Zgodnie z umową umieszczam dla Was odpowiedzi. Oczywiście obowiązują Was tylko wytłuszczone odpowiedzi. Krótkie wyjaśnienia umieściłam dla lepszego zrozumienia zagadnień.

ANSWERS

THE  UNITED KINGDOM

1. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1801. The  name was adopted in 1927.
2. London. With over 8 million inhabitants, it is the biggest city in Britain and one of the biggest in Europe after Istanbul and Moscow.
3.  The Union Jack. The name emphasises the nature of the UK as a union of nations. It is a combination of the cross of St. George, the cross of St. Andrew, and the cross of St. Patrick. The flag is also known by another  less common term, the Union flag.
4. Red, white and blue. It is a combination of the cross of St. George, the cross of St. Andrew, and the cross of St. Patrick.
5. God Save the Queen. It is originated in a patriotic song which became the National Anthem at the beginning of the 19^th century. The words and tune are anonymous. The British National Anthem represents the whole of the UK.
6. The pound sterling. Commonly known as the pound, it is subdivided into 100 pence. The currency code for pounds is GBP,  the currency symbol is £.
7. The Monarch. The Queen is the official Head of State. In fact, her political role is rather symbolic.  Instead she performs a very important ceremonial role. The Queen opens Parliament; approves the appointment of the Prime Minister; gives the Royal Assent to bills; gives honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals.
8. David Cameron. The present leader of the Conservative Party was appointed the head of Her Majesty's Government in the UK on 11^th  May 2010.
9. The Monarch. The religious head of the Church is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
10. Thursday. Elections take place on the first Thursday in May, every five years. This tradition arose as the best of several circumstances:

• Friday wages would lead to more drunken voters on Fridays and weekends.
• Many towns held markets on Thursdays.
• Having the election as far after a Sunday as possible would reduce the influence of Sunday sermons.

11. Green. It is the principal colour for furnishings and fabrics. The carpets are mottled brown. In the House of Lords upholstery is red.
12. Red. The Lords Chamber is lavishly decorated, in contrast with modestly furnished the Commons with green upholstery.
13. The Commons. The UK public elects 650 MPs - a lower house of Parliament.
14. Life peers. Their titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers who can pass on their titles.
15. Hereditary peer. The title can be inherited, in contrast to life peer who  is appointed.
16. Wales. When the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was Principality of England.

 

GEOGRAPHY

1. Temperate maritime climate. There are relatively cool summers, and not particularly cold winters. The weather is influenced by close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean,  northern latitude, and the warming waters from the Gulf Stream.
2. The North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel. During the last Ice Age, Great Britain was attached to mainland Europe. When the last Ice Age melted away, new bodies of water were formed including the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Britain and Ireland became islands.
3. London Heathrow Airport. It is followed by London Gatwick, Manchester, London Stansted. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe by passenger traffic, and the third busiest in the world.
4. Ireland, Malta, Cyprus and the UK. Some historians believe that ancient travellers rode horseback on the left side of the road. Since most people are right-handed, they could hold their reins with their left hand keeping their right hand free. In case of emergency, they could defend themselves with a sword holding in the right hand. It is said, that Napoleon, who was left-handed, introduced right-handed riding in the European countries he conquered. However, island nations continued to drive on the left.
5. Prime Meridian.  The line joins the north and south poles, and  separates east from west in the same way that the Equator separates north from south. It passes through the meridian room of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in London. Prime Meridian is the centre of world time, and the starting point for each new day, year and millennium.
6. Great Britain. It is the largest island of the British Isles, the largest island in Europe,  and the ninth-largest in the world.
7. The River Severn. It is 354 km (220 miles) long. It runs through England and Wales.
8. Ben Nevis. It is rising to 1,343.8 m (4,406 ft), and is situated in the Grampian Mountains of western Scotland.
9. Lochs. The only exception is the Lake of Menteith and one or two man-made lakes.
10. Hadrian’s Wall. Running across the narrow neck from the North Sea to the Irish Sea, the wall separates England from Scotland. Built on the orders of the Roman emperor Hadrian, it allowed Roman soldiers to control the movements of people coming into or leaving Roman Britain. It was the largest structure ever made by the Romans. A significant part of the wall still exists and is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England.
11. Town. It is a community with a market, but with no cathedral. A village is a small group of houses with a church, but with no market. A hamlet is a village with no church, no shops, no services.
12. Nessie. It is reputedly a large animal that inhabits Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Its existence has been suggested; but has never been proved, or documented by scientists.
13. In 1994. Recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the tunnel was opened by the Queen and French President on 6^th May 1994.
14. Smog. It is a slang word originally developed to describe the mixture of smoke and fog formed in London. Smog is the result of wet weather and coal burning in that city.
15. Moorlands. Found  mainly in the north and west of the country, they are characterised by low-growing vegetation on low-nutrient, acidic soils with  small mammals and insects. 10-15 percent  of world`s moorlands stretch in the UK.

