British Prime Ministers since WWII

1. In 1945 Clement Attlee, a Labourist, became Prime Minister.

2. In 1951 Winston Churchill returned as Prime Minister. The Conservatives won 321 seats against Labour's 295. Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Britain during most of the Second World War. He made many famous speeches and is admired and remembered for his great leadership of the nation. He was Prime Minister again ii 1951-1955. He is often shown wearing a hat and smoking a large ci­gar. He made the V-sign, meaning victory.

3. In 1955 Anthony Eden, another Conservative, became Prime Minister after Winston Churchill resigned.

4. In 1957 Eden was succeeded by Harold Macmillan, who resigned in 1963 because of an illness. He worked to improve East-West relation and tried unsuccessfully to gain Britain's entry into the European Community. His government was damaged by the Profumo Scandal[*] in 1963 and he gave up work in the same year because of ill health. In 1984, he became the Earl of Stockton. He made two expressions popular in Britain, when he told the British people "You've never had it so good" and when he talked about "the winds of change" blowing through Africa. In the newspapers, he was often called Supermac.

5. In 1964 Harold Wilson and his Labour Party won the election. Though in 1970 the Conservatives took the place in the office, he was reelected in 1974 for the second term.

6. In 1970 Edward Heath led the Conservatives to victory. Heath managed to persuade the EEC to let Britain join the Community on Jan­uary 1, 1973.

7. In 1976 James Callaghan became Prime Minister and continued Heath's policies.

8. In 1979 Mrs. Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative party won the election. She was the first woman Prime Minister of Britain now offi­cially called Lady Thatcher. She was born Margaret Roberts, the daughter of a grocer in Grantham, in central England. She studied chemistry at Oxford University and, later the law. In 1951 she mar­ried Denis Thatcher. As leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 she strongly influenced its political philosophy, which during this pe­riod came to be known as Thatcherism. The Conservatives were re­turned to power three times under her leadership. During their gov­ernment there was a move towards privatization; taxes were lowered and inflation fell, but unemployment rose. Mrs. Thatcher be­came noted for her determination and was given the nickname "the Iron Lady". She also made a famous speech in which she said "the Lady's not for turning", meaning that she would not change her pol­icies because of criticism. Mrs. Thatcher enjoyed increased populari­ty during the Falklands War, but in the late 1980s her position became more uncertain and then suddenly in November 1990 she lost the important vote within her party and became an ordinary back-j bench member of parliament.

9. In 1990 the Prime Minister became John Major. He immediately faced the problems of the Gulf War (the war to expel Iraq from Kuwait): and Britain's economic difficulties. When he first became prime min­ister, he was not well-known by the British public. He seemed to many people to be a pleasant man but rather dull and boring, especially when compared to Mrs. Thatcher. He was described as "Mr. Nice" or "a grey man in a grey suit". He was re-elected Prime Minister in 1992.

10. In 1995 John Major was succeeded by Tony Blair, a Labourist.

 

Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II’ full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. She was born on June 20, 1926. She is the elder daugh­ter of the late King George VI. She never went to school and was taught by home tu­tors. In 1944 she served as a councillor of state while her father was on the war front in Italy. In 1947 she married Prince Philip, her distant rel­ative, a great-great-grand­son' of Queen Victoria. Philip adopted his mother's surname Mountbatten. (103) Later he was created Duke of Edinburgh. A year later she gave birth to a son, Charles. In 1950 she gave birth to a daughter, Anne. Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on the death of her father in February 1952. The second son, Andrew, was born to Elizabeth in 1960 and the third, Edward, in 1964.

Queen Elizabeth is very popular and much respected all over the world. She is one of the richest persons in the world. She acts as a pa­troness for a number of charities and other organizations. She is a sym­bol of unity and continuity within the Commonwealth of Nations.

The royal family has also undergone changes during Eliza­beth's reign. Since the 1980s the public has become much more informed about the lives of the royal fam­ily due to the press. Two of Queen Eliza­beth's sons, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, separated from their wives in 1992. Both separations were much discussed in newspapers. These divorces were surrounded by accusations of infidelity and damaged the reputation of the royal family.

