GREAT BRITAIN, LONDON
Active vocabulary
VOCABULARY
Nouns and phrases with them
1. a costume ball – костюмированный бал
2. a fancy-dress party – маскарад
3. aircraft – самолетостроение
4. All Saints’ Day – День всех святых
5. an evil spirit – злой дух
6. Boxing Day – день подарков
7. branch of industry – отрасль промышленности
8. candy floss – сахарная вата
9. chimney – труба
10. cockles, mussels, shrimps – моллюски, мидии, креветки
11. cotton manufacture – хлопчатобумажная промышленность
12. coalfields – каменноугольные бассейны
13. crossways – перекресток
14. Easter Monday – понедельник после пасхи
15. egg-rolling - катанье крашеных яиц с горки (на пасху)
16. elaborately adorned – искусно украшенный
17. fixed date – установленный день
18. food industry – пищевая промышленность
19. for a small fee – за небольшой гонорар
20. Good Friday – пятница перед пасхой
21. holly – остролист
22. hot cross buns - (горячая) булочка с изображением креста (которую едят в великую пятницу и во время великого поста)
23. ill-luck – невезение, неудача
24. lace, feathers and moss – кружево, перья и мох
25. majority of seats – большинство мест
26. mining centre – центр угледобычи
27. public (bank) holiday – официальный праздник
28. sea routes – морские пути
29. ship-building centre – центр кораблестроения
30. shop-made valentines – готовые валентинки
31. Shrove Tuesday – Страстной вторник, вторник на масленой неделе (последний день масленицы)
32. steel – сталь
33. the Fasting of Lent – Великий пост
34. townsfolk – горожане
35. trade – ремесло, профессия, торговля
36. treat – угощение
36. trippers – туристы
37. weirdest mixture of stuff – фантастическая смесь продуктов
38. wireless – радио
39. with an eye to - с целью, в расчете на, для того, чтобы
Verbs
1. to be held – проводиться
2. to be marked by smth – отмечаться чем-либо
3. to be more precise – чтобы быть более точным
4. to be observed – праздноваться, соблюдаться
5. to be situated – находиться, располагаться
6. to be washed by – омываться
7. to believe in devils, witches and ghosts – верить в чертей, ведьм и привидения
8. to confess one’s sin to a priest – исповедаться в грехе перед священником
9. to connect – связывать
10. to consist of – состоять из
11. to date back to – относиться к (о времени)
12. to do all kinds of damage to property – нанести вред имуществу
13. to eat pancakes – есть блины
14. to elect – выбирать, избирать
15. to exchange greetings – обменяться поздравлениями
16. to export – экспортировать
17. to fall on – приходиться на (какой-либо день)
18. to freeze (froze, frozen) – замерзать
19. to glitter – блестеть, сверкать
20. to join – соединять
22. to light a candle inside – зажечь свечу внутри
23. to nail a horseshoe – прибить подкову
24. to paint magic signs – нарисовать магические знаки
25. to play a trick on smb – сыграть шутку с кем-либо
26. to put smb to death – казнить кого-либо
27. to revive – возрождаться
28. to scare one’s friends – пугать друзей
29. to scrape out a pumpkin – выдолбить тыкву
30.to ward off witches – отпугивать ведьм
Adjectives
undamaged - неповреждённый
PHONETIC EXERCISES
Exercise I. Pronounce the following words correctly paying attention to the way of pronunciation of the vowels and combinations of vowels
[۸] public, Monday, buns, stuff, mussels, luck, pumpkin, southern, other, country,
[כ] holiday, Boxing, cross, cockles, floss, holly, moss, property, costume, continent, crossway,
[ou] rolling, folk, Shrove, ghost, flow
[iə] weirdest
[æ] Valentine, candy, candle, fancy, magic, damage, pancake, narrowest, ca’nal, parallel
[e] head, e’lect
[ei] day, date, exchange, Saint, paint, nail, play, scrape
[Eə] scare, aircraft
[ai] island, lie, high, mild, climate
[aiə] wireless
[i:] kilometers
[u:] route
[au] mountain
[a:] branch
Exercise 2. Read the words paying attention to the way of reading of the consonants and combinations of consonants.
[k] candle, trick, scrape, costume, mark, magic, kind, confess, cockles, ill-luck, coal, chemical, queen, pra c tice
[ʤ] geographical, region, majority
[t∫] chain, temperature, agriculture, manufacture, exchange,
[s] centre
Exercise 3. Read the words paying attention to the change of the place of the stress in different parts of speech.
‘export – to ex’port ‘industry – in’dustrial
‘import – to im’port ‘product – to pro’duce
Exercise 4. Read the following proper names and remember their pronunciation.
