1 Complete the sentence with the past simple form of the verb in brackets.
a Aztec civilization (develop) .J~v~IQ9~J in the Valley of Mexico, 7,500 feet above sea level.
b The Aztecs (leave) their own land of Aztlan at some time during the 12th or 13th century.
c They (believe) that Huitzilopochtli their war god (want) them to search
for a new land.
d They (arrive) in the Valley of Mexico during the 12th or 13th century AD.
e They (build) their capi tal city, Tenochtitlan, on an island in Lake Texcoco.
f They (plant) trees on the island to make the land better, (work) hard and
(improve) the land.
g When the Spanish (arrive)HH in 1519, Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, (think) ..
that Cortez was a returning god.
h When the Spanish (see) the Aztecs' gold, they (decide) to conquer the city.
Later they (kill) Montezuma, (defeat) the Aztecs and (destroy)
..Aztec religion and culture.2 Complete the sentence with the past simple form of the verb in brackets. Then decide if each
sentence isTrue orFalse.Check the factual answers on page 208.
a Greek actors (wear) WQr~ masks and special boots.TrL.l1:-
b Spartan children (take) baths only two or three times a year.
c The philosopher Socrates (drink) poison and died.
d Alexander the Great's army (go) as far as China.
e Heron of Alexandria (make) a kind of jet engine.
f The Roman Emperor Caligula's name (mean) 'Happy Soldier'.
g Roman mathematics (have) no zero.
h Most Roman girls (get) married at the age of 18.
Roman soldiers (pay) for their own equipment and food.
The Romans (know) how to make soap and cement.
3 Seven of the sentences (including the example) contain historical errors. Guess which ones are wrong
and rewrite them with a negative past simple form. Check the factual answers on page 208.
a Alexander the Great married Cleopatra.
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b Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994.
c Leonardo da Vinci invented the Internet.d Confucius the Chinese philosopher died in 1900.e Marco Polo stayed in China for five years.f The ancient Romans used steam engines in their battles.g Genghis Khan invaded Italy and captured Rome.h Christopher Columbus reached America by accident.William Shakespeare wroteDon Quixote.(1)
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