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Culture of
EnglishSpeaking
Countries
Adele (Adele Laurie Blue Atkins) a
contemporary British pop singer
Aguilera, Christina an American pop
singer and songwriter
Amazon an American dot-com
established in Seattle in 1994
focusing on e-commerce; It owns
the biggest on-line shop in the
world.
American civil rights movement a
social movement popular in the
USA in the 50’s and 60’s of the 20th
century; It aimed at abolishing racial
segregation in the US using peaceful
methods.
Bath a town in England famous for its
numerous monuments, which
include the Roman Baths
Batman a fictional superhero appearing
in a series of comic books and many
film adaptations
the BBC (The British Broadcasting
Corporation) the main British public
radio and television broadcaster Bezos,
Jeff the founder, Chief
Executive Officer and president of
Amazon.com
Bond, James a fictional agent
working for the British Secret
Service who appears in many
novels by Ian Fleming as well as a
series of films starring various
actors, most recently Daniel Craig
Branson, Richard a British businessman
and founder of Virgin
Group
the Brit School (The BRIT School for
Performing Arts and Technology) a
British secondary school which
provides education and training for
young people interested in a career
in the arts, entertainment and
communications industries
Cambridge University the second
oldest university in Great Britain,
the first being Oxford University
Camden Market a famous market
located in one of London’s districts
Captain America a fictional character
who appeared in numerous comic
books published by Marvel Comics
and many film adaptations
Carey, Mariah an American singer,
composer, songwriter who is
wellknown for her extraordinary
voice of a five-octave range
Central Park a park in New York City
located in the centre of Manhattan
Coober Peddy a town in South
Australia which is often called the
‘opal capital of the world’; it is because
of the mines where the most precious
and expensive opals are found
Cyrus, Miley an American actress, singer
and songwriter
Darwin, Charles a British naturalist,
biologist and geologist; he is
wellknown for his book The Origin of
Species and the scientific theory of
evolution by natural selection
DiCaprio, Leonardo an American actor; he
won an Oscar in 2016
Edinburgh the capital of Scotland
Edinburgh Castle a castle in
Edinburgh; it is one of the oldest
fortresses in Great Britain the FA Cup
(The Football Association Challenge Cup)
a football competition which takes place
in England every year; it is the oldest
national football competition in the
world
Glastonbury Festival one of the biggest
festivals of performing arts and music
in the world; it is organised near the
village of Pilton in Somerset, England
Grandin, Temple an American
psychologist and professor of animal
science at Colorado State University;
she is one of the first autistic people
who has a successful professional
career and is able to share insights
from her autistic experience; she is
known as a speaker on animal welfare
and autism
Harry Potter a series of very popular
fantasy novels about the adventures of
a young wizard, Harry Potter, written
by J. K.
Rowling
Hidden Figures an American film from
2016 directed by Theodore Melfi
Hubble, Edwin an American astronomer
Hulk a fictional superhero and Bruce
Banner’s alter ego, who appears in
numerous comic books published by
Marvel Comics and many film
adaptations
Humans a science fiction TV series
produced in the USA and the UK
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Iron Man a fictional superhero and Tony
Stark’s alter ego, who appears in
numerous comic books published by
Marvel Comics and many film
adaptations
Jackson, Michael an American musician,
dancer, composer, singer, songwriter
and entertainer who is often called the
‘King of Pop’
Jessie J a contemporary British pop singer
Johnson, Katherine an AfricanAmerican
mathematician, also known as ‘human
computer’; Her work contributed
greatly to the development of NASA’s
Space Shuttle Programme.
Knightley, Keira a British actress who
was nominated for an Oscar for her
role in the film Pride and
Prejudice
Lake District Cumbria a region in the
county of Cumbria in England; The
Lake District National Park is located in
its central part.
Lake Windermere a lake in the Lake
District National Park
Leibovitz, Annie an American
portrait photographer who has
received many prestigious
photography awards
Lewis, Leona a British singer, songwriter
and composer who was the winner of the
third series of The X Factor the London
Dungeon an interactive museum in
London where infamous historical events
from the British history are recreated with
the help of actors and special effects
the London Eye an observation wheel
located by the River Thames from
which it is possible to see the
panoramic view of London; It was
