Happy New Year! Bonne année! С Новым годом! Glückliches neues Jahr!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee 2012

Official web site of The Jubilee

Palace of Westminster clock that houses Big Ben renamed ‘Elizabeth Tower’ in honour of Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

The historic clock tower that houses Big Ben was yesterday renamed the ‘Elizabeth Tower’ in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Commons Speaker John Bercow presided over a formal ceremony after the majority of MPs backed a Daily Mail campaign for the name change.

The move, which is understood to have delighted the Queen, means one of Britain’s best-known landmarks will forever carry her name.

It mirrors a tribute bestowed on Queen Victoria, the only other monarch to remain on the throne for 60 years. The tower at the other end of the Palace of Westminster was renamed the Victoria Tower to mark her long reign.

The tower is known across the world by the name of the bell it houses - Big Ben - and MPs accept it will continue to be referred to by that name by most. Previously, the tower was officially known as the Clock Tower,

In the official naming ceremony at the foot of the tower, Mr Bercow said it was a ‘special and heart-warming’ occasion.

Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, who tabled a Commons motion collecting names of MPs supporting the measure, including David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, said: ‘Only two monarchs since William the Conqueror have actually served this country so diligently and selflessly for 60 years - that’s quite an incredible task considering the number of monarchs this country has seen - Queen Victoria and now Queen Elizabeth II.

‘She has served this country in such esteem - that was recognised this year with the celebrations that were seen.

‘She is one of the most respected public figures in the world. She reminds us who we are, what we are about and what it is to be British and it is a very proud day indeed to see this clock tower renamed in recognition of the work she has done.’

Source

How To Write A CV

How To Write A Great First CV (Resume) from University of Ulster

 

Tahiti

Tahiti est une île de la Polynésie française (collectivité d’outre-mer) située dans le sud de l’océan Pacifique. Elle fait partie du groupe desîles du Vent, et de l’archipel de la Société. Cette île haute et montagneuse, d'origine volcanique, est entourée d'un récif de corail. L'île est composée de deux parties - Tahiti Nui, la plus importante, et Tahiti Iti également appelée la Presqu'île, reliées entre elles par l'isthme de Taravao.

Avec 1 042 km² et 178 173 habitants, Tahiti est à la fois la plus grande et la plus peuplée des îles de la Polynésie française. L’île concentre l’essentiel des activités économiques de l’archipel polynésien ; la ville de Papeete, située sur la côte nord-ouest de l’île, est la capitale de la Polynésie Française et en abrite toutes les institutions politiques. Le tourisme contribue fortement à l’économie de l’île, d’autant que Tahiti abrite le seul aéroport international de la Polynésie Française, lui donnant le statut de porte d’entrée du territoire.

L’histoire de Tahiti a été marquée tout d’abord par le peuplement de l’île par les navigateurs polynésiens, d’origine austronésienne, puis par la découverte de l’île par les explorateurs européens. Les échanges avec les Européens ont permis à une famille tahitienne, les Pomare, d’imposer leur autorité sur l’ensemble de l’île. À partir de la fin du xviii^e siècle, l’île fut colonisée par des missionnaires protestants anglais, puis devint protectorat français au milieu du xix^e siècle. L’île devint ensuite une colonie, membre des Établissements français de l'Océanie, avant d’être rattachée à un ensemble d’archipels qu’on appelle Polynésie française.

School Years around the World

by Mark Hughes

Somewhere in the world, right now, students are hard at work in school. With over 190 nations spanning the globe’s 24 time zones, students and their academic years come in a variety of forms. Here’s a sampling of the typical school year in 13 nations throughout the world.

Australia

Students in Australia attend school for 200 days a year. Their school year lasts from late January to mid December. Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, it experiences summer while it’s winter in the northern hemisphere. Summer vacation for Australian students is from mid December to late January. Their school year is divided into four terms, with each term lasting 9 to 11 weeks. Students then have two weeks of vacation between each term. The typical school day is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and lunch is eaten at school. Students are required to attend school for at least eleven years, but they usually attend for twelve years. The average class size is eighteen students and there are about six computers per classroom.

School grades in Australia are called years. Kindergarten is the first year of formal schooling, followed by year 1 through year 6; secondary school is from year 7 to year 12. A 6 year old begins in year one, while an 18 year old finishes school by year 12. From year one to year six, students spend about 12 hours a week working on math and English. Many schools integrate subjects, meaning they combine two or more academic subjects. For instance, say your class is studying coral reefs. A non-integrated approach would have students study coral reels only in science class. An integrated method incorporates math, by taking measurements, for example, and language arts. Students would then use that information to write a report about coral reefs.

