Учебно-методическое пособие "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
методическая разработка по английскому языку на тему

Английский язык : учебно-методическое пособие / А.А. Свистунова / Саратов, 2018 г.

Учебное пособие предназначено для студентов I и II курсов, по специальности «Технология продукции общественного питания», «Организация обслуживания в общественном питании», «Повар, кондитер».

Целью пособия является приобретение студентами коммуникативной, лингвокультурной и языковой компетенции с целью использования английского языка в их будущей профессиональной деятельности.

Содержание

UNIT 1

UNIT 2

UNIT 3

UNIT 4

UNIT 5

UNIT 6

UNIT 7

UNIT 8

UNIT 1

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
geography, general facts

Exercise 1. a. Answer the questions.

1. Have you had a chance to visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

2. Do you know where the Kingdom is situated?

3. Is it an island or a continent?

4. Is it one island?

5. How many countries does the Kingdom include?

1b. Pronounce the words correctly. You will come across these words in the text below.

Island, Ireland, Wales, Cheviot, Pennines, Thames, Severn, Clyde, Mersey, lead (свинец), Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, wheat, barley, monarch, Conservative, isle, Greenwich.

1c. Read the text:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and above five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244 000 square kilometers. The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively

The British isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest - east, center and southeast - is a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain. (1343) 

There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. 

The UK is one of the world’s smallest countries. The population of the country is over 87 million and about 80% of it is urban. The UK is highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. The UK is constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen, but in practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. 

There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The Liberal party is the ruling party nowadays.

Exercise 2. Look at the map and find on it.

• the British Isles, the UK, Great Britain; England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, their capitals;

• the cities: Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Bath, Oxford, Cambridge;

•  the mountains: the Pennines, the Cheviot Hills, the Cambrian mountains, the Grampians;

•  the rivers: the Thames, the Severn, the Clyde, the Trent, the Mersey;

•  the oceans and the seas mentioned in the text above; the English Channel, the Strait of Dover;

• the biggest islands: the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands.

Exercise 3. Look through the text once again and write out in 2 columns geographical names used with the definite article and without any article.

Exercise 4. Explain the difference between the expressions: Great Britain, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the British Isles? Which of these people are British? An Englishman, a citizen of the Irish Republic, a Scot, a Welshman.?

Exercise 5. Fill in the table.

Name of the country - Capital - Nationality – Language

Exercise 6. Translate it into English.

1. Англия знаменита своими зелеными лугами. 

2. Оксфорд расположен на Темзе. 3

. На северо-востоке Великобритания омывается Северным морем.

4. Острова Великобритании и Ирландии разделены Ирландским морем.

5. Горные районы расположены в Уэльсе, Шотландии и на северо-западе Англии.

6. В Уэльсе официальными языками являются английский и валийский.

7. Северное и Ирландское моря неглубокие.

8. Около Бирмингема добывают железную руду и уголь.

9. Настоящий шотландец говорит по-шотландски.

10. Лидс считается центром по производству шерсти, а Манчестер – по производству хлопка

Exercise 7. Compare the geographical position of the UK with that of your own country. Which is situated more conveniently, what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Exercise 8. Complete the following text with the words: mild, Greenwich, 120, shelf, rarely, to comprise, to surround, to pass, 244, to lie, to constitute, meridian, current, continent, shallow, size, to be subject, point, continental

Physical Features Britain ... Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It ... the greater part of the British Isles which ... off the northwest coast of ... Europe. Britain’s area is ... square kilometers which is about half the ... of France. No ... in Britain is as so much as … km from the sea. The seas ... the British Isles are ... because the islands lie on the continental ... . The prime ... of 0 ... through the old observatory at ... (London). Britain has a ... climate which is somewhat warmer than that of the ... because of the warm ... of the Gulf Stream. The weather ... to frequent changes, but it is ... above 32C or below 10C

Exercise 9. Divide into groups. Find out information on the project topic “British Culture”. Distribute the roles. Present your project in class at the end of the course. Give your opinions about your groupmates’ projects. Choose the best one.

