United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Land Population

IV. Answer the questions.
1. The British often claim that Britain is a land built on tradition. Do you consider this statement to be true or not? Explain your choice.

2. Do you know any countries with strong customs and traditions except

Britain?

3. Can you refresh in your memory the manners and customs, which are peculiar to the British and different from those in other countries?

4. Some people state that nowadays Britain is not so a traditional country and the British are simply supposed to pretend to be bound by customs and traditions. What are your thoughts on the problem?

5. The British are thought to be rather conservative. Could you explain the term and give any examples of British conservatism?

6. Do you consider yourself to be a conservative person?

7. Do you find the Russians to be conservative?

8. Some people think that a wish not to alter anything means stability. Is it good or not? What ideas on the point could you suggest?

9. Englishmen have a tradition to have private closed clubs, private schools with their uniform, private societies with their own conventions. What for?

10. Are there similar schools, clubs and so on in Russia?

11. What conduct of a man towards a woman appeals to you most – when he treats her to be an equal or to be in petticoats?

12. It is given rather a diverse information in the article how foreigners

see the British. Do you take the same view?

13. Antony Miall in his guide-book “Xenophobe's Guide to the English” states that: “The English are in absolutely no doubt as to their own innate superiority. This they see as no petty prejudice but rather as a scientific observation. The Irish are perceived as being wildly eccentric at best, completely mad at worst; the Welsh are dishonest and the Scots are dour and mean; French people are insincere, unhygienic and given to sexual excess; the Italians are hysterical and dishonest; the Spanish, lazy; the Russians, gloomy; and the Scandinavians, Dutch, Belgians and Swiss, dull. Americans and Australians are vulgar, Canadians are boring, and all oriental peoples inscrutable and dangerous.” How would you comment upon all said above?

14. Should people characterize the whole nation implying some individual persons they don’t or do like?

15. What is the political and historical background of disintegration of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people even within the ‘United Kingdom?
V. Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. Sometimes it’s enough to hear one word to realize people of what nation are supposed to speak of. Under the box there is a list of words, the so-called national behavior stereotypes, used by foreign authors in different publications towards certain nations. Check how well you know the people of other countries. Find analogy between the nation and the peculiar character traits and fill in the box. You may add your own variants.