Topic 5

Question 1

What is the full name of the UK?

Answer 1

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Question 2

What are the countries that make up the UK?

Answer 2

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Question 3

What is the UK’s system of government?

Answer 3

It is a constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses (House of Lords, and House of Commons). The chief of state is the sovereign - King Charles III - and the head of government is the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

Question 4

Explain the land area of the UK

Answer 4

It is divided into two lowlands (elevation less than 100m above sea level), uplands (between 100 and 600m), and highlands (above 600m).

Question 5

Explain the climate of the UK

Answer 5

The climate of the UK is temperate, being warmed by the North Atlantic current and by southwest winds. The mean annual temperature is 6ºC in winter in the extreme north of Scotland and 11ºC in South-western England.

Question 6

Explain flora and fauna in the UK

Answer 6

Forests cover less than one-tenth of the total area of the UK and are concentrated chiefly in North-eastern Scotland and South-eastern England: oak; elm; ash; beech; pine and birch are the most common trees. Fauna includes red deer, fox, otter, squirrel and rabbit.

Question 7

Explain mineral resources in the UK

Answer 7

The UK has very few mineral resources. Moreover, coal, once the primary British energy source, has also declined steadily since the early 1950s. A valuable relatively new energy source is the nation’s proven petroleum and natural gas reserves, mainly in the British sector of the North Sea.

Question 8

How big is the population of the UK?

Answer 8

At the most recent census, the total population of the UK was 68 millions, the third largest in the European Union, and the twenty-first largest in the world.

Question 9

Describe the early history of the UK (up to the 18th century)

Answer 9

The early pre-Roman inhabitants of Britain were Celtic-speaking people. Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 and 54 BC, but the island was not subdued by Rome until the first century AD. In the 5th century, Nordic tribes of Angles, Saxos and Jutes invaded Britain, driving many Celtic inhabitants into Cornwall and Wales. During the 8th and 9th centuries, Vikings, particularly Danes, raided the coasts of Britain and often sent conquering armies. It was in the 11th century when Scotland came under the influence of The English throne; then in the 12th century, Henry II (1154-1189) conquered Ireland. Later, in the 13th century, Edward I (1272-1307) conquered Wales.

Question 10

Explain modern history of the UK (from the 18th century to the year it joined the European Union)

Answer 10

In the 18th century, England and Scotland formed the kingdom of Great Britain; during the reign of George III, the American colonies won independence in 1783. In the 19th century, Great Britain and Ireland joined to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In the 20th century, after World War II, the Irish Free State became the Irish Republic and left the Commonwealth. For that reason, terrorist acts increased between Roman Catholics, seeking union with the Republic of Ireland and protestants wishing to remain part of the United Kingdom. Finally, in 1973, the UK joined the European Union.

Question 11

Explain recent history of the UK (since it joined the European Union until present days)

Answer 11

After the attacts in the United States (11-S) the conflict in Afghanistan was aided by British troops and the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, gave strong support to the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003, despite huge anti-war marches. In 2008-2009, the economy shrunk for the first time since late 1992 brought an end to 16 years of continuous economic growth. On 31 December 2020, the UK left the EU single market and customs union

Question 12

Explain the process of leaving the European Union (the UK)

Answer 12

On June 23, 2016, the Prime Minister David Cameron held a consultation to decide the stay of the United Kingdom in the European Union. The country voted in favor of the abandonment of the European Union with 51.9% support compared to 48.1% who wanted to remain in the EU. A few hours after knowing the result, Cameron himself announced his resignation.
In October 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May, who had assumed office following David Cameron’s resignation, announced her intention to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, formally giving notice of Britain’s intent to leave the EU. However, on March 30, 2019, Parliament rejected May’s EU withdrawal agreement.
On 21 December 2019, Boris Johnson won a majority in the UK General Election and reaffirmed his commitment to “get Brexit done” by 31 January 2020.
At 11 pm on 31 December 2020, the transition period ended and the United Kingdom left the EU single market and customs union.

Question 13

What is the compulsory school age in the UK?

Answer 13

Between 5 and 16

Question 14

Is there a National Curriculum is the UK?

Answer 14

The UK introduced a National Curriculum in 1992 and state schools are required to adhere to it until students reach age 16. However, independent or “public” schools are not obliged to do so.

Question 15

What are the four key stages in the UK educational system?

Answer 15

• Key stage 1: up to age seven (years 1 and 2)
• Key stage 2: age seven to eleven (years 3, 4, 5 and 6)
• Key stage 3: age eleven to fourteen (years 7, 8 and 9)
• Key stage 4: age fourteen to sixteen (years 10 and 11 - preparation for academic and equivalent vocational qualifications)

Question 16

What are the subjects of the National Curriculum in the UK?

