Varieties of English
• English Language is the chief medium of communication of people in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and numerous other countries, among the biggest and probably most important is India (it was a British colony until 1949). It is the official language of many nations in the Commonwealth of Nations and is widely understood and used in all of them. It is spoken in more parts of the world than any other language and by more people (420 million speak it all over the world) than any other tongue except Chinese.
• English as a first language is the one that children learn as their first and is also the official in the country; second language know most of the people in the country and is official too (English as a second language is learned in many countries to understand foreigners, when the first language is not very spread among foreign people); and English as a foreign language is the one we learn to know an international language, is not official in the state and it depends to each country how many people learn it
• we know 5 types of English - British, Indian, African, American and Australian
• English that is learned in schools is called Standard English (SE), but people on the top of the social scale (about 3%) speak with Received Pronounciation (RP)
• The most distinguishing differences between American English and British English are in pronunciation and vocabulary. There are slighter differences in spelling, pitch, and stress as well. It is often difficult to determine whether a work was written in England, the United States, or any other part of the English-speaking world.
• in American English there are series of spelling reforms (-er instead of British -re, -or to replace-our, check instead of cheque) and sometimes Americans use different words for the same thing that British (bug, to mean insects in general rather than bedbug in Great Britain, corn, to designate what the British call maize, elevator X lift, truck X lorry, windshield X windscreen, sidewalk X pavment, commercial X advertisment)
• English is the main language of science (especially computer science, medicine) and after the WWII. English became the main language of diplomacy
History of the English language
• about 5000 B.C. a tribe called the Indo-Europeans lived in central Europe, they had their own language, and when they discovered the wheel around 3000 B.C., they were able to travel; some went on east, some on west and those, who came to Britain, were the Celts
• today the Celts live still in Scotland, Western Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany (northern France)
• after more than 2000 years the Celts were the only people living in Britain; than the Romans arrived and Julius Caesar with his army brought there new language - Latin; but Romans lived only in England, so only very few words entered the Celtic language
• the Romans left in 410 A.D., but 40 years later the Anglo-Saxon invaded the Britain - they came from Holland, Denmark and Germany (England means ‘land of the Angels’); their language was Old English and many of their words are still in dictionaries (sheep, earth, dog, work, field; the, is, you)
• in 597 A.D. Saint Augistine brought Christianity to Britain and hundreds of Latin and Greek words entered Old English
• another words (get, wrong, leg, want, skin, same and low) have their roots in Norse - a language of Vikings, who lived in Scandinavia and invaded Britain between the years 750 and 1050
• 1066 - Norman duke William beat the English king Harold at the battle of Hastings and French words became an important part of English
• in next 200 years, English with Latin, Norse and French changed into Middle English; in this period the first great English writer Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales
• around 1480 the printing press was invented, which played an important role because it fixed the English grammar and spelling
• since William Shakespeare’s times (16th - 17th century) we call the English modern
• when the Normans invaded Britain, the official languages used for government, law, learning or the army were Latin and French (words like judge, military, professor, legal come from these two languages); the daily used language among people was Old English
• from 14th century, many English words were invented or borrowed from other languages, e.g. Ancient Greek (earth + writing > geography, soul + word > psychology), other common Greek words are phone, photo, philo, sophy, mono, poly
• words from Latin : multi, super, sub, mare ...
some words came from outside Europe - alcohol, algebra - Arabic, jungle - India
The influence of TV on a regular viewer
The influence of TV on a regular viewer
• there are 2 types of viewers - the 1st one is addict to TV, they watch it many hours a day and they don’t care much what the program is (they often do something different while watching), and the 2nd one, who watch TV rarely and not periodically - they choose certain programs
• the 1st group is highly influenced by TV, they take many opinions from TV, the 2nd group have their own opinions, they watch TV to get more information (not to create their opinions)
• people with higher education watch usually news, educational programs or some documents, but most people watch movies, series (especially action) and several types of popular TV competitions (quizzes, lotteries ...), house-wives soap operas and children fairy tales
• the main types of TV represent in CR TV Nova and CT1;
news on TV Nova - they are more sensational, emotional, aim on celebrities and people, they start usually with domestic affairs, political and serious world news are at the end, talking to people connected with some sensation (relatives to victims...), jokes of reporters
news on CT 1 - the first in order are political and world news, analysis, exact information, graphs and charts, repetition of important news
TV Nova - for less educated people, action and American films and series, soap operas, competitions
CT 1 - independent and valuable films, documentaries, educational programs, many news
UK - BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) - BBC1 and BBC 2, money from licence fees (all must pay), educ. progs., subject to government directives
- IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) - ITV, funded by commercials, educ. progs., subject to government directives
commercials - at breaks and within programs, political, religious and for tabacco forbidden
130 cable TV networks, several satellite TV channels
Do journalists influence public opinion
• many people read the newspapers every day and although the newspapers shouldn’t advance any political party or publicise e.g. racial opinions, journalists sometimes do (they have their opinions and they rather write in accord with them than against them)
• all people can’t be educated in all areas what journalist write about so some themes or problems know the readers only from newspaper articles (e.g. the Temelin - only few people know enough about the problem, so there are 2 groups - one say that it is dangerous and one say that it doesn’t spoil the nature and it is safe and effective
• sometimes the journalists say what they shouldn’t, which is a conflict between freedom of opinions and one’s privacy and ethic (e.g. shooting our president in an hospital room when he didn’t know about it, or the book 7 dni ... - the author is telling sometimes lies and sometimes a little changed true, but when the readers connect it all together, the result is, that Havel and Dagmar are stupid, senile and they have all bad qualities - what the author did was that he violated their privacy, collected their mistakes (that everyone sometimes does) and wrote a whole book about it)
• the biggest mistake that journalists do is that they take one part (usually sensational) from one’s speech, they rip it out from the context (don’t let the author explain what he wanted to say) and than the thing alone sounds like sensation - that’s why many people don’t like to talk to journalists
Television destroys man’s imagination and activity
• people who watch TV many hours a day (who are kind of addict) usually don’t make sports and are sometimes fat, because they rather watch all activities in TV - they can see all kinds of sports and of course action movies (with runs, jumps, fights ...) so TV is for them sort of substitute for these actions, and better, because they can see actions that they couldn’t do in real (shooting, killing people, car chase ...)
• the spreading and development of TVs and videos breaks the communications and relationships between people - the family sit together, they watch a program and are silent (rarely make a comment about the program); in past they talked to each other, played games (cards, chess ...) and the communication was more natural
• I’m not against watching TV, but not all the evening (especially while eating) and choose what I’m interested in, not to switch it on anytime; and I prefer doing something together and communicate (e. g. playing scrabble or any game with children)
• when I have children I won’t let them watch TV more than 2 or 3 hours a day, I will try to persuade them to go out with friends, to draw or whatever, and I’ll abolish them to watch action and bloody movies - it destroys their perception of the world and they can think that the real world is about killing and violence (it can even end with killing someone like in USA - Arkansas)
• there are 2 types of viewers - the 1st one is addict to TV, they watch it many hours a day and they don’t care much what the program is (they often do something different while watching), and the 2nd one, who watch TV rarely and not periodically - they choose certain programs
• the 1st group is highly influenced by TV, they take many opinions from TV, the 2nd group have their own opinions, they watch TV to get more information (not to create their opinions)
• people with higher education watch usually news, educational programs or some documents, but most people watch movies, series (especially action) and several types of popular TV competitions (quizzes, lotteries ...), house-wives soap operas and children fairy tales
• the main types of TV represent in CR TV Nova and CT1;
news on TV Nova - they are more sensational, emotional, aim on celebrities and people, they start usually with domestic affairs, political and serious world news are at the end, talking to people connected with some sensation (relatives to victims...), jokes of reporters
news on CT 1 - the first in order are political and world news, analysis, exact information, graphs and charts, repetition of important news
TV Nova - for less educated people, action and American films and series, soap operas, competitions
CT 1 - independent and valuable films, documentaries, educational programs, many news
UK - BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) - BBC1 and BBC 2, money from licence fees (all must pay), educ. progs., subject to government directives
- IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) - ITV, funded by commercials, educ. progs., subject to government directives
commercials - at breaks and within programs, political, religious and for tabacco forbidden
130 cable TV networks, several satellite TV channels
Do journalists influence public opinion
• many people read the newspapers every day and although the newspapers shouldn’t advance any political party or publicise e.g. racial opinions, journalists sometimes do (they have their opinions and they rather write in accord with them than against them)
• all people can’t be educated in all areas what journalist write about so some themes or problems know the readers only from newspaper articles (e.g. the Temelin - only few people know enough about the problem, so there are 2 groups - one say that it is dangerous and one say that it doesn’t spoil the nature and it is safe and effective
• sometimes the journalists say what they shouldn’t, which is a conflict between freedom of opinions and one’s privacy and ethic (e.g. shooting our president in an hospital room when he didn’t know about it, or the book 7 dni ... - the author is telling sometimes lies and sometimes a little changed true, but when the readers connect it all together, the result is, that Havel and Dagmar are stupid, senile and they have all bad qualities - what the author did was that he violated their privacy, collected their mistakes (that everyone sometimes does) and wrote a whole book about it)
• the biggest mistake that journalists do is that they take one part (usually sensational) from one’s speech, they rip it out from the context (don’t let the author explain what he wanted to say) and than the thing alone sounds like sensation - that’s why many people don’t like to talk to journalists
Television destroys man’s imagination and activity
• people who watch TV many hours a day (who are kind of addict) usually don’t make sports and are sometimes fat, because they rather watch all activities in TV - they can see all kinds of sports and of course action movies (with runs, jumps, fights ...) so TV is for them sort of substitute for these actions, and better, because they can see actions that they couldn’t do in real (shooting, killing people, car chase ...)
• the spreading and development of TVs and videos breaks the communications and relationships between people - the family sit together, they watch a program and are silent (rarely make a comment about the program); in past they talked to each other, played games (cards, chess ...) and the communication was more natural
• I’m not against watching TV, but not all the evening (especially while eating) and choose what I’m interested in, not to switch it on anytime; and I prefer doing something together and communicate (e. g. playing scrabble or any game with children)
• when I have children I won’t let them watch TV more than 2 or 3 hours a day, I will try to persuade them to go out with friends, to draw or whatever, and I’ll abolish them to watch action and bloody movies - it destroys their perception of the world and they can think that the real world is about killing and violence (it can even end with killing someone like in USA - Arkansas)
Different types of massmedia
Different types of massmedia
• the main types of massmedia are four : TV, newspapers, radio stations and Internet
TV : no doubt that the TV is the most spread massmedia and has the biggest influence
people are offerd an unreal world with adventure, romance, luck or whatever and when they can’t have it, they at least watch it
news : people get the information without effort, the reporters are witty and nice and they can see pictures and videos from several places;
newspapers : there are several types of newspapers from the serious ones (broadsheets) to the shocking ones (tabloids) so all people can choose ther cup of tea
the advantage of newspaper is that they have permanent group of readers so they can full their pages with information that would be in TV for many people boring > the depth of information
radio stations : most widely spread are music radio stations, but some have very serious news with analysis or some interviews > everybody can choose his favourite station
Internet : is developing with unbeliavable speed, people can do shopping through it, booking tickets, ordering, studying ...
the vast amount of information can’t influence someone’s opinion because he chooses what he wants to know
the problem is that the information are not limited or controled so even small children can see what they aren’t allowed to
CR : 2 channels public TV - serious information, programs of all interests, documents
2 channels commercial TV - shocking news, action movies, soap operas, sitcoms, cheap series
radio stations - music, foreign st. - BBC
newspapers - both types, tabloids (Blesk, Hrom, Vecerni Praha) are more expensive, aimed to people with lower education; broadsheets (Dnes, Lidove noviny) have political informations, deeper, analysis
Newspapers in UK/USA
Tabloids Broadsheets
Articles : Are shocking, emotional, aimed Serious inf., national news, world news,
on people, celebrites, disasters, sports background inf., in-depth features
Composition : Short, easy to understand, huge headlines, Long, elaborate, difficult words, complex and plays on words, quotations, exclamations interesting articles
Photos : Many, often colour, especially people 2-3 on every page, places and people, black
and white
Cost : 25p 35p.
Size : 40 cm /28 cm 60 cm / 40 cm
Circulation : 13 million in UK 3 million in UK
Titles : The Sun, The Daily Star, The Daily The Guardian, The Times, The Independent,
Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times
Express and Today
• the main types of massmedia are four : TV, newspapers, radio stations and Internet
TV : no doubt that the TV is the most spread massmedia and has the biggest influence
people are offerd an unreal world with adventure, romance, luck or whatever and when they can’t have it, they at least watch it
news : people get the information without effort, the reporters are witty and nice and they can see pictures and videos from several places;
newspapers : there are several types of newspapers from the serious ones (broadsheets) to the shocking ones (tabloids) so all people can choose ther cup of tea
the advantage of newspaper is that they have permanent group of readers so they can full their pages with information that would be in TV for many people boring > the depth of information
radio stations : most widely spread are music radio stations, but some have very serious news with analysis or some interviews > everybody can choose his favourite station
Internet : is developing with unbeliavable speed, people can do shopping through it, booking tickets, ordering, studying ...
the vast amount of information can’t influence someone’s opinion because he chooses what he wants to know
the problem is that the information are not limited or controled so even small children can see what they aren’t allowed to
CR : 2 channels public TV - serious information, programs of all interests, documents
2 channels commercial TV - shocking news, action movies, soap operas, sitcoms, cheap series
radio stations - music, foreign st. - BBC
newspapers - both types, tabloids (Blesk, Hrom, Vecerni Praha) are more expensive, aimed to people with lower education; broadsheets (Dnes, Lidove noviny) have political informations, deeper, analysis
Newspapers in UK/USA
Tabloids Broadsheets
Articles : Are shocking, emotional, aimed Serious inf., national news, world news,
on people, celebrites, disasters, sports background inf., in-depth features
Composition : Short, easy to understand, huge headlines, Long, elaborate, difficult words, complex and plays on words, quotations, exclamations interesting articles
Photos : Many, often colour, especially people 2-3 on every page, places and people, black
and white
Cost : 25p 35p.
