I. Read the text and arrange the events mentioned in it in the chronological oder.
The American Revolution was not merely an uprising but a seismic reordering of politics and ideas, and its fuse had been laid earlier. After the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) ended in British victory, London’s war debts set the stage for colonial taxation: the Stamp Act (1765) taxed printed materials and ignited the rallying cry of “no taxation without representation,” while the Townshend Acts (1767) layered on import duties that deepened resentment. Tensions boiled over in 1770 with the Boston Massacre, where five colonists were killed and outrage spread through the seaports. When Parliament pressed still further, Bostonians answered with the Boston Tea Party (1773), dumping 342 chests into the harbor as a pointed rebuttal to imperial policy.
In response, colonial leaders convened the First Continental Congress (September 1774) to assert their rights. By April 1775, events had outrun petitions: at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts Minutemen fired the “shots heard around the world,” and within months, at Bunker Hill (June 1775), a costly British victory paradoxically lifted colonial morale. Ideas long discussed now became declarations: on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Even in dark hours, resolve held—December 1776 saw Washington’s crossing of the Delaware and the surprise strike at Trenton, restoring confidence.
The war’s hinge came with Saratoga (1777–1778), which persuaded France to join in 1778; the Marquis de Lafayette helped train American forces and turned a colonial rebellion into an international conflict. Still, strains showed: Benedict Arnold’s defection (1780) exposed the war’s pressures, and in May 1780 the British captured Charleston, South Carolina, dealing a heavy blow. Yet the allied strategy culminated at Yorktown (1781), where Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending major combat. The achievement was ratified in diplomacy with the Treaty of Paris (1783), by which Britain recognized American independence.
Thus, what began as protests over taxes matured into history’s boldest political experiment—an endurance of farmers and tradesmen, a transatlantic alliance, and a new order premised on liberty, self-government, and equality.
Match events to their dates — drag each event onto the correct date
- 1756–1763 →
- 1765 →
- 1767 →
- 1770 →
- 1773 →
- Sep 1774 →
- Apr 1775 →
- Jun 1775 →
- Jul 4, 1776 →
- Dec 1776 →
- 1777–1778 →
- 1778 →
- 1780 →
- May 1780 →
- 1781 →
- 1783 →
Total Questions: 16
Incorrect Answers: 0
II. Read the text again and match the idioms from it with their definitions:
Drag words into correct gaps
- A moment of immense, transformative impact in the past →
- An action that seemed small locally but had global repercussions →
- Profound, almost religious respect for someone’s words or legacy →
- Pause and consider the bigger picture before proceeding →
- A place where unrest and resistance actively flourish →
- Conditions were prepared so that the next development became likely →
- A self-reinforcing cycle of negative causes and effects →
- Warn others urgently about impending danger or action →
- Make a stance firm and difficult to change →
- Be very different from something else →
- Create conditions that make a later result possible →
- An ill-equipped, loosely organized group of ordinary people →
- A bold, unprecedented attempt in governance or society →
- A figurative steady advance toward improvement over time →
Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
Fill each gap with one word in the rephrases of the sentences below
- The Minutemen fired at Lexington and Concord, and right after that the war began. → the Massachusetts Minutemen fired the shots heard around the world at Lexington and Concord Boston’s of rebellion ignited into open war.
- The war debt led to the Stamp Act in 1765. → from the Seven Years’ War the way for the Stamp Act of 1765.
- If the Townshend duties had not happened, people today would think of 1776 differently. → the Townshend duties deepened resentment, Americans today less inclined to treat 1776 with almost holy .
- The Congress asked the Crown to cancel laws and respect the people’s right to choose. → The First Continental Congress demanded laws and the people’s right to choose. Even though the winter was cold, Washington crossed the Delaware to warn people. → Harsh , Washington crossed the Delaware to sound the alarm at Trenton.
- The more Britain punished the colonies, the more resistance grew proportionally to Britain's punishing measures. → The punished, resistance grew.
- People say Paul Revere rode to warn about danger and change. → Paul Revere not merely to warn of approaching troops but to sound the alarm of a turning tide in history. The colonies got their complaints printed and spread, which further cemented their position. → The colonies had , which further cemented their position.