ENGLAND

1. London. It is the capital of England and the UK.  Found  by  the Romans on the River Thames nearly two thousand years ago, it is now the biggest city in Britain and one of the biggest in Europe.
2. The Anglican Church. The process of creating the Church of England was started by Henry VIII. In 1534, after the Pope`s refusal of granting an annulment to his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry passed two important acts. The first, Act of Succession vested the succession of the English Crown in the children of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. The second, Act of Supremacy  recognised the King as the only supreme head of the Church of England.
3. St. George. He was a soldier in the Roman army, later venerated as a Christian martyr.
4. 23^rd  March. In England it  is the feast day, though it is not an official national holiday.
5. Red rose. This flower became an emblem of England when two royal houses - Lancaster and York - were at a series of wars, called the Wars of Roses. House of Lancaster`s emblem was a red rose, and the house of York`s emblem was a white rose.
6. A red cross set on a white background. Known as the St George’s Cross, it has its origin in the Crusades. Soldiers were identified by red-coloured crosses on their white tunics.
7. Fish and chips. Regarded as the most iconic British meal, fish and chips is not normally cooked at home. English people usually buy the dish at fish and chips shops, called  chippie . It is eaten on premises or as a take away.
8. Cricket. The level of its popularity is not really high, nor the standard of English players; nevertheless, cricket is just much more than a sport. It symbolises the way of life typical for English people - slow, peaceful and rural. Apart from cricket, the UK gave birth to tennis, squash, golf, boxing, rugby, football, snooker, billiards, badminton and curling.
9. Polo. The Sport of Kings  used to be an Olympic sport. Players on horseback score goals against an opposing team. It is a favourite sport of Prince William.
10. The Mini. Made by the British Motor Corporation, it is the British equivalent of the Germanic Volkswagen Beetle, or the Italian Fiat 500.
11. Smith. It is the most common surname in England and Scotland.

 

 

SCOTLAND

1. Edinburg. It is the second most populous city in Scotland after Glasgow. It was built, like Rome, on seven hills.
2. St. Andrew. He was a Galilean fisherman, who worked in the Black Sea. When he met Jesus Christ, he became one of his disciples together with his brother, Simon Peter.
3. 30^th  November. In Scotland, like in many countries with Scottish emigrants, St Andrew's Day is celebrated with traditional Scottish music, food, dancing and fireworks. It is a bank holiday in Scotland.
4. Thistle. Prickly-leaved purple flower was first used as a symbol of defence in the 15^th  century.
5. A white X-shaped cross on a blue field. The flag of Scotland is known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire. The colours on the Scottish flag represent:

• white-peace and honesty;
• blue-vigilance, truth and loyalty.

6. Presbyterian Church. Informally known as the Kirk, it is the national church of Scotland, but not under the control of the state. During the Reformation era the church broke with Rome and reformed its doctrines based on Calvin`s principles.
7. Glasgow. Situated on the River Clyde, it is the fourth largest city in the UK after London, Birmingham and Leeds. Inhabitants of the city are referred to as Glaswegians.
8. Scottish English, Scottish Gaelic and Scots. Scottish English, the English dialect spoken in Scotland is the main language in Scotland. Scottish Gaelic and Scots are two regional languages. Scots is one of the ancient varieties of English, and it can boast a world-class literature dating from the early Middle Ages. Gaelic, the Celtic language, once the main language in Scotland, now is  spoken by around 1 percent of the population.
9. Golf. Scotland is the birthplace of this game, which has flourished there for six centuries.
10. Highland Dress. It is a uniform and an icon. People normally take immense care in correctly wearing proper Highland Dress. The basic elements of Highland dress - the kilt and the sporran - have changed very little in the last 300 years. Highland Dress is not only for special occasions; it can be worn at anytime.
11. The Mackintosh. Charles Macintosh invented rubberised coat  which was used as waterproof raincoat. Abbreviated as mac or mack, the raincoat was first sold in 1824.
12. Bagpipes. It is a wind instrument consisting of two or more reed pipes held in wooden sockets,  fastened to the bag. It is one of the most iconic symbols of Scottish culture.
13. Haggis. It consists of an offal mixed with suet, oatmeal and seasoning. It is boiled in a bag made from the animal's stomach or the sausage casing.

 

 WALES

1. Cardiff. The city has been the capital of Wales since 1955. Cardiff is crossed by three rivers; the Ely, the Taff and the Rhymney.  Both the Taff and Ely flow into Cardiff Bay creating an artificial lake.
2. St. David. He was a sixth  century missionary bishop and the founder of many monasteries.
3. 1^st  March. People with Welsh connection celebrate the life of their patron. Children wear traditional costumes, adults pin daffodils or leeks to their clothes.
4. Leak and daffodil.  On the eve of battle with the Saxons, St David ordered the Welsh to pin leeks to their caps for distinguishing mate from foe. Daffodil is traditionally worn on St. David’s Day.
5. The Red Dragon. The origin of the Red Dragon flag dates back to the Roman period. Green and white refer to the colours of the House of Tudor, the 15^th century royal family of Welsh origin.
6. Welsh and English. Under Welsh law both languages have equal status. Though one out of ten people consider Welsh as their native language. Road signs are both in English and Welsh. There is a Welsh language television channel, a Welsh language radio station. Welsh is a compulsory subject for all school pupils up to the age of 16 .
7. Cymru [ˈkəm.rɨ]. Welsh Cymraeg [kəmˈrɑːɨɡ] is the oldest language in Britain dating back possibly to 2,000 B.C.
8. Rugby. The origin of rugby is reputed to be an incident at PE lesson in Rugby School. In 1823 two classes were playing football, when one player William Webb Ellis  picked up the ball and run with it. Everyone ran after him, and the new sport began. The game was named after the school where it was started.