Size : 40 cm /28 cm 60 cm / 40 cm
Circulation : 13 million in UK 3 million in UK
Titles : The Sun, The Daily Star, The Daily The Guardian, The Times, The Independent,
Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times
Express and Today
USA - School system
USA - School system
• elementary and secondary education involves 12 years of schooling, the successful completion of which leads to a high school diploma
• the first possible school children can attend is a Kindergarten (actually nursing school), than elementary school and high school
Elementary schools :
• the first elementary school was established in 1630 in Masachussets, because the Puritans wanted to read the Bible
• basic subjects are : math, language, geography, history, arts, science ...
• about 85% are public schools and 15% privat schools - they are sometimes religious
High schools :
• 90% of students go to public schools, they can't choose which school they want to attend
• sport plays an important role in schools as well as the spirit (which is big in small cities)
Colleges :
• the first college founded in America was Harvard and was founded in Massachusets in 1636
• in 1944 the GI Bill of Rights was issued, which helped veterans from the WWII to get higher education (government paid their scholarships) and in 1960's the Affirmative Action Program was introduced - certain numbers of minotity students had to be admited on colleges
• every students takes an SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) from math and English on which bases they are admited to college or not
• the trend of 1970's and 1980's was to be educated in technical subjects
• there is not any difference in quality of education between public and privat schools, the privat ones require much higher fees; all schools are funded from student fees, donations and government funding
• colleges are based on a credit system, science program and research makes the university of a high or low prestige
• elementary and secondary education involves 12 years of schooling, the successful completion of which leads to a high school diploma
• the first possible school children can attend is a Kindergarten (actually nursing school), than elementary school and high school
Elementary schools :
• the first elementary school was established in 1630 in Masachussets, because the Puritans wanted to read the Bible
• basic subjects are : math, language, geography, history, arts, science ...
• about 85% are public schools and 15% privat schools - they are sometimes religious
High schools :
• 90% of students go to public schools, they can't choose which school they want to attend
• sport plays an important role in schools as well as the spirit (which is big in small cities)
Colleges :
• the first college founded in America was Harvard and was founded in Massachusets in 1636
• in 1944 the GI Bill of Rights was issued, which helped veterans from the WWII to get higher education (government paid their scholarships) and in 1960's the Affirmative Action Program was introduced - certain numbers of minotity students had to be admited on colleges
• every students takes an SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) from math and English on which bases they are admited to college or not
• the trend of 1970's and 1980's was to be educated in technical subjects
• there is not any difference in quality of education between public and privat schools, the privat ones require much higher fees; all schools are funded from student fees, donations and government funding
• colleges are based on a credit system, science program and research makes the university of a high or low prestige
Prague
Prague
• Prague is a city in west central Czech Republic, the capital of the country; it is located in the central Bohemia region, situated on both sides of the Vltava River; its population is about 1.3 million
History :
• the settlement of Prague dates from the 9th century, when it was the site of several Bohemian castles
• the city began to grow in the 13th century with the establishment of German communities by Wenceslas I, king of Bohemia; the German colonists developed the city rapidly, building the Old Town as a trading centre in 1232 and, expanding to the southeast, establishing the New Town a century later; the key personality for expansion of Prague was the King Charles IV, who let build the Charles University in 1348 as the first in middle Europe
• Prague prospered as the capital of the powerful province of Bohemia and during the 14th century became the largest European city after Paris, in 1442 it was conquered by the Hussites and continued to grow in wealth and power
• it was much damaged during several wars, notably in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), in 1744 the city surrendered to Frederick II, king of Prussia, who, during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), defeated the Austrian forces at Prague
• in 1848, Prague was bombarded by Austrian troops to quell a Czech revolution, and in 1866 the city surrendered to Prussian forces during the Seven Weeks' War
• upon the establishment of the republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918, Prague became its capital; During World War II the city was occupied by German forces from March 1939 until May 1945 but escaped major damage
• the city was again the scene of turmoil when, in August 1968, Soviet troops invaded Prague and massive demonstrations ensued and also was the site of massive nonviolent demonstrations that led to the downfall of Czechoslovakia's Communist regime in 1989
• when the country divided into two republics on January 1, 1993, the city became capital of the independent Czech Republic
Cultural life
• the cultural life in Prague is wide and one can chose from several activities he would like to do - from going to opera or National Theatre to seeing a hockey or football match
• if you feel like to see some theatre performance of a high value, I recommend you to go to the National Theatre, situated on the right bank of Vltava; the interior is painted by famous Czech painters, e.g. Mikolas Ales, and you can see the best Czech actors casting in the most famous Czech and foreign plays; or if you would like to see some more informal performance, there are many possibilities where to go, but if you visit the Archa theatre, you will be satisfied; because many performances are in English, or even Czech ones are with English subtitle; and don’t worry to wear jeans, nobody gets mad
• if you would like to see some paintings or sculptures, you can visit the National Gallery in Prague, e.g. the collection of ancient art in Sternbersky palac on Hradcanske square 15
• from Prague museums I recommend the National museum on Venceslas square, where you can find paleontological, mineral or zoological collections, ancient history of Czech, Moravia and Silezia and scelets of many animals, including ancient man
• and if you admire classical music, there is not more prestigeous and honor place than the Rudolphinom on Alsovo sqare, on the bank of Vltava
• probably the most famous festival that is held every year is the classical music festival Prague spring, that begins every year on May 12th and ends on June 2nd; concerts can be seen in more concert halls in Prague, but it always begins with Dvorak’s Ma vlast in Rudolphinom; siniliar to this is Prague autumn, but is younger and not so famous
• I would recommend to everybody to see some performance on Krizikova fountain; this fountain is a little miracle of technology and it is wonderful that it was build so long ago; at recent days spectators can see spectacular performances full of colours, playing in warm summer nights on music by Queen, Vangelis or songs from world-reknown musicals
Municipal House of the Capital of Prague and Powder gate
• Municipal House was built on the place of former King’s court in 1905 to 1911 as a representative palace of the town in the style of Prague Art nouveau; the group of halls around the central Smetana Hall is decoratedby the works of the foremost artists of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries; the Municipal House was the place of declaration of independent Czechoslovak stateon October 28th in 1918 and also the scene of negotiations of the representatives of Civic Forum , who after November 17th 1989 undertook the political powers
• the Powder Gate was constructed as a representative entry into the Old Town at King’s court by Matyas Rejsek in the 2nd half of 15th century in the Lately Gothic style; in the end of 19th century was renovated in the Neo-Gothic style by J. Mocker; the gate is 65m high and is decorated by stoneworks and sculptures
Vyšehrad
• the second seat of the Bohemian princes and kings of the Premyslides dynasty was founded in the 10th century; the original castle figured in romantic legends about the beginning of Prague and the Bohemian state; it contains Rotunda of St Martin, Chapter church of St Peter and Paul, the chapels of St Ludmila and of Virgin Mary in Walls, remnants of Gothic fortifications, a baroque fortress of the 17th century, a park with so called “devil’s Column and four statues depicting figures of Bohemian mythology by J. V. Myslbek; you can find there also Vysehrad Museum and a cemetery, where since the 19th century important personalities of the Czech nation have been buried
Old Town Hall
• was built probably in 1299 at the Big square (market place) as the seat of self-government of the Prague Old Town; the oldest part of the Town Hall complex was built in the High Gothic style and contains the tower, oriel chapel and rich coat of arms decorations; the astronomical clock was made before 1410 by Nicholas of Kadan and completed in the end of 15th century; the calendar sheet and new statues of Apostles were were placed in 19th and 20th centuries
• Prague is a city in west central Czech Republic, the capital of the country; it is located in the central Bohemia region, situated on both sides of the Vltava River; its population is about 1.3 million
History :
• the settlement of Prague dates from the 9th century, when it was the site of several Bohemian castles
• the city began to grow in the 13th century with the establishment of German communities by Wenceslas I, king of Bohemia; the German colonists developed the city rapidly, building the Old Town as a trading centre in 1232 and, expanding to the southeast, establishing the New Town a century later; the key personality for expansion of Prague was the King Charles IV, who let build the Charles University in 1348 as the first in middle Europe
• Prague prospered as the capital of the powerful province of Bohemia and during the 14th century became the largest European city after Paris, in 1442 it was conquered by the Hussites and continued to grow in wealth and power
• it was much damaged during several wars, notably in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), in 1744 the city surrendered to Frederick II, king of Prussia, who, during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), defeated the Austrian forces at Prague
• in 1848, Prague was bombarded by Austrian troops to quell a Czech revolution, and in 1866 the city surrendered to Prussian forces during the Seven Weeks' War
• upon the establishment of the republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918, Prague became its capital; During World War II the city was occupied by German forces from March 1939 until May 1945 but escaped major damage
• the city was again the scene of turmoil when, in August 1968, Soviet troops invaded Prague and massive demonstrations ensued and also was the site of massive nonviolent demonstrations that led to the downfall of Czechoslovakia's Communist regime in 1989
• when the country divided into two republics on January 1, 1993, the city became capital of the independent Czech Republic
Cultural life
• the cultural life in Prague is wide and one can chose from several activities he would like to do - from going to opera or National Theatre to seeing a hockey or football match
• if you feel like to see some theatre performance of a high value, I recommend you to go to the National Theatre, situated on the right bank of Vltava; the interior is painted by famous Czech painters, e.g. Mikolas Ales, and you can see the best Czech actors casting in the most famous Czech and foreign plays; or if you would like to see some more informal performance, there are many possibilities where to go, but if you visit the Archa theatre, you will be satisfied; because many performances are in English, or even Czech ones are with English subtitle; and don’t worry to wear jeans, nobody gets mad
• if you would like to see some paintings or sculptures, you can visit the National Gallery in Prague, e.g. the collection of ancient art in Sternbersky palac on Hradcanske square 15
• from Prague museums I recommend the National museum on Venceslas square, where you can find paleontological, mineral or zoological collections, ancient history of Czech, Moravia and Silezia and scelets of many animals, including ancient man
• and if you admire classical music, there is not more prestigeous and honor place than the Rudolphinom on Alsovo sqare, on the bank of Vltava
• probably the most famous festival that is held every year is the classical music festival Prague spring, that begins every year on May 12th and ends on June 2nd; concerts can be seen in more concert halls in Prague, but it always begins with Dvorak’s Ma vlast in Rudolphinom; siniliar to this is Prague autumn, but is younger and not so famous
• I would recommend to everybody to see some performance on Krizikova fountain; this fountain is a little miracle of technology and it is wonderful that it was build so long ago; at recent days spectators can see spectacular performances full of colours, playing in warm summer nights on music by Queen, Vangelis or songs from world-reknown musicals
Municipal House of the Capital of Prague and Powder gate
• Municipal House was built on the place of former King’s court in 1905 to 1911 as a representative palace of the town in the style of Prague Art nouveau; the group of halls around the central Smetana Hall is decoratedby the works of the foremost artists of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries; the Municipal House was the place of declaration of independent Czechoslovak stateon October 28th in 1918 and also the scene of negotiations of the representatives of Civic Forum , who after November 17th 1989 undertook the political powers
• the Powder Gate was constructed as a representative entry into the Old Town at King’s court by Matyas Rejsek in the 2nd half of 15th century in the Lately Gothic style; in the end of 19th century was renovated in the Neo-Gothic style by J. Mocker; the gate is 65m high and is decorated by stoneworks and sculptures
Vyšehrad
• the second seat of the Bohemian princes and kings of the Premyslides dynasty was founded in the 10th century; the original castle figured in romantic legends about the beginning of Prague and the Bohemian state; it contains Rotunda of St Martin, Chapter church of St Peter and Paul, the chapels of St Ludmila and of Virgin Mary in Walls, remnants of Gothic fortifications, a baroque fortress of the 17th century, a park with so called “devil’s Column and four statues depicting figures of Bohemian mythology by J. V. Myslbek; you can find there also Vysehrad Museum and a cemetery, where since the 19th century important personalities of the Czech nation have been buried
Old Town Hall
• was built probably in 1299 at the Big square (market place) as the seat of self-government of the Prague Old Town; the oldest part of the Town Hall complex was built in the High Gothic style and contains the tower, oriel chapel and rich coat of arms decorations; the astronomical clock was made before 1410 by Nicholas of Kadan and completed in the end of 15th century; the calendar sheet and new statues of Apostles were were placed in 19th and 20th centuries
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country lying in the Pacific Ocean; it consists of Northern and Southen island, separated by the Cook Strait , and small Stewart Island
• its area is 270,000 square kilometres, population 3,7 million and consists of 90% British and 10% Maori aborigines; the religions are about 50% Christianity, some sects (Mormons) and Maori religions
• Northern island - rather flat land, variet, low mts., plains, volcanos and geizirs
Southern island - high mts. - Southern Alps with the highest peak Mt. Cook (3740m)
Rivers - short; Waganui and Waikato
• New Zealand is a Parliamentary democracy, where the Head of State is a Governor-general, representing the monarch of Great Britain; Head of Government is a Prime minister; it has an Unicameral legislature - only ane chamber of the parliament, which is the House of Representatives (99 members)
• the capital is Wellington and other important cities are Auckland, Queenstown, Dunedin and Christchurch
• the languages spoken in NZ are English (similiar to British English) and Maori; some famous personalities are Hillary, Rutherford, Snell ...
• NZ is a rich agriculture country with important industry; the main agriculture products are wheat, vegetable, wool, meat, butter, milk and cheese and NZ is a big exporter of many kinds of food products
• the first people to settle NZ were the Polynesian tribes - the Maoris - in the 8th century
NZ was discovered by James Cook in 1769
Colonization began in the 19th century after the treaty of Waitagno, when the Maori chiefs acknowledged the sovereignity of the British Crown in return for the protection of their lands
However there were disputes between Maoris and British settlers over land ownership which led to war; it lasted about 10 years and by 1871 all Maori resistance was crushed
In 1907 NZ was granted the status of dominion
• Maoris are good in carving and making personal ornaments, e.g. necklesses, earings and amulets
New Zealand is an island country lying in the Pacific Ocean; it consists of Northern and Southen island, separated by the Cook Strait , and small Stewart Island
• its area is 270,000 square kilometres, population 3,7 million and consists of 90% British and 10% Maori aborigines; the religions are about 50% Christianity, some sects (Mormons) and Maori religions
• Northern island - rather flat land, variet, low mts., plains, volcanos and geizirs
Southern island - high mts. - Southern Alps with the highest peak Mt. Cook (3740m)
Rivers - short; Waganui and Waikato
• New Zealand is a Parliamentary democracy, where the Head of State is a Governor-general, representing the monarch of Great Britain; Head of Government is a Prime minister; it has an Unicameral legislature - only ane chamber of the parliament, which is the House of Representatives (99 members)
• the capital is Wellington and other important cities are Auckland, Queenstown, Dunedin and Christchurch
• the languages spoken in NZ are English (similiar to British English) and Maori; some famous personalities are Hillary, Rutherford, Snell ...
