INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• The only word in English dictionary that sums up exactly 100 is "attitude".
•  The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet.
•  "I am". Is the shortest complete sentence in English language.
•  The longest one syllable word in the English language is "screeched".
•  A dot over the letter "i" is called a TITTLE.
•  The word "Set" has more definitions than any other word in the English language.
•  No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and purple.
•  On reversing the words they spell the same: "Malayalam", "Liril" and "Madam".
•  There is a seven – letter word in the English language that contains 10 words without rearranging any of its letters, "therein" – the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein.
•  "Stewardesses" is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
•  "Facetious" & "Abstemious" contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does "Arsenious"(meaning Containing arsenic).
•  "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

 

Quiz Questions about British History

1) What is the full, correct title for Britain?
2) Name the earliest known tribe of Homo sapiens to populate Britain.
3) Which group of tribes originated from northern Europe, bringing cultural traits which are still a part of British life today?
4) Which invading people, who arrived some time around 43 AD, drove the Picts into Scotland and the Celts into Wales?
5) In the 8th Century, the Benedictine monk known as the Venerable Bede wrote that his contemporaries were the mostly decendents of which three invading peoples?
6) Where did the Angles and Saxon come from?
7) Which group of people invaded Britain in 1066?
8) Between 1455 and 1485, which English counties warred against each other?
9) The conflict which raged between the kings of England and France is known as which war? 
10) Which war ended with the Battle of Worcester in 1651?

Now look for the answers:
1.The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2.Picts.
3.Celts.
4.Romans.
5.Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
6.The Angles and Saxons came from Germany, and the Jutes came from Denmark.
7.Normans.
8.Lancashire and York.
9.The One Hundred Years war.
10.English Civil War.

Quiz Questions about British Geography

1) Name the seas surrounding the British Isles.
2) Name the four separate countries which make up Britain?
3) What are the three Crown Dependencies?
4) How many square miles does the United Kingdom cover in total? 
5) Which country accounts for just over half of the total square miles of the United Kingdom? 
6) Standing at 3,209 feet, which is England's highest mountain? 
7) Name Britain's main rivers.  
8) Which British country is divided roughly into two areas, and has nearly 800 islands? 
9) Standing at 4,406 feet, which is Scotland's highest mountain? 
10) What are known, collectively, as the Welsh 3000? 
11) What is the United kingdom's largest lake? 

Now look for the answers:
1.The Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Chanel.
2.England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
3.Jersey, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
4.94,060
5.England.
6.Scafell Pike in the Lake District.
7.Severn, Thames, Humber, Tees, Tyne, Tweed, Avon, Exe and Mersey.
8.Scotland.
9.Ben Nevis.
10.The fifteen mountains which stand over 3,000 feet in height.
11.Lough Neagh, in Northern Ireland.

Interesting facts about England

 

England is a country which is located in the north-western side of Europe. England is situated on the island of Great Britain which is made up of three countries; England, Wales and Scotland. England is the second largest country on the island, it has been a formalized nation since 55 BC when it was invaded by the Romans. However, it's still unclear whether Julius Caesar who was then the Roman monarch extended his rule over England. Sources claim though that the first official ruler of England was King Egbert. Want to know some more amazing England facts and information. Let's have a look.

 

Interesting Facts about England

 

