Queen Elizabeth

Religion

The Tunnel under the sea

Great Britain and Ireland

This is London

Sport

British Money

The lock mistery

William Shakespeare

English education

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Cornwall

The many faces of London

Techno English Course

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND Great Britain and Ireland are two islands in the north-west of Europe. They are separated from the continent by the English Channel in the south and the North sea in the east. Great Britain is made up of three countries: England, Wales and Scotland. The capital of England is London, the capital of Wales is Cardiff, the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. Ireland is divided in two parts: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Southern Ireland is an independent republic called Eire. Its capital is Dublin. The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England make up the United Kingdom, also called the U.K. London is the capital of the U.K. Sometimes people call the U.K. simply “Britain”.

THIS IS LONDONLondon is the capital of United Kingdom.It is very, very big city. About seven millionpeople life there. In fact its population is fourtimes that of Roma. London is on the river Thames. It is very important for commerce, banking and finance. London has a very long history. There are many historical buildingsin it, like the Tower of London, WestminsterAbbey, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Other interesting placesto visit are Piccadilly Circus,Trafalgar SquareHyde Park and St Katharine’s Dock. Trafalgar Square, London

London is also famous for its shops. People all over the world know Harrods, the famous department store, and love visiting the wonderful shopping centre of Convent Garden.

River Thames, London

Tower of London Buckingham Palace, London

Cornwall: the land of the Arthurian legendCornwall is a peninsula in the south west of England. It has a picturesque coastline and miles of sandy beaches which attract hundreds of surfers. The extreme westerly point, called Land’s End, is constantly swept by storms and offers an impressive view of the North Atlantic Ocean.On the north Cornwall coast there is Tintagel, a wild and romantic castle. A legend claims that King Arthur built it for his wife Guinevere and for the Knights of the Round Table. Merlin the Magician lived in a cave below the castle. The legend also claims that Arthur ,who is recognized King when he proves to be the only among several strong warriors who can draw the magic sword Exalibur from a rock. Sir Launcelot of the lake is perhaps the most famous Knight of all. He is secretly in love with Guinevere and she returns his love. But they are both devoted to King Arthur and so their love is impossible. Launcelot saves Guinevere when the wicked Mellyagraunce takes her prisoner in his castle. While Merlin the Magician foretells that one day one of the Knights of the Round Table will betray Arthur and that the King will die in battle fighting against the traitor.

BRITISH MONEY British money consists of pounds (£) and pence ( p ). There are a hundred pence in a pound. A pound is now about € 1,43 , but it changes. In Britain there are seven different coins, from the one pence coin to the one pound coin. In general British coins are very heavy, especially the 50p coin. There are four banknotes: five pounds, ten pounds, twenty pounds and also fifty pounds, but you don’t see it very often. All British coins and banknotes have the picture of the Queen.

AMERICAN MONEYAmerican money consists of dollars ($) and cents (c) .There are a hundred cents in a dollar .A dollar is now about € 1, 34 , but it changes.In the US there are four coins: the penny (1c), the nickel (5c), the dime (10c), and the quarter(25c).On American coins you usually find pictures of US presidents: Lincoln on pennies, Jefferson on nickels, and F. D. Roosevelt on dimes. Quarters have a picture ofPresident Washington on the front and the American eagle on the back.All banknotes have the motto “In God we trust” on the back.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (Stratford-upon-Avon 1564-1616) is one of the greatest playwright of world literature, besides being the greatest English poet. His works are famous for their deep analysis of human condition. In this piece, a summary from “Othello”, the main character, Othello, noble Moor in the service of the Venetian State, asks his beloved wife Desdemona to give him the handkerchief he gave her as first gift…Both of them don’t know that Iago, Othello’s envious Ancient, is hatching a secret plot to ruin their lives… Iago tells Othello that his wife is betraying him with Cassio, Othello’s faithful Lieutenant, and that she gave him the handkerchief…Othello’s jealousy leads him to kill her…

From “Othello”: Act iv (Shakespeare teaching theatre)Characters: Desdemona , OthelloOthello: My head hurts. Please give me your handkerchief to wipe my face. (Desdemona gives him a handkerchief)Othello: No, not that one .The special handkerchief , the first gift I gave you.Des: I’m sorry Othello, I don’t know where that handkerchief is.Othello: What do you mean you don’t know where it is? Have you lost it, or did you give it to somebody?Des: No, I just don’t know where it is. Please my lord, Cassio is here to speak to you.(Cassio enters)Cassio: My lord…Othello: Not now. Find me that handkerchief!Des: You couldn’t find a better man than Cassio…Othello: The handkerchief!Des: Cassio loves you so well: he help you so much.Othello: Silence! Desdemona go to bed!(Desdemona is very upset and leaves)

