DIVISION OF

LITERATURE &
CULTURE

1 | Page
 Table of Contents

The United Kingdom.................................................................1

People and Language..............................................................19

Some Important Events in British History...............................31

Government............................................................................. 42

Education................................................................................60

Religion................................................................................... 74

Families and Family life..........................................................82

Food and Drink........................................................................ 86

Houses in Britain.....................................................................96

Media....................................................................................100

Sport...................................................................................... 108

Music..................................................................................... 114

Holiday..................................................................................119
 COURSE OUTLINE

Course Name: British Culture

No. of Credits: 2
Course Length: 30 periods/ 15 classes/ 15 weeks
Course Prerequisites: None
Course Objectives:
This course aims to equip learners with basic understanding of unique
characteristics of indigenous people from four nations of the UK and their
native language. This course also provides learners with opportunities to
acquire various aspects in British culture regarding education, politics,
religion, family life, festivals and entertainment throughout the British
history, while exposing students more intensively with experience for
improved independent and collaborative learning through pair and group
assignments.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this course, learners will be able
- IDENTIFY the facts about Britain and four constituent nations in
terms of geographical features, politics, education and religion;
- EXPLAIN the diversity of Britain in terms of people, language
ecology, media, sports and entertainment;
- COMPARE different aspects of British culture with learners’ own
cultures;
- FOSTER skills of thinking critically and working individually and
effectively in a team to handle assignments relating to British
Culture.

Teaching and Learning modes

Teachers will conduct mini-lectures as whole class activities. Learners
are to work in groups on problem-solving tasks and translation practice.
Through this course, learners will be able to work collaboratively and
independently with authentic materials and acquire enhanced
competency in British cultural issues.
Course Assessment
 On-going Assessment 50%
o Attendance and In-class participation 10%
o Role-play 10%
o Presentation (Group Project) 30%
o End-of-term Assessment (Final Written Test)
50%
 THE UNITED KINGDOM

Full name The United Kingdom of Great Britain

and Northern Ireland
Capital London
Major languages English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish
Type of Government Gaelic
Queen Constitutional monarchy
Prime Minister Elizabeth II Gordon Brown
Establishment 1801
Area 242,514 km2 (93,638 sq miles)
Population 63,182,178 million (National Statistic,
Currency 2011)
Pound sterling (£) (GBP)

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom

1
 The United Kingdom is officially called the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. It is also often known as Britain or just the
UK.
The United Kingdom is situated off the north-western coast of
continental Europe. It is surrounded by the North Sea, the English Channel,
the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It only has a land border with the
Republic of Ireland. The Channel Tunnel under the English Channel links
England and France. .
The UK has four constituent parts, three of which—England, Wales
and Scotland are located on the island of Great Britain. The fourth part is
Northern Ireland, which is located on the island of Ireland. The UK also
comprises numerous smaller islands including the Isle of Wight, Anglesey,
and the Scilỉy, Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides.
The UK is a highly developed country. It is a Commonwealth Realm,
and a member of the European Union and NATO. It is also one of the major
nuclear weapon states.

Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements

1. ……………… The other names of the United Kingdom of Great

…… Britain and Northern Ireland are Great Britain and the
2. UK.
3. ……………… Britain is a member of EU and NATO.
4. ……. The UK is situated north-east of the European
5. ……………… continent.
6. ……. The UK is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.
7. ……………… It has border with Ireland.
8. …….. The UK is a developing country.
9. ……………… It is a nuclear weapon country.
10. …….. Great Britain comprises England, Wales, and Scotland
……………… The United Kingdom comprises Great Britain and
…….. Ireland.
……………… The Channel Tunnel links the UK with France.
……..

3
 ………………
……..
………………
……..
………………
……..

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

God Save the Queen is the British national anthem. It is not known
who wrote the words or the music, but it was already a traditional song in
the 18th century. The song has several verses, but usually only the first
verse is sung:
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live ournoblé Queen,
God Save the Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy andglorious,
Long to reign over us;
God Save the Queen.
(If the country has a king at the time, the word
‘Queen’ is, replaced by ‘King’)

NATIONAL FLAGS

Flag Date Use Description

Union Flag, also A superposition of the
1801 - known as the Flags of England,
present Union Scotland, arid St Patrick's
Jack Flag of Ireland
Flag of England, A red cross on a white
also known as the field
C1300 St George's Cross This cross is the cross of
Saint George, who is the
patron saint of England. ...

4
 Flag of Scotland, A white saltire on a blue
also known as the field
C900 St Andrew's
Cross, and the
Saltire
Flag of Northern A red cross on a white
Ireland, also field defaced with a red
known as the hand, crowned on a six
1924 Ulster Banner pointed white star
(representing the six
counties in Northern
Ireland)
Flag of Wales, A red dragon, passant, on
also known as the a green and white field
1959
Red Dragon or Y
Ddraig Goch

THE UNION JACK

CLOZE: Choose one appropriate word from the box below to

complete each blank space.

5
 people Scotland united Wales
diagonal
celebrations loyally England public
Ireland dragon British royal

The national flag of the United Kingdom is commonly known as the

Union Jack and also as the Union Flag. It has been Used as the (1)
…………….. flag since 1603, when Scotland and England were (2)
…………….. The original design combined the red cross of (3) ……………..
St George’s Cross, with the white (4) ……………..cross on a blue
background of (5) …………….., St Andrew’s Cross. The red diagonal cross
of (6) …………….. St Patrick’s cross, was added in 1801, when Ireland
became part of the United Kingdom. (7) …………….. is not represented on
the Union Jack because it is a principality of England. The red (8)
…………….. of Cadwallader, which is now often used as the national flag of
Wales, dates from the 1950s.
The Union Jack is most often seen flying from (9) ……………..buildings
or at sports events. Children may wave small Union Jacks when a member
of the (10) …………….. family visits their town. During national (11)
…………….. strings of small flags are hung across the street as bunting.
The Union Jack is less important to British (12). …………….. than the
Stars and Stripes is to Americans. Many people feel a stronger (13)..
…………….. to the national flags of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern
Ireland. The flag of the European Union, a circle of gold stars on a blue
background, is sometimes also seen in Britain, e.g. on car number plates.
(Source: Oxford Guide to British and American Culture)

Mountains of the United Kingdom

The ten tallest mountains in the UK are all found in Scotland. The
highest peaks in each part of the UK are:
 Scotland: Ben Nevis (Nevis Range, 1,344 metres)
 Wales: Snowdon (Cambrian Mountains, 1,085 metres)
 England: Scafell Pike (Cumbrian Mountains, 977 metres)
 Northern Ireland; Slieve Donard (Mourne Mountains, 852
metres)

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 Rivers and lakes
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)
 Northern Ireland: River Bann (76 miles, 122 km)
 Wales: River Towy (64 miles, 103 km)
The largest lakes in the UK are:
 Northern Ireland: Lough Neagh (147.39 sq mi)
 Scotland: Lodi Lomond (27.46 sq mi)
 England: Windermere (5.69 sq mi)
 Wales: Lake Vymwy (3.18 sq mi)
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 Wast Water, which descends to 79 metres (258 feet).

British industry
Britain used to have many manufacturing industries, bự since-the
Second Worid 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.
Made in Britain
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.

7
 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
Electro acoustics, which makes top- quality hi-fi equipment; Wilkin & Sons,
which makes jams.

Do the following people work in a service industry or a

manufacturing industry?

sale assistance aircraft factory worker insurance

salesperson
travel agent research chemist for a drugs company bank
cashier

Britain and the Commonwealth

Because it is an island, Britain has always forced to trade with other
countries. During the nineteenth century, Britain traded all over the world
and had a large empire overseas. The Commonwealth is an association of
the ex-colonies in the Empire and works to encourage cultural relations
between members. South Africa was forced to leave the Commonwealth in
196 i because of apartheid. In 1994, after “one person, one vote”
elections, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth.
The members of the Commonwealth have many different styles of
government. Some of the countries, such as Canada, Australia and New
Zealand recognise the Queen as their head of state. In a referendum held
in 1999 Australia decided to remain a constitutional monarchy rather than
become a republic. All of the countries recognise the Queen as Head of the
Commonwealth, though some countries feel there should be an elected
leader.
(from In Britain – 21st Century Edition, pp. 44-45)

Which countries in the box below are members of the

8
Commonwealth?

Australia Austria Denmark Finland

Germany China India Italy
Nigeria Sweden South Africa

9
 ENGLAND
Official language English
Capital London
Largest cities London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool,
Manchester, Sheffield
Area 130,395 km2
Highest point Scaffell Pike 978m (3210ft)
Longest river Thames (346km)
Largest Lake Windermere (14.7sq km)
Population 50,1 million
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 35km 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 county 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
England5, 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.
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 Cities of Interest to Tourists:
London - the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, a vast
metropolitan area, and a global capital of finance, fashion and culture.
Birmingham - the UK's second largest city is located in the.Inđusừial
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 entries of Europe.
Liverpool - famed nautical city and home of the Beatles. (European
capital of culture 2008)
Manchester - Considered England's second city by many, a cultural,
sporting, entertainment, shopping and media hub.
Newcastle upon Tyne - a thriving northern city with world-famous
nightlife.
Nottingham - home of Robin Hood and Nottingham Castle.
York - ancient capital of Yorkshire, with Roman, Viking and
Mediaeval remains.
Bath - historical city, stunning Georgian architecture and Roman
thermal baths. Chester - historical city with Roman ruins.
The ancient university cities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements
1. __________ England has border with Scotland and Wales.
2. __________ England is named after the Germanic.
3. __________ England covers two-thirds of Great Britain
4. __________ England is a mountainous country
5. __________ The Pennine Chain is known as the backbone of England
6. __________Scafell Pike is the highest point of Britain.

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 There are many well-known English people:

William Shakespeare Sir Isaac Newton, the

the famous English playwright
scientist

Charles Dickens Sir Tim Berners-Lee,

the famous 19 century inventor of the World Wide
author Web

Sir Winston Churchill

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The Beatles from Liverpool Queen Victoria
 WALES

Official languages English, Welsh

Capital & largest city Cardiff
Area 20,779 km2
Population 3,063,456 million (2011
Currency Census)
National flower Pound sterling (£) (GBP)
Patron saint Leek, Daffodil
St. David

Wales (Cymru in Welsh) is a principality, a country ruled by a prince.

Wales was conquered by King Edward I of England in 1282 and was
brought under the English rule. Edward’s eldest son became the First
English Prince of
Wales in 1301. The eldest son of the English monarch continues to
bear this title. Prince Charles was made Prince of Wales in 1969.
Wales is on the western side of Great Britain. It is bordered by
England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel
in the west, and the Irish Sea to the north. There are several islands off the
Welsh mainland; Anglesey in the northwest is the largest.
Much of Wales's diverse landscape is mountainous, particularly in the
north and central regions. The highest mountains in Wales are ill
Snowdonia, and include Snowdon, which, at 1085 m (3,560 ft) is the
highest peak in England and Wales. The Brecon Beacons are in the south
and are joined by the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales.
The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales,
consisting of the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and suưounđing
areas.
The Seven Wonders of Wales is a traditional list of seven geographic
and cultural landmarks in Wales: Snowdon (the highest mountain), the
Gresford bells (the peal of bells in the medieval church of Ail Saints at
Gresford), the Llangollen bridge (built itt 1347 over the River Dee), St

13
Winefride's Well (a pilgrimage site at Holywell in Flintshire) the Wrexham
steeple (16th century tower of St. Giles Church in Wrexham), the Overton
yew trees (ancient yew trees in the churchyard of St Mary's at Overton-on-
Dee) and Pistyll Rhaeadr (Wales's tallest waterfall, at 240 ft or 75 m). The
wonders are part of the traditional rhyme:

Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,

Snowdon's mountain without its people,
Overton yew trees, St Winefride wells,
Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells,
The national game of Wales is Rugby

Wales is known for its great actors - Richard Burtorụ, Sir Anthony
Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Laura Ashley - famous fashion creator.
Sir George Everest - famous traveler and explorer, the highest peak in
the world is named after him.

Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements.
1. ……………… Wales is in the east of England.
2. …… Wales is a mountainous country.
3. ……………… Showdon is the highest mountain in Wales.
4. ……. Brecon Beacons are in the south of Wales.
5. ……………… The population of Wales concentrates in South Wales.
6. ……. Industrial areas and major cities of Wales are in
……………… the north and central of Wales.
……..
………………
……..
………………
……..

14
 Name the seven wonders of Wales
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
5. _________________________________
6. _________________________________
7. _________________________________

15
 Scotland

Languages English, Scottish Gaelic

Capital Edinburgh
Largest city Glasgow
Area 78,782 km2
Population 5.1 million
Currency Pound sterling (£) (GBP)
National flower Thistle
Patron saint St Andrew

Scotland (Alba in Gaelic) is in the north of Great Britain. It shares a

land border to the south with England and is bounded by the North Sea to
the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel
or Irish Sea to the south-west.
In, 1603 James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. In
1707 the Act of Union unites England and Scotland to create the Kingdom
of Great Britain. Scotland consists of a mainland area plus several island
groups. The mainland can be divided into three areas: the Highlands in the
North; the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands in the South. The
Highlands are generally mountainous and are bisected by the Great Glen
into the Grampian Mountains. The highest mountains in the British Isles
are found here, including Ben Nevis, the highest peak at 1,344 metres
(4,409ft).
The Central Belt of Scotland is generally flat and is where most of the
population resides. The Central Belt is often divided into the West Coast,
which contains the city of Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and
Lanarkshire; and the East Coast which includes the city of Edinburgh, Fife
and the Lothians.
The Southern uplands is range of hills and mountains almost-125
miles (200 km) long, stretching from Stranraer in the Irish Sea to East
Lothian and the North Sea. Scotland has over 790 islands, divided into four
main groups: Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, divided into the Inner
Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. The Firth of Clyde arid the Firth of Forth also
contains many islands. St. Kilda is the most remote of all the Scottish
16
islands, being over 150 miles (240 km) from the mainland.

Scotland has six cities.

 Aberdeen - Scotland’s third largest city
 Dundee - vibrant city with high population of students
 Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland
 Glasgow - Scotland's largest city at 620,000 people
 Inverness - capital of the Highlands
Stirling - a royal fortress city with a vibrant modern outlook - It was
granted city status in 2002
Scotland's most famous lake is Loch Ness with Nessie monster which
is said to live in the deep water.
Scotland is also famous for its clans, kilts, medieval castles, as well as
poetry and songs of Robert Bums.
Theatre lovers from around the world come to Edinburgh for its
famous theatres festival, Edinburgh festival.
Famous people of Scotland include: Waiter Scott, Robert Louis
Stevenson,
Arthur Conan Doyle, David Hume and the actor Sean Connery.

Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements
1. ___________ Scotland has been part of the UK since 1603..
2. ___________ Scotland is in the north of Britain.
3. ___________ Scotland has border with England and Wales.
4. ___________ Scotland can be divided into 3 areas: the Highlands, the
Central
Belt and the Southern uplands.
5. ___________ The highest mountains of the British Me are in the
Highlands.
6. ___________ The city of Glasgow is in the Central Belt.
7. ___________ The Southern Uplands is range, of hills and mountains.
8. ___________ The four main groups of islands are Shetland, Orkney,
the Hebrides and St Kilda.

17
 9. ___________ Scotland is famous for its kilt. .

Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British isles.

Northern Ireland

Main languages English, Irish Gaelic

Capital and largest' city Belfast
Area 13,843 km2
Population. 1.7 million
Establishment Partition of Ireland (1920)
Currency Pound Sterling (£) (GBP)
- Shamrock
National flower St. Patrick
Patron saint

Northern Ireland consists of six north-eastern counties of the island

of Ireland and is a part of the United Kingdom. It was created by the
Government of Ireland Act, 1920
It covers. 5,459 square miles (14.139 km z) in the northeast, of the
island of Ireland, about a sixth of the total area of the island, and has a
population of 1.7 million.
Northern Ireland is sometimes referred to as Ulster, which was one of
the ancient kingdoms of Ireland, or as the Six Counties, after the counties
which remained part of the UK in 1921 when the rest of Ireland became
the Irish. Free State. The capital city is Belfast.
Northern Ireland consists of six counties: Antrim, Down, Armagh,
Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry. The province is surrounded by sea
to the north and east, by the Republican counties of Donegal to the west
and Cavan and Monaghan to thè south.
The landscape is mainly How hill country. There are three
mountainous areas: the. Moumes in the south east with Northern Ireland’s,
highest point, Sỉỉeve Donard (852 metres); the Sperrins in the north west;
and the Antrim Plateau, parallel to the north-east coast. Lough Neagh is

18
the; largest lake in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe.

Places of interest
Belfast City
The Mountains of Mourne
Lough Neagh, the biggest lake ill the British Isles, 153 square miles
Lough Erne
Strangford Lough
Carlingford Lough
The Giant's Causeway
The Glens of Antrim
Fermanagh Lakeland
The Sperrin Mountains
National parks of Northern Ireland
National Trust Properties in Northern Ireland
Dromore, County Down

Complete these sentences with information from the text above

1. Northern Ireland is referred to as __________ or __________
2. The capital city of Northen Ireland is __________
3. Six counties of Northern Ireland are __________
4. Northern Ireland is surrounded by __________
5. Three mountainous areas of Northern Ireland are __________
6. The largest lake in Northern Ireland is __________
7. The highest peak in Northern Ireland is __________

Complete the table below with information from page 19.

Where can Place to visit

tourists ...................... ?

see the largest Roman …………………………

amphitheater …………………………
see a Shakespeare play …………………………

19
visit a caste …………………………
visit famous museums and colleges …………………………
go boating on a river …………………………
walk around city walls …………………………
experience nightlife …………………………
visit Wordsworth’s home

SUMMARY
This table below shows a summary of the four countries of
the UK. You are to complete the table with information from the
unit.

