Education and Culture

Post-school Education

In Britain, there are a number of ways to continue one's education after leaving secondary school at 16 or 18. Most post-school education is provided at universities, polytechnics, colleges of further or higher education, adult education centres, or various specialized colleges. Degree¹-level courses are offered by universities, polytechnics and other institutions of higher education, with about half the total number of students at this level in universities. Entrance² to such courses normally depends on satisfactory General Certificate of Education (GCSE) and Advanced³ level (A level) results, and acceptance⁴, usually after an interview, by the university or college concerned. Students do not normally apply to the university they wish to attend, but apply through the Universities' Central Council on Admissions (UCCA). Oxford and Cambridge Universities take part in UCCA but also have a system of entrance examinations and interviews by individual colleges. All students on a university 'first degree' course are automatically eligible⁵ for a grant, awarded by a student's local education authority (LEA). The amount of the grant depends on⁶ the level of income of the student's family. Because entrance to higher education is selective, the majority of students successfully complete⁷ their course, which usually lasts three years. Most first degrees are for Bachelor of Arts⁸ (BA) or Bachelor of Science⁹ (BSc). A 'higher degree' is a postgraduate degree taken after a first degree, for example Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc). Students may then proceed¹⁰ to research degrees such as Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil or, at some universities, PhD). For historical reasons, Oxford and Cambridge Universities award MA degrees to all first-degree graduates without requiring them to take a further examination. There are just under 50 universities in Britain, of which one, Buckingham, is private, and one, the Open University (OU), is open to students of any age including those without formal qualifications. (The OU is not a resident university, but provides tuition¹¹ by radio and television, in classes at local centres and at summer schools.) It has almost 100,000 students studying on first-degree and postgraduate courses, as well as on shorter courses. Most of them are employed people who study in their leisure time. There are about 120 polytechnics and other institutions of higher education funded by central government through the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council. (Universities are also funded by central government through the Universities Funding Council.) Polytechnics and colleges offer not only first or higher degrees, but also other qualifications, such as a Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE), Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National Certificate (HNC). Polytechnics offer a wide range¹² of subjects and many have close links¹³ with industry and commerce in their local area. In recent years, many specialist colleges (teacher training colleges, and colleges of art, architecture, music, etc) have been incorporated¹⁴ into polytechnics. Teachers in Britain either do a first degree and then a one-year course leading to a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE), or do a four-year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Education (BEd) at a polytechnic or similar college. Colleges of further education (CFEs), which are funded, like schools, by local authorities, offer academic and vocational¹⁵ courses for students from the age of 16. It is possible to study for GCSEs and A levels at a CFE. In the private sector, there are many secretarial colleges offering business courses and language schools which specialize in teaching English as a foreign language. Adult education centres offer a wide range of part-time courses, both academic and practical, including subjects like computer studies, foreign languages, carpentry¹⁶, cookery and sports skills. They may be funded by local education authorities or by voluntary bodies. Universities also offer part-time courses in their 'extra-mural'¹⁷ or 'continuing education' departments.

1.[dı'grı:] n степень 2.['entr¶ns] n поступление 3.[¶d'va:nst] a продвинутый 4.[¶k'sept¶ns] n прием 5.['elıd_З¶bl] a имеющий право 6.[dı'pend] v зависеть 7.[k¶m'plı:t] v заканчивать 8.['bætò¶l¶ ¶v'a:ts] бакалавр гуманитарных и математических наук 9.['bætò¶l¶ ¶v 'saı¶ns] бакалавр естественных наук 10.[pr¶'sı:d] v продолжать 11.[tju(:)'ıò¶n] n обучение 12.[reınd_З] n круг 13.[lıηk] n связь 14.[ın'kכ:p¶reıt] v включать в состав 15.[v¶u'keıò¶nl] a профессиональ-ный 16.['ka:pıntrı] n плотничное дело 17.['ekstr¶ 'mju¶r¶l] a заочный или вечерний

The Performing Arts The performing arts in Britain range from the work of the major national theatre, opera and ballet companies to the smaller touring companies, many of which do experimental work.

Ballet and opera have become increasingly popular in Britain, and are performed by a number of companies. Two of the best-known are the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet, both based at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London. The English National Opera, with its home at the Coliseum Theatre, London, specializes in performances of opera in English. The Welsh National Opera and the Scottish Opera both tour in the whole of Britain and have become established as major companies. Britain's leading ballet company is the Birmingham Royal Ballet, based in Birmingham. (Until 1990 it was known as the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and was based at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London.) Other well known companies specializing in modern ballet are the Rambert Dance Company and the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. British theatre traces¹ its origins back to medieval mystery and morality plays. In its present form, it has evolved² mainly from the theatre of the Elizabethan era, when drama reached a high point in the comedies and tragedies of Shakespeare. The theatre flourished³ again at the time of the Restoration⁴ (1660) after a period when it was banned⁵ under Cromwell. It was at this time that women first began to act on the stage. The many comedies of the period had their successors⁶ in plays by such well-known 18th-century dramatists as Goldsmith and Sheridan. There was then a general decline⁷ in British drama until the end of the 19th century, when there was a revival⁸ with the plays of George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. The 20th century has seen the comedies of Noel Coward and the distinctive⁹ 'naturalistic' school of drama of such writers as John Galsworthy, Terence Rattigan and more recently Alan Ayckbourn. Other developments in modern British drama have included the 'absurd' school of Samuel Beckett, the social drama of John Osborne (the original 'Angry Young Man'), Arnold Wesker and John Arden, and the unique blend¹⁰ of realism and the absurd in the plays of Harold Pinter. London is the centre of theatrical life in Britain. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre was in London and a modern reconstruction of it is being built near the original site. Many of the theatres famous in the past remain¹¹ in use today, for example the Haymarket, the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and the Old Vic. In more modern times, the Royal National Theatre has earned a high reputation for the plays staged in its three auditoriums. Almost all London's popular theatres are in the West End. One of Britain's leading theatre companies is the Royal Shakespeare Company, with bases at both the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, and the Barbican Theatre, London. The English Stage Company, based at the Royal Court Theatre, London, specializes in modern drama. Outside London, the large cities and many smaller towns have theatres where visiting companies perform and some cities also have their own repertory companies. Among the best-known are the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre, the Nottingham Playhouse, the Manchester Royal Exchange and the Haymarket in Leicester. There are many annual festivals of theatre, dance and music. One of the most important festivals is the Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh 'fringe'¹² performances are as important a part of the festival as the main productions and offer new and experimental work. Both the performing and visual arts in Britain receive funding from the Arts Council of Great Britain, which in recent years has had a policy of encouraging¹³ the arts in the regions.

