Grade 7
Common Core Reading:
Informational Text
Name ________________________________________ Date
______________________
Nonfiction
Directions:
Read the passage “The Search for the Real King Arthur” and answer the
questions that follow.
The Search for the Real King Arthur
by Rebecca Sparling
You might have heard the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. For
centuries, the story of Arthur has captured the imaginations of people around the world.
Though there are numerous variations of the legend,
the basic story remains the same. Arthur was the
abandoned son of the king of Britain. After the king
passed away, the search for a worthy heir began. To
take the throne, a man had to be able to pull a magical
sword out of a stone. Many attempted the feat and
failed miserably, until a young man named Arthur
successfully pulled the sword free. Arthur became king
and later brought peace to Britain, a country that had
been consumed by war. To the citizens of his country,
Arthur was like a beacon shining through the darkness
of the Middle Ages.
The legend of King Arthur remains popular today,
mainly because the story has something for everyone.
The tale of the king’s life is filled with action, romance,
magic, and eventual tragedy. However, people have
questioned whether such a compelling story could
actually be true. We know today that there is no such
thing as a magical sword—but there could have been a
King Arthur and he could have assumed the throne and
brought peace to Britain. On the other hand, is King
Arthur merely a fictional character that has withstood
the test of time? Researchers, scholars, and historians have spent years trying to solve this
mystery.
Historians know that the real King Arthur would have lived around the late fifth or
early sixth century C.E. By this time, the Roman Empire had occupied the island of Great
Britain for over 400 years. Attacks on the empire led to the withdrawal of Roman soldiers,
leaving the people of Britain to defend themselves against the invading Saxon tribes. It is
during this period that many believe the legend of Arthur began to take shape.
Up to this point, Roman writers had recorded much of Britain’s history. The split
between the two countries left a gap in the history books. Today, many scholars argue over
which accounts of this time in British history are the most reliable. This is one of the
reasons that the existence of King Arthur is still a subject of much debate.
Name ________________________________________ Date
______________________
Only one historical event can be linked to an Arthurlike figure: the Battle of Mount Badon. A sixth-century
monk named Gildas wrote that Ambrosius Aurelianus
led the British to victory over an invading Saxon army.
Much later, during the nineteenth century, a scholar
named Nennius referred to this leader as Arthur.
Modern historians have not been able to confirm
whether or not these accounts are based on facts.
Another theory is that the real Arthur was actually
a warrior named Riothamus, who was sent by the
Romans to save Britain from Saxon invaders.
Riothamus was also known by the name Artorius,
which leads many to believe that this is where the
name Arthur came from.
Still, there is very little proof to back up any of
these claims. The truth about Arthur became obscured
over the years by different stories that told of a noble
king who ruled Britain for a brief but glorious time. During the twelfth century, the author
Geoffrey of Monmouth named Arthur in his history of great British kings. Scholars often
question his account, however, which includes giants and dragons.
A recent discovery may have shed some light on Arthur’s existence. According to legend,
Arthur was born in a castle in Tintagel, England. Archeologists found a slate in this area
bearing an inscription that might refer to a man who could have been the real King Arthur.
While some people consider this the discovery of a lifetime, others feel that no definite
connection exists between the man named on the slate and King Arthur. The debate will
most likely continue until someone discovers undeniable proof of Arthur’s existence.
Many famous authors, such as Mark Twain, E.B. White, and John Steinbeck, have
retold the story of Arthur in their novels. The tale of the fabled king has been captured in
other art forms as well, such as in the paintings of John William Waterhouse and in the
Broadway musical Camelot. It has also been recreated countless times on the silver screen.
Many students in universities study the Arthurian legend and fan groups around the world
enjoy discussing the many theories about the existence of the famous king.
1
This article would most appeal to a
reader interested in
A
B
C
D
the Roman Empire
archeological discoveries
historical mysteries
science-fiction novelists
2
Who wrote about Ambrosius
Aurelianus leading the British in the
Battle of Mount Badon?
