chatting about culture get ready for the exam

7/29/2019 Chatting About Culture Get Ready for the Exam

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chatting-about-culture-get-ready-for-the-exam 1/26



A ncien t B ri tain

Get Ready for the exam / History of the UK 1

Historians call Anglo-Saxons the peoples wholived in the south and east of Gr eat Britain, from

the early 5th century AD to the Norman conquestof 1066.They spoke Germanic dialects, and were thedescendants of three powerful Germanic tribes:the Angles, the Saxons(from northern Germany)and the Jutes(from Denmark).

Britain in AD 500 and the Roman Invasion Various myths and legends surround the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. The Celts, one of the mostmysterious people of all times, arrived in Britainbetween 1500 BC and 400 BC during the Bronzeor the Iron Age. One of their most famousconstructions, Stonehenge , can still be seentoday on Salisbury Plain, not far from London.

Julius Caesar led the first Roman invasion of theBritish Isles around 54 BC, and started to settlethe country. By this time Roman society wassophisticated, with paved roads, public facilitiessuch as thermal baths and a complex politicalsystem. British society was less developed;people still lived in simple villages and wer emainly animists.

During 350 years of Roman occupation of

Britain, there wasconstant contact withRome because of trading andcommerce, and theBritons had to adoptthe Roman languageand customs.However althoughthe Romans weretechnically advanced

and politically well-organised, they couldnot completelycontrol the fierceNorthern tribes in the area which is nowScotland. For this reason, in AD 122 the EmperorHadrian built the famous Hadrian’s Wall to keepthe Roman part of the country safe from theaggressive Scottish tribes. You can still see ittoday.

The Vikings and the Normans When the Roman legions abandoned Britain inthe early 5th century, the number of Germanicimmigrants to Britain began to increase, and in789 the Vikings invaded Britain. They broughtmany changes in culture and traditions to the

Anglo-Saxon society, but more important for thecountry’s future was the conquest of England bythe Normans in 1066, after the invasion byWilliam the Conqueror Duke of Normandy, andhis success at the Battle of Hastings.This event in English history created one of themost powerful monarchies in Europe, and wasthe last successful foreign conquest of the country.

1 Now answer these questions:

1 Who were the Anglo-Saxons ?2 Where did they come from?

3 How long did the Roman occupation of Britain last?4 Were there many differences between Roman andBritish societies in 54 BC? Give some examples.

5 What can you see on Salisbury Plain? Who built it?6 Who was Julius Caesar and what did he do in 54 BC?

7 Who was William the Conqueror? Why is he crucial inBritish history?

8 Why did Emperor Hadrian decide to build the Wall?9 Every country in the world has monuments and famous places to visit. Choose one in your city/area/ region and speak about it, its history, why you like it,etc.

A ncien t B ri tain

Hadr ian’s W all, Cumbr ia, Nor t her n England

S tonehenge, Salisbur y Plain, UK


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chatting-about-culture-get-ready-for-the-exam 3/26Get Ready for the exam / History of the UK 2

The Norman kingWilliam I (known as

William the Conqueror ,because of his successin military campaigns)was King of Englandfrom late 1066 untilhis death in 1087.

William invadedEngland in 1066,leading an army of Normans, Bretons andDutch and beat the English forces of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings . He thendecided to march westward and to attack Londonfrom the north-west. Once in London, he wascrowned in Westminster Abbey, on ChristmasDay 1066.

William's Reign William’s reign was characterized by a largeprogramme of building and fortification , toprevent rebellion among the defeated Britons. The

masterpiece of the era is the White Tower , theoriginal core of the Tower of London.

William’s reign brought French culture toEngland and it deeply influenced the court in

London and the arts, politics, cooking andmanners of England in the Middle Ages.

The birth of Modern EnglishThis period also saw dramatic changes in theEnglish language, in the organisation of societyand the church.

William replacedEnglish with Frenchas the language of theruling classes fornearly 300 years, thusmixing the original

Anglo-Saxon languageof the country withthe Norman one.Like many of hissuccessors, Williamruled England butlived in Normandy.There he died at the

age of 59 and WilliamRufus (his third son)became the next

English king, with the name of William II.The Norman invasion was the lasttime that England was successfullyconquered by a foreign power. Inthe following centuries many otherinvaders tried – such as the Nazisduring World War II – but noneever succeeded!


1 Where did William the Conqueror come from?2 Why did people give him this nickname?3 Where did William oppose the English Army and who

won the battle?

4 What is the name of the famous building the Normansconstructed during William I’s reign?5 What influence did French culture have on Britain

during the Norman period? What influence did Frenchhave on the English language?

6 Who was William Rufus?7 Where did William the Conqueror live most of the

time?8 Where was William crowned and when?

9 William the Conqueror’s conquest of England broughtmany changes in the English language: make a list ofa few English words that may have a French origin.

View of the Tower of London

W i l lia m t he Conq ue ro r W i l lia m t he Conq ue ro r

Por t r ait of W illiam t he Conquer or

En trance to the To wer o f London



The early 17th century wasa turbulent time for

England with differentreligious factions competingfor political power. Duringthat period Catholics werepersecuted in ProtestantEngland and a group of conspirators aimed to start arevolt in the Midlands andtake the throne of England.Guy Fawkes was a memberof this group of EnglishCatholics who planned toblow up the Houses of Parliament, kill King James Iand most of the Protestant aristocracy onNovember 5th 1605 (the so-called Gunpowder Plot). That night Guy Fawkes had to set fireto the explosives placed under the Housesof Parliament.

The Gunpowder Plot

The plotters decided to rent a house near theRiver Thames to conceal the gunpowder , andwhen they learnt that a coal merchant hadvacated a cellar under the House of Lor ds, theyimmediately took it. They stacked 36 barrels of gunpowder under a pile of coal, and while theother conspirators left London to arrange thesubsequent rebellion, Guy Fawkes was left in thecellar, ready to ignite the barrels.

A Letter to the LordsHowever, one of the conspirators had a brother-in-law in the House of Lords and wrote him aletter advising him to stay away from the Housesof Parliament on the day of the plot. Shocked andterrified the man immediately took the letter to

the Secretary of State.On the night of

November 4th thecellars under theParliament wereinspected, and GuyFawkes was discoveredthere with matches inhis pockets. He wastaken to the Tower of London, interrogatedand executed , alongwith the otherconspirators of theGunpowder Plot.

