- •Белорусский государственный университет Кафедра английского языка гуманитарных факультетов
- •Абрамчик е.Ф., Поваляева в.Н., Турляй л.П., Козел л.А.
- •History as a Science
- •Preview
- •Text 1. Understanding History
- •Text 2. How do We Know?
- •Text 3. Examining Archaeology
- •Text 4. Museum – Source of Knowledge and Impressions
- •Polydialogue. The University-wide Open Days
- •The usefulness of archives
- •Video. Dartmoor National Park
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Before you view
- •Vocabulary
- •Comprehension tasks
- •Follow-up
- •Writing tasks
- •Finally …
- •Unit 2 first steps toward civilization
- •Text 1. The Early Accomplishments of Homo sapiens
- •Text 2. Setting the Stage for Civilization: The Origins of Food Production
- •Text 3. The Gradual Transition From Food Gathering To Food Production
- •Text 4. The Transition to a Sedentary Way of Life
- •Ex. 1. Translate the text into English.
- •Unit III classical civilization. Ancient greek culture
- •Text 1. The ancient Greeks
- •Text 2. The Evolution of Democracy
- •Text 3. Sparta and Athens
- •Text 4. The Age of Pericles
- •The economy of Athens
- •Text 5. Religions and sports festivals
- •Text 6. Greek Drama
- •Text 7. The Spread of Greek Culture
- •The Golden age of Greek Theatre
- •The tragedy form
- •Александрия
- •Unit IV ancient rome and its socio-political development. The roman empire
- •Text 1. The Rise Of The Republic
- •Text 2. Overseas Expansion
- •Text 3. The Fall Of The Roman Republic
- •Text 4. Greece and Rome
- •The Birth of Rome
- •Text 5. The Early Empire
- •Text 6. Social Rank in the Empire
- •Text 7. The Roman Economy
- •Rich and Poor
- •Золотой век
- •Unit V rome and the christians
- •Text 1. The Early Christians
- •Text 2. Rome and the Christians
- •Text 3. The Decline of Rome
- •Text 4. The Fall Of Rome
- •The Causes of the Fall
- •Христианство
- •Unit VI the middle ages
- •Text 1. The Middle Ages. Their Classification and General Characteristics.
- •Text 2. Byzantine and Its Influence on Neighboring Countries
- •In the Field of Learning and Religion
- •Text 3. Medieval Europe
- •Text 4. The Spirit of the Renaissance
- •Features of Renaissance Art
- •Ex. 2. Translate the text into English. Феодальная система в Западной и Центральной Европе
- •Discussion
- •Text 1. Primordial Belarus – From Forest Tribes to the Decline of Polatsk
- •Text 2. The Development and Flourishing of Great Lithuania
- •Text 3. Belarus after Vitaut: its Golden Age and Decline
- •Text 4. Belarus after the Third Division of Rech Paspalitaya
- •Dialogue Travelling Broadens the Mind
- •B. Some old and Rare Books in the Francisk Skaryna Library in London
- •Part III
- •Britain
- •Preview
- •Reading Text 1. Primitive Society on the territory of the British Isles
- •The Earliest Men
- •The Celts
- •The Primitive Communal System
- •Word Check
- •Comprehension
- •Text 2. The British Empire
- •Text 3. Economic and Social Changes
- •In England in the 18th and 19th Centuries
- •Text 4. Modern Britain. Stability and Change.
- •Rich and Poor
- •Unit II american continet:
- •Its first civilizations and colonies.
- •Text 1. From Early People to Colonies.
- •Text 2. Colonization of America. War For Independence
- •Discussion
- •Text 3. Constitution. Bill of Rights.
- •Comprehension
- •Word Check
- •Ex. 2. Discuss which of them one can find in a) democratic society
- •Text 2. The European Union Read the text and say in a few words the main points of the text
- •Text 3. United Nations Read the text and assimilate its information
- •Security Council.
- •Translation
- •Unit II outstanding people
- •Text 1. The “Father of History”
- •Text 2. Alexander the Great and his Influence
- •Text 3. Elizabeth I.
- •Text 4. John Fitzerald Kennedy.
- •Contents
Text 5. Religions and sports festivals
Read the text and do the tasks that follow.
“Our city is an education to Greece”, boasted Pericles, the leader of Athens, in 430 B.C. This was Greece’s Golden Age, when Athens blossomed as a center of democratic government and achievements in the arts and sciences. Although Athens and the other Greek city-states eventually fell to foreign invaders, their accomplishments have been passed down through the ages.
Sports events were important in ancient Greece. Every four years, beginning in 776 B.C., the Greeks held an athletic competition called Olympics, which was open to all Greek men. At first this competition consisted of one event, a foot-race of about 200 yards. Later the Olympics were expanded to include longer races, wrestling, boxing, discus throwing, horse races, and chariot races. The modern-day Olympics are modeled after these Greek games.
The Greeks considered the Olympics so important that nothing, not even war, was allowed to interfere with them. However, the function of these competitions was not simply to entertain. The main purpose of the Olympics and other public events and festivals was to honor the gods.
The Olympic Games honored Zeus, the father of the Greek gods. The games were named after Mount Olympus, the highest peak in Greece. The Greeks believed that Zeus sat on a golden throne atop Mount Olympus and ruled all other gods and all of the Greeks. In fact, they thought of Zeus as master of the entire world.
