Maturitní otázky

Štítky: angličtina

# vystavil Peter : 15:53  Počet komentářů: 0

Štítky: angličtina

# vystavil Peter : 6:20  Počet komentářů: 0

Různých anglických výkladových slovníku (jak placených tak i těch zadarmo) je na internetu celá řada. Z těch neplacených podle mě však stojí za zmínku hlavně: Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary a Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

• Cambridge Dictionaries Online doporučuju použít v případě, kdy potřebujete jak britský, tak americký fonetický přepis výslovnosti nebo v případě, že hledáte nějaký anglický idiom.
• Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary lze zase využít pro poslech americké výslovnosti. Navíc u některých slov (např. "car") zobrazuje i užitečné obrázky.
• A konečně Dictionary.com, který kombinuje několik významných slovníků (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, WordNet) a může vám poskytnout další informace o daném slově (více významů, původ slova atp.). 

Štítky: angličtina, maturita, slovníky

# vystavil Peter : 5:00  Počet komentářů: 2

• brief introduction
• one of the oldest literature in the world
• oldest litery monument of the Anglo-Saxon period is legend about Beowulf (8th century)
• oldest English writer is John Wiclife (he criticized Pope and Church) => he influenced Jan Hus
• 14-16th century - Renaissance period 
• Geoffrey Chaucer - Cantenbury tales (picturized by Federico Fellini)
• William Shakespeare
• 18th century
• Daniel Defoe - Robinson Crusoe
• Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels
• 19th century - Romantic period
• George Gordon Byron - Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
• Walter Scott
• 19th century - Realism period
• Charles Dickens - described truly the life of poor people in England
• Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, The Pickwick Papers
• 20th century
• Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Windston Churchil - memoirs of the Second World War - Nobel Prize
• contemporary literature
• Joanne Rowling - Harry Potter

William Shakespear

• is considered to be the greatest dramatist of all times
• the Globe Theatre - actor and writer
• 37 plays and sonnets
• comedies
• A Midsummer-Night's Dream
• tragedies
• Romeo and Juliet
• Macbeth
• Hamlet
• Othello
• King Lear
• historical plays
• Richard III.
• Julius Caesar

Walter Scott

Walter Scott was born in the Old Town of Edinburgh in 1771 as a son of solicitor and died in 1832. He was popular Scottish historical novelist and poet. He has a truly internacional career in his lifetime with many readers in Europe, Australia, and North America. Many of his works still remain classics of English-language literature.

When he was two years old he survived bout of polio which left him lame in his right leg for the rest of his life. He often attended spa for treatment and water cure. Aunt Jenny took care of him during his childhood. He has a private education before he went to a high school. When he was well able to walk Walter started his studies at Royal High School of Edinburgh. He liked reading especially chivalric romances, poems, history and travel books. After finishing school he was sent to stay for six months with his aunt, attending a grammar school. Then he began studying classics at the University of Edinburgh (he was only twelve years old). He has his own memorial in Edinburgh - Scott monument with his statue.

His first works were English translations from German. His first work with signs of interest in Scottish history were collected Scottish ballads published as The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He married Margaret Charlotte Charpentier and had five children with her. The Lay of the Last Minstrel (poetry) bought him fame after he founded a printing press. Other poems: The Lady of the Lake.

Waverley, a novel which did not name its author (name Author of Waverley.., The Wizard of the North)

Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe is a novel set in 12th century England, he mixed real historical events and people with fictitious story. Ivanhoe is the story of one of the remaining Saxon noble families at a time when the nobility was overwhelmingly Norman. A member of this family, Wilfred of Ivanhoe was out of favour with his father Cedric because Ivanhoe fell in love with Lady Rowena (a ward of Cedric whom was promised to another man) and also for his allegiance to the Norman king Richard I of England (Lionheart) who is returning incognito from the Crusades. At that time Prince John of England wanted to seize power to become a king. Other major characters included various Knights Templar, Jewish moneylender Isaac with his daughter Rebecca, Robin Hood, etc..