1.['treıs] v прослеживать, восходить 2.[ı'vכlv] v развиваться 3.['fl۸rıò] v быть в расцвете 4.[‚rest¶'reıò¶n] n реставрация 5.[bæn] v запрещать 6.[s¶k'ses¶] n преемник 7.[dı'klaın] n упадок 8.[rı'vaıv¶l] n возрождение 9.[dıs'tıηktıv] a отличительный, характерный 10.[blend] n смесь 11.[rı'meın] v оставаться 12.[frınd_З] a выходящий за рамки общепринятого 13.[ın'k۸rıd_З] v поддерживать, поощрять

Museums In Britain museums are considered an important part of the national heritage¹. Britain's most frequently visited museum, the British Museum in London, is also its largest. It was founded in 1753 and is especially famous for its collection of antiquities and as the home, until the early 1990s, of the British Library. The oldest museum in Britain is the Ashmolean in Oxford, founded in 1683. It has collections of ancient history, fine art and archaeology. Many of the most important specialist museums, however, are in London. They include the museums built in South Kensington after the Great Exhibition of 1851: the Victoria and Albert Museum, which specializes in applied art², the Science Museum, especially popular with children, and the Natural History Museum. Also in London are the Museum of London, illustrating the capital's history, the Imperial War Museum and the London Transport Museum. One of the most recently founded museums is the Museum of the Moving Image, which specializes in the history of film and television. Important art collections in London are those of the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, next door to each other in Trafalgar Square, and the Tate Gallery, with its collections of British art and international modern art. Outside London, well-known museums and collections include the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, the City Museum and Art Gallery in Birmingham, the City Art Gallery in Leeds, and the Yorvik Centre in York, a reconstruction of the city's Viking settlement. Liverpool has the Tate Gallery of the North as an extension of the Tate Gallery in London. It also has the Walker Art Gallery, one of the finest in the country. Museums of specialist interest outside London include the National Railway Museum in York and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford. Scottish collections include those of the National Gallery of Scotland, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, which are all in Edinburgh. Glasgow has the important Burrell Collection, donated³ to the city in 1944 by the ship-owner and collector Sir William Burrell. Many famous museums began as private collections. The Ashmolean houses the collection donated to Oxford University by Elias Ashmole. The Tate opened in 1897 with the financial support of Sir Henry Tate. The Fitzwilliam was built to house the collection bequeathed⁴ to Cambridge University in 1816 by Viscount Fitzwilliam. Smaller museums in Britain include the town museums owned by many local councils, often showing collections of local history. The homes of famous people, especially writers, are often preserved as museums. One of the most frequently visited is Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. The homes of Jane Austen, Dickens, Wordsworth, Keats and Samuel Johnson are also preserved⁵. Many of the newer museums are 'living' museums that aim to recreate the lives of ordinary people or show how things were made in the past. An example of the latter is the Gladstone Pottery⁶ Museum near Stoke-on-Trent where potters can be seen at work in a Victorian pottery.

1.['herıtıd_З] n наследие 2.[¶'plaıd 'a:t] прикладное искусство 3.[d¶u'neıt] v дарить 4.[bı'kwı:ð] v завещать 5.[prı'z¶:v] v сохранять 6.['pכt¶rı] n керамика

