The Reading / Listening - Bayeux Tapestry - Level 5

The Bayeux Tapestry is back in Britain for the first time in 900 years. The 68-metre-long tapestry is an embroidered artwork and historical document. It shows 58 events surrounding the military invasion of England in 1066 by France's Duke William. One picture is of the death of England's King Harold II. He was hit in the eye by an arrow at the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry was made in England as a gift for William. For 900 years, it has been in Bayeux, France. It is now at the British Museum in London, where it will be put on display between September 2026 and July 2027.

The tapestry was carefully moved by an art transportation specialist. There was heavy police protection as it made its journey at night to the British capital. It was carried in a climate-controlled box. The director of the British Museum called the operation a "monumental effort". Millions of people will see it. A museum spokesperson said: "Every British child knows the date 1066 — the Battle of Hastings." This battle changed British history. The UK's culture secretary called it "a pivotal period in our national story and our shared heritage and friendship with France".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Bayeux Tapestry - Level 4 or  Bayeux Tapestry - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260708-bayeux-tapestry-to-arrive-in-london-in-secret-high-stakes-operation
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/10/style/bayeux-tapestry-arrives-britain-scli-intl
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/10/bayeux-tapestry-smuggled-into-britain-for-first-visit-in-1000-years


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. for the first time in
  2. an embroidered
  3. the military invasion
  4. One picture is of
  5. He was hit in the
  6. made in England as a
  7. it has
  8. it will be put
  1. of England
  2. been in Bayeux
  3. on display
  4. gift for William
  5. the death
  6. 900 years
  7. artwork
  8. eye by an arrow

Paragraph 2

  1. The tapestry was carefully
  2. There was heavy police
  3. it made its journey
  4. a monumental
  5. Every British child
  6. This battle changed
  7. a pivotal period
  8. our shared heritage
  1. in our national story
  2. at night
  3. and friendship
  4. knows the date 1066
  5. moved
  6. effort
  7. British history
  8. protection

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Bayeux Tapestry is back in Britain for the first time in 900 years. The 68-metre-long tapestry (1) ________________________________________________ artwork and historical document. It shows 58 events surrounding the (2) ________________________________________________ England in 1066 by France's Duke William. One picture is of (3) ________________________________________________ England's King Harold II. He was hit in the eye (4) ________________________________________________ at the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry was made in England as (5) ________________________________________________ William. For 900 years, it has been in Bayeux, France. It is now at the British Museum in London, where it will be (6) ________________________________________________ between September 2026 and July 2027.

The tapestry was carefully (7) ________________________________________________ art transportation specialist. There was (8) ________________________________________________ as it made its journey at night to the British capital. It was carried in a (9) ________________________________________________. The director of the British Museum called the operation (10) ________________________________________________. Millions of people will see it. A museum spokesperson said: "Every British child knows the date 1066 — the Battle of Hastings." This battle changed British history. The UK's culture secretary called it "(11) ________________________________________________ in our national story and our (12) ________________________________________________ friendship with France".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheBayeuxTapestryisbackinBritainforthefirsttimein900years.The6
8-metre-longtapestryisanembroideredartworkandhistoricaldocum
ent.Itshows58eventssurroundingthemilitaryinvasionofEnglandin10
66byFrance'sDukeWilliam.OnepictureisofthedeathofEngland'sKing
HaroldII.HewashitintheeyebyanarrowattheBattleofHastings.Thetap
estrywasmadeinEnglandasagiftforWilliam.For900years,ithasbeenin
Bayeux,France.ItisnowattheBritishMuseuminLondon,whereitwillbe
putondisplaybetweenSeptember2026andJuly2027.Thetapestrywas
carefullymovedbyanarttransportationspecialist.Therewasheavypoli
ceprotectionasitmadeitsjourneyatnighttotheBritishcapital.Itwascar
riedinaclimate-controlledbox.ThedirectoroftheBritishMuseumcalle
dtheoperationa"monumentaleffort".Millionsofpeoplewillseeit.Amus
eumspokespersonsaid:"EveryBritishchildknowsthedate1066—theB
attleofHastings."ThisbattlechangedBritishhistory.TheUK'sculturese
cretarycalledit"apivotalperiodinournationalstoryandoursharedherit
ageandfriendshipwithFrance".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You