New british civilisation

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INTRODUCTION
The United Kingdom is made up of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern
Ireland. Its flag is made up of the individual flags of three of the kingdom’s countries: England
by the flag of St George (a red cross on a white background), Scotland by the flag of St Andrew
(a diagonal white cross form (called a saltire) on a blue field) and the cross of St Patrick (a
diagonal red cross on a white background) for Northern Ireland. As Wales was not a kingdom
but a principality it could not be included on the flag.
UK or the United Kingdom is the oldest monarchy in the world. Today, it is quiet impossible
to define what is to be British or Britishness. It is also impossible to distinguish a British from
a non-British since the British people, from its very beginning to nowadays is an amalgam of
nations, peoples, incomers old and new, borrowers and innovators. Some people consider it as
a perfect melting-pot and democracy whereas for others, it is like USA, a salad bowl.
Till 2016, the kingdom was one of the most influential members of the European Union. But,
following a violent campaign climaxed with the assassination of Deputy Joe Coke by the
backers of the Brexit, a term probably coined by Peter Wilding, we witnessed the victory of the
“Brexit”(17410742, 51?8%) over the “Bremain”(16141241, 48,1%). As a consequence, UK is
no longer member of the European Union and Theresa May became Prime Minister in the wake
of the resignation of David Cameron. Another consequence is the drastic declining of the Pound
which has reached a level never seen within 32 years. Scot Prime Minister who voted for the
“Brimain” has decided to campaign for a referendum whereby Scotland will decide to leave or
remain within the kingdom. Negotiations the new relationships with the rest of Europe are still
going on and UK and Europe have agreed on a total amount of 50 billion euros that Uk should
pay over years to definitely leave the European Union. The stumbling block remains the natural
frontiers of N. Ireland that voted against Brexit. Today, the Brexit issue is hard to handle both
in UK and with the rest of Europe. In 20018 UK witnessed the resignation of some key ministers
such as Boris Johnson, Jo Jonson and David Davis who are strongly opposed to the way May
is managing with Europe regarding Brexit.
This booklet focuses on aspects of four main points of this civilization: history, society,
economy and institutions.

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UNIT I: EARLY HISTORY
Pre-reading vocabulary
Civilization: an advanced level of development in society that is marked by complex social and
political organization, and material, scientific, and artistic progress. It also refers to all the
societies at an advanced level of development considered collectively.
A society that has a high level of culture and social organization
Civilization comprises all the elements (culture, religion, mode, customs, language, arts,
style…..) characterizing a given people at a given period of time. It is consequently as dynamic
as human societies.
History: the past events in time or in the life or development of a people, an institution, or a
place.
Kingdom: a state ruled by a king or queen
Reading text
It would be difficult to find anyone in modern Britain who could say with certainty that his
ancestors had not come to the British Isles from somewhere else. Who, then, are today’s Britons
and what kind of people are they?
The Scots (Scotland)
The Scots, particularly those from the mountainous north, try to maintain their separate identity.
Like the Welsh, they object to being called ‘English’. Their earliest known ancestors were the
Picts and the Celts from the ancient language of the Celt tribes.
The Scottish Highlander considers himself the ‘true’ Scot.
The Highlanders are a proud, independent and hardy people who mainly live by farming sheep
in the mountain areas; others on the coasts and islands, are fishermen. But most Scots are
Lowlanders, concentrated in the densely-populated towns and cities of southern Scotland.

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The Scots have the reputation for being inventive, hardworking, serious-minded and cautious
with money. In the past, they were pioneer settlers and empire builders in places like America,
Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
The Welsh (Wales)
The Welsh have been united with England since the 1535 Act of Union, they are still very
conscious of their separate Celtic heritage. Although the number of people who actually speak
the Welsh language is declining, cultural pride in Wales is very strong. The Welsh are famous
for their love of music and poetry and they have developed choral singing to a national art. The
Welsh, like the Scots, fall into two groups: those – mostly sheep farmers – from the mountainous
regions of the center and north; and those who live and work in the highly industrialized south
where coal mining and steel manufactures are the main economic activities. A Welshman can
often be recognized by his name: it might be Jones, Williams, Thomas, Evans,
Lloyd, Llewellyn, or begin with ‘P’ like Pritchard, Probert, or Pryse (they are contraction of Ap
Richard, Ap Robert and Ap Rys; ‘ap’ is Welsh for ‘son of’). The Welsh are also easily identified
by the soft lilting, almost singing, way in which they speak English.
The Irish (Ireland)
The Irish, a mainly Celtic people, have maintained their ancient Gaelic language but English is
spoken by everyone. Like the Welsh, they have a rich literary heritage which is apparent in their
love of words.
To understand the present situation in Northern Ireland (Ulster) a basic knowledge of the island
long and violent history is essential. The conflict in Northern Ireland is usually explained in
terms of the different constitutional aspirations of the two main sections of the community in
the region. Many Catholics consider themselves to be Irish and are nationalist in political
outlook, that is, they would like to see the whole island of Ireland reunited and independent of
Britain. Most Protestants consider themselves to be British and are Unionist in political outlook,
that is, they want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom of Britain (England,
Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland.
The correspondence between religion, culture, and political outlook is the result of a historical
accident. During the ‘plantation of Ulster’ in the early 17th century the Scottish and English
settlers, who moved to the north-east of Ireland to take ownership of confiscated lands, were
Protestant and had strong cultural ties with England and Scotland. The native Irish who were
forced from their land were Catholic and culturally Irish. Although religion was not the
determining factor in the conflict between the people living in the region, it has a special
significance as it was used as a marker to distinguish and discriminate between sections of the
community. As a consequence of the plantation, Protestants acquired land and wealth. Various
pieces of legislation were introduced to reduce the status of Catholics. The inequalities between
the two sections of the population persisted to the late 1960s and were the main cause of the
civil rights movement that eventually led to the re-emergence of violent conflict.
Conflict (in the form of political conflict, economic conflict, etc.) between the two main
communities has a long history, almost 400 years. There have been many bouts of violent
conflict in the past and there is no guarantee that people will not resort to violence in the future.
Simply on the basis of previous experience one would have to say that another period of
violence is a possibility. In the meantime Northern Ireland is likely to continue to experience
an imperfect peace. It will require a fundamental shift in the nature of the relationship between
unionists and nationalists in the region for violence to be avoided in the future.

