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Canada

Schedule
1) Basic facts and Geography
2) History
3) National symbols
4) Places of interest (provinces), famous people

1)
Canada is situated on the north hemisphere, between the 49th and the 80th parallel. Canada is the second largest country in the world with her 9,970,610 square kilometres and 27 million inhabitants. The first is the Russian Federation. Canada is lying between 3 oceans. They’ re the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, and the Arctic Ocean in the north. The capital of Canada is Ottawa in the province of Ontario, but the largest city is Toronto. The landmass is divided to 10 provinces and 3 territories. Each territory has its own capital. Canada is divided into seven regions.
1) The Pacific coast is influenced by Pacific. It has the most moderate climate of Canada’s regions.
2) The Cordillera region is made up of the Rocky Mountains, the Coast Mountains and the other ranges running north to south. The highest point of Canada is situated in the southwest corner of the Yukon. The highest point of Canada is Mt. Logan – 5951 m .
3) The Prairies – the plains of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are among the richest grain-producing regions in the world. Alberta is very important producer of petroleum. The sedimentary rocks underlying the Prairies have important deposits of oil, natural gas and potash.
4) The Canadian Shield includes huge Hudson Bay. The Shield is the largest geographical feature. It is the nucleus of the North American continent. The region is a storehouse of minerals (gold, silver, zinc, copper, uranium)
5) The Great Lakes - Canada is known as country where are approximately 2 million lakes. The main lakes are the Great Bear, the Great Slave, the Athabaska, the Winnipeg, the Superior, the Huron, the Erie and the Ontario. The largest lake is the Great Bear Lake.
6) The Atlantic Provinces – Appalachian Region. Europeans first settled New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Land and Newfoundland. It is the richest fishing area in the world.
7) The Arctic – short summer, long winter, inaccessible only by air

Population
    Population of Canada was 28,846,761 at the time of the last census in 1996. Estimated population in 2001 was 31,592,805. Most Canadians live in the cities and most of the urban cities are closed to the southern border. The largest centres are in Quebec and Ontario provinces. The most of people are ethically English and French. The French and the English are official spoken languages.

Canada is an independent country with its own prime minister, but the head of state is the British Queen. Canadian currency is the Canadian Dollar
2)
    The first contact between natives and European people was about 1,000 ago. English and French were seeking for the new way to Asia, but they didn’t find it. Instead of the way they find the land rich on the fish and wild animals. They built post there. French – the St. Lawrence River, the Mississippi river and the Great Lakes and English – Hudson Bay. Trade led to quarrels and to fights. Treaty of Paris 1763 – gave to British all French territories east of the Mississippi except St. Pierre et Miquelon and Newfoundland. In 1774 – Quebec Act – civil laws, guaranteed religious and linguistic freedom.
Loyalist – English speaking people whishing to remain faithful (věrný) to the British crown came to Canada after 1776 in the USA
In 1791 Upper and Lower Canada were created and after rebellions in 1830 the united Province of Canada was created by British government. Dominion of Canada – July 1867 
3)
Flag – Maple leaf
Anthem - “O Canada”. Music attributed to Calixa Lavallée. Words were written by Justice Robert Stanley Weir. The anthem was adopted in 1980
Emblem – Maple tree 
4)
Provinces and territories, national parks
    Canada maintains 38 national parks, which cover about 2% of the landmass. The oldest one is Banff, located in Alberta. It was established in 1885. Canada is known as the country of two million lakes, which cover about 7,6% of landmass. The biggest lake The Great Bear Lake is situated in the Northwest Territories.
    Ottawa is the bilingual and bicultural national capital, but the largest city is Toronto with population about four million people is. It is leading producer of manufactured goods and it’s also a headquarters of many Canadian companies.
    The most popular tourist attraction in Canada are The Niagara falls situated on the Niagara river between two lakes. The highest point is about 57 m. The falls are consisting of two cataracts. The Horseshoe on the Canadian side and American falls on the side of America.
The tourist centre consists of the four parts: Sky Lon Tower, Panasonic Tower, George Tower and Niagara Tower.
Canada is the cradle of NHL, which is the most famous ice hockey federation around the world. It is connected with names of Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. NHL is divided into Eastern conference (Atlantic Division – Panthers, Rangers, Tampa Bay…;  Northeast Division – Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Ottawa….) and Western Conference (Central Division – Red Wings, Blackhawk’s, Jets….; Pacific Division – Calgary Flames, Mighty Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Sharks…)

Here are some famous Canadians – Wayne Gretzky already mentioned, Alexander Graham Bell, the inviter of the telephone and at least Roberta Bondar, one of the crew of the space shuttle Discovery.


Entertainment and culture

Man was not created only to work, but also to have cultural life. The cultural is very important to spend free time with our friends. For my generation it is absolutely unthought-of that people aren’t in the closer connection with some kind of modern culture.
    The cultural life in our city is very rich and it depends on each other what a man decide to do.
    We have many cinemas here, but everywhere they play the same films, usually the new films and the older, but too successful films. You can see everything from the animated films from Disney to the romantic films, sci-fi, thrillers and horrors. The view is perfect and in the age of computers Dolby Surround sound makes the film magnificent spectacle. In the combination with the popcorn and Coke, the visiting cinema is absolutely perfect experience. But for all these the spectator has to pay usually high entrance-fee. Maybe that is the reason why people don’t visit the cinema so often  as in the past. But in compare to the theatre spectacle or some concert is the entrance fee to the cinema acceptable.
    The theatre is other possible way, how to spend free time in a society. We have in our city many famous theatres, which supply people with many interesting spectacles. In compare to the cinemas to eat the popcorn or some other meal is the top of the bad manners. During the performances there are breaks, in which you can buy some refreshment. Also the places to sit are divided by the price. The most expensive is to sit in the boxes and the cheapest is to stand up at the gallery. I prefer the most the box. If I pay for the theatre spectacle I want to have as much as possible from it. There is the best view and no one disturbs you.
    In the theatres are played all famous plays from the national or from the world’s authors. E.g. Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, Smetana, Dvroak, Handel…Last time is very popular musical.
    The most famous is an American musical, which inspired the authors all around the world. Actually the musical started at the end of 18th century, but the biggest appreciation the musical reached after the WWII.  The world’s most famous composers are Leonard Bernstein – West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, Hair and Andrew Lloyd Weber – Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, The Cats.
For the occasion of the rapid development of this form was opened the theatre Broadway, which is the one of the world’s most famous scenes. In the Czech Republic is musical very young form and many famous pieces are still waiting to come. The musicals that were interpreted by the Czechs are Jesus Christ Superstar, Dracula and Count Monte Christo.
    If you prefer other kind of the cultural events you can go dancing, which I like very much. The best place, where to go dancing is Lucerna or The National House. To visit some concert of the pop group is good too, but is more expensive than all these.
        If you don’t want to spend your money you can just switch on your television and watch, but it is wasting time for me. TV gets only stupid novels or old series. None modern creation is supported. If unnamed TV station creates some its programme it is a sign of desperation and not something good. On the other hand TV can be very dangerous, mostly for children. They believe it and it could negatively influence their attitude to the other people.
    Rather than this I like to listen to the radio. Music can make you calm. Even you can read some book with following the music. I don’t read too much so I can’t judge it. But to read the good book is well used free time. If I had more free time I would maybe read much more than now.

