Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
UNIT 1
The name United Kingdom refers to the union of four countries that were once
separated: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (though most of Ireland is now
independent, only Northern Ireland remains part of the UK)
1.1.2 England
a) David Beckham, Manchester United soccer team, in fact soccer and rugby
are the most popular sports in this territory. Fish and Chips, the Big Ben, the Red
Buses, the black cabs, Oasis, Blur, the Beatles, the telephone boxes, London city
and tea.
b) Its long history, its Royal Family, The Castles and Historic houses. For
example, Windsor Castle is the oldest royal residence still in use.
c) Its educational institutes. It has some of the most famous higher education
institutions of the world like Oxford, Cambridge and London universities.
d) For some of the greatest pop stars of the world – such as the Beatles, the
Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Queen, Phil Collins, the Spice Girls and Oasis.
e) For William Shakespeare who wrote classics like Hamlet, Othello, and
Romeo and Juliet.
f) Its green hills and fertile lowlands because it rains most of the year in the
United Kingdom.
g) Its pubs. (English pubs are a part of everyday life here. They're pretty much
a community gathering place. Many people go there to watch a football
game, play pool or just have a beer.)
By mentioning the information above, anyone can imagine the importance of The
United Kingdom in the world in aspects such as economy, sports, society, music,
show business among others and it can be understood why many people are
interested in knowing about these countries by reading about them or visiting them.
The Romans were the first group that invaded the United Kingdom about 2,000
years ago. Britain belonged to the Roman Empire for about 400 years and the
remains of the Roman influence in this place can still be seen in many places
today. They influenced and changed the country in aspects such as medical
practice, an administration and law system and this was possible due to their
domain of the British territory for almost four centuries and this can be said
because today, the ruins of Roman buildings, forts and roads still remain all over
the counties belonging to the United Kingdom. Another remarkable data to take
into consideration is the fact that many words of the English language are derived
from the Latin language of the Romans.
The first person who tried to conquer Britain was Emperor Julius Caesar who
arrived to Britain twice, once in 55 BC and again in 54 BC but he did not conquer
this land. It was until 43 AD when the Romans invaded Britain with the intention of
domain and make it part of their empire. It was not Julius Cesar who conquered
Britain, the invasion was led by the Emperor Claudius who needed about 40 000
soldiers. They quickly took control of southern England and from this time until 410
AD, Britain, or Britannia as it was known to the Romans, became part of the
Roman Empire.
The British made several revolts
against the Romans during the years
DID YOU KNOW?
after conquest. The most important
rebellion was led by Queen Boudicca When Boudicca was
defeated she killed
in 60-61 AD during which many towns herself. She is often
shown in pictures
were burnt to the ground but the driving a chariot.
Roman invasion did not finish and with
these rebellions crushed, the Romans then expanded their area of control and
conquered most of Britain including, by 81 AD, the south of Scotland. In 122 AD,
Romans began to build a wall across the north of
England as a defense against invading tribes from the
north. It was named Hadrian’s Wall because it was the
Emperor Hadrian who ordered it to be built. This structure
is a landmark that can be seen nowadays by tourists to
United Kingdom.
During the period of their rule, Romans founded many towns in Britain and
others grew considerably in size. The most important were Colchester
CULTURA INGLESA FIME UANL
8
Coming mainly from Denmark, The Vikings invaded eastern Britain and
northwest France, and eventually settling in both regions. They also raid across the
Baltic and penetrate deep into Russia as traders.
Vikings were said to be cruel and violent toward their
enemies and inhabitants in the conquered regions but
they were also considered as very skilled in building ships,
craftsmen, explorers, traders and sailors. They traveled in
long ships called “Drakkars” which actually were long
narrow warships decorated with dragon heads. When you
see the term Viking, it is obviously related to the ships so
Vikings are famous for their ships. Although shipbuilding was a common activity in
Viking age around Northern Europe, archeological evidence shows that Viking
ships were lighter, slimmer and faster and this undoubtedly helped them to be
better sailors than those who used heavier ships. The development of this building
ability was influenced by the importance that the ships had in gaining or
maintaining power in the sea.
These ships were 15 meters long, and they had a mast and textile sails. There
was a lot of room below the deck, with a great capacity for the storage of all selling
goods, along with food and drink for several weeks. The water was kept in wooden
barrels or sacks of animal skin. When there was little or no wind, the ship was
rowed with four meters long ores, this was a remarkable characteristic; the ships
were not dependent on the wind.
The reason the Scandinavians were
so superior at sea was that they invented
the keel. Boats with a keel could not only
be rowed, but sailed as well. Thanks to
the keel the ships could be built wider
and more seaworthy, but still with a small DID YOU KNOW?
draught, using these fast boats made it The population was
possible for them to reach places in a terrorized by the
Vikings, the reason was
short time and attack these places his ferocity and cruelty.
quickly and violently.
If you wonder how the Vikings could have disappeared if they were so violent
and powerful, the reason their conquering and occupation of many regions finished
could have been their conversion to Christianity by absorbing the beliefs of the
regions that they conquered. During the Viking age, many Scandinavians who
settled in Christian countries were converted to the new religion. They had the
opportunity to adopt the features of the new religion when they considered useful
and this was the way they gradually converted from Pagans to Christians.
The Vikings had many gods, according to the Eddas (a collection of Old Norse
poems which contain the most expansive source of Norse mythology). “The most
powerful god was the one-eyed Odin, the Allfather, god of warfare, justice, death,
wisdom and poetry. Probably the most popular god, however, was Thor, who was
stupid but incredibly strong. With his hammer Miollnir, crafted by the dwarfs, he
was the main defender of the gods against the giants. He was also the god of
thunder, and he was particularly worshipped by seafarers. Amulets of Thor's
hammer were popular throughout the Viking world. The brother and sister Frey and
Freyja, the god and goddess of fertility, were also important, and there were many
other minor gods and goddesses”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/religion_01.shtml
As it was said before, Vikings adopted Christianity from the regions they
conquered. They came into contact with Christianity through their raids, and when
after settling in lands with a Christian population, they adopted Christianity. This
happened in Normandy, Ireland, and throughout the British Isles. It was not only a
conversion abroad, the Viking domain also saw a gradual conversion in
Scandinavia, the territory where they belonged to because Anglo-Saxon and
German missionaries arrived to convert the pagans. By the mid-11th century,
Christianity was well established in Denmark and most of Norway. Although there
was a temporary conversion in Sweden in the early 11th century, it wasn't until the
mid-12th century that Christianity was established in this place.
As it was said before, the Anglo Saxons were pagans and had their own religion
beliefs, but with the arrival of Saint Augustine in 597 most of them in the country
were converted to Christianity.
