Despite its reputation for grey skies and rain, the climate of Britain is generally mild, temperate and humid due to the influence of the warm Gulf Stream. Because the British Isles are surrounded by water the Climate is also insular and it is much moister than on the continent of Europe. Although the weather changes frequently, the temperature seldom goes to extremes - it is rarely more than +32 degrees C or less than-10.
Of course it rains throughout the year but the wettest months are from September to January while the driest are from March to June. There is much more rainfall in the mountainous areas of the west and north than in central parts of Britain. The west which is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea is wetter than the coast washed by the North Sea. November, December and January have the least sunshine - only an hour a day in northern Scotland and two hours a day on the south coast of England. This abundance of rainfall results in thick fogs which can last for days and weeks at a time during winter and autumn. But rains help grasses to grow, providing British cattle with good pastures and British countryside with its beautiful green charm.
The coldest parts of the British Isles are in Scotland and the warmest in the south-west of Ireland and England. Snow is rare there and it never lies on the ground for long. All the British ports are ice-free and the rivers do not freeze during the winter which allows successful navigation.
Speak about the geographical position and climate the country
Read the text, answer the questions and speak about London
London - the capital of Great Britain
Many tourists who visit London for the first time are advised to start looking around the city / either from the top of a Grand Tour double-decker bus or from a tour boat that will take you down the Thames as far as Greenwich and bring you back to Westminster or Charing Cross Pier.
From the upper deck of the tour bus you'll get a good overview of the hustle and bustle of the huge metropolis with its old and new sights living peacefully next to «ach other. The bus will take you to all the parts of London: the City, the West End, Westminster-and the East End.
The City
The City on week-days is the busiest place in London with its numerous banks, offices, insurance companies and different firms. Now you will probably not see the legendary clerk in a dark suit and a bowling hat there. They are in the past. But the City is still the country's business and financial centre and its streets are always full of hurrying people and transport, souvenir street vendors, tourists and policemen. Tourists are attracted by the Bank of England, the Stock and the Royal Exchange, the Old Bailey which is the popular name of the Central Criminal Court of London, the Barbican Cultural centre with the Museum of London and the London home of the Royal Shakespeare company. It is much quieter in the City at the weekend, as nobody lives there, but there are always a lot of people in St. Paul's Cathedral which is the parish church of the British Commonwealth and one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Its construction was completed at the beginning of the 18th century and it replaced the older cathedral that was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Cathedral is the masterpiece of the famous British architect Sir Christopher Wren whose tomb can be seen in the crypt. Besides its significance to the British believers and its beauty, St. Paul's Cathedral has another unique attraction - the Whispering Gallery which runs right round the inside of the lower section of the dome. If someone who is standing near the wall on one side whispers some words, they can be heard near the wall on the opposite side, 32 metres away.
The Tower of London
One of the oldest, best-known and most impressive places of interest in the City is the Tower of London which stands on the north bank of the Thames. It was begun in the 11 th century by William the Conqueror and was added to and altered by later monarchs. In the course of history it has been a fortress, a royal palace, a state prison, a citadel and an arsenal.
Now it is a unique museum in which you can feel the past centuries and touch the walls that witnessed the executions of Henry VIII's two wives and Guy Fawkes, the creation of «History of the World» by Sir Walter Raleigh and the last minutes of the unhappy nephews of Richard III. It is also a living museum in which you can Watch the Tower ravens, try on the knight's armory and the king's crown, and take a picture with the Yeomen Warders who still guard the Tower.
Westminster
Why not get on the Tour Bus again and go to Westminster where several most important government buildings are situated, among them the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace?
The Houses of Parliament which stand on the site of the burnt Palace of Westminster, built in the 14th century, is the seat of the British government. It is here that the House of Commons makes the laws and the House of Lords discusses and debates them. It is here that the most important decisions for the country's policy are taken. Besides, it is a wonderful work of art with hundreds of paintings and sculptures worth seeing. Its Clock Tower is famous all over the world as a symbol of London and Britain as it contains a huge clock and a bell, known as Big Ben. The bell tolls every hour and its sound is familiar to millions of people.
Westminster Abbey is another leading landmark of London. Its ancient walls house the church where almost all British monarchs have been crowned, married and buried since the 11th century. There you can also find the Poets' Corner which is the resting place of some outstanding men of letters like Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Rudyard Kipling. There are also monuments to other famous writers and poets who are buried elsewhere, such as William Shakespeare whose tomb is in his home town of Stratford-on-Avon. You can also see there the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior which commemorates all the soldiers and officers killed in the First World War.