November 5th: Guy Fawkes’ NightNowadays, on Guy Fawkes’ NightBritish childrenstill make a “Guy” (a doll filled with straw) andtake him around the streets shouting “A pennyfor the guy!”.

All the moneythey collect is

spent on treatsat the partieswhich follow,in front of enormousbonfires andthere arefireworks torepresent theexplosionwhich almostended themonarchy.


1 Who was Guy Fawkes?

2 What was theGunpowder Plot ?3 Who was the King of England in 1605?4 Where did the plotters put the barrels of gunpowder?5 How was the plot discovered?6 What happened to Guy Fawkes after he was discovered?

7 Who shouts “A penny for the guy!” and what is a guy?

8 What other things characteriseGuy Fawkes’ Night today?9 Why do you think everybody is happy onGuy Fawkes’

Night ?

G u y Fa w k es and t he G un po w de r P lo t G u y Fa w k es and t he G un po w de r P lo t

Fire work s in London a t Gu y Fa wk es’ Nigh t

A t y pical “guy ” f illed w it h st r aw



The poet’s life William Shakespeare was born inStratford-upon-Avon in 1564. Thethird child of John Shakespeare, aglove-maker, and Mary Arden,

William went to Stratford GrammarSchool, where he received a good basiceducation. In 1582, he married AnneHathaway and they had three children.Shakespeare probably left Stratford

around 1586 to join a company of travellingactors, andeventuallyarrived inLondon. Hebecame a verypopular writerof plays and of poetry.

William wrote 38 plays –tragedies, comedies, historiesand romances. Hamlet, likemany of his dramas, wasperformed at the GlobeTheatre in London.

When he retired from writing,Shakespeare went back toStratford and lived in a large,

comfortable house called NewPlace. He died on his 52ndbirthday in 1616 and was buried in Holy TrinityChurchin Stratford. If you go to Stratford today,you can visit his original birthplace.

The Globe andPre-Shakespearean DramaIn the 16th century theatre becamethe most popular form of entertainment in England and thisdemand started the formation of small companies of actors, usuallyfinanced by great noblemen. When a play was successful, the

actors were given permission toperform it in public.The Globe was a typical theatre in Shakespeare’sdays and it was very different from a moderntheatre. The plays took place in the open air indaylight when the weather was good, and ther ewas no scenery on the stage. Women were notallowed to act in the theatre and female roleswere usually played by young boys. The actiontook place mainly on the large platform stagebehind which there was another smaller stage

separated by a curtain.The galleries for the audience almost completelysurrounded the stage, andpeople watched the actionfrom three sides,sometimes becoming partof the performancethemselves.Between two and threethousand people, from allclasses of society attendedthe plays and the

audience consisted of a variety of ver y differentpeople – noblemen, merchants, artisans, soldiersand servants: a variegated and strange crowd –often noisy and out of control!


1 Where was William Shakespeare born?2 What did his father do?

3 What kind of education did young William have?4 Why did he leave Stratford in 1586 ?5 What was The Globe? Can you describe it briefly?6 What did William do when he retired?7 What kind of literature did Shakespeare write?

8 What kind of people went to watch a typicalShakespeare’s play?

9 Shakespeare’s plays are still very appreciated andloved by people from all over the world. Find out newsabout his most famous dramas. Explain what makesShakespeare a modern writer.

W i l lia m S ha k es pea re and t he E liza be t han T hea t re W i l lia m S ha k es pea re and t he E liza be t han T hea t re

William Shak espeare (1564-1616 )

The Globe Theatre today

W illiam Shak espear e's bir t hplace, St r at for d upon Av on



Hamlet, Prince of Denmark:

the storyOne night Prince Hamlet of Denmark meets the ghost of hisdead father inside ElsinoreCastle. The ghost tells him thathe was murdered by Hamlet’suncle, Claudius. Now Claudiushas married Hamlet’s mother,Gertrude, and has declaredhimself the new King. The ghostasks Hamlet to take revenge forhis murder.The Prince’s life changescompletely. He discovers thatOphelia, the girl he loves, herfather Polonius and even his own mother – theQueen – all support Claudius. Because of hisstrange behaviour, everybody except his friendHoratio believes that Hamlet is mad.

After much indecision, finally Hamlet killsClaudius, but his

revenge causes manyother deaths ...including eventually hisown. Only Horatiosurvives to tell the truthto the world.

Main themes What makes this playstill relevant today are itscharacters and the natureof Hamlet’s dilemma.Hamlet is essentially amodern man : he suffersbecause of his complexpsychology. He is unusualfor his own time becausehe is not a “strong andbrave” man of action likethe other courtiers aroundhim.

Instead he is thoughtful and empathetic. Hehesitates about killing his uncle in cold bloodbecause he hates violence, revenge and killing

and feels they are not part of his nature, but he still feels

that he should avenge hisbeloved father.

Romeo and Juliet:the storyThe play takes place in thetown of Verona, where theMontaguesand the Capuletsare two rival familiesinvolved in a family feud. No

member of the family isready to forgive and forgetthe past.Romeo Montague goes to aparty where he meets Juliet,and immediately falls in lovewith her. He later discoversthat she is a Capulet, adaughter of the rival familyof the Montagues. But heloves her anyway and they

S ha k es pea re ’s Mas te r pieces S ha k es pea re ’s Mas te r pieces

Hamle t

K r onbor g Cast le in Elsinor e, Denmar k



confess their love for each other during the ver yfamous “balcony scene” in which they decide to

secretly marry to stop the feud between the twofamilies.Unfortunately, things only get worse for Romeoand he ends up killing Tybalt of the Capuletfamily and is banished from Verona.The Capuletsplan Juliet’s marriage to Paris. But

Juliet does not want to marry him so she arrangeswith Friar Lawrence to fake her own death with asleeping potion that will make everyone thinkthat she is dead. Friar Lawrence promises to tellRomeo about the potion, but Romeo does notreceive the message on time and when he hears of

Juliet’s “death” he goes to her tomb, sees her bodyand desperate, drinks real poison and dies. When

Juliet’s potion wears off, she awakens and findsher lover’s corpse. She then stabs herself withRomeo’s dagger. The two families find the bodiesand decide to finally make peace with each other:the feud is over.

