1. Listen to the text carefully and write it down in English.

The British are often viewed as the most boring people in the world. They wear unimagina­tively formal clothes, eat tasteless food, practise slow sports and have a specific sense of humour which is usually not understood by foreigners. They are also said to be conservative, reserved and cool. Indeed, the British are not very open or spontaneous. They do not kiss or embrace by way of greeting so as not to allow famili­arity. They always keep a certain distance and are not willing to manifest their feelings and emo­tions. They are even accused of being hypocritical because they might think one thing and say another. It is not easy to make friends with them but once you have made a friend, it is a friend for life.

The English are said to be the masters of trivial conversation. Their “small talk” usually deals with the weather or some general questions as it is not accepted to in­terfere in someone’s private life.

THE BRITISH CHARACTER

The British are very polite. They always queue when they are waiting for a bus and hold the door open for the person behind them. Also, the British bobbies have a reputation of being the most friendly and helpful police­men in the world. On the other hand, the English football fans are regarded as hooligans and vandals able to tear the stadiums into pieces. Generally speaking, however, the British are well- mannered.

“There is no place like ho­me”

well-known proverb reminds a visitor that unless he is invited, he may expect to be treated as an intruder.

The English not only love their homes but also their pets. Many people keep cats, dogs and other animals at home. They are completely crazy about pets. There are more animal rights groups in Britain than any­where else in the world. Para­doxically, the English still love the hunting of wild animals, such as foxes or hares, with the aim of killing them.

It is not easy to decide on the typically British characteristics. Not all English people are cold, uncommunicative or boring, not all of them are crazy about lawns or animals. Still, there is one thing that is typically British: a strong attachment to tradition and a desire to keep their coun­try’s uniqueness. Some people say that the British live in the past, but they are simply proud of their originality.

Unit 2

The climate of Brita’n is more or less the same as that of the north-western part of the Eu­ropean mainland. The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true. London gets no more rain in a year than most other major European cities, and less than some.

CLIMATE IN GREAT BRITAIN The amount of rain that falls on a town in Britain depends on where it is. Generally speaking, the further west you go, the more rain you get. The mild winters mean that snow is a regular feature of the higher areas only. Occasionally, a whole winter goes by without any snow at all.

The winters are in general a bit colder in the east of the country than they are in the west, while in summer, the south is slightly warmer and sunnier than the north.

Why has Britain’s climate got such a bad reputation? Perhaps it is for the same reason that British

Unit3

Long ago many towns had walls around them. As you walked round a town you came every hundred yards or so to towers that stood out from the walls and rose high above them, so that no enemy could come up to the wall. On each side of the gates the towers were higher and stronger than usual. From a long way off it was possible to see the church towers rising high above the red-tiled roofs of the houses.

On busy days the roads lead­ing to the gates of the town were crowded. Farmers came to sell cheese, butter, eggs and other things to the citizens. The toll collector stood at the gates. The

Unit 4

Parliament is the supreme legislative authority and consists of three separate elements: the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the elected House of Com­mons. Over the centuries the balance between the three parts of the legislature has changed, so that the Queen’s role is now only formal and the House of Com­mons has gained supremacy over the House of Lords.

The House of Commons is a popular assembly elected by almost universal adult suffrage. There are 659 Members of Par­liament (MPs) — each member

July and some quite warm days in January.

The lack of extremes is the reason why the country seems to be totally unprepared for hot or cold days. A bit of snow^and a few days of frost and the trains stop working and the roads are

A MEDIEVAL TOWN farmers had to pay duty on every­thing they brought in for sale.

Let’s look at the streets and shops. The shops were places where people made things as well as sold them. They had no glass windows. Across the front of each shop there ran the counter with different things exposed for sale on it. The shopkeepers stood behind them. All of them shouted without stopping: “What can I do for you?’

Some of the houses of the town were built of stone and wood, just like old houses in some of the present-day villages. Sometimes the ground floor wall was made of stone and had small windows. The door was broad, made of

blocked; if the thermometer goes above 27°C, people behave as if they were in the Sahara and the temperature makes front-page headlines. These things happen so rarely that it is not worth organizing life to be ready for them.

tough wood. The first storey over­hung the ground floor, and had rather big windows, and the roof was covered with tiles.

The people wore strange clothes. The streets were very dirty because they were never swept up. But everybody seemed jollier than the Englishmen who walk the streets nowadays. Per­haps they made a living more easily than we do. Perhaps, they troubled themselves less about the things we think important. They had more time to do things they liked than we have, because they did not spend all day at busi­ness. No wonder old England is called “Merry England”.

PARLIAMENT representing one of the 659 geo­graphical areas (constituen­cies) into which the country is divided for electoral purposes. If an MP dies, resigns or is made a peer, a by-election is held in that constituency to elect a new MP. Leaders of the Government and Opposition sit on the front benches of the Commons, with their supporters (back-benchers) behind them. The House is pre­sided over by the Speaker.

The main function of the House of Commons is to legis­late, but the strong party system in Britain has meant that the

initiative in government lies not with Parliament but with the Government (most Bills are introduced by the Government, although they may also be in­troduced by individual MPs) and party members almost automati­cally pass whatever is put before them by their party.

The House of Lords, which is presided over by the Lord Chancellor, is probably the only upper House in the democratic world whose members are not elected. It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal; the former consist

Unit 5

Most British parks were cre­ated in the 19th century, when more people moved into the towns. In London there are sev­eral parks. Some of them deserve special attention.

