Industry in the u.K.

Principal factors in the industrial prominence of Britain were its Industrial revolution of 18-th century and early leadership in the wool trade, favourable climate, mineral wealth, development of shipping and naval control of the seas and colonial markets. Britain had much greater freedom from political and religious wars existed in continental Europe.

With the invention of mechanically powered machinery, the textile industry grew rapidly and has remained one of the most important industries of Great Britain. Two inventions—steam-powered mining machinery (1765) by James Watt and railroad locomotives (1815) by George Stephenson—were of major importance in the development of British coal and iron-ore resources and in the expansion of iron and steel manufacturing.

Great Britain has remained one of the most highly industrialized countries of the world. In the early 1990s manufacturing and mining industries employed about 18 percent of the workforce and accounted for approximately 24 percent of the GDP. In the same period the approximate yearly production figures were 16.2 million metric tons of crude steel, 1.3 million passenger cars, 172 000 gross registered tons of merchant vessels, 122 200 metric tons of woolen yarn, and 142 million m of woven cotton fabrics. Scotland and Northern Ireland were noted for their production of whiskeys and linen, and England had a large brewing industry. In terms of value, the leading branches of the manufacturing sector were food products, transportation equipment, non-electrical machinery, chemical products, and metals and metal products. The leading manufacturing regions are Greater London and the metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester, West Midlands (Birmingham), and Merseyside (Liverpool). Other important industrial centers were Glasgow, southern Wales, and Belfast.

Energy

Annual electrical output in the early 1990s exceeded 317 billion kilowatt-hours, of which about 75 percent was generated in conventional thermal facilities using fossil fuels. Britain was a pioneer in the development of nuclear plants for the production of electricity. The world’s first commercial-scale nuclear power station at Calder Hall in Cumberland became functional in 1956. By the early 1990s nuclear power supplied about 16 percent of Great Britain’s electricity production.

Words and expressions

principal factor - основной фактор

industrial prominence - промышленное превосходство

industrial revolution - промышленная революция

early leadership - ранее лидерство

favourable climate - благоприятный климат

mineral wealth - наличие полезных ископаемых

development of shipping - развитие мореходства

naval control - контроль над морями

territorial possessions - территориальные владения

colonial markets - колониальные рынки

religious wars - религиозные войны

invention - изобретение

machinery - механизмы, машины

steam-powered - паровой

coal and iron-ore resources - ресурсы угля и руды

highly industrialized - промышленно высоко развитый

workforce - рабочая сила

GDP (gross domestic product) - валовой национальный продукт

merchant vessel - торговое судно

woolen yarn - шерстяная пряжа

brewing industry - пивоваренная промышленность

leading branches - ведущие отрасли

transportation equipment - транспортное оборудование

electrical machinery - электрическое оборудование

industrial centers - промышленные центры

annual electrical output - ежегодное производство

электроэнергии

kilowatt-hours - киловатт часов

generate - генерировать (производить)

thermal facilities - тепловые мощности

fossil fuel - ископаемое топливо

nuclear plant - атомная станция

commercial-scale - коммерческий

nuclear power station - атомная электростанция

electricity production - производство электроэнергии

Exercise 1

Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What are the principal factors in the industrial prominence of Britain?

2. What was the result of the invention of mechanically powered machinery?

3. What inventions were of major importance in the development of British coal and iron-ore resources and in the expansion of iron and steel manufacturing?

4. Has Great Britain remained one of the most highly industrialized countries of the world?

5. What are the leading branches of the manufacturing sector in the U.K.?

6. What are the leading manufacturing regions in the United Kingdom?

7. Was Britain a pioneer in the development of nuclear plants for the production of electricity?

8. What was the annual electrical output in Britain the early 1990s?

Exercise 2

Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений:

Промышленная революция; раннее лидерство; благоприятный климат; территориальные владения; колониальные рынки; политические и религиозные войны; изобретение; текстильная промышленность; паровые машины; уголь; железная руда; производство стали; ежегодное производство хлопчатобумажных тканей; пивоваренная промышленность; промышленный регион; ежегодное производство электроэнергии; ископаемый источник энергии; производство электроэнергии.

Exercise 3

Поставьте следующие предложения в вопросительной и отрицательной формах:

1. The textile industry grew rapidly and has remained one of the most important industries of Great Britain.

2. Industrial prominence of Britain was mainly due to its early industrial revolution 18-th century.

3. Great Britain has remained one of the most highly industrialized countries of the world.

4. In the early 1990s manufacturing and mining industries employed about 18 percent of the workforce.

5. Scotland and Northern Ireland were noted for their production of whiskeys and linen, and England had a large brewing industry.

6. The leading manufacturing regions are Greater London and the metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester, West Midlands (Birmingham), and Merseyside (Liverpool).

7. Annual electrical output in the early 1990s exceeded 317 billion kilowatt-hours.

8. Britain was a pioneer in the development of nuclear plants for the production of electricity.

9. By the early 1990s nuclear power supplied about 16 percent of Great Britain’s electricity production.

Exercise 4

Составьте предложения, используя данные слова и словосочетания:

1. Industrial revolution; early leadership; favorable climate; principal factors; industrial prominence; Britain.

2. Invention; powered machinery; grew rapidly; textile; industry.

3. Steam-powered; mining machinery, James Watt; invention.

4. Highly industrialized; Great Britain; country; world; remained.

5. Yearly production; metric tons; crude steel; passenger cars; Great Britain.

6. Electrical output; annual; Great Britain; exceeded.

Exercise 5

Переведите на английский язык следующие предложения:

1. Основой промышленного превосходства Великобритании была промышленная революция 18-го века.

2. Англия имела благоприятный климат, минеральные ресурсы, территориальные владения и колониальные рынки.

3. Два важнейших открытия: паровой двигатель Джеймса Ватта и паровоз Джорджа Стивенсона имели большое значение для развития британской промышленности.

4. Великобритания остается одной из наиболее развитых стран мира.

5. Ежегодно Великобритания производит до 16,2 миллионов тонн стали.

6. Ведущими промышленными городами страны являются: Лондон, Манчестер, Бирмингем и Ливерпуль.

7. Ежегодно Великобритания производит более 317 миллиардов киловатт часов электроэнергии.

8. 75% производимой в Великобритании электроэнергии вырабатывается на тепловых станциях.

9. 16% электроэнергии в Великобритании вырабатывается на атомных станциях.