Topic № 6 Great Britain

I. Study the vocabulary:

1. The United Kingdom – Соединенное королевство

2. To comprise – включать

3. Respectively – соответственно

4. Highland – возвышенность

5. Lowland – низменность

6. Mild – мягкий

7. Power – держава

8. To possess – обладать

9. Aircraft – авиационный

10. Weave – переплетение

11. Might – могущество

12. The House of Commons – Палата общин

II. Read the text:

Great Britain has the official name - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or the UK – for short).The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. Administratively the UK is divided into 55 counties.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The English Channel between France and England is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. Its size is 50 km (130 m under the sea). The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The highest mountain of the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence on the climate of the British Isles. It is mild. The weather in GB is very changeable. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have 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.

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities especially in London. The fog spreads everywhere so cars move along slowly and people can't see each other. They try not to be run over by a car but still accidents are frequent in the fog.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial power. It possesses some mineral resources: coal, iron ores, oil, gas and some metals. The country is known as one of the world largest producers and exporters of electronics and machinery, chemicals and textile, various aircraft and navigation equipment. Among the main industrial branches are also coal-mining, automobile, ship-building and metallurgical. The capital of the country is London. It is the largest political, cultural and industrial centre of the country and one of the largest ports of the world. Its population is over 11,000,000 people.

Among the largest cities of the UK are Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The official language of the state is English. The national symbol of the UK is "Union Jack" – the British state flag having 3 white and red crosses on the dark blue field. The weave of crosses symbolizes power and might.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the Queen. But her power is not absolute; it is limited by the Parliament. The British Parliament is the oldest parliament in the world. It consists of 2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British Government is headed by the Prime Minister – the leader of the party having the majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers to compose the government.

There are several political parties in the UK. The largest and most influential of them are the Conservative (the Tory), the Liberal (the Whigs) and the Labor Party.

III. Say what sentences are true/false:

1. The official name of Great Britain is "Union Jack".

2. The UK includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

3. The territory of the UK is rather large.

4. There are 2 official languages in the UK.

5. Great Britain is a country with new traditions and customs.

6. This country is the world largest producer of different machinery and electronics.

7. The head of the state is the Queen.

8. The British Government is also headed by the Queen.

9. The capital of the country, London, is one of the world largest ports.

10. The UK has a single-party system.

IV. Answer the questions:

1. What is the official name for Great Britain?

2. What are the two large islands that lie to the north-west of Europe?

3. What countries is the UK made up? What are their capitals?

4. What is the capital of the UK?

5. What channel separates the British Isles from the European continent?

6. What is the size of the English Channel?

7. What is the highest mountain on the British Isles?

8. What is the longest river?

9. What do you know about the national flag of the UK?

10. What is the flag of the United Kingdom called?

11. Is the UK rich in mineral resources?

12. What are the main industrial branches in England?

13. Is Great Britain a monarchy?

14. Who has more real power: the House of Lords or the House of Commons?

15. What are the main political parties?

16. Who chooses the Cabinet of Ministers?

V. Find the English equivalents in the text:

Соединенное королевство, конституционная монархия, высоко развитая промышленная держава, мягкий климат, крупнейший в мире производитель и поставщик оборудования, культурный и промышленный центр, официальный язык государства, символизировать власть и могущество, влиятельные политические партии, иметь большинство.

VI. Fill in the gaps:

1. Great Britain has the official name ….

2. The total area of Great Britain is ….

3. The British Isles are separated from European continent by ….

4. The north of Scotland is called … and the south of Scotland is called ….

5. … is the deepest river.

6. The climate of the British Isles is ….

7. The highest mountain of the UK is ….

8. The national symbol of the UK is ….

9. The largest cities of the UK are ….

10. … symbolizes power and might.

11. The British Parliament is divided into two ….

VII. Speaking:

1) What is the first country you think of when you think of the United Kingdom?

What's the difference between England, the UK and Great Britain?

What images represent England to you? Work in groups to decide on your top 5 English icons.

2) What icons represent your country? What do you think a British person would put as the top 5 icons of your country?

3) Many cities and towns are closely connected with the names of famous people or things below.

The home town of William Shakespeare –

The home town of the Beatles –

The two most famous universities –

The second largest city after London –

A Viking museum or a Viking festival –

The most South-Westerly point in England –

Stonehenge –

The home of one of the richest football clubs in the world -

Cambridge/ Manchester/ Liverpool/ Salisbury Plain/ Birmingham/ York/ Stratford-upon-Avon/ Oxford/ Land's End

Do you know where all the places are?

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