culture notes book2_1

Martin Luther King, Jr.

  US black civil-right leader (1929-1968). An outstanding orator, he followed principles of nonviolent resistance in organizing demonstrations against racial inequality and was one of the leaders of the Great March to Washington in 1963, joined by over 250,000 people. His campaigns contributed to the passing of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

Sophia Loren

  Italian film actress (1934- ). From working as extra and then a supporting actress, she worked her way up to international stardom in such films as Two Women (1961), The Millionairess (1962), Marriage Indian Style (1964), and The Cassandra Crossing (1977). She was married to the Italian film producer Carlo Ponti.

Julius Caesar

  Roman general and statesman (100-44 BC), whose career marked the end of the Roman Republic.

Queensland

    The second largest state of Australia, situated in the north-east. It is Australia's most decentralized region, containing approximately one third of all Australian urban centres. It has an area of 1,728,000 square kms with a population of two million (1980). The capital city is Brisbane.

Seattle

    A city in the state of Washington, USA. It is Alaska's main supply port.

San Diego

    A city on San Diego Bay, California, USA.

Oklahoma City

    Capital of Oklahoma on the North Canadian River, USA. Founded in 1889, it expanded rapidly following the discovery of oil. Today it is a commercial, industrial, and distribution centre for an oil-producing and agricultural area.

Miami

    A city and port on Biscayne Bay, Florida. A major tourist resort and retirement centre, it grew during the Florida land boom of the 1920s and includes now Coral Gables and Miami Beach.

Montreal

    A Canadian city and port in Quebec, on Montreal Island at the junction of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Canada's largest city, it is also the greatest transportation, trade, and manufacturing centre. Two thirds of the population is French speaking, making it the second largest French-speaking city in the world.

Toronto

    Capital of Ontario, Canada. On Lake Ontario, it is Canada's second largest city.

Brooklyn

    One of the five boroughs of New York City, USA, situated at the southwestern end of Long Island. It has an area of 210 square km, population 2.2 million (1980).

Tahiti

    The largest of the Society Islands in the south central Pacific Ocean, in French Polynesia. It has an area of 1,005 square kms with a population of 116,000 in 1983.

Civil Service (UK)

    The bureaucracy that implements government policies. The civil service is organized into such ministries as the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.