The UK and its Countries: Facts and Figures

UK England Scotland Wales Northern
Ireland

Area (km2)

Capital city

Population
(millions)

Highest
Mountain
Bann
Longest Severn Tay/Tummel Usk
(122km)
River (354km) (188km) (136km)
Lough Loch
Largest
Neagh Lomond
Lake
(381.7km2) (71.1km2)

Sources:
- UK. 2005- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom, prepared by the
Office for National Statistics, London
- Aspects of Britain and the USA, Christopher Garwood, GuglieJomo
Gardani, Edda Peris, OliP, 1997
- Britain-21st Century Edition, Michael Vaughan-Rẹes, Geraldine Sweeney,
Picot Cassidy
- Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP,

20
 1999
- Focus on Britain Today, Cỉare Lavery, Macmillan, 1993
- United Kingdom, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_UK
- England, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
- Scotland, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland
- Wales, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales
- Northern Ireland, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- http://en.wikipedia.ore/wiki/Northem Ireland
- Photo: Trafalgar Square
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafalpar Square
- United Kingdom Map
- http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/uk/map.
- html;_ylt=AvYGqvX38f X71ipyF6kq7Oe4ecYF
- http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-577982-map_of_united_kingdom-i
- Photo: London Eye
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/cominons/f/fc/London_
- Eye_Jan_2006.jpg map of England
- http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-gl86217-England-Vacations.html

Further reading:
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, Woodlands
Junior School Kent Website
- http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/index/
introduction.html
- Britain: About the UK and Its Culture
- http://www.ukstudentiife.comyBritain.htm

21
22
 PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE
WHO ARE THE BRITISH?
Why British not English?
Many foreigners say “England” and “English” when they mean “Britain”, or the
“UK”, and “British”. This is very annoying for the 5 million people who live in
Scotland, the 2.8 million in Wales and 1.5 million in Northern Ireland who are
certainly not English, However, the people from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
and England are all British. So what is the.difference between the names 'Great
Britain’ and ‘the United Kingdom”- and what about the British Isles?
The United Kingdom is an abbreviation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland’ it often further abbreviated to ‘UK’, and is the political name of
the country which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Several islands off the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom (for example,
the Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shètỉands, and the Isles of Scilly),
although the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not. However, all these islands
do recognize the Queen.
Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland
and Wales.
The British Isles is the geographical name that refers to all the islands off the
north west coast of the European continent: Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, the
Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
How was the United Kingdom formed?
This took centuries, and a lot of armed struggle was involved. In the 15 th 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 Janies 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

23
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.
* Write T for true and F for False. Correct the false information.
1. ………….. Many foreigners say “English” when they mean “British”.
2. ………….. People from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are
English.
3………….. King Henry vilunited England and Wales.
4.………….. King James I ruled England and Wales in 1603
5. ………….. The Parliaments of England, Wales and Scotland were united in
1707
6. …………..The Scottish and Welsh people do not want to be part of the UK.
7. ………….. Northern Irelandand. Britain were united in 1801.
8. ………….. Northern Ireland became part ofthe UK in 1922.
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-landj. 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 ail thẹ invaders, but are Anglo- Saxon than,
anything else. These various origins explain many of the differences to be found

24
between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland - differences in education, religion and
the legal systems, but most obviously,in language.
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 (000,000, 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, ail 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.
Multiracial Britain
Recently, there have been many waves of immigration into Britain and
movement within the UK. For example, many people from Wales, Scotland and
Ireland have settled in England; Jews, Russians, Germans, and Poles have come to
Britain (particularly London) during political changes in the rest of Europe.
Commonwealth citizens were allowed free entry into Britain until 1962. Before
the Second World War these immigrants were mostly people from Canada, Australia,
New Zealand and South Africa. In the 1950s, people from the West Indies, India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong were encouraged to come and work in Britain.
Today, 2 million British people are of West Indìặii or Asian'origin and over 50 per
cent of them were bom in Britain.
The new immigrant communities are concentrated in the following towns and
cities: London, Slough, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Luton, Bradford,
Coventry, Bedford, Reading and Sandwell. The main language of the Asian
immigrants are Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Cantonese (Chinese).

25
Nowadays the policy is to encourage these communities to continue speaking their
own languages as well as English. The children of immigrants are often taught their
own languages in school, and there are special newspapers, magazines, and radio and
television programmes for the Asian community. The West Indians, of course, arrive
speaking English, but they do have their own culture which they wish to keep alive.
They also have their own newspapers, and radio and television programmes. This
latest wave of immigration has of course caused problems. There is certainly racial
tension and racial prejudice in Britain today. In spite of laws passed to protect them,
there is still discrimination against Asian and black people, many of whom are
unemployed or in low-paid jobs-. However, the atmosphere is improving and the
different races are slowly learning to trust one another. In a wide educational
programme white school-children, teachers, policemen and social workers are learning
about the problems and customs of their new neighbours. There are many areas in
Britain now where racial harmony is a reality.
British culture is being enriched through its contact with other cultures. For
example, the British are becoming more adventurous in their cooking and eating
habits, and Chinese, Indian and Pakistani restaurants are very popular. Another
example can be found in the pop music scene where West Indian reggae music has
become very influential.
(from Spotlight on Britain, pp. 2-4)
* Who invaded Britain?
Complete the table below with information from the text
INVADER FROM DATE
the Romans

* Write T for true and F for False. Correct the false information.
1. ………….. Welsh and English developed from Celtic.
2. ………….. Invaders’ languages influenced the English language.
3. ………….. People from the 4 countries of Britain speak English.
4. ………….. Southern English accent is taught to foreigners.
5. ………….. People from Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland
26
 can understand one ánother easily.
6. ………….. TheBritish government encourages immigrant communities to
speak their own languages and English,
7. ………….. The immigrants’ languages are taught to children in school..
8. …………..The immigrants’ communities want to preserve their own .
culture.
9.………….. There are not racial problems in the UK.
10. ………….. British culture is enriched through its contact with
immigrants’cultures.
* Answer the following questions
1. What is the government’s policy on immigrants’languages?
2. What problems do the immigrants have to confront?
3. What have been done to solve these problems?
* CLOZE
Use the words provided in the box below to fill in the blanks. There are more
words provided than the blanks, so you will not use them all.
Irish Britons Romans Scots
Ancient Brits English England
Welsh Scottish informally loyalty

The people of the United Kingdom

The people of the United Kingdom are British and have British nationality. As a
group they are usually referred to as the British, rather than as (1) ………….. though
this name is used in the media. (2) ………….. Britons were the people who lived in
Britain before the (3) ………….. came. Only people who come from (4) …………..
can be called English. People from Ireland are (5) ………….. people from Wales, (6)
………….. and people from Scotland (7) ………….. or Scottish, and they do not
like being called (8) ………….. The term the Brits is only used (9) ………….., often
humorously. Many people from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have stronger
feelings of (10) ………….. towards their own country than they do to the United
Kingdom. British people who have come originally from Asia, Africa or the West
Indies may also feel two sets of loyalties.
Anglo Saxon Religion
27
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 10 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 Goods;
Monandceg (the đay of the moon),
Tiwesdceg (the day of the Germanic sky god Tiw. Tiu or Tig),
Wodnesdceg (the day of the god Woden (Othin)),
Đunresdceg (the day of the god Đunor or Thunor),
Frigedceg (the day of the goddess Friga, wife to Woden),
Scetemesdceg (the day of the Roman god Saturn, whose festival "Saturnalia," with
its exchange of gifts, has been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas.).
Sunnandceg (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)

 What religion did the Anglo-Saxons follow?

 Where do the names of the days of the week originate from?

28
 INFLUENCES
The Celts
Between the sixth and the third century BC, the British Isles were inVadcd 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.
The Romans
In AD 43, the Romans invaded southern Britain. It became a Roman colony
called Britannia. The Romans set up their capital in London and built major cities in
Bath, Chester and York. The cities contained beautiful buildings, squares and public
baths. Fine villas were built for Celtic aristocrats who accepted Roman rule.
The Roman, invasion was not completely peaceful. In AD 60, the Iceni, a tribe
led by Queen. Boudicca, destroyed three cities, including London. The Romans
stopped the rebellion brutally aiid Boudieca killed herself.
The tribes of Scotland never completely surrendered to die Romans. As a result,
in AD 122, Emperor Hadrian built a long wall to defend the border'between England
and Scotland. Hadrian’s Wall was overrun several times by Scottish ừibes and was
finally abandoned in AD 383. By then, the Roman Empire was collapsing and the
Roman legions had left Britain to fight the tribes on the continent.
The Saxons, Jutes and Angies
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 Angies. 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.

29
following the arrival of Saint Augustine of Rome in AD 597. As Christianity spread,
churches and monasteries were built all over England.
The Vikings
About AD 790, the Vikings started to invade England. The Norsemen, who^ame
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.
The Normans
The Dukẹ 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 ail over Engiand 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)
 Answer the following questions:
1. What invasions did Britain suffer in early times?
2. Where did the invaders come from?
3. How did each invasion change Britain?

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The roots of English
English began as a west Germanic language which was brought to England by
the Saxons around 400 AD. Old English was the spoken and written language of
England between 400 and 1100 AD. Many words used today come from Old English,
including man, woman, king, mother, give and wash, as do many slang expressions and

30
swear words. But Old English was very different from modem English and only a few
words can be easily recognized. In the 9th and 10th centuries, when Vikings invaded
England, Old Norse words, e.g. sky, take and get and many place names, entered the
language.
From the Norman Conquest (1066) until the late 12th century English was
replaced as the official language by Norman French, though English was still used by
the lower classes. English from about 1300 to 1500 is known as Middle English. It was
influenced by French and also Latin in vocabulary and pronunciation. French brought
many words connected with government, e.g. sovereign, royal, court, legal, and
government itself. Latin was the language of religion and learning and gave to English
"words such as minister, angel, master, school and grammar. Literature began again to
be written in English. One of the most famous Middle English works is Chaucer’s The
Canterbury Tales.
The development of Modern English
Modem English developed from the Middle English dialect of the East Midlands
and was influenced by the English used in London, where a printing press was set up
by William Caxton in 1476. English changed a great deal from this time until the end
of th.e 18th century. During the Renaissance, many words were introduced from Greek
and Latin to express new ideas, especially in science, medicine and philosophy. They
included physics, species, architecture, encyclopedia and hypothesis. In. the 16th
century several versions of the Bible helped bring written English to ordinary people.
The Elizabethan period is. also famous for its drama, and the plays of Marlowe and
Shakespeare were seen by many people.
The development of printing helped establish standards of spelling and grammar,
but there remained a lot of variation. Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English
Language (1755) was the first authoritative treatment of English. It defined about
40,000 words and gave examples of their use. Soon afterwards, people tried to
establish grammatical rules, like the use of me, not I, after a preposition, and that
different should be followed by from, not to or than. The idea of having an English
academy to protect agreed standards has been suggested several times, including most
recently in the 1990s, but has never found enough support.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries many dictionaries and books about

31
language were published including, in Britain, the Oxford English Dictionary, which
was begun in 1858. In 1926 Fowler’s A Dictionary of Modem English Usage presented
a traditional view of grammar but rejectedthe 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 terras 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)
 Complete these sentences with information from the text above
1.The Saxons brought the English language to England in ………………..
2. When the Vikings invaded England ………………..
3. From 1066 until the 12th century Norman French was ………………..
4. The periods of the development of the English language are:
- ………………..
- ………………..
- ………………..
5.Middle English was influenced by ………………..
6.Modern English developed from ………………..

32
 7.In the 15th century printing press was ………………..
8.Many words from Greek and Latin were ………………..
9.The development of printing helped………………..
10. The development of radio promoted..............................
11. English nowadays tends to be………………..
12. An RP accent is associated mainly with………………..
13. The English language is changing, new words are .........................
14. English is now......………………..
* Define the following terms, using a dictionary if necessary
British: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
Britons: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
Ancient Britons: ………………..………………..………………..……………….
English: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
Irish: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
Welsh: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
Scottish: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
devolution: ………………..………………..………………..………………..
referendum: ………………..………………..………………..………………..

Did YOU NKOW?

Canute (also Cniỉt) (c.994-1035)
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 ạ
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

33
Piets. 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.
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.
Sources
Spotlight on Britain, Susan Sheerin, Jonathan Seath, Gillian White, OUP
Aspects, of Britain and the USA, Christopher Garwood, Guglielmo Gardani, Edda
Peris, OUP
Britain-21st Century Edition, Michael Vaughan-Rees; Geraldine Sweeney, Picot
Cassidy
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture; Jonathan Crowther, OƯP, 1999
Anglo Saxon Religion
http://woodlands-iunior.kent.sch.uk/homew.orjk/saxons/religion.htm
Further reading
Language spoken in Britain, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-iunior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/language.html

34
 SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS
IN BRITISH HISTORY
Significant dates in UK history
55 and 54 BC: Julius Caesar's expeditions to Britain 1411: St Andrews University founded, the first
AD 43: Roman conquest begins under Claudius university in Scotland 1455-87: Wars of the Roses
122-38: Hadrian’s Wall built between Yorkists and Lancastrians
c.409: Roman army withdraws from Britain 1455-87: Wars of the Roses between Yorkists and
450s onwards: foundation of the Anglo-Saxon Lancastrians
kingdoms 1477: first book to be printed in England, by William
597: arrival of St Augustine to preach Christianity to Caxton
the Anglo-Saxons 1534-40: English Reformation; Henry VIII breaks
664: Synod of Whitby opts for Roman Catholic rather with the Papacy
than Celtic church 1536-42; Acts of Union integrate England and Wales
789-95: first Viking raids
administratively and legally, and give Wales
832-60; Scots and Picfs merge under Kenneth
representation in Parliament
Macalpin to form what is to become the kingdom of
1547-53: Protestantism becomes official.retigioft in
Scotland
England under Edward VI
860s: Danes overrun East Anglia, Northumbria and
1553-58: Catholicism restored by Mary I
eastern Mercia
1558: loss of Calais, last English possession in France
871-99: reign of Alfred the Great in Wessex
1558-1603: reign of Elizabeth 1; moderate
1066: William the Conqueror defeats Harold
Protestantism established
Godwinson at Hastings and takes the throne
1588: defeat of Spanish Armada
1086: Domesday Book completed: a survey of English
1603: union of the crowns of Scotland and England
landholdings undertaken on tile orders of William I
under James VI of Scotland
1215: King John signs Magna Carta to protect feudal
1642-51: Civil Wars between King and Parliament
rights against royal abuse
1649: execution of Charles 1
13th century: first Oxford and Cambridge colieges
1653-58: Oliver Cromwell rules as Lord Protector
founded
1660: monarchy restored under Charles II
1301: Edward of Caemarvon (later Edward II) created
1660: founding of the Royal Society for the Promotion
Prince of Wales
of Natural Knowledge
1314: Battle of Bannockburn ensures survival of
1665: the great Plague, the last ,major epidenic of
separate Scottish kingdom
plague in England
1337: Hundred Years War between England and
1666: the Great Fire of London
France begins
1686: Isaac Newton stes out his laws of motion and
1348-49: Black Death (bubonic plague) wipes out a
the idea of universal gravilation
third of England’s population
1688: Glorious Revolution, accession of William and
1381: Peasants’ Revolt in England, the most
Mary
significant popular rebellion in English history
1707: Acts of Union unite the English and Scottish
1400-c. 1406: Owain Glyndwr (Owen Glendower)
Parliaments
leads the last major Welsh revolt against English rule
35
1721-42: Robert Waipole, first British Prime Minister
1745-46: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s failed attempt to
retake the British throne for the Stuarts
c.1750-c.1850: Industrial Revolution
1761: opening of the Bridgewater Canal ushers in
Canai Age
1775-83: American War of Independence ieads to loss
of the Thirteen Colonies
1800: Act of Union unites Great Britain and Ireland
1805: Battle of Trafalgar, the decisive navaf battle of
the Napoleonic Wars
1815: Battle of Waterloo, the final defeat of Napoleon
1825: opening of the Stockton and Darlington
Railway, the world’s first passenger railway
1829: Catholic emancipation
1832: first Reform-Act-extends the franchise
(increasing the number of those entitled to vote by
about 50 per cent)
1833: abolition of slavery in the British Empire (the
slave trade having been abolished in 1807)
1837-1901: reign ofQueen Victoria
1868: founding of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)
1910-36: during the reign of George V, the British
Empire reaches its territorial zenith
1914-18: First World War
1918: the vote given to women over 30
1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty establishes the Irish Free
State; Northern Ireland remains part of the United
Kingdom
1928: voting age for women reduced to 21, oil equal
terras with men
1936: King Edward VIII abdicates
1936: Jarrow Crusade, the most famous of the hunger
marches in the 1930s
1939-45: Second World War
1947: independence for India and Pakistan: the United
Kingdom begins to dismantle its imperial structure
1948: the National Health Service begins to offer free
medical care to the whole population
1952: accession of Elizabeth II
1965: first commercial natural gas discovery in the
North Sea
1969: first notable discovery of offshore oil in the
North Sea
1969: the vote is extended to all over the age of 18
1971: decimal currency is introduced
1973: the United Kingdom enters the European
Community (now the European Union)
1979-90: Margaret Thatcher is the first UK woman
Prime Minister
1994: Channel Tunnel opens to rail traffic
1999: Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for
Wales and
Northern Ireland Assembly assume devolved powers

(from UK 2005, pp 496-497)

 What happened on these dates? Complete the table with major events from
UK history
DATE EVENT
1066
1215
1337
1381
1455
1534
1588
1750
1800
1948
36
 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
Hi. 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 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 pỉague 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
Í381. Although the Peasants’ Revolt was soon put down, it íeđ to greatly improved
conditions for the peasant class and was the first step towards, the ending of the feudal
system in England.
TUDOR ENGLAND
No sooner was the Hundred Years’ War over than a long power struggle (1455-

37
85) began for the English Crown between two families: the House of Lancaster and the
House of York. The Wars of the Roses (so called because both families used a rose as
their symbol) ended when Henry VII (Henry of Tudor) united the two rival houses,
giving origin to the Tudor dynasty.
During Henry‘s reign the medieval period came to a close. Men was no longer
tied to manors and estates in the country; the power of die towns, with their educated
and indusfrious middle classes, began to make itself felt; and there was a revival, or
Renaissance, of learning, partly as a result of the printing press, which ended the
Church’s monopoly of learning.
Henry’s son and heir, Henry VIII (1509-1547), was a typical renaissance prince;
handsome, learned, ambition and unscrupulous. He also had an instinctive
understanding of his times. It was his creation, of the Royal Navy that enabled
England to realised her imperialistic ambitions under Elizabeth and defy the Pope and
the Catholic power of Europe.
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 air 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 center
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, weie also
established. Parliament was regularly called and consulted, while Justices of the Peace,
administered justice and earned out all the ordinary functions of local government,

