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Britain’s industry. World War II brought about a further weakening of Britain’s might. Great Britain is no longer the leading power it used to be. It has lost its colonies which used to supply it with cheap raw materials.

Britain produces high quality expensive goods, which has always been characteristic of its industry. A shortage of raw materials as well as the high cost of production makes it unprofitable for British industry to produce semifinished goods or cheap articles. Britain mostly produces articles requiring skilled labour, such as precision instruments, electronic equipment, chemicals and high quality consumer goods. Britain produces and exports cotton and woolen goods, leather goods, and articles made of various kinds of synthetic (man-made) materials.

The original basis of British industry was coalmining and the early factories grew up not far from the main mining areas. Glasgow and Newcastle became great centres of engineering and shipbuilding. Lancashire produced cotton goods and Yorkshire woollens, with Sheffield concentrating on iron and steel. Birmingham developed eight engineering. There appeared a tendency for industry and population to move to the south, particularly, to the London area.

Britain’s industry is now widely dispersed. Great progress was made in the development of new industries, such as the aircraft, automobile, electronic industries and others. A number of atomic power reactors were made. Great emphasis was made on the development of the war industry.

Vocabulary

to be employed in agriculture or industry, etc. – работать (быть занятым) employ smb – нанимать на работу

manufactured goods – промышленные товары per head of population – на душу населения apart from smth – со стороны

raw materials – сырье, сырьевые ресурсы used to be smth – привыкла быть

used to do smth – привыкла делать make room for – создавать основу для tend to do smth – стремиться сделать demands for smth – потребность в bring about smth – приводить к

share – доля

industrial output – выпуск промышленной продукции revival of smth – возрождение, оживление

article – вид продукции

require smth (doing smth) – спрос на, потребность в skilled labour – квалифицированный труд

employ smth – использовать что-либо war industry – военная промышленность

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Ex.1 Answer the following questions:

1.What natural resources does Great Britain have?

2.What raw materials does Great Britain import?

3.What does Great Britain export?

4.What is the characteristic feature of Britain’s economy?

5.What are the main articles produced by British industry?

6.What are the main industrial centres of Great Britain?

7.What are Britain’s main industries?

8.What can you say about Britain’s agriculture?

Ex.2 Complete the sentences:

1.Great Britain is rich in … .

2.Great Britain has to import … .

3.A great number of new industries were added to the traditional ones such as

…

4.The main crops grown in Britain are ….

5.Britain’s industry located in … .

6.Great Britain lives by … .

7.Britain’s share in the world industrial output … .

8.Britain’s industries produce … .

Ex.3 Say whether these statements are true or false:

1.Great Britain is an agricultural country.

2.Great Britain is rich in natural resources.

3.Great Britain imports a lot of manufactured goods.

4.Great Britain exports raw materials to other countries.

5.The demand for the products of Britain’s main industries increased greatly.

6.Britain’s share in the world industrial output became greater.

7.The crisis of 1929-1933 brought about mass employment.

8.Very few people are employed in the mining and manufacturing industries in Great Britain.

Ex.4 Make up a brief rendering of the text.

Ex.5 Make up and act a dialogue about Great Britain.

Market places and shopping centres in Great Britain

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Ex.1 Mind your pronunciation:

Names: Europe, Harrods, Hamleys, Fortnum and Mason, Florence, Nightingale, Crimea, Samuel Whitehouse, Thomas Griffiths, Bull Ring, Birmingham, Christmas sales, Oxford Street, Regent Street, African expeditions.

Ex.2 Read and translate the text:

London is a famous shopping centre where you can buy virtually anything.

Most of London’s big department stores are in Oxford Street and Regent Street.

They are always crowded, but on January sales when London shops reduce the price of goods some people come on the pavement outside the stores so as to get the best bargains.