 

NORTHERN IRELAND

1. Belfast. It became the capital of Northern Ireland  in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned between Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created.
2. St. Patrick. When he was a boy, Irish pirates captured him from his home in Britain and  took as a slave to Ireland. He had been living there for 6 years, before he escaped  and came back to his family. When he became a cleric, he returned to Ireland where he served as an ordained bishop. He is known as the Apostle of this country.
3. 17^th  March. This is the date of St Patrick`s  death.  Many people wear an item of green clothing that day. Parties serving Irish food and drinks dyed in green are organised.
4. Irish and English. Northern Ireland has no official language. Most people speak English habitually. The Irish language, known as Irish Gaelic, is recognised as a minority language in Northern Ireland.
5. Shamrock. It is a three-leaved plant similar to clover. St. Patrick used it in his sermons to clarify the existence of the Trinity. He explained how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could exist  together in the same entity.
6. Gaelic football and hurling. Run by the same organisation, these games are strongly linked in many ways. Both hurling and Gaelic football are amateur games. Gaelic football is like soccer with limited use of hands allowed. Hurling, with over 3,000 years of tradition, is becoming one of the fastest growing team sports throughout the world.
7. Éire [ˈeːɾʲə]. It is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state.
8. St Patrick's Saltire. A red saltire cross on a white field appeared first on the badge of the Saint Patrick`s Order. When the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1800, the red saltire was added to the former flag to represent Ireland in the flag of the new country.

 

LONDON

1. The River Thames. It is the longest river in England and the second longest in the UK after the River Severn. 
2. The City of Westminster and The City of London. In mediaeval times they were totally separate settlements. The City of London, with its strategic location near the river Thames, was established by merchants as a trading port. But yet, the Royal Government sat in  the City of Westminster. Today`s London has developed from these two neighbouring cities. Few people live in these two districts today; though, the daytime population is actually very big with commuters coming to work there, and tourists arriving to enjoy the sight-seeing. The City of London includes some of Britain's best-loved tourist  attractions: Tower Bridge, The Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral. The city of Westminster houses the Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben.
3. Westminster Abbey.  The Collegiate Church of St Peter is a large, mainly Gothic church situated in the City of Westminster. Apart from royal coronation place,  it  serves as the burial ground for numerous sovereigns,  politicians and artists.  Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton and David Livingstone were buried there .
4. The Buckingham Palace. It is one of  only a few working royal  palaces in the world with around 600 rooms, its own post office and police station. When the Royal Standard is flying from the roof, Her Majesty the Queen is in the residence.
5. Changing of the Guard. It is a ceremony where the Queen’s Guard, worn in their scarlet tunics and characteristic busbies, exchanges duty with the old guard in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The ceremony takes place at 11:30 from April until the end of July and lasts 45 minutes.
6. The Royal Standard. When the Sovereign is not present, the Union Flag flies instead.
7. The Tower of London. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror soon after his coronation in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. The castle was built to proclaim the physical power of the new Norman monarch.
8. At the Tower of London. The formal locking of the gates of the Tower of London is one of the oldest, and most colourful ceremony that survived 700 years. Even though the British Monarch no longer lives there, it  still houses historic and valuable items including the Crown Jewels. Thus, maintaining security is still as important now as it was in the past.
9. Yeoman Warders. They are also called Beefeaters. The nickname may have been given because of their privilege of eating beef from the royal kitchens, or the fact that the warders may have been  paid in meat.
10. 10 Downing Street. Commonly known as Number 10, it is one of the most famous addresses in the world. Over three hundred years old, the building contains about one hundred rooms and serves as an office, home and a meeting place. The building’s exterior is recognizable by its modest black front door and its black brick facade.
11. New Scotland Yard. The name derives from its location in Whitehall Place with a rear entrance on the street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance was the public entrance to the police station, and it was adopted as  a metonym for the Metropolitan Police. Even though the force no longer stay there,  the name New Scotland Yard  is still used for subsequent headquarters.
12. Bobbies - Peelers.  The London police force was created by an act introduced in Parliament by the home secretary, Sir Robert Peel. He gave the police their nicknames: Bobbies comes from Bob, and  Peelers comes from Peeler.
13. Double decker buses. Double-deckers are the icon of London, England and the UK. Two storeys, short length, and large amount of seating capacity make them easy to operate through the narrow streets typical for Britain.  
14. Big Ben. The name is used both to the tower and the bell. The tower holds four-faced chiming clock, which is the largest in the world. The clock was named after Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings.  The tower was renamed as the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II in her Diamond Jubilee year  - 2012.
15. The Palace of Westminster. The most specific element of the Houses of Parliament is its clock tower, known as Big Ben. A light at the top of the tower is illuminated when Parliament is sitting at night. 
16.  The Tube. London’s underground transport system has been called in many ways in the last 150 years, e. g., the Underground, the Metropolitan or Met. The most popular nickname, the Tube, originally referred to just one of its early lines.
17. Black cab. Unlike Minicabs, which can only be booked in advance from a licensed minicab office, London's  black cabs can be booked in advance, hailed on the street or picked up from designated taxi ranks. If the yellow TAXI sign at the front is illuminated, the cab is available for hire.
18. London Eye. Situated on the south bank of the River Thames, a giant Ferris Wheel serves as the highest viewpoint in London available for the public. It is also called Millennium Wheel.
19. In Madame Tussauds. The museum  was set up in 1835 by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. The most popular figures in the exhibition are royalty and stars.  It has branches in a number of major cities around the world.
20. Harrods. It is the most famous store in the UK and possibly in the world. Its humble beginnings go back to 1849, when a small grocery shop was opened in Southwark by Henry Harrod. The Harrods` motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique—All Things for All People, Everywhere.
21. In Trafalgar Square. Centrally located it is the favourite gathering place for Londoners.  At Christmas time there is an enormous Christmas tree from Norway, which symbolises the friendship between the two nations. A lot of people stand in the square to hear Big Ben at midnight. It was the site of tragedy in 1887, known as Bloody Sunday and the place of student demonstrations in late 2010 over university-fee increases.
22. Sir Christopher Wren. He is considered one of the most highly renowned English architects. He was engaged in rebuilding churches in the City of London after the Great Fire. St Paul's Cathedral, regarded his masterpiece, influenced style of buildings around the world.
23.  St James's Park.  The oldest of London`s eight Royal Parks is situated at the very heart of London. The park has been the setting for many ceremonial parades and national celebrations. It is surrounded by three palaces: the most ancient - Westminster, St James's Palace and far-famed, Buckingham Palace.
24. Shakespeare's Globe. The replica of the original Globe Theatre was finished in 1997. It stands on the south bank of the Thames, about 260 meters from the original.
25. Cockney Rhyming Slang. Cockneys invented a coded language so that they were not understood by police. It uses a phrase instead of the word that rhymes with it, e.g., head rhymes with  loaf of bread. Cockneys say: use your loaf  of bread instead: use your head.

