Culturestudy Lesson3

The Royal Family

Chapter I

The British monarchy traces its origins from the petty kingdoms of early medieval Scotland and Anglo-Saxon England, which consolidated into the kingdoms of England and Scotland by the 10th century. England was conquered by the Normans in 1066, after which Wales too gradually came under control of Anglo-Normans.

The Royal Family's reign spans 37 generations and 1209 years. The current reigning family has the surname Windsor. This name was adopted during WW1.

The Royal Family

Chapter I

The British monarchy traces its origins from the petty kingdoms of early medieval Scotland and Anglo-Saxon England, which consolidated into the kingdoms of England and Scotland by the 10th century. England was conquered by the Normans in 1066, after which Wales too gradually came under control of Anglo-Normans.

The Royal Family's reign spans 37 generations and 1209 years. ... The current reigning family has the surname Windsor. This name was adopted during WW1.

At present the British royal family is headed by Queen Elizabeth. As a child she studied constitutional history and law as well as art and music. During the WWII Queen Elizabeth II served in the armed forces. She was trained in London as a mechanic and military truck driver. She learned how to deconstruct, repair and rebuild engines and change tires, and learned how to drive every type of machine she worked on, including jeeps, trucks and ambulances. 

 

The marriage of the young Princess Elizabeth to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place in November 1947. She came to the throne after her father's death in 1952 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey in June 1953.

Among Queen Elizabeth's many duties are the regular visits she makes to foreign countries, and especially those of the Commonwealth, whose interests and welfare are very important to her. She also opens Parliamentary sessions, makes a speech on Christmas.

Queen Elizabeth  has 4 children -Charles, Prince of Wales, who was born in 1948, Princess Anne (born in 1950), Prince Andrew (born in 1960) and Prince Edward (born in 1964). The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, competed in the 1976 Olympics in equestrian.

Today, the line of succession of the House of Windsor runs down through Prince Charles (1),

to his son Prince William (2)

and then to his son Prince George (3).

 

Royal families embody their country’s human roots and identity and help keep alive a sense of history. Members of the Royal Family support The Queen in her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability.

Chapter II. Being a member of the British royal family might look like a dream come true. But with this glamorous lifestyle comes some pretty interesting rules and traditions. Take a look at some of the rules and traditions the British royals must follow.

1.      Younger members of the family are expected to join the armed forces or participate in some obviously useful social service, heading up worthy charities.

2.     Making too much money is considered taboo.

3.     Once the Queen has taken her last bite, everyone has to stop eating.

4.     The Royal Family can’t publicly express their political views or vote.

5.     When a Royal travels abroad, they have to pack an all-black outfit. This one really makes sense. Packing an all-black outfit ensures that if there is a death in the family while they are traveling, they would be appropriately dressed for mourning when they are photographed returning home.

6.     Royal heirs usually travel separately. It’s for security reasons: If a plane were to crash with a royal on board, the next in line needs to take their place.

7.     It is against protocol for the royal family to sign autographs in case the signature could be used against them later. And no hugging.

8.     The Royal Family is to always dress modestly in public, and you’ll almost never catch the royals in casual clothing, like jeans. As for those bright colors the Queen commonly wears? That’s to make sure the public can see her in crowds.

9.     The Royal Family Is expected to learn multiple languages. Most members of the royal family speak at least a few different languages, with Queen Elizabeth being fluent in French.

10.  Ladies in the royal family should sit with their knees and ankles together and only cross their legs at the ankle if needed.

The Queen’s residence is  Buckingham Palace

Today, Buckingham Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of the UK’s constitutional monarchy, serving as the venue for many royal events and ceremonies from entertaining foreign Head of States to celebrating achievement at Investitures and receptions.Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

Members of the Royal Family support The Queen in her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability.

 

 

    

At present the British royal family is headed by Queen Elizabeth. As a child she studied constitutional history and law as well as art and music. During the WWII Queen Elizabeth II served in the armed forces. She was trained in London as a mechanic and military truck driver. She learned how to deconstruct, repair and rebuild engines and change tires, and learned how to drive every type of machine she worked on, including jeeps, trucks and ambulances. 

