TEXT 16. Read and translate the text. Be ready to speak on the topic.

Great Britain

The UK 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. The population of the country is about 60 million people.

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales. In everyday speech «Great Britain» is used to mean The United Kingdom. The capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from the continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The main rivers of Great Britain are the Severn and the Thames. The climate of the country is mild and fog is its most typical feature.

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is at the head of the state but her power is limited by the Parliament which consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party in power. The main political parties of Great Britain are the Labour Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.

The UK is a highly-developed industrial country. The main branches of British economy are engineering, mining, ship-building, motor vehicle manufacturing, textile, chemistry, electronics, and food processing. The country is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment.

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Westminster is the historic and governmental part of London. The West End is the richest and the most beautiful district of the capital, the symbol of wealth and luxury. The East End was the poorest area of London, but now it is changing rapidly.

London is famous for its sights, such as Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, Madam Tussaud’s Museum and others.

UNIT 2. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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