a) Look at the pictures. Which shows:
b) Now listen to the sounds. What do you think the text is about? Tell the class.
c) Listen, read and check.
The Haunted City of York
If you like the idea of exploring historic places around the world, the city of York in northern England should difinitely be on your list of places to visit. The Romans founded this city in 71 AD and it’s full of fascinating history and culture. It’s a lot of fun to go on a city tour of York and walk along the ancient city walls, visit York Minster, one of the largest medieval cathedrals in Europe and wander down the pretty cobbled streets. York is also famous for something else. It is one of the most haunted cities in the world, with about 140 ghosts! In fact, York’s many night-time ghost walks are very popular with tourists as they are an entertaning and spooky way to learn about the city’s history. One York ghost story, however, stands out above all the rest. It’s the story of the Treasurer’s House, one of York’s many historic buildings …
One day in February 1953, a plumber, Harry Martindale, had been in the cellar of the Treasurer’s House since morning. He had heard lots of stories about the place being haunted. Just before midday, he was working when he heard a strange noise like a trumpet. He looked back and saw the helmet of a Roman soldier coming through the wall! Harry couldn’t believe his eyes. Then, a whole soldier on a horse came through the wall on the other side! Twenty more Roman soldiers followed him. They were marching unhappily in pairs and they were carrying shields and spears. What Harry hadn’t noticed was that the soldiers weren’t walking on the floor of the cellar, because he couldn’t see their legs.
When he realised that, Harry ran out of the cellar, terrified. He found out later that some Roman soldiers had gone missing in York many centuries before.
Maybe the soldiers he saw were the missing soldiers and they were walking on the old Roman road below the cellar!
Want to know more? Visit www.visityork.org for more information about York and its ghostly attractions!
Read again and number the events in the order they happened. Use the pictures to tell your partner a summary of the story.