Runic alphabet

Origin

Little is known about the origins of the Runic alphabet, which is traditionally known as futhark after the first six letters. In Old Norse the word rune means 'letter', 'text' or 'inscription'. The word also means 'mystery' or 'secret' in Old Germanic languages and runes had a important role in ritual and magic.
Here are some theories about the origins of runes:

The alphabet was probably created independently rather than evolving from another alphabet.
Runic writing was probably first used in southern Europe and was carried north by Germanic tribes.
The Runic alphabet is thought to have been modelled on the Latin and/or Etruscan alphabet.
The earliest known Runic inscritions date from the 1st century AD, but the vast majority of Runic inscriptions date from the 11th century. Runic inscriptions have been found throughout Europe from the Balkans to Germany, Scandinavia and the British Isles.

Alma Deutscher, seven, writes opera The Sweeper of Dreams

Le petit prince- La comédie musicale

USA

The United States of America (commonly called the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic consisting of fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean. At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 314 million people, the United States is the third- or fourth-largest country by total area, and the third-largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.

Стратегии выполнения заданий раздела Лексика и грамматика

Задания В4-В10 базового уровня

Даётся связный отрывок из повествовательного или научно-популярного текста с пропусками. На полях напротив каждого пропуска даётся слово.

Требуется преобразовать слова, напечатанные на полях напротив пропуска так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текста.

Важно! Прежде чем начать заполнять пропуски, обязательно прочитайте весь рассказ, чтобы понять его основное содержание. Подсказка на выбор правильной грамматической формы слова вовсе не обязательно находится в самом предложении, а может быть где-нибудь еще в тексте.

1.  Бегло прочитайте весь рассказ, игнорируя пропуски. Цель — понять общее содержание и ход повествования.
2.  Теперь начните заполнять пропуски.
Если это личное местоимение, определите, какая форма тут нужна - в именительном или объектном падеже (I-me, he-him, you-you, she-her, we-us, they-them), или нужно употребить соответствующее притяжательное прилагательное (если следующее слово существительное - my/your/his/her/our/their book) или притяжательное местоимение (если местоимение употреблено само по себе - mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs).
Например,
Little Sassy Sam certainly had a reputation, although he wasn't fully aware of it. His teachers always remarked how wonderful it was to have Little Sassy Sam in their classrooms.    THEY

Стратегии выполнения заданий раздела «Чтение»

Задание В2 базового уровня

Даются 8 заголовков и 7 текстов (один заголовок лишний).
Требуется подобрать заголовок к каждому тексту. Здесь проверяется умение понять основную тему текста.

Важно! С целью экономии времени не нужно прочитывать все тексты сразу. Прочитайте сначала заголовки, а затем каждый текст в отдельности.

1.      Внимательно прочитайте заголовки
2.      Затем прочитайте первый текст. Нужно уловить общий смысл прочитанного — про что текст – про спорт, компьютеры и т.д. Вернитесь к списку заголовков, выберите те, которые подходят по теме.

Например, прочитываете список заголовков:
A.    First computers   
B.  Risky sport   
C.    Shopping in comfort   
D. Difficult task   
E.   Professional sport
F.  Shopping from home
G.    New users
H.    Digging for the past

Стратегии выполнения заданий раздела "Аудирование"

Задание В1: Аудирование базового уровня

На экзамене предлагается список из 7 утверждений по одной тематике (например, отношение к книгам, здоровый образ жизни и пр.) под буквами A-G. Проигрывается 6 высказываний.

Требуется установить соответствия между имеющимся списком утверждений и высказываниями записанных на плёнку людей. Одно утверждение лишнее.

Запись звучит дважды.

Стратегии выполнения заданий раздела "Письмо"

 

Задание С1: Личное письмо базового уровня

На экзамене предлагается отрывок из письма от вашего возможного друга по переписке. В письме содержится некая новость и несколько вопросов, где у вас спрашивают мнения, совета и т.п.

Требуется написать письмо-ответ, начиная с вашего краткого обратного адреса в верхнем правом углу, даты под адресом, приветствия и заканчивая прощальной фразой и именем.

Нужно обязательно:

1.      поблагодарить за полученное письмо;
2.      прокомментировать новость, содержащуюся в письме;
3.      задать вопросы, касающиеся темы новости письма;
4.      ответить на все вопросы, заданные в полученном письме, дать совет, выразить своё мнение и т.д.

An interview with the author of “Harry Potter”

Today is Canada Day

Quiz answers part 5

English people as they are. Ways of living.

