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Spices

In 1600 the East India Company was formed by Elisabeth I to compete with the Dutch in the oriental spice trade. The company was given the monopoly on all goods imported to England from Asia. By 1750 it was the biggest company in the world and also an unofficial arm of the British government. When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, the whole India was under British rule, and she was made the Empress of India. When she died in 1901, the British Empire included one fifth of the total population of the world.

Tea

The East India Company also had monopoly on the import of Chinese tea, which became popular and fashionable in the 18th century. Trading ports around China such as Singapore and Hong Kong soon became colonies.

At the same time people in America, colonized by the British in Elizabethan times, were protesting about high taxes on the import of common goods from England. In 1773 they threw tea from a British ship worth thousands of pounds into Boston Harbour. The “Boston Tea Party” was the first of many acts that led to war with England and, in

1776 to American independence.

Sugar

As tea and coffee grew in popularity in Britain in the 18th century, the demand for sugar to sweeten them also grew. Sugar plantations in the West Indies needed more workers, that’s why slaves were imported from West Africa. Ships from Britain brought cotton and metal goods to Africa, bought there slaves, who were sold then to the plantation owners in the West Indies and finally the ships returned to Britain with sugar bought from the plantators. The circular trade developed and islands such as Jamaica and Bahamas became British colonies.

Vocabulary

1. Complete the table:

verb	noun
to	competition
to colonize
to	import
to	(in)dependence

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to own

to plant

2. Insert the prepositions:

1)Gas is imported … Russia … many European countries.

2)I bought this bike … our neighbours.

3)This company couldn’t compete … others and went bankrupt.

4)The East India Company had monopoly … the import of oriental spices.

5)3D films grow … popularity nowadays.

Reading

3. Insert the names of the countries in the sentences:

America, China, Jamaica, Hong Kong, India, Singapore

1)… and … became British colonies as a result of the tea trade in the 18th century.

2)… became a British colony as a result of the sugar trade in the 18th century.

3)… became a British colony as a result of the spice trade in the 18th century.

4)… was a British colony from the 16th century until 1776.

5)… was never a British colony.

Speaking

4. What was the British Empire’s prosperity based on? Do you think that Britain should feel guilty about its involvement in the slave trade? What did Britain bring to the colonized countries? Did it have any positive influence on these countries?

THE USA

HISTORY AT THE MOVIES

Through the summer the Arts Cinema presents films based on American history in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

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July, 5th

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

We open our season with this popular classic. Set in Georgia during the south’s war against the northern states, GONE WITH THE WIND tells the story of how Scarlett O’Hara sees her traditional life destroyed and how she rebuilds a life for herself and her family.

July, 12th

HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962)

A classic western with some of the biggest American film-stars, such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda and James Stewart. This epic story shows us three generations of a 19th-century family travelling from the east coast to establish the new community in the west.

July, 19th

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992)

The film is based on Cooper’s classic book. Daniel Day Lewis plays

Hawkeye, a white man, raised by the native Mohicans, who fights on the side of the British against the French in their colonization of North America and Canada.

July, 27th

THE SCARLET LETTER (1995)

The film shows us the life in a community of early settlers in eastcoast New England. The film stars Demi Moore as Hester Prynne, whose husband is in England and who has a baby that cannot be his.

August, 3d AMISTAD (1997)

Steven Spielberg’s AMISTAD shows the terrible treatment that slaves received during their transportation by ship to America. The film is based on the real-life trial of a group of African slaves who in 1839 revolted on the ship and killed their masters.

August, 10th

THE PATRIOT (2000)

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Mel Gibson stars in this story of America’s fight for independence from Britain. Gibson plays the plantation owner, who isn’t wishing at first to fight against the British but gradually understands that his country’s freedom and future depends on it.

to destroy – разрушать

generation – поколение

to establish – устанавливать

to raise (a child) – вырастить, воспитать ребенка

settler – поселенец

treatment – обращение slave – раб

trial – испытание

KEY EVENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY:

A European Settlements and the French Wars

In the 17th century, settlers from England and Holland started to make their home in America. Many of them were from small religious groups who were persecuted in Europe.

