Present-day britain
LECTURE 7: THE LAND (PHYSICAL BACKGROUND)
Geographical Position
The Surface of Britain
The Climate of Britain
The Population of Britain
Language
Parts of the UK
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK for short) is actually four countries united into one state: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles lying to the north-west of the continent of Europe. The largest islands are Great Britain (comprising England, Scotland and Wales) and Ireland (comprising Northern Ireland and the independent state Irish Republic). They are separated by the Irish Sea. The United Kingdom includes also more than 5000 smaller islands. In the west the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the east by the North Sea. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover (32 km wide). The UK is a small country. The total area of the country is 244,000 sq. km of which nearly 99% is land and the remainder inland water.
The surface of England and Ireland is rather flat while the highland area comprises Scotland and most of Wales. The Cheviot Hills separate England from Scotland.
There are many rivers in Britain but they are not long. The longest river is the Severn, flowing along the border between England and Wales into the Irish Sea. The busiest and the most important river is the Thames. Many of the English and Scottish rivers are joined by canals, so that it is possible to travel by water from one end of Great Britain to the other.
The UK has many beautiful lakes in Scotland, which are called lochs, and north-west England. The Lake District in northern England with its lakes, mountains and valleys is a holiday resort.
There are no great forests in Britain now. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest, in the north of London, the home of Robin Hood.
The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of Britain, making it temperate and mild. Winters are not severe, summers are not very hot.
The British Isles are the home of four nations – the English, the Scotsmen (the Scots), the Welsh and the Irishmen (the Irish). The British are descendants of different peoples who settled on the British Isles at different times. The English are mainly Anglo-Saxon in origin, while the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish regard themselves as Celtic people.
Nowadays the population of the United Kingdom is 60 million inhabitants.
English is the official language of the state. English developed from Anglo-Saxon and it is a language of the Germanic group.
The Celts spoke Celtic, which survives today in the form of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic (гаэльский). Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English but they have their own special language, accents, and dialects as well. The southern accent is generally accepted as Standard English.
From the British Isles the English language was exported to Britain’s colonies, which by the 19th century accounted for one quarter of the world’s population. In the 20th century, even though Britain’s role as a world power has declined, English spread all over the world and is now widely spoken as a first, second or foreign language on six continents. It is the primary language of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and various small island nations in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is also an official language of India, the Philippines, and many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.
In modern English the number of native words is rather small, about 30%. About 70% of words are borrowed from other languages: French, Latin, Scandinavian, and German and Dutch.
English is an analytical language. It tends to bring its units into complexes, rather than use morphological combination.
English language is the richest in vocabulary of all the world’s languages (which now number some 2,700). The Oxford English Dictionary lists about 500,000 words; and a half million technical and scientific terms. German has a vocabulary of about 185,000 words and French fewer than 100,000.
England is the largest and most populated part of the United Kingdom. 46 million people of the population of the country live in England. England is a highly developed industrialised country, 80 per cent of the population live in urban areas. It is a major trading nation. The sea played an important role in the history of England. It was a good protection against attacks of outside enemies. England has highly developed fishing industry.
England is mostly a lowland country. The midlands is the main industrial area in England. Birmingham is a big city where all kinds of metal goods are produced. Manchester is a centre of the textile industry and one of the chief centres of heavy engineering. Sheffield is famous for its high-quality steels and tools. Liverpool is the second port of Britain after London, a great centre of shipbuilding.
Scotland is the most northern of the four countries constituting Britain. It occupies the territory of 80 thousand square kilometers and is not so densely populated as England.
Scotland is the land of mountains, lakes. Scotland’s main regions are the Lowlands and Highlands.
Scotland is best-known to the world through its national costume, the kilt, its musical instrument, the bagpipe, and its national beverage, whisky.
Wales is another part of the United Kingdom. It became part of England in 1536 by the Act of Union. This small country is situated along the western side of the island, about 250 km long and 130 km wide. It occupies the territory of 35 thousand sq. km. Three million people live in Wales. It is a highland country. The pride of Wales is Snowdonia, the national park. Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, the largest city in Wales. The second largest city in Wales is Swansea where metal industries are developed.
Northern Ireland (sometimes called Ulster) is the smallest part of the United Kingdom. Ireland is divided into Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. It is independent since 1922, the capital is Dublin. Northern Ireland is Protestant and the Irish Republic is Catholic.
In 1171 English invaders landed in Ireland and since that time the struggle of the Irish people has never stopped. In 1949 Ireland was officially proclaimed an independent state. But part of the country the northeast was retained by Britain.
Northern Ireland occupies only one sixth of the territory of the island of Ireland. The capital is Belfast. Northern Ireland is not rich in minerals. Its population is a million and a half. Three basic industries are developed there: agriculture, textile and shipbuilding.
Topics for discussion:
Geographical Survey
Demographic Background
Composition of the Country
The Main Cities of the United Kingdom
Task:
Prepare presentation about: capitals and cities of the United Kingdom.
Video (DVD): Window on Britain (Oxford English Video) («Окно в Британию»)
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LECTURE 8: FAMILY LIFE AND HUMAN RELATIONS
The Family Status
The Way of Life
Married Life
The Individual and the Family
Social Class Society
House and Home
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. Nowadays the family group is smaller. People’s views on marriage and the family are very different from the views of their parents and grandparents. Some of these have been caused by new laws and others are the result of changes in society. Divorce was very difficult and took a long time. In 1969, the divorce laws were changed and divorce became quicker and easier and the number of divorces has increased. In fact one marriage in every three now ends in divorce. Today there are a lot of one-parent families. Society is more tolerant than it used to be of unmarried people, unmarried couples and single parents. However, the majority of divorced people marry again.
Another change has been caused by the fact that people are living longer nowadays, and many old people live alone. When children grow up, they usually leave their parents’ home for university or work.
Members of a family – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – keep in touch, but they see less of each other than they used to. This is because people often move away from their home town to work. Christmas is the traditional season for reunions. Relatives often travel many miles in order to spend the holiday together.