Ernest Miller Hemingway

He was the American novelist and short story writer. His writing and personal life influenced many writers of his time. He was born in Oak Park on 21st July 1899. His father was a doctor and her mother was a painter. He attended the elementary and local high school at the Oak Park. He was a very good student and he enjoyed studying English very much. After the school he wrote articles for the Kansas City Star, but he left the job within a few months and became an ambulance driver in Italy during the World War I. He was only 18 years old. He was transferred to the Italian infantry, where he was seriously wounded. After the war he stayed as a correspondent for the Toronto Star in Paris. There he met Gertrude Stein, who called his generation The Lost Generation. But they weren’t the literary group; they have only the same style of writing. During the Spanish Civil war he stayed there as a newspaper correspondent. In the Second World War he was a correspondent too and later he became the reporter for the United States First Army. After the war he settled near Havana, but the Cuban revolution forced him to return to the USA. In 1954 he was given the Nobel Prize for Literature.
    His adventurous life brought him close to death several times. (In Spain when shells burst in his room, in WWII he was struck by the taxi and in 1954 when his plane crashed in Africa) He died in Idaho on July 2, 1961 when he committed suicide with gunshot.

Work
    Hemingway depicted lives of two types of people. The first consisted of the man and woman deprived of faith in moral values in which they believed. The second type is a simple character and primitive emotions, such as prize-fighters. He practiced the iceberg theory. In the book is only one tenth of the fact, the reader would think about the rest. The same way as you can see the iceberg. The earliest work contains the collections of the short stories, such as Men without woman or Winner takes nothing – story The Killers, in which two Roman soldiers discuss the crucifixion over wine. The novel which established his reputation was The Sun also rises. His second important novel was A Farewell to Arms.
    Other way of his elaboration was about the social problems. The most important novel is For Whom the Bell Tolls, which is based on the experiences of the Spanish Civil war. This novel became the best-seller.

The old man and the sea

    The story takes place in Cuba in a very small village. The main character is Santiago, a fisherman. He used to be a very successful fisherman, but for a long time he hasn’t caught anything. He was very upset and he was desperate about it. He wanted to prove himself that he was still a man.
    He decided to go off the sea. He went considerably far away from the coast on the place where he would catch a big fish. After few days of sailing he captured the fish. It was a great, beautiful fish. He managed to catch it, but he was too tired and exhausted to take it into the boat. The fish was wounded and it decoyed the sharks. They started to eat it as it was hanging over the deck. Santiago tried to intimidate them, but he was helpless. He considered the fish as a human and he loved it, but sharks were still there. When he came to the shipyard there was only the skeleton of the fish. The sharks ate it all.

Food

Schedule:
1) Introduction
2) Typical breakfast, lunch and dinner in The Czech Republic
3) Eating habits in United Kingdom, typical meals and history of food
4) Eating habits in USA, typical meals
5) Comparison of Czech, British and American Xmas dinner
6) Healthy food

1)    In different parts of the world, there are different kinds of meals or eating habits.
Czech eating habits are neglected part of the world culture.

2)    The Czech breakfast is very fast as it is written in the word breakfast. Czechs have their morning cup of tea or coffee, roll or slice of bread with some cheese or ham. Sometimes we serve cakes. But the Czech breakfast is in the sign of haste.
    The lunch is in the Czech Republic main meal of the day. We can have it at home, at work, at school or in a restaurant. It is usually consist of three courses, soup main dish and desert. The starter is a soup, which can be from bouillon (beef, chicken, and vegetable) to cream soup with mushrooms.
The Czech menu often offers favourite roast pork with dumplings or potato dumplings and cabbage or sauerkraut. Other typical main dishes are a fried pork chop with boiled potatoes, chips or vegetable salad, Vienna steak with potato salad or goulash with dumplings.
As desert we serve fruit, plain or with cream or sundae. The drink is very variable. The most common is Czech beer.
Our evening meal is not so nutritious. It can be cold meat, salami, ham, cheese, eggs, rolls, bread, some vegetable, everything we want to.

3)    If we talk about the British meals we must say that it’s absolutely different. They have five or six meals a day: breakfast, elevens, brunch or lunch, tea, dinner and perhaps supper.
British breakfast is not so hasted as our. They allow the time for the breakfast. Their breakfast begins with cup of tea or coffee. The renowned breakfast begins with a glass of juice. This is followed by cornflakes with milk, fried bacon and eggs or spicy beans in tomato sauce. At the weekend when they have a lot of time they have brunch. It is a combination of breakfast and lunch. In the middle of the morning they have elevens, which is usually a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits.
Lunch consists of hot dish, salads, ham and cheese sandwiches, hamburger, pizza and a dessert.
The hot dinner is served about at 7 o’clock. It has three or four courses. It consists of soup, which is a starter, then the main course, which is followed by dessert. Beef, mouton or lamb are more favorite than the pork. As desert they have fruit, fruit salad, fruit pie, pudding or ice cream.
The English cuisine didn’t enjoy good reputation. The World War II. influenced the British cooking very much. Before the war they absorbed the ingredients of the highest quality from the entire world. But during the war they didn’t import anything. They had rich soil and they could produce their own ingredients, but they published only poor boring recipes and they also lost their confidence in the cooking. After the war they couldn’t recover their cooking skills and their food became tasteless and disgusting. But in the present there are some places, where you can get a tasty British food.

4)    In USA there is all fast. So the eating is also fast. They love fast-food like hotdogs, chips and other. Mc Donald’s set in there, but it’s not very favourite there. They have three meals a day, fast breakfast, lunch in the restaurants or schools. They don’t cook at home. They rather go to restaurant. If they cook at home, it’s the meal to microwave.
   
5)    The British and the Czech Xmas dinner are the same. We serve 3 courses. The starter is the fish soup, which is followed by fried carp with potato salad and the desert is apple strudel. But this traditional meal is often replaced by roast goose with dumplings and cabbage, Wiener schnitzel with potato salad or roast turkey with potatoes. In America is served the roast turkey with potatoes. The drink that is server with the food is usually champagne.

6)    Unfortunately the food is the cause of many diseases. The most frequented are disorders of the digestive track, stomach and large intestine. These are caused mainly by the fast food. He should listen to our stomach and eat when we are hungry. For lost some extra kilos we can go on the slimming diet. But it is not the best solution. Better than this is to eat more vegetable, fruits, cereal and low caloric food. At the end we should practise come sport for keep us in the condition.

George Bernard Shaw

He was born in Dublin in 1856. His parents were not well off, so he had to start working at the age of fifteen. His mother left her unsuccessful husband and ran to London. Shaw and his two sisters followed her, because he knew he had to live in a centre of the international culture if he wanted to achieve success on the field of literature.
    He devoted much time to self-education and then he started with writing the novels. But this carrier completely failed, but he succeeded as a journalist and playwright. In his plays he followed the Ibsen’s tradition and he introduced the modern realistic drama on the English stages.
    He wanted to shock people into the looking at moral problems of the society. The dialogues in his plays are turned upside-down. He hated conventional attitudes and acceptance of ideas, which would lead to injustice. He wanted people not to adopt these attitudes without thinking. He helped them to find their own opinions.
    He spent the most of his life in London in Hertfordshire, where he moved with his wealthy wife Charlotte soon after the marriage. They lived there until his death in1950.
In 1925 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
    He divided his plays into unpleasant, pleasant and historical. Unpleasant plays forced the spectators to face unpleasant facts and pleasant plays were mostly optimistic and cheerful.
His most popular play is Pygmalion.

