Check your comprehension. 1. What were the most ancient people who lived on the British Isles?

1. What were the most ancient people who lived on the British Isles? 2. What kind of monument did the earliest people leave to us? 3. How does the monument look like?

TEXT 2

Read the following proper nouns correctly.

Roman ['roumqn] – римлянин

The Mediterranean Sea ["medItq'reInjqn 'sJ] – Средиземное море

Julius Caesar ['dZHljqs 'sJzq] – Юлий Цезарь

A.D. (Anno Domini) ['xnou'dOmInaI] – наша эра

Celt ['kelt] – кельт (древнее племя)

Read and translate the text.

The Roman Conquest of Britain (1, 300)

Two thousand years ago while the Celts were still living in tribes the Romans were the most powerful people in the world. Roman society was divided into the class of slaves and the class of slave-owners. With the help of the army the slave-owners put down the uprisings of the exploited. The army also helped the slave-owners to protect their riches against foreign enemies and to wage endless wars in order to conquer new lands and to seize more slaves. The Romans conquered all countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

In 55 B.C. a Roman army of 10, 000 men with Julius Caesar at the head crossed the Channel and invaded Britain. The Celts saw their ships approaching and rushed to attack the invaders in the sea as they were landing. Their hair and moustaches were dyed red and their legs and arms were painted blue. With loud shouts they attacked the Romans in chariots and on foot and the well-armed invincible Romans under one of the greatest general of that time had to retreat to Gaul (France).

In the next year, 54 B.C., Caesar again came to Britain, this time with large forces (25, 000 men). The Celts fought bravely for their independence but they were not strong enough, in spite of their courage, to drive the Romans off. The Romans, who had better arms and armour and were much better trained, defeated the Celts in several battles. Some of the chiefs submitted and promised to pay tribute to Rome. But the promised tribute was not paid.

Nearly a hundred years later, in 43 A.D. a Roman Army invaded Britain and conquered the South-East. The Celts fought fiercely against the Romans who never managed to become masters of the whole island.

Notes

1) put down uprising – погасить восстание;

2) wage a war – вести войну;

3) in order to – для того, чтобы;

4) pay tribute to – платить дань к-л.