SPOTLIGHT ON BRITAIN SECOND EDITION Susan Sheerin Jonathan Seath GiIIian White Oxford University Press Oxford University Prcrs, Wnlron Srrcct, Oxford OX2 6DP Oxford New Yotk Toronto Mndrid Melbourne Auddand Kuala Lumpur Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo Delhi Bombay Cnlcurra Mndrns Knrnchi Nairobi Cape Town Dnr es Salaam nnd associntcd compnnies in Berlin mndnn OXFORD and OXFORD ENGLISH are trade marks of Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 432788 4 First published 1985 Second edition 1990 Fourth impression 1992 0Susan Sheerin, Jonathnn Senth, Gillinn White 1985, 1990 All rights reserved. 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National Museum of Wnlm National Poruait Gallery Nntionnl Trust Network/Neil Libbcrt; John Srurrock; Geoff Franklin News TCMIProfessionnl News &Pictures Northern IrelandTourist Board Norrhumbriu Tourisr Board Gamy & Marilyn O'Brien Pictorial Press The Press Assodatian Lrd Rex Fenrures Lrd The Royal Bnnk of Scodand plc Roynl Mail Science Museum Libmy The Scotsmnn Publication Lrd Board Scotdsh - ~ - ~aurisr - ---~..Sporting Pictures (UK) Lrd The Tclegrnph Colaur Libmry TophamPicturc Library Ulster Muscum University College of Cardiff University College of Swansen Dora Wnkelicld John Wnlmsley ~ The aurhorsand publishm would like ru bunk thc fullowing for p;rmission ruruproduccphu~ugmphs, maps and logos: y 20th C c n ~ r FOX The AA Photo Libnry AUspon UK Lrd Andes Press Agency Additional pbotogrnphy by Rob Judges Contents The United Kingdom Who are the British? The political system Religion Family life Festivals Glossary London A city with a difference The City Historic buildings in the City The East End The West End Westminster Whitehall Royal London Kensington and Knightsbridge Glossary The Southeast Welcome to Britain The Garden of England Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside! Are you a railway buff? A tale of Canterbury The stockbroker belt Glossary East Anglia Cambridge The Fen Counuy Let's go shoppingin Norwich Britain's oldest recorded town Glossary The Heart of England The Swan of Avon Birmingham -the market place A cathedral of our time Oxford Liverpool and the Beades Glossary The Dales to the Border Northumbria The most beautiful corner of England Ghosts of Yorkshire The historic city of York Glossary The Southwest Holiday time in the West Country Magic circles Offshore islands The sea - ships and sailors Glossary Scotland Folk music Beating the 'Sassenachs'! The Highland games Tattoo spectacular Welcome to the Festival A tragic queen Scotland seen from abroad L i e on the rigs Glasgow The Highlands Clans and tartans Scottish festivals Glossary Wales Language History Life in the Valleys The Welsh and their words The National Parks Energy inside a Welsh mountain Cardiff: a modern capital Glossary Northern Ireland The troubles Two nations? The search for a solution Belfast The Glens of Antrim and the Causeway coast The Giant's Causeway Fermanagh Londonderry Glossary In and out of School TV and radio More than 30 years of Rock Music Sport The education system L i e at college Glossary Answers Historical Chart This chart covers the most important periods of British history. It shows the chief inhabitants or invaders of England until the Middle Ages, then the royal houses of England (until 1603) and of Britain (after 1603). Only monarchs or rulers mentioned in the text appear on the chart. The Celts The Romans The Anglo-Saxons The Viking Invaders The Normans 900 B.C.-55 B.C. 55 B.C.-450 A.D. 450-1066 8th-11th cennuies 1066-1 154 The Plantagenets 11561399 The Houses of York and Lancaster The Tudors 1399-1485 The SNarts (The Civil War The Republic 1603-1649 1628-1649) 1649-1660 The Smarts 1660-1714 The Hanoverians 17161901 The House of SaxeCoburg The House of Windsor 1901-1910 1485-1603 1910- 1 1 I Offa (8th century) William the Conqueror (1066-1087) Henry11 (11561189) Edward I(1212-1307) Henry VII (14861509) Henry VIII (1509-1547) Mary I ('Bloody Mary') (1553-1558) Elizabeth I(1558-1603) Tames I(1603-1625) Charles i (1625-1649) Oliver Cromwell (1649-1660) W i a m and Mary (1688-1702) George I, 11,111, TV (17141830) ('Georgian' period) Victoria (1837-1901) ('Victorian' period) Edward VII (1901-1910) ('Edwardian' period) Elizabeth I1 (1952- ) The United Kingdom is very small compared with many other countries in the world. However, there are only nine other countries with more people, and London is the world's seventh biggest city. The main areas of high land are in Scotland, Wales and Cumbria. In the centre of England is a range of hills called the Pennines, which are also known as the 'backbone of England'. The highest mountains are in Scotland and Wales: Ben Nevis is 4,406 feet (1,343 m.) and Snowdon is 3,560 feet (1,085 m.). Of course, these are very small compared with other mountains in the world - Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is 29,000 feet (8,839 m.). In fact everything in the United Kingdom is rather small- the longest rivers are the Severn (220 miles, 354 km.) and the River Thames (215 miles, 346 Icm.). Compare these with the River Amazon in South America which is 4,195 miles (6,751 km.)long! Despite its size, there is a great deal of variety within the islands of the United Kingdom, and this book aims to show the particular character of each country and region. Who are the British? Why British not English? Many foreigners say 'England' and 'English' when they mean 'Britain', or the 'UK'. and 'British'. This is verv annovine for &e 5 million people who live in Scotland, the 2.8 million in Wales and 1.5 million in Northern Ireland who are cenainly not English. (46 million people live in England.) However, the people from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are all British. So what is the diffhrence between the names 'Great Britain' and 'the United Kingdom' - and what about 'the British Isles'? A - The United Kingdom This is an abbreviation of 'the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. It is often further abbreviated to 'UK', and is the political name of the counuy which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster). Several islands off the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom (for example, the Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shetlands, and the Isles of Scilly), although the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not. However, all these islands do recognize the Queen. Great Britain This is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and so, strictly speaking, it does not include Northern Ireland. The orikn of the word 'Great' is a reference to size, because in many European languages the words for Britain and Brittany in France are the same. In fact, it was the French who fust talked about Grande Bretagne! In everyday speech 'Britain' is used to mean the UnitedKingdom. - But it is important to remember that Southern Ireland - that is the Republic of Ireland (also called 'Eire')- is completely indeoendent. So you can see that 'The United Kingdom' is the correct name use ifyou are referring to the counuy in a political, rather than in a geographical way. 'British' refers to people from them, G~~~~Britain or the British Isles in general. The IVelsliflag, called tlze Welsli dragon. How was the United Kingdom formed? This took centuries, and a lot of armed struggle was involved. In the 15th century, a Welsh prince, Henry Tudor, became King Henry VII of England. Then his son, King Henry VLZI, united England and Wales under one Parliament in 1536. In Scotland a similar thing happened. The King of Scotland inherited the crown of England and Wales in 1603, so he became King James I of England and Wales and King James VI of Scotland. The Parliaments of England, Wales and Scotland were united a century later in 1707. The Scottish and Welsh are proud and independent people. In recent years there have been attempts at devolution in the two countries, particularly in Scotland where the Scottish Nationalist Party was very strong for a while. However. in a referendum in 1978 the welsh rejected The British Isles devolution and in 1979 the Scots did the This is the geographical name that refers to same. So it seems that most Welsh and all the islands off the north west coast of the Scottish ~ e o o l eare h a o ~ vto form oart of Euro~eancontinent: Great Britain. the the UK even though sometimes whole orIreland (Northern and ~ ~ " t h e r n ) , complain that rheiare dbminared by the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. England, and particularly by London. &e; 2 Unit one The whole of Ireland was united with Great Britain fiom 1801 up until 1922. In that year the independent Republic of Ireland was formed in the South, while Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The story of this particular union is long and complicated and you will read more about it in Unit 10. from France. These invasions drove the Celts into what is now Wales and Scotland, and they remained, of course, in Ireland. The English, on the orher hand, are the descendants of all the invaders, but are more Anglo-Saxon than anything else. These various origins explain many of the differences to be found between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland - differences in education, religion and the legal systems, but most obviously, in language. The Union Jack Language The Celts spoke Celtic which survives today in the form of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. Less than a quarter of all Welsh people (600,000, out of 2,800,000) speak Welsh. Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic are still spoken, although they have suffered more than Welsh from the spread of English. However, all three languages are now officially encouraged and taught in schools. The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St David is the patron saint of Wales. Invasion What makes the Scottish, Welsh, English and Northern Irish different from each other? About 2,000 years ago the British Isles were inhabited by the Celts who originally came from continental Europe. During the next 1,000 years there were many invasions. The Romans came from Italy in m 43 and, in calling the counuy 'Britannia', gave Britain its name. The Angles and Saxons came from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands in the 5th century, and England gets its name from this invasion (Angle-land). The Vikings arrived from Denmark and Norway throughout the 9th century, and in 1066 (the one date in history which every British school-child linows) the Normans invaded English developed from Anglo-Saxon and is a Germanic language. However, all the invading peoples, particularly the Norman French, influenced the English language and you can 6nd many words in English which are French in origin. Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English (even if they speak their own language as well), but all the counmes have their own special accents and dialects, and their people are easily recognizable as soon as they spunk. Occasionally, people from the four countries in the UK have difficulrv in understanding one another because of these different accents. A southern English accent is generally accepted to be the most easily understood, and is the accent usually taught to foreigners. Multiracial Britain Recently, there have been many waves of immigration into Britain and movement within the UK. For example, many people from Wales, Scotland and Ireland have settled in England; and Jews, Russians, Germans, and Pales have come to Britain (particularly London) during political changes in the rest of Europe. The United Kingdom 3 Commonwealth citizens were allowed free entry into Britain until 1962. Before the were Second World War these imminrants mostly people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In the 19505, people from the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong were encouraged to come and work in Britain. Today, 2 million British people are of West Indian or Asian origin and over 50 per cent of them were born in Brilain. which they wish to keep alive. They also have their own newspapers, and radio and television programmes. . This latest wave of immigration has of course caused problems. There is certainly racial tension and racial prejudice in Britain today. In spite of laws passed to protect them, there is still discrimination against Asian and black people, many of whom are unemployed or in low-paid jobs. However, the atmosphere is improving and the different races are slowly learning to trust one another. In a wide educational programme white school-children, teachers, policemen and social workers are learning about the problems and customs of their new neighbours. There are many areas in Britain now where racial harmony is a reality. British culture is being enriched through its contact with other cultures. For example, the British are becoming more adventurous in their cooking and eating habits, and Chinese, Indian and Palusrani restaurants are very popular. Another example can be found in the pop music scene where West Indian reggae music has become very intluential. WORDS The new immigrant communities are concentrated in the following towns and cities: London, Slough, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Luton, Bradford, Coventry, Bedford, Reading and Sandwell. The main languages of the Asian immigrants are Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Cantonese (Chinese). Nowadays the policy is to encourage these communities to conrinue speaking their own languages as well as English. The children of immigrants are often taught their own languages in school, and there are special newspapers, magazines, and radio and television programmes for the Asian community. The West Indians, of course, arrive speaking English, but they do have their own culture 4 Unir one The English come from England, the Scots from Scotland, the Welsh from Wales and the Irish from Ireland. Thinkof as many European countries as you can. What are the people called? What language do they speak? TALKING POINTS .What invasions has your country suffered in the past 2.000 years? What effects have these invasions had? A r e there any immigrants in your country? Have there been any problems associated with immigrants? If so, what should be done to solve these problems? Do many people from your country go to live and work in other countries? Are they treated well? The political system The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch (a king or a queen) as its Head of State. The monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of Parliament. Parliament consists of two chambers known as the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government of the country, and they only meet together on symbolic occasions such as the coronation of a new monarch or the opening olParliament. In reality, the House of Commons is the only one of the three which has true power. It is here that new bids are introduced and debated. If the majority of the members are in favour of a hill it goes to the House of Lords to be debated and finally to the monarch to be signed. Only then does it become law. Although a bill must be supported by all three bodies, the House of Lords only has limited powers, and the monarch has not refused to sign one since the modern political system began over 200 years ago. The House of Commons and the electoral system The House of Commons is made up of 650 elected members, known as Members of Parliament (abbreviated to MPs), each of whom represents an area (or constituency) of the United Kingdom. They are elected either at a general election, or at a byelection following the death or retirement of an MP. The election campaign usually lasts about three weeks. Everyone over the age of 18 can vote in an election, which is decided on a simple majority - the candidate with the most votes wins. Under this svstem. an MF who wins by a small numberbf votes may have more vores againsr him ([ha is, for rhe other candidarcs) than fur him. T h ~ s is a very simple system, hut many people think that it is unfair because the wishes of those who voted for the unsuccessful candidares are nor represenred ar all. Farliamentan~elections must be held every five \'ears ar the Ialcsr. bur rhe Prime k s t e r can decide on the exact date within those five years. I Voting figures for the 1987 election 1 The party system The British democratic system depends on political parties, and there has been a party svstem of some kind since the 17th centurv. he political parties choose candidates in elections (there are sometimes independent candidates, but they are rarely elected). The party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The largest minority party becomes the Opposition. In doing so it accepts the right of the majority party to run the country, while the majority party accepts the right of the minority party to criticize it. Without this agreement between tbe political parties, the British parliamentary system would break down. The Prime Minister chooses about twenty AU's from his or her parry 10 become Cahinet .llinisters. Each minister is responsible for a particular area of government, and for a Civil Service department. For example, the Minister of ~ i f e n c is e r~s~onsiblefor defence polic!' and the armed forces, ihe Chancellor ofthe Exchuuuur for financial nolicv, -.and the Home Secretary for, among other things, law and order and immigration. Their Civil . The Unired Kingdom 5 Service departments are called the Minis~ry of Defence. the Treasury and the Home are staffed by civil Office respectively. servants who are politically neutral and who therefore do not change if the Go\~ernment changes. The leader of the Opposition also chooses MPs to take responsibility for opposing the Government in these areas. They are known as the 'Shadow Cabinet'. s he> The parliamentary parties The Conservative and Liberal parties are the oldest, and until the last years of the 19th century they were the only parties elected to the House of Commons. Once working-class men were given the vote, however, Socialist MPs were elected, but it was not until 1945 that Britain had its first Labour Government. At this election, the number of Liberal MPs was greatly reduced and since then Governments have been formed by either the Labour or the Conservative party. Usually they have had clear majorities -that is, one party has had more MPs than all the others combined. The Conservative Party can broadly be described as the party of the middle and upper classes although it does receive some working-class support. Most of its voters live in rural areas, small towns and the suburbs of large cities. Much of its financial supportcomes from large industrial companies. The Labour Party, on the other hand, has al\vays had strong links with the trade unions and receives financial s u o ~ o r t from them. While many Labour votei'are middle-class or intellec~als,the traditional Labour Party support is still strongest in industrial areas. In 1981, some MPs left the Labour Party to form a new 'left-of-centre' party- the Social Democratic Pany (SDP)- which they hoped would win enough support to break the two-party system of the previous forty years. They fought the 1983 election in an alliance with the Liberals, but only a small number of their MPs were elected. In 1988, the majority of SDP and Liberal MPs and party members decided to form a permanent single party, to be called the Social, Democratic and Liberal Party or The Social and Liberal Democrats. However, some SDP MPs and party members disagreed with the idea, and so the SDP still exists as a separate party. They (and other small minority parties in the House of Commons) would like to change the electoral system; they want MPs to be elected by proportional representation. Under this system, the number of MPs from each party would correspond to the total number of votes each party receives in the election. The table on page 5 shows clearly why the Social, Democratic and Liberal Party thinks the present system is unfair. I Tlze Speaker's clmirhe keeps order dztrilzg debates. 2 Tlze Gouenaneat sit kere. Cabiizet Mitzisters sit 011 the Front Be~zch. 3 The Opposilimz sit on this side. Tlze Shadow Cabinetface the Cabitlet. 4 Otker M P s sir kere according to their party. Tlze debatingcl~anzbwoftlze Home of Co~~onotts. 6 Unit one The House of Lords The House of Lords has more than 1,000 members, although only about 250 take an active part in the work of the House. There are 26 Anglican bishops, 950 hereditary peers, 11 judges and 185 life peers, and unlike MPs they do not receive a salary. They debate a bill after it has been passed by the House of Commons. Changes may be recommended, and agreement between the two Houses is reached by negotiation. The Lords' main power consists of being able to delay non-financial bills for a period n introduce of a year, but they c ~ also cerrnin types of bill. The House of Lords is the only non-elected second chamber among all the democracies in the world, and some people in Britain would like to abolish it. The monarchy The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. Theoretically every act of government is done in the Queen's name every letter sent out by a govenunent department is marked 'On Her Majesty's Service'- and she appoints all tbe Ministers, including the Prime Minister. In reality, everything is done on the advice of the elected Government, and the monarch takes no part in the decision-making process. Local government parliament in London is responsible for deciding national policy, but many public services are provided by local government. The United Kingdom is divided into administrative areas known as 'counties' and each county has a 'county town' where the offices of the local govenunenr are located. Local government is responsible for organising such services as education, libraries, police and fire services, roadbuilding and many others. TALKING POINT Some people think thatthe monarchy should be abolished because it has no power and it costs the State a lot of money to maintain. How useful do you thinkthe monarchy is in Britain today? Religion Throughout British history religion has been closely connected with kings, queens and politics. England was a Roman Catholic counny until 1534. Why did this change? .. When a king and a pope quarrelled. In 1525 King Henry VIII decided to divorce his queen, Catherine of Aragon who, at the age of forty, was five years older than H e m . Also. she had only ~ v e him n a daughter, and ~ e - & ywanted i s i n . He fell in love with Anne Boleyn who was younger, but when Henry asked the Popc for ocrmission to divorce Catherine. he reh;sed. Henry was so angry with tde Pope that he ended all contact between England and Rome, divorced Catherine of Aragon without the Pope's permission and married Anne Boleyn. In 1534 Parliament named Henry head of the Church of England. This was the beginning of the Anglican Church. This quarrel with Rome was political, not religious. The Anglican Church did not start as a Protestant Church and Henry certainly did not regard himself as a Protestant. In fact, the Pope had given Henry the title of 'Defender of the Faith' in 1521 for words he wrote attacking Martin Luther, the German Protestant. (British kings and queens still have this title, and ~o'can seethe letters m DEF or F.D. on British coins today.) However the Protestant movement in Europe was mowina-verv.strona at this time. When Henry quarrelled with Rome and ordered the Bible to be translated into English, the way was open for Protestantism to spread in England. Over the next years many people changed to this new religion. The United Kingdom 7 4 Anne of Cleves diuowed. therine of Aragon divorced. Anne Boleyn menrted. Catherine Howard -* executed. - !atzging wives became a habit with He Altogetlzer he had six! 3 Jane Seymour died in cl~ildbirtlz. In 1553 Mary, Henry's daughter by Catherine of Aragon, became Queen of England. Because she was a Roman Catholic, the country re-entered the Roman Church. While Mary was Queen, many Protestants were burned at the stake for their beliefs. She also put her non-Roman Catholic sister, Elizabeth (the daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn), into prison in the Tower of London. Protestants were glad when Mary died in 1558 and Elizabeth became Queen. Elizabeth also became head of the Anglican Church, like her father, and Roman Catholicism was never again the established (official) religion in England. The Puritans After Elizabeth became Queen, a group of Protestants wanted to 'purify' the Church of England of all Roman Catholic influence. These people were called Puritans- they were the English Protestants. They dressed very simply and believed that all pleasures, 8 Unit one 6 Catherine Pan- lived lo~zgel.tllan Heniy such as fine clothes and the theatre, were wicked. When James I was King(1603-1625) the Puritans were often put in prison and sometimes even killed. Some of them decided to leave England to find freedom in a new country. They sailed from Plymouth in 1620 in a ship called the 'MayBower', and these 'Pilgrim Fathers' - as they were calledstarted a new life in America. The senice which they held to thank God for their arrival, became a traditional annual festival in America, called 'Thanksgiving'. Under the rule of James 1's son, Charles I, the Puritans were treated even worse. Many people sympathized with the Puritans, and the Court was unpopular because it was suspected of being a centre of Roman Catholicism. (This was because Charles's *There nreno picrurrr ofcnrherine Howurd. This was once bought to he hm. wife was a Roman Catholic.) This religious split between the Puritans and the Court was one cause of the outbreak of civil war in 1628 and [he e~,cnrwlexecution of Charles I. Followinr this. from 1649 to 1660.' Brirain was a republic for a short while. Britain's immigrants have also brought with them their own religions which they continue to practise. There are Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs from the Indian suhconunenr. Kasrafarians -from ihc ---. --- \Verr .. . . . Indies, and the largest group of Jews living in Europe. The United Kingdom 9 1 I Family life 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. Some of these have been caused by new laws and others are the result of changes in society. For example, since the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has increased. In fact one marriage in every three now ends in divorce. This means that there are a lot of one-parent families. Society is now more tolerant than it used to be of unmarried people, unmarried couples and single parents. Another change bas been caused by the fact that people are living longer nowadays, and many old people live alone following the death of their partners. As a result of these changes in the pattern of people's lives, there are many households which consist of only one person or one adult and children. You might think that marriage and the family are not so popular as they once were. However, the majority of divorced people marry again, and they sometimes take responsibility for a second family. 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, and so the family becomes scattered. Christmas is the traditional season for reunions. Although the family group is smaller nowadays than it used to be, relatives often travel many miles in order to spend the holiday together. In general, each generation is keen to become independent of parents in establishing its own family unit, and this fact can lead to social as well as geographical differences within the larger family group. Who looks after the older generation? There are about 10 million old-age pensioners in Britain, of whom about 750,000 cannot live entirely independently. The government gives financial help in the form of a pension but in the future it will be 10 Unit one more and more m c u l t for the national economy to support the increasing number of elderly. At the present time, more than half of all old people are looked after at home. Many others live in Old Peoples' Homes, which may be private or stateowned. The individual and the family 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. Increased leisure facilities and more money mean that there are greater opportunities for the individual to take part in activities outside the home. 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. TALKING POINT People say that children today grow up more quickly. The law sometimes makes this possible. Look atthe information below -how is the law differentin your country? youNG PEOPLE AND THE LAW ~g~ 19 may be employed partdime. ~g~ 14 allowed in bars but not to drink alcohol. Age 15 legany a 'young person' and not a 'child'. kge 16 school leaving age, Can leave home, drive a moped, marry with parents' consent (not needed in scotland), buy beer -with a meal. ~g~ 17 can drive a car or motorbike. ~g~ 18 age of majority - can Vote, get married without p~rents' consent, own property, get tattooed, drink in pubs . . . Festivals On New Year's Eve, people traditionally take a shower in the fountains in Trafalgar Square! The Christmas tree is an annual gift from Norway I'm in love! On 14th February, St Valentine's Day, many people send a card to the one they love or someone whom they have fallen in love with. People usually do not sign these cards and a lot of time is spent uying to guess who has sent them! Pancake Day Ash Wednesday is the day in February when the Christian period of Lent begins. This refers to the time when Christ went into the desert and fasted for forty days. Although not many people acmally give up eating during this period, on Pancake Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, they eat lots of pancakes. These are made from flour, milk and eggs, and fried in a hot 3X33~@3~-.1&-~-333 Easter eggs At Easter time, the British celebrate the idea of new birth by giving each other chocolate Easter eggs which are opened and eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday is a holiday and many people travel to the seaside for the day or go and watch one of the many sporting events, such as football or horse-racing. Some towns also hold pancake races on that day. People run through the streets holding a frying pan and throwing the pancake in the air. Of course if they drop the pancake they lose the race! The United Kingdom 11 M a y is here As summer comes, Britain likes to celebrate the end of the winter. In England on 1st May, Morris men may be seen in country areas celebrating traditional dances, waving their white handkerchiefs to drive away the evil spirits and welcome in the new ones. At school and in smaller village communities children may dance traditional spring dances such as the Maypole, when they weave their brightly coloured scarves into a beautirul pattern around a long pole. sheets knock on doors at Hallowe'en and ask if you would like a 'trick' or 'treat'. If you give them something nice, a 'treat', they go away. However, ifyou don't they play a 'uick' on you, such as making a lot of noise or spilling flour on your front doorstep! G u y Fawkes Night In 1605 King James I was on the throne. As a Protestant, he was very unpopular with Roman Catholics. Some of them planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November of that year, when the King was going to open Parliament. Under the House of Lords they had stored thirty-six barrels of gun powder, which were to be exploded by a man called Guy Fawkes. However one of the plotters spoke about these plans and Fawkes was discovered, arrested and later hanged. Since that day the British traditionally celebrate 5th November by burning a dummy, made of straw and old clothes, on a b o d r e , whilst at the same time letting off fireworks. This dummy is called a 'guy' (like Guy Fawkes) and children can often be seen on the pavements before 5th November saying, 'Penny for the guy.' If they collect enough money they can buy some fireworks. Ghosts a n d witches Hallowe'en means'holy evening', and takes place on 31st October. Although it is a much more important festival in the United States than Britain, it is celebrated by many people in the UK. It is particularly connected with witches and ghosts. At parties people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are witches. They cut horrible faces in potatoes and other vegetables and put a candle inside, which shines through the eyes. Peoplemay play difficult games such as trying to eat an apple from a bucket of water without using their hands. In recent years children dressed in white 12 Unit one *a@ %a@ % Christmas If you uy to catch a main on 24th December you may have difficulty in iinding a seat. