Where is the official residence of the Queen? (Buckingham Palace)

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen and one of the major tourist attractions in London. The original building was constructed in 1705 by the duke of Buckingham. King George III bought the house in 1761 for his wife. Queen Victoria was the first to live in the palace. The palace was expanded in 1850. A part of the palace is still used by the the Palace. The palace has about 600 rooms, including a throne room, a ballroom, picture gallery and even a swimming pool. Some of these rooms can be visited during a couple of months in the summer when the Royal Family is not in the palace.

 

130. For Christmas dinner the English usually have... (turkey)

A traditional Christmas dinner in the United States and in England includes stuffed turkey. Today roast turkey is the most popular main dish. Christmas dinner is usually eaten in the afternoon on the 25th of December.

The dinner usually consists of roast turkey (although other poultry such as goose, chicken, duck are alternatives), sometimes with roast beef or ham. Served with stuffing; cranberry sauce or jelly; bread sauce; roast potatoes (sometimes also boiled or mashed); vegetables (usually boiled or steamed); with dessert of Christmas pudding (or plum pudding), sometimes mince pies or trifle, with brandy butter and cream.

What is Eisteddfod? (A festival in Wales)

Every year, in August, there is a National Eisteddfod in Wales. It is a/estival o/Welshmen interested in Welsh poetry, songs and music. It lasts for a week. About 15000 people come to Eisteddfod every day. Some want to listen to the poems; some want to listen to the singing; and some just want to meet their friends and talk in Welsh. There are competitions at an Eisteddfod, too - for the best Welsh poem and song of the year and the best singers. About a hundred years ago, some Welsh people became very interested in the revival of old traditions. They decided to use some of the old traditions and ceremonies at the Eisteddfods.

 

132. People celebrate Halloween on the 31^st of October.

Halloween which is celebrated on the 3pt of October and its association with witches and ghosts derives from the Celtic Old Year's Night - the night of all witches, when spirits were said to walk the earth. Witches and supernatural beings are still remembered all over Britain and the United States, when bands of children roam the streets in carnival costumes, carrying Halloween lanterns - pumpkins hollowed out with a face cut into one side, which glows when a candle is placed inside. In recent years the custom of "trick or treating" has gained in popularity. Halloween parties include games such as apple bobbing, where apples are either floated in water or hung by a string. The object of the game is for the players to put their hands behind their back and try to seize an apple with their teeth alone.

 

133. The midday meal in English speaking countries is called... (lunch)

In English-speaking countries during the eighteenth century, lunch was originally called "dinner". This word is still used regularly to mean a noontime meal in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and many parts of England, and also in some parts of Canada and the United States. The abbreviation lunch, in use from 1823, is taken from the more formal "lunchentach," which is known from 1580, as a word for a meal that was inserted between more substantial meals.

 

The official languages of Canada are English and French.

Canada has two official languages, English and French. The Official Language Act of 1969 guarantees all Canadians the right to communicate with the national government in either French or English. About 59 percent of the Canadian people speak mainly English; about 23 percent speak mainly French. About 18 percent speak other languages, which include Chinese, Italian, German, and Spanish.