Great Britain is one of the most unusual countries with its own special traditions. We have prepared 25 facts about this country that will surprise you. 10 amusing facts about British history 1. In 18th-century Britain, men and women were forbidden to sunbathe on the same beach. 2. The city where the first fire department appeared was Edinburgh. 3. The first programmer in the world was an Englishwoman — Ada Lovelace. 4. The first subway appeared in London, Britain. 5. The Big Ben Tower got its name not because of the clock, but because of the bell that is located inside. 6. The…

The development of reading skills plays a big role in learning English. Tasks to check the formation of this skill are included in various exams developed to obtain the certificate of proficiency in English. Most often, the understanding of the main content of what is read, the extraction of the necessary information from the text and a complete understanding of what has been read are checked at such exams. Therefore, this article will be useful to those who learn and improve their English for their pleasure, and those who are preparing for the exams. Reading modes There are different reading modes and each of them has its own peculiarities.…

It is never too late to start learning a foreign language — that is to say, it knows no ages. Most psychologists agree with this statement. As one of the most widely spoken languages, English opens the perspectives of personal and career growth, contributes to the activation of brain activity. And if this is not enough for you, then there are 6 more reasons to start learning English right now. Reason № 1. Learning English improves your memory and develops thought processes Due to the formation of new and the development of existing neural connections, the effectiveness of white and gray matter grows. Therefore, people who study languages are less likely to lose…

Most people associate the weather in England with cloudy skies, rain and damp. And there is some truth in this — British weather is often unpredictable. But you will be surprised to find out that rainfalls in London are less than in other capitals of Europe, for example, in Rome. Temperatures in England Due to the temperate continental climate, winter in Britain passes without strong frosts, but the summer is not characterized by heat — the temperature raising to +30 degrees is considered the record. The highest temperature was recorded in Kent (2010) — 38.5 degrees Celsius. The lowest (-27.2 ° C) was recorded in Scotland in 1995. The weather in Scotland really does…

In English, there are two forms of voice — active and passive. In the active voice, the subject performs the action. In the passive voice, someone or something influences the subject in a certain way. Therefore, the passive voice implies that the subject does not perform any action, but experiences a certain action. Active voice: Michael repaired the car last Sunday. Passive voice: The car was repaired by Michael last Sunday. So, the car did not repair itself, but someone repaired it. In this case, Michael did it last Sunday. In the passive voice, the emphasis is on the result, not on the subject that performs…

Curling is a team sport where players take turns to launch granite projectiles (stones) towards «home» (a special target). The goal of the game is to launch as many stones as possible into the center of the «home» or push out the rivals' stones, depriving opponents of earned points. How curling emerged Curling or «roaring stones» comes from Scotland. It was there that the first time a heavy sports projectile was discovered. It was manufactured at the beginning of the 16th century. Also curling is mentioned in the medieval chronicles of 1541. After Scotland, curling began to become popular in the Netherlands, just like golf. The story goes that the «aisstock» game (Bavarian…

Each language is rich in phraseologisms that make speech interesting, rich and mysterious for foreigners. Each phraseologism has its own story. Most of them are unique. They seem ridiculous when translated literally. Some sound absolutely identical in all languages of the world and mean the same thing. Englishmen often use idioms — stable, inseparable phrases which have figurative meaning. It is useless to translate them word for word. So, you just need to learn them. In this article, we will introduce 25 bizarre English idioms to you. History of English idioms and rules for their use Most of English idioms are rooted in biblical history, myths…

Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday in the whole world. It is mysterious and shrouded in legends and rich history. In Britain, a special attitude to this winter holiday has developed, because this day is an opportunity to show your feelings, express sympathy, gratitude and love. The history of Valentine’s Day The holiday is celebrated in Britain since the XVII century. The origins of Valentine’s Day are rooted in the history of the Roman Empire, when one of the rulers, Claudius II, forbade marriages, because it was believed that the best soldiers are single men. It was then that the Christian priest Valentine began to conduct the engagements of people secretly.…

All letters in English are divided into formal or business letters (letters to customers, clients, suppliers, letters-summaries, letters-complaints) and informal or personal (to friends or relatives). In terms of form and structure, business and personal letters are almost the same, the only difference is in the style of writing. Writing and types of formal letters There are several types of formal letters: a letter of request, a cover letter, a reminder letter, a thank-you letter, a letter of complaint, a CV letter, a request letter, a memorandum, etc. A separate area is business electronic correspondence. In their turn, all of these letters are divided into those that require an answer and those that do not, as well as into regulated and unregulated.…

All who sooner or later begin to learn English, want to read fluently and correctly. You must develop this skill from the very beginning of training and gradually improve it. To enjoy the reading process and benefit from it, you should choose the right book that would be interesting for you. There are several criteria for doing this. We will describe them in this article. Rely on your level of knowledge of the English language Choose a book depending on your interests, but do not forget to take into account your level of English. Easy books for children are suitable for those who are just beginning…

There are many articles on how to start learning English, improve it and expand your active vocabulary. Specialists give useful recommendations, advise techniques and textbooks. Today you will learn about 6 harmful tips — do not follow them. Just remember, avoid them. Bad advice # 1. «Learn English when you want!» Do not start learning a foreign language, if you do not have time for this. Any knowledge needs constant improvement and practice. Try to study less, but more often. Spend 10–15 minutes a day learning English. Use special programs, textbooks and techniques and you will surely succeed! Bad advice #…

British television service was first launched in 1936. Today it includes about 500 channels, among which only 6 have the largest number of views. On average, the content of these channels earns an annual income of 2.6 billion euros. Commercial television appeared in Britain in 1955 and was a real breakthrough for advertisers. The whole system of broadcasting, the list of programs, the advertising content is strictly controlled by the ITA. Digital television appeared in the UK in 1998. Since October 2012, all the terrestrial, cable and Internet television in Britain is broadcast in digital format. The history of British television The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was established in 1922. Its first…