Most of the information that has been obtained about the Anglo-Saxons comes
from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a year-by-year account of all the major events of
that time. Among other things it talks about the rise and fall of the bishops and
kings of who governed their territory and the important battles of the period. The
Anglo-Saxon domain came to an end in 1066, soon after the death of Edward the
Confessor, who had no heir. Because Edward did not have sons, Harold was
crowned king immediately after his dead, but in the French invasion he failed in his
attempt to defend his crown, when William and an invading army crossed the
Channel from France to claim it for himself. Harold was defeated by the Normans
at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, and thus a new era was started.
UNIT 2
There are many famous landmarks and beautiful places to visit in The United
Kingdom. They have a great history and beauty that are easy to admire. Maybe
you have seen some of them in photos, in television or in some movies. Here
some of them are presented.
2.1.1 Stonehenge
Undoubtedly this is one of the most attractive places in The United Kingdom
and also in the world. Stonehenge is a circle of ancient stones with the age
estimated at 4000 BC, it is one of most famous prehistoric monument sites in
Britain, and this monument is considered a megalithic monument in where some
aspects catch the attention. For example, the construction is made of large stone
blocks and it is thought that it was constructed during the late Neolithic and Bronze
Age. It is located in Salisbury Plain in the country of Wiltshire, in the United
Kingdom. The types of stone are bluestone,
sarson, Welsh Sandstone. Nevertheless it is said
that it was not constructed by British peopleso
there are people who claim that it should not
represent a significant British patriot trademark,
but a world patrimony instead. Some Mysteries
have been related to the stone circle, one of them
is why it was built. Scientists have studied this
monument for a long time due to the great
importance it has. It is said that this monument was used for religious ceremonies.
Some other people think that it was designed as a place to worship the sun; others
believe it may have been a place of sacrifice.
2.1.2Buckingham Palace
This may be the most attractive place in England nowadays. The London Eye is
the tallest Ferris wheel with a 450 feet (135m) high in all Europe (the third one in
the entire world) and spins smoothly at a speed of 26 cm per second. Each
rotation takes around 30 minutes, in this time you can marvel at the majestic views
that spread around (on a clear day) up to 40 km in all directions. The London Eye
was officially opened by the ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair on December 31st, 1999,
in the new millennium; although it was opened to the public until March 9th, 2000
because of technical problems. The London Eye has become a 21st Century
symbol for Britain.
Since its opening, the Eye has become one of the major landmarks and tourist
attraction and one of the iconic sights of London. It even appeared in a Fantastic
Four Movie (Rise of the Silver Surfer, 2007) generating a lot of more fame.
The rime of the Eye is supported by tie roods and resembles a huge spooked
bicycle wheel. The lighting for the
London Eye was redone with LED
lighting from Color Kinetics in
December 2006 to allow digital control
of the lights as opposed to the manual
replacement of gels over fluorescent
tubes. From January 2011, its official
name was changed to the EDF Energy
London Eye, this is the UK´s most
popular paid for visitor attraction,
visited by over 3.5 million people a year.
“British cooking is not noted for saucing and subtleties on the excellence of the
raw materials, the rhythm of the seasonal crops and a simple style of preparation
that permits the flavors of the food to come through. Fish from the rivers, lakes and
coastal waters is one of our great prides. Never more than a few hours from the
net to the fishmonger´s slab and the housewife´s pot, it remains always fresh
enough to retain its true taste the main reason we cook so plainly. To sully a Dover
Sole, matchless fish, with a rich sauce would be a negation of nature´s intent”
(Adrian Bailey).
The indigenous and particular aspects of British cooking that have earned it a
culinary niche in the world´s cuisines date back centuries. As great meat eaters,
they perfected the art of roasting. The British cuisine is a set of habits and
adaptations of foods with the climate of the place and its history. In the times of
Shakespeare, people enjoyed breads made from a variety of flours, ate every
parts of the animal that came their way, and used clever tricks to trap birds,
feeding them with aromatic herbs to give flavor to their meat. To talk about typical
cuisine in England is to talk about simple food, a lot of vegetables, fish, breads,
cheeses, roasted meals, stewed meals, pies and above all potatoes, either made
in slices or made in mash. The bread was commonly accompanied with
pottage.Now, they have many ingredients imported for other places like India, so
England has recipes for exotic food like the Chicken tikka masala, which is a dish
composed of roasted chicken chunks in a spicy sauce. These are some of the
most popular dishes in England:
This dish is made of beef roasted several hours in an oven until the meat (pork,
veal or lamb) drop juice or its color is brown. It is accompanied by roast potatoes
and other vegetables (generally boiled). It is often served
in their costume called Sunday Roast. It could be similar
than the “barbacoa” people eat in some regions of your
country on Sunday. It can be given the signature of
national dish of England.
2.2.8 Tea
2.2.9 Cheesecake
2.2.11 Cheese
There
are no more farmers nowadays
because it is much easier to send
milk in bulk by road and rail to a
creamery or cheese factory than it
is to use it to make cheese yourself.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1900 there were almost 2000
farmers in Cheshire who produced
England is internationally
the country´s most famous product; famous for the fish and
chips.
today there are only 19. There are
of course, commercial cheese
makers who produce fine Cheshire.
One of the traditions all over the world is New Year´s Day. The tradition of
celebrating New Year on January 1st according to Georgian calendar officially
began in 1752. New Year celebrations made in the United Kingdomare pretty big
and famous, this is very evident by the number of tourists visiting the country
during New Year. All over the nation they use to throw parties where the British
people sing and dance. Fireworks are also seen in the sky, lights that entertain the
people. During the New Year in England, there is a tradition according to which
people keep the back door of their houses open to symbolize for their farewell to
the old year. On the same lines, they expect a dark haired and young man to
arrive at their threshold on New Year´s Day; it is considered a symbol for good
luck in the coming year.
It is the time for three holidays (Monday, Thursday and Good Friday) and Easter
Sunday, these days are a festival and the time for giving chocolate Easter eggs,
but also Easter means much more than just that, Easter is the oldest and one of
the most important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming to
life of Jesus Christ.
CULTURA INGLESA FIME UANL
25
It is one of the most awaited days of the year. Its main characteristic is that you
can prank to everyone and they cannot get mad at you. This holiday is a little
similar to the Mexican December 28th, on this day people play jokes to someone
else they want to, this day became popular in England around 1700´s so it is kind
of old, the kind of jokes that they made usually involve people persuading other
people to do something silly.
England’s National day is St. George´s. This is a story that first appeared in the
6th century and it claims that St. George rescued a defenseless maid by slaying a
terrific dragon that could spew flames. The saint´s name was shouted as a battle
cry by English knights who fought under the red-cross flag of St. George during
the Hundred Years War (1338-1453). This was immortalized in one of
Shakespeare´s wonderful plays calledHenry V, in the lines:
“I see you stand like greyhound in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game´s afoot:
Follow you spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry ´God for Harry! England and Saint George!”
