1 Why is English language considered to be lingua franca?

Is
English the national language in USA and UK?
A lingua franca  also known as a bridge language, common
language, trade language or vehicular language, is a language
or dialect used to make communication possible between people
who do not share a native language or dialect, in particular when
it is a third language, distinct from both native languages.
Also English is a world’s lingua franca because it is used for
communication in Olympic sport, international trade and air-
traffic control. English has spread to all five continents and has
become a truly global language.
English is not only the official language of many countries in the
world but also the most widely(popular) used language in
international conferences, meeting, etc, being the main(principal)
language used by NATO and other organizations, and having
become since World War II a kind of lingua franca of
contemporary world.
English is not the national language in USA and UK because
neither the UK nor the USA has ever had a legally sanctioned
official or national language. It has been suggested that this
reflects a cultural and philosophical view of the freedom of the
individual in language choice.
2 What do you know about England?
England is a country that is part of the UK. It shares land
borders  with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west.
The Irish Sea lies (is) northwest of England and the Celtic
Sea lies to the southwest. The country also includes over 100
smaller islands. The capital is London, the largest urban area in
Great Britain, and the largest urban zone in European Union by
many measures.
As part of the UK, the basic political system in England is
a constitutional monarchy  and  parliamentary system. David
Cameron is a British politician who is the Prime Minister of the
UK. Also, Elisabeth II is, and has been since her accession in
1952, queen of the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zeeland,
and Head of Commonwealth.
The official language of the England is English.
TheSt George's Cross has been the national flag of England since
the 13th century. There are numerous other symbols and
symbolic artifacts, both official and unofficial, including the
Tudor rose, the nation's floral emblem, and the Three Lions
featured on the Royal Arms of England.
The River Thames is a river that flows through southern
England. It is the longest river entirely in England and
the second longest in the UK, after the River Severn.
3 Talk about the national symbols of England. (Tell the story
behind one of them)
The three national symbols of England are the St. George’s cross
(usually seen as a flag), the red rose and the Three Lions.
The St. George’s Cross has been the national flag of England
since the 13th century. Originally flag was used by the maritime
Republic of Genoa. The English monarch paid a tribute to the
Doge of Genoa from 1190 onward, so that English ships could
fly the flag as a means of protection when entering the
Mediterranean. A red cross was a symbol for many Crusaders in
the 12th and 13th centuries.
TheTudor rose, which takes its name from the Tudor dynasty,
was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of
the Wars of the Roses as a symbol of peace. The design took the
white rose of York as the center of the flower, and the red rose of
Lancaster as the outside edging. The design symbolized unity
and mutual regard.
The three Lions featured on the Royal Arms of England. Lions
had previously been used by the Norman dynasty as royal
emblems, and Attributed arms have been invented for kings who
pre-dated the systematization of hereditary English heraldry that
occurred in the second half of the 12th century.
4 What do you know about Wales?
Wales is a country that is part of the UK. Located on the island
of Great Britain, it is bordered by England to the east, the Irish
Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south.
Wales is a generally mountainous country on the western side of
central southern Great Britain.
The Flag of Wales incorporates the red dragon of a prince along
with the Tudor colors of green and white. It was used by Henry
VII at the Battle of Bosworth after which it was carried in state
to St. Paul's Cathedral.
Wales is represented at major world sporting events such as
the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Rugby League World
Cup and the Commonwealth Games. Although football has
traditionally been the more popular sport in North Wales, rugby
union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of
national consciousness.
Wales has a population estimated at 3 million and is officially
bilingual, with both Welsh and English having equal status; the
majority use English as their first language.
The capital Cardiff is Wales’s largest city and it was for a period
the biggest coal port in the world and, for a few years before
World War I, handled a greater tonnage of cargo(carbune) than
either London or Liverpool.
5 Talk about the national symbols of Wales. (Tell the story
behind one of them)
The national symbols of Wales include a diversity of official and
unofficial images and other symbols.
The Flag of Wales incorporates the red dragon, now a popular
welsh symbol, along with the Tudor color of green and white. It
was used by Henry VII at the battle of Bosworth, after which it
was carried in state to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The red dragon was
then included in the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh
descent. Later, It was officially recognized as the Welsh national
flag.
The leek (praz) is also a national emblem of Wales. According to
legend, Saint David ordered his Welsh(tara Gagilor) soldiers to
identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their
helmets(casti) in an battle against the Saxons that took place in a
leek field. It is still worn on St. David’s Day each 1 March.