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The English
Traditionally, an Englishman is thought to be reserved, unemotional, courteous; shy of
strangers; suspicious of change and slow to accept new ideas; solid and dependable with a high
sense of honesty, duty and justice; physically and morally courageous; conscious of his place
in the social order; disliking any show of emotion and lack of control; and fervently believing
that the British are superior to any other race on earth.
This stereotype picture is far from true, especially in today’s world. The English are as
individuals as the inhabitants of any other nation. Perhaps even more so because they are
descended from so many different peoples who all came and settled in England at some time or
other.
The Celts came from central and north-western Europe between 700 and 200 BC. Then, in 55
BC, the Romans invaded and brought with them their laws, taxes, engineering skills,
architecture and social system as well as their language, Latin and their system of writing and
numbering. Romans introduced Christianity in England.
The Romans were followed by the pagan Angles, Saxons and Jutes (Norsemen) who came
from what is now Denmark and northern Germany. From AD 450 to 600 they gradually took
control of most of the country, became Christians and settled down as farmers. Next, it was the
turn of Viking raiders from Scandinavia.
Normans: In AD 1066 William of Normandy (William the Conqueror) landed with a large
armed force on the south coast and won a great victory over the Saxons. He and his
Frenchspeaking followers set up a strong central government which brought a new unified and
control to the country.
After England became a Protestant country in the sixteenth century, it became a refuge for other
Protestants from catholic states who were being persecuted for their faith. For example, the
Huguenot (French Protestants) sought shelter in England and brought with them their weaving
techniques which laid the foundation of a prosperous textile industry in eastern England. Over
the centuries, many other refugees from political and religious persecution have found a home
in England and their specific skills, as well as their languages, have enriched the English
economy and culture. Other groups have come in connection with their trade or business, like
the Lombardy bankers from northern Italy.
Today, millions of people from the entire world can be found in England. It must be admitted
that many people in Britain are worried by the way in which so many immigrants, particularly
those with different religious and ethnic backgrounds, have been permitted to settle in such
large numbers. They see them as a threat to traditional British social, moral and cultural values.
Tensions in some city areas between youths of different racial backgrounds has not helped to
calm these fears
Most of today’s immigrants are hard-working and are determined to make the most of all that
Britain has to offer. Many of them are employed in essential public services like railways and
hospitals; almost half doctors in the National Health Service are, in fact, from the new
Commonwealth. On the whole immigrants and certainly their children born in Britain are
becoming assimilated and integrated into wider British community. At the same time they are
able to retain their religious and cultural roots. In this way they contribute to the fascinating
diversity of Britain’s multi-racial society.
So a visitor to the United Kingdom may meet people with family names originating from the
whole world; and they could be Church of England, Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland,
Welsh Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, Jewish, Jehovah’s Witness, Muslim, Buddhist….

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Comprehension questions
1) Describe the differences between the Scottish Highlanders and Lowlanders and the
areas they live in.
2) Who are the first inhabitants of UK?
3) What are the common points to Welsh and Scots?
4) Why is it not easy to talk of a ‘typical Englishman’?
5) 6) Who were the Normans?
7) What are the main fears of some British people concerning the numbers of immigrants
who have been allowed to settle in Britain?
Discussion questions
1. Are immigrants effectively integrated in UK?
2. In paragraph one, why do Scots object to being called English?
3. Have many people left your country to go to live elsewhere? Why and where have they
gone?
4. Immigrants should be encouraged to preserve their “old” culture even when they’re
living in the new country. Do you agree with such a statement?
Vocabulary exercises A. multiple choice
Try to define the following words: Choose the word that best defines the italicized word.
Inventive:
a. creative
b. original
c. prolific
Culture:
a. development
b. customs
c. industrialization
Religion:
a. background
b. culture
c. belief
Customs:
a. worshiping
b. manners
c. civilization
Hardworking:
a. laziness
b. difficulty
c. painstaking
Cautious:
a. careless
b. clever
c. careful

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Unemotional:
1. emotive
2. emulated
3. non-sensitive
B. Matching/ definition
Match the words with their definitions. Place the letter of the definition in the space next to the
word.
Races a. a person who lives where he or she
was born
Immigrant b. people related to you in history
Immigration c. groups of people who share
characteristics, ancestors
and a heritage
Native d. A person who has left his own country
and gone to another
Pride e. Fact of being proud
Ancestors
C. Word forms/Multiple choice
Choose the correct word form for each sentence.
1. British, Britishness, Britain
UK is part of the …………..islands.
f. Act of leaving a place or country for
another one.
…………..is also used to refer to Great Britain
…………..refers to things which are particular to UK citizens.
2. Immigrants, immigration, immigrate
Many inhabitants of England are……………….
…………….is unavoidable in a more and more globalized world. People
……………..for many reasons.
3. Highland, Highlanders, lowlanders.
……………………live in the high lands.
Scottish …………………….are different from their counterparts who live in low areas.
4. England, English, Englishman.
It is difficult today to identify a typical…………………………..
…………………………..is considered as the most spoken language in the world.
……………………………is the combination of Angle and Land.
5. Pride, proud, proudly
British citizens are considered very……………..

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They can easily and …………………show their……………...
6. Culture, cultural, cultures
British ……………………….. is different from others.
Behavior often expresses……………………………beliefs.
There are both mainstream and minority…………………… in Britain.
UNIT 2: THE BRITISH SOCIETY
UNIT 2 A: THE PEOPLE Pre-reading vocabulary
Manners: the characteristic way in which somebody behaves
Social behavior, especially in terms of what is considered correct or unacceptable
The customs and practices of a particular society or period in time
People: human beings considered collectively or in general. People also refers to the
general population, as distinct from the Government or higher social classes. Behavior:
the way in which somebody behaves
Reading text
PEOPLE AND MANNERS
The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are famous for their
politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of humor. Basic politeness (please,
thank you, excuse me) is expected.
British people are quite reserved when greeting one another. A greeting can be a bright ‘Hello’,
‘Hi’ or ‘Good morning’ when they arrive at work or at school.
You may be called by many different ‘affectionate’ names according to which part of the Britain
you are visiting. For example, you may be called dear, dearie, flower, love, chick, chuck, me
duck, duckie, mate, guy, son, ma’am, madam, miss, sir, or treacle, according to your sex, age
and location.
When being entertained at someone’s home it is nice to take a gift for the host and hostess. A
bottle of wine, bunch of flowers or chocolates are acceptable. British eat continental style, with
fork in the left hand and the knife in the right.
DOs AND DON’Ts IN ENGLAND
Do Do not

