medieval / / newly /

Westminster Abbey. / of / England / a / was / London / king / crowned / / The /
ceremony / / finished / of / the / in / at
4) from / Thames. / first / / Roman / / across / original / London Bridge / the /
stone / mere / the / bridge / 1176 / was / In / yards / the / built,

5) Many / the / of / city / streets / were / after / in / which / trade / particular / the
/ practiced / named / there. / the

6) Bread Street / district, / for / / and / tailor’s / kept / milking. / the / / / had /
For / Threadneedle Street / Milk Street / example, / bakeries, / was / on / cows /
were