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1.1.1. Introduction
The longest river in the UK is the River Severn (220 miles, 354 km) which flows
through both Wales and England.
The longest rivers in the UK are:
England: River Thames (215 miles, 346 km)
Scotland: River Tay (117 miles, 188 km)
N. Ireland: River Bann (76 miles, 122 km)
Wales: River Towy (64 miles, 103 km)
The deepest lake in the UK is Loch Morar with a maximum depth of 309 metres
(Loch Ness is second at 228 metres deep). The deepest lake in England is Wastwater
which descends to 79 metres (258 feet).
Britain used to have many manufacturing industries, but since the Second World War
it is service industries especially banking and relating, which have expanded. About
70 percent of people now work in service industries, including tourism, insurance,
computer technology and relating. Less than 30 percent of people have jobs in
industry.
Heavy industries like steel manufacture and shipbuilding have been replaced by high-
technology manufacturing industries such as airplane engines and pharmaceuticals.
Question: Do the following people work in a service industry or
a manufacturing industry?
Manufacturing
Job Service industry
industry
sale assistance
aircraft factory worker
insurance salesperson
travel agent
research chemist for a drugs
company
bank cashier
Answer Key
In Britain, there are only a few successful large companies, but many successful small
companies. The large companies often invest a lot of money in research and
development, R & D, to find new and better, usually high-technology, products.
Successful small manufacturing companies in Britain often make expensive products.
These companies are successful because they use first-class materials, have excellent
quality control and the workers are proud of what they make. They include J. Barbour
& Sons, which makes waterproof jackets; Morgan Company, which makes elite cars;
Quad Electroacoustics, which makes top-quality hi-fi equipment; Wilkin & Sons,
which makes jams.
Question: Which countries in the box below are members of the Commonwealth?
Australia
Austria
Canada
Denmark
Germany
China
India
Italy
Nigeria
Sweden
South Africa
Answer Key
1.2. ENGLAND
1.2.1. Introduction
Official language English
Capital London
London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool,
Largest cities
Manchester, Sheffield
Area 130,395 km²
Highest point Scaffell Pike 978m (3210ft)
Longest river Thames (346km)
Largest Lake Windermere (14.7sq km)
Population 50.7 million (2006)
Currency Pound sterling (£) (GBP)
National flower the Tudor rose (red, white)
Patron saint St George
England is the southern part of Great Britain and the largest country in the UK. It is
only 35 km from France, the Channel Tunnel under the English Channel links
England and France. It occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great
Britain and shares land borders with Scotland to the north, and Wales to the west.
England is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled in England
in the 5th century.
England became one country in 937, when it was ruled by King Athelstan. William
the Conqueror took over England in 1066. Queen Elizabeth II is a descendant of
William. England took over the country of Wales in the 13th century. England joined
with Scotland in 1707 to form the kingdom of Great Britain. In 1800 Ireland was
united with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom. Now, only Northern Ireland is
still in the UK.
England is mostly low hills and plains, forming meadowlands and pastures. Uplands
include the Pennine chain, known as the ‘backbone of England’, which splits northern
England into western and eastern sectors. The highest point is Scafell Pike (977
metres) in the north west. The north east includes the rugged landscape of the
Yorkshire moors, while the south west has the upland moors of Dartmoor and
Exmoor.
Birmingham - the UK’s second largest city is located in the Industrial heartland and
many attractions for the traveller, considered Britain’s ’second city’ it is a cultural,
sporting, entertainment, shopping and media hub.
Bristol - largest city in South England (after London), vibrant music scene, lovely
historic buildings and an attractive waterfront.
Brighton - Victorian seaside resort turned into one of the major nightlife entres of
Europe.
Liverpool - famed nautical city and home of the Beatles. (European capital of culture
2008)
York - ancient capital of Yorkshire, with Roman, Viking and Medieaeval remains.
Bath - historical city, stunning Georgian architecture and Roman thermal baths.
Queen Victoria was the Queen for most of the 19th century.
Northern
UK England Scotland Wales
Ireland
Area (km2)
Capital city
Population
(millions)
Highest
Mountain
Longest Severn Tay/Tummel Bann
Usk (136km)
River (354km) (188km) (122km)
Lough
Largest Loch Lomond
Neagh
Lake (71.1km2)
(381.7km2)
Northern
UK England Scotland Wales
Ireland
Area (km²) 244,820 km² 130,395 km² 78,782km² 20,779 km² 14,139 km²
Capital city London London Edinburgh Cardiff Belfast
Population 60.2 million 2.95 million 1.7 million
50.7 million (2006) 5.1 million (2006)
(millions) (2006) (2005) (2004)
Highest
Ben Nevis Scafell Pike Ben Nevis Snowdon Slieve Donard
Mountain
Longest
Severn (354km) Thames (346 km) Tay (188km) Towy (103km) Bann (122km)
River
Largest Lake Lough Neagh Windermere Loch Lomond Vyrnwy Lough Neagh
UNIT 2
PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE
This took centuries, and a lot of armed struggle was involved. In the 15th century, a
Welsh prince, Henry Tudor, became King Henry VII of England. Then his son, King
Henry VIII, united England and Wales under one Parliament in 1536. In Scotland a
similar thing happened. The King of Scotland inherited the crown of England and
Wales in 1603, so he became King James I of England and Wales and King James VI
of Scotland. The Parliaments of England, Wales and Scotland were united a century
later in 1707.
The Scottish and Welsh are proud and independent people. In recent years there have
been attempts at devolution in the two countries, particularly in Scotland where the
Scottish Nationalist Party was very strong for a while. However, in a referendum in
1979 the Welsh rejected devolution and in 1979 the Scots did the same. So it seems
that most Welsh and Scottish people are happy to form part of the UK even though
they sometimes complain that they are dominated by England, and particularly by
London.
The whole Ireland was united with Great Britain from 1801 up until 1922. In that
year the independent Republic of Ireland was formed in the South, while Northern
Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
King James
King Henry VIII
2.1.3. Invasion
What makes the Scottish, Welsh, English and Northern Irish different from each
other? About 2,000 years ago the British Isles were inhabited by the Celts who
originally came from continental Europe. During the next 1,000 years there were
many invasions. The Romans came from Italy in AD 43 and, in calling the country
‘Britannia’, gave Britain its name. The Angles and Saxons came from Germany,
Denmark and the Netherlands in the 5th century, and England gets its name from this
invasion (Angle-land). The Vikings arrived from Denmark and Norway throughout
the 9th century, and in 1066 (the one date in history which every British school-child
knows) the Normans invaded from France. These invasions drove the Celts into what
is now Wales and Scotland, and they remained, of course, in Ireland. The English, on
the other hand, are the descendants of all the invaders, but are Anglo-Saxon than
anything else. These various origins explain many of the differences to be found
between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland - differences in education, religion and
the legal systems, but most obviously, in language.
Question: Who invaded Britain?
Complete the table below with information from the text:
Answer Key
2.1.4. Language
The Celts spoke Celtic which survives today in the form of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic
and Irish Gaelic. Less than a quarter of all Welsh people (600,000, out of 2,888,000)
speak Welsh. Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic are still spoken, although they have
suffered more than Welsh from the spread of English. However, all three languages
are now officially encouraged and taught in schools.
English developed from Anglo-Saxon and is a Germanic language. However all the
invading peoples, particularly the Norman French, influenced the English language
and you can find many words in English which are French in origin. Nowadays all
Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English (even if they speak their own language
as well), but all the countries have their own special accents and dialects, and their
people are easily recognizable as soon as they speak.
Occasionally, people from the four countries in the UK have difficulty in
understanding one another because of these different accents. A southern English
accent is generally accepted to be the most easily understood, and is the accent usually
taught to foreigners.
Answer Key
2.1.6. Anglo Saxon Religion
The Anglo-Saxons were pagans when they came to Britain, but, as time passed, they
gradually converted to Christianity. Many of the customs we have in England today
come from pagan festivals.