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In England, people like to form orderly
queues (standing in line) and wait patiently
for their turn when boarding a bus for
example. It is usual to queue when required,
and expected that you will take your correct
turn and not push in front.
If you accidentally bump into someone, say
‘sorry’. They probably will too, even if it was
your fault. This is a habit and can be seen as
very amusing by an ‘outsider’.
Do smile because a smiling face is a welcoming
face.
Drive on the left side of the road
Do not greet people with a kiss: only kiss
people who are close friends and relatives.
Avoid talking loudly in public
It is impolite to stare at anyone in public.
Privacy is highly regarded.
Do not ask a lady her age: it is considered
impolite to do so.
Do not pick your nose in public: British are
disgusted by this. Use a handkerchief to
debug your nostrils.
Do not spit: spitting in the street is considered
to be very bad mannered. Do not burp in
public
Do not pass wind in public
Take your hat off when you go indoors (men
only): it is impolite for men to wear hats
indoors especially in churches.
If someone is blocking your way and you
would like them to move, say excuse me and
they will move out of your way Pay for
drinks as you order them in pubs and other
types of bars.
When yawning or coughing always cover
your mouth with your hand.
When you are first introduced to someone,
shake their right hand with your own right
hand.
It is impolite to speak with your mouth full of
food.
Do not ask personal or intimate questions
Never eat off a knife when having a meal

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Task: Choose the correct answer for the following. Nb: you may have more than one
correct answer to the same question
1. To which of the following statements would you respond “thank you”?
In your country…………………………
In Britain:
a. “you are a clever person.”
b. “let me open the door for you.”
c. Your face is beautiful.”
d. “please, accept this gift as a symbol of our deep friendship.”
2. It is not considered appropriate to
a. Burp
b. Burp in public
c. Smile to strangers.
d. Talk loudly in public.
3 it is advisable to
a. Shake hands when you are introduced to somebody.
b. Kiss somebody who has been introduced to you.
c. Greet with a head gesture
d. Shake people’s hand with your left hand.
4 it is considered very bad mannered to
a. Ask intimate questions
b. Ask a lady her age
c. Say “excuse me”
d. Spit in the streets.
5 When introduced to a man your age or younger, what would you say?
In your country………………………………………………..
In Britain
a. “How do you do?”
b. “Please to meet you,” and lightly embrace him.
c. “Please to meet you,” and shake his hand.
d. Say nothing and shake his hand.
6 When introduced to a woman your age or younger, what would you say?
In your country……………………………………………………
In Britain:

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a. “How do you do?”
b. “Please to meet you,” and kiss her on the cheek.
c. “Please to meet you,”
d. “Nice to meet you,” and shake her hand.
7 Which topics are inappropriate to discuss immediately after an introduction?
In your country………………………………………..
In Britain
a. Marital status
b. Religion
c. Salary
d. Privacy
Discussion: make a table dealing with the behavior of Ivoirians. Make the list of forbidden and
allowed behavior.
UNIT 2 B: LANGUAGE, WHICH ENGLISH?
Language:
Communication with words: the human use of spoken or written words as a
communication system.
Speech of group: the speech of a country, region, or group of people, including its
vocabulary, syntax, and grammar

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Systemof communication: a system of communication with its own set of conventions
or special words
Reading text
The history of English really began around AD 450 when the Angles, Saxons and Jutes – tribes
from north-west Germany and Denmark – invaded England in succession. The various tribes
had their own Germanic dialects but, after they have taken control of the country and settled,
four main dialects emerged: Mercian (spoken between the rivers Thames and Humber);
Northumbrian (north of the river Humber); Kentish (in the south-eastern corner); and West
Saxon (in the south and west). These were the dialects of Old English.
The evolution of Old English
Old English or Anglo-Saxon, although it is the ancestor of modern English, appears quite
different from today’s language. A strong influence entered Old English by way of the Vikings
from Scandinavia. During the ninth century they plundered and settled in areas as far as Russia,
Iceland and the Faroe Islands as well as in the British Isles. As a permanent reminder of the
Viking invasion, some 1400 places in England have names of Scandinavian origin. There was
a similarity between the Old Norse language of the Scandinavians and the Old English of the
Anglo-Saxons and many everyday words were the same. The Scandinavians, however, had
developed their own system of writing called the Runic alphabet.
The most common words borrowed from Scandinavian are many of those which in modern
English have sk together such as sky, skin, skill, skull, ski, skip, whisk and bask. Old English
used the Germanic sh rather than sk as can be seen in the Old English word scyrte becoming
shirt, whereas the corresponding word in old Norse, skyrta, became skirt. Words that retain the
hard-sounding g and k in egg and kid are also of Scandinavian origin.
Evidence of Scandinavian settlement exists in the many place names like Derby, Rugby and
Grimsby that end in by – a Danish word for farm or town. The Old Norse word for village,
thorp, occurs in about 300 names like Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes and about 300 more contain
the word thwaite, meaning an isolated piece of land, as in Bassenthwaite.
With family names, too, the addition of son or sen to the father’s name is typically Scandinavian,
as in Svenson (now Stevenson), Johnson and Robertson.
The Norman influence
With the Norman invasion led by William the Conqueror in 1066, Norman French became the
official language of England. After William’s victory most important position, including high
offices in the Church, were given to Normans, who organized government and public affairs.
As a result, many words connected with administration come from Norman French: words like
realm, sovereign, tax, homage and assembly as well as the names of office holders such as
chancellor, chamberlain, treasurer, marshall, governor, constable and warden. Many tittles of
nobility like baron, duke, count and marquis, derive from the French of this period; so do the
words court and courtier and tittles of respect such as sir and madam.

