Great Britain is a group of islands off the Northwest coast of Europe. The largest island includes the countries of England, Scotland and Wales. Together with Northern Ireland they constitute the United Kingdom (UK). But they are often simply called Britain.
The total area of the UK is about 250 000 sq km. Regions of the United Kingdom are called counties.
After several centuries, the English finally took control of their neighbours. In 1536, an Act of Union brought England and Wales together. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were also politically unified and called Great Britain. Ireland was joined with Great Britain after the Act of Union on 1 January 1801 and the four countries became the United Kingdom. Recently Scotland has been granted its own parliament and Wales has the Welsh Assembly.
Despite its small size, Britain once conquered large areas of the world and today it is still a powerful and influential nation.
The UK is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State and Church, while Tony Blair is Prime Minister and heads the Labour Party. Queen Elizabeth II is also the Queen of Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
The Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom combining England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland – united under one Sovereign.
Today there are over 60 million inhabitants in the UK of which 6,9 million live in the capital city London. Britain has received large numbers of immigrants, especially during World War II. In the 1950s and 1960s, Afro-Caribbean and Asian people came to live and work in the UK. They make up about 5,7 percent of Britain’s population.
The United Kingdom is one of the largest economies in the European Union with energy-rich reserves of gas and oil under the North Sea. Alternative sources of energy such as wind power are being developed.
In the UK, the system of education is divided into three stages: Primary education is divided into infant schools and junior schools. Secondary education includes grammar schools designed for children to profit from an academic type of education. Most children remain till the age 18 to 19, especially if they want to go to university. The school leaving examination called “A” level. This exam is a university qualifying examination. After this, students go to universities and colleges or to work.
Football, rugby and cricket dominate sport in Britain. Although one of the most popular is fishing.
In the UK there is a lot of famous places. The famous English river is Thames, which is 215 miles long. The most beautiful lakes are Loch Lomond, Loch Katrine and Loch District, but most famous is the Loch Ness Lake in Scotland.
British mountains are low if compared to the Alps. The highest mountain in Great Britain is Ben Nevis in Scotland.
Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric places in the world. This ancient circle of the stones stands in Southwest England. It is made with massive blocks of stone up to 4 metres high.
Oxford is home of the oldest university in England and well known is also Cambridge University.
The capital city of the UK is London. There are world’s known Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square or Tower Bridge.
Other exiting city is Edinburgh, which is well known for its castle and for the Edinburgh International Festival in August. The industrial part of the UK includes environs the city Manchester.
Ireland
Ireland is an island lying to the west of Britain and is separated from Britain by the Irish Sea. It includes two parts, The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Dublin is the capital of the Republic, Belfast of Northern Ireland. The island’s area is 84 421 sq km.
Ireland is divided into 32 countries: The Republic of Ireland consists of 26 countries and Northern Ireland of 6.
Centuries-long British rule in Ireland resulted in the Easter Rising of 1916 when the General Post Office in Dublin was seized and independence proclaimed. In 1921, 26 countries of Ireland gained independence from London following negotiations, which led to partition.
The island’s other six countries, part of the province of Ulster (in the north), remained in the United Kingdom.
Relations between Dublin and London remained tense for many years afterwards. Northern Ireland saw decades of violent conflict between those campaigning for a united Ireland and those wishing to stay in the United Kingdom. The Irish and UK governments worked closely together in negotiations and peace talks, which led to the Good Friday Agreement on the future of Northern Ireland in 1998.
The Irish flag was first used in 1848. It is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The green colour represents the native people of Ireland. The orange colour represents the British supporters of William of Orange who settled in Northern Ireland in the 17th century. The white in the center of the flag represents peace between Roman Catholic and Protestant.
The Republic of Ireland’s total population is 3,6 million. Northern Ireland has a population of about 1,6 million. Historically a mixture of many races, the Irish are remarkably homogenous. Generally, they are a fair-skinned, dark-haired race with quite a number of red-haired people among them.
Since joining the European Community in 1793, the Republic of Ireland has accelerated its growth from a largely agricultural society into a modern, technology-based economy. The Irish economy grew so rapidly in the 1990´s that it was called the “Celtic Tiger” after the booming economies of Southeast Asia.
Attendance at school is compulsory and free up to the age of 15. Irish is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools. Secondary schools are for children aged 12 and over and those who successfully complete their education at this level receive the Leaving Certificate. There are four universities in the Republic.
In the Northern Ireland education is basically modeled on the British system.
Gaelic Football, similar to soccer and rugby, is very popular, along with Hurling, the oldest team game played in Ireland, which requires delicate ball skills and the strongest of bones.
Ireland is divided into 32 countries: The Republic of Ireland consists of 26 countries and Northern Ireland of 6.
Centuries-long British rule in Ireland resulted in the Easter Rising of 1916 when the General Post Office in Dublin was seized and independence proclaimed. In 1921, 26 countries of Ireland gained independence from London following negotiations, which led to partition.
The island’s other six countries, part of the province of Ulster (in the north), remained in the United Kingdom.
Relations between Dublin and London remained tense for many years afterwards. Northern Ireland saw decades of violent conflict between those campaigning for a united Ireland and those wishing to stay in the United Kingdom. The Irish and UK governments worked closely together in negotiations and peace talks, which led to the Good Friday Agreement on the future of Northern Ireland in 1998.
The Irish flag was first used in 1848. It is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The green colour represents the native people of Ireland. The orange colour represents the British supporters of William of Orange who settled in Northern Ireland in the 17th century. The white in the center of the flag represents peace between Roman Catholic and Protestant.
The Republic of Ireland’s total population is 3,6 million. Northern Ireland has a population of about 1,6 million. Historically a mixture of many races, the Irish are remarkably homogenous. Generally, they are a fair-skinned, dark-haired race with quite a number of red-haired people among them.
Since joining the European Community in 1793, the Republic of Ireland has accelerated its growth from a largely agricultural society into a modern, technology-based economy. The Irish economy grew so rapidly in the 1990´s that it was called the “Celtic Tiger” after the booming economies of Southeast Asia.
Attendance at school is compulsory and free up to the age of 15. Irish is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools. Secondary schools are for children aged 12 and over and those who successfully complete their education at this level receive the Leaving Certificate. There are four universities in the Republic.
In the Northern Ireland education is basically modeled on the British system.
Gaelic Football, similar to soccer and rugby, is very popular, along with Hurling, the oldest team game played in Ireland, which requires delicate ball skills and the strongest of bones.
Food
Gastronomy is a term, which means the art of good eating. Gastronomy includes the preparation of meals, dining, eating customs and everything related to food and drinks.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. The majority people eat a breakfast that consists of bread or bread rolls with butter, salami, ham, honey, cheese or jam. Many people drink at breakfast tea, coffee or glass of juice.
At 10 a.m. is the usual time for a mid morning snack. It is good to eat something light and healthy.
At midday is lunchtime. Often lunch consists of soup, a main course, and a dessert. At lunch people have juice, mineral water, beer or wine.
We have another snack at 4 p.m. There are usually sandwiches with tea or coffee.
The last meal of the day is dinner.
Preferably, we should drink two litres of liquid every day.
When we can eat healthy, we should eat small amounts several times a day and a lot of fresh products, fresh vegetables and fruit or dairy products, whole grain or brown bread. We shouldn’t eat white bread and many sweets or fat meat. A good diet is rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins.
The Czech diet is not very healthy. It is based on meat and most meat is served with potatoes or dumplings. Favourite are also sweet dishes. Our national meal is roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut. Popular dishes include Wiener schnitzel with potato salad, roast beef with a cream sauce or cabbage soup with sausage. Czech beer is famous all over the world. Bohemian and Moravian wines are well known as well. The most popular spirit drinks are a plum brandy “Slivovice” and the herb-based drink “Becherovka”.
The most famous American food is hamburgers, French fries and Coca Cola. But American diet is much more rich and diverse.
Originally Americans ate meals of corn, squash, pumpkin and turkey. Today, these foods remain regular part of American diet. On Thanksgiving Day, American families eat the national meal of turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Today are also very popular ethnic foods. The Americans loves sweet dishes. The favourite American dessert is fruit pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or doughnuts, sweet rolls and muffins.
The Americans have usually quick and easy meals at breakfast. Many people have a bowl of cereal with milk. But the English are known for their full breakfast that includes fried bacon and eggs or sausages.
The Americans go on Sundays to restaurants for a large brunch. This is the meal served between breakfast and lunch mostly with champagne.
Lunch is not the main meal of the day. It is a quick and simple light meal. The Americans and the English eat mostly sandwiches and tea or coffee.
Dinner is the large meal hot meal of the day. Dinner usually includes a main meat or vegetarian dish, salad, cooked vegetables with potatoes, pasta or rice. Among traditional British specialities belong smoked Scottish salmon or country pastes made from pork livers. The most popular American meat dishes served at dinner are beef and pork.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. The majority people eat a breakfast that consists of bread or bread rolls with butter, salami, ham, honey, cheese or jam. Many people drink at breakfast tea, coffee or glass of juice.
At 10 a.m. is the usual time for a mid morning snack. It is good to eat something light and healthy.
At midday is lunchtime. Often lunch consists of soup, a main course, and a dessert. At lunch people have juice, mineral water, beer or wine.
We have another snack at 4 p.m. There are usually sandwiches with tea or coffee.
The last meal of the day is dinner.
Preferably, we should drink two litres of liquid every day.
When we can eat healthy, we should eat small amounts several times a day and a lot of fresh products, fresh vegetables and fruit or dairy products, whole grain or brown bread. We shouldn’t eat white bread and many sweets or fat meat. A good diet is rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins.
The Czech diet is not very healthy. It is based on meat and most meat is served with potatoes or dumplings. Favourite are also sweet dishes. Our national meal is roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut. Popular dishes include Wiener schnitzel with potato salad, roast beef with a cream sauce or cabbage soup with sausage. Czech beer is famous all over the world. Bohemian and Moravian wines are well known as well. The most popular spirit drinks are a plum brandy “Slivovice” and the herb-based drink “Becherovka”.
The most famous American food is hamburgers, French fries and Coca Cola. But American diet is much more rich and diverse.
Originally Americans ate meals of corn, squash, pumpkin and turkey. Today, these foods remain regular part of American diet. On Thanksgiving Day, American families eat the national meal of turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Today are also very popular ethnic foods. The Americans loves sweet dishes. The favourite American dessert is fruit pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or doughnuts, sweet rolls and muffins.
The Americans have usually quick and easy meals at breakfast. Many people have a bowl of cereal with milk. But the English are known for their full breakfast that includes fried bacon and eggs or sausages.
The Americans go on Sundays to restaurants for a large brunch. This is the meal served between breakfast and lunch mostly with champagne.
Lunch is not the main meal of the day. It is a quick and simple light meal. The Americans and the English eat mostly sandwiches and tea or coffee.
Dinner is the large meal hot meal of the day. Dinner usually includes a main meat or vegetarian dish, salad, cooked vegetables with potatoes, pasta or rice. Among traditional British specialities belong smoked Scottish salmon or country pastes made from pork livers. The most popular American meat dishes served at dinner are beef and pork.
English language
Studying foreign languages is very important and almost necessary for everybody. People have many reasons to study them. We need foreign languages for traveling abroad, for business communication, for school, for corresponding with our friends or for culture reasons, for example watching films, visiting concerts, understanding songs et cetera.
The most popular language is English. Approximately 350 million people speak English as their first language. About the same number use it as a second language. It is language of aviation, shipping, international sport, banking and politics or pop music. It is an official language in 44 countries. In many others it is the language of business, commerce, science and technology.
We know different varieties of English because many people speak English in many different countries with their own cultures, so the language cannot be the same all around the world. The best form of English is called Standard English and it is the language of educated English speakers. American English is the kind of English spoken in the USA. Differences are in pronunciation, intonation, spelling and vocabulary or also in grammar. Australian and New Zealand English are very similar to British English, but many differences are in vocabulary and slang. Canadian English is different from both British and American English. Canadians borrowed many words from Canadian French, Indian language and Eskimo.
About history of English… First inhabitants of the British Islands were Celts with their own Celtic languages. These languages still survive in parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. After Celts there were Romans in Britain and Latin was the language of the government. Between 4th and 7th centuries the Anglo-Saxons arrived from northern Germany, Holland and Denmark and occupied England and northern Scotland. The Anglo-Saxons spoke a Germanic language, which forms the basic of modern English. This language was changed by arrival of Vikings, who came from Norway and Denmark. They spoke Old Norse and the Old Norse together with the Germanic language of Anglo-Saxons mixed and formed the vocabulary of English. Later England was conquered by Normans and French became a language of government. For the next centuries there co-exist three languages in England. French for the aristocracy, English for the ordinary people and Latin for the church. Today English is a mix of these three languages together with many words from other languages. Some words are loan for example from Australian Aborigines (for example kangaroo and boomerang), from Chinese (for example tea), from Classical Greek (for example theatre) or from Modern French (for example café and rendezvous) and Modern German (for example kindergarten and Wiener schnitzel).
The most popular language is English. Approximately 350 million people speak English as their first language. About the same number use it as a second language. It is language of aviation, shipping, international sport, banking and politics or pop music. It is an official language in 44 countries. In many others it is the language of business, commerce, science and technology.
We know different varieties of English because many people speak English in many different countries with their own cultures, so the language cannot be the same all around the world. The best form of English is called Standard English and it is the language of educated English speakers. American English is the kind of English spoken in the USA. Differences are in pronunciation, intonation, spelling and vocabulary or also in grammar. Australian and New Zealand English are very similar to British English, but many differences are in vocabulary and slang. Canadian English is different from both British and American English. Canadians borrowed many words from Canadian French, Indian language and Eskimo.
About history of English… First inhabitants of the British Islands were Celts with their own Celtic languages. These languages still survive in parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. After Celts there were Romans in Britain and Latin was the language of the government. Between 4th and 7th centuries the Anglo-Saxons arrived from northern Germany, Holland and Denmark and occupied England and northern Scotland. The Anglo-Saxons spoke a Germanic language, which forms the basic of modern English. This language was changed by arrival of Vikings, who came from Norway and Denmark. They spoke Old Norse and the Old Norse together with the Germanic language of Anglo-Saxons mixed and formed the vocabulary of English. Later England was conquered by Normans and French became a language of government. For the next centuries there co-exist three languages in England. French for the aristocracy, English for the ordinary people and Latin for the church. Today English is a mix of these three languages together with many words from other languages. Some words are loan for example from Australian Aborigines (for example kangaroo and boomerang), from Chinese (for example tea), from Classical Greek (for example theatre) or from Modern French (for example café and rendezvous) and Modern German (for example kindergarten and Wiener schnitzel).
Environmental protection
Civilization has brought people many advantages but its products also pollute and damage the environment in witch we live. We have problems with pollutions of seas, oceans, pollution of air, changes in the atmosphere’s ozone layer and concentration of carbon dioxide.
Millions of years before animals lived on land, there were trees on the Earth. But today trees are in serious danger. But what is killing the trees? Nobody knows exactly, but it is probably air pollution or acid rain. Factories, power stations and cars emit tons of smoke into the air. This smoke contains sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. These substances mix water vapour in the atmosphere and form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Sunlight turns these acids into poisonous oxidants, which fall in rain or snow onto the trees. Unfortunately, acid rain doesn’t always fall on the countries, which produce the pollution. The wind carries the poisonous substances from one country to another, trees are damaged by acid rain and the forest is destroyed.
Trees are important because they provide a home for many plants and animals too. They protect the flowers, which grow on the forest floor. They provide food for insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. They protect the soil from the wind and the rain.
We must save trees, because they are most important of all for us. The forests are the lungs of the planet. Trees produce the oxygen, which we breathe. If the trees die, we will, too.
These days we produce various plastic and petroleum products made by the petrochemical industry using crude oil as a raw material or starting point. Crude oil is found in oil reserves in particular areas of the world such as the Middle East and Alaska. It is refined and made into other products in places often thousands of kilometers from where is it found. If possible it is transported overland by pipeline, but mostly it goes by sea in huge oil tankers. Unfortunately, many of these ships are a danger to the crew and to the environment. When some oil tankers are old or had been battered and weakened by storms over years at sea, they can split and the tanker leaks oil onto the sea’s surface and it is created oil spill. The oil coated the fur of sea animals or feathers of birds and many animals drowned or froze to death.
But there are many groups, which help us with environmental problems. One of these is Greenpeace. They want to save oceans, stop climate changes, protect ancient forests, stop genetic engineering, stop the danger from nuclear energy and eliminate toxic chemicals.
We must feel more responsibility for the air, water and soil; people must preserve and restore the quality of our environment. Our good relation to nature is one of our most important duties. Our possibility to live depends on the air, water and soil. We should reduce the amount of chemicals and we should develop environmentally friendly pesticides. Solution waste disposal should be controlled; waste should be re-used and recycled.
The air and water pollution is also a big danger for the Czech capital - Prague. There are many factories without modern equipment. Also the main streets and motorways are going through the city and the traffic on these streets is certainly very busy, especially during the day there are lots of cars, buses and trucks there.
We should preserve and restore the quality of our environment. We must keep our planet habitable not only for the present generation but also for the future one. It would be necessary to develop more public information and interest. It wouldn’t be right to adapt people to pollution and noise. It would be a progressive degeneration of the quality of human life.
Millions of years before animals lived on land, there were trees on the Earth. But today trees are in serious danger. But what is killing the trees? Nobody knows exactly, but it is probably air pollution or acid rain. Factories, power stations and cars emit tons of smoke into the air. This smoke contains sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. These substances mix water vapour in the atmosphere and form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Sunlight turns these acids into poisonous oxidants, which fall in rain or snow onto the trees. Unfortunately, acid rain doesn’t always fall on the countries, which produce the pollution. The wind carries the poisonous substances from one country to another, trees are damaged by acid rain and the forest is destroyed.
Trees are important because they provide a home for many plants and animals too. They protect the flowers, which grow on the forest floor. They provide food for insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. They protect the soil from the wind and the rain.
We must save trees, because they are most important of all for us. The forests are the lungs of the planet. Trees produce the oxygen, which we breathe. If the trees die, we will, too.
