Choose the correct word.

1. There were very few casualties / wounded from the fighting – only two people were killed.

Choose the correct word.

2. The country declared / broke out war on its neighbour because there were troops on the border.

Choose the correct word.

3. The city was blown up / shelled all night.

Choose the correct word.

4. The two armies agreed to a treaty / ceasefire to give them a chance to tend to the wounded.

Choose the correct word.

5. The troops saw they could not win so they held up a white flag indicating that they wanted to capture / surrender.

Choose the correct word.

6. The government forces retreated / defeated the rebels during the night.

Choose the correct word.

7. During the siege, civilians were shot at by isolated snipers / troops hiding in the hills.

Choose the correct word.

8. Soldiers looted / executed shops in their search for food.

Choose the correct word.

9. The new ally / commander of the armed forces will be meeting the President later today.

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

1. ci|vil

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

2. re|fu|gee

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

3. sur|vi|vor

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

4. com|man|der

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

5. cease|fire

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

6. vic|to|ry

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

7. re|lease

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

8. cap|ture

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

9. re|treat

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

10. ex|e|cute

Choose the stressed syllable in the following words.

11. sur|ren|der

Choose the word with a different sound.

1. bike

Choose the word with a different sound.

2. boot

Choose the word with a different sound.

3. tree

Choose the word with a different sound.

4. horse

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Complete the mini-dialogues with a discourse marker.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

1. Basically / At least, Sam and Ella aren’t very well-off because they’re both unemployed.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

2. Ask your boss if you can take the day off. In other words / I mean, he can’t say no.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

3. I don’t feel like cooking tonight. On the whole / Besides, there’s nothing in the fridge.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

4. Obviously / Regarding, I’m going to study Maths because there’s nothing else I’m good at.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

5. I’ve read all the applications and by the way / all in all, I think Adam is the best person for the job.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

6. You might want to dress up for dinner. After all / To sum up, everyone will be wearing a suit.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

7. As I was saying / Talking of before I got cut off, we need to make a decision.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

8. To sum up I As regards, we recommend accepting the pay deal in case management decide to withdraw the offer.

Choose the correct discourse marker.

9. You’ll need a jacket, that is / otherwise you might get cold.

Try to match the historical films 1-5 with the periods in which they are set a-e. Then listen to five speakers talking about the films and check your answers.

Listen again and match the speakers 1-5 to the reasons why these films are the speakers’ favourites A-G. There are two reasons that you do not need.

Match the opponents a-e to the battles 1-5, then read the article once to check your answers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle was fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

1. Question:

The Battle of Plataea

Match the opponents a-e to the battles 1-5, then read the article once to check your answers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle was fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

2. Question:

The Battle of Waterloo

Match the opponents a-e to the battles 1-5, then read the article once to check your answers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle was fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

3. Question:

The Battle of Cannae

Match the opponents a-e to the battles 1-5, then read the article once to check your answers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle was fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

4. Question:

The Battle of Thermopylae

Match the opponents a-e to the battles 1-5, then read the article once to check your answers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle was fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

5. Question:

The Battle of Gettysburg

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

1. Question:

did reinforcements arrive once the battle had started ___

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle was fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

2. Question:

was one of the armies tiny ___

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

3. Question:

was one of the armies more confident than the other ____

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

4. Question:

did both sides lose almost the same number of soldiers ____

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

5. Question:

did the army catch their enemy by surprise _____

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

6. Question

did the losing army contain three times as many soldiers as the victors ______

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

7. Question:

was one side defeated through treachery ____

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

8. question:

had one army previously had to make a perilous journey ____

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

9. Question:

did the commanders’ mistakes contribute to their defeat ______

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

10. Question:

did a group of soldiers attack a certain part of the other army _____

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Read the article again and choose the correct answer from the battles A-E. The battles may be chosen more than once.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases and match them to the definitions below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five important battles from history

Every age of human history has experienced battles that have been instrumental in moulding the future. Below are five of the bloodiest and most pivotal battles ever fought.

A The Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
This battle occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars. An army of 40,000 Greek soldiers, of which 10,000 were Spartans, faced the invading force of Persia with 120,000 men. Although outnumbered, the Spartans and Athenians were more tactical, heavily armed and had higher morale. The Persian army had just suffered a previous defeat and some inner conflicts and divisions. The Greeks slaughtered the Persians at Plataea and succeeded in driving them out of Greece.