B The War of Independence

After the French wars, some US states began to rebel against control and taxation by England. In 1776 thirteen states declared independence from England. A war between the English Army and the Americans lasted until 1781, when the United States of America became an independent country.

C The Civil War

In the 19th century states were created in the west, where the settlers took land from the Native Americans and farmed it. The southern states used many slaves from Africa and the Caribbean on their plantations, but the northern states wanted to ban slavery. In 1861 eleven southern states

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left the USA and formed their own Confederacy. A civil war lasted until 1865, when the southern states surrendered and their slaves were freed.

to persecute – преследовать, подвергать гонениям (за убеждения и т.п.)

to rebel against smth.- восставать против чего-либо, протестовать to declare – объявить, провозгласить

to ban – запретить

to surrender – сдаваться

Vocabulary

1. Translate into Russian these noun (or adjective) and verb pairs:

a form – to form; a farm – to farm; a star – to star; free – to free; a fight – to fight; a play – to play; a wish – to wish; own – to own.

Can you give more examples of such pairs?

2. Remember the meaning of these words and combinations and use them in your own sentences:

to be popular with, to destroy, generation, to fight on the side of, terrible treatment, trial, to rebel against, to ban, to depend on, independent.

Reading

3.Read the paragraphs about American history and the stories of the films. Which period of history (A, B or C) does each of the films deal with?

4.Complete the table with the missing dates and names of the

films.

Date		Event		Film
17th century	English	puritan
	settlers come to America
17th – 19th century	The use of slavery in
	the South
… century	The French wars
17 …	the Declaration		of

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	Independence
… century	Settlement in	the
	western states
18 … - 18 …	the American	Civil
	War

5. Answer the questions about paragraphs A, B and C.

Who:

1)won the French wars?

2)won the War for Independence?

3)won the American Civil War?

4)helped the Europeans in the French wars?

5)worked on American plantations?

Listening  3a

6. Listen to someone giving his opinion about The Patriot. Mark his general opinion of the following things:

the main character the story the dialogue the camerawork the historical accuracy

				
				
				

Listen again write down the reasons for his opinions.

Speaking

7. If you have seen any of these films tell the class your opinion of them. Talk about the characters, the story, the camerawork, the music.

Writing

8. Make the list of films about your country’s history. What historic events do they describe? Who are the main personages? Who stars in these films? Who are they directed by?

UNIT 4

STATES AND SYSTEMS

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GREAT BRITAIN

I

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BRITISH MONARCHY

The British people have had monarchy for over a thousand years. The relationship between the monarch and the people has suffered some serious crises, but the monarchy always seems to recover.

Revolution: Charles I

Charles I wanted the monarchy to have more power and in 1629 dismissed the parliament and ruled for 11years without it. In 1642 a Civil war broke out between the Royalists and the supporters of parliament, the Roundheads under Oliver Cromwell. The Roundheads won and Charles was beheaded. England was a republic for 11 years governed by Lord Protector (first Cromwell and then his son). But in 1660 monarchy was restored and Charles’ son, Charles II, was made king.

Retirement: Victoria

Queen Victoria suffered a horrible depression because of the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861. She stayed away from public life and spent more time in her palaces in Scotland than in London. For over 20 years she performed no national duties. People became critical of it and began to talk about republicanism. But Victoria recovered and in 1897 her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years on the throne, was a great public relation success.

Abdication: Edward VIII

When George V died in 1936, his son Edward was to become the king. But Edward was in love with twice-divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. He was forced to choose between the throne and his love. He preferred to abandon the throne and to marry the woman he loved. His brother George VI took his place on the throne and proved to be a strong monarch.

