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Read the information about some of the most famous Britons.
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Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) – Prime Minister during World War II, historically ranked the greatest British prime minister. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He is the only British Prime Minister to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the United States.
John Lennon (1940–1980) – Composer, musician, philanthropist, peace activist, artist, and writer. Co-writer with Paul McCartney in The Beatles and solo musician. Lennon revealed a rebellious nature in his music, writing, drawings, on film and in interviews. Controversial through his political and peace activism, he moved to Manhattan in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon’s administration to deport him, while some of his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture.
Charles Darwin (1809–1882) – naturalist, originator of the theory of evolution through natural selection and author of On the Origin of Species. Darwin became internationally famous, and his pre-eminence as a scientist was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history.
William Shakespeare (1654–1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was an English physicist and mathematician who is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time and played a key role in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (“Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”), first published in 1687, laid the foundations for classical mechanics. Newton also made several contributions to optics and shares credit with Gottfried Leibniz for the invention of infinitesimal calculus.
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997). She was well known for her fund-raising work for international charities and as an eminent celebrity of the late 20th century. She also received recognition for her charity work. From 1989, she was the president of Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, in addition to dozens of other charities. Media attention and public mourning were extensive following her death in a car crash in Paris on August, 31, 1997.
Great Britain is also famous for other eminent people. What do you know about them? Match the person to the appropriate field of his/her activity
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Robert Burns philosophy
Francis Bacon monarchy
Joan Rowling poetry
Henry VIII politics
David Beckham modern literature
Margaret Thatcher football
William Hogarth cinema
Joe Cocker piracy and sea-faring
Sir Francis Drake painting
King Arthur music
Sir Anthony Hopkins mythology
What countries does the UK include?
a) Ireland, Wales, England,
b) Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland,
c) Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What is the capital of Northern Ireland?
a) Belfast,
b) Cardiff,
c) Edinburgh.
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