UNIT 15 TEST

NOWADAYS

Nowadays most people live in towns or cities.
In some town centres, people live in high-rise flats.
Outside towns, people live in houses.
There are many historic monuments in towns.
Tourists love to visit them.
Everyone travels by fast means of transport.
Some people work on farms.
Most people work in services.

HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO

Noblemen lived in big castles made of stone.
Their job was to go to war to fight the enemy.
They rode on horses.
The common people lived in small villages.
For protection, they built their villages next to the castles.
They walked, travelled by cart or boat.
People had different jobs: millers (made flour), blacksmiths (made things out of iron), farmers (grew crops).

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO

Thousand of years ago people lived in huts made of branches and animal skins.
They walked everywhere.
They did not travel very far.
They had very feew possessions.
Primitive people picked wild plants to eat.
They hunted wild animals in the forest.
They caught fish in the river.
They cooked food over an open fire.

HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Historical monuments are very old buildings.
Historical monuments can be:

• Buildings: churches, castles or palaces.
• Other constructions: bridges or city walls.

Madrid's Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de la Almudena)

Manzanares El Real Castle

The Royal Palace of Madrid

Toledo's Brigde in Madrid

Avila's City Wall

HISTORICAL SYMBOLS

Most places have historical symbols to represent their town or village:

• A flag.
• A local hymn or song.
• A coat of arms.

Spain's flag.

Spain's coat of arms.

LOCAL FESTIVALS

All over the world, people celebrate local festivals in their cities, villages and towns.
Many countries celebrate New Year's Eve on 31st December.
Some countries celebrate Carnival in the spring.
Some festivals celebrate important events that happened in the past (a battle), or religious events (Easter or Diwali).
Some festivals celebrate the life of the patron saint of the city, village or town.

TRADITIONS

Most cities, towns and villages have their own customs, which make them different from other places.
These are called traditions.
Traditions include:

• Typical customes.
• Traditional dances, songs and music.
• Traditional food and crafts.

Traditional legends are stories about people who lived a long time ago.
Sometimes, part of the story was invented by the storyteller.

Typical customes Madrid

Traditional food Madrid

Chotis, Madrid