Britain For Learners of English

(văn minh anh)

CHAPTER 1: COUNTRY AND PEOPLE.

 General information:

- What was the famous saying, showing the British Empire’s pride?
 “The sun will never set on the British Empire”.
(19th and early 20th centuries, a period in which the British Empire
reached a global territorial size => vastness of colonies.)

 1. Geographycally speaking (p.8):

- What are the two largest island?

 1. Great Britain
2. Ireland
3. Hundreds of smaller islands
=> lying off the north-west of Europe

 2. Politically speaking (p.8):

- What are the two states?

 The Republic of Ireland (“Eire”, “Ireland”, “The Republic”)
 The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland => The U.K

 3. The four nations (p.10):

- What are the four nations?

 England + Scotland + Wales + N. Ireland
(People in Ireland, Wales, Highland Scotland => Celtic culture)
(People in England, Lowland Scotland => Germanic culture)

- Most common British traits:

+ wearing summer clothing at the first sight of sun
+ apologizing automatically. Politeness
+ ability to talk at length about the weather
+ making a cup of tea in response to a crisis
+ finding queue-jumping the ultimate crime
 + forming a queue for pretty much anything
+ tending to find humor in dark or bad situations. Sarcasm is common

 4. The dominance of England (p.12):

1. The system of politics used in all 4 nations => English origin

2. English => the main language
3. English dominance => detected in aspects of British public life
4. Money in Britain is controlled by the Bank of England
5. Term “Anglo” (tribe settled in England in 15th century)
6. Names of publications, organizations => England as the norm

REVIEW:

1. The name of publications and organizations are portrayed England as the

norm (p.12)
2. The Irish is supposed to be great talkers (p.11)
3. English is the main language of all four nations (p.12)
4. The dominant culture of people in Ireland, Wales, Highland Scotland was
Celtic (pa.10)
5. The union Jack is the national flag of the UK (p.14)
6. Money in Britain is controlled by the Bank of England (p.12)
7. Northern Ireland is a part of the UK (p.10)
8. The kilt is a well-known symbol of Scottish traditional clothes (p.11)
9. Britain is located in the North-west coast of Europe (p.8)

CHAPTER 3: GEOGRAPHY

 1. Climate:

- The same as that of north-western part of the Europe mainland

- More rain further west
- Warmer, sunnier in the south
- Wet, foggy land in the past
- Winters:
+ regular snow in highest areas
+ no snow in lower parts
 + slightly colder in the East
- Changeability of weather
- Reason for English people’s characters
 Always talking about weather
 As sober as an English man

Equatorial climate British climate

1. Hot and wet throughout the year
3. The temperature remains at
around 26c-28c through the year.
The total rainfall is about 1800
mm
2. Cool summers, mild winters, and
rainfall throughout the year
4. The temperature changes widely
between months. The highest
temperature is about 20c in
summers and about 2c in
winters. The total rainfall is
about 900mm (half that of the
equatorial climate)

 2. Land & settlement (p.35-36):

- South & east: low-lying, flat plains, gently rolling hills

- North & west: mountainous
- Forests: largely disappeared
- Grassland + enclosure of fields with hedgerows
 Impression of variety

 3. Environment & pollution (p.36-37):

- Industrialized country => smog = smoke + fog

- Water pollution => awful smell from the River Thames
- Pollution from factories
- Use of motor cars => air quality
 Attempts at using green energy sources: solar power, tidal power,
wind power, but not popular.

 4. London (p.38):

- London dominates Britain

 - Home to headquarters of all government departments, major legal
institutions, the monarch, headquarters of national TV networks, nation
newspapers.
- West End => theaters, cinemas, expensive shops
- East End => poorer residential areas => home to waves of Immigrant
groups
- Central London => smalls part of Greater London
- The majority of “Londoners” live in suburbs => travelling into the center
each day to work

 5. Southern England (p.39):

- The outer suburbs of London => commuter land

- Most densely populated
- The Downs:
+ hill => sheep farming
+ sea => retired people live along the coast
- Business => trade, provision of services, light manufacturing
- “West country’’ => attractive image of rural beauty, farming
- South-west peninsula => rocky coast, small bays,
 Most popular holiday area Britain
- East Anglia => flat land => wheat, other crops

 6. The Midlands of England (p.39-40):

- Birmingham:
+ second largest city, major engineering center
+ factories of the potteries
- Grimsby (east coast) => fishing ports, fishing processing center

 7. Northern England (p.40):

- Deposits of coal, iron ore => coal mining, production of steel goods,
shipbuilding
- Decline of heavy industry in Europe => hit the industrial north of
England in 20th century => unemployment

 8. Scotland (p.41):
 - Highlands = mountains, deep valleys => spectacular beauty
- Sheep farming, production of whisky
- 2 big cities:
+ Glasgow: heavy industry, strong artistic hertige
 Forefront of European design & architecture
+ Edinburgh: capital of Scotland
 Scholarship, law, administration, famous Festival of Arts

 9. Wales (p. 41-42):

- Capital: Cardiff
- Industrial villages
- Coal mining
- Mount Snowdonia: largest national Park in Britain

 10. Northern Ireland (p.42):

- Capital: Belfast
- Industry: shipbuilding, manufacture of linen
- Spectacular: natural beauty, especially steppingstones

REVIEW:

1. The climate in Britain is ____. (p.32)

a. Sunnier in the North, more rain in the West.
b. More rain in the West, sunnier in the South.
c. Sunnier in the North, more rain in the South.
d. Sunnier in the South, more rain in the North.

