# A Companion to Our Literary Journey/Magna Carta Exercises
## Open cloze

WHAT IS MAGNA CHARTA?
Complete the text below with the correct answers.
Magna Charta has inspired people across the centuries, from (1) …………….. to (2)………………..
In 1215, the ruler was (3) …………….. and he was considered one of the worst kings in history.
He imprisoned (4)……………………, he (5)………………….. to death, he (6)…………………………. and(7) …………………………. of the Irish Chiefs.
King John imposed heavy (8)..………on his barons in order to buy the equipment for wars and if they refused to pay, he punished them by (9)………………………
The barons and King John met at (10)………………… in June 1215 and the result of the negotiations was written down by (11)…………………….. in the document called Magna Charta.
Magna Charta has become a powerful (12)……………………… around the world.
The most famous clause, which is still part of the law today, for the first time gave all free men the right to (13)…………. and a (14)…………… but the vast majority of people in 1215 were ruled over by their (15)……………...
When King John died in 1216, (16)………., who was only 9 years old, took to the throne.
To keep the peace, Magna Charta Washington reissued several times during the 13th century, until it Washington finally made part of (17)………………….
What started out as a document of specific complaints from a group of barons has turned into an international symbol of (18)………., without which we might not have the rights we value so much today.

## True or false

Read the following statement about the Magna Carta. If the statement is true, write T. If it is False, write F and correct the mistake.
1. The Magna Carta was signed in 1215.
2. The document was created by King John to strengthen his power.
3. The Magna Carta introduced the idea that everyone, including the king, must follow the law.
4. Only nobles benefited from the Magna Carta, and common people had no rights.
5. The Magna Carta immediately ended the conflict between King John and the barons.
6. Some principles of the Magna Carta influenced modern democracies, including the U.S. Constitution.
7. The Magna Carta originally contained 63 clauses.
8. King John willingly signed the Magna Carta without any pressure.
9. The Magna Carta is still fully in effect in the UK today.

## Quiz

* What does “Magna Carta” mean?
The Big Paper
The king of England
The Great Charter
The Important Document
2. When was Magna Carta established?
1125
1215
1306
1217
3. Under who was Magna Carta established?
King John Lackland
King Edward III
King Richard the Lionheart
Queen Elisabeth I
4. What did King John do?
Imposed heavy taxes on his barons
Murdered his own nephew
Imprisoned his former wife
All the answers are correct
5. What was the main reason the barons forced King John to sign Magna Carta?
To establish democracy
To limit the king’s power and protect their rights
To declare war on France
To increase taxation
6. What is Magna Carta?
A newspaper
A law
A democratic document
A contract
7. Which of these is a principal of Magna Carta?
Every man must join the army when he turns 15
Habeas Corpus
Marrying only one woman
The abolition of serfdoms

## Crosswords

ACROSS
3. was both Duke of Normandy and king of England
6. the royal household of England throughout the
12th century
7. its nickname is “The lion hearted”
9. mandatory financial charges imposed by the
government
12. honest and public hearing by an independent and
impartial court
14. someone accused of a crime
15. something given as a tax for a marriage
18. the means the barons had to impose their requests
no John
19. the principle that states that no one could try a case
if the body of the defendant is not in court
20. he sweared loyalty to his lord that gave him a feud
22. a set of fundamental principles or laws that lead a country
DOWN
1. the one that suffered from a crime in a court of law
2. Magna charta inspired the key principle of this
legal document
4. rights that every human being acquires simply by
being born into this world
5. traditions and beliefes that society considers
important to its history and culture
8. Henry’s daughter who married a Plantagenet
10. peasent who were not free to leave the service of
their landlords
11. special rights or advantages granted for a
particular group
13. pubblic official who institutes legal proceedings
against someone
16. estate or material goods transmitted from an
ancestor
17. the principle of fairness and the legal system that
ensures laws are applied equally
21. that state of being free within society

## Taboo
### Rules

* Magna Carta is a forbidden word in all the cards
* ⁠The class is divided into two teams.
* ⁠A player from each group picks a card and must get his teammates to guess the word highlighted at the top without using the forbidden words listed below.
* The team has to guess as many words as possible before the time runs out.
* ⁠The points are given according to the level of difficulty of the word:
1. Green words are worth 1 point.
2. Yellow words are worth 2 points.
3. Red words are worth 3 points.
4. Purple words are worth 3 points and an immunity to a point loss (as explained in the rules listed below).
* The player can choose the difficulty of the word however he can’t choose a specific word.
* After the player chooses the card he cannot change it, if he skips the card the team loses a point.
* If the player uses a forbidden word, his team loses a point.
* If a player uses a hand gesture to help his teammates to guess during his turn, his team loses a point.
* The groups have 1 minute per turn to make as many points as possible.
* The game concludes when all the cards are finished