| coast - respectively - separate from - connect with - flat - describe - temperate - humid - ; changeable - weather - heavily - distribution - uneven - inhabit - constitute - patron - monarch - monarchy - limit - ; , appoint - elect - | vessel - , machinery - , goods - raw materials - divide into - ( ) opposite - crown - ; royal - -. wealth - luxury - appearance - expensive - be referred to as - be made up of - be situated in - ; be associated with - all day long - all over the world - |
Read and translate the following text.
GREAT BRITAIN
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies most of the territory of the British Isles off the northwest coast of Europe. It consists of four main parts, which are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively.
2. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the state, which is sometimes referred to as Great Britain or Britain (after its major isle), England (after its major historic part) or the British Isles. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea, which is between Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the Continent by the English Channel and is connected with many countries by sea. The greater part of the surface of England and Ireland is flat. Most of the mountains are in the North, in Scotland, but they are not very high. Scotland is also famous for its beautiful lakes. The rivers in Great Britain are not long but many of them are deep. The longest rivers are the Clyde and the Thames.
3. The climate of Britain is mild and warm because of the warm Gulf Stream. The climate in Britain is usually described as cool, temperate and humid. The weather is so changeable that the English often say that they have no climate but only weather. The English say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long. Sometimes it rains so heavily that they say "It's raining cats and dogs".
4. The population of the United Kingdom is over 60 million people. The distribution of the population is rather uneven. Over 46 million people live in England and about 1.5 million in Northern Ireland. The UK is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish who constitute the British nation.
|
|
|
5. English is the official language of Great Britain. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh in parts of northern and central Wales. English is now spoken in many countries of the world: the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India and others.
6. The flag of the United Kingdom known as the Union Jack is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
7. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The official head of the state is the King or the Queen. But the power of the monarch is limited by Parliament, which is made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Members of the House of Lords are appointed, and members of the House of Commons are elected by people. Parliament makes laws. The head of the Government is the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the party in power. There are four main political parties in Great Britain: the Conservative, the Labour, the Liberal and the Social- Democratic Party.
8. The most important industrial cities are Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham and others. Cambridge and Oxford are famous university cities. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It exports machinery, vessels, motors and other goods. One of its main industries is the textile industry and a lot of British textiles are exported. The UK buys more goods than it sells because it has to import food products and raw materials from many countries of the world.
9. London, the capital of the country, is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. London dominates the life of Britain. It is a big port and most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. London is divided by the Thames into two parts: the West End and the East End. The West End is called the centre of London. There are a lot of places of interest there. The Houses of Parliament is situated in the most important part of London, in Westminster. The Houses of Parliament is a beautiful building with two towers: the Clock Tower with Big Ben and the Victoria Tower with the national flag over it. Opposite the Houses of Parliament is Westminster Abbey. Many English kings and queens were crowned and are buried there. Another interesting sight in the West End is Hyde Park. It is the largest of London's parks and it is famous for its Speaker's Corner which attracts a lot of tourists. In the centre of the City there is the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral. The Tower has a very long history. It used to be a fortress, a royal residence, then a prison, and now it is a museum. The West End is associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. The East End of London is formerly unattractive in appearance, but now changing because of the introduction of new industries and very expensive housing. London is one of the leading world centres for music, drama, opera and dance. Festivals are held in towns and cities throughout the country and attract much interest. Many British playwrights (W. Shakespeare), composers, sculptors, painters, writers, actors, singers and dancers are known all over the world.