The Anglo Saxons believed that they were controlled by superhuman people - gods
and goddesses. They also believed they were directly descended from their gods.
Religion was a means of ensuring success in material things. For example, you might
pray to a particular goddess for a successful harvest, or for victory in battle.
The Saxon gods were similar to the gods of Vikings.
Examples of Saxon Gods:
Woden - god of war
Frigg - goddess of love
Thunor - god of thunder
Tiw- god of battle
Days of the Week:
Certain days of the week are named after early Saxon gods:
Monandæg ( the day of the moon ),
Tiwesdæg ( the day of the Germanic sky god Tiw. Tiu or Tig),
Wodnesdæg ( the day of the god Woden (Othin) ),
Ðunresdæg ( the day of the god Ðunor or Thunor ),
Frigedæg ( the day of the goddess Friga, wife to Woden),
Sæternesdæg ( the day of the Roman god Saturn, whose festival "Saturnalia," with its
exchange of gifts, has been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas.),
Sunnandæg ( the day of the sun ).
From Pagan to Christianity:
In AD 597 the Pope in Rome sent a missionary, St Augustine, to England to convert
the Anglo Saxons to Christianity. The pope gave orders that pagan temples should be
converted into Christian ones and that pagan celebrations should also be made into
Christian ones.
(from Woodlands Junior School Kent Website)
Questions:
1. What religion did the Anglo-Saxons follow?
Answer Key
2.2. INFLUENCES
2.2.1. The Celts
Between the sixth and the third century BC, the British Isles were invaded by Celtic
tribes, who settled in southern England. They originally came from central Europe.
Their culture goes back to about 1200 BC. Between 500 and 250 BC, they were the
most powerful people north of the Alps. They were pagan, with priests known as
Druids, but later converted to Christianity. It was Celtic missionaries who spread the
Christian religion through Scotland and northern England.
From about AD 350, Germanic tribes began invading south-east England. The tribes
came from what is now northern Germany, Holland and Denmark. The first to come
were the Saxons, joined later by the Jutes and Angles. The Angles gave England its
name. Britain had the protection of only a few Roman legions. The native people
could not stop the new enemy, known as the Anglo-Saxons. The Celts fled north and
west taking their ancient arts and languages with them. Celtic languages have
disappeared from most of Europe, but are still spoken in parts of Wales, Ireland and
Scotland. Celtic Christians later returned to England from Scotland and Ireland as
missionaries. The Anglo-Saxons in southern England were converted to Christianity
following the arrival of Saint Augustine of Rome in AD 597. As Christianity spread,
churches and monasteries were built all over England.
2.2.4. The Vikings
About AD 790, the Vikings started to invade England. The Norsemen, who came
from Norway, mainly settled in Scotland and Ireland. The north and east of England
were settled by the Danes. The Vikings were excellent traders and navigators. They
traded in silk and furs as far as Russia. In 1016, England became part of the
Scandinavian empire under King Cnut. By 1066, England was again facing invasion
from the north and the south. In September, King Harold II marched north to defeat
his half-brother, the king of Norway, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Just three
weeks later, he himself was defeated and killed at Hastings by another invader of
Viking origin, William, Duke of Normandy, from northern France.
2.2.5. The Normans
The Duke of Normandy, known as William the Conqueror, now became King of
England, establishing a new Anglo-Norman state. England became a strong,
centralised country under military rule. The Normans built castles all over England to
control England better. William was a harsh ruler: he destroyed many villages to make
sure the English people did not rebel. Norman power was absolute, and the language
of the new rulers, Norman French, had a lasting effect on English. Since 1066,
England has never been invaded.
(from In Britain - 21 Century Edition, pp.10-11)
Questions: How did each invasion change Britain? You can post your answer in
the discussion area.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries many dictionaries and books about
language were published including, in Britain, the Oxford English Dictionary, which
was begun in 1858. In 1926 Fowler’s A Dictionary of Modern English
Usage presented a traditional view of grammar but rejected the more extreme rules,
and was held in great respect for a long time. The development of radio promoted
standard English and Received Pronunciation (RP), which became known as BBC
English. Many older British people still consider this to be ‘correct’ English, and
complain about falling standards in schools and the media.
At the end of the 20th century English tends to be much less formal. Few British
people know much about grammar, since it is not usually taught in schools, but a
person who cannot speak and write grammatically is likely to be at a disadvantage. An
RP accent is now associated mainly with the upper classes, and many younger
educated people have a modified regional accent.
New words are still being added to English from other languages, including Italian
(tiramisu), Chinese (feng shui) and Japanese (karaoke). Existing words gain new
senses, and many slang terms become part of the standard language. New expressions
spread quickly through television and the Internet.
English is now an international language and is used as a means of communication
between people from many countries. As a result the influences on the English
language are wider than ever and it is possible that World English will move away
from using a British or American standard and establish its own international identity.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p.178)
a king of England (1017-35) who was born in Denmark and was also king of
Denmark and Norway.
Boudicca (also Boadicea) (died AD 62)
the queen of the Iceni tribe of eastern Britain when it was part of the Roman Empire.
She led the Iceni against the Romans and destroyed several of their camps. When she
was defeated she killed herself. She is often shown in pictures driving a chariot (= an
open carriage pulled by a horse) with blades attached to the wheels.
Hadrian’s Wall
a wall in northern England built between 122 and 127 AD by the Roman emperor
Hadrian, from Wallsend on the River Tyne to Bowness on the Solway Firth. It was the
northern border of the Roman Empire, from which the Romans could keep back the
Picts. It was a major achievement, 73 miles (120 kilometres) long and 16 feet (4.9
metres) high, with forts (= strong military buildings for defence) every mile along its
length. Long sections of the wall still remain, and thousands of tourists visit it every
year. It was made a World Heritage Site in 1987.
King Arthur Brutus in Hadrian’s Wall
Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400)
an English poet. He is often called ’the father of English poetry’ because he was the
first major poet to write in English rather than Latin or French. His best-known work
is The Canterbury Tales.
Received Pronunciation, often called RP, is the accent that is widely accepted as the
standard accent for both native and foreign speakers of British English.
William Caxton (c.1422-91)
the man who set up the first printing firm in Britain. He printed his first book in 1474.
By printing books in English, Caxton had a strong influence on the spelling and
development of the language. Many of the books he published were French stories
which he translated himself.
Unit 3
SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS IN BRITISH HISTORY
Answer Key
3.1. MEDIEVAL ENGLAND
After defeating the Anglo-Saxon king Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066,
William of Normandy introduced the Norman feudal system, rewarding his French-
speaking followers with land in return for their continued support, and French
remained the language of the upper classes and administration until the 14th century.
The power of these Norman Barons gradually increased and during the reign of the
Plantagenets began, together with the Church, to challenge the King’s absolute power,
which resulted in King John being forced to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede in
1215. This document contained a long list of limitations to the King’s power and these
rights obtained by the Barons were eventually extended to the entire population.
The origins of Parliament are to be found in the reign of John’s successor, Henry
III. It was a meeting of the King and his Barons and servants at which various
administrative and financial problems were discussed. In order to make it easier to put
the decisions taken into practice, each Shire had to elect a number of knights to attend
these meetings and report the decisions to their Shires. Edward I continued this
experiment and in 1295 called a parliament that became known as the Model
Parliament, at which barons, earls and the high clergy (bishop and abbots) were
present, together with the knights and burgesses representing the shires and boroughs.
The ‘House of Commons’ as a separate Chamber resulted from the unofficial meeting
of these knights and burgesses. The person chosen to ‘speak’ for these ‘commoners’
in Parliament became known as the Speaker.
The House of Parliament
The Hundred Years’ War fought between France and England had a devastating
effect on the English economy. This high taxation necessary to finance the war and
the Black Death (a plague in 1348 that killed a third of the population of England) led
to such extreme hardship for the peasant class that there was a revolt in 1381.
