Britain’s national parks

The first national park in Great Britain was set up in 1949. The first aim of establishing national park is to provide protection for the outstanding countryside they contain; the second aim is to provide opportunities for people to have access to them and enjoy them.

The Lake District in the north-west of England is the largest national park. It is popular with walkers, canoeists, cyclists, sailors, and climbers. Although it is quite compact – it is only 50km from east to west – it has some of the most spectacular and varied scenery in Britain. It has Windermere, at 16.4 kilometres the longest lake in England, and Scafell Pike, at 1,000 metres the highest mountain in England. Also in the Lake District is Sty Head, the wettest place in Britain. More than 4,000 millimetres of rain a year fall on Sty Head!

The Lake District is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Britain. In 2001 a total of 17 tourist nights (one night spent by one person) were recorded in the Lake District.

National parks are not owned by the nation. Most of the land is still in private hands. For example, the resident population of the Lake District is 41,100.

Snowdonia is the second largest National Park in the UK, after the Lake District. The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales. An estimated 6 million holidaymakers visit Snowdonia national park every year to enjoy a wide range of leisure activities. There is a walking country to suit all tastes and abilities, as well as opportunities for rock climbing, off-road cycling and water sports. The Snowdonia National Park has many buildings of architectural and historical importance, ranging from the castles built by the Welsh princes to farmhouses, tiny cottages and agricultural buildings. Over 26,500 people live and work in the Snowdonia National Park. Most of the land there is privately owned and farmed.

4.4. Look at the map of the UK and find the Lake District and Snowdonia National Park. Geographical names in the text may help you.

4.5. Complete the phrases using the words from the text.

1. the …….. countryside	5. …….. hands	9. …….. importance
2. a …….. park	6. …….. population	10. a …….. cottage
3. …….. scenery	7. …….. activities
4. a …….. destination	8. …….. climbing

4.6. Form the comparative and superlative degrees of the following adjectives.

Model: long – longer – the longest

outstanding / high / wet / large / spectacular / popular / wide / many / tiny

4.7. Match the words with their synonyms.

1. set up, v	a) small, adj
2. aim, n	b) establish, v
3. opportunity, n	c) like, v
4. compact, adj	d) not public, adj
5. spectacular, adj	e) goal, n
6. scenery, n	f) chance, n
7. destination, n	g) view, n
8. enjoy, v	h) value, v
9. private, adj	i) place of arrival, n
10. estimate, v	j) impressive, adj

4.8. Explain the following words. Use a dictionary if necessary.

the countryside a resident a farmhouse a holidaymaker to record

4.9. Find the odd word out.

outstanding spectacular scenic private

protection mountain population destination

cyclist sailor prince climber

Snowdonia England Wales Scotland

4.10. Which of these descriptions best fits the Lake District and which – Snowdonia?

1. large beautiful and interesting

2. small scenic and popular

3. small mountainous and diverse

4. large sparse and agricultural

4.11. Are these statements true (T) or false (F)?

1. Millions of holidaymakers go to Snowdonia National Park every year.

2. Biking is the most popular leisure activity in the Lake District.

3. Snowdon is the highest mountain in England.

4. You can enjoy the beauty of royal castles in the Snowdonia National Park.

5. National Parks provide protection for the exciting countryside they contain.

6. More than 26,000 people live within the Snowdonia Park.

7. Any park is a special area of conservation.

8. Britain is a big country with beautiful and varied countryside.

4.12. Compare the two parks from activity 4.3. Find similarities and differences in the:

● territory ● landscape ● resident population

● aim ● leisure activities

4.13. Match the two parts of the sentences.

1. There are 11 forest parks in Great Britain,	a) the second oldest acquiring National Park status in 1951.
2. In Scotland instead of National Parks there are 40 “National scenic areas”,	b) contain the most magnificent scenery in the country.
3. Snowdonia is the second largest National Park and	c) which are administrated by the Forestry Commission.
4. In Welsh the area of Snowdonia is named Eryri,	d) are rich in cultural heritage and wildlife.
5. Walking is the most popular activity but	e) covering about 13% of the total land area of Scotland.
6. Both the Lake District and Snowdonia are the areas of outstanding natural beauty and	f) forests, mountains, villages, castles, hotels and tourist attractions.
7. Picturesque and popular national parks	g) which means ‘the place of the eagles’.
8. Guidebooks provide all information you require on	h) many visitors also cycle, climb, ride, sail, canoe or simply ‘sightsee’.

4.14. Answer the following questions.

1. What is a national park?

2. How do Britain’s national parks help preserve the countryside?

3. When was the first / second national park set up in Great Britain?

4. Which is the most popular nation park in England?

5. What are the aims of national parks?

6. Can you think of any situations where these aims might be in conflict?

7. Can you name any national parks in your country?

8. Imagine that you are spending your holidays in the Lake District. Which of these activities would you choose to do and why?

● excellent fishing in the rivers or lakes

● learning to canoe on the quiet waters

● painting to capture the beauty of landscapes

● pony-trekking

4.15. Fill in the gaps with to and from.

1. Pollution …….. cars is a serious threat …….. the environment.

2. The parks were set up to protect wildlife …….. destruction.

3. National parks have been a great benefit …….. many people who have the opportunity to spend a holiday in unspoiled country.

4. The ‘hands-off’ policy means that the authorities will not try to preserve animals …….. the natural dangers …….. them.

5. Comfortable accommodation is a great advantage …….. older visitors to the parks.

6. The dams, with a holding capacity of 93 thousand million cubic metres, provide protection of farmlands …….. floods.

4.16. Fill in the correct word derived from the word in bold.

BEACHES AND PARKS

Ocean Beach runs along the Pacific Ocean shoreline, but is not (1) …….. for swimming because the waters off the coast are cold	SUIT
and have (2) …….. rip currents. Baker Beach occupies	DEAD
a (3) …….. setting just west of the Golden Gate Bridge.	PICTURE
The (4) …….. and most well-known park is Golden Gate Park,	BIG
(5) …….. from the centre of the city to the Pacific Ocean. Once	STRETCH
covered only in grass and sand dunes, the park is planted with thousands of non-native trees and plants and is rich with (6) ……..	ATTRACT
including the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, and other (7) …….. parks. Buena Vista Park is	REGION
the city’s (8) …….., established in 1867. Lake Merced is a fresh-water lake surrounded by parkland.	OLD

4.17. Choose the correct word.

Wrangle Island is in Russia’s High Arctic. The island is well known for its large concentrations / conservation of polar bears. Polar bears in the nature reserve are counted each year, with sex, age and current physical condition. Keeping track of this information is vitally interesting / important in view of the threats facing / looking the bears, including climate variation / change, pollution and poaching. This is particularly / interestingly important on Wrangel because the Chukchi-Alaskan population of polar squirrels / bears is exposed to legal native hunting in both Russia and Alaska and to illegal hunting on the Russian side. In addition, this population is threatened / poached by planned oil and gas exploration / examination on the continental shelf.

4.18. Read the text The Big Five and answer the questions after it.