2. Which may best describe winters in Britain? (p.32)

a. Snow takes place everywhere in the country
b. Regular snow in lower parts, no snow in higher areas
c. Regular snow in higher areas, no snow in lower parts
d. There is no snow at all

3. Find one word to describe the weather in Britain.

 Changeability
4. Why do Britain people are interested in talking about the weather when they
meet each other?
 Because the weather is changeable

5. Describe the topography of the South and East of Britain (p.35)

 Low-lying, flat plains, gently rolling hills

6. Describe the topography of the North and West of Britain (p.35)

 Mountainous

7. The feature of land in Southern England is the enclose of fields with

hedgerows (p.36)

8. The outer suburb of London is a “commuter land” (p.39)

9. Glasgow in Scotland was the European city of Culture and has a strong
artistic heritage (p.41)

10.Mount Snowdonia in Wales is the largest National Park in Britain (p.42)

11.To deal with the pollution in Britain, there were attempts at using green
energy sources. Such as solar power, tidal power, wind power, which were
popular

=> False (p.37 -> not universally popular)

12.Many young people live in the Downs of Southern England because of the
coast
 False (p.39 -> retired people, not young people)

13.The South-east in warmer and drier, and the North-west is coller and wetter
 True (p.36)

14. Birmingham is the second largest City of Britain

 True (p. 39)

15.Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland although it is smaller than Glasgow

 True (p.41)
16.Wales is famous for its Giant’s Causeway, which looks like enormous
steppingstones
 False (p.42 -> not Wales. It’s located in Northern Ireland)

17.As the world’s first industrialized country, its cities were the first to suffer
the atmospheric condition, called “smog” (p.36)
18. As the headquarters of all government departments of the country, London
dominates Britain (p.38)
19. London is so cosmopolitan that is has the greatest cultural and racial variety
(p.38)
20. The decline is heavy industry in Europe in the 20th century hit the industry
north of England, which lead to a significant unemployment (p.40)

CHAPTER 4: IDENTITY

 1. Ethnic identity: the four nations:

- Scotland:

1. Public life: education, legal, welfare systems different from the rest of
Britain (Scottish parliament)
2. Dialect known as Scots (different features)
3. Have their own banknotes
4. Many symbols of Scottishness (kilts, pipes, haggis, dancing reels)
5. Flag: St. Andrew Cross

- Wales:

1. For 20% population => mother togue is Welsh => public support: all
children in Wales learn Welsh at school
2. Many local newspapers in Welsh
3. National icon/hero => Owain Glyndwr = legendary status of Welsh
folklore
4. A Welsh television channels

- English identity:

1. Little distinction between “England” and “Britain”

 2. Its own anther: Land of Hope & Glory
3. The 4 nations: look the same, eat the same food, have the same
religious heritage (Christianity), learn the same language, have the
same attitudes to the roles of men and women

 2. Other ethnic identities (p.46):

- Hundreds of ethnicities, but 2 major groups:

- 1st group:
+ Black Caribbeans => 1948: great immigration
+ Caribbean music: calypso, reggae, ska
+ The Notting Hill Carnival was started by Caribbean immigrants.

- 2nd group:
+ the Indian subcontinent => Asians
+ stock closely together
+ retain their religions, music, dress, food preferences
+ parents have more control over their children

 3. The family (p.48):

- Family events (wedding, births, funerals) => not large gatherings of

people
- Christmas period => little sense of extended family
- Proportion of people living alone: high
- Proportion pf children born outside marriage: rise dramatically
- Single parent families: social problem

 Geographical identity (p.49)

- People in the North of England => conscious and proud of being

“northerners”
- The Northerners: see themselves (theoretically) tougher, more honest,
warmer-hearted
- Southerners: soft, hypocritical, unfriendly

 Class (p.50):
 - An awareness of class forms a sense of identity
- Not possible to guess a person’s class by looking at his clothes, car, bank
balance
- English grammar & vocab used in public, radio, TV news, broadcasts,
books, newspapers => Standard English
- Everyday speech, used by working class => non-standard
- Prestigious accent: “Received Pronunciation “(RP)
 BBC English/ Queen’s English => upper class

 6. Men and women (p.52):

- To discriminate on the basic of sec: illegal

- Acceptable:
+ a man = untidy + scruffy
+ a woman = display emotions + affection
+ a family’s financial situation is not just the responsibility of the man

 7. Social & everyday contacts (p.54):

- Numerous clubs devoted to various sports, pastime: important part in

people’s lives => share same interests + attitudes
- Profession/skill: also, important aspect of sense of identity

 8. Religion & politics (p.54) (tu ham khao)

 9. Identity in Northern Ireland (p.54)

Ethnicity, family, politics, religions are all inter-related

- People whose ancestors came from Lowland Scotland/England:
+ Protestant
+ want N.Ireland to remain part of the UK
- People whose ancestors were native Irish:
+ catholic
+ want N. Ireland to become part of The Irish Republic.

 10. Being British (p.55):

- 75% in an opinion poll in 2007 => proud to be British

- Subject of “Britishness” = a topic of great public concern
- Possible reasons for the interest:
 + the realization that the UK by itself now has less influence on the rest
of the world
+ the fear that the UK might actually break up

 11. Personal identity: a sense of humor (p.56):

- Worst shame => if regarded as a person without a sense of humor

- To be humorous => everyday way of talking
- The ability to laugh at yourself and to “take a joke” is highly prized

REVIEW:

1. Which is NOT true about the UK?

a. In England the northerners are more warm-hearted, but the southerners
are more unfriendly
b. It’s not possible to guess a person’s class by looking at his clothes, car,
bank balance in Britain
c. Few British people believe that a family’s financial situation is just the
responsibility of the man
d. Numerous clubs devoted to various sports and pastimes play an important
part in many British lives
(p.52)

2. What kind of language can be seen as standard English?

 Language used in public, radio, TV news, broadcasts, books,
newspaper => BBC’s England/ the Queen’s England (p.52)

3. What do British society think about man and women in terms of everyday
mannerisms?
 They think that it is more acceptable for men o look untidy and
scruffy and more acceptable foe women to display emotions and
affection (p.52)

4. Who usually speak English with RP accent in Britain?

 Upper class/ upper-middle class (p.51)