Pygmalion

    Eliza Doolittle came from a background of poverty and neglect. Her life was devoted to Covent Garden Market where she sold flowers. Professor Higgins, an expert in phonetic, overheat Eliza at work and made a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering, that he transform Eliza into a fine lady.
    Eliza took up the chance of her new education in an attempt to improve herself. Higgins treated her rather as an object for improvement than the woman. She leant everything about the language; spelling and she got rid of the accent.
    After few months Professor, Pickering and Eliza visited the horse races at Ascot to Eliza try to behave in the high society. She met Freddy Eynsford –Hill there, who felt in love with her. Eliza tried to speak with his, but her old accent started to return. Six weeks later they visited the Embassy Ball. Eliza was wearing beautiful evening dress and she looked very beautiful. She was admired by all the men including the Prince of Pennsylvania.
    When they returned home Professor and Pickering congratulated each other to the achievement. Eliza realized everything about her transformation. She packed her things and moved to Professor’s mother. Professor tried to persuade her to return, but she announced him she would marry Freddy. Professor surrendered it and left the house.

Great Britain – BASIC FACTS

Schedule:
1)    Geography, Basic facts
2)    People of Britain
3)    Places of interest

1)
Geography

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated in the Western Europe. With its 244,820 square kilometres is about 3.5 times bigger than Czechia and the total population is 59,113,439 (July 1999). United Kingdom is composed by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The English capital is London.

Climate
British climate is very variable. Britain has moderate climate, which is influenced by the dominant winds over North Atlantic. The temperatures don’t get much below freezing point in the winter (from December to February) and they also don’t raise much in the summer (from June to August). North part of the island is the coldest and the areas such as London and West Country are the warmest. Rainfalls, cloudy weather or drizzle are quite common in the England. North Ireland is influenced by the wet Gulf Stream.

Mountains
Much of Britain is flat or low-lying. In England there are the large areas of flat plains. In the middle of England there is the Pennines Mountains.  In Wales are dominated the mountains and the highlands. The highest mountain in Wales is the Snowdonia. In Scotland there is the highest mountain in The Great Britain. It’s called the Ben Novis. Scotland is especially mountainous; there is the highest point of Britain. It’s the Ben Novis with total height 1,343 m in the promontory of the Grampians.

Rivers and Lakes
The main rivers are the Thames, which flows pass through London. The other main rivers are the Trent and the Severn. In Scotland there is the Caledonian Canal with the legendary Loch Ness Lake. The biggest lake in Britain is the Lough Neagh Lake, which is situated in Northern Ireland.

Industry and Agriculture
Britain has good strategically position on the European market. Britain exploits the coal, the petroleum, the natural gas, the tin, the lead, the limestone, the iron ore and the salt. Britain has advanced agriculture. They grow the wheat and the barley and breed the cattle (e.g. pigs, sheep).
 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is monarchy and the currency is English pound.
2)
People of Britain

The first inhabitants came to Britain about 5000 BC. They were the small groups of the hunters. Next villagers came to Britain form Europe in the Bronze Age. It were the tribes if Celts. The Romans expansion in 43 AD eventuated in the mixing of the cultures.
Today’s English people live on the high living standard and they have the latest equipment in theirs houses. The medial English man has the small house. These houses can be divided to some groups. The first group contains detached houses, which have one floor. The second group contains houses, divided to the two half, and each family has one half of the house. These houses are called terraced houses. The third group contains the houses, which have two floors; they’re called semi-detached houses.
In the Great Britain there is diversity of the ethnic groups (English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and the other 2.4%) and also diversity of the religion (Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic and Muslim).
In the Great Britain there were born many famous people, e.g. Sir Walter Raleigh, who was   constrained in the Tower of London, Isaac Newton, the great physicist. Many famous pop stars such as Beatles or Spice Girls descend from Britain.
 
3)
Places of interest

In the Great Britain there are many places of interest. It would take a lot of time to mention about all, here are the most interesting places.

Stonehenge
Stonehenge is the 5000 years old monumental building. It is actual the system of stones, which are sequenced to the circles. The largest stones in the circles are Sarsen stones, which were brought from Marlborough Downs about 30 kilometres away. The smaller stones are called Bluestones and they were brought from Wales, it’s about 385 kilometres away. Stonehenge itself was built almost 1000 years.

Canterbury Cathedral
It is the most impressive and beautiful cathedral in England. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. St.Augustine established the Cathedral in 597. The most considerable archbishop was Thomas Becket. He had the quarrels many quarrels with Henry II. St. Thomas Becket was assassinated in 29Th December 1170 by the four knights.
From this time the cathedral became one of the most important pilgrimage places in Europe.
The stories of the pilgrims composed Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales.

Tower of London
William the Conqueror started Tower of London after his triumph in 1066. Tower of London was built to oppress and frighten the English. In the prison were constrained the enemies of the king from Sir Walter Raleigh to Anne Boolean. The oldest part of Tower of London is The White Tower, which was the residence of the king. The walls of the White Tower are sometimes almost 5 metres thick. In the Jewellery House there are embedded the Crown Jewels. The warders of The Tower of London are the Beefeaters, which are dressed in the traditional uniforms from the days of Tudors. The leader of the warders Yeoman Warder leaves the Tower dressed in the long red cape and Tudor’s hat. This is called the Ceremonial of the keys.

Great Britain – OTHERS

Schedule:
1)    History
2)    National symbols
3)    Political system

1)
History

    The first inhabitants came to Britain about 5000 BC. These people may built The Stonehenge and The Avebury. The Celts came from Europe in The Bronze Age about 800 BC.
    The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD. They oppress the original inhabitants to the north, but the tribes were big problem for Romans, that’s why the emperor Hadrian ordered to build the Hadrian’s Wall in 122 AD.
    William of Normandy also known as William the Conqueror arrived to the south coast in the 11th century exactly in 1066 and he won in the battle of Hastings. The Norman aristocracy eventually joined with the Saxons. Britain was developed in isolation for a few next centuries.
    King Edward I. took the throne in 1272. Most of the areas were under his control, but the northern part was under rule of Llewellyn Gruffydd. He attacked him and killed him. Wales was united with England in 1284. When Edward’s son was born he was proclaimed The Prince of Wales. From this time this title is proclaimed to the first born son of the sovereign.
    The Hundred year’s war started in 1338 and finished in 1453. After this war new war begun. Two clans the Lancaster and York fought against each other. The war ended in 1485 when Henry VII. won in the Battle of Bosworth and he became the English king.
    One of the most important English kings was Henry VIII. He is very famous because of his six wives. He wanted to divorce with one of them, but the pope didn’t allow it. He established the English Church and made himself the head of the church in 1534.
    Mary Stuart, the last Scottish queen tried to reach the throne of England. But her plot was discovered and she was beheaded. Her son James VI. of Scotland became the English king as James I in 1603 and Scotland was united with England. He first used the name Great Britain.
    Ireland was united in 1801, but Irish didn’t enjoy it, because they didn’t have so much right as British had.
     Britain noticed the biggest economical growth under rule of Queen Victoria; it was a time of the Industrial Revolution. Britain became the world’s greatest power.
    Britain was concerned in the both World War. In the Second World War they fought against Hitler’s army under the guidance of Winston Churchill and they defended their independence.