 

LITERATURE

1. Samuel Johnson.  His dictionary was the first which contained definitions. It was one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship and had a far-reaching effect on Modern English. It was viewed as the predominant British dictionary until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later.
2. The Man Booker Prize for Fiction. It is awarded each year for the best original novel written in English language,  published in the UK.
3. Winston Churchill. In 1953 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his works, in particular his six-volume work The Second World War.
4. Stratford-upon-Avon. It  has become destination for the literary minded  visitors since the 18^th century. There is a restored 16^th century half-timbered  house open to the public. 
5. Hamnet. Shakespeare fathered three children: Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet died at age of 11. Hamlet was  written four years later.
6. Hamlet. The phrase is probably the best-known line in English literature. It is the opening phrase of a soliloquy of William Shakespeare's  best-known, most-imitated, and most-analyzed play. The meaning of this phrase has been given numerous interpretations.
7. Capulets and Montagues. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet came from feuding families. After the  death of romantic lovers the two fighting families  vowed  to stop their feud.
8. George Gordon Byron. One of the greatest English poets was also one of the most unusual figures in English social life. This is because of his independent and radical ideas, but also because of social scandals he had caused. His best works, including the famous Don Jouan, were written in Italy were he settled after travelling around Europe. He died in 1824 fighting for the independence of Greece.
9. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. It was published in 1997 by Bloomsbury in London after been rejected by 12 publishers.
10. Sherlock Holmes Museum. It is the most well-known literary address where the famous detective was supposed to live.  Sherlock Holmes never actually existed. He is a literary figure invented by the English author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Smart private investigator, Holmes, solved complex criminal cases in 56 short stories and four novels.
11. Peter Pan. He is a character created by Scottish playwright and novelist J.M.Barrie. Peter Pan enjoys his adventurous endless childhood on the Neverland island.
12. Lewis Carroll. He was a man of many interests including mathematics, logic, astronomy and philosophy. As he was very fond of children and entertaining them, he wrote Alice in Wonderland and its sequel Through the looking glass. He modelled Alice’s character on the daughter of his friend.
13. In Sherwood Forest. According to the legend, he  was a fallen nobleman  who alongside his band of Merry Men robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.  
14. Coronation Street and Easterners. They are followed by Emmerdale, Doctors, and Hollyoaks. The action of Coronation Street takes place in Manchester. EastEnders is about people who live in an imaginary place called Albert Square in the East End of London.