In 1992 the Queen and Prince Charles agreed to pay income taxes on their personal income, the first time the monarchy has done so. The same year, part of Windsor Castle was seriously damaged by fire. In 1993 Buckingham Palace was opened to tourists to help pay the repair at Windsor Castle.

Princess Diana

Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, was born in 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk, England. Her full name was Diana Frances Spencer. She was educat­ed at Riddlesworth Hall in Norfolk, and West Heath School in Kent From 1979 until 1981 Diana worked as a kindergarten teacher in London. On Febru­ary 24, 1981, her engagement to Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, was announced. They were married in St Paul's Cathedral in an internation­ally televised ceremony on July 29, 1981. The couple had two sons: Prince William Arthur Philip Louis (born June 21, 1982), and Prince Henry Charles Albert David (born September 15, 1984).

After the birth of the second son the relationship between Charles and Diana began to worsen. Charles seemed not to take part in the life oil his wife and his children. He looked awkward trying to play with his children. Charles and Diana seldom ap­peared in public together. He began to see his former lover Camilla Parker. Diana had changed a lot. She would never again be a naive girl for whom marrying into the Royal Family had been like a miracle.

John Major announced the separation of the couple in December 1992. Diana continued to give active support to many charities related to homeless and deprived children, drug abuse, and victims of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Diana shocked many people in 1987,, when she shook the hand of an AIDS patient She was the vice president of the British Red Cross and served as a member of the Inter­national Red Cross advisory board since 1994.

Diana was loved by people. She was becoming even more popular than Elizabeth II. People sympathized with her after the divorce. The Windsors began to dislike Diana and tried to get rid of her. She was de­prived of the title "Her Highness" and given a money compensation for it. Diana wanted to leave England, but she could not take her sons, the heirs to the British throne, with her. Diana stayed.

Her life aroused great interest of the public. This interest was ex­tremely exaggerated by the paparazzi. They followed her everywhere: in the swimming pool, on the yacht, in the street, everywhere. They often acted tactlessly. By one of the versions Diana's tragic death was caused by the paparazzi, who were following her car that day. It hap­pened on August 31, 1997 in one of the tunnels in Paris. She was still alive right after the crash. An ambulance took her to the hospital, but the injuries were so serious that she did not survive.

She was always a silent woman, the last and the greatest Silent Star of our noisy age, shining with quietness. Her life was meant to be watched, not heard. She was the image that outdid all others. She could be anything that we wanted her to be, Princess Diana, queen of our hearts, our Lady of Sorrow, everyone's and no one's.

 

 

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

I. Match the words and their definitions.

1. record	a) to unfairly treat one person or group worse or better than others;
2. consent	b) the selling (of a government-owned industry or organization) into private ownership;
3. to unleash	c) an act of not being faithful; an act of sex with someone other than one's marriage partner;
4. to intervene	d) a continuing rise in prices;
5. collision	e) a large fast warship;
6. cruiser	f) agreement or permission;
7. to discriminate	g) a circular piece of plastic on which sound is stored by mechanical means so that it can be played back at any time;
8. inaction	h) to interrupt, esp. in order to prevent a bad result;
9. strike	i) the fact or quality of being continuous;
10. to expel	j) a time when no work is done because of dis­agreement, e.g. over pay or working conditions;
11. privatization	k) lack of action or activity; quality or state of doing nothing;
12. inflation	l) the act of coming into disagreement;
13. continuity	m) to set (feelings, forces, etc.) free from control and allow them to act with full force;
14. infidelity	n) to send away by force, esp. from a country; force to leave.

Guess the translation of these words.