At present Britain is one of the most advanced states in Europe.
2)
National symbols

The British national flag – the Union Jack
    Unites the crosses of St. George, the patron saint of England (the big red cross on the white field), St. Andrew, the patron Saint of Scotland (the smaller diagonal cross on the white field), and St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland (the diagonal white cross on a blue field). The flag has existed in its present form since 1801. Wales is not represented because when the flag first appeared it was already united with England, but its own symbol is the dragon.

The British national anthem is “God Save the Queen/King”
    The name of the British anthem is God Save the Queen or King. It depends on sovereign. It was a patriotic song, which is first presented in 1745 in London and it became the National anthem in the beginning of the 19th century. The words and tune are anonymous and they may date back to the 17th century. There is no authorized version of this anthem. During the times many verses were added to the song, but only the first verse is usually sung


The national emblem – The Royal Standard
    The Standard has four quarterings. Two is for England and there are three lions, one is for Scotland and there is also a lion. Ireland has one quartering with a harp. Wales is not represented in the Standard.

3)
Political system
    United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The head of the state is the King or the Queen, who reigns, but doesn’t rule. The sovereign has only the representative function. But The Opening of Parliament can be done only by the sovereign. The Queen has also the right to assemble and dissolve the Parliament.
    The head of the government is the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the party which won the election and has the majority at the House of Commons. The Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
    The House of Commons also called the Lower House has 650members, but there are only 370seats. They aren’t seat always together. The main work is to examine work of Government. The presiding member of the House of Commons is The Speaker, which is elected by other members. The front benches are for the members of Cabinet and other ministers.
    The second most successful party becomes the official opposition, which appoints the Shadow Cabinet.
    Members of The House of Lords also called Upper House are divided into four categories. Peers are the members who have their title hereditary. (About 800 hereditary Peers) The second category are the Life Peers, who were given this title. They made something important for the nation. (About 350-400) The third category are the Lords of Appeal, who are nine of the most senior judges. The last category are the Lords Spiritual. They are 26 the most senior bishops and archbishops of the Church of England.
    The speaker of the House is called Lord Chancellor, who sits on the special seat called Woolsack. The House is responsible to making and passing laws.

Health, care, keeping fit

Everybody in this country has the right to choose a doctor. Many people attend at the family doctor. In the present time here are two types of medical facilities, the state and the private ones. Our system of insurance provides the standard medical care, when you pay periodical fees, which are monthly plucked down from salary. You have the right to choose your own insurance company and you can change it. This insurance company pays the standard medial care. Any other care you have to pay on your own expense. You also have to pay for the private doctor.
    Medical care is provided for our citizens from birth to death. Each of us is looked after even before the birth. Mother attends periodically at the medical check ups. After the childbearing each child is vaccinated against tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and later smallpox.
    Every school child is under medical supervision. That means every child has to undergo series of dental, optic and acoustic tests. As children we can go through child diseases like measles, mumps, rubeola and chicken-pox. Then we don’t have to visit a doctor so often. We can get over cold by staying in the bed and drinking herbal tea and taking the pills. Sometimes is better to go to doctor, because we can make disease worse and we risk our health. If we decide to go to doctor he usually asks us what the trouble is, he examines our chest and throat and he usually wants to know if we have a temperature. He listens to our lungs and heart and he wants to see our tonsils if they are red or not. Finally the doctor appoints the diagnosis and prescribes a medicine. Usually it is not a heavy disease.
At the pharmacy we get our antibiotics and that’s it. We are at home for a week or two and the life goes on. Sometimes when it’s necessary, doctor can come to visit us at home or we can call an ambulance which takes us to hospital. The number is 155.
    Diseases are mainly caused by bad way of life. People shouldn’t eat rich meal, mainly in the old age, because it is a main cause of heart attack. People should pull off the provision of the fat and they should sport. The sport is the best way to keep us fit and it is better than any slimming diet or pills against the overweight. Very important is keeping the time when we eat. If we eat irregularly we can create ourselves gastric ulcers. The sleeping is other important thing which influences our health. Human body calls for about 8 hours of sleep a day. Our civilization lives in haste so we save the time whenever it’s possible. Unfortunately we often sleep less and less and it’s not good for our metabolism.
    Our civilisation was suffering from many diseases in the past. There were the plague epidemics, tonsillitis and our diseases follow our lives even today.  The most malignant disease of 20th and 21st century is the cancer advanced in many forms. Another incurable civilization disease is AIDS. People don’t die of AIDS, but this virus destroys the immunity
of organism and man dies of some curable disease like tonsillitis.
    We are not satisfied with ourselves and we create stupid addictions like smoking or drug abusing. This only supports our civilization diseases and we degenerate.

Housing

Schedule:
1)    My family live
2)    My room
3)    Housing in UK and USA
4)    Housework
5)    What is important in a home, Should I live with my family

1)
My family live in a flat at suburbs. We have 3+1 flat with balcony. We live in the 12th floor. It is very good because I have good view from here Because of my and my brother interests we have each its own room, which we share with one of parents. Our family situation is not very good. My parents have many argues. I’m fed up with this life. They should divorce. My father arrives home in the evening and my mother sometimes too, but not often.
I don’t talk to them if it’s not quite necessary. It is fucking life here. Sometimes I like to get out from here.

2)
    I share my room with my father, but he is not at home a lot of time. My room is the technical centre of our flat, because I’ve got a computer there. Table with PC is under the window. Perpendicular on the PC table is another table, which I use for learning and other things. On the second table is my printer. My bed is next to the PC table, under the window too. If you enter the room on the right side is bed of my father. Next to the bad there is secretary. TV is hanging on the wall in front of my bed. Above my bed and above the second wooden table are hanging the shelves with books and with my mess.

3)
    The majority of Britain’s own its own house rather than renting it. They borrow a lot of money from the bank for buy the house (this is called mortgage), because to pay the rate is too expensive. They pay the mortgage for several years.
    There was another way. Exactly after the WWII. Council houses have been built for people who couldn’t afford to pay mortgage or rate, so there is cheaper accommodation. But many blocks of these houses have been ugly and later they were pulled down. Instead of this council have built a mixture of different shapes and sizes of houses surrounded by grass and play areas.
About 80% of people rather live in the house than in the flat. The detached houses and bungalows are found near the countryside or in the expensive suburbs. Semidetached houses are found in the suburb too, but terraced houses are found mostly near the town centre. 
In the modern house there are thinner walls than in our houses. Every room is carpeted and most of houses have central heating. It’s quite normal to have a fireplace situated in the living room. The most of the houses have a garden where they grow flowers, vegetable and herbs for use in the kitchen. In the garden they have a small patio where they sit on sunny days with their friends.
In the United States two-third of population have single family house. Americas’ housing industry is a largely unorganized group of entrepreneurs who construct houses in their own geographical area. Every man could get house as it wants. The Americans use to live at the suburbs. They have bigger houses than the British, but they are same comfortable. In America is absolutely necessary to have the air condition control in the house, because of the tropical temperatures which are there during the summer.