KINGS AND QUEENS

1. Your Majesty. The form used in the third person is  Her Majesty. Your Royal Highness is the style used to address to some members of royal families.
2. The Windsor Castle. Built by William the Conqueror in the 11^th century, it is the  oldest and the largest occupied castle in the world. The castle servers as a private home, where the Queen usually spends the weekends, and as a royal residence.
3. Prince of Wales. Unlike Scotland and England, which were Kingdoms, Wales has been a non-sovereign principality since the 13^th  century. In 1282 when the Welsh prince died in a fight with English soldiers, King Edward I captured Wales and called his son the Prince of Wales.  Traditionally,  the title Prince of Wales has been given to the eldest son of the monarch, so Prince William inherits the title when Prince Charles becomes King.
4. Queen Regnant. A Queen Regnant ascends to the throne because she is first in the line of succession, e.g. Queen Elizabeth II.
5. Queen Consort. A Queen Consort is a Queen by virtue of her marriage to the King, not in her own right. When William becomes King Regnant in due course, his wife Catherine will become Queen Consort.
6. Queen Dowager. She holds the title from her deceased husband, e.g. Queen Fabiola of Belgium.
7. Queen Mother. She is the mother of a reigning sovereign. Mother of the current Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was  Queen Mother.
8. Queen Regent. She is not necessarily an heir to the throne. A king may become seriously ill and appoint his wife as regent, because the heir to the throne is too young to assume responsibilities.
9. Elizabeth II. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was named Elizabeth after her mother, Alexandra after her paternal great-grandmother, and Mary after her paternal grandmother.
10. Winston Churchill. The young Queen turned to wartime Leader for the guidance, but they had different ideas on the Commonwealth.
11. Balmoral Castle. Situated  in Scotland, beloved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert,  it is the private residence of the Queen. She stays there in August and September.
12. On 10^th  September 2015. Queen Victoria has been the longest serving British monarch so far. Her reign is  63 years and 217 days. Elizabeth will have reigned for 63 calendar years on 5^th February 2015. She will have reigned 63 years and 217 days on 10^th  September, 2015. It means that on 11^th  September, 2015,  Queen Elizabeth II will become the longest serving British monarch, provided she lives without abdicating until that date.
13. Welsh Pembroke Corgi. Queen Elizabeth II has several of them. She has been very fond of corgis since she was a small child. In the period of her reign she has had more than 30 corgis.
14. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. He will  become king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, abdicates, retires or dies. In the case Prince Charles abdicates, he passes  the throne to his eldest son, Prince William of Wales.
15. Catherine Middleton. The wedding took place on 29^th April, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William has been given the title of the Duke of Cambridge by the Queen, and Miss Middleton has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.
16. On 31^st  August 1997. Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries suffered in a car crash in the road tunnel in Paris. She was killed together with her lover Dodi Fayed and the driver Henri Paul.
17. Edward VIII. Edward became king of the UK after the death of his father, George V. The King's desire to marry an American  twice-divorced woman, Wallis Simpson, threatened a constitutional crisis, and finally led to his abdication. He ruled only 326 days. He was created Duke of Windsor by his brother and successor, King George VI.
18. Queen Victoria. The Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are both direct descendants of Queen Victoria. The Queen is a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria’s eldest son King Edward VII, and the Duke of Edinburgh is a great grandson of Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Alice.
19. Queen Victoria. She loved her husband, Prince Albert, so much that when he suddenly died in 1861, many people feared of her sanity. After her husband`s death, she lived in Windsor castle outside London and very rarely left it.
20. Elizabeth I. Since the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was constantly pressed by the Parliament, the Court and well-wishers to choose a husband. She silenced the Parliament saying: I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the Kingdom of England. She was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. 
21. Bloody Mary. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon.  As a devout Catholic,  she detested the religious changes of her father, Henry VIII, and her brother, Edward VI. Her nickname came from the number of Protestants who were burnt during her reign.
22. Henry VIII. Henry's marital career is probably the thing that he is the most known for. Few people know, he was a glamorous Renaissance Prince who wanted to become the greatest king England ever had. He was  athletic, intelligent, talented and highly educated. He  was a composer and  an accomplished player of many instruments. He spoke foreign languages and wrote songs for his wives. In fact, he was one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne.
23. Fifty-three. The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of  states that were mostly territories of the former British Empire. The head of the Commonwealth is Queen Elizabeth II. She is also the monarch of 16 countries which belong to the Commonwealth.

 

HISTORY

 

1. Almost four centuries. The Romans stayed in Britain from 43 to 409 AD. Their heritage is very important for British people. Romans left behind roads, cities, new plants and animals such as parsley, chestnut and chickens. They gave Britain legal system, roman numerals, calendar, measurements such as miles, feet and inches. The Romans introduced Christianity to Britain. Many churches are still built using designs like a Roman Basilica.
2. Angles, Jutes, Saxons.  The invaders consisted of various Germanic tribes, chiefly Angles from the historical area of Angeln, Schleswig Holstein; Jutes from the Jutland, Denmark; Saxons from Saxony. The Germanic invaders did not absorb the Celts, but rather conducted a war of extinction. The Germanic invaders replaced the Romanized Celts.
3. King Arthur. He was a medieval mythological figure who was the head of the kingdom Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. The Celtic army led by King Arthur temporarily halted Anglo-Saxons  in  west  England after their invasion in the south-east of the country. His legend has been popularized by many writers.
4. Excalibur. It was the sword that Arthur received from the Lady of the Lake. It was her acceptance of Arthur as the protector of Britain. The sword and scabbard were enchanted; the scabbard protected the owner from being mortally wounded, and the sword was supposed to be unbreakable.
5. Angles. They lived in the historical area of Angeln in north east Schleswig Holstein. England  was the land of the Angles.
6. Harold II. It happened at the end of the bloody, all-day battle on Senlac Hill, near Hastings. The last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold II was defeated by the Norman king William the Conqueror. His death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England.A
7. The feudal system. William of Normandy gave his barons English lands taken from the Saxons. In exchange, the barons had to be loyal to William, and provided knights to fight for him. The barons granted land to the knights who promised to be loyal to them. The peasants were loyal to the knights and supplied them with service, money and products they needed. The system created in this way was the basis of society in the early middle ages.

 

