– Hello, dear guests and supporters! Good luck, dear players! I’m privileged to greet you here at our contest, which will help us find out [slide 1] how well each of you knows Great Britain and, may be, to find some new information about the country. First, let me introduce the participants. There are four teams competing for the title of an expert in Great Britain: [slide 2] the first team called “…”; the captain is … and the symbol of the team is …. [slide 2] Team “…” ruled by … has chosen … as their symbol. [slide 2] Team #3 is called “…”, their captain is … and their symbol is … [slide 2] The fourth team – ‘…’ is ruled by … and their symbol is …. So, let’s greet our teams! Good luck!
And now let me introduce the jury. They are …. [slide 3] There will be 6 blocks in our contest. The first block is “homework”, the second one is “famous faces”, the third one is “numbers”, the fourth block will be devoted to famous places, and then there will be a captains` contest, “time to celebrate” and finally a blitz-block consisting of short questions. Before we actually start our contest I’d like to present good luck to one of the teams! And the present will go to a team, which can answer the first warming-up and really simple question: [slide 4]which is the full name of the country we`re talking about today? Yes, that`s correct! [slide 4] , …, you deserve good luck for the competition! So, let’s start!

And the first block is homework. The teams had to prepare a short speech about one of the parts of Great Britain. Let`s listen to them!
[slides 5-8]

[slide 9] So, let`s come to the second part – “Famous faces”

There is a face on the screen and your task is to tell as much as you can about the person. The team who have risen their flashcards first have a chance to answer, but after they’ve told everything they know the other teams can add some more information and get a point as well. So, let`s start.

1. William Wallace [slide 9]

Born 1272 Elderslie or Ellerslie, Scotland; Died 23 August 1305 Smithfield, London, England
Occupation commander in the Scottish Wars of Independence
Children none recorded
Parents Alan or Malcolm Wallace (Father) Sir William Wallace (Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam Uallas; 1272 – 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight and landowner who is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence and is today remembered in Scotland as a patriot and national hero. Along with Andrew Moray, he defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and became Guardian of Scotland, serving until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. A few years later Wallace was captured in Robroyston near Glasgow and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him executed for treason. Wallace was the inspiration for the poem, The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie, by the 15th-century minstrel, Blind Harry and this poem was to some extent the basis of Randall Wallace's screenplay for the 1995 film Braveheart. The Wallace Monument, near Stirling Castle, commemorates the actions of William Wallace during the Wars of Independence

2. William the conqueror [slide 9]

Born: c. 1027
Birthplace: Falaise, France
Died: 9-Sep-1087
Location of death: Rouen, France
Cause of death: Accident - Fall
Remains: Buried, St. Stephen's Church, Caen, France
Occupation: Royalty, Military
Nationality: England
Executive summary: Invaded, conquered England in 1066
Father: Robert the Magnificent
Mother: Herleva (known as Arletta)
Wife: Matilda of Flanders
Son: Robert Curthose, King William II, Richard,  King Henry I
Daughter: Adeliza, Cecilia, Agatha, Adela, Constance, Matilda
U.K. Monarch 1066-87

3. Sir Winston Churchill [slide 9]

Winston Churchill was a politician, a soldier, an artist, and the 20th century's most famous and celebrated Prime Minister. The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965), the son of Lord Randolph Churchill and an American mother, was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. After a brief but eventful career in the army, he became a Conservative Member of Parliament in 1900. He held many high posts in Liberal and Conservative governments during the first three decades of the century. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty - a post which he had earlier held from 1911 to 1915. In May, 1940, he became Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and remained in the office until 1945. He took over the premiership again in the Conservative victory of 1951 and resigned in 1955. However, he remained a Member of Parliament until the general election of 1964, when he did not seek re-election. Among the other countless honours and decorations he received, special mention should be made of the honorary citizenship of the United States which President Kennedy conferred on him in 1963. Churchill's literary career began with campaign reports: The Story of the Malakand Field Force (1898) and The River War (1899), an account of the campaign in the Sudan and the Battle of Omdurman. Churchill, a gifted amateur painter, wrote Painting as a Pastime (1948). An autobiographical account of his youth, My Early Life, appeared in 1930.
From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above. Winston Churchill died on January 24, 1965.