F
G
H
J
Gildas
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Riothamus
John Steinbeck
Name ________________________________________ Date
3
According to information in the article,
the main reason that it is difficult to
know whether or not King Arthur
existed is because
A
B
C
D
4
G
H
J
5
King Arthur was thought to be a
very handsome man.
King Arthur brought hope to the
citizens of Britain.
King Arthur was known to be a
very humorous man.
King Arthur freed British citizens
from the Romans.
Why does the author tell her readers
about plays and movies that retell the
legend of King Arthur?
A
B
C
D
to give examples of how historians
are still searching for the truth
to demonstrate how much the basic
story of King Arthur has changed
to explain that the tale is still
popular with people today
to compare the fictional accounts
to the historical facts
Read these sentences from the article.
Geoffrey of Monmouth named Arthur
in his history of great British kings.
Scholars often question his account,
however, which includes giants and
dragons.
only schoolchildren study the
myth of King Arthur
many kings of the past had the
name Arthur
only famous fiction writers have
mentioned the king
records from that period in history
are not very reliable
The author of this article states that
the legendary Arthur was like “a
beacon shining through the darkness
of the Middle Ages.” What does she
mean by this statement?
F
6
______________________
In this sentence, the author suggests
that scholars feel Geoffrey of
Monmouth’s account of King Arthur is
A
B
C
D
7
interesting
enjoyable
fictional
accurate
Read this sentence from the article.
The truth about Arthur became
obscured over the years by different
stories that told of a noble king who
ruled Britain for a brief but glorious
time.
In this sentence, “obscured” means
about the same as
F
G
H
J
respected
concealed
improved
organized
Name ________________________________________ Date
8
______________________
Based on the information in this article, do you think that King Arthur actually could
have existed? Using details from the article, explain why you do or do not believe
that King Arthur might have been real.
Name ________________________________________ Date
______________________
Nonfiction
Directions:
Read the passage “The Search for the Real King Arthur” and answer the
questions that follow.
The Search for the Real King Arthur
by Rebecca Sparling
You might have heard the tale of King Arthur
and his Knights of the Round Table. For centuries,
the story of Arthur has captured the imaginations
of people around the world. Though there are
numerous variations of the legend, the basic story
remains the same. Arthur was the abandoned son
of the king of Britain. After the king passed away,
the search for a worthy heir began. To take the
throne, a man had to be able to pull a magical
sword out of a stone. Many attempted the feat and
failed miserably, until a young man named Arthur
successfully pulled the sword free. Arthur became
king and later brought peace to Britain, a country
that had been consumed by war. To the citizens of
his country, Arthur was like a beacon shining
through the darkness of the Middle Ages.
The legend of King Arthur remains popular
today, mainly because the story has something for
everyone. The tale of the king’s life is filled with
action, romance, magic, and eventual tragedy.
However, people have questioned whether such a
compelling story could actually be true. We know today that there is no such thing as a
magical sword—but there could have been a King Arthur and he could have assumed the
throne and brought peace to Britain. On the other hand, is King Arthur merely a fictional
character that has withstood the test of time? Researchers, scholars, and historians have
spent years trying to solve this mystery.
Historians know that the real King Arthur would have lived around the late fifth or
early sixth century C.E. By this time, the Roman Empire had occupied the island of Great
Britain for over 400 years. Attacks on the empire led to the withdrawal of Roman soldiers,
leaving the people of Britain to defend themselves against the invading Saxon tribes. It is
during this period that many believe the legend of Arthur began to take shape.
Up to this point, Roman writers had recorded much of Britain’s history. The split
between the two countries left a gap in the history books. Today, many scholars argue over
which accounts of this time in British history are the most reliable. This is one of the
reasons that the existence of King Arthur is still a subject of much debate.
