59876623-Spotlight-on-Britain

Canterbury is a town in Kent with a population of about 120,000. I t is the religious capital of England because its cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who is head of the Church of England.

From the 12th to the 15th cennuies, it was place of pilgrimage. Thousands of people came to pray at the shrine of a former Archbishop of Canrerbury who was murdered in the Cathedral in 1170. His name was Thomas Becket.

Murder in the Cathedral

During the 12th century, King Henty I1 decided that the Church had too much power. In 1162, he made Thomas Becket Archbisho~of Canterbutv, thinkingthat his friend would help him to weaken the position of the Church. Although the King himself liked Thomas, he was not popular with other powerful men in England. They were jealous of his friendship with the King, and they also disliked him because he was not a nobleman. As Thomas was not even a priest, many people were very angry that he had been made Archbishop.

The King was amazed when Thomas began to defend the position of the Church against the King. After a while, Thomas had to leave England because relations between him and the King had become very bad, and Thomas was afraid that he might be killed. He lived in exile for five years until the King asked him to come back. The people, the bishops and the Pope were causing the Iting problems because they all wanted Thomas to continue as Archbishop of Canrerbury.

WhenThomas renuned, in 1170, he brought authorization from the Pope to excommunicate the priests and noblemen who had acted against him. The King was furious when he learned this - soon afterwards, four of Henry's knights entered Canterbury Cathedral and murdered the Archbishop on the steps of the altar.

Three years later in 1173, Becket was made a saint, and his tomb became the

destination of thousands of pilgrims for three cennuies. It was said that miracles happened there, and many sick people went there in the hope of finding a cure.

In the 16th century, when King Henry VIII separated from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England, he said that Becket was no longer a saint, and his tomb was destroyed.

The story of Thomas Becket is the subject of two modem plays, Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot and Becket by Jean Anouilh.

WORDS

Find a word or words in the text which are similar in meaning to the following:

a hundred years liked by a lot of people envious very surprised return very angry

Chaucer's pilgrims

The best-known Canterbury pilgrims are probably those who appear in the book by Geoffrey Chaucer, Tlze Canterbnly Tales. It was written in the 14th century, when the pilgrimage had become a rather pleasant holiday for the groups of people who travelled together for protection and companionship.

Tlre Canterbuiy Talesis a collection of stories told by the members of a group of pilgrims. Through the stories we get a vivid p i c h e not only of the narrators themselves but also ofthe rebrious- and social life of the 14th cennuy. There were twenty-nine pilgrims altogether, including a knight, a doctor, a miller, a middle-aged widow and numerous members of religious orders of one kind or another.

The Pilgrim's Way is the name of an old path stardng at Winchester which, it is

adi it ion ally thought, was taken by pilgrims travelling to Canterbury. However, there is no real evidence of this. You can still walk along some of the route, which is part of a long-distance footpath called the North Downs Way. It is protected by law, so it cannot be ploughed by farmers or made into a motonvay!

If you have the energy to follow the route as far as Canterbury, you will h d that although there is no tomb, Becket is not forgotten. His face and name are s d l there, on postcards and souvenirs in every other shop!

A twentieth-centuryvisitor

The most famous modem 'pilgrim' is without doubt Pope John Paul 11. His visit to Canterbury in 1982was an important historical event because it showed the spirit of understanding that exists now between the Roman Catholic and the hnelican

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Runcie, and the Pope knelt in silence on Becket's steps -just 817 years after his murder.

Pilpiiils on tlreir way to Canterbrny.

ASKAND ANSWER

Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1Where .....Becket .....(murder)?

2When .....Becket .....(die)?

3Why.. ... (be)noblemen jealous of Becket?

4How long.. ... (stay). ....in exile?

5Who.. ...(writelaMurderin the Cathedral'?

6What.. ...Chaucer .....(write)?

7Why.. ...the footpath.. ... (protect)?

8Why.. ...the Pope.. ...(visit)Canterbury?

WHAT DO THEY DO?

Chaucer's pilgrims had different jobs. Do you know what w e call people who do thesejobs?

a"My mothertries to cure people who are

ill."

She's a , . ..

b"His brother drives lorries all overthe

country." He's a , ...

c"My great-grandfatherused to make

flour." Hewasa ....

d"I want to lookafter people's teeth when

I grow up." Iwanttobea ....

e"John repairs cars for a living."

He'sa ....

f"Do you know anyone who designs houses?"

Do you know any.. .?