6 What do you know about Scotland?
Scotland is a country that is a part of the UK and covers the
northern third of the island of Great Britain. In addition to the
mainland, the country is made up of more than 790
islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Edinburgh, the country's capital and second-largest city, is one of
Europe’s largest financial centers.
Scotland has 3 officially recognized languages: English, Scots,
and Scottish Gaelic. Scottish Standard English, a variety of
English as spoken in Scotland, is at one end of a
bipolar linguistic continuum, with broad Scots at the other.
The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn, which has been a
Scottish heraldic symbol since the 12th century.
7 Talk about the national symbols of Scotland. (Tell the story
behind one of them)
The national symbols of Scotland are flags, icons or cultural
expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise
characteristic of Scotland or Scottish culture.
The thistle(scaiete), the floral emblem of Scotland, also features
in Scottish & British heraldry through symbols, logos, coat of
arms and on British currency.
The national flag of Scotland, St. Andrew’s Cross, dates from 9th
century, and is thus the oldest national flag still in use.
The unicorn is also used as a heraldic symbol of Scotland. The
Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland, used prior to 1603 by the Kings
of Scotland, incorporated a lion rampant shield supported by 2
unicorns. One of the Crowns, the Arms were quartered with
those of England and Ireland, and one unicorn was replaced by a
lion.
The Scots Pine is the national tree of Scotland.
8 What do you know about Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland is a country that is a part of the UK of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of
the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of
Ireland to the south and west.
The dialect of English spoken in Nortern Ireland shows influence
from Scotland, with the use of such Scots words as wee for
“little” and aye for “yes”. The Irish language is the native
language as the whole island of Ireland. There are an increasing
number of ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland. Chinese and
Urdu are spoken by Northern Ireland’s Asian communities.
Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, the
second-largest city in Ireland  after  Dublin, and is situated
around the River Lagan, which runs through the city.
9 Talk about the national symbols of Northern Ireland. (Tell the
story behind one of them)
The national symbols of Scotland are flags, icons or cultural
expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise
characteristic of Northern Ireland.
The coat of arms shown above is NOT the coat of arms of
Northern Ireland.Northern Ireland does not have an official coat
of arms. The image shown above is of a historical coat of arms
used from 1924 to 1972.
The Union Jack (or Union Flag) is Northern Ireland's official
flag. The well known Red Hand Flag (shown to the right) has not
been officially used since 1973. It ceased to have official
government sanction when the Parliament of Northern Ireland
was dissolved by the British government in 1972. 
Flower: The shamrock (trifoi) is a popular way to represent Saint
Patrick's Day.
10. What did Henry VIII do for his country?
Henry was one of the Kings of England. He is best remembered
for splitting with the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, and
for married six wives in succession. Father(Henry VII), mother:
Elizabeth of York.
The most important event that happened in England when Henry
was king was the country’s change in religion. His
disagreements with the Pope led to his separation of the Church
of England from papal authority, with himself, as king, as
the Supreme Head of the Church of England and to the 
Dissolution of the Monasteries. Henry VIII reign was a
representative moment in British History.
11. What did Elisabeth I do for her country?
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17
November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin
Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, the childless Elizabeth
was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She had no
children, so after she died it was decided that James VI would be
the next king of England.
Elizabeth’s reign brought in one of the most glorious eras of
British history. Exploration, colonization, victory in war, and
growing world importance are some of her accomplishment. The
Spanish wars had crippled the English exchequer, inflation
soared, and in 1601 Elizabeth had to go to Parliament to get
more money. Sensing hostility, as Parliament was angry about
the privileges she had granted her favorites, she gave way
graciously, and gave a “Golden Speech” which became in later
years a model for the relationships between monarch and the
nation- with obligations on both sides.
12. James I, Charles I, Cromwell rule.
James Stuart was a Scottish Catholic who believed in the
“Divine Right” to rule as he pleased. This brought him into
conflict with the English Parliament. The failure of both James
and his son Charles I to understand the English tradition of
parliamentary liberty led eventually to Civil War. James died
unlamented in 1625. Charles I immediately came in to conflict
with Parliament. He tried to rule without summoning parliament
for 11 years, but eventually ran out of money, and summoned
Parliament 1640.
Parliament refused him money, and the country split between
supporters of the king and supporters of parliament. The first
major Engagement of the Civil War was at Edge hill in the
Cotswolds on 1642.