5. What is the meaning of the expression “stiff upper lip” as a personal quality
of British people?
 Bravery in the face of misfortune (p.57)
 6. Anthem of England “Land of Hope and Glory” (p.46)
7. Symbols of Scottishness: kilts, pipes, haggis, dancing reels (p.44)
8. Blank Caribbeans the Nortting Hill Carnival (annual stress Festival) (p.47)

9. The Scottish, Walsh, Irish feel their identity strongly because of their
emotional attachment and consciousness

 True (p.43)

10.The UK flag combines aspects of four older national flags

 False. (three = red cross = England, white saltire = Scotland, red
saltire = Ireland)

11.People whose ancestors came from Lowland Scotland want Northern Ireland
to remain of the UK
 True (p.55)

12.In terms of public life such as education, legal, welfare systems, Scotland is
different from the rest of Britain
 True (p.42)

13.In Britain, standard English spoken with an PR accent is seen as BBC

English or “the Queen’s England”
 True (p.51)

14.The UK is thought to have more influence on the rest of the world than it
used to
 False. (p.56 -> less influence)

15.The proportion of children born outside marriage has risen dramatically

(p.49)
16.Profession or skill is also an important aspect of the British people’s sense of
identity (p.54)
17.The UK by itself now has less influence on the rest of the world than it used
to have (p.56)
18. The ability to laugh at yourself and to take a joke is highly prized. In other
words, most British people have a sense of humor (p.56)

CHAPTER 5: ATTITUDES
 1. Stereotypes &change (p.58):

- Society changes -> typically British (book, songs, plays) -> no longer
representative.
- Belief -> “land of tradition”
+ political continuity
+ ceremonies -> opening of Parliament, -> military ceremony
- In every life -> less tradition

 2. English and British (P.59-60):

- English culture -> dominates the three others (Wales, Scotland, Ireland)
-> four nations -> similar, but not identical.
- People in Britain: suspicious of education, high culture.
Teachers: do not have as high a status as in most other countries.
- Upper and working class -> not interested in getting children to
university
- Upper class -> suspicious of a person with academic prowess
- Working class -> such as attribute in a man = effeminate
- Anti-intellectual tendency (by small proportion of population) -> in 4
nations -> English characteristic

 3. A multicultural society (p.60):

- Immigration (W.W.II) -> the new British people -> widely differing sets
of values and attitudes -> (from more traditional British people) ->
clashes of value
- Not divergences (compared to USA)
- Contributed to the informality in behavior

 4. Conservatism (p.60-61):

- The British may not behave in traditional ways, but like symbols of
tradition (family values)
- Value continuity -> modernity
 Sentimental attachment to older, but safer times
- Living in old houses, work long hours, Christmas card, complain about
the change of currency
 5. Being different (p.61-62):

- Conservation + individualism = proud of being different

- Left-hand side driving, resisted pressure from Central European, start
financial year at the beginning of April, systems of measurement.

 6. Love of nature (p.62-64):

- Britain = 1st country -> gov-sponsored conservation body

- World Wildlife Fund (1961) = World Wildlife Fund for Nature (now)
- The countryside -> no negative associations -> poor facilities, lack of
edu. Opportunities, unemployment, poverty -> stability
- Worker -> youth Hostel Association -> young pp of limited means,
greater knowledge, love, care of the countryside
- Growing plants, gardening, TV show on the topic
- Against st unnatural (genetically modified technology, building new
nuclear power stations)

 7. Love of animals (p.64):

- Hundreds of animal cemeteries

- Rosendale Memorial Gardens -> thousands of graves for every kind of
animals -> sentimental attitudes to animals
- Half of the households -> pets
- Wildlife Programs -> most popular TV documentary
- Special hospital -> treat injured wild animals
- Thousands of pp -> enthusiastic bird-watchers -> British pastime (trò tiêu
khiển)

 8. Public-spiritedness & amateurism (p.65):

- The cult of talented amateur -> giving little time to help

- MPs do their work, non-lawyers to run legal system, some of edu system
- Tens of thousands of amateurs -> charity work, raising money by
organizing voluntary activities -> part of British life
- Blood

 9. Formality & Informality (p.66):

 - Public role = on duty -> obey rigid rules [tuân thủ các quy tắc cứng
nhắc]. (Clothes)
- In everyday life = private role -> no rules.
- What you wear = your own business
- ‘coldness’ among the British -> reputation for being reserved
- Being friendly = not bothering with formalities.
- Buffet = hospitality
- Anti – social behavior being rude & inconsiderate

 10. Privacy (p.67 – 68.)

- Avoid personal questions (age, marital status, salary, religion, sex life,
….)
- Sex, pregnancy, prostitution -> mixture of tolerance & embarrassment

REVIEW:

1. There are very few age-old customs (p.3) that are followed by the majority
of families on certain special occasions.
2. In everyday lives, the country has fewer local parades or processions (p.3)
with folk roots than most other countries.
3. Typical British habits are not typical (p.4) any more
4. The stereotyped (p.4) image of London ‘city gent’ wearing a bowler hat has
not been common for a long time.

1. The traditional English breakfast is a large ‘fry up’ plus cereal with milk,
toast, butter, marmalade, and tea.
-> True (p.5)
2. Now most British people have the same way for their breakfast.
-> False. (Close to European than British) (p.5)
3. The British are a nation of tea drinkers.
-> False. (It was true in the past, not now, outdate) (p.5)
4. The British did conform to the stereotype like queueing, but it does not mean
they are patient people.
-> True (p.6)

1. Does English culture dominate the three others (Wales, Scotland, Ireland)?
-> Yes (p.1)
2. Do the four nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland) have identical
cultures?
 -> No (similar, not identical) (p.1)
3. Can anti-intellectual attitudes be found in all four nations?
-> Yes (p.60)

1. Nowadays the British people are wealthier than the people in the 1950s.
2. The British feel unhappy (bitterly complained) about the change of their
currency.