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Middle English takes over
The blend of Anglo-Saxon, Latin and French which developed in the three centuries after the
Norman conquest is known as Middle English. In the three centuries following 1066, when the
literature of England was trilingual (French, English and Latin), synonymous words took on
changes of meaning. For example the Old English words bull, sheep, calf, swine and deer
described the animals themselves; the equivalents from French, beef, mutton, veal, pork and
venison came to mean the meat of these animals used for cooking and eating.
The Kings of England descended from William the Conqueror spoke French, but by 1362, when
the Parliament was open for the first time, the dominance of French was confined largely to the
law and the Court. By the fourteenth century, while French was still to some extent the language
of culture and learning, its place had largely been taken by English, which had freely
incorporated many French words. Current English vocabulary is approximately half Germanic
(English and Scandinavian) and half Romance (Latin and French).
The difference between Old English and Middle English lies mainly in the abandonment of the
system of grammatical inflexions; but the changes from Middle English to modern English
involves mainly pronunciation, vocabulary and spelling.
Pronunciation and vocabulary have been constantly changing. Many present-day
pronunciations were not in common use until quite recently. In the eighteenth century oblige
was pronounced obleege; servant was sarvant; well into the nineteenth century gold was
pronounced gould; and shown was shewn well into the twentieth. Spelling, too, gives a clue as
to past pronunciation.
At the end of the fifteen century, with the introduction of the printing press, spellings and written
forms began to become standardized. Changes in the spoken language, however, continued to
occur.
Modern English: the language of Shakespeare
In early modern English, from about AD 1500, the introduction of new words reflected the need
for terms to express the advances in learning. The new words were not so much associated with
everyday life, but instead were related to subjects like astronomy, philosophy, literature and
theology. With the gradual increase in literacy and the availability of the printed word, the more
formal and technical vocabulary of written literature entered common speech.
By the time of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the Renaissance revival of classical learning
(ancient Greek and Latin) and a growing interest in literary forms began to influence everyday
language. All Shakespeare’s works are in modern English although to today’s ears they often
need explaining as many of the words he used are now obsolete, or have changed their meaning,
or refer to little-known episodes and characters in classical literature.
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries scientific investigations brought new words into
the language derived from words used in Ancient Greek. The vocabulary of modern medicine,
astronomy (nearly all stars and planets have names from ancient mythology) and technology,
for example, is largely of Greek origin. The suffix logy, meaning ‘the study of’, is often joined
to parts of Greek words to make scientific and academic words, like biology, physiology, and

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psychology. The prefix tele, also Greek, means ‘from afar’ and is used in modern words like
telepathy, telegram and, with the Greek root phone (meaning voice or sound), telephone.
Souvenirs from abroad
After Latin, Scandinavian, French and Greek, the English vocabulary owes most to Italian.
Many current terms relating to architecture (portico, balcony, corridor), literature (stanza,
canto), art (studio, profile, vista, replica) and especially to music (madrigal, opera, sonata,
solo, alto, piano, virtuoso) come from Italian.
The development of new sea routes had a lasting effect on the English language. Travelers
brought back words like coffee, cotton, kiosk and turban from Turkey and Arabia; also bazaar,
divan, caravan and pyjamas from Persia.
Likewise, trade with India and the Far East introduced the names of many new commodities
such as tea, curry, gingham, teak, bamboo and sago. In the late sixteenth century, Sir Walter
Raleigh returned from what is now Virginia in the USA with England’s first potatoand tobacco,
both names coming from North American Indian words. Tomato, cocoa, maize, cigar and
barbecue came, via sea-going adventures, from South America. Many of the new commodities
arriving in Britain had names related to their place of origin: port, wine made in Oporto,
Portugal; madeira, wine from Madeira island in the Atlantic Ocean; calico, cloth from Calicut
in Southern India; muslin, fine cotton cloth from Mosul, Iraq; damask, cloth from Damascus;
currants, dried grapes from Corinth, Greece; and sherry, fortified wine from Jerez, Spain.
From the Dutch English acquired words connected with two very different activities: seafaring
(yacht, cruiser, deck, dock, skipper, sloop) and painting (easel, sketch, stipple). From Spanish
came armada, guerilla, rodeo, siesta, embargo and patio; from Hindi, words like bungalow,
verandah, yoga and gymkhana; from Afrikaans (South African Dutch), trek and commando;
and from Eskimo, anorak, kayak and igloo.
More recently, the enormous increase in travel has brought many foreign foods into British
kitchens and restaurants. Foods from France like gateaux, consommé and soufflé; from Italy
like spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna and risotto; paella, gazpacho and tortilla from Spain;
frankfurtersand hamburgers from Germany; chowmein and chop suey from China; kebabsfrom
Turkey; moussaka and taramasalata from Greece; and curry, tandoori and pappadoms from
India.
The English language has been borrowing from French ever since 1066 although in modern
times the process has, at least, become two-way; the French now use words like le weekend and
le parking. Over the years most French words absorbed into English have become so anglicized
that it is easy to forget their origin. Relatively recent adoptions, however, still retain their French
pronunciations: examples include ballet, boutique, souvenir, réservoir, gauche, rapport,
répertoire, précis, avant-garde, détente, coup d’état, au pair and discothèque.
Standard English and social class
When the BBC was founded in 1927, its motto, Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation, clearly
indicated that the English spoken over the radio should be universally understood. Announcers
were chosen whose speech patterns represented the educated southern upper classes, and their
particular style of speech came to be recognized as standard English or Received Pronunciation

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English. Although in recent years, the BBC has been accused of lowering its standards in
language, most people still consider that the pronunciation and delivery of BBC announcers is
the clearest and most understandable spoken English – and the most appropriate style of speech
for a foreigner learning English to copy.
English, perhaps more than any other language, has had a strong association with class and
social status. This began as far back as Norman times when the upper classes spoke a completely
different language from the common people. All classes at various times used modes of speech,
intonation and vowel sounds which were, to any listener, an immediate indication of the
speaker’s social position.
Since the Second World War there has been, along with peaceful social revolution, a
considerable change of attitude towards speech snobbery. While successive governments
encouraged the idea of a more just and equal society, hallmarks of class distinction such as
styles of speech and dress have been gradually discarded, especially by the younger generation.
During the ‘pop’ revolution of the 1960s it became fashionable for young people from the upper
classes to try to sound and look like members of the ordinary working classes.
As the need has arisen, new words have been invented or found from other languages and
incorporated into English. Similarly, old words and expressions have been discarded as their
usefulness has diminished or the fashion has passed. This also happens to styles and modes of
speech which became fashionable at a particular time and in specific circumstances. Many of
the popular, everyday expressions used by the armed forces during the Second World War –
now heard only in old war films – sound very silly today, even to the many people who
remember using.
Also during this time, young men and women from relatively humble backgrounds were making
an impact on the arts as writers, poets, playwrights and journalists. Young people from the
working class were also exerting a great influence on the fashion scene as dress designers and
fashion models; many also became successful ‘pop’ musicians and entertainers.
By the second half of the 1960s (the era of swinging London, the Beatles and the permissive
Society) it became apparent that it was not necessary to speak Standard English or even correct
grammar to become popular, successful and rich. The fashionable speech of the day was no
longer the prerogative of a privileged class but rather a defiant expression of classlessness. Most
people were quite happy to follow this fashion and retain their own local speech patterns and
mannerisms; instead of trying to imitate the speech of the upper classes, as their parents or
grandparents might have done, they copied the speech of their cinema, television and pop
heroes.
The greatest single influence of the shaping of English language in modern times is the
American accent, idiom and vocabulary exported all over the globe by US films. There can be
nowhere in the world today where the expression OK is not used and understood. Over the last
25 years the English used by many people, particularly by those in the media, advertising and
show business, has become more and more mid-Atlantic in style, delivery and accent.