13 The House of Hanover.
The House of Hanover ruled Britain 1714-1815
Queen Anne died in 1714, and the Elector of Hanover, George
Louis, became king as George I. There were a lot of better
qualified people available to be king of England-unfortunately
most of them were Catholic. George I was a German who did not
speak a word of English, but was Protestant. So started the rule
of the House of Hanover, under whom Britain achieved wealth
and peace over the next century Parliament became more
powerful, and the leading politician was Walpole who was Prime
Minister until 1742.
At home the industrial revolution was in full swing. Coal fires lit
the night sky as they powers steam engines in factories. But in
Europe, French power was manifesting itself following the
French revolution in 1789. Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar ensured
the Britain ruled the seas, but French troops controlled Europe.
14 What did Queen Victoria do for her country?
The Victorian era of UK is a term commonly used to refer to the
period of Queen Victoria’s rule which signified the height of the
British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire.
As industrialization progressed, society changed, becoming more
urban and less rural.
It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific and
military change within the UK, and was marked by a great
expansion of the British Empire. She was the last British
monarch of the House of Hanover.
15 What do you know about the Norman Conquest and its
consequences in Britain?
The Norman conquest of England was the 11th-century invasion
and occupation of Englandby an army of Norman, Breton,
and French soldiers led by Duke William II of Normandy, later
styled as William the Conqueror.
William was crowned king in London on Christmas Day 1066.
He introduced many governmental and societal changes. The
English language that is spoken today is the direct result of 1066
and the Norman Conquest.
A direct consequence of the invasion was the almost total
elimination of the old English aristocracy and the loss of English
control over the Catholic Church in England.
One of the most obvious effects of the conquest was the
introduction of Anglo-Norman, a northern dialect of Old French,
as the language of the ruling classes in England, displacing Old
English names instead of English ones.
16. How does the British Parliament function?
The Parliament is the most important authority in Britain (13 th
century). By the 15th century, Parliament had acquired the right
to make laws. Parliament is the legislature and the supreme
authority. The executive consists of: The Government,
government departments, local authorities, public corporation.
The judiciary determines common law and interprets statutes,
and is independent both of the legislature and the executive.
Parliament consists of the Monarch, the House of Lord and the
House of Commons.
The House of Lord, currently comprising 750 peers, consists as
the following members: the Lords Spiritual and the Lord
Temporal.
Members of the House of Lords lose the right to vote into
parliamentary elections or to stand as a candidate in such
elections. TheHouse of Lords has no real power but acts as an
advisory council for the House of Commons. The Lords can
suggest amendments to a bill proposed by the Commons, but
after two rejections they are obliged to accept it.
The House of Commons is an assembly of 651 Members as
Parliament, or MPs, elected by universal adult suffrage. The
House of presided by the Speaker, who is responsible for
relations with the crown, the House of Lords and other
authorities as well as keeping order in debates with strict
impartiality. The Speaker is elected by the House itself but
cannot vote or make speakers.
17 What are the responsibilities of the British monarch?
The monarch is formally, the king at the queen is politically
neutral: acts only on the advice of political ministers; cannot
make laws, impose taxes, spend public money, act unilaterally;
performs executive and legislative duties like the opening and
dissolving of Parliament, signing bills, holding of audiences with
the Prime Minister, carrying out of international duties as head
of state.
The official duties of the monarch are numerous: the Sovereign
summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament and formally
appoints the officials like: Government ministers, judges,
officers in the armed forces, governors, British ambassadors,
high commissioners and bishops(episcopi) of the Church of
England as well as the Prime Minister. The Monarch must also
give Royal Assent to bills passed by Parliament, although if
assent were refused a constitutional crisis and the abolition of
monarchy would almost certainly result.
18 Speak about the political parties in UK and the election
system.
There are few political parties, main ones being the Conservative
Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.
The Conservative Party mainly represents the middle and upper
classes particularly strong in southern England. Members of the
House of Lords are organized on a party basis in much the same
way as the House of Commons but with important differences:
Members of the Lords do not represent constituencies and many
are not members of a political party.
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United
Kingdom. Growing out of the trade union
movement and socialist parties of the nineteenth century, the
Labour Party has been described as a "broad church",
encompassing a diversity of ideological trends from strongly
socialist to moderate social democratic.
The Liberal Democrats are a liberal political party in the UK.
The party was formed in 1988 from a merger of the Liberal
Party and the Social Democratic Party, who had formed
the SDP–Liberal Alliance for the seven years prior.
