Question
A1. Simple Factual Activities:
Correct the following sentences using facts from the passage:
(a) Helen escaped with Menelaus.
(b) Troy was attacked because it was a strong rich city.
The Iliad is the story of Ilium or Troy, a rich trading city in Asia Minor near the narrow sea that leads from the Aegean to the Black Sea. It was well situated, both for commerce and agriculture. In front of the city was the sea over which sailed the ships of Troy, carrying goods and grain. At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams. The valleys among the hills were well-watered and fertile, with corn growing in fertile fields and cattle feeding on the rich grass of the meadows while sheep fed on the slopes of the hills.
Round their city the Trojans had built a strong wall so that no enemy should attack them from the sea. The wall was so broad that people could stand and sit and walk on it. The great gates stood open, and people could go to the seashore outside and come in as they pleased. But in time of war the gates would be closed; and then the city was like a strong fortress, quite safe from all attack, protected by the walls surrounding it, as well as by the hills behind.
Thus, Troy was a strong city, strongly protected by its walls and strongly defended by its brave soldiers. But all the kings and heroes of Greece had declared war against the Trojans, because Paris, a prince of Troy, had persuaded Helen, wife of a Greek king Menelaus, to elope with him. He had brought her to Troy. The Greeks wanted to take revenge on Troy for the wrong done to Menelaus. They sailed to Troy and laid siege to the city. The Trojans, too, fought hard and the siege continued for ten long years.
A2. Complex Factual Activities:
(1) How did the location of Troy help it to grow into a very rich/prosperous city?
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the adjectives in Column 'A' with the nouns in Column 'B':
Correct the following sentences using facts from the passage:
(a) Helen escaped with Menelaus.
(b) Troy was attacked because it was a strong rich city.
The Iliad is the story of Ilium or Troy, a rich trading city in Asia Minor near the narrow sea that leads from the Aegean to the Black Sea. It was well situated, both for commerce and agriculture. In front of the city was the sea over which sailed the ships of Troy, carrying goods and grain. At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams. The valleys among the hills were well-watered and fertile, with corn growing in fertile fields and cattle feeding on the rich grass of the meadows while sheep fed on the slopes of the hills.
Round their city the Trojans had built a strong wall so that no enemy should attack them from the sea. The wall was so broad that people could stand and sit and walk on it. The great gates stood open, and people could go to the seashore outside and come in as they pleased. But in time of war the gates would be closed; and then the city was like a strong fortress, quite safe from all attack, protected by the walls surrounding it, as well as by the hills behind.
Thus, Troy was a strong city, strongly protected by its walls and strongly defended by its brave soldiers. But all the kings and heroes of Greece had declared war against the Trojans, because Paris, a prince of Troy, had persuaded Helen, wife of a Greek king Menelaus, to elope with him. He had brought her to Troy. The Greeks wanted to take revenge on Troy for the wrong done to Menelaus. They sailed to Troy and laid siege to the city. The Trojans, too, fought hard and the siege continued for ten long years.
A2. Complex Factual Activities:
(1) How did the location of Troy help it to grow into a very rich/prosperous city?
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
Match the adjectives in Column 'A' with the nouns in Column 'B':
| 'A' | 'B' |
| (1) high | (a) fortress |
| (2) brave | (b) peak |
| (3) fertile | (c) fields |
| (4) strong | (d) soldiers |
A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
Underline the infinitives in the sentences
(1) Paris persuaded Helen to elope with him.
(2) The Greeks wanted to take revenge.
A5. Personal Response:
Do you know one of the wars in ancient India which was fought over a woman? Describe it in short.