UNIT 2

The British floral symbols

Read the text about the British floral symbols:

Each part of the country has its patron saint: St. George in England, St. David in Wales, St. Andrew in Scotland and St. Patrick in Ireland. The Welsh, the Scots and the English don’t really celebrate their national saint’s days. But St. Patrick’s Day is very important for the Irish people all over the world. For example in New York and other big cities the Irish people always have a big St. Patrick’s Day parade.

The Union flag, approved in 1801, is a combination of the banners of England (St. George’s flag which has a red cross with extended horizontals on a white field), Scotland (the Scottish flag which has a white diagonal cross of St. Andrew on a blue field), Ireland (the Irish flag which has a red diagonal cross of St. Patrick on a white field). The flag is known as the Union Jack.

The British national song or anthem is called “God Save the Queen”. Here are its words:

God save our gracious Queen (King),

Long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen –

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the Queen.

Each part of the country also has a flower as its emblem: rose is the symbol of England, leek and daffodil – of Wales, thistle – of Scotland and shamrock – of Ireland.

Why did the Scottish people choose thistle, this thorny plant, as the national emblem?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has four historic parts: England with its capital in London, Scotland with its capital in Edinburgh, Wales with its capital in Cardiff and Northern Ireland with its capital in Belfast. The floral symbol of England is the RED ROSE. Earlier, it decorated the arms of the House of Lancaster. The Lancastrians argued for the throne of England with the Yorkists whose arms had a white rose.

The war for the throne between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists became known in the history of the country as the War of the Red and White Rose. It lasted 30 years (1455 — 1485). When the Lancastrians won the war, their arms of the Red Rose became the symbol of the whole England.

The Scottish symbol is a wild plant, called the THISTLE. At one point, the Scandinavians planned to attack a Scottish village. But since the Scots knew they were coming, they started to prepare for war.

Late at night, the Scandinavians came in their bare feet so as to not awaken the Scottish warriors in the village. But the thorns of the thistle hurt their bare feet. Their howls of pain pierced the silence and the Scots awoke to fight the enemy.

The Irish symbol is another wild plant called the SHAMROCK This plant helped St Patrick explain to the people of his country what the Holy Trinity is. The historic colours of the parts are: England, WHIТE, Scotland, BLUE, Wales, RED, Northern Ireland, GREEN. Sport teams of the nations wear these colors.

Exercise 1. Find the English equivalents of the following word combinations in the above text.

• герб дома Ланкастеров

• война за престол между Ланкастерами и Йорками

• война Алой и Белой розы

• дикое растение — чертополох

• скандинавы решили напасть на шотландскую деревню

• скандинавы босиком прокрались в шотландскую деревню

• шотландские воины

• колючки чертополоха вонзались в босые ступни

• вопли пронзили тишину

• эмблема Уэльса — лук (или иногда нарцисс)

• эмблема Ирландии — клевер

• Святая Троица (Бог Отец, Бог Сын и Святой Дух)

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What four historic parts does the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consist of?

2. What are their capitals? Find the capitals on the map.

3. What is England’s floral symbol?

4. Why did the War of the Red and White Roses start?

5. Who won the war?

6. Why did the red rose become the symbol for the whole of England in 1485?

7. What is the Scottish symbol?

8. How did this plant once save the country?

9. What is the floral symbol for Wales?

10. Why is the leek the Welsh floral symbol?

11. Who is St David? –

12. When do the Welsh celebrate their patron saint day?

13. What is the Irish floral symbol?

14. Who is the Irish national saint?

15. How did St Patrick use the shamrock?

16. What are the historic colours of the parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Exercise 3.

• Ask your groupmates questions to the text and be ready to answer your groupmates’ questions.
• Choose one of the symbols of the country in the text and tell about it.
• Choose one Russian symbol, find out some information about it and tell about the symbol to your groupmates. Combine the whole information of the group and prepare a school lesson “The state symbols of Russia”.

UNIT 3

Political System of Great Britain

Exercise 1. Read the text

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. It means that the sovereign reigns but does not rule.

Britain does not have a written constitution, but a set of laws.

Parliament is the most important authority in Britain. Technically Parliament is made up of three parts: the Monarch, the House of Lords; and the House of Commons. In reality the House of Commons is the only one of the three which has true power.

The monarch serves formally as head of state. But the monarch is expected to be politically neutral and should not make political decisions.

The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II. She was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953.

