Richard III: skeleton is the king

The body of Richard III, killed at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, has been found buried deep beneath a Leicester car park, scientists confirmed today.  Archaeologists said DNA testing proved "beyond reasonable doubt" that the skeleton was that of the Plantagenet king. The way scientists found the skeleton suggested the king had been tied when he was buried..

The skeleton was aged between late 20s and early 30s. Richard died aged 32.  The skeleton would have been 5’ 8” high, which was above average height for a medieval man, scientists say.

A total of 10 wounds have been discovered made to the skeleton, including eight on the skull. The injuries suggest the king may have lost his helmet during the battle which saw him deposed by Henry VII.

The skeleton was uncovered last autumn beneath a council car park which is overlooked by Leicester Cathedral.  They will be reinterred early next year at the cathedral, with a visitor centre to be created nearby, which will tell the king's story.

Teams of experts carried out radio carbon dating, DNA tests and CAT scans and compared notes with experts in weapons and trauma, lifestyle and diet before announcing their findings today.

Richard III, depicted by William Shakespeare as a tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower of London, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, bringing to an end the two-year dynastic struggle known as the War of the Roses and triggering the reign of the House of Tudor.

It has been claimed the discovery of Richard's body will lead to a re-examination of his reign and may go some way to rebalancing the largely negative portrayal offered by Shakespeare.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a) People who found the body are completely sure it is Richard III

b) The body found is taller than people his age and time.

c) Only scientists took part in studying the skeleton

d) The King's behaviour was in fact probably not as bad as Shakespeare thought.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) How is Richard III thought to have died?

b) How did the researchers come to the conclusion that the skeleton belongs to Richard III?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as:

a)       logical, acceptable par 1

b)       injury par 3

c)       describe par 6

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Richard III was killed and the War of Roses was brought to an end.

                If Richard III hadn't...

b)  The king may have lost the helmet during the battle.

                The helmet...

c)  The discovery of Richard's body will lead to a re-examination of his reign.

                Because of the discovery of...  , his reign will  …

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Thanks to scientific discoveries, we are able to discover many things about the past.