Libraries Almost every town in Britain has a public library, funded by the local authority, where local people may borrow books free of charge¹. Most libraries divide their books into two main sections, lending² and reference³. The lending section normally offers a good range of fiction and non-fiction, while the reference section contains encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, etc. Books from the lending section can be borrowed, usually for a period of two or three weeks, while books in the reference section may normally be consulted only in the library. Libraries are usually open daily from Monday to Friday, including some evenings, as well as on Saturday mornings. Other facilities besides books usually include: a selection of newspapers and magazines, often in a special 'reading room'; desks for private reading and study; a children's book section, where story-reading sessions are sometimes held; access⁴ to current catalogues, including British Books In Print, and many other sources of information by means of a computer terminal; bus timetables, local guides, maps etc; a coin-operated photocopier; a collection of sheet music⁵, music scores, records, audio-cassettes and videos that may be borrowed, and, in larger libraries, special audio booths⁶ for listening to cassettes, for example when studying a foreign language. Most libraries also put on exhibitions of local interest, for example paintings by local artists or displays about local history. Some have a meeting room which can be booked by individuals or organizations. Many libraries also contain a local tourist information desk, while the main book stock⁷ often includes a section on local history, where special records such as local census returns⁸ and minutes⁹ of council meetings are also kept. Borrowers are normally allowed to have up to ten or even more books out at any one time. A system of fines operates when books are not returned by the end of the borrowing period. People living in rural areas can use a 'mobile library', a van that tours these areas regularly with a selection of books from the local library. All libraries operate an inter-library loan¹⁰ scheme. This makes it possible to obtain books that are not available¹¹ in the local library from another public or university library on payment of a small fee. In 1982 a Public Lending Right (PLR) scheme was introduced in libraries, so that authors whose books are borrowed from public libraries receive payment from a central government fund. The amount paid depends on the number of times a book is borrowed. Britain's national library is the British Library (formerly the British Museum Library), one of the world's largest libraries, with its headquarters, from 1993, in a new building in St Pancras, London. The British Library, the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales, the Bodleian Library at Oxford and the Cambridge University Library are all copyright libraries¹². This means that they receive by right a copy of every book published in Britain. Copies of all daily and weekly newspapers and magazines published are held at the Newspaper Library in north London, as part of the British Library. The Public Record Office¹³ in London holds all government and legal documents, including Cabinet papers, which are not made public until 30 years have passed. Apart from the public libraries, there are several important private libraries in Britain. Many of them are in London, such as the London Library and the libraries of learned bodies like the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Academy of Music. Others belong to universities such as the John Rylands University Library, Manchester, and the Oxford and Cambridge libraries already mentioned. Most important libraries, whether public or private, will allow serious readers and students to consult or borrow their books. However, no book may ever be borrowed from the British Library.

1.['frı: ¶v 'tòa:d_З] бесплатно 2.[lend] v выдавать книги 3.['refr¶ns] n справочная 4.['æks¶s] n доступ 5.[òı:t 'mju:zık] ноты 6.[bu:ð] n кабина 7.[stכk] n фонд 8.['sens¶s rı't¶:nz] учет численности 9.['mınıt] n протокол 10.[l¶un] n что-то данное для временного пользования 11.[¶'veıl¶bl] a доступный 12.['kכpıraıt 'laıbr¶rız] библиотеки с правом получения обязательного экземпляра 13.['rekכd 'כfıs] n архив

Architecture The variety¹ of architecture to be seen in Britain, from prehistoric monuments to the skyscrapers of modern London, provides a record of the nation's history. Buildings that are historically or architecturally important are recorded by the government as 'listed² buildings' and are subject to conservation³ laws. These buildings may not be altered⁴ without 'planning permission' from the local authority, which is responsible to the Department of the Environment. If a listed building is demolished⁵, a careful record of it is made by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments. The most important prehistoric monument in Britain is the stone circle at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, which was completed during the Bronze Age. Remains of the Roman occupation of Britain can be seen in many places, including Colchester, St Albans, Bath and Caerwent. The oldest surviving churches date from the 10th to the 12th centuries. Churches built before the Norman Conquest were formerly called Saxon and those built after 1066 Norman, but the style of this whole period is now usually called Romanesque⁶. Romanesque cathedrals built after the Norman Conquest include those at Ely, Durham, Hereford and St Albans. Apart from these early remains, it is the castles, churches, cathedrals and country houses of Britain that represent the architectural heritage of the country and attract tourists. The Normans built castles, most notably the Tower of London. Other famous castles include those at Windsor, Arundel, Dover and Norwich. In Wales there are famous castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, while Scotland has many medieval⁷ castles which, with their distinctive towers and turrets⁸, are similar to the French chateaux⁹ on the River Loire. Edinburgh Castle is a fine example belonging to a later period, with its impressive ramparts¹⁰ built in the 18th century. Many people regard Gothic as a particularly English style. It is usually classified into three stages of development: Early English (mainly 13th century), Decorated (14th century) and Perpendicular (15th and 16th centuries). The stages are distinguished by the development of the design of the windows. Cathedrals of the Perpendicular stage include Gloucester and Winchester, but the style is perhaps best seen in St George's Chapel, Windsor, King's College Chapel, Cambridge, and Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey. Later architectural periods include the Tudor (first half of the 16th century), with its characterisic half-timbered¹¹ houses, Elizabethan (second half of the 16th century), with its sculpted and moulded¹² ornamentation, and Jacobean (early 17th century), a development of Elizabethan and not always easily distinguished from it. Hampton Court in London is a famous Tudor Palace and fine examples of Elizabethan mansions¹³ are Wollaton Hall, Nottinghamshire, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, and Burghley House in Cambridgeshire. With the Tudor period, the influence of the Italian Renaissance was already beginning to make itself felt, and from about 1640 to 1830 almost all English architecture was inspired by the legacy¹⁴ of classical Rome. Important examples of the classical influence are the London churches of Christopher Wren (especially St Paul's Cathedral), the work of Vanbrugh, for example at Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, the elegant Georgian houses in cities such as Bath, and the work of Inigo Jones for example the Banqueting House at Whitehall and Somerset House on the bank of the Thames. Many large country houses such as Holkham Hall, Norfolk, and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire belong to this period. A particular development of the Georgian style, fashionable during the regency of the Prince of Wales (1810-20), was called Regency¹⁵. Characterized by the use of stucco¹⁶ instead of the stone of Georgian buildings, it was used especially in Brighton, Cheltenham and the terraces in Regent's Park, London. A more complex succession¹⁷ of styles is to be found in the buildings of the 19th century, including the Greek and Gothic Revivals. The Greek Revival influenced the style of many public buildings such as St George's Hall in Liverpool and Leeds Town Hall. The neo-Gothic style was used especially for the many Anglican churches. At the beginning of the 20th century, architects such as Philip Webb, Charles Voysey and Charles Rennie Mackintosh preferred a return to a simple, undecorated style, sometimes turning to medieval styles as a model. The development of the use of metal for the structure of buildings, together with the invention of reinforced concrete¹⁸ as a building material, had important implications for building design. Prefabricated¹⁹ building, which meant that sections of buildings could be made in factories where work does not depend on the weather, made construction quicker and cheaper. Popular opinion has on the whole favoured traditional methods of building and contemporary architecture has been a subject of public controversy²⁰ throughout the 20th century. In recent years buildings such as Richard Rogers's Lloyds Building in London have aroused strong feelings for and against. The Prince of Wales entered the debate by publicly condemning²¹ certain modern trends, especially criticizing a lot of the new building in London. Much of the heated debate about modern versus²² traditional architecture has arisen when new development schemes involve the demolition²³ of old buildings, as has happened on several occasions in the City of London. Criticisms of modern architecture is strengthened by the design problems of much of the rapidly constructed public housing of the 1960s.