These days we produce various plastic and petroleum products made by the petrochemical industry using crude oil as a raw material or starting point. Crude oil is found in oil reserves in particular areas of the world such as the Middle East and Alaska. It is refined and made into other products in places often thousands of kilometers from where is it found. If possible it is transported overland by pipeline, but mostly it goes by sea in huge oil tankers. Unfortunately, many of these ships are a danger to the crew and to the environment. When some oil tankers are old or had been battered and weakened by storms over years at sea, they can split and the tanker leaks oil onto the sea’s surface and it is created oil spill. The oil coated the fur of sea animals or feathers of birds and many animals drowned or froze to death.
But there are many groups, which help us with environmental problems. One of these is Greenpeace. They want to save oceans, stop climate changes, protect ancient forests, stop genetic engineering, stop the danger from nuclear energy and eliminate toxic chemicals.
We must feel more responsibility for the air, water and soil; people must preserve and restore the quality of our environment. Our good relation to nature is one of our most important duties. Our possibility to live depends on the air, water and soil. We should reduce the amount of chemicals and we should develop environmentally friendly pesticides. Solution waste disposal should be controlled; waste should be re-used and recycled.
The air and water pollution is also a big danger for the Czech capital - Prague. There are many factories without modern equipment. Also the main streets and motorways are going through the city and the traffic on these streets is certainly very busy, especially during the day there are lots of cars, buses and trucks there.
We should preserve and restore the quality of our environment. We must keep our planet habitable not only for the present generation but also for the future one. It would be necessary to develop more public information and interest. It wouldn’t be right to adapt people to pollution and noise. It would be a progressive degeneration of the quality of human life.
New Zealand
New Zealand can be found in the very south of the Southern Hemisphere, southeast of Australia. The country consists of two large islands, which make up about 270 sq km. This isolated and beautiful location boasts spectacular landscape with glacial mountains, rivers, lakes, rainforests, geysers, deserted beaches and fjords. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, which is in the geographical center of the country.
Like most English-speaking countries, New Zealand has a strong historical connection to Britain and is still a member of the Commonwealth. It became a British colony in 1840 when the Maori people occupying New Zealand agreed to share the country and to adopt the British monarchy as its head of state by signing the Treaty of Waitangi. In return, the Maori were promised protection and possession of their lands.
In the 1960s, war broke out between the British and the Maori when it became clear that the numbers of settlers were larger than the Maori ever imagined. Today, Maori and Paheka generally have a healthy relationship with strong respect for the Maori culture and its people. New Zealand became formally independent from Britain in 1947.
The flag of New Zealand is very similar to the Australian flag. It has a royal blue background, which is meant to remind people of the blue sea and the clear sky, and Britain’s Union Jack flag sits in the top-left corner. The Southern Cross is on the blue background with the stars red in colour.
New Zealand has a small population of only 3,8 million. Those of European descent make up the majority of the population – about 74 percent. The next largest group is Maori, then Polynesian and Asian. New Zealanders are famous for their friendly, easy-going nature.
Traditionally, the country’s economy relied on lamb, wool and diary products such as butter. Today, however, New Zealand’s interests have diversified and paper, wood, textile and machinery production are also important.
In the past few years, thanks to The Lord of the Rings trilogy filmed in New Zealand, the movie industry has boosted the economy, and tourism has increased, too.
New Zealanders attend primary school, intermediate and high school. Most students have to pass an exam in high school to be able to attend university, which the government partly pays for. If you come from a poor family or have Maori blood, the government will pay for more of your university costs.
New Zealanders love the outdoors and are high achievers in the sports world. Rugby is the country’s number one sport. The women’s national team won the last women’s World Cup competition. Netball and cricket are also very popular sports, as are hiking, swimming, skiing, rafting, fishing and bungee jumping.
Like most English-speaking countries, New Zealand has a strong historical connection to Britain and is still a member of the Commonwealth. It became a British colony in 1840 when the Maori people occupying New Zealand agreed to share the country and to adopt the British monarchy as its head of state by signing the Treaty of Waitangi. In return, the Maori were promised protection and possession of their lands.
In the 1960s, war broke out between the British and the Maori when it became clear that the numbers of settlers were larger than the Maori ever imagined. Today, Maori and Paheka generally have a healthy relationship with strong respect for the Maori culture and its people. New Zealand became formally independent from Britain in 1947.
The flag of New Zealand is very similar to the Australian flag. It has a royal blue background, which is meant to remind people of the blue sea and the clear sky, and Britain’s Union Jack flag sits in the top-left corner. The Southern Cross is on the blue background with the stars red in colour.
New Zealand has a small population of only 3,8 million. Those of European descent make up the majority of the population – about 74 percent. The next largest group is Maori, then Polynesian and Asian. New Zealanders are famous for their friendly, easy-going nature.
Traditionally, the country’s economy relied on lamb, wool and diary products such as butter. Today, however, New Zealand’s interests have diversified and paper, wood, textile and machinery production are also important.
In the past few years, thanks to The Lord of the Rings trilogy filmed in New Zealand, the movie industry has boosted the economy, and tourism has increased, too.
New Zealanders attend primary school, intermediate and high school. Most students have to pass an exam in high school to be able to attend university, which the government partly pays for. If you come from a poor family or have Maori blood, the government will pay for more of your university costs.
New Zealanders love the outdoors and are high achievers in the sports world. Rugby is the country’s number one sport. The women’s national team won the last women’s World Cup competition. Netball and cricket are also very popular sports, as are hiking, swimming, skiing, rafting, fishing and bungee jumping.
Social and moral problems of our civilisation
Today’s world has many social and moral problems such drugs, many civilisation’s diseases, smoking, many types of crime, poverty, wars and ethnical conflicts, ecological problems, unemployment and others.
Drugs are one of the biggest problems of today’s world, so I would like talk about it at first.
A drug is any substance, which inferences the body works. The most dangerous are drugs, which affect the brain.
Drug-use in the world is increasing and more young people are addicted. Drugs can be divided into three categories: hard, soft and legal. All three types can cause addiction, illness, or even death. Hard drugs include heroin and cocaine. Drugs like marijuana, hashish, and solvents are considered soft drugs. Legal drugs include tobacco, alcohol, prescription and non-prescription medicines. Drugs are the second biggest business in the world. Only the arms business is bigger. Thousands of drug addicts die every year.
The most dangerous civilisation’s disease is AIDS (this is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Worldwide, about 12 million people have AIDS nowadays and every day more than 200 people will probably become infected with the AIDS virus.
This disease is deadly and it is the result of infection by a virus HIV (this is Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS itself doesn’t kill a person, but attacks a person’s immune system, so the body cannot fight and people die.
HIV is infectious by blood. In this time there are two major ways, that people may become infected with the AIDS virus. One way is through sexual contact with an infected person and the other way is through sharing drug needles with an infected person. In the past time people were infected by blood transfusion, but nowadays it is impossible, because all the donated blood is tested. However women can infect with the AIDS virus their children, when they are pregnant. Their children can be born infected with the virus.
Smoking is a serious health problem that more and more teenagers have taken up smoking. Most teenagers’ start smoking in order to look cool in front of their friends but unfortunately they wind up addicted. Many tobacco companies have been blamed for making advertising, which is designed to appeal to young people. It is a tragedy but cigarette smoking kills 2.5 million people every year.
Crimes are usually classified as misdemeanour against the law. Crimes and their punishments are divided according to their importance.
A murder, the crime of killing a person, is the most horrible crime. Robbery is taking property from a person against his or her will by threatening or committing force or violence. Sometimes a robber uses a hostage. A hostage is a person taken by force to secure the taker’s demands. A burglary is the breaking and entering a house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.
Other naturally evil crimes are rape and arson.
Rape is the crime of sexual intercourse without the consent of the victim, often through force or threat of violence. In many cases, the establishment of guilt becomes difficult, particularly in cases where the victim displays no physical evidence of violence, but only one testimony against the other.
Arson is the malicious and wilful burning of the buildings, structures or vehicles of another. There are several degrees of arson, for example arson committed at night is considered more serious than arson committed in the daytime.
The person suspected of crime is taken into custody by a police officer. If the crime is serious, the case is first presented to a grand jury. While action is pending, the party charged may be released on bail. In courtroom there are jury, judge, the defender, accuser and the accused. Then they explore evidence, speak with witnesses and solve the case. If the accused is found innocent, he or she is discharged; if the accused is found guilty, the judge pronounces sentence.
Unemployment is an economic danger for every country. In our country, a lot of people are unemployed. The percentage varies from region to region and it is between 2 and 20 %. The most affected regions are in the north of Bohemia and Moravia with the heavy industry. There is no demand for coal and steel on the world markets, so thousands of workers have been made redundant. Another reason for unemployment is hundreds of companies that go bankrupt. School-leavers cannot often find a job and have to be on the dole. For most people is being out of work for a long time is humiliating depressing, and may lead to mental disorders or even suicide.
Drugs are one of the biggest problems of today’s world, so I would like talk about it at first.
A drug is any substance, which inferences the body works. The most dangerous are drugs, which affect the brain.
Drug-use in the world is increasing and more young people are addicted. Drugs can be divided into three categories: hard, soft and legal. All three types can cause addiction, illness, or even death. Hard drugs include heroin and cocaine. Drugs like marijuana, hashish, and solvents are considered soft drugs. Legal drugs include tobacco, alcohol, prescription and non-prescription medicines. Drugs are the second biggest business in the world. Only the arms business is bigger. Thousands of drug addicts die every year.
The most dangerous civilisation’s disease is AIDS (this is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Worldwide, about 12 million people have AIDS nowadays and every day more than 200 people will probably become infected with the AIDS virus.
This disease is deadly and it is the result of infection by a virus HIV (this is Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS itself doesn’t kill a person, but attacks a person’s immune system, so the body cannot fight and people die.
HIV is infectious by blood. In this time there are two major ways, that people may become infected with the AIDS virus. One way is through sexual contact with an infected person and the other way is through sharing drug needles with an infected person. In the past time people were infected by blood transfusion, but nowadays it is impossible, because all the donated blood is tested. However women can infect with the AIDS virus their children, when they are pregnant. Their children can be born infected with the virus.
Smoking is a serious health problem that more and more teenagers have taken up smoking. Most teenagers’ start smoking in order to look cool in front of their friends but unfortunately they wind up addicted. Many tobacco companies have been blamed for making advertising, which is designed to appeal to young people. It is a tragedy but cigarette smoking kills 2.5 million people every year.
Crimes are usually classified as misdemeanour against the law. Crimes and their punishments are divided according to their importance.
A murder, the crime of killing a person, is the most horrible crime. Robbery is taking property from a person against his or her will by threatening or committing force or violence. Sometimes a robber uses a hostage. A hostage is a person taken by force to secure the taker’s demands. A burglary is the breaking and entering a house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.
Other naturally evil crimes are rape and arson.
Rape is the crime of sexual intercourse without the consent of the victim, often through force or threat of violence. In many cases, the establishment of guilt becomes difficult, particularly in cases where the victim displays no physical evidence of violence, but only one testimony against the other.
Arson is the malicious and wilful burning of the buildings, structures or vehicles of another. There are several degrees of arson, for example arson committed at night is considered more serious than arson committed in the daytime.
The person suspected of crime is taken into custody by a police officer. If the crime is serious, the case is first presented to a grand jury. While action is pending, the party charged may be released on bail. In courtroom there are jury, judge, the defender, accuser and the accused. Then they explore evidence, speak with witnesses and solve the case. If the accused is found innocent, he or she is discharged; if the accused is found guilty, the judge pronounces sentence.
Unemployment is an economic danger for every country. In our country, a lot of people are unemployed. The percentage varies from region to region and it is between 2 and 20 %. The most affected regions are in the north of Bohemia and Moravia with the heavy industry. There is no demand for coal and steel on the world markets, so thousands of workers have been made redundant. Another reason for unemployment is hundreds of companies that go bankrupt. School-leavers cannot often find a job and have to be on the dole. For most people is being out of work for a long time is humiliating depressing, and may lead to mental disorders or even suicide.
Television, Cinema
People have a lot of occasions to entertainment. One of them is going to the cinema. A lot of people prefer the cinema to the theatre, but the number of the visitors of cinema is still lower and lower. I like going to the cinema, but I like going to the theatre too. Both of them are for me very interesting and exiting.
Our expression “kino” denotes in English two things – firstly is it the building in which films are shown and secondly cinema denotes films as an art form or entertainment.
Besides the word cinema are used pictures, movies and flicks. Pictures is British English, movies is American English and flicks is a slang word for cinema.
Cinemas show special films for adults, children and also for pensioners. Very often one cinema has now two or more screen halls. The average of a price one ticket is 100 Crowns. When the film is newer one, you should buy the ticket some hours before because than there is a big queue. But normally is come before half hour and buy the ticket in a box office. Some people like to sit at the back but I usually buy ticket to the middle of the tenth row from where I can see better than from a seat next to the gangway.
We have several types of films. There are feature films, documentaries, cartoons, musicals, thrillers, westerns or comedy, historical, horror, war and action films. Before I decide to go to the cinema, I choose the films very carefully. I don’t like catastrophic films, but some violence and blood don’t embarrass me. I prefer comedies and horrors.
Further films may be silent or sound. Later were films colour or black-and-white.
A foreign film, which arrives in our country, is either dubbed or is given subtitles. I prefer subtitles, because I want to listen actors and learn a foreign language during the film.
An actor or an actress who plays the leading part in a film is called a star. My favourite actor is Eddie Murphy who played in “Dr. Doolitle” or “Policeman from Beverly Hills” and my favourite actress is Whoopi Goldberg who played in “Sister in action” or “Made in America”.
Today going to the cinema is replaced by watching TV. Television was started to be popular in about 1940. In Czechoslovakia was television first presented in 1953. About 1990 people recognized cable TV with many channels.
In the Czech Republic there are two types of financing TV. There are public TVs (ČT1 and ČT2) that are financed by licence paying public and there are commercial TVs (NOVA and PRIMA) that are financed by advertisements.
In Britain there are two important and famous TV-services. There are the BBC (=the British broadcasting corporation) and the IBA (= the Independent broadcasting authority).
Very important in TV are information and they are extended by different news. News are about for example: home and foreign affairs, military or wars conflicts, demonstrations and changes in government, nature, drought, epidemics, culture, earthquakes, tornadoes, violence or strikes. People can watch a lot of TV programmes. In talk shows people talk about personal and private things in their lives. Children can watch cartoons. Men mostly watch sport programmes and women romantic films. I watch TV I think five hours a week. I like documentaries or nature films.
Our expression “kino” denotes in English two things – firstly is it the building in which films are shown and secondly cinema denotes films as an art form or entertainment.
Besides the word cinema are used pictures, movies and flicks. Pictures is British English, movies is American English and flicks is a slang word for cinema.
Cinemas show special films for adults, children and also for pensioners. Very often one cinema has now two or more screen halls. The average of a price one ticket is 100 Crowns. When the film is newer one, you should buy the ticket some hours before because than there is a big queue. But normally is come before half hour and buy the ticket in a box office. Some people like to sit at the back but I usually buy ticket to the middle of the tenth row from where I can see better than from a seat next to the gangway.
We have several types of films. There are feature films, documentaries, cartoons, musicals, thrillers, westerns or comedy, historical, horror, war and action films. Before I decide to go to the cinema, I choose the films very carefully. I don’t like catastrophic films, but some violence and blood don’t embarrass me. I prefer comedies and horrors.
Further films may be silent or sound. Later were films colour or black-and-white.
A foreign film, which arrives in our country, is either dubbed or is given subtitles. I prefer subtitles, because I want to listen actors and learn a foreign language during the film.
An actor or an actress who plays the leading part in a film is called a star. My favourite actor is Eddie Murphy who played in “Dr. Doolitle” or “Policeman from Beverly Hills” and my favourite actress is Whoopi Goldberg who played in “Sister in action” or “Made in America”.
Today going to the cinema is replaced by watching TV. Television was started to be popular in about 1940. In Czechoslovakia was television first presented in 1953. About 1990 people recognized cable TV with many channels.
In the Czech Republic there are two types of financing TV. There are public TVs (ČT1 and ČT2) that are financed by licence paying public and there are commercial TVs (NOVA and PRIMA) that are financed by advertisements.
In Britain there are two important and famous TV-services. There are the BBC (=the British broadcasting corporation) and the IBA (= the Independent broadcasting authority).
Very important in TV are information and they are extended by different news. News are about for example: home and foreign affairs, military or wars conflicts, demonstrations and changes in government, nature, drought, epidemics, culture, earthquakes, tornadoes, violence or strikes. People can watch a lot of TV programmes. In talk shows people talk about personal and private things in their lives. Children can watch cartoons. Men mostly watch sport programmes and women romantic films. I watch TV I think five hours a week. I like documentaries or nature films.
Travelling
The holiday means for many people the time when they can travel for cognition or have a rest. Parents can spend more time with their children. But most children want to be alone or spend holiday with their friends.
Many people travel abroad. They want to get to know foreign countries, foreign languages and foreign culture. Our family always spent holiday only in the Czech Republic. My parents assert that we must know our native first. But I want travel abroad. This year I was with my friend for 10 days in Spain. It was my best holiday!!! We were alone and it was really great! The see was beautiful and the people were very friendly. I want to travel to Spain again, but I haven’t enough money for it.
People can travel by different means of transport. We can drive a car, ride a bike or motorbike, catch a bus or tram, take a train, fly by plane also hitchhike.
When we want to go to Prague, we must get on the bus at the bus station and after 45 minutes get off the bus. Sometimes buses don’t arrive on time, so we must wait at the bus stop for half an hour in a long queue of people and then two buses arrive and the first is usually full up or on other occasions the bus arrives earlier and we miss it.
Train journeys are more interesting than bus journeys, but train fares are more expensive. Sometimes are not very punctual. The passengers are bored and have to look at the timetable to find out when the next one arrives.
Air travel is so different. The flight is very quick and very comfortable, but people must be early at the airport to check their tickets and luggage and they also have to pay more money than in trains or buses. But sometimes the flight is delayed due to bad weather conditions, under such occasions we have to stay in the waiting zone. Once abroad, we usually get good service by the flight attendants, you might get free drinks, meals and newspapers. They usually show a film or we can listen to some music.
Another way to spend a holiday could be on a cruise. We can cruise on anything from the size of a small sail ship, a yacht, or a river barge to a large cruise liner almost the size of the Titanic. However this way of traveling is very expensive.