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day, 25th December. For most British families, this is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter. There are a lot of traditions connected with-~ Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents. Family members wrap u p their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave a long sock or stocking at the end of their bed on Christmas Eve, 24th December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts. They are usually not disappointed! At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. They will probably pull a cracker with another member of the family. It will make a loud crack and a coloured hat, small toy and joke will fall out1 ~ Later in the afternoon they may watch the Queen on television as she delivers her rnditional Christmas message ro [he Unired Kingdom and the Commonwealth. If they have room for even more food they may enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie. 26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, and this is the rime to visit friends and relatives or be a spectator at one of the ~. . . t .. The United Kingdom 13 1 Who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I? 2 From which group of invaders did England gets its name? 3 What happens to a bill after it has been passed by the House of Commons? 4 Where would you find a kirk? 5 What do families usually give each other on Easter Sunday? 6 What is the name of Britain's highest mountain? 7 Name two areas in Britain where a lot of immigrants live. 8 What is the connection between the 'Mayflower' and the United States of America? 9 At what age can you drive a car in Britain? 10 What is the maximum length - of a Parliament? 11 What happens on St Valentine's Day? 12 Describetwo of the three flags which make up the Union Jack. 13 Which countrv is sometimes called Ulster? 14 When do the British open their Christmas presents? 15 Why do some MPs want to change the electoral system? 16 A red dragon is the symbol of which country? (You will find the answers on page 138.) A FESTIVAL CROSSWORD Across 1 5 6 9 10 You may see them at Hallowe'en. 'Trick.. .treat'. ...James I. You can't buy much with this. Send a card on Valentine's Day if you are.. . love. 11 The eleventh month. Down 2 A lot of people go there at Christmas. 3 The English eat it on Christmas Day. 4 Would you like to . . . some carols? 7 Fireworks make a lot of this! 8 People dance.. . May 1st. 9 You cook pancakes in this. I I I I I I b i d the special name for a proposal before i t becomes law 14 Unit one I (You will find the answers on page 138.) Glossary abbreviate to make short abolish to end Anglican of the Church of England annoying causing anger or irritation appoint to choose armed struggle fighting with weapons I blow up to explode break down (a) not to worlc broadly approximately bun a sweet bread roll carol a Christmas hymn caught up with involved with the Civil Service government administration I the Commonwealth an organization of independent states which were part of the British empire continental Europe the part of Europe that excludes the British Isles coronation a ceremony when a new monarch is crowned correspond to to represent criticize to 6nd faults with cruelty pleasure in causing pain debate (u) to discuss formally devolution giving part of the power of government to a smaller area or country diagonal a line going from one corner of a rectangle to the opposite comer discrimination treating someone differently because of their colour, race, religion or sex dragon a mythical animal dreadlocks long strands of tightly-curled hau- a style typical of Rastafarian men dummy an object made to look like a real person elderly old (people) election campaign an organized attempt to persuade people to vote for a particular political party enrich make richer or more interesting evil had execute to kill the Faith Christianity fast (a) to stop eating festivity a celebration ghost a spirit glitter .to shine hanged killed by hanging from a rope tied round the neck harmful causing harm or injury hereditary peer a lord who has aained his title b y birth Hindu a member of an Indian religion hoUy a plant with prickly leaves hymn a song - sunn- in Church &migrate to come and live in a new country life peer a lord whose title will not be inherited hv his children maintain to keep mince-pie a small pie filled with dried fruit and spices moped a motorized bicycle Morris men traditional dancers multiracial having many races Muslim a member of the Islamic religion negotiation discussion neutral not belonging to any one party old-age pensioner a woman over 60 or a man over 65, receiving a state pension outbreak (n) the start patron saint a saint who is strongly associated with a particular country political party a group of people united in politics prejudice (n) thinking badly of people without really knowing them Protestantism a form of Christianity started by Martin Luther in the 16th cennuy, when be 'protested' against Roman Catholicism public holiday a day when nobody goes to work range a line Rastafarian a member of a West Indian religion referendum a vote 'yes' or 'no' on one question only reggae West Indian pop music with a strong rhythm reign (u) (of a monarch) to rule reunion a meeting, usually after a long period of separation m a 1 of or in the counuy scattered in different places Sikh a member of an Indian religion social worker a person employed to give help or advice staff (u) to supply an institution (e.g. a school or a department) with workers stake (71) a piece of wood to which people were tied to be Idled, especially by burning suburb an area on the edge of a city tattoo (a) to mark skin with words or pictures tolerant accepting (different ideas or people) in touch in contact trade union an organization of a group of worlcers turkey a big bud wave (n) a period wicked bad witch a woman who uses magic working class people who work, for example, in factories (contrast upper class and middle class) The United Kingdom 15 London Regional Transport The easiest way to travel around London is by a London Regional Transport bus or underground train. These run from the centre of the city right out into the countryside. British people queue up when waiting for a bus (and lots of other things!). They get very annoyed with queue-jumpers - people who don't wait their turn in the queue. The London Underground - or 'tube'- has nine lines. It's very fast, and in Central London you're never more than a few minutes' walk away fiom a station. Visitor Excuse me, please. Can you tell me h o w to getto Buckingham Palace? Londoner Well, Euston station is just across the road, and Buckingham Palace is near St James's Park. So you'd better take the Northern Line going south. Then change at Embankment on to the Circle or District Line going west. Visitor Thanks a lot1 You are at Piccadilly Circus. Using the maps above, choose a place to visit, and practise similar dialogues with a partner. Take it in turns to be the visitor. . ANSWER 1 What is the tube? 2 What must you do when waiting for a bus? 3 Would you prefer to travel in London by bus or by taxi or by tube? Why? London 17 A city with a difference London was not b~rilfas a city in the same way as Paris or New York. It began Life as a Roman fortification at a place where it was possible to cross the River Thames. A wall was built around the town for defence, but during the long period of peace which followed the Norman Conquest, people huilt outside the walls. This building continued over the years, especially to the west of the city. In 1665 there was a terrible plague in London, so many people left the city and escaped to the villages in the surrounding countryside. In 1666 the Great Fire of London ended the plague, but it also destroyed much of the city. Although people renuned to live in the rebuilt city after the plague and the Great Fire, there were never again so many Londoners living in the city centre. These days not many people live in the city centre, but London has spread further outwards into the counw. includinn surrounding villages. ~ d d a the y mekopolis of Greater London covers some 610 square miles (1580 sq. km.)and the suburbs of London continue even beyond this area. Some people even commute over 100 miles (over 150 km.)every day to work in London, while living fur away from the city in the country or in other towns. The gradual growth of the city helps to explain the fact that London does not have just one centrc, it has a number ofcentres, each with a distinct character: the financial and business centre called the City (spelt with a capital 'C'),the shopping and entertainment centre in the West End, the government centre in Westminster. Places like Highgate and Hampstead have kept their village-like character - they have their own newspapers and the famous Hampstead Heath is a reminder of country origins. TALKING POINTS What do you know aboutthe origins of the capital city of your country? Manv, .oeoole in Britain do not like livinq- in city centres and so they commute to work from the suburbs and the surrounding countryside. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? . The City Tradition The City does not refer to the whole of central London but rather to a small area east of the centre, which includes the site of the original Roman town. It is an area with a long and exciting history, and it is proud of its independence and traditional role as a centre of trade and commerce. This tradition is focussed on the City's Lord Mayor, whose official residence is the Mansion House. Once a year, in November, the Lord Mayor's Show takes place. This is a colourful street parade in which the newly elected Lord Mayor travels 18 Unit two in a golden coach, which is over 200 years old. In the evening a splendid meal is served in the Guildhall, to which the Prime Minister and members of the Government are invited. Commerce and finance The City of London is one of the major banking centres of the world and you can find the banks of many nations in the famous Threadneedle Street and the surrounding area. Here, too, you will find the Bank of England. Nearby is the Stock Exchange which is like a busy market, except that here not food but shares in commercial companies are bought and sold. A little further along in Leadenhall Street is Lloyds, the most famous insurance company in the world. During weekdays in the City you can see the City gents with their bowler hats, p@striped suits and rolled umbrellas. Tlus 1s the 'uniform' only of those men involved in banking and business in the City, and outside this small area you will probably not see anyone dressed like this. The Old Bailey The centre of the country's judicial system is to be found in the western part of the City. The Old Bailey houses many courts and some of Britain's most famous murder trials have taken place here. Many solicitors and banisters haie their offices (called 'chambers') nearby, particularly in the area known as the 'Temple'. AU criminal mals in Britain are held before a judge and a jury consisting of twelve ordinary people. It is the jury, not the judge, who decides ifa person is guilty or not. An accused person is considered innocent until proved guilty. All defendants are entitled to legal representation, which will be provided free ifthey cannot pay for it. Quality Daily Newspapers The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times, The Independent. Popular Daily Newspapers The Daily Express, The Sun, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, Today, The Star. Quality Sunday Newspapers The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Sunday Telegraph. Popular Sunday Newspapers The News of the World, The The Mail on sunday, The Sunday Mirror, he sunday Express. The press Fleet Street is famous as the home of the nation's newspapers but, in fact, only two of them - Tlle Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph-are stillin Fleet Street. However, people still say 'Fleet Street' to mean 'the press'. The British are a nation of newspaper readers. Many of them even have a daily paper delivered to their homes in time for breakfast1 British newsvauers can be divided into two groups: quac6and popular. Qualitv newspapers are more serious and c&er home and foreign news thoughtfully wlule the popular newspapers like shocking, personal stories as well as some news. These nvo groups of papers can be distinguished easily because the quality newspapers are twice the size of the popular newspapers. ~ More uniforms! Barristers on tlzeir wny to the courts at tlze OldBniley. London 19 Historic buildings in the City S f Parrl's Catliedral was designed by rhe/alrious arclrirect Sir Clriisrophe~.I V ~ L ~u/rer I I , [he CrL~ur Filr o/Loirdo~ibi 1666. Plirlce Clrarles arid Lad>'Dialla Sp~'ilceruerei~raniedrhere br J ~ r b 1981. 0UlZ TIre Tmuer oflondoiz wasfirst built by Williain the Coizauerorntore tlran 900 vea1.s ago, and wasfaiirous as apiisoiz. TFOqueeru were execlitcd here, and iwopr-inces nrtrrdered. - 20 Unit two 1 One influential daily newspaper in Britain is printed on pink paper. True or false? 2 One of the queens who was beheaded in theTowerwas Catherine Howard. She was not the only wife to be beheaded. Who was the husband? 3 How do tali ships pass up the Thames beyond Tower Bridge? 4 What famous marriage took place at St Paul's Cathedral in July 19817 5 What ancient London landmark was bought by an American, shipped stone by stone to the USAand rebuilt in Arizona? (You will find the answers on page 138.) The East End The East End grew with the spread of industries to the east of the City, and the growth of the port of London. It covers a wide area. A part like Bethnal Green, which was once a country village, is quite different fiom the areas down by the river, where there are many wharfs and warehouses. It is also one of those areas of London where people from abroad have come to h d work. For centuries foreigners have made London their home. Some have had to leave their country for religious or political reasons. Others have wanted to 6nd a better life. Some brought new skills and started new industries. These days, many Jews and Bengalis live in the East End, and within a small area you can see a mosque, a church and a synagogue! The East End is especially famous as the centre of the clothing industry (or 'rag-trade') in London. The East End marltets are famous throughout the world. Petticoat Lane market takes place every Sunday morning and has become one of the sights of London. Street-salesmen promise that the goods are of the highest quality and much cheaper than those you can buy in the West End! 'Come on darlin' . . . amazin' bargain . . . you ain't seen nuffink like itl' ~raditionall~someone born in the East End is known as a coclcney although this name is now given to anyone who speaks like a Londoner. Typically they change certain vowel sounds so that the sound in 'late' becomes more like that in 'linht'. In addition they don't use the usual 't' sound of standard English but stop the air in their throat. (Try saying 'bu'er' instead of 'butter'!) Like some foreign learners of English they seem to have a few problems with 'th' and use an 'f' insteadl During the last cennuy, East End criminals developed a special kind of slang or lanruare which made it difficult for the o; understand them. In certain parts of London this slang is still used, and some expressions have passed into normal, everyday English. It is called 'rhyming slang' because words are replaced by other words or phrases which rhyme. For example 'loaf of bread' means 'head', and 'butcher's hook' means 'look'. However, usually only the first word of the phrase is used, for example, 'Use your loafl' means 'Use your head. . don't be silly!' and 'Let me have a butcher's.' means 'Let me have a look.' . PUZZLE Here are some examples of rhyming slan Match the words on the right with the rhyming slang on the left. Barnet Fair London 21 The West End The West End is the name given to the area of central London north from The Mall to Oxford Street. It includes Trafalgar Square, the main shopping areas of Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, and the entertainment centres of Soho, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Shaftesbury Avenue. Its name is associated with glamour and bright lights. Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square was built early in the last cennuy to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. Admiral Lord Nelson's statue standson top of a column in the middle of Trafalgar Square. The square makes a good place for people to meet - coaches pick up parties of visitors, marchers unite for Trafalgar Square is a fa~aol~s ?neetingplace. 22 Unit two protest meedngs, and at Christmas time carol singers gather round a huge Christmas tree which is sent to Britain from Norway every year. Behind Nelson's Column is the National Gallery, an art gallery in which you can find many old masters. Shopping Alost of London's big department stores are in Oxford Street and Reaent Street. Thev are always crowded, but at sale times, in . January and July, there are so many people that it is difficult to move and it is usually safer to go in the direction of the majority1 These days, it is often difficult to disdnguish the goods in one large store from those in another. - DO YOU KNOW? A department store is a large shop which sells a wide range of goods in different departments, each wlth a spec~alname. Here are some of them and bes~dethem 1s a list of goods. In which department would vou buvthem? Look uo the answer in vour COlYFECTlOIilERY HARDVJARE ELECTRICAL qABERDASHERY STATIONER\[ CLAFETEAIA BEDDING I to eat and drink. The opening hours are different from most other shops: they open at 10a.m. and close at 8 p.m., whereas most shops open from 9a.m. to 5.30p.m. As well as shopping, there is entertainment with lunch-time theatre groups and classical, jazz, folk and pop music. Mrs Tl~atcherat Madaale Tussaud's. If you are looking for something 'different' (but cannot afford the prices of Bond Street) it is certainly worth going to New Covent Garden. This used to be England's biggest fruit and vegetable market, but a few years ago, the market was moved to a new site on the other side of the River Thames. The old market, now called 'New Covent Garden', was restored and converted into a shopping centre. There are now more than forty shops of many different kinds, and there are several places Entertainment Piccadilly Circus is the centre of night life in the West End. It is usually top of everyone's list of things to see in London, because it is so well known. It is a c ~ a u y quite small, and most people are rather disappointed when they see it for the first time because they had imagined it would be much bigger! To the north of Piccadilly Circus is Soho, which has been the foreign quarter of London since the 17th century. Now it has restaurants offering food from a variety of different countries, especially Chinese and Italian ones, as well as 'adult' entertainment. London is famous for its live theatre, and there are over thirty theatres within a square mile. Naturally there is a great variety of shows to choose from: 'whodunnits', opera, musicals, drama, comedies and so on. If you want to know what is on in London, the best place to look is in a newspaper. London 23 ACTIT OUT Look at these advertisements. Decide with a Partner what you would like to see, then imagine that you have to telephone the theatre to book tickets. Plan what to say ( d e c i d e on the price, day. ~erformance,etc.) before acting out the dialogue with your partner. MAYFAIR. S. CC 629 3036. Man.N E LONDON. ~ cc umryLZPE WCZ. ~ h u r 8.0. ~ . Fri. & Sat. 5.40 & 8.10. 01405 0072 or 01404 4019 EVSS Grp. 930 6173. 7.45. Tue. & Sut. 3.0 & 7.45. RICHARD TODD THE I W D m I V LLOYD WEBBER ERIC LANDER, VIRGINIA STRIDE in T. S. ELIOT INTERNATIONAL AWAR!J WINNINGMUSICAL THE BUSINESS OF MURDER he best U d e r for years."-S. CATS THIRD GREAT YEAR G~~~~~ooldngs01405 1567 or 01OVER 1,000 PERFORMANCES 930 6123. ~ p p didy ~ y to BOX Ofice for returns. LATECOMERS NOT M M I T T E O WHILE AUDITORIUM IS DUKE OF YORK'S. S CC 836 5122. CC IN MOTION. PLEASE BE PROMPT. ~ n l y836 0641. CC Hotlie 930 9232. Burs open 6.45 p.m. Mon. to Thun. Evss 8.0. Friday and OVER 1,000 SOLD OUT PERFS Svturdvy 5.45 end 8.30. IAN OGILVY ANGELA STEPHANIE LONDON PALLADIUM. 01437 7373. THORNE BEACHAM E~~~7.30. M a e Wed & Sat 2.45. JAMES LAURENSON In FIRST EVER STAGE PRODUCTlON TOMMY STEELE in SINGIN'IN THE RAIN wilh ROY CASTLE HAYMARKET THEATRE ROYAL. 930 9832. Group Sdcs 01-930 6173. Eves 7.30. M a e Weds 2.30. Sub at 3.0. Reduced prices at Mat. far Senior Citizens. JOAN FRANK PLOWRIGHT FINLAY LESLIE PHILLIPS JVE:;N:NIb\ in THECHERRYORCHARD in ANTON CHEKHOV Directed by LINDSAY ANDERSON LIMITED SEASON ONLY ST MARTIN'S. 836 1443. Specid CC No 930 9732. Evgs 8.0. Tues. 2.45. Sae 5.0 and 8.0 AGATHA CHRISTIE'S HAPPY FAMILY THE MOUSETRAP 31st Year BY Gides Cwper Directed by Maria Aitken SORRY, no reduced prices from any souice, but seats boobble from E3. Westminster 24 Unit two FfgER [EL&'", BERNARD MILES Every day when people in the UK and overseas switch on their radio to listen to BBC radio news, they can hear one of the most famous sounds in London. On the hour, the bells of Big Ben ring loud and clear. Many people think that Big Ben is the clock or the whole tower next to the Houses of Parliament. In fact, it is the largest of the five bells at the top of the tower. Parliament itself is in Westminster, a part of London that has long been connected with royalty and government. King Edward the Confessor first decided to build a palace beside the River Thames in the 1lth century. His successors extended the palace and made it their main residence. Gradually, Westminster became the centre of government and justice. At first, Parliament was organized by the monarch as a way of governing the country. He or she called different groups together: the Lords represented the Church and aristocracy whilst the Commons were used by the rich land-owners to put forward the views and interests of their own town or villaee. Over the centuries Dower eraduallv passid from the monarch to parliament b i t not without a few problems! During the reign of James I, for example, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament (see page 12). James' son, Charles I, thought that he could rule the country without the help of Parliament, but these dreams led to his death. He tried to make parliament do what he wanted, but after years of quarrelling he finally lost his patience. One day he burst into the House of Commons with several hundred men and tried to arrest its leaders. They had already escaped. But the struggle between king and parliament was not finished and the country was thrown into a civil war, which only stopped when Charles was finally beheaded in 1649. The Queen still opens the new session of Parliament each autumn by reading 'the Queen's Speech', which describes the main policies of the Government. However, this takes place in the House of Lords and she is not allowed to enter the House of Commons. This tradition goes back to the time of Charles I, more than three hundred years ago, and reminds everybody that the monarch must not try to govern the country. The Houses of Parliament were rebuilt in 1835 after being completely destroyed by lire. In addition, the House of Commons needed more repairs after being bombed during the Second World War. Parliament is in session every afternoon and evening except Friday and the weekend, and if you are lucky you might be able to watch a debate from the public gallery. ASK Ask questions for these answers 1 Big Ben. 2 Guy Fawkes. 3 ~ h a r l e I.s 4 The Queen's Speech. 5 1835. Westminster Abbey Opposite the Houses of Parliament stands Wesuninster Abbey. A church has stood here since Saxon times when, in the year 750 AD, a Benedictine Abbey was founded. It was lcnown as West Monastery (Westminster), from its position 3 miles (five kilometres) west of London's centre. From Norman times British monarchs have been crowned there and since [he 13th century the!, have been buried there. Alan!, other famous people are also buried in Wesuninster Abbey including statesmen, musicians and writers. In Poet's Corner can be found StaNeS and the tombs of poets such as T.S. Eliot. PRACTISE Lookat the photograph of Westminster and Whitehall opposite and describe the different buildings and where they are located. Give as much information as you can about each building or monument. London 25 Whitehall The street called Whitehall stretches from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. Just as Wesuninster or the Palace of Wesuninster frequently stands for the Houses of Parliament, so Whitehall is often used as a name for the Civil Service. Downing Sueet, which is a small side street off Whitehall, is the home of the Prime Minister, who lives at number ten. Next door at number eleven lives the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is responsible for financial planning and the British economy. Tust around the corner in Whitehall itself are all the important ministries: the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and the Treasury. In the middle of Whitehall is the Cenotaph where the Queen lays the h s t wreath of poppies on Remembrance Day. On that day each year the people of Britain remember their dead from the two world wars of this CenNry by wearing a red paper POPPY. HOW MUCH DO YOU REMEMBER? Which ministers and ministries are responsible forthe following areas of government? Income tax The army Law and order Nuclearweapons Prisons Immigration Government spending The police (You will find the answers on page 138.) Royal London 26 Unit two You cannot go far in London without being aware ofthe city's close connecuon with the Crown. There &e royal palaces, royal parks and colourful ceremonies; if you look at the souvenirs you can see how important royalty is to the capital's tourist indusuy. The most important building, hut not the most beautiful, is Buckingham Palace, which is the official residence of the Queen. WORD SEARCH Can you find five words connected with royalty in the square? They are not all in the text. Some have been written vertically. some horizontally and some diagonally. (You will find the answers on page 138.) B W R Y l F S M Q C O M B D E O U R V G M C P N G O A T A S W T St James's Park is one of ten royal parks in and around London which are owned by the Crown hut are open to the public free of charge. They make a special contribution to city-Living because their existence has ensured that there are areas of green between the flats, office blocks and other buildings, and that there is somewhere quiet and attractive to escape to, away from traffic jams, crowded shops and congested pavements. N l W L b K A l W C N A S I R N G J P M O N E C L Each park has its own character. Hyde Park, for example, was originally a hunting forest and is still popular with horseriders. People who enjoy a good argument can go to Speakers' Corner (near Marble Arch tube station), where they can listen to people giving their views on a variety of topics to anyone who will listen. hunting park, is now the home of London Zoo, and an open air theatre which delights summer audiences with performances of Shakespeare's plays. It overlooks St James's Park where the previous royal residence, St James's Palace, can be found. Running through the park, Erom Trafalgar Square to the front of Buckingham Palace is The Mall, a wide tree-lined avenue designed for royal processions on ceremonial occasions. Regent's Park, which was also originally a K W W A P G T E P Not all the parks are in the centre of London. Greenwich, where theMaritime Museum is, and Richmond, famous for its heauriful trees and wild deer, are both in the suburbs. Speakers' Corner. London 27 Kensington and Knightsbridge If you live in this area, the rent on your flat is probably very high - it is an exclusive part of London where you can find many foreign embassies, large, glamorous hotels, and the department store that is the symbol of expensive and high-class living Harrods. People say you can buy anything in Harrods, including wild animals - they even have a zoo which will sell you lion cubs as well as more common pets such as dogs, cats or parrots. Harrods succeeded in supplying one customer with a baby elephant, although it had to be ordered specially! I-larrods is not the only artraction here; there is the Albert 1-lall,where there is a festival of popular classical music concerts every summer known as 'the Proms'. Sporting events such as tennis tournaments and boxing matches are also held there. Museums Three of London's most interesting museums - the Victoria and Albert, the TIze azldience at a 'Proat' coizcert. 28 Unit nvo Science Museum and the Natural History Museum- are also in this area. The last, as its name suggests, has exhibits of birds, animals and reptiles as well as life-size reconstructions of prehistoric animals. The Victoria and Albert was founded with the aim of improving design in British manufacturing, but over the years it has expanded to include things from almost every place and period, including COSNmeS from the theatre, and paintings. Finally there is the Science Museum, which is always crowded and is certainly the noisiest museum in London. It covers every aspect of science and technology, and the collections are constantly being moved round to make room for new acquisiuoni. Thev have inventions thar did not become - -~ popular, such as the steam bicycle of 1912, and technological landmarks like the Cody biplane - the f i s t aircraft to fly in England in 1912. In many of the rooms there are machines and computers that visitors can work themselves. WRITE This is a I plan of part of the Science 2 . If you come up the escalator, you will s e e the 3 on the right. Next to them are the 4 . If you come up in the 5 , however, the first things you will s e e are the computers. The 6 is nearthem. At the other end of the room, nearthe 7 , and in the are some old 8 . If you need centre are the 9 the 10 , they are opposite! What are the missinn words? The answers are below. slal!ol 01 saxoq lea!snw 6 sadoasalel 8 sl!els L qde~fiows!asg ==#!I 9 so!pel p syseli wnnaeA & wnasnw z JOOli 1 I I ~1 Tsloso~pe~ Floor plan of Science Museum Glossary acquisition an item they have bought ain't haven't (sla71g) aristocracy the 'ruling class', sometimes connected with royalty arrest to take prisoner Barnet fair a festival in Barnet, an area of East London barrister a lawyer who argues cases in a high court behead to cut off someone's head bowler hat a roundish black hat with a short brim carol singers people who sing religious songs at Christmas, often to collect money for charity charge (it) cost, expense, money Civil Service government administration civil war a war between two parts of the same country coach a four-wheeled carriage with seats inside, pulled by horses commemorate to honour the memory commute to travel regularly a long distance benveen home and work congested crowded the Crown the King or Queen daisy a small white and yellow flower defendant an accused person gent humorous word for 'gentleman' goods things for sale green (it) grass and trees haberdashery a shop or department which sells small articles of clothing and sewing materials house (a) to contain in session working (a session is the time taken by one meeting of Parliament) influential having influence; powerful insurance a company which promises to pay a sum of money in case of illness or death, in return for regular payments judicial legal jury twelve people who decide in court if a defendant is innocent or guilty legal representation help given to a defendant, usually by a barrister in court Lord Mayor the leader of the group of people elected to govern London marchers people in a procession, particularly on a protest march metropolis the chief city of a counuy nuclear weapons bombs which release atomic energy nuffink nothing (slang) old masters great painters of the 16th to 19th centuries pillowcase a cover for a pillow (a cushion for your head on a bed) pin-striped suit a suit made from material with very thin stripes plague a deadly disease carried by rats poppy a bright red flower the press newspapers in - . and magazines general Prime Minister the chief minister of a government reptile a cold-blooded animal 30 Unit two residence a grand house where a public figure lives restore to repair sale when things are reduced in price in the shops share (71) part ownership in a company ship (v) to send by ship slang very informal language (unsuitable for many situations) solicitor a lawyer who gives advice and prepares legal documents souvenir a thing bought or kept as a reminder of a place stone by stone (to move) every stone of a building so that it can be exactly rebuilt in another place store a shop suburb an area on the edge of a city tax money paid by citizens to the government for public purposes traffic jam a queue of cars, lorries, buses, etc. trial examination in a law court warehouse a large building for storing things whad a place for tying up boats and ships whodnnnit a detective story (who's done it?) wide range a large selection wreath flowers woven in a circle writing pad paper for writing letters The Southeast is the most denselypopulated region of England. It is only 11 per cent of the land area of the country, but a third of the total populntion lives here. Because ofthis, n large par1 ofthe region is affected by urban deveiopment: housing, factories, offices and a complex network of roads and motorways. However, thereis still attractive countryside to be found in all counties outside the influence of London. The south coast has a mild and sunny climate which makes ir oooular -s - with ---- bnrh holiday-makers andthe elderly, who find it a comfortable area to rerire to. L~ ~~~~ 31 Welcome to Britain When you travel to Britain by sea or air, it is very likely that you will arrive in the Southeast, for this is where the main passenger ports and airports are located. Heathrow Airport, the world's busiest airport for international traffic, is about 20 miles (33 km.) east of central London, while Ganvick, the second major airport, is about thirty miles (50 km.) to the south. Heathrow has around twenty-eight million passengers per year and Gatwick approximately ten million. Most travellers from continental Europe arrive at the east coast ports of Dover, Folkestone and Ramsgate. Of these, Dover is by far the busiest -it has 50 per cent of the total traffic to and from the Continent. The Channel Tunnel, linking France to Britain, starts here. The Garden of England 1: ! .! .