Pages of history: linking past and present

Answer the questions.
Do you like history?
Where can we get information about historic events?
What periods in the history of mankind do you find most interesting?
What people played a special role in history?
What events in history changed the face of the world?
Do people always learn lessons of history?
What history can teach us?

We live in the 21st century in a fast changing world, the world of new ideas and new technologies, but we shouldn’t forget that our present life has been prepared by everything that has happened on our planet so far.
The long history of mankind is not a string of half-remembered events of the past. Our history is what we are now. It explains things to us about the future because history repeats itself.
Every minute of our life is history in the making. Every person lives in the past, present and future.

Anthropologists formulated a theory of cultural evolution in which they divided human development into three stages: savagery, barbarism and civilization.
Initially our ancestors were hunters and gatherers. They were grouped into tribes. These tribes usually included relatives and shared the same language and culture. They were governed by meetings of elders. Early people in prehistoric times are supposed to have been simple, severe, without any attention to comfort.

The first great idea which started man on the road to his great achievements was when a caveman picked up a heavy stone to help him. The use of fire was another step without which no development would have been possible. Another great move towards modern technology was the invention of the wheel. First man hunted animals for food, but gradually he learned to capture and tame some of them, so that he could keep his food nearby. Man also discovered how to plant crops.

The British archaeologist Gordon Childe worked out a theory explaining how a culture transforms into a civilization. He wrote that a civilization is characterized by the invention of writing, mathematics, long-distance trade, wheeled carts, irrigation technology and some other features.
Modern scientists say that it has the following basic characteristics: political and religious structures and administration of the territories, a complex division of labour, with full-time artisans, soldiers, peasants and administrators.

“Civilization is an advanced stage of human development marked by a high level of art, religion, science and social and political organization.”
Historians have differed greatly in deciding how many civilizations there were in the past. Nowadays scholars study not only civilizations of the Western World going back to Ancient Greece and Rome but also the civilizations of Islam, Byzantium, India, China, Japan and the African kingdoms.

The ancient Near East has been called the cradle of Western civilization. To its people we owe the invention of agriculture, the alphabet, the first cities. This region includes modern Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Iraq. Ancient Egypt deserves a special mention. It developed a unique culture that lasted 3 thousand years.
The Greeks made radical experiments with political, artistic and philosophical ideas, all of which have had a lasting influence on Western civilization. One of the most fascinating things that the Greeks have left us is their legends.

Ancient Romans were great lawmakers and keen politicians. They were skillful warriors too, they took part in overseas wars, trying to expand their power, and conquered a number of neighbouring peoples.
Unfortunately the history of mankind is not only a history of inventions and discoveries but also a history of wars and military conflicts.
However we can benefit from the knowledge left to us by earlier generations, even if it is acquired through frightening and cruel experiences.
The lifestyle which we enjoy today is a result of countless ideas and deeds of our forefathers.

Find some information about an event of great historic importance.
a war
an invention
Think of how to present it to the class in the most interesting way. Give your presentation. Remember that it shouldn’t exceed 5-7 minutes.

There are some words that can come in handy.
1. WARS
break out
be launched or unleashed or started
declare war on
invade one’s territory
attack one’s troops
try to destroy one’s towns and military forces
lay siege to a city
capture soldiers and officers / take them prisoner
fight battles on battlefields
try to control the enemy’s territory
bomb or shell the enemy’s territory
conduct hostilities
defend one’s territory and people
repel the enemy’s attacks
try to set the prisoners free
retreat or counterattack
stand alone against the enemy forces or fight together with one’s allies
win important victories
face a defeat
suffer heavy casualties

go to war
enrol in the army / join it
fight on smb’s side
show great courage and determination to win
fall on the battlefield
get wounded, injured or killed
become prisoners of war or hostages
be listed as missing in action
become refugees
be awarded with medals and orders
cost the lives of many people
prove to be ruinous and disastrous
end in a victory or a defeat after heavy fighting
be often horrible and bloody
A well-organized army has:
headquarters
a commander-in-chief
generals, colonels, captains, lieutenants, soldiers (privates)
military equipment
ammunition (bombs, missiles, mines, tanks, aircraft carriers, guns, rifles and other weapons
means of carrying out modern warfare

2. INVENTIONS
The opinions about the first invention of the … have been discussed and argued upon for generations.
It is difficult to determine any one person as the first to create the … invention.
There were numerous inventors that contributed to the invention of …
Among these inventors were …
There were two prominent contributors to early versions of …
his intention was to…
to aim to discover ( improve) …
The first attempts at … were challenging.
… not to make much progress before …
to be a failure
to work alone on one’s invention
to discuss one’s ideas or collaborate with other inventors
to achieve amazing results
to succeed in …
It occurred to him that…
to extend the work of …