A lot of young people choose to hitchhike. All year round we see young people by the shoulder of the highways, or by the petrol stations, signaling for a lift. It is the cheapest way to travel and it can also be a great adventure, but it is also very dangerous.
Many people travel abroad. They want to get to know foreign countries, foreign languages and foreign culture. Our family always spent holiday only in the Czech Republic. My parents assert that we must know our native first. But I want travel abroad. This year I was with my friend for 10 days in Spain. It was my best holiday!!! We were alone and it was really great! The see was beautiful and the people were very friendly. I want to travel to Spain again, but I haven’t enough money for it.
People can travel by different means of transport. We can drive a car, ride a bike or motorbike, catch a bus or tram, take a train, fly by plane also hitchhike.
When we want to go to Prague, we must get on the bus at the bus station and after 45 minutes get off the bus. Sometimes buses don’t arrive on time, so we must wait at the bus stop for half an hour in a long queue of people and then two buses arrive and the first is usually full up or on other occasions the bus arrives earlier and we miss it.
Train journeys are more interesting than bus journeys, but train fares are more expensive. Sometimes are not very punctual. The passengers are bored and have to look at the timetable to find out when the next one arrives.
Air travel is so different. The flight is very quick and very comfortable, but people must be early at the airport to check their tickets and luggage and they also have to pay more money than in trains or buses. But sometimes the flight is delayed due to bad weather conditions, under such occasions we have to stay in the waiting zone. Once abroad, we usually get good service by the flight attendants, you might get free drinks, meals and newspapers. They usually show a film or we can listen to some music.
Another way to spend a holiday could be on a cruise. We can cruise on anything from the size of a small sail ship, a yacht, or a river barge to a large cruise liner almost the size of the Titanic. However this way of traveling is very expensive.
A lot of young people choose to hitchhike. All year round we see young people by the shoulder of the highways, or by the petrol stations, signaling for a lift. It is the cheapest way to travel and it can also be a great adventure, but it is also very dangerous.
William Shakespeare
‘Shakespeare’s era’ was the time of Renaissance and the time of ‘Elizabethan Age’. England became the sea power, the trade rapidly grew and there were also big changes in culture. The Renaissance was a period of revival antic ideals, especially ideals of human physical and psychical beauty, ideals of relations between man and woman etc. People began to love and enjoy their life again. The Renaissance and Humanism brought into literature and drama a new wave of realism and satire, which most important representative was W. Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare was the greatest writer in the English language. He was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was farmer and businessman with glove-maker. He was the Mayor of Stratford. At the age of fourteen William had to leave school because his father lost his property. He couldn’t support him in his studies and William helped his father in business. At the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than himself. She was from Shottery, a village near Stratford. They had three children - Suzanne and twins Hamnet and Judith.
At the age of twenty-two he left his native town and move to London, where he worked as an actor and a playwright. He was a part owner of some theatres, but above all he was a dramatist author. He became not only a famous man but also a wealthy man.
Shakespeare joined a group of actors called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men in 1594 and worked as their leading actor and dramatist. This all-male company of experienced and talented players built their own theatre - the Globe. It was open to the sky and its owners, including Shakespeare, shared its profits.
For the next decade the Globe, on the Thames at Bankside, became one of the main London’s theatre and the home of Shakespeare’s work. Many of his greatest plays were written during those ten years, and were acted here.
He bought the biggest house in Stratford called New Place and spent there his retirement and he died there in 1616 at the same day he was born at the age of 52. The legend says that he died after his birthday’s party. William Shakespeare is buried in Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.
William Shakespeare perfectly understood man and his character with all his weaknesses and good qualities. He had no higher education and his main teacher was life itself. He describes life as it isn’t as is should be. In his work we can also find his wet and humour. He uses a blank verse. He often mixes prose and verse as well as tragedy and comedy. For all these qualities his place have been successful in the stage of all over the world until today.
Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets (a kind of poem). His most famous plays are the four great tragedies – Othello (a Moore of Venice - tragedy of jealousy), Macbeth, Hamlet (Prince of Denmark - tragedy of irresolution), and King Lear (tragedy of selfish pride). Here belong his first masterpiece Romeo and Juliet. He also wrote several historical plays. Eight of these plays were about English kings, including Richard II (Is about a husband of Czech Princess Ann. He was a week king.), Henry V and Richard III (Historical play about cruel king.). Others dealt with Roman history and included Julius Caesar (It is about the conspiracy against Julius and about his death.) and Anthony and Cleopatra. But not all of Shakespeare’s plays were serious. He also wrote comedies, such as Midsummer Night’s Dream (fairy comedy), As you like it (patroller) and Twelfth Night. The Comedy of Errors was about twin and brothers are mistaken for each other.
Shakespeare died in Stratford on 23 April 1616, but his plays are still very popular today. They have been translated into several different languages, and many of them have been made into films, both in England and other languages. Shakespeare’s plays are about the great issues of life - love, hatred, jealousy, power, ambition, death and so on. So, his plays are just as relevant today as they were in the sixteenth century. To show this, modern directors sometimes do the plays in modern dress, and one of Shakespeare’s plays has even been turned into a modern musical. His romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet (Tragedy of love in conflicts with fate.), was the basis for the musical West Side Story.
Hamlet is the tragedy of the suffering and hesitation of an honest, strong and responsible man who isn’t able to kill or punish without having a clear proof of guilt.
Hamlet is a Prince of Denmark. Hamlet’s uncle Claudius murders Hamlet’s father, succeeds the throne and also marries Hamlet’s mother. The ghost of death king appears to Hamlet and tells of his murder. Hamlet wants to revenge, but he is racked by doubts and begins to behave very strangely. In order to find some proof of guilt against Claudius, he pretends madness. He tests the story of the murder with a theatrical performance and carefully watches Claudius. The shocked reaction of the King makes Hamlet sure that he is the murderer. A dramatic interview with his mother follows, during which Hamlet kills by mistake Ophelia’s father Polonius. Then is Hamlet sent to England. Meanwhile Ophelia goes mad and falls into a stream. Ophelia’s brother Laertes comes to revenge. Claudius provokes Laertes to challenge Hamlet to a fencing match. In case Hamlet wins the match, Claudius prepares a glass of poisoned wine for him and he also poisons Laertes’s sword. All the main characters die: Laertes´ poisoned sword kills Hamlet, the King and Laertes himself and the Queen drinks a cup of poisoned wine.
William Shakespeare was the greatest writer in the English language. He was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was farmer and businessman with glove-maker. He was the Mayor of Stratford. At the age of fourteen William had to leave school because his father lost his property. He couldn’t support him in his studies and William helped his father in business. At the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than himself. She was from Shottery, a village near Stratford. They had three children - Suzanne and twins Hamnet and Judith.
At the age of twenty-two he left his native town and move to London, where he worked as an actor and a playwright. He was a part owner of some theatres, but above all he was a dramatist author. He became not only a famous man but also a wealthy man.
Shakespeare joined a group of actors called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men in 1594 and worked as their leading actor and dramatist. This all-male company of experienced and talented players built their own theatre - the Globe. It was open to the sky and its owners, including Shakespeare, shared its profits.
For the next decade the Globe, on the Thames at Bankside, became one of the main London’s theatre and the home of Shakespeare’s work. Many of his greatest plays were written during those ten years, and were acted here.
He bought the biggest house in Stratford called New Place and spent there his retirement and he died there in 1616 at the same day he was born at the age of 52. The legend says that he died after his birthday’s party. William Shakespeare is buried in Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.
William Shakespeare perfectly understood man and his character with all his weaknesses and good qualities. He had no higher education and his main teacher was life itself. He describes life as it isn’t as is should be. In his work we can also find his wet and humour. He uses a blank verse. He often mixes prose and verse as well as tragedy and comedy. For all these qualities his place have been successful in the stage of all over the world until today.
Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets (a kind of poem). His most famous plays are the four great tragedies – Othello (a Moore of Venice - tragedy of jealousy), Macbeth, Hamlet (Prince of Denmark - tragedy of irresolution), and King Lear (tragedy of selfish pride). Here belong his first masterpiece Romeo and Juliet. He also wrote several historical plays. Eight of these plays were about English kings, including Richard II (Is about a husband of Czech Princess Ann. He was a week king.), Henry V and Richard III (Historical play about cruel king.). Others dealt with Roman history and included Julius Caesar (It is about the conspiracy against Julius and about his death.) and Anthony and Cleopatra. But not all of Shakespeare’s plays were serious. He also wrote comedies, such as Midsummer Night’s Dream (fairy comedy), As you like it (patroller) and Twelfth Night. The Comedy of Errors was about twin and brothers are mistaken for each other.
Shakespeare died in Stratford on 23 April 1616, but his plays are still very popular today. They have been translated into several different languages, and many of them have been made into films, both in England and other languages. Shakespeare’s plays are about the great issues of life - love, hatred, jealousy, power, ambition, death and so on. So, his plays are just as relevant today as they were in the sixteenth century. To show this, modern directors sometimes do the plays in modern dress, and one of Shakespeare’s plays has even been turned into a modern musical. His romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet (Tragedy of love in conflicts with fate.), was the basis for the musical West Side Story.
Hamlet is the tragedy of the suffering and hesitation of an honest, strong and responsible man who isn’t able to kill or punish without having a clear proof of guilt.
Hamlet is a Prince of Denmark. Hamlet’s uncle Claudius murders Hamlet’s father, succeeds the throne and also marries Hamlet’s mother. The ghost of death king appears to Hamlet and tells of his murder. Hamlet wants to revenge, but he is racked by doubts and begins to behave very strangely. In order to find some proof of guilt against Claudius, he pretends madness. He tests the story of the murder with a theatrical performance and carefully watches Claudius. The shocked reaction of the King makes Hamlet sure that he is the murderer. A dramatic interview with his mother follows, during which Hamlet kills by mistake Ophelia’s father Polonius. Then is Hamlet sent to England. Meanwhile Ophelia goes mad and falls into a stream. Ophelia’s brother Laertes comes to revenge. Claudius provokes Laertes to challenge Hamlet to a fencing match. In case Hamlet wins the match, Claudius prepares a glass of poisoned wine for him and he also poisons Laertes’s sword. All the main characters die: Laertes´ poisoned sword kills Hamlet, the King and Laertes himself and the Queen drinks a cup of poisoned wine.
Current problems in society
Crimes are usually classified as misdemeanour (přestupek) against the law (treason –vlastizrada, felony –těžký zločin,vražda). Crimes and their punishments are divided according to their importance.
A murder, the crime of killing a person, is the most horrible crime.
(Death - penalty –for, against?)
Robbery is taking property from a person against his or her will by threatening or committing force or violence. Sometimes a robber uses a hostage. A hostage is a person taken by force to secure the taker’s demands.
Other naturally evil crimes are rape and arson.
Rape is the crime of sexual intercourse without the consent of the victim, often through force or threat of violence. In many cases, the establishment of guilt becomes difficult, particularly in cases where the victim displays no physical evidence of violence, but only one testimony against the other.
Arson is the malicious and wilful burning of the buildings, structures or vehicles of another. There are several degrees of arson, for example arson committed at night is considered more serious than arson committed in the daytime.
A burglary is the breaking and entering a house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.
Criminal Procedure
The person suspected of crime is taken into custody by a police officer. If the crime is serious, the case is first presented to a grand jury. While action is pending, the party charged may be released on bail. In courtroom there are jury, judge, the defender, accuser and the accused. Then they explore evidence, speak with witnesses and solve the case. If the accused is found innocent, he or she is discharged; if the accused is found guilty, the judge pronounces sentence.
Reasons:
-criminality of teenagers
- money for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes
- watching TV and computer games
-your opinions:
death-penalty
criminality of minorities
criminality in our town, republic
Death penalty
I think there is no logical reason for d.p.. This penalty still exists in many countries especially in USA. People are charged with d.p. mainly for murder. But when you kill a murderer you are killer too. I disagree with this. Everybody has the right to live. As far as I am concerned the d.p. is not good way of punishment. It would be better if there was a better prison and judge system. It should try to re-behave the criminals. In the extreme cases there still exist the long stay in prison till the end of life.
A murder, the crime of killing a person, is the most horrible crime.
(Death - penalty –for, against?)
Robbery is taking property from a person against his or her will by threatening or committing force or violence. Sometimes a robber uses a hostage. A hostage is a person taken by force to secure the taker’s demands.
Other naturally evil crimes are rape and arson.
Rape is the crime of sexual intercourse without the consent of the victim, often through force or threat of violence. In many cases, the establishment of guilt becomes difficult, particularly in cases where the victim displays no physical evidence of violence, but only one testimony against the other.
Arson is the malicious and wilful burning of the buildings, structures or vehicles of another. There are several degrees of arson, for example arson committed at night is considered more serious than arson committed in the daytime.
A burglary is the breaking and entering a house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.
Criminal Procedure
The person suspected of crime is taken into custody by a police officer. If the crime is serious, the case is first presented to a grand jury. While action is pending, the party charged may be released on bail. In courtroom there are jury, judge, the defender, accuser and the accused. Then they explore evidence, speak with witnesses and solve the case. If the accused is found innocent, he or she is discharged; if the accused is found guilty, the judge pronounces sentence.
Reasons:
-criminality of teenagers
- money for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes
- watching TV and computer games
-your opinions:
death-penalty
criminality of minorities
criminality in our town, republic
Death penalty
I think there is no logical reason for d.p.. This penalty still exists in many countries especially in USA. People are charged with d.p. mainly for murder. But when you kill a murderer you are killer too. I disagree with this. Everybody has the right to live. As far as I am concerned the d.p. is not good way of punishment. It would be better if there was a better prison and judge system. It should try to re-behave the criminals. In the extreme cases there still exist the long stay in prison till the end of life.
Prague
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, the seat of the President, government and parliament and the political, cultural and economic centre of the country. It spreads out on both banks of the river Vltava in the centre of Bohemia. It covers an area of almost 500 km2 and it has 1,2 million inhabitants. The whole city consists of 14 administrative districts. The oldest parts are the Old Town, The Lesser Town, the New Town, Josefov, Hradèany and Vyšehrad.
Without any doubt, THE PRAGUE CASTLE, the seat of the President, is the dominant of the city. From the square outside the castle tourists can admire the city below with the roofs of ancient Gothic, Renaissance and baroque houses and palaces and hundreds of church spires for which Prague is renowned. The monumental complex of the castle includes three courtyards and over 700 rooms among which the late Gothic Vladislav Hall (but with Renaissance windows) and the newly redecorated Spanish Hall and Rudolph Gallery are the most renowned. In the Vladislav Hall the election of the President takes place and both the Spanish Hall and Rudolph Gallery serve for ceremonial and cultural purposes.
The most impressive building at the Castle is St. Vitus Cathedral. It was completed in 1929, a thousand years after the foundation of the first church on this site. The Gothic cathedral was founded by Charles IV in connection with the establishment of the Prague Archbishopric. The present cathedral is the result of the work of two famous architescts, Matthias of Arras and Petr Parlé. The most admire parts of the church are the gothic St. Wenceslas Chapel decorated partly with semi-precious stones, the coronation chamber where the coronation jewels (St. Wenceslas crow, the sceptre and the orb) are kept and the Royal Crypt which contains the sarcophaguses of Czech kings and queens. Another place worth seeing is the Convent of St George, the first to be built in Bohemia (993), now containing collections of the Gothic to the baroque art of the National Gallery. The convent church, the Basilica of St. George is the best preserved relic of Romanesque architecture in Bohemia. In the castle gardens we can admire the Royal Summer Palace Belveder (Queen Ann’s Summer House), the purest example of Italian Renaissance architecture north of the Alps, and the Singing Fountain which gained its fame due to the sound made by the falling drops of water. Golden Lane made up of tiny houses with coloured facades originated in the 16th century when craftsmen settled there under Rudolph II rule. Here lived also our writer Franz Kafka and during the reign of emperor Rudolf II lived here o lot of alchemists. In the Castle area too is the graffito decorated Renaissance Schwarzenberg Palace which houses the military history collection, the Archbishop’s Palace with the beautiful 18th century Rococo facade, the 17th century Sternberg Palace, the seat of National Gallery, not far from it is Èernín palace built in the style of 17th century Italian architecture, now the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Loretto complex, the 17th century Baroque place of pilgrimage, with a carillon in the steeple and the Loretto treasure.
In the neighbourhood of the Castle on Petøín Hill overlooking the Lesser Town the Baroque Strahov Monastery is located. Founded in the 12th century, it is now a Museum of Czech Literature. Nearby the Petøín Observation Tower can be found. It was built for the Jubilee Exhibition in 1891 as a free copy of the Eiffel Tower. It affords a magnificent view of Prague and its environs. There is also a fabulous mirror maze. To go on Petøín you can on foot or by funicular railway.
Along Neruda Street we can go from the Castle to the LESSER TOWN below. The Lesser Town is a poetic quarter with picturesque crooked streets, stylish taverns, ancient houses and palaces and romantic gardens. The jewels of baroque architecture is St. Nicholas Church in the Lesser Town Square, the masterpiece of I.K.Dientzenhofer and A. Lurago. From the square we can easily get to Charles Bridge over the river Vlatava built by Petr Parléø. This oldest (14th century) and most charming of the many Prague bridges has become a favourite place for walks and tourist attractions. It is 520m long and is decorated with 30 sculptures and groups of statues mainly of Baroque origin (some of them by M.B.Brown and J.M.Brokoff) which together with the Bridge Towers make it a unique work of architecture. Gothic Bridge Tower has been made by Petr Parléø.
The Clementinum is the second largest building in Prague (after the Prague Castle) built in Baroque style. It serves as the largest branch of the state library. It is situated between Charles Bridge and Old Town Square.
Along Charles street we can get to the Old Town Square, the centre of the OLD TOWN. It is surrounded by beautifully decorated houses with coloured facades and gables of all styles. Old Town Hall was damaged during WWII. A monumental medieval tower-like building of the house At the Stone Bell, Romanesque House of the Red Fox and the Rococo Kinský Palace which now houses a graphic collection are the most representatives of the anti-Habsburg uprising were executed after the lost battle of the White Mountain. Tourists come to see a horologe with statue of the Apostles on the tower. The visual dominant of the Square is the Týn church where Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe was buried in 1601. The centre of the Square is beautified by the John Huss monument. Through the street Železná you can visit the second most famous theatre in Neo-classicism style the Theatre of Estates. It is famous for the first night of Mozart’s Don Giovani. Next to this theatre is The Carolinium, the oldest building of Charles University. Not far from the Square is the Bethlehem chapel, the most important centre of the Reformation movement where John Huss preached. The Old Town Square was a part of the Royal Route which lead along Celetná and Karlova street to Charles bridge and the Castle (the coronation ceremony began at Vyšehrad).
