Lesson1 The Spirit of Explorers 素材The Vikings从公元 8 世纪到 11 世纪，有一支来自北方的民族纵横欧洲。他们是航海家，也是侵略者；是商人，也是海盗；是出色的水手，也是英勇的战士——他们就是维京人。The Viking people came from the three countries of Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They were also known as the Norse people. They were mostly farmers, but some worked as traders.Many Vikings were great travelers and sailed all over Europe and the north Atlantic Ocean in their long ships. Some went as pirate raiders(海盗): they stole treasures and attacked local people. But most Vikings who sailed overseas were simply searching for better land to farm. The Viking Age began about 1,200 years ago in the 8th Century AD and lasted for 300 years. In the year 793, Viking pirate raiders sailed across the North Sea to a Christian monastery at Lindisfarne in north-east England. They stole its treasures, murdered the monks and terrified everyone. This was followed by other violent “Viking raids” all over Britain. In 865, a “Great Army” of Danish Vikings invaded England. There were fierce battles for several years. In the end, the Vikings conquered all of northern, central and eastern England, and seized much of the land for their own farms. This area was called “The Danelaw”.During the same period, Norwegian Vikings sailed to northern and western Scotland, and seized land for their farms around the coast and islands. They also settled in the Isle of Man, and parts of Wales.Jorvik (modern York) was an important town in Viking Britain. Its houses were built of wood or wattle(枝条) along narrow streets.Women did all the household jobs. They also helped on the farm, milked the cows and made cheese. They spun(纺线), wove and sewed all the family’s clothes. Children did not go to school. They helped their parents at work, and learned about history, religion and the law from stories. They became adults at the age of 15 or 16.
