Seminar 1 Topic: British State System

1. Great Britain - a Constitutional Monarchy. Links with the past.

2. Queen Elizabeth II, her functions and powers.

3. The Houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister.

4. The Government and the Cabinet of Ministers.

5. Unwritten constitution of the United Kingdom. Magna Charta.

Recommended literature.

1. Барановский JI.С., Козикис Д.Д. Добрый день, Британия! (How do you do Britain?): Пособие для учащихся и ст-тов вузов. - Мн.: А-во САДИ; М.: Московский лицей, 1997. - с.105-109, 113-1 19, 123-127, 317-318.

2. Барановский JI.C., Козикис Д.Д. Panorama of Great Britain: Учеб.пос. - Мн.: Высш.шк., 1990. - с.45-180, 202-227.

3. Доронина Е.Ф. Страноведение. Великобритания, США: Учебное пособие для ст-тов ф-тов иностранных языков. - Куйбышев: КФ НГПУ, 2002. - с.25-38.

4. Леонович О.А. Страноведение Великобритании: Учебное пос. - 2-е изд., иен. и доп. - М.: КДУ, 2004. - с.72-86.

5. Нестерова Н.М. Страноведение: Англия. Серия «Учебники и учебные пособия». - Ростов-на-Дону: Феникс, 2001.

6. Bromhead P. Life in Modern Britain: New Edition. - Обнинск, 1995. - с.13-69.

7. Sharman E. Across cultures: - Harlow, Longman, 2006. - p.50-53.

MateriaI for further reading.

1. Британия (A Book of Britain). Учебное пособие по страноведению для студентов. Изд. 2-е. - Л.: Просвещение, 1977. - с.7-17.

2. Васильев К.Б. Pilot one. Справочное пособие по английскому языку. - СПб.: Тригон, 1998. - с.227-232.

3. Тимановская Н.А. Взгляд на англоговорящие страны: Учебное пособие. 4 изд. - Тула: Автограф, 2000. - с.65-73.

4. Овчинников В. Сакура и дуб: Впечатления и размышления о японцах и англичанах. - К.: Днипро, 1986. - с.333-340, 350-378.

5. Журнал Англия №124. 1992. - с.33-43.

6. English (Прил. к газ. «Первое сентября»). - 1995, № 8, 16; 1996, № 9; 1997, № 24, 42; 1998, № 4,26,32,46,48.

Questions to check yourself on the topic.

1. Which two sovereigns reigned for the longest period? Which one reigned for the shortest period?

2. Can you arrange these families of English Kings in the order in which they reigned: Lancastrian, Norman, Plantagenet, Stuart, Tudor, Windsor?

3. What is the meaning of a constitutional monarchy? What is the role of monarchy in modern Britain?

4. When did the first parliament meet?

5. How many Prime Ministers have been there since 1830? Who has had the office most times? Name ten Prime Ministers since 1900.

6. What is the first woman actually to take her seat in the House of Commons?

7. Which political party won oftener in the general elections since 1945?

8. What are the results of the latest election in Great Britain? What political party is in the office in the UK now? Who is the Prime Minister?

9. What are two chambers in Parliament and what is the major difference between them?

10. What must members of the House of Commons call each other during debates?

11. Which of these people are not elected: a peer, an MP, a civil servant, the Prime Minister?

12. Who sits on a woolsack? What is its symbolic meaning?

13. How often do the British have national elections? Which day of the week?

14. What is the number of Ministers in the Cabinet? How often do they meet?

15. What is Magna Charta? When was it adopted?

16. What did the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement establish?

Points for discussion.

1. What do you see as advantages and disadvantages of having a monarch?

2. Do you think that the following formula is true: "The Queen can do no wrong, for she can do little at all"? Prove your point of view.

3. "In view of his powers, the British Prime Minister may be best described as an elective monarch. Do you think this is close to truth?

4. Look at the statistics about the voter (Sharman, p.51). Why do you think the statistics is like this?

5. What is the attitude of young people in Britain and in Russia to politics?

6. Is there any need for the upper house in Parliament in modem Britain? What would you say about the following statement: "The House of Lords is an anachronism in the middle of the 20^th century'¹?