38
 THE CONFLICT BETWEEN KING AND PARLIAMENT
The Civil War
Convinced of the divine right of kings, the Stuart kings James I and Charles I
followed the medieval notion of monarchy, ignoring Parliament. Charles I raised taxes
without its permission and prevented it ửom meeting for 11 years until he needed its
help to raise the money to fight the war against Scotland. Relations between King and
Parliament became so bad that civil war eventually broke out (1642).
The majority of the nobles supported Charles and the majority of the gentry
supported Parliament in this fight over who should have sovereign power. After Oliver
Cromwell had led the Parliamentarian Roundheads to victory (1648), Charles I. was -
executed for treason and Cromwell became Lord Protector. England was now a
Republic.
The Restoration of the Monarchy
The monarchy (together with the Anglican Church and the House of Lords), was
restored in 1660, two years after Cromwell5s death, when Charles II was invited to sit
on the throne of a country tired of the harsh morality of Puritan rule. The Plague,
which killed almost 70,000 of London’s inhabitants, and the Great Fire (1666), which
destroyed most of the city during his reign, were considered signs of God’s wrath by
the Puritans.
Although Charles had restored some power to the monarchy by the time James II
came to throne, Parliament’s support was necessary to govern the country. Parliament
was dominated by two groups: the Whigs, who had tried to exclude Charles’ Catholic
brother from the throne, and the Tories, the conservative aristocracy that had favoured
the royal prerogative. However, his filling of civil and military posts with Catholics
while the Protestants were being murdered in France so angered Parliament that the
Tories and Whigs agreed to invite the Protestant William of Orange and Mary (James
IPs Daughter) to take the Crown as joint sovereigns. This Glorious Revolution (1688,
so-called because it was bloodless) was accompanied by a Bill of Rights, which made
it obligatory for the sovereign to rule with Parliament’s assistance and outlawed
Catholicism for all Englishmen, including the King.
(from Aspects of Britain and the USA, pp.21-24)
EMPIRE AND INDUSTRY

39
 During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Britain itself was peaceful.
Abroad, it was aggressively expanding its empire. It became a powerful and rich
country because of its empire and its industry. Cheap raw materials, produced by badly
paid or unpaid workers, were imported from the colonies. The technological changes
of the Indusừiaỉ Revolution allowed Britain to manufacture products cheaply for
export back to the colonies and other countries.
The Industrial Revolution caused great social changes in Britain. Many people
moved from the land to the cities. These people -worked in the factories, creating an
urban working class, which was often very poor. In Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-
1901), children as young as four had jobs in factories and mines. Their parents had no
right to vote and try to change things.
The Reform Act of 1832 gave the vote to all men who owned a house, but is was
n.ot until 1918 that the right tó vote was'given to'all men over 21 and to women over
30. Women under 30 had to wait until 1928 for the vote.
Britain at its most powerful had colonies in every continent, but the end of the
Empire came quickly, after the Second World War (1939-1945). India, one of the most
important colonies, became independent in 1948. In the 1960s, the African and
Caribbean countries also became independent. British people began realise that their
country was no longer an imperial world power but just a country in Europe.
(from In Britain-21st Century Edition, p. 13)
 Complete the following sentences with information from the text above.
1. Feudalism was introduced into England by.…………..
2. In 1215....
3. Magna Carta limited .....
4..Under Henry III Parliament.....
5. The Model Parliament called in……. included not only…… but also…………
6. The Hundred Years’ War had bad effects on …………..
7. Black Death attacked England in…………..and killed…………..
8. In 1381 the peasants rose and objected to…………..
9. The War of the Roses was so called because…………..
10. The War was between two families for …………..
11. In 1642 ………….., and the monarch was .....…………..

40
 12. In 1660 …………..
13. The Bill of Rights made Britain …………..
14. The Industrial Revolution took place during...…………..
15. Life of the working class during this time was
16. The Reform Act of 1832 gave the Vote to. …………..
17. Britain had its colonies…………..
18. After World War II the colonies…………..
* Discussion points
1. The social change during Henry VII’s reign.
2. The role of Parliament under the Tudors.
3. The Church in Tudor times.
4. Why is Elizabeth I’s reign considered as the Golden Age of English history?
5. Why was the Bilỉ of Rights so important?
6. “The sun never set on the British Empire” Explain.
DID YOU KNOW?
Francis Drake (c. 1540-96)
an. English sailor who fought against the Spanish and was the first Englishman to
sail around the world.
Walter Raleigh (also Ralegh) (c.1552-1618)
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

41
and the people. Some of these rights are basic to modem 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 aâer 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 ciergy and the aristocracy bũt 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

42
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 ỉn 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 iin the English Channel. It was the first sea battle in
history involving large number.
The Civil War
a war (1442-51) 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 Array,
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 Crofnweil. The Commonwealth did nọt last long after
Cromwell's death, however, and in. 1660 Charles's son took Ịìịs place as King Charles
II at the Restoration.
Whig
a member of a British political party established in the late 17th century. The

43
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 Bin of Rights
the informal name of the Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,
which was passed by Parliament in ỈỐ89. This Act deait with the relationship between
the king or queen and Parliament, nọt with thè 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

44
invention of the steam engine, which allowed one worker to do what before had I
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)
Sources
UK 2005- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom, prepared by the Office for
National. Statistics, London
Aspects of Britain and the USA, Christopher Garwood, Guglielmo Gardani, Edda
Peris, OUP
Britam-21st Century Edition, Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot
Cassidy
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Further reading
British History, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http:/woodlands-junior.ken.sch.uk/customs/questions/history.html
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_UK#History

45
 GOVERNMENT
The United Kingdom, is a parliamentary democracy, based on universal suffrage.
It is also a constitutional monarchy in which, ministers of the Crown govern ill 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 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 Vof Commons. The judiciary determines common
law arid 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.
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.
 Complete these sentences with information from the text above.
1. ..................... is the legislature and the supreme authority.
2. The executive consists of.....................
3. The judiciary determines ..................... and.....................

46
 4. The Queen is.....................
.....................
.....................
.....................
Parliamentary electoral system
The United Kingdom is divided into 659 constituencies, each of which returns
one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons. Constituencies vary in
size and area; the average electorate is around 67,300. The largest electorate in
December 2003 was the Isle of Wight (with 106,600 registered voters) and the
smallest the sparsely populated Ẹilean Siar (21,300).
Voters
UK citizens, and citizens of other Commonwealth countries and the Republic of
Ireland resident in the United Kingdom, may vote in elections to the UK Parliament
provided that they are aged 18 or over; included in the register of electors for the
constituency; and not subject to any legal incapacity to vote.
Members of the Armed Forces, Crown' servants and staff of the British Council
employed overseas (together with their wives or husbands if accompanying them) may
be registered as ‘service voters’ or at an address in the constituency where they would
live if not serving abroad. British citizens living overseas are entitled to register at
their last UK constituency and to vote for up to 15 years after moving abroad.
People not entitled to vote include members of the House of Lords, foreign
nationals (other than qualifying Commonwealth citizens or citizens of the Republic of
Ireland) resident in.the United Kingdom, some patients detained under mental health
legislation, convicted prisoners detained in a penal institution, and people convicted
within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal election practices.
Voting procedures
Voting is not compulsory in the United Kingdom and the simple majority system
is used for Westminster elections.
At Westminster elections each elector may cast one vote and usually does so in
person at a polling station. As part of its plans to modernise the electoral system, the
Government has taken a number of measures designed to make voting more accessible
for the electorate and allow people more flexibility in where and when they vote,

47
These include the introduction in 2000 of postal voting on demand and the possibility
of voting in a number of other ways in General Elections sometime after 2 006.
Candidates
British, citizens, and resident citizens of other Commonwealth countries and the
Republic of Ireland, may be elected as MPs provided that they are aged 21 or over and
are not disqualified. Disqualified people include members of the House of Lords; and
holders of certain offices listed in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975.
Each candidate's nomination must be proposed and seconded by two electors
registered in the constituency and signed by eight others. Candidates do not have to be
backed by a political party. A candidate must deposit £500, which is returned if he or
she receives 5 per cent or more of the votes cast.
 Write Tfor true and For false,, Correct the false statements.
1. ……………… For electoral purpose, the UK is divided into constituencies.
2. ……………… British citizens who are not subject to any incapacit may vote.
3. ……………… Only members of the House of Lords are not entitled to vote.
4. ……………… Everyone must vote
5. ……………… The simple majority system of voting is used.
6. ……………… The minimum voting age is 18.
7. ……………… The minimum age of candidacy is 18
The political party system
The origins of the Conservative Party go back to the 18th century, while the
Labour Party emerged in the last decade of the 19th century. The Liberal Democrats
were formed in 1988 when the Liberal Party, which also traced its origins to the 18th
century, merged with the Social Democratic Party, formed in 1981. Other parties-
include two nationalist parties, Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales (founded in 1925)
and the Scottish National Party (founded in 1934). Northern Ireland has a number of
parties. They include the Ulster Unionists, formed in the early part of the 20 th century,
the Democratic Unionists, founded in 1971 by a group that broke away from the Ulster
Unionists; the Social Democratic and Labour Party, founded in 1970; and Sinn Fein,
which is the political wing of the Irish Republican Army.
The party that wins most, seats (although not necessarily the most votes) at a
General'Election, or that has the support of a majority of MPs in the Commons, usually

48
becomes the Government. By tradition, the Sovereign invites the leader of that party to
form a government. The largest minority party becomes the official Opposition, with
its own leader and ‘shadow cabinet’.
Since 1945 the traditional two-party system of government in the UK Parliament
has been maintained, with power being held by either the Conservative Party or the
Labour Party. Each has won eight General Elections in this period, the Labour Party
being successful in the most recent General Election in 2001.

 Write T for true and F for False, Correct the false statements
1. ……………… The Liberal Democrats was formed when the Liberal Party
merged with the Social Democratic Party.
2. ……………… The majority party usually forms the Government.
3. ……………… The minority party becomes the official Opposition.
4. ……………… The government is invited to form Shadow Cabinet.
5. ……………… Since 1945 either the Conservative Party or the Labour Party
has held power.
6. ……………… The two-party system of government is maintained in the UK.
7. ……………… At present the Labour Party is in power.
State of the Parties in the UK Parliament
MPs at July 2004 MPs elected in 2001
General Election
Labour 407 412
Conservative 163 166
Liberal Democrats 55 52
Scottish National 5 5
Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales 4 4
Democratic Unionist 6 5
Ulster Unionist 5 6
Sinn Fein 4 4
Social Democratic and Labour 3 3
KHHC3 1 1
Independent Conservative 1
Independent Labour 1
Other parties 0 0
Speaker and three deputies4 4 1
1. There have been a number of changes since the General Election. One Labour.MPJias changed parties
and now sits as a Liberal Democrat. One Labour MP now sits as an Independent Labour MP and oner
49
Conservative ??????????????? Conservative. One Ulster Unionist
MP has left the party and now sits as a Democratic Unionist. Tile 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 Fein 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 200! General Election the Speaker
stood for election in this capacity, while the
Deputy Speakers were elected for their particular parties.
Source: House of Commons

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 Oil 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 -
50
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 ‘ptorogation’. Parliament then ‘stands prorogues’
for a few days until the new session begins. Prorogation brings to an end nearly all
parliamentary business.
 Complete these sentences with information from the text above.
1. The British Parliament was set up in ……………..
2. One of the fundamental principles of Parliament is ……………..
3. The three elements of Parliament are...……………..
4. The main functions of Parliament are……………..
5. The maximum life of .a Parliament is……………..
6. A life of a parliament is divided……………..
7. Each session lasts ……………..
8. The sovereign’s speech at the start of each session……………..
9. Each session is ended by ……………..
The party system in Parliament
Leaders of the Government and Opposition, with members of the Cabinet and
shadow Cabinet respectively, sit opposite' one another on the front benches in the
debating chamber of the House of Commons. Their supporters, ‘the backbenchers’, sit
behind them. Benches to the right of the Speaker are used by the Government and its
supporters; those to the left are occupied by the Opposition and members of the other
parties. There are similar seating arrangements for the parties in the House of Lords,
but many peers do not wish to be associated with a political party' and choose to sit on
the ‘crossbenches’. The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament relies to a large
extent on the relationship between the Government and the Opposition parties, in
general, the Opposition contributes to the formulation of policy and legislation by
constructive criticism; opposes government proposals with which it disagrees; tables

51
amendments to Government Bills; and puts forward its own policies ỉn order to
improve its chances of winning the next General Election.. The Govềrnment Chief
Whips in the Commons and the Lords, in consultation with their Opposition
counterparts, arrange the scheduling of government business under the direction of the
Prime Minister and the Leaders of the two Houses. The Chief Whips and their
assistants, who are usually chosen by the party leaders, manage their parliamentary
parties. Their duties include keeping members informed of forthcoming parliamentary
business, maintaining the party’s voting strength by ensuring members .attend
important debates, and passing on to the party leadership the opinions of backbench
members.
The term ‘whip’ also applies to the weekly circular sent out by each Chief Whip
to all their MPs or peers notifying them of parliamentary business. The degree of
importance is indicated by the number of times that the debate or division is
underlined. Items underlined once are routine and optional, while those underlined
twice are more important and attendance is required unless - in Commons - a ‘pair’ has
been arranged with an Opposition MP who also intends to be absent, A ‘three- line
whip’, when an item is underlined three times, indicates that attendance is required and
pairing is not normally allowed. This is imposed on important occasions, such as
second readings of major Bills and motions of no confidence.
• Answer the following questions
1. Where do the members of the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet sit?
2. Who sit on the benches to the right of the speaker?
3. Who sit on the crossbenches?
4. What are the main functions of the Opposition?
5. What does the Chief Whip do?
6. What is a “three-line whip”?
House of Commons
The House of Commons consists of 659 elected MPs, of whom 529 represent
constituencies in England, 40 in Wales, 72 in Scotland and 18 in Northern Ireland. In
July 2004 there were 119 women MPs and 13 MPs who had declared that they were of
minority ethnic origin.
After a Parliament has been dissolved, and a General Election has been held, the

52
 member of the House of Lords, a by-election takes place.

Sovereign summons a new Parliament. When an MP dies, resigns or is made a

member of the House of Lords, a by – election takes place.
Officers of the House of Commons
The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker, an MP elected by
other MPs to preside over the House, Other officers include the Chairman of Ways and
Means and two deputy chairmen, who are also MPs and may act as Deputy Speakers.
They are elected by the House as nominees of the. Government, but may come from
the Opposition as well as the Government party. The House of Commons Commission
a statutory body chaired by, the speaker, is responsible for the administration of the
House.
Permanent officers (who are not MPs) include the Clerk of the House, of
Commons - the principal adviser to the Speaker on the House’s privileges and
procedures, The Clerk’s other responsibilities relate to the conduct of the business of
the House and its committees. The Clerk is also accounting officer for the House. The
Serjeant at Arms, who waits upon the Speaker, carries out certain orders of the House.
He is also the official housekeeper of the Commons’ part of the Palace of Westminster
and is responsible for security.
 Answer the following questions
1. How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?
2. When does a by-election take place?
3. Who is the chief officer of the House of Commons? What is his
responsibility?
4. What is the House of Commons Commission?
5. What are the respondibilities of the Clerk of the House?
6. Who is respondible for security of the House of Commons?
House of Lords
The House of Lords consists of:
- hereditary peers;
- life peers created to help carry out the judicial duties of the House (up to 12
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary or ‘Law Lords’ and a nụmber of other Lords of Appeal);
- all other life peers; and
- the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Durham and

53
Winchester, and the 21 next most senior bishops of the Church of England.
Members of the House of Lords đo not receive a salary for their parliamentary
work, but they can claim for expenses incurred in attending the House and for certain
travelling expenses.
In June 2003 the Government announced a number of major constitutional
changes, including the creation of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, which
replaced the Lord Chancellor’s Department.
Officers of the House of Lords
The Speaker in the Lords, traditionally the Lord Chancellor, has limited powers
compared with those of the speaker of the House- of Commons. The Lords themselves
control the proceedings with advice from the Leader of the House, who leads the
governing party in the House and is a member of the Cabinet.
Under the Government’s proposed constitutional changes, the role of Speaker ...
would' no longer be fulfilled by the Lord Chancellor, In the light of this, the House of
Lords set up a select committee to look at the Speakership of the House, and in
November 2003 it recommended that the Speaker should be known as Lord Speaker..
As Clerk of the House of Lords, the Clerk of the Parliaments is responsible for
the records of proceedings of the House of Lords and for the text of Acts of the UK
Parliament. The Clerk is the accounting officer for the House, and is in charge of its
administrative staff, known as the Parliament Office. The Gentleman Usher of the
Black Rod, known as ‘Black Rod’, is responsible for security, accommodation and.
services in the House of Lords’ part of the Palace of Westminster,
• Complete these sentences with information from the text above.
1. The House of Lords consists of .......... ………….
2. Members of the House of Lords receive…………. for their parliamentary
work.
3. The Speaker of The House of Lords is ………….
4. The Clerk of the Parliament’s responsibilities are ………….
5. The “Black Rod” is responsible for………….
Parliamentary privilege
To ensure that Parliament can carry out its duties without hindrance, certain
rights and immunities apply collectively to each House and its staff, and individually

