24. Listen to the Text “Some Facts of the History of Education in Russia”.

Study the following commentary:

a grammar school – (зд.) гимназия;

a secondary school teaching no classics – реальное училище

1. Fill in the chart.

The foundation of Russian culture	The evidence of a knowledge level	The role of monasteries	Pre-revolutionary educational institutions	Higher education

b) Check your answers with your groupmates.

c) Read Tapescript 6B of the Text. Look up the words you do not know in your dictionary.

d) Retell the story.

Unit 7 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

READING AND DISCUSSION

TEXT 7A

Great Britain

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated off the Northwest coast of Europe. The UK consists of four parts. They are: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK lies on the British Isles. The two main islands are Great Britain and Ireland. They are separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. The west coast of the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, the east coast is washed by the North Sea. The population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is nearly 60 million.

2. Geographically Great Britain is divided into Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises Southern and Eastern Britain. Highland Britain includes Scotland, Wales, the Pennines and the Lake District. The highest mountain, Ben Nevis, is in Scotland. The flora of the British Isles is much varied and the fauna is similar to that of the north-west of Europe.

3. Britain is not very rich in natural industrial resources. The main coal areas are the South Wales fields, the Lowlands of Scotland, the Yorkshire field and others. The deposits of iron ore are in the east of England and in the Middle-England plain.

4. The climate of Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the weather of the British Isles. Summers are cool and rainy. There is a lot of rain and fog in autumn and in winter.

5. There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain. The Severn is the longest river; the Thames is the most important one.

6. The United Kingdom is one of the world's most industrialized countries. Big cities and towns such as London, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and others have enterprises of nearly all branches of industry, old and new.

7. The biggest centers of iron and steel industry are situated in the neighbourhood of coal basins. They are Newcastle, Cardiff, Glasgow and Sheffield. Steam engines and electric motors, machine tools, derricks, textile machinery, locomotives and automobiles are produced at the machine-building plants of Birmingham, Sheffield and London. The shipbuilding industry is of great importance for Britain. Many countries place orders for new ships with the British shipyards in Glasgow, Belfast and Newcastle. The most important branches of the textile industry are woolen and cotton industries. British woolen stuffs are widely known for their high quality. The main center of the cotton industry is Manchester. Britain imports cotton from America and other countries through the port of Liverpool.

8. The capital of the country is London. English is the official language.

9. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The powers of the British Queen are limited by Parliament. The British Parliament consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The main political parties of Great Britain are the Conservative and Labour Parties. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has always played an important role in world politics.

Notes:

1. English Channel [‘iŋgli∫’t∫ænl] 2. Highland Britain [‘hailэnd’britn] 3. Lowland Britain [‘lэulэnd’britn] 4. Lowlands of Scotland 5. Lake District [‘leik’distrikt] 6. The Pennines [‘penainz] 7. Strait of Dover [‘streitэv’dэuvэ]

- Английский канал (принятое в Великобритании название пролива Ла-Манш) -гористая часть Великобритании - низменная часть Великобритании - Шотландская низменность - Озерный край, Озерный округ (живописный район рек и озер на северо-западе Англии) - Пеннинские горы - Па-де-Кале (букв. Дуврский пролив)