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English today
In the 1970s, fashion favoured careless enunciation and a language full of jargon, slang and ‘in’
words, much of it quite incomprehensible to the outside world. This fashion was encouraged
by the popular media and promoted by the many pop magazines which appeared at that time.
Knowledge and use of a special language, clichés and an ‘in’ vocabulary immediately identified
the speaker – perhaps as a politician, a university professor, a psychiatrist, a rock musician…
or even a criminal!
Slang and clichés have become part of everyday life in Britain today, to the confusion of
overseas visitors. What should a visitor or a student of English understand by lolly, brass,
boodle (money); skint, broke (having no money at all); to whip, to nick (to steal); chuffed
(pleased); bobbies, coppers, fuzz, pigs (police); come again? dolly bird (young and pretty girl);
have a bash (make an attempt at something); dry up (be quiet)…..
All the changes and fashions in style of speech and pronunciation over the centuries are proof
of adaptability and versatility. In 1500 years, English has developed from the language of a
small, warlike, agrarian people, the Anglo-Saxons, to the language of a highly developed
technological civilization and now has one of the richest vocabulary of any language in the
world. It has become the most influential and most international language of modern times,
spoken by more than 300 million native speakers, and the language that so many people in the
world want to learn. But ‘which English?’ they may well ask. After all what is considered
modern and fashionable in Britain today is often the kind of English taught in schools and
colleges in their own countries. And should it be English English or the fast-spreading American
English?
Source: Getting to know Britain
1) What effect did the introduction of the printing press have on the English language?
2) Why has the English language changed so fast in this century?
3) Middle English is a mixture of what languages?
4) What are the basic differences between Old English and Middle English, and between
Middle English and Modern English?
5) What effect did the introduction of the printing press have on the English language?
6) What is the impact of modern ideas of social equality on language in Britain?
1. Do you think that English will still be the most spoken language in the coming decades?
2. American English will supplant British English. Is this your point of view?
Vocabulary exercise Matching/ synonyms
Match the words with their synonym. Place the letter of the synonym in the space next to the
word.
Races a. egalitarianism
Versatility b. colloquialism

17
Fashion c. people
Slang d. fugacity
Hallmark e. style
Classlessness f. features
UNIT 3: BRITISH INSTITUTIONS
Parliament: a nation’s legislative body, made up of elected and sometimes nonelected
representatives. Parliament is the supreme legislative body in various countries. In the United
Kingdom, Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Sovereign: the ruler or permanent head of a state, especially a king or queen
House: refers to either the upper or lower chamber of the British parliament

18
Reading text
Origins of the British parliament
Nicknamed the "Mother of Parliaments", the British parliament is respected as the most
ancient parliament in today's world. Apart from a few brief interruptions, it has carried out its
business on the same spot, called the Palace of Westminster, since the year 1265. It was in
this year that the Simon de Montfort - an Anglo-Norman baron - convened the first elected
parliament of England: the men met at Westminster, which was at the time a village outside
the medieval city of London. These elected officials were, of course, lords and barons, not
ordinary people, and they were elected by their peers, not by universal suffrage; but each one
was there to represent one of the counties or cities in the
kingdom of England.
The idea of a "parliament" was not totally new. Before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the
Anglo-Saxon kings ruled their kingdom with the help of a council of elders called the Witan or
Witenagemot ; like other early parliaments, the Witan was made up of nobles and men of the
church. They chose the next king, and advised the sovereign, but had no real power in terms of
government. After the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror and his successors relied
on their system of barons and territorial councils to govern the country; this was the basis of the
Anglo-Norman feudal system. .
The English Parliament operated fairly steadily for four centuries, acting as a counterweight
to the power of the king, and it did so until the seventeenth century. From the 14th century,
Parliament consisted of two chambers, the House of Lords (the "upper" house) and the House
of Commons (the "lower" house). But in the middle of the 17th century, King Charles 1st
precipitated the English Civil War - the English Revolution - by trying to rule without
Parliament. The Civil War opposed the Royalist forces and the Parliamentary forces, under the
command of Oliver Cromwell; it ended in the victory of the Parliamentarians. From then on,
the English Parliament was firmly established as an essential force in the running of the country.
.
In 1660 Parliament declared the restoration of the monarchy and established a system of
parliamentary monarchy. Parliament's power was however quickly put to the test, and in 1688
Parliament deposed King James II and invited Dutch prince William of Orange to take the
crown of England. The success of the "Glorious Revolution" confirmed the role of the English
Parliament, a role that was constitutionally defined the following year by the signing of the
Deed of Rights or Bill of Rights, one of the major constitutional acts of the United Kingdom.
This Bill (new law) formally established the role of parliament and the limits of royal power.
.
This was the beginning of the modern parliament, with its system of political parties. In 1707,
following the Act of Union between England and Scotland, the English Parliament, based in
London, became the British Parliament. .
During the 19th century, parliamentary power became increasingly concentrated in the hands
of the House of Commons; at the beginning of the century, most Prime Ministers came from
the House of Lords (Lords North and Liverpool, the Duke of Wellington); but by the end of the
century, the British government was largely in the hands of Prime Ministers chosen from elected
members of the House of Commons; these included Gladstone and Disraeli. The last
Government led by a Lord was that of the Marquis of Salisbury from 1898 to 1902. Since then,
all Prime Ministers have sat in the House of Commons. . In 1911, the
Parliament formally confirmed the supremacy of the House of Commons; from then on, the