   

 

The marriage of the young Princess Elizabeth to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place in November 1947. She came to the throne after her father's death in 1952 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey in June 1953.

Among Queen Elizabeth's many duties are the regular visits she makes to foreign countries, and especially those of the Commonwealth, whose interests and welfare are very important to her. She also opens Parliamentary sessions, makes a speech on Christmas.

Queen Elizabeth  has 4 children -Charles, Prince of Wales, who was born in 1948, 

  

Princess Anne (born in 1950), 

  

  Prince Andrew (born in 1960)

    

   and Prince Edward (born in 1964). 

    

The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, competed in the 1976 Olympics in equestrian.

Today, the line of succession of the House of Windsor runs down through Prince Charles (1),

to his son Prince William (2)

  

and then to his son Prince George (3).

   

Royal families embody their country’s human roots and identity and help keep alive a sense of history. Members of the Royal Family support The Queen in her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability.

Chapter II. Being a member of the British royal family might look like a dream come true. But with this glamorous lifestyle comes some pretty interesting rules and traditions. Take a look at some of the rules and traditions the British royals must follow.

1.      Younger members of the family are expected to join the armed forces or participate in some obviously useful social service, heading up worthy charities.

2.     Making too much money is considered taboo.

3.     Once the Queen has taken her last bite, everyone has to stop eating.

4.     The Royal Family can’t publicly express their political views or vote.

5.     When a Royal travels abroad, they have to pack an all-black outfit. This one really makes sense. Packing an all-black outfit ensures that if there is a death in the family while they are traveling, they would be appropriately dressed for mourning when they are photographed returning home.

6.     Royal heirs usually travel separately. It’s for security reasons: If a plane were to crash with a royal on board, the next in line needs to take their place.

7.     It is against protocol for the royal family to sign autographs in case the signature could be used against them later. And no hugging.

8.     The Royal Family is to always dress modestly in public, and you’ll almost never catch the royals in casual clothing, like jeans. As for those bright colors the Queen commonly wears? That’s to make sure the public can see her in crowds.

9.     The Royal Family Is expected to learn multiple languages. Most members of the royal family speak at least a few different languages, with Queen Elizabeth being fluent in French.

10.  Ladies in the royal family should sit with their knees and ankles together and only cross their legs at the ankle if needed.

The Queen’s residence is  Buckingham Palace

Today, Buckingham Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of the UK’s constitutional monarchy, serving as the venue for many royal events and ceremonies from entertaining foreign Head of States to celebrating achievement at Investitures and receptions.Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

Members of the Royal Family support The Queen in her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability.

 

 

 Culturestudy Lesson2

How the British political system works

Is the Queen in charge of the UK?

Sort of. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. This means that while a monarch – in this case, Queen Elizabeth II – is the head of state, she is not the head of government. She does not get to make most of the decisions about how the government is run; that job belongs to the Prime Minister, or PM.

The English monarchy used to have absolute power, but that was a long time ago – over 800 years in fact. 2015 was the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, or the Great Charter. This document spelled out the rights and responsibilities of King John of England and the ruling class in 1215. The Magna Carta is regarded as the first statement of citizen rights in the world.

 

The Bill of Rights of 1689 – which is still in effect – lays down limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliament, the requirement for regular elections to Parliament, and the right to petition the monarch without fear of retribution.

Nowadays the Queen’s role is mostly ceremonial.

Do England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have their own governments?

Yes and no. England is the most powerful country of the four and the British Government works for the Queen, who is an English monarch. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are all ultimately beholden to English law. However, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all have governing bodies that work exclusively on issues in their own countries.

Scotland is the most politically independent country. The Scottish National Party (SNP) have 56 seats in the House of Commons and the Scottish Government is responsible for running day-to-day matters in Scotland such as education, transport, and health.

Wales has the Welsh Government and the National Assembly for Wales, which are in charge of things like making laws for Wales and agreeing Welsh taxes.

At the moment Northern Ireland does not have a sitting government but Northern Ireland does have the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly which has powers closer to those already devolved to Scotland.