In the United Kingdom, as well as most of Europe, May Day is known as the
end of the winter and beginning of the summer, and it is looked forward to the
productive months. In ancient times it was a big festival celebrated through all the
country and celebrates with some music, dancing and games. Dancing was held
around maypoles and it had important people in story such as Robin Hood and
Jack in Green.
2.3.8 Nothing Hill Carnival Day and Summer Bank Holiday (Last Monday in
August)
It is a carnival that is planned on the last Monday in August. Its origins date
from the 1960´s and it was celebrated by the Caribbean Immigrants. It is a joyful
celebration because it has a lot of customs and music. It is also one of the largest
carnivals in Europe.
If you have seen the movie “V for Vendetta” you will probably know that this
movie is based on the November 5th celebration. It is an important day in the
United Kingdom, especially in England. This day comes since 1605 and it is called
the Bonfire night (Guy Fawkes Night). Guy Fawkes was a catholic guy who tried to
explode the parliament and kill the king because the king had settled some laws
that the Catholics though were unfair.
weekend, the following Monday and Tuesday are Bank Holidays. This means that
people do not work in order to observe both celebrations.
St. Patrick´s Day is held in honor of the patron Saint of Ireland. The work of St.
Patrick (c.389-c.461) was vital for the spreading of Christianity in Ireland. Born in
Britain, he was taken off by pirates and spent the next six years being their
slave.Afterescaping, he started training as a missionary. Since London has a great
quantity of Irish people, it´s quite a big celebration. There is a big parade held on
the nearest Monday if it falls on a weekend of March. This annual parade usually
takes place in Trafalgar Square.
2.4.1 Constitution
The United Kingdom does not have a single, written constitution (a set of rules
of government). But this does not mean that the UK has an ‘unwritten constitution’.
In fact, it is mostly written, but instead of being one formal document, the British
constitution is formed from various sources including statute law, case law made
by judges, and international treaties. There are also some unwritten sources,
including parliamentary conventions and royal prerogatives.
governors, diplomats, bishops and some other senior clergy of the Church of
England. She also grants peerages, knighthoods and other honors.
Queen’s close family, such as her children and her cousins (the children of her
father’s brothers), and their wives or husbands.
The royal family plays an important role in supporting and encouraging the
public and charity sectors, and around 3,000 organizations list a member of the
royal family as a patron or president. There are various charities and organizations
supported by a member of the royal family.
There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or isn't a member of the
royal family, but those carrying the title His or Her Majesty (HM), His or Her Royal
Highness (HRH) or Their Royal Highnesses (TRH) are generally considered
members.
The title to the crown derives partly from statute and partly from common law
rules of descent. Despite interruptions in the direct line of succession, inheritance
has always been the way royal power has passed down the generations, with sons
of the sovereign coming before daughters in succeeding to the throne.
When a daughter does succeed, she becomes Queen Regnant and has the
same powers as a king. The 'consort' of a king takes her husband's rank and style,
becoming Queen. No special rank or privileges are given to the husband of a
Queen Regnant.
Under the Act of Settlement of 1700, only Protestant descendants of Princess
Sophia, the Electress of Hanover (a granddaughter of James I of England and VI of
Scotland) are eligible to succeed. The order of succession to the throne can be
altered only by common consent of the countries of the Commonwealth of which
the monarch is sovereign.
The sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.
He or she is at once proclaimed at an Accession Council, to which all members of
the Privy Council are called. Members of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor,
Aldermen and other leading citizens of the City of London are also invited.
The coronation follows the accession. The ceremony takes place at Westminster
Abbey in London in the presence of representatives of both Houses of Parliament
and all the major public organizations in the UK. The prime ministers and leading
The Cabinet is a formal body made up of the most senior government ministers
chosen by the prime minister; is the committee at the center of the British political
system and the supreme decision making body in government.
Cabinet ministers are the highest-ranking ministers in the government, and most
government departments have one Cabinet minister (or more). Most Cabinet
ministers are titled ‘Secretary of State’ – although some have traditional titles, such
as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Whip.
Every Tuesday while Parliament is in session, the Cabinet meets in the Cabinet
room at 10 Downing Street to discuss the issues of the day. Historically the
Government Cabinets have met in the same room since 1856, when it was called
the Council Chamber.The Prime Minister chairs the meeting and sets its agenda;
he also decides who speaks around the Cabinet table, and sums up at the end of
each item.
In addition to the whole Cabinet meetings, exist a range of Cabinet committees
meet in smaller groups to consider policy with other ministers who are closely
involved with the relevant issue.The Prime Minister decides who will sit on these
small committees.
As head of the UK government, the Prime Minister oversees the operation of the
Civil Service and government agencies, he appoints members of the Cabinet, and
he is the main government figure in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is
also, by tradition, the First Lord of the Treasury – and draws his or her salary in
that role, rather than as Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's unique position of authority comes from majority support in
the House of Commons and the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. By
modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the Commons.
The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet, he is responsible for allocating
functions among ministers and, at regular meetings with the Queen, he informs her
of the general business of the government. Others responsibilities include
recommending a number of appointments to the Queen. These include high-
ranking members of the Church of England, senior judges and certain civil
appointments. He also recommends appointments to several public boards and
institutions.
The Prime Minister's Office supports him in his role as head of government. This
includes providing policy advice, tracking the delivery of government commitments
and initiatives, and ensuring effective communications to Parliament, the media
and the public.
The three parts of Parliament - the House of Commons, the House of Lords and
the Sovereign - only meet together on occasions of symbolic significance such as
the State Opening of Parliament when the Commons is summoned by the
Sovereign to the House of Lords. The agreement of all three is normally needed to
pass laws, but that of the Sovereign is given as a matter of course.
House of Commons
The House of Commons consists of 646 elected MPs. Of the 646 seats, 529
represent constituencies in England, 40 in Wales, 59 in Scotland, and 18 in
Northern Ireland.
After a Parliament has been dissolved and a General Election has been held,
the Sovereign summons a new Parliament. When an MP dies, resigns or is made a
member of the House of Lords a by-election takes place.
The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker, elected by MPs to
preside over the House. Other officers include the Chairman of Ways and Means
and two deputy chairmen, who may all act as Deputy Speakers. They are elected
by the House as nominees of the government, but may come from the Opposition
as well as the government party. The House of Commons Commission, a statutory
body chaired by the Speaker, is responsible for the administration of the House.
Permanent officers (who are not MPs) include the Clerk of the House of
Commons, who is the principal adviser to the Speaker on the House's privileges
and procedures. The Clerk's other responsibilities relate to the conduct of the
business of the House and its committees. The Clerk is also accounting officer for
the House. The Sergeant at Arms, who waits upon the Speaker, carries out certain
orders of the House. He is also the official housekeeper of the Commons' part of
the Palace of Westminster and is responsible for security.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the second chamber or upper house of the UK
Parliament. It works with the House of Commons to make laws, scrutinize the
actions of the government, and provide a forum of independent expertise. It
consists of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.
