Interesting facts. The British buy more papers than any other people except the Swedes and the Japanese.
William Caxton (c. 1422–1492) was the first English printer and a translator and importer of books into England. Amongst the books he printed were Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’, Gower’s ‘Confession Amantis’ and Malory’s ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’. He printed more than 100 books in his lifetime, books which were known for their craftsmanship and careful editing. He was also the translator of many of the books he published, using his knowledge of French, Latin and Dutch.
I. True or False? Write True if you agree, or False if you don’t.
1. All over Britain most people read local and regional papers
2. The first English printing press was established by William Caxton in Fleet Street
3. Fleet Street is no more the home of newspaper business
4. The popularity of the British Broadcasting Corporation depends on its high reputation for objective and honest news reporting
5. There is no commercial TV and radio in the UK
II. Find the right answer. Write a, b or c.
1. The first regular English daily newspaper was published in 1702 and called .
a) the London Gazette
b) the Daily Courant
c) the Times
2. Mass-circulation popular newspapers are commonly called in Britain.
a) tabloids
b) broadsheets
c) penny papers
3. The Times, The Guardian and the Financial Times are the examples of .
a) yellow press
b) tabloid press
c) quality papers
4. is the most authoritative English-language weekly magazine focusing on international politics and business news.
a) The Daily Telegraph
b) The Independent
c) The Economist
5. The BBC was established in .
a) 1920
b) 1922
c) 1924
6. Radio coverage of the House of Commons began on .
a) 23 April 1939
b) 23 April 1947
c) 23 April 1968
7. The first television outside broadcast was .
a) the Coronation of King George VI in 1937
b) the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953
c) the Royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip
8. The BBC is a public corporation funded mainly by .
a) the television licence fee
b) advertising
c) private donation
9. The first live broadcast from Russia seen in Britain showed .
a) the Victory Parade in Moscow in June 1945
b) the heroic return of pioneer cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in April 1961
c) the Opening Ceremony of Moscow Olympic Games in 1980
10. On 27 August 1950 the BBC transmitted the first ever live television pictures across the Channel .
a) from England to France
b) from England to Ireland
c) from France to England
