Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Encyclopedia.com – 7,000 short articles from the Concise Columbia.
Encyclopedia Smithsonian – an encyclopedic guide to the many resources of the Smithsonian Museum, from Aeronautics to Zoology.
Free Internet Encyclopedia – most encyclopedias on the Web involve some sort of payment. The Encyclopedia Britannica and Encarta both require a monthly subscription. The Free Encyclopedia is a brave attempt to catalog some of the information available on the Web at no charge.
Newbury House Online Dictionary – 40,000 entries. An Image Bank of 50,000 pictures is under construction. Aimed at native speakers.
Dictionary List – a very popular site featuring every type of web based dictionary imaginable. A new 'no frames' version of the site makes it much more user friendly.
Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus – interesting, experimental dictionary with very wide coverage. Has a 'floating window' option to that the dictionary is always available from your desktop.
Bookstores
Amazon – the first, and most successful online bookstore remembers what you bought on your last visit and recommends new purchases!
Blackwells – Oxford's most famous bookshop provides easy searching of its extensive stock.
Heffers – this Cambridge bookshop has had its site completely redesigned. Over 1.9 million titles are now searchable.
Newspapers
The Daily Anorak – wide variety of interesting quizzes on vocabulary, grammar, idioms as well as history, geography, etc.
BBC News – excellent for news, of course, but also very good for clearly written 'In depth' articles about current and recent events. Archives - going back to November 1997 can be searched electronically. Talking Points features a short article and then (edited, and usually concise) contributions from readers. Students can check the voting, and send in their own contributions
The Guardian – the Guardian site is sometimes quirky, but has some interesting sections, especially the searchable 'Notes and Queries'.
The Times – the 'Interactive Times' is probably the best UK newspaper on the Web, well designed and easy to use.
scotsman.com – everything you need to know about Scotland.
The Irish News – online – news from Ireland.
The British Library Newspaper Library – the national archive collections in the United Kingdom of British and overseas newspapers.
Magazines
The best way into the UK scene is via the Media Directory, which as of April 1999 lists 110 TV stations, over 200 newspapers, over 200 magazines, and no less than 402 radio stations. The Directory shows telephone and fax numbers, email and snail mail addresses and other basic contact information, and, more usefully, well-maintained Web links to all of them. Private Eye – needs Microsoft's Netshow and Flash before they will let you in, but it is well worth downloading them. The site complements rather than competes with the paper version, and has some excellent cartoon sequences.
Cosmopolitan – superbly designed fashion magazine for young women.
Dotmusic – one of the best weekly news magazines for pop music.
The Economist – Britain's best weekly news magazine carries only selected articles, but the entire current issue and archives are searchable for subscribers.
GQ – like most Conde Nast magazines on the Web, the electronic version does not replicate the paper one, but tries to add value with such items as daily jokes, cartoons, competitions, email etc. However, there is often space for material for which there is not enough space in the printed version: more reviews, surveys, sometimes a more in-depth article. Other magazines from the Conde Nast stable accessible from here include Tatler, Vogue, Vanity Fair and Conde Nast Traveller
Notting Hill Carnival, UK magazines and David Beckham.The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
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