The Lords Spiritual: include the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of
York, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Durham, and the Bishop of Winchester.
Membership of the House of Lords also extends to the longest-serving other
bishops of the Church of England.
The Lords Temporal are hereditary or life peers. They may support a political
party; non-partisan Lords are called cross-benchers. Legislation since 1999 has
limited the number of hereditary peers and the largest number of peers in the Lords
are life peers (whose peerages are not inheritable).
The House of Lords Chamber spends about 60 per cent of its time on
legislation; the other 40 per cent is spent on scrutiny - questioning government and
debating issues and policy. Committee work takes place outside the Chamber.
Each sitting day the Members
of the Lords start by questioning
government ministers in the
Chamber to find out what they are
doing, or propose to do, on any
subject. After these ‘Oral
Questions’, Lords may then DID YOU KNOW?
examine and improve draft
All legislation has to be
legislation. provided by both Houses of
Parliament, a proposed piece
of legislation called a “Bill”.
This may have begun in the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
Members may also debate important topics to highlight what the House thinks on
an issue, signaling their views to the country and the government.
UNIT 3
In first world countries like The United Kingdom education is a very important
aspect of their government and according to the education Act of 1944, all children
have a right to free school education and at the same time education is compulsory
between ages between five and sixteen. This means that going to school is an
obligation for all children. Something really interesting is the fact that almost 75% of
children stay at school beyond the age of 16 and 44% of them go on to higher
education.
The diversity that exists between the different countries that form the UK
produces different needs and therefore different education systems. The United
Kingdom has an international reputation for giving home to several top universities
that are located across the countries that are part of it. As in many other countries,
the UK´s educational system is composed by several different levels of education
which varies in every autonomous country as the subjects and qualifications
required for studying.
The goals of the education at a national level are determined by the central
education authorities. They promote, manage, and supervise works for improving
the development of the curricula and national exams. They also offer the minimum
shares of educational provision. The Local Education Authorities (LEA) is the
responsible for the local and regional education management. It is focused on the
educational field and the Counselors that work in this department are publicly
elected form the Local Education Authorities.
Educational institutions directly depend of LEA, buy they have great autonomy.
This freedom is reduced only in the economic aspect, because all the money is
assigned under specific necessities but their freedom is very wide about teaching
styles, materials, establishment, infrastructure, curriculum, etc.
There are basically two different kinds of system used in the UK:
1° The one that covers the regions of England, Wales and North Ireland.
2° The one that is only used in Scotland.
Nowadays in the year 2012, less than 10% of the UK students do not attend
publicly-funded state schools, they go to private institutions. There are about 8.5
million kids that go to one of the 30,000 English and Welsh schools. There are
830,000 students distributed in about 5,000 Scottish schools; these include pre-
schools and special education schools. Finally, Ireland has 350,000 children in
1,300 state schools. Primary schools are usually integrated by both, male and
female students, while secondary schools can include just members of one sex.
According to the law, all English and Welsh children between ages of 5 and 16
must receive a full education, while in Northern Ireland they must begin a year
earlier. In 1992, the United Kingdom adopted a National Curriculum, which is
required in every state school until pupils turn 16. School learning has four key
stages that relate to the curriculum.
The National Curriculum was introduced into the UK for guiding the stated
schools to a common curriculum in all of them even though private schools may
deviate from it. The twelve subjects required in order to follow the National
Curriculum are:
1. English 7. Geography
2. Mathematics 8. History
3. Science 9. Information and communication
4. Art technology
5. Citizenship 10. Modern Foreign Languages
6. Design and Technology 11. Music
12. Physical Education
The National Curriculum includes more subjects, buy they are less common or
exist only in some schools, like Religious Education, Careers education and Sex
education.
Education in the UK can be divided into four stages which are related to the
student´s age.
The preschool (nursery) is called FS1, because it is the first year before they go
into a primary school. Preschool is offered to students between 2 and 5 years old
and it is provided at the Nursery Schools. Generally, these establishments are
public and part of the LEA. This preschool education is not compulsory and can be
provided part time or full time. There isn´t a big tradition about preschool education
in the UK, this is why the number of Nursery Schools is so small.
The first nursery was opened in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg, Germany by Friedrich
Wilhelm August Fröbel.
The education system in Scotland is managed by the Scottish parliament and
it´s the most different of the UK´s educational systems. In Scotland the education is
recommended to start at home, teaching the kids to read and count in English or
Gaelic, in order to star formal education at the age of four or five, depending on the
birth day, in the basic level.
3.1.1 Primary
3.1.2 Secondary
At the end of the Primary School, there are no final exams and students don’t
get any kind of title. After the primary school, at the age of 11 years old, students
have to choose one of two options, these options are the starting of the Secondary
School and it is cover by the Stages 3 and 4 previously mentioned.
•Option 1 . Grammar Schools
Grammar Schools provide the whole Secondary Education. In order to enter to
these schools it is necessary to pass a selective exam. Their objective is to
prepare students to enter to the universities. There are other options to enter
universities which are not selective and free, so as a consequence of this, the
percentage of students in the UK that assist to Grammar Schools is reduced.
It is important to mention that after World War II, the government of The United
Kingdom reorganized the secondary schools into two basic types. Secondary
moderns were intended for children who would be going into a trade and
concentrated on the basics plus practical skills; grammar schools were intended for
children who would be going on to higher education and concentrated on the
classics or science. This system lasted until the 1960s, at which point changes in
the political climate led to the general acceptance that this was a discriminatory
system which was not getting the best out of all children. This was partly because
some authorities tended to prioritize their budgets on the grammar schools,
damaging the education prospects of children attending secondary moderns.
At the end of the key stage 4 when students finish the Secondary School, they
are evaluated with the main extern exam for students that have already finished
the Secondary School. This exam is the General Certificate of Secondary
Education (GCSE).
The state schools in an area are usually run directly by the local authority which
is responsible for appointing the teachers and others staff as well as deciding
where new schools are built. This is always the case in Scotland but in other parts
of The United Kingdom there are alternatives such as foundation schools run by a
governing body, voluntary schools, many of which are church schools, and
academies, which are built with some private money and run as independent
schools in the state sector.
Compulsory Education: Secondary School II
• Universities
There about 50 universities in the United Kingdom, eight of them are in
Scotland, two are in Northern Ireland, there is one in Wales and the rest are in
England. These institutions have great autonomy in spite of which they are public
funded, supported by the University Grants Committee.
• Polytechnics
These are centers of higher education that usually specialize in applied science
for commercial and industrial sectors and also offer some humanistic disciplines.
They were created to extend higher education in order to respond economically to
the social and economic needs, meet young people with diverse skills and focus on
applying knowledge. They offer courses full or part time, all geared to get the
professional field and are closely related to industry, business and professional
corporations. A committee for the polytechnic institutions does the same work as
that of Vice-Chancellors in universities: the Committee of Polytechnics.
