GREAT BRITAIN
Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. It consists of three parts. Their names are England, Scotland and Wales. Scotland is situated in the north of Great Britain, Wales - in the south-west and England - in the south-east. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Unofficially, the country as a whole is often referred to as England.
Great Britain surrounded by seas on all sides is separated from the continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. It lies on the crossways of the sea routes from Europe to the other parts of the world. Thanks to the Gulf-Stream the climate of Great Britain is mild. It's often foggy and rainy. The summer is not very hot and the winter is not very cold. Winter temperature seldom falls below zero.
The rivers in Great Britain are not long, but many of them are deep. The Severn is the longest British river. Many of the rivers have been joined one to another by means of canals, so that it's quite possible to travel by water from one end of the country to the other. The shallow waters are important because they provide breeding ground for fish. The capital of Great Britain, London, is situated on the Thames River. There are many lakes in Scotland. The most beautiful is Loch Lomond. In the north of England and in Scotland there are many mountains, but they are not very high. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis.
The total area of the country is 93.5 thousand square miles. The population numbers over 68 million people. The English are reputed to be cold, reserved, rather haughty people who do not yell in the street or change their governments as often as they change their underclothes. They are steady, easy-going and fond of sport.
The English are a nation of stay-at-homes. “There is no place like home”, they say. “The Englishman's home is his castle», is a saying known all over the world. It's true that English people prefer small houses, built to house one family, perhaps with a small garden. The fire is the focus of the English home. For the English it's the open fire, the toasting fork and the ceremony of English tea.
Great Britain lives by manufacture and trade. Its agriculture provides only half the food it needs, the other half of its food has to be imported.
Britain is one of the most highly industrialised countries of the world: for every person employed in agriculture, eleven are employed in mining, manufacturing and building. The UK exports machinery, vessels, motors and other goods. One of its main industries is the textile industry. The industrial centres of Great Britain are London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and others.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The head of the state is a King or a Queen. Elizabeth II is a queen from 1952. The supreme legislative body is the Parliament. It has two Houses - the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The highest executive power is the Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and 18 ministers of the first rank. The Prime Minister and ministers of all ranks form the Government.
The main political parties are: the Conservative Party (Tories), the Labour Party and the Liberal Party.
NAMES:
Great Britain ['greIt'brItn] Великобритания
British Isles ['brItIS'aIlz] Британские острова
England ['INglqnd] Англия
Scotland ['skOtlqnd] Шотландия
Wales [weIlz] Уэльс
the United Kingdom [jH'naItId 'kINdqm] Соединенное Королевство
Northern Ireland ['nLDqn 'aIqlqnd] Северная Ирландия
North Sea ['nLT 'sJ] Северное море
English Channel ['InglIS 'Cxnl] Английский канал
Gulf-Stream ['gAlf 'strJm] Гольфстрим
the Severn ['sFvq(:)n] Северн
the Thames River [tFmz 'rIvq'] Темза
Loch Lomond ['lOk 'loumqnd] Лох Лоуменд
Ben Nevis ['ben 'nevis] бен Невис
London ['lAndqn] Лондон
Manchester ['mxnCIstq'] Манчестер
Birmingham ['bWmiNqm] Бирмингем
Leeds [lJdz] Лидс
Liverpool ['lIvqpHl] Ливерпуль
Sheffield ['Sefild] Шеффилд
Queen Elizabeth II [I'lIzqbqT] Королева Елизавета П
the Conservative Party [kqn'sWvqtIv] Консервативная Партия (Тори), основана в 1667г.
the Labour Party ['leIbq] Лейбористская Партия, основана в 1900г.
the Liberal Party ['lIbqrl] Либеральная Партия, основана в 1877г.
the House of Commons ['kOmqnz] палата общин (нижняя палата парламента, играет главную роль в осуществлении его законодательных функций)
the House of Lords [lLdz] палата лордов (верхняя палата парламента, невыборное учреждение, обладает правом отлагательного вето в отношении законопроектов, принятых палатой общин)
EXERCISES:
I. Read the following words from the text:
a) isles mild area south-east
foggy reputed unofficially temperature reserved referred zero haughty
surround canal steady separate shallow castle continent lake
prefer sea routes mountain focus
climate highest monarchy
b) industrialised supreme Prime Minister person
legislative mining Parliament manufacturing Commons textile executive constitutional
II. Correct the wrong statements. Begin your answers with the following expressions: That's right. Exactly so. I agree with it. NO, that’s not right. Nothing of the kind.