From the Old Town Square two well-known streets lead: Paris Street, lined with fine houses built in the late 19th century decorative style, takes us to THE JEWISH TOWN. The Jewish community originated in Prague as early as the 10th century. Now only a few synagogues (the Old-New Synagogue for example) and the cemetery have remained to the present. Seven synagogues remain from this old settlement which includes the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery - the most remarkable in Europe.
The other street, Celetná leads to the Powder Tower which forms a monumental entrance to the Old Town. Close to it is the Municipal House, in the 14th and 15th centuries the Royal Court, at the turn of this century rebuilt in the late 19th century decorative style. The best known of its 6 halls is the Smetana hall in which concerts of the Prague Spring Music Festival and balls are held. Municipal with the State Opera and Rudolfinum (Dvoøákova Hall) is the most famous music halls where concerts are held. Another famous house is House of Hybern (Empire) against Powder Tower.
The Na pøíkopì Street (On the Moats Street), now a pedestrian precinct, taken us to the bottom of Wenceslas Square, the heart of the New Town and present-day Prague. It is a 750m long boulevard lined with banks, department stores, boutiques, shops, hotels, restaurants, cafes, theatres and cinemas. The upper end of the square is closed by the Neo-Renaissance building of the National Museum from the end of the 19th century which contains historical and natural history collections. In the upper part of the square stands the St. Wenceslas Memorial, the bronze equestrian statue of prince Wenceslas by J.V.Myslbek, a favourite meeting place of tourists. From the bottom of the Square we can go along Národní Street to the river Vltava. On its right bank the most beautiful Neo-Renaissance building, the National Theatre, is situated. The foundation stone was laid in 1868 and finished after 30 years. It was built according to plans of architect Zítek. The new building caught fire by an accident and burnt out nearly to the ground. In short time it was rebuilt and many excellent artists took part in its decoration like Myslbek, Hynais, Aleš, Ženíšek ect. Above drop curtain there is a writing „The Nation it itself“. Along the river we came to Vyšehrad, once the seat of Czech Princes. Now only a few remains of the castle have been preserved on the rock. The oldest construction on Vyšehrad and in the whole of Prague is the Rotunda of St. Martin, built in the 11th century in Romanic style. The Vyšehrad site also contains the Slavín Cemetery, the burial place of famous personalities of our cultural and political life. The church of St. Peter and Paul is in Neogothic style.
Apart from the sights mentioned above Prague boasts many more important institutions, and charming places, houses, and museums. Among them Charles University, the oldest university in Central and eastern Europe, the House of Artists (Rudolfinum), the second most outstanding Neo-Renaissance building in Prague which once hosted the parliament, and the St. Agnes Convent which now houses exhibitions of the National Gallery, are worth seeing. Another parts of National Gallery are the Riding School and Valdštejn’s Palace.
On the outskirts of Prague Troja, a newly redecorated Baroque chateau is worth visiting and in the environs, Zbraslav Monastery whose church is a burial palace of some of the Pøemyslid kings. The monastery has been changed into a gallery in which a collection of sculptures of the National Gallery is installed.
The largest is Charles Square in New Town. It was founded in the 14th century with livestock and vegetable markets. Now there is a New Town Hall and St. Ignacius Church in Rococo style.
Kampa is a peninsula with water mills and channels.
The Congress Palace is a centre of culture.
The coronation suite started on the Old Town Square where were Czech King crowned. But the ROYAL WAY (Route) started by Power Tower a led into street Celetná through Old Town Square. Than the route continue in street Karlova to the Charles Bridge. When we go over the river on the other side of the bridge through Lesser Town Bridgetowr is Mostecká street. This street steer into Lesser Town Square. And the last street we should go is Nerudova street. This street led on Hradèanské Square in front of Prague’s Castle.
Without any doubt, THE PRAGUE CASTLE, the seat of the President, is the dominant of the city. From the square outside the castle tourists can admire the city below with the roofs of ancient Gothic, Renaissance and baroque houses and palaces and hundreds of church spires for which Prague is renowned. The monumental complex of the castle includes three courtyards and over 700 rooms among which the late Gothic Vladislav Hall (but with Renaissance windows) and the newly redecorated Spanish Hall and Rudolph Gallery are the most renowned. In the Vladislav Hall the election of the President takes place and both the Spanish Hall and Rudolph Gallery serve for ceremonial and cultural purposes.
The most impressive building at the Castle is St. Vitus Cathedral. It was completed in 1929, a thousand years after the foundation of the first church on this site. The Gothic cathedral was founded by Charles IV in connection with the establishment of the Prague Archbishopric. The present cathedral is the result of the work of two famous architescts, Matthias of Arras and Petr Parlé. The most admire parts of the church are the gothic St. Wenceslas Chapel decorated partly with semi-precious stones, the coronation chamber where the coronation jewels (St. Wenceslas crow, the sceptre and the orb) are kept and the Royal Crypt which contains the sarcophaguses of Czech kings and queens. Another place worth seeing is the Convent of St George, the first to be built in Bohemia (993), now containing collections of the Gothic to the baroque art of the National Gallery. The convent church, the Basilica of St. George is the best preserved relic of Romanesque architecture in Bohemia. In the castle gardens we can admire the Royal Summer Palace Belveder (Queen Ann’s Summer House), the purest example of Italian Renaissance architecture north of the Alps, and the Singing Fountain which gained its fame due to the sound made by the falling drops of water. Golden Lane made up of tiny houses with coloured facades originated in the 16th century when craftsmen settled there under Rudolph II rule. Here lived also our writer Franz Kafka and during the reign of emperor Rudolf II lived here o lot of alchemists. In the Castle area too is the graffito decorated Renaissance Schwarzenberg Palace which houses the military history collection, the Archbishop’s Palace with the beautiful 18th century Rococo facade, the 17th century Sternberg Palace, the seat of National Gallery, not far from it is Èernín palace built in the style of 17th century Italian architecture, now the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Loretto complex, the 17th century Baroque place of pilgrimage, with a carillon in the steeple and the Loretto treasure.
In the neighbourhood of the Castle on Petøín Hill overlooking the Lesser Town the Baroque Strahov Monastery is located. Founded in the 12th century, it is now a Museum of Czech Literature. Nearby the Petøín Observation Tower can be found. It was built for the Jubilee Exhibition in 1891 as a free copy of the Eiffel Tower. It affords a magnificent view of Prague and its environs. There is also a fabulous mirror maze. To go on Petøín you can on foot or by funicular railway.
Along Neruda Street we can go from the Castle to the LESSER TOWN below. The Lesser Town is a poetic quarter with picturesque crooked streets, stylish taverns, ancient houses and palaces and romantic gardens. The jewels of baroque architecture is St. Nicholas Church in the Lesser Town Square, the masterpiece of I.K.Dientzenhofer and A. Lurago. From the square we can easily get to Charles Bridge over the river Vlatava built by Petr Parléø. This oldest (14th century) and most charming of the many Prague bridges has become a favourite place for walks and tourist attractions. It is 520m long and is decorated with 30 sculptures and groups of statues mainly of Baroque origin (some of them by M.B.Brown and J.M.Brokoff) which together with the Bridge Towers make it a unique work of architecture. Gothic Bridge Tower has been made by Petr Parléø.
The Clementinum is the second largest building in Prague (after the Prague Castle) built in Baroque style. It serves as the largest branch of the state library. It is situated between Charles Bridge and Old Town Square.
Along Charles street we can get to the Old Town Square, the centre of the OLD TOWN. It is surrounded by beautifully decorated houses with coloured facades and gables of all styles. Old Town Hall was damaged during WWII. A monumental medieval tower-like building of the house At the Stone Bell, Romanesque House of the Red Fox and the Rococo Kinský Palace which now houses a graphic collection are the most representatives of the anti-Habsburg uprising were executed after the lost battle of the White Mountain. Tourists come to see a horologe with statue of the Apostles on the tower. The visual dominant of the Square is the Týn church where Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe was buried in 1601. The centre of the Square is beautified by the John Huss monument. Through the street Železná you can visit the second most famous theatre in Neo-classicism style the Theatre of Estates. It is famous for the first night of Mozart’s Don Giovani. Next to this theatre is The Carolinium, the oldest building of Charles University. Not far from the Square is the Bethlehem chapel, the most important centre of the Reformation movement where John Huss preached. The Old Town Square was a part of the Royal Route which lead along Celetná and Karlova street to Charles bridge and the Castle (the coronation ceremony began at Vyšehrad).
From the Old Town Square two well-known streets lead: Paris Street, lined with fine houses built in the late 19th century decorative style, takes us to THE JEWISH TOWN. The Jewish community originated in Prague as early as the 10th century. Now only a few synagogues (the Old-New Synagogue for example) and the cemetery have remained to the present. Seven synagogues remain from this old settlement which includes the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery - the most remarkable in Europe.
The other street, Celetná leads to the Powder Tower which forms a monumental entrance to the Old Town. Close to it is the Municipal House, in the 14th and 15th centuries the Royal Court, at the turn of this century rebuilt in the late 19th century decorative style. The best known of its 6 halls is the Smetana hall in which concerts of the Prague Spring Music Festival and balls are held. Municipal with the State Opera and Rudolfinum (Dvoøákova Hall) is the most famous music halls where concerts are held. Another famous house is House of Hybern (Empire) against Powder Tower.
The Na pøíkopì Street (On the Moats Street), now a pedestrian precinct, taken us to the bottom of Wenceslas Square, the heart of the New Town and present-day Prague. It is a 750m long boulevard lined with banks, department stores, boutiques, shops, hotels, restaurants, cafes, theatres and cinemas. The upper end of the square is closed by the Neo-Renaissance building of the National Museum from the end of the 19th century which contains historical and natural history collections. In the upper part of the square stands the St. Wenceslas Memorial, the bronze equestrian statue of prince Wenceslas by J.V.Myslbek, a favourite meeting place of tourists. From the bottom of the Square we can go along Národní Street to the river Vltava. On its right bank the most beautiful Neo-Renaissance building, the National Theatre, is situated. The foundation stone was laid in 1868 and finished after 30 years. It was built according to plans of architect Zítek. The new building caught fire by an accident and burnt out nearly to the ground. In short time it was rebuilt and many excellent artists took part in its decoration like Myslbek, Hynais, Aleš, Ženíšek ect. Above drop curtain there is a writing „The Nation it itself“. Along the river we came to Vyšehrad, once the seat of Czech Princes. Now only a few remains of the castle have been preserved on the rock. The oldest construction on Vyšehrad and in the whole of Prague is the Rotunda of St. Martin, built in the 11th century in Romanic style. The Vyšehrad site also contains the Slavín Cemetery, the burial place of famous personalities of our cultural and political life. The church of St. Peter and Paul is in Neogothic style.
Apart from the sights mentioned above Prague boasts many more important institutions, and charming places, houses, and museums. Among them Charles University, the oldest university in Central and eastern Europe, the House of Artists (Rudolfinum), the second most outstanding Neo-Renaissance building in Prague which once hosted the parliament, and the St. Agnes Convent which now houses exhibitions of the National Gallery, are worth seeing. Another parts of National Gallery are the Riding School and Valdštejn’s Palace.
On the outskirts of Prague Troja, a newly redecorated Baroque chateau is worth visiting and in the environs, Zbraslav Monastery whose church is a burial palace of some of the Pøemyslid kings. The monastery has been changed into a gallery in which a collection of sculptures of the National Gallery is installed.
The largest is Charles Square in New Town. It was founded in the 14th century with livestock and vegetable markets. Now there is a New Town Hall and St. Ignacius Church in Rococo style.
Kampa is a peninsula with water mills and channels.
The Congress Palace is a centre of culture.
The coronation suite started on the Old Town Square where were Czech King crowned. But the ROYAL WAY (Route) started by Power Tower a led into street Celetná through Old Town Square. Than the route continue in street Karlova to the Charles Bridge. When we go over the river on the other side of the bridge through Lesser Town Bridgetowr is Mostecká street. This street steer into Lesser Town Square. And the last street we should go is Nerudova street. This street led on Hradèanské Square in front of Prague’s Castle.
The Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a state in Central Europe. It occupies an area of 78 864 sq km and has about 10.33 million inhabitants. The Administrative division consists of 76 districts. They are alternative system of administration had not been decided on yet. The head of the state is president, elected for a five-year period by the Parliament of the Czech Republic by an assembly of both parliament chamber. Executive power is the Government of the Czech Republic. Assembly is Parliament of the Czech Republic, which comprises two Houses - the Chamber of Deputis and the Senate. The Chmber of deputies has 200 deputies elected for 4 years and the Senate has 81 senators elected for 6 years, one-third of whom face an election every two years.
Geography:
Our state has a varied landscape. Bohemia is surrounded by a ring of mountains - the Šumava range, the Czech Forest, the Ore Mountains, the Jizerské Mountains, the Giant Mountains, and the Eagle Mountains. The Moravian plain is protected on the West by the bohemian-Moravian highlands, and on the North by the wooded mountainous ranges of Jeseníky and Beskydy. Fertile lowlands can be found in the valleys of big rivers - the Vltava, the Elbe (flowing into the north sea), the Oder (flowing into the Baltic Sea), and the Morava (flowing into the Danube and thence into the black Sea). The climate is mostly continental, the warmest area being in South Moravia.
Industry:
One of our most significant raw materials is coal. Black coal and anthracite are to be found mainly in the Ostrava Coal Basin, but also in the area of Kladno and elsewhere. The most significant supplies of brown coal or lignite are in the North Bohemia Coal Basin and in Western Bohemia in the Sokolov Basin. There are also minor deposits of iron ore, uranium, oil etc. The rich deposits of kaolin and clay are important for the ceramics and glass industry as well as abundant quarries of stone and limestone for the building industry.
The Czech Republic is traditionally an industrial country. The greatest percentage is represented by the engineering industry. Besides this there are the chemical industry, food industry, textile industry, metallurgy and other sorts of industry. Also the agriculture is developed enough to feed the population and be able to export its products too.
History:
From the historical point of view our territory has been inhabited by Slavonic tribes since the 5th century A.D. The first Slavonic state was Sámo’s Empire which was founded here in 623. With the further development and uniting of Slavonic tribes, the early mighty feudal Great Moravian empire was formed in the 9th century. After its disintegration, state activities were concentrated in the Czech Lands whrer in the 9th century power was taken over by the Czech tribe headed by the Pøemyslid family. The first historically documented Czech prince Boøivoj I ruled over the territory of the Czech lands and over a considerable part of Great Moravia.
The Czech princes- and later kings- played an important role in Central Europe. When the Pøemyslid dynasty had died out by the sword in 1306 and, after several years of instability, the Czech throne went by way of a dynastic wedding to the Luxembourgs, and the Czech Kingdom became also the centre of the Holy Roman Empire mainly during the reign of Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV. nevertheless it was a kingdom quite independent of the Holy Roman Empire, and was ruled by the king, the most important of the seven electors of the emperor. During the reign of Charles IV (1346 - 1378), Prague grew into one of the largest European metropolises of that era, and was a significant centre of education, architecture and the arts. In 1348 Charles University - the oldest one in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe - was founded in Prague.
The first part of the 15th century is marked by the Hussite Movement (1419 - 1437). It is named after Jan Hus (john Huss), professor, dean, and later rector of Charles university. In 1415 he was tried by the Church council in Constance and burnt at the stake as a heretic. The leading representatives of the Hussite Movement were Jan Žižka and Prokop Holý. Jan Žižka, as a Hussite leader, was never defeated. Prokop Holý, in victorious battles, fought off crusades of the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire and was also prominent Hussite diplomat.
After the reign of king Jiøí of Podìbrady . who is known for his appeal to other European kings to make a treaty securing peace - and after the period of the rule of Jagiellonian dynasty on the Czech throne there came the period of the Habsburg dynasty (1526 - 1918). These rulers tried to oppress the Czech nation in favour of the Germans and the Roman Catholic Church, but were nor successful until the Battle on the White Mountain in 1620, followed by 300 years of endeavours to eradicate Czech statehood and national life - though germanization and the liquidation of Czech literature and culture as a whole, and re-catholicization.
Nevertheless the 19th century brought a time of national revival, so when World War I ended in 1918, the Czech nation was able to take its fate into its own hands in the newly established Czechoslovak Republic. Though this was destroyed by the German occupation (1939 - 1945), it appeared again after World War II. In 1948 the power was taken over by the communists directed by the Soviet Union. The „Prague Spring“ in 1968 was oppressed by the invasion of the Soviet army and the „normalization“ lasted about another 20 years till the „Velvet revolution“ in 1989. The following development led to the splitting of the republic, and in 1993 two new states appeared - the Czech Republic comprising the original countries of the Czech crown, Bohemia and Moravia, and part of Silesia, the greater part of which was lost in the 18th century during the Seven Years’ Was, and the Slovak Republic.
The Czech Republic
History:
First state in this territory, inhabited by Slavonic tribes was Samoa’s Empire. Then the Great Moravian Empire followed. It was very famous and the capital was probably situated in southern Moravia near the village of Mikulčice. Even when the Great Moravian Empire still existed, another state formed in the region of Bohemia. It was called the Czech Crown Kingdom. In the 9th century power was taken by Přemyslid dynasty. When the Přemyslid dynasty died out by the sword, the Czech throne went by way of a dynastic wedding to the Luxembourg. Under Charles IV the Czech Kingdom became the centre of the Holy Roman Empire and the city of Prague was the capital town. Charles IV built the second oldest stone bridge in our republic in Prague, established an archbishop there and founded Charles University, the oldest one in middle Europe. The first part of the 15th century was marked by the Hussite Movement. It is named after John Huss, rector of Charles University and a preacher, who tried to reform the Catholic Church. He was burnt at the stake as a heretic. After the reign of Jiří of Poděbrady, who is known for his appeal to other European kings to make a treaty securing peace, the Jagiellonian dynasty was established on the Czech throne. But they reigned only for a short time and the throne was passed to Habsburg dynasty. The centre of culture and politics moved from Prague to Vienna and we became a part of the big Austria Empire. They oppressed the Czech nation for almost 400 years. They tried to re-catholic and germanise; they also tried to liquidate Czech literature. Then WWI began. Austria lost this war and it was split into five states. One of them was newly established Czechoslovak Republic with our first president Tomáš Garigue Masaryk. This state was destroyed by the German occupation and it appeared again after WWII. But power was taken over by the communists directed by the Soviet Union. In 1968 Czechoslovakia was oppressed by the invasion of the Soviet army and the “normalisation” lasted about another 20 years till the “velvet revolution” in 1989. That resulted in the splitting of the republic and in 1993 two new states appeared – the Czech republic and the Slovak Republic. Our president is Václav Havel.