Colleges
They consist of nature centers and extensive options. They are not universities
and they have several names: College of Higher Education, Colleges of Arts,
Agriculture Colleges, etc. Also, the polytechnics institutions and some Colleges
may issue Degrees that the National Council Degree grants.
other colleges are mixed, though most were originally all male. Darwin was the
first college to admit both men and women.
The alumni of the University often become very successful. Among other
famous alumni are John Harvard (who later founded Harvard University), the poet
John Milton and many of the most important scientific discoveries and revolutions
were made by Cambridge alumni. Some of them include understanding the
scientific method, by Francis Bacon; the laws of motion and development of
calculus by Sir Isaac Newton; the discovery of the electron, by J. J. Thomson; the
splitting of atom, by Ernest Rutherford and the nucleus, by Sir John Cockcroft and
Ernest Walton; the unification of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell; the
discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish and the theory of Evolution by natural
selection, by Charles Darwin.
Students from the university have won Nobel prizes, Fields Medals, Abel Prizes
and many more prestigious awards. Cambridge University has more graduates that
go on to become Nobel Laureates than any other university in the world – with 61
so far. That is 13 more than the next best
which is Harvard University. The first Nobel
Laureate from Cambridge University was
Lord Rayleigh, who discovered Argon in the
1904, this was followed by JJ Thomson in
1906, who investigates the electrical
conductivity of gases. In 1932, both Lord
Adrian and Charles Sherrington were
awarded Nobel Laureates for their work on
the function of neurons.
Two of the most influential Nobel Laureate winners from this University were
Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, who together discovered penicillin. The discovery
of penicillin has undoubtedly changed modern society. Other Nobel Laureate
winners from Cambridge include: James Chadwick (discovered the neutron); John
Hicks (discovered equilibrium theory); Charles Barkla (discovered the
characteristics of X-rays); and most recently, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan for his
studies of the structure and function of the ribosome.
Throughout its history, Oxford has produced gifted men and women in every
sphere of human endeavour who have studied or taught at the University. Among these
there are 26 British Prime Ministers, including the current one, Rt Hon David Cameron
MP; at least 30 international leaders; 49 Nobel Prize winners; 7 current holders of the
Order of Merit; al least 12 saints and 20 Archbishops of Canterbury; and some 120
Olympic medal winners.
At least 117 Oxonians were elected to Parliament in the UK's General Election in
2010, and more than 140 sit in the House of Lords. The offices of Prime Minister,
Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer are all currently
held by Oxford graduates, as are those of Secretary of State for Energy and Climate
Change, Secretary of State for Education, Secretary of State for Transport, Secretary of
State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
In addition, at least two members of the US House of Representatives, three members
of the US Senate and one US State Governor were educated at Oxford.
Some scientists graduated
between 17th & 18th Centuries.
Some of them are Edmund Halley,
astronomer; William Harvey,
scientist who discovered the
circulation of the blood; Robert
Hooke, scientist. In the 20th & 21st
Centuries some graduated from
DID YOU KNOW?
Oxford are Dame Josephine
Barnes, first female President of the The Prime Minister in the 2013
British Medical Association; Sir Tim in the United Kingdom, David
Cameron was a graduated
Berners-Lee, inventor of the World student from Oxford.
Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane, Alentejo Blue and In the Kitchen
The Nobel Prize has been awarded every year since 1901 for
achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and
peace. It is an international award administered by the Nobel
Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. Oxford University have Nobel Prize winners in
Chemistry, Economics, Literature, Medicine, Peace and Physics.
Another important University in English speaking world is not located in the United
Kingdom, it is located in The United States of America and it is considered the best
university in the world: Harvard University.
During the 2012-2013 academic year, students from families with incomes below
$65,000 will generally pay nothing toward the cost of attending Harvard College.
Families with incomes between $65,000 and $150,000 will contribute from 0 to 10
percent of income, depending on individual circumstances. Significant financial aid also
is available for families above those incomes ranges. The total 2011-2012 cost of
attending Harvard College without financial aid is $36,305 for tuition and $52,652 for
tuition, room, board and fees combined.
Harvard College has around 21,000 students. Harvard University is made up of 11
principal academic units –ten faculties and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Drew Gilpin Faust (woman) is the Harvard University President. Its Library is the largest
academic library in the United States (17 million volumes), and the second largest
library in the country.
These are some famous graduated students from Harvard University
Eight U.S. Presidents have graduated from Harvard and 44 Nobel Laureates have
been affiliated.
Mexican Presidents that have graduated from Harvard are Felipe Calderon, Carlos
Salinas de Gortari and Miguel de la Madrid.
John Adams (October 30, 1735-July 4, 1826). He was an American politician, was
the country’s second President (1797-1801).John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767-
February 23, 1848) was the sixth U.S. President (1825-1829).
December 31st, 1932), Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1913-1920), and New York
State Senator (January 1, 1911-March 17, 1913).
Gates is the author of two books: The Road Ahead (1995), and Business @ the
Speed of Thought (1999). He is consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest
people.
UNIT # 4
Darwin returned to England in 1836 and spent the next 23 years collecting evidence to
support his theory. When he published On the Origin of
Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859) it caused much
argument and anger because it seemed to disagree with the
story of creation in the Bible. Most people now accept the
main points of Darwin’s Theory, and many see it and the Bible
as two ways of saying the same thing, but others, especially in
the US, interpret the Bible account literally and believe that
only creationism, also called creation science, should be
taught in schools.
Richard Trevithick was an English engineer who was the first man to
develop steam engines into vehicles carrying passengers. The first of
these were to be used on roads, but in 1804 he built the first steam
engine that moved on rails.
Barnes Wallis was an English engineer. He designed some of the most important
aircraft and weapons of World War II, including the Wellington and Wellesley bombers
and a bouncing bomb used to destroy dams. After the war he invented the ‘swing-wing’
aircraft and helped to design Concorde.
William Thomson was a British physicist and inventor. He did much work on the laws of
thermodynamics and in 1848 produced a temperature scale that
later became known as the Kelvin Scale. He also did important
work in the areas of magnetism and electricity. He invented many
scientific instruments, especially for use at sea, and was involved
in the laying of the first cable under the Atlantic.
Rowland Hill was a British Post Office worker who invented the
postage stamp, originally costing one penny. Before this, postage
was paid by the person receiving a letter or parcel. Hill was made a
knight in 1860.
Jane Goodall is remembered as a British scientist who became famous for her study of
chimpanzees. She discovered that these animals can use tools. Before her studies,
people thought that these animals could not use tools. Before her studies, people
thought that only humans understood how to make and use tools with their hands. At
the age of 23, she met Dr. Louis Leakey on a trip to
Africa and became his assistant. Then she went to
Gombe National Park in Tanzania in 1960. She lived
and worked there studying how chimpanzees live. She
has won many prizes for her work and in 1977 she
started the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research,
Education and Conservation. She was made a dame in
2004.