1. Great Britain lives by agriculture and trade.
2. The English like big houses with small gardens.
3. Ben Nevis is the longest British river.
4. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
5. English Channel separates Great Britain from the continent.
6. The head of the state is the Parliament.
7. The main executive power in the country belongs to the Parliament.
8. The supreme legislative body is the Cabinet.
9. The Cabinet consists of two Houses.
10. The Government consists of the Cabinet and ministers of all ranks.
III. Find English equivalents and use them in the sentences, of your own:
британские острова, на севере, со всех сторон, на пересечении морских путей, туманно и дождливо, нерестилище, две палаты, премьер-министр, одна из самых развитых стран, слыть, благодаря, англичане
IV. Open the brackets:
1. Great Britain (находится) on an island.
2. Its agriculture (обеспечивает) only half the food it needs.
3. Great Britain (состоит из) three parts.
4. Great Britain (окружена) by seas.
5. Great Britain lies on the crossways of (морских путей).
6. (благодаря) the Gulf-Stream the climate of the country is mild.
7. The climate of Great Britain is (мягкий).
8. The United Kingdom is (конституционная монархия).
9. The rivers are (глубокие).
10. (часто) foggy and rainy.
11. (высший законодательный орган) is the Parliament.
12. (высшая исполнительная власть) is the Cabinet.
13. Winter temperature seldom falls (ниже нуля).
14. London (находится) on the Thames river.
15. (общая площадь) is 93,5 thousand square miles.
16. The English (предпочитают) small houses.
17. The рорulation (насчитывает) over 68 million people.
18. The Parliament has two Houses: (палата лордов и палата общин).
19. (англичане) are a nation of stay-at-homes.
20. The Prime Minister and ministers of all ranks (составляют правительство).
21. The Englishman’s home is his (крепость).
V. Prove that:
1. The English are a nation of stay-at-homes.
2. Great Britain is a highly industrialised country.
3. The climate in Great Britain is mild.
4. The nature of the country is very diverse.
VI. Read the following text and describe each constituent of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Of the four parts England is the largest, the industrial and most densely populated part of the United Kingdom. Over 46 million people live in England. It is mostly a lowland country situated south of Scotland and south-east of Wales. No part of England lies more than 100 miles from the coast. All over the world Britain is notorious for its fogs. The smoke fogs of big towns are caused by smoke from factories and the burning of coal in fireplaces of private houses. They develop in winter-time whenever there is not enough wind to blow the smoke away. Wool, cotton, heavy machinery and shipbuilding industries are of great importance in England.
Another constituent of the United Kingdom is Scotland. Although it takes up one third of the territory of the British Isles, its population is not very big (a little over 5 million people). The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world. Many valleys between the hills are filled with lakes called lochs. The best known is the Loch Ness, where some people think a large monster lives.
Scotland had been an independent state and was joined into the United Kingdom in 1707 after a long struggle for its independence. One of the things that people associate with Scotland is the kilt. It is a relic of the time when the clan system existed in the Highlands.
Wales became part of England in 1536 by the Act of Union. Until then it had been regarded as a separate principality but a dependency of England. The population of Wales is over 3 million people. It is a highland country. Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales. Mineral resources are limited here. The include coal, gold, silver, copper.
The Welsh people are fond of folk music, singing, poetry and drama. Welsh literature is one of the oldest in Europe.