19
Lords could not block bills made by the Government in the House of Commons, and could not
even delay budget and tax measures. The 1911 Act was amended in 1949.
Structure and Functioning of the British Parliament today
Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The British Parliament is a bicameral parliament , that is
to say that it is made up of two chambers, or two "Houses"; above the two Houses, but in an
essentially formal role , there is the Sovereign - king or queen - also known as "the crown."
Role of the Sovereign
The British monarch has all authority, but no power. The Sovereign appoints the Prime
Minister, and every year opens the sessions of parliament, in a historical and ritual ceremony
called the State Opening of Parliament. Historically, this ceremony used to take place in the
Autumn; but since 2012, it has been brought forward to May. This is the only regular time when
the members of both Houses come together. During the ceremony, the Sovereign reads out the
government's intended programme. The "Queen 's Speech" is a summary of the programme
"his" or "her" government intends to implement in the next twelve months; but the speech is
prepared and written by the Prime Minister's office, not by the Queen.
The second major function of the sovereign is to sign new laws passed by Parliament. A bill
does not become law, or an Act of Parliament, until it has " received royal assent ", meaning
that it has been signed by the Sovereign.
The last major function of the sovereign - in the parliamentary context - is his or her weekly
meeting with the Prime Minister. By tradition, the latter informs the Sovereign, who is head of
state, about important affairs of state and government business, and asks the sovereign for his
or her opinion. With over 60 years of experience, the current Queen Elizabeth II has acquired
great experience in managing affairs of state, and an unparalleled experience of international
relations, and now acts as an experienced adviser, well liked by her Prime Ministers, of all
political persuasions. .
The House of Lords
This is the "Upper House" of the British Parliament. It consists of about 750 members (a
variable number ) most of whom are Life Peers (i.e. not hereditary lords), or people who have
been ennobled for services rendered to the nation. These Life Peers are mostly former members
of the House of Commons, or former senior officials, judges, or former business leaders or trade
union leaders: each government and opposition party has the right, each year, to propose new
Life peers. . The other members of the House of Lords are
96 hereditary Lords from the "nobility" of the United Kingdom, and 26 Bishops of the Anglican
Church. .
As mentioned above, the House of Lords cannot block bills proposed by the Government in
the House of Commons, and can only delay some bills. It is rare that the House of Lords use of
this prerogative, other than in exceptional cases; for the Lords to act against the wishes of an
elected government would be constitutionally unacceptable. Thus, almost all the bills from the
House of Commons are approved quickly by the Lords, and returned for a "second reading"
with some proposals for modifications or improvements. It is up to the House of Commons to
accept or reject these proposals.

20
The essential role of the House of Lords is to discuss non-controversial subjects, or examine in
detail projects for which the House of Commons does not have time. Given its experience of
the Life Peers who sit in the House of Lords, the Upper House is an assembly of well
experienced former politicians, and is well suited to its parliamentary duties, even if its
members are not elected representatives. In 2012, the Cameron Government proposed to change
the status of the House of Lords, making it into a largely elected chamber: but the proposal does
not terribly interest the British public, and this change is unlikely to happen in the near future.
The House of Commons
The House of Commons is the main House of the British Parliament in terms of legislative
power. It is a chamber composed of 650 members (Members of Parliament or MPs) elected by
universal suffrage. The life of a Parliament is five years. .
According to an ancient tradition, MPs are elected by universal suffrage under a system of
relative majority, in one round of voting. This means that the candidate with the most votes in
an election is elected, whether or not he or she has an absolute majority of votes. This system
favors the major political parties, and stable governments - at the expense of smaller parties.
Elected Members of Parliament do not have a deputy, so in the event of the death, resignation
or removal of an MP, a "by-election" must be called in order to elect a new MP. Each MP
represents a territory, or constituency: the link between an MP and his or her constituency is
symbolically and historically very important , and in the House of Commons, Members are not
called by their name, but by the name of the constituency from which they have been elected (
or, if they are government ministers, by their function).
Since 1902, the British Prime Minister has always been a serving Member of Parliament,
elected to the House of Commons; and most ministers - often all ministers - are members of the
House of Commons too. The Government is formed by the party (or as currently, by the
coalition of parties) that has a majority of seats in the House of Commons. Members of the
Government sit in the front row of benches in the House of Commons (called the Front Bench),
directly opposite the leaders of the Opposition. A significant aspect of the House of Commons
is the importance given to the Parliamentary Opposition. It is structured with an official Leader
(The Leader of the Opposition) and a "shadow cabinet ", consisting of spokesmen for the
Opposition each with an official portfolio corresponding to that of a government minister.
Most of the time, the debates in the House of Commons are devoted to projects of government
legislation. Most bills are put forward by the government ministers. However, some time is
given to bills tabled by individual MPs (known as Private Members' bills), or to bills tabled by
the opposition (known as Opposition motions) . In each session of Parliament, the opposition
has 20 days during which it may propose legislation and determine the agenda of the House.
.
Private Members Bills and Opposition motions may be adopted by the House of Commons,
but they must also be approved by the Government, given that the Government has a majority
of votes. Thus, new laws can effectively be proposed by the Opposition, and can be accepted
by Parliament. This can happen especially if the motion concerns a consensual or
noncontroversial political project, or even a question for which MPs' will vote according to their
"moral convictions", rather than the politics of their party. In such cases, government
traditionally allows members the freedom to vote according to their conscience. Two important
examples of Private Members Bills which have been passed by Parliament are the law to abolish
the death penalty (Murder Act of 1965), and the law authorizing abortion (1967).

