The review of England (11/15)

  

This book was written about England, which was a country of Europe. I will talk about some interesting information in the book.

 

   First, there are a lot of big, beautiful old country houses --- also called 'stately homes' in England. 'Stately homes' means that the buildings like St Michael's mount in Cornwall are venerable and time-honored. I really like old buildings, especially world heritages. I am interested in the mysteries of them. Why did people at that time construct such buildings? How did they build such big buildings? There are still left many fascinating questions.

 

   Second, I would like to write about English foods. I knew the words that 'the great English breakfast' from the book for the first time. It is constituted egg, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans, with lots of tea. People can eat it at nearly all hotels and at many cafes. However, I have heard the words that 'afternoon tea.' The English drink a cup of tea with sandwiches and cakes. I long for 'afternoon tea' very much. I want to spend such elegant time with my best friend.

 

   Third, I will introduce the brands in London, for example, Mary Quant, Paul Smith, Bruce Oldfield and Katharine Hamnett and many other things. They are popular in all over the world. I will write the history of fashion there. Mary Quant made the first miniskirt here in the 1960s. She was soon famous all round the world. Later, in 1970s, Vivienne Westwood opened her shop Seditionaries in the King’s Road in Chelsea, and punk fashion was born. I was surprised that the many brands which I had heard was in London. London seems to be a pioneer of fashion in the world.

 

   Forth is about nature. In contrast to the downtown in England, there are a lot of beautiful nature in countryside. People say, ‘It always rains in England.’ The book said that it was not true. However, because it rains, the countryside is green and beautiful. The Lake District National Park is in Cumbria, in the north-west of England. Here the hills are the highest in England, and between them sit sixteen great lakes. The fact was surprising.

 

   Thanks to this book, I could enjoy the situation that as if I visited England. I strongly think I want to visit the country, of course, and other many countries in the future.

The content of the class (11/8)

   When you stand on the Golden Gate Bridge, and look east across Saint Francis Bay you can see an island. It is very small, but everybody knows its name, "Alcatraz." Every year more than 1.4 million visitors visit this place.


   Alcatraz Island first became an important prison in 1907. At this time, it was only a prison for soldiers. Then, in the 1930s, the U.S. government needed a place for the most dangerous people in the country --- people from wild cities like Chicago or New York. They thought nobody would be able to escape from the island of Alcatraz.