Who makes the laws in the UK?

The UK’s government has three basic types of power: legislative, executive, and judiciary.

Legislative power is the power to make new laws or remove old ones. This power is held by Parliament, which is made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, and the Northern Irish Assembly also have legislative powers; however, they do not have as much authority as Parliament.

Executive power – the power to implement and enforce laws – is controlled by the British government, which works on behalf of the Queen, as well as the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Judiciary power, which is the power to prosecute those who break the law, is kept independent of the legislature and the executive. The highest court in the UK is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

What are the different political parties and how are their members elected?

People vote in elections for Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them. The party that gets the most seats in Parliament forms the Government. For example, right now the Conservatives have the most seats in Parliament, so the UK has a Conservative Government. If, in the next election, Labour wins more seats, we will have a Labour Government.

There are lots of political parties in the UK, but the big ones are:

·         The Conservative Party (currently led by Boris Johnson). The Conservatives are “right wing,” or conservative. They typically believe that business shouldn’t be regulated and that we should all look after ourselves.

·         The Labour Party (currently led by Jeremy Corbyn). Labour are “left wing,” or liberal. People who are left wing believe that the state should support those who cannot support themselves. Ideas like the redistribution of wealth, the NHS, and job seeker’s allowance are fundamentally left-wing ideas.

·         The Liberal Democrats (currently led by Jo Swinson). The Lib Dems, as they’re called, fall between the Conservatives and Labour. Even though they have “liberal” in their name they are really a mix of liberal and conservative.

·         Scottish National Party (currently led by Nicola Sturgeon). The SNP is left wing and Scotland is, politically-speaking, more liberal than England.

Who can vote in the UK?

Members of the UK Parliament are elected in General Elections, which typically take place every five years. To vote in a General Election you must be:

·         Registered to vote

·         18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)

·         A British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen

·         Resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)

·         Eligible to vote – i.e. you cannot be legally excluded from voting

Watch the video

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ns064a0kqfdzQhNz6QCcJS9-_UxMIjc0/view?usp=sharing

 Finish the sentences and write them down in your exercise books:

1. Parliament’s duty is to…
2. In 1215, King John agreed to a list…(number) of rules.
3. Magna Carta ensured for the first time that…
4. Parliament is made up of three parts:…
5. There are…MPs in the House of Commons and…MPs in the House of Lords.
6. The Prime Minister heads up…
7. The Cabinet is made up of…senior ministers.
8. Parties not in power are called the…
9. The monarch meets the Prime Minister…(how often?)
10. A Manifesto is…
11. Anyone can contact their local MP by…
12. By voting petitioning, campaigning and more you can…

 

English literature

 Lesson 3. Geoffrey Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales

                       Geoffrey Chaucer 

       

Geoffrey Chaucer (/ˈtʃɔːsər/; c. 1340s – 25 October 1400) was an English poet and author. Widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages, he is best known for The Canterbury Tales. He has been called the "father of English literature", or the "father of English poetry". He was the first writer to be buried in Poets' Corner, in Westminster Abbey. Chaucer also gained fame as a philosopher and astronomer.

One of the reasons Chaucer is so important is that he made the decision to write in English and not French. In the centuries following the Norman invasion, French was the language spoken by those in power. The Canterbury Tales was one of the first major works in literature written in English. Geoffrey Chaucer spent over a decade writing The Canterbury Tales, from the late 1380s until his death in 1400. His original plan was to write 120 stories as part of the collection of ''tales'' but he only wrote 24

The Canterbury Tales consists of the stories related by the 29 pilgrims on their way to Saint Thomas Becket's shrine in Canterbury. The purpose of their trip is religious; they are going to pay homage to the the blessed martyr, Thomas a Beckett.

Harry Bailey, the Host, had proposed a scheme in the General Prologue whereby each pilgrim was to narrate two tales on the way to Canterbury and two more while returning.

 Chaucer planned that each character would tell four stories: two while going to Canterbury and two while returning to London. If Chaucer had finished, he would have written 120 stories. He only actually wrote 24. We never get to see the pilgrims reach Canterbury, nor do we learn who wins the competition.

