1. Look at the photos. Which period of history do you think these constructions and objects are from? Read the article and check your ideas.

(Nhìn vào những bức ảnh. Bạn nghĩ những công trình và đồ vật này có từ thời kỳ lịch sử nào? Đọc bài viết và kiểm tra ý tưởng của bạn.)

The lost village of Skara Brae

Winter in the northern isles of Scotland is a stormy season. Every year, heavy rain and strong winds hit the coast of the Orkney Islands. In the winter of 1850, there was a very (1) _____ storm on Mainland, the largest of the Orkneys. It caused terrible damage to the island, but it also revealed an amazing archaeological treasure. When the storm cleared, the outline of an ancient village was (2) _____. Since then, the site has been excavated and explored by archaeologists and they have made some remarkable discoveries.

The ancient village of Skara Brae was built more than 5,000 years ago and was probably (3) _____ between around 3200 BC and 2200 BC. That makes it older than the Great Pyramid at Giza. It’s easy to see why this period of history is called the Stone Age – the houses of Skara Brae and everything in them are made from stone.

The village is so well preserved that it has changed little in 5,000 years. The eight stone houses are connected by low (4) _____ with stone doors. They all have a similar layout: one main room with a central fireplace and stone beds on both sides.

Opposite the entrance is a large stone dresser, a kind of cupboard. It sounds basic to today’s visitor, but in the Stone Age these were warm and comfortable houses.

The archaeologists’ investigations have given us lots of information about the people who lived at Skara Brae and what life was like for them. They were farmers who kept sheep and cattle. They also ate fish, and (5) _____ deer. Every part of the animal was used, including the bones. The archaeologists found jewellery, hair pins, needles, bowls and cups, all (6) _____ from animal bones and stone. They also found stone pots that contained red colouring material and some mysterious carved stone balls.

Around 2200 BC, Skara Brae was (7) _____ and slowly covered by the earth and sands. We don’t know why these people left their small community. It is possible that farming became more difficult because of changes to the environment. We also know that, as the Bronze Age (8) _____, society began to change and small farming communities broke up. Skara Brae was left to the winds.

2. Check the meaning of the words in the box and complete the article. Then listen and check.

(Kiểm tra nghĩa của các từ trong khung và hoàn thành bài viết. Sau đó nghe và kiểm tra.)

3. Read the article again. Answer the questions.

1. What is Mainland?

(Mainland là gì?)

2. When and how was the ancient village of Skara Brae uncovered?

(Ngôi làng cổ Skara Brae được phát hiện khi nào và như thế nào?)

3. How many houses were found?

(Có bao nhiêu ngôi nhà được tìm thấy?)

4. What did the houses look like inside?

(Bên trong những ngôi nhà trông như thế nào?)

5. What two possible reasons does the author give for the people of Skara Brae leaving their village?

(Tác giả đưa ra hai lý do nào có thể khiến người dân Skara Brae rời bỏ làng của họ?)

4. YOUR CULTURE (Văn hoá của bạn)

Work in pairs. Think of an important archaeological site in Việt Nam. Ask and answer the questions.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Hãy nghĩ về một địa điểm khảo cổ quan trọng ở Việt Nam. Hỏi và trả lời câu hỏi.)

1. What period of history is it from? (Nó có từ thời kỳ lịch sử nào?)

2. What was discovered there? (Cái gì đã được phát hiện ở đó?)

3. What does it tell us about the people who lived in Việt Nam at that time? What does it tell us about their way of life?

(Nó cho chúng ta biết điều gì về con người sống ở Việt Nam thời đó? Nó cho chúng ta biết điều gì về lối sống của họ?)

USE IT! (Thực hành!)

5. Work in pairs. Speculate about the use of the following objects in the community of Skara Brae. Use the photos and the text to help you.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Suy đoán về việc sử dụng các đồ vật sau trong cộng đồng Skara Brae. Sử dụng hình ảnh và văn bản để giúp bạn.)