English in the Context of British History

By Karine Brutjan and Asmik Brutjan

This textbook was originally written for University students who study English language and the history and culture of English-speaking countries. The authors of the book are University professors with more than 20 years of experience in teaching English as a Second Language.

The book has 11 units. Each unit contains a text followed by questions and answers practice exercises, as well as a list of useful words and a vocabulary practice task. Each unit finishes with a text for further reading (mostly an original historical source) and a task with a presentation topic.

The book also comes with a Glossary for the main historic events and terms mentioned in the texts.

The textbook is designed for upper-intermediate and advanced learners of English and is ideal for use in a classroom setting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A. Brutjan
• Release date: Jan 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201784737

Book preview

POLITICS & PERSONALITIES

UNIT 1. The Queen

Queen Elisabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in 1,000 years of English history. Previously it was Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years and 216 days.

Her Majesty the Queen was born in London on April 21st 1926, first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, subsequently King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.  Five weeks later she was christened in the chapel of Buckingham Palace and was given the names Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.

Princess Elizabeth, with her sister Princess Margaret born four years later, had her early education at home. After her father succeeded to the throne in 1936 and she became heiress presumptive, her studies were extended to include lessons on constitutional history and law.  She also studied art and music; learned to ride (she has been an excellent horsewoman since early childhood); and enjoyed swimming (at the age of thirteen she won the Children's Challenge Shield at the Bath Club in London), and amateur theatricals. At the age of eleven she enrolled as a Girl Guide, and later became a Sea Ranger. As the Princess grew older she began to take part in public life; she was fourteen when she made her first broadcast, in a message given during the BBC's children's program to the children of Britain and the Commonwealth in October 1940. In 1944, shortly after her eighteenth birthday, she was appointed a Counsellor of State during the King's absence on a tour of the Italian battlefields, and, for the first time, exercised certain of the functions of the Crown.

After the war, the Princess Elizabeth's public engagements grew in number and frequency.  Her first official visit overseas took place in 1947, when she accompanied her parents and sister on a tour of South Africa.  During this tour, she celebrated her twenty-first birthday, on which she made a broadcast address dedicating herself to the service of the Commonwealth, a dedication which she repeated five years later on her ascension to the throne, on 6 February 1952. Shortly after the return of the Royal Family from South Africa came the announcement of the engagement of the Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, son of Prince Andrew of Greece and a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria, now His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whom she had known for many years.   Their wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947.  The Prince Charles, now the Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the throne, was born in 1948, and his sister, the Princess Anne, now the Princess Royal, in 1950.  The third child of the Queen and the Duke, the Prince Andrew, now the Duke of York, was born in 1960, and their fourth, the Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex, in 1964.  The Queen and the Duke celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in London in 1997. After her marriage, the Princess Elizabeth paid formal visits with the Duke of Edinburgh to France and Greece and, in the autumn of 1951 the couple toured Canada.  In 1952, when King George VI's illness made it inadvisable for him to carry out his projected visit to Australia and New Zealand, the Princess, accompanied by the Duke, took his place, and it was in the first stage of this journey, in Kenya, that she received the news of her father's death and her own ascension to the throne. Her Majesty's coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2nd 1953.  The ceremony, which was attended by representatives of the peers, the Commons and all the great public interests in Britain, the Prime Ministers and leading citizens of the other Commonwealth countries and representatives of foreign states, was brought home to many hundreds of thousands of the Queen's subjects in a way never before possible: for the first time in history the coronation of a British monarch was marked by a television transmission as well as a radio broadcast throughout the world.

In autumn of the following year, Her Majesty set out to accomplish, as Queen, the Commonwealth tour she had begun before the death of her father and her accession to the throne. In 1977, the Queen's Silver Jubilee was celebrated in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen travelled some 56,000 miles to share the anniversary with her people.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What were the Princess Elizabeth's main activities in childhood?

2. How did the Princess Elizabeth start taking part in the public life?

3. How many children does the Queen have?

4. When did the Princess receive news about her father’s death?

5. What is so special about Her Majesty's coronation ceremony of 1953?

Exercise 2. Work out the questions to the following answers.

1. In 1944, shortly after her eighteenth birthday, when she was appointed a Counsellor of State during the King's absence on a tour of the Italian battlefields.

2. Because King George VI's illness made it inadvisable for him to carry out his projected visit to Australia and New Zealand, the Princess, accompanied by the Duke, took his place.

3. It took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2nd 1953.

4. Her Majesty set out to accomplish, as Queen, the Commonwealth tour she had begun before the death of her father.

Exercise 3.  Make your own sentences using the following words and expressions.

Anniversary; ancestors; longevity; record; irreplaceable; a vast unfolding of events; an eyrie; a vehicle of myth; vice; class-ridden; supporting pawns; fawning deference; slobbering displays of sycophancy; relevance.

Exercise 4. Find in the text the words that mean the following.

Person’s grandparents, great-grandparents etc; without any fault; to cause effect on one’s mind or actions; main idea, most important thing; a criminal, dishonest person; not being under the control of somebody else; something (usually with wheels) for carrying person or goods; something which is puzzling, difficult or has not been explained; to feel unhappy because somebody is luckier or better than oneself; an excuse, especially to avoid blame; organized strictly according to grade or rank; something received from ancestors; special power or right which no-one else has.

Further Reading

'National Anthem'

1. God save our gracious Queen!

Long live our noble Queen!

God save the Queen!

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the Queen.

'God Save our Gracious King/Queen' came into general use as the 'National Anthem' during the nineteenth century, although the anthem had existed for many years before that. The earliest recorded use of the anthem dates back to September 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. When news of the defeat reached London, the orchestra at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, played 'God Save The King' after the performance of a play. The author(s) of the lyrics and the tune remain unknown and the anthem may date back as far as the 17th century. As the