1. Metric system – d. Meter, kilometer, …

2. Temperature – a. Fahrenheit
3. Financial year – b. Beginning of April
4. Conservatism - c. Token of Britishness

1. One third of the British families possess animals their pets.

-> False (Half of the households) (p.64)
2. Rosendale Memorial Gardens are the places where British people build
graves for every kind of animals.
-> True
3. In Britain, Wildlife Programs are not popular documentary programs on TV.
-> False (the most popular)
4. Doing charity work, raising money by organizing voluntary activities is part
of British life.
-> True

CHAPTER 7: THE MONARCHY

 1. The appearance (= In Theory) (p.80):

- Written law -> the Queen has almost absolute power

- Choose anybody (she wants) to run the government. (= servants of the
Crown)
- Fed up -> dismiss (bãi nhiệm)
- Give the parliament the royal assent (before the parliament can decide.)
-> great power over Parliament.

-> The Queen = embodies the law (in the courts)

  2. The reality (= In practice) (p.80-81):

- The Queen cannot choose anyone to be Prime Minister.

- The House of Commons -> give majority support in choosing a Prime
Minister.
- Prime Minister:
+ decides the other Ministers.
+ request a dissolution of Parliament.
+ goes ahead with the government policies.

-> The Queen = has almost no power at all

-> The Prime Minister = has the power

 3. The role of the Monarch (cont.)

- 2/year -> Honor List

- Summoned to Buckingham Palace
- In the past the Queen -> gives titles (Knights) -> reward for services
- Now the Prime Minister -> politicians, civil servants, business people,
sports stars, musicians, …
- The personal embodiment (hiện thân) of the government of the country
- Act as a final check on a government that was becoming dictatorial
- Play a practical role: perform ceremonial duties of a head state (opening
parliament, welcome heads of states of other countries...)

3 ROLES:

(1). The personal embodiment of the government

(2). Final check on a government => dictatorial (độc tài)
(3). Figurehead & Representative of the country

 4. The value of the Monarchy (p.82) => the real importance

+ less to do with the system of government

+ more to do with the social psychology and economics
 (1) To give the British people -> a symbol of continuity + expressions of
national pride
(2) To hold ceremonial events -> opening of Parliament, royal weddings,
changing of the guard, …

(3) To present glamorous lives of royals’ -> a source of entertainment

(story of Prince Charles & Princess Dianna).

- More important to the economy of the country than it is to the system of

government

- a symbol of unity & continuity

- a national pride

- a source of entertainment

 5. The future of the monarch (p.83-84)

PAST
- For several hundred years =>
not a burning issue in British
politics
- Last two decades => a
general cooling enthusiasm
- 1977: Parties => organized
spontaneously & voluntarily
- Marital problems => lowered
the prestige of the royals
- 1992: a fire damaged
Windsor Castle => repairs by
public money
NOW
- Debate: what kind of
monarchy Britain should
have?
- The Queen is still admired
(respect & affection)
- 2002: nothing like the parties
took place
- Public: The Queen should
pay taxes on her private
income
- Windsor Castle: open to
public visitors
- Argument: an outdated
institution => prevent British
people from living a true
democracy
SUMMARY

REVIEW:
1. In appearance the Queen is the leader of the UK
2. The Queen has absolute power => False (almost absolute)
3. The Queen embodies the law in the courts
4. The crime of plotting to overthrow the state was called treason
5. Who has the power? => The Queen/The Prime Minister
6. The Prime Minister will request a conference of Parliament when wanting to
hold an election
7. How many roles is the monarch supposed to have? => three
8. The second role of the monarch is final check on a government
9. The future of the monarchy would be less grand and less distant
10. Politically, the role of the monarchy would be less powerful

CHAPTER 8: THE GOVERNMENT

GOVERNMENT ===> 2 MEANINGS

1. Politically => run gov. department => several

 Manage activities of Parl =>
hundred members

2. + most powerful politician = Prime Minister

+ members of cabinet
 - All politicians (appoints by the Monarch) to help run the Government
departments and other special responsibilities (100 members)
- The most powerful politicians (cabinet)= Prime Minister + other
ministers (20 members)

THE PRIME MINISTER (PM):

- Appearance: The Queen has a great deal of power she has very little
- PM:
+ the most powerful/ important servant
+ head of the government
+ together with the cabinet, PM runs the government/country

 Introduction:

- Single-party gov. => to establish the tradition => share collective

responsibilities (p.4)
- Criticize gov. policy in public => must resign (p.4)

 1. The cabinet (p.85-86):

The cabinet tasks:

- Meet once a week

- Take decisions of new policies
- Check the implementation of existing policies
- Check the running of gov. dept

The cabinet office:

- Busy communications network => ministers keep in touch

The cabinet:

- Cabinet = team of 20 most senior ministers chosen by the PM to lead on

specific policy areas
- Cabinet office: runs a busy communication network, keeping ministers in
touch, draw up agendas for cabinet meetings
 THE PRIME MINISTER

Power to make a
Power of patronage Power of the public choice => the rest go
=> power to appoint + image => dominance along with his
change Cabinet over other ministers decision

 The Prime Ministers (PM):

- Responsible for all the decision and policies of the British government
- Appoints government officials, such as members of the Cabinet
- Serves as the head of the Cabinet and sits on several Cabinet committees
- Manages, oversees, and organizes the work of government departments
and agencies
- Represents the United Kingdom internationally
- Serves as a liaison between the monarch and the government, keeping the
monarch up to date on government business
- Active in the House of Commons, often participating in debates,
answering questions from fellow MPs, and making formal statement
 - The leader of his or her political party and works to keep the other
members in line

 3. The civil service (p.87-88):

The Bri. Civil service => a career of people:

- Working for 20 years or more
- Getting a high salary
- Having absolute job security
- Being awarded an official honor

Top civil servant => have a degree of influence:

- Complained of being treated with contempt
- Organized training courses => on how to deal with ministerial bullies

 4. Local government (p.89-90):

Structure => local gov. authorities = councils

- Having powers given by central gov.
- System the same = national
- Elected representatives = councilors => meet in Town Hall/ Country Hall
- Having a directly elected mayor
- Free of central gov. interference = more autonomy

Local councils => manage public services

- To collect tax of property
- To provide all the service => schools + hospital + public hygiene + health
inspection + public libraries

THE CENTRAL GOV.