4)
    Housework, I hate it. We don’t have garden so the housework narrows into clean the flat, that’s enough. In fact I don’t do anything except of I sometimes clean up my bedroom. My brother does everything. When it’s crisis I have to work too. But it’s not regularly. In spite that what I wrote there’s one I do regularly. I go shopping with my mother if she goes to hypermarket, because she needs a car to take her home. If I’m in terrible mood I hoover. I don’t know why, but it is fact.

5)
    Home, what is home? It should be a place where we live. We spend there our free time. It is a place where we have a room that’s ours on 100% and we feel secure there. It is a place of understanding. 

Ireland

Schedule:
1)    Basic facts + Geography
2)    History
3)    National symbols
4)    Places of interest

1)
    Ireland also known as the Emerald isle is politically divided into Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. The Republic of Ireland consists of Munster, Connaught, Lienster, totalling 23 counties and 3 counties are in Ulster. The area of the island is about 83700 km2 and The Republic of Ireland is about 70000 km2. The population of Ireland is about 5, 5 million inhabitants. The capital city is Dublin, which means Dark Pool, because of the dark water in the river Liffey on which is Dublin situated. The head of the state is President.
    The landscape of the island can be described as basin-shaped. That means the mountains are around the central plain. The main physiographic features are the region of lowlands occupying central and east central sections and a system of mountain ranges in the south. The highest mountain is Carrantuohill located in the south-western part of the island.  Its total height is 1041 m
    On the green plains are situated many rivers and lakes. Because of the large areas of the green grass is Ireland also called “Green Island”. The most important rivers are the Erne and the Shannon. Nearly half of the Shannon River is made by loughs Allen, Ree and Derg.
    The climate of Ireland is moderate, because of the moist winds from the Atlantic Ocean.

2)
    One of the first inhabitants of Ireland were Celts, exactly the Wise Druids. There were Celtic priests. In about 300 B.C. was the island conquered by Celts from France, the Galls.
About seven hundred years later in 432 A.D. St. Patrick came and attempt to convert people to the Christianity. The golden era of Ireland was between 5th and 6th centuries. It was time of rapid development.
    Everything had changed when Henry VIII. brought the Protestant religion. The Catholics were not allowed to vote, to get married, to educate and to buy the land. In 1801 Ireland joined to the British Parliament. To sit in the Parliament was too disallowed to the Catholics. Between years 1845 and 1849 about a million of people died from famine and other million immigrated to United States. That was caused by the failure of potato crops.
    The Sinn Fein started in 1899 and it became a political party in 1805. They wanted Ireland to be equal partner with Britain in dual monarchy. However the movement absorbed many radical elements it became the most important nationalistic party in the country.
    The year 1922 was one of the most important years. The Independent State of Ireland was created and in the year 1949 it was renamed to the Republic of Ireland and it was also the year of leaving the Commonwealth.  
3)
    The flag contains three colours – green, white and orange
Green symbolises the Catholics and the landscape
Orange symbolises the Protestants
White symbolises the peace and understanding between them

The emblem of Ireland is the Shamrock, which is the symbol of Christianity. It also symbolises the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).
The anthem 
4)

The Hill of Tara

    The Hill of Tara, in north-eastern Ireland, has been a sacred place since ancient times. The earliest feature is a Neolithic passage grave dating from about 2800 BC. The two circular earthworks in the centre of the mound are ring forts. Up to about AD 560, the hill was the seat of the kings of Ireland.

The Blarney Castle

    Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, was built in 1446 on the site of an earlier castle dating from the 13th century. The castle was the stronghold of the MacCarthy family until their defeat by Oliver Cromwell in 1646. Although it was restored to the MacCarthys in the reign of Charles II, it was sold to the governor of Cork in 1703. The castle is associated with the popular legend of the Blarney Stone, which is said to confer the gift of eloquence (výmluvnost)  on those who kiss it.


Lifestyle

Schedule:
1) Introduction
2) Differences between The American, The British and The Czech lifestyle (environment, people)
3) Different values of people in USA, Britain and Czech Republic 
1)
    What is lifestyle? Lifestyle is our attitude to the life, to the work, to the friends and at least to the whole society. Each nationality has its own lifestyle. For example the Englishman is closed and conservative and never share his feelings with his environment. The Americans are very friendly, but they live to work not work to live. In this theme I’d like to compare British, American and Czech lifestyle.  
2)
The Americans
-The spirit of adventure
-Self-made man
-Self-reliance
    When you come to America, e.g. to New York you will see cosmopolitan city. Everything is on the top and everything is very fast. It is enough to look at the shops. The most of them are opened non-stop, but it is not so special, because in Czech Republic some shops are opened non-stop too. People in the USA are very friendly, opened and kind much more than Englishmen. The exceptions are taxi drivers in the USA. They never speak to the customer and they don’t know every place in New York. If you want to go somewhere that they don’t know they are not very happy. If you look at the structure of the city you will find out that the different nationalities live there separated.   
    The Americans have many specialities. For example, they wear shoes at home. They love telephoning and also shopping. Their passion is also eating out in restaurant. They are vary proud of their nation
    To make friend is not a big problem in the USA, but Americans often forget on them.
   
The British
-My house is my castle
-Keep himself to himself
-To follow one’s tradition
    Britain is absolutely different. The city is more conservative. People live in the small houses and everything is smaller than in the USA. The city is a mixture of nationalities, which live together. Englishman is not very opened. They don’t share their feelings with the environment. If you ask someone in the Britain: “How are you?” they certainly answer something like this: “Thanks, I am fine.” To make some friends is very difficult. But taxi drivers are very kind and they speak to their customers the whole journey. They speak about everything.
    English national passion is queuing, they love to stay in the queue and speak with friends. They are also famous for their tea mania. They can have tea anywhere and anytime. Another speciality is their clothes, which they wear during the Sunday. They wear waste, but comfortable clothes. English are also known for their telling the truth. If Englishman doesn’t know what to say they speak about weather.
    .
The Czech (Continental people)
On the continent people have good food and in England people have good table manners.
Continental people have sex, but the Englishman has hot-bottles or electrical blankets.  
3)
    The Americans have different values than people in Europe. They have shorter public holidays. The Americans live to work not work to live. For British is more important their family, friends, pets, free time (holidays)

Literary Genres

Charles Dickens
(1812 – 1870)

    He was born in Portsea in 1812. His father was clerk in the Navy Office and had very little money. At the age of nine they moved to London where his father got into debt and he was sent to the prison Marshallsea. Charles had to interrupt his studies and his mother sent him to the factory where blacking was made. After some time his father inherited some money and Charles returned back to school. At the age of fifteen he was taken to the solicitor’s office, but he didn’t enjoy it. He learned shorthand and became a reporter on the Morning Chronicle.
    He stared to write stories and soon his stories were published in the newspaper and later his stories were published in the book “Sketches by Boz “. Boz was nickname of his favourite brother. In his twenty-fifth year he became one of the best-known writers in the country. He became rich and he married daughter of his first publisher.  They had seven sons and two daughters. After twenty-two years of marriage he left her for another woman (maybe his mistress).
    In his works he enjoyed life, but hated social system into which he had been born. In his novels he describes and attacks many kinds of unpleasant people and places (bad schools, headmasters, government departments, bad prisons, dirty houses…) His characters include all kind of people in the British society, but the majority is the group of poor people. He liked to read his own works. The work he liked the most is David Copperfield, which has many autobiographic elements. He describes work in the factory, problems of his father. Like most other people Charles loved Xmas and he wrote one story about it.

