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As well as being
the capital of England, London is the capital of the United
Kingdom. London was founded by the Romans in 43 A.D. and was
called Londinium. In 61 A.D. the town was burnt down and when it
was rebuilt by the Romans it was surrounded by a wall. That area
within the wall is now called the City of London. It is London's
commercial and business centre. It contains the Bank of England,
the Stock Exchange and the head offices of numerous companies
and corporations. Here is situated the Tower of London. The
Tower was built by William the Conqueror who conquered England
in 1066. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Now most of the
Government buildings are located there. |
London is the
capital of Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland. It is an old city, its history counts more
than two thousand years. London is both the capital oi the
country and a huge port. London is situated upon both banks of
the Thames, about forty miles from the mouth and is divided into
two parts by the river: north and south. There are 17 bridges
that cross the river. The population of London is more than 9
million people. |
The full name of
the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles.
The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain
and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total
area is over 314 000 sq. km. 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. Northern Ireland occupies one
third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic
in the south. |
The official name
of the country, we usually call England and occasionally Great
Britain, is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. The U. K. is situated on the group of islands, lying
just off the mainland of northwestern Europe. The British Isles
include Great Britain proper, Ireland and a number of smaller
islands. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales.
The southern part of Ireland is occupied by Great Britain and is
called by native citizens the Republic of Eire. |
The United
Kingdom (or Great Britain) is situated on the British Isles. The
British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and
Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area
is over 244,000 square kilometres. |
The
United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies
most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four
main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
London is the capital of England, Edinburgh is the capital of
Scotland, Cardiff— of Wales and Belfast — of Northern Ireland.
The UK is a small country with an area of some 244,100 square
kilometres. It occupies only 0.2 per cent of the world's land
surface. |
A "typical"
British family used to consist of mother, father and two
children. But in recent years there have been many changes in
family life. For example, since the law made it easier to get a
divorce, the number of divorces has increased. That's why 24% of
British children live with only one parent, usually their
mother. |
Every nation and
every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain
traditions play a more important part in the life of the people
than in other countries. |
One of the most
peculiar features of life in England which immediately strikes
any visitor to this country is the cherishing and preserving of
many traditions, sometimes very archaic as they may seem.
Uniforms are not particularly characteristic of this fact.
However, when one sees the warders at the Tower of London with
their funny flat hats, their trousers bound at the knee, and the
royal monogram on their breast, one feels carried back to the
age of Queen Elisabeth I. |
The English
proverb says: every cook praises his own broth. One can not say
English cookery is bad, but there is not a lot of variety in it
in comparison with European cuisine. The English are very
particular about their meals. The usual meals in England are
breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. |
England is
the
largest and the richest country of Great Britain. The capital of
England is London but there are other large industrial cities,
such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other famous and
interesting cities such as York, Chester,
Oxford and Cambridge. Stonehenge is one of
the most famous prehistoric places in the world. This ancient
circle of stones stands in Southwest England. It measures 80
metres across and made with massive blocks of stone up to four
metres high. Why it was built is a
mystery. |
In Britain it is
compulsory for everyone between the ages of 5 and 16 years to
receive some officially recognized form of schooling, though
most secondary schools continue to provide education until the
age of 18. |
There is a
considerable choice of post-school education in Britain. In
addition to universities, there are also polytechnics and a
series of different types of assisted colleges, such as colleges
of technology, art, etc., which tend to provide more
work-orientated courses than universities. |
For seven hundred
years Oxford and Cambridge universities dominated the British
education. Scotland had four universities, all founded before A.
D. 1600. Wales only acquired a university in the 20th century;
it consisted of four university colleges located in different
cities (Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor, and Aberystwith). The first
English university after Oxford and Cambridge (sometimes
referred to as Oxbridge) was Durham, in the North of England,
founded in 1832. The University of London was founded a few
years later in 1836. |
In England
and
Wales compulsory school begins at the age of five, but before
that age children can go to a nursery school, also called play
school. School is compulsory till the children are 16 years old.
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In England, the
Department of Education and Science is responsible for all
levels of education. Universities, however, are self-governing
and depend on the government only for financial grants.
Education is compulsory between the ages of five and sixteen.
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Great
importance
is attached in Britain to human rights. Respect for individual
freedoms forms a cornerstone of Britain's democratic system.
British public opinion is concerned about violations of human
rights throughout the world. The British Government regards the
observation of human rights and their protection as an important
element of its foreign policy. |
Great Britain is
one of the biggest and highly developed countries in the world.
Britain's democratic system of government is long established
and well tried, and has provided a remarkable political
stability. Britain's overseas relations including its membership
in the European Economic Community and its links with
Commonwealth countries, enable it to realize international
cooperation. |
The British Isles
which are surrounded by the ocean have an insular climate.
There
are 3
things that chiefly determine the climate of the United Kingdom:
the position of the islands in the temperate belt; the fact that
the prevailing winds blow from the west and south-west and the
warm current — the Gulf Stream that flows from the Gulf of
Mexico along the western shores of England.