% ,? * 9u h- Do you lcnow the names of these varieties of fruit? They all grow in Kent, the county which is known as the Garden of England because it produces a lot of the fruit and vegetables which are eaten all over the country. The soil and climate male ideal growing conditions. It is also the main arca for crowinc! another kind of fruir called hoos. You cannot eat them because thev are ;erv bitter, bur they are an important navouri& for Brirain's most popular alcoholic drinkbeer! Iris said that they also have medicinal properties, and local people sometimes put them in their pillows to sleep on as a cure for headaches! 32 Unit three harvested in early autumn, and in the past people used to come from London in large numbers to pick hops. They often used to come in family groups and stay in specially oreanized accommodation. - They did not think it was hard work, for it was like a holiday with pay. Nowadays, most people in the area have jobs which include paid holidays, so it is not such a popular activity. And, as you might expect, a machine has been invented that will do the job! Near the hop gardens are the oast-houses in which the hops are dried. They are of a very unusual design and are a very familiar sight in Kent. These days, farmers have found that it is more economical to dry the hops in factories. Many of the oast-houses have been converted into fashionable houses. GAME As you have just been reading about the Garden of England, perhaps you would like to play this 'shopping' game. The first player begins by saying 'I went to the market and I bought' (for example) 'some apples'. The second player repeats this, and adds another item, for example. 'I went to the market and I bought some apples and some potatoes.'The third player has to repeatthis sentence and add another item, and so it continues round the group until no one can remember any more! TALKING POINT Kent is known as the Garden of England. Which area of your country do you think could be called its garden? Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside! The Southeast 33 DID YOU KNOW? LOOKAND SAY The major political parties in Britain are: Talkabout what you can see in the pictures below with a partner. Say what you like or like doing and find out what your partner enjoys. Also, say why you like or don't like these things. the Conservative Party (theTory P a w l the Labour Party the Liberal Party the Social Democratic Party (the SOP) the Social, Democratic and Liberal Party (also called the Social and Liberal Democrats) Can you think of some more activities to talkabout? TUC stands for 'Trades Union Congress'. This is an association of nearly all the unions. The CBI is the equivalent association for employers. It stands for 'Confederationof British Industry'. 0UlZ What do the following initials stand for? (You will find the answers on page 138.) 2BR 3BA 4MP 5UN sEEC I Disco Dancing Candy Floss Space Ii~vaders Fish 'it' Chips PRACTISE AND WRITE Christopher has written a letterto his overseas penfriend, Ralf, telling him all about a typical British seaside holiday. Write Ralf's letter in reply to Christopher saying what a seaside holiday is like in your country. Use Christopher's letter as a model of how to start and finish your letter, and use contractions (eg it's not itis), because this isa letterto afriend you know well Seaview Brad* B e a h Avenue, BrighQn, House, S u w . 10th Avgost DearRQ.41 On hdlrida~~ at k t !This IS uhaf Cve hi w k % . b ~ far weeks. 1 w e ip a h a d * at t h i Sea~dt?i s h e Same-inp . ~3 05 Ljl ihik;tbim?I'~( i t 1 1 YLRA whnt it5 like rm B n ~ h * m y ~ y . EVeryone goes tb -the beadr, of m e , ~d evtn when tke watlurls not very wl~rrny m s e e +he farYlilies thwe wrapped up in slucaten shelt 0-iiB their wGdbrcal;s! SW ~ h i l d r C nlike mnL% E%U%t(es) w h i l ~@HIUS LIIIOY ~ 9 t % a l l . Some.tc.\erP we danreys paddlq nde on,but best *at( wr W sands + IhP chikirm ~ h m 6. s IS a p o p e show-~ m c h is ttte P W C 4 ~ J a wicked d m Ke$ hitby peopk(rum h S b b r !) and )vi$ wi@, Sudy. S t l S vw3 @wn3! Off & beach, r like the ruwsement arc& whert ym p!a;l 3 q m e ~like ~ p c + in^^^^ and hm a~ w w nd s I l k +he big & p w uv -th~? big &. Ym r n &.~+aUy *d all -thew -tkclrqs along the .p'br(f ov m pi*. +d h t people eat at t k T F e m.e ~ ( C Ocerta;m khds seaside, Of unwre,nD sea&& h d k 4 w+d be m p * w&m$ fish'nlcMpS! Thay W a &t k?eW.!'a~ CAW maghe, as weLl as camdy @S'S [made flm q w wnd w&F&-) 0,mA rock. Rocrr is a hcwd wMLt * W l [ y Shaped 1iK-E a & k , but ike c W + is thaS * 9 ' S ~I'IGUJ un it & c h goes aU +luway m g h .S: dmlt huw hDul do I t . +byway,to end &'r [Mu b - 4 is a soaside joke Questim: What do sea m e < eat?. A n s w : ''Fish& ~ h t p !s': - - - Best W ishe<, CGu;sbphw The Southeast 35 Are you a railway buff? 'Buff' is another word for enthusiast or fan. A railway buff is a person who is very interested in trains and railways and who b o w s a lot about them. Anyone who is a railway buffwould be'keen to visit the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. If you look closely at the photograph, it is clear why the railway is unusual. Its engines and carriages are one third the normal size. But this is not a toy railway. Hundreds of school children from Dymchurch use the train to go to school at New Romney throughout the year. It was opened in 1927, and runs for 13.5 miles (22.5 Ian.) across Romney Marsh from Hythe to Dungeness -it is the longest miniature railway in the world. There are 36 Unit three eleven steam locomotives and one diesel, over sixty coaches, fully equipped stations, and the trains pass at speed on the double track so that passengers get a good impression of what steam travel was like. It is privately owned, but there is a supporters' organization whose members (they are all railway buffsl) provide financial support and voluntary labour. TALKAND WRITE What is yourfavourite form of transport. and why do you prefer it? Do you have a hobby? Write a paragraph about it saying what you do and why you find it interesting. A tale of Canterbury Canterbury is a town in Kent with a population of about 120,000. I t is the religious capital of England because its cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who is head of the Church of England. From the 12th to the 15th cennuies, it was place of pilgrimage. Thousands of people came to pray at the shrine of a former Archbishop of Canrerbury who was murdered in the Cathedral in 1170. His name was Thomas Becket. Murder in the Cathedral During the 12th century, King Henty I1 decided that the Church had too much power. In 1162, he made Thomas Becket Archbisho~of Canterbutv, thinking that his friend would help him to weaken the position of the Church. Although the King himself liked Thomas, he was not popular with other powerful men in England. They were jealous of his friendship with the King, and they also disliked him because he was not a nobleman. As Thomas was not even a priest, many people were very angry that he had been made Archbishop. The King was amazed when Thomas began to defend the position of the Church against the King. After a while, Thomas had to leave England because relations between him and the King had become very bad, and Thomas was afraid that he might be killed. He lived in exile for five years until the King asked him to come back. The people, the bishops and the Pope were causing the Iting problems because they all wanted Thomas to continue as Archbishop of Canrerbury. WhenThomas renuned, in 1170, he brought authorization from the Pope to excommunicate the priests and noblemen who had acted against him. The King was furious when he learned this - soon afterwards, four of Henry's knights entered Canterbury Cathedral and murdered the Archbishop on the steps of the altar. Three years later in 1173, Becket was made a saint, and his tomb became the destination of thousands of pilgrims for three cennuies. It was said that miracles happened there, and many sick people went there in the hope of finding a cure. In the 16th century, when King Henry VIII separated from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England, he said that Becket was no longer a saint, and his tomb was destroyed. The story of Thomas Becket is the subject of two modem plays, Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot and Becket by Jean Anouilh. WORDS Find a word or words in the text which are similar in meaning to the following: a hundred years liked by a lot of people envious very surprised return very angry Chaucer's pilgrims The best-known Canterbury pilgrims are probably those who appear in the book by Geoffrey Chaucer, Tlze Canterbnly Tales. It was written in the 14th century, when the pilgrimage had become a rather pleasant holiday for the groups of people who travelled together for protection and companionship. The Southeast 37 Tlre Canterbuiy Tales is a collection of stories told by the members of a group of pilgrims. Through the stories we get a vivid p i c h e not only of the narrators themselves but also ofthe rebrious and social life of the 14th cennuy. There were twenty-nine pilgrims altogether, including a knight, a doctor, a miller, a middle-aged widow and numerous members of religious orders of one kind or another. - The Pilgrim's Way is the name of an old path stardng at Winchester which, it is adi it ion ally thought, was taken by pilgrims travelling to Canterbury. However, there is no real evidence of this. You can still walk along some of the route, which is part of a long-distance footpath called the North Downs Way. It is protected by law, so it cannot be ploughed by farmers or made into a motonvay! If you have the energy to follow the route as far as Canterbury, you will h d that although there is no tomb, Becket is not forgotten. His face and name are s d l there, on postcards and souvenirs in every other shop! A twentieth-century visitor The most famous modem 'pilgrim' is without doubt Pope John Paul 11. His visit to Canterbury in 1982 was an important historical event because it showed the spirit of understanding that exists now between the Roman Catholic and the hnelican The Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Runcie, and the Pope knelt in silence on Becket's steps - just 817 years after his murder. 38 Unit three Pilpiiils on tlreir way to Canterbrny. ASKAND ANSWER Use the correct form of the verb in brackets. 1 Where ..... Becket .....(murder)? 2 When .. . .. Becket .....(die)? 3 Why.. . . . (be) noblemen jealous of Becket? 4 How long.. . . . (stay). . . . . in exile? 5 Who.. . . . (writelaMurderin the Cathedral'? 6 What.. . . . Chaucer . . . . . (write)? 7 Why.. . . . the footpath.. . . . (protect)? 8 Why.. .. . the Pope.. ... (visit) Canterbury? WHAT DO THEY DO? Chaucer's pilgrims had different jobs. Do you know what w e call people who do these jobs? a "My mothertries to cure people who are ill." She's a , . .. b "His brother drives lorries all overthe country." He's a , . .. c "My great-grandfather used to make flour." Hewasa .... d "I want to lookafter people's teeth when I grow up." Iwanttobea .... e "John repairs cars for a living." He'sa .... f "Do you know anyone who designs houses?" Do you know any.. . ? The stockbroker belt The Stockbroker Belt is the popular name for the county of Surrey, which has become a residential area (or 'belt') for London commuters. Although the word 'stockbroker' refers to a particular occupation -it is someone who works at the Stock Exchange - many different professional groups live here. The roads are lined with trees and there are large detached houses with well-kept gardens. Most people associate this area with the rich life-style of those people who work in the City of London. Commuters are not only found in Surrey of course1 People travel daily to work in London from all over the Southeast: from Brighton on the south coast, from Chelmsford in the north-east of the region, from Reading in the west, and from e v e w h e r e in between! People who can live close to their place of work usually hate the idea of spending so much of their lives travelling. No doubt many commuters feel the same way, but there are some for whom it has become quite an enjoyable way of life. Train commuters pass the time in a variety of ways. There is the crossword, the newspaper, a good book, or office work, but some people have found more unusual activities. One set of travellers wanted to make the most of the two hours they spent travelling each day and so they organized themselves into groups, each with a 'teacher', to study French, car maintenance and other subjects ofinterest. One train even had a club called the 6.18 club (it was called this because their train left the station at 6.18 each morning). It had about thirty members who all played golftogether after work. They had their own newsletter and a club tie, and the committee meetings were held on the train! From time to time, proposals are put forward to try and improve the situation at the 'rush-hour' when over a million and a quarter commuters arrive and leave Central London at the same time each day. Until now, none of these has been acceptable to either employers or employees. So people who are not commuters still have to make sure that they travel at quieter times in order to avoid being crushed to death by the workforce of London! FIND QUESTIONS FOR THESEANSWERS 1 They work atthe London Stock Exchange. 2 From all overthe Southeast of England. 3 Because they don'twant to spend a lot of time travelling. 4 They do office work. 5 Because the train leftthe station atthat time. 6 Over a million and a quarter. 7 To avoid the crowds. The Southeast 39 Glossary authorization permission to do something big dipper small carriages on a big curved track that take you up and down through water at the fair big wheel a huge wheel which you can sit in as it rotates high into the air boarding house a private house where you pay to stay and have breakfast and perhaps an evening meal carriage the place for passengers on a train cement grey powder mixed with water and used for building club tie a neckrie with a special design worn by members of a group or club conference a meeting to exchange ideas and opinions continental Europe the mainland of Europe contraction abbreviation convert (v) to change county an administrative area of the UK crush (v) to press till something breaks destination the place to which someone or something is going detached a house which is not attached to any others diesel engine a train which uses oil as fuel excomm&cate to expel from the Church framework the part of a structure that gives support front a road beside the sea where people can walk M a i r an amusement park koight a nobleman, usually military lined with things in lines live in exile having to live away from one's own country, usually as a punishment living (n) way of earning money locomotive engine maintenance keeping in good working condition medicinal properties capable of curing illness miniature very small but exactly like the normal sized object 40 Unit three miracle an act which cannot be explained by the laws of nature monster a huge and frightening animal 'n' abbreviation of 'and' narrator a person telling a story nobleman a man in a position of power through his birth in large numbers many people together paddle (v) to walk in water just a few inches deep pier a metal consuuction stretching out to sea pilgrimage a journey to a holy place power station a building where electric power is generated priest a minister of the Christian Church properties qualities, characteristics refinery place where oil is purified (rehed) religious order group of people living under religious rules residential area the part of the town where people live retire to give up work, usually around the age of 60 rush-hour times when crowds of people travel to and from work sandcastle a small castle made at the beach out of sand, usually by children seat the place, or base, from which the Archbishop works shrine a tomb containing holy remains eg bones or clothing space invaders a computerized game sweater a woollen piece of clothing with long sleeves tomb the place where a dead person is buried, usually large and decorated track a steel line on which trains run urban of the town or city vine a plant which produces grapes voluntary not paid to do a job windbreak something made of cloth which is used to give protection from the wind windsurf to surf on a board with a sail East Anglia is extremely flat, and it is dominated by agriculture. It has beautiful cities with fine historic buildings (such as Cambridge, Ely, Norwich, Peterborough and Colchester), and it has many sandy beaches and inland waterways. In medieval times, it became rich because of the wool trade. It was not affected by the industrial revolution, and even today there is very little heavy industry. It was, however, the home of the agricultural revolution and is now best known as a farming region. It is rather isolated from the rest of Britain because of its position away from the main national routes and because of its shape. It is more than half surrounded by sea. Cambridge must be one of the best-known towns in the world, and can be found on most tourists' lists ofplaces to visit. The principal reason for its fame is its University, which started during the 13th century and grew steadily, until today there are more than twenty colleges. mixed, but it will be many years before there are equal numbers of both sexes. Most of them allow visitors to enter the grounds and courtyards. The most popular place from which to view them is from the Backs, where the college grounds go down to the River Cam. The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King's, because of its magnificent chapel. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also very well known. Cambridge Science Park To the North of this ancient city is the modern face of the University - the Cambridge Science Park, which has developed in response to the need for universities to increase their contact with high technology industry. It was established in 1970 by Trinity College, which has a long scientific tradition going back to Sir Isaac Newton. It is now home to more than sixty companies and research institutes. The ideas of 'science' and 'parks' may not seem to go together naturally, but the whole area is in fact very attractively designed, with a lot of space between each building. The planners thought that it was important for people to have a pleasant, park-like environment in which to work. King's College Chapel. The University was exclusively for men until 1871when the 6rst women's college was opened. Another was opened two years later and a third in 1954. In the 1970s. most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Almost all the colleges are now 42 Unit four TALKING POINTS What is the purpose of a science park? What are the advantages to the University and to industry? WRlTE Every year, thousands of students come to Cambridge from overseas to study English. Here is a letter from Frieda, a German student, to an Italian friend. Write a reply to Frieda's letter, telling herwhat has happened to you recently. East Anglia 43 1 The Fen Country The area known as the Fens covers part of three different counties: Licolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. The main part is about 40 miles (67 km)northwards from Cambridge to the Wash and about 40 miles south-easnvards fiom Peterborouah. stilts to move across flooded areas. They have a reputation for being fighters (they are known even today as 'Fen Tigers') which is partly because a well-known English rebel, Oliver Cromwell, came from the Fens. A fen is land which is low-lying and wet, often partly covered with water. The Fen Country consists of miles of flat land with almost no trees or hedges. It is divided by high banks that contain the rivers and drains, which help to control the level of water in the fields. The small fenland towns and villages used to he islands in the time before the area was drained, and many of their names show this - eg Whittlesq, Ramsty, Thorney, Manea. Both -ey and -ea mean 'island'. Fenland characters Work on the drainage of the Fens was started by a Dutchman, Cornelius Vermuyden, in the 1630s, but they were not completely drained until the late 19th cenrurv. Because of this. the Fenland village; were isolated from the rest of the country for many centuries, and 'Fenmen' were regarded with a lot of suspicion. Some people thought they had webbed feet1 This, of course, was not m e , but they did use 44 Unit four Oliver Cromwell was brought up in Huntingdon, on the edge of the Fens, and found plenty of support there when he formed an army against the King at the start of the Civil War. The Fens today Now that rhe drainage of the Fens is complete, the arca has some of the richest and most expensive farmland in the country. The black, fertile soil produces sugar-beet, potatoes, and celery, as well as cereals. A lot of fruit is grown in this area too. During the summer, when the fruit is picked, students come from different countries in Europe to work on the farms. In this way, they can earn some money, have a holiday and improve their English all at the same time! The area is, of course, much richer than it was in the days when men made their living from fishing and catching wildfowl, although mechanized farming has caused some social problems: there are fewer jobs, and the population is smaller because young people have moved to the larger towns and cities to look for work. However, it is not short of visitors, particularly those who are interested in wildfowl (watchingit, more than shooting it these daysl). An area known as the Ouse Washes is allowed to flood naturally and provides a perfect area for thousands of ducks, geese and swans which spend the winter there. The swans are of two types, Bewick and Whooper, and they fly from eastern Russia each year. Sometimes therc are as many as 2,000 swans which arrive in fi~milyparties, having survived the dangerous journey. At night, part of the Wash where many of the swans come to be fed is floodlit, and the sight and sound of so many beautiful birds is magical. TRUE OR FALSE? 1 Before the Fens were drained, people in the Fens used to make their living from farming. 2 Work began on draining the Fens in the first half of the 17th century. 3 People were suspicious of Fenmen because they did not know very much aboutthem. 4 The swans can be found on the Ouse Washes all the year round. 5 Part of the Wash is floodlit so thatthe swans can be fed. 6 Modern farming methods have made the area prosperous. WORD SEARCH In the square below, ten words are hidden. They are all connected with the Fens. How many can you find? S H A D P S T K L G Y B T O B L T I G E R P I O I D I N R S P A B I S R N K U L F W H T D M L Q C Y O T D A N E R J A N A F E N V N L Q A D N C F W H Z O P C J I U D V L G R l K M E T N F S W A J E N S D L F L O O D T O A F O B E G B Z K O A B T G L F R I P E F E H E Y H M A Y A Y M R H (You will find the answers on page 138.) East Anglia 45 Let's g o shopping in Norwich Nonvich is the most important city of East Anglia and of course it has a large shopping centre for the rural area surrounding it. It also has to cater for the tourists who are amacted to the city by such features as the cathedral, museums and castle. Unlike many cities, where small specialist shops have gradually been replaced by large department stores and supermarkets, Nonvich still has a wide variety of shops. One of the mbst unusual must be the Mustard Shop. As its name suggests, it sells nothing but mustard, and there are as many different kinds as it is possible to imagine. It has a mustard museum, which describes the history of Colman's mustard. The Colmans were a famous Nonvich family who started a mustard-making business over 150 years ago. Then there is the outdoor market, with its multi-coloured stall-covers, where you can buy everything &om books to bananas. . Britain's oldest recorded town 46 Unit four If you go for a walk through the streets of Colchester, you will he able to see evidence of its long history (and indeed the history of England) almost everywhere you look. This town trail will take you past the most famous buildings and give you some information about their importance in the development of the town. As you read, follow the route on the map. There are piciures in show you the locations of the buildings which are described. Colchester town trail 1 The trail starts at Balkerne Gate, which used to be the West Gate of the town in Roman times, and is one of the bestpreserved Roman gateways in Britain. The Romans invaded Britain in AD 43, and Colchester became a town for retired Roman soldiers. The road beyond the gateway is a modem by-pass, but beside it you can see the original Roman walls. Balkerne Gate. 2 Walk towards the town centre along Balkerne Passage and you cannot miss 'Jumbo', the town's most famous landmark. It is a Victorian water-tower which took its name From a famous elephant sold to a circus in 1882, the year . of the tower's construction. 3 Go up the hill into the High Street, one of the main streets during Roman times, past the Town Hall, and turn left into West Stockwell Street. Walk down to Northgate Street and back up East Stockwell Street and you will see some fine mediaeval and Georgian houses, most of which have been restored. This area is known as the Dutch Quarter becausc it is where Flemish weavers Lived when thev fled from the Netherlands in the 16th &nw. They helped to improve the Colchester cloth industry. 4 Turn left along St Helen's Lane. Near St Helen's Chapel, on the comer, are the remains of one of the walls of a Roman Theatre. 5 Next on the itinerary are the Castle and Museum, so our route takes us hack to the High Street and left a short way, to the gates of Castle Park. The Castle, which dates From the 11th cennuy, was built on the site of a Roman temple. Now The Dutch Quarter. East Anglia 47 there is a museum inside, where you will find a wonderful collection of Roman antiquities and a lot of information about Roman Colchester. 6 Leaving the Castle, turn left down East Hill to look at the Siege House. During the Civil War, Colchester was defended by a Royalist Army and was besiegedfor eleven weeks before finally surrendering. Bullet-holes made during the siege can still be seen clearly in the walls. Of course there are many other interesting places to visit in this historic town, but no doubt by now you will be ready to return to the Town Centre in search of tea and cakes! D o you like oysters? Colchester has been famous for its oysters from the River Colne since the time of the Romans. The season starts in October, and every year the Mayor of Colchester goes out in a boat with a party of guests to fish the first oysters. In the evening, the Oyster Feast is held in the Town Hall. Well-known people, usually television personalities, are invited as well as local people. Colchester Castle DO YOU KNOW? 1 If you were shopping in a British town. where would you go to buy: apples a joint of beef carrots a jar of jam a newspaper books7 2 What could you buy in these shops: an ironmonger's a delicatessen a tobacconist's? LOOKAND WRITE It is said that oysters The cloth industry used to be more important in Colchester. Of course, in an old town like this, a lot of things have changed. For example, buildings that used to be there have been replaced by others, orthey no longer exist. Write sentences about Colchester with used to. Here are some ideas: Flemish weaversiThe Dutch Quarter Roman TheatreiSt Helen's Chapel Colchester CastleiRoman Temple Baikerne GatelWest Gate 48 Unit four Glossary agriculhue fanning antiquities works of art remaining from old times ball a formal dance besiege to attack bow tie a tie made in the shape of a bow, usually worn with a dinner jacket bullet something fired from a gun by-pass a road which goes round the edge of a town, avoiding the town centre cater for to provide facilities (shops, hotels, etc) for celery a kind of vegetable cereal grains such as corn, wheat, oats and barley continental Europe Europe except the British Isles dawn (11) sunrise delicatessen a shop that sells 'special', usually non-British, food dinner-jacket a man's black jacket worn on formal occasions dominated by agriculture mainly fannland drain (u) to reduce or get rid of water exoression a ~ h r a s e fan (n) an a&er, supporter fertile rich soil where things grow easily flood (u) to cover with water floodlit lit with very strong lights grounds large gardens of a house hedge a line of bushes, often forming a boundary between fields inland waterway a system of rivers and lakes joined together and not connect(:d with the sea itinerary a route ironmonger a person who sells things made of metal joint a particular cut of meat landmark usually a building that is easily seen from a distance location a position in the town marquee a very large tent mechanized farming fanning which makes use of machines oyster a kind of shellfish preserved in good condition prosperous rich, wealthy quarter an area (of a town) rebel (n) a person who rejects authority, eg a government recorded town a town described in old books remains the parts of an old building which are left after it has fallen down or disappeared reputation what people say restored repaired and modernized retired too old to work rural of the country season the time when the oysters are ready to eat siege an attack stilts long wooden poles with support for the feet, desiened so that vou can walk withou;you;feet touching the ground sugar-beet a plant from which sugar is made tent a construction made of canvas, used for sleeping in when camping trail a path, a route that can be followed TVpersonalities people who are famous because they appear on TV water tower a reservoir or tank for the distribution of water in an area weaver a person who makes cloth webbed feet feet with the toes joined, eg ducks have webbed feet wildfowl wild duclis or geese East Anglia 49 Birmingham is the most important city in the Midlands, one of England's most productive regions, with large industrial areas such as the Black Country in the West Midlands. However, there is also a lot of fanning country, for example in the counties of Shopshire, Worcestershire and Leicestershire. This region has some beautiful countryside in the Peak District National Park, the Cotswold W s and the Malvern Hills. The Swan of Avon We don't know how he earned his living during these early years. He may have helped his father in the family business or he may have been a country schoolmaster for a time. During these years his three children were born: Susannah, the eldest, then nvins - a son, Harnnet (not Hamlet!), and another girl, Judith. In 1587 Shakespeare went to work in London, leaving Anne and the children at home. One story says this is because he killed some deer which belonged to a rich landowner nearby, and that he had to run away from the law. In April 1564a son was horn to John and Mary Shakespeare at Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. His mother was the daughter of Robert Arden, an important farmer in Warwickshire. His father was a rich citizen whose business was making and selling leather gloves. The parents did not guess that their son, W i a m , was going to be such an important figure in English poetry and drama, and that his plays would still he acted four hundred years later - not only in England, hut all over the world! While still a teenager of nineteen, William married Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter some years older than himself. Shakespeare soon began to act and to write plays. By 1592 he was animportant memberof a well-known acGng company, and in 1599 the famous Globe Theatre was built on the south hank of the river Thames. It was in this theatre that most of his plays were performed and, like all Elizabethan theatres, it was a round building with the stage in the centre open to the sky. Ifit rained, the actors got wet! If the weather was too had, there was no performance. By 1603, the year when Queen Elizabeth I died, Shakespearewas already the leading poet and dramatist of his time. He continued to write for the next ten years, but in 1613he h a U y stopped writing and went to live in Stratford where he died in 1616. He is buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Ben Jonson, who lived from 1572 to 1637, and who was also a famous writer of plays, called Shakespeare 'Sweet swan of Avon'. Shakespeare has been known as the 'Swan of Avon' ever since. LOOKAND PRACTISE Can you say these dates? 