Christmas Carol
Scrooge and Marley were business partners, but Marley died and Scrooge was the only owner of the company. Scrooge was tight-fist man .He was hard and sharp as a flint from which no steel had ever struck out the generous fire. He was very mean and he didn’t honour Christmas. He had cold sole and cold in his office influenced his appearance too. He had nipped pointed nose, shrivelled cheek, red eyes and blue lips. Anyone ever asked him, and anyone ever talked to him. He considered Christmas as holidays for nothing and he was very unpleasant at it. One day his nephew and invited him to join Christmas dinner. Scrooge refused. After this the ghost of Marley visited him and told him that three Christmas Spirits would visit him. Spirits came. They were Christmas Past, Christmas and Christmas Future and he saw his whole life and his death and funeral too. He decided to change his mind and he became a new man. He bought a big turkey for his poor clerk and he started to communicate with his environment. He also came to visit his nephew’s family and have Christmas dinner with them. He was new man, who honour Christmas.


Oscar Wilde

    He was novelist, playwright, poet and critic .He was born in 1854 in Dublin. His father, Sir William Wilde, was Ireland's leading ear and eye surgeon. His mother was a revolutionary poet and an authority on Celtic myth and folklore. Oscar inherited his talent after his mother. He studied at Trinity Collage in Dublin. After he had finished it he studied Oxford University. He was very good in poetry. His poem Ravenna from this time won the Newdigate Prize. During his studies at Oxford he was influenced by English innovators like Pater or Ruskin. He was also influenced by Bohemian lifestyle, which influenced his appearance. He wore long hairs and velvet breeches. His rooms were filled with various objects d’art. The first book, which he published was Poems. He published it on his own expense. Wilde agreed to lecture it in the USA and Canada and when he arrived to the New York, he proclaimed his most famous sentence: “I have nothing to declare, except my genius.”
    In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd a daughter of an Irish barrister. They had two sons. In spite of this he was homosexual. He made a clean breast of this in the addition of The Decay of Lying. He made a clean breast of the closer friendship with Lord Alfred Douglas. The family of Marquees of Queensberry prosecuted Wilde; he refused to flee and he was put in the prison. During the time, when he was in prison he bankrupted and after he had been released he went to Paris, where he spent the rest of his days. He died in 1900.

A Picture of Dorian Gray
    Talented painter Basil Hallward got acquainted with a very, very beautiful young gentleman Dorian Gray. He was fascinated with him, with his intelligence and appearance and couldn´t live without his presence. Hallward started to paint him and one day introduced Dorian to his friend, cynical and sarcastic lord Henry Wotton. Lord Harry´s philosophy of life and living influenced Dorian a lot, so in the fit of vanity said he: "I wish I could be young and beautiful all my life, forever.” His wish came true
    Dorian fell in love with young and talented actress Sibyla Vane. Dorian’s attitudes to her caused that Sibyla committed suicide. Dorian started a decadent way of his life; his only aim was to enjoy beauty and delights. His face stayed young and beautiful in the same way as when he was twenty years old, but his picture grew old and became more and more ugly.
    He realized how he had changed and he destroyed the picture. He pierced it with the knife and he actually killed himself. He had a heart attack. The face in the picture changed. He was beautiful as a young man.


Agatha Christie


    She was the world’s most successful detective story writer. Her sales outnumbered those of William Shakespeare. She was born in 1890 in Devon. She didn’t go to school; she was educated by her mother. Her father died when she was 11 years old. During the World War I. she was working in a hospital dispensary and she learned everything about the poisons, which proved very useful in her late career. Her first detective novel was The Mysterious Affair. She introduced Hercule Poirot, who appeared in her subsequent novels. In 1914 she married Archibald Christie, but the marriage was unhappy. In 1926 they divorced and in the same year her mother died. One night she disappeared with her car and she was found after 11 days in a Harrogate hotel. Media gave her hard time after her disappearance and she had never opened her private life again. In 1952 her most famous work was introduced in London, The Mousetrap. He married Max Mallowan an archaeologist and she loved him very much. Her detective skills helped him in the excavations in Iraq and Syria. She died in 1976.
   

London

Schedule:
1)    Basic facts (Basic info, Transport, Industry and commerce)
2)    History
3)    Fact and Places of interest
1)

    London is a capital of both England and the United Kingdom. It is seat of the Monarch, the Parliament, the Government and the Supreme Court and it is home about 9 million people. It lies on the river Thames which is very important transport artery.
     The main exports are cars, machinery, chemical and electrical goods. The mean of transport connected with the river are riverbuses which run on the river Thames too. There are five airports in the London area. The largest is Heathrow. The quickest and the cheapest transport is by famous London’s underground often called “tube”. The London’s underground is the world’s oldest. Other important kinds of transport are taxis and the buses.
    London is one of the centres of the world’s trade. Twenty-two percents of the world’s transactions take place in London. The London Stock Exchange is the world’s biggest.
   
2)
    The Celts settled the territory of today’s London at about 800 B.C. The Romans had occupied the land in 55 and later in 43 B.C. and they established Londonium. When the Romans left the Londonium remained the capital of the Britons. It kept the importance until the time of coming William the Conqueror in 1066, who moved the royal court to Winchester.
The city continued to grow and in the 16th century the establishment of the trading companies and the Royal exchange contributed to the rapid economic rise of London. 
    The 17th century brought much suffering. In 1665 more than 75,000 people died from a plague epidemic and later in 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed four fifths of the city.
Christopher Wren was appointed the main architect to rebuild the city. His masterpiece is St. Paul’s Cathedral.
    During the 19th century the London’s port became the biggest in London. Queen Victoria became a sovereign and the face of the city had changed. Many public buildings sprang up including main part if the Houses of Parliament, the Covent Garden Opera House and the Crystal Palace. Many buildings from that time have typical Victorian style of the red bricks.
    German bombing during the WWII caused many damages especially in the City, but they can’t be noticed now days.
3)
Tower of London
    William the Conqueror started Tower of London after his triumph in 1066. Tower of London was built to oppress and frighten the English. In the prison were kept enemies of the king sometimes very famous e.g. Sir Walter Raleigh, Guy Fawkes and as well as Rudolf Hess (Hitler’s deputy). In the execution block were beheaded two of Henry’s VIII. wives (Ann Boleyn, Catherine Howard) and famous philosopher Thomas Moor.
    The oldest part of Tower of London is The White Tower, which was the residence of the king. The walls of the White Tower are sometimes almost 5 metres thick. In the Jewellery House there are embedded the Crown Jewels. The warders of The Tower of London are the Yeoman Warders incorrectly called Beefeaters, which are dressed in the traditional uniforms from the days of Tudors. Six raves are kept there to protect the Kingdom. The legend says that the Kingdom will cease to exist when the ravens leave the Tower. The old Ceremony of the Keys is still performed nightly when the main gate is locked.

