Richard visits several important literary sites in England, including the Globe Theatre and Charles Dickens' former home. The Globe is a reconstruction of Shakespeare's original theatre, which burned down in 1613. It opened to the public over 25 years ago and hosts around 250 performances annually for audiences of about 12,000 people. Dickens lived at 48 Doughty Street in London for two years, where he wrote Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers and Nicholas Nickelby. The home is now a museum containing original manuscripts, his writing desk, and a portrait of Dickens. He began working in a factory at age 10.

1. Literature Is Great – Part 1
1. Choose the things that Richard does in the video.
He interviews two people.
He quotes from Shakespeare.
He reads a book.
He sees a writer's personal belongings.
He sits where a writer sat.
He visits a museum.
He visits a reconstruction of a famous building.
He visits some famous literary landscapes.
He watches a play.
2. Complete the paragraphs with information (words or numbers) from the video.
The Globe is a recreation of Shakespeare's original theatre, which burnt down in
_______________. It opened to the public _______________ years ago. The theatre has a curved
_______________ and is unusual because it has no _______________. There are approximately
_______________ performances every year to audiences of about _______________ people. They
do a variety of plays by Shakespeare and his _______________ and new plays too.
Charles Dickens was a great British novelist, born _______________ years ago. He lived at 48,
Doughty Street in London for _______________ and his old home has now been turned into a
museum. He wrote _______________, The Pickwick Papers and Nicholas Nickelby there. The most
important exhibits are some original manuscripts, his _______________, and a _______________
by R.S.Buss. Dickens went to work in a _______________ when he was only 10 years old. He wrote
about themes such as social _______________ and poverty, which are still relevant today.
3. Make sentences from the video by putting the words in the correct order.
a) bard / himself - / British writer / them / WilliamShakespeare / of / The greatest / all is the
b) audience / bring / to a / aims to / It / wider / an appreciation / of Shakespeare
c) writer / is / I can / as Shakespeare / who is / contemporary / as relevant / think / hardly / of
a
d) ago / feeling of / a theatre / been / might / a real / like / I’ve got / hundreds of years / have
/ what
e) The / Charles Dickens / the urban / poor / one of the / English literature, / plight of / giants
of / inspired