The most common type of household in England, Scotland and Wales today is two people; either married or living together without being officially married, have no children. Only seven per cent of British families consist of five or more people. The average British couple today has only 1,8 children.
The average British family lives in a semi-detached house with a garden in the south of England. They own their house, which is situated in the suburbs of a large town. The house has three bedrooms. On average they have two children and a pet. The family drives a two-year-old Ford Cortina. He works in the office of an engineering company for 40 hours a week and earns 200 pounds per week. He starts at 9.00 in the morning and finishes at 5.30 in the evening. He goes to work by car, which takes him 20 minutes.
He likes: The Times, the Queen, privacy, people who call him “Sir”, dogs and his umbrella. He is never tired of saying “Thank you”, “I am sorry”.
She works in a service industry for three days a week and earns £ 95. She works locally and goes there by bus.
The children go to a state school which is a few miles from home. A special bus comes to pick them up every day. They are at school from 9.00 to 3.30.
Nowadays, if two people are living together, they are not necessarily married. Eighteen per cent of unmarried people aged between 36 and 59 years old are living with someone. Often people get married after living together. People get married at a later age now. In Britain people can get married in a church or in a registry office. The average age for the first marriages in England is now over 26 for men and 24 for women. 29% of the married couples have no children, 28% - have children.
Relationships within the family are different now. Parents treat their children more as equals than they used to, and children have more freedom to make their own decisions. The father is more involved with bringing up children, often because the mother goes out to work. Although the family holiday is still an important part of family life (usually taken in August, and often abroad) many children have holidays away from their parents, often with a school party or other organized group.
An invitation to tea is a common way of keeping in touch with friends and relatives. Besides endless cups of tea, there is thin bread and butter with jam, meat or fish paste and some home-made or bought cakes. On special occasion the family may go out to tea – to a tea-shop or a café and order high tea, that is a fairly substantial meal often consisting of fish and chips, or ham and salad, followed by bread and butter and cakes.
Sunday dinner is a special family occasion in many parts of the country. On Saturday the housewife chooses beef or lamb (pork is not eaten very much in England). The meat is roasted in the oven and the roasted or boiled potatoes and other vegetables are added.
All letters concerning social affairs – invitations to parties, dinners, weddings, etc. – have to be directed to the wives and husbands together, never to the husband alone. The habit of taking flowers to the hostess is not observed in England. “White Tie” means full evening-dress.
Whenever you have spent a night or a weekend in somebody’s house you have to write a letter, when you get back, a so-called bread-and-butter letter.
Britain has a deeply individualistic society, also described as a class-ridden one. Most people are classified according to their work occupations, falling into two broad groups, as in other industrialised societies: the middle class (or white-collar workers) and the working class (or blue-collar workers).
The peculiarity of the British class make-up is that there are no peasants at all. There are farmers and their hired (mostly for a season) labourers, which make a part of the working class. Less than 2% of the working population work on farms.
The middle class in Britain embraces a range of people from senior professionals, judges, senior medical specialists and senior civil servants to clerical workers – in other words, people who earn their living in a nonmanual way.
Beyond the middle class lies a small but powerful upper class, which survives from one generation to another. It is characterised by three things: property, networks and power.
The strangest feature of class in Britain is that it is not entirely dependent on money. One can be high class and poor, or low class and rich. It is so because the class system is based on something historical which does not exactly match present conditions.
Official statistics treats class as an economic distinction which is based on a six-point scale of employment types:
A – Upper middle class (top managers, doctors, lawyers, etc.)
B – Middle class (middle managers, teachers, etc.)
C1 – Lower middle class (office workers, etc.)
C2 – Skilled working class (electricians, car mechanics, etc.)
D – Unskilled working class (farm or building labourers, etc.)
E – Residual (unemployed, etc.)
Pension age is 65.
The Englishman prefers his own house to an apartment in a block of flats. Traditionally, it is a two-storey house with a lawn in front of it and a garden behind it. Everyone knows the saying: “An Englishman’s home is his castle” and it is true.
About 80 per cent of British people live in houses. About 67 per cent of the people in Britain own their own houses or flats. Most of the rest live in rented accommodation.
In towns, there are three main types of houses: detached, semi-detached and terraced. A detached house, standing on its own plot of land, is usually more expensive than the others. A semi-detached house (also called a semi) is similar, but shares one wall with its neighbour, which is its “mirror image”. It is usually smaller than a detached house. Most of these houses have two storeys, with two rooms and a kitchen downstairs and the bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. A terraced house is one of a row of houses, often built in blocks of four or more and sometimes extending the entire length of a street.
Bungalows (single-story detached houses) are popular, especially with elderly people because there are no stairs to climb.
Topics for discussion:
The British at Home
Social Class Make-Up
Ways of Life
Housing
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LECTURE 9: ECONOMY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Main Branches of Industry
Industrial Centres
Foreign Trade
Britain is a highly developed industrial country with the market economy. It has heavy and light engineering. The country is the fourth largest exporter of manufactured goods. The most important British manufacture is machinery, tools, bridges, ships.
Industry is concentrated in the north and midlands of England. London is one of the largest city in Europe and a world centre for business and finance, the country’s largest port and a cultural centre.
Birmingham is the Britain’s second largest city and its engineering centre. Sheffield is the centre of the steel industry. It produces airplanes, motor-cars, electric machinery, and agricultural machinery.
Manchester is the world’s leading producer of cotton goods. The wool industry, England’s oldest large trade is located in Leeds. Liverpool is the second after London, largest port.
The United Kingdom’s economic prosperity is dependent on its foreign trade. Leading exports are machinery, road vehicles, aircraft, chemicals, iron and steel. Leading imports are meat, fruit and vegetables, metals and wood.
The United Kingdom is a state with the mixed economic system where production is controlled by both the Government and the private producers. The characteristic feature of British industry is the production of high quality expensive goods requiring skilled labour.
