skócia – Ingyenes Angol online nyelvtanulás minden nap

Mi lesz a brit zászló sorsa?

dr. Bülgözdi Imola — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:51:40 +0000

What will happen to the Union Jack?

The Union Jack is a composite of the flags of England and Scotland, plus Ireland’s cross of St Patrick, adopted prior to Irish Home Rule. The cross of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, is also known as the Saltire – the term saltire being a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross.

In 1603 King James VI of Scotland inherited the crown of England and became King James I of England. At this point, although both kingdoms had the same king, they remained separate sovereign states with their own parliaments, judiciary, and laws.

In 1606 the King ordered a Union Flag to combine the Scottish Cross of St Andrew with England’s Cross of St George. According to the Flag Institute, over the following years the Union Flag became known colloquially as “the Jack” or the “King’s Jack”, and the term ‘jack’ was derived from the name for a small flag used on the bow of ships to indicate nationality. By 1674 the flag was officially recognised by the term Union Jack.

In 1707 the parliaments were united to form the Parliament of Great Britain, based at the Palace of Westminster in London. In 1801 the Kingdom of Great Britain united with the neighbouring Kingdom of Ireland and the cross of Saint Patrick was also incorporated into the Union Jack.

composite – összetett
prior to – valamit megelőzően
patron saint – védőszent
diagonal cross – harántkereszt
to inherit – örökölni
although – habár
sovereign state – független állam
judiciary – igazságszolgáltatás
colloquially – a köznyelvben
term – kifejezés
to be derived from – valahonnan származik
bow – hajóorr
to indicate – jelezni, megjelölni
to officially recognise – hivatalosan elismerni
to be incorporated into – belefoglalják

Match the words with the definitions.

1. to indicate	a) the system of courts of justice in a country
2. judiciary	b) despite the fact that
3. term	c) to receive something from someone after their death
4. to inherit	d) to show
5. although	e) a word having a particular meaning

answers: 1-d 2-a 3-e 4-c 5-b

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Skót felföldi játékok

dr. Bülgözdi Imola — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:10:16 +0000

Scottish Highland Games

Visitors to Scotland can enjoy the unique combination of culture, sport and social entertainment from mid-May to late September at various locations hosting traditional heavy athletics and field and track events, wrestling, piping and Highland dance competitions, as well. The competitions originated from Celtic war games and travelled with Scottish immigrants to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

It is thought that originally the Scottish clans competed against each other in medieval times, with the strongest and bravest soldiers winning the games. This was a great opportunity for the chieftains to pick the best fighters, the fastest messengers and the best entertainers for their court: musicians and dancers. However, when the Scots fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Stuart pretender to the throne and lost in 1746, bagpipes, kilts, and possession of arms were banned by the English. The games, however, resumed in a few decades and by the 1820s they were held throughout Scotland. In the United States the first Highland games were organised in New York and San Francisco boasts the oldest continuously running games since 1865. Today all competitors wear kilts for Highland games events.

Heavy events

Caber toss – a long tapered pine pole – caber comes from the Gaelic word for pole – is stood upright and held vertically by the competitor by the narrow end. The athlete then runs to gather momentum. The caber is supposed to be tossed in such a way that it turns over and lands with the thicker end striking the ground first. Then the narrow end should come down parallel to the direction of the run. Cabers have no set measurements and vary in length, weight, taper, and balance. Competitors are judged on how straight their caber lands, relative to the direction of the run.

Stone put – although this event is similar to the modern shot put, don’t think it’s easy. A large stone is used instead of a steel shot, and its weight depends on the event: the heavier “Braemar Stone” (men: 9-11.7 kg, women: 5.8-7.2 kg) should be tossed from a standing position. The “Open Stone” (men: 7.2-10 kg, women: 3.6-5.4 kg) is thrown with one hand, with the stone resting cradled in the neck until the moment of release.

Scottish hammer throw – a round metal ball (men: 7.25 kg or10 kg, women: 5.4 or 7.25 kg) is attached to the end of a shaft about 120 cm long. The hammer is whirled about one’s head in a standing position, then thrown over the shoulder. The shaft is made out of wood, bamboo, rattan or plastic.