Harrods is the largest department store in Europe. There are 230 selling departments, each with a special name. Here are some of them: confectionery, hardware, electrical, haberdashery, stationery, cafeteria, bedding. There are 4 000 Harrods staff and 6 000 for the Christmas sales. The escalators cover about 68,453 km a year, nearly twice the distance around the world.

Hamleys is the world’s largest toy shop. It has six floors filled with toys of all kinds, including dolls, games and models.

Fortnum and Mason sells luxury food and runs a world wide delivery service. In the 1800s it sent food parcels to Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, and to the first African expeditions.

Birmingham is a famous market place in Great Britain. Buying and selling has been an important part of life in Birmingham for more than eight hundreds years. In fact man used to sell their wives there as recently as the 18th century! (In 1733 Samuel Whitehouse sold his wife to Thomas Griffiths in the market place for a little more than one pound!) Although neither husbands nor wives are for sale nowadays Birmingham’s markets offer a large choice of other goods. Each Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, the colourful rag market can be found. People used to come to buy and sell old clothes (rags) but now there is a wide selection of modern fashions for everybody. Years ago farmers used to sell their animals at the Bull Ring, but now it is one of the biggest open-air markets and shopping centers in the United Kingdom. People enjoy shopping there because it has modern shops, together with the atmosphere of a traditional street market.

Vocabulary

department store – универмаг bargain – (торговая) сделка hardware – скобяной товар haberdashery – галантерея

to reduce – уменьшить, снизить

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luxury – роскошный

used to come – часто приходили virtually – фактически

sales – распродажа

stationery – канцелярские товары neither …nor… - ни …ни …

as …as … - так же, как rags – тряпье, ветошь

open-air market – рынки на улице (на открытом воздухе)

Ex.3 Insert the right preposition where necessary:

1.Some people come … the pavement outside the stores.

2.Harrods is the largest department store … Europe.

3.It has six floors filled … toys of all kinds.

4.It runs … a world wide delivery service.

5.Although neither husbands nor wives are … sale nowadays these markets offer a large choise … other goods.

6.People enjoy … shopping there.

7.It has modern shops together … the atmosphere … a traditional street market.

Ex.4 Put a question to the underlined words:

1.There are 230 selling departments.

2.The escalators cover about 68.453 km a year.

3.Hamleys is the world’s largest toy shop.

4.Men used to sell their wives.

5.Birmingham markets offer a large choice of goods.

Ex.5 Agree or disagree to the following statements:

1.London is not a famous shopping centre.

2.Most of London’s big department stores are in Oxford Street and Regent

Street.

3.Harrods is the largest department store in Europe.

4.Hamley’s is the largest restaurant in London.

5.Birmingham is a famous market place in Great Britain.

6.Each Monday, Wednesday and Sunday the colourful rag market can be found.

7.Years ago farmers used to sell the vegetables at the Bull Ring.

Ex.6 Complete the following sentences:

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1.Most of London’s big department stores are … .

2.The escalators cover about … .

3.There are 230 selling departments … .

4.Buying and selling has been an important part .. .

5.Years ago farmers used … .

6.Fortnum and Mason sells luxury food … .

7.In the 1800s it sent food parcels … .

Ex.7 Match the titles of different English shops in A with the titles of Russian shops in B:

Ex.8 Expand the statements:

1.London is a famous shopping centre.

2.Harrods is the largest department store in Europe.

3.Fortnum and Mason sells luxury food.

4.Birmingham is a famous market place in Great Britain.

5.Birmingham markets offer a large choice of other goods.

6.Each Tuesday, Friday and Saturday the colourful rag market can be found in Birmingham.

Ex.9 Answer the following questions:

1.Where are most of London’s department stores located?

2.What is the largest department store in Europe?

3.How many departments are there in Harrods?

4.Which is the largest toy shop in London?

5.What parcels did Fortnum and Mason send in the 1800s?

6.What market can be found in Birmingham?

7.What is Bull Ring?

Ex.10 Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. Billingsgate market is a huge fish market in London.