3. Say if the following statements are true or false:

Example: Great Britain is made up of four countries

- Yes, this is true. Great Britain is made up of four countries.

- No, this is false. Great Britain is made up of three countries.

1. Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales.

2. The capital of the United Kingdom is Cardiff.

3. The population of the UK is over 57 mln people.

4. Geographically Great Britain is subdivided into 3 main regions.

5. The highest mountain top is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

6. The Thames is the longest river.

7. Great Britain is known as one of the largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textiles etc.

8. The UK is a democratic republic.

4. Answer the Questions.

1. What countries does Great Britain consist of?

2. What is the official name of the state?

3. How many islands is it composed of?

4. What is the area of Great Britain?

5. What is Great Britain separated from the continent by?

6. Who inhabits the territory of Great Britain?

7. What parts is Great Britain subdivided into?

8. What is the highest part of Great Britain?

9. What are the longest and deepest rivers in Great Britain?

10. What are the emblems of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

5. Find English equivalents:

Занимать территорию, столица, остров, квадратный километр, состоять из, население, городской, населять, подразделяться, регион, включать, район, горный, быстрая река, эмблема, чертополох, нарцисс, лук-порей, кислица, промышленный, вывозить, судостроение, парламентская монархия, глава государства, крест, святой покровитель.

6. Retell the text. Lesson 4 london

1. Read and translate the text given below.

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre.

London is an old city. It is more than twenty centuries old. In the year 55 before our era a Roman legion headed by Julius Cesar came to the British Isles and founded a military settlement on the northern bank of the river Thames. It was called Londinium. Four centuries later this settlement became the capital of Great Britain and was named London. As London is situated on the bank of the river Thames it became a great port and a trading centre.

In 1066 Normans came to London and they built a castle by the river – the Tower of London. Since that time it was a king’s palace, then a fortress and a prison. Now the Tower is a museum which houses Crown Jewels belonging to the kings and the queens of England. Now the only inhabitants of the Tower are ravens. There is a legend that the Tower will fall if it loses its ravens. Therefore their wings are clipped and the birds are carefully guarded.

The central part of London is Westminster. It is a political centre of the country. Most of governmental buildings are located in the street which is called Whitehall.

Not far from Whitehall is Downing Street. Number 10, Downing Street is the residence of the Prime Minister of England. The Cabinet meets here.

Here we can see an old church called Westminster Abbey. It was built in the 8^th century and since that time all British kings and queens are crowned there. The most interesting place here is Poet’s Corner where many great Englishmen such as Darwin, Newton, Dickens are buried.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey we can see the Houses of Parliament. The Houses of Parliament are the largest modern buildings in the richest Gothic Style. There are some great towers there, one of them is a clock tower, called “Big Ben”. “Big Ben” is the name of the huge clock which is one of the finest time-keepers in the world.

In the centre of London there is one of the most beautiful squares – Trafalgar Square which was named so after Nelson’s victory in the battle at Trafalgar. Admiral Nelson was killed at this battle and a monument to him was erected in the centre of the square.

The visitors of London always see Buckingham Palace. It is the official residence of the Queen and the King. The ceremony of changing of the guard before the Palace is of great interest for visitors.

London is the centre of Britain’s cultural life. It houses great national collections, the famous British Museum, the National Gallery and many others. The British Museum was built in the middle of the 18^th century. It is famous for its great library with a collection of about six million books.

There are many parks in London: Hyde Park, Regent Park and others. Hyde Park is the place where Londoners like to rest. Here we can see the so-called “Speakers’ Corner”. It is the place where we can see a number of people making speeches. Small crowds gather, argue and ask questions.

London is divided into some parts. One of them is the City. Its area is about one square mile. The City is a business and commercial part of London. Most of English banks, offices and firms are located there.

The other part of London is the West End. It is the richest and the most beautiful part. There are fine museums, theatres, big shops, parks there. The streets are clean and wide.

The East End is a poor part of London. It is a great industrial area. The working people work and live there. The streets are narrow with poor houses. Most of English factories, workshops, docks are here.

Thus we may say that the City is the money of London, the West End is the goods of London, the East End is the hands of London, those hands which built the Palaces, theatres, shops, hotels of the West End.