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 11:17  Počet komentářů: 0

• organization of countries
  • economic integration and cooperation among its members
    • foreign policy, security and defence, judicial matters
  • headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium
  • established on November 1, 1993
    • Coal and steel community - 1951
    • European Community - 1967
    • Maastricht treaty EC => EU
  • 27 members
  • major bodies
    • European Commission
      • the hightest administrative body
      • proposes policy and law to be discussed by the Council
    • Council of European Union
      • primary decision-making authority of the EU
      • each member country has a seat on the Council usually represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs
      • voting power is based on the country's population
    • European Parliament
      • controls EU's budget, votes on new laws
    • European Court of Justice
    • European central bank
      • Economic and Monetary Union => Euro

Symbols

• Council of Europe (CoE) - first symbols for the continent of Europe
• flag
  • circle of twelve golden (yellow) stars on a blue background
  • represents the union of all the people of Europe
  • associated with EU, formerly the European Communities, first adopted by CoE in 1955
• anthem
  • 4th movement of Ludvik van Beethoven's 9th symphony - The Ode to Joy
  • instrumental version only
• motto
  • united in diversity (In varietate concordia )
• European Day
  • 9th May
    • 1950 - Schuman declaration - proposal of sharing French and German coal and steel

EU and the Czech republic

• May 1, 2004
• each Czech citizen is now also a member of the EU
  • we can travel, stay or work in countries of EU
  • we don't need international driving licence in EU countries
  • we can spend whole studies at European universities (although perfect knowledge of local language is required)

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 4:17  Počet komentářů: 0

• population: 293 mil.
• capital: Washington, D.C.
• largest city: New York (8 mil.)
• constitutional republic, federation
• 50 states and a federal district (Washington, D.C.)

Geography and population

• area: 9,6 mil. sq km (4th largest after Russia, Canada and China)
• climate: mostly temparate, tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains (west of the Mississippi River), arid in the Great Basin of the southwest
• hightest point: Mount McKinley (Alaska) - 6,194 m
• lowest point: Death Valley (California) - 86 m below sea level
• longest river: Mississippi-Missouri 6,2 km
• largest lake: Lake Superior
• borders: Mexico, Canada, Atlantic ocean, Pacific ocean
• Cordilleras divided into several ranges (Rocky mountains, ...)
• Great lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario) - 250 000 sq m
• Niagara river, Niagara Falls (51m high, 320 m wide on the US side)

Places of interest

• Washington, D.C.
• D.C. = District of Columbia
• the White House (residence of the President), the Capitol (seat of the Congress), the Pentagon (the center of military forces), the Library of Congress
• the Washington Monument, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial, the Arlington National Cemetery
• New York
• famous boroughs: Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx
• Empire State Building, Broadway, Wall Street, The Statue of Liberty
• San Francisco
• "Frisco", Golden gate bridge, prison Alcatraz, Cable car, the most crooked street Lambard Street

National symbols

• flag
• 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white (= 13 original colonies)
• with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars (= 50 states)

History

• 35-20,000 years ago - first inhabitans from Asia
• 1000 viking explorers
• 1492 - Christopher Columbus, Italian navigator, searched for Orient, landed on the island of San Salvador
• 1620 - Pilgrim Fathers, first settlers of the Plymouth Colony, second established English settlement in the New World
• 1773 - Boston Tea Party - first demonstration of revolt against Britain
• 1776, July 4 - Declaration of Independence (written by Thomas Jefferson)
• 1776-1783 the Revolutionary war
• 1789 - first american president - George Washington
• 1800 - the federal capitol moved from temporary Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
• 1861-1865 - The Civil War, the South against the North
• 1860 - Abraham Lincoln elected as the american president
• more than 600,000 people died
• 1929 - the Great Depression - stock market crashed
• 1945-1989 Cold War

Federal public holidays

• New year's day
• Martin Luther King's day
• M. L. King - black leader, civil-rights campaigner, assassinated
• Presidents' day
• Memorial day
• Independence day (July 4)
• honors the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776
• Labor day
• Veterans' day (November 11)
• Thanksgiving day
• first celebrated in 1621
• Chrismas day

National parks

• Yellowstone (northwest Wyoming) - world's first national park, waterfalls, thermal pools, erupting geysers
• California Redwoods - the tallest kind of trees on earth (= redwoods; 110 m high)
• Grand Canyon
• California's Death Valley