Geography:
The Czech Republic is situated in the centre of Europe and sometimes it is called the heart of Europe. It has a population of 10 million people and covers an area of about 80,000 sq. km. The Czech borders are the oldest ones in the Europe. We border with Germany on the west with a nature border made by the Ore Mountains, the Czech Forest and Šumava range. The border with Poland is made by the Jizerské Mountains, the Giant Mountains the Eagle Mountains and the Jeseník Mountain range. The border with Austria is made by the Dyje river and the border with Slovakia is made by the Morava river and White Karpat hills. The Czech Republic consists of three lands: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. A natural border between Moravia and Bohemia is made by the Bohemian-Moravian Highland. The biggest mountain in the Czech Republic is Sněžka (1612m) in the Giant Mountains and the longest river is the Vltava. Other important rivers are the Labe, Jizera, Ohře, Svitava, Svratka, Dyje, Morava and Oder. In southern Moravia fertile lowlands can be found. Our republic lies in the Temperate Zone. We haven’t a sea. The warmest areas are in Southern Moravia and the coldest areas are in the Giant Mountains. The average annual rainfall is about 600cm.
Population:
The biggest city is the capital, Prague and it has about one million inhabitants. The other big cities are Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové. The major nationalities living here are Czech and Moravian, but there are also minority groups such as the Silesians, Romes, Poles, Germans, Ukrainians and Russians.
Economy and industry:
The most important part of our economy is engineering (machine tools, locomotives, tractors, and agricultural machines). Other important branches are metallurgical and chemical industries and tourism, textile and glass industries have a long tradition. One of our most significant raw materials is coal. Black coal and anthracite are to be found mainly in the Ostrava Coal Basin, but also in the area of Kladno and elsewhere. Because of intensive mining these regions are the most polluted ones in the Czech Republic. The supplies of brown coal or lignite can be found in the North Bohemia Coal Basin and in Western Bohemia in the Sokolov Basin. We also hove minor supplies of iron ore, uranium and oil. Our rich deposits of kaolin and clay are important for the ceramics and glass industries as well as limestone for the building industry. Also agriculture in our republic is developed enough. The most fertile soil is in South Moravia. The main items grown there are wheat, sugar-beet, maize, grapes, hops and fruits. In animal production the most important are cattle-breeding and pig-breeding. Fish-breeding, especially carp-breeding can be found in South Bohemia, in the region called Třeboňsko. Bohemia and Moravia are quite rich in mineral springs and spas (Karlovy Vary, Mariánské lázně, Františkovy lázně, Poděbrady, Luhačovice,…).
Beauty spots:
There are many spots of great natural beauty in the Czech Republic, as well as areas totally spoiled by industries. South Bohemia is particularly rich in ponds. The most beautiful natural places are the Czech Paradise, “rock town” in Prachov rocks, the Děčín walls, Czech Switzerland, the Boubín virgin forests, Macocha abyss and so on. We have also some protested areas, some of them are really very nice (for example one of the protected areas is the region near river Dyje) and National parks. There are also many places associated with our history. Among the most beautiful historic towns belong Prague, Kutná Hora, Tábor, Telč, Olomouc, Kroměříž,… Also many castles, ruins and chateaux can be found in our republic. To the most interesting ones belong Karlštejn, Křivoklát, Bezděz, Hluboká, Zvíkov, Loket, Kuks, Lednice and of course the Prague castle.
System of government:
The Czech Republic is a democratic state. Its government is divided into three branches – the legislative, represented by the Parliament, the executive, represented by president and the government, and the judicial, represented by courts. Our Parliament, according to constitution, consists of two chambers – the Chamber of Deputies (200 deputies, served for four years) and the Senate (81 senators, every two years, one third of the Senators is renewed). Elections are public, secret, democratic, equal, direct and universal. Everybody, who is above 18 and who has Czech nationality can take part in them. The parliament makes a bill, but it must be approved by the government and signed by the president, before it becomes a law. The president is elected every five years by Parliament and he can serve only for two terms in a row. Our contemporary president is Václav Havel. He represents the country abroad, he is the commander-in-chief of the army, has right to veto or refuse a bill, can declare amnesty, call general election and makes appointments of all the members of the government. The leader of the winning party becomes the Prime Minister. The government is composed of the premier, the vice-premier and the ministers. There are many ministries, headed by ministers, eg. Interior, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice, Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, Finance, Transport, Labour and Social Affairs, Education, Culture and Health. The judicial power is divided into a system of courts. There is Constitutional court and the Supreme Court, which are at the highest level and they go down to region and district courts. In elections the citizens can choose from a variety of political parties from three main groups – the left wing, moderate and right wing. Our contemporary parties are: Civic Democratic Party, the Civic Democratic Union, the Christian Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Social Union, Left Block, Czech-Moravian Communist Party,… Our national anthem is called Kde domov můj? (Where is my home?). Our flag consists of three colours, red, blue and white. The red is at the bottom, the white is at the top and the blue makes a triangle at the left side.
Geography:
Our state has a varied landscape. Bohemia is surrounded by a ring of mountains - the Šumava range, the Czech Forest, the Ore Mountains, the Jizerské Mountains, the Giant Mountains, and the Eagle Mountains. The Moravian plain is protected on the West by the bohemian-Moravian highlands, and on the North by the wooded mountainous ranges of Jeseníky and Beskydy. Fertile lowlands can be found in the valleys of big rivers - the Vltava, the Elbe (flowing into the north sea), the Oder (flowing into the Baltic Sea), and the Morava (flowing into the Danube and thence into the black Sea). The climate is mostly continental, the warmest area being in South Moravia.
Industry:
One of our most significant raw materials is coal. Black coal and anthracite are to be found mainly in the Ostrava Coal Basin, but also in the area of Kladno and elsewhere. The most significant supplies of brown coal or lignite are in the North Bohemia Coal Basin and in Western Bohemia in the Sokolov Basin. There are also minor deposits of iron ore, uranium, oil etc. The rich deposits of kaolin and clay are important for the ceramics and glass industry as well as abundant quarries of stone and limestone for the building industry.
The Czech Republic is traditionally an industrial country. The greatest percentage is represented by the engineering industry. Besides this there are the chemical industry, food industry, textile industry, metallurgy and other sorts of industry. Also the agriculture is developed enough to feed the population and be able to export its products too.
History:
From the historical point of view our territory has been inhabited by Slavonic tribes since the 5th century A.D. The first Slavonic state was Sámo’s Empire which was founded here in 623. With the further development and uniting of Slavonic tribes, the early mighty feudal Great Moravian empire was formed in the 9th century. After its disintegration, state activities were concentrated in the Czech Lands whrer in the 9th century power was taken over by the Czech tribe headed by the Pøemyslid family. The first historically documented Czech prince Boøivoj I ruled over the territory of the Czech lands and over a considerable part of Great Moravia.
The Czech princes- and later kings- played an important role in Central Europe. When the Pøemyslid dynasty had died out by the sword in 1306 and, after several years of instability, the Czech throne went by way of a dynastic wedding to the Luxembourgs, and the Czech Kingdom became also the centre of the Holy Roman Empire mainly during the reign of Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV. nevertheless it was a kingdom quite independent of the Holy Roman Empire, and was ruled by the king, the most important of the seven electors of the emperor. During the reign of Charles IV (1346 - 1378), Prague grew into one of the largest European metropolises of that era, and was a significant centre of education, architecture and the arts. In 1348 Charles University - the oldest one in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe - was founded in Prague.
The first part of the 15th century is marked by the Hussite Movement (1419 - 1437). It is named after Jan Hus (john Huss), professor, dean, and later rector of Charles university. In 1415 he was tried by the Church council in Constance and burnt at the stake as a heretic. The leading representatives of the Hussite Movement were Jan Žižka and Prokop Holý. Jan Žižka, as a Hussite leader, was never defeated. Prokop Holý, in victorious battles, fought off crusades of the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire and was also prominent Hussite diplomat.
After the reign of king Jiøí of Podìbrady . who is known for his appeal to other European kings to make a treaty securing peace - and after the period of the rule of Jagiellonian dynasty on the Czech throne there came the period of the Habsburg dynasty (1526 - 1918). These rulers tried to oppress the Czech nation in favour of the Germans and the Roman Catholic Church, but were nor successful until the Battle on the White Mountain in 1620, followed by 300 years of endeavours to eradicate Czech statehood and national life - though germanization and the liquidation of Czech literature and culture as a whole, and re-catholicization.
Nevertheless the 19th century brought a time of national revival, so when World War I ended in 1918, the Czech nation was able to take its fate into its own hands in the newly established Czechoslovak Republic. Though this was destroyed by the German occupation (1939 - 1945), it appeared again after World War II. In 1948 the power was taken over by the communists directed by the Soviet Union. The „Prague Spring“ in 1968 was oppressed by the invasion of the Soviet army and the „normalization“ lasted about another 20 years till the „Velvet revolution“ in 1989. The following development led to the splitting of the republic, and in 1993 two new states appeared - the Czech Republic comprising the original countries of the Czech crown, Bohemia and Moravia, and part of Silesia, the greater part of which was lost in the 18th century during the Seven Years’ Was, and the Slovak Republic.
The Czech Republic
History:
First state in this territory, inhabited by Slavonic tribes was Samoa’s Empire. Then the Great Moravian Empire followed. It was very famous and the capital was probably situated in southern Moravia near the village of Mikulčice. Even when the Great Moravian Empire still existed, another state formed in the region of Bohemia. It was called the Czech Crown Kingdom. In the 9th century power was taken by Přemyslid dynasty. When the Přemyslid dynasty died out by the sword, the Czech throne went by way of a dynastic wedding to the Luxembourg. Under Charles IV the Czech Kingdom became the centre of the Holy Roman Empire and the city of Prague was the capital town. Charles IV built the second oldest stone bridge in our republic in Prague, established an archbishop there and founded Charles University, the oldest one in middle Europe. The first part of the 15th century was marked by the Hussite Movement. It is named after John Huss, rector of Charles University and a preacher, who tried to reform the Catholic Church. He was burnt at the stake as a heretic. After the reign of Jiří of Poděbrady, who is known for his appeal to other European kings to make a treaty securing peace, the Jagiellonian dynasty was established on the Czech throne. But they reigned only for a short time and the throne was passed to Habsburg dynasty. The centre of culture and politics moved from Prague to Vienna and we became a part of the big Austria Empire. They oppressed the Czech nation for almost 400 years. They tried to re-catholic and germanise; they also tried to liquidate Czech literature. Then WWI began. Austria lost this war and it was split into five states. One of them was newly established Czechoslovak Republic with our first president Tomáš Garigue Masaryk. This state was destroyed by the German occupation and it appeared again after WWII. But power was taken over by the communists directed by the Soviet Union. In 1968 Czechoslovakia was oppressed by the invasion of the Soviet army and the “normalisation” lasted about another 20 years till the “velvet revolution” in 1989. That resulted in the splitting of the republic and in 1993 two new states appeared – the Czech republic and the Slovak Republic. Our president is Václav Havel.
Geography:
The Czech Republic is situated in the centre of Europe and sometimes it is called the heart of Europe. It has a population of 10 million people and covers an area of about 80,000 sq. km. The Czech borders are the oldest ones in the Europe. We border with Germany on the west with a nature border made by the Ore Mountains, the Czech Forest and Šumava range. The border with Poland is made by the Jizerské Mountains, the Giant Mountains the Eagle Mountains and the Jeseník Mountain range. The border with Austria is made by the Dyje river and the border with Slovakia is made by the Morava river and White Karpat hills. The Czech Republic consists of three lands: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. A natural border between Moravia and Bohemia is made by the Bohemian-Moravian Highland. The biggest mountain in the Czech Republic is Sněžka (1612m) in the Giant Mountains and the longest river is the Vltava. Other important rivers are the Labe, Jizera, Ohře, Svitava, Svratka, Dyje, Morava and Oder. In southern Moravia fertile lowlands can be found. Our republic lies in the Temperate Zone. We haven’t a sea. The warmest areas are in Southern Moravia and the coldest areas are in the Giant Mountains. The average annual rainfall is about 600cm.
Population:
The biggest city is the capital, Prague and it has about one million inhabitants. The other big cities are Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové. The major nationalities living here are Czech and Moravian, but there are also minority groups such as the Silesians, Romes, Poles, Germans, Ukrainians and Russians.
Economy and industry:
The most important part of our economy is engineering (machine tools, locomotives, tractors, and agricultural machines). Other important branches are metallurgical and chemical industries and tourism, textile and glass industries have a long tradition. One of our most significant raw materials is coal. Black coal and anthracite are to be found mainly in the Ostrava Coal Basin, but also in the area of Kladno and elsewhere. Because of intensive mining these regions are the most polluted ones in the Czech Republic. The supplies of brown coal or lignite can be found in the North Bohemia Coal Basin and in Western Bohemia in the Sokolov Basin. We also hove minor supplies of iron ore, uranium and oil. Our rich deposits of kaolin and clay are important for the ceramics and glass industries as well as limestone for the building industry. Also agriculture in our republic is developed enough. The most fertile soil is in South Moravia. The main items grown there are wheat, sugar-beet, maize, grapes, hops and fruits. In animal production the most important are cattle-breeding and pig-breeding. Fish-breeding, especially carp-breeding can be found in South Bohemia, in the region called Třeboňsko. Bohemia and Moravia are quite rich in mineral springs and spas (Karlovy Vary, Mariánské lázně, Františkovy lázně, Poděbrady, Luhačovice,…).
Beauty spots:
There are many spots of great natural beauty in the Czech Republic, as well as areas totally spoiled by industries. South Bohemia is particularly rich in ponds. The most beautiful natural places are the Czech Paradise, “rock town” in Prachov rocks, the Děčín walls, Czech Switzerland, the Boubín virgin forests, Macocha abyss and so on. We have also some protested areas, some of them are really very nice (for example one of the protected areas is the region near river Dyje) and National parks. There are also many places associated with our history. Among the most beautiful historic towns belong Prague, Kutná Hora, Tábor, Telč, Olomouc, Kroměříž,… Also many castles, ruins and chateaux can be found in our republic. To the most interesting ones belong Karlštejn, Křivoklát, Bezděz, Hluboká, Zvíkov, Loket, Kuks, Lednice and of course the Prague castle.
System of government:
The Czech Republic is a democratic state. Its government is divided into three branches – the legislative, represented by the Parliament, the executive, represented by president and the government, and the judicial, represented by courts. Our Parliament, according to constitution, consists of two chambers – the Chamber of Deputies (200 deputies, served for four years) and the Senate (81 senators, every two years, one third of the Senators is renewed). Elections are public, secret, democratic, equal, direct and universal. Everybody, who is above 18 and who has Czech nationality can take part in them. The parliament makes a bill, but it must be approved by the government and signed by the president, before it becomes a law. The president is elected every five years by Parliament and he can serve only for two terms in a row. Our contemporary president is Václav Havel. He represents the country abroad, he is the commander-in-chief of the army, has right to veto or refuse a bill, can declare amnesty, call general election and makes appointments of all the members of the government. The leader of the winning party becomes the Prime Minister. The government is composed of the premier, the vice-premier and the ministers. There are many ministries, headed by ministers, eg. Interior, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice, Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, Finance, Transport, Labour and Social Affairs, Education, Culture and Health. The judicial power is divided into a system of courts. There is Constitutional court and the Supreme Court, which are at the highest level and they go down to region and district courts. In elections the citizens can choose from a variety of political parties from three main groups – the left wing, moderate and right wing. Our contemporary parties are: Civic Democratic Party, the Civic Democratic Union, the Christian Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Social Union, Left Block, Czech-Moravian Communist Party,… Our national anthem is called Kde domov můj? (Where is my home?). Our flag consists of three colours, red, blue and white. The red is at the bottom, the white is at the top and the blue makes a triangle at the left side.
The United Kingdom
United Kingdom made up of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British Isles is geographic term and it’s a group of the islands among where Great Britain and Ireland are the biggest ones and many smaller ones (e.g. the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Man, Anglesey, the Hebrides, the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the Channel Islands). Its neighbours are Ireland to west and France to south-east.
Great Britain is consist of Wales (Cardiff), England (London), Scotland (Edinburg) and northern Ireland (Belfast). Republic of Ireland’s capital is Dublin.
The South West of England is famous for its beautiful countryside and dramatic coastline. One particular area of natural beauty is Dartmoor, which is inhabited by wild ponies. The countryside in the South East is more gentle, and there is a lot of fruit-growing. It is also the most heavily populated part of Britain. East Anglia is very flat, and is famous for its vast fields of wheat and potatoes. The Midlands used to have a lot of heavy industry, but much of this has disappeared over recent years. Wales is characterised by its mountains in the north and its valleys in the south. In the North West of England there is the beautiful Lake District, and the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. The North East used to have a lot of mining and ship building, but not any more, unfortunately. Scotland is famous for its lakes, of course, known as lochs. The moors and mountains are beautiful and empty. Ireland is famed for its rains and its rich green grass, its romance and its mists.
Britain lies off the north-west coast of Europe across the English Channel, the Strait of Dover and the North Sea.
England is the largest of the countries. Scotland is larger than Wales, but smaller than England.
There are not many rivers in GB. The longest river is the river Severn, not the Thanes. Besides London, which is a port situated on the river Thames, there are several other important ports on much smaller rivers, e.g. Glasgow on the river Clyde, Liverpool on the Mersey, Bristol on the Avon. No place in Britain is more than 75 miles from the sea. There are not many lakes in GB. There are some in Scotland and some in the north of England (Cumbria). Known are also lakes in the Lake District - Lake Windermere. The largest lake in Scotland are Loch Lomond (near Glasgow) and Loch Ness (near Inverness), which became world-famous in the 1930s because of the „Loch Ness monster“. The climate is mild and damp. Britain has warmer winters than any other country in the same latitude, not very hot summers, no extremes of temperature, rain all the year round, frequent changes of the weather.
