1. The British monarch is the head of the government.....
2. Magna Carta was the document that limited the monarch's power.
3. William and Mary were the first monarchs who reigned but not ruled.
4. Members of Parliament represent two main political parties.
5. The Cabinet of Ministers is responsible and accountable to the Parliament.
6. The House of Commons is more numerous than the House of Lords. io
7. British overseas territories used to be its colonies before World War II.
Read the text and speak on the topic
The national symbols of Great Britain
The Union Jack
The flag of Britain, commonly known as the Union Jack (which derives from the use of the Union Flag on the jack-staff of naval vessels), represents the emblems of three countries under one Sovereign. The emblems that appear on the Union Flag are the crosses of three patron saints:
- the red cross of St. George, for England, on a white ground;
- the white diagonal cross of St. Andrew, for Scotland, on a blue ground;
- the red diagonal cross of St. Patrick, for Ireland, on a white ground. (
The final version of the Union Flag appeared in 1801, following the union of Great Britain with Ireland, with the inclusion of the cross of St. Patrick. The cross remains on the flag although now only Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
Wales is not represented in the Union Flag because when the first version of the flag appeared, Wales was already united with England. The national flag of Wales, a red dragon on a field of white and green, dates from the 15th century and is widely used throughout the Principality.
The Royal Crest
The Royal Crest - a lion bearing the Royal crown - is used to denote articles of personal property belonging to the Queen, or goods bearing the Royal Warrant. The lion, «the king of beasts» has been used as a symbol of national strength and of the British monarchy for many centuries.
The British National anthem
The British National anthem originated in a patriotic song first performed in 1745. There is no authorised version - the words used are a matter of tradition. On official occasions it is usual to sing the first verse only, the words of which are as follows:
«God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!»
Compare the symbols of Ukraine and symbols of Great Britain
Read the texts and prepare reports about big cities of Great Britain. Fill the gaps and do the activities
Big cities of Great Britain
Great Britain's major cities besides London are Birmingham with the population of just over a million, Manchester with 430,800 Glasgow with 616,430, Edinburgh with 448,850, Belfast with 297,300 and Cardiff with 315,000 people who live there.
Birmingham
Birmingham is the largest provincial ___(1) in Great Britain. It stands in the centre of the upland area in the valleys of three small rivers - the Tame, the Cole and the Rea. They all ___ (2) into the Trent, a big navigable river. The city is a county borough in Warwickshire, and it is the market ___ (3) of the Black Country. Birmingham is much younger ___ (4) most British cities.
Though its exact date of Birth is not _______ (5) for sure, it seems certain that the settlement did not exist before Anglo-Saxon times. It is_(6) that the Midland coal-fields led to its growth beginning with the 13th_(7). The Black County got its name in the 19th century ___ (8) to the intensive activity of the heavy industry in the region. At present the Black ___ (9) coal is almost worked out, iron ore is no longer melted and green ___ (10) with wild flowers grow on the old quarries.
Although primarily an industrial_(11), Birmingham has many pleasant residential suburbs and open spaces. The city is the ___ (12) of the cultural life-of a large area. The University of Birmingham is proud of its departments of science, arts, medicine, commerce and law. It is ___ (13) a big research centre.
Birmingham is a big industrial ___(14) with many modern factories, but its industrial pattern is mostly based on small firms. Birmingham ___(15) manufacture brassware, silverware and other metal_(16), jewellery, small arms and plastics. It is also well ___(17) for its motor vehicles, electrical equipment and machine tools.
Manchester
Manchester is a large city (1) the northwest of England. It is located_(2) the River Irwell, a tributary ______ (3) the big Mersey River, and is linked ______ (4) it __ (5) the Manchester Ship Canal. Its position makes it one___ (6) the major ports (7) England. Manchester was formerly known ____(8) its Wool and cotton industries/but is now the financial and business centre__(9) the area. When Britain was an Empire, Manchester was known as «Cottonpolis» because there were many large cotton mills ______(10) the city and __(11) the small towns__(12) it. The northwest is still an important industrial area and still makes cotton textiles, but it is changing fast. The Manchester Business school is the best _ (13) Britain. Many pop and rock bands come__ (14) Manchester, which is known __(15) its music industry and many nightclubs. It is also known ______ (16) its two foot-ball teams - Manchester United and Manchester City.
Manchester is a beautiful city but unfortunately many ____ (17) its old buildings ____ (18) the city centre were destroyed _____ (19) IRA bomb _____ (20) 1996.
The citizens ___ (21) Manchester are called Mancunians.
Note: IRA - the Irish Republican Army, an illegal military organisation which wants Northern Ireland to leave the UK and become part of the Irish Republic. It was originally established in 1919 to fight far Ireland's independence from Britain. From 1969 it was active both in Northern Ireland and in England, and was known for using violence and terrorist methods in order to achieve its aims.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city of Scotland with almost 1 million inhabitants. It lies only 50 miles from Edinburgh, near the west coast of Scotland, but most people would agree that the two cities could not be more different!
