Section I
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Ex. 1 Pronunciation practice. Read and practice the pronunciation of the following words and word-combinations:
Europe, the British Isles, the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea, the Thames, the Severn, vegetables, islands, Northern Ireland, surface, mountainous, descendants, manufacture, natural resources, textiles, equipment, pharmaceuticals.
Text 1
Great Britain
Pre-reading task:
a) Scan the text andanswer the following questions:
1. What is the full official name of Great Britain?
2. What parts does the UK consist of?
3. What is the territory of Great Britain?
4. How many people inhabit the UK?
b) Read the text, divide it into parts and give headings.
Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. The island of Great Britain together with the neighboring minor islands and the northeastern part of Ireland constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The total area of Great Britain is 244,000 square kilometers. The west coast of the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, the east coast is washed by the North Sea. Great Britain is separated from France by the English Channel which is 32 km. wide. The seas surrounding Great Britain are not very deep. The surface of England and Ireland is flat, but the surface of Scotland and Wales is mountainous. In Wales, there are the Cambrian Mountains, the highest peak of which is Snowdon. It is 3,560 feet high (nearly 1,000 meters). In Scotland, the main chain of mountains is called the Grampians, its highest peak is Ben Nevis (4,400 feet high). The mountainous northern part of Scotland is called the Highlands.
The rivers of Great Britain are short. The Thames, the Severn and the Clyde are the most important. There are many beautiful lakes in Great Britain, the largest part of them is in the Lake District in northwestern England.
The climate of Great Britain is typically maritime with frequent rains and strong winds. The Gulf Stream makes the climate mild and damp.
The population of the UK is about 60 million people (estimate 2001). The country is more densely populated than most countries. About nine - tenths of the people live in cities and towns. Most of the British are descendants of many early peoples who invaded Britain. These are the Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Scandinavians, and Normans. Since the late 1940’s many immigrants from Commonwealth countries have settled in the United Kingdom. Most of them came from the West Indies, Asia, and Africa.
The largest cities of Great Britain are: London, the capital, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, and Edinburgh.
The UK is one of the world’s great manufacturing and trading nations. The country’s farms produce only about two – thirds of the food needed by the people. Vegetables are grown in all parts of the country, especially in the south. Sheep breeding and cattle breeding are also developed in Great Britain.
Except for coal, low-grade iron ore, natural gas and oil, the UK has few natural resources. The UK also produces heavy machinery for industry, farming and mining; railway equipment, household appliances, and machine tools. An increasing percentage of the UK’s manufactured goods consists of electronic equipment.
The UK is also famous for its chemical industry, pharmaceuticals, pottery industry. The UK is one of the world’s chief centers of printing and publishing.
Ex. 2 Answer the following questions:
1. Where is Great Britain located?
2. What are the two large islands called?
3. What seas and oceans surround the territory of Great Britain?
4. What can you say about the rivers of Great Britain?
5. What mountains do you know in Great Britain?
6. What influences the climate of Great Britain?
7. What natural resources is the country rich in?
8. What facts can prove that the UK is still a leading industrial nation?
Ex. 3 Test yourself:
1.The UK consists of… parts.
a) three
b) five
c) four
2. … is the most closely related with England.
a) Scotland
b) Wales
c) Northern Ireland
3. The total area of the UK is … square kilometers.
a) 210,000
b) 244,000
c) 240,000
4. Great Britain is separated from … by the English Channel.
a) France
b) Republic of Ireland
c) Iceland
5. … is Northern Ireland’s capital and largest city.
a) Londonderry
b) Belfast
c) Newry
6. There are two official languages in Wales: English and ….
a) Gaelic
b) Welsh
c) French
7. William Shakespeare was born in ….
a) Sheffield
b) Stratford-on-Avon
c) Windsor
8. Almost all Prime Ministers of the UK studied in the …
a) Eton College
b) Winchester College
c) St. Paul’s School
9. … is the place where “The Beatles” began their musical career.
a) Manchester
b) Edinburgh
c) Liverpool
10. The most important rivers of Great Britain are the Thames, the Severn and the …
a) Clyde
b) Cam
c) Avon
11. The climate of the UK is typically ….
a) subtropical
b) maritime
c) subarctic
12. The population of the UK is about … million people.
a) 100
b) 80
c) 60
13. … is the capital of Scotland.
a) Edinburgh
b) Glasgow
c) Aberdeen
14. The official residence of the Sovereign which is situated in the countryside is …
a) Buckingham Palace
b) Holy rood Palace
c) Windsor Castle
