English culture

World War II

World War II took place between 1939 and 1945. It began when Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. Hitler wanted to expand Germany’s empire to restore the power that Germany had lost after World War I. Hitler also had ideological motivations. Hitler wanted to create a race of “perfect” people by destroying everyone who he thought was inferior.

The two opposing sides in World War II were called the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. The first alliance was between Germany and Italy. Japan later joined this alliance by signing the Tripartite Pact. The first Allied Powers were Britain and France, who joined together to declare war on Germany when Germany invaded Poland. They were later joined by Russia. The United States had tried to remain neutral, but when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States, too, joined the Allies.

Of the Axis powers, Italy was the first to surrender, in 1943. Germany was next, surrendering to the Allies in May of 1945. When the Japanese refused to surrender, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan, destroying the city. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Japan surrendered to the Allies. Almost every country in the world had some role in World War II. More people were killed in World War II than in any other war that has ever been fought. This is partly due to the Holocaust: Hitler’s attempt to exterminate the Jewish people. 17 million people, including Jewish and Polish people, Catholics, Serbs, and those who were ill or handicapped were murdered during the Holocaust.

https://youtu.be/yIp4ih0t5RU

Los Angeles or L.A., often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in California; the second most populous city in the United States, after New York City. In 1771 it was a Spanish mission to found it with the name of El Pueblo de la Reyna de Los Angeles (the Town of the Queen of the Angels). The city prospered in the 1849 gold rush. Its real growth came with the railroads in the 1870s and with the discovery of oil in the 1890s.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States. It is made up of some very famous towns such as Long Beach, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills. The city is both flat and hilly. The hilliest part is the Santa Monica Hills.

Like San Francisco, Los Angeles is also subject to earthquakes because it lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. There are numerous faults, which cause 10,000 earthquakes every year. In 1994 there was a major earthquake.

Los Angeles has a sub-tropical climate and problems with smog.

The city is a world centre for business, international entertainment, culture and media. In Los Angeles the climate is Mediterranean so lots of tourists spend wonderful holidays on the beaches of Santa Monica, Venice, Long Beach, Laguna Beach and Malibu in summertime.

LA is famous for one of its suburbs, Hollywood which is the capital of world movie production. There is one more popular place in LA, it is the Walk of Fame. All famous Hollywood celebrities: film directors, producers, camera operators, actors, actresses and musicians are mentioned on this sidewalk, made out of bronze stars.

Famous large studios such as Metro Goldwin Mayer, Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount made hundreds of films.

Disneyland

Near Los Angeles there is a suburb called “ Disneyland”: a huge amusement park opened in 1955 by Walt Disney, the creator of successful cartoon films such as Pinocchio, Snowhite and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Peter Pan and of films with real actors such as Mary Poppins, signed Walt Disney Pictures.
Disneyland attracts lots of tourists every year.