1.[v¶'raı¶tı] n разнообразие 2.[lıst] v составлять список 3.[kכns¶'veıò¶n] n сохранение 4.[כ:lt¶] v изменять(ся) 5.[dı'mכlıò] v разрушать 6.[‚r¶um¶'nesk] a романский 7.[‚medı'ı:v¶l] a средневековый 8.['t۸rıt] n башенка 9.['òæt¶uz] n замки, дворцы 10.['ræmpa:t] n крепостной вал 11.['tımb¶] n деревянная конструкция 12.['m¶uld] v отливать в форму 13.['mænò¶n] n особняк, дворец 14.['leg¶sı] n наследие 15.['rı:d_З(¶)nsı] n регенство 16.['st۸k¶u] n штукатурный гипс 17.[s¶k'seò¶n] n преемственность 18.[‚rı:ın'fכ:st 'kכnkrı:t] n железобетон 19.[‚prı:'fæbrıkeıtıd] a сборный 20.['kכntr¶v¶:sı] n спор, полемика 21.[k¶n'dem] v осуждать 22.['v¶:s¶s] prep против 23.[dı'mכlıòn] n снос

Сhapter V

Habits and Ways

Superstition¹

The remnants² of superstitious beliefs survive³ in traditional customs that still exist in Britain, and in the association⁴ of certain objects with good or bad luck⁵. Seeing a white horse, a four-leafed clover⁶, two magpies⁷ together, a ladybird or a horseshoe⁸, for example, is supposed to bring good luck, whereas it is regarded as bad luck to look at the new moon through glass or see a single magpie. When a black cat crosses one's path, it can mean either good or bad luck. A horseshoe upside down⁹ is unlucky, because its luck is 'running out'. Certain actions are believed to bring bad luck. These include walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, and killing a spider. If someone spills salt he should immediately throw a pinch¹⁰ of it over his left shoulder. On the other hand, picking up a pin from the ground brings good luck, and it is supposed to be lucky to touch a sailor's collar. Relics¹¹ of superstitious actions like these have been preserved in phrases like 'touch wood', for avoiding¹² bad luck, or 'keep your fingers crossed'. Some people accompany such sayings with actions, for example by touching wood when saying 'touch wood'. If a person sneezes¹³ it is common to say 'bless you'. Actors are traditionally superstitious people, and often observe long-established customs. It is regarded as unlucky for one actor to wish another 'good luck', and some actors say 'break a leg' instead. It is a theatrical superstition that Shakespeare's play Macbeth should never be mentioned¹⁴ by name. Actors talk of 'the Scottish play' instead. Among the strongest superstitious beliefs are those concerning lucky and unlucky numbers. The number 13 is regarded¹⁵ as unlucky. Some hotels even have no room of this number, some buildings have no 13th floor, and aeroplanes often have no 13th row of seats. When the 13th of any month is a Friday it is regarded as particularly¹⁶ unlucky. Fortune-telling¹⁷ or prophesying¹⁸ the future can range from 'seeing' the future in tea-leaves or in the flames of a fire to having one's palm read by a palmist¹⁹ or one's fortune told by a fortune-teller. Many seaside resorts and fun-fairs²⁰ have people who claim special skills in doing this. Almost all popular newspapers and magazines print horoscopes, which foretell the future according to a person's 'stars' or the sign of the zodiac under which he was born. Schoolchildren and students sometimes take a 'mascot'²¹ or lucky charm²² into an examination room with them. It may be a pet toy, the figure of an animal, or any small object that they feel brings them luck. The mascot may be worn, kept in a pocket, or placed on the desk. Similar lucky objects are often owned by people such as actors and sportsmen, and many car-owners have a mascot (often a toy animal) hanging from the front or back window of their car. In Britain old houses and inns are sometimes said to be haunted²³ by the ghost of someone who died violently or mysteriously in the house. The ghost may be given a name such as 'the Grey Lady' or 'the Headless Horseman'.