For many centuries Glasgow was little more than a cluster of cottages built on the river Clyde. In fact, the name itself means «dear, green place» in the Gaelic language and this is as true today as it was in the 6th century. In the middle of the 15th century the second university in Scotland was built in Glasgow, and the city became important as one of the educational centres. The discovery of America led to the start of the modern city with increasing import of tobacco, sugar and cotton and, consequently, a growing shipbuilding industry. Slowly Glasgow transformed itself into one of the richest and most successful cities in all of Britain.
However, in the 20th century, things started to go Wrong for the city. The depression of the 1930s hit the city's heavy industry particularly badly, and thousands of people lost their jobs. From its poverty the city soon developed a taste for left-wing politics - a taste which remains to this day as there is not a single Conservative MP in the whole city!
Glasgow and its neighbouring industrial towns are situated upon the Lancashire coal-field, while the city itself lies on the raised bank of the River Clyde. It dominates the whole region and every day many thousands of workers commute to the city. It is the centre of a great variety of manufacturing industries. Glasgow became a great port and manufacturing centre at the beginning of the 18th century. Today its leading industries are shipbuilding, iron and steel, machinery and chemicals, textile and clothing, marine and aero engines, road vehicles and machine tools, cotton and woolen carpets production. It is also known for its book-producing and publishing firms.
Today Glasgow is important as a cultural centre. In 1990 it became European City of Culture, ahead of cities such as Athens, Florence, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin. Glasgow is full of interesting museums and art galleries: The People's Palace telling the historical and social story of Glasgow; the Museum of Comparative Religion, exploring the world's different faiths through art; Glasgow Cathedral, a wonderful example of Gothic architecture, etc.
However, Glasgow is perhaps most famous for the liveliness of its people. The Irish and Highland immigrants of previous centuries have added some of their own charm and wit to the «Glasgow melting pot», making it the friendliest city in Scotland. In addition the shopping facilities are particularly good with many small speciality shops dotted around the main street.
Decide if the following statements are true or false:
1. Glasgow is situated to the north of London.
2. Glasgow and Edinburgh have much in common.
3. Glasgow is known to have been founded in the 13th century.
4. Christopher Columbus played an important part in the development of Glasgow.
5. The citizens of Glasgow never helped the Conservative party of Great Britain to win elections.
6. The heavy industry of Glasgow was the only one which did not suffer greatly during the 1930s economic crisis.
7. Glasgow and Odesa have some common features.
A. The Treasures in the Chest.
B. The Facets of the Crown Jewel.
C. The Present and the Past.
D. The Great Minds of Scotland.
Edinburgh
_1_ Edinburgh is a jewel in Scotland's crown. This jewel has many facets: classical architecture
piled on hills and tree-filled valleys, medieval closes and sudden views of the sea from street corners. And the castle which looks so right that it might have grown out of the rock by some natural process. Edinburgh has several thousand buildings that are officially protected because of their architectural or historic importance - more than any other city outside London.
Edinburgh is one of the longest continuously inhabited places in Northern Europe; there is archeological evidence of human habitation there in the Bronze Age, about 1,000 BC. It's a public reminder to Scots of their roots..'
_2_ The Royal Mile leads from the Castle to Holyrood Palace which is another official residence of the Queen besides Buckingham Palace. The Palace is a museum itself, and it contains a number of museums. Among them are the Museum of Childhood with its unique collection of toys and games; the Writers' Museum, a treasure house of items relating to Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, and the People's Story Museum which tells the story of ordinary people of Edinburgh from the 18th century to the present day. If you ever go to Edinburgh, don't miss other important sights: the Royal Museum of Scotland, St. Giles's Cathedral, the National Gallery of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
_3_ The city of Edinburgh has always been a great educational centre; it has three universities now. It boasts of such world famous scientists as the mathematician John Napier who invented logarithms and the decimal point, Adam Smith, the father of political economy, David Hume, a well-known philosopher and historian, Alexander Bell, the inventor of the telephone and James Clerk Maxwell, one of the greatest physicists in the world.
_4_ Much of Edinburgh's charm is in the way in which past and present live easily side by side. But if you look only at the sights, you may overlook the fact that Edinburgh is also a busy modern city where more than 440,000 people live and work. About one fifth of the working population are employed in manufacturing industry: electrical and electronics engineering, paper printing and publishing, food and drink industry. Others work in a variety of service industries, especially financing services. Edinburgh's importance as a financial centre is second only to that of London.
The capital of Scotland is now the seat of the Scottish Parliament which has gathered there after a long break of about 300 years.