The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament. There are 650 of them in the House of Commons. They are elected by secret ballot. General elections are held every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies. All citizens, aged 18 and registered in a constituency, have the right to vote. But voting is not compulsory in Britain. Only persons convicted of corrupt and certain mentally ill patients don't take part in voting.

There are few political parties in Britain thanks to the British electoral system. The main ones are: the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal / Social Democratic Alliance.

Each political party puts up one candidate for each constituency. The one who wins the most votes is elected MP for that area.

The party which wins the most seats in Parliament forms the Government. Its leader becomes the Prime Minister. His first job is to choose his Cabinet. The Prime Minister usually takes policy decisions with the agreement of the Cabinet.

The functions of the House of Commons are legislation and scrutiny of government activities. The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker. The Speaker is appointed by the Government.

The House of Lords comprises about 1,200 peers. It is presided by the Lord Chancellor. The House of Lords has no real power. It acts rather as an advisory council.

It's in the House of Commons that new bills are introduced and debated. If the majority of the members are in favour of a bill, it goes to the House of Lords to be debated. The House of Lords has the right to reject a new bill twice.

But after two rejections they are obliged to accept it. And finally a bill goes to the monarch to be signed. Only then it becomes law.

Parliament is responsible for British national policy. Local governments are responsible for organizing of education, police and many others.

Exercise 2. Find a Russian equivalent

Exercise 3. Translate into Russian

1. Queen, authority, elective, to summon, to prorogue, to dissolve, to conclude, treaty, to declare war, to make peace.
2. The Parliament is the supreme legislative authority in Britain.
3. Queen’s powers are limited by the Parliament.
4. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party that obtains a majority in the House of Commons.
5. The Queen summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament.
6. The Queen has the power to conclude treaties.
7. In practice the Monarch has no actual power.
8. The heir of Queen Elizabeth II is her son Prince Charles.
9. The Government may hold office for five years.
10. The Government is the party which has majority of seats in the House of Commons.
11. Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne after the death of her father.

Exercise 4. Translate into English

Конституционный, лидер, сессия, речь, трон, смерть, принц, ограничивать, действительный, большинство.

UNIT 4

Education in Great Britain

Exercise 1. Read the text

        The majority of schools in Great Britain are supported by public funds and the education provided is free. But there is a considerable number of public schools. Parents have to pay fees to send their children to these schools. The fees are high. As a fact, only very rich families can send their children to public schools. In some parts of Britain they still keep the old system of grammar schools, which are selective. But most secondary schools in Britain are not selective – you don’t have to pass an exam to go there.

       The National Education Act of 1944 provided these stages of education: primary, secondary and further education. Compulsory schooling in England and Wales lasts 11 years, from the age of 5 to 16. At 16 students take exams.

        After the age of 16 a growing number of school students are staying on at school, some until 18 or 19, the age of entry into higher education in universities, Polytechnics or colleges.

         British university courses are rather short, generally lasting for 3 years. The cost of education depends on the college or university which one chooses.              

    Primary education   Most children start school at 5 in a primary school. A primary school may be divided into two parts – infants and juniours. At infants school reading, writing and arithmetic are taught for about 20 minutes a day during the first year, gradually increasing to about 2 hours in their last year. Much time is spent in modeling from clay or drawing, reading or singing. At 7 children go on from the infants school to the junior school.

       Pupils were streamed, according to their ability to learn, into A, B, C and D streams. The last gifted were in the D stream. It was unfair. Now there is no streaming according to ability.

Secondary Education  After the age of 11. most children go to comprehensive schools. The idea of  comprehensive schools was to give all children of whatever background the same opportunity in education.

         At around the age of 16 students in Great Britain take GCSE examinations. GCSE examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in as many subjects as they can manage.

          Students who hope to go to university stay at school to study for A-levels in two, three of four subjects. It is a school leaving examination in a particular subject. It is necessary to have three of four A-levels to go to a university or Polytechnic. However, good exams are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews. Tuition is free for students from low-income class.

         Some of those who decide to leave school at the age of 16 may go to a college where they can follow a course in typing, engineering, cooking or hairdressing.

*GCSE examination – General Certificate of Secondary Education – oбщий аттестат о среднем образовании.

**Stream – распределять по потокам.

Exercise 2. Read the definitions and guess.