Topics for discussion:
Mixed Economic System
Branches of Industry
Leading Exports and Imports
Video (DVD): Britain London Wales Scotland («Британия Лондон Уэльс Шотландия»)
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LECTURE 10: POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
The British Monarchy
The UK Government
Parliament
Political Parties
The monarchy is the most ancient institution in the United Kingdom. The monarch now is the Queen Elizabeth II. In law the monarch is the head of the executive power, a part of the legislative power, the head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the crown and the head of the Church of England. In practice, as a result of a long evolutionary process, these powers have changed. Today the Queen acts only on the advice of her Ministers which she cannot constitutionally ignore.
One of the most important of these powers is the duty of appointing the Prime Minister. No Bill can become law until it receives the Royal Assent. Nobody but the Queen can summon or dissolve Parliament. The Prime Minister must inform the Queen of all decisions.
Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926. Being the elder daughter of King George VI, she succeeded to the throne on the death of her father in 1952. She was married in 1947 to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen’s heir is Charles, Prince of Wales, born in 1948.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a parliamentary monarchy. The power of the British monarch is limited by Parliament. The organs of government in the United Kingdom are:
the highest legislative system consists of the Queen and Parliament and is the supreme authority of the state;
the highest executive system consists of the Cabinet of Ministers who are responsible for initiating and directing national policy.
The highest legislative power belongs to Parliament which consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The main function of Parliament is law-making.
The Government is formed by the party that wins the election and obtains the majority of seats in the House of Commons. The second largest party becomes the official Opposition with its own leader and the Shadow Cabinet.
The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that has a majority in the House of Commons. He (or she) appoints ministers and forms the Cabinet, consisting of 20 ministers. Each Member of the Cabinet is a minister responsible for a government department. All the affairs of the state are conducted in the name of the Queen (or King), but it is the Prime Minister, who is the ruler of the country. He (or she) is responsible for every measure submitted to Parliament.
Any Member of Parliament (M.P.) may introduce a Bill. The Bill is brought before the House of Commons for the first reading. When the second reading takes place, the Member who has introduced the Bill makes his speech, explaining new law. Other Members may support or oppose the Bill. After the third reading the Bill goes before the House of Lords. If the Lords agree to the Bill, it will be placed before the Queen for signature. The Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
Parliament in Britain is an ancient institution dating from the beginning of the 13th century. It consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Commons is elected at a general election. There are at present 651 members of the House of Commons, who are elected every five years. Members of the House of Commons receive a salary for their parliamentary work.
The House of Lords or the Upper House is composed of Church of England bishops and archbishops, peers who have inherited titles and peers who are appointed for life. Today one-third of the Lords are company directors. They include bankers, steel magnates, and industrialists of all kinds. The Lords can only reject a Bill once.
At one end of the Chamber the Throne stands. In front of the throne there is the Woolsack, where the Lord Chancellor sits as Speaker of the House of Lords.
Though Britain is a multiparty democracy its political scene is dominated by two-party system: one party in power, the other in opposition. The Conservative and Liberal Parties are the oldest and until the end of the 19th century they were the parties elected to the House of Commons.
At present the main political parties are the Conservative and Labour Parties. The Labour Party is the ruling party nowadays; the Conservative Party is the Opposition to the Labour Party. The two-party system has evolved since the 18th century when conflicting groups within Parliament formed opposing parties known as Tories and Whigs.
The Conservative Party often called the Tory Party, started in the 17th century. The party defends the interests of big business, industry and landowners. The party represents those who believe in private enterprise as opposed to state-owned enterprises.
The Labour Party was established at the beginning of the 20th century. It was set up by the Trade-Unions and small socialist groups. This party is more democratic. The Labour Party is the party of social justice, though its emphasis is less on equality than on the achievement of wellbeing and opportunity for all members of society.
Topics for discussion:
Parliamentary Monarchy
The Highest Legislative Power
The Highest Executive Power
The Main Political Parties
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LECTURE 11: BRITISH MASS MEDIA
British Press
Radio and Television
The Internet
Mass Media has become an important part of the Britons life. There are four types of Mass Media: Radio, Television, the Press and the Internet. In Britain the mass media has three functions: information, discussion and representation.
The Britons are one of the biggest newspaper reading nations in the world. And maybe because of this, there are lots of various papers in the UK. There are about 130 daily and Sunday newspapers, over 2 thousand weekly and 7 thousand periodical publications in this country. The daily circulation of some newspapers in the United Kingdom is over 15 million copies.
The important role of the press in Britain is in forming public and political opinion and to be an instrument for controlling and criticizing government. It is often called “The Fourth Power”. To get more information most Britons read two different types of newspapers, National and Regional papers.
All British newspapers are of two types: broadsheets or quality papers and tabloids or popular papers. The quality papers are mainly published for educated people. They include the latest news and comments, articles written by professionals concerning business, politics, arts or sport reviews, etc. in a formal style. The major daily broadsheets in the UK are the Times, the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times and some others. The Sunday papers are the Observer, the Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph and others.
The Popular Papers provide sensational news and scandals. They use big headlines and colour pictures to attract readers. These papers are of lower standards, use everyday English, and the reading public comes from the middle and working class. Such popular papers are the Sun, the Daily Mirror, etc.
All the main news comes first of all from the world known News Agency “Reuters”.
All newspapers in the UK are mostly owned by large publishing companies or individuals. Rupert Murdoch is one of them and he owns 30 % of Britain’s national press.
Radio and television are very important media for the “spread of information”. British broadcasting has been based on the principle that it is a public service.
Three public bodies are responsible for TV and radio in Britain:
The BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation – TV and radio).
The ITC (Independent Television Commission – BBC TV services including cable and satellite).
The Radio Authority – BBC radio.
The BBC was founded in 1922 and is directed by the Government. It has certain obligations: it must be politically neutral and commercially independent. That means, it is not allowed to broadcast commercials.
BBC World is a popular international channel that offer good quality news programmes. In the company, the journalists are experienced writers that produce programmes of a high standard. However, there are alternative news channels which people watch because they want a less traditional or non-western view on world events.
The British Broadcasting Corporation runs 4 national radio stations, two national TV networks (BBC 1 and BBC 2) and a number of local radio stations. The main television channel the BBC 1, have programmes of general interest, like entertainment, sports, news and current affairs. The BBC 2 transmits more specialized programmes like documentaries, serious plays and films. The BBC programmes are not financed by advertising and it gets money from licence fees, sales of programmes, recordings and publications. The BBC documentary presentations are known as “high-standard-productions” worldwide.
