Native English speakers answer questions about history from previous B2, C1, C2 and IELTS exam papers.
We hear how history is celebrated and learned about in the United States, England, Ireland and Australia. We have a bunch of useful phrasal verbs to speak about archaeology and the past in general and we have a particularly tricky question, which catches a lot of the speakers by surprise, so it´s interesting to see how they react to that. We also take a look at some super fancy language in the form of rhetorical questions and idioms.
For classes or transcripts go to https://realexamenglish.com/
Music: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Thanks to all of the contributors, including Matt, Leah Ann, Stephanie, Loli, Richard, Ofordi, Emma and Leanne from the Beach Travel Wine podcast.
Native English speakers answer questions about history from previous B2, C1, C2 and IELTS exam papers.
We hear how history is celebrated and learned about in the United States, England, Ireland and Australia. We have a bunch of useful phrasal verbs to speak about archaeology and the past in general and we have a particularly tricky question, which catches a lot of the speakers by surprise, so it´s interesting to see how they react to that. We also take a look at some super fancy language in the form of rhetorical questions and idioms.
For classes or transcripts go to https://realexamenglish.com/
Music: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Thanks to all of the contributors, including Matt, Leah Ann, Stephanie, Loli, Richard, Ofordi, Emma and Leanne from the Beach Travel Wine podcast.
Real Exam English Season 4 History
Hello and welcome to the Real Exam English. This episode is about history and in it we hear how history is celebrated and learned about in the United States, England, Ireland and Australia. We have a bunch of useful phrasal verbs to speak about archaeology and the past in general and we have a particularly tricky question, which catches a lot of the speakers by surprise, so it´s interesting to see how they react to that. We also take a look at some super fancy language in the form of rhetorical questions and idioms.
If you would like a copy of the transcript for this episode so that you don´t miss any of the important language, then you can find details of how to get it on the Real Exam English website, realexamenglish.com
Ok, then, lets start off in the USA:
Should all children be expected to learn about history at school?
Absolutely. Children should be expected to learn about history, but the way that history is taught is really important. They need to know factual history. They need to understand the different mythologies and reasons why history is taught certain ways and they need to make sure that that history that they are learning, they don't need to…the school districts, the state needs to make sure that the history that they're learning isn't just the countries mythology that it's accurate and that they can apply their thinking to.
How do people in your country celebrate important historical events?
Usually it's with a parade, a BBQ and fireworks. Sometimes if it's something like 911 it's with moments of silence, reviews on television going back, looking at what happened, depends on the nature of the event.
Nice answers from the USA here. As she mentioned for historical events they have a parade, a BBQ and fireworks. A parade is when people walk on the street, usually with a band playing music, maybe with some dancers and people dressed up. In the US you will see parades on days like Saint Patricks Day or Independence Day. I´ve been lucky enough to spend a few summers in the US and the BBQs and fireworks are awesome, and the people are super welcoming.
In her first answer she compared factual history and mythologies, which are a collection of myths belonging to that country. Greek mythology, for instance, would be particularly well-known.
Should all children be expected to learn about history at school?
Yes, absolutely. I think it's very, very important history. I don't think so much emphasis should be made on teaching them dates, you know, parrot fashion. I don't think the dates are particularly relevant or long lists of kings and queens that perhaps we were taught when we were at school. But I think knowing where, knowing where you come from and I also think history, if it's taught properly, can help, you know, I mean, if you can analyze historical events and things then that that helps in all manner of other areas of life. And it's interesting. Maybe not for all children, but certainly for myself.
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be? What would you want to ask?
Oh wow. Historical…that's that's that's thrown me. I'd like to meet the chap who decided he was going to build Gobekli Tepe in Turkey and find out what it was for.
Oh yea, what’s that?
Gobekli Tepe, I'm a bit worried about it now. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site and of course they've had those big earthquakes. It's towards the Syrian end of Turkey. It's a temple complex….we think it's a temple complex. It's very, all very ornate carvings, rings of T-shaped pillars. They built one, then they filled it in. Then they built another one and another one, and another one on top of it. And when they found it, it was just, I think in the 90s it was just like a massive hill. Tepe, meaning hill. And they started digging down, they thought there was some medieval gravestones poking up out of the hill. And then they, I think it was Klaus Schmidt from…a German chap, German archaeologist, started unveiling it, and it turned out to be 11500 years old. It's the oldest temple complex in the world so far. I find it fascinating. So I'm I'm…so it's, I'd like to meet the guy who originally developed the first enclosure because it was built over thousands of years. So I'd find out what that was for.