• NZ is a rich agriculture country with important industry; the main agriculture products are wheat, vegetable, wool, meat, butter, milk and cheese and NZ is a big exporter of many kinds of food products
• the first people to settle NZ were the Polynesian tribes - the Maoris - in the 8th century
NZ was discovered by James Cook in 1769
Colonization began in the 19th century after the treaty of Waitagno, when the Maori chiefs acknowledged the sovereignity of the British Crown in return for the protection of their lands
However there were disputes between Maoris and British settlers over land ownership which led to war; it lasted about 10 years and by 1871 all Maori resistance was crushed
In 1907 NZ was granted the status of dominion
• Maoris are good in carving and making personal ornaments, e.g. necklesses, earings and amulets
Canada
Canada
Canada is a federated country in the northern part of North America, member of the Commonwealth of nations
• its area is 9.9 million square kilometres, which makes it the 2nd largest country in the world, the population is 28 million and consists of 45% British, 25% French, German, , Italy and Ukraine origins; the aborigines are Indians and Eskymos
• 46% of population are Roman catholics and 41% Protestants; the official languages are French and English
• Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy with the Governor-general, representing the British monarch, as a head of the state; the Head of Government is a Prime minister; Canada has a Bicameral legislature which consists of House of Commons (295 members) and Senate(112 senators)
• Canada is washed by the Arctic ocen from the north, North Atlantic ocean from the east and North Pacific ocean from the west; among the islands in the north the biggest are Baffin Island, Queen Elizabeth Islands and Victoria island; there are two main bays - Hudson and Baffin
• the country is divided into ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and two territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory); there are big lakes - Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake, Lake Winnipeg and portions of the Great Lakes under Canadian jurisdiction; the highest peak Mt Logan lies in the Rocky mts
• the climate is mostly continental with rain and snow falls, typical animals are bears, seals and grizzlys
• Canada was discovered in 1497 by John Cabot; in 1763 French were defeated by British and it became an English colony; in 1867 Canada became the 1st British dominion
• Canada belongs to the richest countries of the world, its main products are wheat, wood, petrolium, iron ore, oil and gold, main industrial products are motor vehicles and paper
The Republic of Ireland lies on the island west from UK in the Atlantic ocean
• its area is 70,000 square kilometres, the population is 3,5 million (from which 96% are Irish) and the religions are Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism and Jewish; the capital is Dublin
• the Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary democracy and the head of the state is the president, voted directly for 7 years
• the relief could be described as a lowland (the highest mts. reach only about 1,000 metres), the biggest river is the Shannon river; the lakes are of glacier origin
• the original inhabitants were Celts
432 - Christianity was brought to Ireland by St Patrick
12th century - the English first invaded Ireland
17th century - Cromwell gave the land in Ireland to Protestant settlers from England
1690 - in the battle of Boyne Ireland became an English colony
half of 19th century - 5 million people emigrated because of the great famine;
1905 - Shinn Fein, the nationalist party was founded and during the failed Easter rebellion the leaders were executed
1921 - the 26 nationalist counties in the southern Ireland became the Irish Free State
1949 - was the proclamation of the Republic of Ireland in Dublin
• Ireland consists of 4 historical provinces - Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster; the provinces are divided into 32 counties and 6 of them in Ulster are administred by UK
• the typical Irish music instrument is a Celtic harp; some famous Irish authors are J. Swift, J. B. Yeats, O. Wilde, J. Joyce, S. Becket
Canada is a federated country in the northern part of North America, member of the Commonwealth of nations
• its area is 9.9 million square kilometres, which makes it the 2nd largest country in the world, the population is 28 million and consists of 45% British, 25% French, German, , Italy and Ukraine origins; the aborigines are Indians and Eskymos
• 46% of population are Roman catholics and 41% Protestants; the official languages are French and English
• Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy with the Governor-general, representing the British monarch, as a head of the state; the Head of Government is a Prime minister; Canada has a Bicameral legislature which consists of House of Commons (295 members) and Senate(112 senators)
• Canada is washed by the Arctic ocen from the north, North Atlantic ocean from the east and North Pacific ocean from the west; among the islands in the north the biggest are Baffin Island, Queen Elizabeth Islands and Victoria island; there are two main bays - Hudson and Baffin
• the country is divided into ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and two territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory); there are big lakes - Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake, Lake Winnipeg and portions of the Great Lakes under Canadian jurisdiction; the highest peak Mt Logan lies in the Rocky mts
• the climate is mostly continental with rain and snow falls, typical animals are bears, seals and grizzlys
• Canada was discovered in 1497 by John Cabot; in 1763 French were defeated by British and it became an English colony; in 1867 Canada became the 1st British dominion
• Canada belongs to the richest countries of the world, its main products are wheat, wood, petrolium, iron ore, oil and gold, main industrial products are motor vehicles and paper
The Republic of Ireland lies on the island west from UK in the Atlantic ocean
• its area is 70,000 square kilometres, the population is 3,5 million (from which 96% are Irish) and the religions are Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism and Jewish; the capital is Dublin
• the Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary democracy and the head of the state is the president, voted directly for 7 years
• the relief could be described as a lowland (the highest mts. reach only about 1,000 metres), the biggest river is the Shannon river; the lakes are of glacier origin
• the original inhabitants were Celts
432 - Christianity was brought to Ireland by St Patrick
12th century - the English first invaded Ireland
17th century - Cromwell gave the land in Ireland to Protestant settlers from England
1690 - in the battle of Boyne Ireland became an English colony
half of 19th century - 5 million people emigrated because of the great famine;
1905 - Shinn Fein, the nationalist party was founded and during the failed Easter rebellion the leaders were executed
1921 - the 26 nationalist counties in the southern Ireland became the Irish Free State
1949 - was the proclamation of the Republic of Ireland in Dublin
• Ireland consists of 4 historical provinces - Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster; the provinces are divided into 32 counties and 6 of them in Ulster are administred by UK
• the typical Irish music instrument is a Celtic harp; some famous Irish authors are J. Swift, J. B. Yeats, O. Wilde, J. Joyce, S. Becket
New York - history, boroughs, immigration
¨NY history, boroughs, immigration
History :
• the New York Bay area had been inhabited for centuries by Native Americans; the first European to visit the area was an Italian navigator in the service of France, who landed there in 1524; Henry Hudson, whose expedition sailed under the Dutch flag, explored the Hudson River in 1609; the Dutch bought the island and called it New Amsterdam; later a wall against the Indians was biuld there, at a place of recent Wall street
• during the mid-17th century, further colonization of Manhattan Island took place, and other settlements were begun in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island; in 1664 the colony was surrendered to the English and renamed to New York
• during the War of Independence New York was for four years the capital of the country, the American Congress met in New York and George Washington was inaugurated as the first United States president here in 1789
• between 1820 and 1840, the immigrants, particularly Irish, German, Jewish, and Italian, began to arrive in large numbers; the city's population more than doubled and by 1850 it had doubled again
• by the late 19th century the population was swelled by immigrants from southern and eastern Europe as well as from China; the Ellis Island, in upper New York Bay near Manhattan, is best known for the immigration centre located there between 1892 and 1954; an estimated 20 million immigrants passed through this island
• In 1904 construction of the complex underground transport system linking the boroughs was begun and integrated the boroughs into the pattern recognizable today; in the period during and after World War II, the city received numerous black immigrants, largely from the southern states; immigration from Puerto Rico and from other parts of the Caribbean and Latin America followed in the 1950s
City of NY :
• New York is subdivided into five boroughs; in descending order of area, the boroughs are Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Manhattan; almost all of the Bronx is situated on the mainland, but the other boroughs are situated on, or comprise, islands; in all, New York comprises some 50 islands
• when looking on the city plan, streets lay horizontally and avenues vertically; the exception is Broadway, which predates the plan and lays irregularly
Boroughs :
Queens - there are two international airports - La Guardia and John F. Kennedy, both are major air-cargo terminals
Bronx - famousfor the International Wildlife Conservation Park (commonly known as the Bronx Zoo), one of the world's largest, and an Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees professional baseball team
Brooklyn - the most populous borough of New York City
Neighbourhoods :
Harlem - home to a predominantly black and Puerto Rican population, during the 1920s, black culture exploded on to the scene with the Harlem Renaissance movement in literature and with jazz
Greenwich Village - began to attract artists, writers, actors, and political theorists from all parts of America and Europe, and continues to provide a focus for café life
Chinatown - where Chinese immigrants began to settle in the 1850s
SoHo - a former warehouse and factory district
Sights in NY
The statue of liberty - was donated to the American people by France in 1886 as a symbol of French-American friendship and their alliance during the American revolution; it is located on Liberty Island
The financial district of Lower Manhattan - centred on Wall and Broad streets, includes the New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Center (one of the world's tallest structures) and a United States Federal Reserve bank as well as other prominent banking, brokerage, and financial institutions
Empire State Building (1931) - the2nd highest building in New York with 2 observations and a restaurant on the top
St. Patrick - one of the most beautiful churches in USA in Gothic style
Broadway - the original Indian path, now a famous theater center
UN HQ - 39 -storey monolith structure of glass and steel
Rockefeller Center - the group of 21 buildings, mostly scyscrapers in Manhattan; consists of skating ring, gardens, promenades, statues, shops, restaurants ...
Fifth and Madison avenues - in Manhattan, especially famous for their elegant shops
Skyscrapers dominate the skyline - the Flatiron Building, completed in 1902, was one of the first in the city; others include the Chrysler Building (1930), the Woolworth Building (1915), the Empire State Building (1931), the group of buildings that constitute (begun 1931), Rockefeller Center (begun 1931), and the World Trade Center (1977)
New York Public Library - with some 10 million volumes
Times Square - the hub of the city's theatre district with more than 30 theatres
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - a large cluster of buildings that includes the Metropolitan Opera House
History :
• the New York Bay area had been inhabited for centuries by Native Americans; the first European to visit the area was an Italian navigator in the service of France, who landed there in 1524; Henry Hudson, whose expedition sailed under the Dutch flag, explored the Hudson River in 1609; the Dutch bought the island and called it New Amsterdam; later a wall against the Indians was biuld there, at a place of recent Wall street
• during the mid-17th century, further colonization of Manhattan Island took place, and other settlements were begun in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island; in 1664 the colony was surrendered to the English and renamed to New York
• during the War of Independence New York was for four years the capital of the country, the American Congress met in New York and George Washington was inaugurated as the first United States president here in 1789
• between 1820 and 1840, the immigrants, particularly Irish, German, Jewish, and Italian, began to arrive in large numbers; the city's population more than doubled and by 1850 it had doubled again
• by the late 19th century the population was swelled by immigrants from southern and eastern Europe as well as from China; the Ellis Island, in upper New York Bay near Manhattan, is best known for the immigration centre located there between 1892 and 1954; an estimated 20 million immigrants passed through this island
• In 1904 construction of the complex underground transport system linking the boroughs was begun and integrated the boroughs into the pattern recognizable today; in the period during and after World War II, the city received numerous black immigrants, largely from the southern states; immigration from Puerto Rico and from other parts of the Caribbean and Latin America followed in the 1950s
City of NY :
• New York is subdivided into five boroughs; in descending order of area, the boroughs are Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Manhattan; almost all of the Bronx is situated on the mainland, but the other boroughs are situated on, or comprise, islands; in all, New York comprises some 50 islands
• when looking on the city plan, streets lay horizontally and avenues vertically; the exception is Broadway, which predates the plan and lays irregularly
Boroughs :
Queens - there are two international airports - La Guardia and John F. Kennedy, both are major air-cargo terminals
Bronx - famousfor the International Wildlife Conservation Park (commonly known as the Bronx Zoo), one of the world's largest, and an Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees professional baseball team
Brooklyn - the most populous borough of New York City
Neighbourhoods :
Harlem - home to a predominantly black and Puerto Rican population, during the 1920s, black culture exploded on to the scene with the Harlem Renaissance movement in literature and with jazz
Greenwich Village - began to attract artists, writers, actors, and political theorists from all parts of America and Europe, and continues to provide a focus for café life
Chinatown - where Chinese immigrants began to settle in the 1850s
SoHo - a former warehouse and factory district
Sights in NY
The statue of liberty - was donated to the American people by France in 1886 as a symbol of French-American friendship and their alliance during the American revolution; it is located on Liberty Island
The financial district of Lower Manhattan - centred on Wall and Broad streets, includes the New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Center (one of the world's tallest structures) and a United States Federal Reserve bank as well as other prominent banking, brokerage, and financial institutions
Empire State Building (1931) - the2nd highest building in New York with 2 observations and a restaurant on the top
St. Patrick - one of the most beautiful churches in USA in Gothic style
Broadway - the original Indian path, now a famous theater center
UN HQ - 39 -storey monolith structure of glass and steel
Rockefeller Center - the group of 21 buildings, mostly scyscrapers in Manhattan; consists of skating ring, gardens, promenades, statues, shops, restaurants ...
Fifth and Madison avenues - in Manhattan, especially famous for their elegant shops
Skyscrapers dominate the skyline - the Flatiron Building, completed in 1902, was one of the first in the city; others include the Chrysler Building (1930), the Woolworth Building (1915), the Empire State Building (1931), the group of buildings that constitute (begun 1931), Rockefeller Center (begun 1931), and the World Trade Center (1977)
New York Public Library - with some 10 million volumes
Times Square - the hub of the city's theatre district with more than 30 theatres
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - a large cluster of buildings that includes the Metropolitan Opera House
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
• Shakespeare's day of birth is traditionally held to be April 23, it is known he was baptized on April 24 in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was probably educated at the local grammar school, was apprenticed to a butcher and than he became a schoolmaster. That Shakespeare was allowed considerable leisure time in his youth is suggested by the fact that his plays show more knowledge of hunting and hawking than do those of other contemporary dramatists. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer and he is supposed to have left Stratford after he was caught poaching in the deer park. Shakespeare apparently arrived in London in about 1588 and by 1592 had attained success as an actor and a playwright. He established his reputation as a gifted and popular Renaissance poet with his erotic narrative poems and his Sonnets. He was a sharer in his playing company called The Chamberlain's Men, later The King's Men and owned also a part of the Globe Theatre. After 1608, Shakespeare's dramatic production lessened and it seems that he spent more time in Stratford. There he had established his family. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried in the Stratford church. Shakespeare's modern reputation is based mainly on the 38 plays that he wrote, modified, or collaborated on.