Regent’s Park. A park in central London designed by John Nash for the Prince Regent and completed in 1828. It contains an outdoor theatre, flower gardens, sports fields and a large lake, and London Zoo is in its north side. The park is surrounded by several grand buildings in the Regency style, known as the Ter­races. Zoological Garden — one of the most famous zoos in the world because of the number and variety of its species. It was established in 1826 by the Zoological Society of London. Today the Zoo is an important centre for the study of animals, and breeds animals that are in danger of disappearing in their native environments.

Unit 6

Many of Britain’s historic towns and cities are important tourist centres. They are very important in attracting large numbers of foreign visitors to Britain. London is Britain’s most important tourist centre. Day visitors and British and foreign holidaymakers are attracted to London by its historic buildings, ceremonial events, museums, art galleries, theatres, shops and special tourist attractions.

York is one of Britain’s most important tourist cities. It has a long history and many build­

and 25 bishops). The House of Lords can revise Bills sent to it by the House of Commons but

England is blessed by sev­eral institutions now of inter­national fame. Many of these institutions are in some way connected with nature. Such is Kew Gardens — a park in west London, which contains a large collection of plants, trees, etc. from all over the world and is a major centre for the study of plants. Its official name is the Royal Botanic Gardens and it was opened to the public in 1840 by Queen Victoria. It is very popular with tourists and Brit­ish people, and among its fa­mous buildings are the Chinese Pagoda and several very large green houses, including the Palm House (opened in 1848). Joseph Banks (1743—1820) was an English naturalist who discovered and collected many unknown plants, especially in Australia, and helped to start the famous collection of plants

ings survived from the Middle Ages when it was one of Brit­ain’s largest cities. Its major attractions to visitors are: Min­ster Library, Treasurer’s House, St William’s College, Art Gallery, St Mary’s Abbey, Yorkshire Mu­seum, Wax Museum, the Sham­bles (medieval street) and many others. It has major museums besides many historic buildings.

Bradford is a city which has made great efforts to develop tour­ism. It promotes itself as a centre for touring the surrounding area. For many visitors, Bradford has

it can only delay a Bill from becoming law for a maximum of 12 months.

at Kew Gardens where people come to wander among orchids, children are brought by their parents to greet the first daf­fodils of the year.

Hyde Park — a large public park in central London next to Kensington Gardens. It is famous for Speaker’s Corner, where people can make public speeches on any topic, Rotten Row, a riding track for horses, and the Serpentine lake. In 1851 the Great Exhibi­tion was held in Hyde Park.

Kensington Gardens — a park in south-west London, next to Hyde Park. It was for­merly the garden of Kensington Palace, and was opened to the public in the 1830s. It contains the Albert Memorial and a fa­mous statue of Peter Pan.

London Zoo is in Regent’s Park, London. It was established in 1826 by the Zoological Society of London.

much to offer. You can discover its history and industrial heritage, spend time in the city’s museums and galleries which include the National Museum of Photography, Film and TV — Britain’s newest national museum. You can also hunt for textile bargains in the millshops.

Beyond the city centre, Brad­ford encompasses open moors and valleys. The villages have their own attractions: Haworth, the Worth Valley steam railway; Saltaire, the Victorian “model” village.

BRITISH TOURIST TOWNS AND CITIES

PARKS

done while still conserving the historic buildings and their features which attract the visitors. Old town centres with narrow streets are unsuitable for the smooth flow of traffic. The pressure of visitors -may

lead to other problems such as litter, inadequate car parking, accommodation shortages and the development of some tourist attractions and shops which do not fit in with the character of old towns.

Unit 7

Charlotte Bronte was the most admired of the Bronte sisters in her lifetime. Her four published novels, which are in part auto­biographical, are still widely read today.

Born in Thornton, Yorkshire, in 1816, Charlotte Bronte was the third daughter of Patrick Bronte, a clergyman of Irish descent, and Maria Branwell. In 1820 they moved to Haworth. After the death of Charlotte’s mother in 1821, her mother’s sis­ter, Elizabeth, came to look after the family, and the children, five daughters and a son.

Unit 8

CHARLOTTE BRONTE Children read a lot and created the fantasy worlds of Angria and Gondol, writing stories and newspapers for these imaginary places. In 1824, the four eldest girls were sent to Cowan Bridge school, which Charlotte described as Lowood in Jane Eyre. Its poor condi­tions caused the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth and damaged Charlotte’s health'. The time Charlotte spent at her second school, Roehead, was far hap­pier. Here she made one or two life-long friends, who appear in her novels. She later returned

here as a teacher but gave up the post to set up her own school at Haworth with Emily. To get further qualifications the two sisters went to Brussels, where Charlotte fell hopelessly in love with M. Heger, later described in her novel Villette. Her first novel, The Professor, was not published, but she went on to write Jane Eyre, which was very successful. Charlotte refused three offers of marriage but in 1854 she agreed to marry her fa­ther’s curate, A. B. Nicholls. The marriage was not long because she died the following year.

WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE DO IN SPARE TIME?

When they are not at school, eating, or doing their homework, young people in their “teens” spend a lot of their time in their own neighbourhoods with friends, either in the streets or parks or in each others’ homes. Surveys show that only few young people attend youth clubs. The. younger age group of 11 to 15 year-olds most often attend youth clubs and centres, although less than 20 per cent of this population are regular attenders. Most young people are more interested in activities that do not cost money. Lack of their own money in the younger age groups means that a great deal of time is spent with friends, win­

dow-shopping in town, cycling or skateboarding.

