HEALTCHARE

Most of the time we feel well. We can play sports, go to work and enjoy our lives. But sometimes we just don't feel well. What happens then?
Some people have medical insurance but most people can't afford it and rely on the National Health Service, the NHS. This is provided by the government in Britain.

You may need to go to the chemist to buy cough mixture or pills for a headache. There are lots of medicines you can buy in the chemist but for more powerful ones like antibiotics you need to have prescription.

If you can't get to a doctor, there are two other NHS services you could try. The first is NHS Direct. This is a phone service where a trained nurse will suggest the best way to treat you.

Hopefully these treatments won't be necessary. The best way to avoid getting ill is to have a healthy diet, get a lots of exercise and take good care of yourself. You shouldn't't then need to use the heallthcare system at all!

COMPUTERS

Computers are a very important part of our lives. They tell us about delays to transport. They drive trains, analyses evidence and control buildings. Did you know that 60% of homes in Britain have got a PC (a personal computer)?

The smart home is now a real possibility. It will become very common. A central computer will adjust the temperature, act as a burglar alarm and witch on lights ready for you come back home.
Many homes have got lots of televisions and several computers.The smart home will provide TV and Internet sockets in every room so you'll be able to do what you want.

Are computers taking over our lives? In a survey, 44 per cent of young people between 11 and 16 said their PC was a trusted friend. Twenty per cent said they were happier at their computer than spending time with family or friends.

TRANSPORT

Exploring Mars is going to be very exciting, but for now, it's easier to explore our own planet! In particular, London.
We're going to follow Freddie as he explores all the different kinds of transport in London.

The next part of Freddie's journey is on a another kind of train called Docklands Light Railway. These are computer-controlled trains with no drivers.
The different kinds of transport link up pretty well but sometimes you have to walk from one point in the journey to the next.

People use lots of other forms of transport in London. Some people use boats on the River Thames to go to walk

There is one kind of transport that isn't very good in London - and that's the car. They move very slowly because there is too much traffic.

MARITIME HISTORY

In England no town is more than 170kilometres from the sea. So it's no surprise that Britain has a very important history of ships and the sea.

In Liverpool there is a great museum of maritime history. It's got several ships in the docks outside. Inside it shows what it was like to be on some of the ships.

In the early twentieth century there were large numbers of very elegant passenger ships. They crossed the Atlantic from Liverpool of Southampton to New York in five or six days.

The most famous ship was probably the Titanic. It sank in 1912 and over1,500 people drowned. It was the worst disaster in maritime history. You probably know about it from one of the most expensive films ever made - Titanic!

The majority of people do travel around the world by plane but ships are still very important for moving goods.

UNIT 5: Horror stories

People like to be scared. They love reading horror stories and watching horror movies. Some of the most famous horror stories were written by British writers.

Bram Stoker got the idea for Dracula while he was sitting in High gate cemetery in North London. Sunlight fell on a crack in the lid of a tomb. Stoker wondered what would happen if the light woke up the dead body in the tomb. count Dracula the vampire was created.

UNIT 4: Shopping

the most famous police station Britain is New Scotland yard in London, but there are police stations all over the country. They've all got a blue light outside to show they are police stations.

Next day he went to court. Here three magistrates listen to evidence from the police and witness. They then decide if the person is guilty or not guilty.

Fingerprints are a good way of identifying people but DNA is more reliable. A person's identity can be found from a single hair! Each person has got a unique DNA profile. DNA profiles can be matched on these computers.

UNIT 3: SUPERMARKETS

Supermarkets are an important part of daily life in Britain.
The five biggest supermarkets sell 90% of all groceries.
Two of them, Asda and Tesco, are also the biggest sellers of clothes in Britain.

In the larger supermarkets you can buy just about anything. On the selves you can find all the food and drink you need. You can buy sports equipment, bicycles, books, toys and games, CDs and DVDs.

But not everyone likes supermarkets. Small shops in towns and villages are closing because supermarkets can sell the same things cheaper. So people without cars have less choice.
Many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so people can shop 24/7. But not on Sundays when shops can only open for five hours.