The West End
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the sovereign. Though the building itself is not an architectural masterpiece, its interior decoration, paintings and furniture are really worth seeing. The weekly ceremony of the Changing of the Guard attracts many spectators with its music and soldiers' traditional uniforms.
From Buckingham Palace it is a short walk to Trafalgar Square which may be called the main square and the geographical centre of London, It is not as old as some other places of the capital as it was designed in the middle of the 19th century to commemorate the victory of the British fleet headed by Admiral Nelson over Napoleon's fleet at Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson lost his life in that battle but brought victory to his country so British people think of him as their national hero. Nelson's column in the centre of the square is very tall with a statue of the Admiral on the top and four bronze lions, that symbolize the power of the British Empire, around it. Other attractions on the square are the National Gallery with a wonderful collection of arts and the beautiful St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church.
Another 10 minutes' walk can bring you to the heart of the West End - Piccadilly Circus. It is one of the busiest places in London, and if you want to see its focal point - the Statue of Eros closer, don't risk crossing the street; use the underground crossing. Originally the statue was erected as a symbol of charity but now it has become one of the most popular meeting places of young people and punks who make money letting tourists take their pictures.
From Piccadilly Circus you can stroll along the richest streets of London - Regent, Oxford and Bond Streets - lined with expensive shops, restaurants and hotels.
London's numerous parks are an all-year-round attraction both for Londoners and the guests of the city. The parks are called «the lungs» of London and they are true oases in the polluted and overcrowded city. Hyde Park and Green Park, St. James's Park and Kensington Gardens are beautiful in any season and please the eye with their trees, bushes, flowers and ponds.
London museums are so many that it's difficult to name them all. The most important are the British Museum with its unique archeological collections and the Library, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Victoria and Albert Museum with fine collections of arts, the Science Museum whose main aim is educate people and Madame Tussaud's Gallery that displays the wax figures of famous people.
The East End
The East End of London used to be the poorest district of the city, but now it is a development area with new houses and a modern industrial centre. It has many interesting sights including an exact copy of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre which was built on its original site and London Dungeon which is very popular with children and adults who like horrors, and many other places of interest.
The Dome
London's newest attraction is the Dome that was built in 1999 to mark the millennium of the new era. It is only 15 minutes from Central London, right next door to the North Greenwich underground station. Inside the Dome tourists will find «Skyscape», a huge big Screen cinema hall which can also be used for concerts and shows. They can visit the new world of «Learning» in a magical orchard and see the 21 Century Doomsday Book. They can experience the excitement of «Work» in the future and see how much it has changed from the past. In the section «Body» the visitors can have a journey of emotions through the human body and explore the opportunities and challenges that advances in science, genetics and medicine will bring. «The Shared Ground» will give a chance to observe British interior scenes and experience what could be done if people really joined together. «Living Island» will provide a trip to a typical British sea resort with a beach, band-' stand, pier and lighthouse and games with hidden messages. «Home Planet» will take the tourists to the most amazing journey to the most incredible planet in the known universe - Earth - to find out what makes our planet unique. «Self Portrait» will show thousands of faces of the nation in the picture gallery and photo exhibition. «Faith» will help to get acquainted with the huge range of beliefs and religions which are part of, the UK today. «Mind» will give you a chance to play mind games with robots and to explore your senses and perceptions working out how to create a better future. «Rest» will provide the visitors with a mental flotation tank where they can escape the hectic pace of the modern life and enjoy empty space packed with sound, light and shapes. «Money» will give you a virtual chance to blow a million pounds in a wild spending spree and find out what the City really does with the money.
Answer the following questions:
• If you happen to go to London, what will you do on your first day there?
• Would you prefer to take a tour bus or a tour boat to see as many sights in one day as possible?
• Name 5 sights of London that you would like to see (in the order of preference). Explain why you have chosen this order.
• What will you start with: the old part of London or the new attractions which were built to celebrate the millennium?
• If you had only 3 days to stay in London which would you choose, to see as many sights as possible or to visit one museum but to explore it thoroughly? Why?
• Which of London parks would you like to go to and why?
