A.

About the country

British flag: “Union Jack”
Characteristics of the four nations

Countries
Lion Northern Ireland
Scotland (1)
Rampant (2) (Ulster)
(St. Andrew’s (St. George’s
(Dragon of
Cross) Cross) (St. Patrick’s Cross)
Cadwallader)
Currency Pound Sterling Pound Sterling Pound Sterling Pound Sterling
Capital Edinburgh London Cardiff Belfast (3)
The Irish or
The
The Scots The English The Welsh (?) Eire (Ulster)
People
(4)

English,
English and Irish
Language Scots and Scots English English and Welsh
Gaelic
Gaelic

Symbol

The thistle (5) The Shamrock and

The Red Rose The Leek (tỏi tây) The Harp (6)
and the Daffodil
Colour blue white red green

St. Andrew St. George St. David St. Patrick (7)

Patron (November 30th) (April 23rd) (March 1st) (March 17th)
Saint
 Protestant and
Main Protestant and Protestant and Protestant(*) and
Roman Catholic,
religions Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic
Muslim, Hindu

B. Geography
1. Put the following in order from NORTH to SOUTH:
The highlands
The Athens of the North (Edinburg)
Hadrian's Wall - defensive fortification – cong su phong thu
The Pennies (Nothern England) – Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills – West of the Pennines
lies the Lake District – a scenic area of clear, quiet lakes, and low mountains.
The Black Country - the world’s first large industrial area
Land's End - Land's End is a headland and tourist and holiday complex in western
Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

1. Hadrian’s Wall (north)

2. Land’s End
3. The Pennines (north-spine)
4. The Athens of the North
5. The Black Country (mid-land)
6. The highlands

2. Match the description with the correct name.

1. a popular London tourist attraction C A. The Home
Counties (county
surrounding London)
2. the structure used to protect London from flooding E B. The East End
3. the area where the Houses of Parliament are located H C. The Tower of
London
4. the financial centre of London G D. The Thames
Estuary
5. the main area for entertainment and shopping F E. The Thames
Barrier
6. the traditional home of Cockneys (Cockney, dialect of English F. The West End
traditionally spoken by working-class Londoners. Cockney is
also often used to refer to someone from London's East End) B
7. the area into which modern London is expanding D G. The City
8. the south-east of England A H. Westminster

3. Categorize the following cities into the four nations:

London
Manchester
Liverpool
Edinburg
Glasgow
Aberdeen
Dundee
Stirling
Cardiff
Swansea
Newport
Newtonabbey
Belfast
Lisburn
Bangor
Londonderry
Craigavon
Inverness
Perth
Sheffield

England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland

London Edinburg Cardiff Belfast
Manchester Glassgow (2nd largest city) Swansea Newtonabbey
Liverpool Aberdeen Newport Lisburn
Sheffield Dundee Bangor Londonderry
Stirling Craigavon
Inverness
Perth
C. Further Practice
1. Find the word or phrase in Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 which is used to mean or to
describe:
(1) the flag of England (Saint George's Cross)?
(2) a citizen of the U.K. (Britain)
(3) Britain or England, with the white cliffs of the south coast in mind (Albion)
(4) the umbrella organization for employees in the U.K. (TradeUnionCongress)
(5) the organization which controls the supply of money in the U.K. (Bank of England)
(6) the Caribbean, especially the English-speaking parts of it (The West Indies)
(7) the edges of hills facing out to sea on the south coast of England (Cliffs)
(8) a combination of smoke and fog (smog)
(9) the flat, watery area in East Anglia (=England) (The Fens)
(10) an area of Glasgow famous in the past for its terrible housing conditions (The Gorbals)

2. Talking Points
a. The Union Flag consists of the three heraldic crosses of three Saints. Who are they?
b. In the British government, there are ministers with special responsibility for Scotland, Wales,
and Northern Ireland, but there is no minister for England. Why do you think this is?
(The dominance of England)
c. What are the different stereotype reputations of north and south in England? Rich: South
d. If you had to live in Britain but could choose anywhere in the country, which part would
you choose? Why?

WEEK 3
A. British words and phrases
Find the word or phrase in the reading chapters which is used to mean to describe:
1. the black and white stripes across a road for pedestrians: ZEBRA CROSSING
2. a feature of a law which means that it can be flouted: LOOPHOLE
3. small plots of land rented by local governments on which people grow plants:
ALLOTMENTS
4. an event at which second-hand items are sold: CAR BOOT SELL
5. the habit of controlling the expression of emotions, especially sad ones (supposedly typically
British): STIFF UPPER LIP
6. an adjective describing clothes, speech or other behaviour which seems (to the person using
this word) to be high class and perhaps pretentious: POSH
7. a person who comes from Newcastle: GEORDIE
B. Self-discovery
1. Compare “broadsheets” and “tabloids” and include their typical representatives.
2. Let’s talk food! What do you know about these terms?

