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Nome do aluno _______________________________________________

Nº________ Série ___________ Data: ___________________

Profª Lauren
Inglês
1ªsérie
The Adventure of English watching guide

Part 1: Before you watch the documentary

Though everyone knows that Portuguese is a Latin language, people in general rarely think of how it
has become spoken by more than 200 million people all over the world. What about English? Have
you ever thought of the origins of the one you have been studying as a second language? Before
you watch The Adventure of English 500 AD to 2000 – a History Channel documentary on the history
of English – answer Part 1 questions and check how much you know about the region where this
language was originated and some of its influences.

1. Locate England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on the map:

2. Which question the only one which is independent from the United Kingdom?

3. Which question 1 countries are in Great Britain?

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4. Which question 1 countries form The United Kingdom?

5. Point on the following Map the countries or regions whose languages, in your opinion, have
influenced English:

Part 2: While you watch the documentary

Now, that you have already checked how informed you are about the British Isles and their main
language, it is time to watch The Adventure of English. The documentary has been divided in
chapters for this activity and it is very important that you read the corresponding questions before
watching these parts of the film. The chapters are going to be shown twice thus there is time for you
to review your answers before the discussion about each chapter starts. Good work!

Chapter 1: Introduction

1. What does the presenter say about the history of English in the introduction?

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Chapter 2: The beginning

1. Where does the Adventure begin:

a) In England.
b) In a region that is now called the Netherlands.
c) In Great Britain.

2. Why was this place chosen to start the Adventure:

a) Because it is a free land.

b) Because language has not changed there for the last 1500 years.
c) Because we can hear a modern language that is very similar to the ancestor of English
spoken 1500 years ago.

3. Write down three or more words the presenter says that sound familiar to the English spoken today:

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4. Why can English speakers recognize the language spoken in Friesland?

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5. What did the Germanic tribes – containing Anglos, Jutes and Saxons – take to Great Britain in
the 5th century?

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Chapter 3: The invasions of the 5th and 6th centuries

1. Who were the first people to invade Great Britain:

a) The Romans.
b) The Germanic Tribes.
c) Barbarians.

2. What happened to the first invaders of the island:

a) They built an Empire.

b) They did not like the place because of its food.
c) They abandoned the island.

3. Who were the native tribes:

a) Germans and Romans.

b) Britons or Celts.
c) English.

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4. What happened to the Celts after the initial Germanic invasions?

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5. What are some Celtic words that survived the invasion?

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6. How much of Britain was occupied by the Germans by the end of the 6 th century? What was the
name of their kingdoms?

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7. What is the meaning of the following suffixes in modern place names?

ing: _________________________________________________________________________

ton: _________________________________________________________________________

ham: ________________________________________________________________________

8. What are the names of the language that emerged from the Germanic tribes?

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9. Mention some modern words that come from Old English:

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Chapter 6: The revive of Christianity

1. What did the Christian Missions of 597 AD bring to Britain?

a) Only faith and stones.

b) Faith, stones and an International Language: Latin.
c) Only Latin.

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2. Mention some terms brought to English by Latin?

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3. In what ways was the Latin alphabet different from the scripts that had been brought to Britain by
the Anglos, Saxons and Jutes?

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4. “Christianity brought the book to these shores (to Great Britain)”. What was the first book written
by English speaking people about? In what language was it written?

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5. What language did most of the people speak in Britain by the end of the 7 th century? What
alphabet was this language written down?

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6. What did Old English become capable with writing?

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