Super interesting answer there. He wasn’t sure how to answer it inititially and he started off with “oh wow, historical…..that’s thrown me”. If something throws you it kind of catches you surprise, and causes you some difficulty. I was really thrown by the news that my neighbour died, he was quite young. Or in the interview the politician was thrown by the question about his affair with an assistant.
As we heard, it's a brilliant expression to use when you have a really tricky question in an exam. For instance: What are your favourite colour socks? Uff that´s thrown me, I suppose black.
The second answer has some great archaeological verbs in it. The most important I suppose is to dig down. The only way you can dig is down, right, so this might seem a bit redundant but by saying they started digging down you are emphasizing that they are going down deep, rather than just near the surface. To poke up is quite similar actually, he said they found some gravestones poking up out of the ground, meaning they were sticking out through the soil, like in springtime the flowers start to poke up through the soil.
He said they started unveiling it, meaning uncovering it for the first time, or to unveil can also mean to present something for the first time. Like the phone company unveiled a new model of it´s smart phone. He then said that it turned out to be an ancient complex. We had this phrasal verb before, meaning that it is found to be something in the end. So, loads of nice verbs here, plus he said to find out and to fill in, so a wide range of language used, which is exactlywhat we are aiming for.
How interested in history are you?
Yea pretty interested, you know, to a certain degree, my husband's much more interested. But history, you know when you're going to European countries in particular and we're off to Mexico next that you know, there's a lot of history and I think you need to know about that to really appreciate, you know, the architecture and the, you know, the buildings there and also the different cultures. So you know I think that's important to at least know a basic history of where you're going so.
Is it more important for children to learn about their own country's history or world history?
Look, I think it's probably both. I think, you know, you...yeah, it's really hard to make decisions and form opinions if you don't know the history of your own country and also the world. It's quite surprising to me, because Australia is so isolated, how much we don't know around about the rest of the world and I just find that really a shame, you know, like quite quite….just I don't know, it´s a bit upsetting because you go to places you know, like we've been in Spain and just visited some of the most amazing places and buildings and history and you just you just think, how could I've not known about this, you know? And then you come home and tell others about it and they've never heard of it either. So yeah, I think it's, I think, probably a bit of both, to be honest.
Interesting viewpoint there from Australia, that due to its location they aren’t so aware of what is out there in the rest of the world. She started off the first answer about how interested in history she was with this expression, yea pretty interested, to a certain degree. It´s a nice way of saying I´m kind of interested, but not soo much, I´m not claiming to be an expert here. She then used the sandwich technique to answer the second question. She started off with I think it´s probably both, then she explained the benefits of learning her own country’s history and world history and then she finished again with “so yea, I think probably a bit of both, to be honest”. A super handy way to tackle exam questions, the sandwich!
If you would like to get other useful exam tips, like the sandwich, then why not sign up for classes. For further details check out the realexamenglish website, realexamenglish.com
How do people in your country celebrate important historical events?
Uhm, I don't think we support. I don't think we're as fanatical and we support them as much as other countries apart from obviously, when we have the Jubilees and things, those are those were really, really well supported. How morbid is this? But I think we support death more. I mean, when the queen died, it was just like every…the whole, the whole nation, just stopped, and you know, so I think it just just depends. Sporting events, I guess, if the, if the England team are doing well, then the country does get behind those sorts of things but I can't really think....I mean, St. George's Day isn't really that well supported. So I think it's a bit hit and miss.
It´s a bit hit and miss, this means it’s a bit inconsistent. Sometimes they celebrate historical events, sometimes they don´t. He used a lovely rhetorical question in the middle of his answer. He said “how morbid is this? But I think we support death more”. So, with a rhetorical question you don´t expect the other person to answer, it is just used for effect, like in this case it is emphasizing how morbid it is that they support death more than other events. This is quite a sophisticated use of language and if you can get a rhetorical question into an exam speaking or writing answer it would be very impressive. I´ll give you some other examples. Why do we need to study rhetorical questions? I’ll tell you why. How cool is this? I used a rhetorical question in my speaking test. Do you want to pass your speaking test? Then you´d better study rhetorical questions. Nice.