Great Britain [‘greit ‘britən]
the British Isles [‘briti∫ ‘ailz]
England [‘iŋglənd]
Scotland [‘skכtlənd]
Wales [weilz]
Northern Ireland [‘nכ:ðәn ‘ailənd]
the Irish Republic [‘airi∫ ri’p۸blik]
the Atlantic Ocean [әt’læntik ‘ou∫n]
the English Channel [‘iŋgli∫ ‘ʧænәl]
the Straight of Dover [‘streit әv ‘douvә]
the United Kingdom [ju:’naitid ‘kiŋdәm]
the Netherlands [‘neðələndz]
Denmark [‘denma:k]
Norway [‘nכ:wei]
the Grampians [‘græmpiәnz]
the Cheviot Hills [‘ʧeviәt ‘hilz]
the Pennine Chain [‘penain ‘t∫ein]
Snowdon [‘snoudәn]
the Cambrian Mountains [‘kæmbriәn ‘mauntәnz]
Ben Nevis [‘ben ‘nevis]
the Severn [‘sevә:n]
the Clyde [klaid]
the Gulf Stream [‘g۸lf ‘stri:m]
Sheffield [‘∫efild]
Birmingham [‘bə:miŋəm]
Manchester [‘mænʧəstə]
Liverpool [‘livəpu:l]
Bristol [‘bristl]
London [lΛndən]
Great Britain [greit ‘britən]
The Thames [temz]
The North Sea [no:q]
The Tower [tauə]
London Bridge [bridƷ]
St. Paul’s Cathedral [po:lz]
Hyde Park [haid]
Speakers’ Corner [‘spi:kəz ‘ko:nə]
Oxford Street [‘oksfəd]
The Houses of Parliament [‘pa:ləmənt]
Parliament Square [skwεə]
West End
East End
Westminster Abbey [‘westminstə ‘æbi]
The Victoria Tower [vik’to:riə]
The Bloody Tower [‘blΛdi]
Queen Elizabeth [kwi:n I’lizəbəθ]
Trafalgar Square [trə’fælgə]
Lord Mayor [lo:d mεə]
Covent Garden [‚kovənt ga:dn]
LEXICAL EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Read and translate the following sentences using active vocabulary.
1. The term “bank holiday” dates back to the 19th century.
2. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are observed on the 25th and 26th of December respectively.
3. Besides public holidays there are other days, which are marked by centuries-old traditions. These are different festivals and anniversaries.
4. February, 14 is St. Valentine’s Day, it is the day for choosing sweethearts and exchanging signs of love.
5. Valentine was a colourful card with a short love verse composed by the sender.
6. Shop-made valentines are cards with ready-made congratulations and decorations.
7. On Shrove Tuesday Christians confessed their sins to a priest.
8. The customs of Halloween, the eve of All Saints’ Day, date back to the time, when people believed in evil spirits.
Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with the prepositions.
1. There are several bank holidays … the United Kingdom.
2. Most … the holidays are of religious origin.
3. Certain customs and traditions are connected …most bank holidays, because many … them are a part … holiday seasons like Easter and Christmas seasons.
4. Great Britain consists … 3 parts.
5. Public holidays do not fall … the same date each year.
6. Only Christmas Day and Boxing Day are observed … the 25th and 26th of December accordingly.
7. Great Britain is washed all round... water.
8. Many rivers are joined … canals.
9. Good Friday and Easter Monday depend … Easter Sunday which falls … the first Monday.. May.
Exercise 3. Read the sentences, using the English phrases instead of the Russian ones.
1. A bank holiday is (официальный праздник) when all banks and post offices are closed.
2. (Рождество, 25 декабря) is the day which families traditionally spend together.
3. People usually give some small presents or money to postmen or servants (в день подарков).
4. Scotland (находится)in the north of the island.
5. (В пятницу перед Пасхой) people usually eat (особые булочки с крестом наверху).
6. (Некоторые традиции и обычаи англичан) are famous all over the world.
7. The main industries in Great Britain are (кораблестроение, угледобыча, хлопчатобумажное производство и пищевая промышленность).
8. St. Valentine’s Day (празднуется) on the 14th of February.
Exercise 4. Translate the phrases below into English and use them in sentences of your own:
Самый популярный официальный праздник, новогодние вечеринки, канун Нового года, отмечать смерть Христа, быть известным во всем мире, посылать валентинки, перед Великим постом, не верить в злых духов;
Text 1
Symbols
Exercise 1 Read the text and answer the questions (ex 2)
The national flag is Union Jack. Union Jack is the combination of colours and crosses of existing at that time national flags of England, Scotland and Ireland. The name, the colours and crosses symbolize the united parts of the country. Union Jack comprises three crosses.
The red upright cross on the white field is St. George’s Cross – the patron saint of England. He was a soldier famous for saving the Princess Cleolinda from being eaten by a dragon. He is also the patron of Germany, Portugal and Greece.
The diagonal white cross on the blue field is St. Andrew Cross – the patron of Scotland. Saint Andrew, a fisherman, was one of the 12 apostles who followed Jesus Christ. Paintings of St. Andrew often showed him being killed on X-shaped cross. He is the patron of Russian also.
The red diagonal cross on the white field is St. Patrick’s Cross – the patron saint of Ireland. He converted the Irish to Christianity and is supposed to have got rid of all the snakes in Ireland.
