Grammar exercises. Some facts about Great Britain

THE UNION JACK

SOME FACTS ABOUT GREAT BRITAIN

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

· Foreigners have many ideas about what the English are like. Some people consider them to be cold and reserved.

· As the weather in Britain is mild, British people do the gardening almost all the year round.

· Mowing grass is also very important. They do it every Sunday morning. The British see an unmown lawn as a sign of laziness and as disrespect to others.

· Cycling is a very popular activity especially on the country roads because they are not very busy and dangerous.

· Fish and chips is the classic English take-away food. It is usually bought ready cooked at fish and chip shops.

· The British are said to drink about 2 billion cups of tea a day. They drink green and black tea, with milk and without it.

· Double- deckers were designed specially for London by people who knew what London needed. Big London buses are recognized all over the world.

· The first double- deckers were driven by horses. Since 1911 they have been London’s ‘king of the road’.

· The black London taxi cab is another traditional symbol of London. It looks old-fashioned and clumsy, but it’s comfortable and speedy.

· it’s comfortable and speedy.

This is the popular name given to the flag of Great Britain. Actually it is called the Union Flag and it is a mixture of several flags.

It all began in 1606 when Scotland was joined to England and Wales. The Scottish flag, St. Andrew’s Cross, blue with a white cross from corner to corner, was joined to the English Flag, St. George’s Cross, with a red cross. The flag of St. George can still be seen on churches in England.

Later, in 1801, when Ireland was joined to the union, as it called, the Irish Flag of St. Patrick’s Cross was added, white with a red cross from corner to corner.

In this way the English people got the Union Flag which is red, white and blue. King James the Third (1566 - 1622) ordered that the Union Flag should be flown on the main mast of all British ships, except on ships of war. Here the flag was flown at the front of the bowsprit. The end of the bowsprit was called the Jake Star and so we get the name of Union Jack. A “jack”, by the way, is an old word for the sailor. The Union Jack is also on the flags of Australia and New Zealand.

Ex. 1. Put the verbs into the correct tense and form:

1. ……… a good time last weekend? (you/have)

2. I ……… that film three times but I’d like to see it again. (see)

3. She ……… to Mary when I saw her in town. (talk)

4. Where ……… for your holidays next year? (you/go)

5. Be careful with that glass. If you drop it, it ………. (break)

6. I usually ……… with Joanna on Saturday nights but she’s away this weekend. (go out)

7. Where’s Annie? She ……… the shopping at the moment. (do)

8. It was a beautiful morning. The sun ……… and the birds ………. (shine/sing)

9. If you ……… harder, you’ll fail the exam. (not/study)

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