1. What is the capital of Great Britain?
2. Is London a big city?
3. What is its population?
4. What river does London stand on?
5. What parts is London divided into?
6. Why is the City called the business centre of London?
7. What places of interest does Westminster include?
8. Who is buried in Westminster Abbey?
9. What is the West End famous for?
10.Why is the central square in London named Trafalgar Square?
11. Where is the National Gallery situated?
13. The East End is a working class area, isnt it?
14. What is situated in the East End?
15. Is London the city of big contrasts?
16. Would you like to live there?
17. What part of London would you like to live in?
Exercise 4. Translate the sentences into English.
1. . 30 .
2. .
3. . .
4. .
5. , .
6. .
7. , : , , .
8.
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9. . 15 - , .
Exercise 5. Ask your friend:
- if he has ever been to London;
- if it is possible to see anything of London in one day;
- if he is interested in churches and cathedrals;
- if he knows the history of Britain;
- if Great Britain took part in World War II;
- if London was bombed during the war;
- if he knows famous theatres in London;
- what big University he knows in London;
- what places of interest he would like to see first.
Exercise 6.Retell the text.
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GREAT BRITAIN
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Exercise 1. Study the following words and word combinations.
1. to be composed of (to consist of) -
2. among - ,
3. urban -
4. landscape - ,
5. wide -
6. narrow - ,
7. to vary -
8. mountainous -
9. vast plain -
10. influence -
11. mild -
12. seldom -
13. to fall -
14. machinery -
15. chemicals -
16. aircraft -
17. navigation -
18. shipbuilding -
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19. custom -
20. to be considered - ,
21. the head of the state -
22. to rule -
23. to elect -
24. legislative -
25. to be exercised by - -
26. a chamber -
27. hereditary or life peers and peeresses -
28. executive -
29. the majoring party leader -
30. to be appointed by - -
31. judiciary branch - ()
32. to determine common law -
33. to be independent of -
34. at heart -
35. to look like -
36. well-ordered -
37. a meadow -
38. cotton and woolen goods -
Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.
GREAT BRITAIN.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated
on the British Isles. It consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of Great Britain. Northern Ireland is situated in the northern part of Ireland. The territory of the United Kingdom is about 244,000 square kilometers, it takes the 75-th place among other countries in the world.
The population is more than 60 million people. About 80% of the population is urban. The capital of the country is London.
Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel, which is 34 km wide in its narrowest point. The country is also washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape of Great Britain varies greatly. The northern and western parts of the country are mountainous and are called the Highlands. All the rest: south, east and the center are a vast plain, which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343m). There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very
long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. The largest lake is Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round. The summer is not very hot and winter temperature seldom falls below zero. It is often foggy and rainy. Weather is one of the favorite subjects for discussion when Englishmen meet.
Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the worlds largest producers and exporters of iron and steel products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textiles, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. Liverpool and Glasgow are the main seaports, where it is highly developed. Glasgow is also associated with heavy industry. Birmingham is the countrys major engineering center. Manchester is the worlds leading producer of cotton goods and Leeds became the leading producer of woolen goods.
Great Britain is rich in coal, iron, non-ferrous metals. There is much coal in Wales. It is a big coal-mining district of the country. Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The most famous educational centers are Oxford and Cambridge Universities. They are considered to be intellectual centers of Europe. All British children study at school from the age of 5 until they are 16. Then they get higher education at universities and colleges of Great Britain. On the lowlands of south-eastern England there are almost no minerals. This part of the country is an agricultural region. Seven per cent of the population is engaged in farming and cattle breeding. Most of Englands wheat is grown there. Much of the soil in this part is under such crops as wheat, barley, rye and oats. Fruit-growing is extensively developed. An Englishman is fond of gardening. He is at heart a great lover of Nature. England in truth looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees and green meadows.
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The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and the Queen is the head of the state. But in practice it is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The Queens power is limited by Parliament. The legislative power in the country is exercised by the Houses of Parliament. The Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary or life peers and peeresses. The members of the House of
Commons are elected by people. The executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Prime Minister is the majority party leader and is appointed by the Queen. The judiciary branch of the Government determines common law and is independent of both legislative and executive branches.