1600 1608 1610 1621 1632 sixteen hundred sixteen oh eight sixteen ten sixteen twenty-one sixteen thirty-two Aisle Hatlraway's cottage The Hean of England 51 1 ASK Askquestions to get these answers. 1 1564. 2 For four hundred years. 3 In 1583. 4 Susannah. 5 In the Globe Theatre. 6 In 1603. 7 In Holy Trinity Church. 8 Because it lies beside the River Avon. BIRTH Wherewas 1 1 Shakespeare Elizabeth I he born? she was born in I Stratford. Greenwich MARRIAGE When did he get married7 Shakespeare got married at nineteen. Who did he marry? He married Anne Hathaway. When did she get married? Elizabeth I nevergot married, DEATH When did he die? Shakespeare died in 1616. When did she die? Elizabeth I died in 1603. Now talkabout these people in the same way with a partner. Marriage Birth Queen Vlctorla London, 1819 I Death / Sir Winston Churchill Blenheim Palace, 1874 Albert of Saxe-Coburq Clementine Hozier Jane Austen Steventon, Hampshire, 1775 - 1817 JohnLennon Liverpool, 1940 Yoto Ono 1980 Henry Vlli Greenwich Palace. 1491 1 Catherine of Aragon 2 Anne Boleyn 3 Jane Seymour 4 Anne of Cleves 5 Catherine Howard 6 Catherine Parr 1901 1965 1547 Birmingham - the market place Buying and selling has been an important oar1 of Life in Birminaham for more than iight hundred years.-1n fact men used to sell their wives there as recently as the 18th century! (In 1733 Samuel \~hi;ehousesold his wife to Thomas Griffiths in Lhe marker place for a little more than one poundl) Although neither husbands nor wives are for sale nowadays, Birmingham's markets offer a large choice of other goods. Years ago farmers used to sell their animals ar the Bull Rine. -,but now iris one of the biggest open-air markets and shopping centres in the United Kingdom. People enjoy shopping there because it has modern shops, together with the aunosphere of a traditional street market. Each Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, the colourful rag market can be found. People used to come to buy and sell old clothes (rags) hut now there is a wide selection of modem fashions for everybody. Describe any famous markets you have visited and the kinds of things you have bought. TALKING POINT The Heart of England 53 A cathedral of our time Covenny Cathedral. Thegreat entranceporch links the new cathedral to the ruins of the old cathedral. On the wall is Epstein's famous statue ofSt Michael in triumph over the dmil. In 1962 a magnificent new cathedral was consecrated in Covenuy, and bishops and archbishops from a l l over the world attended. They came to see a cathedral of our time, built using the skills and ideas of our day. During the Second World War, the old cathedral had been destroyed in a terrible night of bombs which killed many people in the city. Only the walls of the cathedral remained but people immediately made a new altar 'kith the fallen stones. The altar cross was made from burnt wood and nails from the ruins. Immediately after the war, a similar nail cross was taken to Kiel in Germany as a sign of fiiendship, and a stone from the ruins of Kiel Cathedral was given to Coventry in return. This is the Kiel Stone of Forgiveness, now in the Chapel of unity. Also after the war a group of young 54 Unit five Germans helped to clear one corner of the ruined cathedral. Today this area is the Centre for International Understanding where young people of all nationalities can meet. The new cathedral looks very modern, but it is joined physically and spiritually with the old. Together they remind us of the madness of war. TALKING POINTS W h y do you think the ruins of the old cathedral were left standing? T h e title calls this a cathedral of ourtime. Why? Can you think of more than one reason? *The author of this text writes of 'the madness of war'. Do you agree? Is war ever justified? Oxford Town and gown There has been a town where Oxford now stands for many centuries - even before 912, the 6rst written record of its existence. The University began to establish itselfin the middle of the 12th century, and by 1300 there were already 1,500 students. At this time, Oxford was a wealthy town, but by the middle of the 14th century, it was poorer, because of a decline in trade and because of the terrible plague, which killed many people in England. Relations between the students and the townspeople and there was were very fiehtine in the streets. On 10th Februarv 1555, rhe festival of St Scholastica, a b a k e began which lasted two days. Sixty-two students were killed. The townspeople were punished for this in two ways: they had to walk through the town to attend a special service on every St Scholastics's day until 1825. Worse &an this, the UniverGtywas given conttol of the town for nearly 600 years. Nowadays, there are about 12,000 students in Oxford, and the University and the town live happily side by side! The Rover Groupfactory in Cowley. City of dreaming spires The best-known description of Oxford is by the 19th cenw poet, sweet city with her who wrote about dreaming spires,, However, Ododordis not onlyfamous for its architecture. In the 20th cennw. it has developed quickly as an indus&& and commercial centre. The Rover Group factory at Cowley, for example, is an important part of Britain's motor industry. Sotne of thefanlous 0xfol.d colleges. The Heart of England 55 It is also an importailt centre in the world of medicine; it is the home of Oxfam, the charity which raises millions of pounds to help poor people all over the world; and its airport contains Europe's leading airtraining school. Oxford words The Oxford English Dictionary is wellknown to students of English everywhere. The new edition, published in 1989, defines more than halfa million words, and there are nventy volumes. Some of the words are special Oxford words. For example, 'bulldog' in Oxford is the name given to University policemen who wear bowler hats and sometimes patrol the streets at night. They are very fast runners. 'Punt' is a word often used in both Oxford and Cambridge. It refers to a flatbottomed boat with sloping ends which is moved by pushing a long pole in the water. An Oxford 'bulldog' Oxford University Press, the publishing house which produces the Oxford English Dictionary, has a special department called the Oxford Word and Language Senice (OWLS for short). If you have a question about the meaning of a word or its origin, you can write or telephone, and the staff there will help you. TRUE OR FALSE? 1 There was no town at Oxford before 912. 2 Oxford has always been a wealthy town. 3 The people of Oxford were punished for the trouble with the students. 4 The University used to be more importantthan the town. 5 Oxford is famous for its architecture. 6 Britain's motor industry is based in Cowley. 7 The word 'bulldog' usually means 'policeman'. 8 Oxford is a city of contrasts. Asking the way is easy. Understanding the answer is much more difficult1 Here are some replies. Can you say what the question was? One of you should read the replies while your partner looks a t the map. 1 You are standing outside Christ Church College. 'Turn right towards Carfax. Continue in the same direction until you get to the Randolph Hotel. Then turn left and it is immediately on your right.' 2 You are in Broad Street outside the Sheldonian Theatre. 'Turn right and walkto the crossroads. Keep straight on into Holywell Street and continue down Longwall Street to the High Street. Turn right and then first left into Merton Street. Follow this and you will find it on your left.' 3 You are in front of theTown Hall. 'Turn right at Carfax, and walk all the way down High Street. You'll see it just before the bridge, opposite Magdalen College. It's about a ten-minute walk.' 4 You are on Magdalen Bridge. 'Follow High Street in the direction of Carfax. Turn right intoTurl Street, and then left into Market Street. Then it'll be on your left.' Now describe howto get to these places: the hotel from the Cathedral, theTown Hall from the Sheldonian, the Botanic Garden from Jesus College, the deer park from Blue Boar Street. Try and practise the expressions you have just used. The Heart of England 57 TALKING POINT Britain has over 2,000 miles of canals, and some of the most interesting can be found in this area of England. In recent years, canal boat holidays have become more and more popular because they offer an opportunity to see the countryside away from the noise of busy roads. Here is an advertisement for a canal cruiser holiday. Discuss what you will need for such a holiday and who you would like to go with! CASTLINE CRUISERS Over 80 Boats Operating from 4 Bases 58 Unit five Liverpool and the Beatles On Wednesday 24th October 1962, Love Me DO,entered the British Top Thirty. It was the f i s t single by an unknown group from Liverpool called the Beatles. It was the f i s t of a number of big hits that would make John Lennon, Paul McCarmey, George Harrison and Ringo Starr the most successful pop group the world has ever known. ASKAND ANSWER The early years However, the road to success was not always easy. John and Paul had spent many afternoons listening to American stars like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley before they were able to write the famous Lennon and McCarmey songs. Bring this week's TopThirIy to class and asksimilarauestions. Look atthe hit parade then askand answer questions like the following examples. Whatwas number one? Telstar two places? Which Venus in Blue Jeans by Mark Wynter. .Which record came in at number 277 Love Me Do by the Beatles. Although the long evenings spent playing in hot nightclubs in Liverpool and Hamburg in Germany had not earned them much money, they found the experience very useful when playing to huge audiences later on. Not only was their style of singing new and exciting but their unusual haircuts-Beatle 'mops'l -and crazy sense of humour immediately became the latest fashion. Influences One of the most important people at the start of their careers was Brian Epstein, a Liverpudlian record-dealer. He managed to change four ordinary working-class lads into international superstars. George Martin, their record producer, encouraged them to introduce all kinds of unusual instruments on their records and combined popular and classical styles in a new and original way. The 1960s During the 1960s the Beatles were always in the news headlines; films, world tours and sometimes scandal. John once suggested that the Beatles were better known than Jesus Christ. This caused hundreds of young Americans to burn their Beatle records. In addition some people thought there were hidden messages about drugs in some of the songs. The Heart of England 59 Break-up After a decade of successful music and films, the B e a h finally decided to break up in the early seventies, after public disagreements about money and personalities. Althou~hmany fans h o ~ e dthere would be a reunion ihro;ghour &e 1970s, this became impossible with the tragic murder of John Lennon in New York in 1980. The sur\vi\ring Beatles are still deeply in\wliredin musical and film projects, but many fans srill long for the music of the 60s. LOOK AND PRACTISE Someone from Liverpoo is ca leo a Liverpudt~an.f yo, come from rhe Ln'reo Stares yol are ca .ed an Arnerkan. Wnar do you ca. tne people wno come from these rowns ano co~ntries? 1 Eng ano 2 Scorland 3 lrelano 4 D~bl'n 5 Greece 6 Spain 7 rlollano 8 France 9 Lonoon 10 Tne LSSR. (You will find the answers on page 138.) 60 Unit five ASKAND ANSWER Afriend of yours is writing an article about the history of pop music for a new rock magazine. Helshe wants some information on the Beatles. See if you can help himlher. ' .J& won r(-. ~ ; ' ' X ~ l ,,u, l ,s it tn*e d w pwy ,h 1.v; H lui ? " b ruLe;o ~ -& S I v 313JILGLZill ? ' ~.UA.U~LC L1 ~ w / "4" s 7 '&&peaplt Y L y L t Y t kl&f S~J~Lr ~ $utri& e ~ , a i d - . / -/ '. ~!L%M hkx Btl. 9 6-?at YVU I j m q e NA.&'S I& a h 1 9 7' !i?y .if.& 3&W,~CLLKB e m o s ? ' d;a 2;3 4ily 'IVY %a &I(. atea*,~?c~&& .?- >=jh WC g"Xf & 7et rk3d.rCII-L . &=I& " Glossary altar a special table at the front of a church architecture art of designing buildings bowler hats a roundish black hat with a short brim break up to separate charity an organisation which helps people, without making a profit county an adminisuative area of the UK cruiser a small pleasure boat with an engine which has room for sleeping. decade ten years decline (n) a decrease dramatist writer of plays fans enthusiastic supporters forgiveness willingness to pardon, not to want to punish someone get together to join, unite headlines the most important pieces of news in the newspaper or on TV or radio hidden messages secret information hit a successful record lad a young man leading most important long (adv) for a long time madness insanity navigating steering a boat in the right direction paeol(v) to go round the streets to make sure that everything is all right plague a deadly disease carried by rats pole a long rounded piece of wood or metal run away from the law to run away from the police single a record with one song on each side skius knowledge and experience; abilities staff a group of assistants who work under a manager superstars extremely famous people in entertainment top thirty the 30 most popular songs based on the sales of records in the shops wealthy very rich wharf a place to tie up boats and ships working class belonging to the class of people who work in manual labour eg in factories The Heart of England 61 This northernmost region of England conrains some of the wildest and loneliest parts in the country, but also some of the busiest industrial centres. The Ice Age formed many deep valleys in the counties of Cumbria and North Yorkshire, made rivers into waterfalls and left behind hills and mountains. Beneath the earth is coal - the foundation of the region's industry. l r n bria 5,000 years of industry There are four counties in the region of Northumbria. They are Tyne and Wear, Cleveland, Durham and Northumberland. This is a region of great natural beauty although industry of some kind has existed here for thousands of years. There was also an important textile industry. Both Yorkshire with its wool and Lancashire with its cotton were major textile-producing areas at this time. You can learn a lot about this period by visiting an indusuial museum like the one at Beamish. Industry and the sea There has been a fishing industry in Northumbria probably since the middle of the 13th century. Wooden ships were built for fishing and for trading and this industry grew and grew, particularly during the 18th cennuy. By 1850 the building of iron steamships became a major industry on the rivers Tyne, Wear and Tees. One hundred years ago a quarter of the world's ships were built in Northumbria. Today, sadly, this industry is disappearing. TALKING POINTS Would vou like to visit a museum like this? Why? a What would interest you most? *Are museums generally boring? How can they be made interesting? Above is a picture of H.M.S. Warrior, the world's first iron battleship. It is over 130 years old. Now it lies in Portsmouth harbour, where it is open to visitors. The Industrial Revolution About 200 years ago a period of great industrial growth began in Britain. This growth was fed by coal and steam power. During the 19th century the Northeast of England led the world in many types of heavy industry. You have already read about iron steamships. In addition, there were railway engineering, bridge building, industrial machinery, and for the making of all this - iron and steel production. The Dales to the Border 63 LOOKAND PRACTISE There is a major shipbuilding industry in.. . an important fishing near.. . textile engineering Coal is mined in . . . Oil is refined near.. . Iron and steel are produced i n . . Chemicals are made near.. . . Cars are manufactured i n . Work with a partner and take it in turns to make similar sentences using the map and the key opposite. Then write down all the sentences you have made. LOOK IT UP 1 Use the map on page 62 to label the major rivers on this map. 2 Write in the names of the four counties. 3 Work with a partner. Askand answer questions on your maps beginning with: Where.. . 7 What's the name of.. . ? Industrial misery During the Industrial Revolution, many people moved from the country to the towns, where they usually lived in dirty and overcrowded conditions. They worked long hours for very little money. Even small children had to work in the factories and mines. Many writers, in particular Charles Dickens, have written about their misery. He wrote this description of one of the new industrial towns: 'It was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it. It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys out of which smoke came for ever and ever. It had a black canal in it and a river that ran purple with bad-smelling dye.' 64 Unit six Today the noise and smoke of factories from the time of Dickens have been replaced by modem industry, and the 19th century slums have been cleared. But this region- like many others - has been badly aEected by the post-industrial recession. Unemployment is very high, as it was in the 1930s when economic depression forced men and women on to the dole queues, and things became so bad that a hunger march was organized from Jarrow to London. The 1980s have also seen dole queues and unemployment marches from the North towards London. Many of the traditional heavy industries are disappearing, and the region is developing new technological industries to help it overcome its difficulties. These include electrical engineering, plastics, fine chemicals, computers, and North Sea oil and gas. TALKING POINTS a Is unemployment a problem in your country7 a Do you know anyone who is unemployed? .What can be done to solve the problem? 1 The most beautiful corner of England The Lake District is the central mountainous area of Cumbria in the Northwest and has some of England's most beautiful scenery. Several other names are used to describe this area, for example Lakeland, and the English Lakes. Since the Lake District is a National Park, there is special control over building, to make sure that the beauty of the countryside is not spoiled. Nearly one quarter of the Lake District National Park is owned by the National Trust. The National Trust is a charity, which means it is financed by ordinary people who pay to become members. It is not financed or run by the government. The Trust was set up in 1895 by three people who thought a a t industrialization could spoil the countryside and ancient buildings of England and Wales. Today the Trust is the third largest landowner in $e country. It owns about 586,000 acres (almost 2,400 sq. km.) of land. Its properties include famous gardens, whole villages, farms, wind- and water-mills, lakes and hills, abbeys, prehistoric and Roman antiquities (including part of Hadrian's Wall), important bird sanctuaries such as Lindisfarne Island in Northumberland, and examples of industrial archaeology. The aim of the Trust is to conserve all these things for our enjoyment. TALKING POINTS a Is there an organization in your country that is similarto the National Trust? a How important is it to conserve areas and buildings? a Can conservation stop progress? The Dales to the Border 65 Ghosts of Yorkshire The BrontEs of Haworth The parsonage at Haworth is haunted. . In one of the loneliest parts of the wild Yorkshire moors lies the village of Haworth. People say the parsonage at Haworth is haunted by the ghosts of the brilliant, tragic Brontes. Along ancient streets, the ghosts of the three sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne w a k among the crowds. Branwell, their brother, still sits silently in the comer of the old pub. Imagination perhaps, but this is a place of dreams. Lost in a world of windswept loneliness, the Brontes wrote those 19th cennuy stories that we still love to read: Jane Eyre, WutheringHeights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, are as dramatic today as ever. And for miles around the moors, the grim, grey stones remind us of their novels, which take place in this wild countryside. But fame came to them late, and this talented family all died young: Branwell, a ruined man; solitary Emily; gentle Anne within months of her success. Charlotte was the only one of the family to get married. Tragically, she died before giving birth to her 6rst child. In spite of the sadness of their lives, the Brontes have passed on their experience of beauty and passion. In their novels, you can breathe the atmosphere of the moors and feel the powerful personalities of these famous novelists. 66 Unit six COMPLETE Emily. Charlotte and Anne are the names of three ... and Branwell was their brother. Their ... was Bronte.They lived in a ... in Haworth some time between the year ... and the year 1900, and they are famous for the ... which they ....Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hallare ... of their ....Their own story is sad becausethey were all ...when they died and only oneofthem was ever .... (You will find the answers on page 139.) LOOKAND READ 1 The author writes about the 'tragic' Brontes. What words and phrases can you find which give the idea of sadness and tragedy? Example: 'loneliness'. 2 Notice the poetic effect of combining the real, physical world with the world of innerfeelings as in 'a place of dreams'. Can you find another example? 3 Repetition of certain sounds can create an atmosphere. Notice the repetition of 'I' and 'w' in 'lost in a world of windswept loneliness'. Can you find another example of alliteration (sound repetition)? Draculal The Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby is a busy little fishing port which has changed little for the past 300 years. The town is famous for its associations with Captain Cook- the famous 18th century explorer and for one other thing. . . From the old streets around the harbour 199 steps lead up to the church of St Mary. It was the churchyard to St Mary's which gave the writer, Bram Stoker, the idea for his world-famous book Dracula. For a long time people have believed that creatures called vampires lived in Central Europe. Vampires are dead people who come back at night to drink the blood of living people1 Dmcula, written in 1897, is the story of a vampire from Transylvania who travelled to England. When his ship was damaged in a terrible storm, Dracula- the vampire jumped to land at Whitby in the shape of a huge dog1 Then, the churchyard became a place of horror! The oldest ghost? The city of York was an important centre for the Romans, who built a camp where York Minster stands today. During recent excavations under the Minster a man who was working there saw halfa Roman soldier marching towards him. As the soldier came nearer he saw the other half below the level of the floor. Then he understood that the man was walking at the level of the old Roman Road. The soldier walked past and slowly disappeared. Mosr ghosts seem to die afier about four centuries, but the ghost of the Roman soldier in York is nearly nineteen hundred years old! TALKING POINTS Do you know any ghost stories about the area where you live? If so, tell them to the class. a Would you spend the night alone in a haunted house? What would you take with you? a Do you believe in ghosts? Whylwhy not? What about vampires? The Dales to the Border 67 The historic city of York Yorvik was the capital of a V i g kingdom. In mediaeval times, York was the second city of the land. Georgian York was the social centre of the North, Victorian York was an important railway centre, and 20th cenrury York is, among other things, the home of world-famous chocolate and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Think of York and then think of historic things: battlements, glorious churches, ancient narrow streets, old houses and welcoming pubs where stories of ghosts are told around the fire. Then visit York and find these impressions true, even the ghost stories! As well as being an example of living history, the city knows well how to show its history to visitors. The National Railway Museum's collection of steam trains and Royal Carriages is world-famous. In the Castle Museum one can imagine oneselfin a 19th century world of Victorian streets, shops, farmhouses and homes. York Story, in Castlegate, is a lively museum showing how the city of York grew during 1900 68 Unit six years. In the newest museum visitors travel in a special electric car (like a time machine) through an original Viking street with the sights, sounds and smells which a Viking in York would have experienced. Most splendid of all, of course, is the magnificent Minster. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe and the most important church in the North of England. It is famous for its mediaeval stained glass windows, and the interior is full of colour and light. You can see the huge Minster for miles. You can climb to the top of the tower, go on a guided tour or take a trip into history below ground, where you can see the Roman remains. Feeling energetic? Nothing could be better than a walk along the top of the three-mile city walls. In today's York there is a festival of music and the arts every summer, which includes the famous miracle plays. These are the religious plays which were performed in the streets in mediaeval York and which are still enjoyed in York today. PUZZLE Many streets in Yorn end n tne woro 'gate'. I<e Cast.egare. 'Gate' was tne Vkng word for 'street'. How many words can yo^ ma<e from the erters in CAST-EGATE? Glossary associations connections battlements a wall around a castle or town, with holes to shoot through causeway a raised road across water churchyard a burial ground round a church conserve (v) to keep and protect dole money given by the government to unemployed people. 'To be on the dole' or 'to join the dole queue' means to be unemployed dye (11) a chemical used to colour things excavation digging to find old, historical things grim severe, unfriendly haunt (v) to live in a house as a ghost hunge; march (n) a wall<organized by people who are protesting against unemployment and hunger mainland the main part of a country or continent, without islands mediaeval of the period of history between 1100 and 1500, theMiddle Ages monastery a place where monks live as a community moor a wild, open, often high area overcrowded with too many people parsonage a house where a parson (priest) lives recession decline of business and trade refine to make pure ruined (adj) destroyed by failure, caused for example by drinking too much run (v) to organize, administer sanctuary an area where birds, animals or plants are protected from man and other enemies slums area of poor, dirty houses or flats stained glass coloured glass talented (a@ with a natural ability to do something well textile concerned with cloth time machine a machine which takes you into the past or future vampire a dead person who drinks the blood of living people waterfall a river which falls over rocks or cliffs windswept without shelter from cold winds The Dales to the Border 69 The principal industries here are farming and tourism. Although there are some very big farms, most are small family farms with a mixture ofcows, sheep and ccrcal crops. The ma@ emphasis idon dairy products -milk and butter. On Exmoor and Dartmoor, two areas of higher land, conditions are ideal for rearing sheep and beef-cattle. Industry is centred on three large ports: Bristol in the north, and Portsmouth and Southampton in the south-east. In Bristol, aircraft are desimed and built. In Portsmouth and~outhampton,the main industries are shipbuilding and oil-refining. Holiday time in the West Country The counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset are often called the West Country. They have always been popular with holiday-makers, so there are a large number of hotels, caravan- and campingsites and private houses and farms which offer bed and breakfast. People enjoy going there because of the beauriful countryside, where they can 'get away from it all', and because the coastline offers the best beaches and surfing in England. Also, the weather is usually warmer than in the rest of the country! The completion of two motonvays, the M4 from London and the M5 from Birmingham, has meant that people can travel to the West Country much more easily nowadays. However, the amval of large numbers of people at certain times of the year (especially at bank holidays, when almost everyone has a day off) can lead to traffic jams on the motonvays going in and out of the West Country. Then you may find the pretty Devon lanes blocked by cars pulling caravans! The Southwest 71 West Country food Do you enjoy eating local food? If you do, you will like the West Country. Most people who visit Devon look forward to having a cream tea. This consists of a pot of tea (of course!) and scones served with strawberry jam and cream. The cream is not the same as that found in the rest of the country. It is called clotted cream, and it is much thicker and yellower than ordinary cream. What are scones? Well, here is a recipe which you can try yourselves. By the way, in Devon they are called 'chudleighs'. Ifyou are still hungry you could try a Cornish pasty! Pasties used to be the main food of Cornish miners and fishermen about 150 years ago, because they provided a convenient meal to take to work. They were made of pastry which had either sweet or savoury fillings, and were marked with the owner's initials on one end. This was so that if he did not eat all his pasty at once he would know which one belonged to him1 Now a visit to Somerset, which has always been famous for its cheeses. The most popular variety is probably 'Cheddar', which is a 6rm cheese. It usually has a rather mild flavour but ifit is left to ripen, it tastes stronger, and is sold in the shops as 'mature Cheddar'. It takes its name from a small town which is also a beauty-spot wellknown for its caves, which contain stalagmites and stalactites. 72 Unit seven Finally, a West Counuy drink. No visit would be complete without a pint of Somerset cider, or 'Scrumpy' as it is called. Cider is made from apples and is sold all over the United Kingdom, but scrumpy is much stronger, and usually has small pieces of the fruit floating in it. Most people find that they have to be very careful about how WRITE Write a recipe in the same way as the one for scones. If possible, choose a local speciality. FOOD QUIZ 1 Why do you have to be careful about drinking 'scrumpy'? 