In the older age group, those who are still at school, or who are unemployed and on low- paid training schemes, have insufficient income to do what they please and are therefore re­stricted in their activities. Over 60 per cent of young people aged 15 to 24 have a disposable income of less than £ 50 per week. Young men and women who have started earning properly spend time in pubs, go to dances, concerts, dis­cos and the cinema.

Parents do not always give their children a set amount of pocket money each week. Some parents

give money in return for children taking part in household chores, ranging from washing up dishes, to clearing bedrooms or washing the family car. Other parents make no demands of this kind.

Young people, aged 12 up­wards, earn money by washing cars or windows, doing “paper rounds” (delivering the ear­ly morning newspaper before school), mowing lawns and so on. For those aged 14 years and above, baby-sitting is by far the most popular means of earning extra money.

At 15 years old and above, young people often find them­selves “Saturday jobs” working

Unit 9

A typical Englishman gets up at 7 a. m., takes a shower, dresses up and has a quick breakfast usu­ally consisting of toast and jam, or cornflakes with milk. He leaves home at 8 o’clock so as not to be late for work. He usually works from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m., but he has an hour’s break for lunch at 12 noon. He spends it in the near­est pub or a fast-food restaurant gossiping with his colleagues and having some light meal. He comes back home at about half past five and enjoys dinner with his fam­ily. In the evening, he usually watches television and goes for a walk with his pet. He also likes to drop into a local pub for a pint of beer. A pub is an unofficial meet- ing-place, a kind of a club where a working Englishman can relax, listen to music, play darts or bar

people wish to buy, including clothes, magazines, CD and cassette tape music, computer

AN ENGLISHMAN’S DAY billiard, discuss politics, weather and some local affairs with his old friends.

On Saturday morning, the Englishman traditionally does the shopping for the whole week to come. He usually goes to a local su­permarket or drives to a shopping complex outside town where he can buy products cheaper and at one place. During the day he spends a lot of time mowing the grass and growing flowers and vegetables in his garden. In the late afternoon he goes to the cinema or to a restau­rant, visits friends or spends some of his leisure hours in a club. The club for sport or hobbies serves the Englishman’s desire to associate and to share his particular passion with others.

On Sunday, the Englishman takes his family to some sea-

games, and enough money to go to the cinema, discos and dances or even to go climbing or canoeing.

side town to bathe and to have some fun. The most frequently visited places are Brighton in the south and Blackpool in the north of England. If he likes fishing (often called angling), he heads towards some canal, river or lake and waits hours beside them to catch fish. He also likes to discover the pic­turesque countryside and walk small parts of long-distance footpaths which cross Britain (the longest one runs from the south-west part of England to the far north of Scotland!). The countryside with its green fields, low hills, rivers and small woods is an ideal place for a Sunday excursion.

Refreshed after the weekend, the Englishman is ready to start another busy Monday.

Unit 10

1. Fishing — one of the most popular individual sports (note that most of the fish are put back in the river or lake!).

2. Football — a game the Eng­lish claim to have invented.

3. Tennis—the annual cham­pionship at the All England Ten­nis Club in Wimbledon, South London, is still the greatest tournament in the world.

4. Rugby — a game in which fifteen players try to carry an oval ball across the line of the opposition.

5. Squash — an indoor game played in an enclosed court. The ball is a small rubber ball and the racket is like a tennis racket but

SPORT

smaller and lighter. The ball is hit off any wall but,must hit the front wall above a line painted above the floor. Outside Britain squash is popular in Australia,

New Zealand and for years the world champion has been from Pakistan.

6. Darts’ — an indoor game that is very popular in pubs and

the most popular television sports in Britain.

7. Golf — invented in Scot­land it is now played all over the world.

8. Cricket — the English na­tional game which is also played with great enthusiasm in coun­tries which were colonies like the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand.

9. Cycling — in parts of England, especially Oxford and

Cambridge, the cycle is used as a means of transport as well as a source of exercise.

7. Bowls — a game where players try to put a heavy wooden ball as close to a small white ball or jack as possible. It is played on very smooth lawns or on carpets indoors.

8. Badminton — an in­door rackets game played with a feather shuttlecock rather than a ball.

Unit 11

The Channel Islands are a group of islands in the Eng­lish Channel. Although they lie only about 10 to 30 miles (16 to 48 kilometres) off the coast of France, the islands have been attached to the English Crown since 1066. The Isle of Man lies in the Irish Sea midway between England and Ireland. Great Britain has controlled the Isle of Man since 1765. But British

Laws do not apply to the island unless it is specifically named in the legislation.

The Channel Islands. The

six main islands of the Channel Islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Al­derney, Sark, Herm, and Jethou. Along with numerous smaller isles, the islands cover 75 square miles (195 square kilometres). The total population of the Chan­nel Islands is about 130,000. Eng­

lish and French are the official languages and English is used most, but many islanders speak a French dialect that varies from island to island.

The islands, which have been largely self-governing since the 1200s, are divided into two ad­ministrative units. A lieutenant governor assigned to each unit represents the British monarch and handles international affairs. Four of the islands — Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark — have their own parliaments to regulate internal affairs.

Several of the islands have their own distinguishing charac­teristics. For example, Jersey, the largest of the islands, is known for its cows and for its sweaters, which are often called “jerseys”. In the 1600’s so many men aban­doned their farmwork to knit the jerseys that a law was introduced to ban knitting in the summer months.