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 12:12  Počet komentářů: 0

• reasons - getting food, shelter, travelling, fighting, wars (Cold war)
• materials
  • wood, bone, horn, stone
  • 6500 B.C. - lead was being extracted from rock, then copper 3000 years later
  • Iron age - metal, iron
• inventions and important events
  • the birth of technology
    • primitive tools: lever, wedge (muscle power)
    • wheel (4500 B.C.) => carts, windmills, waterwheels
  • new inventions (9th-18th century)
    • gunpowder, print machine (Johannes Gutenberg; 1440s), telescope, microscope, lighting conductor (Diviš & Benjamin Franklin)
  • the first industrial revolution (1760-1840)
    • agrarian economy => machinery & manufacturing
    • political power transfer to industrian capitalist, urban working class
    • steam engine - James Watt - 18th century
      • originally for draining mines
      • => trains, other machines
    • photography
  • the second industrial revolution (19th century)
    • electricity (1880s)
      • dynamo - Michael Faraday - potencial of electical motor
      • lighting
        • arc lamp - František Křižík
        • electric bulb - Thomas Edison
          • => first powe station
      • electric motors which powered all kinds of machinery
    • internal-combustion engine (Nicolas Otto, 1880s)
      • the first petrol driven motorcar (Daimler & Benz)
    • movies (TV), X-rays, radio, radar
    • atomic bomb (1940s)
      • nuclear energy
      • other sources of energy
        • coal, natural gas, oil
        • wind, solar, tidal
    • penicillin (1928)
      • the first antibiotic drug
      • Sir Alexander Fleming - Nobel prize winner
    • space research (space flights)
      • 1957 - the first satellites by Russians
      • 1961 - the first man in space (Yuri Gagarin)
      • 1969 - the first step on Moon's surface (Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong)
  • the third scientific-technical revolution (from 1945)
    • cumputers, internet, body chips, electronic cash

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 8:50  Počet komentářů: 0

• How can you define the family?
• What does family provide its members with?
• What are some family units / structures and what needs does the family fulfil?
• What role do some specialized institutions play? Are functions of the family influenced?
• Has the family composition changed in any way? Describe the developments.
• Are extended family households still popular?
• How did the family structures modify?
• Name some variations of the family unit.
• What does threaten the family system in developing nations?
• Describe a family member (appearance, character).

Family

The family is the basic social group. Although it's presented in all societies, the family structure and the needs that the family fulfils vary from society to society. Usually the main function of the family is the provision of love and emotional support by and all it's members, especially children. Other family functions are for example economic production, education, religion and recreation. In these days many of the family functions are performed by specialized institutions like schools, old people's homes or Churchs.

We can define family types according to the family structure. The nuclear family is the main unit in some societies and it consists of two adults and their two children. This type can be a subordinate part of an extended family, which also consists of grandparents and other relatives. Single parent family is a family where one of the parents is dead (mainly in the past) or where parents are divorced or unmarried. Childless families are families without any children. A stepfamily is created by the new marriage of a single parent. There can be some problems with relations in this family type especially when the family consists of two single parent families where children live together as siblings.

Today's families are different in lot of ways thanks to ongoing changes in women's roles, mass media influence and employment opportunities. The average number of children born to a woman fell from 7 in 1800 to 2 by the early 1990s in the United States. In early times, marriage normally dissolved through the death of a spouse. In these days parents often get divorced. The divorce between spuouses can be a much smoother with a prenuptial agreement (if both of them are reasonable). Present-day trend is not to get married and live together as a couple without any children. It's a suitable way if two partners want to build their careers. It's also very easy to live without having children due to the improved birth control and legalized abortion.

Developing countries have a big problem. They have too many children in families that their parents can't feed them and it's very hard to go study for them. They miss protection, love and whole normal live.

