“THE WEATHER… this is the most important topic in the land. Do not be misled by memories of your youth when, on the Continent, wanting to describe someone as exceptionally dull, you remarked: ‘He is the type who would discuss the weather with you.’ In England this is an ever-interesting, even thrilling topic, and you must be good at discussing the weather.”
George Mikes “How to be an Alien”
When I think of the English,
think of ‘…long shadows on county cricket grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers and old maids bicycling through the morning mist’.
John Major (Ex Prime Minister)
I. True or False? Write True if you agree, or False if you don’t.
1. Many English people see themselves as either “northerners” or “southerners”
2. Geordies come from Manchester
3. A True Cockney is anybody born in the East End of London
4. Non-white British population comes mostly from the Caribbean and South Asia
5. Conventional church services in Britain are typically quiet
II. Find the right answer. Write a, b or c.
1. Most British people (about 75 %) live .
a) in towns and cities
b) in the countryside
c) by the sea
2. Everyday habits, attitudes and values among the people of the four nations (English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh) are .
a) very similar
b) absolutely different
c) too changeable and individualistic
3. In its cities, Britain is a society.
a) homogeneous
b) multicultural
c) pro-Christian
4. In non-metric system of weights and measures 0,58 litres are equal to .
a) one inch
b) one ounce
c) one pint
5. One of the most popular hobbies in Britain is .
a) playing soccer
b) gardening
c) collecting stamps
6. The British show hostility to people from other countries.
a) will hardly
b) always
c) would like to
7. Everyday personal contacts are usually made in .
a) cinemas
b) theatres
c) pubs
8. culture traditionally dominates the cultures of the other three nations of the British Isles.
a) Welsh
b) English
c) Scottish
9. The British are about anything which is a sign of Britishness.
a) very innovative
b) stubbornly conservative
c) indifferent
10. Nearly of the households in Britain keep at least one domestic pet.
a) 10%
b) 25%
c) 50%