The second broadcasting authority the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was set up to coordinate independent television and radio stations. The IBA owns Channel 4 and 5, which are financed by commercial advertising. The British also receive programmes by cable and satellite television.
Today the Internet offers more variety than other means of mass media. One World is an Internet site which has stories about the developing world and human rights, rather than the usual stories about politics and business. The writers for this company are often local people who write the stories for free. This non-professional journalism is increasing and it certainly offers more choice.
Topics for discussion:
British Quality Press
Popular TV Channels
The Internet Information Sites
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LECTURE 12: THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS
The End of the British Empire
The Union of Nations
In the 19th century Britain became the largest colonial power in the world. Large territories in North America, Africa, the whole continent of Australia, New Zealand, India and a lot of islands in the Atlantic Ocean got under the British rule. Thus, gradually, in the course of centuries, the huge British Empire came into being.
After World War I and II, as a result of national liberation movement, the British Empire fell apart.
But economic, cultural and political ties of former colonies with Britain were too strong and a new organisation was established: the British Commonwealth of Nations. It includes 49 independent states which were formerly parts of the British Empire. The Queen is the official head of the Commonwealth. Leaders of members of Commonwealth meet for a conference every two years in London.
Topics for discussion:
The History of the Union of Nations
The End of the British Empire
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LECTURE 13: LONDON – THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
A Glimpse of London’s Past
The City
The Royal London
The West End: Westminster
The East End and the Docklands
The Best-Known Streets
Places of Interest
London is the capital of the UK, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is the biggest and busiest port of Britain. Modern London is situated on the both sides of the river Thames. Its population is 10 million people. Greater London now covers 1600 sq. km.
London is a very old city. Two thousand years ago the early Britons established a settlement on the north bank of the Thames. The old Britons gave the town the name, Llyndin, which means a lonely port.
In the first century Britain was conquered by the Romans and Llyndin became Londinium. The Romans made it a large and rich city with good streets, beautiful palaces, shops and villas.
In the fifth century the Romans left Britain. The Saxon hordes and the Danes rushed to Londinium and ruined the town. During 400 years the city was in ruins.
In the 9th century the Saxon kings began to rebuild the ruined city. Two miles west from it, another centre, Westminster Abbey was founded.
In 1066 William the Conqueror settled in Londinium which became London – the capital of Norman Britain. The Normans brought with them Latin and French civilization. They built palaces, churches and cathedrals. Westminster Abbey founded by the Saxons, was finished by the Normans and William the Conqueror was the first king to be crowned there. Since then, for 1000 years, all English monarchs have been crowned and many of them are buried in Westminster Abbey.
By the 17th century London had become a busy, rich and crowded city. Lots of ships came to London daily. On one of them, together with some goods, the Great Plague had arrived in London. In 1665 a few months nearly 100,000 people died, about 1/5 of the population. Many people left the city and escaped to the villages. A year after the Plague, in 1666, another misfortune came down. It was the Great Fire. The Great Fire ended the plague in London, but it destroyed much of the city. Three thousand houses made of wood were in flames. Nearly all the churches were destroyed in the flames, including the great building of St. Paul’s Cathedral. A heavy rain fell and London was saved. The fire cleared away the Plague and the old and dirty houses. And a new London, the city of stone and bricks with better houses, wider streets and squares was built; and people returned to it.
In 1829 the London buses first came on the streets of London. Seven years later, in 1836, the first railway came to London. A locomotive, constructed by George Stephenson, started running from London to Greenwich.
In 1870 the first Tube Railway in the world was opened. The total length of modern underground in London is 250 miles.
The main parts of London are: Westminster, the City, the West End, the East End.
The City is the oldest part of London. The Romans formed a settlement there 2000 years ago. Now the City is a financial and business centre of London. It contains the Royal Exchange, the Stock Exchange, and the Bank of England. During the daytime a million people work there, but less than 8000 people live there.
The most
important building in London
is
Buckingham
Palace,
the official residence of the Queen. It stands in St. James’s Park.
St. James’s Park is one of ten so-called royal parks situated in or
near London. These parks officially belong to the Crown, but are open
to the public free of charge. Each park has its own character. Hyde
Park was originally a hunting forest and is still popular with
horse-riders. Regent’s Park is now the home of London Zoo, and an
open-air theatre. There are royal palaces, royal parks and colourful
ceremonies.
The
West End is
the richest part of London. It is the area of the largest department
stores, cinemas and hotels. There are 40 theatres, concert halls, and
many museums including the British Museum. Piccadilly Circus is the
heart of the West End and the centre of the night life in London. In
the middle of the Square there is the fountain with the statue of God
of Love. The main shopping streets are Oxford and Regent Streets. Big
department stores are situated there. The most expensive department
store is Harrods, the symbol of high-class living. People say you can
buy everything in Harrods, including wild animals – they have a Zoo
which will sell you lion cubs as well as more common pets such as
dogs, cats.
Trafalgar Square was built at the beginning of the 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. Admiral Nelson’s statue stands on the top of a column in the middle of Trafalgar Square. At Christmas a huge Christmas tree is there, which is sent to Britain from Norway every year. Behind Nelson’s Column is the building of the National Gallery, a rich art gallery.
Westminster
occupies Westminster Palace or the Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Abbey and Westminster Cathedral. The Houses of Parliament, the
political centre of London, occupy a building on the left bank of the
Thames. It was built in the 11th century. The present Houses of
Parliament were built in 1834. This structure is an example of Gothic
architecture. At two corners of the building there are two great
towers. One of them is the clock tower Big Ben. Westminster Abbey
stands opposite the Houses of Parliament. This church has stood there
since Saxon times. Since the 13th century British monarchs and many
other famous people are buried there.
The
East End is
an industrial part of London, including factories, docks. The East
End was formerly unattractive, but now changing because of the
introduction of new industries and very expensive housing. The
British Airways London Eye, a large structure was built to celebrate
the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.