The Welsh flag shows a dragon. It bears the red dragon on the white and green background. Saint David is its patron saint Paintings of St. David normally show him with the dove on his shoulder.
National emblems are:
The red rose became the emblem of England after the war of roses (1455 – 1485) which was the war of the dynasties for the English throne. The red rose has since become the national emblem of England. The thistle, the national emblem of Scotland, was chosen as such because it saved the country from the enemy. The leek or daffodil is Welshmen’s emblem. Welshmen all over the world celebrate (on March, 1) St. David’s Day by wearing either leeks or daffodils. The shamrock, the national emblem of the Irish, is proudly on St. Patrick’s Day.
Exercise 2 Answer the questions
What is the name of the UK flag?
What crosses does it consist of?
Name the patron saints of each UK part.
Name the symbols of each UK part.
*Find the information about the country’s coat of arms and tell the group about it.
Text 2
Geography
Exercise 1 Read and translate the text.
To the west of the continent of Europe there lie two large islands called the British Isles. The larger of these islands is known as Great Britain and it consists of England, Scotland and Wales. The smaller island is Ireland with Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
England is the southern and the central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the north of the island and Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern part of Ireland. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is washed all around by water. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea in the west and the eastern coast is washed by the North Sea. The southern coast is washed by the English Channel. The narrowest part of the Channel, the Straight of Dover, is only 32 kilometers wide.
The British Isles have no high mountains. Scotland is a mountainous country. Here there is the main chain of mountains which is called the Grampians and its highest peak is Ben Nevis which is 4 400 feet high. Mountains which separate Scotland and England are called the Cheviot Hills. In England the Pennine Chain runs down from the north through the centre. In Wales there are the Cambrian Mountains. Its peak Snowdon is in the North Wales. Ireland is covered with mountains and hills.
The British Isles have a lot of rivers, but they are not very long. The longest river is the Severn which flows south-west into the Irish Sea. The other important rivers are the Thames in England on which London stands and the Clyde in Scotland where Glasgow is situated. Many rivers in England and Scotland are joined by canals. There are a lot of lakes in Great Britain and the most famous lakes are in the Lake District in the north-west of England. There are no great woods on the British Isles now. Historically the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest in the east of England. It was the home of Robin Hood.
The climate of the British Isles is not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer. The rivers do not freeze in winter and snow never lies on the ground for long. In winter thick fogs cover Britain. The British Isles are warmed by the Gulf Stream, as a result the temperature in Britain is higher than in Moscow and St. Petersburg which are between the same parallels. It often rains in Great Britain in all seasons. The mild and damp climate is very good for agriculture.
At the head of the state there is the Queen but in practice state power is in the hands of the Parliament and, to be more precise, in the hands of the Prime Minister. The Parliament has two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The members of the House of Lords are not elected. The Commons are elected. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party which has the majority of seats in the House of Commons.
Exercise 2 Agree or disagree.
1. The British Isles consist of 3 large islands.
2. The UK includes 3 parts.
3. Great Britain is washed by water.
4. England is the northern part of Gr. Britain.
5. Wales is in the west of the island.
6. The Gulf Stream warms the British Isles.
7. The UK isn’t a highly developed industrial country.
8. In practice state power is in the hands of the Queen.
9. There are two houses in the Parliament of Great Britain.
Exercise 3 Choose the right variant.
1. To the (west, east) of Europe there lie the British Isles.
2. Great Britain is washed by (the Pacific, the Atlantic) ocean.
3. Scotland is in the (north, south) of the island.
4. (The North Sea, the English Channel) connects Great Britain with the continent.
5. (Ben Nevis, Snowdon) is the highest peak of the Grampians.
6. London is situated on (the Severn, the Thames).
7. The climate of Great Britain is (cold, mild).
8. People elect members of (the House of Lords, the House of Commons).
Exercise 4 Read the sentences translating Russian word-combinations.
1. To the west of the continent there lie two islands (называемые Британскими островами)
2. The British Isles (омываются) by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the Atlantic Ocean.
3. The official name of Great Britain is (Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии).
4. The UK consists of (Англии, Уэльса, Шотландии, Северной Ирландии).
5. The mountains of the British Isles are (Грампианские, Шевиотские, Кембрийские Пенинские).
6. (Самые важные реки) are the Severn, the Thames, the Clyde.
7. The climate of Great Britain is (мягкий, влажный).
8. The Parliament in Great Britain consists of (Палаты Лордов и Палаты Общин).
Exercise 5 Answer the questions.
1. What is Great Britain washed by?
2. What is the official name of Great Britain?
3. How many parts are there in the UK? What are they? What are their capitals?
4. Are there high mountains in Great Britain? What mountains in Great Britain do you know?
What are the highest peaks?
5. Are the rivers in Great Britain long? What is the deepest river? What is the longest one?
6. What are the main characteristic features of the climate in Great Britain?
7. How many parts does the British Parliament include? What are they?
Text 3