1 Read about some of the UNESCO sights in Britain. Match the places (1–6) to the correct headings (A–G).
There is one extra heading. Fill in your answers in the table below. (6 points max.)
A. In the middle of nowhere
B. Three important buildings
C. Destroyed in a fire
D. It all sounds old to me
E. Given as a present
F. A kind man
G. There’s nobody left
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
Sites in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories
There are 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Great Britain and its overseas territories. Many are
world famous, such as Stonehenge. Others are less well known and we are going to look at a few
of these here.
1. Saltaire. In the 19th century, many people lived and worked in terrible conditions. Sir Titus
Salt owned mills where cotton was made, but he was different to other bosses. He built a
complete village for his workers with pleasant houses and green spaces. This village is Saltaire
and it is now a living museum where people still live and work.
2. Henderson Island. This island is about as far from people as it is possible to get, lying halfway
between South America and Australia. Nobody lives here, and the island is important for
scientists to see how animals and plants grow and live when they are left completely on their
own.
3. Blenheim Palace. This has been the home of the Churchill family since 1722. The land had
been given to John Churchill by the government after he fought and won in a war. Sir Winston
Churchill was born here. The palace is now open to visitors.
4. Durham Castle and Cathedral. Durham is a small city in the north of England with the third
oldest university in England after Oxford and Cambridge. The cathedral and castle date back to
William the First, and were built in the late eleventh century.
5. St Kilda is a small island off the northwest coast of Scotland. It was home to a small
population for about 2,000 years, but the last people left the island in 1930. St Kilda is also the
most important sea bird colony in northwest Europe.
6. Edinburgh old and new town. Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since 1437. The old
town refers to the area on top of the hill where the castle stands. There have been castles here
for thousands of years, but the oldest part of the present castle dates back to the twelfth century.
The new town was built in the 18th century and its most famous street is Princes Street.
