Chapter 1 [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

CHAPTER I: COUNTRY AND PEOPLE SECTION A Quiz Choose the correct answer. 1 What is the common internet domain address for Britain? A ,br B .gb C .uk 2 Which of these is not an acceptable short name for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? A England B Great Britain C the United Kingdom 3 Which city is not in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? A Belfast B Cardiff C Dublin

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4 Which is the smallest of the four nations? A Ireland B Scotland C Wales 5 Which of the following figures is not associated with Britain? A Britannia B John Bull C Uncle Sam 6 Which of the four nations’ flags is not incorporated in the flag of the UK? A Ireland B Scotland C Wales 7 By what name is the UK flag often known? A The Britannia B Old Glory C The Union Jack

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8 What proportion of the population of Britain lives in England? A more than 1 B about 60% C less than 40% 9 What proportion of the population of Britain answered 'white British’ to the ethnic group question in the 2001 census? A more than 80% B about 60% C less than 40% 10 What is the largest minority ethnic grouping in Britain? A African B Caribbean C south Asian 11 A surname beginning with ‘Mac’ or ‘Me’ is understood to be ... A ... Scottish or English. B ... Scottish or Irish. C ... Scottish or Welsh.

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12 In which of the following does a ‘Great Britain’ team compete? A cricket B the Olympics C rugby union 13 Historically and culturally speaking, which country may be divided into ‘Lowland’ and ‘Highland’? A England B Scotland C Wales 14 Of which country is St. David the patron saint? A England B Scotland C Wales

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Section B summary Put the following clauses and phrases into the correct order to complete a paragraph summarizing parts of chapter 1 of Britain. The first and last sentences are provided. 1 Historically, it has also been the richest and most powerful. 2 Many of these people feel British 3 is never short of supporters 4 which are often referred to as ‘the four nations’. 5 For both these reasons, 6 whose roots lie in the Caribbean or in southern Asia. 7 That is why the Pakistani or Indian cricket team, 8 there are four recognized countries 9 There are also millions of other people in England 10 or the Irish football team 11 England is by far the largest of these countries. 12 many Scottish, Irish, and Welsh people live in England. 13 but they do not feel especially English.... when they are playing in England Answer: 8, 4 ,1 1 ,1 ,5 , 12, 9, 6, 2, 1 3 ,7 ,1 0 ,3 5

SECTION C British words and phrases Find the word or phrase in chapter 1 of Britain which is used to mean or describe: 1 a platform used for public speaking and presenting prizes - rostrum 2 the flag of England - St. George’s Cross 3 a citizen of the UK - a Briton 4 Britain or England, with the white cliffs of the south coast in mind - Albion 5 the umbrella organization for employees in the UK - TUC (Trades Union Congress) 6 the organization which controls the supply of money in the UK - Bank o f England 7 the Caribbean, especially the Englishspeaking parts of it - The West Indies

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SECTION D Extension Read this text adapted from a report published on the internet in 2007 and answer the questions below. “Record numbers of people are leaving Britain at the same time as immigration is slowing down, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics. The UK has seen a huge influx of immigrants since the EU expanded in 2004, allowing citizens of former Eastern Bloc countries free movement of labour. Over 683,000 eastern Europeans, mostly Poles, have applied to work in Britain. When Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, the UK government decided to impose restrictions on their citizens seeking to work in the UK and in the first half of that year, only 17,360 arrived. The overall rate of immigration slowed considerably after that. In the second quarter of 2007, applications fell to 50,000 - 6,000 lower than the same period in 2006. At the same time, figures released in August 2008 suggest that the boom in immigration from eastern Europe is not permanent. Some 16,000 people from eastern European states left the UK in 2007 after living here for more than a year. 7

Emigration is currently running at the highest rate since records began in 1991. In total 385,000 people quit the UK in 2007, as the trend was accelerated by a rise in foreigners returning to their home countries” 1 According to this text, what were the trends in rates of immigration and emigration in 2007? -Immigration was falling; emigration was rising. 2 According to the text, what was the overall pattern of rates of immigration and emigration in the years 2004-2007? - Immigration was high (and, it is implied, emigration was also high). 3 From which country did most immigrants to Britain come from in 2004-2007? - Poland. 4 What is one reason given in this text for the rise in emigration? - Recent eastern European immigrants are returning home.

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SECTION E Talking points 1 Why is not possible to find an agreed name for the group of islands off the north-west coast of Europe? Which of the names suggested in Britain do you think would be the best? Can you think of any others? 2 Here is a puzzle: in 1991 UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe, briefly introduced a regulation which limited the number of foreign players who were allowed to play for a football club in European competitions. For example, an Italian club team could have only a certain number of players in it who were not Italian. Under these regulations, a famous player in the Liverpool team at that time, Ian Rush, was classified as ‘foreign’, even though he was born only twenty miles from Liverpool and had lived in the same area all his life. Can you explain why? Many people in England thought that this classification was ridiculous. Do you? - Ian Rush was born in Wales, whose border with England is ju st a few miles outside Liverpool, and played for Wales, not England, in internationals. (It was seen as ridiculous because in m ost respects he was a Scouser (see chapter 4); Liverpool had always been his ‘local’ football team and, like many people from that part o f north Wales, he spoke with a Liverpool accent.) 9

3 In the British government, there are ministers with special responsibility for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but there is no minister for England. Why do you think this is? 4 Chapter 1 of Britain speaks of ‘divisions’ and ‘crossovers’ of national loyalties among the people of Britain. Does the same kind of thing occur in your country?