There are 6 types of elections in the UK: UK general elections,
elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, elections to
the European Parliament, local elections, mayoral elections
and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. Elections are
held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday.
Elections are administered locally; in each lower-tier(niveluri
mai mici) local authority, the actual polling(votare) procedure is
run by the Acting Returning Officer or Returning Officer and the
compiling and maintenance of the electoral roll by the Electoral
Registration Officer . The Electoral Commission  only sets
standards for and issues guidelines to Returning Officers and
Electoral Registration Officers, but is responsible for nationwide
electoral administration.
19 Speak about USA- states, regions, dependencies.
The USA is a federal republic made up of fifty states and the
District of Columbia. In the north the USA borders Canada and
in the south it borders Mexico.
48 states are conterminous- each state borders with at least one
other state; the remaining 2 states of Alaska and the 8 islands of
Hawaii. The United States also includes the island territories of
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, both located in the Atlantic
Ocean.
Very broadly, the regions of the United States can be divided up
in four main areas: The south, The Pacific coast states, the north
central region and the northeast.
The north-eastern region is made up for the six states of New
England, the Mid-Atlantic states. The North Central Region it is
midway between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. It
comprises the states of the Great lakes and those of the Midwest.
The Pacific Coast States- apart from Washington, Oregon and
the ‘golden states’ of California, this region includes Alaska and
Hawaii. The South – is at its turn divided into 2 sub-regions: the
Southern States and the South-western States.
The Declaration of Independence announced the birth of a new
nation; it drew upon French and British political ideas, especially
those of John Locke in his Second Treatise on Government,
reaffirming the belief that political rights are basic human rights
and are thus universal.
20 Speak of the American Revolution and the minutemen.
The American Revolution was a political upheaval during the
last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North
America joined together to break from the British Empire,
combining to become the USA. 
The first shots of the American Revolution fired at Lexington,
where they met a group of Minutemen, who got that name
because they were said to be ready to fight in a minute.
Minutemen were private colonists who independently organized
to form well-prepared militia companies self-trained in
weaponry, tactics and military strategies from the American
colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary
War.
The Declaration of Independence announced the birth of a new
nation; it drew upon French and British political ideas, especially
those of John Locke in his Second Treatise on Government,
reaffirming the belief that political rights are basic human rights
and are thus universal.
21 The first presidents George Washington, John Adams and
Thomas Jefferson and their role in shaping the political system.
George Washington was sworn(jurat) in as the first president of
the US. He had been change of organizing an effective military
force during the Revolution-now he was in charge of building a
functioning government. He worked with Congress to create
departments of State, Treasury, Justice, and War. The heads of
those departments would serve as presidential advisors, his
cabinet.
The next 2 president, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
represented 2 schools of thought on the role of government.
They represented trade and manufacturing interests; they feared
anarchy and believed in a strong central government that could
set national economic politicies and maintain order and who had
the most support in the North and the Republicans, led by
Jefferson, generally represented agricultural interesrs. They
opposed a strong central government as they believed in states’
rights and the self-sufficiency of farmers and had the most
support in the South.
22 Speak of the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Unlike Britain but like most nation states, the American political
system is clearly defined by basic documents. The Declaration of
Independence of 1776 and the Constitution of 1789 form the
foundations of the United States federal government.
At the heart of the US Constitution is the principle known as
separation of powers. This means that power is spread between
three institutions of the state- the executive, the legislature and
the judiciary- and no one institution has too much power and no
individual can be a member of more than one institution. The
president has a term of 4 years, while members of the Senate
serve for 6 years and members of the House of Representatives
serve for 2 years. Members of the Supreme Court effectively
serve for life.
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first
ten amendments to the United States Constitution. the Bill of
Rights amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees
of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the
government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and
explicit declarations that all powers not specifically delegated to
Congress by the Constitution are reserved for the states or
the people.
23 What do you know about the political parties in USA?
The United States does not have a parliamentary system, in
which governing coalitions are formed after elections, so
coalitions are formed before elections under the umbrella of the
party organizations. Since the Civil War, the 2 major parties
have been called the Republican and Democratic parties. The 2
major parties, in particular, have no formal organization at the
national level that controls membership, activities, or policy
positions, though some state affiliates do.
To an extent quite extraordinary in democratic countries, the
American political system is dominated by two political parties:
the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. They are very
old and very stable parties. The Democratic Party is sometimes
represented as a donkey, while the Republican Party is
sometimes featured as an elephant.