1) a fee paying school

2) a school for higher or professional education

3) a school for children under 5

4) a secondary school for young people of all levels of ability

5) a school where children can live during the school year

6) a group of students of the same age and level of ability

7) a person who is studying in a school

Exercise 3. Translate into Russian

Primary school, secondary school, comprehensive school, Grammar school, to study for examinations, the 5-year courses, state schools, preparing themselves for higher education

Exercise 4. Find a definition

Exercise 5. Answer the question.

1. Is education in Britain compulsory for all children?
2. Have children to take any examination when they transfer to Secondary School?
3. What types of secondary schools are there in Britain? What are they?
4. What courses have secondary schools?
5. What subjects does Pupils in all state schools in England and Wales study?
6. When are attainment tests given?

Exercise 5. Fill the gaps

 -They stay on at school for … years to prepare themselves for university.

- They have only … main subjects.

- They learn subjects which are necessary to pass to advanced level exams at the age of …

- The school year is divided into three terms with the intervals between them during the …  and …  holidays lasting about two weeks each and summer holidays.

- Students have a lot of opportunities for …

UNIT 5

Everyday life

Exercise 1. Look through the information. Divide into 5 groups. Choose one episode and present it in class comparing with the reality of any country to your choice (Russia, France, etc.).

In comparison with most other places in the world, family identity is rather weak in Britain, especially in England. Of course, the family unit is still the basic living arrangement for most people. But in Britain this definitely means the nuclear family. There is little sense of extended family identity, except among some racial minorities. This is reflected in the size and composition of households. It is unusual for adults of different generations within the family to live together. The average number of people living in each household in Britain is lower than in most other European countries. The proportion of elderly people living alone is high.

Significant family events such as weddings, births and funerals are not automatically accompanied by large gatherings of people. It is still common to appoint people to certain roles on such occasions, such as “best man” at a wedding, or godmother and godfather when a child is born. But for most people these appointments are of sentimental significance only. They do not imply lifelong responsibility. In fact, family gatherings of any kind beyond the household unit are rare. For most people, they are confined to the Christmas period.

Even the stereotyped nuclear family of father, mother and children is becoming less common. Britain has a higher rate of divorce than anywhere else in Europe except Denmark and the proportion of children born outside marriage has risen dramatically and is also one of the highest (about a third of all births). However, these trends do not necessarily mean that the nuclear family is disappearing. Divorces have increased, but the majority of marriages in Britain (about 55%) do not break down. In addition, it is notable that about three-quarters of all births outside marriage are officially registered by both parents and more than half of the children concerned are born to parents who are living together at the time.

The love of nature Most of the British live in towns and cities. But they have an idealized vision of the countryside. To the British, the countryside has almost none of the negative associations, which it has in some countries, such as poor facilities, lack of educational opportunities, unemployment and poverty. To them, the countryside means peace and quiet, beauty, good health and no crime. Most of them would live in a country village if they thought that they could find a way of earning a living there. Ideally, this village would consist of thatched cottages built around an area of grass known as a “village green”. Nearby, there would be a pond with ducks on it. Nowadays such a village is not actually very common, but it is a stereotypical picture that is well-known to the British.

Even if they cannot get into the countryside, many British people still spend a lot of their time with “nature”. They grow plants. Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the country. Even those unlucky people who do not have a garden can participate. Each local authority owns several areas of land, which it rents very cheaply to these people in small parcels. On these “allotments”, people grow mainly vegetables.

Shop opening hours The normal time for shops to open is nine in the morning. Large out-of-town supermarkets stay open all day until about eight o’clock. Most small shops stay open all day (some take a break for lunch, usually between one and two) and then close at half-past five or a bit later. In some towns there is an “early closing day” when the shops shut at midday and do not open again. In fact, in the last quarter of the twentieth century, shop opening hours have become more varied. Regulations have been relaxed. It is now much easier than it used to be to find shops open after six. In these areas the local authorities are encouraging high street shops to stay open very late on some evenings as a way of putting life into their “dear” town centres.