Northern Ireland is the smallest component of the United Kingdom. It occupies one sixth of the territory of Ireland. Its capital city is Belfast. For seven centuries Ireland was a colony of Britain. As a result of the hard struggle of the Irish people for independence the larger part of Ireland gained the status of a British dominion in 1921. In 1949 it was proclaimed an independent state. The industrial north-east was retained by Great Britain as its smallest component. But certain forces of both Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are for the reunification of the country. There have been a number of attempts to find a political solution to the Northern Ireland problem. The British and Irish governments are still working toward a solution.
VII. a) Study the following speech-patterns:
- 1 –
| - What is the area of England? | - As far as I know, it’s about 135 thousand square km. |
| - What area does England occupy? | - I think, it occupies more than 100 thousand square km. |
| - Do you know what the area of England is? | - Sure. It’s 130,441 square km. |
- 2 –
| - What is the highest mountain in Scotland? | - As far as I know, it’s Ben Nevis. |
| - What is its height? | - Somewhat about 1,5 thousand metres. |
| - How high is it? | - I think, it’s a little higher than 1,3 thousand metres. |
| - Do you know what the height of it is? | - Yes, of course. It is 1342 metres high. |
- 3 –
| - What is the population of Wales? | - Let me see. I think it’s about 3 million people. |
| - What about the population in Wales? | - As far as I remember, it is over 2,5 million people. |
| - Do you know how many people live in Wales? | - Certainly. 2,724 thousand people inhabit Wales. |
- 4 –
| - What is the largest city in Northern Ireland? | - The largest city in Northern Ireland is Belfast. |
| - Do you know what the largest city in Northern Ireland is? | - Sure. It’s Belfast. |
b) Make up a dialogue using the following table:
| Information | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
| Area | 130,441 | 78,775 | 20,768 | 14,120 |
| Highest mountain | Scaffel Pike, 978 m | Ben Nevis, 1342 m | Snowdon, 1085 m | Slieve Donard, 852 m |
| Population | 46,029,000 | 5,229,000 | 2,723,596 | 1,536,000 |
| Largest city (population) | London 6,970,100 | Glasgow 809,700 | Cardiff 287,000 | Belfast 363,000 |
c) Compare the four parts of the United Kingdom using the same table. You may use the following word-combinations:
constituent of Great Britain; part of the United Kingdom; to have the largest/ smallest area; to be situated in; the most densely populated part; the less inhabited constituent; the most sparsely populated part
VIII. Put questions to the sentences:
1. Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. (Where...)
2. The population numbers over 63 million people. (How many...)
3. The school year begins in the middle of September. (When...)
4. English schools are open five days a week. (How many...)
5. There are secondary schools for boys, for boys and girls and schools only for girls in Great Britain. (What kind...)
IX. Use the appropriate forms of the irregular verbs in the following sentences:
1. Westminster Palace, the seat of the Parliament, (to be, to build) in the 11th century.
2. The King of England (to become) the head of the church in 1531.
3. The Civil War, marking the advent of capitalism in Great Britain (to begin) in 1642.
4. The reign of the British crown over America (to fall) down in 1776.
5. Ireland (to win) its independence in 1921.
6. In 1947 the independence of India from the UK was (to go).
7. The Labour Party (to loose) the general elections in 1978.
X. Read the text about the climate of Great Britain and answer the questions after the text.
The climate of the United Kingdom is generally mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The south-western winds carry the warmth and moisture into Britain. The climate in Britain is usually described as cool, temperate and humid.
The weather is so changeable that the English often say that they have no climate but only weather. Therefore it is natural for them to use the comparison «as changeable as the weather». The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long. Sometimes it rains so heavily that they say: “It’s raining cats and dogs”.
Rainfall is more or less even throughout the year. The driest period is from March to June and the wettest months are from October to January. The average range of temperature (from winter to summer) is from 5 to 23 degrees above zero. It seldom snows heavily in winter, frost is rare. The coldest part of the country is the Highlands of Scotland. It's as frosty there as it is in St. Petersburg. January and February are usually the coldest months, July and August - the warmest. Still the wind may bring winter cold in sprits or summer days. Sometimes it brings whirl-winds or hurricanes. Droughts are rare.