Although the Peasants’ Revolt was soon put down, it led to greatly improved
conditions for the peasant class and was the first step towards the ending of the feudal
system in England.
The Black Death
Henry used Parliament to establish himself as the head of the Protestant Church of
England with the Act of Supremacy in 1534. his decision to act through Parliament
greatly strengthen this institution, which had lost virtually all its authority under
Henry VII. There was general support on the part of the English people, who was
resentful of papal interference in national affairs. His Reformation led to the creation
of the religiously distinct Anglican Church. The dissolution of monasteries (and the
confiscation of their large estates) served to destroy papal authority in England and at
the same time provide Henry with much needed wealth.
Elizabeth I (1558-1603) was an outstanding ruler. She restored national unity,
opposing extremist doctrines and supporting a moderate form of Protestantism similar
to that of her father’s. Her reign is considered by many as the Golden Age of English
history, producing not only poets of the stature of Shakespeare and Spenser, but also
prosperity for the entire nation. The discovery of America placed Britain at the centre
of the world’s trading routes and brilliant naval commanders (especially Sir Francis
Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh) enabled England to dominate these trade routes.
During this period great trading companies, like the East India Company, were also
established. Parliament was regularly called and consulted, while Justices of the Peace
administered justice and carried out all the ordinary functions of local government.
Queen Elizabeth I
an English explorer, politician and soldier. He began his career fighting the
Spanish and the Irish, and was made a knight in 1584 by Queen Elizabeth I. With her
support he made several journeys to North America (1584-9) and South America
(1595), bringing back tobacco and the potato, but failed to establish a permanent base
there. After the death of Elizabeth he was put in prison for treason for 13 years, during
which he wrote his History of the World (1614). In 1616 he was released by King
James I to look for gold in South America. He was not successful in this, and when he
returned he was punished by having his head cut off. One of the most popular stories
about Raleigh describes how he spread his coat over a piece of wet ground so that
Queen Elizabeth could walk over it.
Magna Carta
a document that King John was forced to sign by the English barons at Runnymede
in 1215. It restricted the king's power and gave new rights to the barons and the
people. Some of these rights are basic to modern British law, e.g. the right to have a
trial before being put in prison. Four of the original copies of the Magna Carta still
exist, two in the British Library and one each in the cathedrals of Salisbury and
Lincoln.
John (1167-1216)
the king of England from 1199 to 1216. He was the youngest son of Henry II and
became king after the death of his brother Richard I, having previously tried to take
power from him. He was not a popular or successful king. He lost most of the English
land in France, quarrelled with the Church, and was forced by his barons in 1215 to
sign the Magna Carta, which limited his royal powers. He is the subject of King John,
an early play by Shakespeare.
the Model Parliament
the name later given to the English parliament set up in 1295 by King Edward I. It
was the first to include not only members of the clergy and the aristocracy but also
elected members to represent ordinary people. In this way it established the pattern for
future parliaments.
The Hundred Years War
a war between France and England that lasted, with long periods between battles,
from the 1340s to the 1450s. The English were trying to get control of France, and
won some major battles, including Crecy (1346) and Agincourt (1415), but by the end
of the war they had only gained the area around Calais, which they kept until 1558.
The Peasants' Revolt
The Hundred Years’ War lead to a period of high taxation. In 1381 the introduction
of a poll tax led to the most significant revolt in English history. The peasants of Kent
and Essex marched to Canterbury and then to London to protest at their conditions of
life and the harsh taxes they had to pay. They occupied several major buildings,
including the Tower of London. The young king, Richard II, talked to their leader,
Wat Tyler, and promised to help them. Many of them then went home, but Tyler was
killed and the Revolt ended in failure.
the Wars of the Roses
the name now used for the period of fighting (1455-85) in England between the
supporters of the two most powerful families in the country at the time, the House of
Lancaster, whose symbol was a red rose, and the House of York, whose symbol was a
white rose. The aim of each side was to make a member of their family the king of
England. Each side was successful at different times and the wars only ended when
Henry Tudor (House of Lancaster) defeated Richard III (House of York) and became
King Henry VII. His marriage to Elizabeth of York united the two sides and ended the
fighting.
the Golden Age
Elizabeth I's rule is remembered as the Golden Age of English history. Under her
rule, England advanced in such areas as foreign trade, exploration, literature, and the
arts. During Elizabeth's reign the age of exploration began with explorers such as
Francis Drake claiming new lands for England and introducing new materials and
foods. The American State, Virginia, is named after her.
the Spanish Armada
the group of 129 ships sent by Spain in 1588 to attack England. A group of British
ships, led by Lord Howard of Effingham's Ark Royal and Francis Drake's Revenge,
defeated the Armada in the English Channel. It was the first sea battle in history
involving large number.
the Civil War
a war (1642-51) between the King of England, Charles I, and his parliament. Its
causes were both political and religious. It divided the people of England and caused
great suffering. Charles I's soldiers (the Cavaliers) were defeated by those of
parliament (the Roundheads) at the battles of Marston Moor (1644) and Naseby
(1645). The Roundhead soldiers were very well organized, in the New Model Army,
under Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. Charles I was held prisoner for more
than two years, and was then executed, in January 1649. The Commonwealth was
declared. For 11 years England had no king or queen, although for much of this time it
had a strong leader in Oliver Cromwell. The Commonwealth did not last long after
Cromwell's death, however, and in 1660 Charles's son took his place as King Charles
II at the Restoration.
Whig
a member of a British political party established in the late 17th century. The
Whigs believed that Parliament should have more power than the king or queen, and
supported the Hanoverian kings and queens against the Stuarts. They believed in
religious freedom and political reforms. The Whigs, who were mainly rich
businessmen and people who owned land in the country, were in power for the first
half of the 18th century. In the 19th century they changed into the Liberal Party.
Tory
a member of one of the two main political parties in Britain from the 1670s until
the 1830s. The Tories were originally a group of politicians who wanted the Roman
Catholic James, Duke of York (later James II) to be allowed to become king of
England. They were powerful for various periods during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the 1830s, the Tories developed into the Conservative Party and the name is widely
used as an informal alternative name for the Conservative Party.
the Glorious Revolution (the Bloodless Revolution)
the events in Britain in 1688 when the Roman Catholic James II was removed as
king and replaced by his daughter Mary and her husband William III (William of
Orange). So many of James's Protestant officers joined William's side that there was
no fighting, and James escaped to France with his family. These events are also called
the Glorious Revolution because constitutional monarchy was introduced at the same
time.
the Bill of Rights
the informal name of the Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,
which was passed by Parliament in 1689. This Act dealt with the relationship between
the king or queen and Parliament, not with the rights of individuals. The earlier
Declaration of Right had greatly reduced the power of the king or queen, and the new
Act helped make Britain a constitutional monarchy, in which real power lies with
Parliament, not with the monarch. The Act also prevented a Roman Catholic from
becoming king or queen.
the Industrial Revolution
the phrase used to describe Britain's progress in the 18th and 19th century from
being largely an agricultural country to being an industrial one. Britain was the first
country to change in this way. During this time, many important machines were
invented. These were mostly made possible by the discovery of steam power and the
invention of the steam engine, which allowed one worker to do what before had
required many workers. As a result, big factories were built which could produce a
wide variety of goods in large quantities. New methods of transport, in particular
canals and railways, were developed for transporting these goods from place to place.
During the Industrial Revolution, the populations of cities grew rapidly as people
moved from the countryside to work in factories. The same kind of development soon
began in other countries in Europe and in the US.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture)
Unit 4
GOVERNMENT
4.1. Introduction
The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy, based on universal suffrage. It
is also a constitutional monarchy in which ministers of the Crown govern in the name
of the Sovereign, who is Head of State and Head of the Government. There is no
single document that forms the UK constitution; instead, the relationship between the
State and the people relies on statute law, common law and conventions.