Exercise 2a. Read the text: Stereotypes and change

Societies change over time while their reputations lag behind. Many things, which are often regarded as typically British, derive from books, songs or plays which were written a long time ago and which are no longer representative of modern life. One example of this is the popular belief that Britain is a “land of tradition”. This is what most tourist brochures claim. The claim is based on what can be seen in public life and on centuries of political continuity. And at this level – the level of public life – it is undoubtedly true. The annual ceremony of the state opening of Parliament, for instance, carefully follows customs, which are centuries old. So does the military ceremony of “trooping the colour”. Likewise, the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace never changes.

However, in their private everyday lives, the British as individuals are probably less inclined to follow tradition than are the people of most other countries. There are very few ancient customs that are followed by the majority of families on special occasions. The country has fewer local parades or processions with genuine folk roots than most other countries have. The English language has fewer sayings or proverbs that are in common everyday use than many other languages do. The British are too individualistic for these things. In addition, it should be noted that they are the most enthusiastic video-watching people in the world – the very opposite of a traditional pastime!

There are many examples of supposedly typical British habits, which are simply not typical any more. For example, the stereotyped image of the London “city gent” includes the wearing of a bowler hat. In fact, this type of hat has not been commonly worn for a long time. Food and drink provide other examples. The traditional “British” (or “English”) breakfast is a large “fry-up” preceded by cereal with milk and followed by toast, butter and marmalade, all washed down with lots of tea. In fact, only about 10% of the people in Britain actually have this sort of breakfast. Two-thirds have cut out the fry-up and just have the cereal, tea and toast. The rest have even less. What the vast majority of British people have in the mornings is therefore much closer to what they call a “continental” (i.e. European) breakfast than it is to a “British” one. The image of the British as a nation of tea-drinkers is another stereotype, which is somewhat out of date. It is true that it is still prepared in a distinctive way (strong and with milk), but more coffee than tea is now bought in the country’s shops. As for the tradition of afternoon tea with biscuits, scones, sandwiches or cake, this is a minority activity, largely confined to retired people and the leisured upper-middle class (although preserved in tea shops in tourist resorts).

Even when a British habit conforms to the stereotype, the wrong conclusions can sometimes be drawn from it. The supposed British love of queuing is an example. Yes, British people do form queues whenever they are waiting for something, but this does not mean that they enjoy it. In 1992, a survey found that the average wait to pay in a British supermarket was three minutes and twenty-three seconds, and that the average wait to be served in a bank was two minutes and thirty-three seconds. You might think that these times sound very reasonable. But The Sunday Times newspaper did not think so. It referred to these figures as a “problem”. Some banks now promise to serve their customers “within two minutes”. It would therefore seem wrong to conclude that their habit of queuing shows that the British are a patient people. Apparently, the British hate having to wait and have less patience than people in many other countries.

2b. Write out in 2 columns:

- stereotypes that really exist;

- stereotypes that don’t exist any more.

2c.  Speak on each point in your columns.

2d. Compare each point with our country and France.

UNIT 6

Cities

Exercise 1a. Answer the questions.

1. What is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? Show it on the map.

2. What do you know about this city?

3. How old is it?

4. What was the very first name of the settlement?

1b. Pronounce correctly the names of the famous places of London.

Fleet Street,  Harley Street, Oxford Street, Downing Street, Westminster, Whitehall, Buckingham Palace, the Shambles, Smithfield, Covent Garden, Billingsgate

1c. Read the words below the text paying attention to their Russian equivalents. Find the sentences with these words in the text (mind the numbers of the words) and translate them from English into Russian.

1d.  Read the information about the famous London’s places.

Fleet Street is located in the middle of the City of London and leads on to Ludgate Hill which goes up to the front of St Paul’s Cathedral. St Paul’s was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Fleet Street itself is famous because the main offices of most of the important national newspapers used to be there, although they have now moved to other places around the edge of the city. The term “Fleet Street” is still commonly used to mean the press, i.e. the newspaper industry. The name comes from the River Fleet, which runs underneath it in great pipes down to the River Thames.

Fleet Street is not the only place to be used metaphorically to represent an activity. It could be used in a sentence such as: “If Fleet Street got hold of1 this news, they would splash it all over2 the front pages of the newspapers”.

Exercise 2. Work with the computer programme “English Discoveries” (http://frenglish.ru/english-discoveries.html).