4. Charles Darvin [slide 9]

5. Princess Diana [slide 9]

Spouse Charles, Prince of Wales
(29 July 1981 – 28 August 1996)
Prince William of Wales
Prince Harry of Wales
Full name
Diana Frances Spencer [N 1]
House  House of Windsor
Father  John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer
Mother Frances Shand Kydd
Born    1 July 1961
Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk
Died     31 August 1997 (aged 36)
A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana remained the focus of near-constant media scrutiny in the United Kingdom and around the world before, during and after her marriage, even in the years following her sudden death in a car crash, which was followed by a spontaneous and prolonged show of public mourning. Contemporary responses to Diana's life and legacy were mixed but a popular fascination with the Princess endures. The long-awaited Coroner's Inquest concluded in 7 April 2008 that Diana had been unlawfully killed by the negligent driving of the following vehicles and the driver of the Mercedes in which she was travelling
She was born at Park House, Sandringham in Norfolk, England on 1 July 1961, and was baptised on 30 August 1961 at St. Mary Magdalene Church by the Rt. Rev. Percy Herbert (rector of the church and former Bishop of Norwich and Blackburn), with godparents that included John Floyd (the chairman of Christie's

6. Oscar Wilde [slide 9]

This famous Irish personality was one of the most successful writers ever. Oscar Wilde’s - The Picture of Dorian Gray, was amongst his most renowned works. Oscar Wilde was more recognized for his role towards aesthetic as well as decadent movements. He often brought criticism from other writers and found himself shrouded in controversy. Despite everything, the works of Oscar Wilde speak volumes about his talent as a writer.

7. Mary Robinson [slide 9]

Mary Robinson was the first woman to serve as Ireland's president and is currently one of the foremost advocates of human rights and equality issues. Despite her tireless and impressive work in law, administration and politics, Robinson’s career has been fraught with opposition and resistance.
First Female President of Ireland
Mary Robinson has had a busy and groundbreaking career. From 1990 to 1997, she served as the first female president of Ireland; from 1997 to 2002, she was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Robinson has been honored with numerous degrees and awards worldwide, and has been the Honorary President of Oxfam International since 2002.
In 1999, Robinson received the Fulbright Prize for International

8. George Everest [slide 9]

Colonel Sir George Everest (4 July 1790 – 1 December 1866) was a Welsh surveyor, geographer and Surveyor-General of India from 1830 to 1843.
Sir George was largely responsible for completing the section of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India along the meridian arc from the south of India extending north to Nepal, a distance of approximately 2,400 kilometres (1,491 mi). The survey was started by William Lambton in 1806 and lasted several decades. In 1865, Mount Everest was named in his honour despite his objections. It was surveyed by his successor, Andrew Waugh.

9. The Beatles [slide 9]

10. Ian McKellen [slide 9]

Was born on May, 25, 1939 in Burnley, England.
Asylum (2004), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Emile/ (2003), X2/ (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/(2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), X-Men/ (2000), Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man(2000), Apt Pupil/ (1998), Gods and Monsters/(1998), Swept from the Sea/(1997), Bent(1997), Restoration/(1995), Richard III (1995), Jack and Sarah (1995), To Die For/ (1994), The Shadow/(1994), I`ll Do Anything/(1994)

[slide 10]

So, let`s come to the third part – “Dates and numbers”.
There is a date on the screen and your task is to tell as much as you can about the event. The team who have risen their flashcards first have a chance to answer, but after they’ve told everything they know the other teams can add some more information and get a point as well. So, let`s start.