• his dramatic career is generally divided into four periods:
(1) the period up to 1594,
(2) the years from 1594 to 1600,
(3) the years from 1600 to 1608, and
(4) the period after 1608.
1) Chronicle history plays were a popular genre of those times and he wrote e.g. Henry VI and Richard III , or a comedy of characters The Taming of the Shrew
2) Outstanding among the comedies of the second period is A Midsummer Night's Dream with its fantasy-filled insouciance, and a tragedy Romeo and Juliet , famous for its poetic treatment of the ecstasy of youthful love.
3) Shakespeare's third period includes his greatest tragedies and his so-called dark or bitter comedies :
Hamlet - his most famous play, Shakespeare goes far beyond other tragedies of revenge in picturing the mingled sordidness and glory of the human condition. The interpretation of Hamlet’s motivation and hesitation continues to be the subject of considerable controversy
Othello - portrays the growth of unjustified jealousy in the protagonist, Othello, a Moor serving as a general in the Venetian army. The innocent object of his jealousy is his wife, Desdemona. In this tragedy, Othello's evil lieutenant Iago draws him into mistaken jealousy in order to ruin him
Macbeth - Shakespeare depicts the tragedy of a great and basically good man who, led on by others and because of a defect in his own nature, succumbs to murderous ambition. In getting and retaining the Scottish throne, Macbeth dulls his humanity to the point where he becomes capable of any amoral act
4) In Cymbeline and The Winter's Tale characters suffer great loss and pain, but are reunited. Perhaps the most successful product of this particular vein of creativity may be Shakespeare's last complete play The Tempest
• from Shakespeare I’ve read only Hamlet and have seen Romeo and Juliet; if I should be honest, I must say that what I brought from Romeo and Juliet is only very strong story of love and in Hamlet, I was attracted by the description and depiction of one’s character - I think that Shakespeare managed to portray hesitating but also willing Hamlet perfectly
Další zdroje o tomto tématu naleznete zde:
20, William Shakespeare
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
William Shakespeare
Články na hledaný výraz "William Shakespeare" naleznete na bezuceni.cz
• Shakespeare's day of birth is traditionally held to be April 23, it is known he was baptized on April 24 in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was probably educated at the local grammar school, was apprenticed to a butcher and than he became a schoolmaster. That Shakespeare was allowed considerable leisure time in his youth is suggested by the fact that his plays show more knowledge of hunting and hawking than do those of other contemporary dramatists. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer and he is supposed to have left Stratford after he was caught poaching in the deer park. Shakespeare apparently arrived in London in about 1588 and by 1592 had attained success as an actor and a playwright. He established his reputation as a gifted and popular Renaissance poet with his erotic narrative poems and his Sonnets. He was a sharer in his playing company called The Chamberlain's Men, later The King's Men and owned also a part of the Globe Theatre. After 1608, Shakespeare's dramatic production lessened and it seems that he spent more time in Stratford. There he had established his family. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried in the Stratford church. Shakespeare's modern reputation is based mainly on the 38 plays that he wrote, modified, or collaborated on.
• his dramatic career is generally divided into four periods:
(1) the period up to 1594,
(2) the years from 1594 to 1600,
(3) the years from 1600 to 1608, and
(4) the period after 1608.
1) Chronicle history plays were a popular genre of those times and he wrote e.g. Henry VI and Richard III , or a comedy of characters The Taming of the Shrew
2) Outstanding among the comedies of the second period is A Midsummer Night's Dream with its fantasy-filled insouciance, and a tragedy Romeo and Juliet , famous for its poetic treatment of the ecstasy of youthful love.
3) Shakespeare's third period includes his greatest tragedies and his so-called dark or bitter comedies :
Hamlet - his most famous play, Shakespeare goes far beyond other tragedies of revenge in picturing the mingled sordidness and glory of the human condition. The interpretation of Hamlet’s motivation and hesitation continues to be the subject of considerable controversy
Othello - portrays the growth of unjustified jealousy in the protagonist, Othello, a Moor serving as a general in the Venetian army. The innocent object of his jealousy is his wife, Desdemona. In this tragedy, Othello's evil lieutenant Iago draws him into mistaken jealousy in order to ruin him
Macbeth - Shakespeare depicts the tragedy of a great and basically good man who, led on by others and because of a defect in his own nature, succumbs to murderous ambition. In getting and retaining the Scottish throne, Macbeth dulls his humanity to the point where he becomes capable of any amoral act
4) In Cymbeline and The Winter's Tale characters suffer great loss and pain, but are reunited. Perhaps the most successful product of this particular vein of creativity may be Shakespeare's last complete play The Tempest
• from Shakespeare I’ve read only Hamlet and have seen Romeo and Juliet; if I should be honest, I must say that what I brought from Romeo and Juliet is only very strong story of love and in Hamlet, I was attracted by the description and depiction of one’s character - I think that Shakespeare managed to portray hesitating but also willing Hamlet perfectly
Další zdroje o tomto tématu naleznete zde:
20, William Shakespeare
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
William Shakespeare
Články na hledaný výraz "William Shakespeare" naleznete na bezuceni.cz
History of Great Britain
History of Great Britain
7th - 1st century BC - arrival of Celtic tribes
43 - 48 - Roman invasion of Britain, Britannia - the province - created
450 - 9th century - Raids on Britain by Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.
871 - Alfred, king of Wessex, halted the advance of Danes in England.
1066 - Norman conquest of England. The Saxon King Harold II was defeated at Hastings by William Duke of Normandy, who became William I (the Conqueror). William initiated the Domesday survey of property in England, which was completed in 1086.
1172 - Henry II began the English conquest of Ireland; effective English power was largely limited to the Irish Pale, around Dublin, until the 14th century.
1215 - King John conceded to the demands of powerful English barons and signed Magna Carta.
1338 - Beginning of Hundred Years’ War between England and France. Final defeat of English at the Battle of Castillon in 1453 saw the end of this conflict.
1455-1485 - The Wars of the Roses; the conflict between the Houses of Lancaster and York for the English throne. Edward IV became the first of the rulers of the House of York in 1461.
1485 - The Battle of Bosworth Field established Henry VII, the first of the Tudors, on the English throne. Henry VII began the process of establishing English supremacy over Ireland.
1534 - Henry VIII of England broke with Rome; by the Act of Supremacy he exerted control over the English Church. In 1541 he declared himself king of Ireland.
1558 - 1603 - Elizabeth I ascended to the English throne.
1588 - The invasion of Britain by Spain was thwarted by the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
1603 - Union of English and Scottish crowns. James VI of Scotland became James I of England, the first of the Stuart rulers.
1642 - Outbreak of English Civil War.
1649 - Charles I was beheaded, and a republic was declared. Oliver Cromwell’s ruthless supression of Irish rebellion culminated in the slaughter of an Irish garrison at Drogheda.
1653 - Oliver Cromwell dissolved Parliament and became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, a position he retained until his death in 1659.
1660 - Restoration of the Stuart monarchy under Charles II.
1707 - Scotland was annexed to England > Great Britain
1801 - An Act of Union took effect which incorporated Ireland into Great Britain.
1837 - 1901 - the reign of Queen Victoria, 1876 - creation of India colony
1914-1918 - Great Britain and the other Allies fought the Central Powers during World War I. Although the Allies won, the war had shattering economic and social effects on the kingdom.
1921 - The Irish Free State was created. The British kingdom was renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
1940 - Victory in the air during the Battle of Britain prevented a German invasion.
1947 - The British colonies of India and Pakistan became independent nations. Many other British colonies became independent in the following years.
1982 - Great Britain defeated Argentine forces after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands.
1979-1990 - Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister and was replaced by fellow Conservative John Major.
1991 - Large numbers of the armed forces took part in the Gulf War.
7th - 1st century BC - arrival of Celtic tribes
43 - 48 - Roman invasion of Britain, Britannia - the province - created
450 - 9th century - Raids on Britain by Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.
871 - Alfred, king of Wessex, halted the advance of Danes in England.
1066 - Norman conquest of England. The Saxon King Harold II was defeated at Hastings by William Duke of Normandy, who became William I (the Conqueror). William initiated the Domesday survey of property in England, which was completed in 1086.
1172 - Henry II began the English conquest of Ireland; effective English power was largely limited to the Irish Pale, around Dublin, until the 14th century.
1215 - King John conceded to the demands of powerful English barons and signed Magna Carta.
1338 - Beginning of Hundred Years’ War between England and France. Final defeat of English at the Battle of Castillon in 1453 saw the end of this conflict.
1455-1485 - The Wars of the Roses; the conflict between the Houses of Lancaster and York for the English throne. Edward IV became the first of the rulers of the House of York in 1461.
1485 - The Battle of Bosworth Field established Henry VII, the first of the Tudors, on the English throne. Henry VII began the process of establishing English supremacy over Ireland.
1534 - Henry VIII of England broke with Rome; by the Act of Supremacy he exerted control over the English Church. In 1541 he declared himself king of Ireland.
1558 - 1603 - Elizabeth I ascended to the English throne.
1588 - The invasion of Britain by Spain was thwarted by the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
1603 - Union of English and Scottish crowns. James VI of Scotland became James I of England, the first of the Stuart rulers.
1642 - Outbreak of English Civil War.
1649 - Charles I was beheaded, and a republic was declared. Oliver Cromwell’s ruthless supression of Irish rebellion culminated in the slaughter of an Irish garrison at Drogheda.
1653 - Oliver Cromwell dissolved Parliament and became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, a position he retained until his death in 1659.
1660 - Restoration of the Stuart monarchy under Charles II.
1707 - Scotland was annexed to England > Great Britain
1801 - An Act of Union took effect which incorporated Ireland into Great Britain.
1837 - 1901 - the reign of Queen Victoria, 1876 - creation of India colony
1914-1918 - Great Britain and the other Allies fought the Central Powers during World War I. Although the Allies won, the war had shattering economic and social effects on the kingdom.
1921 - The Irish Free State was created. The British kingdom was renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
1940 - Victory in the air during the Battle of Britain prevented a German invasion.
1947 - The British colonies of India and Pakistan became independent nations. Many other British colonies became independent in the following years.
1982 - Great Britain defeated Argentine forces after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands.
1979-1990 - Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister and was replaced by fellow Conservative John Major.
1991 - Large numbers of the armed forces took part in the Gulf War.
Schools and I
Schools and I
• first school I was attending was a nursery school and when I was 6 I moved to a basic school; the basic school had no specialisation and it even didn’t have extended language teaching, so I was learning only one language (English) and only for 4 years; I was the last class that didn’t have the compulsory 9th class and on the second term I passed the entrance exams to a secondary school, gymnasium; now I would like to enrol at a a university - CVUT, specialisation air traffic controller
• school system in CR :
Creche - is the first school, where babies are brought up until they are 3; it’s for mothers, who can’t stay on maternity leave with their children
Nursery school - from 3rd year of baby’s life the maternity leave for mothers finishes and they usually put their children in these school, where they can be until they are 6 or 7
Primary school - is compulsory for all children and the education is 9 years long
Secondary school - is voluntuary and children can choose from :
vocational schools - prepares for a job, emphasises handy work and practical training
technical schools - students are educated in specialised subjects
gymnasium - students are given general education
Supplementary schools - are usually 2 years long and educate students in specialised subjects
University - is the highest possible education; there are more types of them, e.g. technical and academical ones, academies of arts, millitary and police ...
School year in CR
• school year in CR starts on the 1st of September, ends on 31st of June and is divided into two 5-months-long terms; at the end of every term students receive reports
• the first holidays are autumn holidays in October (2 days), then Christas holidays (in an ideal case they are 2 weeks long), half-of-term holiday is held after students receive reports (one day), spring holidays are one week long and are held on different terms depending from which region the student is and after the year report 2 months holidays
• on secondary schools, students of the 4th grade have one week off called “Saint week” before the school-leaving exam, that every student of the secondary school has to take (except some vocational schools)
• during the school year, every school has its own days off (e.g. concerts, sports days, theatres and other actions)
• on basic schools, secondary schools and universities students go on week-long summer or winter courses, with their teachers, where they learn to ski or go swimming, biking and hiking in summer
• the main subjects that most of the schools teach are maths, Czech language, foreign language, geography, history, physics, chemistry, biology ..., but they differ on each secondary schools
Comparing schools in UK/USA and CR
• the biggest difference between our and British school system is, that pupils in CR after 9 years of compulsury education can enter the high school for 4 years and in UK after 11 years of compulsury education they take only 2 years of ‘A’ levels - I think that someone who wants to enrol at a university is much better prepared from the 4-years high school than from 2-years ‘A’ levels
• in CR the better and worse students are together only for 9 years and than they separate, but in UK they have to be mixed for 11 years - I think that the good students must suffer
• children in UK enter the school at the age or 5 and in CR at the age of 6 or 7; I think in this point our system is better, because when children are 5, they are still too young to pay attention and they get quickly tired - that’s why they don’t like going to schools
• the British system is better in the length of compulsory education - during 11 years the pupils learn more than during 9 years
• on the contrary to the USA, students in CR don’t take only written tests, but also oral exams - it is good for expressing; Czech students also learn more theory than make experiments; it has advantages and of course disadvantages too, but basicly I think we are better prepared for studies on the university
• first school I was attending was a nursery school and when I was 6 I moved to a basic school; the basic school had no specialisation and it even didn’t have extended language teaching, so I was learning only one language (English) and only for 4 years; I was the last class that didn’t have the compulsory 9th class and on the second term I passed the entrance exams to a secondary school, gymnasium; now I would like to enrol at a a university - CVUT, specialisation air traffic controller
• school system in CR :
Creche - is the first school, where babies are brought up until they are 3; it’s for mothers, who can’t stay on maternity leave with their children
Nursery school - from 3rd year of baby’s life the maternity leave for mothers finishes and they usually put their children in these school, where they can be until they are 6 or 7
Primary school - is compulsory for all children and the education is 9 years long
Secondary school - is voluntuary and children can choose from :
vocational schools - prepares for a job, emphasises handy work and practical training
technical schools - students are educated in specialised subjects
gymnasium - students are given general education
Supplementary schools - are usually 2 years long and educate students in specialised subjects
University - is the highest possible education; there are more types of them, e.g. technical and academical ones, academies of arts, millitary and police ...