2 What is 'mature' cheddar? 3 How is ordinary cream different from clotted cream? 4 Why were Cornish pasties popular with workmen? Magic circles The county of Wiltshire is most famous for the great stone monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury, and the huge earth pyramid of Silbury. No written records exist of the origins of these features and they have always been surrounded by mystery. Stonehenge is the best known and probably the most remarkable of prehistoricremains in the UK. 11 has stood on Salisbury Plain for about 4,000 years. There have been many different theories about its original use and although modern methods of investigation have extended our knowledge, no one is certain why it was built. One theory is that it was a place from where stars and planets could be observed. It was discovered that the positions of some of the stones related to the movements of the sun and moon, so that the stones could be used as a calendar to predict such things as eclipses. At one time, people thought that Slonehenge was a Druid temple. The Druids were a Celtic religious group who were suppressed in Great Britain soon after the Roman Conquest. Some people believe that they were a group of priests, while others regard them as medicine-men who practised human sacrifice and cannibalism. The Southwest 73 Because Stonehenge had existed 1,000 years before the amval of the Druids, this theory has been rejected, but it is possible that the Druids used it as a temple. The is by members a group called the 'Most Ancient Order of Druids' who perform mystic rites at dawn on the summer solstice. Every year, meet at Stonehenge to greet the first midsummer sunlight as it falls on the stones and they lay Out symbolic elements of fue, water, bread, salt and a rose. b o t h e r intereshg theory is that the great stone circle was used to store terrestrial energy, which was then generated across the country, possibly through 'ley lines'. 'Ley lines' is the name given to invisible lines which link up ancient sites throughout Britain. They were thought to be tracks by which prehistoric man travelled about the country, but now many people believe that they are mysterious channels for a specid kind of power. ~~y lines are international. In Ireland, they are known as 'fairy roads', in China they are known as lungn~eiand are believed to extend all over the Earth, and in Australia, the Aborigines make ceremonial journeys for hundreds of miles along these secret tracks. WRITE Write down the questions for these answers. 1 Because there are no written records. 2 About 4,000 years. 3 Because of the way the stones were arranged. 4 They were a Celtic religious group. 5 On t h e s u m m e r solstice. 6 Fire, water, bread, salt and a rose. 7 Fairy roads. 8 South Wales and north Wiltshire. The text describes different theories and stories about the origins of Stonehenge, and about the people who used it. Look carefully at the text and make a list of all the theories, H~~~ are some examples: Perhaps Stonehenge was a Druid temple. It might have been used to store terrestial energy. Some people believe that the Druids were a group of advanced thinkers. Alongside the theories of the sch local legends. Here is one. Stonehenge was built by the devil single night. He flew backwar forwards between Plain carrying the setting them in place. As he worked, he laughed to himself. 'That will make people think. They'll never know how the stones came here!' But a friar was hiding in a ditch nearby. He surprised the devil, who threw a stone which hit the friar on the heel. Is the story true? Well, the stone w devil threw, known as the 'heel sto still be seen by the si However, geologists stones came from South Wales and north Wiltshire, not Ireland! V 74 Unit seven Offshore islands There are between 120 and 130 offshore islands which can be classified as part of England's natural geography. Some are privately owned, some are inhabited, while others are only known to lighthousekeepers, sailors and naturalists. The attraction of these islands is different to different people. Ornithologists for example might want to study a rare seabird; archaeologists might be interested in a prehistoric or early Christian site; sociologists might study why certain islands have been deserted or resettled. Tlie Isle of Wight (1) is the largest island off the south coast. Charles I was once imprisoned here, and there is a large prison, Parkhurst, on the island today. A lot of its attractive scenery has formed as a result of a thick layer of chalk- the white teeth of the 'Needles' are the most famous example. Many of the inhabitants travel daily to the mainland to work. Those who work on the island are usually involved with the tourist industry because the island is visited by thousands of tourists every year. A favourire activity is yachting. T l ~ Isles e of Scilly ( 2 ) can be found 28 miles (45 km.)southwest of Land's End. There are between 50 and 100 'islands' in the group (some are just large rocks) but only six are inhabited. In early spring, they export beautiful flowers to the mainland. StMichael'sMount (3) is linked to the mainland at low tide by a causeway. It was a base for the tin uade at one time and, because of its religious connection with Mont-Saint-Michel in France, it was also a trading and migration centre from the earliest days of Christianity. Finally, between the coast of Devon nnd South Wales is the island ofLundy (4), which is three miles long and half a mile wide. At one time it \sfasalmost a pirate kinadom. bur todav it is a bird sancluarv. w i i a reiiddet human population of ab&t twelve. The Southwest 75 The sea - ships and sailors The coastline of the Southwest of England stretches for 650 miles (over 1,000 km.), and has many different features: cliffs, sand, sheltered harbours, estuaries and marshes. It is not surprising tbat much of the activity in this region has been inspired by the sea. Side by side on the south coast of Hampshire are the two ports of Portsmouth and Southampton. Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy, and its dockyard has a lot of interesting buildings and monuments. There is also the Royal Naval museum, where the main attraction is Horatio Nelson's flagship, the 'Victory'. Southampton, on the other hand, is a civilian port for continental ferries, big liners, and oil and general cargo. Many great sailors had associations with the West Counuy, for example Sir Walter Raleigh, the Elizabethan explorer, and Horatio Nelson, who lived in Bath in Somerset. The most famous sailor of recent times, was Sir Francis Chichester, who returned to Plymouth after sailing round the world alone in 'Gypsy Moth'. 76 Unit seven In Bristol, to the north, one of the largest Victoriansteamships,the'GreatBritain', has been restored. It was the Erst iron oceangoing steamship in the world and was designed by a civil and mechanical engineer with the unusual name of Isambard Kingdom Brunel(1806-1859). Henot only designed three ships (including the first transatlantic steamer, the 'Great Western'), but also several docks and a new type of railway that enabled trains to travel at greater speeds. He also designed the first ever tunnel underneath the Thames and the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Unfortunately, this coastline, in particular that of Cornwall, is famous - or infamous in another way too. The 'foot' of Cornwall has the worst of the winter gales, and in recorded history there have been more than fifteen shipwrecks for every mile of coastline. There is even a shipwreck centre and museum near St Austell where vou can see an amazing collection of items &at have been taken from wrecks over the years. There are a lot of stories about Cornish 'wreckers' who, it is said, tied lanterns to the tails of cows on cliff-tops or put them on lonely beaches when the weather was bad, so tbat ships would sail towards the lights and break up on the dangerous rocks near the coast. The wreckers would then be able to steal anything valuable that was washed up on to the shore. GAME 'Shipwrecked'. Imagine that you have been shipwrecked. Seven people have survived but there is only room for four people in the lifeboat.Work.in groups of seven. You must each think of reasons why youshould have a place in the boat and the others be thrown into the seal (Oreach member chooses to be a famous person and must explain why they should survive.)Then tell the other members of the group. Finally you should all vote to decide who has the best reasons for surviving! A famous shipwreck A shipwreck that has received a lot of attention is the 'Mary Rose', which was built at Portsmouth over 400 years ago on the orders of Henry WI. He was watching the ship sailing out with 60 others, when suddenly she sank for no apparent reason. Perhaps she was overloaded. Whatever the reason, she sank within minutes, and almost all of the 700 crew were drowned. The ship lay undisturbed in soft mud until the 1970s, when marine archaeologistsand a team of divers began exploring the wreck. They discovered that the hull was complete and that there was a huge variety of artefacts, for example clothes and shoes as well as pottery and metal and wooden objects. The 'Maly Rose', and artefactsfound in her wreck. WORDS Here is a list of people and things they studv. Match the aeoole in the left-hand column with the subjects in the right-hand column. Work with a partner and ask and answer like this: sociologists animal life geologists living things archaeologists people in groups environment The Southwest 77 Glossary artefact something made by human beings bakingpowder a powder used instead of yeast to make cakes rise Bank Holiday a public holiday beauty-spot a place people visit because it is beautiful cannibalism eating human flesh castor sugar very fine sugar chaos great confusion cliff a steep rock deserted empty, lonely devil the spirit of evil, Satan ditch a narrow channel dug in a field dough a mixture of flour and water or milk eclipse (n) the disappearance of the light of the sun or reflected light of the moon, when the moon is between the sun and the earth, or when the earth's shadow falls on the moon estuary the mouth of a river friar a man who is a member of a religious order gale an extremely strong wind gas mark a system for measuring temperature in a gas oven generate to produce and send get away from it all to escape from the noise and pressure of everyday life heath area of sandy soil where you will probably find heather (a plant) hull the main body of a ship infamous well-known for negative reasons lantern a light out-of-doors legend a story or folk-tale lighthouse-keeper the person who looks after the building with a Light which warns ships mainland a larger area of land in contrast to small islands 78 Unit seven . marsh wet land medicine-man a doctor in primitive society observe to watch careMIy offshore a short way out to sea pastry a mixture of flour and water, used for pies peninsula an area of land almost surrounded by sea pirate a person who robs ships at sea rear (u) to bring up an animal recipe instructions for preparing and cooking food ritelrihlal religious act($, usually performed in a special order savoury not sweet, salty shipwreck a ship which has been destroyed at sea, ofien on rocks stalactite a long structute formed by dripping water which hangs from the roof of a cave stalagmite like a stalactite, but it stands on the floor of a cave suppressed stopped by the law surf to ride on top of the waves, balanced on a long board teaspoon a spoon used to stir tea terrestrial of the earth or land track a line or path trafiic jam a long queue of cars, lorries, buses, bicycles, etc transatlantic steamer a large ship worked by steam which crosses the Atlantic Ocean utensil a tool for use in the kitchen washed up carried on to the beach by the waves of the sea At the beginning of the 6th century, Scotland was ruled by Scottish kings and queens, but was divided between different groups of people. The Picu and Celts, who were the oldest inhabitants, the Scots, who came from Northern Ireland, the Blitons, who were dsiven north by the Anglo-Saxon invaders of England, and the Angles, who originally came from what is now Germany. The Romans had left two centuries earlier. England and Scotland were finally united when, in 1603, the son ofMary Queen of Scots became James I of England. This was because Mary's cousin Elizabeth I of England had left no heir when she died. Today Scotland is part of the United Kingdom and is governed from London' There is a special minister in the Government, the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is responsible for education, local government and other important matters in Scotland. Although the legal, education and banking systems are slightly different from those in England, life is very similar to the rest of the United Kingdom. All the inhabitants speak English although about 100,000 still speak Scottish Gaelic. Many of the Scottish accents of English are very strong, and visitors from abroad (or even England) sometimes have difficulty in them! Folk music learn the 'ss well-lao- tra&tion~lsongs and they still sing many of them today. As well as singing, they play a variety of instruments. The guitar is of course one of themost important, but they also play the mandolin and the penny whistle. Rise and Follow Charlie! is-the title of one of the most popular songs the McCalmans sing. It dates from the time of the Jacobite rebellions when Scotland fought her last battle against the English. In 1707 a special treaty united the governments of Scotland and England. The Protestant Church replaced the Catholic Church as the ruling church in Scotland. However, many of the people who lived in the Highlands and Western Isles did not welcome this change. They still supported the grandson of the Catholic James 11, who had been exiled in 1688. His name was 80 Unit eight Tlre McCali~zarrr. Prince Charles Edward Stewart and he was known as Bonnie Prince Charlie because he was young and handsome ('bonnie'). Charlie spent twenty years in Rome preparing to win back the Crown of Great Britain for his father and himself, and then returned to Scotland. The Highlanders were very proud that he still spoke Gaelic, and wore the traditional tartan kilt. In 1745, he landed in the Western Isles, then with 2,500 men, he marched south to Perth, Srirling and Edinburgh. There, on 17th September, his father was proclaimed king of Scorland and England. Four days later the Jacobites defeated the English army at Prestonpans. On 1st November Charlie led his men as far south as Derby in England. However not as many Jacobite supporters joined them in England as they had hoped, and Charlie decided to remeat. The Jacobites returned to Scotland on 21st December and defeated yet another English army at Falkirk on 17th January 1746. By April, however, the Duke of Cumberland had built up a huge army of 9,000 Protestant soldiers from England and Europe. On 16th April they met Charlie's army of5,000 tired and hungry men in the wind and the rain at Culloden. There was a terrible and bloody battle and the Jacobites were defeated. Charlie wandered in exile in the Scottish Highlands and in Europe. There was a reward of £30,000 for his capture but the Highlanders, though poor, never betrayed the man they loved so much. After the rebellion of 1745, the Highlanders were forbidden to carry weapons, to speak their own language, Gaelic, or wear their own dress. Much of their land was sold by the British government. ANSWER Look atthe map, and mark in Charlie's journey. Describe what happened at each dace, and the date when it took place. SING There are many songs like the McCalmans' Rise and Follow Charlie! that tell Charlie's sad story. The best known is Charlieis My Darling. Charlie is My Darling CHORUS Oh! Cl~arlieis n y darling, M y darlirrg, 1ny darling, Oh! Clrarlie is tty darling, Theyoung Chevalier. 'Twas on aMo1tday ntontiltg, Rigltt early in theyear, Wlten Charlie cante to our town, TI~eyoungCl~evalier.Oh! CHORUS A s he cante ntarchi?rgup the street, The pipesplayed loud a~tdclear, And tlte folk cante ninnittgout, CHORUS T o ttreer the c/levalier. Oh! Tlrey've lefi tlreir botorie Higl~landIrills, Their wives and bainries dear, To draw tl~esword for Scotland's lord, Tl~eyoungChevalier. Oh! CHORUS Beating the 'Sassenachs'! Relations between England and Scotland today are very good but sometimes there are problems at sporting events between the two counuies. At the end of every football season England plays Scotland, and every two years the game is played at the famous Wembley Stadium in north London. Some Londoners, however, are sure that the Scots have never really forgotten that terrible defeat at Culloden. They believe that the uip to London is part of the Scottish revenge on the 'sassenachs'- the Scottish name for the English or 'AngloSaxons'! Scotland versus England. N . Irelaizd versus Eire. Although England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own national football teams, in the Olympic Games there is only one team that represents the United Kingdom. The athletes from the four countries work together as one team to win for Britain. If they win a medal, all four countries are equally proud. This means, of course, that it is very r n c u l t for Britain to send a football team to compete in the Games! Ian Ruslr (Wales). TALKING POINT English football fans have a very bad reputation in Europe fortheir behaviour. What in your opinion causes football hooliganism, and how would you prevent it? 82 Unit eight The Highland games The games which are now celebrated in the Highlands first started in Celtic times and were always held in front of the king. Competitions were held to find the strongest and fastest men to be body-guards and messengers. Essential to the modem games are the events such as putting the stone, throwing the hammer and tossing the caber. Other events include running and jumping, as well as competitions for playing the bagpipes and dancing traditional Highland dances. The games held in the northeast are best known for the athletic events, whilst the best -Diving - - is traditionallv found in the Highlands and Islands oifthe west coast. Tossing the caber. Tattoo spectacular perform under floodlights. They are surrounded on three sides by an audience of 9,000. On the fourth side is the castle itself which provides an exciting setting for the evening's performance of military music, marching and other spectacular displays. The name tattoo has an interesting origin. Traditionally soldiers were told to return to the living-quarters each night by a beat of the drum which sounded like 'tat-too'. After this rime the pubs would serve them no more whisky! On the final night of the display the sky is filled with the bright colours of exploding fireworks. WORDS The Edinburgh military tattoo takes place every August and September, and is known throughout the world. For 90 minutes on five or six nights a week, 600 people The athletic events at the Highland games are traditional, and not included in the modern Olympic games. What are the names of the different Highland events? Compare them with the athletic events at the Olympics. Scotland 83 Welcome to the Festival At the same time as the tattoo, you can go to the famous Edinburgh festival. Since i t started in 1947, the festival has had the aim of bringing to Scotland's capital the finest performers and productions from a l l over the world. WHATSHALL WE DO? A B A B Lookat this section from the firstweek's Programme. Discuss what you want to do with a friend and make plans using the conversation to help you. 84 Unit eight What shall we do on Monday? How about going to a concert7 O.K. What's on? Well, there's a piano concert on at he Queen's Hall. A Fine. I'll see you outside just before it starts. B O.K. at 10.45 then. A tragic queen Prince's Street is Edinburgh's shopping centre and it runs parallel with the Royal Mile which goes from the Castle to Holyrood House. This is the residence of the Queen when she is in Edinburgh and it was also the scene of one of the most famous murders in Scottish history. ASK Find the questions forthese answers. 1 One end of the Royal Mile. 2 The Queen. 3 In France. 4 Because she was a Catholic in an increasingly Protestant nation. 5 Rizzio. 6 9th March 1566. WORDS Describing people. Match these adjectives with their definitions. Most of them come from the passage. Maty Queen of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots had been brought up in France, and returned to Scotland in 1561. She was a Catholic in a country that was becoming more and more Protestant. This meant that all her life she was involved in religious and political struggles. Mary made many mistakes in her life. The fust real one was her marriage to Henry Lord Darnley in 1565. He was handsome and ambitious but at the same time vain, self-indulgent and weak. Their love did not last. Darnley became suspicious ofMary's Italian secretary, David Rizzio. On 9th March 1566, while Mary and her friends were having supper at Holyrood House, Darnley and his friends broke into the dining room, dragged Rizzio outside and stabbed him to death. The spot where this took place can still be seen today. Mary continued to live an unhappy life and was exiled for many years in England. Her cousin Elizabeth I of England had always been suspicious of her and decided that her worries would stop only when Mary was dead. Therefore, in 1587, she &ally ordered that Mary should be executed. People who.. . wantto bevery successful don't like working are over-interested in their appearance are only interested in themselves have a very strong will find meeting people difficult like attacking people ortheir ideas give way to their own desires too easily don't trust others always believe that only good things will happen Do any of these words describe you or your friends? Scotland 85 Scotland seen from abroad Caroline from FRANCE CAROLINE IGNARD. 20, of chasseneuil, in south-west France, works as an a u pair in Dundee, where s h e is taking a course in English. she hopes to go,to univcrrity eventwdIi~ and study English ilterature. Said caroline: -1 love Scotland and the people I live with are very good to m,c. , -1 am an ~hild.My parents live in abls hnllEe - in fact most people in our Own their own houses. not very fond of Dundec - I prefer ~dihur~h. -me scots are nice, though. AS Soon as they find out you're from France they become ,,.: - friendly and helphi. They seem to French people. ,.probably the biggest difference is in the , :: ~t~~terrible herel" / "i; , a. TALKING POINTS Would you like to live in Scotland?What work would you do? What subject would you like to study at university?Why? a Pubs close a t 10.30p.m. or ll.OOp.m. in Scotland. Do you thinkthis is too early? Why? TALKING POINT The people of Ferness have to choose between theirtraditional way of life or a quickand easy profit1What advice would you give them? Write down the advantages and disadvantages of the oil industry and decide on what would be the bestthing for them to do. 86 Unit eight Life on the rigs Men working on the North Sea Oil rigs off Scotland's east coast can earn large salaries, but life can be very dangerous. Men work either for seven or fourteen days, with the same time back on land when they have finished their working period. At the end of each 12 hour day they normally return to their cabins, which are shared by two or four men. There is usually a lot for men to do in their free time with gymnasiums, video libraries, and a large supply of books all being available. The work is secure, and men earn enough money, almost £30,000 a year, to buy expensive homes in the atuactive villages around Aberdeen. Many workers do not mind the long hours on the rigs because they have several days onshore, whicb they can spend with their families. Alcohol is not normally allowed, and smoking is only permitted in some areas on the ries. problems in raising the damaged living quarters from the sea bed. Many people are now worried about the safety of these oil platforms and the government bas asked for a special report. TRUE OR FALSE? 1 Men generally like working on the rigs. 2 There is very little to do during free time on the rigs. 3 Many of the workers live near Aberdeen. 4 The lonc~hours on the rios mean that men haie longer periods at home with their families. 5 Piper Alpha pumped only oil. 6 The explosion happened just after lunch. 7 More than two hundred men were killed. 8 The government has closed down all the oil rigs. (You will find the answers on page 139.) PUZZLE 9 1 2 However, there is always the risk of fire and on Wednesday 6th July 1988, the Piper Alpha oil rig, situated about 150 km. north-east of Wick in Scotland, blew up and caught fire immediately. Almost 190 men were killed in this tragedy, and there followed a large emergency rescue operation in the North Sea. Many workers jumped into the sea from the burning platform and were picked up by helicopters and small boats. The 100m. high platform was hit by an enormous explosion at about 9.30 p.m. and quickly caught fire. It is believed that the explosion was caused by a fault in one or the gas pipes. Piper Alpha was d r i i g for natural gas as well as oil. It took a long time before the fire was put out, and there were many Read the text and complete the puzzle. 1 Onthesea2 gas. 3 Men don't m t h e long hours. 4 The damaged q u a r t e r s . in the gas pipe. 5A up by helicopters. 6 Men were 7 Where the men sleep. is permitted in some areas. 8 9 The men are f o r oil and gas. (You will find the answers on page 139.) Scotland 87 Glasgow Glasgow in the 1890s. Background Glasgow used to be called the 'dear dirty city', as its leading role during the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century caused a great deal of pollution. Standing on the River Clyde, 32 kilometres from the sea, it is the largest city in Scotland and the chief centre in the Strathclyde region. During the nineteenth century, its population increased almost ten times as people moved from the poorer Highlands and Islands to work in the expandingindustries. Today, 800,000 people live there. To allow the industries to grow during the nineteenth century, the River Clyde was widened. This allowed large ships from all over the world to sail into the heart of the city. Today many of the shipyards have closed and some traditional manufacturing industries have been replaced by the 'hightech' electronics industries. Although it used to be a very dirty river, the Clyde is now much cleaner. Recently, Scotland's most famous fish, the salmon, 88 Unit eight has been seen swimming once again in the heart of the city. Glaswegians themselves are discovering the beauty of their once filthy and overcrowded buildings though careful cleaning and restoration. Perhaps because it has known so many hard times, it is one of the friendliest places in the world and is sometimes called 'the friendly city'. The Arts Glasgow is the home of the Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. These last two are based at the maflcent Theatre Royal. It has many smaller theatre companies, and the Kellingrove galleries contain the finest art collection in Britain outside London. The Peoples' Palace, which was opened in 1898, has displays which uy to reflect the lives of ordinary people. Not only are there memories of famous sportsmen and once popular theatres, but also sad reminders of life during the Industrial Revolution and records of those who tried to improve conditions for ordinary working people. Glasgow ill the 1980s. WORDS Find the eight words connected with shipping, which are hidden in the word circles. They may start anywhere and go clockwise or anti-clockwise. (You will find the answers on page . - 139.) The Tlzealre Royal, Glasgow. Scotland 89 Education At secondary schools in Scotland, pupils may study as many as six subjects up to the age of eighteen. In England, usually only three subjects are studied during the last two years of school, the sixth form. Most Scottish Universities offer a four-year undergraduate degree course whereas, in England, the first degree course only lasts three years. Three of its eight universities were founded in thcfifteenth century, and a fourth in the siureenth. They are thus much older than anv of the Enelish universities, other than ~ x f o r z a n d Cambridge. Money Although you can use the same money anywhere in the United Kingdom, only the Royal Bank of Scotland still prints onepound notes. James Watt (1736-1819) I t is said that James Watt developed his idea for the steam engine by watching a boiling kettle in his mother's kitchen and seeing how the steam pushed things out! He Jirst became interested in machines, working as an ordinary mechanic at Glasgow University, which had been founded centuries before in 1451. His interest in the steam engine turned it into one of the most powerful and important machines in the Industrial Revolution. Throughout his life, he could not stop inventing all kinds of machines, some of which were still being used earlier this century. 0 UlZ Who invented.. .7 1 the electric battery 2 the telephone 3 the motor car 4 centigrade 5 the jet engine (You will find the answers on page 139.) 90 Unit eight The Highlands The Scottish Highlands contain some of the most magnificent scenery in Europe, and the landscapes of northern Scotland form one of the truly 'wild' areas of Britain. Larger than East Anglia and the South-East of England put together, it is remarkable that the population is so small and concentrated in the towns. However, many of the places in the Highlands have not always been as deserted as they are today. Many people left their small houses (called crofts) in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to find work in the large towns. But others were told to leave by cruel landlords who wanted to use their land for sheep-farming and deer-hunting. The old, the young and even the sick were rhrown out of their homes. They had to move to the towns, go abroad or live in some of the newer villages on the Western Coast. They were not protected against these 'clearances' until a law was introduced in 1886. Nowadays, 'crofters' may often have other part-time work, as well as looking after the land around their croft. Whisky A typical sight in many Highland valleys or glens are the white buildings ofthemalt whisky distilleries. No two malt whiskies are the same, and the tastecannot he copied anywhere else in the world, as thc watcr comes from the local hills. Whiskv was first produced in Scotland in 1494andformany years there was alot of smugglingto avoid paying taxes. There aremore than 100 malt whisky distilleriesin the Highlands andit is not surprising that the wordCScotch' (Scottishisused to describe someone or something from Scotland) is used to mean whisky throughout the world. TALKING POINT Would you preferto live in a town or in the country? Give five reasons for your choice. WRITE Write down as many diferent drinks as you can think of. How are they made? Scotland 91 Clans and tartans popular until the beginning of the 18th century. Each clan has its own tartan and, since the first international gathering of the clans in 1972, many more people have become interested in maditional forms of Scomsh dress. Tartans are now part of international fashion. However, many visitors to Scotland are keen to 6nd out ifthey have historical connections with any particular clan so that they may proudly wear the correct tartan. LOOKAND PRACTISE Tartans are described as coloured checks. Describe the clothes of yourfriends. Use these words to help you: high-/low-lv-/round-necked cotton, wool, silk, nylon, leather plain, checked, striped, spotted fashionable, old-fashioned loose-/tight-fitting. casual, formal pointed, round, short, long TALKING POINT What do you think of modern fashions7 What clothes do you enjoy wearing? Give your reasons. Scottish names Many people in Scotland have the name MacDonald or MacKenzie. 