The united kingdom
The United Kingdom, officially named the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is an island nation and constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe. The names * United Kingdom*, «Great Britain*, and «England» are often used interchangeably.
Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles. The island of Great Britain has the length of 974 kilometres and the width of 531 kilometres. It comprises England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland, also known as Ulster, occupies the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland. The total area of the United Kingdom is 242,000 square kilometres. Great Britain is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The population of the United Kingdom is more than 59 million people. The capital and the largest city is London.
The climate of the United Kingdom is mild. The mildness is an effect of the warm Gulf Stream. This current brings warm south-west winds that raise winter temperatures, lower summer temperatures and bring the cyclones with rains. The western side of the United Kingdom is warmer than the eastern; the south is warmer than the north. The mean annual temperature is 6°C in the far north of Scotland; 1ГС in the south-west of England. Winter temperatures are seldom below -10aC and summer temperatures rarely higher than 32°C. The sea winds also. Rains fall frequently turning to snow in the winter. The western side of Britain is much wetter than the eastern.
Great Britain is one of the world's leading commercial and industrialized nations. In terms of gross national product (GNP) it ranks fifth in the world, with Italy, after the United States, Japan, Germany, and France.
Дополнительный словарь:
island nation островное государство
constitutional monarchy X'monaki] конституционная монархия
interchangeably
[.mta'tfemcljebli] взаимозаменяемо
prevailing [pn'veilm] преобладающий
moderate ['mcdsnt] умеренный
in terms of говоря (о чем-либо)
to rank ['rank] занимать какое-л. место
GNP (Gross National
Product) валовой национальный продукт.
СЙ1 4.4. Translate into English.
Официальное название Великобритании — Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии.
Британия является конституционной монархией.
Северная Ирландия занимает северо-восточную часть острова Ирландия.
Пролив Ла-Манш (English Channel) отделяет Соединенное Королевство от континентальной Европы.
Остров имеет длину 974 километра и ширину 531 километр.
Лондон — столица и самый большой город Англии.
Климат Великобритании умеренный. Зимы не холодные, а лето не жаркое.
Великобритания - одна из ведущих промышленно-развитых стран в мире.
4.5. Use the following phrases and word combi- nations to retell the text:
As I understood from the text...
According to the text...
According to the author...
As it is described in the text...
As it is said in the text...
As the author put it...
7. According to the figures (data, information, opinions) from the text...
4.6. Use the information below to make a report on the following:
Land
Climate
Population
Ethnic groups 1) Economy
LAND
Area - 241,752 sq km
Highest Point - Ben Nevis 1,343 m above sea level Lowest Point - Holme Fen 3 m below sea level
CLIMATE
Average Temperatures
London - January 4'C, July 18°C
Edinburgh - January 3°C, July 15°C
Average Annual Precipitation
London 590 mm
Edinburgh 680 mm
POPULATION
Population - 59,000,000 (approximate figure) Population Density - 242 persons/sq km Urban/Rural population 92% Urban 8% Rural Largest Cities
London (Greater) 8,000,000 (approximate figure) Birmingham 1,017,000 Leeds 724,500 Glasgow 681,000 Ethnic Groups
94,5% English, Scottish, Welsh, or Irish
5,5% Other
Languages
Official Language — English
Other Languages — Welsh, Scots-Gaelic, other minority languages Religions 54% Anglicanism
13% Roman Catholicism
33% Other including other Protestant denominations, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Sikhism
ECONOMY
Gross Domestic Product - US $1,023,900,000,000 Agriculture
Wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, livestock, animal products. Fishing
Mackerel, herring, cod, plaice Mining
Coal, limestone, petroleum and natural gas. Industry
Machinery and transport equipment, food products, chemical products, minerals and metal products. Employment Statistics
58% Trade and Services
23% Industry
16% Business and Finance
2% Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing
1% Military and Defense Major Exports
Industrial and electrical machinery, automatic data processing equipment, road vehicles, petroleum. Major Imports
Road vehicles, industrial and electrical machinery, automatic data processing equipment, petroleum, paper and paperboard, textiles, food. Major Trading Partners
Germany, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan фтЕХТ 3
LONDON
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.
London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old. It has more than 20 centuries old history. Traditionally it is divided into several parts, the City, Westminster, the West End and the East. End. They are very different from each other.
The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. There are two places of interest in the City: St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral was built in the 17th century by the architect Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was built in the 15th century. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it's a museum.
Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. There are Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives and the Houses of Parliament along the north bank of the Thames.
The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell known as «Big Ben». Westminster Abbey is the place where the coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here as well as some other famous people of the country.
The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parks and houses are situated there. There are many tourists there from different countries of the world.
Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London, it was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson's victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square.
The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories there. It is densely populated by working class families.
C^ii 4.7. Answer the questions:
What is the capital of Great Britain?
Is London a big city?
What is London's population?
On what river does London stand?
Into what parts is London divided?
Why is the City called the business centre of London?
What places of interest does Westminster include?
Who was buried in Westminster Abbey?
What is the West End famous for?
Why is the central square in London named Trafalgar Square?
Who lives in the East End?
^ТЕХТЗ