Tragedy: Princess Diana

In modern times people began to see the monarchy outdated, but the royal family was given a boost in 1981, when Prince Charles married Princess Diana. Diana became an international superstar, more popular than her husband from whom she divorced in 1996. Her death in a car crash in 1997 became a real shock to the whole nation.

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to dismiss parliament – распустить парламент to restore monarchy – восстановить монархию

to perform duties – исполнять обязанности to recover – поправиться, восстановиться

he proved to be – он оказался…

boost – поддержка, повышение, улучшение

Vocabulary:

1. Complete these “royal” words from the text:

a.The son of a monarch is a …

b.The daughter of the monarch is a …

c.The special chair which the monarch sits on is a …

d.A royal residence is a …

2. Match the explanation with the words below and find a pair of synonyms among them:

to rule, to restore, to divorce, to dismiss, to recover

a.to allow to go, to send away

b.to return to a normal condition, position, state of health.

c.to govern, to control, to have power and influence.

d.to put an end to a marriage.

e.to repair, to rebuild, to bring back to a former position.

Reading

3. Complete the table with the dates from the text:

…		The beginning of English Civil War
…	....	The restoration of monarchy
…	….	Death of Prince Albert
…		The celebration of Victoria’s 60 years on the
…	throne.
…	…. Death of George V and Edward’s abdication
…	…. Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage
…	….	Death of Princess Diana

….

Listening  4a

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4.Listen to Gary, Emma and Linda giving their views on the monarchy. Who supports the monarchy, who opposes it, who has no strong feelings about it?

5.Listen again and complete the sentences choosing one of the variants.

1) Gary has a good opinion of:

a)the Queen and her children.

b)the Queen and one of her children.

c)the Queen’s children, but not the Queen.

2)Emma wants the royal family:

a)to pay for themselves.

b)to be abolished.

c)to be more modern.

3)Linda thinks the monarchy will survive because:

a)the young generation are very popular.

b)the Queen works very hard.

c)they never have any problems.

Speaking

6. Which other countries still have a monarchy? Do you think there is any place for kings and queens in the 21st century?

II

UK PARLIAMENT:

TRADITION AND CHANGE

In the 14th century the British parliament split into two parts: the

House of Lords, which included the aristocracy (or the “peers”) and the

House of Commons, which included representatives of ordinary people. The two Houses still exist today, but over the centuries the House of Commons has become more powerful.

The members of the House of Lords traditionally inherit their seats in the House from their fathers, and the members of the House of Commons are elected.

The British parliament is one of the oldest in the world and foreigners are often surprised by some of its customs. During debates in the House of Commons, for example, the members are not allowed to

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refer to each other by name, but must use the title “The Honorable Member”. The Lord Chancellor, who controls the debates in the House of Lords, must sit on the “woolsack”, a seat filled with wool. This tradition goes back to the 14th century when wool was the symbol of

Britain’s prosperity.

Vocabulary

1. Give the English for:

наследовать, включать в себя, представитель, процветание, избирать, обращаться друг к другу, удивляться чему-либо, расколоться на части.

Reading

2. Compare the two Houses of the British parliament. Speak on the following points:

-the members of the Houses

-the way they get their seats in the Houses

-the power of the Houses

3. Answer the questions:

1)What must the members of the House of Commons call each other during the debates?

2)Who sits on the ‘woolsack’?

3)What is its symbolic meaning?

Read the article about by-elections:

THE GUARDIAN

PEERS STAND IN LORDS BY-ELECTION

The son of a war hero and the grandson of a prime minister are among the 81 candidates standing in House of Lords by-election following the death of peer Viscount Oxfuird. Lord Oxfuird was one of 92 peers with inherited titles, who were allowed to stay in parliament after the House of Lords Act in November 1999. According to it more than 600 dukes, earls, viscounts and barons lost their hereditary right to seat in the House. The government allowed the 92 peers to stay on condition that when any of them died, he would be replaced in a byelection.

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