Weight throw or weight for distance – there are two events, one using a light (men: 12.7 kg, women: 6.3 kg) and the other a heavy (men: 25.4 kg or 19 kg, women: 12.7 kg) weight. The metal weight, which has a handle attached directly or by means of a chain, is thrown using one hand only, with any technique. The spinning technique is the most common one.

Weight over the bar or weight for height – the aim is to toss a weight of 25.4 kilos over a horizontal bar. The weight has a handle and is held with one hand only. Competitors have three attempts at each height. If one height is successfully cleared, the athlete can go to the next height. If there is a tie at the end, the competitor with the fewer misses wins.

The Scottish clans

The Clan is a concept dating back 900 years and was originally an extended network of families, led by a chief. The word comes from the Gaelic word for children: “clann.” The chief acted as a leader in battle and a judge as well. The clan system was the main political system in Scotland until 1746, when the English crushed the Jacobite rebellion for attempting to put the exiled Stuarts back on the throne. The King not only banned the Scots from possessing weapons but also from wearing kilts: the punishment was prison sentence and deportation.

Many Highlanders were forced to leave their small farms because landowners wanted to raise sheep, and a mass emigration to the Lowlands, America and Australia began. Unfortunately, these events destroyed the Gaelic culture and clan society. Now there are about 50 million people worldwide who consider themselves descendants of 18^th and 19^th century immigrants.

The bagpipes have become a symbol of Scotland and records show that they have been played since the 13^th century and in the 16^th century they also got an important part in warfare. The clans used bagpipes as a battle instrument to rouse their armies and spread terror to the enemy. Piping schools appeared and over 300 tunes, surviving from the 17^th century, are still performed. Later pipers started serving in the British army as well, with over one thousand pipers being killed in World War I. The military tradition is alive today: you can’t have a Scottish Regiment without a piper.

At the Highland games the massing of the bands is one of the highlights, when all the pipers taking part in the pipe band and solo bagpipe competitions play together. Another exciting cultural event is the opportunity to listen to the Celtic harp, which is another musical instrument that survived from the Middle Ages. Of course, there are no highland games without highland dancing competitions and shows. Highland dancing is a competitive and technical dance form requiring technique, stamina, and strength, and is recognised as a sport by the Sport Council of Scotland.

Highland dancing is not to be confused with Scottish country dancing, which is a social dance, danced with a partner or in formation. The former is a solo dance and the competition repertoire has several types of dances which require different outfits. The special dancing shoes are called ghillies, which are soft and made of supple leather that forms to the foot. Laces are criss-crossed and tied at the top of the foot. The World Highland Dancing Championship is held at the Cowal Highland Gathering, regarded as the biggest and most spectacular Highland games in the world. This event is conveniently located close to Glasgow, in Dunoon and it’s an ideal tourist destination for the last weekend of August. It also offers the unique opportunity to listen to over one thousand pipers play the traditional tune Salute to the Chieftain.

heavy athletics – nehézatlétika
field and track events – futó és dobószámok
wrestling – birkózás
Celtic – kelta
medieval – középkori
pretender to the throne – trónkövetelő
bagpipe – duda
kilt – skótszoknya
to be banned – betiltják
caber toss – póznadobás
tapered – elkeskenyedő
Gaelic – gael, a skót kelta nyelv
vertically – függőlegesen
momentum – lendület
to turn over – átfordulni, átfordítani
parallel to – párhuzamosan valamivel
stone put – kőlökés
shot put – súlylökés
weight – súly
cradled in the neck – vállgödörben helyezkedik el
Scottish hammer throw – skót kalapácsvetés
shaft – nyél
to whirl – megpörgetni
weight throw – súlyvetés távolra
handle – fogantyú
weight over the bar – súlyvetés magasra
horizontal – vízszintes
attempt – próbálkozás
tie – döntetlen
concept – fogalom
Jacobite rebellion – Jakobinus felkelés
exiled – száműzött
to ban someone from – valakit eltiltani valamitől
weapon – fegyver
kilt – skótszoknya
mass emigration – tömeges kivándorlás
descendant – leszármazott
warfare – hadviselés
to rouse – lelkesíteni
tune – dal, dallam
highlight – fénypont
piper – dudás
pipe band – skótduda zenekar
harp – hárfa
Middle Ages – középkor
stamina – állóképesség
to be recognised as – elismerik, mint
is not to be confused with – nem szabad összetéveszteni
social dance – társastánc
former – az előbbi, korábbi
leather – bőr
spectacular – látványos

