Project Britain

1. List five traditional British dishes :
Beans and ketchup, fish and chips, chicken fingers, hot dog and roast beef.

2. What currency would you use if you were living in London? Have a look at the following correspondences and say whether they are correct or not:
3€ → 2₤, 8€ → 10₤, 15€ → 12₤, 30€ → 20₤, 75€ → 50₤
The third it's correct because one pound = 1.20 € ,the second is false because 10 pounds are 12,2 €. The fourth is false and the last one is incorrect.

3. As you know, one of the most representative monuments of England is “Big Ben”, could you mention at least five more?
Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge and Green Park.

4. What sports would you play if you were living there? What do they consist on?
The most important sports are cricket, rugby, golf, baseball and football.

5. As we all know, British are the only people driving on the left. Can you add five aspects on driving in Britain?
The steering is in the left of the car, for the English people it's good because they always leave with the steering in the left.

6. What are the main differences between British and American English? Give at least five examples
The pronounce of the British people vocalist more than the American people. The accent is different very different and a lot of words are different. Some words are use only in America and others only in Britain. And sometimes the words are spelling very different.

7. Could you mention the most famous kings and queens of England? Could you add some dates?
George V 1910 - 1936, Eduardo VIII 1936, George VI 1936 - 1952, Elizabeth II 1952 - 2010 (now).

8. Is Great Britain a Republic or a Monarchy?
The Great Britain it's a monarchy constitutional. It has a queen and a parliament.

9. Why do you think it is called “Great Britain” intead of “Britain”?
Great Britain it's a longer name and it's very different to Britain. The Great Britain it's a big name for a big country and for me this is the best name.

10. List the name of five rivers placed anywhere within Great Britain.
The river Thames, The Brick Beck, The Ribble, The River Tial and the River Glen.

Jingle Bell

United Kingdom : What do you know?

1. How many independent countries are there in the British Isles?
There are two, United Kingdom and Ireland
2. United Kingdom comprises four nations. Could you name them and their capitals?
There are Scotland capital Edinburgh, England capital London, Wales capital Cardiff and Northern Ireland capital Belfast.
3. Which important river goes along Oxford and London? Where is it wider? Why?
The most important river is the Thames. Is around the Tower Bridge and the wider is 270 meters.
4. Where can you find these things? .
1. Egyptian mummies in the British Museum.
2. Dinosaurs in the National History Museum.
3. Pictures by famous painters in the National Gallery.
5.Where is the Lake Ness? Why is it famous?
There is in Scotland. It's famous because an old story says a terrible monster live in the Lake Ness.
6.Which is the political system in the two countries of the British Isles?
1.United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. It's governed by a parliamentary and there is a queen.
2.Ireland is a republican system. It's governed by a parliamentary system.
7.Can a person swim from Great Britain to France? How far is it? (3 / 30 / 300 km)
Yes , you can and It's 30 km far. A lot of persons do it, but they need a permission because it's very dangerous.
8.Can you find three similarities and three differences between Britain and Spain? You can look for information about history, political system, lifestyle, etc.
The similarities are there is a king and queen, it's a Europeans countries and the jobs.
The differences are the weather, the costumes and the food.

Healthcare

Most of the time we feel well. We can play sports, go to work and enjoy our lives. But sometimes we just don't feel well. Some people have medical insurance but most people can't afford it and rely on the Nation Health Service, the NHS. The NHS has sent everybody in Britain a Self-Help Guide. This will help you diagnose what is wrong and find the best treatment. You may need to go to the chemist to buy cough mixture or pills for a headache. There are lots of medicines you can buy in the chemist but for more powerful ones like antibiotics you need to have a prescription.
If you can't get to a doctor, there are two other NHS services you could try. The first is NHS DIrect. The NHS also provides Walk-in Centres in more than 60 locations in Britain. You don't ned and appointment - you can just go in and wait until a doctor is available to treat you.
Doctors and medical staff can cure lots of illnesses now using surgery and treatment with drugs.
But many people prefer alternative medicine. This can include many kinds of treatment using both very old and very modern techniques. Hopefully these treatments won't be necessary. The best way to avoid getting ill is to have a healthy diet, fets lots of exercise and take good care of yourself.