So, we may say that the British climate has three main features: it is mild, humid and changeable. That means that it is never too hot or too cold. Winters are extremely mild. Snow may come but melts quickly.
This humid and mild climate is good for plants. Trees and flowers begins to blossom early in spring.
Questions:
1. What influences the climate in Great Britain?
2. What are the main features of the British climate?
3. What is the weather like in Great Britain?
4. What are the well-known English jokes connected with the climate of the country?
5. What is the winter like in Great Britain?
6. What is the average summer (winter) temperature?
7. What is the coldest part of the country?
8. What are the warmest (the coldest) months?
9. What is the British climate good for?
JOKE
- “The harder it rains, the better I like it”.
- “You must be an optimist”.
- “No, I am an umbrella seller”.
XI. Answer the questions:
1. Name the parts of the UK.
2. What parts does Great Britain consist of?
3. How is Great Britain often referred to?
4. What is the climate of the country?
5. What influences it?
6. What is the longest British river?
7. What is London? Where is it situated?
8. Where are lots of mountains concentrated in Great Britain?
9. Is the population in Great Britain 93,5 or 68 million people?
10. What kind of people are the English reputed to be?
11. What are the symbols of the English home?
12. Is the UK a highly developed agricultural (industrial) country?
14. What is the state system of the country?
15. What body does the executive (legislative) authority belong to in Great Britain?
XII. Read the following text and enumerate the peculiar British traditions which have been kept up till nowadays.
One of the most peculiar features of life in England which immediately strikes any visitor to this country is the cherishing and preserving of many traditions, sometimes very archaic as they may seem. When one sees the warders at the Tower of London with their flat hats, their trousers bound at the knee, and the royal monogram on their breast, one feels carried back to the age of Queen Elisabeth I. Tourists visiting London are usually eager to see Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen. The colourful ceremony of the Changing of the Guard before the Palace is of great interest for all the foreigners. Whenever the Irish Guards are responsible for the guard duties at Buckingham Palace an Irish wolfhound appears on regimental ceremonial parades and marches at the head of the band. A number of other ceremonies are of a similarly formal character, such as the Queen's receptions and the State Opening of Parliament.
English people tend to be rather conservative. The conservative attitude consists of an acceptance of things, which are familiar. All the same, several symbols of conservatism are being abandoned. The metric system came into general use in 1975. The twenty-four-hour clock was at last adopted for railway timetables in the 1960s - though not for most other timetables, such as radio programmes. The decimal money was introduced, but the pound sterling as the basic unit was kept, one hundredth of it being a new penny. Temperatures have been measured in Centigrade as well as Fahrenheit for a number of years, though most people tend to use Fahrenheit for general purposes.
NOTES:
Changing of the Guard - торжественная церемония смены караула королевских гвардейцев, проводится ежедневно перед Букингемским дворцом.
wolfhound ['wulfhaund] волкодав
decimal money ['mAnI] десятичная денежная система
pound sterling ['paund 'stWlIN] фунт стерлингов
centigrade ['sFntIgreId] стоградусный
Fahrenheit ['fxrqnhaIt] шкала Фаренгейта предложена в 1724 году. (Точка таяния льда имеет температуру +32ºF, точка кипения воды +212ºF, +20ºC = +68ºF, -10ºC = +14ºF).
XIII. Find the Russian equivalents to the proverbs, characterizing the main traits of the national English character.
1. Give every man thine ear, but very few thy voice (W. Shakespeare)
2. Brevity is the soul of wit. (W. Shakespeare)
3. To be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth.
XIV. Translate the following passage in writing:
William Shakespeare is generally acknowledged to have been Britain's finest playwright and one of her most accomplished poets. He is commonly regarded the greatest of writers in the English language. His plays show a great understanding of human activities of all kinds. In them, he very skilfully uses many various literary styles to express a wide range of emotions. Shakespeare's poems show his extraordinary powers of expression and his depth of emotional understanding. His work has had a great influence on English and many familiar sayings and quotations come from his works, many of his expressions have become part of the language. Here are some of them: "All the world’s a stage" ("Весь мир - театр") from the play "As you like it"; “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (“Подгнило что-то в датском государстве”), a line from the play "Hamlet" is used to describe corruption or a situation in which something is wrong; "There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow" ("И в гибели воробья есть особый промысел"), a line from the plaу “Hamlet” suggesting that a divine power takes a benevolent interest in human affairs; "To be or not to be: that is the question" ("Быть или не быть - таков вопрос"), words from the play "Hamlet", which begin a famous speech by Prince Hamlet.