The Palace of Westminster, on the banks of the River Thames, London, houses
the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The UK Parliament (the legislature) makes primary legislation, although it has
devolved a range of issues to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for
Wales and, when it is sitting, the Northern Ireland Assembly. Under the constitution,
Parliament is supreme and has authority over government and law-making in the
United Kingdom as a whole. The executive comprises the Government (members of
the Cabinet and other ministers responsible for policies); government departments and
agencies; local authorities; public corporations; independent regulatory bodies; and
certain other organisations subject to ministerial control. The Government derives its
authority and membership from Parliament and can only stay in office if it is able to
command a majority in the House of Commons. The judiciary determines common
law and interprets legislation.
As Monarch, The Queen is head of the executive and plays an integral part in the
legislature. She heads the judiciary and is both the commander-in-chief of all the
Armed Forces of the Crown and ‘supreme governor’ of the established Church of
England. In practice, the Monarch acts on the advice of her ministers.
Notes:
conventions: rules and practices that are not legally enforceable but are regarded as
indispensable to the working of government.
statute law: all the written laws of parliament
common law: law which has developed from old customs and from past decisions
made by judges, e.g. not created by Parliament.
MPs elected in
MPs at July
2001 General
2004
Election
Labour (1) 407 412
Conservative 163 166
Liberal Democrats 55 52
Scottish National 5 5
Plaid Cymru – The Party of
4 4
Wales
Democratic Unionist 6 5
Ulster Unionist 5 6
Sinn Féin (2) 4 4
Social Democratic and Labour 3 3
KHHC (3) 1 1
Independent Conservative 1 0
Independent Labour 1 0
Other parties 0 0
Speaker and three deputies (4) 4 1
1. There have been a number of changes since the General Election. One Labour MP
has changed parties and now sits as a Liberal Democrat. One Labour MP now sits as
an Independent Labour MP and one Conservative MP sits as an Independent
Conservative. One Ulster Unionist MP has left the party and now sits as a Democratic
Unionist. The Liberal Democrats have gained two Labour-held seats in by-elections:
Brent East in September 2003 and Leicester South in July 2004.
2. The Sinn Féin Members have not taken their seats.
3. The constituency of Wyre Forest was won by the independent Kidderminster
Hospital and Health Concern candidate.
4. The Speaker and Deputy Speakers do not normally vote. At the 2001 General
Election the Speaker stood for election in this capacity, while the Deputy Speakers
were elected for their particular parties.
(Source: House of Commons)
4.4. Parliament
The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world,
with its origins in the 13th century. During the 14th century two distinct Houses of
Parliament began to emerge, with the ‘Commons’ sitting apart from the ‘Upper
House’ from 1341. It was also accepted that there should be no taxation without
parliamentary consent, which remains a fundamental principle.
There are three parts of Parliament – the elected House of Commons, the appointed
House of Lords and the Sovereign.
Functions: The main functions of Parliament are:
to pass laws;
to provide (by voting for taxation) the means of carrying on the work of government;
to scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for
expenditure; and
to debate the major issues of the day.
Meetings
A Parliament has a maximum life of five years, but not all Parliaments serve their
full term. The maximum life has been prolonged by legislation in rare circumstances,
such as the two World Wars of the last century. The Sovereign dissolves Parliament
and calls for a General Election on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The life of a Westminster Parliament is divided into sessions. Each usually lasts a
year – normally beginning in November and ending in October or November –
although a session may be longer if there has been a General Election. The two
Houses do not normally sit at weekends, at Christmas, Easter and the late Spring Bank
Holiday. There is also a recess in the summer from late July to October, but since
2003 both Houses return for about two weeks in September before
a break that coincides with the political party conferences.
At the start of each session the Sovereign’s speech to Parliament outlines the
Government’s policies and proposed legislative programme. Each session is ended by
the Sovereign dismissing it – called ‘prorogation’. Parliament then ‘stands prorogued’
for a few days until the new session begins. Prorogation brings to an end nearly all
parliamentary business.
Queen Elizabeth II
Succession
The first seven members of the Royal Family in order of succession to the Throne
are: The Prince of Wales, Prince William of Wales, Prince Henry of Wales, The Duke
of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York and The Earl of
Wessex. Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of The Earl and Countess of Wessex,
became eighth in line to the throne on her birth in November 2003.
The Sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies: there
is no interval without a ruler. He or she is at once proclaimed at an Accession Council,
to which all members of the Privy Council are called. Members of the House of
Lords, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and other leading citizens of the City of London are
also invited.
The Monarch’s role in government
Over time the Monarchy’s power has been gradually reduced. The queen’s
influence is mainly informal and, having expressed her views, she abides by the
advice of her ministers. The Queen continues to perform a range of duties, such as
summoning and dissolving Parliament, and giving Royal Assent to legislation passed
by the UK or Scottish Parliament or, when it is sitting, by the Northern Ireland
Assembly. She formally appoints important office holders, including the Prime
Minister and other government ministers, the First Minister in Scotland, judges,
officers in the Armed Forces, governors, diplomats, bishops and some other senior
clergy of the Church of England. The Queen confers peerages, knighthoods and other
honours. In international affairs, as the Head of the States, she has the power to
declare wars and make peace, to recognise foreign states and conclude treaties.
The Queen holds Privy Council meetings, gives audiences to her ministers and
officials in the United Kingdom and overseas, receives accounts of Cabinet decisions,
read dispatches and signs State papers. She is consulted on many aspects of national
life, and must show complete impartiality.
UNIT 5
EDUCATION
5.1. Schools
Parents are required by law to ensure that their children receive full-time education
between the ages of 5 and 16 in Great Britain and between 4 and 16 in Northern
Ireland.
About 94 per cent of pupils in the United Kingdom receive free education paid for
from public funds, while 6 per cent attend independent fee-paying schools.
In England and Wales state schools are classified into three broad categories.
Community schools are mainly schools that were traditionally owned and funded by
Local Education Authorities (LEAs). Foundation schools include many of the former
grant-maintained schools. Voluntary schools are divided into controlled and aided, of
which many are connected to a particular religious faith. LEAs are responsible for
employing staff and for admission arrangements in community and voluntary
controlled schools. The school governing body performs this role in foundation and
voluntary aided schools.
All state schools in Scotland are directly managed by local authorities. However, there
are also eight grant-aided schools, seven of which are special educational needs
schools. In Northern Ireland, although all state schools are open to all religions, most
Protestant children attend controlled schools, managed by education and library
boards, while most Catholic children attend voluntary-maintained schools. There are,
in addition, 54 voluntary grammar schools which tend to be either Catholic or non-
denominational in character. Integrated schools aim to educate Catholic and Protestant
children together; these schools may be either controlled or grant-maintained. The
Government has a statutory duty to encourage integrated education as a way of
breaking down sectarian barriers. Publicly financed schools can apply to become
integrated, following a majority vote by parents. In 2004, 6 per cent of children in
Northern Ireland attended an integrated school.
In January 2004, 88 per cent of secondary pupils in the maintained sector in England
and all such pupils in Wales attended comprehensive schools. These generally take
pupils without reference to ability or aptitude, providing a wide range of secondary
education for all or most of the children in a district. All Scottish state pupils also
attended non-selective schools.
Secondary education in Northern Ireland is currently organised largely on selective
lines, with grammar schools admitting pupils on the basis of ‘11-plus’ transfer tests in
English, mathematics and science.
Independent schools are not funded by the state and obtain most of their finances from
fees paid by parents. Independent schools are required to register with the appropriate
government department and are subject to inspection.
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) represents the seven independent schools’
associations in the United Kingdom and has overall responsibility for the Independent
Schools Inspectorate (ISI). In England the ISI inspects schools in the ISC every six
years, using criteria approved by Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the
Department for Education and Skills (DfES). In Wales all schools are inspected by the
Office of HM Chief Inspector in Wales. Independent schools have to pass an
inspection to qualify for membership of an association within ISC. All other
independent schools are inspected by the relevant national inspectorates.
5.1.5. Curriculum
All state schools in the United Kingdom must provide religious education, but parents
have the right to withdraw their children from these classes.