Alderney and Guernsey are known for their cattle, and Guernsey is also noted for its fine tomatoes grown in greenhouses.

Sark, the smallest self-govern­ing unit in the United Kingdom, has a democratic form of govern­ment headed by a seigneur, or

CHANNEL ISLANDS AND ISLE OF MAN

tle. Banking and other financial services are also major economic activities, especially on Jersey.

A dependency of the British Crown, the Isle of Man is an is­land in the Irish Sea, about half­way between England and Ire­land and about 20 miles (32 kilo­metres) south of Scotland. The island has an area of 227 square miles (588 square kilometres) and a population of about 65,000. The people speak English, and some also speak a Celtic language called Manx.

A representative of Great Brit­ain oversees the island’s foreign affairs. However, a 1,000-year-old parliament called Tynwald Court regulates the island’s concerns.

Crowds of tourists visit summer resorts on the Isle of Man, and its international motorcycle race, held each June, draws many enthusi­asts. In addition to tourism, impor­tant industries include agriculture and fishing: Many new residents and industries have settled on the island since 1961, when the Isle of Man greatly lowered its taxes.

Unit 12

EDINBURGH — THE CAPITAL OF SCOTLAND

Edinburgh, the capital of Scot­land, is the centre of government and commercial life. It is also a popular tourist destination. The city is famous for its picturesque location, fine buildings and the annual international festival.

The most imposing structure is Edinburgh Castle, a famous for­tress built on a hill in the centre of Edinburgh. The oldest parts of the castle date back to about 1100. A special tourist attrac­tion is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo which takes place annu­ally on the grounds of the castle. This spectacular military parade lasts three weeks in August and September and is an impressive display of marching, military music and fireworks.

Another event which draws thousands of visitors to the capi­tal of Scotland is the famous Edinburgh Festival. This interna­tional arts festival started in 1947 and since that time it annually brings to Edinburgh the finest performers and productions from all over-the world. It is held at various centres of Edinburgh at the same time as the Tattoo and

includes theatre, music, opera, dance and comedy. The unofficial part of the Edinburgh Festival is called the Fringe and it has a reputation for its experimental or avant-garde productions. In fact, more plays and concerts take place on the Fringe than at the official festival.

Edinburgh is full of beautiful historical buildings. One of them is Hollyrood House, a large man­sion built in the early 16th century and used as the official residence of the Queen whenever she is in Edinburgh. Another well-known building is Lady Stair’s House dating from 1622 and containing

Unit 13

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales. It lies on the southeast coast of Wales on the Bristol Channel. Although Cardiff is not a metropolis (its current population is only about 300,000), it is an important ad­ministrative, commercial, cultural and industrial centre and port.

Cardiff has been the official capital of Wales since 1955. There has been a community here for hundreds of years, but it began to grow quickly and to become

Rising to 335 ft, it offers an im­pressive view of the city centre (especially the wide busy Princes Street) and Firth of Fourth (a gulf on the North Sea). On the top there is a collection of monu­ments, including the National monument (a partly completed

CARDIFF — THE WELSH CAPITAL prosperous during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was the period when the coal, iron and steel industries were developing in South Wales, and Cardiff became major in­dustrial town and an important port. Today it is an attractive and interesting place to live in, with good communications, plenty of parks and a varied population which includes nearly 10,000 university and college students.

copy of the Greek Parthenon) and the Nelson monument.

Edinburgh is the cultural centre of Scotland. The city’s pride is numerous art galleries, theatres, museums, the old uni­versity (1582) and the Edinburgh Academy.

Cardiff is a city of contrasts. The famous Cardiff Castle dat­ing back to Roman times, stands alongside a modern shopping cen­tre with many fashionable shops, excellent restaurants and hotels. The Castle, built in 1090, is the greatest tourist attraction.

Cardiff is also known for its beautiful parks covering hun­dreds of acres in the city. The major commercial buildings are found around Cathays Park. Cardiff has also one of the world’s great Civil Centres including the Law Courts; the University College; the National Museum of Wales with an astonishing range of exhibits in natural science, archeology, botany, zoology and art; and the Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum housing a collection of boats and railway vehicles. If you like music, there is the famous national concert hall, St David’s Hall, or the New Theatre, which is the home of the Welsh Opera Company.

Visitors to Cardiff may also admire Llandaff Cathedral built in the late Gothic style, and the richly decorated building of Citv Hall.

Although Cardiff is not so excit­ing as London, it is still an attrac­tive and interesting place to see.

BELFAST — THE CAPITAL OF NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast is the capital, larg­est city, and chief industri­al centre and port of North­ern Ireland. The city lies on Belfast Lake, a bay at the mouth of the River Lagan on Northern Ireland’s east coast.

Donegull Square lies in the centre of Belfast. In the square stands City Hall. The main street in Belfast’s business district runs north from the square. Queen’s University, to the south, is the largest uni­versity in Northern Ireland. Next to the university are the Botanical Gardens, which sur­round Ulster Museum. The Par­liament Buildings of Northern Ireland lie just outside the city. Docks and shipyards border the harbour on the east shore of Belfast Lake.

For many years, shipbuilding and textile manufacturing pro­vided most of the jobs in Belfast. During the mid-1900s, these two

industries declined, though they remain important. Belfast ship­yards have built many warships and ocean liners, including the famous British liner Titanic. Textile factories produce deli­cate Irish linen that is famous throughout the world. Since the 1930s, the construction of air­craft has become an important part of Belfast’s economy. Other major products include clothing,

machinery, processed foods, rope, soap, and tobacco.