Tower Bridge
    It is the most famous and distinctive bridge in the London. The bridge rise up when the ship wants to pass through under it.

St. Catherine’s Dock
    The dock was finished in 1828. For many centuries it was a trade place and now days it has been transformed into the museum of historical ships.

St. Paul’s Cathedral
    It was built by Christopher Wren and it is his masterpiece. It took 35 years to finish it.
The Cathedral is built in the Baroque style. Inside the dome along the Copula runs the Whispering Gallery. If you whisper something the person on the other side can hear you. It is the place where many famous occasions took place. (Wedding of Price Charles and Princess Diana, funeral of Sir Winston Churchill...) and Britain heroes are buried there (Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren…).
   
The Houses of Parliament
    It is the political centre of the United Kingdom and home of the British Parliament. Great Britain with its House of Lords and House of Commons is the oldest democracy in the world. The parliamentary system has its roots in the Magna Charta Libertatum form 1215. The House of Lords is a gothic hall decorated in red with a throne of the Sovereign and the seat of The Lord Chancellor who presides the House. The House of Commons consists of the parallel rows of the green leather benches. The House of Commons is presided by The Speaker.
    Next to the buildings of The Parliament rises a clock called Big Ben. Big Ben is name of the bell, which was named by his creator.

Westminster Abbey
    It is the most important church in the country. Monarchs are crowned and heroes buried there. The Coronation Chair made in 1300 includes the Stone of Scone which had been stolen from Scotland and returned in 1996.
    In the Poet’s Corner are the tombstones of many famous poets such as John Milton, Lord Byron and William Shakespeare), but only few of them are buried there (Geoffrey Chaucer and Robert Browning).

Buckingham Palace
    It is the London home of the Kings and the Queens. Other homes are Windsor Castle and St. James Palace. It was built by Duke if Buckingham and bought by George III. The Queen Victoria was the first monarch who lived there. The Royal family occupies the north wing of the Palace. Queen Victoria Monument is in front of the Palace.

Trafalgar Square
    It is the largest place in London and it’s also place of traffic jams and political demonstrations. In the centre of the square stands The Nelson’s Column, which commemorates the famous victory of Admiral Nelson at the Spanish Cape Trafalgar in 1805.
The Column is surrounded by two fountains and many pigeons which are inseparable part of the square.

National Gallery
    National Gallery forms one side of the square. There is one of the greatest collections of the western paintings. There are paintings of many masters. It could be mentioned some of them. (Leonardo da Vinci, Tizian, El Greco, Rembrandt, van Gogh…).

Parks
    London is known as a city of parkland and gardens. Here are some of them.
St. James Park is the oldest one. The exclusive street The Mall separates the Park from St. James Palace, which is another residence of the Royal family.
    The Hyde Park is the most popular among the tourists. The main entrance to the Park is the Hyde Park Corner. In the North-east corner of the park stands the Marble Arch.
    The Hyde Park continues by Kensington Gardens. There stands Albert Memorial and Kensington Palace. Facing the Albert Memorial is the Royal Albert Hall.
    Regent’s Park is the most elegant park in London for its attractive gardens, lakes and zoo.

Shopping
    The best place for shopping is the Oxford Street with very famous shops such as Harrods, Selfridges and Marks and Spencer.
    In the Regent Street there is one of the most famous shops with the toys in the world, the Hamley’s. At the other hand the Bond Street is famous for its art galleries, jewellery shops and there is the famous auction house, Sotheby’s.
    Covent Garden is the best place to buy some fruit and vegetable.

My family and friends

My family consists of four members, one of them am I. My father is engineer. He works very hard and he is usually at work. I see him only in the evenings. He is middle figure, relatively slim. He has almost no hair. He has brown eyes and big nose, which creates his features. My mother is an accountant. She is smaller than my father. She has short blond hair. She has green-blue eyes and small nose. She is very careful. My brother is younger than me. He is also smaller than me. He is interested in football, which I don’t enjoy. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. My family doesn’t understand me. They try to compare me with my friends and I am fed up with it. I find all understanding with my friends.
   
    One of my best friends is George Beran. We understand each other very good, because we are thinking very similar; we have similar hobbies and interests. First I met him eight years ago, when this school was opening. He is middle figure as tall as me. He is fatter than me. He has brown hair and circular face. He has brown eyes and wide mouth. He keeps smiling. He is intelligent, very friendly and doesn’t damage any fun. When we go to pub with his he is very funny when he is drunk. Once he fell    form the stairs and he destroyed his mobile phone. Now he has changed, he doesn’t drink anymore. He doesn’t smoke anymore, but he wasn’t addicted on the smoking. He took a cigarette from time to time, usually in the pub.
    He is very lazy about the school and sometimes loses in the subject matter and I have to help him, but that’s the friends do. They help each other. He sometimes works as his father’s assistant, but I think he does it only for money. 
    He very enjoys the sport. He doesn’t practice any sport on the professional level, but he likes watching the sport in the television and he also bets on the sport. Sometimes he has the luck and win, but not often. He goes to the football matches with my other very good friend, Igor. He likes watching TV in general, but rather he watches DVD films.
    We have also similar problems about the family. He has the same problem with his grandmother as I have with my mother. We don’t like very careful parents. That’s the cause of many conflicts.
    We have also very similar hobby. We are both interested in the computer world and we are both programme writers. We both enjoy modern communication technologies like internet.
    George is a very good friend and everyone who knows him have to have the same opinion as I’ve got. I hope that our friendship will never pass.

My future career and plans

The first I have to do is to finish this school. After it there I would like to study The University of Economics or Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Czech Technical University. Rather I would like to study the University of Economics, because after finishing it I would have two qualifications, computer specialist and engineer of economy. The second school is very good too, because I would have a complex overview in computers. During the studies I would like to join some exchange program for students and study few months abroad. It would be absolutely perfect, because of get some experience with foreign circumstances. Next aim I would like to achieve is to learn fluently French and German. It’s necessary, because we are surrounded by German speaking countries and the official language in the European Union is the French.
     My school selection has another advantage. After reach some experience skills in the computer world I could certify my knowledge by Microsoft certificating program. The test and certificate are world reputable, which could be very useful in the future job. During the studies, there is a possibility to work for a company connected with school, where I could get some experience as a practice. If I found some good practice during my studies I would try to lunch out on my own. I would try to find a flat and live my own life. I have to prove to everybody, especially to my family, that I am able to see after myself.
    After the school I would like to find well paid work, but I would have to enjoy it. In the work which I don’t enjoy I don’t do maximum for it and it’s not good. After get some experience If possible I would like to create my own computer company, because what I know certain is that I don’t want to work with some company and after fifty years they will tell me “By Mike, you were good, but we don’t need you anymore”. That’s my nightmare.
I want to leave some product of my whole life work here.
    I exactly don’t know the specialization of my future company, but I would like to undertake in the computer world, because it has a future. That’s another reason why I would like to study the University of Economics.
    For choice I would like to undertake with my present friends, because I can believe them and they will study similar schools. I believe that would be successful company and we would earn a lot of money. I would buy a comfortable car and I would buy a land and built a big house with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool.
    The bases for a good life are the material resources and a life partner. I don’t enjoy the marriage so I would like to live with my partner without it at least until the time we would have children, because it’s not necessary for me to have an affirmation which allows me to live with somebody I love. I think that it is a modern tendency to live without a marriage, so I would try it. I suppose that people will come to know each other better. After I will have children I would like to look after my family, so the conditions is that the company will be reputable and it will be run by perspective people and I will only share the profits and do only the representative functions as propagations of our interests.
   