54
to each member. These include;
- freedom of speech;
- first call on the attendance of Members, which means that members are free
from arrest in civil aGtions and excused from serving on juries, or being forced to
attend court as witnesses; and
- the right of access to the Crown, which is a collective privilege of the House.
Parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure is largely based on precedent and is set down by each
House in a code of practice known as its ‘Standing Orders’. The debating system is
similar in both Houses. Every subject starts off as a proposal or ‘motion’ by a member.
After debate, in which each member (except the person putting forward the motion)
may speak only once, the motion may be withdrawn: if it is not, the Speaker or
Chairman ‘puts the question’ whether to agree to the motion or not. The question may
be decided without voting, or by a simple majority vote. The main difference between
the two Houses is that in the House of Lords the Lord. Chancellor, or the deputising
Chairman, does not control procedure; instead such matters are decided by the general
feeling of the House, which is sometimes interpreted by its Leader or a Government
Whip.
In the Commons the Speaker has full authority to enforce the rules of the House
and must uphold procedure and protect the rights of minorities in the House. The
Speaker may or may not allow a motion to end discussion so that a matter may be put
to the vote, and has powers to stop irrelevant and repetitious contributions in debate. In
cases of serious disorder the speaker can adjourn or suspend the sitting. The Speaker
may order MPs who have broken the rules of behaviour of the House to leave the
Chamber, or máy suspend them for a number of days.
The Speaker supervises voting in the Commons and announces the final result. If
there is a tie, the speaker gives a casting vote (usually to keep the Situation as it is),
without expressing an opinion. Voting procedure in the House of Lords is broadly
similar, except the Lord Chancellor can vote, but does not have a casting vote.
The Monarchy The Monarchy is the oldest institution of government. The
Queen’s full title is ‘Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and

55
Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith’.
In addition to being the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, The Queen is Head of
State of 15 other realms and Head of the Commonwealth. In each country where she is
Head of State, Her Majesty is represented by a Governor-General, appointed by her on
the advice of the ministers of the country concerned and independent of the UK
Government.
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 thè 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 arid
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

56
life, and must show complete.impartiality.
• Complete these sentences with information from the above
1. The present monarch of the UK is…………..
2. The Queen is also Head of State of ………….. and Head of…………..
3. The Queen’s duties include…………..
4. The Queen formally appoints………….. and confers …………..
5. In international affairs, the Queen has power to…………..
Her Majesty’s Government
The Government consists of ministers responsible for the conduct of national
affairs. After a General Election, The Queen appoints the leader of the party that won
the most seats in the House of Commons as.Prime Minister. She appoints all other
ministers on the Prime Minister’s recommendation. About 100 members of the
governing party receive ministerial appointments. Most ministers are MPs; the
remainder sit in the Lords. The composition of governments varies both in the number
of ministers and in the titles of some offices. New ministerial offices may be created,
others may be abolished, and functions may be transferred from one minister to
another.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is head of the UK Government and is ultimately responsible
for the policy and decisions of government. By tradition, the Prime Minister is also
First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. By modem convention,
the Prime Minister always sits in the Commons. The Prime Minister presides over the
Cabinet and is responsible for allocating functions among ministers, has regular
meetings with The Queen to inform her of the general business of the Government,
and recommends a number of appointments to The Queen (including senior clergy).
The Prime Minister represents the United Kingdom at major international events, such
as the annual meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrialised countries
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is the supreme decision-making body ỉn the UK Government. The
Prime Minister chairs meetings of the Cabinet and appoints its members, normally
about 20. In September 2004 there were 22 Cabinet ministers - 20 MPs and two peers -
while à third peer, the Government Chief Whip in the House of- Lords, also usually

57
attends Cabinet meetings. The Cabinet usually meets weekly, normally on a Thursday
morning. It meets in private and its business is confidential, although after 30 years
Cabinet papers usually become available for inspection in the National Archives. .
Much of the work of the Cabinet is delegated to Cabinet committees. They
provide a framework for collective consideration of, and decisions on, major policy
issues and matters of significant public interest, and ensure that the views of all
relevant ministers are considered. Some of the committees have subcommittees, which
focus on a narrower range of issues, Cabinet committees include those dealing with
defence and overseas policy; economic affairs, productivity and ???????????????
public services and public expenditure; the environment; and constitutional ??????????
policy. :
Cabinet and other ministers
The Deputy Prime Minister is First Secretary of state, deputising for the Prime
Minister in the United Kingdom and abroad and chairing a number of Cabinet
committees and subcommittees. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has
responsibilities for regional policy; local government (including finance); and
planning, housing and regeneration. The Chancellor of the Exchequer manages the
business of HM Treasury and is responsible for presenting annually to Parliament the
Budget and the Pre- Budget Report. Ministers in charge of the other main government
departments are usually members of the Cabinet. Most have the title ‘Secretary of
State’.
(from UK 2005, pp 39-51)
Government Departments
1. Department for Constitutional Affairs
2. Department for Culture. Media and sport.
3. Home Office
4. Department of Health
5. Foreign and Commonwealth Office
6. Department for Transport
7. Department for Education and Skills
8. Department for Trade and Industry
9. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

58
10. HM Treasury
11. Northern Ireland Office
12. Privy Council
13. Wales Office
14. Scotland Office
15. Department for Work and Pensions.
16. Department for Internationa] Development
17. Ministry of Defence.
18. Office of Deputy Prime Minister
19. Cabinet Office
 Write Tfor true and F for false. Correct the false statements.
1. …………. The Queen chooses the Prime Minister.
2. …………. AH ministers are chosen by the Queen.
3. …………. The Quẹen.is the head of the government
4. …………. Ministers are MPs.
5. …………. The Prime Minister sits in the two Houses of Parliament,
6. …………. The Prime Minister represents.the UK at important international
events.
7. …………. The Cabinet is presided over by the Queen.
8. …………. The Cabinet business is confidential.
9. …………. ODPM is responsible for regional policy.
10. …………. The Budget is presented annually by the First Secretary of the
State.
* Define these terms, using a dictionary if necessary.
session …………………………………………………………..
general election …………………………………………………………..
by-election …………………………………………………………..
the sovereign’s speech…………………………………………………………..
prorogation …………………………………………………………..
Cabinet …………………………………………………………..
Shadow Cabinet …………………………………………………………..
back bencher …………………………………………………………..

59
 Chief Whips …………………………………………………………..
whip …………………………………………………………..

 Complete the sentences with information from the chart on the next page.
1. Draft laws are called………………
2. Bills go through……………… stages in the...………………
3. At the First Reading, the Bill’s title ………………
4. The main purpose of the Bill is explained………………
5. At the Committee stage, the Bill is………………, andamendments may be
added to change it.
6. When all the committee members agree, the Bill………………is .............
7. At the Third Reading the amended Bill is………………
8. The Bill is then passed to the………………, and it undergoes the same
procedure.
9. If the House of Lords makes amendments, the Bill is sent back to……………
10. When a Bill has passed through all parliamentary stages, it is sent to
……………… for………………

How legislation is made in the UK Parliament

Introduction and First Reading First Reading

Lets MPs know that a piece of new legislation is There is no debate: the Bill is ordered to be
coming up for consideration printed
The Bill’s title is rend out in the House and it is
ordered to be printed

60
 Second Reading
The debate has the same purpose as its
Second Reading counterpart in the Commons
Explains the main purpose of the Bill Points that proved contentius in the
There is a wide-ranging debate on the general Commons are likely to be raised again in
policy and principles of the proposed legislation the Lords.
Bill as amended
passes to the
House of Lords
Committee Stage
Committee Stage A Committee of the Whole House enables
The Bill is examined clause bt clause all Members of thje Lords to participate
Usually takes place in standing committee, and suggest amendments that can be voted
although it may occasionally come before a on A Grand Committee, generally used for
Committee of the Whote House uncomtroversial Bills, enables all
MPs may suggest changes by way of Members of the Lords to participate and
amendments suggest amendments, but no divisions take
place

Report Stage
Gives the whole House an opportunity to Report Stage
reconsider the Bill in its latest form Gives another opportunity to look at the
amended Bill as a whole
Often further amendments are made and
there is a debate on matters ??????? in
committee
Third Reading
House condisers the compete Bill as amended
Only minor amendments can be made
Third Reading
Reviews the Bill in its final form
Only minor amendments can be made

Commons’ consideration of Lords’ amendments

The Commons normally accepts most of the Lords’ amendments to non-controversial Bills
Bills with no contentions amendments pass back and forth between the Houses until
agreement is reached
If no agreement can be reached, then the Bill can be reintroduced in the next session and
would not then need the agreement of the Lords. This happens very rarely.

Royal Assent
The final stage of the legislative process and the point at which the Bill becomes an Act of
Parliament

61
 DID YOU KNOW?
the Leader of the House
a member of the government who is officially responsible for arranging and
announcing the programme of business in the British parliament each week. There is a
Leader of the House of Commons and a separate Leader of the House of Lords.
the Privy Council
a group of people appointed to advise the British king or queen. It is made up of
politicians and other important people in the legal profession, the Church and the
Commonwealth, and its head is the Lord President of the Council. At present it has
over 400 members, who are given the position for life. The Privy Council first became
powerful in the 14th century, but was replaced in 1688 by the Cabinet. It now has few
functions in government, and is mainly important as a personal honour for its
members.
the budget
To people in Britain the budget means an announcement made each year by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, the minister in charge of finance, about the government’s
plans concerning taxation and public-spending (= money to be spent by the
government). From 1997 Budget Day was moved back to April. A prebudget report
each autumn is intended to introduce ideas on which the following year's budget will
bé based.
On Budget Day the Chancellor explains in a long speech to the House of
Commons the financial policy of the Treasury, plans for government spending, and
how the money for this will bẹ raised through taxation. Therè is then a debate on the
budget, which lasts for several days, followed by a vote to aqcept or reject it, The
contents of the budget speech are kept secret until the last moment, and any leak of
information .. is a serious embarrassment. The speech is broadcast on national radio
and television and is much discussed by financial and political experts.
Source
UK 2005- Official Yearbook of the United kingdom, prepared by the Office for
National Statistics, London
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Image: UK House of Commons Chamber, jpg

62
http://en.wikipedi.a.org/wiki/Image:UK_House_of_Commons_Chamber.jpg
Further information
Government in Britain, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/government.html
Photos of the procession for the State opening of Parliament
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Ideas/Album/StateOpeningOfParrliament.htm
The Royal Family
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Countries/Royalty.htm

63
 EDUCATION
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.
Schools
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.
State 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
Loeal 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 ail 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 nón-
dénominational 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.
• Match the words/phrases with their meanings.
1. State school a/ a school for children with mental or physical
2. independent school disabilities e.g. those who are unable to walk, speak
3. LEA or see because of accidents or illnesses
64
 4. 11 -plus b/ an examination that used to be taken in England
5. special educational needs and Wales at the age of 11 in order to decide
school whether a child would go on to a grammar school
6. Voluntary schools or a secondary modern school
c/ a school run by a religious group or other
independent organization
d/ a school that offers free education and receives
money from a Local Education Authority or
directly from the government
e/ a school that does not receive money from the
state and charges fees for teaching and other
services
f/ a department of local government in Britain that
provides money to run the schools and colleges in
its area

• Complete these sentences with information from the text above.

1. Most pupils in the UK go to………………..
2. Some others go to .………………..
3. The three categories of state schools in England and Wales are………………..
4. Many voluntary schools are connected to………………..
5. LEAs are responsible for .................................………………..
6. State schools in Scotland are managed by………………..
7. Controlied schools in.Northern Ireland are managed by ………………..
8. Integrated schools are for both ………………..
Primary scfaoois
In England and Wales, all children must attend school no later than the start of
the term after theừ fifth birthday. Primary schools consist mainly of infant schools for
children aged 5 to 7, junior schools for those aged 7 to 11, or combined junior and
infant schools for both, age groups. However, first schools in some parts of England
cater for ages 5 to 9 or 10 as the first stage of a three-tier system: first, middle and
upper. Middle schools cover various age ranges between 8 and 14 and usually lead on
to comprehensive upper schools.
In Scotland, where children start school at the same age, public primary schools
65
normally lead to the transfer to secondary school at the age of 12.
In Northern Ireland, primary schools cater for children aged 4 to 11. Some
children are educated in the fee-charging preparatory departments of grammar schools.
Secondary schools
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
pupiis also attended non-selẹctive 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.
• Write Tfor true and F for false. Correct the false statements
1. ……………….. Children in Britain start school at the age of 5.
2.…………..Primary schools in England and Wales take children from 5 to 11.
3. ………………..In Northern Ireland compulsory education begins at age 4.
4. ……………….. Infant and junior schools are at primary level.
5. ……………….. Comprehensive is a state secondary schooi.
6. ……………….. Most secondary pupils in England and Wales go to
comprehensive schools.
7. ………………..Some Scottish secondary schools are non-selective.
8. ………………..Secondary schools in Northern Ireland are comprehensive.
9. ………………..Grammar schools select pupils on the basis of 11-plus transfer
tests.
Independent schools
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 Ofsted and the Department for Education

66
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.
• Complete these sentences with information from the text above.
1. Independent schools are ………………..
2. Independent schools must………………..
3. Independent schools are subj ect………………..
4. Independent schools in England are inspected by………………..
5. The schools in Waies are inspected by ………………..
* What do these acronyms stand for?
ISI ………………..………………..………………..
ISC ………………..………………..………………..
DfES ………………..………………..………………..
Ofsted ………………..………………..………………..
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 I 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

67
proposals for á 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
Pupil ages Year group Attainment expected in
final year, of the group
Eiagiand and Wales 5-7 1-2 Level 2
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2 7-11 3-6 Level 4
Key Stage 3 11-14 7-9 Level 5/6
Key Stage 4 14-16 10-11 GCSE
Northern Ireland
Key Stage 1 4/5-8 1-4 Level 2
Key Stage 2 8-11 5-7 Level 3/4
Key Stage 3 11-14 8-10 Level 5/6
Key Stage 4 14-16 11-12 ; GCSE
Scotland 5-7 P1-P3 Level A
7-8 P3-P4 Level B
(Curriculum following
8-10 P4-P6 Level c
national guidelines from 10-11 P6-P7 Level D
ages 5 to 14) 11-13 P7-S2 Level E
14-15 S3-S4 Standard Grade
NQ
Standard Grades are now part of the National Qualifications (NQ) framework in Scotland. They
are broadly equivalent to GCSEs.
Source: Department for Education and Skills; National Assembly for Wales: Scottish Executive:
Northern Ireland Department of Education

68
 Compulsory subjects at Key Stages
England Wales Northern Ireland
All Key Stages
English - - -
Welsh/Irish .-
Mathematics - - “
Science - ~
Physical education .. - -
Design and technology -
ICT3 -
Cross-curricula themes “
Key Stages 1 to 3
History - - -
Geography - - -
Art and design - - -
Music - - -
Technology -
Key Stages 3 and 4
Citizenship
Modern foreign language - - -
Cross-curricula themes -
Humanities
1. In Wales, art and design is art; technology includes design and ICT,
A language is optional at Key Stage 4.
2. Irish is taken in Irish-speaking schools. Science includes technology at Key Stages 1 and 2. Design
and technology is taken at Key Stages 3 and 4 only.
3. Information and communications technology.
4. Cross-curricula themes include cultural heritage, education for mutual understanding, health
education and ICT at Key Stages 1 to 4, and economic awareness and careers education at
Key Stages 3 and 4. At Key stage 4 pupils must choose a humanities subject.
Source; Department for Education and Skills; National Assembly for Wales; Scottish Executive;
Northern Ireland Department of Education

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
69
 (usually taken at age 16); and Access, Intermediate 1 and 2, Higher and Advanced
Higher qualifications (usually taken at ages 17 and 18).
Administration and management
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 forpre-16 provision in Great Britain and they fund schools
largely OÍỈ 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)
* Write Tfor true and F for false. Correct the false statements
1. ........................ Religious education is provided by all state schools in the UK.
2. ........................ Parents must send their children to religious classes.
3. ........................Sex and relationship education is compulsory in primary and
secondary schools.
4. ........................ There are 4 key stages of compulsory schooling,

70
 5. ........................The curriculum is the same for all schools in the UK.
6. ……………... All pupils in Wales must study the Welsh language.
7. ........................ Key. Stage 1 is for pupils from 5 to 11.
8. ........................Curriculum specifies what children must study and what they
are expected to know at different ages.
9. ........................ At 16 most students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
take GCSE.
10. ……………… GSE AS is taken bỵ Ỉ7 year olds.
11. ……………. AS is equivalent to A level

The school day

This is Steve’s timetable at St Mary’s Comprehensive school.
What time does school start andfinish?
What do students do in Registration and Assembly?
How many foreign languages is Steve studying?
How does this compare with your timetable?
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thurday Friday
8.30-8.40 registration registration registration registration registration
8.40-9.00 assembly assembly assembly assembly assembly
9.00-9.45 French Technology SE Art RE
9.45-10.30 French Science Maths Art IT
10.30-11.15 Science Science Maths French Science
11.15-11.30 break break break break break
11.30-12.15 Maths History E.Language Science Technology
12.15-1.00 Maths History E.Language Science Technology
1.00-2.00 lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch
2.00-2.45 E.Language Art PE History E.Language
2.45-3.30 E.Language Art PE History E.Language

CATEGORIES OF SCHOOLS
There are 4 main types of maintained school in England:
- Community
- Foundation
- Voluntary Aided
- Voluntary Controlled
In 1998 these replaced the previous categories of state school: county, voluntary
71
controlled, special agreement, voluntary aided and grant-maintained (GM).
Schools in all the categories have a lot in common. They work in partnership
with other schools and the LEAs, and they receive funding from LEA and they have to
deliver the national curriculum. Each category has its own characteristics.
Community schools
In community schools (formerly county schools), the LEA employs the schools’
staff, own the schools’ lands and buildings and have primary responsibility for
deciding the arrangements for admitting pupils.
Foundation schools
In foundation schools the governing body employs the staff and has primary
responsibility for admissions. The school land and buildings are owned by the
governing body or by a charitable foundation. Many of these schools were formerly
grant maintained schools. The Foundation appoints the majority of governors. In 2005
the Labors government proposed allowing all schools to become Foundation schools if
they so wished.
Voluntary aided (VA) schools
Many voluntary aided schools are church schools. VA governing bodies employ
the staff and decide admission arrangements. The schools' lands and buildings are
normally owned by a charitable foundation. The governing body contributes towards
tile capital costs of running the school. Most aided schools are linked to either the
Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church, but there are schools linked to
other faith groups and a few non denominational schools, often linked to philanthropic
organisations like the Haberdashers and the Drapers.
Voluntary controlled schools
Voluntary controlled schools are almost always church schools, and the lands and
buildings are often owned by a charitable foundation. However, the LEA employ the
schools staff and has primary responsibility for admission arrangements..
EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS
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)1— during Year 2 (ages 6/7)

72
 - 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, ????????????
(ages 14-16) — incorporated into GCSE examinations These Key Stage exams
are often referred to as SATs (Standard ??????????????? Pupils wishing to progress in
to a grammar school must sit an additional exam ususally ????????????? Eleven plus.
(from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

73
 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 Glasses (= grades): a
first, is the highest class, seconds are often split between upper second and lower
second, and below that is a third. Graduates mây 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
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.557)

74
 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

* Write Tfor true and Ffor false. Correct the false statements
1. ……………… After school students apply to several universities through
UCAS.
2. ……………… The place which a student is offered depends on his or her A-
level results.
3. ………………The 2 oldest universities are Oxford and London.
4. ……………… Redbrick universities were built with brick and stone.
5. ……………… It takes 4 years for students to study for a BA or BSc.
6. ……………… Students have their tuition fees paid by the government.
7. ……………… The academic year in Britain is divided into 2 terns.

