Otázka: The 12 czech wonders on the UNESCO list

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Katy Arnoltová

UNITED NATION EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION 

• It is 75 years old and it was founded in 1945
• It helps to protection of the numerous castles, palaces and places of interest presenting different architectural styles

1) THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF PRAGUE (LISTED IN 1992)

• The top Czech destination, Prague, leads the list with monuments such as Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge.

2) THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF ČESKÝ KRUMLOV (1992)

• It has rennaissance look
• The town’s history are connected to the aristocratic families of Vítkovci and Rožmberkové
• It is very popular tourist attraction and boasts a castle and chateaux complex and a well-preserved historical centre

3) THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF TELČ (1992)

• The town’s square offers a unique combination of Renaissance and Baroque houses with characteristic arcades and sgrafitti design
• There is also a chateux in the town

4) THE PILGRIMAGE CHURCH OF JAN NEPOMUK IN ZELENÁ HORA, CLOSE TO ŽĎÁR NAD SÁZAVOU (1994)

• It is star shaped pilgrimage church
• It was built by Santini-Aichl, a Czech Baroque builder from Italy (characteristic of Baroque‐Gothic style)
• The building includes a lot of complex symbolism based on the number five

5) KUTNÁ HORA (1995)

• A medieval mining town, which became rich because of its silver deposits it is famous for his historical centre and the Church of St. Barbara
• The town suffered from wars, flood and financial collapse following the closure of the mines

6) LEDNICE-VALTICE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE (1996)

• As every Czech knows, ‘lednice’ means ‘refrigerator’ but this chateux complex in South Moravia is unlikely to leave you feeling frosty
• This impressive combination of Baroque and Neo‐Gothic styles stands in the largest park in the CR (200 km²)
• It is an important example of English Romantic landscape design

7) HOLAŠOVICE (1998)

• This village in south Bohemia represents a rural style architecture, known as folk baroque, from the mid 19th century

8) KROMĚŘÍŽ CASTLE AND GARDENS (1998)

• Originally a summer residence of Olomouc bishops
• Kroměříž’s palace is considered a fine example of Baroque architecture in the castle houses an impressive art collection, including works by Titian

9) LITOMYŠL CASTLE (1999)

• This unique arcade palace is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in the Czech Republic
• It is an important venue for cultural events, the most notable being the opera festival
• Smetana’s Litomyšl, named after the famous composer who was born in the town.

10) HOLY TRINITY COLUMN OLOMOUC (2000)

• The town of Olomouc is an important medieval town and a university centre
• It is one of the tallest Baroque memorial columns in the Czech Republic (35 m)
• Decorated with copper adornments and statues, it is a monument to a plague epidemic between 1714-1716

11) VILLA TUGENDHAT, BRNO (2001)

• Brno is the second biggest city in the CR
  • It has many architectural jewels, among them the fortress Špilberk and the gothic St. Peter and Paul’s cathedral
• The functionalist Villa Tugendhat (named after its owners) was based on a design of a major modernist architect and furniture designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)
• It was made in 1928
• The building is divided into three levels but gives the impression of a one‐storey building
• The owners, being of Jewish origin, had to leave Czechoslovakia in 1938 because of persecution by Nazis

12) TŘEBÍČ (2003)

• this historical centre includes St. Prokopius’ Romanesque‐Gothic basilica as well as the remains of the Jewish quarter
• It is the only Jewish site on the UNESCO list beside Israel, it documents a big Jewish community in the Czech lands prior to the WWII.

Otázka: Shopping and money

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Michaela

SHOPPING AND MONEY

At first I´ll talk about what actually money is and then I´ll zoom in the shopping more.

WHAT IS MONEY?

• Money serves as a universally accepted medium of payment.
• It is the most active and powerful economic instrument.
• In different countries, we can have different currencies. For example: US – US dollar, England – pounds, Czech Republic – Czech crown.

FUNCTION OF MONEY

Money makes people get what they want or need by buying. It can be food, clothes, furniture or some services (as…). Money is also used for paying rents and so on.

EVOLUTION OF MONEY

Before money people used the barter system to exchange their products. Barter was the direct change of goods. In the market place one could barter his hen for instance for something of the same value.

CREDIT CARDS

Nowdays there is an option to pay with your credit card. It can be very useful when you don´t want to carry much money with you or when you are in other country you don´t have to care about changing money. Disadvantage is that this option of paying is not available everywhere.

SHOPPING

Shopping is the main way to spend money and buy things we need or want.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOPS

There are different kinds of shops where you can find different things. In supermarkets you can find nearly anything from groceries to drugstore things or clothes sometimes. Next there are small shops that specialize on different things. And there are also shopping centres where are many small shops on one place.

ONLINE SHOPPING

Nowadays is very popular to shop online. It brings many advantages. It is comfortable because you can shop from home, there is more choice of products and your order will be delivered in your house or on some pickup which you choose.

MY SHOPPING AND SHOPPING IN MY FAMILY

Now I´ll tell you something about my shopping and shopping in our family.

My mom usually shop groceries in supermarkets like Lidl or Kaufland in Jindřichův Hradec, because in the village where we live, there are only two shops with basic groceries. We use these two shops on the weekend or when we realise we unexpectedly ran out of something. But for the big weekly shopping, we go to supermarkets in JH.