English and Scottish settlers established Belfast as a trading centre in 1613. During the 1800s Belfast became an industrial city and major port. In 1920, when Ireland became inde­pendent and Northern Ireland remained a part of the United Kingdom, Belfast became the capital of Northern Ireland.

Dear Olha,

I’ve been in England for three months now. I’ll soon be starting my studies at King’s College and I’ve been learning about England and British ways of living.

I find some customs new and interesting. People here do not shake hands as much as we do. During the first few weeks I was

Unit 2

The drive from England to Scotland provides the traveller with many pleasant changes of scenery. As it is a fairly long jour­ney, it is good to be able to travel with a friend who can take turns with you at the wheel.

A LETTER often surprised because people did not put out their hands when I met them. Men raise their hats to women but not to each other. When you go to a friend’s house for a meal, it’s not the custom to say “Thank you” at the end of the meal as in our country. Here you wait until you are leaving to go home and then you say “Thank you” for having been asked to come.

I always thought that the last meal of the day was dinner. My English friends usually call it supper. They tell me that it’s more convenient to have a light meal about seven or half past seven. Half past seven is the time at many of the London theatres.

Sunday is a very quiet day in London. All the shops are closed and so are the theatres and most of the cinemas. Londoners like to go out on Sundays. There are thousands of cars on the roads into the country. The south coast is only fifty or sixty miles away and people like to go down to the sea for the day.

There are very few outdoor cafes here. That’s because the

weather changes so often and so quickly, I suppose. The sun may be shining one minute and then, a few minutes later, it may be raining.

What a lot of foreigners there are in London! When I travel on the buses I hear different lan­guages. London is full of people from all parts of the world in the summer. I’ve often stopped people in the street to ask the way and have found that they, like me, are not Londoners. Now, if I want help, I ask a policeman. The London policemen are always ready to help.

English people do not talk as much as we do. I’ve often travel­led by train and nobody has spoken to me during the journey. I know one Englishman who is unusual: he speaks seven lan­guages. And he can be silent in seven languages!

This is a long letter, isn’t it?

1. must stop and say “Goodbye” to you now. Please write and tell me how you are and what you and your friends are doing.

Love,

Natalie.

IN THE HIGHLANDS A patriotic Scotsman trav­elling with an English friend may tell him that in the High­lands he is going to see the fin­est scenery in the world. This may sound exaggerated, but on arriving in the Highlands

most people readily agree that the scenery is indeed magnifi­cent.

The Highlands are, as the name implies, the hilly or mountainous region of the country; they form the greater

mond, one of the largest and most famous of the Scottish lakes. The road twists and turns, dips and climbs, but is not dangerous. The greatest hazard is the black­faced sheep: these animals are as active and impudent as goats, and frequently wander recklessly into the road. The tourist may also see

a herd of long-haired Highland cattle, which look savage but are no more so than ordinary cattle. Eventually the road runs paral­lel with the sea, along a coastline fringed with little islands and made ragged with rocky bays and the deep inlets that are also called “lochs”.

QUEEN ELIZABETH’S REIGN VIII, had given them: a reformed Catholic Church that used the English language and was free from foreign influence. And they got what they wanted.

Elizabeth’s next problem was to keep her enemies quiet until her country was strong enough to defend itself. The greatest danger came from Spain. In July 1588 the Spanish Armada of one hundred and thirty Spanish ships arrived in the Channel. The Eng­lish ships were faster than the slow Armada. The English guns could shoot farther. After the battle less than half of the proud Armada came back to its home ports. This defeat of Spain was very important for England.

During Queen Elizabeth’s reign England sent its explorers to dif­ferent lands. They tried to find a quick way to India round the north of Russia. England wanted to trade peacefully with other countries and to find empty lands where it could plant her own colonies.

part of the western half of Scot­land north of Glasgow.

On the first night in Scotland a tourist may choose to put up at a hotel in the little town of Cal­lander, which is known as one of “the Gateways to the Highlands”. On the following day he can set out to see the various lakes, or rather “lochs”, in the neighbour­hood, and will be delighted with the wild and romantic aspect of the countryside. When he returns to his hotel he will be glad to eat a “high tea”. This is a meal which, in Scotland and many parts of northern England, takes the place of tea and dinner. It consists of one substantial course, such as one would have at dinner, followed by bread-and-butter, with jam or honey, and some kind of cake or cakes; tea is drunk with the meal, which is taken at about six o’clock in the evening. One has a light supper late in the evening.

The next morning many tour­ists journey on to the west coast, passing on their way Loch Lo-

The Queen reigns but does not rule. The United Kingdom is gov­erned by Her Majesty’s Govern­ment in the name of the Queen. There are still many important acts of government which need the participation of the Queen. The Queen summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament, Nor­mally she opens the new session with a speech from the throne which outlines her Government’s programme. Before a bill which has passed all its stages in both Houses of Parliament becomes a legal enactment it must receive the Royal Assent, which is usu­ally declared to both Houses by their Speakers.

The Queen is the “fountain of justice” and as such can pardon or show mercy to those convicted

England in 1580. Queen Eliza­beth’s reign was also famous for arts and theatre development. Elizabeth was a good musician herself. English music, espe­cially church music, was then among the best in Eurdpe. Many great men wrote poetry,

FUNCTIONS OF THE MONARCH of crimes under English law. As the “fountain of honour” the Queen confers peerages, knight­hoods and other honours. She ap­points or dismisses Government ministers, judges, members of diplomatic corps. As Commander- in-Chief of the armed services (the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force) she ap­points officers, and as temporal head of the established Church of England she makes appoint­ments to the leading positions in the Church. The Queen has the power to conclude treaties, to declare war and to make peace, to recognize foreign states and governments.

