| England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland | Edinburgh London Belfast Cardiff |
3. Match the words with similar meanings:
| 1) diversity 2) landscape 3) estuary 4) range 5) mountain 6) harbour | a) mouth b) hill c) port d) variety e) scenery f) chain |
Fill in the correct prepositions.
1) England is separated _____ Scotland on the north _____ the granite Cheviot Hills.
2) The UK consists _____ four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
3) The Severn flows _____ the Irish Sea.
4) London is divided _____ four main parts: the City, Westminster, the West end and the East End.
5) The mild and sunny climate makes the south coast of Great Britain popular _____ holiday-makers.
6) Kent is famous _____ its picturesque orchards.
READING AND speaking
Read the following text.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Britain is very small compared with many other countries in the world, yet it is a surprisingly varied land in many different ways: the diversity of landscape in different parts of the country; a long history that is rich in great events, a varied cultural heritage; long-lived customs and traditions; a rich mixture of peoples who live in the country. All together they make the image of Britain fascinating and exiting.
The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total area is 244 820 sq. km. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel, the narrowest part of which is called the Strait of Dover. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south. The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island).
The population of the United Kingdom is over 60 million people. The country is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish who constitute the British nation. English is not the only language. Welsh and Scots Gaelic are also used.
Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol. The capital of the country is London.
There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviots separate England from Scotland, the Pennine range stretches down North England along its middle, the Cambrian Mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains. There is very little flat country except in the region known as East Anglia. The rivers of the country are short and of no great importance as waterways. Most of them flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest of the British rivers while the Severn is the longest one. Britains principal ports are London, Liverpool, Manchester, Hull and Glasgow. They have splendid harbours. Owing to the shape of the country, any point in Great Britain is no more than 70 miles from the sea.
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Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources. It has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.
The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean make the climate of Great Britain mild. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot. The grass remains green all year round. Thanks to climatic conditions, Britain looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees and green meadows.
Answer the questions.
1) What is the full name of the country?
2) Where is the UK situated?
3) What separates Great Britain from the European continent?
4) What parts does the island of Great Britain consist of?
5) How many people live in the UK?
6) What mountain ranges are there on the territory of Great Britain?
7) Are the rivers of the country long? Which is the longest river?
8) What influences the climate of the country?