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 12:41  Počet komentářů: 0

• population: 33 mil.
• official languages: English, French (11 Native Canadian languages)
• capital: Ottawa in Ontario
• major cities: Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver
• 10 provinces and 3 territories
• independence since 1867 (Canada Day, 1 July) when four British colonies united in the Dominion of Canada
• legal system based on English common law, except in Quebec (where is based on French law)
• government similar to Australian
• member of Commonwealth
• Inuit - native inhabitans - north of Canada

Geography and climate

• location: Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, Arctic Ocean on the North and the USA on the south
• area: almost 10 mil. sq km (second largest in the world after Russia)
• hightest point: Mt Logan (5,959 m) in the Yukon
• The Rocky mountains (the Rockies) - national parks: Banff - first, Jasper
• climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in southeast

Symbols

• flag
• two vertical bands or red with white square between them
• 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square
• official colors are red and white
• national animal - the beaver

Sport and games

• Lacrosse
• national game, one of the oldest ball games in the world
• earlier form was played by Indians as part of their training for war
• players use stick and leather bag filled with stones (today is used net with balls instead)
• it's named after French term for bischop's staff which looks similar
• 10 players, 2 teams, the aim is to shoot the ball into the oponent's goal

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 7:54  Počet komentářů: 0

• consist of two large islands (North Island and South Island) situated in the South Pacific Ocean
• hightest point: Mount Cook (3764 m)
• climate very pleasant all year round
• capital: Wellington
• largest city: Auckland
• population: 4 mil.
• area: 268,680 sq km
• flag similar to Australians, consist of Union Jack and four red stars (Southern Cross)
• variet fauna and flora
• sceneric landscapes of snow-capped mountans, rolling green pastures, fiords and active volcanoes
• cattles, sheeps
• agricultural country, World's second largest exporter of wool
• first settlers 800-1000 BC - Maories, first Europeans 1840

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 3:46  Počet komentářů: 0

The Aboriginal nations and their history

Before the British colonisation, there were a great many different Aboriginal groups, each with their own individual culture, belief structure, and language. Indigenous Australian Aboriginal communities are often called tribes, and there are several hundred in Australia. The largest Aboriginal communities today are the Pitjantjatjara, the Arrernte, the Luritja and the Warlpiri, all from Central Australia.

The Dreamtime (used in art, songs)

Each group have their own words (terms) for an Aboriginal concept such a Tjukurpa, Aldjerinya or Nguthuna. There is no perfect translation for it in English and that's why we call it Dreaming. Dreaming is the most acceptable word for an Aboriginal concept 'cause revelations or insights are received in dreams or recurring visions. Dreams are about all that is known and all that is understood. It's their view of life, lifestyle, nature and world as well.

Their culture is focused on recording (singing songs, painting) the origins of life through their visions and dreams. Dreamtime is Aboriginal Religion and Culture.

Aboriginal culture (languages, Corroboree)

Australian Aboriginal culture is very rich and unusual diverse. It is one of the world's longest surviving cultures, 50,000 years old. 500 different clan groups or 'nations' were there around the continent, many with distinctive cultures.

700 variety dialects from more than 200 aboriginal languages were spoken there as well as a variety of different customs and rituals, art forms, styles of painting, forms of food, and hunting habits were created.

The word corroboree was first used by early European invaders to describe Aboriginal ceremonies.

Ceremonies where aboriginal people were singing and dancing. Corroboree is the English equivalent of Caribberie.

Musical instruments, history of didgeridoo

Didgeridoo is musical instrument used by aboriginal people and first written account of the didgeridoo was published in 1835 where it is described as a trumpet. Didgeridoo is a long wooden flute, perhaps the oldest musical instrument on earth. The aboriginals say that it is sound of earth.

Aboriginal art (traditional, contemporary, rock art, artists)

A. art is devided into traditional, contemporary and rock. Traditional Aboriginal art represent the Dreaming but is often also a vital part of ceremonies. Contemporary art means that some new methods of producing the art is used, for example, the use of acrylic paint on canvas or commercial fixatives on bark. Australia rock art as well as body painting and decoration were common although varying in styles, method, materials and meaning. There is and was a wide range of traditional Aboriginal art forms.

Aboriginal tourism

Visitor permits are required to enter some Aboriginal land. The permit system is designed to help protect the privacy of Aboriginal communities, preserve Aboriginal culture, safeguard the natural environment and promote visitor safety.

You can book your tour by travel agent and choose places and attractions which you want to see.

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 3:31  Počet komentářů: 0

• capital: Canberra (Melbourne in the past)
• official language: English
• largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
• population: 20 mil.

