Read the text and pick out sentences with Perfect Tenses. Explain their usage

Interpretation of the text

Divide the text into logically complete parts and find a sentence or two which cover the general idea of each passage.
Answer the questions and comment on the following:

1. What city ruled the world?

2. Where did " all roads lead to"?

3. Who were the rivals in Rome?

4. What did they want?

Write a compressed version of the text.

Mark off the passages of the text that seem important to you.

State the main problems discussed in the text.

Define which details of the text are of little importance for the understanding.

State what places of the text strengthen your former views.

Topical conversation

1. Discuss the question why all roads led to Rome.

2. Discuss the struggle for power between two rivals - Pompey and Julius Caesar.

Text 4

Relics of the Roman Occupation

Britain was a Roman province from the first century A.D. until the beginning of the fifth century A.D. The area occupied covered south, east and midland Britain and stretched north to the lowlands of Scotland, went over the whole of Wales, but did not include Devon and Cornwall. Most of the evidence for reconstructing the life of Roman Britain consists of objects in museums, and of buildings and monuments still to bo seen. But as Britain was part of the Roman Empire we can draw for the first time in Britain History on written history as well.

The account of Julius Caesar (102 - 44 B.C.) of his campaigns in Caul (France) included that of his attempted invasions of Britain, and in this book we can read the earliest descriptions of the people of the country. Tacitus (A.D. 55 - 117) in the biography of hie father-in-law, Agricols, tells us of the campaigns to extend the Roman frontiers in Wales and Scotland.

From all this material, both archaeological and literary, it is not difficult to build up a picture of Roman Britain.

The conquest was achieved by force of arms and till the end the Romans had to keep armies on the frontiers especially in the north. We shall find that in the north of Britain and in Wales the relics are mostly military. It was mainly south and east of a line drawn from the Humber to the Severn estuary that a peaceful Roman-British civilization was built up in the towns and in the villas or country estates.

Learn to pronounce the words:

Devon [ ]

Cornwall [ ]

Wales [ ]

Tacitus [ ]

archaelogical [ ]

Severn [ ]

Key words and expressions

A.D. – Anno Domini н.э.

relics следы, остатки,

midland Britain центральная часть Британии

evidence доказательство

to reconstruct the life воссоздать жизнь

monuments still to be seen сохранившиеся памятники

an account зд. сообщение

an estuary устье реки

a description описание

to draw on written history извлекать информацию из письменных исторических источников

Words for active use

A Roman province, the first century A.D, the evidence, to reconstruct the life of, objects in museums, to draw on written history, the account, a campaing in, an attempted invasion of, the earliest descriptions, to extend the frontiers, the conquest, military relics, a civilization.

Assignments

1. Find English equivalents in the text:

Занимать территорию, простираться до низменности, доказательство, воссоздать жизнь, памятники, часть Римской империи, письменные исторические источники, самые первые описания, расширять границы, силой оружия.

2. Suggest Russian equivalents to the following:

To include; most of the evidence; the account of smb; his attempted invasions; a description; to stretch north to …; monuments to be seen; to extend the frontiers.

Find historical terms in the text and pick them out.

Interpretation of the text

Divide the text into logically complete parts writing out some topical sentences.

Look through the text for dates which are important for the understanding of the text.

Ask questions to which the following statements might be answers:

1. Britain was a Roman province from the first century A.D. until the beginning of the fifth century A.D.

2. Most of the evidence of the Roman invasion consists of objects in museums and monuments still to be seen.

3. In Julius Caesar's account of his campaign in Britain we can read the descriptions of the peoples of the country.

4. From all material, both archaeological and literary, it is not difficult to build up a picture of Roman Britain.

5. In the north of Britain and Wales the relics are mostly military.

State the main problems discussed in the text.

Define which details of the text are of particular importance for understanding of the text.

Topical conversation

l. Speak on Britain as a Roman province.

2. Discuss the question of how archaeological and literary material helps to build up a picture of Roman Britain.

Text 5

The ancient Russian state

The ancient Russian state emerged as the result of the long process of development of the East-Slav tribes. The Slavs constitute one of the biggest and most important ethnic groups of Europe.

