I. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. Soon after 2000 B.C. ____continued to build Stonehenge.

2. The archaeologists found many ________in the graves of the Beaker people.

3. The ancient people erected the big stones with the help of the____ .

4. The ____stones were put up after the vertical ones were standing.

5. The ancient people ____the sun, the moon and other objects.

6. There are many people who believe that Stonehenge was a____ to the sun.

7. In ancient times the ____were important events.

8. The Druids were a religious group among the Celtic____ .

III. Are the statements true or false? Correct the false statements.

1. Stonehenge is located in the middle of Salisbury Plain in the north of Scotland.

2. The Beaker people were called so because of the weapons found in their graves.

3. It didn't take much time to build Stonehenge.

4. The Stones were erected by using a lever and piled up timber.

5. Hawkins discovered that the lines between the main stones did not point exactly to the extreme midwinter and midsummer positions of the sun and moon.

6. Stonehenge could not forecast the exact time of the next eclipse.

7. The practices of the Druids were not connected with human sacrifice and cannibalism.

8. Festivals of pop music are never held at Stonehenge.

9. Avebury was begun much earlier than Stonehenge.

IV. Answer the questions.

1. Is it easy to reach Stonehenge from London?

2. Where are Stonehenge and Avebury located?

3. Did it take the ancient people a long time to build Stonehenge? Why?

4. How were the stones erected?

5. Were the ancient people clever to put up such huge stones? How did they do this?

6. What did professor Hawkins prove?

7. Did the eclipses play an important role in the life of ancient man?

8. When do most visitors come to Stonehenge? Why?

9. Are the traditions of celebrating the summer solstice observed in other countries besides Britain?

10. Why is the legend about the devil who built Stonehenge and the monk untrue?

V. Explain the following

1. The way Stonehenge was built.

2. How did Gerald Hawkins prove that Stonehenge was used as an ancient calendar?

3. The way the ancient traditions of Stonehenge are celebrated in Britain today.

Wales

'Wales is very different from the rest of the U.K. Although visitors don't need passports to cross the border from England into Wales, they soon feel that they are entering a country with its own distinct geography, culture, traditions and, of course, language. Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, castles and its people speaking a very musical language give Wales a unique atmosphere which is enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.

As you know the Welsh are of Celtic origin. In the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. many European saints travelled to Wales as Christian missionaries. Their names are remem­bered in some present-day Welsh place-names. But St. David is the patron saint of Wales. On the 1st of March, St. David's Day, patriotic Welsh people wear a leek or a daffodil, both of which are symbols of Wales.

There are many place-names in Wales beginning with Llan, such as Llandudno, Llangollen or Llanberis in the north. "Llan" is the Welsh word for an area where a church stands. The Welsh language is very musical. No wonder there is a great love of poetry and music. The annual bardic festival known as the National Eisteddfod of Wales has a 1200-year-old history (Eisteddfod is the Welsh for a "sitting"). Choral singing, and especially the singing of hymns is a national art. The National Eisteddfod takes place every year in the first week in August, one year in the north of Wales, the next year in the south, and participants come from all parts of Wales. Wales is very different from the rest of the U.K.

Thousands of Welsh people prepare for the festival during the whole year. During the week of the festival about a hundred thousand people come to the Eisteddfod to hear the competitors and listen to the discussion of the judges. The prize for the winning bard (poet) was a chair or throne. And that is still the prize today. In the Middle Ages every chief kept a bard, and there were other bards who moved about the country singing songs and making poems. A special tent is put up for the festival so that thousands of people can come in. One of the most interesting competitions is "pennillion" singing. In this the participants sing to the harp and have to make up their song. But the greatest event is the choosing of the "crowned bard" which is the greatest honour of the festival. The winner sits on a beautiful chair of oak that is to be his prize. The ceremony itself is very interesting especially when the Chief Druid (the priests from very ancient times) puts a crown on the winner's head.

An interesting feature of the Welsh language is that its words can be very long. On the island of Anglesey, in the north-west of Wales, there is the longest place-name in Britain, which consists of 58 letters. You can't pronounce it. Therefore, only the beginning of this village is given: it is Llanfair PC, which in English means — St. Mary's Church, in a Dell of White Hazel Trees, near the Rapid Whirlpool, by the Red Cave of the Church of St. Tysilio! The Welsh are very proud of their language and culture. These are best preserved in the north and west of the country, for in the south and east industrialization changed much of the country. The coal mines are located in the south. Welsh coal is of very good quality and used to be exported all over the world.

T he west coast, mid-Wales and North Wales are wild and beautiful and Welsh is the everyday language of much of the north and west. Aberystwyth is the centre of Welsh education and learning.

Wales is a country of many large and impressive castles, such as Caernarfon in the north-west, which was the ancient capital of Wales; Harlech, on the western coast; Caerphilly, which is located 10 km. north of Cardiff, the modern capital of Wales. The latter was one of the strongest in Europe, and even Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the English revolution of the 17th century, was unable to destroy it. These castles were built by the invaders, the Normans, who came from England, to protect themselves against the Welsh who fought for their independence.