Geography and climate

• lies at the bottom of the Earth between Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean
• only nation in the world that is also a continent
• 7.6 mil sq km, mostly flat except for Great Dividing Range
• cities separated by long distances
• biggest island - Tasmania
• many contrast in the landscape
• huge central desert surrounded by a semi-desert zone (Great Victoria Desert, Great Sandy Desert)
• tropical rainforests and jungle in the north
• Eucalyptus forests in southern areas (e.g. near the Australian Alps)
• many different climates
• tropical in the north with two seasons (Rainy and Dry)
• days are hot, nights are cold in the desert
• the South have four seasons (mild winters, hot summers)
• major rivers: the Murray and the Darling in the sout-east
• hightest point: Mt. Kosciuszko (2228 m)
• lowest point: Lake Eyre (16 m below sea level)

Symbols

• flag
• flag is blue and includes the flag of the UK, the Southern Cross constellation (five stars) and a large seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star (which represents the federation of colonies of Australia)

Government

• head of government: Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd
• head of state: Queen of the UK (Governor General)
• legislature: Parliament of two houses: Senate and House of Representatives
• political subdivisions: Six states and two territories (Western Australia, Southern Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania; Northern Territory, Capital Territory)

Economy

• currency: Australian dollar
• agriculture: sheep, cattle, wheat, wool, milk
• manufacturing: processed food and beverages, iron and steel, chemicals, textiles
• mining: coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, lead, zinc
• Australian sheep grow on quarter of all wool in the world, some sheep farms (called stations) are bigger than the smallest  of European countries

History

• Australia was discovered by Dutch (maybe also Portuguese) navigators (17th century)
• the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania in 1642, early name of Australia was "New Holland"
• british captain James Cook explored the eastern coast in 1770 and at the Botany Bay, he named this new land "New South Wales"
• captain Arthrur Philip brought the first settlers (mainly from England)
• Australia was originally a penal colony
• the discovery of gold in the middle of the 19th century attracted many immigrants, population increased rapidly, six separate colonies were founded
• 1901 - Commonwealth of Australia

• ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army troops (volunteers)
• April 25, Anzac Day
• 1915 - 8000 ANZACs died near ancient city of Troy (Gallipoli Peninsula)

Places of interest

• Sydney - Australian largest city, 60 km of beaches, famous Sydney Opera House (looks like waves breaking on the shore), Summer Olympics in 2000
• Canberra - capital city in Capital Territory since 1927, the Australian War Memorial
• Melbourne - nation's financial and commercial centre, Royal Botanic Garden
• Tasmania - Island state off the southeastern coast, more than one-fifth covered by national parks, Tasmanian devil (named after sound he makes)
• Great Barrier Reef - World's longest coral reef (2000 km), rich marine life
• Ayers Rock - huge sandstone, 348 m above desert floor, area of 3.3 sq km

Animals

• kangaroo - female has a pouch in which its young are carried
• koala - tree climbing mammal
• emu - large bird which cannot fly
• tasmanian devil

Transport

• air travel - 455 airports
• railways - 47,738 km

Aborigines

• original Australian people are called the Aborigines
• many tribes (small groups on large territory)
• 200 languages, up to 1.5 mil. people in the past, 600 tribes
• no-return boomerang for hunting and war
• didgerido - musical instrument

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 3:21  Počet komentářů: 0

• population: 10 mil.
• area: 78,866 sq km
• capital: Prague
• other cities: Brno, Ostrava, Hradec Králové, Plzeň, Zlín
• three main parts: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia
• official language: Czech
• member of EU, NATO

Geography, climate

• location: inland country in central Europe bordered by Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria, it's surounded by mountains along borders
• hightest point: Sněžka 1603 m
• mountain ranges:
• the Giant mountains
• the Bohemian forest in Bohemia
• the Jeseníky mountains                  
• the Beskydy mountains in Moravia 
• the Ore mountains
• largest river is the Elbe which flows through Germany and empties into the North Sea
• other: Vltava with numerous dams (Lipno, Slapy), Morava river which empties into the Danube and finaly into the Black Sea
• humid continental climate with cold winters and warm summers
• natural resources of coal (Ostrava), lignite (Chomutov, Most, Teplice)