Computers

Computers are a very important part of our lives. They tell us about delays to transport. They drive trains, analyse evidence and control buildings. For many young people, playing computer games is their favourite way of spending spare time. Computers are a very important part of most areas of life in Britain.

The smart home is now a real possibility. It will become very common. And of course you will be able to give new instructions to the computer from your mobile phone. Many homes have got lots televisions and several computers. If the temperature outside changes, the smart home will adjust temperature levels inside.
In a survey, 44 per cent of young people between 11 and 16 said their PC was a trusted friend. Twenty per cent said they were happier at their computer than spending time with family or friends. Another survey found that people in Britain spend so much time on the phone, texting and reading e-mails that they no longer have time for conversation.

Transport in London

Exploring Mars is going to be very exciting, but for now, it's easier to explore our own planet! In particular, London. We're going to follow Freddie as he explores all the different kinds of transport in London. HE starts out from his home on his bicycle. He leaves his bike at the station and gets on a train. Trains travel into London from all over the country. They are very important for people who live in the suburbs or outside London and travel into London for work.
The next party of Freddie's journey is on another kind of train called the Docklands Light Railway. These are computer-controlled trains with no drivers. For many people the journey by train takes them to a convenient Underground station. London Underground was the first in the world when it opened in 1863.
People use lots of other forms of transport in London. There is one kind of transport that isn't very good in London - and that's the car. They move very slowly because there is too much traffic. The buses and taxis travel more quickly because they have got special lanes on the road.

Maritime History

In England no town is more than 170 kilometres from the sea. So it's no surprise that Britain has a very important history of ships and the sea. The British Navy was the biggest navy in the world at one time. In Liverpool there is a great museum of maritime history. Young men had to climb the rigging to put up the sails. It was very dangerous.

Between 1830 and 1930 more than nine million people from all over Europe left from the port of Liverpool to start a new life in America or Australia. The most famous ship was probably the Titanic. It sank in 1912 and over 1.500 people drowned. It was the worst disaster in maritime history. You probably know about it from one of the most expensive films ever made - Titanic!
One of the most famous shipping companies is Cunard. The majority of people do travel around the world by plane but ships are still very important for moving goods. Here at the Southampton Container Terminal they unload more than one and a half million containers each year.

Horror Stories

People like to be scared. They love reading horror stories and watching horror movies. Some of the most famous horror stories were written by British writers. The first was published by Mary Shelley in 1818 - Frankenstein. Dracula contra Frankenstein was made by the Spanish director Jesús Franco in 1970. Count Dracula was a vampire created in 1897 by the Irish writer Bram Stoker.
Bram Stoker got the idea for Dracula while he was sitting in Highgate Cemetery in North London. Count Dracula the vampire was created. Dracula is so popular that visitors to London can go on a guided Dracula Tour. The tours usually take place just when it's getting dark...
The bedroom window was wide open and moonlight was shining into the room. Mina was on the balcony and a dark shape was leaning over her. It was Count Dracula. The vampire was not drink Mina's blood. He was making her drink his blood. The vampire turned his head. His eyes burned with a terrible red light. The vampire had already taken his meal of blood.

The Law

The most famous police station in Britain is New Scotland Yard in London. The police they've all got a blue light outside to show they are police stations. For most people the police are the face of the law. They can arrest people in the street, but they also give information. We visited a new police station in Lewisham, an area in south-east London. A suspected criminal is being charged with a crime. Next they take fingerprints to check the person's identity. They also take mouth swabs for analysis of DNA. Suspects can be kept in the cells at the police station for several hours. This suspect spent a whole night in the cells.
Next day he went to court. Here three magistrates listen to evidence from the police and witnesses. They then decide if the person is guilty or not guilty.
The evidence that the police collect from a crime scene is analysed in the laboratories like this. They can examine and analyse material from the crime scene to find out exactly what happened.
The police are the most obvious part of the law in Britain.