Cardiff
a) Although Cardiff is an ancient town, it did not expand greatly until the 19th century when it became a centre of export trade in coal. But after the First World War and especially after the Second, when the demand for the Welsh coal both at home and abroad went down, the growth of the city practically stopped.
b) The Museum contains another of Cardiff s surprises: a world-class collection of impressionist paintings, one of the finest outside Paris and St. Petersburg.
c) Cardiff is the capital of Wales. It is situated near the mouth of the river Taff, which flows into the English Channel. The site was first occupied by a Roman fort which was built there about A.D.75. By the 3d-4th centuries a massive wall had been built around it, and its traces can still be seen at various parts of the modern City. When Roman forces withdrew from Britain, all the people probably left the fort. Only with the coming of Normans, about 700 years later, did people came to live there again.
d) Recently the Cardiff Bay has been transformed into Millennium Waterfront with a massive freshwater lake. The National Assembly for Wales is situated there as well as the Millennium Centre, a theatre-worthy of a city with European dimensions and ambitions.
e) Nowadays Cardiff comes as a surprise to those who expect to see dirty docklands and provincial mediocrity. The first sight which will catch your eye will be the Castle. Although it is situated in the very heart of the city, it is surrounded by parkland and acres of greenery. The Castle with its Roman foundation, medieval core and richly decorated Victorian mansion is the best jewel in Cardiff s crown. Other attractions of the city are the splendid neo-classical white-stoned architectural ensemble of the Civic Centre with the City hall, National Museum, Law Courts and University buildings.
f) In Cardiff you can find modern shopping malls arid Victorian shopping arcades, cafes, bistros and many places to taste the locally brewed Brains beer.
g) At first sight Cardiff may seem too Victorian, too formal, too dignified. But the second glance will show you that it is a relaxed city with a thriving cultural life. The New Theatre of Cardiff now houses the prestigious Welsh National Opera Company, and all kinds of music and entertainment can be found in St. David's Hall.
Before reading the text, try to answer the following questions, then check your knowledge about Liverpool by finding answers in the text.
· Who do you think are the most famous citizens of Liverpool?
· Is Liverpool situated in England, Scotland or in Wales?
· Why is Liverpool sometimes called the real capital of Ireland?
· Why is Liverpool famous in the world of sports?
· How do Liverpuddlians get from one bank of the Mersey to the other?
· If Liverpool is a port, what industries do you think are developed there?
· Do you know anything special about Liverpool's cathedrals?
· Why are tourists attracted to Liverpool?
Liverpool
Liverpool is another of Britain's largest cities. Its population with the Mersyside connotation is more than one and a quarter million. Its most famous inhabitants are probably John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Liverpool has a wonderful Beatles museum which is visited daily by hundreds of Beatles's fans. Liverpool's fame in the world of football is as widespread as its fame in pop-music. Liverpool Football Club was the most successful European Team of the late 70s and early 80s. it won the European Cup three times and was the Champion of Britain many times.
However there is a lot more in Liverpool than just music and football. It developed very quickly in the 18th and 19th centuries as one of Britain's major Atlantic ports. It was a centre for the cotton trade and manufacturing industry, as well as the centre for ships taking part in the infamous slave trade. At one time there were seven miles of continuos docks along the River Mersey. The river itself is crossed by two tunnels: a railway tunnel built in 1886, and a road tunnel, the famous Mersey Tunnel, built in 1934. For many years ferries were the main way across the-river which has no bridges at this point. The main industries in Liverpool are shipbuilding, engineering, food processing and sugar refining.
Two main sights of Liverpool are its two 20th century cathedrals. One of them belongs to the Church of England and has startling modernistic paintings decorating its interior. The other which belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, is unique, in its architecture, which makes it look like a huge Indian wigwam. Liverpool is an important cultural and educational centre with two universities, many famous schools and numerous wonderful museums and picture galleries.
Though Liverpool is situated in England, to the anger of both Irish and Welsh, it is often called the real capital of Ireland and the real capital of Wales because of the large number of Liverpuddlians of Irish and Welsh descent. Today the city is well-known for the wits and humour of its people. The stereotype of a person from Liverpool is someone who is working class, has socialist political beliefs, and is good at telling jokes and making people laugh. Informally Liverpuddliand are called Scousers. The Liverpool accent is very easy to recognize and it is often called a Spouse accent.
Recently the Mersyside docklands were converted into a leisure area of parks and museums which attract thousands of tourists to the city.
Belfast
Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, stands at the head of the wide Belfast Lough, the inlet of the North Channel on the eastern coast of the island, where the river Lagan reaches the shore. The favourable geographical location of the city was the main factor for its development. More than two thirds of the population of Northern Ireland are concentrated in Belfast because it provides employment at its port, docks, factories and plants. Belfast is famous for its ship-building arid aircraft building industries. Its ship-yards produce passenger liners and aircraft carriers of the largest size. The city also has the largest rope-works in the world, and food processing, tobacco and other consumer goods factories. As a port Belfast is of great importance for Northern Ireland because more than three quarters of the external trade goes through it.
Unfortunately the name of this beautiful city is associated with the «Troubles». This name is used for the sectarian division between Roman Catholics and Protestants and terrorism in Northern Ireland which began in 1969. By the end of 1999 the «Troubles» had claimed over 3,000 lives including those of members of the British Army and innocent civillians.