Government

• parliamentary democracy
• bicameral legislature
• Chamber of Deputies (lower house, 200)
• Senate (upper house, 81)
• head of government: Prime Minister Miroslav Topolánek
• president: Václav Klaus
• main parties: ODS, ČSSD

Economy

• the CR is both industrial and agricultural country
• we grow weat,  potatoes, sugar beet, rye
• we produce wood, paper, chemicals, steel, glass, machines (motor cars, trams, buses etc), guns

History

• in the 4th century BC Celtic tribes settled in area of today's ČR and named it "Bohemia"
• in the 7th century Frankish merchant Samo became the ruler of the new Slavic state called Great Moravia
• by the end of 9th century Czech state was unified by the Přemyslids
• during Middle Ages it was part of the Holy Roman Empire (Charel IV., a Czech king became the Holy Roman Emperor (1355)
• in the 16th century country came under the Habsburg reign
• country was devastated during Hussite Wars and after the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)
• Germanisation
• Czech National Revival - cultural movement in 18th and 19th centuries
• Czechoslovakia (1918) after collapse of Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of WW I.
• during WW II. Czech state was occupied by the Germans (Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia), Slovakia broke away
• 1948-1989 - communist era with influence of Soviet Union
• in 1989 freedom after the Velvet Revolution
• in 2003 Czech republic was founded
• 2004 - Czech republic joined the EU

Famous Czech people

• Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (first president of Czechoslovakia)
• Václav Havel (first spokesmen for Charter 77, leading figure of the Velvet Revolution, first Czech president)
• Emil Zátopek (famous runner, three gold medals at the summer Olympics in Helsinki)
• Jaromír Jágr, Dominik Hašek - hockey players
• Jan Železný, Roman Šebrle - athletics
• Matina Návratilová - tennis
• Karel Čapek - R.U.R. - robot
• Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana - composers

Nobel prize winners:

• Jaroslav Heyrovský (chemistry - invention of the polarographic method
• Jaroslav Seifet (literature)

Symbols

• flag
  • The Czech flag was first adopted in 1918 as the flag of Czechoslovakia
  • consist of a horizontal white band above a red band (traditional colours of Bohemia and Moravia) and a blue triangle on the left side (originally represented Slovakia but it was kept even after the split of Czechoslovakia)
• anthem
  • Where is My Home?
  • written by the composer František Škroup and the playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl as a part of the comedy Fidlovačka aneb Žádný hněv a žádná rvačka
• the national colors
  • The Bohemian national colors are regarded as being white and red. The colors of Moravia are gold and red and the national colors of Silesia are gold and black.
• the large and small national emblem
  • originally, the emblem used by Czech kings was a silver single-tailed lion on a red background, later on double-tailed
  • the large national emblem
    • individual fields symbolize the historical lands - Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia
    • two lions (Bohemia) and two eagles (for Moravia and Silesia)  in the national colors
• the flag of the president of the republic

Prague

• biggest and oldest city in the CR, also a capital city
• seat of president, governent, parliament
• more than 1.2 mil. people
• best views of Prague are from Petřín hill where is also an observation tower and a cableway
• the Old town is from 13th century, first settled in 5th century

Czech cuisine

• pickled sausage with onions
• pickled cheese with peppers
• svíčková
• pieces of tenderloin covered in sweet creamy sauce
• served with dumplings, slice of lemon and cranberry sauce
• goulash
• beef and onions cooked with spices and served with dumplings
• roasted pork - national dish
• served with sauerkraut and dumplings
• řízek
• slice of pork or chicken meat breaded and fried
• served usually with potatoes
• beer
• cheaper than mineral water in restaurants

Czech attractions

• many castles (Karlštejn)
• and chateaus (Hluboká)
• spa towns in the west (Karlovy vary, Mariánské lázně)

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 10:02  Počet komentářů: 0

Topics:

• geography, location
• population, languages
• governmental system
• holidays and celebrations
• London (transport, famous places)
• other cities
• Commonwealth

Background:

• long form of the country name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• first inhabitans 3000 BC; Romans from 43 BC until 5th century,
• Great britain was dominant industrial and maritime power of 19th century.
• At it's zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface.
• UK depleted it's strength during two world wars in 20th century.
• In the first half of 20th century UK rebuilded itself into modern European nation.
• UK is a founding member of NATO and of the Commonwealth, member of EU except the European Monetary Union.