This observation wheel offers wonderful views of London.
The
street Whitehall stretches
from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. In Whitehall are all the
important ministers: the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence, the
Home Office.
Downing Street 10 is the home of the Prime Minister. Fleet Street is the street where most newspapers have their offices.
The
earliest historical monument of
English architecture is the Tower of London. For many centuries the
Tower has been a fortress, a royal palace, a prison, and a Zoo. Among
the numerous prisoners were kings of England, France and Scotland.
Thomas More, the greatest humanist, was executed there. Now the Tower
of London is a museum. The Tower is guarded by Beefeaters, dressed up
in traditional medieval clothes.
St. Paul’s Cathedral – the seat of the Bishop of London, is the Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. Its building lasted for 35 years. Christopher Wren, “the architect of London”, and Admiral Nelson were buried there.
Another place of interest in London is the Albert Hall a huge concert hall.
Characterizing the main parts of London, people often say that the City is “the money” of London, the West End – “the goods” of London and the East End – “the hands” of London.
Topics for discussion:
The History of London
Its Importance in the Life of Britain
Places of Interest
Task:
Prepare presentation about London’s Places of Interest
Video (DVD): London (Travel Channel) («Открываем Лондон»);
London (Travel Channel);
London (Chill Culture) («Лондон»)
***
LECTURE
14: EDUCATION IN BRITAIN
British Schools
Higher Education in Britain
British Universities
World-known Educational Centres
Education in Britain is divided into three stages: primary, secondary and higher.
Most children start school at the age of 5. And the Primary school lasts till 11 years. Secondary education begins at 11 and lasts till 16. At the age of 16 students take exams to get General Certificate of Education.
There are three types of secondary schools: comprehensive schools, grammar schools and modern schools. Children study there according to their abilities. The majority of secondary schools are Comprehensive schools and they are open to children of all types of ability. Grammar schools provide an academic course. They prepare students for colleges and universities. Modern schools give a limited education, pupils get training in woodwork, metalwork, sewing, typing and cooking there.
Education is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of 5 and 16. At 16 years those students who are going to enter the university they study for two more years to pass “A” level exams (Advanced Level).
There are 50 universities and 350 colleges and institutes of higher education in Britain. There are no state universities in Britain. They have own independent government.
The oldest and the most famous are Oxford and Cambridge Universities which were founded in the 12th and the 13th centuries. Students go to large lectures, but most of the work takes place in tutorials: lessons in groups of 10 when the students discuss their work with the lecturer. 25% of the student population go on to the higher education.
Over 90% of full-time students receive grants and scholarships to assist with their tuition, cost of living, books, transport. Students often work during the holidays to earn money.
Universities accept students mainly on the basis of their A-level results.
Undergraduate courses normally take 3-4 years of full-time study and lead to a Bachelor degree in Arts, Science or Education (BA, BSc, BEd).
There are various postgraduate one or two-year research courses leading to degree of Master of Philosophy (PhM), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded for some original research in Arts or Sciences.
In 1971 the Open University was started for adults who do not have these qualifications. It conducts learning through correspondence and Internet.
The Redbrick Universities are divided into faculties, e.g. faculty of Arts, faculty of Science, faculty of Social and Economic Studies. These Universities draw many of their students from their locality.
Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge) are the oldest and the most prestigious universities in the UK and two world-known educational centres. There are at a distance of some 70 miles from London. Both Universities represent fine architecture of Norman, Gothic, Renaissance, Classic art. There are about 40 colleges in Oxford and 30 in Cambridge.
The construction of each college is connected with a name of some king or queen of England or with some prominent people of the country. Each college has its own name and traditions. Among the oldest colleges in Oxford is University College (1249). The most famous college in Cambridge is King’s College (founded by Henry VI in 1440).
For centuries Oxbridge Universities were for men. Only in 1871 the first college for women was opened in Cambridge.
Nowadays Oxford University is a sort of federation of 23 colleges for men and five for women. All these colleges include twelve thousand students. Oxford is situated on the bank of the river Thames and its population is 125 thousand people.
Cambridge University comprises 19 colleges for men and three for women.
Cambridge University has always had a high reputation in the field of Science and Mathematics; Oxford University – in Classical Studies and the Humanities.
Topics for discussion:
Types of Higher Schools in Britain
Oxbridge
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LECTURE 15: MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
The National Health Service
General Practitioner
The Main Groups of the NHS
Cloning
Discovery of Penicillin
The National Health Service (NHS) of Great Britain has been found over 50 years ago (1948). The British health care system is divided into state and private sectors. The state sector represented by the British National Health Service is financed by the state from taxes. British citizens who work are obliged to pay a certain amount of money to the National Health Service. But a large part of the money comes not from payment but from taxes.
It was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Every citizen of Great Britain has equal access to all necessary medical services – regardless of their financial status. Therefore, basic medical services are guaranteed to all residents of the UK. Medical treatment by a doctor is for free. Extra payments are charged for dental treatment as well as glasses but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners and adults on low incomes are exempt from payment.
When a person falls ill he/she first visits his/her General Practitioner (GP). GPs provide the first diagnosis in the case of illness, give advice and may prescribe a suitable course of treatment or arrange for the patient to see a specialist. The specialist decides whether the patient needs hospital treatment and if he does whether he should be treated at the local hospital or at a specialized hospital.
The services provided by the NHS fall into three main groups:
The hospital and specialists services.
The general practitioners (GPs) services. This includes the family doctor service, the dental service, the eye service and some other services.
The local authorities’ health and welfare services.
In February 1997 the world was stunned by the news that a British embryologist Ian Wilmut and his research team had successfully cloned a lamb named Dolly from an adult sheep. Scientists have debated the implications of human and non-human cloning extensively.
Penicillin was the first effective antibiotic. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming, who was a brilliant medical researcher at St Mary’s Hospital, London. He was careless, and his laboratory was often untidy. In 1928, after returning from holiday, he noticed a glass dish that had some mould growing on it. His analysis of this and its effect on the bacteria in the dish led to the discovery of penicillin. This paved the way for the treatment of infectious disease. Fleming continued his research.