44. What do you know about the British school today? (3 stages, LEA, subjects, types of schools, a system of marking)

The education system is divided into nursery (ages 3–4), primary education (ages 4–11), secondary education (ages 11–18) and tertiary education (ages 18+). Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 16, with a child beginning primary education during the school year he or she turns 5. Students may then continue their secondary studies for a further two years (sixth form), leading most typically to A-level qualifications, although other qualifications and courses exist, including Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Cambridge Pre-U. The leaving age for compulsory education was raised to 18 by the Education and Skills Act 2008. The change will take effect in 2013 for 16-year-olds and 2015 for 17-year-olds.State-provided schooling and sixth form education is paid for by taxes. England also has a tradition of independent schooling, but parents may choose to educate their children by any suitable means.

Higher education often begins with a three-year bachelor's degree. Postgraduate degrees include master's degrees, either taught or by research, and the doctorate, a research degree that usually takes at least three years. Universities require a Royal Charter in order to issue degrees, and all but one are financed by the state via tuition fees, which are increasing in size for both home and European Union students.
If you have more information about this toppic, please leave a comment.

Quiz answers part 4

They are Britain's pride...

35. Who is often called by the people "Our National Bard" and "The Great Unknown"? What is this person famous for?

Every year Scots across the globe celebrate our national bard, Robert Burns. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a "light" Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish Diaspora around the world.

Quiz answers part 3

Places to visit in Britain

21. What is the Tower of London? Which part of the Tower was built the first? What will happen if the ravens living in the Tower leave this place?
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. At least six ravens are kept at the Tower at all times, in accordance with the belief that if they are absent, the kingdom will fall.

Quiz answers part 2

BRITISH STATE SYSTEM

13. Name the main branches (bodies) of the British state system. What are their main functions?

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the powers of the monarch are limited the country constitution.
In theory the Constitution safeguards the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
The legislature, which consists of both Houses of Parliament and formally the monarch, is the supreme authority, the supreme lawmaking body.
The executive consists of the Government - Cabinet and government ministries (or departments) headed by ministers (or secretaries of state). The government is responsible for putting laws into effect and directing national policy and acts formally in the name of the monarch.

The judiciary is composed mainly of the judges of the higher courts, who determine the common law and interpret Acts of Parliament and decide on cases arising out of the laws. The judiciary is supposed to be independent of the legislative and executive branches of government. The organs of government are clearly distinguishable, although their functions often intermingle and overlap. The monarch is formally the head of executive, the legislature and the judiciary. A Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons and a member of the House of Lords may both be in the government of the day. A Law Lord in the House of Lords also serves the House of Lords as the highest appeal court.
The division of powers is shown below:

Legislature: Monarch - > House of Lords -> House of Commons

Executive : Government -> Cabinet -> Ministries

Judiciary: Judges -> Courts

The main functions of British Parliament today are as follow:
To pass laws 
To vote on financial bills so that the government could carry on this work
To discuss the government's administrative, educational problems, etc.
To debate important political issues of the day.

Quiz answers part 1

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION
1. Is Great Britain the same as the UK? Explain the differences and give the definitions of these both terms.
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. The name United Kingdom refers to the union of what were once four separate countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (though most of Ireland is now independent, only Northern Ireland remains part of the UK). The UK's full and official name is the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
2. What countries does the UK consist of? Name the main symbols of every country (a flag, a national flower, a capital and a patron saint).
The United Kingdom is made up of:
England - The capital is London; flag: The Royal Arms of England, Union Jack; flower: the Tudor rose; St George is the patron saint of England
Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh; flag: Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire; Royal banner; flower: the thistle, saint: St Andrew
Wales - The capital is Cardiff; flag: "The Red Dragon", Flag of Saint David; flower: the daffodil and the leek; saint: St David
Northern Ireland - The capital is Belfast; flag: Union Flag; flower: clever; saint: St Patrick

Сочетания существительных без предлогов (цепочки существительных)

В беспредложном сочетании существительных опорным словом является не первое (как в русском языке: заведующий кафедрой; скорость ветра), а последнее существительное. Существительные слева от него выполняют функцию определения, т.е. отвечают на вопрос what / which / what kind / whose? (какой / который / чей?) и передаются на русский язык или при помощи прилагательного, или существительного в косвенном падеже:

ocean floor — дно океана
ocean current — океаническое течение
surface current velocity — скорость поверхностного течения
air mass — воздушная масса
air mass density — плотность воздушной массы
temperature drop — падение температуры
water drop temperature — температура капли воды

Падеж имён существительных

В современном английском языке существительное имеет два падежа: общий и притяжательный. Существительное в общем падеже не имеет специальных окончаний, его отношение к другим словам в предложении определяется местом в предложении и смыслом.