An important function of the Sovereign is the appointment of a Prime Minister. Normally the

drama was also famous. Wil­liam Shakespeare’s plays were written in the years of her reign and are a guide to the life of the period. They not only show to us how men in those times looked, talked and behaved but how they thought and felt.

appointment is automatic since it is a convention of the constitution that the sovereign must invite the leader of the party commanding a majority in the House of Com­mons to form a government. If no party has a majority, or if the party having a majority has no recognised leader, the Queen has the duty of selecting a Prime Minister. In such circumstances she would be entitled to consult anyone she wished.

The Queen’s closest official contacts are with the Prime Min­ister (who has an audience of the Queen on average once a week, when the Queen is in London) and, through him, with the Cabi­net. She also sees other ministers, generally in order to discuss the affairs of their departments, and

Unit5

The British Museum, consist­ing of the national museum of archaeology and ethnography and the national library, is the richest of its kind in the world. The mu­seum was founded in 1753 by an act of Parliament which set up a body of Trustees. Its nucleus was formed by the priceless collec­tions of Sir Robert Cotton, whose manuscripts had been acquired at the end of the 17th century and stored away in vaults at West­minster, and Sir Hans Sloane, who left his enormously varied collection to the nation upon his death in 1753. To this diverse col­lection of manuscripts, works of art, antiquities, and natural his­tory items the Trustees added the extensive library accumulated by the Harleys, Earls of Oxford. A copy of every book published in the country has to be presented free to the museum.

The act of Parliament set­ting up the museum provided for a public lottery to be held to raise funds for housing and

Hundreds of royal visits to vari­ous parts of the country for public functions keep the royal family in close touch with new development. They often visit the events of lo­cal importance or some national events such as the Royal Agricul­tural Show or the opening of a new bridge or dock. There are also royal film, variety and concert perform­ances in aid of charity and visits to schools, universities, hospitals and factories. The Queen visits many important sports events.

In addition to being head of all 3 armed services, the Queen is Colonel-in-Chief of several regiments and corps in the United Kingdom and other Common­wealth countries.

One of the most important duties the Sovereign performs is to act as a host to the heads of States of Commonwealth and other countries when they visit the United Kingdom. When a state visit is involved, guests stay at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holy- roodhouse. Their entertainment includes banquets, receptions, often a special ballet or opera performance and visits to places of particular interest throughout the country.

It is customary at Christmas for the Queen to speak on radio and television to all people of the Commonwealth as their head.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM maintaining these collections. The lottery raised enough cash for the Trustees to purchase a 17th century building called Montagu House and in 1759 the museum was opened to the public. Mon­tagu House proved woefully inadequate for the museum’s con­stantly expanding collections, and by the early 19th century temporary buildings had been erected to accommodate many of the larger exhibits.

In 1823 Sir Robert Smirke was commissioned to design a per­manent extension and produced plans for the complete replace­ment of Montagu House. Between 1823 and 1852 the old structure

seventh Earl of Elgin, who sold it to the nation at a considerable loss. The Elgin Marbles are sculp­tures from the Greek Parthenon in Athens. They were brought back to Britain in 1802. They show the birth of Athena and pro­cessions to honour her. According to the legend she was born out of the head of god Zeus, when anoth­er god hit him with a hammer to get rid of his headache. The collec­tion includes brilliantly executed statues, friezes, and stonework.

The museum is famous for Egyptian mummies. The Egyp­tians thought that life would con­

tinue after death, so they preserved the body for the dead person’s spirit to live in. It was buried with treas­ure, household goods and even servants to use in the next life. You can see mummies of kings, queens and their servants.

The Sutton Hoo treasure comes from the burial site of a 7th cen­tury Anglo-Saxon King in Suffolk. He was buried in a complete ship along with a rich treasure hoard to use in the afterlife. Among the many items on show are drinking horns, beautiful gold buckles and the king’s helmet. It has restored from over 500 pieces.

In the centre of the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery is the Rosetta Stone, which dates from 195 BC and is inscribed with the texts which enabled scholars to de­cipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone was the key to understand ancient Egyptian picture writing. It came from an old wall in the village of Rosetta in Egypt. Its inscription is re­peated in three different types of writing — in hieroglyphs, in another form of Egyptian writ­ing and in Greek. By translat­ing the Greek scholars were able to work out the hieroglyphs and begin to understand the ancient Egyptian language. The writing tells of battles of the time.

Unit 6

Every year more than 11 mil­lion tourists visit Britain. In fact, tourism is an important industry, employing thousands of people. Most visitors come in the summer months, when they can expect good weather. In July and August, the streets of London are full of the sounds of French, Italian, Japanese, Arabic and German.

TOURISM Tourists usually spend a few days in London, then go on to some of the other well-known cities. Oxford and Stratford-upon- Avon are visited most often. But Bath in the west, with its Roman ruins and beautiful 18th century streets, is also very popular. So is York, the oldest city in the north, and Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.