 

II. Answer the questions.

1. What helped Britain recover after WWII?

2. How did the life of people in Britain change after the war?

3. Why was the new youth culture called "permissive society"?

4. Why was it impossible for Britain to stay an empire in the 20^th cen­tury?

5. What problems did Britain face in the Suez Canal?

6. When was Hong Kong returned to China?

7. What were the reasons of the Falklands War?

8. How did the Falklands War affect public's opinion about Thatch­er's government?

9. Were the former British colonies willing to join the Commonwealth of Nations?

10.What are the reasons of clashes in Ulster?

11.How did the British government try to solve the Irish problem?

12.Which of the British PMs lead Britain into the EEC?

13.What does Thatcherism mean?

14.How old is Elizabeth II?

15.How many children has she got?

16.How did the public's attitude to the royal family change to the end of the 20^th century?

17.What do you know about Lady Di?

 

III. Guess the names of the famous British politicians.

 

 

IV. What are these people known to have done or said?

Mahatma Gandhi

Colonel Nasser

Margaret Thatcher

Betty Williams and Maired Corrigan

John Major

Prince Edward

Prince Charles

Diana Spencer

Camilla Parker

 

V. Who is the PM of Britain today?

VI. True-False test.

1. The Beatles made their first record in 1970.

2. The Suez Canal was controlled by the Anglo-Spanish Suez Cana Company.

3. Kenya was given independence without any troubles.

4. Gibraltar is on the territory of Spain.

5. The other name of the Falklands is the Malvinas.

6. South Africa is within the Commonwealth of Nations.

7. In Ulster the larger part of population is Catholic.

8. Margaret Thatcher was chosen PM three times.

9. Tony Blair belongs to the Labour Party.

10. Diana worked as a kindergarten teacher from 1979 until 1981.

FINAL ACTIVITIES

Make up reports on the following topics:

1. Princess Diana

2. Elizabeth II

3. Queen Victoria

4. Victorian Britain

5. Elizabeth I

6. The Golden Age in Britain

7. Richard the Lion Heart

8. Robin Hood: a true story or a legend?

9. Henry VIII

10. History of the British Parliament

11. Oliver Cromwell and his Republic

12. A mystery of Stonehenge

13. The Celts

14. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

15. Margaret Thatcher

16. Scotland

17. Wales

18. Ireland

19. Loch Ness Monster

20. History of London

 

Answer the questions without consulting the book.

1. What invasions did Britain suffer from?

2. How did the word "Britain" appear?

3. How did the languages of the invaders contribute to the language the British people speak today?

4. Who was the most popular king in Britain? Why was he so popular?

5. Who was the first queen of Britain?

6. Which queen ruled only for nine days?

7. Which British king was tried and executed?

8. Has Britain always been a monarchy?

9. Can a Catholic become a monarch in Britain?

10. Has the British monarchy always been constitutional?

11. Which British monarch began to explore the American continent?

12. After what event was London rebuilt?

13. What was the longest war that Britain participated in?

14. Who was the first lady Prime Minister in Britain?

15. What role did Britain play in WWI and WWII?

16. Why and when did Britain stop being an empire?

17. What British admirals participated in the Napoleonic Wars?

18. What is Stonehenge?

19. What do you know about the Gunpowder Plot?

20. Which British queen never married?

21. How many wives did Henry VIII have?

22. What is Richard the Lion Heart famous for?

23. What country built a huge fleet to fight against Britain?

24. What ship set sail from Britain to America in 1620?

25. Which British war has a romantic name?

26. Which queen wrote a book about her family?

27. When did Elizabeth II become queen?

28. Which British king abdicated from the throne because of a woman?

29. Which British princess died in 1997?

30. How old was Queen-mother when she died?

 

KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND FROM ALFRED

871-901 Alfred the Great 901-25 Edward the Elder 925-40 Athelstan 940-6 Edmund I 946-55 Edred	Альфред Великий Эдуард Старший Этельстан Эдмунд I Эдред
Saxon Line
955-9 Edwy the Fair 959-75 Edgar the Peaceful 975-8 Edward the Martyr 978-1016 Ethelred II, the Unready 1016 Edmund II Ironside	Эдви Прекрасный Эдгар Миролюбивый Эдуард Мученик Этельред II Неразумный Эдмунд II Железнобокий
Danish Line
1016-35 Canute 1035-40 Harold Harefoot 1040-2 Hardecanute (Hardicanute)	Кнуд Гарольд Длинноногий (Быстроногий) Хардекнут (Гартакнут)
Saxon Line
1042-66 Edward the Confessor 1066 Harold II Godwinson	Эдуард Исповедник Гарольд II Годвинсон
House of Normandy
1066-87 William (I) the Conqueror 1087-1100 William II (Rufus) 1100-35 Henry I Beauclerc 1135-54 Stephen Count of Blois	Вильгельм (I) Завоеватель Вильгельм II Рыжий Генрих I Боклерк Стефан Блуасский
House of Plantagenet
1154-89 Henry II 1189-99 Richard I the Lion Heart 1199-1216 John Lackland 1216-72 Henry III 1272-1307 Edward I Longshanks 1307-27 Edward II 1327-77 Edward III 1377-99 Richard II	Генрих II Ричард I Львиное Сердце Иоанн Безземельный Генрих III Эдуард I Длинноногий Эдуард II Эдуард III Ричард II
House of Lancaster
1399-1413 Henry IV Bolingbroke 1413-22 Henry V 1422-61 Henry VI	Генрих IV Болингброк Генрих V Генрих VI
House of York
1461-83 Edward IV 1483 Edward V 1483-5 Richard III	Эдуард IV Эдуард V Ричард III

 

House of Tudor
1485-1509 Henry VII 1509-47 Henry VIII 1547-53 Edward VI 1553 Jane Grey 1553-8 Mary I, Bloody Mary 1558-1603 ElizabethI	Генрих VII Генрих VIII Эдуард VI Джейн Грей Мария I Кровавая Елизавета I
House of Stuart
1603-25 James I 1625-49 Charles I in exile CharlesII 1649-1660 The Commonwealth of England 1660 Restoration of the Stuarts 1660-85 Charles II 1685-8 James II 1689-94 William III and Mary II 1694-1702 William III (alone) 1702-14 Anne	Яков I Карл I КарлII в ссылке Английская Республика   Реставрация Карл II Яков II Вильгельм III и Мария II Вильгельм III (один) Анна
House of Hanover
1714-27 George I 1727-60 George II 1760-1820 George III 1820-30 George IV 1830-7 William IV 1837-1901 Victoria	Георг I Георг II Георг III Георг IV Вильгельм IV Виктория
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
1901-10 Edward VII	Эдуард VII
House of Windsor
1910-36 George V 1936 Edward VIII 1936-52 George VI 1952-Elizabeth II	Георг V Эдуард VIII Георг VI Елизавета II

 

BRITISH PRIME MINISTERS AND GOVERNMENTS

Name	Party	Date
Spencer Perceval	Tory
Earl of Liverpool	Tory
George Canning	Tory
Viscount Goderich	Tory
Duke of Wellington	Tory
Earl Grey	Whig
Viscount Melbourne	Whig
Sir Robert Peel	Tory
Viscount Melbourne	Whig
Sir Robert Peel	Tory
Lord John Russell	Whig
Earl of Derby	Tory
Earl of Aberdeen	Peelite
Viscount Palmerston	Liberal
Earl of Derby	Conservative
Viscount Palmerston	Liberal
Earl Russell	Liberal
Earl of Derby	Conservative
Benjamin Disraeli	Conservative
W.E. Gladstone	Liberal
Benjamin Disraeli	Conservative
W.E. Gladstone	Liberal
Marquess of Salisbury	Conservative
W.E. Gladstone	Liberal
Marquess of Salisbury	Conservative
W.E. Gladstone	Liberal
Earl of Rosebery	Liberal
Marquess of Salisbury	Conservative
A.J. Balfour	Conservative
Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman	Liberal
H.H. Asquith	Liberal
H.H. Asquith	Coalition
D. Lloyd-George	Coalition
A. Bonar Law	Conservative
Stanley Baldwin	Conservative
J. Ramsay MacDonald	Labour
Stanley Baldwin	Conservative
Name	Party	Date
J. Ramsay MacDonald	Labour
J. Ramsay MacDonald	Coalition
Stanley Baldwin	Coalition
Naville Chamberlain	Coalition
Winston S. Churchill	Coalition
Winston S. Churchill	Conservative
Clement R. Attlee	Labour
Sir Winston Churchill	Conservative
Sir Anthony Eden	Conservative
Harold Macmillan	Conservative
Sir Alec Douglas-Home	Conservative
Harold Wilson	Labour
Edward Heath	Conservative
Harold Wilson	Labour
James Callaghan	Labour
Margaret Thatcher	Conservative
Margaret Thatcher	Conservative
Margaret Thatcher	Conservative
John Major	Conservative
Tony Blair	Labour
Tony Blair	Labour