Sex and relationship education, including education about HIV/AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases, is compulsory in UK secondary schools and voluntary
in primary schools.
Children follow the National Curriculum in England, the National Curriculum for
Wales in Wales and the Northern Ireland Curriculum in Northern Ireland. The
curricula contain programmes of study for age groups split into Key Stages. These
stages outline what pupils are entitled to be taught and set out expected standards of
performance. The programmes of study represent a statutory minimum – schools have
flexibility to add other elements, to choose how they teach the content of the
curriculum, and to focus more or less time on particular aspects.
There are four Key Stages covering the ages of compulsory schooling. Key Stages 1
and 2 are studied in primary schools, and Stages 3 and 4 in secondary school.
The National Curriculum requires all pupils in Wales to study Welsh up to the age of
16. A major review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum has taken place and proposals
for a revised curriculum agreed. Legislation will be in place by September 2006.
There will be greater flexibility to enable schools to provide a curriculum appropriate
to the needs of individual pupils and greater emphasis on the development of skills
and attributes.
There is no statutory national curriculum in Scotland.
Organisation of compulsory school years
5.1.6. Qualifications
Examinations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are typically taken at the
following ages:
16 – General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE);
17 – General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary (AS level) which is
equivalent to 50 per cent of an A level; and
18 – General Certificate of Education Advanced (A level).
In Scotland, the National Qualifications (NQ) Framework covers Standard Grade
(usually taken at age 16); and Access, Intermediate 1 and 2, Higher and Advanced
Higher qualifications (usually taken at ages 17 and 18).
State schools in England and Wales are maintained by LEAs. With a few
exceptions, this is also the position in Scotland. In Northern Ireland all schools are
funded by the five education and library boards. Further education colleges in the
United Kingdom are legally independent institutions with independent governing
bodies that include nominations from the local community and businesses.
Universities and higher education colleges are legally independent corporate
institutions with individual governing bodies. A number of government departments
are responsible for education policy:
- the DfES in England;
- the Welsh Assembly Government Department for Training and Education;
- the Scottish Executive Education Department (primary and secondary education)
and the Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department;
and
- the Department of Education and the Department for Employment and Learning in
Northern Ireland.
LEAs are responsible for pre-16 provision in Great Britain and they fund schools
largely on the basis of pupil numbers. The DfES funds post-16 education institutions
directly. Specific central government grants are made to LEAs in Great Britain to
improve school performance in literacy, numeracy and ICT. The Government also
allocates some resources directly to schools in England for them to use as they wish.
The costs of the
education and library boards are met directly by the Northern Ireland Executive.
(from UK 2005, pp. 118-126)
Under the National Curriculum system, all pupils undergo a series of tests at specific
points in their education. These are known as Key Stage National Curriculum Tests
and are numbered 1 to 4 as follows:
- Key Stage 1 (KS1) — during Year 2 (ages 6/7)
- Key Stage 2 (KS2) — towards the end of Year 6 (ages 10/11)
- Key Stage 3 (KS3) — towards the end of Year 9 (ages 13/14)
- Key Stage 4 (KS4) — during both Year 10 and 11, mostly at the end of Year 11
(ages 14-16) — incorporated into GCSE examinations
These Key Stage exams are often referred to as SATs (Standard Assessment Tests).
Pupils wishing to progress in to a grammar school must sit an additional exam,
usually the Eleven plus.
(from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
5.2. Going to university in Britain
After school many British students go to university. They apply to several universities
through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service) and receive offers of a
place on condition that they achieve certain grades in their A levels.
Most universities receive some money from the state. The oldest and most famous are
Oxford and Cambridge. Other much respected universities include London, Durham
and St Andrew’s. Some universities such as Birmingham and Manchester are called
redbrick universities because they were built in the 19th century with brick rather than
stone. The newer universities have their buildings grouped together on a campus.
A first degree, which is usually an honours degree, generally takes three years. Most
courses end with exams called finals. Results are given as classes (= grades): a first is
the highest class, seconds are often split between upper second and lower second, and
below that is a third. Graduates may add the letters BA (Bachelor of
Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. Some graduates go on to study
for a further degree, often a master’s degree or a doctorate.
Students in Britain formerly had their tuition fees paid by the state and received a
government grant to help pay their living expenses. Now, they receive only a loan
towards their expenses, and from 1999 most will also have to pay £1 000 a year
towards tuition fees. The new arrangements have caused a great deal of concern both
among students and among members of the public who believe that education should
be free.
At most British universities the academic year is divided into three terms. Students
study a main subject throughout their degree course, which is usually a mix of
compulsory courses and electives. Teaching methods vary between universities. Most
students have lectures and seminars (= discussion groups) and there are practicals for
those doing a science subject. At some universities students have individual tutorials
or supervisions.
In Britain a professor is the person in charge of a department or a senior member of
staff. Other teaching and research staff are called lecturers. Junior academic staff may
be called research associates.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p.507)
_________________________________________________________
Honours degree: a first degree at a university obtained with distinction
First degree: the degree obtained by most students when graduating from
university.
Finals: exams taken at the end of courses
5.3. Further education
Further education in Britain means education after GCSE exams taken around the age
of 16. It includes courses of study leading to A levels which students take at their
school or sixth-form college. Some students go straight to a college of further
education which offers a wider range of full- and part-time courses. Further education
also includes training for professional qualifications in nursing, accountancy and
management, and in fields such as art and music. The term higher education is used to
refer to degree courses at universities.
Many students in Britain take vocational training courses in fields such as building,
engineering, hairdressing or secretarial skills. Colleges of further education offer
courses leading to NVQs and other certificates and diplomas. Work-related courses
are designed with advice from industry, with the aim of producing students who will
have the skills employers require. On longer courses students may do placements (=
periods of work) lasting several months with
companies. On other courses, called sandwich courses, students divide their time
between periods of paid work and periods of study. A common arrangement is for
students to get day release from their work to attend college one or two days a week
over several years. Some students do a formal modern apprenticeship, learning their
skills on the job and attending college part-time.
The British government is keen to persuade more young people to remain in education
as long as possible in order to build up a more highly skilled, better educated
workforce. Over 700,000 people take part-time further education courses at around
500 institutions, while another 700,000 are accepted as full-time and sandwich course
students.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p.213)
UNIT 6:
HOLIDAY
Holiday in British English means a period of a week or more spent away from work or
school. This is called a vacation in American English. So, the period of several weeks
around Christmas when schools are closed is called the Christmas holiday, or the
Christmas holidays in Britain and the Christmas vacation in the US.
Holiday and vacation are also used to refer to the period when people go away for a
time to a beach resort or to the country, or go travelling. British people have about
four weeks' paid leave from their jobs. Most take their main holiday in the summer.
People without children of school age often go on holiday in the off-season when
prices are lower and there are fewer other holidaymakers. Some people stay in Britain
for their holiday, but many go to beach resorts in Europe for one or two weeks. Some
travel to the US or visit India, the Far East and other parts of the world. Many British
people going abroad buy package holidays sold by high-street travel agents, which
include transport, accommodation and sometimes excursions in the price. Some
people see their holidays as an opportunity to relax in the sun, but others prefer
activity holidays during which they can visit famous buildings or go walking in the
countryside. A few go to a holiday camp, such as Butlin's or Pontin's, which provides
entertainment for all the family. People often arrange their holiday a long time in
advance and look forward to it through the winter. Many people also have a short
break, usually three or four days, e.g. at a country cottage in Britain or in a European
city.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Butlin's
any of a group of British holiday camps, where families can sleep, eat and be
entertained without leaving the centre. The first one was opened in Skegness, on the
east coast of England, in 1936 by Billy Butlin (1899-1980). They were very popular in
the 1950s before travel abroad became cheap, and they still attract many British
families who want to enjoy a wide range of entertainments that are not too expensive:
Pontin's
any of a group of British holiday camps, the first of which was opened by Fred Pontin
in 1946. These camps, offering cheap family holidays/vacations, were very popular in
the years after World War II, but became less so towards the end of the 20th century.