O f the many castles of Wales Caernarfon has become world famous because it is here that the ceremony known as the Investiture of the Prince of Wales takes place. The Castle was built after 1283 to the orders of King Edward I and it took over 40 years to build its main parts. The Castle has 13 towers all connected with walls about 3 metres thick. The most famous tower is the Eagle Tower named after the Eagles on the coat of arms of the grandson of William the Conqueror.

You may remember (see Unit 7) that Wales was conquered at the end of the 13 th century by Edward I when the two great Welsh leaders, Llewelyn and his brother David, had been killed. But the Welsh people, though they were beaten, were ready to continue to fight. They had no great leader, but there was a number of tribal chiefs who wanted to rule all Wales. Three or four of these chiefs came to see Edward I at Caernarfon, who was staying there together with his wife Eleanor. They told the king their complaints.

According to the story the Welsh chiefs did not want to be ruled by an English king, but by a Prince of Wales, who was born in Wales, of royal blood, and not speaking English or French. They also wanted a prince whose life was good, and who had not done anything bad against any man. The Welsh chiefs who did not trust each other could not agree who this prince should be. The legend goes on to say that Edward I agreed to their conditions and asked them to come to the castle in a week's time.

So a week later the great square outside the castle was full of people all excited wishing to see whom the king had chosen. The chiefs also came. They even quarrelled in the square because each tried to prove that he would be chosen by the king. At last Edward appeared on the balcony of the castle tower. Behind him stood a knight who was carrying the king's shield. On the shield lay a bundle covered with a cloth. Edward began to speak:

— Good people of Wales, you have asked for a prince and I have promised you one to rule over you, and of royal blood.

— Yes, yes, — they cried.

— And who was born in Wales?

— Yes!

— And who cannot speak a word of English?

— Yes, yes!

— And you want a prince who did no wrong against any man in all his life. If I give you such a prince, do you promise to be ruled by him?

— We promise, — said the crowd.

— Here is your prince, — the king said, and turned to the knight behind him. He lifted the cloth and showed a small baby-boy, — my son, a prince of royal blood born a week ago, in Caernarfon Castle, he cannot speak a word of English and he hasn't done any wrong to any man. Edward, Prince of Wales!

The crowd of people were pleased, though the chiefs were upset and disappointed. And since that day to this, the eldest son of the ruling monarch of England has always been the Prince of Wales.

This tradition has been kept until the present day and in 1969 the present Queen made her eldest son Charles, Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle.

The Welsh people, as has been noted, love the reading of poetry and the singing of hymns. Their choirs are very popular. It is no wonder that Wales is a country of orators who love music and the music of words. In this respect we must remember the famous politician, David Lloyd George. Although born in Manchester of Welsh parents, he was brought up in Wales. He became a member of the House of Commons at the age of twenty-sever. Eventually, he became the first Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1916, and held this post till 1922. He was a very great orator, and his speeches are remembered to this very day. He paid much interest to help the old people and the poor. In fact he started the first national insurance system and the system of old-age pensions. These were the beginnings of the present-day National Health Service and other forms of social welfare. In the square at Caernarfon Castle you can see the statue of David Lloyd George, who acted as M.P. (Member of Parliament) for Caernarfon, and at the entrance to the House of Commons you can also see the statue of this famous British politician.

Of the many tales and legends which are so widespread in Wales there is one famous story about Gelert the Dog known to every person in the country. Not far from Caernarfon, in the mountains of North Wales lies the splendid village of Beddgelert. It is in this beautiful place that you can hear the story of Gelert the Dog, which is also written on the grave of this remarkable dog. According to the story in the 13th century, Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without his favourite dog Gelert. The faithful dog for some unknown reason did not accompany his master. When Llewelyn returned from the hunt, he saw that his dog was all covered with blood. The dog joyfully greeted the prince, but Llewelyn became very much alarmed. He ran to the room where his little child was sleeping, but did not find him in the cot. The bedclothes and floor were all covered with blood. In great anger the prince killed the dog with his sword thinking it had killed his son. The dog's dying yell was answered by a child's cry. Llewelyn began to look for his boy and found him unharmed lying near the body of a large wolf which Gelert had killed protecting the child from the wolfs attack. The prince was in great sorrow all his life. He is said to have never smiled again. Llewelyn buried his favourite dog at the spot called Beddgelert. Many tourists come to this place. They hear the story of the faithful dog, see the grave and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountains.

These mountains are located in Snowdonia which is one of the three national parks in Wales. The parks which cover about 20 per cent of the whole country are protected by law because of their natural beauty, but ordinary people still live and work there. The highest mountain range in Wales is here and Mount Snowdon is the highest peak (1,085 m). Many people travel to the parks each year for holidays, walking, climbing, riding, canoeing and fishing. In the evenings they enjoy their time listening to the numerous legends, stories, poems and beautiful songs.

Comprehension Check