IELTS Reading

History: Battles and Conflict 1

– The Battle of Hastings –

​”In the annals of history, the Battle of Hastings, fought on October 14th, 1066, holds monumental significance. This clash, a culmination of a contentious succession dispute following the death of King Edward the Confessor of England, pitted Harold Godwinson, the recently crowned Anglo-Saxon king, against William of Normandy.

Utilizing a combination of infantry, cavalry, and archers, William, later known as William the Conqueror, relentlessly besieged Harold’s shield wall. After several feigned retreats, the Norman forces finally broke through, leading to the demise of Harold and the majority of his troops.

The outcome of the Battle of Hastings irrevocably altered the course of English history. The Normans supplanted the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and the cultural amalgamation that ensued engendered a profound transformation in the English language, governance, and architecture. The ramifications of this battle were so profound that they are still discernible in modern English society.”

​Choose NO MORE THAN TWO words from the text for each answer.
  1. The Battle of Hastings is considered to have __________ importance in history.
  2. The battle was the result of a __________ regarding who should be the king after King Edward the Confessor passed away.
  3. Harold Godwinson was the Anglo-Saxon king who fought against William of __________.
  4. William employed a mix of __________, horsemen, and bowmen in the battle.
  5. The clash led to the __________ of Harold and most of his army.
  6. The merger of cultures after the battle had a deep impact on the English language, __________, and building styles.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE word from the text for each answer.

The Battle of Hastings, which took place on the 14th of October in 1066, is of paramount _________ in the chronicles of history. The engagement was the _________ of a heated argument over royal inheritance after the demise of England’s King Edward the Confessor. Harold Godwinson, who had recently ascended to the English throne, was _________ by William, the Duke of Normandy.

Using an assemblage of foot soldiers, mounted warriors, and arrow-shooters, William orchestrated a _________ attack against Harold’s defensive formation. The Normans’ tactical withdrawal finally led to a breach in the defense, culminating in Harold’s downfall and the annihilation of the bulk of his forces.

The reverberations of this event instigated an enduring _________ in England’s linguistic, administrative, and structural landscape, and the implications of this skirmish are still evident today.

Vocabulary Builder 

  • Find the synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) to these 9 words from the original passage.
Word in Original Passage Synonym in Questions (Find the word) Synonym in Gapped Paragraph (Find the word)
significance
culmination
pitted
combination
infantry
cavalry
demise
transformation
architecture
Key Word (Original Passage) Synonym (Questions) Synonym (Gapped Paragraph)
significance importance paramount importance
culmination result outcome
pitted fought against challenged by
combination mix assemblage
infantry foot soldiers foot soldiers
cavalry horsemen mounted warriors
demise downfall downfall
transformation impact enduring alteration
architecture building styles structural landscape

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