Geography

• location: islands including one-sixth of the island of Ireland located in Western Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, 35 km from France
• area, land boundaries: 244,820 sq km, border with Ireland (360 km)
• climate: temperate, more than one-half of the days are overcast
• terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast; hightest point: Ben Nevis 1343 m, lowest point: The Fens -4 m
• natural resources: coal, natural gas, iron ore, lead, gold, zinc
• natural hazards: winter windstorms, floods
• largest cities: London, Birmingham, Liverpool

People

• population: more than 60 mil.
• ethnic groups: English (80%), Scottish (9.6 %), Irish (2.4 %), Welsh (1.9%), other
• religions: Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 mil., Muslim 1.5 mil.
• languages: English, Welsh, Scottish form of Gaelic

Basic facts

• capital: London

Symbols of the country

• flag: Union Jack = Union Flag
  • blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white
  • superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (p.s. of Ireland)
  • which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (p.s. of Scotland)

Government

• constitutional monarchy
• executive branch:
  • chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II.
  • head of government: Prime Minister Gordon Brown (Downing Street 10)
  • cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  • elections: none, the Monarchy is hereditary, leader of the majority party is usually the prime minister
• legislative branch:
  • Parliament:
    • House of Lords
    • House of Commons
  • Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly
• main paries
  • Labour Party, Conservative Party

Economy

• one of the strongest in Europe, low inflation and unemployment
• currency: GBP British pound
• labor force: services 74%, industry 25%, agriculture 1%
• industries: motor vehicles and parts, electronics, machine tools, automation & railroad equipment
• agriculture products: cereals, potatoes, vegetables
• export partners: US, Germany, France

English way of life

• the British are very conservative (school uniforms, driving on the left, their system of weights and measures)
• they call La manche channel as English channel and rest of Europe the Continent
• they are polite and have good manners
• they drink 25% of all tea which grows in the world each year
• children under 14 can't go inside a pub and pubs closes at 11 p.m.
• they stay in line in queues
• correct response to "how do you do?" is repeat "how do you do?"

Holidays and celebrations

• Pancake Day - to use up all the butter and eggs before Lent, which starts the following day
• Remembrance Day honours veterans (second Sunday near 11th November)
• St Patrick's Day - (patron saint of Ireland) people often wear green, March 17th
• Mothers Day
• Easter
• Halloween  - children say "trick or treat"
• Guy Fawkes Night - 5th November; fireworks; celebrate Fawkes' failure in his attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament
• Christmas
  • December 24th - Chrismas Eve - some children hang a stocking at the end of bed;
  • 25th - Chrismas Day - presents from Father Chrismas (in stocking or around a Chrismas tree); mid-day dinner - Roust turkey & Mince pie (with spices and fruits) & Christmas pudding (with brandy)
• Boxing Day - gentry would  give presents to servants, trades people etc., tips
• New years day, Good Friday, Eater Monday

London

• was found by Romans in 43 AD
• oldest part known as "the City" is now business and banking center
• London's famous shops, theatres and hotels stretch from the City to West End
• situated on the river Thames in south-east England
• largest airport in Europe - Heathrow
• in 19th century it was the largest city, port and financial center in the world
• big fire in 1666 (Hollar's drawings of London), heavily damaged during World War II.
• Whitehall street, Globe theater
• parks; Hyde park
• transport
  • Double-deckers
    • with open upper deck for sightseeing 
  • The Tube (Underground)
    • crowded and dirty, not safe to travel alone in night, the oldest underground
  • Black taxies
    • very knowledgeable drivers, not overcharged
  • cars
    • taxes for driving in the center, average speed 2-3 km/h in rush hour
  • cycling becoming popular
• Buckingham Palace
  • home of Queen, she is at home when flag is flying
• Trafalgar Square
  • statue of Admiral Nelson who defeated the French at Battle of Trafalgar in 1805
  • National Gallery
• Piccadilly Circus
  • meeting point of six main streets, in the middle is a famous statue of Ero (the Greek god of love)
• The house of Parliament
  • Big Ben = bell inside the clock tower
• Westminster Abbey
  • since 1066 all English kings and queens have been crowned here
  • tombs of kings and famous people
• The Tower of London
  • build as fortress, later became a prison
• St Paul's Cathedral
  • Whispering Gallery
• Tower Bridge