Skócia – egy kis történelem filmrészlettel

dr. Bülgözdi Imola — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 21:36:59 +0000

The Kingdom of Scotland

The first written records go back to Roman times: the Picts – a ferocious group of Celtic tribes – made the Romans retreat to Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England in the 3^rd century AD. In the 5^th century, the north-west of Scotland was settled by another Celtic tribe, the Gaels from Northern Ireland, whose language still survives among speakers of Scottish Gaelic. Around 58,000 people speak Scottish Gaelic at present, mainly on the islands of the Outer Hebrides.

During the 8^th century, all of Scotland’s small kingdoms were attacked by Vikings, against whom they united and formed the Kingdom of Scotland in the 9^th century. In the next centuries England became stronger and stronger and after successfully conquering Wales, Edward I of England tried to put his hand on Scotland as well, when the Scottish king and his heirs died. When the Scots refused, he not only crushed them in bloody battles in 1296, which earned him the nickname of Hammer of the Scots, but also confiscated the Stone of Scone – the Scottish coronation stone.

The Stone of Scone was placed in Westminster Abbey and used in the coronation ceremony for hundreds of years, including the 1953 coronation of Elizabeth II. Although Scottish students managed to steal the 152 kg stone and transport it to Scotland in 1950, the London police took it back from the altar of Arbroath Abbey. The Stone of Scone was finally returned in 1996 by the British Conservative Government and is now kept in Edinburgh Castle, along with the Crown Jewels of Scotland.

Following the attack by Edward I, Scotland fought back and the most significant Scottish national hero to this day showed his skill as military commander in 1297. At the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Sir William Wallace managed to defeat the English army although the Scots were greatly outnumbered. The Scottish nobles asked France for help, but the French king didn’t keep his promise. In 1304 they gave up the fight and accepted Edward I as their king, which Wallace refused to do. He was captured, brutally tortured and executed in 1305 at Edward I’s orders. Wallace became a martyr, the very symbol of Scotland’s struggle for freedom. But not all was lost: Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland in 1306 and managed to defeat the English. For the next 400 years, Scotland remained an independent country.

Roman times – római kor
ferocious – vad
Celtic tribe – kelta törzs
AD – kr. u.
to settle – letelepedni
Scottish Gaelic – skót gael nyelv
to conquer – meghódítani
heir – örökös
to crush – szétzúzni, megsemmisíteni
nickname – becenév
to confiscate – elkobozni
coronation – koronázás
to manage to – sikerülni
altar – oltár
to return – visszaadni
Crown Jewels – koronaékszerek
significant – jelentős
national hero – nemzeti hős
military commander – katonai vezető
to defeat – legyőzni
although – habár
to outnumber – túlerőben lenni
noble – nemes
to accept as – elfogadni valaminek
to refuse to – elutasítani, megtagadni
to be tortured – megkínozzák
to be executed – kivégzik
struggle – küzdelem
independent – független

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Az én házam, az én váram – tartja az angol közmondás

dr. Bülgözdi Imola — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:40:13 +0000

You can buy your own Scottish castle for the same price as a studio flat in London

The commute might be a little tricky. But if you’re tired of living in a boxy city apartment, you might want to trade up by buying your own castle. This 16th century Scottish home is available for £375,000 – the same price as dozens of flats on the market in sought-after areas of London.

The three-bed castle is more modestly proportioned than the typical ancestral home. But with its round towers and vaulted ceilings, it would not look out of place in a Disney film. You’ll no longer need to get the bus to the park to take a stroll, because there’s 0.4 hectares (one acre) of grounds to roam in. And instead of being ogled by your neighbours when you sit outside in summer, you can lounge on sweeping lawns shrouded by mature trees.