JJ Thomson was an English physicist who won the Nobel Prize for
physics in 1906 for discovering the electron. He was also
responsible for running the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge,
England, which became the world’s leading center for research
into atomic physics. His son George Thomson (1892-1975) and
seven of his assistants all won Nobel Prizes.
Geoffrey de Havilland
(1882-1965) was a
British aircraft designer
whose company
produced many of Britain’s best-Known aircraft
He started the company after designing planes in DID YOU KNOW?
World War I , and it produced the Mosquito Martin Ryle was an English
astronomer. His work helped to
fighter plane during World Wide II and them the establish the “big bang” theory,
Comet , the world’s first passenger jet plane. His which argues that all the matter
in the universe exploded form a
tiny point many millions of years
company is now part of BAE Systems. ago.
and five years later produced the especially for its science courses and
research. It was established in 1861 in
first Model T. He became very rich Boston and moved in 1916 to
Cambridge, Massachusetts, close to
Harvard University. It is considered to be
and successful, and established the one of the best science and technology
universities in the world.
international Ford Foundation.
R Buckminster Fuller was an engineer from US and inventor of devices and buildings
that made the most efficient use of materials. His best-known inventions include the
geodesic dome and the Dymaxion House. Fuller also created the
idea of ‘Spaceship Earth’ which imagines all people on earth as
travelers together through space. He was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1983.
It was first used by the US Army in the Mexican War. Colt built the world’s largest
factory in 1855 at Hartford, Connecticut, where the colt company is still based.
Bill Gates is a US businessman who, in association with Paul Allen, started the
Microsoft Corporation when he was only 19 on April 4th, 1975. Microsoft is a company
dedicated to the computer industry and it is established in Redmond Washington, USA.
Microsoft was the creator of the operating system windows. This product is being used
as Microsoft Windows operating system. He is thought to be the richest person in the
world. His foundation called Gates Foundation, gives money to educational and health
projects. He was made an honorary knight by the British government in 2005.
Larry Page & Sergey Brin (Google Funders) were two doctoral students in computer
from Stanford University who improved searches. Coordination and advice were due to
Mexican Hector Garcia Molina on September 4th, 1998. They had a server with 80
CPUs and two HP routers. This search engine beat a more popular time Altavista,
which was created in 1995.
UNIT 5
The story is told of E. M. Forster that, once when he was asked why he wrote,
he replied he did so in order to find out what he thought. So it is with expressive
culture, though the object is not so much to discover thoughts as it is to discover
feelings. We dance and sing, enact and tell stories, create images and statues, to
make our feelings known to one another, and thereby to ourselves. (C. Geertz; The
Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays 1973)
In today’s world the music and the movies are two of the most influential
platforms globally. They influence the society, mostly the youth with fashion trends,
gadgets, language and also cultural and economic development.
People have been creating music almost as long as there have been people,
probably for at least a hundred thousand years ago. The earliest music was
probably clapping hands and singing. Soon people also began to bang on hollow
logs and knock sticks together to make louder sounds; these were the earliest
percussion instruments.
5.1 Music
Music is one universal language of mankind. Throughout the world's history
many styles have been developed.
All music is based in Sounds, and all sounds start with the vibration of an object,
such as a table that is pounded or a string that is plucked. The vibrations are
transmitted to the ears by a medium (usually air) and the ear catches the
waves/vibrations, the eardrums start vibrating and it creates impulses or signals
that are transmitted to the brain. There the impulses are selected, organized, and
interpreted.
The music is part of this world of sound, an it`s based on the organization of
sounds in time. As the entire world’s music, the past century created an extreme
evolution in sounds and styles fusion. From hillbilly, rock & roll, through punk rock
and heavy metal; to folk, folk rock, progressive rock, Britpop, boy bands, to rap,
electronic and drum and bass music, among some other new styles.
In the mind of many people who are interested in the evolution of the rock and
roll, the year 1965 was the beginning, the birth of a revolution, and it´s because
there was a whole generation coming on age and blossoming that all of this was
possible.
In 1965 there was a generation of adolescents in the United Kingdom that had
grown listening to the blues of the black Americans and thanks to this they
invented their own sound which was charged with the emotions of the moment,
adrenaline and rebellion. “The Who” were the responsible of introducing the
attitude and the volume, “The Rolling Stones” came with the arrogance and sex.
This new Sound was a revolution which ended up changing and influencing
everything from the political thoughts to the ways of living of the people, this sound
was called “Rock”.
British music has evolved across many styles over the past century and then
many styles have evolved from Britain led by British musicians. And this is only one
genre of music! In the classical music world, musicians and composers have
continually worked with different styles and instrumentation – looking backwards as
well as forwards to interpret and re-interpret the classical sound.
The major movement in rock and roll in Britain was due to the impact of The
Beatles in popular music at that time and their impact upon popular culture too.
Thanks to this new wave of rock and roll in the sixties, many other acts of a similar
genre emerged: The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Yardbirds, Alan Price and The
Kinks.
The 1970s decade gave us new styles influenced by a more relaxed and
confused youth, with groups like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.
And singers in the scene like Rod Stewart, David Bowie and Elton John.
Rock and roll in Britain at that time started as a liberation from pre-war austerity;
teenagers could dance, drink and smoke, and enjoy the new sounds and
freethinking lyrics of these bands and singers. The era momentum coincided with
the advent of the pill and the sexual liberation creating a big part of this intoxicating
package.
The Beatles
One of the most representative groups of music
were The Beatles, it was an English rock band known
as the most commercially successful and critically
acclaimed in the history of popular music. The band
was formed in Liverpool in 1962 by John Lennon
(rhythm guitar, piano, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass,
vocalist, pianist), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals)
and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals).
“Yesterday” is a song by British rock band The Beatles, recorded in 1965 for the
Album Help!. Although authorship is usually attributed to John Lennon and Paul
McCartney, Yesterday is the song over the radio broadcasts worldwide, with over
six million emissions in the USA.
The Beatles have been a source of inspiration for many groups who have felt
identified with them because of their innovations and they have even tended
successfully with some versions of song by the Beatles.
Queen
Queen is a British rock band
formed in London in 1971,
originally consisting of Freddie
Mercury (lead vocals, piano),
Brian May (guitar, vocals), John
Deacon (bass guitar, vocals) and
Roger Taylor (drums, vocals)
Queen´s earliest works were
influenced by progressive rock, DID YOU KNOW?
but the band gradually ventured Freddie Mercury died of
into more conventional and radio- bronchopneumonia, a
complications of AIDS.
friendly works, incorporating
more diverse and innovative
styles in their music.