8. The Magna Charta. It was signed in June 1215 between the barons of Medieval England and King John.  For the first time a monarch agreed in writing to abide  formal procedures.
9. Joan of Arc. Called the Maid of Orléans, she  won many military victories over England and saved France from English rule. The Siege of Orleans, marked as a turning point in the Hundred Years` War,  was her biggest victory. Captured and sold to the English, she was put on trial and burned at the stake. When it turned out that Joan was innocent, she was made a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. She has been known as St. Joan of Arc.
10. Black Death. Struck in early 1330-s, the plague was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. It is thought to be originated in Asia and carried by  fleas living on the black rats inhabiting merchant ships. The disease caused spots on the skin that were red at first, then turned black. In winter, the disease seemed to disappear as fleas are dormant then. Each spring, the plague attacked again. It periodically reappeared for 300 years.
11. The House of York-The House of Lancaster. Two important families of the royal House of Plantagenet started to fight for the throne. The Lancaster flag had a red rose on it. The York flag had white rose on it. The war of Roses lasted 40 years.
12. William Caxton. He was a translator and a publisher. When he translated a French book into English, lots of people in England wanted to read it. In those days people copied books by hand. Caxton decided to apply Gutenberg`s invention and started to print press in England.
13. Newfoundland. The First British Empire emerged in the late 16^th  century, peaked in the 18^th  century and declined in the Age of Revolution. It consisted of colonies conquered in wars with France and Spain. The Empire started in 1497, when  John Cabot  sailed west from Bristol to find a shorter route to Asia. He discovered  unknown land which he called  Newfoundland.
14. Act of Supremacy 1534. King Henry VIII declared that he was the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England.
15. The Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth I was considered England’s best monarch. She was smart and clever; she chose the right advisors and was not dominated by them. She ruled for 45 years, and during this time England experienced peace and prosperity. New discoveries  brought riches in terms of gold, silver and spices. The arts flourished.. The medieval feudal system ended. England consolidated its position with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Elizabeth firmly established the Church of England begun by her father, King Henry VIII.
16. Sir Francis Drake. He was an experienced and daring seafarer. His pirate raids on Spanish ships off the coast of America helped England to become a major sea power.
17. Walter Raleigh. As English explorer, adventurer,  writer and a spy, he was one of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era. He was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, who knighted him and made him Captain of the Queen’s Guard.
18. Virginia Dare. Named after the Virginia Colony, she was a granddaughter of John White, the governor of the settlement. He  returned to England in 1587 to seek fresh supplies when a naval war between England and Spain broke out. When White eventually returned three years later, Virginia and the other colonists were gone. What happened to them remains a mystery.
19. The 1588 battle with the Spanish Armada. At that time England was a small nation with a little navy; Portugal and Spain led the way exploring the coasts of Africa, Asia and the Americas. The Armada sent by King Philip was the largest fleet ever sent to attack England. The English ships were small in size, light and  sleek, which made them fast and manoeuvrable. The defeat of the Spanish Armada began  English navy exploration of the world.
20. Guy Fawkes. He was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder. The explosives were to be detonated when King James I with many parliamentary members appeared in the building. The conspirators were arrested, tortured and executed. To commemorate the event, many people set off fireworks and burn effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.
21. Jamestown. Some 100 English colonists, led by the famed Captain John Smith, sailed across the Atlantic aboard three ships.  In 1607 they settled along the River James, Virginia founding  the first permanent English settlement in North America. The settlement was located within the country administered by the Powhatan Confederacy. During the next two years, diseases, starvation and  native American attacks wiped out most of the colony; however, the London Company continually sent more settlers and supplies. Smith implemented a really practical rule that kept the colonists from starving to death: He that will not work shall not eat.
22. Pocahontas. In 1617, she was visiting this area with her English husband, John Rolfe, and her son, Thomas. Sadly, she died of a fever before she could return to Virginia. Her memory was honoured with a life-size bronze statue at St. George's Church.
23. Mayflower. In 1620 the ship brought over a hundred English men and woman, members of a religious sect of Puritans. They wanted to reform the Church of England and because of this became very unpopular. Most of them were even persecuted, so they had to leave England forever. They landed on the shores of Cape Cod, today`s Massachusetts. In late December, the group moved to Plymouth Harbour where they formed the second (after Jamestown) permanent settlement of Europeans in New England. Unlike the single men who built Jamestown, mainly the courtiers, soldiers and adventurers; the Pilgrims were skilled, hardworking, and self-disciplined Puritans,  who settled mostly as families. They thought of themselves as  special people able to build a city upon a hill. The descendants of Pilgrim Fathers are significant part of today`s American aristocracy.
24. Eleven years.  Between 1649-1660 England, Scotland and Ireland had no king or queen. Olivier Cromwell ruled as the Lord Protector of England until his  death in 1658. Cromwell's son Richard tried to take his father's place, but he was not successful. The fact that the leaders started to quarrel  among  themselves  allowed  Charles II  to return to the throne. The reign of King Charles II  was called the restoration of the British monarchy. 
25. In 1666. The fire started at the bakery owned by the king’s baker. His maid failed to put out the ovens at the end of the night.   At this time most London houses were made of timber covered in pitch and tightly packed together. The streets were narrow and dusty. People used candles for light and cooked on open fires. A fire could easily get out of control. The great fire continued to spread rapidly helped by a strong wind from the East.
26.  In 1707. Scottish Parliament was dissolved and some of its members joint  the English and Welsh Parliament in London. The former two kingdoms became the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
27. Prussia. Britain’s aligned  with Prussia to protect electoral Hanover, the continental possession of the British ruling dynasty from the threat of a French takeover.
28. Australia. The first ship of English convicts left for Australia after American  Revolution. England lost the American colonies, thus could not send prisoners there. English convicts were headed to Australia.
29. Captain James Cook. He was sent by Britain to search for the Unknown South Land. When he reached the east coast of Australia, he called it New South Wales. In 1788 the British Government sent eleven boats to Australia full of convicts. The first British colony was in Sydney.  As it was a big and exciting  country, more and more people started to arrive there. In 1901 the colonies were united, and Australia became one country with its own government.
30.  In 1801. Ireland joined the rest of the British Isles to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Ireland and Britain were made one country with one Parliament in London.
31. The Battle of Trafalgar.    The greatest sea battle with sailing ships took place in 1805.  The Royal Navy led by Admiral Horatio Nelson fought against the French and Spanish Navies. The British victory confirmed its supremacy over the sea.
32. Admiral Horatio Nelson. He was a British national hero famous for his naval victories against the French in the Napoleonic War. During his naval career, he lost an arm and the sight in his right eye. His most famous, but the last battle at Cape Trafalgar  saved Britain from the threat of Napoleon`s invasion. Before the battle, Nelson sent a signal in semaphore to his fleet:  England expects that every man will do his duty.  
33. The 19^th  and early 20^th. It was originally used for the Spanish Empire, mainly in the 16^th  and 17^th  centuries and to American power in the 20^th. At its greatest extent the British Empire covered a third of the world's total land area. The empire under palm and pine   touched all corners of the globe, and  the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories. 
34. James Watt. The industrial revolution took place between 1760 and 1830.  It started with the improvement of the steam engine made by Watt. His crucial role in transforming our world from agriculture-based to one based on engineering and technology is recognized in the unit of power: the watt.
35. 1845 - 1852. The potatoes in Irish farms were destroyed by blight. Many poor Irish people got hungry and died. A lot of them emigrated to England and America.
36. Charles Babbage. He started to make a mechanical computing machine to find the answer to maths problems. He died in 1871,  before his machine was finished.
37. Norwegian Flag. Robert Falcon Scott tried to reach the South Pole with four other men in 1910. He really wanted to be the first person to get there. When they finally reached it, they were terribly  disappointed; Roald Amundsen from Norway was there three weeks before them. Scott  and his men never returned from this expedition. They all died from hunger, exhaustion and frostbite.
38. Titanic. The most famous ship ever sailed sank in the North Atlantic Ocean  during her voyage from Southampton to New York City. The tragedy happened in the early morning of 15^th  April, 1912, after a collision  with an iceberg. More than 1,500 people lost their lives in then. There were some of the most famous names of that time.
39. Emmeline Pankhurst. She fought for women`s rights for most of her life. The Women's Social and Political Union, which she founded, often used unconventional and violent methods to draw public attention. The women organised marches, went on hunger strike, destroyed pictures in the museums, smashed shop windows. In 1999, Emmeline Pankhurst was named one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century by American news magazine Time, since  she shaped an idea of women in modern society.
40. British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC is publicly financed broadcasting system in Great Britain operating under the royal charter. Britain’s first live public broadcast took place in June 1920. Answerable to Parliament, the BBC is virtually independent in its activities.
41. In 1927. The former name was The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
42. English Bulldog.  This is because he seemed to be stubborn and tenacious, or maybe he looked like it. In fact, he never had a bulldog. He was an owner of two brown miniature Poodles, both called Rufus. They were treated like members of his family.
43. Clement Attlee. He lived in 10 Downing Street from 1945 to 1951. Apart from creating the National Health Service, he nationalised major industries and public utilities.
44. In 1949. The UK were one of the original members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization together with  USA, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Canada, the Netherlands,  Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.
45. In 1952. It  was a severe air-pollution event that affected London in December 1952. Thick fog  mixed with black smoke emitted from homes and factories  created a deadly smog. Pollution, which had been just a part of city life, killed 12,000 people. It lasted for four days and dispersed quickly after a change of weather.
46. In 1973. Twenty-two years after the European Economic Community was formed, the United Kingdom  became a member at the third attempt, together with Ireland and Denmark.
47. Margaret  Thatcher. The Leader of the Conservative Party called the Iron Lady was famous for her uncompromising policy known as Thatcherism. Not only was she the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20^th  century, but also the only woman who held the office.

