Virtual Tour of Roman Baths
Here in the UK, we have been staying at home for a very long time now. While there is light at the end of the tunnel for us, we still have a few months to go before we can start to enjoy many of the simple pleasures that make Britain so great. If you, like us, can’t wait to be able to resume travelling and visiting new places, this blog is for you.
Did you know that many famous tourist attractions in the UK are offering online virtual tours? As part of a new series of blog posts, we will be showcasing these tours, with a little Intrepid English twist. Take the tour, learn new vocabulary, and afterwards, test your knowledge with a little quiz!
The first in our series is the Roman Baths, situated in the city of Bath, Somerset, in South West England.
Vocabulary
| Roman (adj): | connected with ancient Rome or the Roman Empire |
| Roman Britain (n): | the period when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire (AD 43 to AD 410) |
| bath (n): | a public place where people went in the past to wash or have a bath |
| steaming (adj): | emitting steam due to being very hot |
| pool (n): | an area of water that has been created for people to swim in |
| spa (n): | a place where water with minerals in it comes up naturally out of the ground |
| sauna (n): | a heated room, sometimes with steam |
| plunge pool (n): | a pool filled with cold water that you jump into to cool off |
| massage (n): | the action of rubbing and pressing a person’s body with the hands, especially to reduce pain in the muscles and joints |
| changing room (n): | a room for changing clothes in privacy |
| bathing suit (n): | a piece of clothing worn for swimming |
| circular (adj): | having the shape of a circle; round |
| goddess (n): | a female god |
| worship (n, v): | the practice of showing respect for God or a god. |
| facade (n): | the front of a building |
| temple (n): | a building used for religious worship, especially in religions other than Christianity |
| pediment (n): | the part in the shape of a triangle above the entrance of a building in the ancient Greek style |
| sacred (adj): | connected with God or a god; considered to be holy |
Exercise 1:
Watch this video about the Roman Baths and answer the questions below:
Comprehension 1
1. How long did the Romans occupy Britain?
A) almost 400 years
B) almost 500 years
C) almost 600 years
2. What did the Romans write on pieces of metal?
A) cures
B) questions
C) curses
3. What is the statue of the goddess made of?
A) silver and gold
B) bronze and gold
C) bronze and silver
4. What did the Romans throw into the baths to thank the goddess?
A) offerings
B) curse tablets
C) oil
Exercise 2:
Explore the Roman Baths in 3D. Take a virtual 3D tour of the Roman Baths then answer the comprehension questions below.
Comprehension 2
Answer the questions to check your understanding of the tour. All of these answers can be found on the Roman Baths website. When you have completed these exercises, check your answers at the bottom of the page.
1. When were the Roman Baths discovered?
a) 18th century
b) 19th century
c) 20th century
2. What is the Roman name for this great Roman religious spa?
a) Aquae Sulis
b) Aquae Filum
c) Aquae Blue
3. Who was the goddess worshipped by Romans there?
a) Sulis Vesta
b) Sulis Minerva
c) Sulis Ceres
4. What is the temperature of the natural water here?
a) 26 °C
b) 36 °C
c) 46 °C
5. How many minerals does spa water contain?
a) 23
b) 33
c) 43
We hope you enjoyed the first of our virtual tour blog posts! If you have any requests for future tours, we would love to hear from you. You can send us a message using the green chat box in the right-hand corner of the screen or leave a comment below.
Thanks to the Roman Baths and BBC Teach for letting us use their content.
ANSWERS:
Comprehension 1: 1-A 2-C 3-B 4-A
Comprehension 2: 1-B 2-A 3-B 4-C 5-C