Supermarket

Supermarkets are an important part of daily life in Britain. The five biggest supermarkets sell 80% of all groceries - that's food and drink. Tesco is the biggest. It's got nearly 2.000 shops in GBritatin and is the third biggest supermarket in the world.

In the larger supermarkets you can buy just about anything. The very big supermarkets are usually on the edge of towns and most people drive to them. And while they are there with their car, customers can buy petrol too. There are many more supermarkets now than 20 years ago. People find it very convenient to do all their shopping in one place. Tesco online delivers over 100.000 orders each week in Britain and Sainsbury's delivers 30.000. It's becoming a very popular way to shop.

But not everyone likes supermarkets. So people without cars have less choice. As a result, the big supermarkets have started to open small shops in town and city centres. Many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Soap Opera

The most popular British soap operas are Eastenders and Coronation Street. These are popular dramas about the lives of ordinary people. Many people are addicted to soap operas. The soap opera contain previews of the next week's shows, so that fans can find out what's going to happen next. Soap operas have got information about the actors and stories from future episodes.

Eastenders is set in the east end of London and has been broadcast since 1985. It was first broadcast in 1960. Then there's also Emmerdale which takes place in a village in the Yorkshire countryside. It started in 1972 and is on TV every evening from Monday to Friday.

Scotland

There are four main regions in Britatin. Scotland is in the north of the Britain. Its famous for this lakes. There are a lot of plants and nature. The majory people of Scotland live in Glasgow and Edinburgh. There are a lot of historic buildings. There are a party's in Scotland, too. There are a rare instruments. Scottish people have got a traditional sports. Glasgow it's a good city, because there are a lot of architects. The Scottish wiscky it's a good wiscky. The tourists enjoy with the fishing and the castles.

Observation

Ferran Illa : He talks about Food in Briatin. He was nervious, but I really like it.
Jordi Marias : He talks about Animals. He is very good.
Júlia Masó : He is good and interesting.
Francesc Rigau : He was a good. He didn't read and he is very interesting.
Ferran Veciana : He talks about Animals. He was nervious, but it's good.
Ivet Sànchez : He is a very good presentation, there is excellent.

The Weather

The weather is a very popular topic of conversation in Britain. That's because the weather changes a lot. When the weather is good, people complain that it's too hot. When it rains, they say it's too wet. When it isn't sunny, they say it's too cold.

The seasons in Britain are fairly clear. Winter lasts from December to February. Spring is from March to May. The summer months are June, July and August. Then the autumn September, October and November.

It's not surprising that Britain has got one of the most important weather centres in the world. Two huge supercomputers analyse information from many sources including satellites. This is very different from some of the early weather forecasts. This is the first one published in The Times in 1879. Scientists at the Met Office make weather forecasts for the public and for special purposes miltray, shipping, airlines and many others. The computers can predict the tropical storms and hurricanes that cause so much damage around the world. The trouble is weather changes very quickly and so nobodyever believes the weather forecast.

Reading

British people read a lot. They read books, newspapers and magazines. And of course they read text messages on their mobile phones. A quarter of the population reads more than 20 books each year.

In this library you can borrow books but you can also buy a cup of coffee, look at an art exhibition, sit in a quiet study area or connect to the Internet. You can also borrow CDs, videos and DVDs of films and television programmes. There are often reference rooms where you can go to look something up or go to study. Libraries are very important in schools and universities both for study and for reading for pleasure.

The British Library is one of the world's greatest libraries. The Queen opened its new building in 1998. People predicted that radio, then television, then the Internet would kill reading, but it is still a very popular activity.

British sports

At the weekend in Britain, millions of people take part in some kind of sporting activity. Even more people spend part of the weekend watching sport. From August to April football is everywhere. The top level of the game is professional football in the Premiership. The players train every morning. Football is played in schools and as a leisure activity. Both girls and boys play.

Cricket is the main summer sport in Britain. Local teams play in towns and villages every Saturday and Sunday from April to September.

Tennis is another popular sport, especially in the summer after the famous Wimbledon championships.

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.