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For
most British
families, this is the most important festival of the year. This
is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their
families on Christmas Day. If you try to catch a train on 24th
December you may have difficulty in finding a seat.
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Christmas Day,
December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in Great
Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and
friends give each other presents. So, before Christmas all the
department stores and shops are crowded, everybody is choosing a
present.
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Cambridge
is one
of the best known towns in the world and it can be found on most
tourists' lists of places to visit. Cambridge is famous for its
university, which started during the 13th century and grew
steadily, until today there are more than twenty colleges.
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Most 18 and 19
year-olds in Britain are quite independent people. Relationships
within the British family are different now. Children have more
freedom to make their own decisions.
For example,
children aged 13 may be employed part time in Great Britain.
Aged 16 they can leave home, marry with "parents' consent". Age
18 can vote, get married, drink in pubs.
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Most 18 and 19
year-olds in Britain are quite independent people. English
people say that children grow up more quickly now. Relationships
within the British family are different now. Children have more
freedom to make their own decisions.
For example,
children aged 13 may be employed part time in Great Britain. Age
15 is legally a "young person" not a "child". Age 16 is a school
leaving age. They can leave home, drive a moped, marry with
"parents' consent" buy beer. Age 17 can drive a car. Age 18 can
vote, get married, drink in pubs.
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Young people from
all walks of life are united according to their interests by the
established youth organizations in Britain. These organizations
develop because of the contribution of both full-time and
part-time youth workers and a great number of volunteers.
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British
nation is
considered to be the most conservative in Europe. It is not a
secret that every nation and every country has its own customs
and traditions. In Great Britain people attach greater
importance to traditions and customs than in other European
countries. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and
carefully keep them up. The best examples are their queen, money
system, their weights and measures.
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There
are many
museums in London. One of them is the Tate Gallery in Millmank,
which presents modern masters of England and France. There are
some fine examples of modern sculpture. Its collection of French
Impressionists is marvellous. There is the Victoria and Albert
Museum in Brompton Road. It has an
outstanding collection of the applied arts of all countries and
periods.
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Great Britain
gave the world a lot of talented people. Many famous writers and
poets were born and lived in Great Britain.
One of the
best
known English playwrights was William Shakespeare. He draw ideas
for his tragedies and comedies from the history of England and
ancient Rome. Many experts consider Shakespeare the greatest
writer and the greatest playwright in English language. William
Shakespeare wrote 37 plays which may be divided into: comedies
(such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream"), tragedies (such as
"Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", "Macbeth") and historical
plays (such as "Richard II", "Henry V", "Julius Caesar", "Antony
and Cleopatra").
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There are 22
million homes in Britain — big homes and small homes, old
cottages and new buildings, houses and flats. (Americans say
"apartment" but British people say "flat"). Many British people
love old houses and these are often more expensive than modern
ones. They also love gardening and you will see gardens
everywhere you go: in towns, villages and out in the country.
Some are very
small with just one tree and a few flowers. Others are enormous
with plenty of flowers and enough vegetables and fruit trees.
Two third of the families in Britain own their houses.
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Some people
criticize English food. They say it's unimaginable, boring,
tasteless, it's chips with everything and totally overcooked
vegetables. The basic ingredients, when fresh, are so full of
flavour that British haven't had to invent sauces to disguise
their natural taste. What can compare with fresh pees or new
potatoes just boiled and served with butter? Why drown spring
lamb in wine or cream and spices, when with just one or two
herbs it is absolutely delicious? |
There was little
pictorial art in England until the great miniaturists of the
Tudor epoch. There were portraits on a large scale, but they
were in the main, of foreign origin, notably Dutch like Holbein.
Then came Hogarth, the first great native painter born at the
end of the 17th century, famous for both engravings and oil
paintings, he was followed by Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) famous
for his portraits. |
It is a dangerous thing to order the
lives of others and I have
often wondered at the self-confidence of the politicians, reformers and
suchlike who are prepared to force upon their fellows measures that must
alter their manners, habits, and points of view. I have always
hesitated to give advice, for how can one advise another how to act
unless one knows that other as well as one knows himself? Heaven knows. |
Once a rich
Englishwoman called Mrs Johnson decided to have a birthday
party. She invited a lot of guests and a singer. The singer was poor,
but he had a very good voice.
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Theodore Dreiser, the great
American progressive writer, was born in a
poor family in 1871. He began to work for his living when he was
sixteen. He had a number of jobs, and at one time was a newspaper
reporter. As a reporter he gained a wide experience of life, which was a
great help to him when he took up novel-writing.
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I am a painter. I like painting more
than anything else, except obvious
things like food and drink, that all sensible people like. As a painter,
I have quite a lot of talent — I'm not sure yet how much — and a fairly
complete mastery of most of the technical requirements; that is, I am
an instinctive colourist, and my composition is interesting.
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