ABBREVIATIONS

1. Do It Yourself. DIY shops, often called Hardware stores, sell household equipment and products for home improvement, such as: utensils, fasteners, hand tools, keys, locks and chains.
2.  Save Our Souls. It is a Morse procedural signal, easy to transmit and not easily confused with other letters. After SOS was first used by the steamship Arapahoe in 1909; people applied their own meanings to the letters. When radios appeared on ships in 1920s, SOS lost its significance.
3. Subscriber Identity Module. It is an integrated circuit that  stores the identity of mobile subscriber.
4. Curriculum Vitae. It contains personal information, summary of education and experience, qualifications, employment history and other information of a job seeker.
5. Personal Identification Number. It is a numeric password shared between a user and a system which can be used to authenticate the user.
6. What I Know Is. Anyone with a permission can add, modify, or delete content in this website.
7. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It  is a one of the largest charities in the UK that promotes animal welfare.
8. On private homes. It is a form of lodging  that offers overnight accommodation and  breakfast. B&B also indicates the level of catering served in hotels.
9. British Broadcasting Corporation. It is a public broadcaster in the UK, one of the largest broadcasting organisation in the world.
10. Global Position System. It is a tool using by satellites to navigate new territory.
11. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is an international organization created in 1949 for purposes of collective security. NATO maintains headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
12. Public house. Public houses found in English-speaking countries are the centre of community life, especially in villages and small towns. They are classless, much noisier than cafes or restaurants, with no waiter service. You can walk around whenever you want – like being in your own house. Without pubs Britain would be a  less sociable country.

 

 EDUCATION

1. Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with the evidence of teaching dating back to 1096. University in Cambridge was found in 1209.
2. Oxbridge. Although both universities were founded more than eight centuries ago, the term Oxbridge is relatively new. It is often  used to emphasise superior social or intellectual status.
3. ABCDEF.  The letter A means excellent. B means good. C indicates that the student's work is satisfactory. These three are passing. The next are not passing. D means unsatisfactory and, depending on the school, may or may not allow the student to progress to the next level. E means marginal fail. The lowest level is F, and it means clear failed.
4. Three terms. The school year runs from September to July and is divided into three semesters: the Autumn term, the Spring term and the Easter term. In the middle of each term is given one week holiday.
5. Six weeks. Summer holiday is six weeks long. The Christmas and Easter holidays are usually two weeks long.
6. Reception class. Each child automatically moves to the next higher class at the end of the of the school year.
7. Comprehensive school. Children of all abilities are provided with a wide range of education there.
8. A level exam.  General Certificate of Education Advanced Level is a school leaving qualification. It is generally worked towards over two years (stage 5)   and splits into two parts, with one part studied in each year. The first part is known as the Advanced Subsidiary Level, or AS Level. The second part is known as the A2 Level. Both AS and A2 levels count towards A-levels. Students prepare for A- level exams in secondary schools with sixth form, sixth form colleges, or colleges of further education.
9. Eton College. It is an English independent boarding school. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, the school educates pupils aged 13-18. Apart from nineteen British Prime Ministers, including David Cameron, Eton has educated generations of scientists, writers, actors and aristocracy.