Interesting places and cities but London

• Plymouth - west-south historic seaport, departure point of the Mayflower
• Stonehenge with prehistoric monuments (circles of huge stones, 3500 BC)
• Brighton - a beach resort with Royal pavilion
• Oxford, Cambridge
• Hadrian's wall in the north
• Edinburgh - capital of Scotland and seat of Scottish parliament, birthplace of Walter Scott
• Cardiff - capital of Wales
• Belfast - capital of Northen Ireland, originaly center of ship-building

Commonwealth of Nations

• group of 51 countries with around 1100 mil. people (a quarter of the population of the world)
• 17th, 18th centuries - a lot of overseas colonies
• giving colonies a larger degree of self-rule, most countries became independent
• Queen Elizabeth II. is Head of the Commonwealth
• English language

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 9:01  Počet komentářů: 0

The human body is constantly being attacked by many different kinds of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. Thanks to the progress in medicine and technology we are able to prevent, control and treat many diseases so we can help ourselves to be fit, healthy and what is most important - alive.

What to do to keep healthy?

Our health mostly rely on our lifestyle and the best way to avoid health problems is prevention. 

We should:

• practise, do some sports
  • it's not necessary to do some boring exercises, playing some sports game two times a week is enough and moreover -- it can be fun
• eat healthy
  • avoid fat and junk food from fastfoods, eat more fruit and vegetables, eat regularly
• sleep sufficiently
  • eight to nine hours of sleep for adult
• be in the fresh air
• avoid stress, cigarettes, drugs and so on

We can also improve our natural defence system with vaccines. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to establish immunity to a disease. We are ussualy vaccinated preemptively mostly against some ordinary children's diseases during our childhood although It's not bad idea to get vaccinated against other diseases especially when you go abroad.

Deseases

Various bacteria and microorganisms are dangerous invaders, attempting to weaken and destroy our body. Our contemporary world is constantly bringing new diseases. We can devide them into several categories:

• common illnesses
• diseases of civilisation
• (gruesome) serious diseases

Common illnesses are for example flu, cold, headache, tootache or tonsillitis and we can discern them with various symptoms like temperature, perspiration, torpidity, pains, etc. It should be no problem to cure them with help of our natural defence system. Among more serious illnesses are measles, chicken pox, mumps, diptheria, whooping cough, polio, ..

Deseases of civilisation are diseases that appear to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized and people live longer. They include Alzheimer's disease, migraines, depression, obesity and many others.

And finaly we should mention some serious diseases: leukaemia, AIDS, heart attacks, cancer. Some of them are unfortunately incurable.

All these diseases hava one common thing -- we should visit our doctor right away. In the case of a serious illness, an ambulance takes us to the hospital.

At the surgery

• general practitioner
• go directly or make an appointment
• doctor asks  us how we feel, what problems we are having
• its not good to hold back information
• after examination the doctor prescribe prescriprion
• medicines we can get at the pharmacy
• tablets, pills, drops, ointments, syrup, powder, vitamins, antibiotics

Things a doctor does

• takes your temperature
• looks into your throat or ears
• listens to your heart
• checks your lungs and listens to you breath
• tests your reflexes
• checks your blood pressure and pulse
• takes a blood count
• gives you an x-ray

Medical care in the Czech republic

Medical care in the Czech rep. with recent reform of public health service is not as free of charge as it was. We now have to pay a small charge every time we see a doctor. We also pay for prescriptions, stay in hospitals and medicines although some of them could be entirely paid by insurance company.

Our medical system includes first aid, antenatal checkups, maternity ward services, social care up to old age, GPs, treatment in hospitals and spas, old people's homes and many others.

Life expectancy grows along with awareness of medical care, quality of doctors and number of hospitals. Unfortunately these characteristics vary from state to state and that's why it's very important where you live.

Health is one of the most important things in our lives and that's why not all gone for nothing when we wish one another good health.

Vaccines: typhus, tetanus, chicken pox, whooping cough, tuberculosis, ...

Questions:

Štítky: angličtina, maturita

# vystavil Peter : 9:26  Počet komentářů: 1