In 1945 Alexander Fleming shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ernst Chain, who worked out how to isolate and concentrate penicillin. Fleming’s accidental discovery marks the start of modern antibiotics. Penicillin has saved 200 million lives.
Topics for discussion:
The National Health Service in Britain
Discoveries in Medicine
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LECTURE 16: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Environment and Ecology
Water and Air Pollution
Green Belts
All of us live as one large family on one small planet called the Earth. Ecology is the science of how living things are related to their environment. Many Britons are concerned about their ecology today. They are concerned about protecting the environment from pollution, overcrowding, and destruction of natural resources.
Environmental protection is an international problem of great importance and Great Britain pays much attention to it. There are nearly 500, 000 protected buildings and 7000 conservation areas of architecture of historical interest in Britain. The Government supports the work of the voluntary sector in preserving the national heritage.
Total emissions of smoke in the air have fallen by 85 per cent since 1960. Most petrol stations in Britain stock unleaded petrol, in order to reduce environmental pollution. The Government is committed to the control of gases emission, which damages the ozone layer.
In Scotland the River purification authorities are responsible for water pollution control.
They also contribute to the greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming and a rise in sea levels. Britain stresses the need for studying the science of climate change.
Green belts are areas where land should be left open and free from urban sprawl. The Government attaches great importance to their protection. National parks cover 9 per cent of the total land area of England and Wales. The National Rivers Authority protects island waters in England and Wales. Great Britain takes care of its environment both for themselves and for the next generations.
Topics for discussion:
Ecological Problems in Britain
Protection of Architectural and Historical Buildings
Task:
Prepare presentation about protection of architecture.
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LECTURE 17: BRITISH CULTURE
English Theatres
Music in Britain
British Museums
British Art Galleries
In 1576 the first theatre was built in London. In 1599 “the Globe” the theatre closely connected with the name of Shakespeare appeared in England. It was a round summer theatre with a sign on the main door “All the world is a stage”. According to the theatrical tradition of that time all the parts were played by men. This theatre was not only for the rich but for the poor people as well. William Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies and poems were of great success.
The Theatre Royal was opened in 1663. King Charles II was the first British king who attended a public theatre and was present at the performance.
The Covent Garden Theatre was built in 1732. It is one of the few well-known opera houses in the world. The famous Italian singer Caruso and the great Russian singer Shalyapin sang here many times. There you get the best of everything – a first rate orchestra, famous conductors, celebrated singers and dancers.
There are several hundred local musical societies in England; most of them are choral societies. Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the outstanding contemporary English composers. He is famous for his rock-based works. Lloyd Webber’s most popular musicals include the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1971), “Cats” (1981) which became the longest-running musical in the history of British theatre, “The Phantom of the Opera” (1986) and others.
In the second half of the 20th century Great Britain became the world centre of pop music. Such outstanding groups as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple brought undying fame to the music of the British Isles.
The Beatles was one of the most popular groups, first performing in 1959 in Liverpool. The names of the four Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – soon became popular all over the world. The musicians wrote words and music and their songs were about love, friendship, good and bad times.
Concerts of the leading symphony orchestras, numerous folk and pop music groups are held in the Royal Albert Hall. The programmes include new and contemporary works as well as classics. Among them are symphonies and other pieces of music composed by Benjamin Britten, the famous English musician.
In Britain, as in other countries, museums developed from private collections. The first and oldest public museum in the country was the Ashmolean Museum, founded in 1683 by Elias Ashmole in Oxford University. It houses a collection of archeological and classical rarities.
Victoria and Albert Museum, opened in 1857, was named after Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. The museum includes a collection of fine and applied art of all countries and periods and a large library.
The British Museum, light-grey building, like a Greek temple, is one of the world’s greatest treasure-stores. It was opened in 1753. Today the Museum has two departments – the Museum of Mankind and the National History Museum. The Museum of Mankind contains a vast collection of ancient works of art (including marbles from the Parthenon).
The British Museum has one of the largest libraries in the world. It has a copy of every book that is printed in the English language, so there are more than six million books there.
The National Art Gallery, situated in Trafalgar Square of London, is one of the greatest museums of art in the world. The Gallery was founded in 1824 when King George IV urged the government to purchase a collection of 38 paintings including six of Hogarth.
Nowadays the Gallery holds the British national collection of paintings, as well as the collection of many foreign painters.
The Tate Gallery contains a national collection of British art from the 16th century to the present day. It was opened in 1897 with the financial support of Sir Henry Tate, a sugar merchant, who also gave the Gallery a collection of 65 paintings. It houses superb Constable and Turner paintings.
Topics for discussion:
British Drama Theatre Today
Music and Musicians
The Main Museums
Art Galleries
Video (DVD): British Museum
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LECTURE 18: BRITISH NATIONAL TRADITIONS
Habits and Customs
Royal Ceremonies
Holidays and Festivals in Britain
Every country and every nation has its own holidays, customs and traditions. The British people are very proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up, because many of them are associated with the history and cultural development of the country.
The British people are great lovers of gardens, dogs and horses. Their devotion to animals and gardening is a tradition. Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the country and English people are described as a nation of flower-growers. There are flower-shows and vegetable-shows, with prizes for the best exhibits.
Though Britain does not often produce world-famous sportsmen the British people are sport-lovers and taught the rest of the world organised games. Many kinds of sports were born in Britain: cricket, football, tennis, golf, boat-racings, horse-racings and some others. Golf was first played in Scotland in the 15th century; cricket was first played in England in the 16th century. The first team sports such as football, rugby and hockey were first played in British Public Schools. The rules for all these games were also written in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The British people are the world’s greatest tea drinkers. They drink a quarter of all the tea grown in the world each year. Tea is the national beverage. In a British home there is the early morning cup of tea, tea at breakfast, tea at 11 o’clock in the morning, tea at lunch, then tea after lunch; there is tea for tea, tea for supper and then the last thing at night is tea. An invitation to tea is a common way of keeping in touch with friends and relatives. Besides tea, there is thin bread and butter with jam, meat or fish paste and some home-made or bought cakes. On special occasion the family may go out to tea – to a tea-shop or a café and order high tea, which is a fairly substantial meal.
