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.
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45. Is Britain a Christian country? What is the main religion in Britain? Why?
Christianity is the most widely practiced and declared religion in England. The Anglican Church of England is the established church of England holding a special constitutional position for the United Kingdom. In 1536, the Church in England split from Rome over the issue of the divorce of King Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon. The split led to the emergence of a separate ecclesiastical authority. Later the influence of the Reformation resulted in the Church of England adopting its distinctive reformed Catholic position known as Anglicanism.
46. What does the term "bank holidays" mean? Name all bank holidays and some principal features and peculiarities of every holiday.
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract. Bank holidays are:
New Year’s Day, St. Patrick’s day- Saint Patrick's feast day, as a kind of national day, was already being celebrated by the Irish in Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries. In later times he became more and more widely known as the patron of Ireland; Good Friday( Friday before Easter Sunday), May Day (the first Monday in may), Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Kate Middleton ( only in 2011), St Andrew’s day, The Twelfth, Christmas day, St Steven’s day- Boxing Day is traditionally a day following Christmas when wealthy people in the United Kingdom would give a box containing a gift to their servants. The tradition has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions. The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown and there are some claims that it goes back to the original immigrants arriving in the colony in boxes or baskets strapped together with hemp rope. The late Roman/early Christian era; metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen.
47. What three famous Royal ceremonies can you name? Give some details.
Coronation. The coronation of the new Sovereign follows some months after his or her accession, following a period of mourning and as a result of the enormous amount of preparation required to organise the ceremony. The coronation ceremony has remained essentially the same over a thousand years.
Gun Salutes. Gun salutes are customarily fired, both on shore and at sea, as a sign of respect or welcome. Just as a salute with the open hand was used historically to show that no weapon was concealed in the palm, so the firing of cannon as a salute indicated the friendly intent of an empty chamber. Today gun salutes mark special occasions on certain days of the year, many of them with Royal associations. Gun salutes occur on the following Royal anniversaries:
6 February (Accession Day) 21 April (The Queen's birthday) 2 June (Coronation Day) 10 June (The Duke of Edinburgh's birthday) The Queen's official birthday (a Saturday in June) 14 November (The Prince of Wales's birthday) The State Opening of Parliament (usually November or December).
48. What is "the traditional English breakfast"?
A traditional full English breakfast includes bacon, poached or fried eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, fried bread or toast with butter and sausages, baked beans, and hash browns, usually served with a mug of tea.
49. Decode the following terms: "pillar boxes", "Downing Street,10";"5 o'clock tea"; "fireplace"; "pub"; "double-deckers"; "traffic wardens"; "kilt"; "sporran"; "Highland Games"; "Globe"; "The Odeon".
A pillar box is a free-standing post box.
Downing Street,10 is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now invariably held by the Prime Minister.
Afternoon Tea was a light elegant meal served between a light lunch and late dinner, usually between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock, and was mainly confined to the aristocracy with their leisurely lifestyle. High Tea was a more substantial meal, including meat and/or fish, and was really a early dinner which well suited the middle and lower classes after a long day at work.
A fireplace is an architectural structure designed to contain a fire for heating, as well as for cooking. Fireplaces are also used for the relaxing ambiance they create. It’s a symbol of family cosiness.
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
A double-decker is a vehicle that has two levels for passengers or cargo, one deck above the other.
A traffic warden is a non-warranted officer employed by a statutory authority in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, to assist in regulating the flow of traffic.
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general heritage even more broadly. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan pattern.
The Sporran is a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress. It is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless Scottish kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporran is determined by the formality of dress worn with it. The sporran is worn on a leather strap or chain, conventionally positioned in front of the groin of the wearer.
Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events, especially the caber toss.
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