Introductory Text 3. Great Explorers
Ex. 1. Practice the pronunciation of the new words you'll come across in the text and guess their meaning. Pay special attention to geographical names.
Ex. 2. Read the text and speak about Christophef^Columbus.
Christopher Columbus
In the 15th century people knew only three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. They knew nothing about such a big continent as America.
The man who is thought to be the discoverer of America was bom in 1440 in Italy. His name was Christopher Columbus. He became a sailor at an early age. Knowing that the earth was round, he decided to reach India by sailing to the west. It was very difficult for him to organize his expedition as nobody wanted to help him. Many years after when he was an old man the Spanish government gave him some money for his expedition. He was able to set sail only in 1492, on August 3.
The voyage was very dangerous and difficult. His men insisted on returning home but Columbus did everything he could to make them
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continue their westward voyage. On the 12th of October, his ships reached land. When they landed they saw strange trees and flowers. Men and women with olive-coloured skins gathered around them and looked at them with great surprise. It was one of the Bahamas Islands. But Christopher Columbus thought it was one of the islands which lie off the coast of Asia and he called it San Salvador.
Columbus' second voyage to America took place in 1493. This time he discovered some other islands of the West Indies and made some settlements there.
On the third voyage he came to South America.
In 1502 he made his last voyage. This time he coasted along the shores of Central America. In 1506 he died in Spain being sure that he had reached Asia and knowing nothing of his great discovery of the New World.
Ex. 3. Read and memorize the new words. Guess their meanings. Practice the pronunciation of geographical names and proper names.
Ex.4. Read the texts and tell briefly what John Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci and Magellan are famous for.
Two More Great Explorers
In 1497 and again in 1498 another Italian, John Cabot, sailing under the English flag reached the coast of North America and claimed it for England. He set sail from Bristol in 1497 with one small ship and only eighteen men. In three months Cabot discovered the land, explored it and returned to England.
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About the same time still another Italian reached America. His name was Amerigo Vespucci. He was an Italian seaman who accompanied several of the Spanish and Portuguese expeditions.
Some time later Amerigo Vespucci published his letters describing the laiids which he had visited. He wrote that it was not India but a new continent which he called "the New World".
For a long time America was called "The New World" and only in 1506 it was decided to name this country after the man who had found it was not India.
Ferdinand Magellan
For many years the explorers tried to find a passage at the southern extremity of South America.
A Portuguese captain named Magellan was its discoverer. Setting out of Spain in 1519 with five small ships he sailed down'the coast of South America and at last discovered the strait which was named after him. But Magellan's difficulties were far from being over when he reached this strait. For 38 days he battled with its dangers.
At last the passage through the strait was completed and his ships entered the South Sea to which Magellan gave the name of "Peaceful" or "Pacific". He didn't know that this sea was twice as wide as the Atlantic or Indian Oceans.