6.1. Bank holidays in the UK
In Britain a bank holiday is an official public holiday (on a day other than Saturday or
Sunday) when all banks and post offices are closed, as well as most factories, offices
and shops.
New Year’s Day UK
Good Friday UK
Easter Monday England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Early May Bank Holiday UK
Spring Bank Holiday UK
Summer Bank Holiday England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Christmas Day UK
Boxing Day UK
In addition, there are various traditional local holidays in Scotland, Northern Ireland
that are determined by the local authorities there.
Spring Bank Holiday: the bank holiday that takes place each year on the last
Monday in May in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
August Bank Holiday (also Summer Bank Holiday ): a bank holiday on the last
Monday in August, when many people go to the coast, or to events such as the
Edinburgh Festival or the Notting Hill Carnival.
New Year’s Eve is on 31 December, the last day before the New Year begins. In
many places, people go to parties, bars or restaurants with friends in the evening.
Sometimes they meet outside in a big square. In London, people go to Trafalgar
Square. Just before midnight, people look at the clock, and together they count the last
ten seconds before the New Year begins: ‘Ten, nine, eight ...’
At midnight they stand in a circle, join hands and sing an old song called ‘Auld Lang
Syne’. A Scottish man called Robert Burns wrote the words of this song about two
hundred years ago. It is about remembering old friends. Many people drink a glass of
champagne, light some fireworks, or dance until the sun comes up. In Scotland, New
Year’s Eve has a special name: Hogmanay. At Hogmanay, there is a tradition called
first footing. The first person to come into the house in the New Year is the first foot:
if he is a tall, dark man, and someone you do not know, he will bring good luck. He
must carry some food, some money, or a piece of coal for the fire. In Edinburgh, there
are house parties and street parties, Scottish music and dancing, parades and lots of
fireworks. People often eat special food at this time. The traditional Scottish food for
festivals in haggis, which is like a large round sausage, usually made from sheep
meat.
New Year’s Day is 1 January, the first day of the New Year. It is a holiday for most
people, and the banks and many shops don’t open. Many people stay at home on that
day and rest. Most people go back to work on 2 January, but in Scotland they have
two days’ holiday and go back to work on 3 January.
At this time of year, a lot of people make New Year’s Resolutions. They decide to do
something different to be a better person. For example, they say:
‘I’m going to stop smoking,’ or
‘I’m going to learn something new,’ or
‘I’m going to work harder.’
The shops are very busy in January with January sales. This means things are cheaper
than before Christmas, so it is a good time to buy winter clothes.
The first time people see friends in the New Year, they usually say ‘Happy New
Year!’
6.3. Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day started over two thousand years ago, as a winter festival, on 15
February. On that day, pagans asked their gods to give them good fruit and
vegetables, and strong animals.
When the Christians came to Britain, they came with a story about a man called Saint
Valentine. The story is that Valentine was a Christian who lived in the third century
(between the years 200 and 300). The Roman Emperor at the time, Claudius II, was
not a Christian, Claudius decided that his soldiers must not marry, because married
soldiers do not make good soldiers. Valentine worked for the church, and one day he
helped a soldier to get married. The Emperor said that Valentine had to die because he
did wrong. In prison Valentine started to love the daughter of a man who worked in
the prison. The day he died, he sent a note to this woman, and at the end of the note,
he said: ‘Your Valentine.’ He died on 14 February, so the date of the festival changed
from 15 to 14 February, and the name changed to Saint Valentine’ s Day.
In the early nineteenth century, when the post office started in Britain, people started
to send valentine’s cards to the person they loved on 14 February. The cards had
pictures of flowers and birds on, and words inside like:
Roses are red, my love,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet, my love,
But not as sweet as you.
People still send each other Valentine’s cards, but often they do not write their names
inside: they just write ‘Be me Valentine,’ or ‘From your Valentine’. It is a kind of
game. Some children give their friends or teachers cards or chocolates. A man will
perhaps give his girlfriend or wife red roses.
A lot of people go out to restaurants for the evening and have dinner for two, with
candles and soft music.
6.4. Easter
Easter is the most important festival in the church year: more important than
Christmas. It begins with Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, which is the day the
Romans killed Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem, about two thousand years ago. In the
Christian religion it represents the day on which Christ died. It is a bank holiday in
Britain. Two days, later, on Easter Sunday, Christians believe that Jesus returned to
life.
Easter is now a Christian festival but the word ‘Easter’ comes from ‘Eostre’, the
pagan goddess of spring. Easter Day is the Sunday after the first full moon after the
first day of spring (21 March). It is different every year, but always between 22 March
and 25 April. Many animals and birds are born in the spring. So when people started
to send Easter cards in the nineteenth century, the cards often had baby sheep, rabbits
or birds on them.
Eggs are an important part of Easter because they mean spring and new life. One
Easter tradition is ‘egg rolling’. People decorate eggs with different colours, then take
the eggs to the top of a hill and the eggs roll down. The first egg to get to the foot of
the hill is the winner. On Easter Sunday, people give chocolate Easter eggs as
presents. These eggs started in Europe in the early nineteenth century and came to
Britain in the 1870s. Today some of the eggs are empty, others have small chocolates
inside; some are very small, some very big.
Some mothers and fathers tell their children that the Easter Rabbit brings the eggs and
hides them in the garden. The children must go outside and look for them.
Many people also eat hot cross buns at Easter. These are small loaves of bread, made
with fruit and spices, and they have a cross on top. They are best hot, and there is an
old song about them:
Hot cross buns, hot cross buns.
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
If you have no daughters,
Give them to yours sons,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
Some women and girls decorate hats, called Easter bonnets. They put lots of spring
flowers on them, and wear them in Easter bonnet parades.
Many people go to church on Easter Day. There are lots of flowers in the churches
and people sing Easter songs.
Easter Monday is a holiday for everyone, so a lot of people watch some sport, or go
out for the day. Children usually have a week or two holidays from school around
Easter.
6.5. Lent
Lent is the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, the most serious period in the
Christian year. Traditionally, Christians did not eat meat or rich foods during Lent.
Today some people stop doing something they enjoy, such as eating sweets or
drinking alcohol, at this time.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Traditionally, Roman Catholics go to church
on Ash Wednesday and their foreheads are marked with ashes as a sign that they are
sorry for their sins (= offences against religious or moral laws). In the US this
tradition is still widely followed. They ashes are not washed off but left to go away on
their own. It is not polite to make a comment on such marks on a person's forehead.
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. The word shrove is a past tense of
the English verb "shrive," which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by
confessing and doing penance. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving
(confession) that Anglo-Saxon Christians were expected to receive immediately
before Lent.
Pancake Races
On Pancake Day, pancake races are held in villages and towns across Britain. In 1634
William Fennor wrote in his Palinodia:
’And every man and maide doe take their turne,
And tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne.’
But the tradition of pancake racing had started long before that. The most famous
pancake race, at Olney in Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The
contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race to the finishing line
tossing the pancakes as they go. As the pancakes are thin, some skill is required to
toss them successfully while running. The winner is the first to cross the line having
tossed the pancake a certain number of times.
The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy
making pancakes, that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for
the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan
and pancake.
April 1st is April Fools Day. A day when people play practical jokes on each other.
Here are some of the most memorable ones in England:
In 1957 Panorama, a TV programme, fooled millions of Brits into believing that
spaghetti grows on trees! The show announced that thanks to a very mild winter and
the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a
bumper spaghetti crop.
In 1980 the BBC reported that Big Ben, in order to keep up with the times, was going
to be given a digital readout. It received a huge response from listeners protesting the
change. The BBC Japanese service also announced that the clock hands would be sold
to the first 4 listeners to contact them, and one Japanese seaman in the mid-Atlantic
immediately radioed in a bid.