opened in 1999.
Madame Tussauds a museum of wax
figures in London
Manhattan the smallest and the most
populated district of New York City
located on the island of Manhattan; the
name of a county in the state of New
York Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) a private polytechnic
university founded in the USA in 1861; It
is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Muamba, Fabrice a retired English
football player who moved to England
at the age of 11 from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Musketeers a British TV series – an
adaptation of the novel The
Three Musketeers by Alexander
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Dumas
NASA National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) an agency of the US
Federal Government, which is
responsible for the space exploration
programme
National Museum of Scotland a
museum located in Edinburgh; It
houses the collections of Scottish
antiquities, culture and history as
well as science and technology,
natural history and world cultures.
National Portrait Gallery an art museum
in London
Newton, Isaac an English physicist,
mathematician, astronomer,
philosopher, historian and theologian
Obama, Barack an American politician; he
was the 44th president of the USA
(2009-2017)
Obama, Michelle First Lady of the USA
(2009-2017); She is a lawyer and
married to Barack Obama, ex-
president of the USA.
Oliphant, Sarah a backdrop painter who
creates scenic backdrops for top
photographers, film producers and
fashion designers
the Oscars the Academy Awards which
are given by the Academy for Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences every year to
recognise achievements in the film
industry
the Oscars ceremony an event organised
by the Academy for Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences every year; During
the ceremony, Oscars are given to the
winners in 24 film categories.
Oxford Street the main shopping street in
London
Phelps, Michael an American swimmer, 23
times Olympic champion, 26 times
world champion
Pirates of the Caribbean a series of
American adventure films
Queen Elizabeth II the head of the British
Royal Family, who has been the Queen
of the United Kingdom since 1953
the Roman Baths a site located in Bath; it
includes buildings which
were used for public bathing in the
Roman times
Rowling, J.K. a British writer and author of
the Harry Potter series of novels
the Royal Family Queen Elizabeth II and
members of her close family
Sally Lunn bun a type of sweet cake; it is
the specialty of the town of Bath
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Science Museum a museum in London The X Factor a reality TV programme
Scotland a country located to the north of whose aim is to find singing
England; It is part of the United talents
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern The X-Files a very popular American TV
Ireland. series including elements of horror,
Scottish coming from Scotland thriller, drama, mystery and
Segregation legally approved racial supernatural
separation of people into ‘colored’ and The X-Men a group of fictional
‘white’ in the USA until the middle 60’s superheroes who appear in comic
Shakespeare, William an English books published by Marvel Comics and
playwright, poet and actor; he wrote in film adaptations by Marvel
plays, such as Hamlet, Macbeth, Studios
Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Shakespeare’s Globe a theatre in
London; It is a contemporary
reconstruction of the Globe
Theatre from Queen Elizabeth I
and Shakespeare’s time.
Somerset a county in South West England
Sparrow, Jack the main character of a
series of adventure films, Pirates
of the Caribbean, who is played by
Johnny Depp
Spiderman a fictional superhero and
Peter Parker’s alter ego, who appears
in comic books published by Marvel
Comics and in many film adaptations
Star Wars a famous series of science
fiction films
Superman a fictional superhero and
Clark Kent’s alter ego, who appears in
comic books and film adaptations
Tate Modern a British national
gallery of international
contemporary art in London
Thriller Michael Jackson’s 6th solo album,
which is the bestselling album in
history
Turing, Alan a British mathematician,
cryptoanalyst; he is considered to be the
father of theorethical computer science
and artificial intelligence Twitter a social
networking site the UK the United
Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland
War Horse a war film directed by
Steven Spielberg which was
produced in the USA and the UK
Watson, Emma a British actress and
model who first appeared in the Harry
Potter film series
Welsh coming from Wales
Wonder Woman an American
action film inspired by a series of
comic books about a female
superhero
© Pearson Education Limited Focus 2 Second Edition
Accepting suggestions Regards, Contacting
That sounds fantastic!
people
I’d love to (go).