• The neighboring countries of England to the north and to the west are Scotland and Wales, which surrounds it from the east.
• The first public zoo was opened in England in 1829. This zoo was also the world's first zoo.
• Though it sounds very weird, animals in medieval England were tried and convicted based on their bad deeds.
• In the year 1880 England published its first telephone directory. The directory contained 25 names.
• To see a rise in the silk industry, King James I of England imported more than 10,000 mulberry trees. Unfortunately the trees that he ordered were of the wrong kind and couldn't serve as food for the silkworms.
• If you love history then it's a good idea to travel to England in the spring. Routes of the Roman army can be seen through the south of England by after the trail of white blossoms on wild cherry trees.
• One of the main reasons for Romans to invade ancient England were the delicious Colchester oysters.
• The first hot chocolate store in England was started by a Frenchman in early 1600's. After 100 years, hot chocolate became so popular that you could find a hot chocolate shop in every corner of England.
• Another interesting fact about English culture is the age of Windsor castle. It is said to be the largest royal home in the world and it's also the oldest royal home which is still in use.
• Beer was served complimentary with breakfast in medieval England.
• A fun facts about England for kids is about Valentine's day. Her majesty Queen Victoria loved Valentine's day cards. In fact when she was ruling, she used to send more than 2500 cards every year.
• Pleasant and irregular are two words which are used to describe the weather of England. One minute its gorgeous sunshine and the next minute it becomes dark and cloudy. Even on hot summer days you will often see people take a coat because of the unpredictable nature of the weather. This unpredictability of England's weather makes it extremely interesting and a topic of discussion.
• There is no government especially for England and it hasn't been since 1707. The main government seated in London is in fact the government of UK. The current prime minister of England is David Cameron.
• The Queen Elizabeth II of England is actually the head of the state and not the head of the country.
• The English are just crazy about their tea. They consume tea more than anyone in this world. Although tea is a popular beverage in American culture also, the English consume it about 20 times more.
• In the year 1752, England and the rest of the United Kingdom adopted the Gregorian calendar even though it was termed as impractical by the rest of the world.
• The country of England is home to more than 300 different languages.
• In the summer of 2003, England suffered from a heat wave which made the temperature rise up to 100 degrees. This was the first time that England saw such a drastic rise in its temperature.
• One of the most interesting facts about England is that the flag of England is called the Union Flag when it's on land, and Union Jack when it's being used on a sea vessel.
• Newton is the most popular name for an English town. You will find more than 150 towns which are called Newton.
• The National Health Service in England is the third largest employer in the world. The first being China's Red Army and the second spot is taken by the Indian Railways.
• The tower which has the four clocks is not called the Big Ben. Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower. The entire building is known as St. Stephen's Tower.
• It's well-known that Athelhampton is one of the most famous haunted places in England. What they don't know is that the house is haunted by two men and an ape.

 

Facts about England

➤England is bordered by Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. It takes its name from Angles. That was the name of the Germanic tribes that settled in the territory during the fifth and sixth century.

 

➤ England enjoys a temperate climate. It has rainfall all year around. The seasons are however variable in temperature. Temperature rarely falls below minus five degrees Celsius or rise above thirty degrees Celsius. The weather is therefore mild and wet, due to the prevailing wind from the Atlantic Ocean, which lies to the southwest of England.

 

➤ England is the second largest economy in Europe. It is the fifth largest economy in the world. It is also the largest of the four economies of the United Kingdom. At least a hundred of Europe's five hundred largest corporations are based in London.

 

➤ The chief sectors in England are chemical, aerospace, arms industry, pharmaceutical, and the hardware industry. London, capital of England, imports materials like tea, raw sugar, timber, butter, meat, and various metals. Tourism is the sixth largest industry in the United Kingdom. The epicenter of tourism is London. Tourism employs about six to seven percent of the total population.

 

➤ It exports manufactured goods, with beef being one of the main goods it exports.

 

➤ Once again, the service industry has seen a robust growth in the past few decades, heralding a decline in the manufacturing industries. England is also home to the London Stock Exchange. The London Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Europe and is the main stock exchange in the United Kingdom. The official currency of England is the Pound Sterling.

 

➤ England is one of the most populous countries in the world. It has almost thrice the population of Australia and California. Its population is only three times lesser than the population of Japan. However, England is seventy-four times smaller than the United States of America, three times smaller than Japan, and fifty-nine times smaller than Australia.

 

➤ The English love their tea. They consume more tea per capita than any other country in the world. Their tea consumption is more than thrice of Japan and a whopping twenty-two times more than America or France.