Answer 16

National Curriculum core subjects are: English, Mathematics and Science; Welsh is a core subject in Welsh-speaking schools. Foundation subjects are design and technology, information and communication technology; history; geography; modern foreign languages; music; art and design; physical education; religious education and citizenship.

Question 17

What can students in the UK do when they reach the age of 16?

Answer 17

When they have completed their GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), they can:
- Find a job
- Acquire Academic Qualifications
- Acquire Vocational Qualifications

Question 18

Summarize university in the UK

Answer 18

In general, the Bachelor’s degree (BA and BSc) is given to students after three or four years of study. The first postgraduate degree is normally that of Master, conferred for a thesis based on at least one year’s full-time work. Everywhere the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is given for a thesis which is an original contribution to knowledge after usually three years’ further study beyond the Master’s Degree.

Question 19

What is the USA’s system of government?

Answer 19

The USA is a federal republic composed of a national government and 50 state governments and a federal district, the District of Columbia. There are 48 contiguous states occupying the mid-latitudes of the continent, together with the state of Alaska (the largest) at the northwest extreme of North America and the island state of Hawaii, lying in the Pacific Ocean. There are two legislative houses (Senate and the House of Representatives). The head of state and government is the President, currently Donald Trump.

Question 20

Describe the geography of the USA

Answer 20

The continental United States may be divided into five major physiographic regions. They include the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains in the east and the southeast; the interior lowlands, covering the nation’s vast midsection; and the Western Cordillera, and, contained within its branches, the Western Intermountain Plateaus. The Hawaiian Islands, of which the Islands of Hawaii and Maui are the largest, were formed almost entirely by volcanic action. Alaska, another geologically active region, consists of an insular and cordilleran area in the south; interior basins, plains, and tablelands; the Brooks Range in the north; and the tundra-covered Arctic Plains in the far north.

Question 21

Describe the hydrology and climate of the USA

Answer 21

It is dominated by the Mississippi River Basin. The country’s other major network of inland waterways consists of the great lakes and the St Lawrence River. West of the Rockies, nearly all of the rivers are strongly affected by aridity. The precipitation pattern of the USA may be depicted as two comparatively humid coasts separated by a progressively more humid (west to east) interior. Both Alaska and Hawaii are very humid. The climate is generally milder along both oceanic coasts than it is in the interior.

Question 22

Describe the flora, fauna and resources of the USA

Answer 22

About one-fifth of the territory is arable; the area sown to cereal grains by itself is equivalent to the combined areas of Spain and the United Kingdom. The country also possesses vast rangelands and pasture lands, and forests. Alaska vegetation ranges from coastal rain forests to the tundra and permanent frost if its northern-coastal plain. Hawaii’s plant life is luxuriant and tropical. Animal life is composed of both indigenous wildlife and introduced species. The United States is rich in both metallic and energy minerals, and it is among the leading producers of many minerals such as copper, lead, gold, silver, petroleum, natural gas, etc.

Question 23

Describe the USA’s population

Answer 23

The US is not a homogeneous but rather a pluralistic society. The population is projected by the US Census Bureau to be 334,736,941, including an estimated 10 million illegal immigrants. Being the third most populous nation in the world after China and India, the US is the only industrialized nation in which large population increases are projected.
The people of the United States in the 21th century comprise a white majority (60%), a black minority of 12% and smaller numbers of Asians, American Indians, Eskimo and Aleut, and Pacific islanders (9%). The Hispanic population (of any race) amounts to 19% of the entire population.

Question 24

Explain the colonization of the USA

Answer 24

The Spaniards reached Florida around 1513; the French began their exploration of the Mississippi valley in 1673 and the Russians reached Alaska in 1741. The most successful colonisers were the British; in 1617, Jamestown became the first permanent British settlement and the foundation of the Virginia colony. It was followed 13 years later by the “Pilgrim Settlement” at Plymouth.

Question 25

Describe the independence process of the USA

Answer 25

It was on July 4, 1776, when America declared their independence, and victory over the British came in 1783. Articles of Confederation were created to govern the new nation; however a new Constitution was created in 1777, ratified in 1778 and took effect in 1779. George Washington was the first President.

Question 26

Describe the Civil War in the USA

Answer 26

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, whose republican party advocated the prohibition of slavery in federal territories, led South Carolina to secede, joined by 10 other Southern states by the next year. Lincoln denied the Southern states’ right to secede. The resulting Civil War traumatized the nation. The assassination of Lincoln resulted in a punitive scheme of reconstruction which did not heal the South wounds. Actually, segregation became universal after the withdrawal of North troops and would not ease for almost a hundred years.