Main themesRomeo and Juliet fall in love on impulse anddecide to get married without even thinkingabout the consequences of their actions and thefamily feud.But it is the feud that really causes their deaths.The two families can’t even remember what theyare fighting about, members of the CapuletsandMontagueshate each other only because of theirfamily names. The play shows how such negative,pointless hate can only generate more troubleand sometimes, tragedy.


1 What isHamlet , Prince of Denmark about?2 Why is Hamlet considered to be a modern character?3 Why does Hamlet kill his uncle Claudius?4 What does revenge cause all through the story of

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark ?

5 Who are theMontagues and the Capulets and wheredo they come from?6 Why does Juliet’s father hate Romeo?

7 Who is Tybalt and what happens to him and to Romeoas a consequence?

8 Why does Juliet drink a potion?9 What is Juliet’s reaction when she awakes and sees

Romeo is dead?10 Why, in your opinion, isRomeo and Juliet still relevant

for a modern audience? Why?11 Which of these two famous plays is your favourite?

Explain why.

S ha k es pea re ’s Mas te r pieces S ha k es pea re ’s Mas te r pieces

Julie t’s balcon y in Verona



The Parliament and the Prime Minister

England is sometimes called “the Mother of Parliaments”, because its democratic institutionsdate from the 17th century and have set thestandards for many other democracies all over theworld. Established in 1707, the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern Ireland is the supreme legislative bodyin the United Kingdom. The Sovereign , currentlyQueen Elizabeth II , is its official head and intheory supreme legislative power still belongs tothe British Sovereign, but in practice real power isadministered by the government and the MPs(Members of Parliament ) in Parliament. ThePrime Minister , who leads the political partywith the majority of seats in Parliament and isalso head of all the government ministers, is itshighest political authority.

The British Parliament comprises the House of Lords, and the House of Commonswho meet inseparate chambers in the Houses of Parliamentat

Westminster in London. The House of Commons is formed of MPs elected by thepeople and discusses the problems and runningof the country, opposes or supports the actions of the government and decides on new laws. TheHouse of Lords consists of peers of the r ealm,senior judges and bishops of the Chur ch of England. Among the peers, some inherited theirtitles in their families, others were given their

titles for services to the country. The House of Lords today doesn’t have any real legislativepower but it can reconsider bills which have beenpassed by the House of Commons and makeamendments to them. The senior judges in theLords however do have an important function:they are the final Court of Appeal in the British

judicial system.

UK Ins ti t u tions

T he Houses of Parliament on the r iv er T hames, London

UK Ins ti t u tions



The Sovereign and the Magna CartaBritain is a parliamentary democracy with aconstitutional monarch. The Constitution of theUnited Kingdom is based on the Magna Carta,written in 1215 during the Norman period.Limiting the powers of the monarch and statinghis/her position before the law, the Magna Cartainfluenced the development of Common Law andalso many constitutional documents in laterdemocracies, including the United States’Constitution.The Queen has no real legislative power: she has

to respect the decisions and laws approved byParliament. The present monarch, Elizabeth II,has reigned since 1952. She and the othermembers of the Royal Family have official andceremonial roles as representatives of the UnitedKingdom and its territories all overthe world.

The Commonwealthof Nations.

After World War II, many of theoverseas colonies and dominionswhich were part of the BritishEmpire became independent of Britain. Times changed and theglorious era of the British Empirewhich at its largest covered one thirdof the world, was over. A new freeassociation of these nowindependent countries with sharedcultural influences and commoneconomic interests was established.This is known as the BritishCommonwealth .

At present, 54 independent countries (the largestbeing Canada, Australia and India) are part of

the Commonwealth.


1 How old is the British Parliament?2 How many Houses does it have?

3 Who are MPs and how do they get their jobs?4 Who sits in the House of Lords?5 Who is the highest political authority in the British

political world?6 Who’s the current British Sovereign?

7 What is his/her real role in British society?8 What was the Magna Carta and what did it influence?

9 What is theCommonwealth of Nations and how manymember states does it have today?10 Do you know any other monarchies in Europe? Which

ones? Can you name any members of those royalfamilies?

UK Ins ti t u tions

F lag of t he Commonw ealt h of Nat ions

UK Ins ti t u tions

Queen Elizabe th II



More than simply an English rock band, TheBeatles were a phenomenon which changed the

life and music culture of thousands of youngpeople all over the world forever!

Formed in Liverpool in 1960, the members of theband were John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals),Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), GeorgeHarrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr(drums, vocals). The Beatles first reached successin late 1962 with their hit, “Love Me Do”.Successive albums, such as Sgt. Pepper’s LonelyHearts Club Band, Abbey Road, Yellow Submarineand The White Albumtransformed them into aliving legend.

BeatlemaniaThe Beatles popularity in the 1960s and 70s wasenormous and people even invented a word todescribe it: Beatlemania . Not only everybodysang their songs and loved them, but people alsostarted dressing and cutting their hair like theirheroes and mimicking The Beatles lifestyle. Youngpeople also considered them as the embodimentof the ideals, freedom and youth culture which

characterised cultural revolution of the 1960s.The band was definitely hugely influential.

The band splits up As the years passed and their popularity gr ew,internal creative pressures increased dramaticallyin the band, and the creative duo McCartney-Lennon started to break down. The two singer-songwriters disagreed on practically everythingand when John Lennon started a r elationshipwith Japanese performance artist Yoko Ono, theircreative partnership finally ended.

After the split, each ex-Beatle found success in anindependent musical career. Today, onlyMcCartney and Starr remain active: John Lennonwas killed by a fanatic in New York on December,8th 1980, and George Harrison died in 2001.During their career, the Beatles sold more albumsin the USA than any other artist. They alsoreceived 7 Grammy Awards and QueenElizabeth II even appointed them Members of theOrder of the British Empire.In 1988 The Beatles were admitted to the Rock

and Roll Hall of Fame .

T he Fa b Fo u r: T he Bea t les!

A s tamp represen ting the Fab Four

T he Fa b Fo u r: T he Bea t les!


1 Who were the Fab Four?

2 What was Beatlemania?3 Why were The Beatles so important during the1960s?

4 What is “Love me do”? When did it become popular?5 Who composed most of The Beatles’ songs?

6 Why did the band split up?

7 Who are the only Beatles still alive and what happenedto the rest of the band?8 Do you know any Beatles song? Which one? Do you

like it? Why? Why not?

