Canterbury and Exeter cathedrals also boast magnificent architecture and attract visitors from around the world.
.....
Some historic treasures date back even further.
Stonehenge… This giant circle of stones stands out as one of Britain’s most famous and visited historical sites. Dating back thousands of years, its origins still remain a mystery and that's why it’s still so popular.
Susan Greaney is a historian.
Richard: Susan, what is Stonehenge?
Susan: Stonehenge is a prehistoric stone monument built about four and a half thousand years ago in what we call the Neolithic period. We think it was probably used as some kind of temple.
Richard: So why is it so important?
Susan: Well, Stonehenge is unique in the world. It's an incredibly complex monument and it's amazing that it's survived from so long ago.
Richard: Now you also do research here, so what have you discovered about the site?
Susan: Stonehenge has got lots and lots of secrets and archaeology is trying to reveal them the whole time. One of the most recent things we've been doing is a laser survey of the standing stones and that's telling us lots of new detail about how the stones were carved, and how they were set up, and the kinds of carvings and graffiti that are on the stones.
Richard: Tell me one of the famous myths around the circle.
Susan: Well, there's a really interesting myth about the fact that the stones were brought here from Ireland by the wizard Merlin and that was a myth that was popular in the medieval period. Actually, we know that some of the smaller blue stones here do come from the west, from Wales, so there's an element of truth underneath the myth.
So there you go. What a great heritage Britain has, as seen here at Stonehenge. I'm off to explore some more.
Comments
Hello deb_25,
The difference is indeed quite subtle, but there is one. 'Ireland' is pronounced /aɪələnd/ (on the page I linked to, click on the small red symbol after the letters UK to hear it) whereas 'island' is pronounced /aɪlənd/.
Notice that in 'island', the first syllable is a dipthong (/ai/) followed directly by the second syllable /lənd/, whereas in 'Ireland' the first syllable includes the neutral vowel /ə/ at the end, before the final syllable /lənd/.
I hope this helps, but if you still find it difficult to hear, I wouldn't worry too much. Most of the time, which is word is being used should be clear from context.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
The oldest stone building is the Church of St. John the Baptist. It was built in X century, it is located in the center of Kerch. I've never been there but I'd like to visit it in the near future. Our government should spend more money to find out a lot of information about our sites.
Well,I think Italy is best known for its roman monuments,but in some regions there are more antique monuments..for example, in tuscany there is the necropolis of Populonia,with quite some examples of etruscan tombs. In sardinia and in puglia there are very much examples of really antique architecture in the constructions so called "Nuraghe" and "Domus de janas"(sardinia) and "Trullo" (puglia).If you haven't ever seen those structures,I'd recommend you to Google them because they are very very peculiar.
bye everyone!!
I suppose the Great Wall should be the oldest monument in China. The oldest part of it was built more than 2,000 years ago.It was built along the ridges. The walls connect to the beacon towers which were built on top of mountains.
I have been there many times. It is fantastic view up there. Most people like to go there when there is good weather around, but if you want to appreciate a magnificent kind of interact between nature and the man-made structure you really need to go in the snow, or during sun dawn and dusk.
I give my complete support to archeological exploration preservation and restoration. Historical sites are good educational resources and can serve places as tourist attractions.
Both videos (Parts 1 and 2) are excellent!
Hi there,
During her exposure Susan says: "It's an incredibly complex monument". However, the adverb "incredibly" seems weird to me. Should it be an adjective "incredible" instead of adverb or I am totally crazy?
Hi andeo,
'Incredibly' here means 'extremely'. It is a strong modifier.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Team LearningEnglish !
I haven't been able to open the video above since yesterday, before it was normally to watch it. Can you tell me how to download it for more convenience use?
Thank you
Mai Phạm
Hello Mai Phạm,
I'm afraid our Word on the Street videos are not available for download. I'd suggest you download and re-install the Adobe Flash Player on your device - sometimes this will solve this sort of problem.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
The oldest monument-I suppose is our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal located at Camarines Norte very far from my place, because of modern technology we can now see the monument without going to the province. Yes, for me it is okay to spend government money to preserve the natural wonders of our country so that it will still be genuine and interesting in the future.
To anyone: please comment and help me with my grammar. Thank you.
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