24 The election of the president of USA – his responsibilities
and duties.
The president is both the head of state and the head of
government, as well as the military commander-in-chief and
chief diplomat.
The President has the power to make treaties and the power to
nominate and receive ambassadors. He is elected for a fixed term
of four years and may serve a maximum of 2 terms. Elections are
always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November to coincide with Congressional elections.
The President is not elected directly by the voters but by an
Electoral College representing each state on the basis of a
combination of the number of members in the Senate and the
number of members in the House of Representatives.
The total Electoral College vote is 538. This means that, to
become President, a candidate has to win at least 270 electoral
votes. The President may be impeached by a majority in the
House and removed from office by t-3 majority in the Senate for
“treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”.
25 What do you know about the Congress of USA; what does
filibustering refer to?
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of
the federal government of the United States consisting of two
houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The
Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct
election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by
a gubernatorial appointment. Members are usually affiliated to
the Republican Party or to the Democratic Party, and only rarely
to a third-party or as independents. Congress has 535 voting
members: 435 Representatives and 100 Senators.
The members of the House of Representatives serve 2-year terms
representing the people of a single constituency, known as a
"district". Congressional districts are apportioned to states by
population using the United States Census results, provided that
each state has at least one congressional representative.
A filibuster in the United States Senate is a dilatory or
obstructive tactic used in the United States Senate to prevent a
measure from being brought to a vote. The most common form
of filibuster occurs when a senator attempts to delay or entirely
prevent a vote on a bill by extending the debate on the measure,
but other dilatory tactics exist. The rules permit a senator, or a
series of senators, to speak for as long as they wish and on any
topic they choose.
The term “filibuster” had been in use for centuries to refer to
independent military operators.
26 What is the history behind the American national anthem?
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the USA.
The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem
written on 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur
poet Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment
of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in
Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War
of 1812. Key was inspired by the large  American flag, the Star-
Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the
American victory.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by
the United States Navy in 1889, and by U.S. President Woodrow
Wilson in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a 
congressional  resolution  on March 3, 1931, which was signed
by President Herbert Hoover.
27 Speak about the British Education system.
Each of the countries of the UK has separate systems under
separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for
England, and the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly
Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible
for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively. While
the systems in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are more
similar, the Scottish system is quite different.
Full-time education is compulsory(obligatoriu) for all children
aged between 5 and 16(inclusive). Students may then continue
their secondary studies for a further 2 years, leading most
typically to an A level qualification, although other
qualifications and courses exist, including GNVQ(General
National Vocation Qualification), and the International
Baccalaureate. State-provided schools are free of charge to
students, and there is also a tradition of independent schooling,
but parents may choose to educate their children by any suitable
means.
28 Speak about the American Education system.
Education in the Unites States is mainly provided by the public
sector, with control and funding coming from three levels:
federal, state and local. Child education is compulsory. A sub-
type of compulsory education is public education. Public
education is universal at the primary and secondary levels.
Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are
usually made by state governments. The ages for compulsory
education vary by state, beginning at ages 5 to 8 and ending at
the ages of 14 to 18. A growing number of states are now
requiring compulsory education until the age of 18.
Post-secondary education, better known as “college” in the
United States, is generally governed separately from the
elementary and high school system, and is a separate section
below.
29 Which city of Great Britain would you like to visit and why.
What do you already know about it?
I would like to visit Bath. The city of Bath has a lot of places to
visit, which are beautiful and deserve to be seen. The city of
Bath it is one of the most beautiful place from the United
Kingdom and every person who visit the country should go
there. Also it is a city where you can relax, not just for the spa
but also a place with welcoming people.
History: It is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset,
England, known for its Roman-built baths. From the Roman
period to the present day this has been the heart of Bath as within
it raises the hot mineral spa water that has given the city its
name.
One of the things that I like visit is The Abbey Church of Saint
Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey.
This is an Anglican parish church and a
former Benedictine monastery.
30 Which city of USA would you like to visit and why. What do
you already know about it?
I would like to visit Boston. The city has a lot of places to visit,
which are beautiful and deserve to be seen, like Boston Public
Library, Public Garden(is a large park located in
the heart of Boston), Old State House(is a historic building
in Boston at the intersection of Washington and StateStreets;  it
is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, and now serves
as a history museum), Newbury Street. Boston is one of the most
beautiful place from the USA and every person who visit the
country should go there. Also it is a city where you can relax.