Text 1 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the state. The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries with an area of some 244,100 square kilometers. The UK is situated to the north-west of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea and is separated from the European continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover.

The climate of Britain is mild and warm because of the warm Gulf Stream. Most of the mountains are in the north, in Scotland, but they are not very high. The rivers in Great Britain are not long but many of them are deep. The longest rivers are the Clyde and the Thames.

London, the capital of the country, is situated on the Thames. The most industrial cities are Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh and others. Cambridge and Oxford are famous university cities.

The population of the United Kingdom is over 57 million. The official language of Great Britain is English. It is now spoken in many countries of the world: the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India and others. Some people in the UK also speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh – in parts of northern and central Wales.

Answer these questions:

1. What are the main countries of the UK and their capitals? 2. What is the area of the UK? 3. Where is the UK situated? 4. What are the longest rivers? 5. What are the most industrial cities? 6. What is the population of the UK? 7. What is the official language of Great Britain?

Text 2 Climate of Great Britain

Due to the geographic location of Great Britain the type of the climate is oceanic. There are no extreme contrasts in temperature in Britain because of the current of warm water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico called the Gulf Stream.

The prevailing winds from the ocean to the south-west bring rainfall throughout the year. The total national rainfall average is over 1100 mm annually. March to June tend to be the driest months, September to January the wettest.

The fogs of London, often made severe by mixture with city smoke, have a worldwide reputation.

The rivers of the Great Britain are abundant, and they never freeze. The main rivers are the Thames, the Tyne, the Severn, the Mersey; the biggest lakes are the Loch Lomond, the Lough Neagh. A considerable area of land is covered by meadows and heaths. The grass remains green all the year round. Thanks to its climate conditions, Britain in truth looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees, green meadows and hedges.

Answer these questions:

1. What kind of climate does Great Britain have? 2. Are there extreme contrasts in temperature in Britain? Why? 3. What are the driest (the wettest) months? 4. What are the main rivers and lakes?