You can reach England either by plane, by train, by car or by ship. The fastest way is by plane. London has three international airports: Heathrow, the largest, connected to the city by underground; Gatwick, south of London, with a frequent train service; Luton, the smallest, used for charter flights.

Good and bad manners make up the social rules of a country. They are not always easy to learn because they are often not written down in books. For example, British women didn't go into pubs at the beginning of this century because it was not considered respectable behaviour for a woman.

The British Media consists of the press and radio and TV broadcasting. Now a couple of words about papers. First of all there is no subscri ption. You may buy any on sale. There are two main types of newspapers: the "popular" papers and the "quality" papers.

If you get on a bus or catch a train in Britain, especially during the morning and evening "rush hour", you'll see a lot of people reading newspapers. The press tells us about various political views, interest and levels of education. Papers are usually divided into "quality" papers which are serious with long, informative articles and "popular" which have smaller size. They are less serious and contain more human interest stories than news

There are 22 million homes in Britain — big homes and small homes, old cottages and new buildings, houses and flats. (Americans say "apartment" but British people say "flat"). Many British people love old houses and these are often more expensive than modern ones. They also love gardening and you will see gardens everywhere you go: in towns, villages and out in the country.

A "typical" British family used to consist of mother, father and two children. But in recent years there have been many changes in family life. For example, since the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has increased. That's why 24% of British children live with only one parent, usually their mother.

There are many superstitions in Britain. But one of the most widely-held is that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the house. It will either bring misfortune to the person that Opened it or to the household. The person who opens an umbrella in fine weather is very unpopular. It's very unlucky to walk under a ladder. If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your finger and keeping them crossed until you've seen a dog.

People have left Ireland for lots of different reasons. After Ireland became Christian in the fifth century, Irish monks left the country to teach the word of God. They went particularly to the cities of Europe — to Russia, to Italy, Scotland. Since then Ireland has continued to send missionaries round the world. Very many people have left Ireland to look for work. Often there are not enough jobs for everyone.

The Irish have their own language It comes from their Celtic history. But today nearly all Irish people speak English. The Irish speak English in their own special way. Foreigners don't easily understand an Irish accent, but it is strong and musical, and many people think that it is very attractive. Many fine writers have come from Ireland. Some, like James Joyce, have helped the world to know Ireland better.

English legal dress has a long history. The introduction of wigs into polite society in the reign of Charles II (1660— 85) was an innovation which could not be resisted. After a period of disapproval, wigs were generally assumed by lawyers in 1680's. Before the 17th century lawyers did not wear wigs. But professional discipline required that their hair and beards should be moderately short. By the middle of the 17th century wigs of powdered white or grey hair were the universal custom. But during George Ill's reign (1760—1820) wigs went rapidly out of general use.