T he Rock & Roll Hall of F ame in Clev eland OH, US A


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chatting-about-culture-get-ready-for-the-exam 11/26Get Ready for the exam / ESW10

After Chinese, English is the second most spokenlanguage in the world, but is definitely the mostwidespread. Here’s a list of the main countrieswhere it is the official language , apart from theUK, Ireland and the USA.

CanadaBordering southwith the USA,Canada is abilingual country,where almost 60%of the people speakEnglish and morethan 32% speakFrench. Canada hasvery cold winters

and the far north of the country ispracticallyuninhabited. Over80% of the Canadianpopulation lives within 150 km from the USborder in the south.

A federation with ten provinces and threeterritories, Canada is a parliamentary democracyand a constitutional monarchy with QueenElizabeth II as its head of state. Its capital isOttawa and Toronto is the largest city.

Jamaica A major island in the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica wasfirst a Spanish possession and later became aBritish colony. Though independent from Britain,

Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign of the state. With its 2.8 million people, it is the thir d most

populous anglophone country in North America. Famous people from Jamaica includeBob Marley and the fastest human being onEarth, the 100 metres sprinter Usain Bolt.Kingston is the largest city and the country’scapital.

T he Eng lis h S pea k ing W o r ld

Map o f the English Speak ing Coun tries in the World

T he Eng lis h S pea k ing W o r ld

The aerial vie w o f O t ta wa, capi tal ci t y o f Canada

V iew ov er Ocho Rios por t t ow n, Jamaica



South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is located at thesouthern tip of Africa, between the Atlantic andIndian Oceans. The country was settled in the19th century by Dutch, Flemish, German andFrench settlers and became a British dominion in1910. South Africa is a rich and quite pr osperouscountry but it was notorious in the past for theApartheid issue, the political and economicinequality between its black and white citizensand the 27-year battle of its former president

Nelson Mandela, to end that regime. The capitalcity is Johannesburg .

AustraliaLocated in the Southern hemisphere, Australiais the world’s smallest continent. It wasdiscovered by Dutch explorers in 1606 and theeastern half of Australia was claimed by theBritish in 1770 after captain Cook navigatedaround it. It was initially a penal colony and wassettled by criminals transported there fromBritain and Ireland. The population grew quicklyin the following years and during the 19th

century it became a Crown Colony. Thepopulation today is about 22 million, with 60%of Australians concentrated in and around thecities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and

Adelaide. The nation’s capital city is Canberra .Its original inhabitants, the Aborigines, stillsurvive in the desert area in the centre and westof the country, called the Outback.

T he Eng lis h S pea k ing W o r ld T he Eng lis h S pea k ing W o r ld

The Ci t y o f Cape To wn, Sou th A frica

Per t h, Aust r alia. City w ide sk y line v iew f r om K ings Park .



New ZealandNew Zealand is formed by two main islands, theNorth Island and the South Island, and severalsmaller islands. It is about 2,000 km south-east of

Australia in the pacific Ocean and is the countr ynearest to the South Pole. The countr y was settledin the 19th century by farmers from Britain andEurope and the majority of New Zealanders ar e of European descent although there are now alsomany Asian immigrants. The indigenous Maoriare the largest minority and are well-integratedinto society. The country has developed a unique

fauna dominated by birds because there are nonatural mammal predators there. Wellington isthe capital city.

IndiaThe Republic of India is a countryin South Asia,surrounded by theIndian Ocean, the

Arabian Sea and theBay of Bengal. Partof the British Empire from the eighteenth century,India became an independent nation in 1947after its struggle for independence against Britainled by non-violent leader Mahatma Ghandi. The

capital city of the country is New Dehli . Englishis one of the official languages of the country andit is spoken and written fluently by many Indians.


1 Which is the most spoken language in the world?2 Which are the two official languages of Canada and

how many people speak them?3 Which is the third most populous anglophone countryin North America?

4 Where do most of Canadians live and why?5 Name a couple of important Jamaicans.

6 Who is Nelson Mandela and why is he famous?7 Which continent was discovered by the Dutch in the

17th century?8 Where do most New Zealanders originate from?9 Who are theMaori and where do they live nowadays?10 Why, in your opinion, English is spoken in so many

different countries of the world? Explain.

T he Eng lis h S pea k ing W o r ld T he Eng lis h S pea k ing W o r ld

Maha tma Ghandi

A v iew of Mt Cook f r om t he shor e of Hook er Lak e, New Zealand



Ireland is the second-largest island of the BritishIsles; surrounded by hundreds of other smallerislands it lies east of Great Britain, separated fromit by the Irish Sea.The island hosts two countries: the independentDemocratic Republic of Ireland (or EIRE) in thesouth and west, and Northern Ireland, part of theUnited Kingdom, located in the north-east of theisland.The island is characterized by low hills, whitebeaches, a luxuriant green vegetation, and a mild,changeable oceanic climate.

A Norman invasion in the Middle Ages r esultedin English domination of the country whichlasted for centuries. In 1801 Ireland officiallybecame a part of the United Kingdom.

A strongly Catholic country, Ireland opposedProtestant Britain’s rule and the resulting war of independence in the early 20th centur y led to thedivision of the island, creating the Irish Free State(Eire) and Northern Ireland.In 1973, both parts of Ireland joined the

European Community, EIRE adopting the Euromonetary system.Ireland has a strong indigenous Celtic culture,expressed through its literature and music, and

the Irish language,which is taught in

schools along withEnglish and used ontelevision and in theIrish parliament.

DublinDublin is the largestcity and the capitalof Ireland. Its Irishname is Baile ÁthaCliath, while theEnglish name comesfrom the Irish word Dubh Linnmeaning “blackpool”.This modern city is located on the east coast of the island at the mouth of the River Lif fey.Originally founded as a Viking settlement, itbecame the island’s most important city after theNorman invasion. A youthful and vibrant city,Dublin today has a lively nightlife, live music isfrequently played on streets and in bars. The city

also has one of the fastest growing populationsof any European capital city.


1Where is Ireland situated?2 How many countries are there in Ireland?

3 What’s the climate of Ireland like?4 When did British domination of the island start?5 Is Ireland part of the European Union?

6Who founded the city of Dublin?7 What is Dublin like today?