Question 27

Describe the USA's modern history (1915-1980)

Answer 27

The US could not remain outside World War I. Its entry was decisive in bringing about an Allied victory. The decade that followed the war was a period of isolationism, prosperity and Protestant morality and reaction against it. All this came to an end in 1929, when the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Full recovery was never achieved until war production became massive on the eve of World War II. The Allied victory in 1945 left the US the leader of the Western world, but embroiled in a cold war with the Soviet Union. This cold war was the cause for American intervention in Korea (1950-1953) and Vietnam (1961-1973). The Vietnam war caused a moral crisis in the US. Demonstrations forced attention on basic civil rights under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. The 1970s economic problems, notably inflation and unemployment, gave way to a period of economic reassessment in the late 1980s despite an increase in social inequalities.

Question 28

Describe the 9-11 attacks

Answer 28

The United States found itself attacked by Islamic terrorism, with the September 11, 2001 attacks in which 19 extremists hijacked four transcontinental airliners and intentionally crashed two of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon. The twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, destroying the entire complex.

Question 29

Describe the consequences of the 9-11 attacks

Answer 29

In response to the attacks, under the administration of President George W. Bush, the United States (with the military support of NATO and the political support of some of the international community) launched Operation Enduring Freedom, which overthrew the Taliban regime which had protected and harboured bin Laden and al-Qaeda. With a coalition of other countries including Britain, Spain, Australia, Japan and Poland, in March 2003 President Bush ordered an invasion of Iraq, which led to the overthrow and capture of Saddam Hussein.

Question 30

What are the main types of schools in the US

Answer 30

The main types of school are elementary school, for children aged 6-12 or 6-14, and high school, for students aged 14 or 15 to 18. There are also junior high schools for 12-15 year old students.

Question 31

How are students organized in the US?

Answer 31

Classes are organized in grades: - Grade K: Kindergarten or nursery school - Grades 1 to 5: elementary school - Grades 6 to 8: junior high school - Grades 9 to 12: senior high school

Question 32

Is there a National Curriculum in the US?

Answer 32

There is no national curriculum, but basic subjects in elementary schools are language arts, penmanship, science, social studies, music, art, and physical education. In high school they are English, science and mathematics, social studies and physical education. There are no national examinations. Pupils are assessed on a continuous basis. Students wanting to go to university must take the Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT.

Question 33

Describe the USA's university system

Answer 33

The US has over two thousand universities. Students who have completed high school and would like to attend college or university must attend what is referred to as an undergraduate school. These are schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate degree) or a four-year degree (called a bachelor’s degree) in a specific course of study. That course of study is called the major. Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree can continue their education by pursuing one of two types of degrees. The first is a master’s degree. This is usually a two-year degree that is highly specialized in a specific field. Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a doctorate degree, also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the course of study chosen, the ability of the student and the thesis that the student has selected. The thesis is a very intensive research paper that must be completed prior to earning the degree. It is always required of students pursuing a PhD, and may sometimes be required of students pursuing a master’s degree (depending on the school).

Question 34

What is the goal defined by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in September 1982 in relation to the attainment of a basic sociocultural competence?

Answer 34

One of the general measures to be implemented concerning the learning and teaching of modern languages: “To achieve a wider and deeper understanding of the way of life and forms of thought of other people and of their cultural heritage”.

Question 35

What components do Celce-Murcia et al. (1995) suggested for sociocultural competence?

Answer 35

- Sociocultural factors - Stylistic appropriateness factors - Cultural factors - Non-verbal communicative factors

Question 36

What are SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS (components of sociocultural competence as suggested by Celce-Murcia et al. (1995))

Answer 36

- Participants variables (age, gender, status, social distance and relations) - Situational variables (time, place and social situation)

Question 37

What are STYLISTIC APPROPRIATENESS FACTORS (components of sociocultural competence as suggested by Celce-Murcia et al. (1995))

Answer 37

Politeness conventions and strategies

Question 38

What are CULTURAL FACTORS (components of sociocultural competence as suggested by Celce-Murcia et al. (1995))

Answer 38

- Sociocultural background knowledge of the target language community - Awareness of major dialect or regional differences - Cross-cultural awareness (differences, similarities, strategies for cross-cultural communication)

Question 39

What are NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIVE FACTORS (components of sociocultural competence as suggested by Celce-Murcia et al. (1995))

Answer 39

- Kinesics factors (body language) - Proxemic factors (use of space)