School year in CR
• school year in CR starts on the 1st of September, ends on 31st of June and is divided into two 5-months-long terms; at the end of every term students receive reports
• the first holidays are autumn holidays in October (2 days), then Christas holidays (in an ideal case they are 2 weeks long), half-of-term holiday is held after students receive reports (one day), spring holidays are one week long and are held on different terms depending from which region the student is and after the year report 2 months holidays
• on secondary schools, students of the 4th grade have one week off called “Saint week” before the school-leaving exam, that every student of the secondary school has to take (except some vocational schools)
• during the school year, every school has its own days off (e.g. concerts, sports days, theatres and other actions)
• on basic schools, secondary schools and universities students go on week-long summer or winter courses, with their teachers, where they learn to ski or go swimming, biking and hiking in summer
• the main subjects that most of the schools teach are maths, Czech language, foreign language, geography, history, physics, chemistry, biology ..., but they differ on each secondary schools
Comparing schools in UK/USA and CR
• the biggest difference between our and British school system is, that pupils in CR after 9 years of compulsury education can enter the high school for 4 years and in UK after 11 years of compulsury education they take only 2 years of ‘A’ levels - I think that someone who wants to enrol at a university is much better prepared from the 4-years high school than from 2-years ‘A’ levels
• in CR the better and worse students are together only for 9 years and than they separate, but in UK they have to be mixed for 11 years - I think that the good students must suffer
• children in UK enter the school at the age or 5 and in CR at the age of 6 or 7; I think in this point our system is better, because when children are 5, they are still too young to pay attention and they get quickly tired - that’s why they don’t like going to schools
• the British system is better in the length of compulsory education - during 11 years the pupils learn more than during 9 years
• on the contrary to the USA, students in CR don’t take only written tests, but also oral exams - it is good for expressing; Czech students also learn more theory than make experiments; it has advantages and of course disadvantages too, but basicly I think we are better prepared for studies on the university
School system in the Czech Republic
School system in the Czech Republic
In the CR, school attendance is compulsory from the age of 6 till 15 (or 16). It is free of charge and all children have the same possibilities for their future education.
This system includes 4 grades:
a) Pre - school education
In our country there are nursery schools for children from the age of 1 to 3 years. From the age of 3 to 6 children attend kindergarten. This pre-school education is not compulsory.
b) Primary education
From the age of 6 to 15 (or 16) children attend basic schools. There are 2 degrees there. The first degree is from the first to the fifth class. Children learn the 3 R's there: Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic. Second degree is from the 6th to the 9th class. They learn Czech language and literature, foreign language, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, History, Geography, Civics, P. E., Music and Art.
c) Secondary education
Boys and girls over the age 15 (or) 16 attend secondary schools such as Grammar school, Special School and Apprentice centres. At secondary school students are taught most of those subject as at basic school but they are expanded in their content. As for special subjects, they learn economics, typing, accounting, computers, and various kinds of laboratory work. Students finish their studies with the school-leaving examination
d) Tertiary education
Tertiary education refers to universities and Technical Universities. Successful students from secondary schools can enter any university.
In the CR, school attendance is compulsory from the age of 6 till 15 (or 16). It is free of charge and all children have the same possibilities for their future education.
This system includes 4 grades:
a) Pre - school education
In our country there are nursery schools for children from the age of 1 to 3 years. From the age of 3 to 6 children attend kindergarten. This pre-school education is not compulsory.
b) Primary education
From the age of 6 to 15 (or 16) children attend basic schools. There are 2 degrees there. The first degree is from the first to the fifth class. Children learn the 3 R's there: Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic. Second degree is from the 6th to the 9th class. They learn Czech language and literature, foreign language, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, History, Geography, Civics, P. E., Music and Art.
c) Secondary education
Boys and girls over the age 15 (or) 16 attend secondary schools such as Grammar school, Special School and Apprentice centres. At secondary school students are taught most of those subject as at basic school but they are expanded in their content. As for special subjects, they learn economics, typing, accounting, computers, and various kinds of laboratory work. Students finish their studies with the school-leaving examination
d) Tertiary education
Tertiary education refers to universities and Technical Universities. Successful students from secondary schools can enter any university.
THE CZECH REPUBLIC
.:: THE CZECH REPUBLIC ::.
Over the map
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 (1602m) 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. The warmest areas are in Southern Moravia and the coldest areas are in the Giant Mountains.
There are many spots of 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 protected areas, some of them are really very nice (for example one of the protected areas is the region near river Dyje) and National parks.
System of government
The head of the Czech Republic is the President. The present President is Václav Havel. He is elected for five years. Parliament and the government have the main power.
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.
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.
Population and cities
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 Romes, Poles, Germans, Ukrainians and Russians.
Idustry, main products, economy, agriculture
The most important part of our economy is engineering industry. 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 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, corn, grapes 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,…).
Main points from the history
Our territory has been inhabited by Slavonic tribes since 5th century. The first Slavonic state was Samo's empire which was found here in 623. Feudal Great Moravian Empire was formed in the 9th century. After its disintegration in the 9th century power was taken over by the Czech tribe headed by the Přemyslid dynasty.
When they had died out by the sword in 1306, the Czech throne went by way of dynastic wedding to the Luxembourg, and the Czech Kingdom became also the center of the Holy roman Empire mainly during the reign of Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV. Prague grew into one of the largest European metropolises of that era and was center of education, architecure and arts. In 1348 Charles University was founded. It´s the oldest one in the Europe.
The first part of the 15th century is marked by the Hussite Movement.
After the reign of King Jiří z Poděbrad and after period of the rule of Jagielonian dynasty there came the period of the Hapsburgs dynasty. One of interesting emperors of this age was Rudolf II. He was famous for his interesting in chemistry and arts. During his rule Prague became center of arts in the empire.
The 20th century brought establishing of Czech state and two horrible world wars. After second world war Czech republic was under soviet influence. Turn came in 1989, after velvet revolution. In 1993 Czechoslovakia was divided into two states - Czech Republic and Slovakia. Now Czech republic is waiting for becoming a member of European Union.
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.
Over the map
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 (1602m) 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. The warmest areas are in Southern Moravia and the coldest areas are in the Giant Mountains.
There are many spots of 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 protected areas, some of them are really very nice (for example one of the protected areas is the region near river Dyje) and National parks.
System of government
The head of the Czech Republic is the President. The present President is Václav Havel. He is elected for five years. Parliament and the government have the main power.
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.
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.
Population and cities
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 Romes, Poles, Germans, Ukrainians and Russians.
Idustry, main products, economy, agriculture
The most important part of our economy is engineering industry. 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 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, corn, grapes 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,…).
Main points from the history
Our territory has been inhabited by Slavonic tribes since 5th century. The first Slavonic state was Samo's empire which was found here in 623. Feudal Great Moravian Empire was formed in the 9th century. After its disintegration in the 9th century power was taken over by the Czech tribe headed by the Přemyslid dynasty.
When they had died out by the sword in 1306, the Czech throne went by way of dynastic wedding to the Luxembourg, and the Czech Kingdom became also the center of the Holy roman Empire mainly during the reign of Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV. Prague grew into one of the largest European metropolises of that era and was center of education, architecure and arts. In 1348 Charles University was founded. It´s the oldest one in the Europe.
The first part of the 15th century is marked by the Hussite Movement.
After the reign of King Jiří z Poděbrad and after period of the rule of Jagielonian dynasty there came the period of the Hapsburgs dynasty. One of interesting emperors of this age was Rudolf II. He was famous for his interesting in chemistry and arts. During his rule Prague became center of arts in the empire.
The 20th century brought establishing of Czech state and two horrible world wars. After second world war Czech republic was under soviet influence. Turn came in 1989, after velvet revolution. In 1993 Czechoslovakia was divided into two states - Czech Republic and Slovakia. Now Czech republic is waiting for becoming a member of European Union.
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.
THE USA - National parks
THE USA
National parks
• in USA there are many national parks protecting the wild nature and animals from human spreading and destroying everything that is unfit to him (in Yosemite there was allowed to build a dam at the beginning of this century, but after this it was claimed that no more interactions would be done into any NP); many other countries followed the US model of establishing their national parks
• NPs are recreational areas, you can’t travell there by car (it’s roadless)
Yellowstone - the oldest national park in USA, set up in 1872, known for its hotsprings, waterfalls and variety of wildlife (grizzlys, owes, buffalos ...)
Yosemite - there is the third highest waterfall in the world - Yosemite (739m)
Olympic - contains rainforest, the peaks are covered by glaciers
Everglades - formed by tropical swamps and morass, many species of birds
Carlsbad Caverns - great caves and underground chambers, stalagnits and stalaktits
Mammoth caves - the largest complex of caves in the world, they measure 530 km
Mesa Verde - ruins of prehistoric indian viilages and stone buildings from 11th - 14th century
Petrified forest - tree trunks million of years old, which have turned into stones
What makes the USA famous abroad
Personalities :
- on the first place I would name the US president - he is probably the most powerful man in the world and we could say (whether we like it or not) that America is under his reign a big example for many other countries around the world
- action actors - they are big heroes for little boys and girls who don’t know anything about the real world
- singers - USA leads (as many people think) the world pop-music and other genres; who wouldn’t know the king of pop Michael Jackson ?
- sportsmen - when Americans can’t be as good as their sport idols, they at least admire them like they were gods (e.g. Michael Jordan, Mark McGuire ...)
- and I can’t forget the first man on the moon Luis Armstrong
Culture : I think that every young boy of 13 or 14 must admire the life style of “big ones” in America - children can drive from 15, they usually have their owncars, they make parties with friends, they go shopping, to cinemas and to fast foods when they want ...; I think this is their culture - to be free and to do what they want
Historical events -1776 - Declaration of independence - the first state to become really democratic
1861-1865 - the war between North and South, Lincoln - abolishment of slavery
1870-1890 - struggles with native Americans > they were killed or put in reservations
1917-1918 - after WWI. USA became the world power
1941 - Japannese attack on Pearl Harbor > USA enters the WWII.
1950-1953 - Korean war
1965-1973 - Vietnam war
1972 - Watergate affair, R. Nixon - the 1st US president to resign
1991 - the war in Persian gulf
Achievements - they were first to create an atomicbomb, to build an electronical computer, to fly the supersonic and to step on the Moon
Products : the States are famous on the first place with their titanic action movies with uncredible special effects, than with wearclothes (clothes of trademarks like Nike, Adidas or Reebok are the latest fashion of young people) and all sorts of aircrafts (combat, transport or helicopters)
National parks
• in USA there are many national parks protecting the wild nature and animals from human spreading and destroying everything that is unfit to him (in Yosemite there was allowed to build a dam at the beginning of this century, but after this it was claimed that no more interactions would be done into any NP); many other countries followed the US model of establishing their national parks
• NPs are recreational areas, you can’t travell there by car (it’s roadless)
Yellowstone - the oldest national park in USA, set up in 1872, known for its hotsprings, waterfalls and variety of wildlife (grizzlys, owes, buffalos ...)
Yosemite - there is the third highest waterfall in the world - Yosemite (739m)
Olympic - contains rainforest, the peaks are covered by glaciers
Everglades - formed by tropical swamps and morass, many species of birds
Carlsbad Caverns - great caves and underground chambers, stalagnits and stalaktits
Mammoth caves - the largest complex of caves in the world, they measure 530 km
Mesa Verde - ruins of prehistoric indian viilages and stone buildings from 11th - 14th century
Petrified forest - tree trunks million of years old, which have turned into stones
What makes the USA famous abroad
Personalities :
- on the first place I would name the US president - he is probably the most powerful man in the world and we could say (whether we like it or not) that America is under his reign a big example for many other countries around the world
- action actors - they are big heroes for little boys and girls who don’t know anything about the real world
- singers - USA leads (as many people think) the world pop-music and other genres; who wouldn’t know the king of pop Michael Jackson ?
- sportsmen - when Americans can’t be as good as their sport idols, they at least admire them like they were gods (e.g. Michael Jordan, Mark McGuire ...)
- and I can’t forget the first man on the moon Luis Armstrong
Culture : I think that every young boy of 13 or 14 must admire the life style of “big ones” in America - children can drive from 15, they usually have their owncars, they make parties with friends, they go shopping, to cinemas and to fast foods when they want ...; I think this is their culture - to be free and to do what they want
Historical events -1776 - Declaration of independence - the first state to become really democratic
1861-1865 - the war between North and South, Lincoln - abolishment of slavery
1870-1890 - struggles with native Americans > they were killed or put in reservations
1917-1918 - after WWI. USA became the world power
1941 - Japannese attack on Pearl Harbor > USA enters the WWII.
1950-1953 - Korean war
1965-1973 - Vietnam war
1972 - Watergate affair, R. Nixon - the 1st US president to resign
1991 - the war in Persian gulf
Achievements - they were first to create an atomicbomb, to build an electronical computer, to fly the supersonic and to step on the Moon
Products : the States are famous on the first place with their titanic action movies with uncredible special effects, than with wearclothes (clothes of trademarks like Nike, Adidas or Reebok are the latest fashion of young people) and all sorts of aircrafts (combat, transport or helicopters)
USA - religion
USA - religion
• when Pilgrim fathers came to America from England in 1620, they brought with them roots of English Protestant church; they issued the Mayflower compact, which was actually the 1st constitution and it tried to unificate the church in America
• in 1636 the first amendment to the Mayflower compact was added; the government can't support any religion
• in the half or 18th century there was a Great Awakening - thousands of people became members of any church, they started to strongly believe in God and praying, Puritans became more educated
• the religious situation in 1950's was known as a three faith model - Protestants, Catholics and Jews made the biggest groups
• it can be seen that religion has a big influnce in USA today - the president oaths on a Bible, he says "... and so help me God", you don't have to be a soldier if your religion forbids it ...