Their 1977 album “News of the World” contained two rock´s most recognizable
songs, “We will rock you” and “We are the champions”, this last song is a ballad
composed by Freddie Mercury and it´s one of his most famous and popular song in
the world.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on
March 25th, 1947) is an English singer, composer and pianist.
Both of John´s parents were musically inclined. John started
playing the piano at the age of 3, and within a year, his mother
heard him picking out Winifred Atwell´s “The Skater´s Waltz”
by ear. He showed musical aptitude at school, including the
ability to compose melodies, and gained some notoriety by playing like Jerry Lee
Lewis at school functions. At the age of 11, he won a junior scholarship to the
Royal Academy of Music.
John´s voice was once classed
as tenor, it is now baritone. His
piano playing is influenced by
classical and gospel music. He
used Paul Buckmaster to arrange
the music on his studio albums
DID YOU KNOW?
during the 1970´s.Elton John
performed his song “Candle in the “We are the champions” has
become an anthem for sporting
Wind” at the funeral of Princess victories, was the official song of
World Cup 1994.
Diana in 1997 and the song went
on to become an international
best-seller. John (like Paul
McCartney) was knighted by
Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.
In the 21st century he has contributed to perform widely, doing a long series of
tours.
Brit Pop
Britpop started in the early 1980's and last until late 1990s, with the rise of
several bands such as U2, Oasis, Blur and the Cranberries, who heralded a new
movement of British pop bands, having his top with a very huge phenomenon, the
Spicegirls.
Bands and singers that have emerged since 2000 includes: Razorlight,
Coldplay, The Streets, James Morrison, James Blunt, The Arctic Monkeys, The
Fratellis, the late Amy Winehouse, and Adele. And others with a less exposure like
Dido, The Kaiser Chiefs, Blue, Franz Ferdinand, Joss Stone and Keane.
5.2.1 Glastonbury
Glastonbury is the Most Famous British Music Festival, and the top of all British
music festivals. The first Glastonbury festival was held in 1970, the day after Jimi
Hendrix died. Attendance at the first Glastonbury festival was a mere 1500 people
compared with the 150,000 in the last years.
The four day festival attracts the biggest names in music; this is why tickets are
usually sold out within a matter of hours. Attendees who do manage to get their
hands on tickets can usually expect some rain and mud and the musical
experience of a lifetime.
5.2.2 Coachella
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, is an annual three-day music and
arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice the third weekend or the last week of April.
The event features many genres of music; including rock, indie, hip hop and
electronic music, as well as sculptural art.
The event has several stages-tents each one playing live music continuously for
the duration of the festival. But the main stage is The Coachella Stage. The 2012
festival got an audience of 20,000 people.
5.2.3 Lollapalooza
British film industry is one of the most respected in the world. Film production in
the UK has experienced ups and downs over time, there are different ways to
measure how successful the industry has been, and for example the number of
films produced every year. This could give the people an insight into all its
development.
Audiences seem to have a great hour or two of entertainment when they watch
a black and white classic from the forties or fifties, or a newly released film. Films
make audiences laugh, cry, think, scream, relax and as a consequence they all
come out of a cinema or the theater happy because they had a good time while
watching the movie.
The first public performances of films before a paying audience in Great Britain
began at the Polytechnic in Upper Regent Street, central London, in February
1896. Consisting of short films made in France by the Lumière brothers and shown
via their Cinematographer equipment, the program was so successful that it was
transferred to the Empire music hall in Leicester Square as one of the top items on
the bill. A British inventor, R. W. Paul, showed films at Olympia the following month
via his rival system which was booked into the Alhambra music hall in Leicester
Square and elsewhere.
The new marvel of 'animated pictures' spread rapidly through travelling fairs,
through showmen hiring local halls for special shows, and through the music halls
everywhere. Once film had demonstrated its lasting appeal, businessmen began
taking over shops, halls and railway arches, painting over the windows and
otherwise rather crudely converting them into full-time cinemas.
Under the Cinematograph Act of 1909, new regulations came into effect in
January 1910 to improve safety. As the nitrate film stock being projected was
highly inflammable, the Act required the provision of a fire-resistant projection. This
legislation greatly encouraged the spread of purpose-built picture houses. These
usually had flamboyant exteriors to catch the eye, with payboxes open to the
street. As shows were made up of short films, including travelogues and news
items, and lasted only for an hour to 90 minutes (feature films began to arrive
around 1914), these cinemas were generally provided with tiny foyers and minimal
toilet facilities.
The auditoria had sloping floors and, usually, parallel side walls with decorated
panels separated by pilasters. Seating was rarely for more than a few hundred
patrons and balconies were not often provided.
All picture houses had a range of prices, commonly starting at 3d. (threepence)
and rising to 1s. (one shilling - 5p in decimal currency), with reduced prices for
children. The best seats in the house cost four times as much as the cheapest and
this was a pattern that prevailed until recent times. The cheap seats (at the front)
Unpleasant body odors, dense cigarette smoke and a lack of fresh air were
problems that could be alleviated by opening windows, and sometimes a ceiling
dome or sliding roof.
Films were usually projected onto a whitewashed plaster screen on the back
wall of the stage. They were accompanied by a pianist or small orchestra.
Sometimes, sound effects (such as coconut shells to imitate horses' hoofs) were
added from the side. Members of the audience would commonly read out the
subtitles for the benefit of illiterate companions.
After local authorities began banning and censoring films, the film industry in
1912 hurriedly set up the independent British Board of Film Censors to classify
films according to audience suitability, and its decisions have usually been
accepted.
Permanent picture houses had appeared in virtually every town by the outbreak
of World War One in 1914, which put an end to new building schemes for the next
few years.
Unless they were rebuilt or enlarged, the early picture houses were usually
destined to become 'fleapits' because of their cramped facilities, compared to the
new cinemas of the 1920s and 1930s, which also took the best new films away
from them. Some early cinemas located in poor areas resorted to admitting
children in exchange for empty jam jars or other salvageable items.
Cinemas attracted the attention of promoters and many small regional circuits
were established, building new cinemas and acquiring existing ones. One of the
most active was the Pyke's circuit in London. The first national chain to emerge
was Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT), which established a 'Picture
House' in the center of most major cities. These and individual new cinemas like
the West End in London's Coventry Street (1913) were built to a high standard to
attract the more affluent classes and featured a full orchestra to accompany the
'silent' films, private boxes at the rear, elegant decoration, cafés or tea rooms,
smoking lounges, ladies' only salons and even writing desks with free stationery.
The 1960's saw a huge boom in British film: the 'Kitchen Sink' realism promoted
through such classics such as the birth of James Bond in
1962 with 'Dr. No'. James Bond 007 is a fictional character
created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who was a British
intelligence employee at that time and featured him in twelve
novels and two short story collections. He wrote in just 3
months (between January 15th and March 18th, 1952) his
first Bond novel ‘Casino Royale’.