- The delegates arranged to meet in Philadelphia in September 1774 to plan resistance. → The delegates convene in Philadelphia in Sep 1774, a step that set the stage coordinated resistance.
- Some leaders in 1775 preferred the King to listen to the people instead of tightening control. → Moderates in 1775 rather the Crown to the people than control.
- It is clear Saratoga was the turning point that brought France in. → There’s no Saratoga as the turning point for French support.
- The Boston Tea Party was more than destruction; it was a seismic moment in history staged to sound the alarm. → The Boston Tea Party was not as a seismic moment in history staged to sound the alarm.
- Many soldiers at Bunker Hill fought bravely, though they lost. → a soldier in that ragtag bunch of farmers held the line at Bunker Hill, defeat.
- Most people think Yorktown secured America’s progress toward freedom. → held that Yorktown cemented later to be hailed as a legendary march of progress toward freedom.
- In 1773, colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. → 342 chests of tea went into Boston Harbor in 1773, a spectacle that paved the way for harsher reprisals.
- By July 1776, the signers chose to risk their lives and money to cement their independence. → By Jul 4, 1776, the signers committed their lives and fortunes, thereby their position.
- France became an ally in 1778 after Saratoga and helped at Yorktown. → France, 1778 was concluded after Saratoga, provided the fleet that trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown. Lafayette trained the volunteers so they could fight better. → Lafayette drilled the volunteers so a ragtag bunch of farmers could fight like an army.
- Still, the road from 1776 to 1783 was not simple or straight. → said, the road from 1776 to 1783 was a cry from a straight line of progress.
- Loyalists were very disappointed when they learned that the Treaty of Paris gave America independence. → Loyalists were bitterly disappointed that the Treaty of Paris (1783) recognised independence, a settlement that paved the way for their exile.
Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
[ВОШ финал] Presentation and questions
Total time: 10 minutes
Task 1 Boston: Revolution Sparks
1. Monologue:
Time 3 – 3,5 minutes, depending on the duration of the video clip.
As ‘representative of a tourist board in Boston, USA’, advertise one of the tours your company offers those exploring the history of the country. Using the video and information from the fact file, speak about the excursion 'Boston: Sparks of Revolution"
| Intro about this excursion | Old State House |
| Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum | Paul Revere’s House & Old North Church |
| Old South Meeting House | Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market |
| Boston Common | Conclusion |
/
| Click here to show/hide fact file You can make notes during the preparation time, but YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ them during the presentation. So, prepare a pen and a sheet of paper before you start to do this task)
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Click here to show/hide active and transition phrases
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Synchronize your presentation with the video. 2. Questions/ Answers: Time: 2 - 3 minutes. Answer 2 QUESTIONS from your partner – ‘a fellow student’ about the Concept Cars. Make sure your answer is based on the information from the fact file. If there is NO relevant information in the fact file, base your answer on your best guess. You have 1 to 2 minutes to answer each question. You can make notes during the preparation time, but YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ them during the presentation.
Explain why historical immersive tours are the best choice for a curious tourist.
2. Questions/ Answers:
Time: 2 - 3 minutes. Answer 2 QUESTIONS from your partner – ‘a potential client of your tourist board’ about the groups excursions. Make sure your answer is based on the information from the fact file. If there is NO relevant information in the fact file, base your answer on your best guess. You have 1 to 2 minutes to answer each question. You can make notes during the preparation time, but YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ them during the presentation.
Student 2: Ask the presenter 2 questions about the colonists' motifs of disguising themselves as Mohawk Indians and about the lantern signal at Old North Church / the role of Faneuil Gall & Quincy Market then and today
Use of Engllish
The museums are rich, but the open-air landmarks bring history closer. → as the museums are, the open-air landmarks bring history even closer.
The books are inspiring, but nothing is like standing where the Revolution began. → Inspiring the books may be, nothing equals standing where the Revolution began.
The trail is not just a tour, but a chance to live history and stay fit. → The trail is not so much a tour a chance to live history while keeping fit.
Classroom lessons are memorable, but walking the trail makes history unforgettable. → as classroom lessons are, walking the actual trail makes history unforgettable.
The parks look peaceful today, but they once echoed with musket fire. → Peaceful as the parks today, they once echoed with the sounds of musket fire.
Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0