21
Territoriality
The British Parliament is both Parliament of England and Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Parliament has delegated some of its powers to the regional parliaments or assemblies of
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Source: About-Britain.com
1. What are the roles of the House of Commons?
2. What does the Queen do in matters of politics?
3. Does the queen have an effective power?
4. What does “Parliamentary opposition” mean?
5. What is the basic difference between the two chambers of the British parliament?
1. Should the members of the “upper class” also be elected?
2. In a more and more democratic world, should the sovereign exist as it is the case in UK?
3. Is there any difference between the sovereign in UK and sovereigns in the Arabic
world?
Vocabulary exercises Matching/ definition
A. Match the words with their definitions. Place the letter of the definition in the space
next to the word.
MP a. somebody who has been elected to
occupy a seat in the lower chamber
Lord a. Supreme authority
Sovereign b. A nonelected person who has a seat in
the parliament.
Common c. a person elected to occupy a seat in the
parliament
Synonyms
Match the words with their synonyms. Place the letter of the synonym in the space next to the
word.
MP a. Monarch
Constituency b. Ordinary
Sovereign c. Parliament

22
Common d. Deputy
Legislature e. Territory
UNIT 4: THE BRITISH ECONOMY
Commonwealth: a “family” of 54 developed and developing countries, a voluntary association
of independent sovereign states spread over every continent and ocean. This association sees to
the political and economic benefits of all members. The commonwealth contains three groups
of territories: white territories, non-white territories and mixed territories.
Welfare: state of convenient fortune, of being in easy circumstances.
Economy: aggregate of production, distribution and consumption activities in a human society.

23
Import: fact of making goods bought abroad enter a country
Export: fact of sending and selling home-produced goods abroad.
Reading text
The UK, a leading power and financial center, deploys an essentially capitalistic economy, one
of the quartets of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the
government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare
programs.
Agriculture
Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing
about 60 percent of food needs with only one percent of the labor force. About 25 percent of
Britain’s land is arable, and almost half is suitable for meadows and pastures. Its agriculture is
highly mechanized and extremely productive. Barley, wheat, rapeseed, potatoes, sugar beets,
fruits and vegetables are the main crops. The widespread dairy industry produces milk, eggs,
and cheese. Beef cattle and large numbers of sheep, as well as poultry and pigs, are raised
throughout much of the country. There is also a sizable fishing industry with cod, haddock,
mackerel, whiting, trout, salmon, and shellfish making up the bulk of the catch. Fishing is
particularly well organized and developed. In fact, it is dealt with by some big shipping
companies like MAERSK. Fishing activity is mainly practiced in the Atlantic Ocean by private
and international group.
Minerals
The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10
percent of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Production of oil from
offshore wells in the North Sea began in 1975, and the country is self-sufficient in petroleum.
Other mineral resources include iron ore, tin, limestone, salt, china clay, oil shade, gypsum, and
lead.
Services and industry
Services, particularly banking, insurance and business services, account by far for the largest
proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance.
Great Britain is one of the world’s leading industrialized nations. It has achieved this position
despite the lack of most raw materials needed for industry. The country also must import about
40٪ of its food supplies. Thus, its prosperity has been dependent upon the export of
manufactured goods in exchange for raw materials and foodstuffs. Within the manufacturing
sector, the largest industries include machine tools, electric power, automation, and railroad
equipment, ships, motor vehicles and part-s, aircraft, electronic and communications
equipment, metal, chemical, petroleum, coal, food processing, paper and printing, textiles, and
clothing.
Trade
The country’s chief exports are manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished
goods, and transport equipment. The chief imports are manufactured goods, machinery, semi-
finished and consumer goods, and foodstuffs. Since the early 1970s, Great Britain’s trade focus

24
has shifted from the United States to the European Union, which now accounts for over 50
percent of its trade. Germany, the United States, France, and the Netherlands are the main
trading partners, and the Commonwealth countries are also important.
There are different types of trade within the UK. We can distinguish three types of trading:
High-Street Shops, Corner Shops, Street Markets (names for supermarkets).
High Street Shops are to be found in city centers. They include department stores, chain stores
and specialist retailers offering a wide variety of goods and services. Harrods, Sainsbury, Tesco,
mark and Spencer are some examples.
The corner-shops are usually general stores or mini-supermarkets, many of which are owned
by families of Indian and Pakistani origin. They sell a range of basic foods, tobacco, and alcohol
but are more expensive than supermarkets and are usually opened longer hours.
Streets-markets are open-air or covered markets held in many towns or cities, usually on the
same day or days every week.
Invisible earnings
In addition to the preceding, Britain’s economy is also based on invisible earnings. Britain can
boast the largest concentration of banks in the world. There more US banks in London that in
New York. Over the last decade the number of foreign banks has more than doubled. London
is also the center of the Euro-currency market, non-residents have over 200,000 million
poundsworth of foreign currencies in British banks and all of these holdings are being used to
generate even more wealth. London has one of the world’s leading commodities markets, where
metals, sugar, cocoa, furs, tea, rubber and a host of other products are bought and sold.
Britain also exports expertise; consultants for every type of project are found all over the globe.
Engineers alone earned Britain 500 million pounds in 1981. Also there are earnings from the
shipment of cargo and people, by sea and air. Foreign tourists by million bring in money to
spend on holiday.
Britain is one of the world’s foremost destinations, and tourism is an essential part of Britain’s
income.
London, the most popular tourist destination, is crowded with tourists throughout the year.
Among the sites regularly visited by millions are the Tower of London, the Houses of
Parliament, the exterior of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s
Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey.
The combination of tourism, invisible earnings, agriculture, industry, trade, banking, insurance
and many other services makes of UK one of the strongest economies. According to the IMF
2014 forecast, with a rise by 3.2 per cent in 2014, it is even the fastest growing economy in the
developed world.
1 What are the basic characteristics of agriculture in England?
2 What shows the importance of services in UK?

25
3 Name UK’s main trade partners.
4 What does UK import and export?
5 Name three touristic destinations
Discussion question
What could be the economic consequences of the “Brexit”?
Vocabulary exercises Word forms/Multiple choice
Choose the correct word form for each sentence.
Economy, economics, economies.
Each country has its own………………………..
Market………………………….are in theory widespread in the western world.
Adams Smith is the father of…………………………
Tourist, tourism, touristic.
One of the world famous……………………..destination is London.
…………………………..plays an important role in the economy of many countries.
Unit 5: Post-Brexit Britain
Before the EU referendum, debate raged about what the impact would be of a vote to leave the
EU. Now the country has backed Brexit, have the predictions - including the government's
warnings about an economic shock - come to pass?
Politic
After the result was declared, Cameron announced that he would resign by October.[85] He stood
down on 13 July 2016, with Theresa May becoming Prime Minister after a leadership contest.
George Osborne was replaced as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Philip Hammond, former
Mayor of London Boris Johnson was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs, and David Davis became Secretary of State for Exiting the European