- Haggis
- London Particular Soup
- The Sandwich and its inventor
 - British mealtimes:
 8 AM Breakfast.
 11 AM Brunch.
 1 PM Luncheon.
 3.30 PM Afternoon Tea.
 6.00 PM High Tea or Supper.
 8.00 PM Dinner or Supper.
 9.30 PM Supper

3. What do you know about these five icons of British design?

(1) London Tube map

(2) Telephone box
(3) Anglepoise lamp
(4) Concorde
(5) The Mini (car)

4. What do you know about The Beatles and the Swinging 60s?
5. What is Received Pronunciation?

WEEK 4&5

A. Quick check

Bill (dự luật): a proposed law as introduced to the Legislature. The bill doesn’t become a law (act or
statute) until passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor or passed over the Governor’s veto.
vs Law
1. What is the difference in usage between the words ‘British’ and ‘English’?
-> British: refers to something or someone related to the United Kingdom, which includes England,
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
English: specifically refers to something or someone related to England, which is one of the countries
within the United Kingdom.
2. What are the powers of the monarch?
-> theory: head of the executive, head of judge of england, armed force, royal assent (final round in the
procedure to make a bill become a law/act), summon the suspense, confer honor, remeet convicted
people
-> (ceremonial) has no real power, sentimental image, pays visits to other countries in honor of the
U.K,...
3. What does “Cabinet government” mean? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
-> those address government matters. "Cabinet government" refers to a system of government
where executive power is exercised collectively by a group of ministers known as the cabinet
-> strength: Collective decision-making: Cabinet government allows for collective decision-
making by bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise. This can lead to well-
rounded policies and decisions that take into account various viewpoints.
-> weakness: Dominance of the prime minister: In some cases, the prime minister or head of
government may hold significant power within the cabinet, potentially overshadowing other
members and limiting their influence. This can lead to an imbalance of power and decision-making
authority.
4. Explain the main difference between the Conservative and Labour Parties. If you were British,
which political party would you support, and why?
-> Conservative: hierarchical authority, minimal government interference in the economy, reduce
income taxes, authorizing national defense and internal law and order. (patriotic party, legal party:
workers, social programmes, support union,...)
-> Labour: quality for weak people, more government involvement in the economy, and providing
social services.
→ Labour: ideal for civils due to its priority for quality and social services, along with a preference
for the government involvement in the economy which serves as a solid foundation for fairness and
equal opportunities for its people.
5. What value does the House of Lords (members: peers) have, if any, in a democracy? Give reasons
for your opinion.
- the second chamber of British parliamentary system, a forum of discussion and sometimes bring to
attention matters that being ignored by the Commons
B. True or False?
1. Great Britain is an acceptable short name for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland.
T
2. A surname beginning with “Mac” or “Mc” is understood to be Scottish or Irish. T
3. Foxhunting is the oldest sport in Britain.
F
4. If money and access to friends and family were not a problem, most British people prefer to live in a
countryside.
T
5. The political system is a parliamentary democracy. T
(The United Kingdom (UK) has a parliamentary democracy as its political system. It is a constitutional
monarchy, meaning it has a monarch as the head of state, but the monarch's role is largely ceremonial
and symbolic)
Comparison:
Parliamentary Democracy: the executive branch (government) is accountable to the legislative branch
(parliament). In a parliamentary democracy, the government is formed by the majority party or coalition
in parliament.
Constitutional Monarchy: the form of government where a monarch serves as the ceremonial head of
state, while the day-to-day governance and decision-making powers lie with elected officials and the
government. In a constitutional monarchy like the United Kingdom, the monarch's role is largely
symbolic and representative.
6. The Palace of Westminster (The House of Parliament) is where the British parliament meet.
T
P/S: *SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM*
7. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) represents the employers.
F
8. Home Counties refers to the areas surrounding London.
(County: a large administrative unit of local government in England and Wales and in the United States)
T
9. It is very easy to change someone’s legal name in the U.K. with Deed Poll service.
T
10. Members of the House of Lords can vote in a general election (how often: once
every 5 years) in the U.K.
F

C. Fill in the blank

1. Britannia is the name that the Romans gave to their southern British province and also the name
given to the female embodiment of Britain.
2. Nationalist parties such as Plaid Cymru (“Party of Wales" in the Welsh language) and SNP (Scottish
National Party) stand for independence from the U.K. (nationalist vs nationalism)
3. Among the four nations of the UK, Scotland has St. Andrew as its patron saint.
4. The title of the UK anthem is God Save The King.
5. The UK has no written constitution which can be appealed to as the highest law of the land.
6. In the UK, High Street is the area in town where the local shops are concentrated.
7. The term ‘The City’ refers to financial institutions and the people who work in them in London.
8. The Parliament of the United Kingdom currently has 650 members in the House of
Commons, each elected by a single constituency (khu vuc bau cu) .
9. Manchester was the world's first industrial city and today it attracts public attention for the success of
its two senior football clubs.
10. The British society has often been considered to be divided into three main classes: the Upper Class,
the Middle Class, and the Working (Lower) (skilled ones vs unskilled ones) Class.

