Card 25 Let’s talk about Great Britain.

1) What do you know about Great Britain?

Britain is a land of natural beauty. It’s really a kingdom, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. All in all there are over 6,000 islands in the system of the British Isles. As for Britain it is actually four countries in one – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The country has a relatively mild climate. In winter the coasts are free of ice and the warm air passes over the British Isles throughout the year.

From the continent the British Isles are separated by the English Channel and the North Sea. In 1994 the coasts of England and France were connected by the Channel Tunnel or the Chunnel as the British call it.

The surface of GB varies greatly. The northern and western part of the country is mountainous and is called the Highlands. All the rest is a vast plain which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high. The rivers are not very long. The most important of them are the Severn and the Thames.

The UK is a monarchy and the queen is the head of the state. But in practice the country is ruled by the elected government with a Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

2) Would you like to visit Britain? Why (not)?

Yes, I would. I have been learning English for so many years and it would be nice to practice my English.

There are numerous places of interest on the territory of GB. And, of course, I’d like to see them.

I’d like to visit Stratford-on-Avon, the famous town of Shakespeare, where you can feel the atmosphere of the days of the famous playwright.

Oxford and Cambridge are the two great Universities known all over the world. It would be nice to see them.

The famous Lake District, the Highlands and the Giant’s Causeway attract my attention. They are the places of real natural beauty.

I think the United Kingdom is worth seeing.

3) What would you ask a British teenager about national holidays in Britain?

Do you have any special Christmas traditions in your family? What jokes do you play on April Fool’s Day? How do you celebrate Easter? Do you take part in May Day celebrations? Do you eat any special food on St. Valentine’s Day?

4) Give me a piece of advice on what sights to see in London.

They say England starts with London and London starts with the Tower Bridge. The city grew at the first crossing over the River Thames. So I think it’s the first place to see.

The UK is a monarchy. And Buckingham Palace is worth visiting as it is the official residence of the Queen, whose flag flies when Her Majesty is in the residence. The Palace is used for the State ceremonies and some of its halls are opened to the public.

The Houses of Parliament located on the bank of the river Thames is another famous landmark of the great city. Here laws governing British life are formulated, debated and passed. The Houses of Parliament cover eight acres and include 100 staircases, eleven courtyards, more than 1,000 apartments and 2 miles of passages.

The symbol of London is the big clock of the Houses of Parliament. It is often called Big Ben though Big Ben is really the bell of the clock. The biggest clock bell in Britain weighs 13.5 tons. You have to go up 374 steps to reach the top. The clock bell is called after Sir Benjamin Hall who had the job to see that the bell was put up.

London has the London Eye – an extraordinary icon for an extraordinary city. The wheel represents the cycle of life and the turning of time, not only creating a beautiful landmark but, above all, giving passengers a unique perspective view of the capital. The wheel is 137 metres high. Millions of people have ridden in the gigantic wheel’s high-tech capsules since it was opened, enjoying the spectacular views of the city that unfold during 35-minute.

London has some famous skyscrapers. The most well-known ones are the Gherkin tower and the Shard. The Gherkin or the Cucumber Building, is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, The building has 40 floors (180 metres). As for the Shard it was completed just a year ago and is considered the tallest building in Europe (330 metres). The tower has 72 floors that can be used for offices, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor.

The geographical centre of London, Trafalgar Square, was built in 1829-1841. In the centre there’s a huge column (56 metres) and a statue of Admiral Nelson, who is the national hero of Great Britain.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in 1666-1710 by Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral is 180 metres long and was planned in the form of a Latin cross.

5) Do the British differ greatly from Belarusian people in character? Why?

There are certain stereotypes of national character which are well known in Britain. For instance, the Irish are supposed to be great talkers, the Scots have a reputation for being careful with money, the Welsh are renowned for their singing abilities, and the English are considered to be reserved.

I think these characteristics are, of course, are not reliable description of individual people from those countries. In my opinion we can find reserved people and great talkers in any country. Though there are some specific features that create the British national character.

British people give a relatively high value to the everyday personal contacts. Some writers on Britain have talked about the British desire ’to belong’, and it is certainly true that pubs or numerous clubs devoted to various sports and pastimes play a very important part in many people’s lives.

The British like symbols of tradition and stability. They are rather conservative. Their driving on the left-hand side of the road is a good example to this. Systems of measurement are another example. The British government has been trying for many years to get British people to use the same scales that are used nearly everywhere else in the world. But everybody in Britain still shops in pounds and ounces.

The British find it comparatively difficult to indicate friendship by open displays of affection. For example, it is not the convention to kiss when meeting a friend.

The English people are great pet lovers. Practically every family has a dog or a cat, or both. They have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for dogs. There are dog hairdressing saloons and dog cemeteries. Perhaps, his overall concern for animals is part of the British love for nature.

The British are always talking about the weather. Unlike many others, this stereotype is actually true to life. But constant remarks about the weather at chance meetings are not the result of polite conventions. They are not obligatory. Rather, they are the result of the fact that, on the one hand, to ask personal questions would be rude while, at the same time, silence would also be rude. The weather is a very convenient topic with which to ’fill the gap’.

So that is what I have found out about the British character.

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