The United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is a large island located in Europe. It also includes part of the island of Ireland. It is made up of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Over 60 million people live in the United Kingdom. The vast majority of the population, however, lives in England. The government of the United Kingdom is considered a constitutional monarchy. A constitutional monarchy is a government in which the monarch (king or queen) is head of state. Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch of the United Kingdom. In reality, however, she exercises very little political power.

The history of the United Kindgom is full of wars, invasions, revolutions, and interesting rulers. Numerous castles, fortifications, old cathedrals, and ruins are evidence of the kingdom's past. The "UK," as it is often called, was once the world's most powerful nation. Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan, and even the United States are among nations that used to be controlled by the United Kingdom. It is also the birthplace of the English language.
There are many remarkable landmarks to see in the United Kingdom such as the Tower of London, Big Ben, Oxford University and the mysterious Stonehenge. Oxford University, founded sometime in the 12th century, is the oldest university in the English speaking world. Many of the United Kingdom's former prime ministers attended Oxford. Stonehenge, located near Salisbury, England, is a group of giant standing stones arranged in a circular formation. Archaeologists believe the formations are over 4,500 years old. No one knows exactly what Stonehenge is meant to represent.

1. What continent is the United Kingdom in?

a) Asia

b) England

c) Scotland

d) Europe

2. Which of the following is not a country that makes up the United Kingdom?

a) London

b) Northern Ireland

c) Scotland

d) Wales

3. Which of the following is NOT an example of a Constitutional Monarchy?

a) A country with a queen

b) A country with a king

c) A country with a president

4. Which of the following would PROBABLY not be evidence of United Kingdom's past?

a) Old churches and cathedrals

b) Castles and fortifications

c) Computers and technology

d) Stonehenge

5. Which of the following nations was NOT once controlled by the United Kingdom?

a) The USA

b) Canada

c) Australia

d) Russia

6. Why is Stonehenge mysterious?

a) It is old

b) No one knows what it supposed to represent

c) The stones are heavy

d) The stones are mostly grey

7. Which of the countries in the United Kingdom has the highest population?

a) England

b) Wales

c) Scotland

d) Northern Ireland

8. The term "UK" is an example of....

a) A synonym

b) An antonym

c) An abbreviation

d) A homophone

9. Which of the following is NOT true?

a) The United Kingdom's queen is named Elizabeth II.

b) The queen really doesn't make political decisions.

c) The United Kingdom was the birthplace of the English language.

d) The United Kingdom is made up of Wales, England, Ireland, and Scotland.

10. Which of the following does not apply to Oxford University?

a) It is the oldest university in the world.

b) Many prime ministers of the United Kingdom attended Oxford University.

c) It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

d) It was founded in the 12th century.

Block II:

11. Match the countries and their capitals:

1) Canada. 2) Denmark. 3) Egypt. 4) Estonia. 5) Finland.

a) Helsinki. b) Cairo. c) Ottawa. d) Copenhagen. e) Tallinn.

12. Fill in the gaps:

1) Dutchmen live in Holland and speak __________

2) ____________ live in Spain and speak Spanish

3) Americans live in ___________ and speak English

4) _________ live in Switzerland and speak ________

5) Chinese live in _________ and speak __________

13. Supply articles where necessary:

Many of... rivers of... Russia are among... world's great­est... most important rivers of... western plain are... Volga,... Western Dvina,... Don and... Northern Dvina. In... Far East... Amur flows into... Pacific. In... lakes, too, our country is extremely rich. Among them are... world's greatest lake... Caspian Sea and... deepest —... lake Baikal.

Block III:

Text A. North America has four great slopes - one slope that rivers flow down toward the Atlantic Ocean, one slope that rivers flow down toward the Hudson Bay and Arctic Ocean, one slope that rivers flow down toward the Gulf of Mexico, and one slope that rivers flow down toward the Pacific Ocean. Land also slopes toward the Great Lakes, but water there empties into the St. Lawrence River and goes on into the Atlantic Ocean.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-21