XV. Define the main idea of the following extracts:
It Is Interesting To Know
- Despite a geologically enforced and politically desired separation from the European continent, Great Britain has made its influence felt in the whole world. Considered by historians to be the Mother of modern democracies, Britain has ruled over the destiny of many distant lands for a number of centuries. It still plays a leading role in the Commonwealth and the English language has become a lingua franca which is no longer limited to the fields of trade, politics and science.
- The differences between the English, Scots, Irish and Welsh are less evident to the visitors, but each of these groups has their own particular accent and customs. On the whole, all these groups live in harmony because of the traditional British respect for the privacy and personal freedom of others.
- The Welsh consider themselves as the only true Britons because their presence in the territory dates back to prehistoric times. Despite its early annexation to England in 1284 and the signing of the Act of Union in 1536 during the reign of the Tudors (who were of Welsh origin), the people of Wales have maintained their own distinct culture which dates back to the pre-Christian kingdom.
- Scottish people have a reputation for being thrifty, although they are friendly and generous with their guests.
- In Scotland the sense of identity - so strong in its traditions and the pride of its past - is as deeply rooted as anywhere else in the British Isles. The most evident cultural heritage of the clans, who built up the most important form of social organisation among the mountain people of the cold highlands, is their characteristic tartans. An ample piece of woollen tartan cloth is originally wrapped around the hips in the traditional «kilt» and the remaining cloth covered the shoulders. The pattern and colours are distinctive for each single clan. In addition each clan had its own tune and, of course, the typical bagpipes, another well-known symbol.
- Many people in Scotland have the name McDonald or McKenzie. “Mac” means “son of” and people with this name usually feel they belong to the same family or clan. Campbell or Cameron are other common surnames. Common boys’ names are Angus, Donald or Duncan, and girls’ names are Morag, Fiona or Jean. The names Jimmy or Jock are so common that many English people call a man from Scotland “a Jimmy” or “a Jock”.
XVI. Express your opinion answering the questions:
1. What kind of climate do you like best: the climate in Great Britain or the one in your region? Why?
2. Do you like English character? Why?
3. Why is it said that Great Britain has a good geographical position?
4. What associations have you when hearing about Englishman's home?
5. Do you think that the English are a rather conservative nation? Enlarge upon your opinion.
6. What party is in office now in the UK?
7. Do you know that the speaker of the House of Commons sits on a sack of wool instead of a comfortable armchair? Can you explain why?
XVII. Learn the decimal values of some English measures. Give the decimal equivalents to the figures below:
LINEAR MEASURES
yard [jRd] 91,44 centimetres - ярд
foot [fut] 30,43 centimetres - фут
inch [InC] 2,54 centimetres - дюйм
land mile [maIl] 1,609 kilometres - миля
WEIGHT MEASURES
ton [tAn] 1,016 kilogrammes - тонна
hundred-weight [weIt] 50,8 kilogrammes - центнер
stone [stqun] 6,35 kilogrammes - стоун
pound [paund] 453,59 grammes - фунт
ounce [auns] 28,35 grammes - унция
LIQUID MEASURES
gallon ['gxln] 4,546 litres - галлон
quart [kwLt] 1,14 litres - кварта
pint [paInt] 0,57 litres - пинта
barrel ['bxrql] 159,0 litres - баррель
7 miles, 14 yards, 2 feet, 8 inches, 3 barrels, 5 tons, 11 hundred-weights, 4 stores, 1,5 pounds, 12 ounces, 7 gallons, 6 pints, 9 quarts.
XVII. Tell as much as you can about Great Britain.