In 2000 early morning commuters travelling on the northern carriageway of the M3
near Farnborough, Hampshire encountered a pedestrian zebra crossing painted across
the busy highway. (A zebra crossing is a place where people cross the road. Traffic
has to stop for people wanting to cross on a zebra crossing)
In 2002 Tesco published an advertisement announcing the successful development of
a genetically modified whistling carrot with tapered air holes in their side. The
extraordinary carrots would start to whistle once fully cooked!
May Day is the first day of May, which has been marked in Britain for many centuries
by outdoor events held to celebrate the arrival of spring. In Britain, traditional events
on or near May Day include dancing round the maypole and choosing a May Queen.
May Day itself is not necessarily a holiday in Britain, but since 1978 there has been a
bank holiday on the Monday closest to 1 May, called the Early May Bank Holiday. In
some countries, though not in Britain, May Day has been an occasion for socialist
celebrations, often involving military parades (= processions).
Maypole is a tall decorated pole which people dance around during traditional May
Day celebrations in Britain. The dancers, usually children, hold coloured ribbons
attached to the top of the pole, which is fixed upright into the ground. Maypoles used
to be common in villages on May Day but are now less often seen.
May Queen (also Queen of the May) is a pretty girl who is chosen in a town or village
to be the central figure of traditional May Day celebrations in Britain. She wears a
crown of flowers and may be driven through the streets on an open vehicle.
6.9. Hallowe’en
The pagans who lived in Britain two thousand years ago celebrated their New Year on
1 November. Then the Christians came and people celebrated ‘Hallowmas’, a three-
day festival between 31 October and 2 November. 31 October was called All
Hallow’s Eve, and slowly the name changed to Hallowe’en.
In November, winter is near, and hundreds of years ago people believed that bad
spirits, like ghosts, came in the winter. They wanted the bad spirits to go away, so
they made fires outside and used big autumn fruit or vegetables to make jack
o’lanterns. The name ‘jack o’lantern’ means ‘Jack of the lantern’. A lantern is a kind
of light, and some people think Jack was a nightwatchman who had one of these
lights.
To make a jack o’lantern, people cut a hole in a large fruit - usually a pumpkin. Then
they put a candle in the hole, and cut a face in the side so the light was easy to see.
Another thing people did, to make the spirits go away, was to dress like witches and
ghosts.
Children still do this if they go to Hallowe’en parties. People often put up decorations
for Hallowe’en parties, and play games. The decorations are usually black (for dark
nights and death) and orange (for the autumn vegetables).
One Hallowe’en party game is called ‘bobbing for apples’. Many apples fall off the
trees in October so they are easy to find.
Someone puts water and apples in a big bowl. The apples stay on top of the water.
Often someone puts something round the first player’s head so they cannot see. The
player must keep their hands behind their back and take an apple out of water with
their teeth. Then the next player tries. The game is sometimes very difficult and
players usually get very wet!
In Canada and the USA, and sometimes in Britain, children
go ‘trick or treating’. They dress like witches and ghosts, and
go to the houses around where they live, often in a small
group. When someone answers the door, the children say:
‘Trick or treat?’ This means that the person in the house must
decide. Either they give the children a treat (like fruit or
chocolate) or the children will play a trick on them. For a
trick the children sometimes throw something like an egg at
the house.
6.10. Guy Fawkes’ Day
In 1604, the King of England was James I and a Protestant. Many people did not like
him because they were Catholics and wanted a Catholic king. A Catholic called Guy
Fawkes, and his friends, had a plot to kill King James, and his government, when he
opened Parliament in London on 5 November 1605. They put thirty-six boxes of
gunpowder in a room underneath the Houses of Parliament. They wanted to kill
everyone at the same time. But the plan did not work. One of Guy Fawkes’ friends
wrote a note to someone about it. At about midnight on 4 November, the King’s
soldiers found Guy Fawkes and the gun powder. They sent him to prison but he did
not want to give the names of his friends. They did terrible things to him for eight
days until he said all their names. Parliament decided that Guy Fawkes and the other
plotters had to die. In January 1606, when people heard the news that the plotters were
dead, they made many fires in the streets to celebrate. King James was alive and well!
Every year on 5 November, in most parts of Britain, people build a big fire outside,
with all the dead leaves and old pieces of wood they do not want. The fire is called a
bonfire. They make a dummy (called a ‘guy’) of Guy Fawkes, from old clothes.
Sometimes children carry the streets to show people. They say: ‘Penny for the guy’,
and ask people for money for fireworks. Some people have a bonfire with fireworks in
their garden, but fireworks are expensive, so often people get together and have one
big party in a park or a field. It is usually very cold in November, so they have hot
food and drinks to keep warm.
Many children learn these old words about Guy Fawkes’ Day:
Remember, remember,
The fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot
6.11. Christmas
At Christmas, people remember when Jesus Christ was born and the Jesus Christ was
born and the Christian religion started, Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem,
about two thousand years ago. The people who followed Jesus’ teaching were the first
Christians.
Today, Christmas is a very important time in the Christian year, but it is also very
important to those who do not go to church. It is a time for buying and giving
presents, having parties, and being with family.
People start to get ready for Christmas in late October or early November. Shop-
keepers decorate their shops with lights, trees and other decorations, and shoppers
start to look for presents. Shops get very busy and stay open later. People with family
and friends in other countries often send them cards and presents, and everyone begins
to make plans for the coming holiday.
In the middle of December, most families buy Christmas trees, put them inside the
house, and put colourful decorations on them. They also send cards to friends and
family. The cards say things like ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’ or
‘Season’s Greetings’. These two traditions (the trees and the cards) both started in the
middle of the nineteenth century.
Many children learn about the baby Jesus at school. Sometimes they do a play about
the story and sing Christmas songs, called carols, for their mothers and fathers.
Many children have Advent calendars with little doors for each day the child opens a
new door and inside there is a picture or a chocolate.
Many children have parties at school, and many adults have parties at work in
December. Most people have 25 and 26 December off work, and many have a week
off, from 25 December to 1 January. They usually spend this time at home with their
family or visiting family who live far away.
The Christmas holiday begins on 24 December: Christmas Eve. People often stop
work early and have a drink together, or finish their Christmas shopping. They cover
the presents in special paper, and put them under the tree.
Children leave a stocking for Santa Claus when they go to bed. Santa Claus is a big
man with white hair and red clothes who brings presents for children during the night.
(In Britain he is usually called Father Christmas). If the house has a fireplace, the
children sometimes leave their stocking by the fire because Santa Claus comes down
the chimney.
Mothers and fathers tell their children that Santa Claus only comes when they are
sleeping, but they do not usually sleep very well. If they are good children, he leaves
presents in the stockings. (if they are bad he leaves them a piece of coal!). Some
children leave a drink and a mince pie for Santa and some vegetables for his animals.
Many people go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve. They hear the Christmas
story and sing carols.
Christmas Day (25 December) is a holiday. Children usually wake up very early.
They look in their stockings to see what Santa put there for them. After breakfast they
open their other presents around the tree.
Christmas dinner is in the afternoon and is the biggest meal of the day. Before they
start to eat, people pull crackers. The crackers make aloud noise, and have a small
game and paper party hat inside.
Dinner is usually turkey with lots of winter vegetables and then hot mince pies or a
Christmas pudding.
At three o’clock many people in Britain turn their televisions on because the Queen
says ‘Happy Christmas’ to everyone. A lot of people go for a walk in the afternoon or
play with their new games.
In the evening, people eat cold meat, and Christmas cake (a kind of fruit cake), fruit
and nuts, but they are usually not very hungry because of their big dinner. Boxing Day
(26 December) is also a holiday in Britain, but many shops now open on this day. In
the nineteenth century, rich people gave boxes to their workers on Boxing Day, with
Christmas presents inside. Now it is another day for eating, drinking and watching
television at home, or going out to watch some sport.
Another British Christmas tradition is the pantomime.