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 acollege of further
education which offers a wider range of foil- 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
75
from their work to attend college one or,two days a week over several years. Some
students do a formal modem 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)

Complete these sentences with information from the text above.

1. Further education includes……………………………….
2. Higher education means……………………………….
3. College of further education offers……………………………….
4. Work-reiated courses provide students with……………………………….
5. The British government encourages young people …………………………
• Define the following terms, using a dictionary if necessary.
Professor ……………………………………………………
Lecturer ……………………………………………………
Research associate ……………………………………………………
Term ……………………………………………………
Electives ……………………………………………………
Seminar ……………………………………………………
Practical ……………………………………………………
Tutorial ……………………………………………………
Supervision ……………………………………………………
Placements ……………………………………………………
Sandwich courses ……………………………………………………
Day release ……………………………………………………
Modern apprenticeship .……………………………………………………
GCSE ……………………………………………………
NVQ . ……………………………………………………

76
 Source
UK 2005- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom, prepared by the Office for
National Statistics, London
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OXJP, 1999
Britain-21st Century Edition, Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot
Cassidy
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Further reading
Education in England, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
htip://woodlands-iunior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/education,schoQls.html
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://en.Wikipedia, org/wiki/Education in England
National Curriculum.
http://www.nc.uk.net/

77
 RELIGION
Everyone in the United Kingdom has a legal right to freedom of thought,
conscience and religion.
Religious, organisations and groups may conduct their rites and ceremonies
promote their beliefs within the limits of thè law, own property, and run schools and a
range of other charitable activities. Although the United Kingdom is predominantly
Christian, most world religions are represented. In particular there are large Muslim
Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities.
Christians
The Christian community in the United Kingdom consists of many
denominations. Of these, the Anglican and Catholic Churches and the Church of
Scotland have some of the largest memberships. Several other Christian
denominations are known collectively as the ‘Free Churches’, including Methodists,
Baptists, Presbyterians and the United Reformed Church.
Anglicans
The four Anglican churches in the United Kingdom are the Church of England,
the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church, and the Church of Ireland
(Northern Ireland). They form, part of a worldwide communion of 38 Anglican
churches.
The Church of England is divided into two geographical provinces, each headed
by an archbishop, and numerous dioceses (regions under the care of a bishop). The
province of Canterbury has 30 dioceses, including the Diocese in Europe; and the
province of York has 14 dioceses. The dioceses are divided into archdeaconries and
deaneries, which are in turn divided into 13,000 parishes, although in practice many
parishes are grouped together. The Archbishop of Canterbury is Diocesan Bishop of
Canterbury, Primate of All England and leader of the Anglican Communion. He takes
the lead in respect of Anglican relationships with other Christian churches in the
United Kingdom and abroad, and he also leads in respect of Anglican relationships
with other faiths.
The Archbishops’ Council is the centre of an administrative system dealing with
inter-Church relations, inter-faith relations, social questions, recruitment and training

78
for the ministry, and missionary work. The General Synod, elected from the laity and
clergy of each diocese and numbering 581 members, normally meets twice a year. It
has the power to prepare legislation - called Measures - about any matter to do with the
Church of England. Parliament may accept or reject such Measures, but cannot amend
them. If accepted, they become part of the law of the land.

Canterbury Cathedral from the southwest It houses the cathedra or throne of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, and is the mother church of the Diocese of Canterbury (east
Kent) and the Church of England, and the focus for the Anglican Communion.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of Durham, London and
Winchester, and the 21 senior diocesan bishops from other dioceses of the Church of
England have seats in the House of Lords. Archbishops, bishops and the deans of some
Church of England cathedrals are appointed by The Queen on the advice of the Prime
Minister.
Catholics
There are 22 territorial Catholic dioceses in England and Wales and eight in
Scotland.
Northern Ireland is covered by seven dioceses, some of which extend into the
Republic of Ireland. Each diocesan bishop is appointed by the Pope and governs
according to Canon Law and through reference to a Council of Priests, a College of
Consultors, a Finance Committee and a Pastoral Council
The Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland is the largest Protestant church in Scotland and has a
Presbyterian form of government - that is, government by church courts, composed of
ministers, elders and deacons.
There are over 1,500 congregations, governed locally by courts known as Kirk
Sessions. The courts above these are the ‘Presbyteries’, responsible for a geographical
area made up of a number of parishes. The General Assembly, or Supreme Court,

79
meets annually under the convenership of an elected moderator, who serves for one
year.
The Church of Scotland is started by John Knox and Andrew Melville in 1560,
and officially accepted in 1690.
The Church in Wales is the Welsh branch of the Church of England. It became
the main Welsh Church in .the 16th century, although in the 18th and 19th centuries
the majority of people in Wales left it and joined Nonconformist Churches such as the
Baptists and the Methodists. The Church in Wales is now a ‘disestablished' church,
e.g. the British king or queen is no longer, its Supreme Governor and it has no
connections with the British State.
• Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements
1. Everyone in Britain enjoys religious freedom,
2. Anglican Church, Catholic Church, the Church of Scotland and Free Churches
are Christian.
3. Free Churches consist of Methodists, Baptists and Catholic.
4. The Church of England, the Church in Wales, and the Church of Ireland are
Anglicans.
5. There are two archbishops in the Church of England.
6. There are 501 members in the General Synod
7. The power of the General Synod is to prepare Measures. . ;
8. Measures may become part of the British law. .
9. The Church of England has 21 seats in the House of Lords.
10. The Queen chooses the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England.
11. Bishops of the Catholic Church are appointed by the Queen.
12. The Church of Scotland is Protestant
13. The Church in Wales is headed by the Monarch.
Other faiths
The main non-Christian faiths in Britain are Judaism and Islam; there are also
many Sikhs and Hindus, and some Buddhists. Many members of these religions came
originally from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or the Middle East and have brought up
their families in their traditional faith.
Britain’s relatively small Jewish community enjoys more freedom from religious

80
prejudice than Jews in many other countries. Both Britain and the US now have large
numbers of Muslims. In general, people outside Islam know little about Muslim beliefs
and practices and are sometimes excessively influenced by media reports. There are
many mosques in areas where Muslims have settled, though sometimes the building
does not look like a traditional mosque. In Britain Muslims fought for the right to have
Islamic state schools, similar to those for Jews and Roman Catholics.
Most Hindu temples in Britain are in.London, Bradford, Leicester and
Birmingham, where Hindus originally settled when they came to Britain. The largest
Sikh communities are in London, Manchester and Leeds. Worship may take place in a
private house or a gurdwara. There are about 2500Ó Buddhists in Britain, and some 20
Buddhist temples and monasteries. Most people know little about these religions but in
general respect their religious and social practices.
• Places of worship
You are to match the religion with the place of worship.
RELIGION PLACE OF WORSHIP
Christianity Mosque
Hinduism Temple
Islam Cathedral
Sikh Gurdwara
Judaism Synagogue

Church and State

No church in the UK receives direct funding from the Government.
Two Churches have special status with regard to the State. In England, since the
rejection by Henry VIII of the supremacy of the Pope in 1534, the Anglican Church of
England has been legally recognised as the official, or ‘established’, Church.
The Monarch is the ‘Supreme Governor’ of the Church of England and must
always be a member of the Church, and promise to uphold it. A similar position was
occupied by the Presbyterian Church of Scotland until the early 20th century. This
continues to be recognised as the national Church in Scotland, but the Monarch holds
Í10 constitutional role in its government, although she is represented at the General
Assembly through the office of the Lord High Commissioner. Neither of the
established Churches are funded by the State. There are no established Churches in
Wales or Northern Ireland.
81
  Complete the sentences with the information from the text above.
1. The Chorch of England is the ………………………
2. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland is………………………
3. The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is………………………
4. There are no established churches in………………………
5. The established'churches are not. ………………………
i-church
In March 2004 the Church of England announced the creation of its first Internet
parish ( www.i-chureh.org), providing a spiritual ministry for people who are unable,
or do not wish, to join a local congregation. Applications for the post of ‘ web pastor’
were invited by the Diocese of Oxford, whose pioneering initiative is being funded by
the Church Commissioners. Alyson Leslie was subsequently appointed to the post,
and the i-church was dedicated at a service in Oxford on 30 July 2004.

A changing priesthood
The year 2004 was the tenth anniversary of the ordination of the first women priests
in the Church ọf England. The number of full-time stipendiary women clergy in 2002
was 1,262, compared with 7,920 male clergy. The ordination of women remains a
controversial issue for some sections of the Anglican congregation and women cannot
be appointed as bishops. There has also been debate about the appointment of openly
gay clergy. In July 2003, for example, Canon Jeffrey John withdrew from his
appointment as suffragan Bishop of Reading (assistant to the diocesan Bishop)
following opposition from the evangelical wing of the Church and from Anglicans
abroad.
(from UK 2005, pp. 228-232)
 Answer the following questions
1. Who is the Internet parish for?
2. How many female priests are there in the Church of England?
3. What are the disagreements in the Anglican congregation related to?
History of Religion in England.
Britain used to be a Roman Catholic country. In 1533, during the reign of Henry
VIII, England broke from the Roman Catholic Church to form the Anglican Church.

82
King Henry VIII wanted a divorce, He wanted a son and his wife only gave birth to
daughters. Hè asked the Pope for permission to divorce, but was refused. Henry VIII
became very angry and decided to make his own church
Henry VIII became leader of the Church of England (Anglican Church). He had
the Bible translated to English and the people who believed in this new religion were
called Protestants.
Back to being a Cathoiic Country
In 1553, Mary became Queen. She changed the country back to Catholicism and
burned Protestants who wouldn't change at the stake.
All change again
In 1558, Elizabeth became Queen. She changed the church back to Anglican and
it has been the official religion of England since.
(from Woodlands Junior School Kent Website)
* CLOZE .
Choose one appropriate word from the box below to complete each blank space.
There are more words provided in the box than spaces, so you will not use all of them.
Protestant Catholic England maintain Elizabeth Anglican ,‘ti
divorcing marry heirs head Henry Queen

Britain used to bè a Catholic Country until ………….1……….. VIII broke away

from the ………….2………….. Church after it refused to agree to him ………….3
………….. his first wife. Henry made himself ………….4………….. of the Church of
England. When………….5………….. I became Qiieen in 1558, Britain became a
………….6………….. country by law with the Sovereign declared Head of the
Church of………….7…………..
The monarch at the coronation is required to swear and………….8…………..
the Protestant Religion in the United Kingdom, and ………….9………….. to the
throne are not allowed to………….10………….. ..anyone who is not Protestant.

DID YOU KNOW?

PROTESTANT is a member of any of the Christian groups that separated from
the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century, or of their branches formed later.
Protestant Churches usually have simpler ceremonies than Roman Catholic Churches,
83
with more emphasis on preaching (= teaching about religion) and the authority of the
Bible. Most Christians in the us and Britain are Protestants, and the Church of England
and Church of Scotland are Protestant Churches. Other Protestant Churches include
the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterians and the Quakers.
THE REFORMATION is the 16th-century European movement, Jed by Martin
Luther and others, to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Supporters of the
Reformation opposed the political powers of the Pope and argued for a simpler
religion with less ceremony and more emphasis on the authority of the Bible. In
England, King Henry yin appointed himself head of a new Protestant Church of
England in 1534, mainly so that he could get divorced from his first wife and many
again. The new Church was supported by bishops such 33 Thomas Cranmer and Hugh
Latimer, and became firmly established under Queen Elizabeth I; In Scotland, the
sfrict Protestant views of John Knox and others led to the creation in 1690 of the
Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
General Synod
the group of people governing the Church of England, It consists of three levels:
bishops, clergy, and members of the church who are not clergy. The Archbishop of
Canterbury and the Archbishop of York are in charge of the Synod; which is
responsible for important decisions affecting the Church, such as educational policy,
choosing the clergy and the care of church buildings.
the Book of Common Prayer
the name of the prayer book most commonly used in the Church of England; It
was first published in 1549, with a new version appearing in 1622. The beauty of its
language is widely admired, but many people now prefer the modern Alternative
Service Book.
(from Oxford Guide tò British and American Culture)
•Define the following words, using a dictionary if necessary.
Christianity
Diocese
Parish
Clergy
Laity

84
 Congregation
Kirk
Ordination
Source
UK 2005- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom, prepared by the Office for
National Statistics, London
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
Image: Lambeth Palace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LambethPalacebyLambethBridge.jpg
Hinduism in United Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_United_Kingdom
Canterbury Cathedral
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Canterbury_Cathedral -
_Portal_Nave_Cross-spire.jpeg
Mosque
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque

Further reading
The Church of England, Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p.108
Religion, Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p. 450
Religion in Britain, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent. sch.uk/customs/questions/religion.html
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://enAvikipedia.org/wiid/Religion_in_the_United_Kingdom

85
 FAMILIES AND FAMILY LIFE
A family may include parents and their children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and
cousins, as well as more distant relatives. But when British and American people use
the word family they often mean only a mother, father and their children. In a general
social context ‘the family’ is usually taken to mẹan this nuclear family.
The family unit
Society in Britain is traditionally based on a nuclear family living in the same
house and closely involved in each other’s lives. Fifty years ago, the typical family
was a husband and wife, and two or three children. The father spent all day at work
and made most of the decisions about how the money he earned was spent. The mother
stayed at home to manage the house and look after the children. Children were
expected to obey their parents.
Many modem families live rather differently, and because of this some people
think that the family unit is dying and society is being weakened. Many couples still
get married, but others live together without getting married. A few years ago, couples
living together usually got married when they wanted to start a family (= have
children), but this happens less now. Another trend is for people to get married later in
life and to have fewer children, so the size of the average family is shrinking.
Many families are disturbed each year as a result of divorce. In Britain the
divorce rate has more than doubled since the early 1980s. Many children are brought
up in: single-parent families and only see the other parent occasionally. Other children
have two homes and divide their time between them. If their parents remarry (= each
marry other people) the children may have to fit into a stepfamily. They may later
have half-brothers or half-sisters from the new marriage. Families in which some
children are adopted (= legally and permanently made part of another family) or
fostered (= looked after by, another family for a period of time) because their own
parents cannot take care of them are not uncommon.
An increasing number of organizations are recognizing that there are different
family structures. For instance, family tickets to amusement parks, etc. used to be
based on two adults and their children, but now there are special deals for families
with only one adult and children.

86
 Many mothers now have jobs, and young children Spend part of the day being
cared for by a childminder or at a daycare centre. Some politicians and religious
leaders, and many ordinary people, still believe that the traditional family in which the
mother stays at home is best and criticize- mothers who work. Bụt most people accept
that this is often not possible, and that other types of families can be loving and caring.
In recent years fathers have become more involved in childcare, though the mother is
still mainly responsible.
The extended family
Britain members of the same family may live close to each other and see each
other regularly, but many do not.
Family loyalty is still important, and many people feel they have a duty to care
for members of their family when they need it. But it is not part of British culture for
old people to live with younger members of their family. Most, elderly people live in
their own homes and, when they cannot care for themselves, move into an old people’s
home or a nursing home.
Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi families in Britain often have closer contact
with their relatives and may live with them in the same house. In some of these
families women play a more traditional roỉe of mother and homemaker, though many
have jobs.
Family, life
Some families are very child-centred (=put the children’s interests first). The
closest families eat meals at the same time and spend their free time together. Some
families, however, only see each other for a short time in the evening, and though the
children are still considered important, they have to fit in with the lives of their
parents.
The average day for many families begins with getting the children up and ready
for school. There is usually a rush for everyone to use the bathroom, find clean clothes,
eat breakfast, and catch the bus. In the meantime the parents have to get ready for
work themselyes. Early mornings are a scramble for many families.
The school day usually ends at about 4 p.m. in Britain, and the working day at 5
p.m. or later, so many parents have to make arrangements for younger children to be
cared for after school. They may go to an after-school club or stay, with a neighbour’s

87
 children. Older children often do activities like sports or music at their school, or go
home and do their homework. Children often also have to do chores.
In many families, the children eat when they get home and their parents eat later.
In the evenings the children play or go and see friends. If everyone is staying in they
may watch television together. Matly parents make an effort to spend quality time with
their children, an hour or so each day when they give them their full attention.
At the weekend families may go to sports games together, go shopping or go on
trips to museums, parks, etc. In school holidays/vacations they may visit other family
members or go to the beach.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p.158)

* Write Tfor true and F for false. Correct the false statements.
1. ……….. Typical family used to consist of husband and wife.
2. ……….. Nowadays people tend to get married later and have to two or three
children.
3. ……….. The divorce rate has increased.
4. ……….. Many children live in singled-parent families.
5. ……….. Old people live with younger members of their family.
6. ………....Asian families in Britain usually have closer contact with relatives.
7. ……….. There is a variety of family structures.
* Define the following terms, using a dictionary is necessary.
nuclear family
extended family
single-parent family
stepfamily childminder
daycare
half-brother/ sister
chore
cohabit
• CLOZE
Choose one appropriate word from the box below to complete each blank space.
There are more words provided in the box than spaces, so you will not use all of them.

