Video lesson - Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the oldest structures in Europe and one of the best known prehistoric sites in the world. Watch a History Channel video and do the accompanying exercises. Then to get a good introduction to the whole subject, you can go to the page at Britain Express linked to below.

Photo by thegarethwiscombe at Flickr - some rights reserved

While you watch

Watch the video and answer the questions in Exercise 1. Use the scroll bar to move through the questions.

Exercise 1 - choose the right option

1.	How long ago were the stones put up?
	5,500 years ago
	4,500 years ago
	3,500 years ago
2.	Some of the stones weigh more than?
	4 tons
	5 tons
	40 tons
3.	They would have pulled the stones on what?
	rockers
	rollers
	casters
4.	Building carried on at Stonehenge for a period of:
	100 years
	500 years
	1500 years
5.	Sarsens are a kind of hard:
	limestone
	siltstone
	sandstone
6.	In legend, Merlin was:
	a king
	a witch
	a wizard
7.	The druids were:
	priests
	knights
	peasants
8.	Which of these is NOT one of the three main theories of the purpose of Stonehenge:
	Stonehenge was a place where people were buried
	Stonehenge was a lunar calendar
	Stonehenge could heal people
9.	In the neolithic period this part of the world was:
	very impoverished
	very industrial
	very wealthy
10.	Which of the following artists is NOT mentioned:
	Constable
	Gainsborough
	Turner
11.	Every year people come to Stonehenge to celebrate:
	the summer solstice
	the spring equinox
	the winter solstice
12.	the culture that built stone circles and other stone monuments is known as:
	monolithic
	megalithic
	granolithic

Random Idea English
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com

After you've watched the video

Look at these extracts from the transcript and then do the matching exercise that follows.

Click and Drop - Where you see this sign, mouse over for instructions

• a unique and dramatic monument shrouded in mystery
• we assume that these people were good carpenters
• they would have used some sort of platforms of timber
• Stonehenge ... began in about 3000 BC with a circular ditch and a bank
• the mysteries of Stonehenge have spawned many wild theories
• The most enduring myth concerns a supposed connection to the druids.
• the real meaning of the stones remains as elusive as ever
• The stone circle at Avebury, 1300 metres in circumference
• Today, this mysterious landscape continues to intrigue and inspire.
• Each year the summer solstice draws thousands of revellers to Stonehenge.
• It's vibrant proof
• a megalithic culture that once spanned the whole of Europe

Exercise 2 - match the words and expressions with their definitions.

1.	shrouded			a	full of life and energy, powerful
2.	carpenters			b	wood that is prepared for use in building etc
3.	timber			c	long lasting
4.	ditch			d	give birth to
5.	bank			e	people who work with wood
6.	spawn			f	covered, hidden
7.	enduring			g	people who are having fun in a noisy way
8.	elusive			h	the length of a line going round a circle
9.	circumference			i	difficult to find
10.	intrigue			j	attract
11.	draw			k	stretch right across something, from one side to the other
12.	summer solstice			l	a long channel dug into the ground
13.	revellers			m	make somebody very interested and want to know more about something
14.	dawn			n	the longest day of the year
15.	vibrant			o	a raised area of ground that slopes at the sides
16.	span			p	when the sun rises in the morning

Random Idea English
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com

Exercise 3 - collocations - match the beginnings and endings.

1.	shrouded			a	powers
2.	pinpoint			b	past
3.	wooden			c	achievement
4.	a staggering			d	the dawn
5.	healing			e	sledges
6.	solar			f	proof
7.	burial			g	old gods
8.	vibrant			h	remains
9.	our deep			i	in mystery
10.	enduring			j	mounds
11.	greet			k	calendar
12.	worship			l	precision

Random Idea English
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com

Vocabulary

Exercise 4 - Fill the gaps with the words in the box.

vibrant   ·   dawned   ·   endured   ·   timber   ·   ditch   ·   neolithic   ·   intrigued   ·   spawned   ·   elusive   ·   spanned   ·   draw   ·   shrouded  

1.	The yard was full of for making floorboards.
2.	The building of Stonehenge some 1500 years.
3.	The whole valley was in a light mist which hid the village.
4.	Some of these monuments have for thousands of years.
5.	The answer to the problem of nuclear waste remains .
6.	The success of Starbucks has many imitators.
7.	The film continues to huge audiences.
8.	London has a night life with lots of restaurants and pubs..
9.	The winter morning bright and crisp.
10.	People are still by the legend of King Arthur.
11.	The is also known as the late stone age.
12.	On either side of the road was a to take any rainwater away.

Random Idea English
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com

Links

English Heritage is the government agency which looks after ancient monuments and historical buildings.

General introduction

• Britain Express - Prehistoric Britain - henges, barrows, stone circles, and such. A good introduction the subject.
• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• The History Channel - videos

Stonehenge

• English Heritage
• Wikipedia

Avebury Circle

• English Heritage
• Wikipedia
• Aerial photo - click to enlarge

Silbury Hill

• English Heritage
• Wikipedia

Woodhenge and other prehistoric sites

• Woodhenge - English Heritage
• Woodhenge - Wikipedia
• Windmill Hill - Wikipedia