1.[‚sju:p¶ 'stıò¶n] n суеверие 2.['remn¶nt] n пережиток 3.[s¶'vaıv] v продолжать существовать, уцелеть 4.[¶‚sousı'eıò¶n] n связь 5.[l۸k] n удача 6.['klouv¶] n клевер 7.['mægpaı] n сорока 8.['hכ:sòu:] n подкова 9.['۸psıde 'daun] adv вверх дном 10.[pıntò] n щепотка 11.['relık] n след, пережиток 12.[¶'vכıd] v избегать 13.[snı:z] v чихать 14.['menò¶n] v упоминать 15.[rı'ga:d] v рассматривать, считать 16.[p¶'tıkjul¶lı] adv особенно 17.[tel' fכ:tò¶nz] v гадать 18.['prכfısaı] v пророчить, предсказывать 19.['pa:mıst] n хиромант 20.['f۸n fe¶] n ярмарка 21.['mæsk¶t] n талисман 22.[tòa:m] n амулет 23.[hכ:nt] v часто посещать, обитать

Drink By tradition, the British national drink is tea. It is drunk not only on its own but with or after meals, from breakfast to supper and from early in the morning (often in bed) to last thing at night. It has given its name to the characteristically British meal, tea, either 'afternoon tea' or 'high tea', meaning the meal itself rather than just a cup of tea or 'cuppa'. The traditional way to make tea is in a teapot, which is first warmed with hot water. When the pot is warm, very hot water is poured onto the tea-leaves, and the tea is allowed to 'brew'¹ for a few minutes before being poured out. Most people drink tea with milk and many add sugar. In recent times coffee has become much more popular and for many people has replaced tea as the usual drink. It has always been served as an after-dinner drink, when it is often drunk black, ie without milk, and cafes and coffee shops serve 'morning coffee' in the middle of the morning. Other hot drinks are those made with milk, eg cocoa, hot chocolate and drinks sold under brand² names such as Horlicks or Ovaltine. They are often drunk as a non-alcoholic 'nightcap'³, especially in winter. Children often drink milk when adults drink tea or coffee. Milk used to be provided free⁴ in all schools as a mid-morning drink. It has been advertised with the slogan 'Drinka pinta milka day' (Drink a pint of milk a day) and a pint of milk is often called a 'pinta'. Fruit drinks of all kinds are also popular with children. They include fruit juice, squash⁵ and fizzy⁶ drinks, often sold in cans. The trend⁷ towards healthier eating and drinking has brought an increase in the sales of mineral water, and water from many springs in Britain is now sold as well as imported brands. Sales of low-alcohol and alcohol-free beers and winеs have also increased. Beer is the most popular in Britain, especially with men. It is the main drink served in pubs, in pints or half-pints and is associated with leisure and conviviality⁸. Traditional draught beer⁹ is served from the barrel by means of a pump. The more modern type of beer is called keg beer. Stout¹⁰, a dark type of beer, is also popular, especially in Ireland, Shandy, beer mixed with lemonade or ginger¹¹ beer, is also served in pubs. Cider, made from apples, is another traditionally popular drink, especially in Devon, Somerset and Herefordshire, where it is made. Wine has for centuries been imported to Britain from France, but it is only in recent years that wine drinking has become common. Wine is now imported from many other countries including Spain, Italy, Germany, the USA and Australia and is also produced in small but increasing quantities in southern England. Sherry¹², imported from Spain, is commonly drunk before a meal, and port¹³, imported from Portugal, is often drunk at the end of a meal, especially a formal one, and at Christmas-time. Whisky is not only a popular drink in Britain. It is one of the country's major exports. Whisky is often drunk diluted¹⁴ with water or soda water and is more often drunk by men than women. A glass of whisky and soda is a traditional 'nightcap' with tonic water or with fruit drinks such as lime or orange. Less traditional but popular mixtures are rum¹⁵ and Coca Cola or vodka and orange juice. Brandy and fruit-flavoured liqueurs¹⁶ are sometimes drunk at the end of a meal with coffee. There are high taxes on alcoholic drinks in Britain. People who make their own wine and beer can avoid paying these taxes, but it is illegal to sell home-made alcoholic drinks. Shops need a special licence to sell alcoholic drinks and there are laws that restrict the hours when alcohol may be sold. It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18, either in a shop or in a bar or restaurant.