1. Study all the information about London.

2. Choose and copy the information you like (2 points).

3. Tell your information in class.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions.

1. What cities and towns of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland do you know? Show them on the map.

2.  What are these cities and towns famous for?

Exercise 4. Put the sentences in the correct order.

    _ The University was established in 1214.

    _ Sir Christopher Wren was a professor of Astronomy at Oxford.

    _ Meetings of Congregation and Convocation are conducted with all              ceremony which tradition demands.

_ Oxford was an important town even before the University came into existence.

_ By the end of the 13th century 4 colleges were founded.

_ There are now 39 colleges there.

_ The King gave his support to the University, which gained considerable influence over the town and its trade.

_ Many distinguished people studied at Oxford.

_ Academic life in Oxford is full and varied.

_ There are annual contests on the Thames with Cambridge.

_ Oxford is also one of great beauties.

_ The ground on which Oxford is built is actually a peninsular.

_ Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor built the city.

Exercise 5. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Оксфорд – очень старый город.

2. Он известен во всем мире своим университетом.

3. Университет был основан в 1214 году.

4. Сейчас в университете 39 колледжей.

5. Они все расположены в прекрасных зданиях.

6. Многие выдающиеся люди учились в Оксфорде.

7. Но Оксфорд – не только центр образования и исторический город.

8. Он также один из красивейших городов.

9. Христофор Рен и Николас Хоксмур представили в нем все архитектурные периоды.

Exercise 6. Make a report about a town (city) in Great Britain. Present it as a school lesson.

UNIT 7

British holidays and traditions

Great Britain is an old country and it has a lot of holidays and interesting traditions. Holidays in the country are historic and public. Most public holidays are called bank holidays because banks, companies and most shops do not work on these days. Such holidays include New Year's Day, Easter Monday and others.

At Easter, the British give each other chocolate eggs, which they eat on Easter Sunday.

Christmas is on the 25th of December. Families spend this day together. For many people this is the most important holiday of the year. Family members wrap up their presents and put them under the Christmas tree. Children hang colourful socks at the end of their beds for presents. They believe that Father Frost puts presents inside the socks.

New Year's Day is not as important in Britain as it is in Russia. People usually make promises to themselves such as to give up smoking, to change their lifestyle and others.

St. Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 14th of February. This is the traditional day for those who are in love. Young people give flowers and greeting cards to their Valentines and celebrate this day together.

Halloween is a holiday loved by all children. It takes place on the 31st of October. There are a lot of parties and people dress up in costumes of witches and ghosts and make lanterns of pumpkins with a candle inside. People also play different games and have fun. Children usually go from one house to another with empty baskets or bags, knock on doors and say: Trick or treat. People should give them something, or they will play a trick on them.

Among historic holidays, Guy Fawkes Night can be mentioned. In the 15th century, a group of people with Guy Fawkes as their leader decided to blow up the Houses of Parliament. They did not manage to do this and Guy Fawkes was caught and hanged. Since then the British celebrate this day burning a doll made of straw and dressed in old clothes on a bonfire. Children dress in old clothes and beg in the street saying: A penny for the Guy.

There are a lot of customs in Great Britain. One of the most famous is gardening. Most of the English keep small gardens full of flowers behind their houses or around them. In spring, there are a lot of flower-shows and vegetable-shows with prizes for the best exhibitions.

In Northern Ireland there is a holiday called St. Patrick's Day. It is celebrated on the 17th of March. On this day people wear green clothes and drink Irish beer. There are carnivals and barbeques all over the country.

Exercise 1a. Answer the questions.

1. What British holidays do you know? Make a list holyday with date.

2. Which of these holidays are there in Russia?

3. Which of these holidays are celebrated in other country?

4. Which of these holidays are celebrated only in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Exercise 2. Look through the holidays. Divide into groups, choose one of the holidays and present it to the rest of the group (include some vocabulary and exercises). You can find out and add some details to it. Be ready to answer your groupmates’ questions.