The student asked the teacher. Студент спросил преподавателя.
The teacher asked the student. Преподаватель спросил студента.

Существительное в притяжательном падеже обозначает принадлежность предмета лицу или другому предмету и служит определением к другому существительному. Притяжательный падеж образуется путём прибавления 's к форме единственного числа существительного и ' к форме множественного числа.

the student's room — комната студента
Ann's book — книга Ани
the students' room — комната студентов
girls' books — книги девочек

Другие значения русских падежей в английском языке передаются сочетанием существительного с предлогом.

to the student — студенту
by the student — студентом
about the student — о студенте и т.д.

"Жили у бабуси два веселых G**SE" или Как не запутаться в превеликом множестве!

Все мы прекрасно знаем правило образования множественно числа - множественное число образуется путем добавления окончания "s" к существительному в единственном числе. Но все ли знают о том, что здесь, как и во многих других правилах, есть несколько особых случаев, которые надо запоминать? Давайте посмотрим на них и заодно проверим полноту и правильность наших знаний.

Образование множественного числа существительных

Основным способом образования множественного числа имён существительных является прибавление окончания -s или -es к форме существительного в единственном числе.
-s
-es
a bag — bags
a cat — cats
a rose — roses
a glass — glasses
a fox — foxes
a watch — watches
a bush — bushes
Имена существительные, оканчивающиеся на -y с предшествующей согласной, образуют множественное число путём прибавления окончания -es, причём -у меняется на -i. Например, a dictionary — dictionaries.
Но: a boy — boys, a day — days (перед -у стоит гласная). Некоторые имена существительные, оканчивающиеся на -f, -fe, образуют множественное число путём изменения -f на -v и прибавлением окончания -es.
a half — halves
a wolf — wolves
a wife — wives
Но: roof — roofs, safe — safes.
Ряд существительных образуют форму множественного числа особым образом.

Артикль

Артикль является одним из определителей имени существительного и ставится перед существительным или перед словами, являющимися определениями к нему.

Неопределённый артикль a (an — перед словами, начинающимися с гласной) происходит от числительного one и означает один из многих, какой-то, любой.

I am a student. Я студент (один из многих).
This is an apple. Это — яблоко (какое-то одно из многих).

Если перед существительным в единственном числе стоит неопределённый артикль, то во множественном числе он опускается.

This is a book. These are books.

Таким образом, неопределённый артикль a(an) может употребляться только перед существительными в единственном числе.

Имя существительное (The Noun)

Имя существительное — часть речи, обозначающая предмет и отвечающая на вопросы: кто это? (Who is this?) или что это? (What is this?)

По своему значению имена существительные делятся на собственные (John Black — Джон Блэк, Great Britain — Великобритания) и нарицательные (a table — стол, snow — снег, freedom — свобода). Последние делятся на конкретные (a book — книга) и абстрактные (joy — радость), одушевлённые (a cat — кот) и неодушевлённые (a cup — чашка). Существительные также подразделяются на исчисляемые (a house — дом, houses — дома) и неисчисляемые (bread — хлеб, advice — совет, weather — погода, furniture — мебель и др.).

Большинство имён существительных в английском языке употребляется с артиклями.

Australia

Australia (/əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.

Canada

 
                                       The Flag of Canada                          The Coat of arms

Canada (/ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9.9 million square kilometres, Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.

The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. This widening autonomy was highlighted by the Balfour Declaration of 1926 and reaffirmed by the Statute of Westminster of 1931, which declared self-governing dominions within the British Empire to be equal. The Canada Act of 1982 finally severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British Parliament.

New Zealand

 

New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.

During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Most notable are the large number of unique bird species, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates clashing beneath the earth's surface.

Great Britain (part 4)

Wales

Wales (/ˈweɪlz/, Welsh: Cymru; pronounced [ˈkəm.rɨ] is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km² (8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,200 km (750 mi) of coastline, including its offshore islands; the largest, Anglesey (Ynys Môn), is also the largest island in the Irish Sea. Wales is largely mountainous, with its highest peaks in the north and central areas, especially in Snowdonia (Eryri), which contains Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit.

Great Britain (part 3)

Scotland

Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba ([ˈalˠ̪apə] ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland constitutes over 790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.

Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres. Edinburgh was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, was once one of the world's leading industrial cities and now lies at the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union. This has given Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland, the title of Europe's oil capital.