He also used a lovely phrasal verb, to get behind. If the England football is doing well the whole country gets behind them, meaning the whole country supports them. Another example would be the whole town got behind the effort to clean up the city centre.
How interested in history are you?
I'm very interested in history actually. I am very intrigued about things that have happened. I don't know enough history in my own country, but I'm really, really interested in what I can learn and I do enjoy going to museums, as I was saying. I enjoy going to places of historical value, especially in Ireland. But I also love when I'm travelling and on holidays to go and see different historical sites too.
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be? What would you want to ask?
Something crazy like Joan of Arc or something, to just ask her how is she so motivated and how did she as a woman…how did she defend herself and, stand up to challenges from men to get where she was and, uh, yeah, what was her background and motivation to getting on with all the accomplishments that she did or something… I don't know. That's a very confusing one, I'm not sure.
That question really does throw people. She said Joan of Arc stood up to challengers from men. This phrasal verb, to stand up to someone means to defend yourself against a powerful person or organisation. For instance, the kid stood up to the bully and punched him in the face. Or the local people stood up to the company that was polluting the area.
In the first answer she said she was intrigued by history, nice alternative way of saying interested. She also said she likes going to different historical sites. It´s worth pointing out here that she says historical, and not historic. There is a difference between the two words. Historical refers to the study of things from the past, like I enjoy historical novels, or some historical artefacts were found by the archaeologists. Historic, on the other hand, means important in history. For example, the politicians signed a historic peace agreement between the two countries. Or the country winning the world cup was a historic occasion.
Is it more important for children to learn about their own country's history or world history?
I don't really think that that should be a binary question in the sense of an either or. I think both are incredibly important I. Think you need to learn about the history of your country to understand where you come from and the country that you belong to, you know, to use the phrase “no man is an island”. No country is an island in the sense that you know you operate within the world. And so, you know, your country will have had a role to play in the world's history. And so that is equally as important.
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be? What would you want to ask?
Ohh, that's a really hard one to ask me and just put me straight on the spot. Who would I want to meet? I guess because I can't think really off the top of my head of anybody else, Nelson Mandela. And most probably because I think he is somebody that taught forgiveness and understanding despite all the hardships that he faced. And I think that, you know, and that is, you know, and about sort of reconciliation and about learning from history and trying to move forward. And I think those are really important lessons that I feel that some elements of our society have sort of forgotten today. That's my personal view. So I think it would be nice to learn from somebody like that who's experienced so much and has got so much to offer.
I love the start of the answer to this first question, she said I don't really think that that should be a binary question in the sense of an either or. I think both are incredibly important. You could probably simplify this a little bit to make it easier to use, like, for me, it´s not really a binary question, both are incredibly important. She also gets a lovely idiom into this answer, “no man is an island”. Using idioms like this shows a really high level of English and are excellent to use in an exam.
This speaker also found the second question really tricky. Her way of dealing with it was Ohh, that's a really hard one to ask me and just put me straight on the spot. Who would I want to meet? I guess because I can't think really off the top of my head of anybody else, Nelson Mandela. She combined a whopping six different time-buyers to give herself extra time to think. Oh, that´s a really hard one to ask me, and just put me straight on the spot. Who would I want to meet? I guess, because I can´t think off the top of my head of anybody else. Nelson Mandela. Amazing.
I also really like the nouns she uses here, she mentioned forgiveness, understanding, the hardships that he faced, meaning the difficulties, and reconciliation. Examiners are always impressed with big nouns like these, some top-notch vocabulary to finish the podcast with today.
And that IS all we have time for today. If you are preparing for an exam have a think about your local history, as well as the benefits of learning world history and most especially think about how you would answer that challenging question about the famous historical figure. Even better add your answer on social media or on Spotify, which has a cool new interactive section.
Ok folks, thanks very much for listening, all the best