Section 4 york

1. Read and translate the text

York is one of Europe's most historic cities. It began as an important Roman city. In medieval times a stone wall was built around it, and the wall is still there today.

The River Ouse is near Lendal Bridge. From here you can walk all around the edge of the old city on the medieval wall. It takes about two hours.

In the south part of the wall is Micklegate Bar, where kings and queens entered the city and where the heads of traitors were displayed.

The north-east part of the wall is the main entrance and it is called Monk Bar.

In the north west is Bootham Bar. Inside there is the old city of York.

High above the narrow streets is the great tower of the largest medieval building in Britain. The cathedral was begun in 1220 and finished two centuries later. Its tall pointed arches are typical of that period. Part of the roof was damaged by fire not long ago. The new roof shows ways of praising God – from prayer to moon landings.

If you compare this English cathedral with a cathedral in some of the Catholic countries of southern Europe, it seems bare and colourless. Cathedrals in Protestant England don't usually have colourful paintings on the walls and ceilings. The colour is in the windows. In the centre of this window is a white rose – the symbol of York.

Among the stone carvings is the group of fifteen English kings, from William the First to Henry the Sixth. Other carvings represent people who were buried here when they died.

Preserving the past is a continuous job in this historic city.

A new discovery has been made not far from the cathedral. Archaeologists have uncovered the wooden foundations of an ancient building on the south bank of the river. After many weeks of careful digging, they think it was probably a Roman temple from the second century.

People in the north of England love their brass bands. Sometimes whole families join a band.

York has some unusual museums. At the National Railway Museum you can go back in time to the days of steam trains.

The first public railway in the world was built north of York by George Stephenson in 1825.The fastest steam train in the world did two hundred kilometres per hour in 1938.

Steam engines machines were the machines of the industrial revolution. In the 1800s they made Britain the world's first industrial nation.

2. Look at these sentences. Three are false. Which ones?

1 York was begun in Roman times.

2 The wall around York no longer exists.

3 York Cathedral took 100 years to build.

4 The roof was partly damaged by fire.

5 English cathedrals have colourful walls.

6 People in the north of England like brass bands.

7 The first public railway was built near York.

8 In 1938 a steam train did 200 kilometres per hour.

3. Choose the phrases on the right which complete the phrases on the left.

1 York Cathedral...	are typical of that period.
2 It was finished...	is a symbol of York.
3 The tall, pointed arches...	was begun in 1220.
4 Cathedrals in Protestant England...	not long ago.
5 The white rose...	two centuries later
6 Fifteen English kings...	don't usually have colourful decorations.
7 The roof was damaged by fire...	are among the stone carvings.