88
later marriage cohabiting lone without births
married increasing single-person unmarried jobs parents

Changing Values- and Norms of the British Family

The family in Britain is changing. The once typical British family headed by two
parents has undergone substantial changes during the twentieth century. In particular
there has been a rise in the number of (1)…………. households, which increased from
18 to 29 per cent of all households between 1971 and 2002. By the year 2020, it is
estimated that there will be more single people than (2) …………. people. Fifty years
ago this would have been socially unacceptable in Britain.
In the past, people got married and stayed married. Divorce was very difficult,
expensive and took a long time, Today, people’s views on (3) ………….are changing.
Many couples, mostly in their twenties or thirties, live together (cohabit) (4)………….
getting married. Only about 60% of these couples will eventually get married.
In the past, people married before they had children, but now about 40% of
children in Britain are born to (5) ………….(cohabitating) parents. In 2000 around a
quarter of unmarried people between the ages of 16 and 59 were cohabitating in Great
Britain. (6) …………. couples are ạỉso starting families without first being married.
Before 1960 this was very unusual, but in 2001 around 23 per cent of births in the UK
were to cohabiting couples.
People axe generally getting married at a (7) …………. Age now and many
women do not want to have children immediately. They prefer to concentrate on their
(8) …………. and put off having a baby until late thirties.
The number of single-parent families is (9) …………. . This is mainly due to
more marriages ending in divorce, but some women are also choosing to have children
as (10) …………. parents without being married.
(from Woodlands Junior School Kent Website)
Source
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
What is family life like in Britain? Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/familylife.html

89
 FOOD AND DRINK
The British have a poor reputation for food. Visitors to Britain often complain
that food in restaurants is badly presented, overcooked and has no taste. But the best
British food is not generally found in restaurants but in people's homes.
British cooking
Certain foods are considered éssentiaĩto ừadítioriaí British cooking and form the
basis of most meals. These include bread, pastry (for meat or fruit pies) and dairy
products such as milk, cheese and eggs. Potatoes, especially chips, are eaten at lunch
or dinner. They are an important part of the traditional meal of meat-and two veg. A
jacket pơtaío with cheese is a popular pub lunch. Because of the increased cost of meat
arid various health scares many people now eat less meat. Vegetarians and vegans (-
people who eat no meat or animal products) are relatively few. After the main course,
many families eat a pudding. This was traditionally sponge or pastry cooked with jam
or fruit, usually served hot with custard, but it may now be yogurt, fresh fruit or ice
cream.
Good plain home cooking, i.e. food prepared without spicy or creamy sauces,
used to be something to be proud of. Since the 1970s British people have become more
adventurous in what they eat and often cook foreign dishes' Rice, pasta and noodles
are regularly eaten instead of potatoes. Supermarkets offer an expanding range of
foreign foods, including many convenience foods. Takeaways from Indian or Chinese
restaurants are also popular.
People's interest in trying new recipes is encouraged by the many cookery
programmes on television. Famous TV chefs include Delia Smith and Ainsley
Harriott. Few older men know how to coók, but many younger men share the cooking
as well as other household chores.
Food and health
In Britain the government regularly gives advice about healthy eating. The main
aim is to reduce the amount of fatty foods and sugar people eat, and to encourage them
to eat more fruit and vegetables. Many people still enjoy a fry-up but there has been a
gradual move.lowards eating healthier low-fat foods. Health risks connected with, for
example, beef or eggs, are discussed by the media. People are also concerned about
chemicals sprayed onto crops. Supermarkets sell organic produce, but few people are
90
prepared to pay the higher prices for this.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p. 203)
* Write T for true and Ffor false. Correct the false statements.
1. ……….. British food is famous.
2. ……….. People eat less meat just because meat is expensive.
3. ……….. British people do not warit to try foreign food.
4. ……….. The government advises people to eat more fruit, vegetables and
eggs.
5. ………..Organic produce is expensive,
British meats
The first meal of the day in the morning is breakfast (usually eaten between about
7:30 and 9:00). Many British people eat toast with butter or margarine and jam (often
strawberry, raspberry, apricot or blackcurrant jam), marmalade (a type of jam made
from oranges) or Marmỉte (a dark brown spread made from yeast). .
Melon, grapefruit or fruit cocktail are popular. Others eat a bowl of cereal; for
example, cornflakes or muesli with milk, or porridge (a mixture of oats, hot milk and
sugar), A traditional English breakfast (also known as a cooked breakfast or a fry-up)
is a cooked meal which may contain food such as sausages, bacon, kippers : (herring -
a type of fish - which has been covered in salt and smoked),, black pudding, scrambled
or fried or poached egg, mushrooms, fried tomatoes, baked beans, hash browns and
toast. People sometimes eat a boiled egg, dipping, (dunking) strips of toast (soldiers)
into the egg yolk. A continental breakfast is a small meal and is not cooked; for
example, a bread roll or croissant with cheese or ham and a cup of coffee: The most
common drinks át this time of day are orange juice or a cup of breakfast tea.

Many people have ạ tea-break at about 11:00 in the morning (elevenses). If a

meal is eaten in the late morning instead of both breakfast and lunch, it is called
brunch. Lunch (sometimes called more formally luncheon) is the meal eaten in the
middle of the day (usually between about 12:30 and 2:00). Many people eat a

91
sandwich (also known as a butty or sarnie in some parts of tlie UK). Some people have
a simple meal such as cheese and biscuits or soup and bread. A ploughman's lunch is a
traditional lunch for fanners: a bread roll, Cheddar cheese, Branston pickle and salad,
perhaps with a pork pie.it is also ừaditional for people to go to a pub with some friends
for a pub lunch and a drink.
A Sunday roast is a traditional meal eaten by a family at Sunday lunchtime; for
example, roast beef with roast potatoes, parsnips, peas, Brussels sprouts, green beans,
Yorkshire pudding, bread sauce and gravy. Mint sauce or redcurrant jelly is often
eaten with lamb, apple sauce with pork, and horseradish sauce (a type of mustard) with
beef, cranberry sauce with turkey. Stuffing may be eaten with chicken or turkey.
Tea-time is a small meal eaten in the late afternoon (usually between about 3:30
and 5:00). People may drink tea, and often eat biscuits, cakes or savoury foods such as
sandwiches, crumpets or tea-cakes: Occasionally people may have a full afternoon tea
or a cream tea: this includes a scone with jam and cream (usually either whipped
cream or thick clotted cream) as well as a selection of sandwiches and cakes.
High tea is a light meal eaten in the early evening (for example, 6 o'clock) served
with a pot of tea; this is popular in north England and Scotland, Supper is the most
common name for the meal eaten in the evening (usually between 7,00 and 8:30).
Dinner is another common name for supper, but sometimes it is also used to refer to
lunch, especially when this is the main meal of the day. A dinner party is a formal
evening meal to which guests have been invited. A common type of cooked meal in
BHtain is meat and two veg. This is a meat dish served together on the same plate with
two types of vegetable, one of which is often a type of potato. It is common to eat a
dessert (also known as a pudding, or informally as afters) after the main dish. It is
increasingly popular for British people get a takeaway or go to a restaurant instead of
cooking at homeland often this is used as a chance to try different types of food. Most
towns have an Indian restaurant, serving foods such as curry and chicken tikka masala,
Chinese restaurants are also very common; popular dishes include sweet and sour pork
and aromatic duck. Many people like Italian pizza and pasta dishes. Fast food
restaurants often serve beefburgers or fried chicken- Fish-and chip shops are still
popular, especially in towns by the coast. There is an old tradition of eating fish on
Friday.

92
 (from British Meais,UK student Life 2002-2007)
• Daily meals
What kinds of meals do British people have? You are to fill in the table with
information from the text above.
Meal Meal time Kinds of food and drink

Eating out and eating outside

Going to a restaurant for a meal, instead of eating at home, is called ‘eating out’.
Only a few years ago this was too expensive for most people, today the British do it a
lot more often and there are many different kinds of places to go,
Walk through any town centre today and you win find coffee shops where you
can buy a drink and perhaps a sandwich or cake; snackbars where you can get light
meals; and waiter-service restaurants where someone takes your order and brings the
food to your table..
Schools, colleges, companies, etc. usually have a self-service restaurant called a
cafeteria when you buy your food and take it back to your table. An evening meal in a
restaurant usually has three courses. The first course is quite a small one called a
starter. It may be something like a soup or salad or some sea-food. The next course is
the main course and is the biggest of the three. This' is usually meat or fish with
vegetables, or vegetarian food. The last course is either something sweet-a dessert, like
fruit, cake, or a piece of pie-or a cheese plate, which is different pieces of cheeses with
biscuits and grapes. Some people have both! The meal usually finished with tea or
coffee and perhaps a mint chocolate.
All three courses can be hot or cold and if the main meal comes with potatoes
you can choose which kind you would like. With beef and sometimes fish, you are
asked how you would like it cooked: well-done (cooked for a long time), medium, or
rare (not cooked for long). In the bigger cities you can find restaurants with mostly fish
or vegetarian dishes or food from other countries. Chinese and Indian restaurants have
long been popular in Britain, but people love going to other kinds of restaurants, like
Thai, Turkish, Moroccan or French, Although you can find these restaurants in most
places, there are certain areas of London where you can find many together. In
93
Chinatown, for example, you can find food from many parts of China, and in the West
End there are a lot of Thai restaurants. Indian food is by far the most popular, and
there are many Indian restaurants, in Wembley, Southall and the East End of London.
Indian food comes from the south Asian countries of Pakistan, Nepal,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as India. In 1950, when most Indian restaurants
were run by people from Asia, there were only about 300 Indian restaurants in Britain.
In the 1950s and 1960s many people moved from south Asia to Britain and in the
seventies and eighties Indian food became much more popular.
Today there are over 8,000 Indian restaurants in Britain and many are run by
British Asians-people bom in Britain to Asian parents. The most common Indian dish
is a curry, which is meat, fish or vegetables cooked with different spices. One of the
most popular Indian dishes in Britain is chicken tikka masala which is pieces of
chicken in a spicy sauce, and not a traditional Indian dish at all, but a British-Indian
invention!
There are now many evening classes in Britain for people to learn how to cook
Indian food and there is even a National Curry Day!
During the summer, some restaurants and pubs have tables outside, on the street
or in a garden. Britain is famous, for its rain, so if the weather is good, many people
like to enjoy fresh air and sunshine with their meal.
People often take their own food to a park or a beach, and sit on the grass or the
sand- Picnics like this may be very simple-just some sandwiches, crisps and hot tea- or
a bit more special, with smoked fish, strawberries and champagne. Sometimes people
take picnics when they go to watch outdoor sports or go to musical evenings in parks.
Over the past few years, barbecuing food has become more popular and all sorts
of food can be cooked in this way.
Going for a drink
‘See you in the Red Lion,5 someone says to you. Yes, but which Red Lion? There
are hundreds of pubs called the Red Lion, in fact it is the most popular pub name in
Britain. Other names often used are The King’s Head, the George (also named after a
king), and The Plough.
Pubs (or public houses) are found in most towns and villages, and are often the
centre of life in that area. People go there to have a drink, eat a meal, meet friends,

94
listen to music and play games like darts.
Pubs often have two.bars, one usually quieter than the other, and many have a
garden where people can sit in the summer. Children can go in pub gardens with their
parents, but can often only go inside a pub, with an adult, if they are over fourteen.
Pubs can stay open from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm (or until 10.30' pm otr Sundays) and
are usually open 365 days a year.
Most pubs belong to a brewery (a company which makes beer) bụt sell many
different kinds of beer, some on tap (from a big container under-the bar) and some in
bottles. The most popular kind of British beer is bitter, which is dark and served at
room temperature (nọt hot, not cold). More popular today though is lager, which is
lighter in colour and served cold. Guinness, a very dark, creamy kind of beer called a
stout, is made in Ireland and England and is very popular all over Britain.
In the West of England; cider, made from apples, is very popular. Like wine, it is
described as sweet or dry, but it is drunk in beer glasses and can be stronger than beer.
While most food and drink in British supermarkets is now sold in litres and
kilograms, beer and cider in pubs are still sold by the pint (a pint is 568 ml) or half
pint.
Wine is also drunk in pubs and so are spirits (for example whisky, gin, rum and
vodka). Spirits are usually drunk either ‘on the rocks’ (with ice) or with juice or a soft
drink (for example whisky and soda, or gin and tonic).
People out with friends often order a round of drinks, so one person buys for
everyone and then the next time someone else buys, and so on. One round could sound
like this: ‘A pint of best, half a.dry cider, ạ dry white wine, and a G and T please.’ In
other words: a pint of best bitter, half a pint of dry cider, a glass of dry white wine, and
a gin and tonic water. Someone wanting to drink the same thing again, says ‘Same
again. Please.’
(from Food and Drink in Britain, pp. 11-23)
Tea
Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Every day we drink 165 million cups of the stuff
and each year around 144 thousand tons of tea are imported.
Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a warmed china teapot, adding one
spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Most Britons like their tea strong and

95
dark, but with a lot of milk.
Did you know?
If someone asks you if you would like a cuppa, they are asking if you would like
a cup of tea.
If someone says 'let me be mother' or 'shall r be mother', they are offering to pour
out the tea from the teapot.
Tea Words and phrases
Tea break, High tea, tea time, tea party, tea towel and many more terms have
derived from the tradition of drinking tea.
Tea breaks are when tea and biscuits are served. The traditional time for tea
breaks are at 11:00 am (Eievensee) and 4 pm in the afternoon.
If something is not quite to your taste, it’s probably not your Clip of tea.
(from Woodlands Junior School Kent Website)
• Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements
1. …………. Eating out is too expensive.
2. …………. At a cafeteria people are served by a waiter at their table.
3. …………. Chinese food is the most popular in Britain.
4. …………. Tikka masala is a traditional Indian dish.
5. …………. Pubs sell soft drinks as well as alcohol,
6. …………. The Red Lion is the most popular pub in Britain.
7. …………. Pubs stay open all day.
8. …………. Cider is apple juice.
* Define the following words/phrases, Using a dictionary if necessary.
1. meat and two veg
2. jacket potato
3. vegetarians
4. convenience food
5 takeaway
6. fry-up
7. organic produce
8. starter
9. spirits
10. 'Would you like a cuppa?’
11. ‘It’s probably not your cup of tea.
12. Let me be mother.

96
 Pub etiquette
You have to be 18 years old to order a drink in a pub. Some pubs will allow
people over 14 years old to go inside if they are with someone who is over 18, but they
are not allowed to go to the bar or to have an alcoholic drink (16 and 17 year olds can
sometimes order an alcoholic drink with a table-raeal). Family pubs welcome people
with children and have facilities for them. Avoid using rough language in a family
pub.
Normally people go to a pub with other people, and it is common for one person
to offer to buy drinks for the others, especially at the beginning. This is known as
buying a round of drinks. You should always offer to return the favour, either by
paying for a round of drinks yourself, or by offering to buy a drink for the person who
paid for your drink. Sometimes people each pay money (for example: 10 pounds) to
one member of the group, at the beginning of the evening and use this pot or kitty to
pay for drinks when wanted, until the money is finished.
It is not common to offer a tip to the person at the bar. If you want, you can tell a
member of the bar staff to "have a drink on me", meaning that you will pay for the
drink that he/she chooses (if you are offered a drink on the house, the pub pays for it).
Many pubs have non-smoking areas. Be careful not to smoke in these areas.
If you bump into someone and they spill their drink, you should offer to buy
them another one.
About 10 minutes before closing time (at about 10:50pm), the landlord will ring a
bell and will tell people to order their last drinks (usually saying "Last drinks at the
bar" or "Time, gentlemen, please"). The pub is not allowed to serve drinks after
closing time. You must stop drinking 20 minutes after closing time; if you have not
left by this time, the pub landlord may ask you to leave.
Opening times depend on the conditions of the pub's licence. Standard opening
times are between 1 lam and Hpm (10:30pm on Sundays or on public holidays;
Scottish pubs generally do not.open on Sunday afternoons). Since 24 November
2005 pubs can apply to extend these hours (opening earlier or closing later), so check
the times when you arrive. Many places with extended hours open an hour earlier or
close an hour later (eg at midnight): only a few places are open all night.
(from British Pubs arid Drinks, UK Student Life 2002-2007)

97
 • Complete the following sentences with information from the text above
1. Family pubs are for.............
2. Rough language is ....................
3. To buy a round of drinks means.................
4. You need not. .................You can pay for the drink that a member of the bar
staff chooses instead.
5. You should buy someone a drink if............
6. Standard opening times are ......................

Pub names
The names given to pubs often have some historical or local significance. The
picture shown on the pub sign which is hung outside may help you to understand the
meaning, but if not you can always try asking someone inside.
The most common pub names in Britain are:
(1) The Crown - represents the king or queen. Many pubs are named after
individual kings and queens.
(2) The Red Lion - the pub name became popular after James the First ordered a
red lion to be displayed outside all public places.
(3) Royal Oak - the king Charles the Second escaped the Roundheads (at the
time of the English Civil War) by hiding in the branches of an oak tree.
(4) Swan - a heraldic symbol, used in the "coat of arms" of powerful families.
(5) White Hart - the white hart (rabbit) was the heraldic symbol of the king
Richard the Second
Recently an increasing number of pubs have been taken over by large companies
who have changed the names to a modern brand name, but you can still find many
pubs which have kept à more traditional name.
Source
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Food and Drink in Britain, Jackie Maguire, OUP, 2000
British meals
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/FoodMeals.htm
British Pubs and Drinks

98
 http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Pubs.htm
Traditional Drinks in England
http://woodlands-iumor.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/drinks.htm
English Breakfast
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Full_English_Breakfast.JPG
http://www.answers.com/topic/english-breakfast-ipg-l

Further reading
Passport to the Pub: A Guide to British pub etiquette, Social Issues Research
Centre
http ://www.sir.org/publik/pub.html
Eating etiquette in England, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/behaviourfood.html
Typical English Dishes
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/dishes.htm
Traditional Foods of Scotland and Wales
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/national.htm
Meal times in England
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/meals/htm
Pubs in the UK
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/pubs.htm

99
 HOUSES IN BRITAIN
Choosing where to live
Towns and cities in Britain have grown a lot in size over the last two centuries.
The oldest houses are usually those closest to the town centre. Many people live in the
suburbs, areas on the edge of a town. Some suburbs consist of new housing estates,
while others were originally villages that have become joined.to the town as it has
grown.
Some people prefer to live in a village and travel into the nearby town to work.
Villages are considered to bẹ pleasant places to live, as they are quieter and less
polluted than towns and are closer to the countryside. They usually contain a range of
houses, including old cottages and new houses and bungalows.
Many British people buy a house rather than renting one, because they can
decorate or alter it to suit their own taste and because they believe they will have more
privacy. Yọung people and those who cannot afford to buy a house live in rented
accommodation. Some rent a furnished bedsit (or bedsitting room), a combined
bedroom and sitting room, and share washing and cooking facilities. Others rent a flat
or house, often sharing the cost with friends.
Houses are bought and sold through estate agents. Few people can afford to buy a
house outright, so they havẹ to take out a mortgage with a bank or building society.
Houses, bungalows and flats
Most houses are built of brick with a tiled roof, though sòmé, especially in the
country, are built of stone. The largest and most expensive type of house is a detached
house, which is not joined to other houses and has a garden all round it. Detached
houses have at least three bedrooms and one or more living rooms plus a separate
dinning room and kitchen downstairs. Many large Victorian houses with three or four
floors or storeys have now been converted into several flats: Semi-detached houses, or
semis, are extremely common. They are built in pairs with one house joined to the
other along one side. These houses usually have two or three bedrooms. There is a
separate garden at the front and the back for each house. Terraced houses date from
Victorian and Edwardian times (the late 19 th and early 20th century) and were built
mainly for working-class people. Four or more houses are joined together in a row.