8 Do you know any Irish writers, musicians or sportsstars? Why are they famous?

I re land, t he E me ra ld Is land I re land, t he E me ra ld Is land


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chatting-about-culture-get-ready-for-the-exam 15/26Get Ready for the exam / History of the USA14

The history of slavery in the United States beganshortly after the first Englishsettlement in Virginia and lasteduntil the end of the AmericanCivil War.The Atlantic slave trade, alsoknown as the Slave Triangle , is

the name given to the traffic of goods and human beings fromEngland to Africa and to thecolonies of the “New World”,from the 16th century to the19th century. Most of the Westand Central African slaves whoarrived to the New World, werecaptured in raids, but others were also boughtfrom or traded with African kings, who capturedthem from enemy tribes.

The first step in theSlave Triangle was theexport of goods fromEurope to Africa. Foreach captive the Africankings accepted inexchange various kindsof goods from Europe.The second step wasthe exportation of

Africans slaves acrossthe Atlantic Ocean tothe Southern states of the USA. The third and final step was the r eturnof goods to Europe from the Americas, especially

cotton, sugar, and tobacco. Thanks to this system,the United States grew extremely rich during the

first half of the 19th centur y.

The role of slavesConditions for slaves varied according to the

slave’s skin colour but were alwaysdifficult. Darker slavesworked in the fields, whilelighter-skinned ones couldwork in their owners’houses as domestic servants.Slave traders preferred notto trade complete slavefamilies because themembers usually wanted tostay together and thiscreated problems when theytried to sell them, so theyusually separated family

members before they sold them. Conditions forslaves were very difficult and they had no civilrights. Their owners considered them to be their

property, like the animals on their farms.

The Abolition MovementFrom the 1750s, during the AmericanRevolution people began to be influencedby the philosophy and ideals of theEnlightenment movement in Europe andslavery started to be seen as a social evilthat had to be abolished. Many influentialpeople supported the Abolition Movementincluding the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe(author of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin)and Harriet Tubman, a member of theUnderground Railroadwho helped 350

slaves to escape from the South.


1 When did the history of slavery in the USA begin?2

What was the Slave Triangle?3 Where did most of the black slaves in the US comefrom?

4 How were they caught?

5 What did the African kings accept in exchange for

human beings?6 Why was slavery positive for the US?7 Which factors influenced the treatment of slaves?8 Do you think that the US have totally resolved their

racial problems today? Explain.

T he S la v e T riang le T he S la v e T riang le



Geronimo was born to an Apache tribe in 1829in an area of Arizona now belonging to theFederal State of New Mexico. He was a quietchild, like any other Indian boy leading thetraditional life of his tribe in the desert.However when the Mexicans killed his family in aterrible raid Geronimo changed from a peaceful

Indian into one of the boldestNative American warriors

of all times. With his bandof Apache followers, he

took part in numerousraids against white

settlers and soldiersin northern Mexico,

and in the US statesNew Mexico and Arizona. His

adversaries gave him

the nickname of “Geronimo”, theSpanish version of the

name “Jerome”.

War with the AmericansIn the years to come Geronimoand his warriors began a series of intermittent raids against whitesettlements and they were sosuccessful at evading capture thatthey became an embarassment tothe government of the USA. In1882, US Army General GeorgeCrook went to Arizona to conduct a campaignagainst the Apaches. Geronimo eventually

surrendered in January 1884. However, when heheard that his captors planned to hang him heescaped from the San Carlos Reservation wherehe was imprisoned, accompanied by 35 warriorsand 109 other Apache men, women and children.

At least 5,000 white soldiers and 500 Indianspaid by the USA were involved in the finalcapture of Geronimo, five months and 1,645miles later, in his camp in the Sonora Mountains.

ExileThe Americans promisedGeronimo exile in Floridaand permission to return tothe land of his birth, but theydidn’t keep their promises.Instead they took Geronimo and

his followers to Florida and forcedthem to work in prison there.

Over the years stories of Geronimo’sbravery and ferocity transformed him into a

legend that fascinated people all over theworld. In his later years he appear ed at numerousfairs, selling souvenirs and photographs of himself.He died on February 17th, 1909, but he neversaw his homeland, beloved Arizona, again.


1 Where was Geronimo born?2

How did he get the name of Geronimo?3 What happened to Geronimo’s relatives?4 Who was George Crook and why did he go to Arizona?5 What did Geronimo do at San Carlos Reservation ?

6 What did the Americans promise him when he

surrendered in the Sonora Mountains?7 Why were people fascinated by Geronimo, in youropinion?

8 Why do you think Geronimo took part in fairs? How doyou think he felt? Explain.

A Na ti v e A me rican W a r rio r: Ge roni mo A Na ti v e A me rican W a r rio r: Ge roni mo



Si t ting B u l l

Get Ready for the exam / History of the USA16

Sitting Bullwas born around 1831in the South Dakota area to a

Lakota Sioux tribe; his originalbirth name was Tatanka-Iyotanka,which was then translated toSitting Bull by the Pale Faces.

A Native American HeroSitting Bull’s first important battleagainst the American Army was astriking victory for the Army andleft the Sioux badly into pieces,mainly because of the Army’slarge use of artillery.

As a consequence many Native American chiefs renounced the fight and movedto reservations, while Sitting Bull refused tosurrender and became a strong and respectedtribal leader.By then though, white settlers, missionaries, andrailroad workers, started to move all across theUnited States, forcing the Native Americans toabandon their tribal lands. Sitting Bull decided to

unite his people against this invasion, tr ying tomake peace and trade with the whites.

The Little Big Horn BattleBut when in 1876 gold was discovered in theBlack Hills(a holy place for the Sioux) and hispeople were forced away from their reservation inthe area, Sitting Bull took up arms against thewhites and refused to be moved. He then,followed by other Native warriors, decided tocamp nearby the

Little Big Horn River . When

Colonel George Armstrong Custer attacked theIndian tribes, he did not realize that more than

3,000 Native Americans had lefttheir reservations to follow Sitting

Bull. Custer rapidly lost manytroops ... and his life as well!This victory made Sitting Bull ahero among the great Native

American leaders such as CrazyHorseand Apache Geronimo. Butthe Natives’ end was already signed,because Custer’s death broughtthousands more Army soldiers tothe area; these attacked the LakotaIndians and forced them tosurrender. Once again Sitting Bullrefused to, and in May 1877 he

crossed the Canadian border, where he remainedin exile for a number of years, until hunger andcold finally forced him, his family and a fewremaining warriors, to surrender.Ironically, in 1885, Sitting Bull was allowed to

join the Buffalo Bill’sWild West Show. By thenthe so-called “Wild West” did no longer exist:Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill had become twocircus characters!