The main tourist places are crowded with coaches and ice­cream sellers. But in the quiet country areas, there are many interesting places that few tour­ists find. Some, like the old yellow stone villages of the Costwolds, in central England, have already been “discovered”. But there are beautiful villages in other parts of the country too. In the typi­

Unit 7

Poet Robert Burns (1759—1796) was the eldest son of a professional gardener and unsuccessful farmer in Ayrshire. Growing up to a life of hard physical work and pov­erty, he began to write poetry. By his mid twenties he was an ac­complished poet and songwriter, especially in his native Scotland. In the summer of 1786, when he was on the point of abandoning farming in Scotland and emigrat­ing to the West Indies, essentially because of a broken love affaire, he published his first collection of poems, in an edition of 612 copies printed in the county town of Kilmarnock. Poems, chiefly in the Scottish dialect met such an ac­claim in Ayrshire and among west of Scotland people in Edinburgh that he changed all his plans and travelled to the capital, where he was enthusiastically welcomed by a number of leading literary figures.

In 1787, Burns made a number of tours, to the Borders and, more than once, to the Highlands.

In the course of his travels, he had come across people interested in song tradition in different parts of Scotland, had visited places associated with

towns. But many people think that 19th century cities, like Man­chester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow, show the real Brit­ain. The greatness of the past is still to be seen in their old streets and squares. But their golden age of industrial wealth is over. They have serious difficulties with unemployment and bad housing. Some buildings stand empty wait­ing to be pulled down. The cheap concrete buildings of the 1960s already look old and dirty. But

ROBERT BURNS historic events and ballads both north and south of the Highland line, and had listened attentively to many Highland and Low­land tunes. He then had unri­valled authority as a songwriter and collector, conferred by his first-hand familiarity with new sources of song, as well as by natural aptitude.

Eventually, Burns returned to farming in south-west Scotland. For a time he combined Excise work with farming, then decided to give up farming completely and became a full-time excise officer in Dumfries. His most famous poem, Tarn o’Shanter,wa.s writ­ten in 1790 while he was farming at Ellisland, but for the most part he devoted his leisure hours in his later years to his lifelong passion for writing and collecting Scottish songs. From 1788 until his death he was editor in all but name of the greatest of all Scottish song collections.

He died in Dumfries on 21 July.

In common with certain other Scots who have contributed to national myth — Robert I (the Bruce), Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie — Burns

for the adventurous tourists these cities are full of life and colour. Local pop groups play in busy pubs. The plays in their theatres are often as good as those in London. International musicians and entertainers perform in their concert halls and opera houses.

The easiest way to see Britain is to join a coach tour and follow the guide. That way, you’ll see the tourist face of Britain, but there’ll be many other things you won’t see at all.

has an international reputation. His is an exceptionally personal kind of literary fame. Although celebrated for poetry, which is usually thought of as an intel­lectual pursuit, he is very often referred to as “Rabbie Burns”. The familiar form of his name signals affection and acceptance. It is as if Burns is being saluted in a very down-to-earth way, as a creative genius certainly, but also as someone who does not stand on his dignity, a friend to the cpmmon man. In keeping with this tradition, people meet at Burns Suppers all over the world each year on and near his

Widespread identification of Burns’s name with a habit of fall­ing in love is accounted for partly by the eloquence of Ae fond kiss

and O my luve is like a red, red rose — two of the best-known among literally hundreds of love songs.

My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here, My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer, A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe — My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North, The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth; Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,

The hills of the Highlands forever I love.

Farewell to the mountains high cover’d with snow, Farewell to the straths and green valleys below; Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods, Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here, My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer, A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe — My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.

Robert Burns

Unit 8

There are 46 universities m Britain. Good “A” Level results in at least two subjects are ne­cessary to enter one. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews, and competition for places at univer­sity is fierce. For all British citi­zens a place at university brings with it a grant from their Local Education authority. The grants cover tuition fees and some of the living expenses.

LIFE AT COLLEGE When the time comes to pick a college, 18 and 19 year-olds usually choose one as far away from home as possible! So, many stu­dents in northern and Scot­tish universities come from the south of England and vice versa. It is very unu­sual for university students to live at home. Although parents may be a little sad to see this hap­pen, they usually approve of the move, and see it as a necessary part of becoming an adult.

Anyway, the three university terms are only ten weeks each, and during vacation times fam­ilies are reunited.

When they first arrive at col­lege, first year students are called “freshers”. A fresher’s life can be exciting but terrifying for the first

week, because many freshers feel homesick for the first week.

During the first week, all the clubs and societies try to per­suade the new students to join their society. The freshers are told that it is important for them to come into contact with many activities during their time at university.

At college students have lec­tures and seminars. Once or twice a term, students have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress. In Ox­ford and Cambridge, and some other universities, the study system is based entirely around such tutorials which take place once a week. Attending lectures is optional for “Oxbridge” stu­dents!

Unit 9

In many countries breakfast is a snack rather than a meal, but the traditional English breakfast is a full meal. Some people espe­cially in the winter begin with porridge, which is prepared from

MEALS

oatmeal, and eaten with milk or cream, and sugar or salt. Then comes haddock or fried herrings or what is more usual bacon and eggs. Afterwards comes toast with butter and marmalade. This meal

is accompanied by tea or coffee. Most English people do not now take such a meal on weekdays, but only on Sunday mornings.

Lunch is a light meal and taken at midday.

MY HEART’S IN THE HIGHLANDS

salt). Much fish is eaten, served often with chips and a vegetable. A traditional sweet is apple pie with custard or, sometimes with fresh cream. English puddings of all flavours are served especially in winter with some sauce or other.