The Cabinet
The Prime Minister
 THE LOCAL GOV.

The Mayor The Councils

(thị trưởng) (councilors)

REVIEW:

1. In the government, the most powerful member is The Prime Minister

2. One of the important members in the cabinet, who takes charge of Finance
affairs is called chancellor of the Exchequer (p.85)
3. What may support the actives of the Cabinet office?
 A busy communication networks
4. Why does the cabinet meet once a week?
 To take decision of new policies and check existing policies
5. Who was the first Prime Minister in Britain?
 Winston Churchill (since 1940)
6. Who is the Prime Minister in Britain these days?
 Elizabeth Truss / Rishi Sunak
7. In Britain, governments come and go, but the civil service remains
 True
8. According to the British servants, civil service is not a career
 False
9. What is NOT true about the local government in Britain?
 Having central government interference, so having no autonomy.
 10. (NOTCORRECT) The local government’s task is to join the political
operations of the central government

CHAPTER 9: PARLIAMENT

 Introduction:

Parliament 
1. To make new laws.
2. To give authority for the gov to raise and spend money
3. To keep a close eye on gov. activities.
4. To discuss the gov. activities.

The Houses of Parliament = the Palace of Westminster

1. House of Lords
2. House of Commons => more important => MP’s

 1. The atmosphere of Parliament (p.92-94):

Design & layout => distinctive

1. The left => gov. benches
The right => opposition benches
No cross benches
2. No special place to stand
3. No desks for MP’s => easy to drift in & drift out
4. Not enough room for MP’s (650 >< 400 seats)
5. Lack of a podium => informal atmosphere
 deliberately designed => the two-way “for and against” tradition

 2. An MP’s life (p.94-95)

Traditionally, MPs:
- Ordinary people => keep an eye on the gov and represent the people
- From all walks of life => experience of every world
- Do the public service

In modern reality, MPs:

- Full-time politicians
 - Spend more time at work
- Prepared timetable => committee work, research, prepare speeches, deal
with problems
 extremely busy life

 3. Parliamentary business (p.96):

- Procedure => debate on a proposal, => resolution (accept or rejects)

- MPs must vote (for or against)
- How a bill becomes a law? 1st reading => 2nd reading => committee stage
=> report stage => 3rd reading
- Committee => 40 members => to investigate the activities of the gov.
members

 3. The party system in Parliament (p.96):

The Whips 
- Intermediaries bt Backbenchers & Frontbenchers
- Powerful people = can influence Backbenchers (to get promoted to the
Front Bench)
- Free vote => + important decisions (abolition of the death)
+ allowed by the Major party
- Free vote = MP’s vote according to their own decision, NOT according
to party policy

 5. The House of Lords (p.97-98):

Roles:
- Limited influence
- Consultative (tư vấn)
- Act as a check on any gov.

Members => aristocrats (quý tộc)

- Second half of 20th century => a place for disguised older politician (who
no longer took a busy position in the Commons + still wished to voice
their opinions)
- By the end of 20th century => 15% of the total members => the members
of life-peerage increased.

REVIEW:
 1. What is NOT the activities of the British Parliament?
 To keep a close eye on civil activities
2. Another name of the House of Parliament is The Palace of Westminster
3. The name of the Houses in the British Parliament?
 The House of Lords and House of Commons
4. Which of the two Houses is more important?
 The House of Commons
5. How many rows of benches are there in the House of Commons?
 Two: the left for the gov and the right for the opposition
6. What does “no cross-benches” mean?
 No place for those MPs who want to belong to neither of the two
parties
7. Now the MPs are more professional and busier
8. How many stages are there for a bill to become a law?
5
9. Who will consider if there are any new amendments to be made?
 The House of Lords
10. In the House of Parliament, the Whips act as intermediaries
11. What are the roles of the House of Lords?
 Consultative and act as a check on any gov
12.Which are more now in the House of Lords: aristocrats of life-peerage?
 Life-peerage

CHAPTER 14: EDUCATION

 1. A) General introduction (p.130):

- Full-time education => compulsory + free of charge

- State education => state schools => funded by the gov
- Private education => independent/ public schools
- 3 recognized stages: primary, secondary, after 16

 1. B) History background (p.130):

- To education the sons of the upper and upper-middle classes =>

“boarding school” => character building + development of team spirit
 - To prepare young men to take up in the higher ranks (of the army), in
business, legal profession, civil service, the church, politics

- Form the ruling elite [hình thành tầng lớp thống trị], distinctive habits,
separate from the rest of society

- The only model of a successful school.

 2. The education debates (p.131): Do not get taught properly[ kh

đc dạy đcách]
Do not learn enough
Less literate, less numerate
school- [kém hiểu biết tính toán ]
children

Do not have the necessary

basic knowledge/skills.
Quality
Grade inflation

Chronic [thíu] shortage of

teachers teachers => thousands of foreign
teachers are recruited

- Low status
- Pp blame the
teachers
Teachers

-being inspected
- Filling in forms (to prove)
Situation
 SCHOOLS Alleviate[xoa dịu] the situation
Gov. => campaigns + national awards
(teaching “Oscars”)

(2)
(1) GRAMMAR SCHOOL: (3)
BOARDING SCHOOL: - Middle class COMPREHENSIVE
- Upper class - Secondary SCHOOL:
- Character building & - Based on test of ability - Non- selective =
development of team (11+) everyone can go to it
spirits - Academically oriented =>
go on to higher edu

Modern times:
 compare public school system

PAST NOW
- Boys only - Also girls
- Boarding schools - Day pupils + boarders
- Senior boys => “prefects” - “perfects” => not much
 - Emphasis on team sports power
- Use of physical punishment - Less emphasis on team sports
- Physical punishment =>
abolished