1 Who was Tatanka-Iyotanka?2 Which tribe did Sitting Bull belong to?3 What happened in 1876 in the Black Hills?

4 Why were those hills so important for the Natives?5 What did Sitting Bull try to do with the other Nativetribes?

6 What happened at Little Big Horn?

7 How many Indian warriors joined with Sitting Bull atLittle Big Horn?

8 Who were Crazy Horse and Geronimo and what did

they share with Sitting Bull?9 What happened to Sitting Bull in May 1877 and whydid he act so?

10 How do you think Sitting Bull felt to be in a circus withBuffalo Bill? Why do you think he decided to act so?

Si t ting B u l l

Na tional Ceme ter y a t Lit tle Big Horn Ba t tle field



Harriet Tubmanand the Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe places used by black slavesin the southern states of the United States toescape to the free states in the north of the

country or to Canada.Sympathetic white“abolitionists” helpedthem and between 1810and 1850 theUnderground Railroadhelped almost 100,000black people to escape.Harriet Tubman was an Afro-Americanabolitionist. Born as aslave, she escaped andbegan various missions

to rescue slaves using theUnderground Railroad. When the American

Civil War began, Tubmanworked for the Union Army, first as a cook andnurse, and then as a spy.

After the war she was active in the women’ssuffrage movement (to obtain the vote for womenin political elections) and when she died shebecame an icon of courage and fr eedom for

Americans.

Kit Carson and the Wild WestKit Carson is known to many children as a comiccharacter in a famous Italian cartoon strip, butChristopher “Kit” Carson was a real person, bornin Kentucky in December 1809.

At that time Kentucky was still a wilder nesspopulated by animals like wild geese, ducks,turkeys, quails and pigeons and with ver y fewsettlers. Deer, antelopes, moose, wolves, and evenbears were also common, there was very littleagriculture and most people lived by hunting andtrapping animals for their meat and fur.There were no schools to attend in this area, soyoung Kit Carson had no education. By the age of 15 he was an excellent horseman and could shootvery well. He was friendly with some of theNative Americans who lived near him andeventually became a trapper, an Indian guide andinterpreter.He lived with the Native American Indians intheir villages and later married a Cheyenne girl of unusual intelligence andbeauty, with whom hehad a daughter.Because of his love for

the Native American wayof life and for the state of Kentucky, Carsonbecame one of the mostfamous men in Americanhistory and many storieswere told about him. Hedied on May 23rd, 1868at a time when theNative Americans’traditional way of lifewas ending because of the politics of the White Man. Soon his belovedIndians had to give up their nomadic lifestyle andstarted to weave blankets to sell to tourists assouvenirs to make money. The Golden Era of the

Wild West was over.


1What was the Underground Railroad?2 Who was Harriet Tubman?

3 What did Harriet do at the end of the American CivilWar?

4 Describe Kentucky by the time of Kit Carson’s childhood.

5What did Kit become when he grew up?6 How did he feel about Native Americans?

7 Why did he become famous?8 Which of these two American icons is your favourite

and why? Explain.

A me rican Icons: Ha r rie t T u b man and K i t Ca rson A me rican Icons: Ha r rie t T u b man and K i t Ca rson



The Gold Rush was a period of massmigration of people, started after goldwas first discovered in largequantities in California in 1848.News of the discovery soon spreadand in a few years more than300,000 people moved to Californiafrom the rest of the United Statesand from all over the world.

The first gold-seekers werecommonly called the “forty-niners”because they arrived in the firstwave of immigrants around 1849.They travelled to California acrossthe continent in covered wagonspulled by horses, and their trip was exceptionallyhard: they had to face wild animals, storms,hostile Native American Indians and bandits.

At first, the pioneers retrieved the gold fromriverbeds using a simple technique called panning, but later they also started to r ecover itby digging in the ground and in the mountains of the area. Although the precious metal broughtimmense wealth to a few lucky gold diggers, mostof them never found any and returned home stillpoor.

The effects of the Gold Rush on the developmentof the state of California were enormous however.In just a few years San Francisco gr ew from agroup of tents to a booming town, and r oads,churches, schools and houses were built toaccommodate the growing population. Californiawas eventually recognised as a state in 1850 but

there were other morenegative effects of the GoldRush: the Native Americanswere killed and compelled tomove out of their traditionalsacred lands and move to USreservations to make room forthe white settlers.The Gold Rush also resulted in

creating many ghost towns.These were settlements whichgrew up very suddenly becausesome people said they hadfound gold in the area, only tobe abandoned just as suddenlywhen this proved to be untrue

and gold was discovered somewhere else.Nowadays, ghost towns survive as touristattractions, still preserving much of their originalarchitecture.

T he Go ld R us h and t he Conq ues t o f t he W es t T he Go ld R us h and t he Conq ues t o f t he W es t

A ghost t ow n


1 Why did so many people move from all over the worldto California in the mid 1800s?

2 Who were the “forty-niners”?3 How did they travel to California?4 What happened to the state of California as a

consequence of the Gold Rush?

5 What waspanning ? Describe it in your own words.6 What is aghost town ? Are there any similar towns in

your area?7 How do you think the Native Americans felt about the

Gold Rush? Explain your point of view.

Pioneer s get t ing t he gold by panning at a r iv er bed



Malcolm X remains one of themost influential and

controversial figures of the 20thcentury.He was born Malcolm LittleinOmaha, Nebraska on May 19th,1925 to a black American family.

When he was a child he saw hisfamily’s house set on fire bymembers of the Ku Klux Klanand his father killed in asuspected car accident.

Early LifeMalcolm Little was an excellentstudent but he left school after a teacher told himthat his aspirations of becoming a lawyer wer e“no realistic goal for a nigger ”.Malcolm then moved to Harlem, New York,where he found work as a shoe-shine boy. It was a difficult lifeand after a while he began sellingand using drugs. As a

consequence, in 1946 he went toprison for 10 years. There heconverted to Islam and startedreading hundreds of books whichhelped him to widen hiseducation. He also became anactivist in the movement forpolitical rights for Black

Americans.

Politics and BeliefsSoon after his release, Malcolm decided to changehis surname to "X", explaining that he refused toaccept the slave surname, given to his ancestorsby their white master many generations before.

