Ex.3 Answer the questions.

1. What part of the population of the UK lives in England? 2. Which countries does England border on? 3. What is London? 4. Where does England take its name from? 5. Why does England have a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world? 6. Is England far from continental Europe? 7. What is England’ relief like? 8. What kind of climate does England have? 9. Which are the leading branches of England's economy? 10. What is England’s population? 11. What is England’s role in the development of the arts and sciences? 12. Which are the most popular English sports? 13. What does a “secular country” mean?

Ex.4 Do you think these facts are true or false?

1 About 700,000 years ago the current position of the English Channel was a large river flowing westwards and fed by tributaries that would later become the Themes and the Seine.

2 London exports mainly materials such as petroleum, tea, wool, raw sugar, timber, butter, metals, and meat and imports manufactured goods.

3 Euromoney is used in England.

4 Dishes forming part of the old tradition of English food include: apple pie, fish and chips and gravy.

5 The following things were invented in England: vacuum cleaner, lawnmower, steam engine, bicycle and electric motor.

6 In pop music English bands and solo artists have not been cited as the most influential and best-selling musicians of all time.

7 The 2012 Summer Olympics are to be hosted by London, England.

Text 4 Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon, famous the world over as the birthplace of William Shake­speare, is situated - almost symbolically - at the heart of England. Surrounded by countryside notable for its natural and historical appeal, the town enjoys a pleasant riverside setting. No town has a more fasci­nating history. Originating as a river-crossing settlement, the site of Roman and Saxon occupation, it became an important focus of roads, and from an early age served as the market centre of the surrounding countryside. Stratford is a town with a character and atmosphere of its own. Apart from the beauty of its river, its streets and buildings preserve many links with its past: the layout and the names of its central streets have changed little since medieval times. It is, however, the fame of the properties associated with William Shakespeare and his family, and of the Shakespeare Festi­val centred on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, that makes Stratford-upon-Avon a Mecca for visitors all over the world Shakespeare's plays are now produced here for nearly eight months of each year to an audience representative of practically every nation in the world. At the same time Stratford has become a centre of cultural and academic activities.

William Shakespeare retired to live in Stratford in 1613, after the Globe Theatre, where his company was performing, had been burnt down. He died on April 23, 1616, and he was buried in the parish church where he had been baptised. To­day people come to see the places asso­ciated with him, but surely the finest monument of all is the wonderful series of plays and poems that he wrote.

Ex.1 Find the synonyms in the text.

a) centre, core, heart

b) famous, remarkable, noteworthy

c) to focus, concentrate

d) to save, to keep, to maintain

e) honour, glory

f) almost, practically, virtually

Ex.2 Complete the expressions.

a) to centre________

b) famous the world______the birthplace_____William Shakespeare

c) the places associated________him

d) surrounded_______the countryside

e) to preserve__________ many links________the past

f) to serve__________the market centre

g) to change little______medieval times

h) a Mecca______visitors all_______the world

Ex.3 Answer the questions.

1 What makes Stratford-upon-Avon famous the world over?

2 Where is Stratford-upon-Avon situated?

3 What made Stratford-upon-Avon an important market centre?

4 Why is Stratford-upon-Avon notable for its historical appeal?

5 What is the most famous event in the life of Stratford-upon-Avon?

6 What places in Stratford-upon-Avon are associated with William Shakespeare?

Ex.4 Writing.

a) You live in Stratford-upon-Avon. Write a letter of invitation to your friend inviting him to spend his holiday at your place.

b) You have been staying in Stratford-upon-Avon for a week. Write a letter home describ­ing the impressions of your stay there.

Text 5 The Lake District - the most beautiful corner of England

Some of the deepest lakes, the highest mountains, the quietest valleys and the most dramatic panoramas in England are to be found within this diverse landscape covering an area of 900 square miles.

«It's mostly rocks», wrote a female visitor to the Lake District in 1698. This may be a truthful observation, yet how much it leaves out! Certainly the rocks are there, piled into craggy mountain massifs and wearing a necklace of sparkling lakes. The great attraction of the lakes which enthralled the early tourist is, of course, the scenery. This is the best seen by the walker, but for the less energetic sightseer there is an almost unlimited fund of places to visit which are reasonably accessible to the motorist. The climate of the District is much-maligned: certainly it is an area of high rainfall, but though the rain falls heavily there is still a good proportion of rain-free days. However, if one is able to time a visit to take advantage of the best climatic and scenic conditions, then June is the month to choose. Every season, however, has something to offer, and the visitor who finds himself in love with the lakes in August may return in winter, spring or autumn to find a treasury of new beauties.

Ex.1 Say in other words.

a) criticised by a lot of people often unfairly;

b) to fill something or cover a surface with a lot of something;

c) very steep and covered in rough rocks;

d) a spoken or written remark about something you have noticed;

e) to shine in small bright flashes;

Ex.2 Find the synonyms in the text.

a) honest, sincere, frank; e) to captivate, to enchant;

b) approachable, available; f) to omit, to miss, to overlook;

c) riches, wealth; g) part, fraction, percentage;

d) endless, immeasurable; h) to schedule.

Ex.3 Without looking back at the text, try to supply the nouns which were used with the following adjectives.

scenic

much-maligned

dramatic

diverse

craggy

high.

truthful

rain-free

sparkling

energetic

unlimited

accessible

Ex.4 Answer the questions.

1 Why did a female visitor describe the Lake District as «It's mostly rocks»?

2 Is it a truthful observation?

3 What enthralls the visitors to the Lake District?

4 Why is the climate of the Lake District much-maligned?

5 What month would you choose to visit the Lake District?

Ex.5 Class Improvisation.

1 You have just returned from England where you spent your holidays working on a farm. Share your impressions with your fellow students.

2 Your friend has just returned from his working holiday in England. You were in England last year. Share your impressions.

3 If you were planning to visit England, what part of the country would you choose? Give your reasons. Try to persuade your friends to go with you to this particular area for a holiday.

Ex.6 Write an essay «My Imaginary Journey about England».

Text 6 Oxford

Town and Gown There has been a town where Oxford now stands for many centuries - even before 912, the first written record of its existence.

The University began to establish itself in the middle of the 12th century, and by 1300 there were already 1,500 students. At this time, Oxford was a wealthy town, but by the middle of the 14th century, it was poorer, because of a decline in trade and because of the terrible plague, which killed many people in England. Relations between the students and the townspeople were very unfriendly, and there was often fighting in the streets. On 10th February 1355, the festival of St Scholastica, a battle began which lasted two days. Sixty-two students were killed. The townspeople were punished for this in two ways: they had to walk through the town to attend a special service on every St Scholastica's day until 1825. Worse than this, the University was given control of the town for nearly 600 years.

Nowadays, there are about 12,000 students in Oxford, and the University and the town live happily side by side!