B The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815)
This battle was fought between the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British and Prussian forces led by Wellington and von Blucher respectively. Napoleon took the initiative during the early part of the battle, but things began to go awry later in the day when the army suffered the effects of bad weather, blunders by some of the generals, ill fate, and the timely arrival of the Prussian forces (50,000 men). After suffering heavy casualties, Napoleon was forced to leave Waterloo and surrender.

C The Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BCE)
This battle is regarded as one of the greatest tactical military achievements in war history. The Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca led a massive troop of soldiers, accompanied by hundreds, or possibly thousands, of w ar elephants, across the mountainous Alps. He took a backdoor entrance into northern Italy and slaughtered the Romans at Cannae, killing 70,000 of the 87,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

D The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
This battle occurred on the eve of the Greco-Persian wars when King Leonidas of Sparta faced the invading Persian troops w ith only 300 Spartan soldiers. The King and his men blocked the only narrow pass through which the Persians could go, killing a total of 20,000 Persians. The Spartans only lost w hen one of their soldiers betrayed them by show ing the Persians a secret passage. Leonidas and his men were all mercilessly slaughtered.

E The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
This battle wras fought during the American Civil War between the Confederate troops from the South, led by General Robert Lee, and the Union troops, led by General George Meade.
One of the most dramatic moments was the Pickett’s Charge, when 12,500 Confederate infantry charged towards the Union’s centre formation. In the end, the Union side won, but lost a total of 23,055 soldiers. The defeated Confederate army lost 23,231 soldiers.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

1. Question:

The author of Horrible Histones used to work on the stage.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

2. Question:

Deary’s Horrible Histories books are purely fictional.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

3. Question:

Deary began writing the stories in the same year as his country celebrated an important occasion.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

4. Question:

Teachers bought Blitzed Brits to teach their classes about World War II.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

5. Question:

The host of the TV shows is a famous figure from history.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

6. Question:

In many of the comedy sketches, a parallel is drawn between past and present events.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

7. Question:

The author did not expect his concept to be so popular.

Read the article. choose the sentences T (true) or F (false).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Why Horrible Histories is a hit

Getting an audience interested in history can be a daunting task at the best of times, but it’s especially difficult when your medium is the written word. Enter Terry Deary, former actor and full-time author of the best-selling series Horrible Histories. Since the publication of Terrible Tudors and Awesome Egyptians in 1993, readers have been hooked on the series, which now consists of over 60 titles. More than 20 million copies have been sold in around 30 different languages. So just what is the secret behind Deary’s success?

The answer lies in the way the subject is presented. For each of his tales, Deary selects an important era from the past and picks out the most unpleasant events: gory killings, juicy scandal and grim tales of revenge. These lesser-known aspects of history are recounted in comic-book fashion, eliciting disbelief in the reader, although the details are completely accurate. And this is what appeals to children about his books: the fact that by reading them, they learn something unbelievable but true.

As well as Deary’s writing style, it was also coincidence that contributed to his rise to fame. Two years after the series began, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II came along. Deary had conveniently just written Blitzed Brits, a description of events in wartime Britain. Teachers were looking for something on the subject to grab their students’ attention in class and Blitzed Brits fitted the bill perfectly. The book shot up the sales charts and made Deary into a bestselling author almost overnight.

Yet Horrible Histories is not confined to books. Deary’s gruesome tales have also been adapted for television, providing the material for five whole series. The shows are presented by a talking rat called Rattus Rattus, whose job is to introduce comedy sketches portraying a particular historical event and to verify the facts they contain. The sketches often parody current media stories, and each episode contains a song that imitates a particular pop style, which can be anything from boy bands to hard rock. The outrageous costumes and ridiculous humour of the show appeal to both children and grown-ups alike, and the TV series has won numerous awards at both children’s and adult ceremonies.

Not even Terry Deary anticipated the huge success of Horrible Histories, which has joined the ranks of other children’s favourites such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Along with reading the books and following the TV series, fans can also purchase magazines, listen along to audio books, play video games and watch stage productions. There have even been rumours of a theme park. With a range of products that wide, who would dare claim that history is boring?

8. Question:

Plans to build a Horrible Histories theme park have been announced.