Due to the geographic location of Great Britain the type of the climate is oceanic. There are no extreme contrasts in temperature in Britain because of the current of warm water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico called the Gulf Stream. Average British temperatures do not rise above 32°C in summer and do not fall below -10°C in winter.
The prevailing winds from the ocean to the south-west bring rainfall throughout the year. The total national rainfall average is over 1100 mm annually. March to June tend to be a driest months, September to January the wettest. The fogs of London, often made severe by mixture with city smoke, have worldwide reputation.
The rivers of the Great Britain are abundant, and they never freeze....
The common ideas people have about the weather in Britain are: "It rains all the time, it's very damp"; "There's a terrible fog in London, just like in Sherlok Holmes'...", "The sun never shines in July or August".
Britain has a variable climate. The weather changes so frequently that it is difficult to forcast. It is not unusual for people to complain that the weathermen were wrong. Fortunately, as Britain does not experience extreme weather conditions, it is never very cold or very hot. The temperature rarely rises above 32°C (DOT) in summer, or falls below 10°C (14°F) in winter...
Great Britain is situated on islands. It is washed by seas from all sides. That's why the climate and the nature of Great Britain is very specific. The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true. In fact, London gets no more rain in a year than most other major European cities. Generally speaking, the further west you go, the more rain you get. The mild winters mean that snow is a regular feature of the higher areas only. The winters are in general a bit colder in the east of the country than they are in the west. While in summer, the south is slightly warmer and sunnier than the north. Besides Britain is famous for I fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it is impossible to see anything within 2 or 3 metres.
Why has Britain's climate got such bad reputation? Maybe it is for the same reason that British people always seem to be talking about the weather. There is a saying that Britain doesn't have a climate, it only has weather. You can never be sure of a fry day, though it may not rain very much altogether. There can be cool and even cold days in July and some quite warm days in January....
The British Media consists of the press and radio and TV broadcasting.
Now a couple of words about papers. First of all there is no subscription. You may buy any on sale. There are two main types of newspapers: the «popular» papers and the «quality» papers.
The popular papers are less in size, with many pictures, big headlines and short articles. They are easy to read. They are such papers as «Daily Express», «Daily mail», «Daily Mirror», «Daily Star», «The Sun» and others.
The «quality» papers are for more serious readership. These papers are bigger in size, with larger articles and more detailed information. The «quality» papers are — «The Times», «Daily Telegraph», «The Guardian», «Financial Times», «The Independent»...
Seven per cent of British schoolchildren go to private schools called independent schools.
There are 2.400 independent schools and they have been growing in number and popularity since the mid-1980's.
Parents pay for these schools, and fees vary from about 250 pounds a term for a private nursery to 3.000 pounds a term or more for a secondary boarding school.
Most independent schools are called prep (preparatory) schools because they prepare the children for the Common Entrance Exam which they take at the age of 11. This exam is for entry into the best schools.
The most famous schools are called «public schools» and they have...
Critics claim that the golden age of television occurred in the 1950's.
Various fads have swept the television scene — e. g. westerns, doctor and lawyer shows, cops-and-robbers series, rural comedies.
Sports coverage of baseball, golf and especially professional football is currently in vogue.
Late evening talk shows are currently popular. Recently controversies involving television have concerned children's programming, the issue of violence, and the right of TV to broadcast controversial news programs. Psychologists have argued that the presentation of violence on television might lead young people to regard violence as acceptable behaviour. TV is a major factor in British life....
Everyone knows that tea is the most popular drink in Britain. It's even more popular than coffee, which is favoured throughout Europe and America.
The Dutch brought the first tea to Europe in 1610. But it was not until 1658 that the first advertisement for tea appeared in a London newspaper. At that time a pound of the cheapest tea cost about one-third of a skilled worker's weekly wages. Tea was guarded by the lady of the house and kept in special containers, often with a lock and carefully doled out by the teaspoon...
The quality of a country's future life, commercially, industrially and intellectually, depends on the quality of its education system. The state in the United Kingdom provides a full range of free schooling. Those parents who prefer to send their children to private educational institutions, are free to do so. There are about 2500 fee-paying, or public schools in the country.
State schooling in the UK is not as centralized as in most European countries. Firstly, there is no prescribed curriculum. Secondly, the types of schools available and the age ranges for which they cater vary in different parts of the country. Local Educational Authorities are responsible for education in each area. At any state school no tuition fees are payable. State schooling in the UK is funded by the government and the local rates...
The British have taken good ideas from all over the world. You can eat Chinese, Indian, Italian and Greek food in any big city. There is a fantastic variety of restaurants.
The restaurants' best customers are business people, who meet in them to talk business in a relaxed atmosphere away from the telephone. They can eat what they like because the company pays the bill.
When a man and woman want to get to know each other better, they often go out to a restaurant together. After all it's easier to talk in a quiet atmosphere with soft music, wine and good food. Most British families only go to restaurants on special occasions, like birthdays or wedding anniversaries.
For visitors to London, eating out can be fun. But if you want that special feeling of London, go to the Ritz in Picadilly for tea any afternoon at about half past four. And you'll see that the prices are very high...
British religion used to be closely connected with kings, queens and politics. England was a Roman Catholic country until 1534.
In 1525 King Henry VIII decided to divorce his queen, Catherine of Aragon, because he fell in love with Anne Boleyn. But when Henry asked the Pope for permission to divorce Catherine, he refused.
Henry was so angry with the Pope that he ended all contact between England and Rome. He divorced Catherine of Aragon without the Pope's permission and married Anne Boleyn.
In 1534 Parliament named Henry head of the Church of England. This was the beginning of the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church did not start as a Protestant Church and Henry certainly did not regard himself as a Protestant. However the Protestant movement in Europe was growing very strong at that time...