'Mac' means 'son o f and people with this name usually feel they belong to the same family or clan. Campbell or Cameron are other common surnames. Common boys' names are Angus, Donald or Duncan, and girls' names are Morag, Fiona or Jean. The names Jimmy and Jock are so common that many English people call a man from Scotland 'a Jimmy' or 'a Jock'l 92 Unit eight Scottish festivals Hogmanay At midnight on 31st December throughout Great Britain people celebrate the coming of the new year, by holding hands in a large circle and singing this song: Boil f i e livevmd o ~ ~ i o y ~u u, r for40 &;*later. D-, and keep fie Li%uid. M;ace#e f i f i e ~and , ckopffie ( 6 ~ hve* OL~;OM 'For auld lang syne' means 'in memory of past times' and the words were written by Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Bums. He wrotemuch of his poetry in the Scots dialect. New Year's Eve is a more important festival in Scotland than it is in England, and it even has a special name. It is not clear where the word 'hogmanay' comes from, but it is connected with the provision of food and drink for all visitors to your home on 31st December. In addition, many people believe that you will have good luck for the coming year if the f i s t person to enter your house after midnight is a 'tall dark stranger'. It is also thought lucky if this person brings a piece of coal and some white bread1 Most Scots take part in a ceilidh (Gaelic for 'dance') on New Year's Eve and there is much dancing and singing until the early hours of the morning. Scottish words Burns' Night 25th January is celebrated all over the world by Scotsmen wherever they are, as it is the birthday of Robert Bums. As at hogmanay, a special meal of haggis, potatoes and turnip is eaten, washed down by lots of whisky! The haggis is carried into the dining room behind a piper wearing traditional dress. He then reads a poem written especially for the haggis! Many Scottish people still use some Scottish words when they speak English. 'Wee', meaning small, is often heard in such expressions as 'wee laddie1- small boy. 'A bonnie lass' is a pretty girl and a 'bairn' is a young child. If someone answers your questions with 'aye' they are agreeing with you: 'aye' means yes. Finally, if you are offered a 'wee dram' be careful: you'll be given some whisky to drink and you will probably have to drink it all in one go! Scotland 93 Glossary accent ( 7 1 ) d way of pronouncing English all in one go without tolung a breath \\,bile drinking auld old background past, ancestry bagpipes musical instrument with air stored in a bae held under the arm ban (v) to forbid; stop beat (?I) the noise of the drum behave oneself not to cause a dismrbance betray to bepnfaithful to bloody where many people are killed break into to use force to enter a place bring to mind to remember build up to increase the number the Crown the right to be king or queen date from (v) to have existed since draw (v) to attract dress (n) national costume execute to be killed on the orders of a aovernment or iudee Boodlights large ighkused for lighting a big area folk group a band which plays traditional music of a country (folk music) heir someone who has the legal right to receive money or property or a tide when someone dies highlander a person who comes from or lives in the Scottish Highlands hooliganism activity of hooligans: rough, noisy people who cause trouble by fighting and breaking things Jacobite supporter of King James I1 kilt a tartan skirt worn by men in the Scottish Highlands loose not tight-fitting, large mandolin a musical instrument with 6 or 8 metal strings and a rounded body 94 Unit eight marmalade jam made oforanges oatmeal ground oats used to make porridge and oatcakes oil-field an area where petroleum is found penny wbistIe a simplecheap musical pipe piping playing the bagpipes ~roclaimto make known officiallv putting the stone a sport in which n heavy stone is thrown as far as possible quarters the place where soldiers live while in the army rebellion fighting against someone in power, usually a government retreat (v) to go back rise (v) to stand up, leave one's home self-indulgent giving way to one's own desires very easily setting surroundings, place where something happens s o long as if, on condition that spot the exact place stab (v) to push a knife into suet animal fat used in cooking three part harmony singing three voices singing together tight-fitting fitting close to the body toss the caber to throw a log of wood as far as possible treaty an agreement hlmip a root vegetable vain having a high opinion of one's looks wander to go from one place to another without a real purpose wash down to swallow liquid with something we'll take a cup of kindness yet we'll drink to our friendship 1 I Wales is approximately 150 miles (242 l a . ) from north to south. About two-thirds of the total population of 2.8 million people live in the South Wales coastal area, where the three biggest towns are located: Swansea, Cardiff and Newport. The Welsh are very proud of their language and culture. These are best preserved in the north and west of the country, for in the south and east they have been more challenged by industrialization. The west coast, mid Wales and North Wales are wild and beautiful! Although visitors don't need passports to cross the border from England into Wales they soon realise that they are entering a country with its own distinct geography, culture, traditions and, of course, language. Language Welsh is one of the Celtic languages, like Scottish and Irish Gaelic. It is estimated that Welsh is spoken by 16 to 20 per cent of the population, although in North and West Wales 50 per cent speak the language. The Welsh Language Act of 1967 said that all official documents should he in both languages, and most road signs are printed in English and Welsh. as a hrst or second language. Since 1982 there has also been an independent fourth TV channel broadcasting mainly in Welsh. Since the 1960s there has been increased interest in Welsh. At secondary schools almost 50 per cent of all pupils learn Welsh Although not many Welsh words are wellknown in England, the word eisteddfodis understood by almost everybody. This is the Welsh name for an annual competition where people meet to dance, sing and read poems. Usually, only Welsh is spoken and in recent years they have attracted people who wish to protest against the influence of English on the Welsh language and culture. ANSWER TALKING POINTS 1 2 3 4 a Why do people get so angry about Why were the demonstrators arrested? Why did they choose pictures of castles? What were they protesting about? How does the purchase of holiday homes in Wales affectthe Welsh themselves? 5 How would the organizers of the eisteddfodprefer young people to express their protest? 96 Unit nine language? What can it represent? Some people argue that it would be a good idea if everybody in the world learnt a common language such as Esperanto. Do you agree? *The organizers of the eisteddfodasked the young people to 'discuss problems ratherthan destroy property'. Is discussion alwaysthe best way to solve a problem? His tory To understand the feelings of the demonstrators, we should look briefly at the history of Wales. The Celts who had &st arrived in Wales in the 6th and 7th centuries Bc were defeated by the invading Romans in 43 AD. The Romans also lcilled large numbers of Druids, the Celtic religious leaders, who had formed communites in the north and on the island of Anglesey. gave the Welsh the freedom which the English already enjoyed. Since the 16th century Wales has been governed from London and in 1978 the Welsh voted by a large majority against a separate Welsh Parliament. In today's Government there is a special department and minister for Welsh affairs. In the 5th and 6th c e n ~ r i e AD s many European saints uavelled to WnIes as Christian missionaries. Their names arc remembered in some present-day Welsh place names. St Teilo and St Cyhi are remembered by Llandeilo and Llangybi. Llan is the Welsh word for an area where a church stands. The Saxons pushed the Welsh further and further towards the west until, in the 8th century, a Saxon king called Offa built a long ditch to keep them out of England! This ditch or dyke is 167 miles (269 km.) long and follows the line of much of today's border for most of the way. Then came the Normans who built enormous castles to protect themselves from attack from the west. Caerphilly Castle, 6 miles (10 km.) north of Cardiff, was one of the strongest in Europe. Even Oliver Cromwell, during the EnglishCivilWar,was unable tohlowit up! Caerna$en Castle, 1969-A neu Prince of Wales. The Welsh fought for many years to win back their freedom. The Welsh king, Llewellyn the Great, tried to unite his people against the English, hut his grandson, Llewellyn the Last, was finally defeated in 1282. The English built great castles ar Harlech and ~ a i m a r f o na, i d in 1301 Edward I of England made his eldesr son Princc of \Vales. This tradition has been kept until the present day and in 1969 a similar ceremony took place again. The present Queen made her eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales at Caernarfon castle. ~~~ In 1536 Henry VILI brought Wales under the English parliament through a special law. He insisted on the use of English for official business, but at the same time he Wales 97 Life in the Valleys A lypical Soutlz Wales minirzg row71, around 1910 team was thought to be the best in the world. The rules of the game are rather complicated but mainly involve the canying of an egg-shaped ball over your During the industrial revolution of the 18th opponents' line and pressing it firmly on and 19th centuries, the valleys of South the ground to score a ny. A team consists of Wales became the iron and steel capital of fifteen players, eight of whom are usually the world. The small villages that grew up much bigger and heavier than the rest. around the pits and steel works developed Their job is to win the ball so that the rlrreetheir own special character. When people qziarceten can run forward over the line, speak of life in the valleys they are usually trying to avoid the tackles of the opposing thinking of a particular Welsh way of life team. Often the heavierfo~wardscan be where families stay very close together and seen pushing together in a so-n~rr,uying to villagers are very proud of their traditions. luck the ball backwards. Although the In particular the valleys are famous for game seems to be similar to American producing male voice choirs, and rugbyfootball, the players are not allowed to players. throw the ball forward. Other points can be won bv kickinn the ball between the suecial The Rhvmnev and the Rhondda are two of the bestknown South Wales vallevs. 'H'-shBped - goal-uosts. - . Standing high on the hillsides, YOU can 1001~ men the Welsh side are playing at home at down and see the linesof terraced houses CardiffArt~uPark their supporters often try on the riverbanks. Some pits are now open to encourage them to play bener by singing to the public so that visitors can see for the Welsh National anthem, Land o f M y themselves just what the life of a miner is Fathers, The sound ofthousandsof welsh like. voices singing this famous song usually The Welsh national game helps the Welsh side to score another u y to Rugby Union is the national game of win the game. Naturally they are especially pleased when this is against the English! Wales, and during the 1970s the Welsh Mining has been one of the great Welsh industries for many years along with the iron and steel trades. 98 Unit nine PRACTISE Describe the rules of any games that you know. Say what the players have to doto score points and what they are notallowed to do. 'I order. - MODERN lour-bedroomed detached house, on large estate. - LOOKAND PRACTISE SEMI-DETACHED three storey older-style property, in need oi some repair. You want to buy a house. Which house would you like to live in? 4 Many British people own theirown houses. A detachedhouse stands on its own, whilst semi-detached houses are built in pairs. Terraced houses are built in rows. If many houses are built in a new part of a town, this is called a housing estate. SMALL terraced cottage in good decorative BUNGALOW with large garden. MODERN terraced house lor first-time buyers. A bargain. - - SEMI-DETACHED three bedroomed iarn~ly houses. N e w t o m estate. The Welsh and their words The traditional culture in Wales has always placed special emphasis on the reading of poetry and the singing of choirs. In the 19th century there was a powerful puritan religious movement that preached a good andsimple life. In the chapels the oratory of the preacher and the strong singing of male voice choirs were used to win the hearts of the people and rum them away from bad living. the poor led him to start the first national insurance scheme and system of old-age pmsions. These were the foundation of the present day National Health Service and other forms of social welfare. Politicians This Welsh understanding of the power of words lies behind a fine tradition of radical and eloquent politicians who have contributed a great deal to British politics since the beginning of the century. David Lloyd George, although horn in Manchester of Welsh parents, was brought u p in Wales. He entered the House of Commons at the age of nventy-seven as a member of the Liberal Party. After holding various government offices, he became the first Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1916, a post he held until 1922. His interest in the old and David Lloyd George. Like other Welsh politicians in the Labour party, he is against a separate Parliament for Wales. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Nationalist Party, was very angry when he voted against this in 1978. Like Foot and Bevan before him, his roots lie firmly with the ordinary people of the Welsh valleys, and he feels that separate government would not really help them a great deal. Equally inspired by fairness and justice, Aneurin Bevan, who had worked in the coal-mines of South Wales as a boy, became one of the most powerful speakers ever known in the House of Commons. His battle with authority began when he led the miners in the general strike of 1926. He stood for Parliament as an independent Labour candidate in 1929 and by 1931 was the official Labour MP. During the Second World War he was famous for his long and bitter arguments with Winston Churchill about matters of government policy and defence. In 1948, as Minister of Health in the new Labour Government, he established the National Health Senrice to ensure that both rich and poor have the same health care. His commitment to the poor, together with his willingness to debate every issue with the opposition party, inspired many post-war Labour MPs. ANSWER 1 For how many years was Lloyd George Prime Minister? 2 What is he best remembered for? 3 What was Aneurin Bevan's most important contribution to British politics? 4 Why were Welsh Nationalists angry in 19787 TALKING POINTS Should the Government of a country be responsible for health care or should there be some form of private insurance? If you can pay, should you be first in the queue for special medical treatment? *Wales voted against having its own separate Parliament. Why do you think this happened? Are there any regions in yourown country that would like their own government? I Aneutin Beunn. His successor in the constituency of Ebbw Vale was Michael Foot, who, although he never became Prime Minister, is famous for his speeches in the House of Commons and for his role as Minister of Employment in the Labour governments of the 1970s. His role as leader of the Labour party was taken over in 1983 by Neil Kinnock, another radical Welshman. He was born in Tredegar, the same village as Aneurin Bevan, and would be happy to think he was carrying on the same political rradition. 100 Unit nine A poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea and worked in London as a journalist writing radio and 6hn scripts at the same time. One of his most famous radio plays, UnderMilk IVood, has been adapted for the stage and performed all over the world. It creates the atmosphere of a typical Welsh village by the magical use ofwords and characters. Much of his working life was spent in such a village, Laugharne near Swansea on the South Wales coast. After a very troubled career, held back by his drinking, he died an early death in New York at the age of 39. The power of his poetry lies in its music and use of suiking images. One of his most famous poems begins with the lines opposite, which he wrote sitting beside the bed of his dying father. What's in a name? The way in which British surnames have developed is very complicated. Before the Normans arrived, the use of surnames wasn't really known. Many English surnames were originally connected with a person's job - Charles Baker, Margaret Tllatcher; someone's size - Jack Long, Mary Little; or a family relationship -Robin IVilliamson (Robin, son of William) Peter Ricllardson. The most common Welsh surnames were a l l originally Christian names in some form: Dylan Tllon~ar,Roger Davies (a form of David), Geoffrey3ones (from John), David IVillia~nsetc. Many other names come from the tradition of calling a child 'son of' his father using the Welsh word ap (or ab). This 'p' can be found at the beginning of many common Welsh names, eg Gary Pritchard, which is the same as the English Richardson. Other examples arePrees, Price, P a l ~ yand , P~rglt. Welshmen living in England are often called by the nickname ' T a w . This may come from the River Taff, which runs through the capital Cardiff, or it may come from Dafydd, the Welsh form ofDavid. WORDS Divide these names into boys' and girls' Christian names, and surnames. Some names will fit more than one category. Now lookat the following names. They are not spelt correctly. Write them out correctly and divide them into boys' and girls' names. The first letter is always correct. (You will find the answers on page 139.) Wales 101 'Fish and chips' comes into Welsh Welsh is a Celtic language, and is very difficult to learn. It has very musical intonation, and difficult sounds such as cl~ and 11. Because many people in Wales speak English, the Welsh language has borrowed a lot of English words. Many Welshspeakers going out to buy the most famous British meal would ask for 'fish and chips i swper' (for supper). Parts of the motor-car such as 'clutch', 'brake' or 'radiator' have come into Welsh almost unchanged. Many Welsh-speakers use English words and add a Welsh ending, so we hear 'switchio', 'climbio', and 'recommendio'. Some people think that this is lazy and that neiv \isordsshould be properly uanslatcd intc Welsh before being used. TALKING POINTS A r e there English or otherforeign words used in your own language? Why are they used? Do you think people should use English words without translating them? The National Parks Tile engine oftl~eSnowdon vlolintain railway so~netiu~es drives backwards! There are three National Parks in Wales You can reach the summit on foot or by the which cover approximately one-6fth of the Snowdon mountain railway, which is whole country. These parks are protected 4.5 miles (7km.) long. by law because of their natural beauty, but Many people travel to the parks each year ordinary people still live and work there. for special holidays. These include a large The most famous of the parks is Snowdonia number of outdoor activities such as in the north-west. It covers 840 square walking, climbing, and riding, or watermiles (2,176 sq. km.) of some of Wales' sports such as canoeing and fishing. People most breathtaking countryside. The highest camp and live without all the usual mountain range in Wales is in this area, comforts of home. with several peaks over 3,000 feet (910 m.). The highest, Snowdon, is 3,560 feet (1,085 m.). 102 Unit nine Wales 103 Energy inside a Welsh mountain One of the biggest power-stations in the world is being built in b e hean ofa \Velsh mountain. It uses neither oil nor coal to produce electricity, but the auter of a large mountain lake. From the top lake. . . . .the water nons tlte turbines toproduce eleclrin'cv. Front the bottom lake, the water ispun~ped back up the mountain. 104 Unit nine In a few thousand years people may discover the machines and wonder what had been happening there. Chief engineer Bill Thompson says that some may think that it was a church. Certainly the large mountain cavcs remind us of a magnificent cathedral, especially when they are quiet. However, they are usually full of noise: vehicles thundering through the dark tunnels, tbe noise i f hammering and shouting. The underground pumped power station is the largest in Europe and is used to produce electricity by pumping water again and again between two lakes. The water is let out through the bonom of the top lake, Machlyn Mawr, and then it passes down to drive the turbines inside the mountain. The water turns the turbines which produce electricity. Afterwards the water is collected in the bottom lake, Llyn Peris, at the foot of the mountain in the heart of Snowdonia. The turbines then change direction and w Is nuclear powerthe energy crisis? best way to solve the 1 Cardiff: a modern capital Cardiff Town Hall. Cardiff has been the official capital of Wales since 1955. There has been a community here for hundreds of years, but it began to grow quickly and to become prosperous during the nineteenth and early twentieth cennuies. This was the period when the coal, iron and steel industries were developing in South Wales, and Cardiff became a major industrial town and an important port. However, when these industries began to decline, Cardiff suffered too. Today, the docks are much smaller, but the city is now expanding as a commercial and administrative ccnuc. It is an atuactive and interestine olace to live in. with eood communications. olentv of parks and a varied p o p u l a t i o ~ ~ h i cincludes h nearly 10,000 university and college srudents. -. - As a tourist, you might want to visit the castle and Llandaff cathedral, or the National Museum of Wales. If you like music, there is the famous national concert hall, St David's Hall, or the New Theatre, which is the home of the Welsh National Opera Company. WRITE Re-write these sentences in the correct order to form a paragraph about the history of Cardiff. 1 It expanded suddenly during the nineteenth century into a great port. 2 A community has existed here for nearly 2,000 years. 3 During the Middle Ages, it was a small market town. 4 In AD76, the Romans reached Cardiff and b ~ ' I at stronghold. 5 Wnen rnese nd-stries oecl ned. Card'ff became less orosoerous too. 6 Haooilv, . . . afteia difficult oeriod, the citv is now prospering once again. 7 hor much s mown after rn s - n i l tne Normans arrived in 1091. 8 This was because of the development of coal and other industries in South Wales. (You will find the answers on page 139.) Wales 105 WORD GAME First find the answers to these clues. Then take the first letter of each answer and rearrange them to find the name of another Welsh city. The answers are in the text. 1 If you were born in Cardiff,you would be this.- - - - 2 You can see the Welsh National Opera here. - - - - - - - - - - 3 This adjective describes Cardiff. ---------- 4 Cardiff is the -------------- centre of Wales. 5 This was once an important industry in South Wales. --6 You can go to the theatre orto a concert * . In the- - - - - 7 10.000 people do this in Cardiff. - ----The name of the city is (You will find the answers on page 139.) 106 Unit nine A student in Wales After London, the University of Wales is the largest university in the United Kingdom. I t was established almost one hundred years ago and incorporated three existing colleges at Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff. Since then, colleges at Swansea and Lampeter have also become part of the same university, together with the College of Medicine and the Institute of Science and Technology in CardXf. Because of its size, the university is able to offer a wide range of courses, and students can choose the location they prefer. Each college has a separate identity and character. St David's College Lampeter is in the middle ofbeautiiul countryside; Aberystwyth is on the coast; Bangor is on the edge of the mountainous region of Snowdonia, and Swansea and Cardiff are in an urban environment. The table contains more information about each of the University Colleges. TALKING POINT Discuss with a partner which University College you would like to study at. Give reasons, using information from the table and from the text. 1 Wales 107 WORD SEARCH WRITE In the square below, six words are hidden. They are all hobbies you could start at the University of Wales. Write a letterto one of the colleges asking for information about courses for overseas students. A L P B O C A R T S R A C L T I H E A N L I S D A N F U L B K N T S I N G I N G R U G B Y N N W Books, books, books!!! Hay-on-Wye is a Welsh border town on the southern bank of the River Wye. It is unique, because although its total population is only 1,000, it has fourteen bookshops which contain well over a million antiquarian and second-hand books. In fact, it is the largest second-hand book-selling centre in the world. One of the most amazing shops is a converted cinema. This alone has more than a quarter of a million books for sale. Hayon-Wye is the ideal holiday centre for bookworms! E H N D L G O G WORD GAME How many words can you make from the letters of Shakespeare? (There are at least (You will find the answers on page 139.) 25.) Big Pit Mining Museum Coal mining has played a very important part in the lives of generations of people living in South Wales. For this reason, the Mining Museum at Blaenavon has recreated the atmosphere of a working mine of the past, to give visitors a taste of what life was like for miners in the 'old days'. On the surface, you can see such things as a typical miner's cottage and the pithead baths. For the underground tour, visitors have to wear safety helmets and cap lamps. They are taken down a shaft 100 metres deep in a pit cage, and are shown the coal faces, underground stables and workshops by ex-miners. TRUE OR FALSE? Here is some information for people wishing to visit the museum. Open April to end of October. Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00. Closed on Mondays, except Bank Holidays. The last complete tours start at 3.30. If you are going on the underground tours, you must wear strong shoes and warm clothing. Children underthe age of eight are not allowed underground. Cafeteriawhere you can buy hot food and drinks. Souvenir shop. Party bookings, by arrangement. November to March. Discounts available. According to the information, are the following statements true or false? 1 You cannot visit Bit Pit during the winter. 2 The museum closes at 3.30. 3 Special prices are available, if you go with a group. 4 You will need to take your own food. 5 The museum is not usually open on Mondays. 6 You do not need to wear special clothes. 7 Very young children are not allowed to go on the underground tours. (You will find the answers on page 139.) Wales 109 Glossary breathtaking something so beautiful that it stops you breathing for a moment bungalow a small house with just one storey channel a TV station clutch a pedal to connect and disconnect the gear common language a language spoken by everybody container-port a port dealing with cargo in very large special containers demonstrate to protest publicly distinct separate and special ditch a long hole dug in the ground eisteddfod annual gathering of poets and musicians in Wales eloquent speaking well and fluently Esperanto an artificial language designed for world use estate an area on which many houses are built hammer (v) to hit repeatedly hold office to have various jobs in government insect repellent a cream or spray which kills insects inspired influenced leek a long onion-like vegetable manage without to live without, ie leave behind national anthem the song of a counuy National Health Service the organization which gives free health care to all citizens national insurance money taken by the government from one's pay, which acts as insurance in case of sickness, unemployment etc old-age pension money received by people over 60 when they stop work 110 Unit nine oratory the skill of making persuasive, emotional speeches own (v) to possess, have as property patriotic strongly supporting one's own country peak (n) the top of a mountain pit (n) a hole in the ground where miners dig out coal Plaid Cymru Welsh Nationalist Party preserved kept pure, unchanged by outside influences radical wanting political change rage (v) to be very angry rave (v) to behave as if mad roots feeling of sharing a common past, culture etc rucksack a bag carried on the back script the text for a radio or TV play social welfare social services financed by the government; health care, pensions, insurance, dole, etc solar of the sun stand for Parliament to offer oneself for election strike (n) a time when workers refuse to work, in order to get better pay and conditions striking images ideas or pictures in poetry that are unusual and wild summit the top of a mountain tackle to anack an opponent, in order to take the ball in rugby target something to be hit thunder (v) to make a noise like thunder in a storm try (n) (rugby) touching down the ball behind the opponents' goal-line hubme an engine whose driving-wheel is turned by water whale a large sea animal The province of Northern Ireland (sometimes called 'Ulster') consists of six counties: Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry. Belfast is the capital city. The province is surrounded by sea to the north and east, by the Republican counties ofDonegal to the west and Cavan and Monaghan to the south. 111 The troubles Tlte 'Peace Line' bemeen Catltolic and Protestant Belfast. When trouble started in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s it took many people bysurprise. However the violencu and suffering \vhich Northern Ireland has becn experiencing are simply the latest events in an old story which began long ago. Reformation and Plantation The history of Anglo-Irish relations began with the colonization of Ireland by the Normans under Henry I1 of England in the 12th centmy. Over the next two centuries these Norman settlers became 'more Irish than the Irish', and it is possible that Ireland might have ended up as a contented Anglo-Irish society under the British Crown. However, in the 16th cennuy Henry VIII quarrelled with Rome and declared himself head of the Anglican Church. Resistance from Irish Catholics was strong but was put down by Henry's armies. And so by trying to force Irish Catholics to become Anglican and by taking a lot of their land, Henry began the two lasting problems of Anglo-Irish relations religion and land. What he started was continued by his 112 Unit ren daughter Elizabeth I. Ulster was a specially difficult area to brinp under her rule. The soldters of Lhe province oCUlster successfully fought against Elizabeth's armies until 1603. but were finallv defeated. Then tde 'Plantation o i ~ l s t e r ' began. 