The State Opening of Parliament
Parliament, not the Royal Family, controls modern Britain. But traditionally the Queen opens Parliament every autumn. She travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold carriage - the Irish State Coach. At the Houses of Parliament the Queen sits on a 'throne" in the House of Lords. Then she reads the "Queen's Speech". At State Opening of Parliament the Queen wears a crown. She wears other jewels from the Crown Jewels, too.
The Order of the Garter Ceremony
The Order of the Garter ceremony has a long history. King Edward II started the Order in the fourteenth century, that time, the people in the Order were the twenty four bravest knights in England. Now the knights of the Order aren't all soldiers. They're members of the House of Lords, church leaders or politicians. There are some foreign knights, too. For example, the King of Norway, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the Emperor of Japan. They're called Extra Knights of the Garter. The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter. But she isn't the only royal person in the Order. Prince Charles and Prince Philip are Royal Knights, and the Queen Mother is a Lady of the Garter.
In June the Order has a traditional ceremony at Windsor Castle. This is the Queen's favourite castle, It's also the home of the Order - the Garter. All the knights walk from the castle to St George's Chapel. the royal church at Windsor. They wear the traditional “robes” of the Order. These robes are very heavy. In fact King Edward VIII once called them “ridiculous". But they're an important part of one of Britain's oldest traditions.
Vocabulary:
The Trooping of the Colour - вынос знамени
A regiment – полк
The Guard - караул
The Guards – гвардия
Maundy Thursday – страстной четверг
Maundy money – великопостная милостыня
Swan Upping – маркировка (клеймение) лебедей
The Order of the Garter ceremony – торжественная церемония посвящения в кавалеры ордена Подвязки
A knight – рыцарь
Duke – герцог
A castle – замок
A robe – мантия
Answer the Questions :
1. What is the Trooping of the Colour ?
2. What does «colour» mean?
3. How often does the Changing of the Guard happen?
4. What is Maundy money?
5. What tradition stopped in 1754?
6. What does the Queen’s swan keeper do in July?
7. What is the ceremony of Opening the Parliament?
8. When did king Edward II start the Order?
9. Who are knights of the Order now?
10.When and where does the ceremony take place?
Ex.1 Give the English equivalents from the text:
- выносить знамя
- пасха
- в одно время, когда-то
- маркирует королевских лебедей
- Ирландская государственная Карета
- королевская ночь
- члены палаты лордов
- королевская особа
Ex.2 Give the definitions of the following:
Ex.3 Complete the sentences.
1. It’s a big parade with brass … .
2. At the front of the parade is … .
3. … is the day before Good Friday, at Easter.
4. On the River Thames … .
5. … the Queen wears a crown.
6. Kind Edward III started … .
7. They wear the traditional … .
Ex.4. Are these statements false or true?
1. The Queen’s birthday is on April 21 st.
2. The Queen’s home in London is Buckingham Palace.
3. Kinds and queens wash the feet of poor, old people on Maundy Thursday.
4. Swan Upping is the ceremony connected with catching royal swans.
5. Traditionally the Monarch opens Parliament every autumn.
6. In the XIV century the people in the Order were two dozens bravest knights of England.
Ex. 5. Retell the text.
Text C
VERY STRANGE BRITISH TRADITIONS
Britain has a long and varied past – it has been conquered repeatedly, it has conquered others, and it has colonized half the planet. Through its history, many strange traditions and festivals have arisen. This list looks at ten of the most unusual.
Gurning
The Egremont Crab Fair – one of England’s weirder events – gets its name from crab apples rather than the marine variety. It started back in the 13th century when the Lord of the Manor gave away crab apples to the populace. In fact, to this day, the Parade of the Apple Cart, where apples are thrown into the crowds on the Main Street, is part of the fair. There are a host of other non-mechanized, traditional events – greasy pole climbing, a pipe smoking contests, a talent show, Cumberland wrestling, a hounds trail. But lets face it, the reason Egremont makes the news every year is the gurning competition. Home of the Gurning World Championships.
Gurning, involves a rubber-faced skill that is totally bizarre and unique to this part of England. Contestants put their heads through horse collar or braffin while they create the ugliest, most grotesque faces they can manage. A certain amount of skill is involved but a lot of beer and a certain amount of toothlessness probably has an impact as well. Celebrities occasionally have a go and the national news usually features the winning gurners. If you are in Cumbria visiting the Lake District, nearby, in September, stop in at the Egremont Crab Fair. You won’t see anything like this anywhere else and you won’t soon forget it.