1.[bru:] v заваривать 2.[brænd] n фабричное клеймо, марка 3.['naıtkæp] n стаканчик спиртного на ночь 4.[frı:] a бесплатный 5.[skwכò] n фруктовый сок 6.['fizı] a газированный 7.[trend] n направление, тенденция 8.[k¶n‚vıvı'ælıtı] n веселость, праздничное настроение 9.['dra:ft 'bı¶] бочковое пиво 10.[staut] a крепкий 11.['d_Зınd_З¶] n имбирь 12.['òerı] n херес 13.[pכ:t] n портвейн 14.[daı'lju:t] v разбавлять 15.[r۸m] n ром 16.[lı'kju¶] n ликер

Clubs The London 'gentlemen's clubs' evolved from the coffee-houses and taverns that existed in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are characterized by their social exclusivity and their male¹ orientated organization and atmosphere. Even today there are a few clubs that do not admit women as members. In the past their role was to provide for upper-class men the all-male environment that they were used to at public school and in the army. Membership is by election and normally involves² both an admission fee and an annual subscription³. Some clubs have thousands of members, many of whom live outside London and use their club as a place to stay when 'in town'. Most clubs have good restaurants and reading rooms, and provide comfortable surroundings where members can meet socially and invite their guests. The members of a particular club often share a professional interest or occupation. In some cases the interest is political, as in the Carlton, whose members are staunch⁴ Conservatives. Many members of the Garrick are actors or writers. Boodle's Club, one of the oldest, is used by high-ranking officers and bankers. Members of the Reform Club are predominantly Treasury officials, economists and judges. The Athenaeum, as its classical name implies⁵, is known for its learned membership. A recently founded club, the Groucho, has a membership of people who work in the media. (The club was named after the American comic actor Groucho Marx, who once said that he would not want to belong to any club that would have him as a member.) The oldest and most prestigious of London clubs is White's, founded in 1693, to which many members of royalty and the aristocracy have belonged. It was formerly a Tory political club, but is now purely social, with a reputation for extravagance and eccentricity. Some clubs have names that indicate their specialization, such as the Army and Navy, the Cavalry and Guards, the Royal Automobile, the Traveller's and the United Oxford and Cambridge University Clubs. One of the best-known women's clubs is the University Women's Club, founded in 1886. Most of the famous clubs are situated in and around Pall Mall and St James's Street, an area sometimes known as 'Clubland'. The club buildings themselves are often large and impressive, and as a sign of their exclusivity some do not even have their name outside. There are also provincial clubs, mostly founded for a specific purpose. Many of them are attached⁶ to universities, such as the Amateur Dramatic Club, Cambridge, or the Oxford Union Society, Oxford (the university's debating club). The Leander Club, based at Henley-on-Thames, is Britain's oldest rowing club, with members drawn from the Oxford and Cambridge University crews. Among the most exclusive types of sporting club are the yachting and sailing clubs, the best-known being the Royal Yacht Squadron, at Cowes Castle, Isle of Wight. Britain has numerous golf clubs, with membership of many of them being as socially exclusive as that of the London clubs. The country's leading golf club is the Royal and Ancient Golf Club ('R and A'), at St Andrews in Scotland. At a more modest level, almost every town and community, from school to factory, has a club of some kind, even if its prime purpose is purely social. Working men's clubs were set up in the mid-19th century to provide educational and recreational facilities for their members, and still exist in many towns. They are not political, nor is membership of a trade union⁷ a condition for joining. On similar lines, the Royal British Legion has men's clubs throughout the country for ex-servicemen and women and their families. Local branches of the main political parties also have clubs which are a centre for political activity as well as fulfilling⁸ a social function. There are many sports clubs and associations and youth clubs, the latter run by such organizations as the National Association of Youth Clubs or the National Association of Boys' Clubs. Rotary Clubs, associations of men and women who work in business or the professions, operate in many parts of the country. Most towns also have what is in effect a club open to everybody, in the form of a community centre. This provides a wide range of facilities educational, recreational⁹ and social. There are also special clubs for retired people where they can go and chat to friends over a cup of tea.

1.[meıl] n мужчина 2.[in'vכlv] v включать в себя, предполагать 3.[s¶b'skrıpò¶n] n взнос 4.[stכ:ntò] a стойкий, верный 5.[ım'plaı] v подразумевать, предполагать 6.[æ'tætò] v присоединять(ся) 7.['treıd ju:nj¶n] профессиональ-ный союз 8.[ful'fıl] v выполнять 9.[‚rekrı'eıò¶nl] a развлекательный