 

➤ England has many cultural and other places of interest all over its territory. It was the host to the world's first ever modern Olympic Games, and not Athens as it is popularly said. The first modern Olympic Games were in Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England in 1850. The Olympic Games in Athens were held in 1896, almost half a century later.

 

➤ England also has the world's used books market at Hay-on-Wye, a small village bordering England and Wales. It's a country of high society and high tea, intellect, education, and culture. Therefore, it is evident that things to do with knowledge, for example books will be found in England. The world's oldest and largest chained library lies in the Hereford Cathedral, England. This place also has the world's best preserved Mappa Mundi.

 

➤ The first building to overtake the Great Pyramid of Giza was the Lincoln Cathedral in 1280. It held the title of the highest construction ever built until 1884, though it was demolished in 1549.

 

➤ The Windsor castle is the oldest royal residence in the world still in use. It occupies more than thirteen acres of land and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town.

 

➤ The world's oldest public zoo was opened in London in 1828.

 

➤ In London the tube route from Leicester Square to Covent Garden is the most popular though it is less than 300 yards long and is the shortest tube route!

 

➤ The Arsenal tube station in London is named after a football club called Arsenal.

 

➤ Arndale is the common name for a shopping center in the United Kingdom.

 

➤ The London Eye is the tallest observation wheel in the world and the most popular tourist attraction in the United Kingdom.

 

➤ The River Thames which flows through London, has over 200 bridges and 20 tunnels.

 

➤ Contrary to popular belief, the Big Ben is not the name of the clock tower, but actually the bell inside it. The tower is known as actually the Elizabeth Tower.

 

➤ London's Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world.

 

➤ England's most popular dishes include Spotted Dick, Bangers and Mash, and Toad in the Hole.

 

➤ World famous writers like William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, HG Wells belonged to England.

 

➤ Red Lion is the most popular name of a pub in Britain.

Facts about Great Britain

Basic Facts

• Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles. It boasts of being the largest island of Europe and ranks eighth in the list of the largest islands of the world.
• With Ireland to its west, it occupies the largest part of the territory of state that is called United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Great Britain takes up an area of around 209,331 square kilometers.
• It is the third most populated island of the world. Java and Honshu top the list of the most populated islands of the world.
• The eastern and southern regions of Great Britain are low-lying areas while hills and mountains are found in the northern and western regions.
• Great Britain is separated from Continental Europe by the English Channel.
• Ben Nevis, at a height of 1344 meters is the highest point in Great Britain.
• London is the largest city of Great Britain and also an important financial city of Europe.
• The English constitute a large part of Great Britain's population. The Scottish, the Irish and the Welsh also inhabit Great Britain. Lately, people from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and other parts of the world have started moving to Great Britain, leading to a rise in its population.
• Mainly the English language is spoken in Great Britain. Apart from this, Welsh and Scottish are also spoken.
• Great Britain was developed into a union of Scotland and England. The Acts of Union in 1707 caused the merger of the two countries and led to the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Due to Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed.
• Why the Name Great Britain? Great Britain was known as the land of Albinos and hence its name was Albion. Britannia, the word used by the Romans for the British Isles, gave rise to the name Britain.The word 'great' was prefixed to the word 'Britain' to name the political unit of Britain. So Britain is an island while the geopolitical unit is referred to as Great Britain.

Facts about Great Britain History

• From around 700,000 years ago, traces of the ancient man have been found in Great Britain. We have learned about the Cheddar Man in the history of the Evolution of Man. His skeleton was found in the Cheddar Gorge near Bristol, along with the fossils of antelopes, brown bears and other animals native to Europe.
• How was Great Britain formed? Towards the conclusion of the Pleistocene Ice Age, isostatic depression of the Earth's crust and the melting of glaciers caused the sea levels to rise. Before the Ice Age, Great Britain was a peninsula. The rise in the sea level also resulted in the formation of English Channel. In the Iron Age, Britons who spoke the Celtic language inhabited Great Britain. After being conquered by the Romans, the province later came to be known as the ancient Roman province of Britannia. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the Britons assimilated with the Germanic tribes. They together were called the English people.
• Since the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island has become a unified state, the word British refers to the United Kingdom. In the Nineteenth and the Twentieth century, Great Britain has emerged as a great power.