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02 History SECTION A Quiz 9 Choose the correct answer. 1 What is Stonehenge? A a royal castle B a prehistoric monument C a historic document 2 What was Magna Carta? A a royal castle B a prehistoric monument C a historic document 3 Where is Hadrian’s Wall? A in London ^ B in Edinburgh C on the English-Scottish border 4 Who won the Civil War in the seventeenth century? A the Cavaliers B the Roundheads C the Vikings 5 In what part o f England is Wessex? A the north-west B the north-east 11

C the south-west 6 Which o f these place names is of partly Roman origin? A Birmingham B Leeds C Manchester 7 Which people settled in large numbers in Britain? A the Anglo-Saxons B the Normans C the Romans 8 In which century was there a single parliament for the whole o f Britain and Ireland? A the seventeenth B the eighteenth C the nineteenth 9. In which century did England and Scotland first have the same monarch? A the seventeenth B the eighteenth C the nineteenth D the twentieth 10. In which century did England and Scotland first have the same parliament? A the seventeenth B the eighteenth C the nineteenth 12

D the twentieth 11. Which century saw the greatest extent of the British empire? A the seventeenth B the eighteenth C the nineteenth D the twentieth 12. In which century was the last battle to be fought on British soil? A the seventeenth B the eighteenth C the nineteenth D the twentieth 13. In the middle of the twentieth century, a joke history book was published. It satirized the way history was taught in schools at that time, which typically involved the memorizing of lots of dates. What do you think its title was? A. 1066 And All That B. 1328 And All That C. 1492 And All That 14. In the 1980s, the BBC compiled a computer video package o f very detailed information about every place in Britain. It timed the publication to fall on a particular anniversary. In which year was it published? A 1985 B 1986 C 1987

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SECTION B Quiz on British monarchs Answer the questions, using the letters from the box. You will need to use some letters more that once. A Alfred

2 Who was executed after a formal trial? Charles I

B Arthur

3 Who is famous for burning some cakes? Alfred

C Charles I

4 Who is the longest-reigning monarch in British history so far? Victoria

D Elizabeth I E Henry II F Henry VIII G John H Victoria

5 Whose soldiers murdered the Archbishop o f Canterbury? Henry II 6 Who was forced to sign the Magna Carta? John 7 Who is famous for never having married? Elizabeth I 8 Who is famous because o f Camelot and the knights of the round table? Arthur 9 Who is often known as ‘the Great’? Alfred

1 Who is famous for 10 Who was the first head o f the Church of England? Henry VIII having six wives? Henry VIII

1-F 2-C 3-A 4-H 14

5-E 6-G 7-D 8-B

9-A 10-F

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SECTION C British words and phrases Find the word or phrase in chapter 2 o f Britain which is used to mean or describe: 1 the record of all the people and things in his country compiled by William I (‘the Conqueror’) 1 The Domesday Book

2 the famous stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer 2 The Canterbury Tales

3 leave behind for your successors after you go or die (verb) 3 bequeath

4 when a group of people refuse to work 4 strike

5 a festival of Welsh music and poetry 5 Eisteddfod

6 being able to make or grow everything you need to live yourself 6 self-sufficient

7 the phrase used by the poet Rudyard Kipling to describe the sense of moral obligation among British empire builders 7 the white man's burden'

8 women who campaigned for the right to vote in the early twentieth century 8 the Suffragettes

9 an area of land which used to be available for use by everybody in a village 9 the common SECTION D

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10 the set of laws passed in the sixteenth century which took away the power o f the Roman Catholic Church in England 10 the Reformation

SECTION D Extension Put the following sentences into the correct order to complete the paragraph. BRITAIN’S DNA MAP Modern genetic science throws up some worrying questions. But it is at least producing one very valuable finding. It is showing that national and ethnic differences have very little to do with race and much more to do with culture instead. 10 Take the story o f Britain, for instance, which can seem like one o f repeated mass killings and mass migrations. 8 Around 700BC, we are told, Britain was invaded by the Celts, who displaced the indigenous people. 1 Then, the Romans conquered it and stayed for nearly four centuries. 17

6 In the next five centuries, first the Anglo-Saxons and then the Vikings arrived. 9 The story goes that, during this time o f Germanic invasions, the native Celts were all either killed or driven north and west. 2 This is why in modern times we talk about England on the one hand and the ‘Celtic nations’ o f Scotland, Wales, and Ireland on the other. 4 In 1066, England was invaded again, this time by the Normans from France. 3 And yet all these successive invasions appear to have made little difference to the modern gene pool. 7 Research has found, for example, that around 60% of all men in southern England are directly descended from Celts. 5 Moreover, it turns out that the vast majority of people in Britain and Ireland have maternal genes dating back at least 10,000 years. The conclusion we must draw from these findings is that history is often less bloody than we assume it to be and that earlier people in Britain were not all killed or displaced. Instead, most o f them were assimilated into the newly dominant culture.

SECTION E Talking points 1 In Britain, as in most countries, history and popular myth are mixed up together. How many cases can you find in chapter 2 of Britain o f stories which are o f doubtful historical truth? 2 Which o f the famous names in popular British history could be described as ‘resistance fighters’? 3 At present there is discussion in Britain about the idea of establishing a ‘national d a / (which it has never had). National days usually commemorate some important event in a country's history. Which event in British history do you think is most worthy o f such commemoration?

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4 How would you describe the changing relations between religion and politics in British history? Are the changes that have taken place similar to those in your country? 5 Around the year 1500, about five million people used the English language - less than the population of Britain at the time. Today, it is estimated that between 600 million and 1,000 million people use English in everyday life - at least ten times the present population of Britain. Why has the use of English expanded so much in the last 500 years?

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