Many social contacts take place in people’s homes and an invitation to tea is a common way of keeping in touch with friends and relatives. Besides endless cups of tea, there is

bread and butter with jam, meat or fish paste and some home-made or bought cakes. On special occasions the family may go out to tea — to the tea- shop or the cafe and order high tea, that is a fairly substantial meal, often consisting of fish and chips, or boiled ham and salad, followed by bread and butter and cakes.

Supper is usually a snack or simply a drink of milk, or some other “nightcap”.

Unit 10

Traditionally, the favourite sports of the British upper class are hunting, shooting and fish­ing. The most widespread form of hunting is foxhunting — indeed, that is what the word “hunting” usually means in Britain. This is a popular pastime among some members of the higher social classes and a few people from lower social classes.

Killing birds with guns is known as “shooting” in Britain. It is a minority pastime confined largely to the higher social classes. The birds which people try to shoot (such as grouse) may only be shot during certain specified

ANIMALS IN SPORT times of the year. The upper classes often organize “shooting parties” during the “season”.

The only kind of hunting which is associated with the working class is hare-coursing, in which greyhound dogs chase hares.

The one kind of “hunting” which is popular among all social classes is fishing. In fact, this is the most popular participatory sport in Britain. Between four and five million people go fish­ing regularly. When fishing is done competitively, it is called “angling”.

Horse-racing is also popular in Britain. Some members of the

royal family own racehorses and attend certain annual race meet­ings (Ascot, for example).

The chief attraction of horse-rac­ing is the opportunity it provides for gambling. Greyhound racing is still popular for the same reason. In this sport, the dogs chase a mechanical hare round a racetrack. It is easier to organize than horse-racing and “the dogs” has the reputation of be­ing the “poor man’s racing”.

Unit 12

The name “tattoo” has an in­teresting origin. Traditionally the soldiers were told to return to the living quarters each night by a beat of the drum which sounded like “tat-too”.

SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE taking about two hours. From Shakespeare’s birthplace, a half- timbered early 16th century building in Henley Street, the route runs down Bridge Street to Clapton Bridge, built in the 15th century. From the bridge a road on the west bank passes the red brick Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, built in 1932.

The poet was bom in the house in Henley Street in 1564. The house was his father’s home and work­shop, and in Shakespeare’s lifetime it was two separate buildings. Built in the early 16th century, it is a typi­cal middle-class dwelling.

The gardens of the Shake­speare Memorial Theatre run down to the river bank to South­ern Lane and to the tree-lined approach to Holy Trinity Church. This beautiful church overlooking the river is Shakespeare’s burial place. His tomb and those of some of his family are marked by sim-

FACTS ABOUT SCOTLAND The word “clan” means “fam­ily” and the great clans of the 16th and 17th centuries were really like big families, ruled by powerful chefs. Sometimes there were battles between different clans but nowadays the McDon­alds, the McKenzies and the Campbells all live in piece with each other.

Many people in Scotland have the name McDonald or McKenzie. “Mac” means “son of’ and people with this name usually feel they belong to the same family or clan. Common boys’ names are Donald or Duncan, and girls’ names are Fiona or Jean.

The national dress of Scots is the kilt, which was originally

pie engraved stones in front of the altar.

Many hotels and shops in Stratford-upon Avon have been renovated in the half-timbered style, with black beams criss­crossing whitewashed walls. Other buildings have been care­fully restored to their original colour. The visitor to Stratford sees much of the town and its surroundings as it was in Shake­speare’s lifetime.

Shakespeare never lost touch with his home town, even at the height of his success as a play­wright in London. Readers of his plays and poetry will discover that much of his work derives from Stratford-upon-Avon’s busy streets and peaceful countryside. As a boy, Shakespeare had on market days noted the manners, dress and speech of tradesmen, farmers, milkmaids, lawyers, and actors who came to perform their plays.

worn by men. It is a skirt with a lot of folds.

Wearing tartans (coloured checks) is traditional in Scotland. Originally, the tartan was worn as a long piece of cloth thrown over the shoul­ders. At the beginning of the 18th century the kilt became popular.

25th January is celebrated by Scotsmen all over the world, as it is the birthday of Robert Burns. The festival is called Burns Night. During the festival pipe music is played, traditional dress is worn and a traditional Scottish meal is eaten. People also recite poems by their favourite poet.

Many Scottish people still use some Scottish words when they speak English. For example,

Unit 11

Unit 14

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St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th. It is an Irish holiday honouring Saint Patrick, the pa­tron saint of Ireland. According to the customs of the times, this was not the saint’s birthday, but the day of his death. This day is also celebrated outside the country in the places with a large number of people of Irish decent. People honour Saint Patrick by attending special religious services, enjoying family gatherings, and wearing shamrocks.

St Patrick’s Day church ser­vices are followed by parades and parties, Irish music, songs, and dances. Many people wear green clothes. It is a time for shamrocks, Irish flags, clay pipes and top hats. St Patrick’s Day and its symbols are the story of the Irish and the land. The day has come to be a day for the Irish people throughout the world to gather and celebrate.

The Scottish musical instru­ment is the pipes or bagpipes.

There are still old people in faraway corners of Scotland who speak Gaelic¹.

In the 18th century the river Clyde flowing in the centre of

EISTEDDFOD vails in the modern day National Eisteddfod. Following 1176, many Eisteddfods were held throughout Wales, under the patronage of Welsh gentry and noblemen. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, an Eisteddfod of his­torical significance was held at the Ivy Bush Inn in Carmarthen, when the Gorsedd of Bards first became officially associated with