King Arthur

King Arthur and his Knights

George Gibson
This book tells the story of Arthur from his birth to his final battle, and includes
some adventures of the Knights of the Round Table.

and his Knights

This reader uses the EXPANSIVE READING approach, where the text becomes
a springboard to improve language skills and to explore historical background,
cultural connections and other topics suggested by the text.
As well as the stories, this reader contains: retold by George Gibson
• An introduction about the historical background
• A wide range of activities practising the four skills
• PET-style activities and Trinity-style activities (Grades 4/5)
• Dossiers: Knights, Castles, The Round Table and Where was King Arthur

King Arthur and his Knights

Buried?
• Projects on the web
• An AUDIO CD/CD-ROM with a full recording of the text and a variety
of activities and games for further practice
• Exit test and keys at blackcat-cideb.com

Step 2 CEFR A2/B1 Exam: PET Word Count: 2,059

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Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
ts

- ISBN: 9788853000828

GA2_King Arthur COP_12_19.indd 1 18/12/19 10:28

 GreEå A é p äE

KINGKARTHUR
and his NIGHTS
Told by George Gibson

Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
 CONTENTS
C H A P T E R ONE Young Arthur 10
CHAPTER TWO The Sword in the Stone 15
CHAPTER THREE Britain has a King 20
CHAPTER FOUR Excalibur 29
CHAPTER FIVE Arthur meets Guinevere 33
CHAPTER SIX The Five Kings 40
CHAPTER SEVEN Lancelot 45
CHAPTER EIGHT The Holy Grail 58
CHAPTER NINE King Arthur goes to Avalon 65

Dossiers Was King Arthur only a Legend? 4

Before Arthur’s Time 7
Knights 26
Castles 51
Old Castles of Great Interest 54
The Round Table 74
Where was King Arthur Buried? 76

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT 13, 18, 23, 32, 36, 43, 48, 61, 70

Special Features:
pet PET-style exercises 13, 14, 18, 23, 25, 32, 36, 39, 43,
48, 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 70, 78
T: GRADES 4, 5 Trinity-style exercises 19, 44, 63
Project on the Web 57
Exit Test 78
Key to the Exit Test 80

Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
 Was King Arthur only a Legend?

N o, King Arthur was not only a legend. In the ninth

century, a historian called Nennius wrote a book called
Historia Britonum. It was a history of Britain, about the
life of the Celtic leader, 1 Arthur, and his knights. 2
Nennius wrote that Arthur
was a great Celtic military
l eader of the 5 th and 6 th
century. He fought against
the Saxons from the year 513
to 537. He and his men won
many bat tles against the
Saxons.
His people loved and
remembered him for
centuries after. There are
lots of old ballads, songs,
poems and stories about
Arthur and his knights.
In 1470, Sir Thomas Malory
wrote about King Arthur
and his castle, Camelot. His
writings are a complete and
accurate record 3 of the
King’s life and times.
Arthur’s army confronting the Saxons
from Jean Wauquelin’s Chronicle (15th century).

1. leader : commander, ruler.

2. knights : [naitz]
3. record : a writing about events and happenings.

Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
 C H A P T E R O N E

YOUNG ARTHUR
4 n the year 493, Uther Pendragon became
King of Britain. He had a counsellor named
Merlin. Merlin was also a magician. 1
When King Uther’s son Arthur was born,
Merlin said, ‘Your son must grow up away from the court.
It is safer!’
Merlin gave the baby son to Sir Ector and his wife. They
raised 2 him well.
When King Uther died in 509, Britain had no king. The
country had many problems.

1. magician : person who can make strange things happen by magic.

2. raised : looked after, brought up.

10
Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
 KINGKARTHUR
and his NIGHTS

Merlin went to the Archbishop of Canterbury 1 and said,

‘Britain must have a king. We must find one. Call all the
noblemen of the kingdom. Tell them to meet at the great
church in London on Christmas Day. There, God will show
us the new king.’
On Christmas Day, all the noblemen were in the great
church. Outside the church there was a big stone with a
sword in it. These words were written on the big stone:

He who pulls the sword

out of this stone
is the true King of Britain.

1. Archbishop of Canterbury : important religious leader in Canterbury.

12
Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
 UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
pet

1 Read the questions below.

For each question, choose the correct answer – A, B, C or D.

1. What happened in the year 493?

A Sir Ector died.
B Merlin was born.
C Uther Pendragon became King of Britain.
D King Arthur was born.
2. Who was Merlin the magician?
A King Uther’s counsellor.
B King Uther’s father.
C The Archbishop of Canterbury.
D Sir Ector’s brother.
3. Why did Merlin gave King Uther’s baby son to Sir Ector and his wife?
A Because they lived in King Uther’s castle.
B Because it was safer for the baby to grow up away from
the court.
C Because they paid Merlin for the baby.
D Because King Uther did not want the baby.
4. What happened in the year 509?
A Merlin became the King’s counsellor.
B King Uther died.
C Arthur was born.
D The Archbishop of Canterbury died.
5. What did Merlin say to the Archbishop of Canterbury?
A ‘God will show us the new king on Christmas Day.’
B ‘A nobleman of London will be the new king.’
C ‘You must be the new king.’
D ‘Sir Ector will be the new king.’
6. What was written on the stone?
A ‘He who breaks this sword is the true King of Britain.’
B ‘No one must pull this sword out of the stone.’
C ‘He who pulls the sword out of this stone is the true King of
Britain.’
D ‘He who pulls the sword out of this stone is the new
Archbishop of Canterbury.’

Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828
 BEFORE YOU READ
pet

5 1 Listen to Chapter Two.

For each question, put a tick (✓) in the correct box.

1. Who tried to pull the sword out of the stone?

A Sir Ector.
B The noblemen.
C Merlin.

2. Where was the sword on New Year’s Day?

A In the stone.
B In the castle.
C In the church.

3. Who pulled the sword out of the stone?

A The Archbishop of Canterbury.
B Sir Ector.
C Arthur.

4. What did Sir Ector tell Arthur?

A ‘I’m not your real father.’
B ‘I’m the King of Britain.’
C ‘I’m your father.’

5. Who raised Arthur like a son?

A Merlin.
B Sir Ector.
C The Archbishop of Canterbury.

6. What must Arthur do now?

A He must give the sword to the Archbishop.
B He must leave Britain.
C He must go and do his duty.

14
Vicens Vives - King Arthur and his Knights (Blackcat. Green Apple)
- ISBN: 9788853000828