Animals

People love animals. But some of the world's animals are in danger of extinction. In some parts of the world people collect rhino horn for use in medicine. Others carve ornaments for tourists from ivory from elephant tusks. Shark's fin soup is a favourite in many restaurants. Chimpanzee and whale meat are popular with some people.

Another big problem is the destruction of the rainforests. The number of animals in some species is now very small and they may not exist at all for much longer. The Worldwide Fund for Nature is an international organization. It started in Britain in 1961 and has now got a global network in 90 countries. There are a number of projects in Britain which deal with endangered species. The animals are then put back into their natural wild habitat.

Animals born in Britain are now back in the Congo and Gabon in Africa. These Asian wild horses are another success story. They live in China and Mongolia. Now, every year several go back to the grasslands of Asia. This is an African black rhino. There are only 3.000 wild rhinos and 200 in zoos. Lessons learnt from animals in Britain are very valuable in helping to maintain the numbers of rhinos in the world.

I agree with this unit, because I like animals.

British Houses

Well, 90 % of the population live in towns. There are lots of different kinds of houses. This is the kind of house you find in British towns. Terraced houses are joined together. These are semi-detached houses. There are as many semi-detached houses in Britain as terraced houses. Sixty per cent of the population live in terraced or semi-detached houses. Some detached houses are very large but others can be quite small. Lots of people live in flats, especially in big towns and cities.

Houses in different parts of Britain can look very different. There are lots of regional variations because builders use local materials. Some houses are very modern and some are hundreds of years old. These are traditional thatched cottages. Cottage is the name for a small house in the country.

British people spend a lot of time and money on their homes and gardens. There are large DIY stores and garden centres near every town. British people are always trying to make their home into a castle.

I like this unit because I funny with the British houses.

Shopping

People in Britain really likes shopping. In a recent survey 56% of women between the ages of 16 and 40 described shopping as their main hobby.

Traditional, local shops exist in some areas. They sell different things like food, medicines and cosmetics, clothes and books. But in most high streets in Britain the same shop names appear all the time.

There are lots of big out-of-town shopping centres where there are many shops in a large indoor area. This is Bluewater near London. It's the largest shopping complex in Europe with over 330 different shops and three big department stores. There are also 40 bars and restaurants and a thirteen-screen cinema. For a lot of people "going shopping" doesn't mean they are going to buy anything. Shopping centres are open late most nights of the week and from 11 o'clock until five o'clock on Sundays.

I like this unit, because I like shopping and Bluewater.

School in Britain

For most students in Britain, the school day starts between eighty thirty and nine o'clock. People travel to school using many different kinds of transport. They cycle, they walk and they come in cars. The school day starts with registration where the teacher checks everybody in school. Students move to another classroom for the next lesson.

After two or three lessons there is a break. This is fifteen minutes when students go out into the playground to have fun after all that concentration! There's always the lunch break to look forward to. There's usually time to play games, talk with friends, read a book or catch up with some homework.

After lunch it's back to the classroom. The main subjects in the school timetable are English, maths and science. Then there's French or Spanish, history and geography. Students also study art, music and PE. The final bell goes at three thirty to mark the end of school. School lasts for seven hours and nearly five hours are lessons. But that's not the end of the school day. Students have homework every day.

I disagree with this unit, because I don't exciting with school and subjects.

Food in Britain

Most schools in Britain provide hot meals and salads every day but may students prefer to take their own lunch to school. This is a "packed lunch". Sarah and her dad make her packed lunch every morning before she goes to school. Sarah eats her lunch with friends in the school cafeteria.

A lot of chocolate, crisps, fatty foods and cola isn't good for people. This is part of an advertisement on British TV. They want people to eat five pieces of fruit and vegetables every day.

One school in England helps students to eat healthy food with the Green Machine. Green Machines have got lots of interesting snacks. There are cereal bars, organic crisps and yogurts. There are fruit juices, mineral water and smoothies. These students are enjoying their food and it's good for them too.

I don't like this unit, because I disagree the food in Britain.

The Royal Family

This is the British Royal Family. This is Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth the Second. The Queen's husband is the Duke of Edinburgh. Their oldest son is Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. His two sons are Prince William and Prince Harry. The Queen lives in a palace in London, in Buckingham Palace. The Royal Family's have got a castle in the town of Windsor.

Princes William and Prince Harry are the Queen's grandchildren. They are the sons of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. William and Harry are in Majorca on holiday with the Spanish Royal Family. Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry like to ride horses.

Princes William and Harry live here in Clarence House. They don't live in Buckingham Palace. This is Prince William just before he went to university at St Andrew's in Scotland. Prince Harry wants to be a soldier in the army. It is difficult for the Royal Family to have private lives. Newspapers and television want stories about them.

I don't like this unit, because I don't like the Prince's and the Royal Family.