England is mostly rolling land, rising to the Uplands of southern Scotland. The mountains are higher in Wales than in north of England. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon (1,085 m). The main mountain regions here are the Cornish Heights (south-west England), the Cambrians (Wales), the Cumbrian Mountains (in the lake District), the Pennines (the Backbone of England) - they run north-south through the central part of northern England. The Cheviot Hills are on the border between England and Scotland. The Highlands of Scotland are the highest mountains in Britain ( with the highest mountain Ben Nevis - 1,342 m). Coast is heavily indented, especially on west.
GB has a population of about fifty-six million living in one area of only 94,000 square miles. Most people live in the large towns, and more than 6,5 million people live in Greater London alone. Birmingham and Glasgow also have more than a million inhabitants each.
United Kingdom lies between 50° North and 60° North latitude, and the prime meridian of 0° passes through the old observatory at Greenwich.
British Isles have equable and milder climate due to the Gulf Stream which comes from the Gulf of Mexico to Western Europe. The prevailing winds are south-westerly and the climate is largely determined by that of the eastern Atlantic, although during the winter months easterly winds may bring a cold, dry continental type of weather. The average range of temperature between winter and summer is greatest inland, in the eastern part of country. During a normal summer the temperature occasionally rises above 27°C in the south; winter temperatures below -7°C are rare. Rain is fairly common throughout the year.
With its mild climate and varied soils, Britain has a diverse pattern of natural vegetation. Woodlands occupy about 8 per cent of the surface. Most of Britain is agricultural land of which over one-third is arable and the rest pasture and meadows. Almost the whole of lowland Britain has been cultivated with the exception of a few patches of heath and woodland. Through the centuries elaborate land drainage system have been developed to bring the fertile soil of the lowlying fenland under cultivation.
If you draw a line from about the Bristol Channel to the Wash, than to the south of this line there are mainly low lands and hills, and to the north there are higher lands and mountains. It is wetter in the north because of the higher land, and drier and sunnier in the south. To the north there are sheep and cows because the grass grows so well, and to the south there are arable farms growing corps and cereal.
Scotland
Scotland is larger than Wales, but smaller than England and occupy about one-third of the island of Great Britain. It is bounded by England in the south and on the other three sides by sea: by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and north and by the North Sea on the east.
History:
The Scots actually arrived in the area now called Scotland from Ireland. They took over land previously inhabitant by the Picts and other tribes. The Celts, who eventually reached Britain after leaving their homelands in Central Europe (including your country), left a strong influence on Scottish culture. Gaelic, an old Celtic language, is still spoken by about 70 000 people in addition to English.
1603 King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England and Scotland. He moved to London and this ended Scottish independence.
In 1707 Scotland formally became part of the UK when the government of Scotland moved to Westminster. But they have still their own legal and education system. They have also different marriage laws. Parents’ consent to get married isn’t necessary form the age of 16.
Geography:
Scotland is divided by geological faults into three separate regions: the Southern Uplands, Central Lowlands and the Highlands. The Southern Uplands are low hills with small towns and few people. The poet Robert burns and writer Sir Walter Scott both lived there for much of their lives.
Burns is remembered every year at Burns’ Night, where Scottish people eat „tatties and neaps“ (potatoes and turnips) with haggis - a famous Scottish dish which looks like a huge sausage and is made from a sheep’s stomach. It tastes much better than it sounds!
Highlands are on north of Edinburgh and Glasgow. They are the highest mountains in Britain with Ben Nevis (1342m). This mountains are fool of trees, many sheep, wild deer and golden eagles. The original people of the area were removed by force by the English after their defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Many emigrated to America and Canada. The Highlands and islands to the north and west have the most beautiful mountain and coastal scenery. Scotland’s forests were mostly cut down by people a long time ago and so the landscape is wild and open.
The Cheviot hills are on the border between England and Scotland.
Loch Ness is in the middle of the highlands. A monster is supposed to live here. But the largest lake is Loch Lomond (near Glasgow).
Hadrian’s Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain: the best known frontier of the entire Roman Empire. The wall was built by order of the Emperor Hadrian and was intended to separate the Romans from the Barbarians. It’s situated between Scotland and England.
Cities:
Most people live and work in the Central Lowlands, around the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. During the many wars between England and Scotland, important battles were often fought in this strategic area (such as those at Stirling and Falkirk shown in „Breaveheart“). Glasgow, on the river Clyde, grew to be a major industrial city, but in the 20th century many people became unemployed and the city was rough and dirty. Things have got better since it was made a European City of Culture a few years ago. It used to have many shipyard. Now the shipyards have closed and smart houses with sea views have been built in the docks area instead.
Edinburgh, the capital, has many fine historic buildings. The old city is built on an extinct volcano. A long, straight street called the Royal Mile connects the castle with Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the Queen. Every August, hundreds of thousands of visitors go to see the Edinburgh Festivals, which have hundreds of events of music, theatre, dance, comedy and street performance. Edinburgh Tattoo The Fringe is the unofficial part of this festival.
There is one more important city on the south-east called Aberdeen.
People:
Scottish people love to have a good time, especially when dancing and drinking whisky. Red hair, pale skin and a strong accent are characteristic features. Even the neighbouring English cannot understand Scots sometimes if they speak in heavy dialect. „Ken“ means know, a „bonnie wee lass“ is a pretty young girl, a „glen“ in a valley, „a burn“ is a river and, of course, a „loch“ is a lake as in Loch Ness. Some of the people still speak Gaelic, the ancient Celtic language of Scotland.
21% of Scottish want to be independent.
Almost all names begin with „Mac“ or „Mc“ which means „Son of“. Each clan or family name has its own tartan. The tartan is a checked cloth used to make the kilt, Scotland’s national costume. Most people only wear their tartan for special occasions, like weddings and Burns’ Night.
The Highlands clans (extended families) who used to live there, each with their own tartan pattern, had a hard life and a strong tradition of hospitality (not like the mean Scots described in jokes!). After the failed rebellion of bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745, tartan and bagpipes were banned by the English, who considered them „instruments of war“. The Highlands Clearances forced many clans to leave their homes, which were wanted for sheep farming still very common in Scotland today.
Industry
Traditional industries are coal, steel, shipbuilding. Scotland is also important European centre for computer production. During the 1970s a new Scottish resource, North Sea oil, was developed. The oil fields lie mostly in Scottish waters, but the British government holds their ownership and receives all the revenue yield. The oil has been located and extracted by large companies, most with the aid of U.S. technology. Aberdeen is the centre of the oil industry.
Large areas of the Highlands are kept by rich people for salmon - fishing and deer-hunting. The seafood industry continues to play a vital role in Scotland's economy. More than two-thirds of the total British fish and shellfish catch is now landed into Scottish ports. Haddock, cod, herring, sole, and mackerel are the main species landed. Nephrops (langoustine) is the most important shellfish, though scallop, queen scallop, lobster, and several crab varieties are also important. The Inner and Outer Hebridesare remote islands with small fishing and farming communities.
Forestry is an expanding industry, which has helped retain the population in rural areas.
Distilleries in the Highlands and the north-east produce the whiskey for which Scotland is internationally famous. Whiskey also spelled WHISKY, any of several distilled liquors made from a fermented mash of cereal grains. Whiskey is always aged in wooden containers, usually of white oak. The earliest direct account of whiskey making is found in Scottish records dating from 1494. Famous names of whiskey are for example Johnny Walker, Teachers, Bell’s.
Sport:
The national sport is golf. But another important sport is tossing the caber.
Festival:
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve which is more celebrate than Christmas. It begins with the arrival of the guests who have been invited to join the family to see in the New Year. They sit down to dinner which begins with haggis, Scotland’s national dish (minced heart, lungs and liver of a sheep, boiled in a sheep’s stomach with oatmeal). Before midnight many townsfolk gather in the square, they sing and dance in the Scottish style. At midnight there is a great cheer, people cross arms, link hands for a traditional song, „Auld Lang Syne“.
Other information:
The famous character from Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth comes from Scotland.
National instrument bagpipes (gaita).
Typical Scottish dog is Scottish Terrier.
Scottish - skotský
Scotch - skotský, skotština, skotská whiskey
Scot - Skot
The patron of Scotland
Great Britain is consist of Wales (Cardiff), England (London), Scotland (Edinburg) and northern Ireland (Belfast). Republic of Ireland’s capital is Dublin.
The South West of England is famous for its beautiful countryside and dramatic coastline. One particular area of natural beauty is Dartmoor, which is inhabited by wild ponies. The countryside in the South East is more gentle, and there is a lot of fruit-growing. It is also the most heavily populated part of Britain. East Anglia is very flat, and is famous for its vast fields of wheat and potatoes. The Midlands used to have a lot of heavy industry, but much of this has disappeared over recent years. Wales is characterised by its mountains in the north and its valleys in the south. In the North West of England there is the beautiful Lake District, and the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. The North East used to have a lot of mining and ship building, but not any more, unfortunately. Scotland is famous for its lakes, of course, known as lochs. The moors and mountains are beautiful and empty. Ireland is famed for its rains and its rich green grass, its romance and its mists.
Britain lies off the north-west coast of Europe across the English Channel, the Strait of Dover and the North Sea.
England is the largest of the countries. Scotland is larger than Wales, but smaller than England.
There are not many rivers in GB. The longest river is the river Severn, not the Thanes. Besides London, which is a port situated on the river Thames, there are several other important ports on much smaller rivers, e.g. Glasgow on the river Clyde, Liverpool on the Mersey, Bristol on the Avon. No place in Britain is more than 75 miles from the sea. There are not many lakes in GB. There are some in Scotland and some in the north of England (Cumbria). Known are also lakes in the Lake District - Lake Windermere. The largest lake in Scotland are Loch Lomond (near Glasgow) and Loch Ness (near Inverness), which became world-famous in the 1930s because of the „Loch Ness monster“. The climate is mild and damp. Britain has warmer winters than any other country in the same latitude, not very hot summers, no extremes of temperature, rain all the year round, frequent changes of the weather.
England is mostly rolling land, rising to the Uplands of southern Scotland. The mountains are higher in Wales than in north of England. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon (1,085 m). The main mountain regions here are the Cornish Heights (south-west England), the Cambrians (Wales), the Cumbrian Mountains (in the lake District), the Pennines (the Backbone of England) - they run north-south through the central part of northern England. The Cheviot Hills are on the border between England and Scotland. The Highlands of Scotland are the highest mountains in Britain ( with the highest mountain Ben Nevis - 1,342 m). Coast is heavily indented, especially on west.
GB has a population of about fifty-six million living in one area of only 94,000 square miles. Most people live in the large towns, and more than 6,5 million people live in Greater London alone. Birmingham and Glasgow also have more than a million inhabitants each.
United Kingdom lies between 50° North and 60° North latitude, and the prime meridian of 0° passes through the old observatory at Greenwich.
British Isles have equable and milder climate due to the Gulf Stream which comes from the Gulf of Mexico to Western Europe. The prevailing winds are south-westerly and the climate is largely determined by that of the eastern Atlantic, although during the winter months easterly winds may bring a cold, dry continental type of weather. The average range of temperature between winter and summer is greatest inland, in the eastern part of country. During a normal summer the temperature occasionally rises above 27°C in the south; winter temperatures below -7°C are rare. Rain is fairly common throughout the year.
With its mild climate and varied soils, Britain has a diverse pattern of natural vegetation. Woodlands occupy about 8 per cent of the surface. Most of Britain is agricultural land of which over one-third is arable and the rest pasture and meadows. Almost the whole of lowland Britain has been cultivated with the exception of a few patches of heath and woodland. Through the centuries elaborate land drainage system have been developed to bring the fertile soil of the lowlying fenland under cultivation.
If you draw a line from about the Bristol Channel to the Wash, than to the south of this line there are mainly low lands and hills, and to the north there are higher lands and mountains. It is wetter in the north because of the higher land, and drier and sunnier in the south. To the north there are sheep and cows because the grass grows so well, and to the south there are arable farms growing corps and cereal.
Scotland
Scotland is larger than Wales, but smaller than England and occupy about one-third of the island of Great Britain. It is bounded by England in the south and on the other three sides by sea: by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and north and by the North Sea on the east.
History:
The Scots actually arrived in the area now called Scotland from Ireland. They took over land previously inhabitant by the Picts and other tribes. The Celts, who eventually reached Britain after leaving their homelands in Central Europe (including your country), left a strong influence on Scottish culture. Gaelic, an old Celtic language, is still spoken by about 70 000 people in addition to English.
1603 King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England and Scotland. He moved to London and this ended Scottish independence.
In 1707 Scotland formally became part of the UK when the government of Scotland moved to Westminster. But they have still their own legal and education system. They have also different marriage laws. Parents’ consent to get married isn’t necessary form the age of 16.
Geography:
Scotland is divided by geological faults into three separate regions: the Southern Uplands, Central Lowlands and the Highlands. The Southern Uplands are low hills with small towns and few people. The poet Robert burns and writer Sir Walter Scott both lived there for much of their lives.
Burns is remembered every year at Burns’ Night, where Scottish people eat „tatties and neaps“ (potatoes and turnips) with haggis - a famous Scottish dish which looks like a huge sausage and is made from a sheep’s stomach. It tastes much better than it sounds!
Highlands are on north of Edinburgh and Glasgow. They are the highest mountains in Britain with Ben Nevis (1342m). This mountains are fool of trees, many sheep, wild deer and golden eagles. The original people of the area were removed by force by the English after their defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Many emigrated to America and Canada. The Highlands and islands to the north and west have the most beautiful mountain and coastal scenery. Scotland’s forests were mostly cut down by people a long time ago and so the landscape is wild and open.
The Cheviot hills are on the border between England and Scotland.
Loch Ness is in the middle of the highlands. A monster is supposed to live here. But the largest lake is Loch Lomond (near Glasgow).
Hadrian’s Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain: the best known frontier of the entire Roman Empire. The wall was built by order of the Emperor Hadrian and was intended to separate the Romans from the Barbarians. It’s situated between Scotland and England.
Cities:
Most people live and work in the Central Lowlands, around the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. During the many wars between England and Scotland, important battles were often fought in this strategic area (such as those at Stirling and Falkirk shown in „Breaveheart“). Glasgow, on the river Clyde, grew to be a major industrial city, but in the 20th century many people became unemployed and the city was rough and dirty. Things have got better since it was made a European City of Culture a few years ago. It used to have many shipyard. Now the shipyards have closed and smart houses with sea views have been built in the docks area instead.
Edinburgh, the capital, has many fine historic buildings. The old city is built on an extinct volcano. A long, straight street called the Royal Mile connects the castle with Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the Queen. Every August, hundreds of thousands of visitors go to see the Edinburgh Festivals, which have hundreds of events of music, theatre, dance, comedy and street performance. Edinburgh Tattoo The Fringe is the unofficial part of this festival.
There is one more important city on the south-east called Aberdeen.
People:
Scottish people love to have a good time, especially when dancing and drinking whisky. Red hair, pale skin and a strong accent are characteristic features. Even the neighbouring English cannot understand Scots sometimes if they speak in heavy dialect. „Ken“ means know, a „bonnie wee lass“ is a pretty young girl, a „glen“ in a valley, „a burn“ is a river and, of course, a „loch“ is a lake as in Loch Ness. Some of the people still speak Gaelic, the ancient Celtic language of Scotland.
21% of Scottish want to be independent.
Almost all names begin with „Mac“ or „Mc“ which means „Son of“. Each clan or family name has its own tartan. The tartan is a checked cloth used to make the kilt, Scotland’s national costume. Most people only wear their tartan for special occasions, like weddings and Burns’ Night.
The Highlands clans (extended families) who used to live there, each with their own tartan pattern, had a hard life and a strong tradition of hospitality (not like the mean Scots described in jokes!). After the failed rebellion of bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745, tartan and bagpipes were banned by the English, who considered them „instruments of war“. The Highlands Clearances forced many clans to leave their homes, which were wanted for sheep farming still very common in Scotland today.
Industry
Traditional industries are coal, steel, shipbuilding. Scotland is also important European centre for computer production. During the 1970s a new Scottish resource, North Sea oil, was developed. The oil fields lie mostly in Scottish waters, but the British government holds their ownership and receives all the revenue yield. The oil has been located and extracted by large companies, most with the aid of U.S. technology. Aberdeen is the centre of the oil industry.
Large areas of the Highlands are kept by rich people for salmon - fishing and deer-hunting. The seafood industry continues to play a vital role in Scotland's economy. More than two-thirds of the total British fish and shellfish catch is now landed into Scottish ports. Haddock, cod, herring, sole, and mackerel are the main species landed. Nephrops (langoustine) is the most important shellfish, though scallop, queen scallop, lobster, and several crab varieties are also important. The Inner and Outer Hebridesare remote islands with small fishing and farming communities.
Forestry is an expanding industry, which has helped retain the population in rural areas.
Distilleries in the Highlands and the north-east produce the whiskey for which Scotland is internationally famous. Whiskey also spelled WHISKY, any of several distilled liquors made from a fermented mash of cereal grains. Whiskey is always aged in wooden containers, usually of white oak. The earliest direct account of whiskey making is found in Scottish records dating from 1494. Famous names of whiskey are for example Johnny Walker, Teachers, Bell’s.
Sport:
The national sport is golf. But another important sport is tossing the caber.
Festival:
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve which is more celebrate than Christmas. It begins with the arrival of the guests who have been invited to join the family to see in the New Year. They sit down to dinner which begins with haggis, Scotland’s national dish (minced heart, lungs and liver of a sheep, boiled in a sheep’s stomach with oatmeal). Before midnight many townsfolk gather in the square, they sing and dance in the Scottish style. At midnight there is a great cheer, people cross arms, link hands for a traditional song, „Auld Lang Syne“.
Other information:
The famous character from Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth comes from Scotland.
National instrument bagpipes (gaita).
Typical Scottish dog is Scottish Terrier.
Scottish - skotský
Scotch - skotský, skotština, skotská whiskey
Scot - Skot
The patron of Scotland
The USA
GEOGRAPHY:
The USA extend over more than one third of the North American continent, being the fourth largest country of the world after Russia, Canada and China. They border on Mexico in the south, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Canada in the north and the Pacific ocean in the west. Part of the USA is Alaska in the north of the American continent and the Hawaiian Islands 3,200 km south-west of California.