The “X” also represented thebrand that many slaves in the

plantations received on theirupper arm to identify them asslaves.Malcolm X became one of thebest orators of all times and hisspeeches grew famous amongblack people all over the countr y.Differently from Martin LutherKing and others in the BlackRights Movement, he believed inarmed political struggle not justnon-violent protest, and he wasa controversial figure for this

reason. When he made a pilgrimage to Meccasome years later, he saw Muslims of differentraces treated as equals and he began to believethat Islam could be the solution to racial

problems.But back home in the USAtensions increaseddramatically and on February21st, 1965 while he was givinga speech in Manhattan, threeblack men stood up in theaudience and shot him.

After his death, Dr MartinLuther King declared that,“Malcolm X fought and diedfor what he believed to beright. He will have a place inthe palace of martyrs”.Malcolm’s ideals and reputation

survived after his death, as proved in the movieMalcom X (1992) by black director Spike Lee,which was recognized as one of the 10 best filmsof the decade.


1 Who was Malcolm Little?2 How and why did he change his name?

3 Why did young Malcolm leave school?4 What did young Malcolm do in New York City?5 What did Malcolm do during his stay in prison?6 Why was Malcom X different form other members of

the Black Rights Movement?

7 Why was the visit to Mecca important in his life?8 What was the political atmosphere in the USA like at

the beginning of 1965?9 What do you think about the condition of black peoplein the USA today? Do they have equality with whitepeople? Why? Why not?

Ma lco l m X Ma lco l m X



The New Frontier John Fitzgerald Kennedywas the youngest Presidentof the USA: he becamepresident at the age of 43.His family were fromIreland originally; theywere Catholics in a nationthat was mainly Protestantand had a tradition of working in politics for theDemocratic party. John

was a handsomearistocrat, but he was alsoa war hero: during World

War II he had served in the US Navy.His presidential program, called the New Frontier ,aimed to extend the civil rights of many

Americans but foreign crises occupied much of his time as president. One of the most seriouswas the Vietnam War: many people criticizedhim for the US military presence in Vietnam.President Kennedy was a great orator and apopular leader. His inspiring personality issummed up in his most famous motto: “Ask notwhat your country can do for you, but ask whatyou can do for your countr y.”Unfortunately, his life came to a tragic end.He was assassinated inDallas, Texas, onNovember 22nd, 1963.During the JFK

Administration, manyimportant political eventstook place, such as theBay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba, the Cuban MissileCrisisand the Space Race.

The Space Race and the Apollo

ProjectDuring the 1960s the USSR, America’smain political rival, made incredibleprogress in space exploration. TheRussian launched successful spacemissions and even sent a man – YuriGagarin – into space to orbit the Earth.

JFK’s administration decided that theUSA must compete to win the SpaceRace and announced the American goalto land a man on the Moon within adecade: this was the Apollo Project.

The American Congressthen approved the Projectbut Kennedy died beforethe agreement wasformalized. On July 20th,

1969, almost six yearsafter JFK’s death, Neil Armstrong was the firstman to land on the Moon.


1 How old was John Fitzgerald Kennedy when hebecame President of the USA?

2 Was Kennedy the first of his family to enter politics?3 Where was his family from?4 What was the New Frontier?5 What was the biggest crisis JFK faced during his

presidency?

6 What were some of the important world politicalevents which happened during Kennedy's presidency?

7 What happened in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd?

8 Which was the first nation to send a man into space?9 Who was the first man to set foot on the Moon andwhen?

10 What do you think JFK meant with his famous motto?Explain.

Jo hn Fi tzge ra ld K enned y - J FK Jo hn Fi tzge ra ld K enned y - J FK



The greatest boxing champion of all times, he wasborn as Cassius Marcellus Clay on January 17th,1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, but changed hisname to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.But Ali was not only a boxer: he was a symbol, ahero and an outstanding figure in the history of human rights.

A symbol for youth Ali was three times the World HeavyweightChampion and the winner of an Olympic gold

medal, which he famously threw into the OhioRiver after being refused service at a “whites-only”restaurant nearby.In 1966, Ali, a conscientious objector, refused toserve in the United States Army during the

Vietnam War. His famous words about the

controversial war were repeated in the mediaaround the world: “I ain't got no quarr el withthem Viet Cong ... They never called me nigger .”

As a result of his refusal, his boxing licence wastaken away and he was stripped of this WorldHeavyweight title. Ali was then sent to prison buthe kept on training while he was inside and whenhe returned in 1974 he regained his title, whenhe defeated champion George Foreman inKinshasa, Zaire.

RetirementIn 1978 Ali retired from professional boxing andin 1984 doctors discovered that he hadParkinson’s disease. During the 1996 Olympics in

Atlanta he had the honor of lighting the flame tostart the games. It was a poignant moment for theworld to see “The Greatest” boxer of all timefragile andtrembling with

Parkinson’sdisease.On November17th, 2002,Mohammad Aliwent to

Afghanistan asa special guestof the UnitedNations as their“UN Messengerof Peace”, on athree-daygoodwillmission to tryand bring peace to the area.


1 What was Muhammad Ali’s real name?2 Was Ali only famous as a boxer?3 Why did he throw his Olympic medal in the river?4 Why did Ali refuse to serve in the Vietnam War?5 Why did he go to prison?

6 Who was George Foreman?7 What happened in Ali’s life in 1984?8 Why, in your opinion, was Muhammad Ali chosen to

light the Olympic flame in Atlanta in 1996?9 Who is a conscientious objector? Explain.

I ’ m t he G rea tes t: M u ha m mad A li I ’ m t he G rea tes t: M u ha m mad A li


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chatting-about-culture-get-ready-for-the-exam 23/26Get Ready for the exam / Towns in the USA22

A short historyEuropeans officially discovered and explored theSan Francisco Bay area and its islands in 1542.Before the arrival of Spanish and Portugueseexplorers the area had been inhabited for 20,000years by the native tribes called Oholoneswhowere organized in a nomadic society of hunters.

The European community was first settled in1776, when the Spanish founded a mission ther enamed Francis of Assisi, and a fort to guard theentrance to San Francisco Bay. But it was the GoldRushstarting around 1848 near the city thatcaused the town to suddenly expand, incr easingthe population in just one year from 1,000 to25,000!

In 1850 the construction of the firsttranscontinental railroad connecting SanFrancisco with the eastern states of the USA,attracted thousands of workers, especially fromChina. It was completed in 1869 and by 1900San Francisco had more than 340,000 inhabitantsand was a flourishing metropolis.