If you have spent a night or a weekend in somebody’s house you have to write a letter, if possible at once when you get back, a so-called bread-and-butter letter. It would be considered very bad manners not to observe this custom.
The British cannot claim to be a nation of good cooks. But Britain has some excellent traditional food: lamb from Wales, shellfish and fresh salmon from Northern Ireland, fresh or smoked fish from Scotland, cheese from England and Wales.
Many traditional ceremonies have been preserved since old times. Changing of the Guard is one of the most popular Royal ceremonies. It takes place at Buckingham Palace every day at 11.30. The ceremony always attracts a lot of spectators.
The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower is another very interesting tradition. This Ceremony dates back 700 years and has taken place every night since that time. At 9.53 p.m. the Chief Warder of the Tower of London lights a candle lantern and goes, accompanied by his Escort, towards the Bloody Tower. In his hand he carries the keys, with which he locks the West Gate and then the Middle Tower. Then the Chief Warder and his Escort return to the Bloody Tower, where they are stopped and the sentry asks, “Who goes there?” The Chief Warder answers, “The keys”. The sentry demands, “Whose keys?” “Queen’s Elizabeth’s keys”, replies the Chief Warder. The Chief cries, “God preserve Queen Elizabeth”. “Amen”, answers the Guard and Escort.
A number of ravens have their home at the Tower. There is a superstition that when the ravens fly away, the Tower and the British Empire will fall down. Because of this superstition the wings of the ravens are regularly clipped.
Most people in Britain have three weeks of paid holiday per year. Besides, there are bank holidays. The term “bank holidays” dates back to the 19th century when the Bank Holiday Acts declared certain days on which banks were to be closed. On these days shops, post-offices and factories are also closed. British “bank holidays are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most of bank holidays are of religious origin, but now they are simply days on which people relax and make merry.
Christmas (the 25th of December) is the most widely celebrated and merry of all bank holidays. On Christmas Eve offices close at one o’clock, but the shops stay open late. Christmas trees are decorated. Stockings are hung over the end of the bed.
On Christmas Day many people go to churches, open their Christmas presents, and eat a Christmas dinner of roast turkey and Christmas pudding. Many people watch the Queen’s Christmas broadcast on TV.
Boxing Day (the 26th of December) is the day of visiting friends, of giving Christmas boxes (small presents in boxes) or gifts of money to their servants by the rich. On Boxing Day, Christmas boxes are given to the postman, milkman, who delivers milk to the house and to others rendering services throughout the year. Formerly a Christmas box was a box or a package containing a Christmas present. Today, it is customary to say to the milkman or the postman, “Here is your Christmas box,” and to hand him a present of money instead of a box.
In England New Year is not as widely observed as Christmas. At midnight on New Year’s Eve when Big Ben is chiming everybody join hands and sing Robert Burn’s poem “Auld Lang Syne” (“The good old days”).
In Scotland early in the morning many people go from house to house to wish their neighbours “Happy New Year”. Good or bad luck on this day depends on the first-footer. To symbolize good luck the first visitor carries a piece of coal and a glass of water.
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot cross-buns – small sweet rolls marked on top with a cross.
Easter is the greatest religious holiday in the UK. Many Britons attend the church services. On Easter people give each other chocolate Easter eggs.
May Day Bank Holiday (the first Monday after May 1) is a celebration of the coming of spring. Different outdoor events are held, and May-queen, the most beautiful girl of the celebration, is selected.
Spring Bank Holiday (the last Monday in May) and Summer Bank Holiday (the last Monday in August) are days for excursions. People go to some seaside resort for a bathe or a game on the beach.
Since 1864 every year the anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare is celebrated at Stratford-upon-Avon. A long procession goes to the Birthplace of the poet, and then to his tomb in the church. In the Festival season from April to September the British and a lot of foreigners come to Stratford and enjoy the performances of Shakespeare’s plays.
The famous annual Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama attracts artists and audiences from all over the world. In late August and September more than 100,000 music and drama lovers from all parts of the world come to Edinburgh. The Festival programmes include music, opera, ballet, drama, films.
Topics for discussion:
Everyday Life Traditions
Bank Holidays
Festivals in Britain
Task:
Prepare presentation about: a) National Celebrations; b) Festivals; c) Ceremonies
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LECTURE 19: FAMOUS BRITONS
Historical Figures
British Scientists and Inventors
British Writers
King Alfred the Great (849 – 899) is considered the first of England. He is remembered for two important things: saving his land from destruction by the invading Danes, and his dedication to education. Being well-educated, he brought peace to England and restored the centres of learning. He knew Latin, could read and write Latin and English. He translated the passages from the Bible into English.
Queen Elizabeth I (1533 – 1603), the third of Henry VIII’s children to succeed him on the throne, was the ruler after her half-sister Mary’s death. She was the last of the Tudor monarchs. Elizabeth I received an excellent education. She knew Latin, Greek, spoke French and Italian. She tried to stop religious struggle between the Protestants and the Catholics. During Elizabeth’s reign England became a great sea power.
The Elizabethan age was one of the greatest periods of English literature. W. Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser created their great works at that time. Elizabeth’s court became a centre of culture for English musicians, poets, scholars and artists.
Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658) is one of the famous political figures in the history of Great Britain. The king of England Charles I wanted to rule over England without Parliament. He needed money for wars, but Parliament refused to give it. In 1642 Charles I tried to arrest some members of Parliament, but could not do it. Members of Parliament decided to fight against the king. The leader was Oliver Cromwell, who trained the soldiers. The Parliamentary army won a victory and the king’s army was defeated in the battle near the town of York in 1644. In 1649 Charles I was beheaded.
The Parliamentary government came to power and proclaimed England a republic. Cromwell got the title of Lord Protector and ruled the country. But later he became a dictator. The English Republic, the first republic in Europe, did not justify the hopes of the people and after Cromwell’s death in 1660 the newly elected Parliament invited Charles II, the son of the executing king, to occupy the English throne.