Do the activities
1. Match the following English political terms with their Ukrainian equivalents:
1) legislative branch a) Верховний Суд
2) executive branch b) загальні вибори
3) judiciary branch c) гарантії
4) commander-in-chief d)законодавча влада
5) Supreme Court е) законотворчий орган
6) Supreme Council f) головнокомандувач
7) general election g) Палата Представників
8) guarantees h) законопроект
9) voters і) Верховна Рада
10) lawmaking body j) виконавча влада
11) bills к) судова влада
12) House of Representatives l) виборці
2. Decide which is the odd word in each groupand explain why. Bear in mind that more that one answer may be possible.
1) legislative democratic judiciary executive
2) court law bills judge
3) senator voter representative member of parliament
4) Conservative Labour Democratic Liberal
3. Political animal Quiz. What is your attitude to politics? How much do you know
about current affairs? Can you be called «a political animal»? Do the followi ng quiz to find answers to these questions:
1. How often are general elections held in your country?
2. How many ex-presidents or prime ministers of your country can you name?
3. Who is the current foreign minister in your country?
4. How many other ministers can you name?
5. At the moment, is you country generally considered to be experiencing an economic boom or economic recession?
6. Name two important policies of die current government of your country.
7. What do you think of the following statement, «The average politician is corrupt and only out for himself or herself.»?
a) I completely agree. b) I am not sure. c) I completely disagree.
8. Would you take part in a political demonstration, strike or protest march if you felt strongly enough about the issue?
a) Yes. b) I am not sure. c) No.
9. Do you think that the majority of people in your country are disillusioned or apathetic about politics?
a) Yes. b) I am not sure. c) No.
10. Do you believe that environmental and human rights issues are more important than economic issues like unemployment or taxation?
a) Yes. b) I am not sure. c) No.
11. Do you believe that everyone should vote in elections, because the political party or candidate you choose can make a big difference in your life?
a) Yes. b) I am not sure. c) No.
Comments:
If you can give correct answers (check them with your friends, parents, teachers or press) to questions 1, 3, 5 and supply at least 3 names in questions 2, 4, 6 you are not very interested in politics.
If you have chosen answers 7 (a), 8 (a), 9 (c), 10 (c), 11 (a) - you may be called «a political animal», that is a person who thinks and acts like a politician, especially in relations with others, and knows quite a lot about the current policy of the country.
4. Sort out the political terms given in the box into the corresponding columns of the table according to the words with which they can go with:
| national | human rights | demonstration | political | reform | ||||
| situation | educational | point of view | summit | big | ||||
| country's | Ukrainian. | growth | planning | career | ||||
| position | important | environmental | party | key | ||||
| local | recession | major | system | |||||
| politics/policy | economic | , issue | political | |||||
Note: Policy - is a set of ideas or plans that is used as a basis for making decisions, especially in politics, economics or business. Politics - are the actions or activities which people use to achieve power in a country, society or organisation.
5. Complete the gaps with one of the words given in the box in Activity 4. The first sentence is done for you:
1. The key issue in the next election will be unemployment.
2. The worsening _______ situation in the southern regions of the country means that many people will lose their jobs.
3. The 1950s saw a period of ____ growth in the UK.
4. The Prime Minister of that country left teaching to pursue a _______ career.
5. The President discussed the___ of human rights during his visit to Geneva.
6. Many young people nowadays are not interested in ______.
7. The latest book of this writer who is the leader of the Green Party is dealing with ________ issues.
8. The former president's economic ________ put a lot of people out of work.
9. Unemployment and crimes were the ____issues in the election campaign.
10. Even when she studied at university, Margaret Thatcher was deeply involved in local ____________.
6. Supply the massing members of these words families. Check your answers with the dictionary. the first word is done for you:
1) economy - economic, economics, economy, economist, economically, to economize.
2) to govern - 7) to qualify 12) to support 17) campaign
3) to elect - 8) bureaucrat 13) to contribute 18) law
4) to employ 9) to corrupt 14) power 19) to solve
5) to inflate 10) democrat 15) industry 20) politics
6) to educate 11) nature
| Text 1. Vote on April 10th! Vote for the Social Democrats in the next election (1)! If you look at the record of our present___(2), you will see a huge increase in taxes and ___ (3), and a rate of ____(4) which is out of control. If we win, we will tackle the _____(5) situation by investing in __(6) projects and training courses to help our young people become better ____ (7), We will make it our priority to eliminate ____(8) and to fight___(9) wherever we find it. So, exercise your _____ (10) right and vote on April 10th! Text 2. Join Friends of the Earth! Our campaign to protect the__(1l) world could not have succeeded without our ___(12), whose ___(13) have helped us win some significant victories against some of the most __ (14) _____ (15) companies in the world. We have raised public awareness of ___ (16) issues in general, and recently we have___(17) to make the use of ozone destroying CFCs ______ (18). Join us now and help us find alternative ___ (19) to world problems, and make our ____(20) sit up and listen. | elect govern employ inflate economy educate qualify bureaucrat corrupt democrat nature support contribute power industry environment campaign legal solve politics |