 

VOCABULARY

Chapter I

1. remains, n, pl — остаток; остатки; останки

2. glacial period, n — ледниковый период

3. pottery, n — гончарные изделия; керамика

4. life span, n — продолжительность жизни

5. chariot, n — колесница

6. ancestor, n — предок; прародитель

7. origin, n — источник; начало; происхождение

8. powerful, a — сильный; мощный; могущественный

9. to accumulate, v — накапливать

10. to worship, v — поклоняться; боготворить

11. sacrifice, n — жертва

12. evidence, n — очевидность; признаки; данные

13. solitary, a — одинокий; уединённый

14. speculation, n — теория; предположение

15. to range, v — колебаться в известных пределах

16. eclipse, n — затмение

17. radiocarbon studies, n — радиоуглеродный анализ

18. to quarry, v — добывать (камень из карьера)

19. solstice, n — солнцестояние

20. alignment, n — выравнивание; регулировка; выверка

21. leadership, n — руководство

22. to conquer, v — завоёвывать; покорять

23. toga, n — тога

24. raider, n — участник набега

25. to collapse, v — рушиться; терпеть крах

26. revolt, n — восстание; мятеж

27. temptation, n — искушение; соблазн

28. illiterate, a — неграмотный; необразованный

29. to make a treaty, v — заключать договор

30. marsh, n — болото; топь

31. to overthrow, v — свергать

32. peasant, n — крестьянин

33. noble, n — дворянин; титулованное лицо

34. landlord, n — помещик; землевладелец

35. bishop, n — епископ

36. vassal, n — вассал; зависимое лицо; слуга

37. plough, n — плуг

38. illegitimate, a — незаконный

 

 

Chapter II

1. crusade, n — крестовый поход

2. to pass on, v — передавать дальше

3. unfit, a — негодный; неподходящий

4. to question, v — подвергать сомнению; сомневаться

5. rival, n — соперник; противник

6. disorder, n — беспорядок

7. to plead, v — просить; умолять

8. exchequer, n — казначейство

9. to depose, v — смещать; свергать

10. hostage, n — заложник

11. ransom, n — выкуп

12. truce, n — перемирие

13. to banish, v — изгонять; высылать

14. income, n — доход

15. count, n — граф

16. viscount, n — виконт

17. casualties, n, pl — потери (на войне)

18. protracted war, n — затяжная война

19. plague, n — чума

20. equal, a — равный; одинаковый

21. rebel, n — повстанец; бунтовщик; мятежник

22. to disperse, v — рассеиваться; исчезать; расходиться

23. unquestioned, a — неоспариваемый; не вызывающий сомнения

24. violence, n — неистовство; жестокость; насилие

25. to originate, v — давать начало; порождать; происходить

26. to rescue, v — спасать

27. version, n — версия

28. descendant, n — потомок

 

Chapter III

1. glorious, a — славный; великолепный

2. treasury, n — сокровищница

3. merchant, n — купец

4. indignation, n — негодование; возмущение

5. infancy, n — раннее детство; младенчество

6. lady-in-waiting, n — фрейлина (королевы)