The first Bond movie was based on another of his novels of the same name “Dr.
No” in 1962. “Casino Royale”, was not made a movie until 2006. The complete list
of Bond movies is:
Dr.No (1962), From Russian with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball
(1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969),
Diamonds are forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden
Gun (1974), The Spy who loved me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For your eyes only
(1981), Octopussy (1983), Never Say Never Again
(1983) not official bond movie, A View to a kill
(1985), The Living Daylights (1987), License to Kill
(1989), Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies
(1997), The World is Not Enough (1999), Die
another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006),
Quantum of Solance (2009) and Skyfall (2012).
The actors portraying the famous spy, all six have been from the United
Kingdom or the territories of English heritage. Sean Connery was the first in 1962
and continued until 1969, the unknown actor George Lazenby appeared in one
film. Roger Moore was the third one to take the job for seven movies. The next
actor to appear as Bond was Timothy Dalton just for 2 movies; after some years at
the middle of the 1990`s decade Pierce Brosnan took the part. And nowadays
Daniel Craig is the one who fills the spy shoes.
Maybe you can remember some of the actors who appeared in the film. The kids
on the film: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton and Robert
Pattinson. Or the already famous adult stars like Gary Oldman, Jason Isaacs,
Kenneth Branagh, Alan Rickman, Emma Thomson, Helena Bonham Carter, Bill
Nighy, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris or Ralph Fiennes; All of them well known
talented and respected British actors.
Many British actors have achieved international fame and critical success,
including Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, Lawrence Olivier, Charlie Chaplin, Alec
Guinness, Michael Caine, Peter Sellers and Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Orlando
Bloom, between others.
Charles Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (London, April 16, 1889-1977)
was a comedian, composer, producer, film director and English
writer best known for his popular performances during the silent
era. Since then, he has been considered of the most
representative figures of comedy.
He was known for his popular character Charlot and highlighted in films since
the early years of 1910 to 1950. He filmed around ninety films. He was one of the
founders of United Artist in 1919, his career spanned over seven decades and he
received an award from the Academy in1928. In 1972 he was awarded with the
Honorary Academy Award. He was knighted by the Queen Elizabeth II in 1975.
Alfred Hitchcock
He is known as “the Master of suspense”. Alfred Hitchcock was
one of the most respected and famous film directors in the world.
He was also an engineer. Actually, he worked in the engineering
field before he started in the film business in London in 1920.
He created over 50 films, including the Rear Window, The 39 Steps, Psycho,The
Man Who Knew Too Much and The Birds, even a television series: “Alfred
Hitchcock presents”. He received a lot of international awards including some Life
Achievement Awards before he died in 1980.
Hugh Laurie
He is an actor, writer, comedian and musician famous for his
role as Dr. Gregory House in the TV series "House".
Kate Beckinsale
She is an English actress who made raves because of
her beauty and acting talent. She has appeared in movies
like Pearl Harbor, Underworld, The Aviator and Van
Helsing.
Kate Winslet
She isan English actress considered one of the most
talented actresses. She has been nominated for her
various roles in several movies in which she appeared
several times. In her 30s she has already won an OSCAR,
a SAG award, BAFTA, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association award, and
she has been nominated for an Emmy too.
Ewan McGregor
He is a Scotch stage and film actor that first became
famous in Independent and art house films. He has
appeared in the movie Trainspotting and as the young
Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new Star Wars trilogy.
Anthony Hopkins
He is a Welsh film, stage and television actor and one of the
biggest stars in Hollywood. He portrayed the serial killer, Hannibal
Lecter in the movie "Silence of the Lambs", “Hannibal” and "The
Red Dragon". He also starred in Dracula, Legends of the Fall,
The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Nixon, etc.
Christian Bale
He is a welsh actor who has appeared in numerous
big and small budgeted films such as the “Empire of the
Sun”, “the Machinist”, “The Fighter” and as Bruce Wayne
in the last 3 Batman Movies.
Liam Neeson
He is anactor who born in Northern Ireland. He is popularly
known as Oscar Schindler in the movie “Schindler´s List“, Qui
Gion Jinn in “Star Wars Episode I”, Ra´s al Ghul in “Batman
Begins” and has also starred in Rob Roy, Kingdom of Heaven,
and Taken.
U (1912-present) - This stood for 'Universal' and denoted that a film was suitable
for everyone.
PG (1982-present) - Replacing the old A certificate, this stood for 'Parental
Guidance'. Although anyone could be admitted, PG certificate films contained an
implicit warning that the film might contain material unsuitable for children.
15 (1982-present) - This replaced the old AA certificate, raising the age limit to
15 in the process.
18 (1982-present) - This replaced the old X certificate, barring people under
eighteen.
R18 (1982-present) - This classification was exclusively intended for videos that
could only be sold in licensed sex shops.
Uc (1985-present) - This denotes video releases deemed particularly suitable for
pre-school children.
12 (1989-present) - Introduced for cinema films in 1989 and video releases in
1994, this covers films that, while containing material deemed unsuitable for
children, were nonetheless considered appropriate for 12-year-olds and upwards.
12A (2002-present) - Introduced for cinema films, this replaced the theatrical 12
certificate and permitted children under twelve to see the films provided they were
accompanied by a responsible adult.
Public television broadcasting started in 1936, and now has a collection of free
and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there
are over 480 channels for consumers as well as on demand content. In UK there
are some broadcasting corporation like BBC, Independent Television (ITV), British
Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and UKTV.
The BBC is the world´s oldest and biggest broadcaster, and is the country´s first
and largest public service broadcaster. The BBC is funded by a government grant;
it does not carry advertising. The grant is financed by the payment of a television
license fee that all households with a television must pay. However, the funds do
not go directly to the BBC but to the Treasury instead, via a government body
known as TV Licensing. The government has no legal duty to hand all or any this
revenue to the BBC but traditionally has done.
Its analogue channels are BBC One and BBC Two. The first began as a
television service, initially serving in London. The BBC´s mission is to enrich
people´s lives with programs that inform, educate and entertain. Actually the BBC
uses the income from the license fee to provide services including 8 national TV
channels plus regional programming, 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio
stations and an extensive website. BBC World Service broadcasts to the world on
radio, on TV and online, providing news and information in 32 languages.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC.
The series tells the adventures of a Time Lord known as the Doctor who travels
around the universe in a time machine called the TARDIS. The series has been
awarded as one of the finest British television series and also it has received
recognition from the public as the best television series. The series is an important
part of British popular culture in the United Kingdom; it has made an important
influence in the generations of British professionals, many of whom grew up
watching the series.
Even the Doctor Who was only a TV series at first with the time has grown to a
full universe. During the years it has made presence in other TV programs, it has
been listened in radio, has produced many books and even comics. These
publications have been highly accepted by the fans that have created communities
with the single purpose of discuss the famous Doctor Who.