- Recently => university education => more important

- Equality of edu. Opportunities => more important
 Freedom of choice

- the gov:
+ just decides financial issues
+ does not specify the national curriculum *
+ does not dictate the hours of the school day or the dates of holidays *
+ does not set the marking of the exams *

 A school can work towards the objectives of the national curriculum

in any way it likes

- school uniforms:
+ were a sign of status [dấu hiệu của địa vị]
+ were a mark of aspiration
+ were a burden on the parents’ finances (60s-70s)
+ were a pendulum (last 20 years)
+ in favor of uniforms now (less expensive > fashionable ones)
+ symbols of belonging => improvement in academic performance (gov,
advisors)

 3. Style (p.134-135):

- focus on how school can help their charges become good members of
society
- physical education => high priority to sport => to develop the “complete”
person
- the school = a “community” => sporting success = enhance the reputation
of an institution
- approach to study = to give priority to developing understanding +
sophistication of approach over the accumulation of factual knowledge
  4. School life (p.135-136):

1. Nursery education 2 Primary education

- Pre-primary education - Compulsory school age = age of
- Up to 2 years 5
- Free - The hub of local communities
=> conventional education +
breakfast provision +
2 Secondary education childminding facilities +
- Different teachers for activities clubs + health services
different subject - School day => 9 a.m or 4 p.m
- Regular homework - A balance bt formal lessons +
- Older children = activities (group work)
separated into groups - Talking national test = English,
according to their math, science.
abilities/all subjects

 5. Public exam (p.136-137):

At the end of compulsory schooling => take exams

- Exams => set = marked by independent examining boards
- Assessments of each examinee’s performance = a combination of
coursework assignment + formal exams

 6. Education beyond sixteen (p.137-139):

16 => free to leave

Fewer (1/3) => job

+ on-the-job training
 + part-time college courses

The rest => stay in full-time education => conventional subjects => more
specialization

- Famous & prestigious universities =>

+ university of Oxford, in London, 1096 (=38 colleges)
+ university of Cambridge, in Cambridge, 1209 (=31 colleges), 110
winners of Nobel Prizes
- Uni. of Edinburgh, Uni. of London, Uni. of Manchester, Uni. of Bristol,
Uni. of Glasgow, …

REVIEW:

1. Full-time education => compulsory

2. State schools => funded by the gov.
3. Boarding schools => upper classes
4. Grammar schools => middle classes

5. Prefects => the senior boys in a public school that have authority over other
buys
6. Tony Blair => the slogan (priorities) “Education, education, education”
7. Recruiters => the complaint “School- children in Britain do not have the
necessary knowledge & skills”
8. The Gov. => campaigns and initiatives to alleviate the poor educational
standards

9. Grammar schools are intended for the children under 11

=> false (11+)
10. In Britain, a schools cannot decide the objectives of the national curriculum
because it is the Government responsibility
=> False (the gov. does not specify what must be taught)
11. There is a serious shortage of teachers in Britain
=> true (thousands of foreign teachers are recruited every year)

13. The implication of school uniforms in Britain:

  A sign of inspiration, a mark of inspiration, a burden of parents, a
symbol of belonging
14. Which is wrong: the central government does not ------------
a. Specify the national curriculum
b. Dictate the hours of the school day
c. Set the marking of the exams
d. Decide how much money to give the school
15.Which is not true about the nursery education in Britain?
a. Stats from 8 a.m to 6 p.m
b. Up to 2 years
c. Free
d. Pre-primary education
16. What is not about the style of education in Britain?
a. Priority to sport
b. Focus on producing good members of society
c. Priority to sophistication of approach
d. Accumulation of factual knowledge

17.About a third of 16 years old look for a job and the rest remain in full-time
education
18. In Britain, public exams are set and marked by independent examining
boards
19.The assessment in each subject is a combination of coursework assignments
and formal exams
20.A level means advanced levels taken mostly by people around the age of 18
who to go on to higher education

CHAPTER 16: THE MEDIA

 1. The importance of the national press (p.151-152):

- > 70 local daily papers => the circulation < national dailies
- Most local papers do not appear on Sundays => national press dominance
- > half of the country’s reader get their morning paper delivered to their
door
- National papers => in the mornings
- Non-national papers => in the evenings
  2. The two types of the national newspapers (p.153):

Quality papers (=broadsheets) Popular papers (=tabloids)

- Better educated readers
- Large-sized paper
- Concentrate on politics +
serious news
- Large readership
- Small pages, less print, more
pictures, large headlines,
simpler style of English
- Concentrate on “human
interest” stories (sex+
scandal)

 3. The characteristic of the national press: politics (p.153-155):

- Diff. papers => diff political outlooks

- None => organ of a political party
- The British press => controlled by large multinational companies
+ freedom from interference from gov. influence
+ powerful => “the fourth estate” (commons, Lords, the Monarch)

 4. The characteristic of the national press: sex and scandal (p.155-156):

- One feature => shallowness => result of power + commercial orientation

- Some => give up serious matters
- Focus => sports + famous people + pictures of women => coverage of
“human interest” => to attract more readers
- Emphasis on revealing private details of people’s lives, digging up the
juiciest secrets about well-know personalities = invasions of privacy =>
the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) => to regulate

 5. The BBC (P.156-157):

- BBC = the British Broadcasting Corporation:

+ “mother of info. Services”
+ impartiality + independence => legal status => not depend on
advertising + income from Gov.
+ get money from license fee (= pp use TV must pay)
 - 1932 => the BBC World Service was set up => in English & in other
languages => international fame

- BBC Radio:
+ radio 1= pop music
+ radio 2 = popular music
+ radio 3 = classical music
+ radio 4 = plays, comedy, advice, news
+ radio 5 = sports, news

 6. Television: style (p.158-160)

- TV company can charge advertisers => depend on the number of views

- Early years => ITV captured ¾ of BBC’s audience => little difference in
the programming of BBC and main Commercial channels => news,
documentaries, drama, films, light entertainment, comedies, sports =>
competition (=rating war) => try to do the same style of grogram and
make it better
- Soap operas => working class
- Sitcoms (situation comedies) => less fortunate pp
- BBC 2 + channel 4 => learning + culture

