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15.2 Mid-Unit Assessment—Empires in the Middle Ages

Last updated almost 3 years ago
17 questions
Reading Comprehension

Today you will read two selections related to the Middle Ages. After reading the first selection, you will answer several questions based on it. Then, you will read the second selection and answer several questions based on it. Some of the questions have two parts. You should answer Part A of the question before you answer Part B.
Early Castles in England and France
1. Castles in the Middle Ages served to protect and shelter kings and nobles. They were also a base from which to launch an attack. Castles were initially wooden fort-like structures. Over time, people replaced the wood with stone and they added towers, walls, and moats.
2 In France during the Middle Ages, a style of defensive structure developed that was called the motte and bailey castle. The motte and bailey castle became a common structure for defense.
3 A motte and bailey castle was a strong wooden structure built on top of a manmade hill called a motte. Wooden steps or a ramp connected the courtyard, or bailey, to the motte. People removed these walkways during a siege to prevent enemies from entering. Royals and nobles sometimes lived in the part of the structure which sat on top of the motte. The bailey housed and provided protection for the people who served the king or the noble. The bailey was also a safe place in which to keep animals and food supplies. A high wooden wall encircled the entire structure, as did a ditch.
4 To build the motte, men used soil they dug out of the earth to create the ditches. It took hundreds of tons of soil, and many men, to construct the motte. But once that was done, they could build the wooden structures in a matter of weeks. This work was done without the aid of modern machines.
5 William the Conqueror brought this style of castle to England after his conquest in 1066. William the Conqueror had his soldiers build motte and bailey castles in the most rebellious regions. In addition, he seized land from the Anglo Saxon nobles and gave it to Norman nobles. The Norman nobles built motte and bailey castles on their new land. Towns often sprang up around these castles.
6 Over time, as the weapons used to attack castles became more powerful, castles had to become stronger, too. Eventually, people built castles with stone. This new style of castle had thick stone walls and could better withstand fire and siege weaponry. A moat often filled with water surrounded many of these stone castles. The only way into a castle like this was across a wooden drawbridge that guards raised or lowered as needed.
7 In the 1300s, people built even stronger castles with several outer walls. These walls provided extra defense. Then, in the 1400s, people began to develop strong artillery fire power. Even the strongest defensive features could not always withstand this stronger firepower. As a result, the function and purpose of castles changed. They became impressive homes rather than defensive structures. Today, many of these stone castles still stand. They serve as a reminder of what life was like during this period in history
Answer the following questions over the article Early Castles in England and France
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In paragraph 5, the text says William the Conqueror had his soldiers build motte and bailey castles in the most rebellious regions of England. Why would William the Conqueror have these structures built in the most rebellious regions?

Use the following chart to give information about motte and bailey castles. Use information from the text to describe each feature of the structures.
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Use the following chart to give information about stone castles. Use information from the text to describe each feature of the structures.
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Select one castle characteristic from the chart and write a sentence that compares or contrasts the characteristic between the two types of castles.

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At the end of the selection, the text says castles became impressive homes rather than defensive structures. Why was there a change in the way in which castles were used?

1

In paragraph 6, the author discusses how the new style of castle could withstand fire and siege weaponry. In paragraph 7, the author discusses the change in castles providing protection to withstand an attack. What is a synonym for withstand?

Harry’s Life
1 My name is Harry. I live in a small thatched cottage with my two younger sisters, Mary and Margaret, and my parents. Lord Percy owns our home and the estate on which our home sits. My family and I work for Lord Percy, planting and tending to his crops, and taking care of his livestock. We own a pig, two cows, and several chickens. Our cows graze on land nearby. Our pig lives in a small pen close to our cottage. My sisters named our pig Chancellor in honor of the Lord Chancellor of England. The Lord Chancellor is rich and very powerful. My father said that our pig looks a little like the Lord Chancellor. However, my father spoke in a hushed tone when he uttered those words.
2 When we are not working for Lord Percy, my sisters and I have our own chores to do. We tend to our own crops, feed our livestock, and gather wood for the fire. My sisters are often busy weaving, sewing, and baking, while I learn carpentry skills from my father. Everyone looks after the garden that grows right outside our cottage. In the garden we grow herbs such as fennel, dill, rosemary, cloves, and lemon thyme. My mother uses the herbs for flavoring our food and for medicines. When I injured my eye carving a longbow, she used fennel to ease the wound. When the plague struck, my mother made clove tea, using cloves from our garden. We all survived and my mother said it was because of her tea. Other families were not so fortunate.
3 During the spring, summer, and autumn months, we are usually busy working on the land. We scatter the seeds, tend to the crops as they grow, and help to harvest them when they are ready. There is little time to play, but whenever we can, we do. We have lots of friends and we all like to race each other, play hide and seek, and climb trees.
4 My entire family lives and sleeps in one room. A fire fueled by wood warms our house. My mother and sisters cook stews and soups on the fire. Whenever we can, we eat meat such as rabbit and deer. My mother roasts the meat on a spit in front of the fire. It is my job to turn the spit. The smell of the meat cooking makes my mouth water. Our cows provide us with milk to drink. But we also churn the milk into cream and we make cheese, too. Our chickens Ann, Eleanor, Mabel, and Gertrude provide us with eggs.
5 Holy days are very special. We go to church and we celebrate, or we fast. Our church has beautiful stained-glass windows that show stories from the Bible. When the sun shines through the colorful stained glass, the colors of the rainbow light up the church. It is truly a wonderful sight.
6 My father says that seven generations of my family have worked for Lord Percy or his ancestors. In each generation in our family, there has been a boy named Harry. That’s why my father calls me Harry the Seventh. I expect I will live here all my life, watching the seasons come and go. I am quite happy to do that. But sometimes I dream about becoming a knight and riding off to seek my fortune.
Answer the following questions over the article Harry's Life
The following question has two parts. Answer Part A and then answer Part B.
2

Part A: In paragraph 5, Harry says the colors of the rainbow light up the church. What does he mean by this statement?

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Part B: What information in the text helps to determine what the narrator means when he says the colors of the rainbow light up the church?

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In paragraph 1, what do the following sentences mean about the power of the Lord Chancellor of England?

My father said that our pig looks a little like the Lord Chancellor. However, my father spoke in a hushed tone when he uttered those words.

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How are the chores Harry and his family do for Lord Percy similar to or different from the chores they do for themselves?

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In paragraph 2, Harry says that his family survived the plague and his mother said it was because of her clove tea. He then says, “Other families were not so fortunate.” What does he mean that other families were not so fortunate?