Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false sentences.

 

a The Palace is more than two hundred years old.

b. It is famous because it is in the centre of London.

c. The same person starts the Queen's bath, prepares her clothes, and feeds the dogs.         

d. The dogs sleep in the Queen's bedroom.

e. The Queen and the Prime Minister go out for a drink on Tuesday nights.

 

 

Answer the questions.

a Buckingham Palace is two places, not one.' How?

b Why is it like a small town?

с Are there a lot of clocks?

d How many dogs does the Queen have?

e What newspaper does she read?

f What sort of music does the piper play?

g Why do people have five glasses on the table?

h Who does the Queen speak to during a meal?

i What happens when the Queen finishes her food?

 

Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions about Buckingham Palace.

Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870)

 

Charles Dickens is one of the greatest novelists in the English language. He wrote about the real world of Victorian England and many of his characters were not rich, middle-class ladies and gentlemen, but poor and hungry people.

dickens the child

His family lived in London. His father was a clerk in an office. It was a good job, but he always spent more money than he earned and he was often in debt. There were eight children in the family, so life was hard.

Charles went to school and his teachers thought he was very clever. But suddenly, when he was only eleven, his father went to prison for his debts and the family went, too. Only Charles didn't go to prison. He went to work in a factory, where he washed bottles. He worked ten hours a day and earned six shillings а week. Every night, after work, he walked four miles back to his room. Charles hated it and never forgot the experience. He used it in many novels, especially David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.

  dickens the writer

When he was sixteen, he started work for a newspaper. He visited law courts and the Houses of Parliament. Soon he was one of the Morning Chronicle's best journalists.

He also wrote short stories for magazines. These were funny descriptions of people that he met. Dickens' characters were full of colour and life – good people were very, very good and bad people were horrible. His books became popular in many countries and he spent a lot of time abroad, in America, Italy, and Switzerland.

dickens the man

Dickens had ten children, but he didn't have a happy family life. He was successful in his work but not at home, and his wife left him. He never stopped writing and travelling, and he died very suddenly in 1870.

 

ASSIGNMENT

1. Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false sentences.

 

 a. Charles Dickens wrote novels.

 b. He wrote only about the lives of rich and famous people.

 c. His father had a good job.

 d. Charles never went to school.

 e. He went to prison when he was eleven.

 f. His first job was in a factory.

 g. He became a journalist when he was fifteen.

 h. He never married.

Answer the questions.

 

a. How old was Dickens when he died?

b. How many brothers and sisters did he have?

c. Was he good at school?

d. Why did he leave school when he was eleven?

e. Who was in prison?

f. What did Charles do in his first job?

g. What was his next job?

h. Was he happy at home?

i. When did he stop writing?

 

Meals in Britain

M

Eat at pleasure, drink with measure.

Ешь вволю, пей в меру.

A traditional English breakfast is a very big meal - sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms. But nowadays many people just have cereal with milk and sugar, or toast with marmalade, jam, or honey.

Marmalade and jam are not the same! Marmalade is made from oranges and jam is made from other fruit. The traditional breakfast drink is tea, which people have with cold milk. Some people have coffee, often instant coffee, which is made with just hot water.Many visitors to Britain find this coffee disgusting!

For many people lunch is a quick meal. In cities there are a lot of sandwich bars, where office workers can choose the kind of bread they want - brown, white, or a roll - and then all sorts of salad and meat or fish to go in the sandwich. Pubs often serve good, cheap food, both hot and cold. Schoolchildren can have a hot meal at school, but many just take a snack from home - a sandwich, a drink, some fruit, and perhaps some crisps.

“Tea” means two things. It is a drink and a meal! Some people have afternoon tea, with sandwiches, cakes, and, of course, a cup of tea. Cream teas are popular. You have scones (a kind of cake) with cream and jam.

The evening meal is the main meal of the day for many people. They usually have it quite early, between 6.00 and 8.00, and often the whole family eats together.

On Sundays many families have a traditional lunch. They have roast meat, either beef, lamb, chicken, or pork, with potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. Gravy is a sauce made from the meat juices.

The British like food from other countries, too, especially Italian, French, Chinese, and Indian. People often get take­-away meals - you buy the food at the restaurant and then bring it home to eat. Eating in Britain is quite international!