United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Land Population

The people’s view
Mrs. Thatcher created a society which is richer and freer, but also unhappier and more selfish according to a survey for the Observer newspaper.

How has Britain changed over the past ten years?
Richer Poorer	48% 36%
More freedom Less freedom	44% 24%
More unhappy Happier	48% 21%
How has Britain changed over the past ten years?
More selfish More generous	61% 19%
Life is worse Life is better	42% 39%
A dirtier country A cleaner country	68% 15%
Less friendly people Friendlier people	52% 23%
More intolerant More tolerant	37% 35%
More violent society Less violent society	59% 12%

The answers showed considerable differences between various sections of society. Women felt much more strongly than men that life was worse (47 per cent compared with 37 per cent). So did the old (49) per cent) and those living in the north of England (47 per cent).

There were a number of reasons for people’s opinions. For example, when asked whether Britain was cleaner or dirtier than it had been before, people mentioned an increase in dirt and rubbish in cities and the countryside. People’s views on friendliness were influenced by their experience of service industries such as hotels and shops.

The figures on tolerance were more difficult to interpret: some people thought that it referred to racial tolerance and opinion was divided in whether Britain was becoming a more integrated society; others thought that tolerance of political views had declined and that left and right-wing views had become more extreme.

A large majority (59 per cent) believed that Britain had become a more violent society. They pointed to the increase in violent crime (for example, muggings and robberies on the London underground) and the violent reputation of British football supporters.

From Britain Explored

by Paul Harvey and Rhodri Jones, 2007,

(pages 12, 148, 150)

Exercises
I. Give the English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations.
Предлагать, вводить в оборот; иметь отношение, относиться;

вера, убеждение; насчитывать; непрерывный, стабильный рост; страховые услуги, услуги по страхованию; рабочая сила; производительность; всесторонний, полный; сокращать, уменьшать; поощрять научное исследование;

поддерживать, защищать; превышать; эгоистичный, себялюбивый; жестокий, бесчеловечный; слои общества; мусор, хлам, отбросы; хулиганство, групповое нападение.