 

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GREAT BRITAIN?

How much do you know about Great Britain? What do you know about its people?
All set? Good luck!

Question  1: In which cities play the following soccer-teams?

A: Aston Villa		1: Birmingham
B: Fulham		2: Liverpool
C: Everton		3: London
		4: Manchester
		5: Newcastle
		6: Oxford

Question  2: Who has written the following?

A: The Merchant of Venice		1: Jane Austen
B: Brave New World		2: Charles Dickens
C: Pride and Prejudice		3: Aldous Huxley
		4: D.H. Lawrence
		5: William Shakespeare
		6: Mary Shelley

Question  3: Whose songs are these?

A: Abbey Road		1: Beatles
B: Guns in the Ghetto		2: Eurythmics
C: Sweet Dreams		3: Tom Jones
		4: Cliff Richard
		5: UB 40
		6: Wet Wet Wet

Question 4: In which century did they reign?

A: Henry VIII		1: 10th century
B: Richard Lionheart		2: 12th century
C: George II		3: 14th century
		4: 16th century
		5: 18th century
		6: 20th century

Question 5: Which three cities are situated in Wales?

	1: Anglesey
	2: Bristol
	3: Cardiff
	4: Exeter
	5: Norwich
	6: Swansea

Question 6: Golf is an "invention" from Scotland. Put each statement together with the right place.

A: In 1810 the first ladies competition was held here.		1: Carnoustie
B: "The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers" plays here.		2: Loch Lomond
C: This is the home of "The Royal and Ancient Golf Club"		3: Muirfield
		4: Musselburgh
		5: Prestwick
		6: St. Andrews

Question 7: In which county can you find the following history-loaded sights?

A: Hadrian's Wall		1: Cornwall
B: Stonehenge		2: Dorset
C: Tintagel Castle		3: Kent
		4: Northumberland
		5: Suffolk
		6: Wiltshire

Question 8: Where can you visit the following places of interest?

A: Glenfiddich Distillery		1: Aberdeen
B: Macduff Marine Aquarium		2: Aberfeldy
C: The Piping Centre		3: Dufftown
		4: Dundee
		5: Edinburgh
		6: Glasgow

Question 9: The following theories were developed by Britons. Who is responsible for which?

A: blood pressure		1: David Abraham
B: evolution		2: Charles Darwin
C: gravity		3: Stephen Hales
		4: Isaac Newton
		5: Robert Stevenson
		6: Christopher Wren

Question 10: Which year responds to the following inventions?

A: postage stamp		1: 1723
B: penicillin		2: 1757
C: sextant		3: 1809
		4: 1840
		5: 1894
		6: 1928   Now check your answers:   Q1: A1 B3 C2 Q2: A5 B3 C1 Q3: A1 B5 C2 Q4: A4 B2 C5 Q5: 1,3,6 Q6: A4 B3 C6 Q7: A4 B6 C1 Q8: A3 B1 C6 Q9: A6 B2 C4 Q10: A4 B6 C1   

St.Paul's Cathedral

St.Paul's Cathedral is in the centre of the City. it was built by Sir Christopher Wren after the old Cathedral had been completely destroyed by the great fire of London in 1666. It was the setting for the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

www.stpauls.co.uk

 

Listen to the songs and learn some historical facts

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fadCAHjN-s

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXCIMmpETaA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westminster Abbey

www.westminster-abbey.org

Westminster Abbey is one of the oldest buildings in London and one of the most important religious centres in the country. William the Conqueror was crowned here, on the coronation throne. Under the throne is kept the Stone of Scone, a symbol of Scottish Royalty.

