The Crown and the Country · B1
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B1P_U02B1 PRELIMINARYEnglish Together · B1 Preliminary · Britain Explained · Unit 2

The Crown and the Country

Grace has lived twenty minutes from the palace since 1962 — and has never once walked round the corner. Listen to her story and the Culture File, then work the unit — the signals show the way.

Can-do: I can use the present perfect with for and since to connect past and present, talk about how a constitutional monarchy actually works, and transcribe exact figures — the heart of B1 Preliminary Listening.
The signals

Every task opens with a signal icon and a colour-coded box — you know what to do before you read a word.

Listen
Read
Say it out loud
Type or write
Tick it
Answer — exam practice
Vocabulary
Grammar
Tip
wordslisteninggrammarspeakingreadinganswers

The colour of a task box tells you the skill.

Highlight
Before you listen

1Learn these five words first — you will hear all of them. Tap a word, then tap its gap.Aprenda estas cinco palavras primeiro. Toque na palavra, depois no espaço.WORDS

1. There has been a in this country for more than a thousand years.

2. A starts the moment the last one ends — the coronation comes later.

3. Hundreds of soldiers take part in that every week.

4. Grace gripped the when the band came round the corner.

5. The was five deep by half past ten.

2Predict: the unit is called “The Crown and the Country”. Grace has lived twenty minutes from the palace for over sixty years and never seen the ceremony. Why do you think locals skip the famous things? Say one idea out loud before you listen.Preveja: por que os moradores locais ignoram as coisas famosas da própria cidade? Diga uma ideia em voz alta.SPEAK

Segment A · The Story — listen first, then do
Story · ≈5 minGrace at the Railings

3Listen to the whole story first — just listen, eyes on the script if you like.Ouça a história inteira primeiro — apenas ouça.LISTEN

Audio in production — the player will sit here. For now, read the script out loud.

The script — word for word

719 spoken words · 140 wpm

[MUSIC: theme, 4 seconds, under]

NILATom has been a volunteer guide near Victoria station since 2016, which is nearly ten years of pointing.
TOM(dry) It is not only pointing, because sometimes I carry a suitcase up the steps.
NILATell them about Grace, because this is the story I keep asking him for.
TOM(warm) It was a wet Tuesday in March, and I was standing outside the station in my orange jacket. A small woman in a green coat came up to me and asked where the post office had gone. She was eighty-four years old, and she was carrying a heavy shopping bag in each hand.
NILAAnd you got talking, because you always do.
TOMWe got talking. Her name was Grace, and she has lived in Pimlico since 1962. She came from Accra, that is A-C-C-R-A, as a young nurse, and she worked in one hospital for thirty years.
NILAPimlico is a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace.
TOMIt is about twenty minutes on foot, so I asked her the question that I ask everybody. Had she ever been down the road to watch the Changing of the Guard?
NILA(already knowing the answer) And what did she say to that?
TOMShe laughed at me and said the ceremony is for tourists, and she has never been a tourist here. Then she said something that has stayed with me. "That has been on my list for donkey's years."
NILAFor donkey's years. Unpack that one for us.
TOMDonkeys live a long time, and the phrase simply means a very long time indeed. If something has been on your list for donkey's years, you have put it off for far too long. We all have a list like that, and most of it never actually gets done.
NILASo you talked her into it.
TOMI told her three things. It is free, you do not need a ticket, and you do not have to queue up. She said she would think about it, and people who say that usually do not turn up.
NILABut she did turn up, or this would be a very short story.
TOMFriday morning, ten past ten, in the same green coat, which she has owned since 1979. We walked down together and I found her a place at the railings where she could see properly.

[SFX: crowd murmur, distant traffic, 3 seconds, under]

TOMThe crowd was five deep by half past ten, with cameras, umbrellas and children on shoulders. The Royal Standard was flying, which means the King himself is inside the building that day. Grace stood very straight and did not say a single word for twenty minutes.
NILAWas she disappointed, after waiting all that time to see it?
TOM(quietly) No, she was concentrating hard. (beat) Then the band came round the corner from the barracks.

[SFX: military band, brass, 4 seconds, under the next lines]

TOMYou feel a military band in your chest a second before you properly hear it. The Guard came through in their red tunics, the crowd went quiet, and Grace gripped the railings. Hundreds of soldiers take part in that tradition every week, and all of them are serving soldiers.
NILAAnd what happened when the music actually started?
TOMThe band played a hymn, an old one, the sort you sing at school without thinking about it. Grace started singing, very softly, in her own voice, with her eyes closed.