7. unfaithful, a — неверный

8. fiancée, n — невеста

9. to outlive, v — пережить (кого-л)

10. discontent, n — недовольство; неудовлетворённость

11. persecution, n — преследование; гонение

12. unbending, a — непреклонный

13. to accept, v — принимать

14. inferior, a — низший; худший

15. lifetime, n — продолжительность жизни

16. to sicken, v — чувствовать отвращение, тошноту

17. feeble, a — слабый

18. to plot, v — составлять заговор; плести интриги

19. thrift, n — экономность; бережливость

20. predecessor, n — предшественник; предок

21. overthrow, n — поражение; свержение

22. to submit, v — подчинять(ся)

23. adventurer, n — искатель приключений; авантюрист

24. share, n — доля; часть

25. pretender, n — притворщик; претендент

26. to abdicate, v — отрекаться; слагать полномочия

 

Chapter IV

1. turbulent, a — бурный; беспокойный

2. divine, a — божественный; пророческий

3. to dissolve, v — распускать (парламент)

4. to preach, v — проповедовать

5. apprentice, n — ученик; подмастерье

6. subject, n — подчинённый; подвластный

7. regiment, n — полк

8. cavalry, n — кавалерия; конница

9. treason, n — измена; предательство

10. display, n — показ; выставка; проявление

11. traitor, n — предатель; изменник

12. gallows, n, pl — виселица

 

Chapter V

1. insanity, n — умопомешательство; безумие

2. pauper, n — бедняк; нищий

3. to ban, v — налагать запрет; запрещать

4. fuel, n — топливо; горючее

5. steam engine, n — паровая машина; паровой двигатель

6. china, n — фарфор; фарфоровые изделия

 

Chapter VI

1. grief, n — горе; печаль

2. virtuous, a — добродетельный; целомудренный

3. disastrous, a — бедственный; гибельный

4. suburbs, n, pl — предместья; окрестности

5. outbreak, n — взрыв; вспышка

6. cholera, n — холера

7. drain, n — канализационная труба

 

Chapter VII

1. Archduke, n — наследник австро-венгерского престола

2. to stand by, v — защищать; помогать; поддерживать

3. to withstand, v — противостоять; сопротивляться

4. to drag into, v — втащить; вовлечь

5. artillery, n — артиллерия

6. machine gun, n — пулемёт

7. Quaker, n — квакер

8. to surrender, v — сдавать(ся)

9. mandate, n — мандат

10. impending, a — предстоящий; неминуемый

11. to annex, v — присоединять; аннексировать

12. to concede, v — уступать; допускать

13. offensive, n — наступление; наступательная операция

14. defensive, n — оборонительная позиция

15. installation, n — установка

16. after-effect, n — последствие

17. record, n — запись

18. consent, n — согласие

19. to unleash, v — развязать; дать волю

20. to intervene, v — вмешиваться

21. collision, n — столкновение; противоречие

22. cruiser, n — крейсер

23. to discriminate against, n — ставить кого-л. в худшие услошш

24. inaction, n — бездействие; пассивность

25. strike, n — забастовка

26. privatization, n — приватизация

27. inflation, n — инфляция

28. to expel, v — выгонять; исключать

29. continuity, n непрерывность; преемственность

30. infidelity, n — неверность

31. paparazzi, n, pl — папарацци

32. deprived, a — лишённый

33. acquired immune deficiency syndrome, n — синдром приобретённого иммунодефицита (СПИД)

34. ambulance, n — машина скорой помощи

[*] Profumo Scandal — the sexual relationship, which became public in 1063, between John Profumo, the Minister of War in the Conservative government, and a young wom­an, Christine Keeler, and the activities others connected with this. After first lying in Parliament about the affair, Profumo later admitted to it and was forced to resign. It was discovered that Keeler had also had an affair with a Russian naval officer but an official report later said that no national secrets had been given away. Newspaper reports of wild parties and sexual behaviour involving important public figures mixing with criminals shocked the public and severely embarrassed the government.