·                                 Geoffrey Chaucer, in his General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, introduces an array of characters who have stopped at an inn on their way to Canterbury.

The Knight Socially the most prominent person on the pilgrimage, epitomizing chivalry, truth, and honor. He stands apart from the other pilgrims because of his dignity and status.

The Miller A drunken, brash, and vulgar man who rudely interrupts the Host, demands that his tale be next, and warns everyone that his tale about a carpenter will be vulgar because it is true.

The Reeve A very old and irritable man who was once a carpenter. He resents the Miller's tale about a stupid old carpenter.

The Man of Law (or Sergeant of Law) A lawyer and one of the high justices of the court. He is cautious, suspicious, and wise, and one of the more cultivated men among the pilgrims.

Roger, the Cook Known for his cooking and characterized by a chancre sore that runs with pus. His story is incomplete.

The Wife of Bath (Alisoun) Characterized as gat-toothed, somewhat deaf, and wearing bright scarlet red stockings. She has had five husbands (the last half her age), enjoys her freedom, and is openly sensual.

Hubert, the Friar A sensual, licentious man who seduces young girls and then arranges their marriages. He loves money and knows the taverns better than the poor houses.

The Summoner An officer of the church who calls people for a church trial. He is as ugly as his profession; he frightens children with his red complexion, pimples and boils, and skin infected with scales.

The Clerk A sincere, devout student at Oxford University who loves learning and is respected by all the pilgrims. He is very poor because he spends all his money on books.

The Merchant A shrewd and intelligent man who knows how to strike a good bargain and is a member of the rich rising middle class.

The Squire A vain, lusty young man and a candidate for knighthood. He can sing, write poetry, and ride a horse very well, and considers himself a lady's man.

The Franklin A large and wealthy landowner who enjoys fine living and good companionship.

The Shipman A huge, uncouth man who can steer a ship but flounders on his horse.

The Prioress (Madame Eglantine) A very genteel lady who is coy and delicate. She has precise manners, eats as an aristocrat would, and wears a gold brooch with "Love conquers all" inscribed in Latin.

The Physician A doctor who can speak knowingly of medicines, drugs, and humours, and who knows astrology as well. He is fond of gold and makes a lot of money during the plague season.

The Pardoner The most complex of all the pilgrims. He is an intellect and uses advanced psychological means to gain his objective. Although he is not a good person, he can preach a good sermon.

The Monk A man who tends the property of the monastery. He is fat and happy, loves good food and wine, and finds the taverns more to his liking than the cold, severe monastery.

The Nun's Priest The priest of the church who accompanies the nuns so that they may offer up their confessions.

The Second Nun A very devout nun who, because she believes that idleness leads to sin,

The tales could be described both as social realism and as estates satire. At the same time that Chaucer takes care to honestly show the perspective of each of his characters, he also aims to critique the hypocrisy of the church and the social problems posed by Medieval politics and social custom.

In The Canterbury Tales, we see Chaucer explore moral values and lessons. 

Social satire is the major theme of The Canterbury Tales. The medieval society was set on three foundations: the nobility, the church, and the peasantry. Chaucer's satire targets all segments of the medieval social issues, human immorality, and depraved heart.

The Canterbury Tales ranks as one of the greatest poetic works in English.

Whatch  the video about J.Chauser and The Canterbury Tales.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NM62kze5z-t8DUiFc2KCMNWa9MckG61d/view?usp=sharing

Test 3

Geoffrey Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales

1. How many people are going on the pilgrimage to Canterbury?

 

a) 23   b)50  c)30   d)17

 

2. How many tales will each pilgrim tell, there and back?

a) 2      b)4       c)6        D)24

 

3. Why is the fact that Chaucer wrote in English so important?

 

 Because he was from Scotland and spoke Gaelic.

 Because the official language of England was French.

 Because writing was outlawed in England during the 14th century.

 Because he was blind.

4. How many tales did Chaucer complete before he died?

a)120   b)14   c)46  d)24

 

5. True or False:

Geoffrey Chaucer lived in the 15^th century

6. Answer the question.

What is The Canterbury Tales about?