Text 3 North South East West

Britain is only a small country, but every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains, lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny. Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts of Scotland, there are very few people. Deer live in the hills, and the rivers are full of salmon. But Glasgow and Edinburgh are large and busy, with all that is good (and bad) in modern cities.

Northern Ireland has its problems, but it has beauty too. In the warm, wet climate, the grass grows a brilliant green, and much of the land is а farming country. Belfast is a large industrial city with many fine buildings and a big port from which ships come and go to Scotland and England.

In the north of England there are many old industrial towns. Outside the towns there is beautiful countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches. Fishing is an important industry in the North East, and every night, except Sunday, the fishing boats go out to sea.

The centre of England is also an important industrial area, especially near the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart of a modern city, there are buildings from an older Britain – cathedrals, and houses built hundreds of years ago.

Wales is a special place, a country of high mountains and very pretty valleys. But Wales has plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry called «Eisteddfod».

The west of England is a rich farming country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and apples. In the villages, country people often grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Britain is an island, of course, and you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially in the west, is wild and rocky, with small, sandy beaches, and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial. The east coast of Scotland is busy with oil rigs and fishing boats. The most popular beaches are near the many holiday towns on the south coast, where the weather is usually warmer. It is here that Londoners come to relax.

Answer these questions:

1. What is Scotland famous for? 2. Why is Northern Ireland good for farming? 3. What is the difference between the north of England, the west and the east? 4. What is the centre of the car industry? 5. Why is Wales a special place? 6. Where are the most popular beaches situated?

Text 4 England

England is the largest and the richest country of Great Britain. The capital of England is London but there are other large industrial cities, such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other famous and interesting cities such as York, Chester, Oxford and Cambridge.

Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric places in the world. This ancient circle of stones stands in Southwest England. It measures 80 metres high. Why it was built is a mystery.

Not far from Stonehenge stands Salisbury Cathedral. It is a splendid example of an English Gothic Cathedral; inside there is the oldest clock in England.

Chester is a very important town in the north-west of England. In Chester there is a famous museum which contains over 5000 ancient and modern toys.

Oxford is the home of the oldest university of England. The most famous college is Christ Church. It has a great hall which was built during the reign of Henry VIII and its chapel has become the Cathedral of Oxford.

Cambridge is the home of Britain’s second oldest university.

Birmingham is often called the “City of 1500 trades” because of the great variety of its industries.

Answer these questions:

1. What are large industrial cities of England? 2. What is one of the famous prehistoric places in the world? 3. Where is the oldest clock in England? 4. What is Chester interesting for? 5. What are two oldest universities in England? 6. Why is Birmingham often called the “City of 1500 trades”?