Sects :
• a terrible thing happend in 1978 when Jim Jones let his believers drink the poisson; the result was 900 dead by suicide
Mormons - the largest sect in USA, they live in Utah and strongly keep the family solidarity
Jehova's witnesses - the sect was founded in 1870 in New York by Charles Russel
Scientologists - they try to increase their spititual activities
The Amish - they aim on agriculture, they don't often go to schools - they prepare themselves for good wives, mothers and farmers, they don't like modern civilisation and they disdain for it, can't make pictures and photos of people
Religions now :
56% Protestantism (including Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Mormon and others)
25% Roman Catholicism
2% Judaism
17% Other (including other Christian denominations, Islam, and Hinduism)
7 % have none
• when Pilgrim fathers came to America from England in 1620, they brought with them roots of English Protestant church; they issued the Mayflower compact, which was actually the 1st constitution and it tried to unificate the church in America
• in 1636 the first amendment to the Mayflower compact was added; the government can't support any religion
• in the half or 18th century there was a Great Awakening - thousands of people became members of any church, they started to strongly believe in God and praying, Puritans became more educated
• the religious situation in 1950's was known as a three faith model - Protestants, Catholics and Jews made the biggest groups
• it can be seen that religion has a big influnce in USA today - the president oaths on a Bible, he says "... and so help me God", you don't have to be a soldier if your religion forbids it ...
Sects :
• a terrible thing happend in 1978 when Jim Jones let his believers drink the poisson; the result was 900 dead by suicide
Mormons - the largest sect in USA, they live in Utah and strongly keep the family solidarity
Jehova's witnesses - the sect was founded in 1870 in New York by Charles Russel
Scientologists - they try to increase their spititual activities
The Amish - they aim on agriculture, they don't often go to schools - they prepare themselves for good wives, mothers and farmers, they don't like modern civilisation and they disdain for it, can't make pictures and photos of people
Religions now :
56% Protestantism (including Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Mormon and others)
25% Roman Catholicism
2% Judaism
17% Other (including other Christian denominations, Islam, and Hinduism)
7 % have none
US political system + presidential election
US political system + presidential election
• the supreme law of the land is the Constitution of the United States; the Constitution provides for a union of states, now numbering 50, each with its own constitution, republican form of government, and reserved powers, within a federal system; the national government is responsible for external affairs, and has concurrent powers with states, commonwealths, and self-governing territories over domestic matters
Executive :
• the American president typically has a greater range of functions than prime ministers in parliamentary governments because the president serves as ceremonial chief of state as well as head of government; article II of the Constitution provides for a president and vice president chosen by a majority of voters in the Electoral College, for a fixed term of four years, the 22nd Amendment (1951) limits presidents to two terms in office.
Presidential elections :
• the Electoral College nominally chooses the president and vice president of the United States; this group comprises the electors from the separate states who are selected by the voters in presidential elections. Each state is entitled to a number of electors equal to the total number of senators and representatives it sends to the US Congress, therefore at least three electors; than the House of Representatives votes state by state to choose the president, and the Senate votes as individuals to elect the vice president
Legislature :
• congress consists of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives; the Senate contains 100 senators, two representing each state, the 435 members of the House are elected by the different states on the basis of their population at the most recent US census; representatives serve two-year terms, and senators six-year terms, Every two years all 435 members of the House are elected, and one-third of the senators.
• the Senate tries all impeachments, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict
Judiciary :
• the federal court system derives its powers from Article III of the Constitution, the system includes the Supreme Court, established by the Constitution and some more courts established by Congress
• the federal courts perform two constitutional functions : first, they interpret the meaning of laws, second, the courts determine whether any law passed by Congress or state legislatures violates the US Constitution
Political parties :
• two major political parties exist in the United States : The Democratic party founded in the 1790s and The Republican party founded in 1854
• the supreme law of the land is the Constitution of the United States; the Constitution provides for a union of states, now numbering 50, each with its own constitution, republican form of government, and reserved powers, within a federal system; the national government is responsible for external affairs, and has concurrent powers with states, commonwealths, and self-governing territories over domestic matters
Executive :
• the American president typically has a greater range of functions than prime ministers in parliamentary governments because the president serves as ceremonial chief of state as well as head of government; article II of the Constitution provides for a president and vice president chosen by a majority of voters in the Electoral College, for a fixed term of four years, the 22nd Amendment (1951) limits presidents to two terms in office.
Presidential elections :
• the Electoral College nominally chooses the president and vice president of the United States; this group comprises the electors from the separate states who are selected by the voters in presidential elections. Each state is entitled to a number of electors equal to the total number of senators and representatives it sends to the US Congress, therefore at least three electors; than the House of Representatives votes state by state to choose the president, and the Senate votes as individuals to elect the vice president
Legislature :
• congress consists of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives; the Senate contains 100 senators, two representing each state, the 435 members of the House are elected by the different states on the basis of their population at the most recent US census; representatives serve two-year terms, and senators six-year terms, Every two years all 435 members of the House are elected, and one-third of the senators.
• the Senate tries all impeachments, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict
Judiciary :
• the federal court system derives its powers from Article III of the Constitution, the system includes the Supreme Court, established by the Constitution and some more courts established by Congress
• the federal courts perform two constitutional functions : first, they interpret the meaning of laws, second, the courts determine whether any law passed by Congress or state legislatures violates the US Constitution
Political parties :
• two major political parties exist in the United States : The Democratic party founded in the 1790s and The Republican party founded in 1854
Ethnic groups in USA
Ethnic groups in USA
• there are 106 minor groups in USA today, the biggest ones are Hispanics (people from Spain, they are considered the fastest growing group), Africans (came as slaves), Dutches, Chineese, French, Italian, Russians, Arabs ...
• USA are often called “melting pot” or “mosaic”; the “mosaic” refers to many nationalities, colours and cultures of people who immigrated and their variety makes a picture like mosaic; “melting pot” means that all these different cultures melt together and create one new culture
Indians :
• the native Americans were called Indians by Crystof Columbus, because he thought that he was in India; their lifestyle was to hunt, to fish, to move from place to place, but than came a white man and started to build cities, railways and extended his territories (one reason was the gold feavor)
• some living Indian tribes are Apachees, Comanches, Sioux and Cherokees, but some of them were forced to live in reservations (one hundred tousands Indians live in the biggest reservation in Arizona) and some of them adopted the lifestyle of white men (cars, whisky ...)
• in 1960’s there was a movement “Indian power” when Indians protested against closing them in reservations; the number of them is now increasing
Black Americans :
• first Africans were brought to America in 1619 as servants and soon some colonies strongly supported the idea of slavery; in the 18th century the slavery reached its peak and most of the slaves were forced to work hard on large plantantions
• the abolishment of slavery was a result of several actions and negotiations which took place during the North and South war and finally in 1865 the slavery ended and the president Lincoln was assasinated
• even later, the blacks were discriminated by white people and it sometimes led to segregation - separate schools, churches, swiming pools, bus stations ... for blacks
• in the first half of 20th century many Afro-Americans gained high positions in cultural life, it is called Harlem rennaissance (Armstrong, Elington ...)
• thanks to Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King in 1960’s the blacks gained equal positions with the white; they live side by side now but there are still many of them who are on the bottom of social scale
affirmative action program (positive discrimination) - universities and some employers are given certain number of Afro-Americans to be admited
Immigration :
• New York city (called Big apple) can be defined by its ethnic and cultural diversity; you can find there areas like Little Italy, Chinatown and several other ethnic areas with names of their countries
• the greatest waves of immigrants came in NY from 1840’s to 1920’s and their reasons were personal freedom and economic opportunity; they found there schools and jobs which helped them to integrate into the larger community, but the fathers often couldn’t find a job and the mothers felt isolated from friends; so they hoped their children would attend better schools and get better jobs (children were their only connection between the old and new world - they could write and speak English and soon they got better paid jobs than their parents)
• some 20 million of immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1891 and 1954 (was closed), also known as Isle of Tears, because all immigrants feared that they couldn’t pass and after many weeks of exhausting voyage over the ocean they would have to return
• there are 106 minor groups in USA today, the biggest ones are Hispanics (people from Spain, they are considered the fastest growing group), Africans (came as slaves), Dutches, Chineese, French, Italian, Russians, Arabs ...
• USA are often called “melting pot” or “mosaic”; the “mosaic” refers to many nationalities, colours and cultures of people who immigrated and their variety makes a picture like mosaic; “melting pot” means that all these different cultures melt together and create one new culture
Indians :
• the native Americans were called Indians by Crystof Columbus, because he thought that he was in India; their lifestyle was to hunt, to fish, to move from place to place, but than came a white man and started to build cities, railways and extended his territories (one reason was the gold feavor)
• some living Indian tribes are Apachees, Comanches, Sioux and Cherokees, but some of them were forced to live in reservations (one hundred tousands Indians live in the biggest reservation in Arizona) and some of them adopted the lifestyle of white men (cars, whisky ...)
• in 1960’s there was a movement “Indian power” when Indians protested against closing them in reservations; the number of them is now increasing
Black Americans :
• first Africans were brought to America in 1619 as servants and soon some colonies strongly supported the idea of slavery; in the 18th century the slavery reached its peak and most of the slaves were forced to work hard on large plantantions
• the abolishment of slavery was a result of several actions and negotiations which took place during the North and South war and finally in 1865 the slavery ended and the president Lincoln was assasinated
• even later, the blacks were discriminated by white people and it sometimes led to segregation - separate schools, churches, swiming pools, bus stations ... for blacks
• in the first half of 20th century many Afro-Americans gained high positions in cultural life, it is called Harlem rennaissance (Armstrong, Elington ...)
• thanks to Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King in 1960’s the blacks gained equal positions with the white; they live side by side now but there are still many of them who are on the bottom of social scale
affirmative action program (positive discrimination) - universities and some employers are given certain number of Afro-Americans to be admited
Immigration :
• New York city (called Big apple) can be defined by its ethnic and cultural diversity; you can find there areas like Little Italy, Chinatown and several other ethnic areas with names of their countries
• the greatest waves of immigrants came in NY from 1840’s to 1920’s and their reasons were personal freedom and economic opportunity; they found there schools and jobs which helped them to integrate into the larger community, but the fathers often couldn’t find a job and the mothers felt isolated from friends; so they hoped their children would attend better schools and get better jobs (children were their only connection between the old and new world - they could write and speak English and soon they got better paid jobs than their parents)
• some 20 million of immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1891 and 1954 (was closed), also known as Isle of Tears, because all immigrants feared that they couldn’t pass and after many weeks of exhausting voyage over the ocean they would have to return
THE USA
THE USA
official name:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (derived from Italian navigator Amerigo Vespuci)
over the map: western hemisphere of the Earth; North America
The USA is bounded by Canada on the North, on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, on the South by Gulf of Mexico and on the West by Pacific ocean. The nothern boundary is formed by the Great Lakes and the St.Lawrence River; the southern boundary by Rio Grande.
the highest mountain: Mount McKinley - 6199 m above sea level (in Alaska), Rocky Mountains,
valley: Death Valley - 86 m below sea level (in California)
rivers: Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, Mississippi, Colorado, Rio Grande, Yukon (Alaska), Missouri, ...
lakes: 5 great lakes: Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior
famous national parks: Niagara falls (the falls are 50 meters high)
Yellowstone park - the oldest national park in the world, the biggest in The USA, the river Yellowstone floats through it.
Sepoya national park, Munument valley
capital: Washington D.C.
cities:
east coast: New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Orlando, ...
west coast: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San José, Santa Cruz, ...
area: 9 809 155 km2
population: 263 437 000 (1995); in 1980-1990 highly mobile redistribution from Nothern Central and North-East States on the South and West. Population grew by 9,8% in decade from 80.-90.
ethnic groups: 80%white; 15% black; 3% Asian and Pacific Islanders; more than 1/5 blacks lives in the Southern States (Missourri, Alabama, South Carolina, ... )
religions:56% Protestantism; 25% Roman Catholicism; 2% Judaism; 17% Other (Islam, Hinduism, ... )
language: no official language; english is predominant; nearly 32 milion US residents aged 5 or older speak a language other than English at home. 54% can speak Spanish; other languages spoken in USA are: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Polish, Greek and native American languages.
form of goverment: democratic federal republic; 48 contiguous states + noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and outlaying areas including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guana, Virgin Isles
head of state: president; four-year term
currency: american dollar; coins and paper money; penny= 1¢, nickel= 5¢, dime=10¢, quarter=25¢, half-dollar=50¢; dollar=100¢
climate: Washington D.C.: January 2°C = 36°F, July 27°C = 81°F
San Francisco: January 10°C = 50°F,July 15°C = 59°F
economy: Gross Domestic Product = US $ 6 738 400 000 000 (1994)
chief economical products:
agriculture: hay, potatoes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, tobacco, livestock, timber, corn, tomatoes, peanuts, apples, oranges(Florida)
farming (raising): pigs, broilers, chicken, turkey, sheep, lamb
industry: paper products, printing and publishing, plastics, textilies, clothing, furniture, leather goods, glass items, chemical products
mining: petroleum, natural gas, coal, copper, iron ore, silver, uranium
transport: 1st were waterways, then steam railways, after 1st World War - air transport
81% of passanger traffic are carrying cars, airlines are carrying more than 17% of passanger traffic, railways are carrying 0,6%
airports: 5100 public airports, 12 400 private airports, the largest and te bussiest is in Chicago - O´Hare, then JFK in New York
lifestyle:
In USA you can meet the most famous people, because Hollywood is there. Hollywood produces many films every year.
Fast food is a type of restaurant, where you can buy what you want wery quickly, you can eat it inside or you can take it with you. It´s fast and cheap. The most popular fast foods are: Mc Donalds, KFC, Burger King or Jack in the box, which is popular on the west coast and you can buy there a typical mexican food like "Tacos Ricos" or "Burito".
In general, the typical american inventions are: fast food, Hollywood, chewing gum and crocket.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (worksheet :-) )
QUIZARD:
1. The biggest airport in USA is ...
a) J.F.K.
b) La Guardia
c) O´Hara
2. The oldest skyscraper in New York is ...
a) Empire State Building
b) Twins
c) Iron Building
3. How many blacks live in Southern states?
a) 1/2
b) 1/5
c) 1/7
4. Which is the most popular religion in USA?
a) Islam
b) Roman Catholicism
c) Protestantism
5. Which city isn´t on the west coast?
a) Dallas
b) San José
c) Seattle
6. When was Abraham Lincoln assasinated?
a) 1861
b) 1869
c) 1865
7. Which of the american national parks is the biggest?
a) Yellowstone
b) Sapoya
c) Niagara
Complete the words:
The official name UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is ......................... from name af italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. The nothern ............................ is formed by the Great Lakes.
When you´ve got 10¢ you can say, that you have .....................