The Season 'The Season' is the term in Britain for a number of fashionable sporting and cultural events that are held in the summer months and are attended by many of the rich and famous. There are ten main events. They are Glyndebourne¹, Derby Day², the Royal Academy Summer Show, Royal Ascot³, Wimbledon, Henley Royal Regatta⁴, International Polo Day, Good-wood⁵, Cowes⁶ Week and Lords. Tickets for these events can be very expensive and difficult to obtain. Large firms invite clients to attend⁷ as their guests as a form of 'corporate hospitality'⁸. Salmon, strawberries and champagne are served. The fashionably dressed crowds provide abundant⁹ material for the gossip¹⁰ columnists, especially when members of the royal family and other famous people attend. Glyndebourne is a country house in Sussex where since 1934 an opera festival has been held every summer. Guests wear evening dress and many bring picnics to eat on the lawn in front of the house during the long supper interval. Derby Day is a lively gathering on Epsom Downs south-west of London where one of the most important horse races of the year is run. It is traditionally attended not only by the social elite but by people from all walks of life¹¹ who like to see the race, place a bet on a possible winner, and enjoy the noisy fun-fair. The royal family watches the race from the Royal Box. There are several enclosures¹² for the public, one of which is filled with open-topped double-decker buses, from which spectators¹³ have a good view of the whole event. The race is named after the Earl of Derby, who founded it in 1779. The Royal Academy Summer Show is the annual¹⁴ exhibition of work by members of the Royal Academy of Arts and other artists who submit¹⁵ their work for selection. It is held at the Academy's London headquarters, Burlington House in Piccadilly. Royal Ascot is considered to be the main racing event of the season. The course is at the village of Ascot, near Windsor. The Queen and other members of the royal family always attend, and the event opens when they drive along the course in an open carriage to the Royal Enclosure, a special area for spectators where there are strict rules regarding¹⁶ dress:men must wear morning dress, and women's dresses must be long enough to cover the knees. The fashionable climax of Ascot is Ladies' day (usually the third day), when women show off their most extravagant hats. Wimbledon is the major tennis event of the year, officially known as the All England Championships. It is held on the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon, in south London, and attracts nearly 40,000 spectators annually. The most important matches are played on the Centre Court. A Wimbledon tradition is 'afternoon tea', with sandwiches, strawberries and cream. Members of the royal family attend on at least one day. Henley is the main rowing¹⁷ event of the year, and is officially called Henley Regatta. The contest is held at Henley, a town on the River Thames between London and Oxford. About 2,000 rowers of both sexes attend from many different countries and compete for prizes. The most prestigious award is the Grand Challenge¹⁸ Cup, for eights (crews of eight men). The social aspect of Henley is represented by the colourful boat parties, and the brightly striped marquees¹⁹ on the river bank. International Polo Day is held by the Guards²⁰ Polo Club at Windsor. The event forms the high spot of the polo season, and Prince Charles, a keen²¹ player, is one of the participants. Goodwood is one of the most fashionable horse races of the year, less noisy than Derby day and not as showy as Ascot. The five-day event is nicknamed 'Glorious Goodwood' because of the beautiful setting for the races, which are held on a course in the grounds of Goodwood House, near Chichester in Sussex. Cowes Week is a major sailing regatta held at Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, where the Royal Yacht Squadron²² is based. The event attracts about 10,000 yachtsmen and yachtswomen everyyear. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who is a senior member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, also attend. Lord's cricket ground, in north London, is the most important in the country, as it is the headquarters of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which drew up²³ the rules for the game and which until 1969 was the governing body of world cricket. (The present governing body, also based at Lord's, is the Cricket Council.) The Test Match played every summer at Lord's between the England team and a team from abroad is one of the highlights²⁴ of the cricket season. The name of the ground has nothing to do with lords but comes from Thomas Lord, who started a cricket club in London (originally on another site) in 1797. The first match was played at Lord's in 1814.

1.['glaındbכ:n] место проведения ежегодного опер-ного фестиваля 2.['da:bı 'deı] день ежегодных скачек в Эпсоме близ Лондона 3.['æsk¶t] n Эскот (место скачек близ Виндзора) 4.[rı'gæt¶] n парусные и гребные гонки 5.['gudwud] ипподром в Западном Сассексе 6.[kauz] место проведения парусных гонок 7.[¶'tænd] v присутствовать 8.[‚hכspi'tælıtı] n гостеприимство 9.[¶'b۸nd¶nt] a обильный 10.['gכsıp] n сплетня 11.['wכ:k ¶v 'laıf] общественное положение 12.[ın'kl¶u_З¶] n отгороженное место 13.[spek'teıt¶] n зритель 14.['ænju¶l] a ежегодный 15.[s¶b'mıt] v представлять на рассмотрение 16.[rı'ga:d] v касаться 17.[r¶u] v грести 18.['tòælınd_З] n вызов 19.[ma:'kı:] n большая палатка 20.[ga:dz] n гвардия 21.[kı:n] a страстный 22.['skwכdr¶n] n эскадра 23.['drכ:'۸p] v составлять 24.['haılaıt] n основной момент, факт

Animals The importance of animals in British life is reflected in many ways. In the past, landowners liked to be portrayed with their dogs and horses and many such pictures can be seen in art galleries and country houses. Animals are used frequently in advertising, especially on television. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is one of the largest charities¹ in Britain and it is not unusual for people to leave their money to it when they die. Dogs and cats are the most popular pets, and about half the households in the country own one or the other. There is no official national register of either animal, although dog-owners were required to possess a licence until the 1980s. Attacks by dogs on children, as well as the increase in abandoned² dogs and strays³, have since led to demands⁴ for licences to be reintroduced. Other creatures kept as pets include goldfish, birds and, for children, small animals such as rabbits, mice and hamsters. Pigeons are kept for racing and exhibiting by breeders⁵, and greyhounds⁶ and whippets⁷ are bred for racing. Labradors, collies, Alsatians⁸, spaniels and terriers are all popular as pet dogs, and foxhounds⁹ and beagles¹⁰ are used in hunting. Guide-dogs are used for work with blind people, and both the police and the army use dogs as trackers and in combating crime. 'Sniffer'¹¹ dogs are used to detect drugs and explosives. Many people specialize in breeding particular types of dog for show. Cruft's Dog Show is an annual event, held in London until 1990 and in Birmingham since 1991. Prizes are awarded to dogs in many different classes as well as to one supreme champion, the 'dog of the year'. Horses play an important part in British life. The British Horse Society, which exists to promote the art of riding, has 51,000 members. Ponies and donkeys are popular with children. Pony-trekking¹² is a popular sport in hilly country and donkey rides on the beach are a feature of many seaside resorts. More generally, horses are familiar both on the racecourse and in hunting, while popular contests and ceremonial events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show, the Royal Tournament, the Badminton Horse Trials, theHorse of the Year Show and Trooping the Colour also feature horses prominently. Apart from the famous horse-races, such as the Grand National and the Derby, there is racing at courses throughout the country almost every day of the year. Hunting, in which riders and foxhounds chase¹³ foxes across open country, has drawn increasing opposition in recent years. To those who hunt, it is an exciting sport, displaying in the picturesque setting of the English countryside much of the traditional colour and glamour¹⁴ preserved in sporting prints, with the red jackets (called 'coats of hunting pink') worn by the hunt master and his assistants. To many animal lovers, however, the chase and killing of a fox is no sport at all. As a result, many hunting events have been sabotaged by anti-hunt protesters in recent years. Anti-hunt protesters are part of a more general movement in support of animal rights that has emerged¹⁵ recently in Britain and the USA. The movement's main aim is to ban the cruel treatment of animals, both in laboratory experiments using beagles, rabbits, monkeys, etc, and in factory farming, in which hens, pigs and calves are kept in overcrowded pens¹⁶ and cages. The irresponsible treatment of animals by some farmers and pet owners is also the concern of the RSPCA. Britain has seen the rise of campaigns against whaling and the fur industry, while at another level there is considerable opposition to the slaughtering¹⁷ of animals for food and an increase in the number of people who are vegetarians. There is also controversy¹⁸ about keeping animals in zoos. Among the best-known zoos in Britain are the London Zoo in Regent's Park and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, Bedfordshire, where animals are kept in a near-natural environment.