[PAUSE: 2 seconds]

NILA(moved) Oh, Tom.
TOMA girl of about nine was standing beside her, and she started singing too, because children copy people. By the end there were four of us, singing quietly at some railings on a Friday morning.
NILAYou sang, in public, in front of all those tourists?
TOMI made a noise, and it was not singing. (beat) Grace learned that hymn in Accra in 1948.
NILASixty years down the road, and she had never walked round the corner to see it.
TOMMore than sixty years, and she has lived on that doorstep since 1962 without once looking over the fence. She told me that people save the famous things for visitors, and then the visitors all go home.
NILAWhat did she do when the procession had marched away?
TOMShe bought me a cup of tea, and she has reminded me about it ever since, because she paid. Then she said she is bringing her granddaughter next month, and she wants the same royal spot.
NILAAnd has she been back since March?
TOMTwice, and she waves at me now like a duchess. (beat) She has promoted me, apparently.

[MUSIC: theme, 5 seconds, up and out]

4After you listen: answer about the story.Depois de ouvir: responda sobre a história.ANSWER

1. Who is Grace?
2. Why had Grace never watched the Changing of the Guard?
3. What happened when the band played the hymn?

5Listen again: put Grace's story in order — tap the events 1 → 4.Ouça de novo: coloque a história em ordem — toque nos eventos de 1 a 4.LISTEN

Language focus
Present perfect with for and since — the grammar of Grace's whole life. “She has lived in Pimlico since 1962.” · “The same green coat, which she has owned since 1979.” · “That has been on my list for donkey's years.” The rule: for + a length of time (thirty years, donkey's years); since + a starting point (1962, March, she was a girl). And the trap the story sets on purpose: “She worked in one hospital for thirty years” — past simple, because that chapter is closed. For and since only take the perfect while the door is still open.

6Grammar catch: for, since, or the right perfect form. Every sentence comes from the episode.Pegadinha de gramática: for, since — ou a forma correta do present perfect.GRAMMAR

1. “Her name was Grace, and she ______ (live) in Pimlico since 1962.”
2. “That has been on my list ______ donkey's years.”
3. “The same green coat, which she has owned ______ 1979.”
4. “She ______ (work) in one hospital for thirty years.” — careful: her nursing career is finished!
Segment B · The Culture File
Culture File · ≈5 minThe Crown and the Country

7Listen to the Culture File first — catch the facts, the numbers and the misconception.Ouça o Culture File primeiro — capture os fatos, os números e o equívoco.LISTEN

Audio in production — the player will sit here. For now, read the script out loud.

The script — word for word

718 spoken words

[MUSIC: theme, 4 seconds, under]

NILAThis is the Culture File, and today it is the monarchy, which is older than almost everything else here. There has been a king or a queen in this country for more than a thousand years.
TOMWith one gap, in the 1650s, when the country tried doing without one.
NILAIt lasted eleven years, and then they asked a king back again. (beat) Fact one is the simple one. The monarch is King Charles the Third, who became King on the eighth of September 2022. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on the sixth of May 2023, and his heir is Prince William.
TOMEight months between those two dates. Why the wait?
NILAYou become monarch the moment the last one dies, so the reign starts immediately. A coronation is a ceremony, not a beginning, and a ceremony that size takes months to organise.
NILAFact two is the misconception, and it is probably the biggest one about this country. Visitors often believe that the King rules Britain and makes its laws, but he does not do either.
TOMHe has not chosen a government in his life, and neither did his mother.
NILAHe is head of state, and the Prime Minister is head of government, and those are two different jobs. Parliament makes the laws, and the King signs them afterwards, because the tradition says he should. He opens Parliament each year and reads a speech that the government has written for him.
TOMSo he reads somebody else's words while wearing a very heavy crown.
NILAMore or less, and he meets the Prime Minister regularly, in conversations that stay completely private. The rule is short: the monarch may advise and warn, but the monarch does not decide.
TOMWhich is why he keeps his cards close to his chest in public.
NILAFact three. Buckingham Palace has seven hundred and seventy-five rooms. Seven hundred and seventy-five. It has been the official London home of the monarch since 1837, when Queen Victoria moved in.
TOMAnd here comes the part that surprises people, because I had it wrong myself for years.
NILAThe King does not actually live there. He has lived at Clarence House since 2003 and intends to stay. The palace is getting new wiring, new pipes and new boilers, at a cost of three hundred and sixty-nine million pounds.
TOMThree hundred and sixty-nine million pounds, and that is only for pipes, wires and boilers.
NILAThe work should finish in March 2027, and the palace will stay the ceremonial centre of royal life. More of it will be open to visitors, which is one reason the King is not moving in.
TOMGo on then, tell me who actually pays for all of this.
NILAFact four. The royal household receives public money called the Sovereign Grant. In 2025 and 2026 that grant was one hundred and thirty-two point one million pounds.
TOMStraight out of my taxes, presumably.
NILANot quite, because it is calculated from the profits of the Crown Estate, an enormous property business. The Crown Estate has handed its profits to the government since 1760, and the grant comes back out of them. Per person, that grant worked out at about one pound ninety-one. One pound ninety-one.
TOMLess than a cup of tea, at the end of the day.
NILAWhether that is good value is exactly what people argue about.
NILAFact five, and this one is practical. Changing the Guard is free, and you never need a ticket. It usually begins at eleven o'clock, on several mornings a week, although the days do change.
TOMCheck the schedule the night before, and turn up by half past ten if you want to see anything.
NILAYou will be in a large crowd of tourists, so you may have to queue up along the railings early. And watch the flag, because the Royal Standard only flies when the King is in the building.
TOMIf the Union Flag is up there instead, he is somewhere else entirely.
NILAThe soldiers who take part are ordinary serving soldiers with ordinary jobs the rest of the year. [TALKING POINT]
NILADoes your country have a king, a queen or a president, and what is that person actually allowed to do?