1. [slide 10] 14 of October 1066 – the Hastings Battle (William the Conqueror captures British Isles)
2. [slide 10] 23 of April 1564 (William Shakespeare’s Birthday)
3. [slide 10] 25 of July 1603 (Scotland and Britain united, James VI of Scotland crowned James I of England)
4. [slide 10] 21 of November 1620 (Mayflower lands)
5. [slide 10] 21 of October 1805 (Trafalgar Battle – admiral Nelson, Trafalgar Square)
6. [slide 10] 1 of August 1834 (Britain abolishes slavery)
7. [slide 10] 6th of December 1922 (Anglo-Irish treaty is signed. As with the manner of wartime treaties, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in 1921 after protracted negotiations between representatives of the Irish Republic and the British Government, restored the preeminence of politics where the vacuum was hitherto filled by conflict. Its significance was huge: it was proof that Britain recognised Ireland as an independent country, granting it powers that far exceeded home rule. And in ending the Irish War Of Independence it did bring some peace, albeit temporarily, for Ireland still had a bloody civil war coming round the corner). [slide 10]
8. [slide 10] 3rd of September 1939 (Britain declares War on Germany - WWII begins)
9. [slide 10] 28th of February 1948 (Last British Soldiers leave India)
10. [slide 10] 18th of April 1948 (Republic of Ireland established)
11. [slide 10] 1st of January 1973 (Britains Joins the EEC.)
12. [slide 10] 4th of May 1979 (Margaret Thatcher becomes 1st Fem PM)
13. [slide 10] 31st of August 1997 (Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash)
14. [slide 10] 11th of September 1997 (Scotland votes Yes to a Scottish Parliament)
15. [slide 10] 27th of June 2007 (Tony Blair announces resignation)

So, let`s come to the next part – “Famous places”

There is a photo of a building or a monument on the screen and your task is to name the building and tell something about it if you can. The team who rose their flashcards first have a right to answer, but the others can add what they know.

1. [slide 11] Tower Bridge
2. [slide 11] The Tower of London
3. [slide 11] The house of Parliament
4. [slide 11] Stonehenge
5. [slide 11] Double-decker
6. [slide 11] Market Cross
7. [slide 11] Westminster abbey
8. [slide 11] Piccadilly Circus
9. [slide 11] Buckingham Palace
10. [slide 11] Oxford University

Part #5 is the captains` contest.

So, please, dear captains, come here. Your task will be to answer 4 questions. If one of the captains can’t answer, the others can take his turn, answer and get a point. While the captains are competing, their teams won’t be having a rest either; they will be preparing for the next task.
So, captains, are you ready? Here are the questions:

1. [slide 12] Name as many British writers, as you can
2. [slide 12] Name as many traditional British holidays, as you can
3. [slide 12] Say as many English proverbs, as you can
4. [slide 12] Name as many British towns and cities, as you can remember

Part 6 is called “Time to celebrate” [slide 13]

As I have said, while the captains were answering their questions, the teams were preparing for this task. Each team should tell us everything they can remember about one of the celebrations:

[slide 13]

• Burns` Night
• Christmas
• Gay Falk’s Day
• Highland Games

So, let`s come over to the last part which is blitz-questionnaire

1. [slide 14] When did the Great Fire of London happen? (1066)
2. [slide 14] What is Hyde Park famous for? (Speakers` Corner)
3. [slide 4] Who built the Tower? (William the Conqueror)
4. [slide 14] What was the first building in the Tower castle complex? (the White Tower)
5. [slide 14] Who built St Paul’s Cathedral? (Sir Christopher Wren)
6. [slide 14] Where is the Nelson Column and why? (on Trafalgar Square to commemorate his victory in Trafalgar battle)
7. [slide 14] Why is one of the biggest waterfalls on Earth called “Victoria”? (Cook discovered it and named it in honour of the British Queen)
8. [slide 14] What is the most interesting time to visit Buckingham Palace? (11 a.m., changing of the guard)
9. [slide 14] Where does the British Prime Minister live and work? (Downing street 10)
10. [slide 14] What is in common between Westminster Abbey and Peter-and-Paul-fortress? (monarchs are buried here)
11. [slide 14] How many parts are there in London? (4)
12. [slide 14] What are they? (City, East End, West End, Westminster)
13. [slide 14] Which ocean is the UK washed by? (the Atlantic)
14. [slide 14] What houses are there in the British parliament? (the House of Lords and the House of Commons)
15. [slide 14] How many islands is the UK situated on? Name them. (GB and Ireland)
16. [slide 14] What separates these islands? (the Irish sea)