At "Jack in the box" you can eat ........................................... or ..............................
HISTORY
1565 Spain founded the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States at Saint Augustine, Florida. However, Native Americans had lived on the continent for thousands of years.
1763 Britain gained control of eastern North America at the end of the Seven Years’ War, known in America as the French and Indian War.
1776 The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia.
1781 American forces decisively defeated the British at the Siege of Yorktown. Two years later, Britain recognized American independence in the Treaty of Paris.
1787 The Constitutional Congress met in Philadelphia and wrote the Constitution of the United States. All 13 states ratified the Constitution by 1790.
1803 The United States nearly doubled in size after President Thomas Jefferson acquired the territory of Louisiana from France in a transaction known as the Louisiana Purchase.
1848 The United States gained large amounts of territory as a result of winning the Mexican War. The new land, coupled with the acquisition of the Oregon country in 1846, extended the western border of the United States to the Pacific Ocean.
1861 Several Southern slave states seceded in January and formed the Confederate States of America. The American Civil War broke out in April.
1865 The Confederacy surrendered, bringing an end to the Civil War. Slavery was abolished throughout the United States. President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
1867 America purchased Alaska from Russia.
1870-1890 The last Native American tribes were defeated by government forces and pushed onto reservations.
1898 The United States won the Spanish-American War and gained territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Hawaii was annexed the same year.
1920 Women gained the right to vote. The manufacture and sale of alcohol was banned, ushering in the era of Prohibition.
1933 Franklin Roosevelt became president and introduced a series of economic and social reforms known as the New Deal. Prohibition was repealed.
1941 Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, pulling America into World War II.
1965-1973 American forces fought in the Vietnam War, which started widespread protests in the United States.
1969 American astronauts became the first people to land on the moon.
1974 In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon became the first American president to resign from office.
True or False?
The territory of Luisiana was acquired from Spain in a transaction called the Luisiana Purchase. T x F
Prohibition was repealed by Richard Nixon. T x F
... It happened in 1933. T x F
Women gained the right to vote in same year as the Prohibition started. T x F
The Constitution of the United States was written in Philadelphia. T x F
The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Washington in 1776. T x F
VOCABULARY:
predominant - převládající
boundary - hranice
copper - měď
iron ore - železná ruda
hay - seno
timber - stavební dřevo
assasinated - zavražděn
invention - vynález
found - založit
gain - získat
adopt - převzít
defeat - porazit
siege - obležení
recognize - uznat
purchase - obchod
acquisition - získaná věc
surrender - vzdát se
abolish - zrušit
tribe - kmen, rod
ban - zakázat
ushering - vedoucí (k něčemu)
escalate - stupňovat
official name:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (derived from Italian navigator Amerigo Vespuci)
over the map: western hemisphere of the Earth; North America
The USA is bounded by Canada on the North, on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, on the South by Gulf of Mexico and on the West by Pacific ocean. The nothern boundary is formed by the Great Lakes and the St.Lawrence River; the southern boundary by Rio Grande.
the highest mountain: Mount McKinley - 6199 m above sea level (in Alaska), Rocky Mountains,
valley: Death Valley - 86 m below sea level (in California)
rivers: Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, Mississippi, Colorado, Rio Grande, Yukon (Alaska), Missouri, ...
lakes: 5 great lakes: Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior
famous national parks: Niagara falls (the falls are 50 meters high)
Yellowstone park - the oldest national park in the world, the biggest in The USA, the river Yellowstone floats through it.
Sepoya national park, Munument valley
capital: Washington D.C.
cities:
east coast: New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Orlando, ...
west coast: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San José, Santa Cruz, ...
area: 9 809 155 km2
population: 263 437 000 (1995); in 1980-1990 highly mobile redistribution from Nothern Central and North-East States on the South and West. Population grew by 9,8% in decade from 80.-90.
ethnic groups: 80%white; 15% black; 3% Asian and Pacific Islanders; more than 1/5 blacks lives in the Southern States (Missourri, Alabama, South Carolina, ... )
religions:56% Protestantism; 25% Roman Catholicism; 2% Judaism; 17% Other (Islam, Hinduism, ... )
language: no official language; english is predominant; nearly 32 milion US residents aged 5 or older speak a language other than English at home. 54% can speak Spanish; other languages spoken in USA are: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Polish, Greek and native American languages.
form of goverment: democratic federal republic; 48 contiguous states + noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and outlaying areas including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guana, Virgin Isles
head of state: president; four-year term
currency: american dollar; coins and paper money; penny= 1¢, nickel= 5¢, dime=10¢, quarter=25¢, half-dollar=50¢; dollar=100¢
climate: Washington D.C.: January 2°C = 36°F, July 27°C = 81°F
San Francisco: January 10°C = 50°F,July 15°C = 59°F
economy: Gross Domestic Product = US $ 6 738 400 000 000 (1994)
chief economical products:
agriculture: hay, potatoes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, tobacco, livestock, timber, corn, tomatoes, peanuts, apples, oranges(Florida)
farming (raising): pigs, broilers, chicken, turkey, sheep, lamb
industry: paper products, printing and publishing, plastics, textilies, clothing, furniture, leather goods, glass items, chemical products
mining: petroleum, natural gas, coal, copper, iron ore, silver, uranium
transport: 1st were waterways, then steam railways, after 1st World War - air transport
81% of passanger traffic are carrying cars, airlines are carrying more than 17% of passanger traffic, railways are carrying 0,6%
airports: 5100 public airports, 12 400 private airports, the largest and te bussiest is in Chicago - O´Hare, then JFK in New York
lifestyle:
In USA you can meet the most famous people, because Hollywood is there. Hollywood produces many films every year.
Fast food is a type of restaurant, where you can buy what you want wery quickly, you can eat it inside or you can take it with you. It´s fast and cheap. The most popular fast foods are: Mc Donalds, KFC, Burger King or Jack in the box, which is popular on the west coast and you can buy there a typical mexican food like "Tacos Ricos" or "Burito".
In general, the typical american inventions are: fast food, Hollywood, chewing gum and crocket.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (worksheet :-) )
QUIZARD:
1. The biggest airport in USA is ...
a) J.F.K.
b) La Guardia
c) O´Hara
2. The oldest skyscraper in New York is ...
a) Empire State Building
b) Twins
c) Iron Building
3. How many blacks live in Southern states?
a) 1/2
b) 1/5
c) 1/7
4. Which is the most popular religion in USA?
a) Islam
b) Roman Catholicism
c) Protestantism
5. Which city isn´t on the west coast?
a) Dallas
b) San José
c) Seattle
6. When was Abraham Lincoln assasinated?
a) 1861
b) 1869
c) 1865
7. Which of the american national parks is the biggest?
a) Yellowstone
b) Sapoya
c) Niagara
Complete the words:
The official name UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is ......................... from name af italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. The nothern ............................ is formed by the Great Lakes.
When you´ve got 10¢ you can say, that you have .....................
At "Jack in the box" you can eat ........................................... or ..............................
HISTORY
1565 Spain founded the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States at Saint Augustine, Florida. However, Native Americans had lived on the continent for thousands of years.
1763 Britain gained control of eastern North America at the end of the Seven Years’ War, known in America as the French and Indian War.
1776 The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia.
1781 American forces decisively defeated the British at the Siege of Yorktown. Two years later, Britain recognized American independence in the Treaty of Paris.
1787 The Constitutional Congress met in Philadelphia and wrote the Constitution of the United States. All 13 states ratified the Constitution by 1790.
1803 The United States nearly doubled in size after President Thomas Jefferson acquired the territory of Louisiana from France in a transaction known as the Louisiana Purchase.
1848 The United States gained large amounts of territory as a result of winning the Mexican War. The new land, coupled with the acquisition of the Oregon country in 1846, extended the western border of the United States to the Pacific Ocean.
1861 Several Southern slave states seceded in January and formed the Confederate States of America. The American Civil War broke out in April.
1865 The Confederacy surrendered, bringing an end to the Civil War. Slavery was abolished throughout the United States. President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
1867 America purchased Alaska from Russia.
1870-1890 The last Native American tribes were defeated by government forces and pushed onto reservations.
1898 The United States won the Spanish-American War and gained territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Hawaii was annexed the same year.
1920 Women gained the right to vote. The manufacture and sale of alcohol was banned, ushering in the era of Prohibition.
1933 Franklin Roosevelt became president and introduced a series of economic and social reforms known as the New Deal. Prohibition was repealed.
1941 Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, pulling America into World War II.
1965-1973 American forces fought in the Vietnam War, which started widespread protests in the United States.
1969 American astronauts became the first people to land on the moon.
1974 In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon became the first American president to resign from office.
True or False?
The territory of Luisiana was acquired from Spain in a transaction called the Luisiana Purchase. T x F
Prohibition was repealed by Richard Nixon. T x F
... It happened in 1933. T x F
Women gained the right to vote in same year as the Prohibition started. T x F
The Constitution of the United States was written in Philadelphia. T x F
The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Washington in 1776. T x F
VOCABULARY:
predominant - převládající
boundary - hranice
copper - měď
iron ore - železná ruda
hay - seno
timber - stavební dřevo
assasinated - zavražděn
invention - vynález
found - založit
gain - získat
adopt - převzít
defeat - porazit
siege - obležení
recognize - uznat
purchase - obchod
acquisition - získaná věc
surrender - vzdát se
abolish - zrušit
tribe - kmen, rod
ban - zakázat
ushering - vedoucí (k něčemu)
escalate - stupňovat
United kingdom - politics
United kingdom - politics
• The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy based on an unwritten constitution and is thus adaptable to changing political conditions
• Britain is today governed by her majesty’s Government in the name of the queen and with the approval of Parliament
The monarch :
• Queen Elizabeth II., succeeded to the throne on February 6, 1952, on the death of her father King George VI.; the heir to the throne is her oldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales;
• the Monarch formally appoints the prime minister and government and other important persons, she chairs meeting regularly with the prime minister, receives accounts of cabinet decisions, signs state papers and dissolves the parliament
The executive :
• prime minister chooses his ministers (usually from the Commons) who create the cabinet, which decides and implements policy and coordinates government departments; it normally numbers between 15 to 20
The Parliament :
The monarch
The House of Lords (1036 peers) - can’t cancel the law but can discuss it for 1 year at most; made up of the lords temporal and the lords spiritual - hereditary peers and life peers :
lords temporal - law lords (judicial duties)
- other life peers appointed in recognition for their service in politics ...
lords spiritual -archbishops and bishops
The house of Commons (651 members) - are elected from gographical constituences by majority system, the voting age was lowered in 1969 to 18 years, its life is 5 years, dissolved by the sovereign
Political parties :
• the majority party forms Her (or His) Majesty's Government, and the second party is officially recognized as Her (or His) Majesty's Own Loyal Opposition
- the Labour party, generally socialist until the 1990s when it moved towards the political centre, began a programme of nationalization of selected industries after an overwhelming election victory in May 1945
- the Conservative party has favoured private enterprise with less state regulation
- other parties in the early 1990s included the Scottish Nationalist party and Plaid Cymru (Welsh nationalist), and the Northern Irish parties: the Ulster Unionist party, the Democratic Unionist party, the Social Democratic and Labour party, and Sinn Fein; all but Sinn Fein have representatives in the House of Commons
• The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy based on an unwritten constitution and is thus adaptable to changing political conditions
• Britain is today governed by her majesty’s Government in the name of the queen and with the approval of Parliament
The monarch :
• Queen Elizabeth II., succeeded to the throne on February 6, 1952, on the death of her father King George VI.; the heir to the throne is her oldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales;
• the Monarch formally appoints the prime minister and government and other important persons, she chairs meeting regularly with the prime minister, receives accounts of cabinet decisions, signs state papers and dissolves the parliament
The executive :
• prime minister chooses his ministers (usually from the Commons) who create the cabinet, which decides and implements policy and coordinates government departments; it normally numbers between 15 to 20
The Parliament :
The monarch
The House of Lords (1036 peers) - can’t cancel the law but can discuss it for 1 year at most; made up of the lords temporal and the lords spiritual - hereditary peers and life peers :
lords temporal - law lords (judicial duties)
- other life peers appointed in recognition for their service in politics ...
lords spiritual -archbishops and bishops
The house of Commons (651 members) - are elected from gographical constituences by majority system, the voting age was lowered in 1969 to 18 years, its life is 5 years, dissolved by the sovereign
Political parties :
• the majority party forms Her (or His) Majesty's Government, and the second party is officially recognized as Her (or His) Majesty's Own Loyal Opposition
- the Labour party, generally socialist until the 1990s when it moved towards the political centre, began a programme of nationalization of selected industries after an overwhelming election victory in May 1945
- the Conservative party has favoured private enterprise with less state regulation
- other parties in the early 1990s included the Scottish Nationalist party and Plaid Cymru (Welsh nationalist), and the Northern Irish parties: the Ulster Unionist party, the Democratic Unionist party, the Social Democratic and Labour party, and Sinn Fein; all but Sinn Fein have representatives in the House of Commons
British theatre
British theatre I
I. British theatre up to 19th century
• before 16th century - sources - Religious plays - mystery plays (life of saints)
- miracle plays (Bible themes)
- Pagan and folk plays - everyday problems and events from people’s lives
- Greek and Latin drama - tragedy, revenge
• 16th century - first half of 17th century - Renaissance in British drama - famous playwrights :
SHAKESPEARE, MARLOW, JOHNSON, KID
1642 - closing of theatres
1660 - theatres reopened, but didn’t develop in the former fame until 20th century
• second half 17th - 19th century
Restoration drama - first actresses
Comedy of manners - the immoral manners of the society, no proper plot
WILLIAM CONGREVE - Love for Love
RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN - The School for Scandal
Satirical drama - 18th century
JOHN GAY - The Beggar’s Opera
HENRY FIELDING - The Author’s Farce
II. Theatre at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries
• revival of British drama begins with OSCAR WILDE, until then prose and poetry dominate
OSCAR WILDE - conversational wit
An ideal husband, The importance of being Earnest
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW - interested in political life, education of the public, satire and wit
Saint Joan, Major Barbora, Pygmalion, The Devil’s Disciple
• 1898 - foundation of the Irish Literary Theatre (Abbey Theatre) by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS, J. M. SYNGE and others; it was aimed to perform Irish plays from Irish authors about Irish themes, but it expanded to perform English writers as well
J. M. SYNGE - The Playboy of the Western World
SEAN O’CASEY - The Plough and the Stars
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) - Irish-born writer and wit, who was the chief proponent of the aesthetic movement, based on the principle of art for art's sake. Wilde was a novelist, playwright, poet, and critic.