The Stockbroker Belt is the popular name for the county of Surrey, which has become a residential area (or 'belt') for London commuters. Although the word 'stockbroker' refers to a particular occupation -it is someone who works at the Stock Exchange -many different professional groups live here. The roads are lined with trees and there are large detached houses with well-kept gardens. Most people associate this area with the rich life-style of those people who work in the City of London.

Commuters are not only found in Surrey of course1 People travel daily to work in London from all over the Southeast: from Brighton on the south coast, from Chelmsford in the north-east of the region, from Reading in the west, and from

e v e w h e r e in between!

People who can live close to their place of work usually hate the idea of spending so much of their lives travelling. No doubt many commuters feel the same way, but there are some for whom it has become quite an enjoyable way of life. Train commuters pass the time in a variety of ways. There is the crossword, the newspaper, a good book, or officework, but some people have found more unusual activities. One set of travellers wanted to make the most of the two hours they spent travelling each day and so they organized themselvesinto groups, each with a 'teacher', to study French, car maintenance and other subjects ofinterest. One train even had a club called the 6.18 club (it was called this because their train left the station at 6.18 each morning). It had about thirty members who all played golftogether after work. They had their own newsletter and a club tie, and the committee meetings were held on the train!

From time to time, proposals are put forward to try and improve the situation at the 'rush-hour' when over a million and a quarter commuters arrive and leave Central London at the same time each day. Until now, none of these has been acceptableto either employers or employees. So people who are not commuters still have to make sure that they travel at quieter times in order to avoid being crushed to death by the workforce of London!

authorization permission to do something big dipper small carriages on a big curved track that take you up and down through

water at the fair

big wheel a huge wheel which you can sit in as it rotates high into the air

boarding house a private house where you pay to stay and have breakfast and perhaps an evening meal

carriage the place for passengers on a train cement grey powder mixed with water and

used for building

club tie a neckrie with a special design worn by members of a group or club

conference a meeting to exchange ideas and opinions

continental Europe the mainland of Europe

contraction abbreviation convert (v) to change

county an administrative area of the UK crush (v) to press tillsomething breaks destination the place to which someone or

something is going

detached a house which is not attached to any others

diesel engine a train which uses oil as fuel excomm&cate to expel from the Church framework the part of a structure that

gives support

front a road beside the sea where people can walk

M a i r an amusement park

koight a nobleman, usually military lined with things in lines

live in exile having to live away from one's own country, usually as a punishment

living (n) way of earning money locomotive engine

maintenance keeping in good working condition

medicinalproperties capable of curing illness

miniature very small but exactly like the normal sized object

miracle an act which cannot be explained by the laws of nature

monster a huge and frightening animal 'n' abbreviation of 'and'

narrator a person telling a story nobleman a man in a position of power

through his birth

in large numbers many people together paddle (v) to walk in water just a few

inches deep

pier a metal consuuction stretching out to sea

pilgrimage a journey to a holy place power station a building where electric

power is generated

priest a minister of the Christian Church properties qualities, characteristics refinery place where oil is purified

(rehed)

religious order group of people living under religious rules

residential area the part of the town where people live

retire to give up work, usually around the age of 60

rush-hour times when crowds of people travel to and from work

sandcastle a small castle made at the beach out of sand, usually by children

seat the place, or base, from which the Archbishop works

shrine a tomb containing holy remains eg bones or clothing

space invaders a computerized game sweater a woollen piece of clothing with

long sleeves

tomb the place where a dead person is buried, usually large and decorated

track a steel line on which trains run urban of the town or city

vine a plant which produces grapes voluntary not paid to do a job

windbreak something made of cloth which is used to give protection from the wind

windsurf to surf on a board with a sail

East Anglia is extremely flat, and it is dominated by agriculture. It has beautiful cities with fine historic buildings (such as Cambridge, Ely, Norwich, Peterborough and Colchester), and it has many sandy beaches and inland waterways.

In medieval times, it became rich because of the wool trade. It was not affected by the industrial revolution, and even today there

is very little heavy industry. It was, however, the home of the agricultural revolution and is now best known as a farming region.

It is rather isolated from the rest of Britain because of its position away from the main national routes and because of its shape. It is more than half surrounded by sea.

Cambridge must be one of the best-known towns in the world, and can be found on most tourists' lists ofplaces to visit. The principal reason for its fame is its University, which started during the 13th century and grew steadily, until today there are more than twenty colleges.

Most of them allow visitors to enter the grounds and courtyards. The most popular place from which to view them is from the Backs, where the college grounds go down to the River Cam.