 7. Television: organization

- TV channel => independent of government interference

- Criticizes the BBC for its behaviors, the BBC sometimes accepts the
criticism and apologizes (and one or more of its top people resign)
- No advertising on the BBC

REVIEW:

1. The circulation of national dailies is more than local daily papers

 True
2. Most local papers appear on Sundays
 False
3. Quality papers (=broadsheets)
 True
4. Another name of popular papers is tabloids
5. The BBC gets money from license fee
6. In general, different papers have different political outlooks
 7. The British press is controlled by large multinational companies
8. The British press gets freedom from interference from the government
influence
9. In case there are invasions of privacy from the Press, there will be the Press
Complaints Commission (PPC). Its function is to regulate (the Press)

CHAPTER 18: WELFARE

 1. The benefits of system (p.167-168):

a. The origins of the welfare state in Britain

 Before 20th century:

- Responsibility of local communities => workhouse => the old + the risk
+ the mentally handicapped + orphans

 During the 1st half of the 20th century:

- Old-age pension scheme
- Partial sickness + unemployment insurance
- Unemployment benefits

 1948: National Health Act => NHS was set up

b. The supports from the gov.

 Adults: with no jobs + family with insufficient income => Local Job
Centers => jobseeker’s allowance

 Retired people:
- Pension fund (contribution for their working lives)
- Life insurance policy (saving)

 Child benefit: paid to mothers

 Sickness benefit
 Maternity benefit
  Death grants

- there are people who are entitled to various benefits but who do not
receive them, sometimes because they do not understand the complicated
system and do not know what they are entitled to, sometimes because
they do not want their privacy invaded
- some people can “play the system’” so well that they can get more
money (through claiming various benefits) when not working than they
can when being employed.
- The whole social security system is coming under increasing pressure
because of the rising numbers of pensioners in society.

 Professional social workers => valuable work => identify + help =>
the old + the mentally handicapped + children from neglect +
maltreatment

 Before the welfare: the poor + the needy => charitable organizations
for help

 Unpaid volunteers

 150.000 charities

 2. Social services and charities (p.168):

- “Meals-on-wheels” system => food to homes (who could not cook)

- Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) => info + advice for free

 3. The National Health Service (NHS) (p. 169-171):

 Regarded as jewel in the crow of the welfare state

 NOT partnership with existing hospitals just took them over

 The system is “beautiful simple”:

 Register with a local NHS doctor = General Practitioners (GP)
 GP arrange => test, surgery, consultation, medicine

 Treatments of teeth + eyes => NOT free

BUREAUCRACY IN THE NHS

 Why does Britain always rely on doctors imported from abroad?

 GPs => buried under a mountain of paperwork => target for
performance => stress
 Admin staff => hospital beds
 Names => info analysists, service planners, access managers, program
facilities… => not engaged in healing and caring for the sick
 NHS > 1 million => largest employer in the country
 GPs => are paid
 NOT depend on the number of consultations they perform but depend
on the number of registered patients they have
 Patients => accept the diagnosis(chẩn đoán) by the doctors
 GPs => prescribe less medicine
 NHS => still claim to be successful in fulfilling the aim:
+ to take the financial hardship out of sickness
+ to offer pp medical insurance “from the womb to the tomb”

GPs => decide

Which will not => getting

Which patients will get the
the treatment privately (to
resource available
buy survival)
GOING TO PRIVATE (HEALTH CARE)

 Why do people rely on private doctors => for surgery => more
convenient and psychologically comfortable
 Under private scheme => can choose as soon as they want
 In NHS:
- Non-urgent operation: wait in NHS > a year
- Urgent operation: wait > a month
- Run out of money => suspend all non-urgent treatments
- Long waiting list in NHS
- High cost of private surgery in Britain
 Health tourism = go to other countries => the treatment (quick +
cheaply)

 4. The medical profession (p.171-172):

 Doctor = high status + earn a lot of money

 Specialist doctors:
- Prestige > GPs
- Can work part-time for NHS
- Earn bog fees from private patients
- Highest quality

REVIEW:

1. For whom were the workhouses established before the 20th century?
 For the old, the sick, the mentally handicapped and orphans
2. What welfare schemes were there during the 1st half of the 20th century?
 old age pension scheme
 Partial sickness and unemployment insurance
 Unemployment benefits
3. When was the National Health System set up?
 In 1948
 When the National Health Act was passed
4. What are the problems that British people may encounter with the NHS?
 Complicated system
 Bureaucracy (time-consuming paperwork)
  Insufficient treatments (=> pp must rely on private health care +
tourism for treatments)

5. Adults with no paid and families with insufficient income can be entitled to
get jobseeker’s allowance
6. “To get the jobseekers” allowance, they went to the Local Job Centers
7. Retired people get their pension fund provided that they had their insurance
contributions for their working lives
8. Child benefits are paid directly to their mothers
9. Maternity benefits are the grants paid to women during their motherhood.

CHAPTER 20: FOOD AND DRINK

 1. Eating habits and attitudes (p.183-186):

- Life and habits in Britain => not oriented to food

- Go to cafe => for relaxation, conversation (white quality of the coffee is
of minor importance)
- At home => food and drink = little attention
+ instant coffee => less trouble
+ meals => eaten quickly
+ parties + celebrations => not centered around the food
- Health food shops = as abundant as delicateness
- Numerous cookery + food programs on Tv => attitudes changed have not
had enough time to change habits and expectations

WHAT BRITISH PEOPLE EAT?