He was born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College in Dublin. As a youngster he was exposed to the brilliant literary talk of the day at his mother's Dublin salon. Later, as a student at the University of Oxford, he excelled in classics, wrote poetry and incorporated the Bohemian life-style of his youth into a unique way of life.
He settled in London and in 1884 married a wealthy Irish woman with whom he had two sons. Thereafter he devoted himself exclusively to writing. With little dramatic training, he proved he had a natural talent for stagecraft and theatrical effects and a true gift for farce.
In 1895, at the peak of his career, Wilde became the central figure in one of the most sensational court trials of the century. Wilde, who had been a close friend of the young Lord Alfred Douglas, was accused by Douglas's father of sodomy. Sentenced to two years of hard labour in prison, he emerged financially bankrupt and spiritually downcast. He spent the rest of his life in Paris.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) can be characterised by adroitly contrived plots and remarkably witty dialogues. The plot is very elaborate and full of sudden changes of each one’s position and unexpected revelations. The main characters are Jack, Cecily, Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen, Algernon, Dr Chasuble and Miss Prism.
The Canterville Ghost is a witty play based on Wilde’s novel. A modern American family comes to England to buy a castle where an evil ghost is said to live. The Mum, Virginia and Washington represent the modern, elaborate and technically developed America, they are extremely proud of their history (which can be seen from the children’s names) and they make fun of all English “ancient” traditions. Duke, the owner of the castle, doesn’t want to sell it, because he is a little afraid of the ghost, his ancient origin. The ghost killed his wife and that’s why he can’t die now although he longs to. Finally the Duke decides to sell it and the Ghost tries to scare the “ridiculous” Americans. But they are not afraid at all and the Ghost gives up. The Duke falls in love with Virginia and Virginia becomes a friend of the Ghost. She manages to rescue him from the spell and the Ghost finally dies. In the happy end the Duke asks Virginia for her hand and when he asks her what actually happened in the chamber where she was with the Ghost, a loud laughing can be heard.
British theatre II
III. British theatre in the second half of the 20th century
• since the 50’s and 60’s a generation of brilliant playwrights occurred - it is often called Second renaissance in British drama
• Absurd drama - 50’s and 60’s; lost of ideals, destruction of communication, a man lost in huge, unknown and elaborate world, no purpose for living
SAMUEL BECKETT - Irish author, moved to Paris, his plays are minimalist with everything - scenery, actors ...
Waiting for Godot
HAROLD PINTER
The Birthday party, The Caretaker
• Angry young men - the 60’s; they don’t like upper class, disdain conventions and manners of the upper class as well as the hypocrisy, the playwrights also wanted to express the disappointment of political situation, social problems, hope in Labours
JOHN OSBORNE - Look Back in Anger
ARNOLD WHISKER - emphases social issues, reflection of bad economic situation
Kitchen, Chicken Soup with Barley, Chips with Everything
• Second wave - mid 60’s; dissatisfaction of the world-wide situation, feeling of a selfdestructiveness of man, people
EDWARD BOND - Lear, Bingo
JOE ORTON - Loot
TOM STOPPARD - Russia took often as his theme
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
• Third wave - 70’s to 90’s; comedies but also serious plays
PETER SHAFFER - psychology
Amadeus, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Equus
ALAN AYCKBOURN - comedies about middle class
Norman Conquest
DAVID HARE - doesn’t show Great Britain in positive light
The Map of the World
MICHAEL FRAYN - comedies, wit, conversational humour
Noises off
BRIAN FRIEL - Irish history, nature
Translations
Theatre of the absurd
• main representatives are Ionesco, Adamov, Pinter, Genet, Beckett, Stoppard
• when the Waiting for Godot was first performed, it was received with acclaim and enthusiasm by the public, but wasn’t appreciated by critics, because this style was something new, still developing and it wasn’t defined yet
• absurd originally means ‘out of harmony’ in a musical context, or ridiculous, illogical, unreasonable
• the attitude of the theatre of the absurd expresses absurdity of our lives, it says that the crucial and basic values in our lives were shaken through ages, that we can’t find answers on our questions in religion as we thought before, there are no things we could rely on
• when applied to the theatre, characters live without purpose, they are lonely, they are cut off their religion and roots, everything seems senseless, there is no story, no plot
• the main features that occur in the absurd plays are:
devaluation of language - people can’t communicate with each other, words often mean nothing, people can’t understand what anybody else wanted to say, big use of phrases, silence also plays an important role
importance of actions - there is often only a very modest scenery and few actors so it is important what they do, their gestures and behaviour
indefinable characters
uncertain time, fusing of more timelines
• we can see some examples of the inability of communication in the Harold Pinter’s Last to go : there are two men who are chatting, but actually no one of them is interested in the conversation and they don’t even listen to each other; they talk about things that have no value when knowing them but they don’t start any reasonable conversation, they still repeat the senseless things which they have already said
Tom Stoppard’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
• there are only 6 actors in this play plus the orchestra (which plays an important role in the play) and a very modest scenery; there are three rooms on the stage: the cell with two beds, the office with table and two chairs and the school with a school desk; the story is placed in Russia probably in late 60’s
• in the cell there are two patients - both are named Alexander Ivanov, but to differ them one is called Alexander and the second one Ivanov; Alexander is a political prisoner, who had been prisoned, but he was released and put to a psychiatric hospital (in the prison he went on hunger strike and if he had died, it would have been an impositive sign for the other about what was going on in Russia) and Ivanov, who is a real madman (he thinks that he has an orchestra in his head)
• in the school there is Sacha (a son of Alexander) and a Teacher and in the office there is the Doctor
• the Doctor’s duty is to make Alexander admit that he is mad and what he had done or said against the regime was caused by his madness; Alexander refuses and even when his son goes to persuade him, he doesn’t give up
• at the end of the play Colonel, probably not only a doctor but also a communist of a high post, enters the cell, he mistakes Alexander for Ivanov and the result is that they both are considered healthy
• the orchestra symbolises the society, where everybody has to play strictly in a harmony, anybody can’t differ; that’s what the Teacher told Sacha, she tried to tell him that everybody who does not support the orchestra is bad; the triangle symbolises dissidents, in the orchestra it is something unharmonical and disturbing; what dominates to the orchestra is an organ, which is very strong and powerful and it represents the communist leader, maybe also Colonel in the play
• at the end all go to the orchestra and they play with other people in harmony, which is also a symbol of resignation
I. British theatre up to 19th century
• before 16th century - sources - Religious plays - mystery plays (life of saints)
- miracle plays (Bible themes)
- Pagan and folk plays - everyday problems and events from people’s lives
- Greek and Latin drama - tragedy, revenge
• 16th century - first half of 17th century - Renaissance in British drama - famous playwrights :
SHAKESPEARE, MARLOW, JOHNSON, KID
1642 - closing of theatres
1660 - theatres reopened, but didn’t develop in the former fame until 20th century
• second half 17th - 19th century
Restoration drama - first actresses
Comedy of manners - the immoral manners of the society, no proper plot
WILLIAM CONGREVE - Love for Love
RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN - The School for Scandal
Satirical drama - 18th century
JOHN GAY - The Beggar’s Opera
HENRY FIELDING - The Author’s Farce
II. Theatre at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries
• revival of British drama begins with OSCAR WILDE, until then prose and poetry dominate
OSCAR WILDE - conversational wit
An ideal husband, The importance of being Earnest
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW - interested in political life, education of the public, satire and wit
Saint Joan, Major Barbora, Pygmalion, The Devil’s Disciple
• 1898 - foundation of the Irish Literary Theatre (Abbey Theatre) by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS, J. M. SYNGE and others; it was aimed to perform Irish plays from Irish authors about Irish themes, but it expanded to perform English writers as well
J. M. SYNGE - The Playboy of the Western World
SEAN O’CASEY - The Plough and the Stars
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) - Irish-born writer and wit, who was the chief proponent of the aesthetic movement, based on the principle of art for art's sake. Wilde was a novelist, playwright, poet, and critic.
He was born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College in Dublin. As a youngster he was exposed to the brilliant literary talk of the day at his mother's Dublin salon. Later, as a student at the University of Oxford, he excelled in classics, wrote poetry and incorporated the Bohemian life-style of his youth into a unique way of life.
He settled in London and in 1884 married a wealthy Irish woman with whom he had two sons. Thereafter he devoted himself exclusively to writing. With little dramatic training, he proved he had a natural talent for stagecraft and theatrical effects and a true gift for farce.
In 1895, at the peak of his career, Wilde became the central figure in one of the most sensational court trials of the century. Wilde, who had been a close friend of the young Lord Alfred Douglas, was accused by Douglas's father of sodomy. Sentenced to two years of hard labour in prison, he emerged financially bankrupt and spiritually downcast. He spent the rest of his life in Paris.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) can be characterised by adroitly contrived plots and remarkably witty dialogues. The plot is very elaborate and full of sudden changes of each one’s position and unexpected revelations. The main characters are Jack, Cecily, Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen, Algernon, Dr Chasuble and Miss Prism.
The Canterville Ghost is a witty play based on Wilde’s novel. A modern American family comes to England to buy a castle where an evil ghost is said to live. The Mum, Virginia and Washington represent the modern, elaborate and technically developed America, they are extremely proud of their history (which can be seen from the children’s names) and they make fun of all English “ancient” traditions. Duke, the owner of the castle, doesn’t want to sell it, because he is a little afraid of the ghost, his ancient origin. The ghost killed his wife and that’s why he can’t die now although he longs to. Finally the Duke decides to sell it and the Ghost tries to scare the “ridiculous” Americans. But they are not afraid at all and the Ghost gives up. The Duke falls in love with Virginia and Virginia becomes a friend of the Ghost. She manages to rescue him from the spell and the Ghost finally dies. In the happy end the Duke asks Virginia for her hand and when he asks her what actually happened in the chamber where she was with the Ghost, a loud laughing can be heard.
British theatre II
III. British theatre in the second half of the 20th century
• since the 50’s and 60’s a generation of brilliant playwrights occurred - it is often called Second renaissance in British drama
• Absurd drama - 50’s and 60’s; lost of ideals, destruction of communication, a man lost in huge, unknown and elaborate world, no purpose for living
SAMUEL BECKETT - Irish author, moved to Paris, his plays are minimalist with everything - scenery, actors ...
Waiting for Godot
HAROLD PINTER
The Birthday party, The Caretaker
• Angry young men - the 60’s; they don’t like upper class, disdain conventions and manners of the upper class as well as the hypocrisy, the playwrights also wanted to express the disappointment of political situation, social problems, hope in Labours
JOHN OSBORNE - Look Back in Anger
ARNOLD WHISKER - emphases social issues, reflection of bad economic situation
Kitchen, Chicken Soup with Barley, Chips with Everything
• Second wave - mid 60’s; dissatisfaction of the world-wide situation, feeling of a selfdestructiveness of man, people
EDWARD BOND - Lear, Bingo
JOE ORTON - Loot
TOM STOPPARD - Russia took often as his theme
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
• Third wave - 70’s to 90’s; comedies but also serious plays
PETER SHAFFER - psychology
Amadeus, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Equus
ALAN AYCKBOURN - comedies about middle class
Norman Conquest
DAVID HARE - doesn’t show Great Britain in positive light
The Map of the World
MICHAEL FRAYN - comedies, wit, conversational humour
Noises off
BRIAN FRIEL - Irish history, nature
Translations
Theatre of the absurd
• main representatives are Ionesco, Adamov, Pinter, Genet, Beckett, Stoppard
• when the Waiting for Godot was first performed, it was received with acclaim and enthusiasm by the public, but wasn’t appreciated by critics, because this style was something new, still developing and it wasn’t defined yet
• absurd originally means ‘out of harmony’ in a musical context, or ridiculous, illogical, unreasonable
• the attitude of the theatre of the absurd expresses absurdity of our lives, it says that the crucial and basic values in our lives were shaken through ages, that we can’t find answers on our questions in religion as we thought before, there are no things we could rely on
• when applied to the theatre, characters live without purpose, they are lonely, they are cut off their religion and roots, everything seems senseless, there is no story, no plot
• the main features that occur in the absurd plays are:
devaluation of language - people can’t communicate with each other, words often mean nothing, people can’t understand what anybody else wanted to say, big use of phrases, silence also plays an important role
importance of actions - there is often only a very modest scenery and few actors so it is important what they do, their gestures and behaviour
indefinable characters
uncertain time, fusing of more timelines
• we can see some examples of the inability of communication in the Harold Pinter’s Last to go : there are two men who are chatting, but actually no one of them is interested in the conversation and they don’t even listen to each other; they talk about things that have no value when knowing them but they don’t start any reasonable conversation, they still repeat the senseless things which they have already said
Tom Stoppard’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
• there are only 6 actors in this play plus the orchestra (which plays an important role in the play) and a very modest scenery; there are three rooms on the stage: the cell with two beds, the office with table and two chairs and the school with a school desk; the story is placed in Russia probably in late 60’s
• in the cell there are two patients - both are named Alexander Ivanov, but to differ them one is called Alexander and the second one Ivanov; Alexander is a political prisoner, who had been prisoned, but he was released and put to a psychiatric hospital (in the prison he went on hunger strike and if he had died, it would have been an impositive sign for the other about what was going on in Russia) and Ivanov, who is a real madman (he thinks that he has an orchestra in his head)
• in the school there is Sacha (a son of Alexander) and a Teacher and in the office there is the Doctor
• the Doctor’s duty is to make Alexander admit that he is mad and what he had done or said against the regime was caused by his madness; Alexander refuses and even when his son goes to persuade him, he doesn’t give up
• at the end of the play Colonel, probably not only a doctor but also a communist of a high post, enters the cell, he mistakes Alexander for Ivanov and the result is that they both are considered healthy
• the orchestra symbolises the society, where everybody has to play strictly in a harmony, anybody can’t differ; that’s what the Teacher told Sacha, she tried to tell him that everybody who does not support the orchestra is bad; the triangle symbolises dissidents, in the orchestra it is something unharmonical and disturbing; what dominates to the orchestra is an organ, which is very strong and powerful and it represents the communist leader, maybe also Colonel in the play
• at the end all go to the orchestra and they play with other people in harmony, which is also a symbol of resignation
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