Well, it’s worth a try. Ways to contact people

I suppose it’ll work. If you have any information, please contact/call/leave a

message for Alison on (0961224466).

Agreeing with an opinion If you are interested in …, call (John/Ms White) on

(0961224466).
I (completely) agree that/with … I

couldn’t agree more that/with … WRITING BANK

That’s fine with me.
To join us, call … If you have

I think so too. seen it, please …

Call me on … for more details.

Apologising Maintaining contact
Informal phrases
Drop me a line sometime.
I’m really sorry (that) ...
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sorry to bother you.
Give me a call later.
Sorry I haven’t written for so long./Sorry for not writing for
Let me know if you can make it or not.
so long.
I was glad to hear about … Let me
I’m writing to tell you how sorry I am to ... (about) … It will
never happen again. know as soon as possible.
Formal phrases

I apologise for … I lost (my bag/passport/coat/dog).

Please accept my apology for … Describing features

It is/was …
Size huge/tiny/35cm x 25cm
Closing formulas: emails and letters
Informal phrases Shape round/rectangular/square/narrow

Best wishes, Colour white/red and brown/light/dark green

Bye for now/See you! Material made of leather/plastic/linen

Love,/Take care!/All the best, Age n ew/young/old/six years old/modern/ancient It has/had

(two handles/a leather strap/a blue cover two
Formal phrases pockets/short sleeves/a black tail).

Yours sincerely, Reasons for search

I keep (all my files there).

It was something I borrowed/got as a birthday present.

It is of great value./It’s a really precious thing.

I can’t live without it.

It means a lot to me. Expressing opinion
I believe/think/feel (that) …
Disagreeing with an opinion
I really believe (that) …
I disagree that/with …/ I don’t agree that/with …
In my opinion/view, …/To my mind, …
I am totally against …
The way I see it, …
I see what you mean but …
It seems/appears to me (that) …
I see your point but …
My opinion is that … As far as
I’m afraid I can’t agree with …
I am concerned, …
I’m not convinced about …

I don’t think it’s the best solution. Expressing preferences

I really enjoy/like/love … because …

1 I prefer … to …

WRITING BANK I’d like to …/I hope to …

Encouraging participation 2
I find … boring/dull. I don’t like/I can’t
Come on, don’t be afraid/it’s not difficult/it’s easy!
stand/I really hate … It’s not really my
Why don’t you come and meet some interesting people/ see
some great things? thing.

Come and tell us what you think.

Come and have fun!

Giving advice
You should/ought to …
Don’t miss it!
You’d better …

Ending emails and letters If I were you, I would … It might be a

Informal phrases good idea (for you) to … Why don’t you

It was good to hear from you. …?

Email me soon. Have you thought of/about …?

I’d better get going./I must be going now./Got to go now.

Looking forward to your news/to hearing from you again.

I’d like to invite you to …
Say hello to …
I’d like you to come …
Give my love/my regards to (everyone at home).
Would you come to …? If you want, you can bring a
Have a nice (trip). friend.

See you (soon/in the summer). I’m writing to invite you to (Madrid/my party).

Write soon. I’m having (a party).

Keep in touch! I hope you’ll be able to join us/to make it.

Formal phrases You are welcome to … Join

I look forward to hearing from you/your reply. us today!

I hope to hear from you soon. Come and meet me …

Why don’t you come …? I’m sorry, but I can’t join you.

I’m not really into … I’ve got some

Making requests and enquiries doubts about it.
Informal phrases
I don’t see how it could work.
Can you …, please?/Could you …?
Actually, I would prefer not to.
Do you think you could …?

Let me know if you can (come). Starting emails and letters

Could you tell me …? Informal phrases

Formal phrases It was good to hear from you.

Would it be possible for you to …? I hope you’re doing well/you’re fine/you’re OK.

I’d be grateful if you could …

WRITING BANK
I wonder if I could ask you to/for …

I’m writing to ask for your help/advice … How are things with you?

I’m writing to enquire about … I’m writing to tell you … Thanks for

your letter.
Making suggestions
I think I/you/we should (go to) … Perhaps I wonder if you remember/have heard … I

I/you/we could (go to) … wanted to/must tell you about …

What do you think about (going to) …? I just wanted to ask/remind/thank you …

What/How about (going to) …? Just a quick email to tell you … Neutral
phrases
How do you feel about …?

Would you like me to …? I am writing to thank you for …

Why don’t we (go) …?

Telling a story
Let’s (go to) … Shall we (go
It all happened some time ago.
to) …?
It was three years ago.
Do you fancy (going to) … ?
While I (was playing), …

Opening formulas: emails and letters First,

Informal phrases Then,

Dear Margaret, Finally,

Hi Anne, Suddenly,

Neutral phrases Unfortunately,

Dear Mr and Mrs Edwards, Fortunately,

Dear Ms Brennon, It was the best/worst time ever.

We had a great/awful time when we were …

Refusing suggestions
It doesn’t sound very good.

I don’t think I fancy it.

Thanking
Informal phrases

Thank you so much.

It was so/really/very kind of you to …

Neutral phrases

I really appreciate your help.

Thank you for sending it back to me.

I am really grateful for your help. Thank you

for doing me a favour.

It’s very kind of you.