A pantomime is a kind of play with a children’s story (kike Cinderella or Aladdin)
and lots of music and songs. There is usually a man who wears women’s clothes and
plays an old woman. ‘She is not very beautiful, but makes everyone laugh. There is
also a ‘bad’ person in the story. Every time the bad person comes out, the people who
watch the pantomime say ‘Boo! Or ‘Hiss!’ very loudly. Children like pantomimes
because they can often go with their school or family.
The Christmas season ends on the twelfth day after 25 December, which is 6 January.
Most people take down their Christmas trees and decorations by this date, and some
people think it is bad luck not to do that.
1. Part 1:
Câu 1: The United Kingdom is officially called the United Kingdom of ......... and
Northern Ireland.
A. Great Britain
B. Ireland
C. Wales
D. Scotland
Câu 3: What is the name of the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II?
A. Windsor Castle
B. The Tower Of London
C. Clarence House
D. Buckingham Palace
A. The US
B. other countries
C. Germany
D. France
A. Peter
B. Manolo
C. Henry
D. Charles
Câu 7: How many times did King Henry VIII get married?
A. Six
B. Five
C. Eight
D. Three
Câu 9: The deepest lake in the UK is .........with a maximum depth of 309 metres.
A. The Sense
B. Loch Morar
C. The Thames
D. Lock Nake
Câu 10: The Commonwealth is a/an ... of the ex-colonies in the Empire and works to
encourage cultural relations between members.
A. club
B. association
C. group
D. band
Câu 11: The United Kingdom is situated off the ... coast of continental Europe.
A. south-eastern
B. north-eastern
C. north-western
D. south-western
Câu 12: Which sport originated in England and is currently popular mainly in the
present and former members of the Commonwealth?
A. Baseball
B. Handball
C. Cricket
D. Football
Câu 13: Who is the only woman to have served as British Prime Minister?
A. Hillary Clinton
B. Margaret Thatcher
C. Hillary
D. Vivien Westwood
Câu 14: What is the name of the river that flows through London?
A. The Seine
B. The Loch Ness
C. The Thames
D. Heathrow
Câu 15: Which monarch had the longest reign in British history?
A. Queen Elizabeth I
B. Queen Victoria
C. King Charles II
D. King Henry VIII
Câu 18: The members of the Commonwealth have many different styles of ........
A. House of Common
B. government
C. parliament
D. monarchy
Câu 20: In Britain, there are only .......... successful large companies, but many
successful small companies.
A. a lot
B. no
C. a few
D. several
Câu 23: What is the name given to the association of over 50 independent countries,
almost all of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom?
A. The League of Nations
B. The British Union
C. The Commonwealth
D. The Common Nations
Câu 24: What is the name of the forest where Robin Hood used to live?
A. Nottingham Forest
B. Sherwood Forest
C. Yorkshire Forest
D. Yorkshire Forest
Câu 25: What is the main theatre district in London commonly known as?
A. Notting Hill
B. Petticoat Lane
C. Broadway
D. The West End
Câu 26: What are the names of the two largest political parties in the United
Kingdom?
A. The Conservative and the Labour Parties
B. The Labour and the Liberal Democratic Parties
C. The Republican and the Democratic Parties
D. The Conservative and the Liberal Democratic Parties
A. The Sense
B. The Thames
C. River Severn
D. Lock Nake
Câu 29: Which of the following countries is the nearest continental neighbour to
Great Britain?
A. Denmark
B. Germany
C. France
D. Portugal
A. Five
B. Four
C. Three
D. Two
2. Part 2:
Câu 31: Feudalism was introduced into England by the Romans.
A. True B. False
Câu 32: Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England,
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
A. True B. False
Câu 34: The Vikings arrived from Denmark and Norway throughout the 19th century.
A. True B. False
Câu 35: All of the countries recognise the Queen as head of the Commonwealth.
A. True B. False
A. True B. False
Câu 37: A Northern English accent is generally accepted to be the most easily
understood.
A. True B. False
Câu 39: England is the northern part of Great Britain and the largest country in the
UK.
A. True B. False
Câu 40: People from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are English.
A. True B. False
Câu 41: England is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled in
England in the 5th century.
A. True B. False
Câu 42: Modern English developed from the Old English dialect of the East
Midlands.
A. True B. False
BÀI LÀM
Câu Trả lời Đáp án Ghi chú
1 A B False
2 D D True
3 D D True
4 A A True
5 B B True
6 D B False
7 A A True
8 A A True
9 D B False
10 B B True
11 C D False
12 C D False
13 B B True
14 C C True
15 B D False
16 B C False
17 C C True
18 B B True
19 A A True
20 D C False
21 A C False
22 C C True
23 D C False
24 B B True
25 D D True
26 A A True
27 D D True
28 C C True
29 C C True
30 B B True
31 1 0 False
32 0 0 True
33 1 1 True
34 1 0 False
35 1 1 True
36 1 0 False
37 0 0 True
38 1 1 True
39 1 0 False
40 0 0 True
41 1 1 True
42 1 0 False
43 0 0 True
44 1 1 True
45 1 1 True
1. Part 1:
A. GCSE exam
B. A-level exam
C. AS-level exam
D. Entrance exam
Câu 2: What do secondary students in England study but Vietnamese pupils do not
learn?
A. Craftwork
B. Design
C. Science
D. Art
A. The Exchequer
B. The Department of Trade and Industry
C. UK Trade and Investment
D. The Treasury
Câu 7: On which occasion is the song Auld Lang Syne sung .........
A. Postgraduates
B. Graduates
C. Undergraduates
D. Either of these
Câu 10: What can the Speaker of the House of Lords do?
A. End the debate
B. Preside over the House
C. Speak in debates
D. Supervise the voting
A. Tower of London
B. Westminster Palace
C. Warwick Castle
D. Buckingham Palace
Câu 16: Children start their public school at the age of ...
A. 8
B. 17
C. 13
D. 5
Câu 17: The group of 20 minister headed by the P.M. conducting national affairs is
A. The Cabinet
B. The Privy Council
C. The Cabinet Office
D. The Shadow Cabinet
Câu 19: At what stage of law-making procedure is Bill discussed and/or amended
A. All of these
B. Third reading
C. Committee stage
D. Second reading
A. 60 years
B. 50 years
C. Over 50 years
D. Over 60 years
Câu 23: The British monarchy could retain its dignity due to...
Câu 24: Children study at what school when they are 11?
A. Easter
B. Shrove Tuesday
C. Christmas
D. Lent
A. Cultural heritage
B. Traditional values
C. Political democracy
D. National identity
A. Counties
B. Boroughs
C. Councils
D. Constituencies
A. Drafting laws
B. Putting forward his own policy
C. Questioning ministers and P.M
D. Criticizing government policy
2. Part 2:
Câu 31: All pupils in Wales must study the Welsh language.
A. True B. False
Câu 33: The Budget is presented annually by the First Secretary of the State.
A. True B. False
Câu 35: Only members of the House of Lords are not entitled to vote.
A. True B. False
Câu 36: Religious education is provided by all state schools in the UK.
A. True B. False
Câu 37: The Prime Minister sits in the two Houses of Parliament.
A. True B. False
Câu 42: Sex and relationship education is compulsory in primary and secondary
schools.
A. True B. False
BÀI LÀM
Câu Trả lời Đáp án Ghi chú
1 B B True
2 B B True
3 C A False
4 B C False
5 A D False
6 B B True
7 A A True
8 B C False
9 C A False
10 B B True
11 B C False
12 C D False
13 B B True
14 D A False
15 A C False
16 D C False
17 B A False
18 B A False
19 C A False
20 D C False
21 A A True
22 A A True
23 C D False
24 D D True
25 B B True
26 C B False
27 B D False
28 C C True
29 A A True
30 B C False
31 1 1 True
32 0 0 True
33 1 0 False
34 1 1 True
35 0 0 True
36 0 1 False
37 1 0 False
38 0 0 True
39 1 0 False
40 0 0 True
41 0 0 True
42 1 0 False
43 0 1 False
44 1 1 True
45 0 0 True