The country can be divided into five main areas. The Appalachian Highlands are geologically the oldest. The highest mountain there is Mt. Mitchell (2,037m high). To the west from the Appalachian Highlands we can find the Appalachian Plateau divided by the river valleys.
Further to the west there is the Mississippi Basin called the Interior Plains. It comprises the Mississippi Lowlands, Central Plains and Great Plains.
About one half of the continental USA is occupied by the Cordilleras in the west. They are divided into several ranges: the Rocky Mountains reach over 4,000m, to the west of them is the Great Basin full of ranges and valleys (the deepest valley is Death Valley lying 85m below sea level). The Colorado Plateau with the Grand Canyon is also to the west of the Rocky Mountains.
The Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada with the highest peak of the continental USA Mt. Whitney (4,418m) and the Coast Range, surround the Great Californian Valley. The highest peak of the USA, however, is in Alaska - it is Mt. McKinley (6,194 m).
The USA has many rivers. The biggest river system is that of the Mississippi and the Missouri. The Mississippi is the third longest river in the world being 6,212 km long. The most important river in the east is the Hudson, connected with the great lakes. In the west we should mention the Colorado, the Columbia, and the Rio Grande on the Mexican border. The biggest river in Alaska is the Yukon.
The Great Lakes on the US - Canada border make up the biggest reservoir of fresh water in the world. They are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and lake Ontario - together they cover nearly 250,000 sq km. The Niagara River - part of the St. Lawrence River - connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario forming the world-famous Niagara Falls 51 m high, 900 m wide on the Canadian side and 320m wide on US side. The name itself is Indian and means „the thunder of waters“. There are really two waterfalls, American and Canadian, divided by a piece of land, from which people can look down at the falling masses of water. It is also possible for the visitors to have a beautiful view of the falls from the river below. They may go by a boat for a trip as far as the base of the waterfall.
The falling water has worn away rocks behind the falls. One such place is one hundred and fifty feet high and goes back a hundred feet. It is called the Cave of the Winds. Visitors can reach this cave by a lift which takes them down to the entrance. In the cave they are greeted by a frightful thundering as thousands of tons of water pass directly before their eyes.
The climate of the USA is varied - from the Arctic climate in the north to the subtropical climate in the south. But the temperature climate prevails. Of course in the vast areas of the USA the climate cannot be the same everywhere. As the country is divided by mountain ranges the climate differs accordingly and is influenced by the oceans. So there is a great difference between the climate on the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast, where the summer and winter are not very different. The most agreeable climate is on the Hawaiian Islands.
HISTORY:
In the Middle Ages, European exploration of the ‘New World’ began with the voyage of the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. Sponsored by the King and Queen of Spain, he left Spain with three small ships: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. He was looking for a shorter route to the eastern Spice Islands, from where nutmeg and cloves were brought to Europe. Columbus didn’t know, that he reveal new continent. He thought, that he sailed to India.
Columbus thought he could sail west round the world to reach the east. Some people still believed the earth was flat and that Columbus would fall off the edge of the world. A navigation error brought him to the Caribbean sea.
The first European immigrations came to North America from three different nations at about the same time - around 1600. The Spain travelled up from Mexico looking for gold. They stayed in the Southwest, in what is now California and Arizona. The French mapped the great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The English arrived on the east coast and developed 13 British colonies there. (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia)
The Pilgrims
One of the earliest and most important settlements was Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The settlers came from Plymouth, England, and called themselves ‘pilgrims’. Today, they are often referred to as the ‘Pilgrim Fathers’. They were looking for religious freedom and better life. There were 102 people and they came on a ship called the Mayflower in December 1620.
The voyage was full of danger, so was life in the new country. One half of the pilgrims died during the first winter. In the spring, friendly Wampanoag Indians helped them by teaching them how to tap maple trees for sap, where to find eels for food, how to plant corn and catch herring. So the following year the harvest help. Then this thank generalized to the custom of giving thanks to God (the Lord), for his goodness, for harvest and all good things. It has become a part of American tradition for people in America. The 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed this custom and it was stipulated, that the 4th Thursday of November will be for Thanksgiving day.
Today there is an open-air museum where the first settler arrived. Daily life of the Pilgrims is recreated by people who live there all year round. You can visit the village and take part in events during the whole year.
LIFE IN THE USA:
Work
The majority of population works now in some service profession (in business, at schools, in hospitals). 25% of jobs are in manufacturing and construction and only 5% of jobs are in agriculture, fishing and mining. Physicians, lawyers and dentists are paid very well and can get a yearly income of USS 100,00.
Housing
The US is a nation of urban dwellers. Over 80% of the population live either in the cities or in the huge suburban areas. There are more than 2 000 of these metropolitan regions now. Some are so large that they have begun to merge together. This new urban network is called „megalopolis“. The largest of there covers the area on the Atlantic coast from Boston, through New York south to Washington, D.C. - „Bosnywash“. This megalopolis contains more than one-sixth of the entire US population. Another feature is typical for living in an American city- a skyscraper.
Social Welfare
The majority of Americans - about 85% - are neither rich nor poor. They belong to the economic category called „middle class“. They usually buy insurance (they pay a set sum of money each month) and there are many kinds of it. Other benefits for working people are provided by the companies they work for. There are also many government programmes (either federal or state) which help people in need. Social security programme is the largest and is financed by a tax paid by all working people.
Sport
Like elsewhere in the world sports are very popular. Some of them have their origin here, e.g. baseball and American football. Besides local and national sports teams there is along tradition of school sports clubs - both at high schools and colleges. Begin healthy and keep oneself in a good shape - fitness - is part of general way of life. Many Americans exercise for good health or undergo some fitness programme (sometime it is called „fitness craze“).
The USA is the only little smaller than Europe = 9, 5 million km2. It is the 3rd largest state in the world – only Russia and Cabada have larer areas and more people live only in China and India.
It lies in the North America, with Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Part of the USA is Alaska which borders on the northwestern Canada and Hawaii, which lies in the Pacific.
The USA can be divided into 6 regions: the Northeast, Central Basin, Southcast, Great Plains, Mountains and deserts, Coast Valleys.
- In the Northeast, there is the biggest city in the USA – New York. It has more than 18 million inhabitans. This city is the financial and culutral cenre of the USA. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the hope and freedoom, not only for immigrants to the USA coming to this seaport at the mouth (ústí) of the Hudson and East Rivers.
- Boston, to the north, is another great port and financial, business and industrial centre. It is an old city (founded in 1630) and the heart of the New England States. It is also known for the Boston Tea Party (not only before the War of Independence, American colonist did not want to pay taxes and British soldiers were sent to Boston; in 1773 a group of Americans, dressed as Indians, threw British tea into the Boston Harbor.)
- Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities, it used to be the first US capital. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written there. Benjamin Franklin, statesman and scientist, lived in Philadelphia.
- Baltimore is another business and industrial centre and important seaport.
- From Boston to Washington D. C. it is only 719 km but more than 20% of the population live along this coast. Washington in the District of Columbia, is the capital city of the USA. It was named after George Washington, the first US president. The District of Columbia was named after Christopher Columbus, the discover of America. This districct is not part of any state.
- The most important rivers in the Northeast are the Hudson and St. Lawrence River, whoch consists the Great Lakes on the border with Canada with the Atlantic Ocean. The biggest of the Great Lakes is Lake Superior, others are Lake Michigan, Huron, Eirie and Ontario.
- The Niagara River connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, it forms the world – famous Niagara Falls.
- The Northeast is a very important industrial area of rge US. Detroit is the centre of US car industry (Ford, Chrysler, General Motors).
- Chicago lies on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is an important transport center, it has busiest airport of the USA (O’Hare). The 1st seyscraper was built there (1882). The highest building in the worl id here – the Sears Tower. Chicago is known for its steel (= ocel) and iron (= železo) industries and alsi for its grain elevators (= silo).
- In the Central Basin, there is The Corn Belt, where corn is produced on fertile fields. Further north is cooler.
- Springfield, in the centre of Illinois, is where Abtaham Lincoln came as a young man to practise law, enter politics and finally be elected the 16th president.
- Back across the Appalachian Mountains there is Southeast. Richmond in the state of Virginia was the capital of the South during the Civil War. Frm Virginia to Texas cotton was grown. There used to be big plantations where slaves worked. After the Civil War the area was the poorest part of the US. In the south there is Florida, where subtropical fruits and vegetables grow all the year round. There is Cape Canaveral where spaceships are launched (vypouštěny), the JFK Space center and Miami teach, a popular holiday area.
- To the west, on te Mississippi Rive is a bir river – and seaport: New Orleans. It was founded by the French and the French influence can still be seen in the French Quarter. New Orleans is also the cradle of jazz, it was born about a century ago among the Black musicians of the town. Mark Twain, on of the greatest US authors, worked as a pilot on the Mississippi River. His best books are based on his own experience along the Mississippi – The adventures of Tom Sawyer a nd The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn.Mississippi, which flows from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, is the 3rd longest river in the world.
- Houston, in the south Texas is an important oil centre and te NASA centre. The centre of the Southwest is Dallas. It is known for its oil industry and cotton market. President JFK was assassinated (spáchat antentát) there in 1963.
- The Great Plains is quite different from the Corn Belt. Summers are very hot, winters ate very cold, the wind blows from the Canadian norder to Texas. There isn’t enough rain. It rains very little and in dey years the farmers can be ruined. In the past, omly the Red Indians knew how to live there. The captured wild horses and hunted the buffalo (bizon) that gone them food and clothing. Later the Indians, cownoys and the farmers were fighting there, it was the time of The Old Wild West. Even now there are few towns on the plains. Most are small, only Denver, in the west , near the Rocky Mountains, is a large industrial city.
- Like the Great Plains, the Mounstains and Deserts did not attract people to live there. But when gold, silver, copper (Cu) and tine (Sn) was fonnd in the mountains, people went there. After the mines were closed, only deserted ghost towns were left there.
- The river Rio Grande flows to the south from this region and forms a natural boundary between Mexico and the US.
- The Rocky Mountains are the long bakcbone of the Continent, they are in Utah and Colorado. Other mountain ranges are e.g. the coasr Range, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada with the highest part of the continental USA Mt. Whitney. There are many beautiful places especially in national parks, auch as Yosemite Giant Valley National Parr in Sierra Nevada or Death Valley in California.
- Las Vegas in Nevada is famous for roddeo festivals and casino gambling. Not far from there, but in Arizona, there is another famous place: The Granf Vanyon of the Colorado River.
- There is one large city in the middle of this region: Salt Lake City near a large salty lake.
- Yeloowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains is the largest and the oldest nature reserve in the US. There are 3000 geysers and hor springs.
- If we return to the south, we can find on the map Los Angeles, the world’s largest city. It was founded by the Spanish. Thois city is known for Hollywood, the centre of the film industry. L.A. university is called California Technology Institute. Walt Disney opened 40 years ago Disneyland here.
- The 6th region is called the Coast Valleys. There is rich fertile soil, a lot of water and mild climate. There are 3 coast states: Californina, Oregon and Washingtown, they face toward the Pacific Ocean. San Francisco is a very old city, it was founded by the Spanish and it became a big city during the California Gold Rush ( zlatá horečka). It is known for the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the city’s mayn quarters with a large Chinese Community is called China – town. SF is famous for its Berkley University. There are often earthquakes.
- Seattle, the capital of the state of Washington, is the gate to Laaska, the 49th state. You must drive through Canada or také a boat or plane to get to Alaska. It is the largest of America’s 50 states, but the number of inhabitants is very low. The capital is Juneau, other cities are e.g. Fairbanks, Anckorage etc. There are high mounatains. The biggest river in Alaska is Yukon. Because Alaska is so far north, in winter re long, summer short, it has the Arctic climate. Alaska us rch in raw materials. Near the Klondyke River in canada, just across the Alaska border, gold was discovered in 1896. Jack London became very popular when he described the gold rush.
- The 50th State of Hawai is a chain of 8 major islands over 3000 km out in Pacific. The largest island is called Oaku, It is visited by millions of tourists every year. Pineapple planations and Waikiki Beach are world famous. Another world – famous name is Pearl Harbor, whoch was attacked by the Japanese in 1941, the Usa then entered in the 2nd World War. The capital is Honolulu.
The USA extend over more than one third of the North American continent, being the fourth largest country of the world after Russia, Canada and China. They border on Mexico in the south, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Canada in the north and the Pacific ocean in the west. Part of the USA is Alaska in the north of the American continent and the Hawaiian Islands 3,200 km south-west of California.
The country can be divided into five main areas. The Appalachian Highlands are geologically the oldest. The highest mountain there is Mt. Mitchell (2,037m high). To the west from the Appalachian Highlands we can find the Appalachian Plateau divided by the river valleys.
Further to the west there is the Mississippi Basin called the Interior Plains. It comprises the Mississippi Lowlands, Central Plains and Great Plains.
About one half of the continental USA is occupied by the Cordilleras in the west. They are divided into several ranges: the Rocky Mountains reach over 4,000m, to the west of them is the Great Basin full of ranges and valleys (the deepest valley is Death Valley lying 85m below sea level). The Colorado Plateau with the Grand Canyon is also to the west of the Rocky Mountains.
The Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada with the highest peak of the continental USA Mt. Whitney (4,418m) and the Coast Range, surround the Great Californian Valley. The highest peak of the USA, however, is in Alaska - it is Mt. McKinley (6,194 m).
The USA has many rivers. The biggest river system is that of the Mississippi and the Missouri. The Mississippi is the third longest river in the world being 6,212 km long. The most important river in the east is the Hudson, connected with the great lakes. In the west we should mention the Colorado, the Columbia, and the Rio Grande on the Mexican border. The biggest river in Alaska is the Yukon.
The Great Lakes on the US - Canada border make up the biggest reservoir of fresh water in the world. They are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and lake Ontario - together they cover nearly 250,000 sq km. The Niagara River - part of the St. Lawrence River - connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario forming the world-famous Niagara Falls 51 m high, 900 m wide on the Canadian side and 320m wide on US side. The name itself is Indian and means „the thunder of waters“. There are really two waterfalls, American and Canadian, divided by a piece of land, from which people can look down at the falling masses of water. It is also possible for the visitors to have a beautiful view of the falls from the river below. They may go by a boat for a trip as far as the base of the waterfall.
The falling water has worn away rocks behind the falls. One such place is one hundred and fifty feet high and goes back a hundred feet. It is called the Cave of the Winds. Visitors can reach this cave by a lift which takes them down to the entrance. In the cave they are greeted by a frightful thundering as thousands of tons of water pass directly before their eyes.
The climate of the USA is varied - from the Arctic climate in the north to the subtropical climate in the south. But the temperature climate prevails. Of course in the vast areas of the USA the climate cannot be the same everywhere. As the country is divided by mountain ranges the climate differs accordingly and is influenced by the oceans. So there is a great difference between the climate on the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast, where the summer and winter are not very different. The most agreeable climate is on the Hawaiian Islands.
HISTORY:
In the Middle Ages, European exploration of the ‘New World’ began with the voyage of the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. Sponsored by the King and Queen of Spain, he left Spain with three small ships: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. He was looking for a shorter route to the eastern Spice Islands, from where nutmeg and cloves were brought to Europe. Columbus didn’t know, that he reveal new continent. He thought, that he sailed to India.
Columbus thought he could sail west round the world to reach the east. Some people still believed the earth was flat and that Columbus would fall off the edge of the world. A navigation error brought him to the Caribbean sea.
The first European immigrations came to North America from three different nations at about the same time - around 1600. The Spain travelled up from Mexico looking for gold. They stayed in the Southwest, in what is now California and Arizona. The French mapped the great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The English arrived on the east coast and developed 13 British colonies there. (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia)
The Pilgrims
One of the earliest and most important settlements was Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The settlers came from Plymouth, England, and called themselves ‘pilgrims’. Today, they are often referred to as the ‘Pilgrim Fathers’. They were looking for religious freedom and better life. There were 102 people and they came on a ship called the Mayflower in December 1620.
The voyage was full of danger, so was life in the new country. One half of the pilgrims died during the first winter. In the spring, friendly Wampanoag Indians helped them by teaching them how to tap maple trees for sap, where to find eels for food, how to plant corn and catch herring. So the following year the harvest help. Then this thank generalized to the custom of giving thanks to God (the Lord), for his goodness, for harvest and all good things. It has become a part of American tradition for people in America. The 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed this custom and it was stipulated, that the 4th Thursday of November will be for Thanksgiving day.
Today there is an open-air museum where the first settler arrived. Daily life of the Pilgrims is recreated by people who live there all year round. You can visit the village and take part in events during the whole year.
LIFE IN THE USA:
Work
The majority of population works now in some service profession (in business, at schools, in hospitals). 25% of jobs are in manufacturing and construction and only 5% of jobs are in agriculture, fishing and mining. Physicians, lawyers and dentists are paid very well and can get a yearly income of USS 100,00.
Housing
The US is a nation of urban dwellers. Over 80% of the population live either in the cities or in the huge suburban areas. There are more than 2 000 of these metropolitan regions now. Some are so large that they have begun to merge together. This new urban network is called „megalopolis“. The largest of there covers the area on the Atlantic coast from Boston, through New York south to Washington, D.C. - „Bosnywash“. This megalopolis contains more than one-sixth of the entire US population. Another feature is typical for living in an American city- a skyscraper.
Social Welfare
The majority of Americans - about 85% - are neither rich nor poor. They belong to the economic category called „middle class“. They usually buy insurance (they pay a set sum of money each month) and there are many kinds of it. Other benefits for working people are provided by the companies they work for. There are also many government programmes (either federal or state) which help people in need. Social security programme is the largest and is financed by a tax paid by all working people.
Sport
Like elsewhere in the world sports are very popular. Some of them have their origin here, e.g. baseball and American football. Besides local and national sports teams there is along tradition of school sports clubs - both at high schools and colleges. Begin healthy and keep oneself in a good shape - fitness - is part of general way of life. Many Americans exercise for good health or undergo some fitness programme (sometime it is called „fitness craze“).
The USA is the only little smaller than Europe = 9, 5 million km2. It is the 3rd largest state in the world – only Russia and Cabada have larer areas and more people live only in China and India.