- Fry up => eggs, bacon, sausages tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread

- Use a lot of flour => pastry (savory and sweet), pies
- Eggs => fried, soft-boiled, hard-boiled
- Cheese => a large variety
- Desert: pudding, chocolate, crisps
WHEN BRITISH PEOPLE EAT WHAT: MEALS

1. Breakfast: cereal, toast, marmalade

2. Elevens: around 11 a.m, conventionally = a cup of tea + biscuits
3. Lunch: at 1 p.m Sunday lunch => traditionally, an important meal = family
together
4. Tea:
 For urban working class: (Scotland, Ireland) around 6 p.m = evening
meal => get home from work
 For others: around 4 p.m: tea + snack
5. Supper: evening meal (for those who do not consider “Tea”)
6. Dinner: evening meal. Sometimes, used with special meaning “Dinner
party”

MODERN STORY OF TEA IN BRITAIN

- By the end of 17th century => tea-drinking = well-establish

- 19th century => polite society’s ritual of afternoon tea
- Most 20th century => strong black tea with milk
- Now => still 1/3 all liquid refreshment in Britain

 2. Eating out: (p.186)

- Traditionally: confined to richest section of society

- Now: a large number do it => snobbery
- Very few restaurants described as British because restaurants in large
cities represent cuisine from all over the world
- 3 types => distinctively British places (apart from pubs)
(1) Fried food => the “English breakfast” type => workers/ those who
enjoy the informal atmosphere
(2) Fish and chip shop => take away
(3) “Tea rooms” => different kinds of client, waitress service”
(4) Other types of restaurants still retain echoes

 3. Alcohol (p.187):
 - The British attitudes to alcohol in Britain are ambivalent: prevalent
attitude to getting drunk is that, provided this does not lead to violence,
there is no shame attached.
- By law, people cannot be served or drink any kind of alcohol in pubs
until the age of eighteen
- Many more types of shop now sell alcohol than previously. However,
this lessening of the negative attitude to alcohol than previously, been
balanced by increasing concerns about its impact on health and safety
- There has always been something of a problem of public drunkenness

WHAT PEOPLE DRINK

 Large number of hot drinks: tea, coffee, hot chocolate

 Children: squash = sweetened fruit, diluted with water
 Beer:
+ “Bitter” = most popular
+ “Mild” = sweeter, darker
+ “Lager” = continental European, strong
+ “Cider” = English west country, not beer
+ “Shandy” = half beer + half lemonade

BAR = DIFFERENT MEANINGS

1. The area in a hotel/public place serving alcohol drinks

2. The counter in a pub
3. A place in the center of a town, serving a greater choice od wines than the
pub.
4. Different rooms in a pub

- Public bar => working class => hard seat, pub games
- Saloon bar => middle class => soft seats, carpet on the floor, more
expensive drinks
- Private bar => was even more exclusive

 4. Pubs (p.188-189):

 Unique => average pp => meet, get into prolonged conversation

  Local pub => for the drinking of beer, spirits
 Local pp => “regular”
 Special character => no waiter service => go and ask for it at the bar =
fetch your drinks yourself => more informal

CHAPTER 23: HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS

GENERAL INREODUCTION

- Holiday = holy + day

- Britain has fewer holidays than most countries in Europe
- 1974 => New Year’s Day became official public Holiday
- Average employee => 4 weeks’ paid holiday/ a year

 1. Traditional seaside holidays (p.208)

 When did seaside holidays start?

- Upper class => 18th century

- Middle class => soon followed
- Working class => around 20th century
- Families => 1-2 weeks/ year => resort towns => quickly developed =>
typical, traditional English holiday
- Entertainments for children => donkey rides, sandcastles, ice-creams,
swimming
- Entertainments for adults => paddle, bingo, discos, theaters, bowling, …

 What is another type of traditional holiday?

- Holiday camp
- Popular in 1950s – 1960s
- Visitors stayed in chalets (wooden houses) in villages
- Events => competitions + beauty contests

 What can be modern holidays?

- Caravan holidays
- Foreign tourism => holidays abroad => package [trọn gói] holidays =>
rich pp
- 1972: 7 millions/ year
- 1987: 20 million
- 2006: 45 million
- Destination:
+ Spain (thousands of British pp own villas in Spain) (cheap flights)
+ France they can travel by taking their cars across the channel.
- 3three days or less
- Hiking => in the country
- Working holidays => repair ancient wall + join archaeological dig
- Fruit picking => help with the hop harvest

 On what occasion will be the great celebrate in modern Britain?

- Christmas => commercialization thương mại hóa=> shopping streets in

London (frantic)
- Presents for family + relatives + children + friends
- Christmas trees[germany 19th century]=> decorations around the house or
outside
- Singing of carols => in churches, schools, special concerts
- Father Christmas = Santa Claus => gift giving
- The activities in many families engage on Christmas Day are the eating
of Christmas dinner (Christmas dinner) and listening to the Queen’s
Christmas message
- There is a general feeling that Christmas is a time for families. Extended
family => time that such gatherings occur

CHRISTMAS IN BRITAIN CHRISTMAS IN VIETNAM

- Christmastide/ Twelve-tide:
The Christmas season: 25/12
-5/1
- For most pp
- The 24th of Dec is the last day
to prepare for the Christmas
season. Main celebration is
on the 25th Dec
- Is a public holiday
- Preparation is mainly for the
24th and 25th of Dec
- For Christmas pp only
- Christmas Eva, the 24th of
Dec is more celebrated than
Christmas day
- Not considered an official
public holiday
 - Has traditional roast dinner
at midday
- Decorating with Christmas
trees and mistletoes is a
household custom
- On Christmas Eva, Majority
prefer to spend time at home
with their family
-Roast dinner is not a tradition
- Christmas tree decoration is
quite uncommon
- On Christmas Eva, families
go out to city center at night
to spectate Christmas
decorate.

 4. New year:

- In contrast to the family emphasis on Christmas, parties at New Year’s

Eva are regarded more as a time for friends.
- Most pp attends a gathering at this time and “see in” the new year
together, often drinking a large amount of alcohol as they do so
- Custom of “first footing”, in which the first person to visit a house in the
new year is supposed to arrive with tokens of certain important items for
survival) such as a lump of coal for the fire).