
- •Кратко о Великобритании
- •1. Some general facts about Great Britain. The geographical position and the territory of the uk. The British Isles. The seas surrounding the British Isles. The English Channel.
- •2. Different names of the country. The capital of the country.
- •3. The uk national symbols (the British flag, the English flag, the Scottish flag, the Welsh flag, patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, the national anthem, floral symbols).
- •5. Climate. Vegetation and wildlife.
- •6. Four geographic and historical parts of Great Britain. Brief descriptions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- •7. Major cities of Great Britain (London, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool).
- •8. The geographical position and the territory of the usa. The national capital. The us national symbols (the national anthem, the national flag, the national bird).
- •9. Landscape. Major rivers, lakes and waterfalls in the United States.
- •10. Climate. Plant and animal life.
- •11. Traditional regions of the United States.
- •12. Major cities of the usa
- •I. Answer the following questions:
- •II. Explain in English what is meant by:
- •III. Choose a topic for project work or a report from those given below:
- •1. Early history of Britain.
- •2. Roman Britain.
- •3. The Anglo-Saxon period.
- •4. The medieval period in Britain (1066-1485).
- •5. The century of the Tudors (1485-1625).
- •6. The struggle for supremacy between Crown and Parliament (the 17th century).
- •7. The British Empire and Industrial Revolution (1688-1837).
- •8. The Victorian age. Britain and World Wars. Welfare State.
- •9. United States history
- •10. Britain and the usa in the late 20th century.
- •I. Answer the following questions:
- •II. Explain in English what is meant by:
- •III. Choose a topic for project work or a report from those given below:
- •1. The political system of the uk.
- •2. The system of government in the usa.
- •3. Britain and the usa: a social profile.
- •4. The British and American character.
- •5. Languages in Britain and the usa.
- •6. Festivals and holidays in Britain and the usa.
- •Independence Day
- •I. Answer the following questions:
- •II. Explain in English what is meant by:
- •III. Choose a topic for project work or a report from those given below:
- •1. English art and architecture.
- •I. Answer the following questions:
- •II. Explain in English what is meant by:
- •III. Choose a topic for project work or a report from those given below:
- •Sources
- •Contents
Министерство образования и науки
ФГБОУ ВПО «Пятигорский государственный лингвистический университет»
Е.С. Бочарова
Кратко о Великобритании
и США
Учебное пособие
Пятигорск
2012
УДК 811.111 Печатается по решению
ББК 81.43.21-923 редакционно-издательского совета
Б 86 Пятигорского государственного
лингвистического университета
Great Britain and the USA in Brief. Учебное пособие. - Пятигорск: Пятигорский государственный лингвистический университет, 2012. - 78 с.
Настоящее издание является учебным пособием для студентов лингвистических университетов и факультетов иностранных языков высших учебных заведений, изучающих английский язык как второй иностранный. Может быть рекомендовано всем изучающим английский язык и интересующимся лингвострановедением Великобритании и США.
Составитель: канд. филол. наук, доцент Бочарова Е.С.
Рецензенты: Чечель С.В., канд. филол. наук, доцент (ПГЛУ);
Нейленко Л.Л., канд. филол. наук, доцент (ПГЛУ).
© Бочарова Е.С., 2012
© ПГЛУ, 2012
Theme 1. Geography of the UK and the USA.
1. Some general facts about Great Britain. The geographical position and the territory of the uk. The British Isles. The seas surrounding the British Isles. The English Channel.
The United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on a group
of islands lying off the north-west coast of Europe. The
British Isles are composed of more
than 6000 islands of different size. Great Britain is the largest
island of the British Isles. It is also the largest island in E
urope
and the seventh largest in the world. The second largest island of
the British Isles is Ireland. It lies to the west of Great Britain.
The larger part of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland. Northern
Ireland, which occupies north-eastern part of the island, remains a
part of the United Kingdom.
Apart from the land border with the Irish Republic, the United Kingdom is surrounded by sea. The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 km (22 miles) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. The Irish Sea separates Great Britain from Ireland, while southwestern England, the northwestern coast of Northern Ireland, and western Scotland face the Atlantic Ocean. No part of Great Britain is more than 75 miles (120 km) from the sea. The seas surrounding the British Isles are rather shallow – less than 91 m because the islands lie on the continental shelf. The shallow waters are important because they provide excellent fishing grounds as well as breeding grounds for fish.
The most important sea routes pass through the English Channel and the North Sea linking Europe with America. The English Channel is 150 miles at its widest point and only 21 miles (34 km) at its narrowest. One can see the white cliffs of Dover from the French coast on a clear day. This may explain the origin of the old romantic name given to Britain – Albion. For centuries the Channel has been Britain’s defence against invaders. And it has also been the way to the Continent, a highway crowded with ships. The Channel Tunnel runs beneath the English Channel. It connects England and France and is used for both freight and passenger traffic. It was opened on May 6, 1994. It took 10 years to build it. There are two rail tunnels and a service and security tunnel each 50 km long. The tunnel is the largest undersea tunnel in the world.
The UK is a small country. The total area of the country is 94,526 square miles (244,820 sq. km). It is twice smaller than France or Spain.