English education Education is compulsory in England between the ages of 5 and 16.After nursery school the first school attended by a child is primary school (from 5 to 11 years of age), which gives elementary education.After primary school children attend secondary school (from 12 to 16 years of age) and can choose among several different types of education according to their particular academic standards( grammar school, modern school, comprehensive school).Apart from these schools, there are still the so-called “public schools”, a very expensive type of private school with a long classical tradition behind them. At the end of secondary school those who want may take an exam according to their plans for the future and their education level (work or university). The most prestigious English universities are: Cambrigde University, Oxford University and Trinity College in Dublin.

Cambrigde University Oxford University

Trinity College-Dublin

THE TUNNEL UNDER THE SEAPeople who live in islands are sometimes insular. British people were very insular: they did not feel European. But things are changing. Now there is a tunnel linking Britain and the continent of Europe. You can go all the way to London by train. The Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world. Perhaps this tunnel will bring Britain nearer to Europe.

THE LOCH NESS MYSTERYIn the north of Scotland there is a very large lake called Loch Ness. Its waters are not blue, but dark and often black. The lake is very deep and has manyunderwater caves. People say that something strange lives at the bottom of Loch Ness.In 565 ST Columbia, an Irish saint, saw the monster for the first time.Fourteen centuries later a London doctor took the first photo of it. The scientific worldwas shocked. What was that strange animal with a long thin neck?Some people think it is an enormous snake. Other people say it is a sort of dinosaur.Others say it does not exist. But it is not so simple. There are report of lake monsters also in Ireland, in Sweden, in Iceland and across the Atlantic, but at the same latitude, in Canada. It is all a mystery.1 grotte sott’acqua 2 segnalazioni

Loch Ness, Scotland

“Nessie” ( computer reconstruction )

“ Nessie” the monster ( digital picture )

SPORTThe most popular sport in Britain is football or “soccer”(to be distinguished from Rugby football or “rugger ). Football started life in England last century. The English Football League (Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate leagues) includes over 90 professional clubs, and of course there are many more amateur clubs. The English season is from August to April and professional matches are played on Saturdays, not on Sundays as in Italy. At the end of the season the Cup Final is played at Wembley Stadium. Famous English Football teams are: Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Other popular sports in Britain: are Polo, Rugby, Cricket and Golf.

Eric Cantona wearing the. Manchester United jersey

A Cricket match

Polo players in action

RELIGION IN ENGLANDBritain is a country where everybody has the right of religious freedom.The official church is the Church of England (Anglican Church), whose head is the Queen. There are two Archbishops, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York. There is also a strong presence of Catholics, specially in Ireland.The Church of England is “catholic” and “reformed” at the same time, because it doesn’t accept the Roman Pope’s authority but retains several catholic creeds and sacraments. But Clergymen may marry and raise a family.There is another official church, the Church of Scotland, which is based on Calvinist doctrines. We also find numerous other churches, the so-called “free” “or non-conformist”: the Methodist Church, the Baptist Churches, the Presbyterian Churches, the Quakers, and a number of other protestant denominations. With immigration there is the presence of various other non-Christian communities: Jews, Moslems and Buddhists.

Cathedral of Canterbury-London

QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECONDElizabeth II is the present Queen. She lives in Buckingham Palace with her family. She has four children. The oldest I s Prince Charles and so he is the hire to the throne. He was married to Diana (who died in 2000) and he’s got two children William and Harry. Now he is going to marry Camilla. The queen is the head of the state and of the Church of England, but she has very little power. In fact Parliament makes the political decisions: She is the symbol of the country at home and aboard. She is also the queen of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which were British colonies.

The many faces of LondonIt is very exciting to walk down a London street. You can see people wearing very strange types of clothes. There are pucks with leather jackets and green hair and city gentlemen with bowler hats and black umbrellas. You can also meet Indian women wearing saris, young West-Indian with exotic hairstyles and Chinese families from Hong Kong. These people were originally from different parts of the world, especially from ex-colonies. But they are not foreigners. They are all British and they were probably born in London. The only foreigners are the many, many tourists!