English Vocabulary in Use Elementary » Unit 33: UK culture

Word List
  • bank holiday
  • bonfire
  • Bonfire Night
  • chicken tikka masala
  • Christmas
  • Christmas tree
  • curry
  • Easter
  • Easter eggs
  • festival
  • fireworks
  • fish and chips
  • Halloween
  • Hogmanay
  • Houses of Parliament
  • king
  • New Year’s Day
  • New Year’s Eve
  • nursery school
  • oven
  • primary school
  • Prime Minister
  • private school
  • queen
  • roast beef
  • roast potatoes
  • royal family
  • secondary school
  • state school
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Yorkshire pudding
Exercises

33.1 ‣ Which festivals do these pictures show?

  2. _____
  3. _____
  4. _____
  5. _____
  6. _____

33.2 ‣ Look at the pictures. Find 10 more words connected with food in the puzzle.

33.3 ‣ Answer these questions about traditional UK food.

  1. What do British people traditionally eat with fish?
  2. Where does chicken tikka masala come from? _____
  3. What is chicken tikka masala a kind of? _____
  4. Do British people eat Yorkshire pudding after their main course? _____
  5. In or on which part of the cooker do you make roast beef and roast potatoes? _____

33.4 ‣ Which kind of school do these British children go to?

  1. Lily is seven. Her parents pay for her to go to school.
  2. Gabriel is 14. His school is free.
    _____
  3. James and Ellie are three.
    _____
  4. Mehmet is ten. His parents don’t pay for him to go to school.
    _____
  5. Nick is 16. His parents pay for him to go to school.
    _____

33.5 ‣ Answer these questions about politics in the UK.

  1. Who is Prime Minister at the moment?
    _____
  2. Where does the Prime Minister work?
    _____
  3. Who is head of the royal family at the moment?
    _____

Tip

Learn about UK life by using the BBC Learning English website which has up-to-date articles and news stories: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/

Answer Key
A ‣ Special days

festivaldatewhat people do
Christmas25th Decembersend Christmas cards, give presents, spend time with their families, decorate a Christmas tree, eat a lot
New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay (Scotland)31st Decembersing and dance, toast the New Year
New Year’s Day1st Januarya bank holiday [day when most organisations are closed]
Valentine’s Day14th Februarysend cards to boyfriend / girlfriend / husband / wife
Easterdates varygive children Easter eggs [chocolate eggs]
Halloween31st Octoberchildren dress up, children knock at doors and ask for sweets
Bonfire Night5th Novemberhave a bonfire and fireworks
B ‣ Food

Traditional UK food is fish and chips and roast beef and roast potatoes [cooked in the oven] with Yorkshire pudding [dish made of flour, milk and eggs].

Chicken tikka masala [a kind of curry] comes from India, but is very popular in the UK.

C ‣ Education

type of schoolwhat it is
nursery schoolfor children aged 2–4
primary schoolfor children aged 5–11
secondary schoolfor children aged 12–18
state schoolparents don’t pay for children to go here
private schoolparents pay for children to go here
D ‣ Politics

The UK has a royal family, with a king or a queen.

Political decisions are made at the Houses of Parliament.

The Prime Minister is the political leader of the UK.

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