When we talk about buying clothes, me and my mom don´t shop together. It is because my mom mostly buy clothes in fast fashion stores like HM, New Yorker, Zara and so on. I´m kinda interested in sustainability so I rather buy my clothes in second-hands in 85%. I also like to shop on Vinted which is mobile app where you can buy clothes from someone else but also sell some of your clothes that you don´t like anymore.

I also like to shop presents for my family. When I buy some present, I try to be always original, buy things that the other person actually wants or need and again don´t shop in fast fashion stores, but find some sustainable alternative.

Téma: As above, so below

Jazyk: Angličtina (film review)

Přidal(a): Michal

As above, so below (2014)

As above, so below is horror movie created by John Eric Dowdle and Drew Dowdle. The film was directed by John Eric Dowdle. It stars Pereditha Weeks as Scarllet, Ben Feldman as George, and Francois Civil as Papillon.

The film is set in present in Paris. It was filmed in catacombs of Paris.

The story starts in Iran, where Scarllet finds a clue to the mythical phylosopher’s stone. It leads her to catacombs of Paris. She finds a group of adventure loving people, who agree to come with her. The leader of the group – Papillon – knows the catacombs like nobody else. Scarllet also convinces her good friend Charles to come with them. From the very first moment in catacombs strange things start to happen. The halls are changing their position, sometimes they even disappear. But the group is still moving forward. The closer they get to the stone, the crazier it gets. They even find their old lost friend, but he seems different. He guides them to treasure, but it’s too late. It was a trap. On the way out most of them pay the highest price- their lives. The only two alive are George and Scarllet.

I really recommend this film. It has an amazing plot, and special effects. It received many negative reviews from critics, but I think it was amazing.

Hodnocení: 1 = výborně

Otázka: Traditional British food

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): natalkabrch

British food sometimes has a bad reputation abroad, but food in the UK is far from being bland. London is a great place for fine dining and many celebrity chefs, such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are British. Though immigration and globalization have changed British tastes somewhat over the years, there are quite a few classic British dishes (and meals) that remain at the top of the list.

Shepherd’s Pie

A wholesome and classic British meal, Shepherd’s Pie originated in Scotland and the North of England and is primarily made from minced lamb and potatoes. Many families will make this dish using beef, but then it should actually be referred to as Cottage Pie, as shepherds only herd sheep.

Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington is a fillet of steak coated in patê and then rolled in pastry.

Fish and Chips 

Perhaps nothing is more synonymous with British food than fish and chips. The fish is usually cod or haddock, although pollack, plaice (also called dab, a member of the flounder family), and even tilapia can be substituted.

Chicken Tikka Masala

It is usually made with yogurt marinated chicken, skewered and chargrilled for incredible bbq flavours.

Steak and Kidney Pie

Steak and kidney pie is a savoury pie that is filled principally with a mixture of diced beef, diced kidney (often of beef, lamb, or pork), fried onion, and brown gravy.

Eton Mess

The perfect treat on a summer’s day, Eton Mess is a dessert made with meringue, a variety of berries, and cream.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is a rare treat that is generally taken at around 3-4pm. Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of sandwiches (usually cut delicately into ‚fingers‘), scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes.

In addition to a strong cup of tea, you might be offered a light snack such as bread and butter, cookies, or tea sandwiches. Another variation on English tea is the „cream tea,“ which is usually served in the West Country (Devon and Cornwall). Cream tea includes jam and clotted cream served with scones.

Crumpets are the perfect afternoon tea treat served warm with jam or butter. Round muffins with a distinctive texture, they are soft and crumbly.

Cornish Pasty

A pastry stuffed full of meat and vegetables. A classic Cornish pasty includes beef, onion, and potato along with a turnip-like vegetable called a swede.

A Full Breakfast

Also known as a ‘fry-up,’ a full breakfast is made up of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, toast, tomatoes, and sometimes black pudding (blood sausage).

Roast Dinner

A traditional hot meal consisting of roast meat, usually with potatoes, vegetables and other trimmings. If you’re invited to Sunday dinner, you can expect to be served roasted meat (often lamb), along with roasted potatoes and/or Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and vegetables such as parsnips, Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or leeks. In addition to the traditional gravy, some families also serve cheese sauce for the veggies.

British tomato salad

This simple salad, made with thinly-sliced red onions, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar, lets juicy summer tomatoes shine. And Yorkshire sheep´s cheese.

Barnsley lamb chop

A Barnsley chop is a cross-section taken from right across the lamb’s loin. This produces a double-sided chop with a bone in the middle and a little fillet underneath. Since its cut across the saddle, it’s sometimes referred to as a saddle chop. Served with mint hollandaise sauce.

Yorkshire pudding

Yorkshire pudding is often part of the traditional roast dinner and is nothing like an American pudding. In fact, Yorkshire pudding is very much like a giant popover. It’s traditionally made from the drippings of a roast of mutton, which are captured as the meat cooks.

Jaffa Cakes

Packaged biscuits that have been around since 1927 have a sponge-cake base with an orange marmalade filling and chocolate icing. There are rectangular-shaped copycats, but true Jaffa cakes are round and sold in blue-and-yellow packaging.