'Plantation' meant that twenty-thsee new towns were built in Ulster to protect the needs of 170,000 new, Protestant settlers known as 'planters', most of whom came from Scotland. This policy of plantation soon changed the structure of society in Ulster. Religion separated the planters and native Irishmen. The Scots planters were Presbyterians, a form of Protestantism, and they were deeply suspicious of Catholics and Catholicism. But they brought with them their own laws and customs relating to land, which encouraged greater social stability and economic growth. The Scots also placed great emphasis on education and hard work, and they were good at business. All this sowed the seeds of Ulster's 19th century industrialization, which made it different from the rest of Ireland. ANSWER 1 What do you think is meant by 'the 2 3 4 5 6 troubles'? Who were the Normans? Why did Irish Catholics dislike Henry VIII? Who were the 'planters'? How did plantation change the structure of Ulster society? In what way did Ulster become different from the rest of Ireland during the 19th century? enough to help the poor people during the famine. Although these events took place three hundred years ago, they are still remembered in Ulster today. The Protestants still call themselves Orangemen and annually celebrate William's victories over the Catholics with parades and banners. The bitterness of history is kept alive in Northern Ireland. TALKING POINTS CromweU and William of Orange During the Civil War in England, things became even worse in Ireland. A Catholic army was formed there in support of the king, Charles I, but Cromwell's Puritan (l'rotestant) force of 20,000 men was too strong for them. Cromwell's army not only defeated the Catholic, royalist army but also killed many civilians as well. This caused more bitterness between Protestant and Catholic, planter and native. .There are still parts of the world where thousands, even millions, of people are hungry and even die of starvation. Do you know any places where this is happening? Do the rich nations of the world do enough to help poor countries? Can an individual do anything to help someone who is starving on the other side of the world? Forty years later there was again Irish support for the deposed Catholic king, James 11, but in 1690 the Protestant forces of William of Orange (William 111) 6nally defeated the Catholics led by James at the Battle of the Boyne. Famine No event in Irish history has had a deeper effect on Irish national feeling than the Great Famine of 1845-9. In the 19th century most of the Irish depended on agriculture -indeed, most of them depended on simple potato-farming for their survival. The poor peasants made their living from tiny pieces of land and had to pay high rents for this land. Potatoes were their main food and when the potato harvest was bad for four years in succession, there was a terrible famine in the country. The Great Famine left one million people dead and forced another million to emigrate to the United States of America. It also left bitter feelings towards the British Government because they had not done Northern Ireland 113 Two nations? Some people say that from the time of the famine the gradual appearance of two nations can be seen in Ireland. During the 19th century Ulster, and particularly Belfast, became industrialized in a similar way to the North of England. Because of its industrial economy Ulster was not as badly affected by the poor potato harvest as the rest of Ireland, which depended on agriculture. Also, the land laws in Ulster were much fairer than in the rest of Ireland. This meant that, whereas people in the south of Ireland blamed British rule for their poverty and suffering, the people of Ulster found that union with Britain had brought them prosperity, and markets for their industrial products. During the attempts between 1886 and 1914 to get Home Rule for Ireland (independence from Britain in aU things relating to internal affairs), the people of Ulster resisted strongly and said they would fight rather than give up union with Britain. PUZZLE Find the six words ending in '-ation' and discover the word made by the letters in the boxes. There are clues to help you. CLUES 1 Number of people living in a country or area. 2 The settling of people in a new country which is governed by the mother country. 3 The introduction of machines and factories in the 19th century. 4 The settling of Protestants from the British mainland in Ulster. 5 Movement which protested against the Catholic church. 6 Extreme hunger. (You will find the answers on page 139.) 114 Unit ten Partition After a long and violent struggle, the southern part of Ireland finally became a Free State in 1921. Ulster chose to remain part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This division of Ireland is known as 'partition'. The Irish Free State declared itself a republic in 1949 and is now known as the Irish Republic, or Eire (an old Irish word for Ireland). It is completely separate and independent from Britain and Northern Ireland, and its government is in the capital city, Dublin. In 1949, Northern Ireland still had its own Prime Minister and its own Parliament at Stormont in Belfast which was responsible for the province's internal (not foreign) affairs, but it was still part of the UK. ConEict From the beginning, the Stormont Parliament was dominated by Protestants. Northern Irish Catholics, who were now in a minority, found that they did not have equal opportunities with Protestants for housing and employment. i\ carnplgn of civil rirhts for Cathohcs was started but very l i i e attention was paid to it by the ruling Protestants. INLA (Irish National Liberation h y ) . Both these organizations want to achieve a united Ireland by violent means, but they are condemned today by the government of the Irish Republic. On the Protestant side are the UDA (LJlsterDefence Association) and the WF (Ulster Volunteer Force). WRITE Write a short paragraph about each group below, saying what you know aboutthe people, what they want and what they don't want. 1 Ordinary protestants living in Northern Ireland. 2 Ordinarvcatholics living - in Northern Ireland. 3 Members of the IRA and INLA (catholic secret armies). 4 Members of the UDA and UVF (protestant secret armies). 5 The government of the Irish Republic. 6 The British government. In 1969 there was rioting in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestants. By 1972 the hostility between the two groups was so bad that Britain suspended the Northern Irish Parliament at Stormont and sent in the British army to keep the peace. The soldiers were welcomed at &st by the Catholics as protectors t?om Protestant violence, but when the army began house-to-house searches of Catholic areas for men with guns, the welcome soon turned to bitterness. There have been many deaths since 1969. In 1972, on what became known as 'Bloody Sunday', British soldiers opened fire on Catholic demonstrators in Londonderly and thirteen people were killed. In addition, many British soldiers have been killed. Both the Protestant and the Catholic communities have illegal secret armies fighting a bloody war. On the Catholic side, are the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and A soldier of the British arnzy on a Bel/ast street. Northern Ireland 115 The search for a solution Since 1969 there have been a number of attempts to h d a political solution to the Northern Ireland problem. In 1972 the British Government ended the Stormont Parliament, which had failed to give equal rights to Catholics, and Direct Rule of the province from Westminster was introduced. In 1973 there was an agreement - known as the Sunningdale Agreement - behveen the British Government, the Catholic Nationalists (who wanted a united Ireland) and s o i ~ l e Protestant Unionists (who wanted Northern Ireland to stay part of the United Kingdom). Many Unionists, however, were against the agreement, because they thought it gave too much power to the Catholic minority in Ulster, and in May 1974 there was a General Strike by Protestant workers, which led to the breakdown of the agreement. In 1975 there was another attempt at a political solution- the Constitutional Convention: This was an elected group of Northern Irish people, who were to advise the British Government and give their opinions on plans for political change, but the group did not have any real power and, as there were Catholic Nationalists and Stonl~ont,Belfast. 116 Unit ten Protestant Unionists in the group, they could not agree among themselves, and so this attempt also failed. For five years, no new political attempts were made. Finallv, in 1980, the Irish Government (ol~irc!)began.tdks with the British Government. Therc were many problems along the way, but these talks between the two governments eventually led to the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985. ANSWER 1 What do you know about the Northern Irish Parliament at Stormont, and why did the British Government end it in 19727 2 Why was there a strike in May 1974? 3 What was the result of the strike in 1974? 4 In what way was the 'Constitutional Convention' (1975)the same as a parliament, and in what way was it different? 5 Why do you think there were no new attempts at a political solution from 1975 to 1980? T h e Anglo-Irish Agreement On 15th November 1985, the British and Irish governments made a new political agreement on Northern Ireland. The Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed by the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and the Irish Prime Minister, Garret Fitzgerald, at Hillsborough Castle near Belfast. The Agreement gives the Kepublic of Ir~.landa voice in the adminiswation of Northern Ireland, and the Irish Government recognizes that there will only be a united Ireland if a majority of people in Ulster agree to it. In addition, both governments said that the Southern Irish and Northern Irish police forces would work together more closely to try to make the border between the two states more secure. They wanted to stop the IRA from hiding in the Republic after they had committed acts of terrorism in the North. The British Government also hoped it would become easier for them to get suspected terrorists, who were in the Republic of Ireland, sent to Britain for trial. Although the Agreement was welcomed by all political parties in Britain, and by many other countries with a large Irish immigrant population, such as the United States, it was not popular with everyone in Northern Ireland. The Agreement was rejected by many important leaders of the Protestant community, such as Ian Paisley, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. He told the British Prime Minister of his view: 'Ulster is British, Mrs Thatcher, and despite your treachery, will remain so'. The Agreement was also rejected by Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Fein ('Ourselves Alone') - the political party which is closely connected to the IRA. These are extreme opinions, however, and many moderate Catholics and Protestants were prepared to give the Agreement a try. There have been many problems since 1985. The I'rotes~antsin Northern Ireland say that border security has not improved enough and that IRA terrorists are still finding a safe place to hide in the Republic of Ireland. The British Government is angry because, on a couple of occasions, the Irish courts set free suspected terrorists instead of sending them to Britain for trial. The Irish Government and the Catholics in Northern Ireland say that Irish people often do not get a fair trial in British courts. They also accuse the British Government of having a 'shoot-to-kill' policy in Northern Ireland, that is to say that the British Army sometimes does not try hard enough to arrest suspected terrorists, but that they just shoot to kill. The British Government, of course, denies this. In spite ofall the difficulties, howc\jer, the Anelo-Irish A~recmcntstill stands and the twigovernm&ts are still working together towards a sl;lution. Can the 1985 AngloIrish Agreement e v e n ~ d succeed, y where so many other attempts have failed? Only time will tell. TALKING POINT What do youthink might be the solution to the Northern Irish problem? Should the British Army leave Northern Ireland? What would happen if it did? Should Northern Ireland be united with the Republic of Ireland? What would happen if it was? Should there be another Northern Irish Parliament? How would the Catholics, who are in a minority, be given some share in rne power w~thoulosing tne s ~ p p o nof tne Protestanr majority? Are tnere any other solutions? Northern Ireland 117 People reading about the troubles in Northern Ireland or seeing the damage caused by bombs on television, probably imagine that the counuy is one big battlefield. The opposite is uue. Many areas of Northern Ireland are beautiful and peaceful. Let us take a brief tour around Ulster and discover some of its places. Because the is only 5,500 square miles (14,250 sq. l a . ) in area, you can see of the ina week without travelling more than 500 miles (800 km.). Belfast Belfast is one of the youngest capital cities in the world and it has grown incrediblv fast. Today the city ha[a population o f 400,000, nearly a third of the entire population of Northem Ireland, but in the 17th century it was only a village. Then, during the Igth cenrury' the development of industries like linen, rope-making, engineering, tobacco and the sea-trade doubled the town's size every ten years. The city is well-known for shipbuilding-it 118 Unit ten was here that the 'Titanic', was built and sent out on her fatal maiden vovane. .Some of the Belfast sueets have often been the scenes of violence - street-names such Road are as the Falls Road and well known throughout Britain because they have been heard so often on the news but people still live in Belfast, and they can and do go out and enjoy themselves. In spite of the years of trouble, there are many cultural and leisure facilities. 1 LOOKAND PRACTISE You and yourfriend are visiting Northern Ireland and you have one day in Belfast. Work with a partner. Make suggestions about how to spend the morning, the afternoon and evening. Use the list of 'Things to do in Belfast'to give you ideas. and give reasons for your suggestions and for agreeing or disagreeing to your partner's suggestions. Make a note of your itinerary as you make decisions. Northern Ireland 119 The Glens ofAntrim and the Causeway coast There are nine glens or valleys of Anuim. Each of these green valleys has a character of its own. Together, they form a lovely and romantic area of rivers, waterfalls, wild flowers and buds. The people of the Glens are great storytellers. They will tell you that the places where the little people, or fairies, are said to go, are Lurigethan Mountain and Teveragh W. These little people are mischievous . cuts down a f a j r thorn tree. Today many farmers throughout Ireland are so superstitious that they will not cut down a thorn tree, even if it is in the middle of their field! The Glens of Antrim were very hard for travellers to reach until the building of the Antrim Coast Road in 1834. For sixty miles this follows the Causeway Coast, named after its most famous feature, the Giant's Causeway. Stories, legends & myths Story-telling has always been a part of the Irish way of life- stories of gods and people who lived in a land of adventure, warfare and romance, stories told by the &e side. Monlts living in the late Middle Ages preserved many of these stories in the beautifully-decorated manuscripts of the Book of Leinster. But it is the strong oral tradition of the Irish people which has made it possible for so many folk tales to survive. Over the centuries, story-telling was an important profession but nowadays such people would be hard to find. Perhaps the last story-teller was Peig Sayers who died in 1958. It was said that she had 375 stories to tell! Peig Sayers: a peat stoty-teller. 120 Unit ten TALKING POINTS WRITE The Irish are said to be a very superstitious race. a What superstitions are observed in your country? A r e you superstitious? Is there any truth in ancient superstitions? Read the legend below aboutthe Giant's Causeway. Then write down a legend or myth of yourcountry or local area. If you don't know any legends or myths, make up a story to explain a geographical feature in your country. The Giant's Causewaveighth wonder of the world The Causeway is a mass of stone columns standing very near together. The tops of the columns form stepping stones leading from the cliff foot and disappearing under the sea. Over the whole Causeway there are 40,000 of these stone columns. The tallest are about 42 feet (13 m.) high. Visitors in modem times have been told that the Causeway is a strange geological feature- the result of volcanic action. The ancient Irish knew differently, however. Clearly, this was giants' work and, in particular, the work of the giant Finn McCool, the Ulster soldier and commander of the armies of the King of All Ireland. F i n was extremely strong. On one occasion, during a fight with a Scottish giant, he picked up a huge piece of earth and threw it at him. The earth fell into the Irish Sea and became the Isle of Man. The hole it left filled with water and became the great inland sea of Lough Neagh. People said that Finn lived on the North Antrim coast and that he fell in love with a lady giant. She lived on an island in the Scottish Hebrides, and so he began to build this wide causeway to bring her across to Ulster. Northern Ireland 121 Irish coffee Two miles inland from the Giant's Causeway lies Bushmills, the oldest whisltey distillery in the world. Tourists have been stopping here to refresh themselves since 1608! Ireland is famous for its whiskey which has a taste quite different from Scotch. (Notice that it's spelt differently from Scotch whisky, which has no 'e'.) Here is one wellknown way of drinking it. I Gaelic names Years ago, all Irish people spoke Gaelic, and this language is still spoken in some parts of Ireland, although today all Irish people speak English also. Evidence of Gaelic is still found in place names, for example 'bally' -town, 'slieve' -mountain, 'lough' - lake, 'inis' - island, 'drum' mountain top, 'glen'-valley. The influence of Irish Gaelic is also found in the names of people. Here are some typical Gaelic first names: Sean Ua:n], same as John Seamus ['Sennas], same as James Liam P~am],same as William Seama ['Jxna], same as Joanna Brid [br1d3], same as Bridget Catail ['kh~l],same as Charles Paddy (short for Pamck) and Micky (short for Michael) are not Gaelic names hut they are 122 Unit ten found so often in Ireland that these two names are sometimes used jokingly to mean 'an Irishman'. Many Irish surnames begin: 0'. . . meaning Fitz.. . meaning Mc. . meaning Kil. . . meaning Gil. . . meaning . from the family of son of son of son of son of Here are some examples: O'Brien [au'braan] O'Neil [au'iual] Kilmartin [lul'ma:m] Fitzwilliam [fits'wiljam] Fitzgerald [fits1d3erald] Gilmurray [flmhn] McMahon [mak'mzhan] McHugh [m3lc'hju:] Fermanagh - once fished, never forgotten Devenirlr island in Louglz Erne. The rivers and lakes of Fermanagh are heavy with fish, and the largest lake in the area, Lough Erne, holds many world fishing records. Femanagh is still wonderfully empry of crowds and the fishermen can go all day without meeting anything more than a raven or a swan. People who don't like fishing can hire a boat on Lough Erne and visit some of the islands in the lake. One of the most interesting islands is Devenish. In the Middle Ages there was a chain of island monasteries in Lough Erne. At Devenish there still stands a perfect 12th cennuy round tower, which the monks used for defence. The island also has a small church of about the same date and the remains of a 15th century abbey. ASK Complete this conversation between a local person and a visitorto Fermanagh by asking questions. 1 ........................................................... ?' 'Well, you can go fishing ortake a boat out for the dav.' 2 .......................................................... ? * 'It's excellent, in fact Lough Erne holds some world records.' 3 ............................................................. ?' 'No, you needn't worry aboutthat. There aren't a lot of tourists around here.' 4 ........................................................... ?' 'You can visit some of the islands in the lake. In the Middle Ages there used to be monasteries on them.' 5 ............................................................. ?' 'Well. Devenish is one of the most interesting.' 6 ............................ . .............................?' 'Yes, there's a 12th century round tower and church and the remains of a 15th century abbey.' Northern Ireland 123 Londonderry The city of Derry has a long history going back fourteen hundred years. At the time of the plantation the City of London in England sent over builders and money to rebuild Deny. As a result, Deny was named Londonderry, but today both the long and the short names are used. The best way to see the city of Derry is to walk along the famous city wall built by the planters in 1614. The wall is about 1mile (1.5 km.) around and 21 feet (6.5 m.) thick. It is still unbroken- the only complete city wall in Britain or Ireland - in spite of the fact that it has stood against several sieges. One siege in particular is famous - the Great Siege which started in December 1688 and lasted until July the following year. During this rime the city was surrounded by James II's army. 7,000 people out of a population of 30,000 died of starvation before the siege was finally ended. This historical event is still very much alive in people's memories and every year there is a ceremonial closing of the city gates to commemorate the siege. GAME Hangman This game can be played in pairs or in a group. One person thinks of a ward and writes down the same number of dashes (lines)as there are letters in the word. For examp e, if tne worn rho-ghr of s 'SCAFFO-D' 18 etters) ne or she w o ~ l d write: The other players then suggest letters which might be in the word. Every time a correct letter is chosen it is written in the right place (or places if it comes more than once). Every time a wrong guess is made, a line is drawn to make up a picture of a man being hung, like this: A tragic story Near the City of Derry Golf Club, which lies to the north outside the city walls, a family called Knox still lives in a house called Prehen House, where a terrible tragedy took place in 1760. A local gambler called John hlcnaghren tried to kidnao Alan, Ann Knox but she resisted, and during the struggle he accidentally shot her. He was sentenced to death by hanging far the crime, but during the execution the hangman's rope broke. The crowd of people who were watching the execution shouted that he should be saved from the death penalty, since you couldn't hang a man twice. The prisoner, however, shouted that he did not wish to be known as 'half-hanged Mcnaghten', climbed back onto the scaffold and hanged himself! 124 Unit ten This drawing is made up of thirteen lines, so the players are allowed twelve wrong guesses before the thirteenth one hangs them. (but eyes, nose, mouth, etc. can be added to increase the number of guesses). Don't forget to keep a record of all wrong letters guessed, so that you don't say the same letter twice. Good Luckl Glossary administration the directing or organizing of affairs in, for example, a business or a country Anglican Church the Church of England (see pp.7-8) archery shooting with bows and arrows border the dividing line between two countries campaign (n) a fight, often used figuratively causeway raised road especially across wet land contented happy county town the chief town of a county deposed removed from the throne distillery a place where whiskey is made force an army gambler a person who makes a living by games of chance, eg in a casino geological composition the formation of rocks glen narrow valley hostility the feelings of an enemy house-to-house search looking for someone or something in every house in a particular area itinerary a journey, route lasting (a41 which continue for a long time legend an old story Linen fine woven cloth used for hed-sheets, etc. lough a lake maiden voyage the first journey of a ship means ways myth an old story Orangemen members of a Protestant political society in Ulster patron saint a saint regarded as special protector planter a Protestant settler in Ulster province one of the main divisions of a country, a separate area for government control (Northern Ireland is often called 'the Province') put down to defeat raven a black bird recover to h d , save rioting a crowd of people causing public disorder royalist a supporter of the monarchy sentence to death to punish by death settler a person who goes to live in a new country siege (n) an attack by an army which surrounds a town and waits for the inhabitants to surrender sow the seeds to begin something big in a small way starve to die because of lack of food stepping stones raised stones in a river strike a time when workers refuse to work, in protest over something (a General Strike is spread over the country, not restricted to just one industry) in succession one after the other superstition belief in magic, witchcraft, etc. suspend to stop for a time sweeten to taste add as much sugar as you Want terrorism using violence to tq to achieve political demands (a terrorist is someone who engages in terrorism) treachery disloyalty, falseness, unfaithfulness try your hand to try something for the Erst time world record (n) the best yet done in the world Northern Irelnnd 125 TV and radio Watching television is one of the great British pasdmesl Broadcasting in the United Kingdom is controued by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Independent Broadcasung Authority (IBA). The BBC receives its income from the government, hut the private companies controued by the IBA earn money from advertising. National radio is controlled by the BBC, and listeners can choose between four stations. Radio 1is a pop-music station with news and magazine-style programmes. Radio 2 plays light music and reports on sport. Radio 3 plays classical music whilst Radio 4 has news programmes, drama and general interest programmes. There are many local stations, some private and some run by the BBC. Their programmes consist mainly of music and local news. The BBC has two TV channels. BBC 2 has more serious programmes and news features. The IBA is responsible for lookingafter the regional independent TV companies who broadcast their own programmes and those they have bought from other regions. There is a break for advertisements about every 15-20 minutes. The most recent independent channel is called Channel 4 and it has more sprcialked than the main channels. In -pronrammes general, people think the programmes offered on British television are of a very high standard. Some people, however, are becoming worried about the amount of violence on TV, and the effect this may have on young people. TV and radio are also two of the main teaching channels used by the Open University. This 'university of the air' allows many thousands of students to study at home for degrees they never would have obtained in the main educational system. They also have to do without sleep as most of their programmes are broadcast early in the morning or late at night1 New technoloby has made it possible for viewers to receive many more Droerammes into their homes through satelkte?~. The 1990smay well see many changes in British TV and radio. Top of the Pops Top of the Pops is a programme that has been shown every week on BBC TV for many years. Each week computers in a number of record-shops throughout the United Kingdom show how many copies of a record have been sold that week. The new chart. issued each Sundav afternoon. shows which singles hav; sold the mbst copies during the previous week. With this information, the show's producers decide which songs will be played. Usually it will be those moving uo the charts, or the new releases which kebisc-jockeye (usually called DJs) think will be 'hits'. Of course, each week the show finishes with the number one single. Bands either appear live in the studio, or in a video recording made especially to sell the record. These videos have become so important in the last few years that they can help to make a record a hit. TALKING POINT What is your attitude to violence on television? Does it influence ~ e o ~and le how should it be controlled? More than 30 years of Rock Music When the American rock-and-roll singer Chuck Beny first sang 'Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikowsky the newsl' in the I950s, he was telling the world that the new music, Rock-'n'-Roll, was here to stay. Over the last thirty years it has had an enormous effect on people's lives, and especially on the kind of clothes they wear. drainpipe trousers (so tight they looked like drainpipes!) and brightly-coloured socks. Their shoes had very thick rubber soles and their hair was swept upwards and backwards. Before the arrival of the Teddy Boys young people had usually worn what their parents wore. Now they wore what they liked. In the mid-60s the Mods, (so called because of their 'modem' style of dressing) became the new leaders of teenage fashion. Short hair and smart suits were popular again. But perhaps the Mods' most important possessions were their scooters, usually decorated with large numbers of lights and mirrors. They wore long green anoraks, called parkas, to protect their clothes. The first group to be seen in the newspapers in the late 50s were the Ted& Boys.Their clothes were supposed to be similar to those worn in Edwardian England (Ted and Teddy are abbreviations of Edward): long jackets with velvet collars, The Mods' greatest enemies were the Rockers who despised the Mods' scooters and smart clothes. Like the Teds, Rockers listened mainly to rock-and-roll and had no time for Mod hands such as The Who or the Small Faces. They rode ~owerful motor-bikes, had long untidy hair, and wore thick leather jackets. Whereas the Mods used purple-hearts (a stimulant or amphetamine, so called because of its colour and shape) 'to get their kicks', the rockers mainly drank alcohol. In and out of school 127 Throughout the 60%on public holidays during the summer, groups of Mods and Rockers used to travel to the sea-side resorts of south-eastern England, such as Brighton and Margate, and get involved in battles with the police and with each other. Nevertheless at that time 'swinging London' was everybody's idea of heaven! Young people were very clothes-conscious and London's Carnaby Street became the fashion centre of Europe and the world. It attracted thousands of tourists every year. Towards the end of the 60s a new group appeared, whose ideas started in California, in the USA. The H&ies preached a philosophy of peace and love, wore necklaces of coloured beads, and gave flowers to surprised strangers on the street. The name comes from the fact that drugtakers in Asia and the Far East used to lie on one hip while smoking opium. Hippies didn't use opium but they smoked marijuana, and took powerful drugs such as LSD. Music, especially under the influence of the Beatles, began to include strange sounds and images in an attempt to recreate the 'psychedelic' or dream-like experience of drugs. Hippies wore simple clothes, blue jeans and open sandals, and grew their hair very long. They often lived together in large communities, sharing their possessions. This was their protest against the materialism of the 60s and also against the increasing military involvement of the United States in Viemam. TALKING POINTS use drugs or stimulants in their everyday lives, although they are not usually thought to be as strong or dangerous as the ones mentioned in the text. Make a note of any you can think of. What is your attitude to drugs and stimulants? Should w e learn to live without them? Should alcohol and cigarettes be banned, since we know they cause s o much damage? o Many people However, the dreams of peace and love disappeared in the early 70s as the mood of 128 Unit eleven society changed. People's attention turned to life's more basic problems as the world price of oil increased, causing a fall in living standards and rising inflation. Skinheads were racist, violent, and proud of the fact. The 'uniform' worn by most of them consisted of trousers that were too short, enormous boots, and braces. As their name suggests, they wore their hair extremely short or even shaved it all off. As unemployment grew throughout the 70s, groups of skinheads began to take their revenge on immigrants, who were attacked on the streets and in their homes. Unfortunately the mass unemployment of the 80s has caused an increase in the number of skinheads. Many are members of the National Front, a political party that wants Britain to be for white people only. A skinhead. Towards the end of the 70s another style of music and dress appeared and is srill very popular, The word Punk derives from American English and is often used to describe someone who is immoral or worthless. The best-known punk band of the 70s and early 80s were the 'Sex Pistols', who are still famous for their strange names, including Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious. They sang songs about anarchy and destruction and uoset manv neoole bv usine bad lanmage on ;levision'a;ld dv i n h t i n p the ~u'en.-~unks' clothes show H rejection of conventional styles of dress. - Their music is loud, fast and tuneless. They feel that the music of the 70s had become too complicated. It had lost touch with the feelings of 'ordinary kids'. In the 1980s many new bands have reappeared. Out of punk has comeNew Wave music which totally rejects the ideas of the skinheads. Many of the bands contain both black and white musicians, and anti-racism concerts have been organized (known as Rock against Racism). West Indian music has also played a large part in forming people's musical tastes. Many new British bands combine traditional rock music with an infectious reggae beat. From America, a new interest in discotheques and dancing has appeared. L i e the Rockers, Bikers still enjoy 'heavy metal music' which is easily recognized by its high volume and use of electric guitars. 