• Burn’s night
• Easter
• Merry England and London May Queen Festival
• Edinburgh Festival
• The International Festival
• Remembrance Day (Poppy Day)

UNIT 8

National traits

THE BRITISH CHARACTER

British people have the reputation of being shy and reserved with strangers. Actually, this is not always true. Of course, some are shy and reserved with strangers, and some are shy and reserved with everybody. But others are very extrovert and talk to anybody. This just proves that you should not generalize about people. But making generalization about people is great fun. Everybody knows that all Englishmen wear bowler hats, pinstripe suits and carry umbrellas; Scotsmen are mean, hate spending money and drink whiskey all day long; Welshmen do nothing, but play rugby and sing. In addition, the Irish? Well, they only exist so that other British people can tell jokes about them. One generalization is true. The British don’t like answering questions about the details of their lives. You must never ask them how much money they earn, or how old they are. Only officials can ask questions like that: that is perhaps why the British don’t really like officials.

The national character of the English has been described in different ways, but most commentators agree over one quality, which they describe as a sense of superiority or “insular pride”. English patriotism is based on a deep sense of security. Englishmen as individuals may have been insecure, threatened with the loss of their job, unsure of themselves or unhappy in many ways. However, as a nation they have been secure for centuries.

The English are a well-disciplined people and it is probably no exaggeration to say that they have the best manners in the world. They are all polite; they all know how to hold their knife and fork and how to behave in society. Besides, they are never rude. Coarse expressions are hardly ever used. You may be struck by the fact that life in Britain is less noisy.

The English display a surprising unity in a crisis. They also have a strong sense for public order. The apparent coldness of Englishmen has been almost universally noted by the foreigners. But they also confess that once one gets to know an Englishman better, he turns out to be a very companionable fellow.

The typical feature of the English is their love of games. They love playing all of them. They play football and cricket; games are nowhere so popular as in England. However childish at their games they are very serious in business.

The British have long been famous as a nation of animal-lovers. There is a pet in nearly every family and often the family dog or cat has a special chair near the fire, special food and a special place in the hearts of its owners. All this doesn't mean that the English differ from other human beings. They certainly feel the same emotions: jealousy, envy, joy and happiness as others— only their external reactions are different.

When one speaks of the English, one usually means all the nations living within the borders of the United Kingdom — Scots, Welsh or Irish. The difference between these nations is great enough for everyone who lives in Britain, but for the outside world it is less apparent.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:

1. Are all British people shy and reserved with strangers?

2. What does everybody know about Englishmen, Scotsmen, Welshmen and

the Irish?

3. What generalization is common for all the British?

4. What are the main typical features of the Englishmen do you know?

5. Are the British people - animal-lovers?

2. Discuss with your groupmates the following questions.

1. What generalizations do people from your country make about Britain and

the British? Do you think they are true? What are their good and bad points?

2. What generalizations do you think people make about your country and

your people? Are they true?

Exercise 2. Translate the following sentences.

1. Англичане любят свой дом, они очень к нему привязаны. Куда бы не

забрасывала англичанина судьба, он сохраняет свои обычаи и облик. Во

Франции, Эфиопии или Сомали он будет пить чай и одеваться к обеду; он

будет спать с открытым окном на Аляске и северном Полюсе.

2. Точность, пунктуальность и аккуратность – основные качества англи-

чан. Англичане искренне расстраиваются, когда они опаздывают. Извинени-

ям нет конца. Англичанин следует принципам точности и пунктуальности не

только для того, чтобы угодить клиенту, но и для утверждения собственного

достоинства.

3. В Англии стесняются проявлять свои чувства. Вы никогда не увидите,

чтобы мужчина поцеловал мужчину при встрече. Он просто пожмет ему руку

или похлопает по плечу.

4. Родительская сдержанность занимает одно из первых мест в ряду

принципов воспитания английских детей.

5. Хождение в гости друг к другу развито в Англии, но пребывание в

гостях тоже подчиняется регламенту. Такая упорядоченность и безмолвная

договоренность между хозяевами и гостями удобна и рациональна.

6. У англичан развито чувство юмора.

7. Англичане своеобразно относятся к иностранцам. Нигде в мире ино-

странцу так не бывает трудно сблизиться с местным населением, как в Ан-

глии. «Комплекс превосходства» иностранец ощущает постоянно.

8. В каждом британце незыблемо уважение к закону, правилу, инструк-

ции.

