I. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. It was from the Cathedral Church of Christ in Canterbury that England was ___to Christ.

2. The Cathedral is the ___of the Archbishop of Canterbury who is the head of the Anglican Church.

3. Thousands of people came to pray at the ___of Thomas Becket.

4. Thomas Becket was ___on 29th December 1170 in Canterbury Cathedral by four of Henry II's knights.

5. Legend was spread that ___happened at Becket's ___and that many sick people got cured.

6. Of the thousands of _____ who visited Canterbury, the best-known are those who appear in the book by Geoffrey Chaucer.

7. Among the twenty-nine people Chaucer met, there was a _____ with a mouth as big as a furnace.

8. Despite the terrible bombing of Canterbury Cathedral in 1942, it ___ and attracts thousands of tourists who visit Britain every year.

9. The most famous modern ___is Pope John Paul II who prayed on the steps that led to Becket's___.

10. The ___of Thomas Becket was described in many books written by English writers and poets.

II. Complete the sentences with the best answer (a, b or c).

1. Canterbury is a town in England which is

a) located to the north of London.

b) located in Kent in the very south-east of England.

c) famous for its Sunday markets.

2. When Henry II made Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury he hoped

a) to weaken the church and consolidate his power as king.

b) to improve England's reputation abroad.

c) to introduce new reforms in the life of the church.

3. Henry II was greatly surprised when

a) Thomas Becket began to improve relations with Italy.

b) Thomas Becket went to Spain to start a struggle against him.

c) Thomas began to defend the church against the king.

4. When Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170

a) the people of England did not pay much attention to this event.

b) the whole Christian world reacted with great emotion, and Becket was made a saint.

c) he was buried in France.

5. In the 16th century Henry VIII

a) ordered Beckct's shrine to be destroyed.

b) broke ties with Rome but didn't destroy Becket's shrine.

c) made a pilgrimage to Becket's tomb.

6. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first great story-teller

a) who wrote his works in Latin.

b) who wrote his stories in English.

c) who openly criticized Thomas Becket for quarrelling with the king.

7. Before Chaucer books in England

a) were written in Spanish or Italian.

b) were written generally in Latin or in French.

c) were not written in the country but were brought from abroad.

8. In his lifetime Chaucer

a) was little known at the king's court.

b) was an important figure and was sent by the king several times to France and to Italy.

c) never went abroad and died at an early age.

9. In Chaucer's day pilgrims

a) usually went to Canterbury on foot.

b) visited Canterbury only at Christmas or in spring during the Easter holiday.

c) went to Canterbury on horseback, dressed in clothes of bright colour, and the pilgrimage was more a holiday excursion than a religious act.

10.Chaucer met his pilgrims

a) at Tabard Inn in Southwark in London.

b) just outside Canterbury where they stopped for a rest.

c) just by chance on the way to Canterbury.