The first mention of the Slav tribes in written sources dates back to the first century. Much more was written about them in the sixth century, due to the role the Slav tribes were beginning to play in Eastern Europe and to their struggle against Byzantium.

In this century the Slavs were going through the last stage of development of the clan system of social organization, the basis of which was the patriarchal family commune known as the very. Statehood had not yet been achieved. Supreme power was vested in the veche, the assembly of the people. Side by side with the veche there were the tribal chiefs, the knyazya (princes}. The tribal chiefs belonged to the tribal aristocracy, who were beginning to emerge from the mass of the tribesman on account of their property status.

In the sixth century tribal disunity had still not been overcome, but there were signs that the Slavs ware ready for unity on a more stable basis.

By the sixth century the tribe, a form of social organization, had ceased to serve as a vehicle for farther historical development. The break-down of primitive clan relations among the Slavs was also a break-down of the tribal system and the development of statehood. This process became especially intensive between the seventh and ninth centuries and resulted in the formation of the ancient Russian state.

This was a period that saw a rapid development of productive forces among the Eastern Slavs.

It was in these centuries that the farming of permanent plough lands spread over the whole territory occupied by the Eastern Slavs as far as Lake Ilmen. The use of plough-lands more productive, implements - wooden and iron plough - and draught animals was progressive,

A further indication of the growth of the productive forces among the Eastern Slavs was the development of handicraft industries.

Although the smelting and working of iron and non-ferrous metals were the most highly developed branches, a number of other branches, the working of bone, tunning, weaving sad pottery - also became concentrated in the hands of artisans whose goods were produced for exchange and not only for personal use.

These economic developments led to the growth of towns as centres of handicraft industry and barter. The biggest of the ancient Russian towns - Kiev, Chernigov, Smolensk and Novgorod - came into existence between the seventh and ninth centuries.

This period was also one in which external economic relations grew between the Eastern Slavs and the countries of the East, Byzantium and the Baltic countries. The Volga Route was a link between the Eastern Slaves and the tribes inhabiting the Middle Volga and across the Khvalin (Caspian) Sea, with the countries of the East. The Dnieper Route connected the Eastern Slavs with Byzantium. By the end of the ninth century, the Volga Route and the Dnieper Route (" the path from the Varangians to the Greeks" ) were extended to the Baltic area and thus became trade routes of all-European importance.

The social structure of the Eastern Slavs between the seventh and ninth centuries is reflected in Russkaya Pravda (Russian Law), a code of laws compiled in the eleventh century under Prince Yaroslav the Wise (for which reason it is also known as Pravda Yaroslava) but which basically refers to the period immediately preceding the formation of the ancient Russian state.

Learn to pronounce the words

ancient [ ]

tribe [ ]

slav [ ]

Bysantium [ ]

Patriarchal [ ]

Greek [ ]

Baltic area [ ]

Ploughland [ ]

Key words and expressions

Tribe племя

written source письменный источник

to date back to относиться к

clan system родовая система, строй

century столетие

commune община

statehood государственность

tribal chief вождь племени

break-down упадок

productive forces производительные силы

handicraft industriy ремесло

to smelt iron плавить железо

tunning and weaving дубление кожи и ткачество

pottery гончарное производство

artisan ремесленник

barter меновая торговля

permanent ploughlands одни и те же пахотные земли

Assignments

1. Find English equivalents in the text:

Древнее государство, длительный процесс развития, столетие, славянские племена, родовой строй, письменный источник, вождь племени, появиться, возникнуть, упадок, единство, образование государства, железный плуг, дубление кожи, гончарное производство, свод законов, экономические отношения.

2. Suggest Russian equivalents to the following:

A state, emerged, the first mention, to data back to, a patriarchal family commune, statehood, a tribal chief, a historical development, permanent plough lands an iron plough, working of bone and iron, growth of towns, external economic relations, a barter, an artisan, all-European importance.

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