All Greeks, no matter what city-state they lived in, worshiped Zeus and his family of gods. The Greeks thought these gods controlled both the world of nature and the human world.
The myths and legends of the Greeks celebrated their gods. These traditional stories explained the roles of the gods in creating the world and causing natural events.
The stories also told of the great power of their gods. For example, Zeus was portrayed as powerful, stern, and commanding. In Homer’s poem the Iliad, Zeus boasts about how he could control the world with a cord of gold dropped from the sky.
“Yet whenever I might strongly be minded to pull you, I could drag you up, earth and all and sea and all with you, then fetch the golden rope about the horn of Olympus and make it fast, so that all once more should dangle in mid air. So much stronger am I than the gods, and stronger than mortals.”
The gods of Greek myths formed a family, and each member had a specific role with particular duties and powers. Zeus, as head of the family, set standards of justice and made sure that humans and gods followed them. He also controlled the weather and punished wrongdoing with bolts of thunder and raging storms.
Poseidon, Zeus’s brother, was the god of the sea. Hera, Zeus’s wife, was the goddess of marriage. Zeus’s son Ares was the god of war. Another of his sons, Dionysus, was the god of wine. His son Apollo was the god of light, who drove the sun across the sky each day in his golden carriage. Apollo also was the god of health, herding, and prophecy.
The Greeks prayed to specific gods for things they wanted. For example, a sick person might pray to Apollo for a speedy recovery. The Greeks thanked the gods by making animal sacrifices when their prayers were granted. They also made sacrifices to the gods before competing in sports, going of to war, or setting sail on a long voyage.
The Greeks also built sacred places called sanctuaries to honor their gods. People from the entire Aegean world traveled to these sanctuaries to worship their many gods.
The sanctuaries were built in areas of great natural beauty. Each sacred site had its own unique traditions that had been established over hundreds of ears.
Olympia, where the Olympic games were held, was a sanctuary to Zeus. A winding river ran through the site, and a thickly wooded area made it a place of peace and serenity. Olympia was a perfect site for sports competition, because the land in the broad river valley was flat. On this level plain, the Greeks easily laid out large courses on which the foot races, horse races, and chariot races could be run during the Olympics. The Greeks believed that Zeus and the gods took special delight in watching great athletes display their skill and strength in open competition.
The Greeks honored Apollo at Delphi. Each city-state sent gifts to the sanctuary. Because the site was considered sacred, no thief would think of robbing it. Therefore, many people left their gold and silver in the shrines at Delphi for safekeeping. Located halfway up a mountain overlooking a lush river valley, Delphi was a most impressive site. The sanctuary was most famous for its oracle to the god Apollo. Like the ancient Chinese, the Greeks believed oracles were predictions. The Greeks believed gods and goddesses revealed hidden knowledge through these oracles. The Greeks also called the shrines where these messages were revealed oracles.
At these oracles, priests or priestesses interpreted the messages of the gods. The messages were often hard to understand.
The oracle at Delphi was considered the most powerful of the Greek oracles. People from all over the Aegean world came to Delphi seeking advice.
According to Greek myth, the island of Delos was Apollo’s birthplace. Like Delphi, the Delos sanctuary had an oracle to Apollo. Every five years the Greeks held a sports competition there to honor Apollo.
Eleusis, on the coast of mainland Greece near Athens, was the site of a sanctuary to Demeter, the goddess of grain. Athenians made pilgrimages each to Eleusis during the planting and harvest seasons. They also made sacrifices to Demeter and offered prayers for an abundant harvest. These religious rituals highlighted the importance of agriculture in ancient Greece.
The Greeks also honored their gods and goddesses by holding religious festivals. Many of these festivals, such as the Olympic games, centered on sports. Other ceremonies featured religious rituals and animal sacrifices.
One group of festivals has had a lasting influence on Western civilization. These were the drama festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine.
Word Check
Ex. 1. Find in the text a word or an expression which mean the following.
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Comprehension
Ex. 1. Say if the statements are true or false.
At first the Olympics consisted of one event, chariot races.
The modern-day Olympics are modeled after these Greek games.
The function of these competitions was simply to entertain.
The games were named after Apollo, the highest peak in Greece.
The myths and legends explained the roles of the gods in revealing hidden knowledge.
The gods of Greek myths formed a competition, and each member has a specific role with particular duties and powers.
Zeus controlled the weather and drove the sun across the sky each day in his golden carriage.
Poseidon was the god of health, herding, and prophecy.
The Greeks thanked the gods by competing in sports.
The Greeks built sacred places called oracles to honor their gods.
Olympia, where the Olympic games were held, was a sanctuary to Apollo.
At these oracles metics and slaves interpreted the messages of the gods.
Ex. 2. Answer the following question.
What events were important in ancient Greece?
When did the Greeks begin to hold the Olympics?
What did they include?
Why did the Greeks consider the Olympics so important?
Who did the Olympic Games honor?
What did the Greeks think of their gods?
What did the myths and legends of plain?
What specific role did each member of the family have?
How did the Greeks thank their gods?
When did they make sacrifices to the gods?
What was Olympia?
What was sanctuary at Delphi most famous for?
What was Apollo’s birthplace?
What religious rituals highlighted the importance of agriculture in Ancient Greece?
Ex. 3. Speak on.
The importance of the Olympics.
The family of Greek Gods.
The roles of the Gods.
Worshiping the gods.
Sanctuaries to the Gods.