The beatles

There were four of them – John, Paul, George and Ringo. In the early sixties, these happy-go-lucky mop-top musicians from Liverpool formed a band. Their albums – from A Hard Day’s Night, Help and Rubber Soul, to Sgt. Pepper’s, the White Album and Abbey Road - forever changed the face of rock music and pop culture.

They began in 1957 as a skiffle band, teenage boys playing in cellars and bars in Liverpool, England, and Hamburg, Germany. Popular locally, they were discovered by a record store owner Brian Epstein. Even though ha had never managed a band, they hired him as their manager. Epstein got them a contract with a record label that had never produced a rock group. It was called Parlophone.

Nevertheless, within two years the Beatles were the most popular group in Britain and in their way to becoming the greatest recording group in the world – creating a wave of teenage hysteria that came to be called Beatlemania. Their most famous songs were “Love Me Do”, “Help”, “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “Michelle”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Let It Be”, “Penny Lane”, and many more.

They came, they saw, they changed the sound of popular music forever. Individually, they all had success. But collectively, they were something that no other band in the history of music has come close to. They lasted only seven years from their first recording to their bitter break-up, but they produced more than a dozen albums, each one a classic.

References: Mop-top – a hair style with long thick fringe, happy-go-lucky - not caring or worrying about what happens, skiffle – a type of popular music played in the 1950s and often using instruments made by the players themselves.

Appendix.

Check your knowledge!

Tests.

1. The uk consists of … parts.

a) two ; b)three ; c)four.

2. It is washed by the waters of … .

a) the Atlantic Ocean; b) the Pacific Ocean; c) the Mediterranean Sea.

3. Great Britain consists of … parts.

a) two; b) three; c) four.

4. The official name of the country is … .

a) Great Britain; b) the United Kingdom; c) the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland.

5. The capital of Scotland is …

a) London; b) Edinburgh; c) Cardiff; d) Belfast.

6. Cardiff is the capital of …

a)England; b) Northern Ireland; c) Wales.

7. The highest mountain in Scotland is…

a) Snowdon; b) Ben Nevis; c) Everest.

8. The climate of the UK is …

a) cold; b) warm; c) temperate.

9. The usual weather in the UK is…

a) rainy and foggy; b) cold and snowy; c) hot and sunny.

10. English people often talk about …

a) weather; b) money; c) politics.

11. There are … main nationalities in the UK.

a) two; b)three; c)four.

12. The official state language of the country is…

a) English; b) Welsh; c) Scottish.

13. The first people who lived in England were…

a) the Romans; b) the Vikings; c) the Britons.

14. Great Britain is a …

a) monarchy; b) federal republic; c) parliamentary monarchy; d) republic.

15. British Parliament consists of … houses.

a) two; b) three; c) four.

16. The members of the House of Lords …

a) are by birth or chosen b) are chosen by people; c) are chosen by the Queen.

by the government;

17. The members of the House of Commons are chosen for a period of … years.

a) three; b) four; c) five.

18. Parliamentary sessions usually begin …

a) at the end of December; b) at the end of November; c) at the end of October.

19. The ceremonial opening of a new session of British Parliament is made by …

a) the Queen; b) the Prime Minister; c) the Lord Chancellor.

20. At present the British Royal family is headed by…

a) King George VI; b) Charles, Prince of Wales; c) Queen Elizabeth.

21. Who started the tradition of the “walkabout”?

a) Lady Diana Spencer; b) the Queen Mother; c) Queen Elizabeth.

22. Queen Elizabeth has … children.

a) two; b) three; c) four; d) five.

23. The name of the British flag is …

a) Union Jack; b) Black Jack; c) Cheerful Rodger.

24. The patron saint of England is…

a) St. George; b) St. Andrew; c) St. Patrick.

25. Who is not allowed to get elected as a member of Parliament?

a) a woman ; b) a worker; c) a peer.

26. London is … thousand years old.

a) two; b) three; c) five.

27. London is situated on the river …

a) Severn; b) Thames; c) Clyde.

28. The heart of London is..

a) Piccadilly Circus; b) Trafalgar Square; c) Buckingham Palace.

29. The residence of Prime Minister is …

a) Downing Street, 10; b) Buckingham Palace; c) Houses of Parliament.

30. Whitehall is a street with many…

a) government offices; b) shops; c) churches.

31. The oldest part of London is …

a) the City; b) The East End; c) the West End.

32. Geographically Scotland consists of … main parts.

a) two; b) three; c) four.

33. … is an industrial region of Scotland.

a) Highlands; b) Lowlands; c) Uplands.

34. A kilt is a part of national … dress.

a) Scottish; b) English ; c) Welsh.

35. Traditional Scottish competition is …

a) Highland Games; b) Eisteddfod; c) Steeplechase.

36. A lot of … names start with Mc ( and Mac).

a) English; b) Welsh; c) Scottish.

37. What country is called “A Land of Song”?

a) Scotland; b) England; c) Wales.

38. English people drink … more than any other nation.

a) coffee; b) tea; c) milk.

39. How can you characterize Englishmen?

a) modest and reserved; b) sociable and chatty; c) impolite and sly.

40. Bank Holidays take place seven times a year on …

a) Monday; b) Tuesday; c) Sunday.

41. In British houses … is the center of interest.

a) a table; b) an arm-chair; c) a fire-place.

42. The street in London with a lot of newspaper offices is … .

a) Harley Street; b) Fleet Street; c) Oxford Street.

43. The British newspapers are divided into …. groups.

a) two; b) three; c) five.

44. The Times is a … newspaper .

a) popular; b) quality.

45. British children begin to go to school at the age of … .

a) 4; b) 5; c) 6.

Bibliography

1. “In Britain” (new edition). Michael Vaughan-Rees, Chancerel 1999

2. “Britain in Brief.”Москва «Просвещение» 1993

3. “BBC English”. Language Practice, May 1997

4. “The Beatles”. Theresa Celsi, Robert Hale, London

5. “Cutting Edge. Peter Moor, Sarah Cunningham Longman

6. “Focus on Britain”. Foreign and Commonwealth office, printed in the UK

7. “Welcome to Scotland”. Tourist Guide 1998-1999