   

My typical day and weekend, hobbies

I am a student, so my daily routine is very similar most of days in the year. During the working part of the week I use to get up at about seven o’clock. I don’t eat very much in the morning. I have a light breakfast, some tea, doughnuts, bread or toast. I use to leave a flat at half past seven and I lift my friend Tom, who lives at the 2nd stage. We leave house at 27 to eight. It’s the time when I catch the underground which takes me to school on the minute. If we don’t leave the house on the minute it’s not necessary to hurry, because we come late if we want to or not.
    School starts at 10 to eight. One lesson keeps 45 minutes, and then we have 10 minutes break. After the third lesson we have 20 minutes break. We usually have six or seven lessons a day, which means we finish the school at about two or three p.m. Most of my friends have their lunch at school. I use to have my lunch at home. After lunch I have a rest for about hour or two, it depends if I am more or less tired after school. At about four or five p.m. I start doing something for school. I use to do my homework and I prepare for the next day.
    I use not to learn so much. Each day I learn a few and it’s better than to learn in haste everything. I finish learning at about seven o’clock. It is the time when the dinner is usually served. We have all different interests and we have a dinner at the different times. Sometimes I watch the TV news, but after the dinner I use to set to my hobbies, which are the computers.
I usually go to bed at about midnight.
    I am interested in programming and in internet technology. It does me good when I write a programme, which runs as I want to. I used to built plastic models of planes, as I grow up I built mechanical models and finally I built radio controlled ship, but I wasn’t able to pay large amounts for another models, so I bought a computer.
    I think that to have a computer is common and most of the teenagers use it for spending a free time. Usually they play computer games. I used to play them too, but now I am not interested in that. Either we play with my friends Net Game, which is the best thing in the world or I play the Internet Game, but it’s less often, almost never.
    Weekend is perfect time to relax. At weekend I use to get up later, than at ordinary days. I get up at ten o’clock, sometimes later. It is the time when I could set to my hobby. I don’t have any breakfast, because lunch is at after 12 o’clock. In the afternoon I do what I want. Sometimes I clean my room up. We have a cat, so I play with it. We have the dinner at about seven o’clock. In the evening I watch TV, but there is usually nothing interesting so I watch video or DVD. I use to go to bed at about 1 a.m. Sometimes we go to pub or to disco and then I go to bed early in the morning at about 4 a.m.
    Time to time me and George go to the McDonalds to Evropská Street, where our friend Igor works. When he has a night spell he gives us a promotion meal. I used to work with McDonalds too, but I spent there all my free time and I realized It wasn’t good for me and for my friends whom I saw very seldom in my free time. I gave it up.
    On Sunday I get up similar to Saturday. Beyond this I have to prepare for the Monday’s school, but it doesn’t take so much time as on the ordinary day. After finishing learning I set to my hobby and friend. I go to bed at midnight.

Prague

Basic facts and History

    Prague is a capital of Czech Republic. It is a seat of the President, the Parliament, the government and the cultural and economic centre of the country. It spreads on the both banks of the river Vltava. Prague is divided into 22 administrative districts and it has about 1, 2 million inhabitants. The oldest parts are Old Town, The Lesser Town, Hradčany, Josefov and Vyšehrad.
    A legend connects the foundation of Prague with Princess Libuše of the Přemyslid dynasty, who prophesied the future of Prague which “would touch the stars”. The oldest settlers came to the area in The Stone Age, but the Slavs came to the Prague valley in the 6th century. In the 9th century prince Bořivoj founded a castle in the Vltava valley and it became the seat of the Přemyslid dynasty. In the 10th century Vyšehrad castle was built and it became the residence of the dynasty too.
    Prague became an imperial residence during the rule of Charles IV., who founded an Archbishopric, University and the New Town here. He also promoted the construction of the Charles Bridge and St. Vitus Cathedral. In the 15th century Prague became a centre of the Hussite movement. Prague regained its cosmopolitan character again during the rule of Rudolf II, who invited artists and scientists here. On 8th November 1620 the Czechs rose up against the Hapsburgs and they were defeated in the Battle of the White Mountain. A few month later 27 members of the movement were executed at the Old Town Square. The Thirty Years’ War, re-catholicization and germanization followed. At the end of the 18th century it became a centre of the cultural life, when national revival started. In 1918 it rose again as a capital of an independent country. In 1939 it was occupied by German troops and later it was a place of assassination of the Nazi deputy Protector Reinhardt Heydrich. After the Prague Uprising against the fascist the town was liberated by the Russians on 9th May 1945.
The Soviet occupation in the August 1968 stopped the democratic reforms and started the process of the normalization. On the 17th November the Velvet Revolution began the democratic changes in our society. The process continued with the splitting the state into two independent states on the 1st January 1993, when Prague became the capital of The Czech Republic.

Places of interest
Prague castle
    is the dominant of the city and the seat of the President. Form the square outside the castle, tourists can admire the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque houses. The complex of the Prague castle includes three courtyards and over 700 rooms. The most famous are the gothic Vladislav Hall, the Spanish Hall and the Rudolf Gallery. In the Vladislav Hall the election of President takes place and the other Halls serve for ceremonial and cultural purposes.    
    The most impressive building in the complex is the St. Vitus Cathedral completed in 1929 and founded by Charles IV. with the occasion of establishment of the Archbishopric. The main constructors were Matthias of Arras and Peter Parlěř. The most admired parts are St. Wenceslas Chapel decorated by semi-precious stones, coronation chamber with the coronation jewels and the Royal Crypt with sarcophaguses of Czech kings and queens.
    Other interesting places at the Prague castle are the Basilica of St. George, Golden Lane, Schwarzenberg, Sternberg and Černín Palaces.

In the neighbourhood of the Prague Castle on the Petřín Hill the Strhov Monastery is located.
Nearby the Petřín Observatory Tower can be found.
The Lesser Town
    It is on of the oldest parts of the city. The jewel of Baroque architecture is St. Nicholas Church in the Lesser Town Square. Nearby is the Charles Bridge over the river Vltava. The bridge is 520m long and it is decorated with 30 sculptures and groups of statues.

Old Town Square
    It’s in the centre of the Old Town. The best known building in the square is the Old Town Hall, famous because of the horologe. The dominant of the square is Týn Church Tycho de Brahe was buried. In the centre of the square is the John Huss Monument. From the square lead Paris Street and Celetná Street.

    The Na Příkopě Street leads to the biggest square, the Wenceslas square. It is a 750 metres long boulevard lined with the banks, hotels and restaurants. At the upper end of the square are St. Wenceslas Monument and the National Museum.
    The Vyšehrad castle was another seat of the kings. There is very famous Slavín Cemetery, where the most famous persons of our history were buried.