Lesson 10

Module 2 (written)

Lesson 11

The United Kingdom of Great Britain

And Northern Ireland.

Geographical Position

Read the Text.

The British Isles are group of islands lying off the north-west coast of the continent of Europe. The largest islands are Great Britain and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland are in Great Britain; Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern part of Ireland. The largest part of Ireland is the Irish Republic.

Now a few words describing the British Isles.

As you know, there are no high mountains on these islands. Ben Nevis in Scotland, the highest mountain, is 1.343 meters high. The northern part of Scotland is called the Highlands, and the southern part is called the Lowlands. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon. It is 1.085 metres high. In Ireland much of the land is low, but there are green hills and low mountains.

The British Isles have many rivers, but they are not very long. The Severn in England is the longest river. It is 350 kilometers long. It flows south-west into the Irish Sea

The are many beautiful lakes, but no great forest in the British Isles today. The lakes are mostly in Scotland and north-west England. The sea is naturally most important to British Isles and seaports play a great part in the life of the country.

The climate of Great Britain is typically maritime with frequent rains, cloud-covered skies, continuous fogs and strong winds; the close proximity of the Gulf Stream makes the winter extremely mild; it seldom snows and snow covers the ground but for a short time (mountain regions excepted); the summer is cool and rainy.

These climatic conditions are typical of the Western coast.

The climate of British Isles is not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer. As a rule, there is no ice on the ground for long. All parts of the British Isles get a lot of rain in all seasons.

But the weather changes very often. This explains why the British people are planning to do anything, they will very often say "... if it's fine", or "...if it's nice weather ".

Answer the questions:

1. Where do the British Isles lie?

2. What are the largest islands?

3. What are the parts of the UK?

4. What is the highest mountain?

5. What is the longest river of Great Britain?

6. What is the climate of this country?

Are you good at translating the following words, word combinations and expressions into English?

Північно-західне узбережжя, Британські острови, Ірландська республіка, найвища гора, зелені пагорби, низькі гори, красиві озера, життя країни, клімат Великобританії, часті дощі, хмарне небо, прохолодне і дощове, дуже м’який, кліматичні умови багато дощів в усі пори року, змінюватися, Северн, Сноудон, Англія, Шотландія Уельс.

Lesson 12 An Outstanding Event in the History of Great Britain

Read the Text.

The Norman Conquest

Late in September 1066, The Norman Conquest started with the battle of Hastings. The forces of English and the Normans were equal in numbers, but the Normans were greatly superior in quality. Harold army (the English King) consisted mainly of amateur warriors, whereas William’s Normans and Frenchmen were all men, to whom fighting was the main occupation in life. The Normans were on horsebacks, but the English were on foot.

The decisive moment came when Harold was killed by an arrow. The defense faltered and the Normans succeeded in breaking the line.

After this victory William did not make a direct attack on London. He crossed the Thames at night and approached London from the North. The English magnates came out to meet him and made their submission. The estates of Harold’s supporters were confiscated.

For 2 centuries after the Norman Conquest England was ruled by foreign kings. Under their rule the Anglo-Saxon and Norman elements were gradually welded together.

After the conquest Norman French became the language of the upper class and the Government. French was used in Parliament, in the law-courts, in all official writings. English was looked down upon as a rude and barbarous tongue and was only heard on the lips of ordinary people, or of those who were still proud of the fact that only they were native born.

In the 14^th century English came into its own again. In 1362 it was declared that all pleadings in law-courts should be in English, and Parliament was first opened with an English speech. By the end of the century the people of the country read Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” in their own tongue.

Answer the questions:

1. When did the Norman Conquest start?

2. What forces took part in this battle?

3. What was the decisive moment of the battle?

4. How long was England ruled by foreign kings?

5. What language was used in the upper class and Government?

6. When was English declared an official language in low-courts and Parliament?