It lies in the North America, with Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Part of the USA is Alaska which borders on the northwestern Canada and Hawaii, which lies in the Pacific.
The USA can be divided into 6 regions: the Northeast, Central Basin, Southcast, Great Plains, Mountains and deserts, Coast Valleys.
- In the Northeast, there is the biggest city in the USA – New York. It has more than 18 million inhabitans. This city is the financial and culutral cenre of the USA. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the hope and freedoom, not only for immigrants to the USA coming to this seaport at the mouth (ústí) of the Hudson and East Rivers.
- Boston, to the north, is another great port and financial, business and industrial centre. It is an old city (founded in 1630) and the heart of the New England States. It is also known for the Boston Tea Party (not only before the War of Independence, American colonist did not want to pay taxes and British soldiers were sent to Boston; in 1773 a group of Americans, dressed as Indians, threw British tea into the Boston Harbor.)
- Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities, it used to be the first US capital. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written there. Benjamin Franklin, statesman and scientist, lived in Philadelphia.
- Baltimore is another business and industrial centre and important seaport.
- From Boston to Washington D. C. it is only 719 km but more than 20% of the population live along this coast. Washington in the District of Columbia, is the capital city of the USA. It was named after George Washington, the first US president. The District of Columbia was named after Christopher Columbus, the discover of America. This districct is not part of any state.
- The most important rivers in the Northeast are the Hudson and St. Lawrence River, whoch consists the Great Lakes on the border with Canada with the Atlantic Ocean. The biggest of the Great Lakes is Lake Superior, others are Lake Michigan, Huron, Eirie and Ontario.
- The Niagara River connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, it forms the world – famous Niagara Falls.
- The Northeast is a very important industrial area of rge US. Detroit is the centre of US car industry (Ford, Chrysler, General Motors).
- Chicago lies on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is an important transport center, it has busiest airport of the USA (O’Hare). The 1st seyscraper was built there (1882). The highest building in the worl id here – the Sears Tower. Chicago is known for its steel (= ocel) and iron (= železo) industries and alsi for its grain elevators (= silo).
- In the Central Basin, there is The Corn Belt, where corn is produced on fertile fields. Further north is cooler.
- Springfield, in the centre of Illinois, is where Abtaham Lincoln came as a young man to practise law, enter politics and finally be elected the 16th president.
- Back across the Appalachian Mountains there is Southeast. Richmond in the state of Virginia was the capital of the South during the Civil War. Frm Virginia to Texas cotton was grown. There used to be big plantations where slaves worked. After the Civil War the area was the poorest part of the US. In the south there is Florida, where subtropical fruits and vegetables grow all the year round. There is Cape Canaveral where spaceships are launched (vypouštěny), the JFK Space center and Miami teach, a popular holiday area.
- To the west, on te Mississippi Rive is a bir river – and seaport: New Orleans. It was founded by the French and the French influence can still be seen in the French Quarter. New Orleans is also the cradle of jazz, it was born about a century ago among the Black musicians of the town. Mark Twain, on of the greatest US authors, worked as a pilot on the Mississippi River. His best books are based on his own experience along the Mississippi – The adventures of Tom Sawyer a nd The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn.Mississippi, which flows from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, is the 3rd longest river in the world.
- Houston, in the south Texas is an important oil centre and te NASA centre. The centre of the Southwest is Dallas. It is known for its oil industry and cotton market. President JFK was assassinated (spáchat antentát) there in 1963.
- The Great Plains is quite different from the Corn Belt. Summers are very hot, winters ate very cold, the wind blows from the Canadian norder to Texas. There isn’t enough rain. It rains very little and in dey years the farmers can be ruined. In the past, omly the Red Indians knew how to live there. The captured wild horses and hunted the buffalo (bizon) that gone them food and clothing. Later the Indians, cownoys and the farmers were fighting there, it was the time of The Old Wild West. Even now there are few towns on the plains. Most are small, only Denver, in the west , near the Rocky Mountains, is a large industrial city.
- Like the Great Plains, the Mounstains and Deserts did not attract people to live there. But when gold, silver, copper (Cu) and tine (Sn) was fonnd in the mountains, people went there. After the mines were closed, only deserted ghost towns were left there.
- The river Rio Grande flows to the south from this region and forms a natural boundary between Mexico and the US.
- The Rocky Mountains are the long bakcbone of the Continent, they are in Utah and Colorado. Other mountain ranges are e.g. the coasr Range, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada with the highest part of the continental USA Mt. Whitney. There are many beautiful places especially in national parks, auch as Yosemite Giant Valley National Parr in Sierra Nevada or Death Valley in California.
- Las Vegas in Nevada is famous for roddeo festivals and casino gambling. Not far from there, but in Arizona, there is another famous place: The Granf Vanyon of the Colorado River.
- There is one large city in the middle of this region: Salt Lake City near a large salty lake.
- Yeloowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains is the largest and the oldest nature reserve in the US. There are 3000 geysers and hor springs.
- If we return to the south, we can find on the map Los Angeles, the world’s largest city. It was founded by the Spanish. Thois city is known for Hollywood, the centre of the film industry. L.A. university is called California Technology Institute. Walt Disney opened 40 years ago Disneyland here.
- The 6th region is called the Coast Valleys. There is rich fertile soil, a lot of water and mild climate. There are 3 coast states: Californina, Oregon and Washingtown, they face toward the Pacific Ocean. San Francisco is a very old city, it was founded by the Spanish and it became a big city during the California Gold Rush ( zlatá horečka). It is known for the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the city’s mayn quarters with a large Chinese Community is called China – town. SF is famous for its Berkley University. There are often earthquakes.
- Seattle, the capital of the state of Washington, is the gate to Laaska, the 49th state. You must drive through Canada or také a boat or plane to get to Alaska. It is the largest of America’s 50 states, but the number of inhabitants is very low. The capital is Juneau, other cities are e.g. Fairbanks, Anckorage etc. There are high mounatains. The biggest river in Alaska is Yukon. Because Alaska is so far north, in winter re long, summer short, it has the Arctic climate. Alaska us rch in raw materials. Near the Klondyke River in canada, just across the Alaska border, gold was discovered in 1896. Jack London became very popular when he described the gold rush.
- The 50th State of Hawai is a chain of 8 major islands over 3000 km out in Pacific. The largest island is called Oaku, It is visited by millions of tourists every year. Pineapple planations and Waikiki Beach are world famous. Another world – famous name is Pearl Harbor, whoch was attacked by the Japanese in 1941, the Usa then entered in the 2nd World War. The capital is Honolulu.
New York
NEW YORK
New York is the largest city in the USA and an industrial port (printing, publishing, clothing). It lies on the east coast at the mouth of the Hudson and East Rivers and coves an area of 780 square kilometres. The number of inhabitants varies and depends whether the whole metropolitan area is counted (about 18 million people) or only the central area (about 7,323,000 in 1992). Out of these about 43 per cent are white, 25 per cent black and 24 per cent Hispanic. New York lies on three islands: Manhattan, Long Island and Staten Island. New York has five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island (Richmond). It is one of the most important financial, commercial and cultural centres in the world. NY is called Capital of the world or Big Apple and The Melting Pot. The place were races and nations mix - cosmopolitan society. It is a city of contrast, a combination of everything that is typical American and everything that represents the rest of the world. It is a seat of U.N.O. (United Nation Organisation). The heart of the city is Manhattan. Many blacks people live in Harlem that is a Negro quarter on the north of centre.
The Statue of Liberty from France is situated on Liberty island in NY Harbor. It is bronze figure of a woman holding a torch in one hand and book in the other. The book represents The Declaration of Independence. There is a circular staircase to the crown of the statue. It serves as a lighthouse at night.
Bronx had many park and there is the largest Zoo in America. But it is also very criminal part of NY.
Culture and Entertainment: There are many cultural institutions in NY. The Time Square is centre of theatre district. Here are some museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum - it’s an unusual round building of concrete with a glass dome. It illumenants the building with natural light. There are paintings by such masters as Marc Chagall, Modigliani and Picasso. The American Museum of Natural History is a science museum. A famous concert hall is a Carniqie Hall (1891). Another centre of cultural is a the Radio City Music Hall. It’s the largest theatre in the world. There was passing of Awards Grammy.
The Carnegie Hall is very important supporting cultural centre from 19th century.
Sport centres are Madison Square Garden Center, Flushing Meadows Park is knows for it’s tennis tournaments. Central Park is a green largest area of NY. There can you walk, ice-skating, running, go on boat on the lake, listen to the concerts, roller-skating etc. Flushing Meadows Park on Long Island in Queens, is world known for its tennis championships. Long Island exactly Brooklyn is one of NY leisure time centre.
History: It is not exactly known when the site of New York was first populated. The original inhabitants were Indians, which is resembled by the name of the oldest part - Manhattan Island. In the 16th century the area was occupied by Algonquin tribes.
Giovanni da Verrazano was the first European to enter New York Bay in 1524. Later one of the bridges (between Brooklyn and Staten Island) was named after him. However this discovery was not followed up, and it was not until 1609 that the Englishman Henry Hudson, then employed by the Dutch East Indian Company, entered the bay and sailed up the river which was the bear his name. Manhattan was bought from the Indians by the Dutch in 1625 for goods worth US$ 25. The original name was New Amsterdam. In 1644 the British captured the city and renamed it New York. Because of its favourable position it soon became an important trading port. By 1775 its population was about 25,000.
In southern part of Manhattan island there used to be a wall against Indians, now there is Wall Street - the centre of financial life with the most important stock-exchange in the world.
Manhattan city plan: The city was built on a modern plan of streets and avenues which follow a geometry shape and are numbered. Streets run east-west and avenues north-south (e.g. Fifth Avenue is the shopping centre). Only a few of them - the oldest - have got their names, e.g. Wall Street or Broadway which runs north-south nearly the whole length of the island. Broadway is the centre of cultural life. The island is washed by two rivers - the East River and the Hudson River.
In southern Manhattan we can find the liveliest boroughs such as Little Italy, Chinatown, Soho (South of Hudson) - since the 60’s the centre of contemporary art. Artists created studio lofts in 19 century industrial buildings. East Village is a multi-cultural area with many ethnic restaurants, funky boutiques, rock and jazz clubs. Many musical groups started their career here. Greenwich Village is the home of artists, homosexuals, writers and N.Y.U. students. Lower East Side was traditionally Jewish but the Chinese, Blacks and Hispanics have now replaced the Jews. The oldest building in NY is St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The city is notorious for its crime. There are drug battles, gang wars and homeless people living in the streets. Many believes New York is no longer a healthy place to live and lots of people, especially with small children, are moving away.
Skyscrapers: New York is famous for its Manhattan skyline - a large number of skyscrapers on a small area. They started to build skyscrapers here because of the lack of space and the high price of land on the island. The first skyscraper here were built in 1903 and 1913. A skyscraper uses a steel frame rather than the walls to support the vertical load, now they are built with the help of computers which can take into consideration all possible phenomena - wind, earthquake - skyscrapers are also an interesting sociological phenomenon as the building is a small facilities, fitness centres, swimming pool - living in a skyscraper is expensive, e.g. one unit in Trump Tower sells for US$ 700,000.
The World Trade Center (WTC, Twins Buildings), the New York’s highest skyscraper built in 1973, is 417 m high, has 110 storeys and more than 100,000 people come and go here every day. Other interesting and beautiful skyscrapers in New York are the Empire State Building (1931, 381m), Chrysler Building (1930, 913m), Citicorp Center (1977, 280m), PanAm Building, Trump Tower etc. There is also the UN (United Nations) building here by the East River. The Empire State Building has 102 floors, a TV tower, 2 observatories, 74 lifts and a restaurant at the top. The whole city can be see well from there.
Life in NY: New York is cosmopolitan and quiet a dangerous city. Nationalities stay in their own areas like Russian section, the German section. There is German town called also York Town. And there is row of German shops, all German-speaking. The shops are open till ten o’clock. And some supermarkets are open twenty-four hours a day and on Sunday. The holidays and the public holiday are longer and only the banks are shut. Everything else stays open, so it makes life much easier. There are a lot of height buildings called skyscrapers. Everything is faster and the people are much ruder. Pushing in the streets and fights about getting on the bus in normal. People don’t stand in a queue. Taxi drivers are the most rudest. They never speaks and they don’t seem to know where anything is. The subways are unusable, dirty and uncomfortable. Americans themselves are really friendly and open, they speak their minds, so if they don’t like something, they actually tell you directly.
New York is the largest city in the USA and an industrial port (printing, publishing, clothing). It lies on the east coast at the mouth of the Hudson and East Rivers and coves an area of 780 square kilometres. The number of inhabitants varies and depends whether the whole metropolitan area is counted (about 18 million people) or only the central area (about 7,323,000 in 1992). Out of these about 43 per cent are white, 25 per cent black and 24 per cent Hispanic. New York lies on three islands: Manhattan, Long Island and Staten Island. New York has five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island (Richmond). It is one of the most important financial, commercial and cultural centres in the world. NY is called Capital of the world or Big Apple and The Melting Pot. The place were races and nations mix - cosmopolitan society. It is a city of contrast, a combination of everything that is typical American and everything that represents the rest of the world. It is a seat of U.N.O. (United Nation Organisation). The heart of the city is Manhattan. Many blacks people live in Harlem that is a Negro quarter on the north of centre.
The Statue of Liberty from France is situated on Liberty island in NY Harbor. It is bronze figure of a woman holding a torch in one hand and book in the other. The book represents The Declaration of Independence. There is a circular staircase to the crown of the statue. It serves as a lighthouse at night.
Bronx had many park and there is the largest Zoo in America. But it is also very criminal part of NY.
Culture and Entertainment: There are many cultural institutions in NY. The Time Square is centre of theatre district. Here are some museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum - it’s an unusual round building of concrete with a glass dome. It illumenants the building with natural light. There are paintings by such masters as Marc Chagall, Modigliani and Picasso. The American Museum of Natural History is a science museum. A famous concert hall is a Carniqie Hall (1891). Another centre of cultural is a the Radio City Music Hall. It’s the largest theatre in the world. There was passing of Awards Grammy.
The Carnegie Hall is very important supporting cultural centre from 19th century.
Sport centres are Madison Square Garden Center, Flushing Meadows Park is knows for it’s tennis tournaments. Central Park is a green largest area of NY. There can you walk, ice-skating, running, go on boat on the lake, listen to the concerts, roller-skating etc. Flushing Meadows Park on Long Island in Queens, is world known for its tennis championships. Long Island exactly Brooklyn is one of NY leisure time centre.
History: It is not exactly known when the site of New York was first populated. The original inhabitants were Indians, which is resembled by the name of the oldest part - Manhattan Island. In the 16th century the area was occupied by Algonquin tribes.
Giovanni da Verrazano was the first European to enter New York Bay in 1524. Later one of the bridges (between Brooklyn and Staten Island) was named after him. However this discovery was not followed up, and it was not until 1609 that the Englishman Henry Hudson, then employed by the Dutch East Indian Company, entered the bay and sailed up the river which was the bear his name. Manhattan was bought from the Indians by the Dutch in 1625 for goods worth US$ 25. The original name was New Amsterdam. In 1644 the British captured the city and renamed it New York. Because of its favourable position it soon became an important trading port. By 1775 its population was about 25,000.
In southern part of Manhattan island there used to be a wall against Indians, now there is Wall Street - the centre of financial life with the most important stock-exchange in the world.
Manhattan city plan: The city was built on a modern plan of streets and avenues which follow a geometry shape and are numbered. Streets run east-west and avenues north-south (e.g. Fifth Avenue is the shopping centre). Only a few of them - the oldest - have got their names, e.g. Wall Street or Broadway which runs north-south nearly the whole length of the island. Broadway is the centre of cultural life. The island is washed by two rivers - the East River and the Hudson River.
In southern Manhattan we can find the liveliest boroughs such as Little Italy, Chinatown, Soho (South of Hudson) - since the 60’s the centre of contemporary art. Artists created studio lofts in 19 century industrial buildings. East Village is a multi-cultural area with many ethnic restaurants, funky boutiques, rock and jazz clubs. Many musical groups started their career here. Greenwich Village is the home of artists, homosexuals, writers and N.Y.U. students. Lower East Side was traditionally Jewish but the Chinese, Blacks and Hispanics have now replaced the Jews. The oldest building in NY is St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The city is notorious for its crime. There are drug battles, gang wars and homeless people living in the streets. Many believes New York is no longer a healthy place to live and lots of people, especially with small children, are moving away.
Skyscrapers: New York is famous for its Manhattan skyline - a large number of skyscrapers on a small area. They started to build skyscrapers here because of the lack of space and the high price of land on the island. The first skyscraper here were built in 1903 and 1913. A skyscraper uses a steel frame rather than the walls to support the vertical load, now they are built with the help of computers which can take into consideration all possible phenomena - wind, earthquake - skyscrapers are also an interesting sociological phenomenon as the building is a small facilities, fitness centres, swimming pool - living in a skyscraper is expensive, e.g. one unit in Trump Tower sells for US$ 700,000.
The World Trade Center (WTC, Twins Buildings), the New York’s highest skyscraper built in 1973, is 417 m high, has 110 storeys and more than 100,000 people come and go here every day. Other interesting and beautiful skyscrapers in New York are the Empire State Building (1931, 381m), Chrysler Building (1930, 913m), Citicorp Center (1977, 280m), PanAm Building, Trump Tower etc. There is also the UN (United Nations) building here by the East River. The Empire State Building has 102 floors, a TV tower, 2 observatories, 74 lifts and a restaurant at the top. The whole city can be see well from there.
Life in NY: New York is cosmopolitan and quiet a dangerous city. Nationalities stay in their own areas like Russian section, the German section. There is German town called also York Town. And there is row of German shops, all German-speaking. The shops are open till ten o’clock. And some supermarkets are open twenty-four hours a day and on Sunday. The holidays and the public holiday are longer and only the banks are shut. Everything else stays open, so it makes life much easier. There are a lot of height buildings called skyscrapers. Everything is faster and the people are much ruder. Pushing in the streets and fights about getting on the bus in normal. People don’t stand in a queue. Taxi drivers are the most rudest. They never speaks and they don’t seem to know where anything is. The subways are unusable, dirty and uncomfortable. Americans themselves are really friendly and open, they speak their minds, so if they don’t like something, they actually tell you directly.
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