100
There is little or no front garden, so the frpnt door of each house opens onto the
pavement. Access to the back garden is through the house. Terraced houses were
originally quite small. They had two bedrooms, a sitting room and a kitchen/ dinning
room, an arrangement called ‘two up, two down’. Most have, now been extended and
bathrooms added, and in some towns they, have become fashionable with professional
people.
Cottages are small, very old village houses. Some have thatched roofs. Many
have been modernized inside but still keep the wooden beams and other features that
are thought to give them character. Some people think of .a country cottage as their
dream home. Bungalows have only one storey, and this makes them especially popular
with older people. They are mostly found in villages or on housing estates.
High - rise blocks of flats, sometimes over 20 storeys high with several flats on
each floor, were buiit in many towns in the mid 20 th century. Many have since been
pulled down because they needed a lot of repairs and because people, did not like
living in them.
Space for living
Houses -in Britain often seem small for the number of people living in them. In
some cities house pricesare very high so people cannot afford to move to a large house
as the size of their family increases. In many families with more than two children
sọĩiiẹ of the children have to share a bedroom and only get a room of their own when
an older brother or sister leaves home. Very often all the family shares one bathroom.
In many houses there is only one living room plus a kitchen with a dinning area. Some
houses have two small living rooms. Children often play and do homework in their
bedrooms.
In order to overcome the pròblem of lack of space some people have a lot
conversion to make a new bedroom in the roof space. Others and an extra room or
bathroom downstairs. There is often not much space to extend because neighbours’
house are close. In warm weather people like to sit outside on thè patio or in the
garden.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, pp. G 24-25

* Define the following terms, using a dictionary if necessary

101
 bedsit
mortgage
accommodation
estate agent
patio
* House types
Name the types of house in the photos.
Which type of house do you think is the cheapest? Which is the most expesive
What type of families do you think live in them?
Make a list of differences in house types between Britain and Vietnam.

• Complete these sentences with information from the text above.

1. People prefer to live in a village ????????????? cause ...
2. Many people ???????????????
3. Houses are bought
4. Bungalows are popular
5. Houses in Britain seem

 CLOZE
Choose one appropriate word from, the box below to complete each blank space.
houses town floors flats suburbs found
rent countryside Small accommodation

There’s no place like home

About 80 per cent of British people live in houses. Detached houses are usually
in expensive (1) …………….. quite far from the town centre, near to the (2)
…………….. Semi-detached houses are ofterk in suburbs, which are nearer the (3)
…………….. centre. Terraced houses and blocks of flats are mostly (4) ……………..
in town, centres. They can either be very (5) …………….. two-storey houses with one
or two bedrooms or large houses with three to five (6) …………….. and four or five
bedrooms.
About 68 per cent of the people in Britain own their houses or (7) ……………..
Most of the rest live in rented (8) …………….. including a small number in sheltered
102
accommodation.. People in Britain buy (9) …………….. or fiats because there is not
enough accommodation for (10) …………….. and it can be expensive.
Source
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Britain-21st Century Edition, Michael Vaughen-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot
Cassidy
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .
La Trobe’s Cottage, jpg: Information from Answers.com.
http://answers.com/topic/la-trobe-s-cottage-ipg
Image: Detached house
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/image:Nordisches_Emfamilienhaus.jpg
Further reading
Main types of houses in England, Woodiands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/houses.html
Housing, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia:org/wiki/Cultitre_of_the_United_Kingdom#Housing

103
 MEDIA
NEWSPAPERS
• Kinds of newspaper
Match the newspaper types with their definitions;
1. national paper a/ a-paper that you can buy every morning
2. local paper b/ a paper that’s sold throughout the country
3. daily paper c/ a paper produced in one town
4. broadsheet d/ a serious paper that reports world events
5. tabloid e/ a paper containing sensational stories about the
private lives of rich and famous people

Tabloid and broadsheet refer to the size of the newspaper-tabloids are smaller
than broadsheets. However, when we talk about tabloids and broadsheets, we are
really talking about the content
• Paris of the paper ,
Where would you find an article about...?
1.the football results 2-4 NEWS AND FEATURES
…………………………………… Home news
2.what has been happening in the Middle East 5-6 Foreign news
…………………………………… 24-25 Business and money news
3.a big fire in York 26-30 Sport news
…………………………………… REGULARFEATURES
4.what readers think 7-10 Health, Fashion, food
…………………………………… 11-12 Reviews
5.the paper’s opinion about something in the news 12 Editorial and readers’ letters
…………………………………… 14-15 Obituaries
6.a new job 16-22 Classified
…………………………………… 23 Personal
7.what is on at the theatre tonight 31 TV and
…………………………………… 32 entertainment guide Weather
8.where to invest your money forecast
……………………………………
9.the life of a famous actor who has just died
……………………………………
10. the temperature in Tenerife
……………………………………
104
 11 .finding a new partner
……………………………………
12.what a newly published book is like
……………………………………

On an average weekday just over 50 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom
read a national newspaper and nearly 27 per cent read a regional daily paper. The
United Kingdom has a lóng tradition of a free press. While newspapers are almost
always financially independent of any political party, they can express obvious
political leanings in their editorial coverage, which may derive from proprietorial and
other non- party political influences.
In addition to sales revenue, newspapers earn considerable amounts from
advertising. The press is the largest advertising medium in the United Kingdom, with
total advertising spending in 2003 of around £8.4 billion.
The national press
The national press consists of 11 morning daily papers and 11 Sunday papers. In
the six months to March 2004, more than 12.7 million national newspapers were sold
every weekday and over 14 million on Sunday. The biggest-selling daily paper is the
Sun, which sells around 3.4 million copies.
Ất one time London’s Fleet street area was the centre of the industry, but now all
the national papers have moved their editorial and printing facilities to other parts of
London or away from the capital altogether. Editions of many papers are also printed
in other countries.
National newspapers are often described as broadsheet or tabloid papers on the
basis of differences in format, style and content, although one broadsheet, The Times,
is available in a ‘compact’ tabloid size as well aS' the traditional broadsheet and
another, the Independent, is only available in compact format.
Many newspapers have colour pages and most produce extensive supplements as
part of their Saturday or Sunday editions, with articles on the arts, personal finance,
travel, gardening, home improvement, food and wine, fashion and other leisure topics.
Increasing competition from other media in the delivery of news, information and
entertainment has contributed to a gradual decline in circulation for many titles.
Regional newspapers

105
 There are more than 1,300 regional and local newspaper titles and 98 regional
press publishers, the top 20 of which account for 85 per cent of all UK regional and
local newspaper titles. Most towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom have
their own regional or local newspaper. These range from morning and evening dailies
to papers that are published once a week. They mainly cover stories of regional or
local interest, but the dailies also cover national and international news. In addition,
they provide a valuable medium for advertising.
About 650 free distribution newspapers, mostly weekly and financed by
advertising, were published in the United Kingdom in 2003. Top free weekly titles
include the Manchester Meừo News and the Glaswegian.
The Minority ethnic press
There are several newspapers and magazines produced by minority ethnic
communities in the United Kingdom. Most are published weekly fortnightly or
monthly, although there are some daily titles including the Chinese newspaper, Sing
Tao, the Urdu Daily AUSAF and the Arabic Al-Arab. Afro-Caribbean newspapers
include the Gleaner, the Voice, New Nation and Caribbean Times, each published
weekly. The Asian Times is an English language weekly for people of Asian descent.
Publications also appeàr in other languages, particularly Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi and
Punjabi.
Electronic newspapers
Most national newspaper groups have set up websites, providing access to
articles from their printed titles or on-line versions of their papers. Some offer
additional special interest sites. The audience for on-line papers is growing fast:
in August 2004, the Sun’s on-line version had just over 4.1 million visitors.
(from UK 2005, pp. 262-265)
• Complete the following sentences with information from the text above.
1. Most people in the UK read………………………
2. The UK has a long tradition of………………………
3. Newspapers earn money from………………………
4. The daily paper that has the largest circulation is………………………
5. Fleet Stteet used to be………………
6. National newspapers can be classified as ………………

106
 7. Many papers decline in circulation because they can’t compete with
………………
8. Most towns and cities in the UK………………
9. Free papers are financed………………
10. SingTaoisa. ………………
11. The Asian Times is………………
12. Most national papers set up………………
13. The audience for on-line papers………………

Type Daily newspaper

Format Compact (Tabloid)
Owner Hews International
Editor Robert Thomson
Founded 1785
Political position Centre-right
Headquarters Wapping, London
Website; www.timesonline.co.uk

The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom.

Although it was printed in broadsheet format for 200 years, it switched to compact
(tabloid) size in 2004. Its cover price in the United Kingdom is 60p on weekdays, and
£1.10 on Saturday. The Times' Sunday sister paper is The Sunday Times, a broadsheet.
Its cover price is £ 1.60.
(from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
1. ………………. The Times is not a regional newspaper.
2. ………………. It is founded in 1985.
3. ………………. It is a broadsheet.
4. ………………. It costs £1.10 on weekdays
5. ……………….It is owned by News International
6. ……………….It supports the political left.
* CLOZE

107
 Choose one appropriate wordfrom the box to complete each blank space.
text broadsheet articles types easier tabloids
cheapest photos breaking stories smaller

The national press

British people like reading newspapers. More newspapers are read in Britain than
in any other Europe country.
There are two (1) ………………. of newspaper in Britain: tabloid and (2)
………………. The two most popular daily newspapers, The Sun and The Daily
Mirror, are both (3) ……………….Tabloids have lots of stories about famous people;
the (4) ………………. are large; the headlines are big and there is not much)
……………….Tabloids sell many more copies than broadsheets.
Broadsheets, such as The Times, are not as popular as the tabloids. Broadsheets
have long (6) ………………. with lots of information; some pages report international
news; the photos and the headlines are (7) ………………. than in the tabloids.
The differences, between the tabloids are (8) ………………. down. Broadsheets
now realise that tabloids are (9) ………………. to read and hold. The Guardian, a
broadsheet, now has a tabloid section. Many of the broadsheets now have (10)
………………. about famous people. Tabloids used to be cheaper than
broadsheets, but The Times is now the (11) ………………. national newspaper.

TV AND RADIO
What’s on ‘the box’?
Over 99 per cent of British homes have a TV and the average person watches
‘the box’ 24 hours a week. There are five (non-satellite) TV channels in Britain;
BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. BBC1 and BBC2, the two state
channels, do not show adverts.
BBC1 and ITV tend to broadcast popular programmes: sports programmes,
recent films, news, game shows, children’s programmes and soaps. BBC2 and
Channel 4 show programmes which usually attract much smaller audiences: TV plays,
classical concerts, foreign films and programmes for minority groups. Channel 5 offers
mainly game shows and second rate American films. About 26 percent of British
homes subscribe to satellite or cable TV.
108
 BATTLE OF THE SOAPS
Soaps are popular serials which dramatise their characters’ daily lives. The
storylines are entertaining, but often unbelievable, Soaps are broadcast either three or
five times a week and each episode lasts about half an hour. Nearly half the population
watches one or both of the two most popular soaps, Coronation Street and Eas
tenders.
Coronation Street has been running since December 1960 and is set in a working-
class area of Manchester. Easterners is set in the East End of London. Since 1985,
when it was first broadcast, it has introduced controversial issues, such as racial
prejudice and AIDS.
The two Australian soaps, Neighbours and Home and Away, are shown five days
a week and children watch them when they come in from school. They are the
favourite programmes of both 12- and 15-year-olds.
• Complete the following sentences with information from the text above.
1. People in the UK watch on average......................
2. BBC1 and BBC2 are......................
3. The BBC channels are commercial......................
4. Soaps are broadcast......................
5. Easterners is about.........................
6. Coronation street is about ......................
7. The two Australian soaps watched by children every weekday are ...............
RADIO WAVES
The BBC broadcasts on five national and 39 local radio stations. Each of the
BBC radio stations specialises in a particular type of programme: Radio 1 specialises
in rock music; Radio 2 in popular music and light entertainment; Radio 3 in classical
music; Radio .4 in current affairs, aild drama; Radio 5 in sport and current affairs.
Local radio stations put on programmes which interest people who live in that area.
Most people listen to the radio in the morning. They like background music while
getting ready to go to school or driving to work. Radio 1 is still the most popular radio
station with an average of 9.76 million listeners. It used to have many more listeners,
but is now not so popular because of competition, from 150 new commercial radio
stations. Very few young listen to any of the BBC radio stations: the top three radio

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stations for 15- and 18-year-olds are all commercial.
(from In Britain-215t century edition, pp.58-59)

* Write T for true and F for False. Correct the false information.
1. ................ The BBC has five national and local radio stations.
2. ................ Radio 1, and Radio 3 transmit all types of music.
3. ................ Radio 4 specializes in currect affairs and sport.
4. ................ Local radio stations provide programmes of local interest.
5. ................ The number of listeners to Radio 1 is declining.
6. ................ Young people prefer commercial radio stations.
* Answer the following questions
1. Make comparisons between the British media and the media in your country.
Which newspapers are compared to the main British tabloids and broadsheets?
2. What is the most popular programme on TV in your country? Is it soap?
3. Compare your TV watching habits with the average person in Britain.
4. Which do you prefer, radio or TV? Why?
Did you know?
TV License
People pay to watch Ty in the UK, no matter how much or how little they watch
TV. It’s called a ‘TV License’; In 2004, a colour license cost £121.00 and a black and
white license £ 40.50
ITV (Independent Television)
the commercial television companies that broadcast on Channel 3 in Britain. ITV
is split into ten regions, each of which has its own programmes and news. Unlike the
BBC, ITV has advertising, and is controlled by the ITC (the Independent Television
Commission).
the ITC is an organization established in Britain in 1990 to control the
commercial television channels. Its functions include giving licenses allowing
companies to broadcast as commercial television channels.
the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation)
one of the main television and radio broadcasting organizations in Britain, paid
for by the government since 1927 but free to choose the contents of its programmes.

110
The head of the BBC has the title of director general'.
Source
UK 2005 - The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, prepared by the Office for National Statistics, Crown copyright 2004
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Media of the United Kingdom, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Britain-21 si Century
Edition, Michael. Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy
Image: The Times.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:The Times.jpg
Further reading
Media, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
httd://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/inedia.htm
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_UK#Media

111
 SPORT
• The photographs show some of the sports played in Britain. Can you name
them

Sport plays a prominent role in British life and many Britons make a great
emotional investment in their favourite spectator sports. The most popular sport is
football, which has an enormous lead over its rivals except in Wales, where rugby
union is generally perceived ửom outside as being the national sport, although there
are more registered soccer clubs than rugby clubs. Cricket is popular in England, but is
less important in the other home nations, Rugby union and rugby league are the other
major team sports. Major individual sports include athletics, fencing, golf, motorsport,
and horseracing. Tennis is the highest profile sport for the two weeks of the
Wimbledon Championships, but otherwise struggles tó hoỉđ its own in the country of
its birth. Many other spộrts are also played and followed to a lesser degree.
The United Kingdom has given birth to more major sports than any other country
including: Football (soccer), tennis, squash, golf, boxing, rugby (rugby union and
rugby league), cricket, snooker, billiards, badminton and curling. It has also played a
key role in the development of sports such as boxing and Formula One.
The most popular sport in the UK is association football, commonly referred to
as just "football". The UK does not compete as a nation in any major football
tournament, instead, the home nations compete individually as England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern .Ireland. It is because of this four-team arrangement that the UK
does not compete in football events at the Olympic Games. However, there is talk of a
united team taking part in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which are to be held in
London. The English and Northern Irish football associations have confirmed
participation in this team while the Scottish FA and the. Welsh FA have declined to
participate, fearing that it would undermine their independent status.
The UK is home to many world-renowned football clubs, such as Manchester
United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal in England, and Celtic and Rangers in
Scotland. Clubs compete in national leagues and competitions and some go on to

112
compete in European competitions. British teams are generally successful in European
Competitions and several have-become European Cup/UEFA Champions League
winners: Liverpool (five times), Manchester United (twice), Nottingham Forest
(twice), Aston Villa and. Celtic. The English Premier League is also the most- watched
football league in the world and is particularly popular in Asia: in the People's
Republic of China, matches attract television audiences between 100 million and 300
million, more than any other foreign sport.
The early reference to the separate national identities in the UK is perhaps best
illustrated by the game of cricket. Cricket was invented in England. There are league
championships but the English national team dominates the game in Britain. There is
no UK team. Although some Welsh and Scottish players have played for England, it is
in England where cricket retains its major fan base in the UK. English, cricket grounds
include Lords, The Brit Oval, Headingly, Old Trafford, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge.
However Cardiff s. Sophia Gardens ground has become increasingly popular in recent
years.
Both forms of rugby are national sports. Rugby league originates from and is
generally played in the North of England, whilst Rugby Union is played
predominantly in Wales, Ireland and Southern England. Having supposedly originated
from the actions of William Webb Ellis at the town of Rugby, it is considered the
national sport of Wales. In rugby league the UK plays as one nation - Great Britain -
though in union it is represented by four nations: England, Scotland Wales and Ireland
(which consists of players from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland).
England ỈS the holder of the Rugby World Cup. Every four years the British and Irish
Lions tour either Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Here rugby football differs
internationally to association football, as the England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
(including Northern Ireland) teams do come together to form the British and Irish
Lions, though they do all compete separately internationally for the most part.
The Wimbledon Championships are international tennis events held in
Wimbledon in south London every summer and are seen as the most prestigious of the
tennis calendar.
Thoroughbred racing is also very popular in England. It originated under Charles
II of England as the "Sport of Kings" and is a royal pastime to this day. World-famous

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horse races include the Grand National, the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot.
Golf is one of the most popular participation sports played in the UK, with St
Andrews in Scotland being the sport's home course. Cricket is also popular,... although
the popularity of the game is dramatically greater in England than in other parts of the
UK, all four constituent nations as of 2006 compete at the One-Day International level
- Scotland independently, Wales as part of the English team, and Northern Ireland as
part of All-Ireland.
Rowing is a well established sport in the United Kingdom, and is strongly
associated I with public schools and Oxbridge. The most famous rowing events in the
United Kingdom are the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities and
the Henley Regatta, which is a major international competition, yet is more famous as
a I social event. In recent years the profile of the sport has risen due to British success ị
in rowing at the Olympics, especially that of Sir Stephen Redgrave, who won gold I
medals at five consecutive Summer Olympics.
Britain is the centre of Formula One, with the majority of the Formula One teams
based in England, and more world titles won by drivers from Britain than from any
other country. The British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone each July.
(from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)
* Complete the following sentences with information from the text above.
1. Sports play an important part in…………………..
2. The most popular sport is…………………..
3. Major sports originated in the UK include…………………..
4. Britain’s national sport is…………………..
5. The four home teams of the UK are …………………..
6. The UK united football team may take part in…………………..
5. Some of Britain’s football clubs are world famous, such as…………………..
6. There are two different types of…………………..
7. Rugby League, is played…………………..
8. Rugby Union is played…………………..
9. The world tennis events are…………………..
10. The home of golf is …………………..
11. Cricket is more popular in.…………………..

