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Reading project
The Spaniards1 are coming!
A I am an old man now, but I will never forget that hot evening in July, 1588. I remember every minute! And every minute is a picture full of life – and adventure. All was quiet at Plymouth harbour where the English fleet2 lay at anchor3. Everyone in England had heard that the Spaniards wanted to attack us with the greatest fleet in the world. They called it the Great Armada. The only question was: When would they come? The Spaniards had a large army in the Netherlands4, and they wanted to bring it here, to England. Our ships had been ready for weeks. On that evening Sir Francis Drake and a few other officers5 had gone to play bowls6 on a hill above the town. I was a very young officer and had to take care of7 Sir Francis’s ship when he was gone. Suddenly I heard the shouts of our men on land8. I ran to the side of the ship and looked down. “What is it?” I asked. “The Spaniards, sir,” a sailor9 shouted. “Some of our men have seen their ships in the English Channel. Over a hundred!” Over a hundred! There was only one thing to do. I left the ship and ran all the way through the town to the bowling-green10. Sir Francis and Lord Howard, the commander11 of the English fleet, were standing with a group of officers. I ran up to them. Spaniard !*spxnJEd? • 2 fleet !fli:t? • 3 (to) lie at anchor !+laI-Et *xNkE? • 4 Netherlands !*neDElEndz? • officer !*OfIsE? • 6 (to) play bowls !pleI *bEUlz? • 7 (to) take care of !teIk *keE-Ev? • 8 on land !On *lxnd? • 9 sailor !*seIlE? • 10 bowling-green !*bEUlIN Gri:n? • 11 commander !kE*mA:ndE? 1 5
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