Unit 3. Part 1.The british isles

1 . a) Try and draw a map of the British Isles from memory.

в) Compare your map with a map of the British Isles.

2. Read the texts quickly and check what do you know about the British Isles.

One country?

The British Isles is the name for a collection of about 4000 islands, including Great Britain and Ireland. The name, the British Isles, is usually only seen on maps.

Great Britain, known as Britain or GB, is the name for the largest of the islands in the British Isles. It includes England, Scotland and Wales. It does not include Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. You see the abbreviation GB on driving licences of people who live in England, Scotland and Wales.

The United Kingdom or UK is a political term which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All of these countries are represented in Parliament in London and the abbreviation UK is used on most official documents produced by Parliament.

Everybody from the UK is British, but be careful: only people from England are English. People from Wales think of themselves as Welsh; people from Scotland as Scottish; people from the Republic of Ireland as Irish and people from Northern Ireland as either British or Irish.

What's a county?

Britain is split up into counties. The word county describes an area with its own local government. County councils are elected to run things, such as education, housing, town planning, rubbish disposal. They look after things like roads, libraries and swimming pools. Many counties, like Yorkshire, Berkshire and Lancashire, contain the word shire, which is an old word for county. In writing, it is usual to abbreviate the names of counties containing the word shire: Lancashire becomes Lanes; Wiltshire becomes Wilts; South Yorkshire becomes S. Yorks.

3. True or false?

Correct the sentences that are false.

a) If you hold a British passport, you are from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

b )Someone from Scotland can represent GB in the Olympic Games.

с) A person from the Republic of Ireland is British

4. Look at the map of the British Isles. True or false? Correct the sentences that are false.

a) The capital of Wales is Swansea.

b) The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.

c) It is more mountainous in the south than in the north of Britain.

d) The highest mountain in England is Ben Nevis.

e) The river which runs through Oxford and London is the Thames.

5. Copy and complete the sentences.

a) London is in the ..... -east of Britain.

b) Birmingham is ..... of London, in a part of Britain called the Midlands.

c) Bristol is in the ..... -west of Britain.

6. What is your country's equivalent of a county?

a ) Which British country is not represented on the Union Jack?

b) Draw the flag of your country. What does it represent?

c)Who is the patron saint of your country? Why is s/he famous?

7. Read the text without a dictionary and give a short summary of it. Great britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It covers the British Isles. Great Britain and Ireland are the largest islands and there are about five thousand small islands.

The North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel separate Great Britain from the continent.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands,while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. There are numerous lakes in Scotland and they are called Lochs.

The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest -east, centre and south-east is a vast plain. The South English plain is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country. In the south-cast one can see the most beautiful scenery in England and the largest fruit-producing county Kent which is often called "The Garden of England".

The mountains in Great Britain are not very high.

There arc many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames, which flows through rich agricultural districts into the North Sea, is the busiest and the most important river in England.

The climate of Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the British Isles. The summers are cool and rainy. It is not so hot in England as on the continent. July is the warmest month. The average July temperature in the south-east is 17°C, and in the north-west it is 14°C. There is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter. October is often the rainiest month of the year. Snow is rare and it does not lie on the ground for long. The average January temperature is about 5°C above zero.

The British Isles cover an area of about 121,600 square miles. The comparatively small territory of Great Britain is very densely populated (56,000,000 people). The greater part of the population is urban. Eighty per cent of the inhabitants live in numerous cities and towns. There are many large industrial cities in Great Britain, such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and others.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. Most of the industries are concerned with the production of the iron and steel goods, textiles and chemicals. In the annual production of coal Great Britain occupies the third place in the world. Great Britain has very few raw materials. It imports oil and oil products, ores and metal, timber, cotton, wool and enormous quantities of food-stuffs: grain, meat, butter, tea, etc. Great Britain exports motor-cars, aircraft, electrotechnical apparatus, chemicals, cotton and woolen fabrics.

Great Britain was among the first states to establish diplomatic relations with the USSR in 1924. During the Second World War both nations fought side by side against their common enemy Nazi Germany. Since the end of the War our country has worked consistently for better political, economic and cultural ties with Britain on the basis of a policy of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.