Britain

1. The official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The official name is often abbreviated to the United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain or the UK.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles lying to the north-west of the continent of Europe. The British Isles consists of two large islands, Great Britain (comprising England, Wales and Scotland), and Ireland (comprising Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic) and about five thousand small islands.

2. Britain is one of the world’s smaller countries with an area of 244,000 square kilometers.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn’t include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London.

The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Britain is separated from European continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover (32 km wide).

3. 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 a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the busiest and the most important one. The UK has many beautiful lakes. The Lake District in northern England with its lakes, mountains and valleys is a favourite holiday resort. The region contains 15 lakes. Its beauty attracted many poets, writers and artists.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles, making it temperate and mild all over the year round. The weather in Britain is very changeable. A fine morning can change into a wet afternoon and evening. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The weather is the favorite conversational topic in Great Britain. After they greet each other they start talking about the weather.

4. Nowadays the population of the United Kingdom is about 58 million inhabitants. England is the largest and the most populated part of the country. Over 46 million people of the population of the UK live in England. About eighty per cent of the population live in urban areas.

5. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen (Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II) or the King is the Head of the state. But the power of the British monarch is limited by Parliament. The highest legislative power belongs to Parliament which consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are at present 651 members of the House of Commons, who are elected by people every five years. The House of Lords, or the Upper House, is composed of Church of England bishops, peers, who have inherited titles and peers who are appointed for life. One-third of the Lords today are company directors. They include bankers, steel magnates, newspaper proprietors and industrialists of all kinds. The main function of the Parliament is law-making.

The highest executive power belongs to the Government and is realized by Prime Minister and his/her Cabinet. The government is formed by the party that wins the election and receives the majority in the House of Commons. The leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister. He/she appoints ministers and forms the Cabinet, consisting of 20 ministers.

There are several political parties in the United Kingdom. At present the main political groupings are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Party. The Labour Party is the ruling party nowadays; the Conservative Party is the Opposition.

6. The UK is a highly developed industrialized country. It is famous for its industry, heavy and light engineering. Now high technology industries are more developed than heavy engineering. The country is the fourth largest exporter of manufactured goods, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. The UK is a major industrial and trading nation. The main industrial centers and at the same time the largest cities of the country are London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow and others. London, the capital of the UK is a world centre for business and money trading, the country’s largest port and a cultural centre.

7. Birmingham is the Britain’s second largest city and its engineering centre. Sheffield is the centre of the steel industry. It produces airplanes, motor-cars, electric and agricultural machinery, railway carriages. Manchester became the world’s leading producer of cotton goods. It is also famous for its football club. The wool industry, England’s oldest large trade, is located in Leeds and in Yorkshire. Shipbuilding is centered in Liverpool and Glasgow. Liverpool is the home city of the Beatles. Stratford-on-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, the greatest and most famous of English writers, and probably the greatest playwright who has ever lived.

8. The history of the UK is the story of how a small island country became the world’s most powerful nation. The history of the UK is in its museums. There are about 2000 museums and galleries in Britain, which include the chief national collections. Among them are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Natural History Museum, the Tower of London and many other treasure institutions.

ЗАДАНИЕ 12. Закончите предложения.

1. The full name of the country is …

2. The UK is made up … .

3. The United Kingdom is a … . This means that it has a monarch and a parliament.

4. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is … .

5. Britain is separated from European continent by … .

6. Parliament consists of … .

7. The mountains, … influence the climate of the British Isles.

8. The House of Commons is made up of 651 … .

9. England is the most … part of the country.

10. 2000 museums in Britain include the chief … .

ЗАДАНИЕ 13. Соедините названия городов Британии и то, чем они известны.

Sheffield the birthplace of William Shakespeare

London the wool industry

Manchester shipbuilding industry

Birmingham home city of the Beatles

Stratford-on-Avon the centre of the steel industry

Leeds the capital, a world centre for business

Glasgow the second largest city, engineering centre

Liverpool the centre of cotton goods, famous football club

ЗАДАНИЕ 14. Ответьте на вопросы о Великобритании.

1. What is the official name of the country?

2. Where is the UK situated?

3. What islands does the UK occupy?

4. What is the country washed by?

5. What is the surface of England (Scotland)?

6. What is the longest (the busiest) river in Great Britain?

7. Where are the most beautiful lakes in Britain?

8. Why is the British climate mild?

9. What is the favourite topic of conversation of the British?

10. What is the most populated part of Britain?

11. What is the population of the UK (England)?

12. What is the capital of England?

13. What river is London situated on?

14. What are the largest industrial cities and ports in Britain?

15. What kind of country is the UK?

16. What place does Britain occupy among the exporters of industrial goods?

17. What kind of state (the political structure) is the United Kingdom?

18. Who is the head of the state in Britain?

19. What is the highest legislative power of Britain?

20. What is the main function of Parliament?

21. How many members are there in the House of Commons?

22. Who can become a member of the House of Lords?

23. What is the highest executive power of the country?

24. Who usually becomes the Prime Minister?

25. How many ministers does the Cabinet consist of?

26. Who appoints Ministers in the Cabinet?

27. What are the main political parties in Britain?

28. What party is the ruling party nowadays?

ЗАДАНИЕ 15. Составьте рассказ о Великобритании по плану, используя слова, данные ниже.

1. Geographical position.

1. the official name of the country

2. the British Isles

3. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

4. the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea, the English Channel

5. the surface

6. the Lake District

7. the climate

8. the population

2. Political Structure.

1. constitutional monarchy

2. the Head of the state

3. the highest legislative power - Parliament

4. the House of Lords and the House of Commons

5. the highest executive power - the Cabinet

6. the Prime Minister

7. political parties - the Conservative and Labour Parties

3. Economy

1. a highly developed industrialized country

2. heavy and light engineering

3. the largest exporter of manufactured goods

4. shipbuilding

5. trading nation

6. the main industrial centres

7. the capital

4. History and Culture

1. powerful nation

2. museums and galleries

3. national collections

4. treasure institutions

ЗАДАНИЕ 16. Поговорите о погоде (хорошей или плохой), используя фразы из приведенных ниже диалогов.

For good weather

1. - Nice day, isn’t it?

B. - Isn’t it beautiful?

A. - The sun is shining.

B. - Isn’t it wonderful?

A. - Yes, wonderful, isn’t it?

B. - It’s so nice and hot.

A. - I think it’s so nice when it is hot, isn’t it?

B. - I really love it, don’t you?

For bad weather

A. - Terrible day, isn’t it?

B. - Isn’t it unpleasant?

A. - The rain … I don’t like the rain.

B. - Just think – a day like this in July. It rains in the morning, then a bit of

sun and then rain, rain, rain, all day.

1. - I remember the same July day in 1998 …

2. - Yes, I remember too.

1. - Or was it in 1998?

2. - Yes, it was.

1. - Or in 1999?

2. - Yes, that’s right.

ЗАДАНИЕ 17. Подготовьте дома рассказ о Британии.