'Dancing' is simply shaking your head violently to the rhythm of the music and so has become known as 'head banging'. Many of the new bands of the 80s have been able to use the changes in technology to develop their music. Computerized drum machines, synthesizers and other electronic instruments are now just as popular as the electric guitar. Black music has bucome increasingly im~ortantwith inrernational srars like x i h a e l Jackson combining the best of modem music with spectacular live performances. 'Hip Hop' music has combined fast speaking in rhyme (called 'rapping') with the excitement of the rock beat. Finally, Live Aid and charity records have shown that many modem pop stars are interested in using their talents to help raise money for the po.or. READ AND NOTE The text discusses seven major groups and the music they like: Teddy Boys, Rockers, Mods. Hippies, Punks, Skinheads and Bikers. Write down what you know about each of these groups. Sport Sport plays such a large part in British life that many idioms in the English language have come from the world of sport, for example 'to play the game' means 'to be fair', and 'that's not cricket' means 'that's not fair'. The most popular sport in Britain as a whole is football. A lot of people support their local clubs at matches on Saturday afternoons, or watch the matches live on television. The football league in England and Wales has four divisions. (Scotland has its own separate system, and there are not many professional sides in Northern Ireland.) Each division contains twentyteams, and at the end of each season the top three clubs from the lower divisions are promoted to a higher one. Those who are at the bottom are relegated. .There are two main prizes each season. The football league championship is won by the team In and out of schaol 129 that is top of the first division, whereas the FA cup (FA stands for Football Association) is a knockout competition between all the teams of the league. The final of this competition takes place every May at the famous Wembley stadium in London. Some of the best-known clubs in England are Manchester United, Liverpool and the Arsenal. In Scotland either Rangers, Celtic or Aberdeen usually win the cup or the championship. Many clubs have problems with money at the moment; increasing costs and falling attendances. Some people say that the league is too big and that the players get paid too much. Others say that television is making the crowds stay at home. Many clubs, however, are now earning extra income by using the players' shirts for advertising as a way of staying alive in the 1990s. Sport at school Sport has for a long time been a very important part of a child's education in Britain, not just-as youmay think- to develop physical abilities, but also to provide a certain kind of moral education! Team games in particular encourage such social qualities as enthusiasm, cooperation, loyalty, unselfishness. Above all, absolute fairness (no cheating!) and being able to lose without anger (being a 'good loser') are considered important. READ AND PUZZLE Can you match the pictures of six popular team games in British schools with the six written descriptions? a A game like the American game of baseball. Played with a long bat held in one hand. The Derson battino hits the ball and then tries reach first, second, third or last post before the other team gets the ball back again. b The scoring of this game is a mystery even to many British people. Each team takes it in turns to bat. The bat is held with both hands, the bottom of the bat resting on the ground. The otherteam bowls and gets the ball back. Players usually wearwhite clothes. c Played with a large leather ball. Each team tries to score goals by throwing the ball through the other team's net. d Perhaps the most popular game in the world, played in many streets as well as on the field. e The goalposts in this game are in the shape of the letter 'H'. The ball looks as though someone has sat on it. There is a lot of pushing1 f Each player has a stick with which to hit the ball. This game is played on a pitch similarto a football pitch. The ball is small and hard. (You will find the answers on page 139.) 130 Unit eleven The education system Education in Britain is provided by the Local Education Authority (LEA) in each county. It is financed partly by the Government and partly by local taxes. Until recently, planning and organization were not controlled by central government. Eacli LEA was free to decide how to organize education in its own area. In September 1988, however, the 'National Cnnicnlum' was introduced, which means that there is now greater governmental control over what is taught in schools. Secondary education (11 to 16/18 years) Since the 1944 Education Act of Parliament, free secondary education has been available to all children in Britain. Indeed, children must go to school until the age of 16, and pupils may stay on for one or two years more ifthey wish. Secondary schools are usually much larger than primary schools and most childrenover 80 per cent- go to a comprehensive school at the age of 11. These schools are not selective- you don't have to pass an exam to go there. Nursery education (under 5 years) In 1965 the Labour Government Children do not have to go to school until they reach the age of five, but there is some free nursery-school education before that age. introduced the policy of comprehensive education. Before that time, all children took an exam at the age of 11 called the '11+'. Approximately the top 20 per cent were chosen to go to the academic grammar schools. Those who failed the I l l + ' (80 per cent) went to secondary modem schools. A lot of people thought that this system of selection at the age of 11 was unfair on many children. So comprehensive schools wereintroduced to offer suitable courses for pupils of all ahiliues. Some LEAS started to change over to comprehensive education immediately, hut some were harder to convince and slower to act. There are a few LEASwho still keep the old system of grammar schools, hut most LEAS have now changed over completely to non-selective education in comprehensive schools. However, LEAs do not have nurseryschool places for all who would like them and these places are usually given to families in special circumstances, for example families with one parent only. Because of the small number of nursery schools, parents in many areas have formed play groups where children under 5 years can go for a morning or afiernoon a couple of times a week. E'rimary education (5 to 11 years) Primary education takes place in infant schools (pupils aged from 5 to 7 years) and iunior schools (from 8 to 11 vears). (Some LEAS have a dkerent system in w6ch middle schools replace junior schools and take pupils aged from 9 to 12 years.) Private education (5 to 18 years) Some parents choose to pay for private education in spite of the existence of free state education. Private schools are called by different names to state schools: the preparatory (often called 'prep') schools are for pupils aged up to 13, and the public schools are for 13 to 18 year-olds. These schools are very expensive and they are anended by about 5 per cent of the school population. Eton College isprobablythe mostfamous public (i.e. private) school in the world. This boy is wearing the school unifon?~. In and out of school 131 Comprehensive schools Comprehensive schools want to develop the talents of each individual child. So they offer a wide choice of subjects, from art and craft, woodwork and domestic science to the sciences, modem languages, computer studies, etc. AU these subjects are enjoyed by both girls and boys. Pupils at comprehensive schools are quite often put into 'sets' for the more academic subjects such as mathematics or languages. Sets are formed according to ability in each subject, so that for example the children in the highest set for maths will not necessarilv be in the highest set for French. All pupils move to the next class automatically at the end of the year. I WRITE Lynn Faulkner is in the Lower Sixth of a comprehensive school. Here she writes abouta typical day in herschool. Write a similar account of a typical day in your School. (What tense will you use most?) f l v School ft,pi~crlday at school Stark at 8.40a.w with the ~ i r sW t Mmy bells n,k$y "rhmghmt Jhe bhlauAg. go b regisrru+im,which pkpils must lasts wh'l 9 o'clock. ~ p h sw~ g i $ W a f i m ,i . e ~ m sbegb. Six% fmpapil~tm51-at&d W subject ksm~ -mat choose e i w at '0' w 3 ' l~ ~ d a d MyfWst . , 071 h W E I M Q S ~ ~ L - ~M O Yi~~English. D d g 'itus d %ILm I ~ S s u n ,w p ~ * W d kcad. j A S4.k 'A' I&& c m ~ at ~ dOLihcusS -the h n q u a q e 4 style. A-f-tw +his T hW< +wo f v ~~k d j - p & o o ( S . ALI ~ i ~ t . md d, Tha Cm&.@S Chb9 sixth prM6 Occupy di~ermtm o u n t s ol, k;Me w q m k . lav+ve S h i e ~ KhSud.$j hauc a w ~ b &q- peviods in wh.ich 9 my S i d y pnva+ely . AFCw two periods, X h w e h g e I P S S ~ S Q Geography, cme bqwe ~ o v m l qbreak, W d h I 0 aft.evu)cwds. D* break, pupils way b y drinks, Sweets, m d wisps pow\ W s c h d m k - ' b h q . Fau h&, mcwy pupils b* SQ&UT;C~~S, b d rnzeds ewe wai(ablQ & iv\ S c M W ~ W . At N ~ ~ Q , s cSh d~ b& Y practice is Weid. It is t ~ r ae big b a d wif2.\ abm-i -ibihy m w b w s . Lessms r p c m m at h o o'doci< . h& Sixth pupils ham s o d eoluca..h'ch? mn ca W e h e s d a y q t ~ n m , h c h is k~&51 b c?k-C;brwry, ound +ciK* by W bedM a s k w , %is ~ S S C Vlas+s ~ d i l ~,uwtw pus+ 4 k d 0 3 M . Unit eleven School uniform The pupils at Lynn Faulkner's school, like the pupils at most secondary schools in Britain, have to wear a school uniform. This usually means a white blouse for girls (perhaps with a tie), with a dark-coloured skirt and pullover. The colours may be grey, brown, navy blue, dark green or similar. Boys wear a shirt and tie, dark trousers and dark-coloured pullovers. Pupils of both sexes wear blazers - a kind of jacket - with the school badge on the pocket. They often have to wear some kind of hat on the way to and from school- caps for the boys, and berets or some other kind of hat for the girls. Shoes are usually black or brown and should be sensible- no high heels! TALKING POINTS Do you think that some people play computer games too much and too often? w Do you think that computers could replace teachers in schools? Why? w What are theadvantages and disadvantages of computers? How will they affect your life in the future? w Computer words The arrival of computers has brought many new words into the English language. How many of these do you know? Young people in Britain often don't like their school uniform, especially the hats and shoes. Sometimes they do not wear the right clothes. Schools will often give them a warning the first time that this happens hut will then punish them if they continue not to wear the correct uniform. TALKING POINTS w Do you think secondary education should be selective or comprehensive? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both systems? w What do you think are the advantages of school uniform?And the disadvantages? Computers Computers have also started to play an impirrant part in educauon. Alosr schools in- ~the United Kinadom no1v have their own - computer. As well as using them for school exercises, many young people are now able to write their own games as well. Although a large number of teachers and parents see the advantages of computers, others are not so keen. They say that some young people use computers only for games and don't really learn anything. This will interfere with reading development or traditional hobbies, such as drama or sport. In fact some people say that as computers become better at understanding and speaking we will prefer them to our friends! - w.np sa~nrado ~ ]nt[]ramdtuo~Joirnd = a n y 3 s Iralndrllo~ atti tuo~uo!~nriuoJti~ l n v n sap!nordlut[~ uo!s!aala~= .~ol!uou~IKIotiiaui ra~nduio~ 01 m p !puog~io~rnruoJtr~ &r,uaJniorz= Bupeo[ !fi!Jndn3 Liotiiatii s p ~ n d t u o'sa16qopy ~ z[$ = XzIs fsati!1 atrotldala~at[i irmoprat[~otiu oira1ndtuo3 auo tuodJ~tiasnio!iu3~nntutuo3 = pu~ JponJa[a I~o~?voiir o rro n i o , u u u m ~ ~ ~ = s~lqdes2!,dn1, mo6ao 'arat[mlCttopan1 aq I = ~ a m d m do>-de[ o~ mou tin3 I D I ~ra~ndtiio~ !KIoatli t[]!ma~riauadxalo3!13urda~ndriio301 mou pasn va~Jorprooq6ay ra1itdtiio3at11&i,m Jo a~uauadxaIgaxp = uo spueq isanlastiiatli sariitin~o.idat11 3ti!unatir areMljos arndtiio3 '~tiavidtnbar a ~ i ~ d t iall! i o ~= aleMpleq In and out of school 133 Educational reform In the late 1980s the Conservative Government made impor~antchanges to the British educational system. One of the most fundamental changes was the introducuon of a new 'National Curriculum'. The aim was to provide a more balanced education. In secondary schools, for example, 80% of the timetable must be spent on the 'core curriculum'. This must include English, Mathematics, Science and a Modem Language for all pupils up to the age of 16. (Before 1989 pupils of 13 or 14 used to choose the subjects they wanted to continue studying.) At the same time, the new curriculum places greater emphasis on the more practical aspects of education. Skills are being taught which students will need for life and work, and 'work experience' -when pupils who are soon going to leave school spend some time in a business or industry - has become a standard part of the school programme. Together with the 'National Curriculum', a programme of 'Records of Achievement' wasintroduced. This programmeis known as 'REACH', andit attempts to set learning objectivesfor each t e r n and year in primary school, and for each component of each subject at secondary school. This has introduced much more central control and standardization into what is taught. Many people think this will raise educational standards, but some teachers argue that they have lost the ability to respond to the needs and interests of their pupils, which may be different from pupils in other areas. As part of the 'REACH' programme, new tests have been introduced for pupils at the ages of 7,11,13 and 16. The aimof these tests is to discover any schools or areas 134 Unit eleven which are not teaching to high enough standards. But many parents and teachers are unhappy. They feel that it is a return to the days of the '11+' and that the tests are unfair because they reflect differences in home background rather than in ability. Some teachers also fear that because of preparation for the tests, lessons will be more 'narrow', with a lot of time being spent on Mathematics and English, for example, while other interesting subjects which are not tested may be left out. Educational reform is bringing other changes too. City Technology Colleges (CTCs) are new super-schools for scientifically gifted children, who - the Government hopes- will be the scientists and technological experts of the future. These schools are partly funded by industry. In addition to the CTCs, since 1988 the Government has given ordinary schools the right to 'opt out o f (choose to leave) the LEA if a majority of parents want it. Previously all state schools were under the control of the LEA, which provided the schools in its area with money for books etc., paid the teachers, and controlled educational policy. Now schools which opt out will receive money direct from the Government and will be free to spend it as they like. They can even pay teachers more or less than in LEA schools if they want to, and they can accept any children - the pupils do not have to come from the neighbourhood. Many people fear that this will mean a return to selection, i.e. these schools will choose the brightest children. The Government says that the new schools will mean more choice for parents. Exams At the age of 14 or 15, in the third or fourth form of secondary school, pupils PUZZLE Find the eleven words in the puzzle. They all appear in the 'Educational Reform section above, and the first letters are given. Clues 1 The central part, also the middle of an apple 2 &3 Changes in schooling, a good title? 4 Written information about past facts 5 An important school subject, lo Greek knowledge? 6 Goal, aim 7 What people speak if they're modern? 8 Practical science, another modern subject? 9 What education is about, not the present orthe past begin to choose their exam subjects. In 1988 a new public examination- the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) - was introduced for 16 year-olds. This examination assesses pupils on the work they do in the 4th and 5th year at secondary school, and is often internally assessed, although there may also be an exam at the end of the course. Pupils who stay on into the sixth form or who go on to a Sixth Form College (17 year-olds in the Lower Sixth and 18 yearolds in the Upper Sixth) usually fall into two categories. Some pupils will be retaking GCSEs in order to get better grades. Others will study two or three subjects for an 'A' Level (Advanced Level) GCE exam (General Certificate of Education). This is a highly specialized exam and is necessary for University entrance. Since 1988 there has been a new level of exam: the 'AS' Level (Advanced Supplementary), which is worth half an 'A' Level. This means that if o u ~ i lwish s to study more than two or three subjects in the sixth form they can take a combination 11 z ~ E T I IC ( ( I( I ( I ( I I I ( I I 3 10 Something that has been successfully done 11 A progamme of study (You will find the answers on page 139.) of 'A' and 'AS' Levels. In Scotland the exam system is slightly different (see page90). Leaving school at sixteen Many people decide to leave school at the age of 16 and go to a Further Education (FE) College. Here most of the courses are linked to some kind of practical vocational trainine. -. for examole in eneineerine. -. typing, cooking or hairdressing. Some young people arc givcn 'day release' (thcir cmploycr dlows them timc off work) so that they can follow a course to help them in their job. - For those 16 year-olds who leave school and who cannot h d work but do not want to go to FE College, the Government has introduced the Youth Opportunities Scheme (YOPS). This scheme places young, unemployed people with a business or an indusuy for six months so that they can get experience of work, and pays thcm a small wacc. Thcv aenerallv have n better chance of pettiup ioh aftekards, and sometimes-the combany they are placed with offers them a permanent job. a In and our of school 135 Life at British universities There are 46 universities in Britain. Good 'A' Level results in at least two subjects are necessary to get a place at one. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews, and competition for places at university is fierce. For all British citizens a place at university brings with it a grant fiom their Local Education authority. The grants cover tuition fees and some of the living expenses. The amount depends on the parents' income. If the parents do not earn much money, their children will receive a full grant which will cover all their expenses. Free a t last! Most 18 and 19 year-olds in Britain are fairly independent people, and when the time comes to pick a college they usually choose one as far away fiom home as possible! So, many students in northern and Scottish universities come from the south of England and vice versa. It is very unusual for university students to live at home. Although parents may be a little sad to see this happen, they usually approve of the move, and see it as a necessary part of becoming an adult. Anyway, the three university terms are only ten weeks each, and during vacation times families are reunited. Freshers When they first arrive at college, first year university students are called 'freshers'. A fresher's life can be exciting but terrifying for the first week. Often fieshers will live in a Hall of Residence on or near the college campus, although they may move out into a rented room in their second or third year, or share a house \vith friends. Alanv freshers will feel very homesick for t h e b s t week or so, but Living in hall soon helps them to make new friends. During the first week, all the clubs and societies hold a 'freshers' fair' during which 136 Unit eleven they uy to persuade the new students to join their society. The freshers are told that it is important for them to come into contact with many opinions and activities during their time at university, but the choice can be a hit overwhelming! On the day that lectures start, groups of freshers are often seen walking around huge campuses, maps in hand and a worried look on their faces. They are learning how difficult it is to change from a school community to one of many thousands. They also learn a new way of studying. As well as lectures, there are regular seminars, at which one of a small group of students (probably not more than ten) reads a paper he or she has written. The paper is then discussed by the tutor and the rest of the group. Once or twice a term, students will have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress. In Oxlord and Cambridge, and some other universities, the study system is based entirelv around such tutorials which take place once a week. Attending lectures is optional for 'Oxbridge' students1 After three or four years (depending on the type of course and the university) these students will take their finals. Most of them (over 90 per cent) will get a first, second or third class degree and be able to put BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. It wiU have been well earned! TALKING POINTS a IS it a good tning to .eave norne at tne age of 187 What are tne advantaoes an0 disadvantages? a Many British people believe that if you do nothing more than study hard at university, you will have wasted a great opportunity. What do they mean and do you agree? a How do British universities differ from universities in your country? What do you like and dislike about the British system? - Glossary amphetamine a drug which gives a sense of excitement anarchy when there is confusion in society and no government anorak a jacket with a hood badge a special mark, a sign of membership: each school has its own badge bat (v) to hit (especially in cricket or baseball); (71) instrument for hitting a ball beret a soft flat hat for schoolgirls blazer a jacket bowl (v) to throw a ball braces elasticared straps which go over the shoulders to keep up one's trousers break a pause for rest between lessons, usually about 20 minutes campus the site of a university or college canteen the place in a school or factory where you can buy food cap a sofi flat hat for men and boys chart a list of best-selling single records clothes conscious very aware of the way one dresses comprehensive (school) providing all types of secondary education day release the system where someone with a job studies for one day a week degree a university qualification disc-jockey a person who plays records on the radio or at a discotheque division a part of the football league, containing 22 teams domestic science cookery and housekeeping do without to survive without something drainpipe long metal pipe for carrying away water drug (n) a chemical which affects your mind or body emerge to appear extracurricular not part of the school timetable h a l s h a l exams at university or college football season the time of year when football is played, winter in the UK form (n) class Further Education College college where one can smdy after the age of 16 get one's kicks to find excitement grammar school a secondary school which teaches mainly academic subjects grant money given by an organization, eg the Local Authority hall of residence a building owned by a college or university, containing study bedrooms for students here to stay here for ever hit a successfd record infant school for pupils aged 5-7 infectious (arhythm) which makes you want to dance inflation a rise in prices caused by increased wages, etc. junior school for pupils aged 8-11 keen enthusiastic lmockout a competition which teams leave when beaten league a group of football teams which play matches among themselves Live (a41 not recorded Local Education Authority (LEA) the education department of local government lose touch to lose contact LSD hallucinatory drug (lysergic acid diethylamide) materialism the belief that you can be happy through the possession of objects middle school for pupils aged 9-12 moral education learning what is good and bad behaviour new release a new record nursery school for children under 5 optional not obligatory packed lunch a lunch brought from home paper a piece of writing on an academic subject pick (v) to choose post (n) a piece of wood in the ground preparatory school a private school for pupils aged 7-13 producer the person who is responsible for a TY or radio programme public school a private school for pupils aged 13-18 racism belief that your race is superior to all others registration a period when pupils answer to their names to see if anyone is absent relegate to send down rent (v) to hire a room for money resort a place where tourists go to, usually at the seaside ln and out of school 137 secondary school for pupils aged 11-16/18 selective school a school which pupils must pass certain exams to enter seminar a discussion set (n) a group of pupils who form a class in a particular subject set text a literary work which must be studied for an exam social education lessons to prepare for adult life, not for exams, eg how to manage money, politics study periods free lessons when pupils can study privately swinging full of life, sexually free tuck-shop a place in a school where pupils buy snacks, sweets tuition fee teaching costs tutor a teacher in a college or university who leads a discussion group vice versa the other way round woodwork the art of making things out of wood Answers Quiz (pnge 14) 1 Anne Bolcyn. 2 Thc Angles. 3 It goes to rhc Housc of Lords to he dcbetcd. 4 In Scotlnnd. S Earrereggs. 6 Bcn Ncvis. 7 Londonond rhcHcurt ofEngland. 8 Thc'pilgrim fndlerr'sniled to Amcrica in the 'MnvEower'. 9 Scvcnrccn. 10 Five years. 11 People scnd cuch othcr Vnlcnrine curds. l2 Uprighrred cross, while diugonnl cross, red diagl"'I' "TOSS. 3.3 Northern Ireland. 14 On Chrisrmns morning 15 Bccnurc in en election, rhc wishw of those who voted far rhe unsuccessful candidates are norrcprcscntud. Thc MP who wins nn election may have more votes nmin.r rnr him .- ..him rhz8n . . .. ...... 16 W. I....I I I ~ Festival cmsrword (page 14) Across: 1 rhosrs 5 or 6 Kinr 9 ocnnv 10-i" 11 November Down: 2 home 3 turkey 4 sing 7 noise 8 on 9 pan u . WordSeurch(poge 27) 1 Prince. 2 King. 3 Crown. 4 Royul. S Polnce. Quiz (pnge 34) 1 British Broadcasting Corpontion. 2 BritishRdl. 3 Bachelor of Ans. 4 Member ofPodinmcnr. S United Nations. 6 Eurapcnn Economic Community. . Quiz (pugc 20) 1 True (TheFinorrciol Tinfa). 2 Henry VIII. 3 Tower Bridge divjdcs in half to allow ships rhmugh. 4 Themurriugc olchnrles, Prince of Wills, and Lndy Dinnn Spencer. 5 LondonBridgc. - -- Haw much do you rcmcmbcr? (pnge 26) Income tax: the Chnncllor of r h e Evchcqucrlrhe Treasury The nmv: rhc Minisw of Dcrcnccldle Ministn, of Defence Prisons: rheHome Secrcrnryithc Home Dfficc Govenuncnlspending: rhc Chnncellorof rhc Ercl~uqocrrl~urrctrllry Lmv and order: thr. Ilnm: Sr.crcc>ry the Hanc Ofice Nucluar ur-dpons: thu 3linirrur olDufunculthu 3linijtg. of Defcncc Immigmtion: rhc Homc Sccrewryllhc Home Officc The police: rhc Home Sccrcorylthc Homc Olfice .r-m---, 1 B2rner Fair. Huir. 4 Plotesofmcut: Feet. 2 Bccr ilnd huncy: Alancy. S Nonh and South: hluuth. 3 Uvsy rantr: Boorr. 6 Dog and bane: Telcphonu. ( y v = governor(boss); butcher's (hook) = look; loud = rond; mip i s = eyes] ' Word Senrch (poge 45) 1 Swon. 6 Dmin. 2 Flot. 7 Islnnd(5) 3 Fen. 8 Tiger. 4 Flood. 9 Cdery. 5 Bnnk. 10 Web. Look and Practise (page 60) 1 unEngtishmnnlEngtiahwoman 2 o Scot 3 un 1rishmnniIrishwomnn 4 n Dubliner S u Grcck 6 n Spaniard 7 n DutchmnniDutchwomnn 8 n FrenchmnnlFrenchwomnn 9 n Londoner 10 n Rusianln Sovier I Complete (pagc 66) 1 sisccrs 2 surname, or family numc 5 6 7 8 9 10 novels, or stories wrote orumples works, or books young married P u d c (page 87) 1 bed 2 nntuml 4 living 5 fnulr 6 picked 7 cabin 8 smoking 9 drilling Truc or False?(pnge 87) I T ZF 3T 4T SF 6 F 7F 8F Words (pdgc 89) 1 cnprnin 2 ynchr 3 sailing 4 harbour 5 quay 6 ocean 7 river 8 cargo Quiz(page 90) 1 Voltor 2 Bell 3 Benz 4 Cclsius 5 Whirrlc Words (pngc 101) Bo,'? ,tamer Thamns, lun, Michntl, Kenneth, ~ m c s Robcn, , Andrew, Mnrk, Martin, Frcderidi. Girlr' aomer Ruth, Julia, Gcmmo, Tracy, Teresa, Angeln, Mnrilyn, April, Felicity, Gilliun. S~mtamcr Thomns, Smilh, Rogers, Abbot, James, Robiaon, Price, MocGrcgor, Petcrr. Mircd tloaw Eliubeth, Nigcl, Gcorgc, Susan, Angela, Robcn, Dinnu, Monica, Pctcr. Ward Game (p;dgc 106) I Welsh 2 NewTllenuc 3 Atuactivc 4 Administntivc 5 Steel 6 Evening 7 S e d y Word Search (page 108) Sailing, Singing, Thmrre, Climbing, Riding, Rugby Truc or False (pagc 109) I T ZF 3T 4F ST 6 F 7T l4tule (psgc 114) 1 population 2 colonirution 3 indusrrinliznlion 4 plunrarian 5 reformution 6 sumation Read and Punlc@nge 130) d loorball c rugby b cricket c netball f hockey n mundcrr P d c (pnge 135) 1 corc 213 cduntionnl reform 4 record 5 science 6 abjcctivc 7 lnnguugc 8 technolorn 9 futurc 10 nchievcmcnr Index occunt & dinlects 3,21, 80, 93 ngriculture 32,41,45,70 nirpons 32 Anglo-Irish ngrccmcnr 117 m y 115 Asians 4 bonking 19 bnnkhalidnys 71 BBC25.34.126-127 birds 45,75 bone &ships 56,58,63, 76-77,88 b o o k 108 bowler hnrs 19,56 Boxing Doy 13 British Isles ~ 2 ~ ~ ~ ~ Burns' night 93 buses 16-17 cnbiner ministers 5 City gents 19 City ofLondon 18-20 City Technolow Collcges l Zd a>, Civil Service 5-6,26 Civil War 9,25,44,113 clans 92 clothcs92,127,128,133 cockneys21 coffee 122 commerce 18-19,53 Commonwenlth 4,13 commurers 18.39 cornorehenrive schools li2 computers 133 Conrcrvntivepnrty 6,34 counties 7,63 countryside32,38,44,65, 102,120-121,123 cricket 130 demonrrrnrions 22,96 devolution2 Edinburgh Festival 84 clecdons 5-7 enercv 101 engineering 63,76,104 enrerminmenrs 23-24.34. ". family life 10 fashions 87,127-129 fcrtirnls 11-13,42,68,84, 88 Elms 86 fishing 63,123 ~ - - ~ ~ - i, 6k-67 ghosts l Good Friday 11 -mnr schools 131 Great Britilin 2 Grcnr Fire ofLondon 18 Guy Fnwkcs Night 12 Hnllotve'en 12 Hnrrods 28 Highland gomes 83 hippies 128 hisrog.2-3,7-9,12,25, 37,44,4748,68, 80-81,85,97,112115,124, iv hit records 59,127 hockey 130 Hogmnnny 93 horsc-mcing4l House ofCommons 5-7, 25 HouseofLord5 5-7,12, 25 Tnnspon 16 London underground 17 Lord Mayor's Show 18-19 mnrkets21,46,53 murringe 10 Mny Day 12 mining I09 mods 127-128 monarch & monarchy 5, 7,25 money 90 Marrir dancers 12 mounroins 1, 102-104 MFs 5-6 multirncinl Britain 3-4 museums 28-29,63,68, 76,109,118-119 muric4,28, 42,59-60, SO, 127-129 mythsllegcnds 73-74, 120-121 names (ofpeople) 92,101, 122 nnmes (of plnces) 2,44,97 norionnlity 2-4 Nntionnl Curriculum 134 Nnrionnl Front 128 Nntionnl Hunlth Service 100 Nntiannl Parks 65,102 NnrionnlTmsr 65 netball 130 newspopcrs 19 New Wnvemuric 129 New Yesr'r Eve 11,93 nursery schools 131 oil industry 86-87 old people 10 Opposition, the 5-6 Pnncnkc Dnv 11 pnrks 27 Podiomcnt 5-7,12,2&25 Plnye, the 18 poetipoctry25,93,101 police 7 polric~lparties 5-6,34 public holidoys 11,13,71 publicschoolr 131 Punch and Judy 35 punks 128-129 Puriruns 8-9,113 qucues 16 mdsm 3-4,128-129 radio 126 milways 36,68,102 recipes 72,93 rcggnemulic 4,129 religion 7-9,37-38,54, 73,112-115 rircsidtunls 73 rockers 127-128 rockmusic 127-129 Roman Catholics & Catholicism 7-9,12, 37-38,112-115 rounders 130 Royol Navy 76 rugby 98 rush hour 39 St Vulcnrine's Dny 11 schools 130-135 school uniform 133 scones 72 SDP pnrty 6,34 secondary schoolr 90, 131-135 shndow cnbinct 6 shipwrecks 76 shopping22,28,33,46, rlnng2l Soda1 nnd Libcml Democrats 6 sports 34,82-83,98,123, 129-130 rrockhroker belt 39 suburbs(ofLondon) 18 superrtitions 120-121 U L I ~ 92 ~ S ..-..kings and queens 2,7-8, 12,25,37,80,85,97, 112-113. iv ~nbourpo&6,34 lnngunges 3-4, SO, 92-93, 96,101-102 la~v5,7,10,19 Liberal p n q 6,34 locnl governmcot 7 London Regional populntion 2 ports 21,32,41,50,76, 79.95 prchisraric ritcr 73-74 Press, thc 19 primnryschools 131 Prime Minister 5,7 privntcrchools 131 Proms 28 Protesmnrism7-9,112113 trade unions 6,33-34 tube, the 16-17 TV 126-127 - . . . . --. unemployment 64 universities 42,55,90, 106-108.136-137 USAS, 113 violcncc 82,112-115,128 Welrh 3,96-97,101-102 words ... 21,56,92-93 102, 112 world wnrs 25-26,54,1W writers 37-38,66,93, 101