Exercise 3. Read and translate «40 MOST COMMON BRITISH TRAITS» (according

«Mirror» 5 Jan, 2016). A survey has quizzed 2,000 people to find the 40 British characteristics:

1. Wearing summer clothing at the first sight of sun.2. Apologizing automatically. 3. Ability to talk at length about the weather. 4. Making a cup of tea in response to a crisis. 5. Finding queue jumping the ultimate crime. 6. Forming a queue for anything. 7. The typically British ‘stiff upper lip’. 8. Grumbling throughout a meal, but not telling staff so as not to cause a fuss. 9. Making sarcastic dry jokes. 10. Having a beer at the airport even though it’s before 8am. 11. Giggling at innuendos. 12. Making a cup of tea when you have no time to drink it. 13. Getting sunburnt on the first warm day of the year. 14. Finding the American forwardness ‘a bit much’. 15. Avoiding eye contact on the tube. 16. Binge drinking at the weekends. 17. Insisting the other person goes through the door first. 18. Searching for a fry-up when on holiday abroad. 19. Mistaking brightness for warmth. 20. Finding nothing better than a bacon sandwich. 21. Not asking for help so as not to ‘put anyone out’. 22. Insisting the barbecue will still go on despite rain. 23. Bringing out fancy biscuits on a plate for visitors. 24. Feeling extremely patriotic during sports events. 25. Indulging in a pint and a packet of crisps. 26. Reading newspapers in the morning. 27. Feeling at home to the tune of EastEnders or Coronation Street. 28. Wearing extra layers rather than putting the heating on. 29. Feeling appreciative that the person in front put the ‘next customer’ barrier on the conveyor belt. 30. Doing anything possible for a light tan. 31. Owning a picnic hamper but only ever using it once a year. 32. Starting a controversial statement with ‘I’m not being funny, but...’ 33. Being vague about your plans rather than decline an invitation. 34. Thanking someone when you have done them a favors. 35. Not correcting someone when they pronounce your name wrong. 36. Loving your cat/dog more than your child. 37. Searching your pockets when asked for spare change. 38. Feeling extreme excitement over a Sunday roast dinner. 39. Having mixed feelings towards the ill colleague who is still coming to work. 40. Being skilled in writing a letter of complaint.

3b) Answer the following questions

1. What traits are seemed the strangest for you? Why?

2. What traits are the same with your nationality?

3. What British traits would you like to add? Why?

4. Could you live in England and take these traits?

6. Read and translate the following text.

FAMOUS PEOPLE IN UK

Exercise 4. Answer the questions.

1. What famous people do you know?

2. What are they famous for?

4b. Read these facts.

William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)

Shakespeare was born on St. George’s day (April 23), 1564, in Stradford-(up)on-Avon. He was the eldest son and third child of his parents. In his childhood he studied for 6 years in a grammar school. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway and had three children. At 21 he left for London where he worked in a theatre and became famous as an actor and later as a playwright. He wrote dramas, comedies, poems and sonnets. When he became successful in London he bought the biggest house in Stratford. He died in 1616, like he was born, on the saint’s day, April 23.

Henry Raeburn (1756 – 1823)

Henry Raeburn was born in Edinburgh on March 4, 1756. Although he was trained as a jeweller he began early to paint; and it seems probable that as an oil painter he was largely self-taught. He had a natural gift for bold and vigorous modelling, and he very rapidly established a personal style and a local reputation.

In  1780 Raeburn married Anne Leslie, a widow of independent means. In 1785 he went to Rome, returning to Edinburgh in 1787.

Raeburn worked directly on the canvas without making preliminary drawings or studies.

Raeburn first exhibited in London in 1793, when “Sir John and Lady Clerk of Penicuick” was shown at the Shakespeare Gallery in Pall Mall.

Raeburn established a steady practice at his studio in York Place, Edinburgh. In 1810 he considered moving to London but decided against it. In 1812 he became president of the Society of Artists of Edinburgh and was subsequently elected to the Royal Academy. In 1815 he became a full academician, and on the occasion of the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822 he was knighted. He was sometimes called the “Scottish Reynolds” or the “Reynolds of the North” which is misleading as his work has neither the intellectual content nor the variety of Reynolds, but it has purpose,  a very considerable sympathy  and understanding of character.

4c. Divide into two groups. One group prepares a school lesson about William Shakespeare (find out additional information), the other one – about Henry Raeburn.

Exercise 5. Find out information and make reports about other famous British people.