Lessons in the "UK" Category

London terror attack: PM - We are not afraid

London on Wednesday saw a terror attack unfold in the heart of Westminster. Four people were killed in the attack that took place outside the Houses of Parliament. One of the killed was a police officer. A Foreign Office Minister performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him in the grounds of parliament.

Witnesses said that the attacker initially struck a number of people with a 4x4 vehicle, including three French schoolchildren, on the nearby Westminster Bridge. Other eyewitnesses said at least 12 people were injured. Many of them were children. People were jumping off the bridge into the river Thames, as that was their only hope of survival. People were seen fleeing the area.

Knights Templar cave discovered behind rabbit hole

There are many legends about the Knights Templar. The secretive religious sect have left behind many mysterious mysteries. They once held great power across Europe. So much so, that King Philip IV of France, who was in debt to them, and in fear of their power, literally forced them underground, having burnt many of their prominent members at the stake.

So it is interesting to hear about a mysterious 700-year-old cave that may have been used by the famous Knights Templar. The fascinating cave was discovered, a while back, behind a rabbit hole, in a field in Shropshire, England. Could this cave be a Holy Grail site? Did the Knights Templar really meet here, in secret?

Who will replace the EU immigrant workers after Britain leaves the EU?

Who will replace the EU immigrant workers after Britain leaves the EU? It’s an interesting question that many in the UK and Europe are now asking themselves. Who will work on the farms, factories, or hospitals, or even, in the pubs, restaurants and cafes, after Britain leaves the EU?

Before you answer that, ask yourselves, who did it before the 1st June 2004?

One answer is, many young people from the top five commonwealth countries did some of these jobs. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the UK, up till 2008, had a reciprocal agreement, whereby, they could live and work in each other’s countries, for up to two years.

New cyber curriculum to be taught to British teens

Thousands of British teenagers are to be taught a new cyber curriculum. Training will be given in cyber security. The idea being, that it will help boost British defences against the rising threat of online hacking attacks.

The new cyber curriculum scheme is led by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It is aimed at teenagers between 14 and 18 years of age. An initial target of 5,700 students will be selected for the scheme. Older teenagers will be allowed to join the scheme, if they meet the right criteria. A pilot launch will begin in September.

Meals children should be able to cook by the time they are 11

Today, let’s talk about meals that children should be able to cook by the time they are 11. These include scrambled egg on toast, cheese on toast, sausage and mash, as well as porridge.

There are many other easy meals that kids can prepare. These include roast chicken, meatballs and a stew. By the age of 11 children should also be able to prepare desserts, such as fairy cakes, sponge cakes and apple crumble.

When faced with the challenge of preparing their own meal, most 11 year olds might just head for McDonald’s. It could also be a 3 minute ready meal in the microwave or a take away.

Immigration Tension in Europe

Today, let’s talk about the tension that is rising, right across Europe, regarding immigration. Well, let’s face it, it is. What’s more, week by week, it’s getting worse, thanks to the EU, and Mrs Merkel, the German Chancellor.

Western governments are only too happy to hand out benefits to anyone, who makes it to these countries. Top of the immigrant’s list is the UK, closely followed by Germany, Sweden and Holland.

Why don’t these economic migrants go and live in Saudi Arabia, or other Middle Eastern countries, or African countries that were once their neighbours?

Why not go to Eastern Europe? Because no one there wants any migrants. There are no benefits paid, worth taking about, in Eastern Europe. Mr Orbán built a fence. Austria is doing likewise. Why not France?

Many under 35s in the UK can’t do basic DIY skills

Recently, a survey conducted by UK store Poundland, uncovered the fact that many young people, under 35, don’t have key life skills. For example, a third of young adults, don’t know how to change a lightbulb.

A quarter, admitted that they would have to ask, to know how to boil an egg. They said it’s tricky to get it right, as ‘you can’t see if it’s cooked, or not, inside the shell’. Some, even tried cooking a boiled egg in a microwave, with explosive consequences. Another 13%, tried to boil an egg, in a kettle.

Remember Remember the Fifth of November

Today, we are going to talk about Guy Fawkes’ Night, or Bonfire Night. The event is held every year in the United Kingdom, on the evening of the fifth of November.

The annual commemoration is to remind us of the events of the 5th November 1605, when Guy Fawkes’, who was a Catholic, was caught and arrested in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament, while guarding the gunpowder that was to be used to blow it up.

English regional accents to die out – urban accents to increase

A report analysing language trends from the past 50 years has been published by dialect coach, Brendan Gunn, and Dr Dominic Watt of York University, who is a sociolinguistic expert. The two looked at major modern cultural influences, to help predict what the future might sound like.

The analysis said that English regional accents are likely to die out in 50 years. Whereas, urban dialects are likely to rise, in big cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. The Queen's English could soon be a thing of the past, due to immigration. Multicultural London English, which incorporates pronunciations from West African, Caribbean, and Asian communities, will spread across regions.

New Words in Oxford Dictionary

Today, we are going to look at some of the 1,000 or so new words that have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary in their September quarterly update for 2016.

Ones to watch out for are ‘moobs’, ‘gender-fluid’ and ‘yolo’. ‘Scrumdiddlyumptious’ and other colourful Roald Dahl words like ‘Oompa Loompa’ and ‘human bean’ are included in the latest edition to celebrate the centenary of his birth. Another of Dahl’s words includes ‘splendiferous’, which means full or abounding in splendour.

‘Moobs’ are a term used for unusually prominent breasts on a man. ‘Gender-fluid’ describes a person who does not identify with a single fixed gender. ‘Yolo’ is the acronym for the term “You only live once”.