FESTIVALS  AND FOOD

1. Halloween. Also known as All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Eve, it  is a yearly celebration observed  on 31^st  October. The tradition include carving jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating,  giving costume parties, visiting haunted houses. In the 19^th  century this tradition was carried by Irish and Scottish immigrants to North America.
2. In London. The Notting Hill Carnival is a two-day festival of fantastic live music where Caribbean communities celebrate their culture and traditions.
3. In August. The Eisteddfod is a Welsh festival of literature, music, drama and art . Dating back to at least the 12^th  century, the festival takes place in the first week of August, and lasts 8 days.
4. Boxing Day. It falls on 26^th  December. Traditionally, it was a day when servants and tradesmen received gifts, known as Christmas boxes, from their bosses or employers. In modern times, it is an important day for sporting events and the start of the post-Christmas sales.
5. Pancake Day. It refers to the practice of frying pans and eating richer, fatty foods. It is the last night before the Lent  begining on Ash Wednesday.
6. In Scotland. The kilts are associated with Celtic heritage. Recently, they have become popular in the other Celtic nations,  such as  Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany.
7. Red  poppy. It has become an emblem of Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day. They symbolise the blood spilled in the war since they bloomed across some of the worst battlefields  in WWI.
8. Roast beef. It can also be roast goose or turkey.  Dessert is often mince pies and Christmas Pudding containing delicacies, dried fruit and  spices. The dinner table is decorated with a Christmas cracker for each person and sometimes flowers and candles.
9. Lord Earl of Sandwich. As a  very conversant gambler  he did not take the time to have a meal during his long hours at the card table. He would ask his servants to bring him two slices of bread with a slice of meat inside; (a habit practiced by his gambling friends).  When others began to order: The same as Sandwich! –   the sandwich was born.
10. Ireland. According to a story, one cold winter night in early 1940s, an American Flying Boat came into the Irish village. The chef of the restaurant offered the frozen passengers hot coffee  with a shot of whiskey giving the birth to Irish coffee. It is an ideal drink when the weather turns a little chilly, and a quick pick-up is necessary.

 

SPORT AND MUSIC

1. Liverpool. The four boys from Liverpool made their names in the 1960s. Their music was considered a real revolution. It was first influenced by American rock’n’roll rhythm and blues, then, by Indian mysticism and drugs. In the mid sixties, their records were consistently on the top of the pop music charts.
2. U2. Rooted in  post-punk tradition, the band incorporated influences from many genres of popular music. Their lyrics focus on personal themes and socio-political concerns.
3. In Wimbledon. The Wimbledon Championship is the most prestigious and the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It takes place over two weeks in late June and early July.
4. In Ascot. The most prestigious race meetings take place in the village of Ascot, six miles from Windsor Castle. It occurs in June and lasts 4 days. With nearly 300 years of tradition, Royal Ascot is one of most important social event with smart dresses, fine food, champagne and spectacular hats.
5. London. The Games of the XXX Olympiad took place in London and to a lesser extent across the country.
6. Boat  race.  The first students` race took place in 1829, and this event has been held annually since 1856 (except the time of the WWI and WWII). Each boat has eight male rowers and a Cox that is the person in charge of a boat navigation and steering. All students really want their university to win.

 

OTHER FASINATING MATTERS

1. Imperial. Names such as pound, foot, inches and gallon derived  from Roman, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon tradition. Commonwealth countries used this system from 1824 until they changed it to the metric system. Imperial units are still used in the UK and Canada.
2. Lingua franca. It may be a standard language as English or French. Swahili  is also used by speakers of the many different local languages of eastern Africa. A lingua franca with no native speakers is called pidgin.
3. Son of. An abbreviation of Mac is Mc. Early inconsistencies in records  led to having both Mc and Mac prefixes.
4. 1 pound sterling. Different pictures on £1 coin reflect  different countries of the UK: three lions for England, a thistle for Scotland and a leek for Wales.
5. 5 pound sterling note. The current £5 note bears Elizabeth Fry, who made her name fighting for decent conditions for women in European jails.
6. 10 pound sterling note. The current £10 note features Charles Darwin, the Victorian naturalist and the creator of the theory of evolution.
7. Sir Edward Elgar. He was famous English composer whose works characterized by bold tunes, striking colour effects and mastery of large forms. The Bank of England issued a new-style £20 note in 2007. It features Adam Smith, one of the fathers of modern economics.  The new-style £20 notes will circulate alongside the old-style Elgar note, which will be progressively withdrawn from circulation.
8. James Watt and Matthew Boulton. A new £50 note was brought into circulation in 2011. It features English manufacturer Matthew Boulton and  Scottish engineer James Watt who replaced Sir John Houblon, the first Governor of the Bank of England.
9. Odeon Cinemas. With over one hundred cinemas, Odeon Cinemas is one of the largest cinema chains in Europe.