WEEK 6
B. Fill in the table with the following events
1. A new Labor government fully nationalized the Bank of England, civil aviation, telephone
networks, railways, gas, electricity, and the coal, iron and steel industries, affecting 2.3
million workers.

2. The Great Recession ended

3. Tony Blair ran on a platform of New Labor which was characterized largely by the
continuation of neo-liberal economic policies, but also supporting a strong welfare state,
a combination of socialist and capitalist policies, being dubbed 'Third Way'.

4. Black Wednesday ( a collapse in the pound sterling forced Britain to withdraw from the
European Exchange Rate Mechanism)

5. The collapse of Northern Rock (the financial crisis that occurred in 2007 involving Northern Rock, a
British bank and mortgage lender)

6. Brexit ( is the name given to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union. It is a
combination of Britain and exit.)

7. The forming a new government of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party marked a new
period of neo-liberal economics.

8. The UK recorded weaker growth than many other European nations due to oil crisis,
stock market crash and the secondary banking crisis.

Time Events
1945- 1,8
1979

1979- 7,4
1997
 1997- 3,5
2009

2009- 2,6
2020

C. Quick check
1. When people talk about “the City of London” or “the Square Mile”, what aspect of London are they
referring to?
A. Banking and finance B. Industry
C. Shopping D. Restaurant

2. Which of the following is NOT true about the trend of economic system in the U.K. from 1980?

A. The government let the “market forces” rule. (which meant restricting the freedom of business as
little as possible)

B. The government restrict the freedom to business as little as possible.

C. The government turned the state-owned companies into companies owned by individual
shareholders.

D. The government nationalized a large number of companies.

3. True or False:
a. The English bank notes have 5 denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 F
(There are four denominations of banknotes in circulation: £5, £10,
£20 and £50)
b. The pound is made up of 100 pence. T

4. Find the word or phrase in Chapter 15 which is used to mean or describe:

a. the tax added to something you buy (ValueAddedTax)
b. the system whereby income tax is deducted from your pay before you get it (PayAsYouEarn)
c. the system of money used in Britain until 1971 (LSD: pound, shillings, pence) – at the moment: pound
sterling
d. the process of turning state-owned companies into companies owned by individual members of the
public (PRIVATIZATION)
e. public organizations whose job is to monitor and regulate the behavior of certain companies (e.g.
utility companies and telecommunications companies) (WATCHDOG)

WEEK 7
B. Quick check
Which of the following items are the correct characteristics of the education system in the
United Kingdom?
1. There are five stages of education: early years (NURSERY), primary, secondary, Further
Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE).
2. The typical curriculum at both the middle school and high school levels comprises
English, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, and physical education (PE).
3. The federal government is not directly in charge of education at any level nationwide, it does
play a role in a variety of ways.
4. Since 2010, all three and four years old are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery education for
38 weeks of the year.
5. The major goals of primary education are achieving basic literacy and numeracy
amongst all pupils, as well as establishing foundations in science, mathematics and
other subjects.
6. Elementary schools typically teach students from kindergarten through either grade five
or six.
7. There are three main levels of Higher education courses: Postgraduate courses,
Undergraduate courses and other undergraduate courses which include all other higher
education courses (for example HNC - Higher National Certificate and HND - Higher
National Diploma).
8. Middle school or junior high school (lower secondary education) encompasses sixth through
eighth grades.
9. At the end of secondary, pupils are normally entered for a range of external
examinations. Most frequently, these are GCSE and Standard Grades.
10. High schools mostly run from 9th grade to 12th grade.
C. Consolidation Exercises
C1. Find the word or phrase in Chapter 14 of Britain which is used to mean or describe:
1. the three basic skills which should be taught in primary school: three Rs
2. the meeting of everybody in a school at the start of the day: assembly
3. a place where very young children go (like kindergarten or a crèche): nursery school
4. the practice of grouping students of the same ability together: streaming
5. subjects which students have to study: compulsory subjects
6. a school whose students live there: boarding school
7. money given to poorer university students to help them with living expenses: a grant
8. a badly-behaved child who has not learnt any discipline or cooperation: a spoilt brat
9. a period of the school year (there are usually three of them): a term
10. the exams which older teenagers take when they are trying to go to university: the A-levels
11. universities, typically in cities, which started in the nineteenth century: Redbrick
12. the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge: Oxbridge

C2. Choose the correct answer

1. Most British children between the ages of five and eleven go to____ schools.
A. junior
B. prep
C. primary
2. Most British children between the ages of eleven and sixteen go to ____ schools.
A. comprehensive
B. grammar
C. technical
3. At which of these places could you NOT study for A-levels?
A. further education college
B. sixth form college
C. grade school
4. What is the typical number of subjects studied at school by students in their second year of
A-levels?
A. one
B. three
C. five
5. What kind of qualification does a student who completes a course of undergraduate
university study in Physics normally get?
A. Cert. Phys
B. DipSc
C. BSc
6. Which of these schools is different from the others?
A. Eton
B. Harrow
C. Summerhill (

open-university (supported by Labour party): allow people to go back to uni to get a degree -
distance education
IB - international baccalaureate IB Diploma Program