Horatio Nelson (1758 – 1805) was a naval commander. During the wars against France in the 1790s he took part in many sea battles and lost his right arm and the right eye.
Nelson sailed from England for the last time in 1805, as the Commander-in- Chief of the British fleet to meet France and Spain at Cape Trafalgar. At this battle Nelson was wounded and died a few hours after that. But he won the great victory.
Admiral Nelson is Britain’s national hero. A tall column crowned with his statue stands in Trafalgar Square in London, in memory of this great man.
Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) is the longest-reigning monarch in English history. She came to the throne in 1837 and reigned until her death in 1901.
Victoria married her German cousin, Prince Albert, but he died at the age of forty-two in 1861. She could not get over her sorrow at his death and for a long time refused to be seen in public.
She wrote a book “Our life in the Highlands”, it was published in 1868. It was Queen’s diary of her life with Prince Albert and her family. By her book Victoria touched people’s hearts. And she became very popular.
Winston Churchill (1874 – 1969), the Prime Minister of Britain, led the British people from the danger of defeat to victory during the Second World War. He joined the Conservative Party and was taking an active part in Britain’s political life.
During the 1945 elections he was defeated by the Labour Party, which ruled until 1951. Sir Winston Churchill regained his power in 1951 and led Britain again until 1955.
He spent most of his last years writing and painting. He was given the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953.
Margaret Thatcher (1925) became the first woman in European history to be elected the Prime Minister. She won three terms.
In the 1959 elections she won a seat in Parliament. In 1974 she became the leader of the Conservative Party. When the Conservatives won a victory in the 1979 general elections, Thatcher became the Prime Minister.
As the Prime Minister she limited government control, giving individuals greater independence from the state. She became known as the Iron Lady because of her strict control over her Cabinet and the country’s economic policies.
Elizabeth II (1926) is the longest-reigning British monarch since Queen Victoria, who occupied the throne for over 63 years, whiles her ancestor Elizabeth I reigned for 44 years.
In 1952 at the age of 25 after the death of her father king George VI she became the Queen of the UK.
Elizabeth has great interest in horses and riding. Elizabeth became the 42nd Sovereign of England, but only its 6th Queen. Elizabeth’s reign has been marked by vast changes in the lives of her people and in the power of her nation. The UK became a member of the European Economic Community in 1973 and the European Union in 1993.
Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and theologian who is considered by many scholars and members of the general public to be one of the most influential people in human history. He devoted all his life to scientific experimentation. His greatest discovery was the Law of Universal Gravitation.
In 1703 he was elected the President of the Royal Society. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Adam Smith (1723 – 1790), the great economist and philosopher, a pioneer of political economics, was born in Scotland. In 1751 he was appointed the professor of logic at Glasgow University. In 1776 Smith moved to London, where he published his work “The Wealth of Nations”. It covered such concepts as the division of labour, the function of markets, and so on. Adam Smith “the father of modern economics” became famous for the first modern work of Economics.
James Watt (1736 – 1819), the greatest Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer, made several discoveries. While working at the University of Glasgow, Watt became interested in the technology of steam engines. His improvements to the steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution. He invented a copying machine. It was used for about 100 years. James Watt introduced the term “horse power”. The power unit, the watt, is named in his honour.
George Stephenson (1781 – 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives. The English call him the "Father of Railways". He was the first man who put a steam engine on wheels. And in 1825 the first railway in England was built.
Michael Faraday (1791 – 1867) made a lot of experiences, and produced several new kinds of optical glasses. He founded the theory of electric and magnetic fields and made great contribution into the development of electro-magnetic theory of light.
Charles Babbage (1791 – 1871) was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. Parts of his uncompleted mechanisms are on display in the London Science Museum. Considered a “father of the computer”, Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer.
Ernest Rutherford (1871 – 1937) was a great British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics. He showed that the atom is made up of smaller parts and that its structure is very complex. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 “for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances”.
Alexander Graham Bell (1847 – 1922) was a scientist, inventor and engineer. In 1876 he invented the first practical telephone. He developed his own technique for teaching the deaf to speak, invented a wireless phone and other useful things.
In 1888, Alexander Graham Bell became one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society.
William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and left for London where he became a professional actor and dramatist. In 1594 he joined other actors in forming a new theatre company. For twenty years he wrote two plays a year for the theatre. In 1599 the company of actors built a new theatre “The Globe”. He is often called England's national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. He wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets and several other poems.
Robert Burns (1759 – 1796) is the great Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He travelled much about Scotland collecting popular songs and wrote his own verses. His poetry was inspired by his deep love for his motherland; for its folklore. His famous poem “My Heart’s in the Highlands” is a hymn to the beauty of Scotland’s nature.
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer -
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe;
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.
Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North The birth place of Valour, the country of Worth; Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.
Farewell to the mountains high cover'd with snow; Farewell to the straths and green valleys below; Farewell to the forrests and wild-hanging woods; Farwell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here, My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer Chasing the wild deer, and following the roe; My heart's in the Highlands, whereever I go.
George Gordon Byron (1788 – 1824) is one of the greatest poets of England, commonly known simply as Lord Byron. At the age of 21 he became a member of the House of Lords.
He took part in the movement for the liberation of Italy from Austrian rule. Then he went to Greece to fight for the liberation of that country from Turkish oppression. He is a Greek national hero.
Amongst Byron's best-known works are poems Don Juan, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage.
Walter Scott (1771 – 1832) was a Scottish historical novelist and poet. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature.
His novels devoted to Scottish history. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, the Lady of the Lake. The book Ivanhoe deals with the struggle between the Normans and the Saxons.
Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870) was the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and he remains popular. Many of his novels, with their recurrent concern for social reform, first appeared in magazines in serialised form, a popular format at the time.
He did some reporting in the House of Commons for newspapers. Being a reporter, he went all over the country, writing stories. He wrote novel after novel – Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Little Dorrit, Bleak House.
He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Topics for discussion:
The Outstanding Historical Figures
Famous British Writers
Task:
Prepare presentation about: a) British poets and their poems; b) British inventors and their discoveries.
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PART EIGHT