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 12. The Grand National is…………………..
Sports have their OWI1 special place in the English calendar
The annual Six-Nations rugby Tournament, involving England, Scotland, Wales,
Ireland, France and Italy, starts of the year in January.
For horse-racing fans there is the Cheltham Gold Cup in March, the Grand
National at Aintree near Liverpool, and the Derby at Epsom in June,
The Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race takes place on the Thames in the
spring (in late March or early April).
This is followed by the FA (football Association) Cup Final in May.
The Wimbledon tennis championships at the end of June and the five-day-long
cricket Test matches throughout the summer.
In July there is the British motor-racing Grand Prix at Silverstone circuit in
Northamptonshire and the British Open golf championship.
(from Sporting Events, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website)
• What sporting events do people have in England at different times of the
year?. You are to fill in the table with information from the text above.
Month Sport event

CLOZE
Choose one appropriate word from the box below to complete each blank space.
jogging facilities physically centre club gym team subscription
sgorts . marathon watching fitness changed exercise classes

Sport and Fitness

The British are very fond of sport, but many people prefer to watch rather than
take part. Many go to watch football, cricket, etc. at the ground, but many more sit at
home arid watch sport on television.
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 Most people today take relatively little general exercise. Over the last 30 or 40
years lifestyles have (1) …………. considerably and many people now travel even the
shortest distances by car or bus. Lack of (2) …………. Combined with eating too
many fatty and sugary foods has meant that many people are becoming too fat. Experts
are particularly concerned that children spend a lot of their free time (3) ………….
television or playing computer games instead of being (4) ………….. active. In the
1980s and 1990s, however, there has been a growing interest in (5) ………….. among
young adults and many belong to a (6) ………….. club or do sport as their main
leisure activity.
In Britain most towns have an amateur football and cricket (7) ………….., and
people also have opportunities to play sports such as tennis and golf, older; people
máy play bowls. Some people go regularly to a sports (8) ………….. or leisure centre
where there are facilities for playing badminton and squash, and also a swimming
pool. Some sport? centres arrange (9) ………….. in aerobics, step and keep-fit Some
people work out (- train hard) regularly at a local (10) ………….. and do weight
training and circuit training. A few people do judo or other martial arts. Others go
running or (11) ………….. in their local area. For enthusiastic runners there are
opportunities to take part in long-distance runs, such as the London (12)……………
Other people keep themselves fit by walking or cycling. Many people now go abroad
on a skiing holiday each year and there are several dry slopes in Britain where they can
practise. Membership of ã sports (13) …………… or gym can be expensive and not
everyone can afford the (14) …………… Local sports centres are generally cheaper.
Evening classes are also cheap and offer a wide variety of fitness activities ranging
from yoga to jazz dancing. Some companies now provide sports (15) …………… for
their employees or contribute to the cost of joining a gym.
(from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, pp. 507-08)
 Answer the following questions.
1. What classes are available at sports centre?
2. What is a spectator sport?
3. Give an example of team sport and individual sport
4. What are the mọst popular sports in your country?
Compare them with the most popular sports in Britain.

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Source
Sport in the United Kingdom, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_the_United_Kingdom
Sport and Fitness, Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, pp. 507- 508
Sporting Events, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/sportevents.html
Image: Boxing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ouch-boxing-footwork.ipg
Image: Cricket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pic7811.ipg
Image: Snooker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker
Image: Badminton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Badminton Peter Gade.jpg
Image: Basketball
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Three_point_shoot JPG
Further reading
Football - British Style, Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, P-102
Sports played in Britain, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/sport.html

117
 MUSIC
Music in Britain from 1920s to the Present Day
1920s - Young people listened to ragtime and jazz.
1930s - Swing became popular. Benny Goodman and his Orchestra were the
'King of the Swing’, as were Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw. The music was fast and
frantically paced and led to dances being banned from dance halls, as the young
women being flung into the air by their partners showed their stocking tops and
underwear. Jazz continued to be popular.
1940s - The Second World War brought fast, frantic (and often-American) dance
music - boogie-woogie or jitterbug. Dances were held in church halls, village hails,
clubs, Air Force bases - everywhere! But slower, romantic songs were also popular as
loved ones went away to fight, such as Vera Lynn's ’Well Meet Again 1 and the song
about corning home again, 'The 'White Cliffs of Dover
After the war 'skiffle' bands became popular. These bands used household items,
such as washboards and tea chests, as part of theừ set of instruments! Tommy Steele,
who later became very famous, first played in a skiffle band.
1950s - Rock and Roll became, very popular.
1960’s -The Beatles began their career. They leapt to fame in 1963 with 'Please,
Please Me'.
The Beatles moved through the late 1960s as favourites of the 'flower power’
generation - many young people enjoyed-'hippie' music. Other teenagers preferred the
music of the 'Mods' - ska music and. The Who.
1970s - The first big new sound of the 1970s was “Glam Rock”, the main figures
of this were David Bowie, Elton John and of course Gary Glitter. In the bleak political
backdrop, these larger that life British bands, and characters brought a welcome relief
with their platform boots, sequins, nail varnish and colourful hair.
Punk
The punk movement of the late 1970s began in England. Great British bands of
this scene were The Sex Pistols and The Clash. The Punk style was Mohicans,
bondage clothes, safety pins, piercings and bower boots.
1980s - The 1980s saw the rise of hip hop and rap music, with American

118
influences powerful once again in the form of such groups as Run DMC and
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It also saw the rise and fall of the 'New
Romantics', typified by groups like Adam and the Ants, who dressed as pirates and
highway men and wore huge amounts of makeup.

1990s - Britpop. This was the general name given in the 1990s to a new wave, of
successful British bands who made a big impact in the United States and Europe, as
well as in England. The most successful have been Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Pulp,
Massive Attack and The Spice Girls.
(from Woodlands Junior School Kent Website)
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC
The British music scene is extremely varied. There are many different types of
music and groups that you can enjoy. If you want to, you can go to a techno night át
the local club on Friday, a classical concert on Saturday and see a reggae band live on
stage on Sunday.
It is difficult for groups in Britain to have lots of fans or sell loti} of records
because there are so many different types of music. Bands do not last long and very
few groups stay in the Top 20, a list of the best-selling records, for more than one or
two weeks. Even if they are in the Top 20, it does not necessarily mean that they sell
many records.
International influences
Pop music in Britain is influenced by music from all over the world. Many
teenagers ỉn oụr survey liked reggae, which comes from Jamaica. Boys also enjoy
dancing and listening to Black-American rap.
Some music in Britain is a mixture of styles. Ragga brings together rap and
reggae, for example. Pop music is also influencing traditional music. Recently some
young/ musicians of Asian origin have started to mix bhangra (traditional music from
the - Punjab region) with Western pop.
(from In Britain - 21st Century Edition, p. 50)
 List the types of music in Britain
Which types of music do you know?
The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool, Co. Lancashire whose

119
“members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr They
are the most commercially successful and, almost indisputably, the most V critically
acclaimed popular music band in history. Their innovative music and visual style had a
huge impact on global culture and helped to define the 1960s.
The Beatles were the best-selling musical band of the 20th century: In the-United
Kingdom, they released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached
number one “all in a recording period of just seven years (1962-69). This commercial
success was repeated in many other countries: their record company, EMÍ, estimated
that by 1985 they had sold over one billion discs or tapes worldwide. One place where
the Beatles were even more successful than in Britain if such a thing is possible' was
the USA, where they spearheaded the mid-1960s "British Invasion" which saw scores
of British artists achieve unprecedented; commercial success across the Atlantic. The
Recording Industry Association of America certified The Beatles as the top-selling
band of all time in America based on U.S. sales of singles and albums.

Although their initial dominant musical style was rooted in the sounds of 1950s
rock and roll, the group explored, developed and incorporated into their sound a great
variety, of genres ranging from Tin- Pan Alley and British music hall- to psychedelic
rock and acoustic folk and blues. Their clothes, hairstyles, working-class backgrounds
and accents anti their refreshing irreverence made them trend-setters, while their
growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural
revolutions of the 1960s.
 Complete the following sentences with information form the text above
1. The Beatles members came from…
2. They are the most…
3. Their music and visual style had great influence…
4. They were more successful…
5. They were certified as…
The Proms
The Proms are a series of classical music concerts each evening between mid-
July and mid-September at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Some of the concerts are
shown on BBC television (BBC1 or BBC2) and most are broadcast on the radio. (BBC

120
Radio 3). You can also listen online even if you are not in the UK. These concerts
have taken place since 1895 and have become a popular British tradition. The most
famous conceit is the Last Night of the Proms in mid-September. The traditional
ending of these concerts includes Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D
major", Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea-Songs", Elgar's arrangement of the hymn
"Jerusalem" and Britten's arrangement of "The National Anthem". It is an occasion
famous for its patriotic atmosphere.
To be able to apply for tickets for the Last Night you usually need to buy tickets
for 6 or more tickets for other Proms concerts. It is easier to buy tickets for a similar
concert at the same time known as Proms in the Park. This takes place in Hyde Park
(opposite the Royal Albert Hall) and in some, other parks across the UK.
The Proms are so called because some of the audience stands in the 'promenade'
area of the hall, About 500 cheap standing tickets are sold each day in the Arena (in
the middie, close to the orchestra), and 350 standing tickets are sold high up in the
Gallery (there are different queues for each of these). In 2006 these cost 5 pounds each
(payable in cash only). They can be bought by anyone (not just students).
These tickets start to be sold one and a half hours before each performance, but it
is better to join the queue earlier, especially for a popular performance.
(from The Classical Music, UK Student Life 2002-2007)
Did you know?
On 26 October 1965, Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded The Beatles the MBE
(Member of the Order of the British Empire, an award given to people in Britain for
public service).
Source
British Music
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/music.htm
Classical music
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Life/Entertainment/Concerts.htm#ClassicalMusic
The Beatles
http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles
Image: The Spice Girls
http://spiceol.com/Spice_Girls_Musi...

121
Image: The Beatles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Beatles_fetouched.jpg
The Beatles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles
Further reading
Famous British Musician and Composers
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/muscomposers.htm
Pop/Rock music in Britain
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Music/Pop.htm
BBC's Proms website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms
Royal Albert Hall's website:
http://www.royalalberthall.com

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 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 úsed tò 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 thẻ 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,
• Complete the following sentences with information from the text above,
1. Holiday means a period……………….
2. British people have about four weeks……………….
3 .Most people, take their holiday in……………….
4.1n the off-season there are ……………….
5. Package holidays include……………….
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

123
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:

Bank holidays in the UK

In Britain a bank holiday is an official public holiday (on a day other than
Saturday or Sunday) when ail banks and post offices are closed, as well as most
factories offices and shops.
New Year’s Day UK
Good Friday UK
Eástér Monday England, Wales arid NorthernIreland
Early May Bank Holiday UK
Spring Bank Holiday UK
Summer Bank Holiday England, Wales and NorthernIreland
Christmas Day UK
Boxing Day UK
In addition, there, are various tradiưonal local holidays in Scotland, Northern
Ireland that are determined by the local authorities there.
The New Year
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 wrotẹ 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,
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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 team 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!’
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 thát 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

125
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 ill 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 ị 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.

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 đay 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

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on them.
Eggs are an important part of Easter because they mean spring and new life. One
Easter tradition is ‘égg 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 èat 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.
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 doÍJig something they enjoy, such as eating sweets or

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drinking alcohol, at this time.
Ash Wednesday is tlạe 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.
síxrovè 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 Day
In Britain, Shrove Tuesday is known as Pancake Day. Pancakes were
traditionally allowed to be made between the ringing of a curfew bell in the morning
of Shrove Tuesday and its ringing again that evening. Housewives had that time .in
which to use up all the eggs and fat they had left over. Until the early 1900s, Shrove
Tuesday was a half-day holiday, and the "Shriving Bell" was rung at eleven o'clock in
the morning to remind people that the holiday had begun. It became known in some
parts as the "Pancake Bell" and it is still rung today even though the day is<no longer a
holiday.
Originally, pancakes were eaten to use up milk and eggs, which traditionally
were not eaten during Lent and would otherwise spoil during this, period. Pancakes
first appeared in English cookbooks in the 15th century. In Britain and Ireland in.
particular, a number of traditions have grown up around the eating of pancakes.
Some people in Britain know: the day only by the name "Pancake Day" and some
are even unaware of the day's connection to 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."

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 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 thè 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 Fools Day
April 1st is April Fools Day, A day when people play practical jokes oil each
other, Here are some of the most memorable ones in England:
In 1957 Panorama, a TV programme, foaled 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.
ỉn L 980 the BBC reported that Bia 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, ill 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
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,

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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. Maypole used to
be common in villages ọn Mạy 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.

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

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 »i b

(for dark nights and death) and òrahge (for the autumn vegetables).
One Hallowe’en party game is called ‘bobbing for apples’. Many appỊes 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 soứietimès 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.

Guy Fawkes’Day
In 1604, the King of England was James I and á Prọtestant. 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 untiĩhe said all their names.
Parliament decided that Guy Fawkes and-the other plotters had to die. In January
1606, when people heard thẹ.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

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clothes. Sometimes- children carry the guy around the streets to show people. They
say: ‘Penny for the guy’, and ask people for money for fireworks.
Some peờple 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

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 of 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 m 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

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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 sticking by the fire because Santa Claus comes
down the chimney.

Mothers and fathers teỉl their children that Santa Claus only comes when they are
sleeping, but they do not usually sỉẹep 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 aậđ is the biggest meal of the day. Before
they start to eat, people pull crackers. The crackers make aỉouđ 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.

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 In the evening, people eat cold meat, and Christmas cake (a kind of fruit cake),
fruit and nuts, but they are usually hot. very liungry 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 tó their workers on Boxing
Day, with Christmas presents inside. Now it is aiiotfier 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 (like 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 every 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.
• Define the following words, using a dictionary if necessary.
Bank holiday
egg rolling
Easter bonnet
carol
pantomime
 How do British people celebrate these days?
Holidays When people celebrate What they do
New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Day
Valentine Day
……………………… 1 April
Good Friday
May Day
……………………… 31 October
Guy Fawkes’ Night
Christmas
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 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,
• Complete the following sentenceswith information fromthe text above
1. At Hogmanay…
2. On Valentine’s Day people…
3. For Christian people Easter is ...
4. Easter is celebrated on…
3. Traditional events of May day include ...
4. People make jack o’lantern ...
7. When going6trick or treating' children ...
8. Guy Fawkes wanted to kill James I because ...
9. On November 5 children ...
10. Christmas season starts from... to ...
11. People usually spend-Christmas time …
12. Christmas presents are put.....
13. At Christmas Eve children ...
14. The biggest meal...
15. The 3 o’clock ...
16. On December 26 people used to ...
Source
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Jonathan Crowther, OUP, 1999
Seasons and Celebrations, Jackie Maguire, OUP, 1997
UK 2005- Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom, prepared by the Office for
National Statistics, London
Maypole Dancing, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website.
http.//woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/maycustoms/pages/DSCN0454Q745.htm
April Fools Day, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website

135
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/btog/2006/03/april-fools-day.html
Pancake Day
http://www. Answers.com/tonic/shrove-tuesday
May Day
http://www.answers.com/topic/may-day
My New Year’s Resolutions
http://bluemountain.com
Image: Easter-Eggs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Easter-Eggs-l.jpg
January 2007
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Ideas/Events/January.htm
Photos of events
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Ideas/Album/PancakeRace.htm
Image: 5th November.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:5th_November.ipg
Christmas Tree
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jiiletr%C3%A6et.ipg
Father Christmas, Wikipedia Image
http://www.answers.com/topic/jolly-old-saint-nick-gif
Image: Trick or Treater.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Trick_or_Treater.jpg
Image: Jackolantern.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImagerJackolantem.JPG
Image: Morris Dancing. jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Morris.dancing.at.wells.arp.jpg
May Queen, Wikipedia Image
http://www.answers.com/topic/throne2-ipg
Image: Easter-Eggs-l jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Easter-Eggs-l .jpg
Further reading
Advent Calendars, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/xmas/adventcalendars.html

136
British Bank Holidays 2007-2009, Woodlands Junior School Kent Website.
http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/bankholidays.html

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