The Path to the throne

THE PATH TO THE THRONE

Young Elizabeth didn’t grow up expecting to be queen, but fate could not have delivered us a finer monarch

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary arrived at 2.40 am on 21 April 1926, at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair – her parents’ smart London address – already third in the line to the throne. Her father and mother – Prince Albert (who would become King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Duke and the Duchess of York – enjoyed a wonderful royal life, living at its heart, with all the associated privileges of position, land and wealth but not (yet, at least) with the inevitable prospect of monarchy. That responsibility fell on the shoulders of the Duke’s brother, Edward, who was a year older.

A royal childhood

Certain elements of royal childhood, however, were not for changing. As with previous generations, Princess Elizabeth was educated at home, firstly at 145 Piccadilly, and later in a newly created schoolroom of Buckingham Palace. There were no school pals to share the lessons with, despite the princesses having regular term times. Wednesdays were devoted to singing or music lessons. There was religious instruction from none other than the Archbishop of Canterbury, French tuition from native-speaking governesses, and history from Henry Marten, provost of Eton.

The outdoor life

Elizabeth’s love of the great outdoors began early. She became a Girl Guide – joining the specially established 1^st Buckingham Palace Company, and affording her a rare chance to mix with other girls of her own age. Her Company was made up of the daughters of palace officials and employees. She later became a Sea Range and, as a strong swimmer, won a Children’s Challenge Shield at London’s Bath Club when she was 13.

“ In 1936, when Elizabeth was 10, everything changed”

Vocabulary box

inevitable prospect  a situation that is certain to happen;

school pals   school friends;

provost of Eton  the head of certain university colleges (in Eton);

afford     provide or supply;

irrevocably    in a way that cannot be changed, reversed or recovered;

abdicate   (of a monarch) renounce one’s throne;

the heavy burden  a duty or responsibility that is hard to carry;

former spouse a wife or a husband having been previously, ex wife or ex husband;

choice of suitor a choice of a guy whom you asks out on a date;

incantation  a series of words said as a magic spell or charm;

stammer a speech with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to repeat the initial letters of words;

utterly absolutely

 

I. Read the text 1. For each question, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D.

1. What does the writer suggest about Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in the    first sentence?

A. She came to London with her parents.

B. She was born on that day.

C. She was the third girl that visited that house.

D. She had already been a queen.

2. The phrase “Prince Albert … and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon… enjoyed a wonderful royal life, living at its heart, with all the associated privileges of position, land and wealth but not (yet, at least) with the inevitable prospect of monarchy” suggests that:

A. They had no opportunity to become a King and a Queen.

B. They had to become a King or a Queen in near future.

C. They hoped to be a King and a Queen.

D. They could accidentally become a King and a Queen.

II. Match the words to their similar and opposites.

I.  inevitable  a. irreversibly  1. present

II. irrevocably b. previously   2. partially

III. former  c. mumble   3. fixable

IV. utterly  d. necessary   4. pronounce

V. stammer  e. totally   5. uncertain

III. Answer the questions.

1. What was the full name of the future Queen?

2. When and where was she born?

3. Who were her parents?

4. Who had the inevitable prospect of monarchy?

IV. Read the texts 2 and 3. Which verb forms are in the past simple and past passive?

V. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first.

A. 1. Wednesdays were devoted to singing or music lessons.

     2. She …... to singing or music lessons.

B. 1. Her Company was made up of the daughters of palace officials and   employees.

     2. The daughters of palace officials and employees …… .

C. 1. Princess Elizabeth was educated at home by the Archbishop of Canterbury, French governesses and provost of Eton.

    2. The Archbishop of Canterbury, French governesses and provost of Eton ….. .

VI. Now you are going to listen to the text about the unexpected twist in the life of Elizabeth. For questions 1-5 choose the best answers a, b or c.

1. How long had her uncle Edward VIII been becoming King?

a. 325 days  b. 300 days   c. 25 days

2. What was the reason of Edward VIII for abdicating to be King?

a. divorcing  b. love another woman c. refusal in favor of another person

3. Who didn’t permit divorced people to remarry if their former spouse was still alive in that time?

a. the government and the Church of England b. the King’s family

c. the simple people

4. What predicated Elizabeth’s future?

a. Edward’s VIII way of life b. Royal entourage  c. Mrs Simpson’s past

5. When was everything changed?

a. when Elizabeth was 13  b. when Elizabeth was 10               c. when Elizabeth was born in 1926

VII. Listen to the text again and complete the sentences with the words given below: stammer, the heavy burden, utterly, predicated

1. I have found it impossible to carry ….. of responsibility.

2. And so, Mrs Simpson’s past ….. Elizabeth’s future.

3. And in her father – crushingly shy and tortured by his ….. – she saw a man ….. committed to the role of King.

VIII. Imagine that you are an interviewer. Make up the list of questions to Elizabeth II about her childhood.

IX. Write a motivation letter from Queen Elizabeth II to Ukrainian youth.

THE PATH TO THE GLORY

“Poetry is the language of soul”  Lina Kostenko

I. You are going to read an article about a prominent Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko. Choose from the sentences A – F the ones which fit each gaps 1 – 4. There is one extra sentence you do not need to use.