Topic: Culture of Great Britain

1. British architecture. History and Today.

2. English painting.

Task 1

1. Watch the film "World's Best Britain's Castles and Palaces"

2. Put the blocks of questions about each castle or palace in a correct order. Answer the questions.

What are top ten castles and palaces of Great Britain?

о What is the Tower of London famous for? о How many queens were executed there? о What does"the traitors' gate" mean? о How many tourists visit it every year? о How are the guides dressed?

• Where is St. Michael's Mount situated?

• Why did this castle become the place of the pilgrimage?

• What is the peculiarity of this castle?

• How old is Windsor Castle? How far is it from London?

• What ancient ceremony takes place in Windsor Castle?

• Who takes part in it?

• When was Windsor Castle damaged by the fire? What was the reason of the fire? How much money was spent to restore it?

о How many rooms are there in Hampton Court Palace? о Whose residence was it?

о Whose ghost lives in the palace? Tell about this person, о What is the territory of gardens situated around the palace? о How many people try to go through the labyrinth in the garden? о What was the privilege of the king's closest retainers?

• What royal regalia are kept in the main castle of Scotland? Name the castle and Scottish king's regalia.

• What did the gunshot mean in old times? At what time did it happen?

• Who look like Paul McCartney and John Lennon?

• Who was the most famous prisoner of Edinburgh Castle?

• What is Caernafron Castle famous for?

• When did Edward I conquer Wales?

• Who became the 21 Prince of Wales? When did it happen?

о What castle became a symbol of the national spirit of Scotland?

о Who was the historical prototype of the Braveheart? What century did he live in?

о Whose monument was erected on the territory of this castle?

о What was the difference between Mel Gibson (as Braveheart) and his historical prototype?

о Who made the first attempt to fly in this castle? How did it happen? Was it successful? Why?

• When was Leed's Castle built? Whom did it belong to?

• When and why did the king rebuilt it? What did he add to it?

• Who were the famous American owners of this castle?

• What do the two clocks show?

• What modern conveniences appeared in this castle in the 20^th century?

♦> How long is the history of Warwick Castle?

♦> Who lives in the castle now?

• Who were the most famous visitors of Daisy in this castle?

• What happens in this castle every year?

• Where is Tintagel Caslte situated?

• Why do people come to the village Tintagel every year?

• What was the name of the mysterious king of England?

Task 2

1. Read the text "English Country Architecture" (Михайлов H.H. Лингвострановедение Англии p. 170-172).

2. Answer the questions about the text (p. 173). Task 3

   1. Read the Text "English painting" p. 178-179

   2. Answer the following questions.

• What is especially characteristic of English painting, distinguishing it from the Continental schools?

• Why is it more difficult to appreciate the works of English masters than those from Italy and France?

Topic: Culture of Great Britain

1. Theatre

2. Music. The UK music industry.

3. Cinema. The peculiarities of the development of the British cinema industry. Task 1

Write a profile of one of the British singer or band (Rolling Stones, Beatles, Sting, Elton John, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and etc.). Try to find out statistics about how many records they sell (sold), interesting facts from their life and career. Task 2

1. Read the texts "The London of Good Queen Bess", "The "Golden age" of the English theatre" ((Доронина Е.Ф. Страноведение. Великобритания. США. p.47-49).

2. Find the information about the 1^st types of theatrical performances.

3. Explain what kind of performances are Miracles, Mysteries and Morals.

4. When did the 1^st theatres appear on the British Isles?

5. Find the information about the best, most important theatres in Britain now. Task 3

   1. When did the 1^st film and cinemas appear in Britain?

   2. What are the peculiarities of the development of the British cinema?

   3. Find some facts about nowadays cinema industry in Britain?

Topic: Traditions and customs

1. National traits of Englishmen, Scots, Welsh and Irish.

2. National symbols and patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

3. National cuisine of each part of Great Britain.

4. Traditions and customs of the United Kingdom.

5. British holidays and sport events.

Tasks

1. Read the text «Уроки географии» (H.H. Михайлов Лингвострановедение Англии) р. 168-169. Find in it the Russian equivalents of the following topical words and phrases: