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    Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #120825: What you must know
    > Other English exercises on the same topics: Food | Countries and nationalities | United Kingdom [Change theme]
    > Similar tests: - Vocabulary: at the restaurant - Fruits and vegetables - Eating out-Vocabulary - Fruit and vegetables - Geography-Vocabulary - Nationalities - Cooking : Verbs-adjectives - English idioms: Food II
    > Double-click on words you don't understand


    What you must know


    The United Kingdom is a dangerous place... Just kidding of course  ( Err, not that much!...   ), but the insularity and History of British citizens, our long-time friends and enemies force you to know and respect some customs. Some of these are even rituals and you'd better not ignore them... You may be in a very unpleasant situation if you don't do what should be done, or do what shouldn't, breaking rules...  Here are some situations that may become quite tricky... 

     

    I) LET'S BE CLEAR!

    Whenever tourists cross the British Channel from the Continent, they may settle in ENGLAND - in red on the first and third maps... - but they can also stop in WALES or in SCOTLAND. Then they are, indeed, in GREAT BRITAIN (map N° 2).

    If they leave Scotland and land in NORTHERN IRELAND, then, they're setting foot in the UNITED KINGDOM) (map N° 3). If they go to THE IRISH REPUBLIC - EIRE), in the south, they are then in THE BRITISH ISLES (map N° 4) ...

    Therefore, you can realise that saying where you are and who you are with can be quite difficult on the other side of the Channel... 

    It's all the more complex as the people who live in these islands do not appreciate when they are mistaken for their neighbours..., which is just normal!...

    NEVER tell a SCOT or an IRISH person that they're ENGLISH (... and vice versa!) ...    

     

                                             

        1)  ENGLAND                2) GREAT BRITAIN                    3) THE UNITED KINGDOM              4)  THE BRITISH ISLES

     

    ENGLAND [capital= London

    GREAT BRITAIN=  (3 nations) => (ENGLAND + WALES  [capital= Cardiff] + SCOTLAND [capital= Edinburgh] )

    THE UNITED KINGDOM= (4 nations) => (ENGLAND + WALES + SCOTLAND + NORTHERN IRELAND [capital= Belfast])

    THE BRITISH ISLES= GREAT BRITAIN + THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ( EIRE- [capital=Dublin] ) + the Anglo-Normans Islands, of course... 

    Britain is home to not one, but three patriotic nations:  England, Scotland and Wales. 

    II) The ceremony of tea? or/ and going to a pub?

    a) Arriving in the British Isles, it's very difficult not to drink, buy, offer, or be offered a good and nice cuppa. Tea is drunk on any occasion: happy ones, sad or unhappy ones, when it rains, or when it's sunny! Tea's drunk in tearooms, at restaurants, at home, of course, and at work too, EVERYWHERE! Every situation is ideal for "a good one"! Be careful, you're exactly where tea is drunk and appreciated. 

    Purists always get tea ready, and savour it, following the same "method", I should say, the same ritual... 

    https://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk/our-teas/how-to-make-a-proper-brew


     Tea leaves  tea-bags 
     A teapot  to brew tea 
     Warm the teapot             To pour water out of... into... 
     A tea cosy  The flavour (taste) 

     

    According to the tradition, milk should be put into the cup BEFORE THE TEA IS POURED ( into a warm cup, out of a very warm teapot) so that it wouldn't be spoilt and in order to have no risk of cracking the china of your delicate tea cup...

    A "tea cosy" may be used to keep the teapot warm. It can have very varied styles...  

     

                                         

     

    b) You may also be invited to "have a drink or a bite" with friends or co-wokers in a pub (short for public house). 

    The local pub is the place where you must be. It's part of the people's lives and culture in the United Kingdom. Going to the pub is one of the most important British traditions. They have picturesque names (**). There are pubs in towns... and in villages... and each of them has its own characteristics and specificities (there are "gastro pubs/ sport pubs/ or traditional pubs") => it's therefore very important to choose yours well in order to feel comfortable there. 

    ** https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2017/10/23/Most-popular-pub-names-in-the-UK-2017 (if you follow this link, you'll know the most popular names for pubs: the top three names are: Red Lion, The Crown, and Royal Oak. )

    Drinks are bought in rounds because a pub is a place of togetherness, where you meet lots of people. You should stick to British beer (ale),  and stout or ale, to wine, or to shandy [ale + lemonade]), to cider  or coke (cola) if you're not old enough to be allowed to drink alcohol. Rounds are paid in turns and a night out may finally be quite expensive... The people who don't drink alcohol are not expected to buy beer for everyone if they just order a coke (yet, it's almost as expensive as beer...) Most of the time, people start drinking very early after leaving their work place (often round 5pm) and dinner is often eaten round 9. Some people leave pubs in the early hours... 

    Caution!... You should know when to leave the group at the right moment... (some say that staying after the third round is taking risks and that you may regret it later...) 

     

                                                    

                            Shandy                                                     A British pub                                                          Half a pint 

    (To be continued:) 

    Measurements, what a HEADACHE!

    NO CHEATING while visiting our British friends...)

    See  test

     

    This will be in the following lesson. You may now do the exercise; it's an easy one! Go for it! 

     

     



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    English exercise "What you must know" created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
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    1. '' is one of the most popular names for pubs.

    2. In the United Kingdom there are nations and millions of inhabitants. Elizabeth II is their sovereign...

    3. ' Of course not, if you are from , you’re not British.'

    To make good British tea you should put teaspoon of tea for each person, and for the pot.

    5. 'Don’t forget to the teapot and cups when making tea...'

    6. ' You’re too young to drink alcohol... Even a would be dangerous for you... Don’t try it!'

    7. 'With my group at the pub, I paid for the second and then, I left for home.'

    8. 'Have you ever been to Britain?' 'Of course I have. I spent a month in last year. I liked it.'

    9. 'Great! As the pub I attend, 'The Royal Oak' is a , we'll be able to watch the final on a huge screen with lots of cheers from the fans!










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