 

One of the most attractive constructions is Westminster Abbey. It attracts visitors not only with its architectural glory but also with its rich history and cultural importance. Westminster Abbey is the place where many outstanding Englishmen are buried, among them well-known poets, writers, scientists, statesmen, painters and many others. Many people who visit the Abbey want to commemorate such great men as William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Robert Burns, Bernard Show, Lord Byron, Walter Scott, Geoffrey Chaucer, and many others. The history of Westminster Abbey dates back to the Middle Ages or even the earlier times, as 900 years ago St. Peter found the first church on the place, where the Abbey is now situated. The present building appeared during the reign of Henry III. There is one more reason why people are highly interested in Westminster Abbey. According to the ancient tradition all English kings and queens were crowned and wed here. There is something special and wonderful about this building and it’s not only because of its impressive height and size. People who visit it for the first time are startled by its beauty and glory.

 

Tower Bridge

www.towerbridge.org.uk

Tower Bridge, on the river Thames, is a drawbridge which can be raised to let ships pass through.

 

 

Tower of London

www.hrp.org.uk

The Tower of London  - is the old Norman Fortress built by William the Conqueror. It is guarded by Beefeaters in traditional Tudor Uniforms and the Crown Jewels are on show here; they belong to the state and are used by the Royal Family only on state occasions. Many people, such as Anne Boleyn, mother of Queen Elizabeth 1, were executed here. Eight ravens are kept at the Tower; a legend says that the tower will fall if they leave.

 

 

 

 

Houses of Parliament

www.parliament.uk

Power in Great Britain is divided among 3 branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. The legislative branch is represented by Parliament, which consists of 2 chambers, or houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Parliament in Britain has existed since 1265. The building stands on the river Thames. When parliament is sitting a Union Jack flies on the tower.

 

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Задание 1

You are going to read the newspaper article about people who go to watch TV programmes being made. Choose from the list A-I the sentence which best summarises each part 1-7 of the article. There is one extra sentence which you don’t need. There is an example at the beginning.

A Studio audiences consist of all kinds of people.

B For some people, being in a studio audience is preferable to watching television at home.

C Common ideas about what happens when you are in a studio audience are not always correct

D Studio audiences play an important part in the making of a television programme

E Members of stidio audiences are sometimes not regarded with respect

F Despite the disadvantages, it is enjoyable to be in a studio audience.

G It is hard for some people to understand the reasons for wanting to be in a studio audience

H People become part of a studio audience for various reasons

I Viewers wonder what kind of people are in studio audiences

STUDIO AUDIENCES

What’s it like to be in the audiences when a television programme is being made? Cosmo Landesman found out.

0 –I

Like technical difficulties, studio audiences are just another common feature of television life, and yet to many of us they remain a mystery. Watching them getting excited on game shows, for example, we sit back and ask ourselves – just who are these people?

1 –

Of all the audiences for live entertainment, the studio variety is widely considered to be the lowest of the low. I have heard it said that even people who work in television treat studio audiences with scorn – or, as one cameraman put it, ‘’like cattle’’.

2 –

I had assumed that studio audiences were made up of silly people desperate for two seconds of fame. But there’s no such thing as a typical studio audience. They come from all classes, professions and income groups. Television tries to attract different types of people for different type of programme.

3 –

Those of us who prefer to watch television from home can’t see why anyone would want to watch television from a studio. Why would anyone bother to apply for tickets, travel long distances, and suffer hours of boredom in the discomfort of a studio just to watch what they can see at home?

4 –

One theory is that people hope that for a second they might appear on television. I didn’t believe this until I spoke to Angela. Why had she come? ‘’It was a chance to appear on television.’’ Another theory is that people are curious to take a look behind the scenes. But the most common explanation I heard was simply a case of ‘’a friend gave me a ticket’’.

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