Good afternoon, dear readers! Today we would like to tell you about the life and work of Lina Vasylivna Kostenko, a prominent Ukrainian poet, writer, dissident and public figure. Lina Kostenko was born on March 19, 1930, in the town of  Rzhyshchiv near Kyiv. She is 165 centimeters tall. Lina Kostenko’s main field of activity is poetry but she has also written a historical novel, Marusia Churai, and several works for children. Her poetry is characterized by depth, harmony, emotion and patriotism. Lina Kostenko is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Ukrainian literature, who has had a great impact on culture and society. If you want to learn more about this remarkable personality, we invite you to read our article.

Lina Kostenko received a good education, thanks to which she developed her talent and intelligence. She graduated from high school in Kyiv, (1) ….. . After high school, she entered the Kyiv Pedagogical Institute but soon transferred to the Moscow Literary Institute where she studied at the Ukrainian Philology Department. There she met many prominent writers such as Boris Pasternak, Andrei Platonov, Mikhail Bulgakov and others. (2) ….. . In 1954 she graduated with honors and returned to Kyiv. Later she also took courses and internships in various fields of knowledge such as history, philosophy, psychology, art and others.

Lina Kostenko is an outstanding, talented, courageous and influential person who has made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian literature and culture. (3) ….. . She is the voice of her people expressing their thoughts, feelings, dreams and aspirations. (4) ….. . It is a treasure of national heritage that should be preserved, valued and passed on to descendants. We hope that you found our article useful and educational. We would like to end it with a few quotes from Lina Kostenko that reflect her views on life:

• “Life is not what you are given, but what you take. (5) ……”

• “Poetry is not only art, but also a weapon. A weapon with which you can fight for your ideals, for your truth, for your freedom.”
• “Ukraine is not geography but a destiny. A destiny that must be accepted, protected, defended and realized.”
• “Love is when you cannot live without a person, not when you want to live with them. Love is when you are ready to give everything for them, not when you want to take everything from them.”
• “Nothing is impossible for those who believe, hope and love. Faith, hope and love are the three wings that take us to heaven.”
• “Life is not what you are given, but what you take. And what you give to others. Life is not what happens to you but how you feel about it. Life is not what you have but who you are.”

We hope that you have enjoyed our article about the biography of Lina Kostenko, who is a true treasure of Ukrainian literature and culture. We wish you a good day and inspiration from her works. Thank you for your attention!

A. And what you give to others.

B. … where she already showed her literary abilities.

C. She is a symbol of freedom, dignity, conscience and patriotism.

D. She is an example to follow, admire and respect.

E. She is the author of many quotes that have become catchphrases.

F. She also attended lectures by famous scholars such as Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Dmytro Chyzhevsky, Mykola Zerov and others.

II. Match the highlighted words in the text with the synonyms below:

brain, distance downwards, famous, diverse, fate, irrational.

III. Mark the following statements as T (true) or F (false).

1. Lina Kostenko is a famous Ukrainian poet, writer, dissident.

2. She is one of the most prominent figures in out of date Ukrainian literature.

3. Lina Kostenko has written historical novels.

4. She studied in Moscow in Russia.

5. Lina Kostenko is 94 years old in 2024.

IV. Choose the correct item.

1. Today we would like to tell you … the life and work … Lina Vasylivna Kostenko.

a) for/of   b) about/about   c) about/of

2. She met many prominent writers … Boris Pasternak, Andrei Platonov, Mikhail Bulgakov and others.

a) so as   b) such as    c) among

3. She also attended lectures … famous scholars.

a) by    b) of     c) with

4. Love is when you are ready to give everything … them, not when you want to take everything … them.

a) with/with   b) for/from    c) with/from

V. Read the title of the verse by Lina Kostenko “About Dreams” and say what it is about.

Vocabulary box

avian -  truth; quill -  feather; fluff  -  fur of a young bird; virtue - goodness, nobility; zeal -               passion

VI. Listen to the poem and complete it with the words given above.

ABOUT DREAMS
 
In truth, the winged need no land:

Without the ground, there’ll be the sky,

Without fog, there’ll be clouds,

Without land, there will be freedom.

In this, perhaps, is their ….. truth.

And what about humans?

They live on land and do not fly.

Still, they have wings! They truly do.

Those wings, instead of ….. and …..,

Are made of ….., truth, and trust.

Some have wings of faithful love,

Some – of endless aspiration,

Some – of empathy and action,

Some – of ….. and pride in work,

Some – of poetry and song,

Of art, hope, dreams, and passion…

They do not fly – or so it seems.

But they have wings! They do have wings!

VII. Read the article again and answer:

Which words of Lina Kostenko reflect the present?

VIII. Write a letter to Lina Kostenko in which you express gratitude for her impact on culture and society.

IX. Question for discussion:

What do Queen Elizabeth II and Lina Kostenko have in common?