The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King's, because of its magnificent chapel. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also very well known.

mixed, but it will be many years before there are equal numbers of both sexes.

Cambridge Science Park

To the North of this ancient city is the modern face of the University - the Cambridge SciencePark, which has developed in response to the need for universities to increase their contact with high technology industry. It was established in 1970by Trinity College, which has a long scientific tradition going back to Sir Isaac Newton. It is now home to more than sixty companies and research institutes.

The ideas of 'science' and 'parks' may not seem to go together naturally, but the whole area is in fact very attractively designed, with a lot of space between each building. The planners thought that it was important for people to have a pleasant, park-like environment in which to work.

King's College Chapel.

The University was exclusivelyfor men until 1871when the 6rst women's college was opened. Another was opened two years later and a third in 1954. In the 1970s. most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Almost all the colleges are now

TALKING POINTS

What is the purpose of a science park? What are the advantages to the University and to industry?

WRlTE

Every year, thousands of students come to Cambridgefrom overseasto study English. Here is a letter from Frieda, a German

student, to an Italianfriend. Write a replyto Frieda'sletter, telling herwhat has happenedto you recently.

The area known as the Fens covers part of three different counties: Licolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. The main part is about 40 miles (67 km)northwards from Cambridge to the Wash and about 40 miles south-easnvards fiom Peterborouah.

A fen is land which is low-lying and wet, often partly covered with water. The Fen Country consists of miles of flat land with almost no trees or hedges. It is divided by high banks that contain the rivers and drains, which help to control the level of water in the fields. The small fenland towns and villages used to he islands in the time before the area was drained, and many of their names show this -eg Whittlesq, Ramsty, Thorney, Manea. Both -ey and -ea mean 'island'.

Fenland characters

Work on the drainage of the Fens was started by a Dutchman, Cornelius Vermuyden, in the 1630s, but they were not completely drained until the late 19th cenrurv. Because of this. the Fenland village; were isolated from the rest of the country for many centuries, and 'Fenmen' were regarded with a lot of suspicion. Some people thought they had webbed feet1 This, of course, was not m e , but they did use

stilts to move across flooded areas. They have a reputation for being fighters (they are known even today as 'Fen Tigers') which is partly because a well-known English rebel, Oliver Cromwell, came from the Fens.

Oliver Cromwell was brought up in Huntingdon, on the edge of the Fens, and found plenty of support there when he formed an army against the King at the start of the Civil War.

The Fens today

Now that rhe drainage of the Fens is complete, the arca has some of the richest and most expensive farmland in the country. The black, fertile soil produces sugar-beet, potatoes, and celery, as well as cereals.

A lot of fruit is grown in this area too. During the summer, when the fruit is picked, students come from different countries in Europe to work on the farms. In this way, they can earn some money, have a holiday and improve their English all at the same time!

The area is, of course, much richer than it was in the days when men made their living from fishing and catching wildfowl, although mechanized farming has caused some social problems: there are fewer jobs, and the population is smaller because young people have moved to the larger towns and cities to look for work.

However, it is not short of visitors, particularly those who are interested in wildfowl (watchingit, more than shooting it these daysl).

An area known as the Ouse Washes is allowed to flood naturally and provides a perfect area for thousands of ducks, geese and swans which spend the winter there. The swans are of two types, Bewick and

Whooper, and they fly from eastern Russia each year. Sometimes therc are as many as 2,000 swans which arrive in fi~milyparties, having survived the dangerous journey. At night, part of the Wash where many of the swans come to be fed is floodlit, and the sight and sound of so many beautiful birds is magical.

TRUE OR FALSE?

1Before the Fens were drained, people in the Fens used to make their living from farming.

2Work began on draining the Fens in the

first half of the 17th century.

3People were suspicious of Fenmen because they did not know very much

aboutthem.

4The swans can be found on the Ouse Washes all the year round.

5Part of the Wash is floodlit so thatthe swans can be fed.

6Modern farming methods have made the

area prosperous.

WORD SEARCH

In the square below, ten words are hidden. They are all connected with the Fens. How many can you find?

S H A D P S T K L G Y B T O B L T I G E R P I O I D I N R S P A B I S R N K U L F W H T D M L Q C Y O T D A N E R J A N A F E N V N L Q A D N C F W H Z O P C J I U D V L G R l K M E T N F S W A J E N S D L F L O O D T O A F O B E G B Z K O A B T G L F R I P E F E H E Y H M A Y A Y M R H

(Youwill find the answers on page 138.)