Then on April 18th, 1906, a terrible earthquakeshook the city and caused a fire that burned forthree days and destroyed almost all of San

Francisco’s centre. The city was quicklyrebuilt but its location on the St. Andreasfault means that it is always susceptible toseismic activity: infact, San Francisco wasagain badly damaged by an earthquakein 1989.

San F rancisco San F rancisco

Ear t hquak e in San F r ancisco


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chatting-about-culture-get-ready-for-the-exam 24/26Get Ready for the exam / Towns in the USA23

The City area

The port of San Francisco is one of the lar gest inthe USA and the city is served by an internationalairport and by two major transport systems: theBay Area Rapid Transit (BART), which links thecity with Oakland across the Bay, and the MUNI.San Francisco is also famous for its cable cars,called trolleys, which take people up and downthe many hills above the bay.

Famous landmarks

Other highlights of this vibrant city ar e thehandsome Golden Gate Bridge , the symbol of San Francisco, Alcatraz Island in the middle of the Bay, a former prison with spectacular views of the city, and Chinatown , with the biggestChinese population outside of China, whichoffers a beautiful display of architecture, foodmarkets, and souvenir shops. Finally there’s theTransamerican Pyramid , the tallest building inSan Francisco, which you can see fromeverywhere in and around the City.


1 Who were the first inhabitants of the area around SanFrancisco ?

2 Which Europeans discovered the area?3 Where did the city get its name from?4 What was the main reason for the population boom in

1848?5 What happened in San Francisco in 1906 and 1989?

6 What are the main landmarks of San Francisco?7 Which landmark is the symbol of the City?

8 What is “Chinatown”?9 San Francisco is situated on St. Andreas’ fault. Findout information on faults and earthquakes, take notesand write a short paragraph.

San F rancisco San F rancisco

Alca traz Island

Golden Ga te Bridge

Sk y line w it h t he T r ansamer ican Py r amid



U S Ins ti t u tions

Get Ready for the exam / History of the USA24

The United States of America is a Federal Unionof fifty states plus the District of Columbia. Thefederal government is based on the AmericanConstitution and has three different branches: thelegislative, the executive, and the judicial. Each of these branches has some authority to act on itsown but it is also regulated by the other two toguarantee democracy. The Constitution alsolimits the powers of the federal gover nment, andprovides great authority to the individual states.The seat of the federal government is inWashington, DC .

The Executive branch: The PresidentThe President of the USA lives in the WhiteHouse and is the Head of State, the Head of Government, and the Commander-in-chief of the

Armed Forces. He carries out the decisions takenby Congress . He can propose new laws but thesemust be approved by Congress. In times of national emergency he canact independently of Congress if it is for the goodof the country. A number of Secretaries , each in chargeof a Department, assists thePresident in theadministration of thenation. The best known of them is the Secretary of State, who deals withforeign affairs. ThePresident is elected for a

four-year term, at the endof which he can be re-elected but he can’t holdthe office of President formore than 8 years.

The Legislative

branch:The CongressThe AmericanCongress, like mostparliaments, consistsof two houses: theHouse of Representatives andthe Senate .The House of Representatives consists of 435members, each serving for a two-year term.Representatives are elected in proportion to thepopulation of the different states. Each state alsoelects two Senators, regardless of its population,so in the Senate there are 100 senators eachelected for a six-year term.The House of Representatives is managed by theSpeaker and Congress meets in the Capitol in

Washington, DC.

The Judicial Branch:The Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court is the

judicial body of the federalsystem and deals with legalproblems between states, andwith the interpretation of theConstitution.US judges are appointed by thePresident and confirmed by the

Senate. Each State has also itsindividual court systems whichare separate from but notentirely independent of theSupreme Court.


1 How many States are the in the USA?2 What is the role of the American Constitution in the US

federal system?3 What is Congress and where does it meet?4 Who is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces

and where does he live?5 What is the role of Secretaries?

6 Which Secretary is best known and what does he dealwith?

7 How many people sit in the Senate and how do they gettheir office there?8 Who is the Speaker?9 Which are, in your opinion, the main differences between

the American and the Italian political systems?

U S Ins ti t u tions



The Internet is a systemwhich connects computers

to one another by means of a common language (calleda Protocol). Today it servesbillions of users all over theworld.This “network of networks ” links millions of private, public, university,business, and governmentnetworks and offers itsusers a huge quantity of free information andservices. Some of its most common applicationsare the World Wide Web (or www), the hugehypertext which inter-links documents, and e-mail.

HistoryDuring the Cold War period Americanmilitary scientists decided to build asystem to connect all their computersin order to manage defence against a

possible enemy attack: the name of thesystem was ARPANET. When in 1987 US President RonaldReagan and Russian Prime MinisterMikhail Gorbachev signed theagreement to end the Cold War, it was decided toopen the network for commercial purposes.Use of the Internet soon began to expand all overthe world, and came to a tur ning point when theuse of e-mail surpassed that of traditionally delivered mail (now called“snail mail”).Nowadays, people born since the 1990sare commonly called “Digital Natives”meaning that the Internet alreadyexisted when they were born and theyhave grown up using it since they were

children. People who wereborn before this are known as

“Digital Immigrants” – theyhave had to learn to use thenew system as adults.

How it worksThe Internet is commonlyused at home, in public placesand in schools, and its use isbecoming cheaper and cheaper.New applications for it are

created almost daily – one of the most r ecent isthe famous Facebooksocial network. But ... doyou know howThe Internet really works? When you send an e-mail, or you shar e a chat-

room with your friends, yourmessage is split into many“packets” of information andforwarded to your friend’scomputer. These packetsnever follow the same routeand they sometimes reach

the other side of the worldbefore they reassemble againon your friend’s computerscreen and reveal yourmessage!

This explains why the Internet can sometimes beso slow: it all depends on how many packets ar etravelling on the same routes at the same time.

And when you surf the Net and visit a Website,the Server which hosts the page that youwant to read, sends your browser (thesoftware you use to connect to the Net)a real copy of the page on yourcomputer. Did you ever notice how thepages that you commonly surf, arefaster to appear than those that you surf for the first time? Now you know why!


1 What is a Protocol?2 What is the www?3 How did the Internet originate?

6 How does e-mail work?7 What is a browser?8 What do people use them for?

A W e b as W ide as t he W o r ld A W e b as W ide as t he W o r ld

chatting about culture get ready for the exam

Documents