Name ________________________________________ Date
______________________
Only one historical event can be linked to an Arthurlike figure: the Battle of Mount Badon. A sixth-century
monk named Gildas wrote that Ambrosius Aurelianus
led the British to victory over an invading Saxon army.
Much later, during the nineteenth century, a scholar
named Nennius referred to this leader as Arthur.
Modern historians have not been able to confirm
whether or not these accounts are based on facts.
Another theory is that the real Arthur was actually
a warrior named Riothamus, who was sent by the
Romans to save Britain from Saxon invaders.
Riothamus was also known by the name Artorius,
which leads many to believe that this is where the
name Arthur came from.
Still, there is very little proof to back up any of
these claims. The truth about Arthur became obscured
over the years by different stories that told of a noble
king who ruled Britain for a brief but glorious time. During the twelfth century, the author
Geoffrey of Monmouth named Arthur in his history of great British kings. Scholars often
question his account, however, which includes giants and dragons.
A recent discovery may have shed some light on Arthur’s existence. According to legend,
Arthur was born in a castle in Tintagel, England. Archeologists found a slate in this area
bearing an inscription that might refer to a man who could have been the real King Arthur.
While some people consider this the discovery of a lifetime, others feel that no definite
connection exists between the man named on the slate and King Arthur. The debate will
most likely continue until someone discovers undeniable proof of Arthur’s existence.
Many famous authors, such as Mark Twain, E.B. White, and John Steinbeck, have
retold the story of Arthur in their novels. The tale of the fabled king has been captured in
other art forms as well, such as in the paintings of John William Waterhouse and in the
Broadway musical Camelot. It has also been recreated countless times on the silver screen.
Many students in universities study the Arthurian legend and fan groups around the world
enjoy discussing the many theories about the existence of the famous king.
1
This article would most appeal to a
reader interested in
A
B
C
D
the Roman Empire
archeological discoveries
historical mysteries
science-fiction novelists
2
Who wrote about Ambrosius
Aurelianus leading the British in the
Battle of Mount Badon?
F
G
H
J
Gildas
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Riothamus
John Steinbeck
Name ________________________________________ Date
3
According to information in the article,
the main reason that it is difficult to
know whether or not King Arthur
existed is because
A
B
C
D
4
G
H
J
5
King Arthur was thought to be a
very handsome man.
King Arthur brought hope to
the citizens of Britain.
King Arthur was known to be a
very humorous man.
King Arthur freed British citizens
from the Romans.
Why does the author tell her readers
about plays and movies that retell the
legend of King Arthur?
A
B
C
D
to give examples of how historians
are still searching for the truth
to demonstrate how much the basic
story of King Arthur has changed
to explain that the tale is still
popular with people today
to compare the fictional accounts
to the historical facts
Read these sentences from the article.
Geoffrey of Monmouth named Arthur
in his history of great British kings.
Scholars often question his account,
however, which includes giants and
dragons.
only schoolchildren study the
myth of King Arthur
many kings of the past had the
name Arthur
only famous fiction writers have
mentioned the king
records from that period in
history are not very reliable
The author of this article states that
the legendary Arthur was like “a
beacon shining through the darkness
of the Middle Ages.” What does she
mean by this statement?
F
6
______________________
In this sentence, the author suggests
that scholars feel Geoffrey of
Monmouth’s account of King Arthur is
A
B
C
D
7
interesting
enjoyable
fictional
accurate
Read this sentence from the article.
The truth about Arthur became
obscured over the years by different
stories that told of a noble king who
ruled Britain for a brief but glorious
time.
In this sentence, “obscured” means
about the same as
F
G
H
J
respected
concealed
improved
organized
Name ________________________________________ Date
8
______________________
Based on the information in this article, do you think that King Arthur actually could
have existed? Using details from the article, explain why you do or do not believe
that King Arthur might have been real.
Answers will vary.
Students should decide, based on the information they have read in the article,
whether or not they believe that King Arthur really did exist. They should provide
details from the article to support their responses.