26
Union. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn lost a vote of confidence among his parliamentary party,
and an unsuccessful leadership challenge was launched. On 4 July, Nigel Farage announced his
resignation as leader of UKIP. Boris Johnson has resigned and been replaced by his brother Jo
Johnson who has also resigned. The same is true of David Davis is has recently resigned.
Economy
Many economists prior to the referendum had been predicting an immediate and significant
impact on the UK economy and consumer confidence should the country vote to leave the EU.
But so far these predictions have not come to pass.
Latest figures show the economy grew by 0.5% in the three months after the Brexit vote,
powered by the UK's services sector.
This was slower than the 0.7% rate in the previous quarter, but stronger than analysts' estimates
of about 0.3%.
GfK's consumer confidence index - which had returned to pre-referendum levels in September
- went down in November by five points, and despite recent strong sales, GfK also reported a
drop in its major purchase index.
But retail sales jumped by 5.9% in November compared with the same month last year.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also said that online sales rose by almost a quarter
compared with November 2015, adding that Black Friday discounts had boosted sales.
Inflation has gone up from 0.5% in June, with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) at 1.2% in
November, its highest rate since October 2014.
In its report for the Autumn Statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility upgraded its
growth forecast to 2.1% in 2016, from 2.0%, but downgraded to 1.4% in 2017, from 2.2%.
Government finances were forecast to be £122bn worse off in the period until 2021 than had
been forecast in March's Budget.
The Bank of England has raised its forecast for economic growth next year to 1.4% from 0.8%,
but cut expectations for 2018 to 1.5% from 1.8%.
Currency
The pound fell dramatically after the Brexit vote at the end of June. It then declined to a three-
year low against the euro following Theresa May's announcement that the UK would begin
formal Brexit negotiations by the end of March taking its fall from a pre-referendum rate of
over 1.30 euros to a low of 1.09 euros in October. By 22 December it had regained some ground
back to a pound being worth 1.18 euros.
On 22 December last year the pound was worth $1.23 - compared with $1.47 pre-referendum.
The fall in the pound helps exporters but it makes foreign holidays more expensive for British
tourists and it has also increased import costs for manufacturers. The falling pound triggered a
stand-off between Tesco and its biggest supplier, Unilever, which wanted to increase prices in
the UK to compensate for drop in value. This led Tesco to temporarily stop selling some of his
most famous brands - including Marmite - to online shoppers.
However, one beneficiary of cheaper sterling has been the UK's own tourism sector, as a weaker
pound makes Britain a cheaper destination for overseas tourists. The travel analytics firm
Forward Keys says flight bookings to the UK rose 7.1% after the vote.
Caissa Touristic, a tour operator specialising in Chinese travel to Europe, says it saw a 20%
increase in enquiries and bookings for the UK this summer compared with the same period last
year, while Irish no-frills airline Ryanair says it has seen a rise in overseas visitors travelling to
London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Scotland.

27
Interest rates
Since the vote the Bank of England has taken a number of steps to boost the UK economy. It
cut interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% in August - the first reduction in the cost of borrowing
since 2009 and taking UK rates to a new record low. The Bank left its main interest rate at
0.25% in November.
After the referendum the Bank also announced a huge extension of its quantitative easing
program by an extra £70bn, and a £100bn scheme to force banks to pass on the low interest rate
to households and businesses.
One effect of the interest rate cut is that it has exacerbated the growing pension funds deficit
because of falling bond yields. As yields fall it reduces the incomes pension funds get from
their investments.
Migration
Most of the period covered by the latest migration figures was before the EU referendum, but
they also include one week after the poll.
In the year to June, net migration stayed near record levels, standing at 335,000, the Office for
National Statistics said. There was also a record number of EU citizens coming to live in Britain
with the figure standing at 284,000.
Trade
In the month of the referendum, the UK trade deficit in goods and services widened to £5.1bn
after imports hit a new high. But latest figures show it narrowed to £2bn in October as exports
rose by £2bn, lifted by machinery and transport orders, while imports decreased by £1.8bn, the
Office for National Statistics said.
The ONS said there was "only limited evidence so far" that the fall in the pound's value had led
to a "marked increase in UK exports". The UK has long been running a trade deficit, meaning
that overall it imports more than it exports.
The chart below shows that the UK does sell more services abroad than are imported - but this
is not enough to counter the bigger deficit in the value of the goods sold abroad, compared with
the value of the goods imported.
Construction
The UK's construction industry seems to have recovered in August from a downturn that started
just before June's Brexit vote. The latest Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers'
Index rose to 56.1 from 45.9 in July, although the figure is still below the 50 mark that divides
expansion from contraction.
The uncertainty over what happens next acted as a brake on the construction sector during
August, especially in terms of house building, the survey suggests. However, a number of firms
say that sales have held up better than had been expected.
Significantly these figures also indicate the sector has seen a further steep rise in the cost of raw
materials, with input costs now rising at their fastest pace since July 2011.
Jobs
Although UK unemployment fell slightly to 1.62 million in the three months to October,
economists warned there were signs the labor market had started to "cool off" since the Brexit
vote. In total, there were 31.76 million people in work, which was "slightly down on the record

28
set recently", said ONS senior statistician David Freeman. "The labor market appears to have
flattened off in recent months," he said.
When it comes to individual firms the picture is mixed.
Nissan confirmed it would build both the new Qashqai and the X-Trail SUV at its Sunderland
plant thanks to government "support and assurances", an announcement Theresa May described
as a "vote of confidence". The Japanese company's commitment to Britain's biggest car plant
had been in doubt following the EU referendum.
But the world's biggest security firm, G4S, warned that the UK's workforce and economic
growth might shrink, and one of Britain's biggest banks, Lloyds, has accelerated its job cuts,
axing a further 3,000 posts - although it said it had made this decision before the referendum.
Elsewhere Japan's Softbank said it was buying the UK microchip-maker ARM Holdings for
£24bn, and would double the number of staff in five years, pharmaceuticals firm
GlaxoSmithKline is investing £275m in the UK, while McDonald's is creating 5,000 new jobs.
Source: Adapted from the Internet.
Task
1. What are the immediate political consequences of the Brexit?
2. Was the Brexit a political mistake by David Cameron?
CONCLUSION
This booklet has tried to focus on some aspects of British civilization. Many aspects of this
civilization need to be emphasized in order to better understand particular features of the UK.
Learners are therefore invited to investigate by their own British civilization to be more
prepared to respond to any issue concerning Britain.

New british civilisation

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