Some Views on the English Character

Foreigners have many ideas about what the English are like. For example, some people say the English are always cold and reserved, some believe they eat porridge for breakfast and read The Times every day. Many Australians believe that the English always whine and call them 'whining poms'.

We asked some English people and some people from other countries who live in England to name three things that they most closely associate with the English. Here's what they say.

«Undoubtedly, the cuppa (an affectionate name for a cup of tea), football and queuing». Sandie, 24 (English).

«Red double-deckers, the Royal Family and the BBC». Clair. 15 (English)

«I'd say that the English are very cold and reserved, the food is horrible and the weather is too cold and wet». Annalisa, 19 (Italian student)

«Sherlock Holmes, good manners and polite­ness». Tanya, 13 (German student)

«Sense of humour, cricket, pubs. Marina, 16 (Russian student)

«Eccentricity, sense of superiority towards for­eigners or class snobbery, fish and chips». Jessica, 17 (American student)

So, is all this true? Yes and no. Like many things, the truth is somewhere in the middle. So don't be surprised if you meet an Englishman who hates gardening, adores home cooking and greets his friends with a big hug.

TEXT 14. Read and translate the opinion. Do you agree with it?

Personal Impressions of London

What are foreigners usually taught before they travel to Britain? First of all, they are told that the English tend to be rather stiff, snobbish and suspicious of foreigners. Well, maybe it’s true but my experience makes me doubt its accuracy.

Take a police­man – a symbol of power in any country. The one I met in Covent Garden gave me a happy smile and readily agreed to pose for me. And, believe it or not, he showed no signs of suspicion! Another bobby – though quite busy dispersing the crowd of onlookers trying to get to the Houses of Parliament allowed me to take a photo of him against the famous building.

Another time it was a green­grocer who was proud to demonstrate those huge potatoes his shop specialized in selling. He eagerly let me take his photo and seemed nei­ther stiff nor suspicious.

Frankly speaking, I was a bit afraid to approach a group of imposing Londoners buying their favourite cigars. I had to wait till they fin­ished discussing the latest news before asking them to pose for me outside the shop. They didn't object and were pleased to puff away big clouds of smoke while I was tak­ing photos.

One Lon­doner saved me when I got lost in one of those poorly lit streets which, surpris­ingly, are so typical of cen­tral London. It was raining and no wonder there was nobody in sight. I felt like crying. Suddenly a man appeared as if from nowhere. He was jogging in my direction. Not only did he show me the way but actually followed me to the station — a twenty minutes' walk — match­ing his tempo to my steps. Could anything like that happen in Moscow? I don't think so.

TEXT 15. Read and translate the text. Answer the questions below.