The eye-catching property in Kilmartin, Argyll and Bute, is a four-hour bus trip from nearest city Glasgow. But if you can work from home, you’ll certainly get more for your money on the Scottish west coast. Among the London flats available for £375,000 is a modest three-room studio, near Paddington Station.

source: www.metro.co.uk

it’s a little tricky – kicsit problémás, komplikált
to trade up – jobbra cserélni
dozen – tucat
sought-after – keresett
modestly proportioned – szerényebb arányokkal rendelkezik
ancestral – ősi
vaulted – boltíves
to look out of place – nem odaillő
to take a stroll – sétálni
grounds – épülethez tartozó kert, park, föld
to ogle – fixírozni
lawn – pázsit
eye-catching – szembetűnő, szemet gyönyörködtető
studio flat – garzonlakás (three-room: kitchen, bathroom, bed/living room)

Match the types of houses or flats with the right definition.

1. block of flats	a) a flat with one main room
2. detached house	b) a house attached to the neighbouring houses on both sides
3. studio flat	c) a tall multi-storey and rectangular building
4. terraced house	d) American term for an apartment house
5. condo	e) a house that is not attached to its neighbours

answers: 1-c 2-e 3-a 4-b 5-d

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Is the mystery of the Loch Ness monster finally solved? – Hallás utáni értést ellenőrző feladat

Fehér Sára — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 07:00:20 +0000

Listen to the article and decide if the statements are TRUE or FALSE.

1)      Not many people believe that the Loch Ness monster is a surviving dinosaur.
2)      Dr. Piccardi says that descriptions of the monster often include geological data.
3)      Scotland is well known for its very large and active fault line and earthquakes.
4)      According to Dr. Piccardi people mistook the effects of earthquakes for the loch monster.
5)      Other scientists say that even the biggest Scottish earthquake was not big enough to explain the Nessie sightings.

Answer: 1) F, 2) T, 3) F, 4) T, 5) T

The Loch Ness monster is nothing more than bubbles: Italian scientist claims Nessie is simply a geological phenomenon. Dr Luigi Piccardi believes that there is no shy and ancient monster residing in Scotland’s most famous Loch. Popular opinion is divided about whether a surviving plesiosaur lives in Loch Ness or whether the modern myth of the monster is the result of a string of elaborate hoaxes. The geologist, from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Florence, said that historical descriptions of the monster often include details of the earth shaking. He claims that sightings of the monster are linked to bubbles rising from the bottom of the Loch caused by seismic activity along the Great Glen fault system, which runs beneath. Although people may not associate Scotland with earthquakes, Luigi said that the fault line is ‘very large and very active’. Dr Piccardi said that there were a number of reported sightings of Nessie in the 1930s that coincided with seismic activity along the Great Glen fault line. ‘I think it’s an obvious description of what really happened…with increased activity of the fault, in reality people have seen the effects of the earthquakes on the water,’ he said. He believes that his theory can be applied to over 3,500 Nessie sightings. Unlike Dr Piccardi, some geologists have said that earthquakes did not coincide with the explosion of Nessie sightings in the 1930s. They have also claimed that Scotland’s most violent earthquakes were too weak to cause noticeable ripples of the surface of the loch.

source: dailymail.co.uk

monster– szörny
bubble – buborék
to claim – állítani
phenomenon – jelenség
shy – félénk
ancient – ősi
to reside – lakni
divided – megosztott
to survive – túlélni
string – (hosszú) sor
elaborate – alapos, kidolgozott, bonyolult
hoax – megtévesztés, tréfa, beugratás
historical – történelmi
description – leírás
detail – részlet
sighting – észlelés, megfigyelés
to rise – emelkedni
fault – vetődés, törésvonal
earthquake – földrengés
to coincide – egybeesni
obvious – nyilvánvaló, egyértelmű
increased – megnövekedett, fokozott
effect – hatás
theory – elmélet
to apply – alkalmazni
explosion – robbanás
violent – erőszakos, vad, erőteljes
weak – gyenge
to cause – okozni
noticeable – észrevehető, megfigyelhető
ripple – fordozódás, hullám
surface – felszín