1.['tòærıtı] n благотворительное учреждение 2.[¶'bænd¶nd] a покинутый 3.[streı] n бездомное животное 4.[dı'ma:nd] n требование 5.['brı:d¶] n тот, кто разводит животных 6.['greıhaund] n борзая 7.['wıpıt] n гончая 8.[æl'seıòj¶n] n восточноевро-пейская овчарка 9.['fokshaund] n английская гончая 10.['bı:gl] n гончая 11.[snıf] v нюхать 12.[trek] v ехать в фургонах, пересекать 13.[tòeıs] v преследовать 14.['glæm¶] n очарование 15.[ı'm¶:d_З] v появляться 16.[pen] n небольшой загон 17.['slכ:t¶] v резать (скот) 18.['kכntr¶v¶:sı] n спор, дискуссия

Gambling¹ Gambling is popular in Britain, and takes many forms. There is no national lottery as such, but as part of the National Savings scheme, people can buy Premium Bonds², with the chance of winning large cash prizes. Interest³ on investors' money is paid into a prize fund instead of to investors, and a computer called 'Ernie' selects prizewinners from the bond holders. Payments are made both weekly and monthly, with a maximum prize of £250,000, payable to one winner each month. Football pools⁴ are one of the most popular forms of gambling. You pay a small amount of money and try to forecast⁵ weekly (Saturday) football match scores. It is possible to win a million pounds or more for a very small stake⁶, and 'winning the pools' is a popular image of good luck. Almost as popular is betting⁷ on the results of horse-races or greyhound races ('the dogs'). Racing bets can be made at the actual racecourse or track, but are mostly made in licensed betting-shops⁸. At horse-races, the betting agents are known as bookmakers ('bookies') or turf accountants. An additional form of pooled betting on horse races is organized by the Horserace Totalisator Board (HTB, or 'the Tote'). Casinos and gaming clubs exist in the large cities but are used mostly by wealthy or experienced gamblers rather than the general public. Some people play for money when playing cards with friends, but the stakes are usually quite small. Many pubs, railway buffets, etc. have a gaming machine ('fruit machine' or 'one-armed bandit'). Another popular form of gambling, especially among elderly people, is bingo, played in weekly sessions in special bingo halls (often converted cinemas) by an estimated 3 million people. Bingo is a game of chance, in which numbers printed on a card are covered or crossed through as they are called out. The player who first covers all his numbers wins a cash prize or a gift. In recent years the game has been adopted by popular newspapers with the aim of increasing their circulation. Cards are issued with the paper, and random⁹ numbers printed daily. A reader holding all the numbers telephones the newspaper to claim the prize. Popular newspapers also run other gambling games, such as 'spot the ball', in which the reader has to mark the point where the ball should be on the photograph of a football match. Many local charities hold raffles¹⁰, to raise money. You buy a ticket for a sum of money and this gives you a chance of winning a cash prize or gift. Even people who object to gambling on principle often take part in raffles, arguing that their money is going to a good cause. More generally, there are several ways in which cash prizes or gifts can be competed for, ranging from stalls at fetes to competitions in magazines. A popular type of contest is a commercial¹¹ one in which participants have to complete a simple quiz or test, then write a sentence (called a 'tie-breaker') saying why they like the particular product or service. The winning prize in such contests is usually a large cash sum or a gift such as a car or a free holiday. All legal gambling in Britain is strictly regulated, although winnings from gaming and betting are not taxed.

1.['gæmbl] v играть в азартные игры 2.[bכnds] n pl. облигация, боны 3.['ıntrıst] n проценты 4.[pu:l] n сово-купность ставок (в картах, на скачках) 5.['fכ:ka:st] v предсказывать 6.[steık] n ставка 7.[bet] v держать пари, биться об заклад 8.['betıη òכp] игорная лавка

9.['rænd¶m] a сделанный или выбранный наугад 10.[ræfl] n лотерея 11.[k¶ 'm¶:ò¶l] a торговый, коммерческий

Сhapter VI

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