[PAUSE: 5 seconds]

NILANow tell me one thing about it that you would change.

[PAUSE: 5 seconds]

TOMI would give them all a free bus pass.
NILA(laughing) That is the Culture File.

[MUSIC: theme, 5 seconds, up and out]

8Listen and tick each fact when Nila or Tom says it.Ouça e marque cada fato quando Nila ou Tom o disser.LISTEN

0 / 5

9Numbers catch — exam skill! Type the number you hear (digits are fine). Listening Part 3 asks for exact-word transcription just like this.Caça-números — habilidade de prova! Digite o número que você ouvir (algarismos valem).LISTEN

1. Charles III became King on the eighth of September, ______.
2. The palace refit costs ______ million pounds.
3. The Crown Estate has handed its profits to the government since ______.
4. Per person, the grant worked out at about one pound ______ .

10The Talking Point: “Does your country have a king, a queen or a president — and what is that person actually allowed to do?” Answer — then add one thing about it you would change. Record yourself and listen back.O Talking Point: seu país tem rei, rainha ou presidente — e o que essa pessoa pode fazer? Acrescente uma coisa que você mudaria — grave-se e ouça.SPEAK

Vocabulary bank

11The unit’s full word set, face down. Reveal them one by one, in order — say each one with its example before opening the next.O conjunto completo de palavras, viradas para baixo. Revele uma por uma, em ordem.WORDS

1Press to revealmonarchThere has been a monarch here for over a thousand years.
2Press to revealreignThe reign starts immediately; the coronation can wait.
3Press to revealhead of stateHead of state and head of government are two different jobs.
4Press to revealroyalThe ceremonial centre of royal life.
5Press to revealceremonyA coronation is a ceremony, not a beginning.
6Press to revealthe GuardThe Guard came through in their red tunics.
7Press to revealprocessionShe watched until the procession had marched away.
8Press to revealbandYou feel a military band in your chest before you hear it.
9Press to revealbarracksThe band came round the corner from the barracks.
10Press to revealtraditionHundreds of soldiers take part in that tradition every week.
11Press to revealcrowdThe crowd was five deep by half past ten.
12Press to revealrailingsTom found her a place at the railings.
13Press to revealtourist“The ceremony is for tourists — and I have never been a tourist here.”
14Press to revealwaveShe waves at Tom now like a duchess.
15Press to revealqueue upIt is free, and you do not have to queue up.
16Press to revealturn upPeople who say “I'll think about it” usually do not turn up.
17Press to revealtake partThe soldiers who take part are ordinary serving soldiers.
18Press to revealflagWatch the flag — the Royal Standard only flies when the King is in.
Exam link — B1 PRELIMINARY
Where this unit pays off in B1 Preliminary: Listening Part 3 (exact-word transcription of dates and figures — the numbers catch above is that task) · Reading Part 4 (the gapped text, practised below) · Speaking Parts 1 and 4 (your country, your opinions — the Talking Point is a rehearsal). B1 Preliminary: four equal papers at 25% each; grades A–C on the Cambridge Scale (a Grade A, 160–170, certifies at B2!).

12Exam practice — Reading Part 4 style: which sentence fits back into the gap? Watch the reference words.Prática de prova — estilo Reading Part 4: qual frase volta para a lacuna? Atenção às palavras de referência.ANSWER

1. “You become monarch the moment the last one dies. ______ That is why eight months passed between the two dates.”
2. “Visitors often believe the King rules Britain. ______ Parliament makes the laws, and he signs them afterwards.”
3. “People save the famous things for visitors. ______ That is how sixty years can pass on a single doorstep.”
Unit review

13Six quick retrieval questions — no looking back!Seis perguntas rápidas de memória — sem olhar para trás!ANSWER

1. “For donkey's years” means…
2. The monarch's rule, in one short sentence:
3. When does a reign begin?
4. The Royal Standard over the palace means…
5. Where did Grace learn the hymn she sang at the railings?
6. To “keep your cards close to your chest” is to…

14Finished? Tick what you can do now.Terminou? Marque o que você já consegue fazer.ANSWER

Unit 2 complete!
You stood at the railings with Grace and learned what a king is actually for — in English. Next stop, Unit 3: the weather, and the fine art of talking about nothing.