Great Britain (part 2)

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann pronounced , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann or Norlin Airlan) is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. At the time of the 2001 UK Census, its population was 1,685,000, constituting about 30% of the island's total population and about 3% of the population of the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland consists of six of the nine counties of the Irish province of Ulster. It was created as a distinct division of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, over 50 years it had its own devolved government and parliament. These institutions were suspended in 1972 and abolished in 1973. Repeated attempts to restore self-government finally resulted in the establishment in 1998 of the present-day Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly operates on consociational democracy principles requiring cross-community support.

Great Britain (part 1)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved national administrations, each with varying powers, situated in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh; the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.

The Royal Family

  Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 out of the 54 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations, and Head of the Commonwealth. In order of foundation, the 16 independent Commonwealth realms are the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. As the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Agatha Christie

 

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890 in Torquay, England. Her father, Frederick, was an outgoing American with an independent income. Her mother, Clara, was rather shy; Agatha resembled her greatly in personality. There were two other children - Madge and Monty, both older than Agatha.

Although Madge received a formal education, Clara decided Agatha should not. She intended that Agatha be taught to read when she was eight; however, by the age of five Agatha had already taught herself to read. The rest of her education was through a mixture of tutors, part-time schooling and French finishing schools. She also trained as a singer and pianist and had it not been for her extreme shyness, she had the talent to have made this her career.

When Agatha was eleven her father died and she became even closer to her mother. Without Frederick, Clara became restless and began to travel, at times taking Agatha with her; these early trips began Agatha's lifelong love of travel.

Mark Twain

 

TWAIN, MARK pseud. of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910, American author, b. Florida, Mo. As humorist, narrator, and social observer, Twain is unsurpassed in American literature. His novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a masterpiece of humor, characterization, and realism, has been called the first (and sometimes the best) modern American novel.

Early Life and Works

After the death of his father in 1847, young Clemens was apprenticed to a printer in Hannibal, Mo., the Mississippi River town where he spent most of his boyhood. He first began writing for his brother's newspaper there, and later he worked as a printer in several major Eastern cities. In 1857, Clemens went to New Orleans on his way to make his fortune in South America, but instead he became a Mississippi River pilot—hence his pseudonym, "Mark Twain," which was the river call for a depth of water of two fathoms. The Civil War put an end to river traffic, and in 1862 Clemens went west to Carson City, Nev., where he failed in several get-rich-quick schemes. He eventually began writing for the Virginia City Examiner and later was a newspaperman in San Francisco.

Robert Burns

 

Robert Burns was born at Alloway, near Ayr, on January 25, 1759. His father William was a gardener to the Provost of Ayr. Robert was educated briefly at John Murdoch's school in Alloway and later in Ayr.

Family financial worries forced Burns to work as a farm labourer, and it was while thus occupied that he met his first love, Nelly Kirkpatrick. She inspired him to try his hand at poetry, a song entitled "O, once I lov'd a bonnie lass", set to the tune of a traditional reel.

Alexander Graham Bell

 

Born: March 3, 1847
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: August 2, 1922
Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada
Scottish-born American inventor

Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-born American inventor and teacher of the deaf, is best known for perfecting the telephone to transmit, or send, vocal messages using electricity. The telephone began a new age in communications technology.

The young man

Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Alexander Melville Bell, was an expert on the mechanics of the voice and on elocution (the art of public speaking). His grandfather, Alexander Bell, was an elocution professor. Bell's mother, Eliza, was hard of hearing but became an accomplished pianist (as well as a painter), and Bell took an interest in music. Eliza taught Alexander, who was the middle of three brothers, until he was ten years old. When he was a youth he took a challenge from a mill operator and created a machine that removed the husks from grain. He would later call it his first invention.

William Shakespeare

 

For all his fame and celebration, William Shakespeare remains a mysterious figure with regards to personal history. There are just two primary sources for information on the Bard: his works, and various legal and church documents that have survived from Elizabethan times. Naturally, there are many gaps in this body of information, which tells us little about Shakespeare the man.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, allegedly on April 23, 1564. Church records from Holy Trinity Church indicate that he was baptized there on April 26, 1564. Young William was born of John Shakespeare, a glover and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a landed local heiress. William, according to the church register, was the third of eight children in the Shakespeare household—three of whom died in childhood. John Shakespeare had a remarkable run of success as a merchant, alderman, and high bailiff of Stratford, during William's early childhood. His fortunes declined, however, in the late 1570s.

A. A. Milne

A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne, who was Scottish, and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.