Great Britain
the Cheviot Hills - Шевіотські гори
the Cambrian mountains Кембрійські гори
Ben Nevis - вершина Бен Невіс
the Thames - p. Темза
the Mersey - p. Мерсі
the Туnе-p. Тайн
the Clyde-р.Клайд
the Bristol Avon - p. Бристел Евон
a county - графство
a parliamentary monarchy - парламентська монархія
to delay – затримувати
a chamber - палата
to be engaged in smth.- займатися (чим-небудь)
varied landscape -- різноманітний ландшафт
food requirements - продовольчі потреби
beneficial lines - вигідні (прибуткові) напрямки
gross domestic product-валовий суспільний продукт
goods and services - товари та послуги
to account - складати
economy's total output - загальний обсяг продукції
to manufacture - виробляти
expenditure - витрати
private endowment - приватний внесок
to maintain wealth - зберігати багатство
security - безпека
prosperity - розквіт
the Security Council - Рада Безпеки
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - країни Північно-Атлантичного Союзу
the Commonwealth—країни Співдружності
Official name - the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Status - parliamentary monarchy
Area – 244,100 square kilometres
Population – 57,000,000
Capital - London
Languages - English (official), Gaelic (Scotland, Ireland), Welsh (Wales)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on two large islands called the British Isles. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales. Ireland consists of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
No place in Great Britain is far from the sea. The little country has eastern, southern and western coasts. The Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea wash it. It also has many good harbours easy to reach from any part of the country.
West winds from the sea bring rain and help to make English winters mild. That is why the climate of the British Isles is normally mild.
There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviot (the Cheviot Hills) separate England from Scotland, the Pennines stretch down North England all most along its middle, the Cambrian mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains. Ben Nevis, the tallest peak of the Highlands, is only 1,343 m high.
There is very little flat country except in the region known as East Anglia.
Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest and the longest of the British rivers; it is over 300 km long. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon.
Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources; it has some deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea
Administratively Great Britain is divided into 55 counties.
Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is formally at the head of the state. But in fact the country is ruled by the parliament consisting of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Prime Minister is the head of the Government. The Commons has 650 elected members of Parliament, each representing a local constituency. The Lords is made up of hereditary and life peers and peeresses, and the two archbishops and 24 most senior bishops of the established Church of England. The centre of parliamentary power is the House of Commons. Limitations on the power of the Lords - it rarely uses its power to delay passage of a law - are based on the principle that the House as a revising chamber should complement the Commons and not rival it. The proceedings of both houses of Parliament are broadcasted on television and radio sometimes live or more usually in recorded and edited form. Once passed through both Houses, legislation receives the Royal Assent.
Great Britain is a highly-developed industrial country. The older fields of industry are shipbuilding, coal-mining, textile, metallurgical industries and the newer ones are electronics and electrical engineering, chemical, aircraft, automobile industries, all of them are very important for Great Britain. Over three-quarters of Britain's varied landscape are used for agriculture. Although only 2.2 per cent of the working population are engaged in it, agriculture produces nearly two-thirds of Britain's food requirements. Its contribution to gross domestic product is 1.4 per cent. There are 19 environmentally sensitive areas in Britain. Here farmers receive payments for farming along beneficial lines, intended to preserve the special character of the area.
Britain has an open economy, in which international trade plays a vital part. About one-quarter of its gross domestic product comes from the export of goods and services, a high share among major economies. Private enterprise accounts for three-quarters of gross domestic product and over two-thirds of total employment. Banking, finance insurance, business services and leasing account for 14 per cent of the British economy's total output.
Britain is the fifth largest trading nation in the world. Exports of good and services in 1989 were equivalent to over one-quarter of gross domestic product. Over 80 per cent of visible exports are manufactured goods. Machinery accounts for over 28 per cent of the total. Finished manufactures comprise 52 per cent of imports and semi-manufactures 27 per cent. About half Britain's trade is with its European Community partners,
Britain has a long record of achievements in science and technology. 70 British citizens have won Nobel prizes for science. Expenditure on scientific research and development is about 5% of national output. Industry provides 50% of this and government about 35%. The rest comes from charities, private endowments and from overseas.
Industries with the highest level of scientific research and development spending are electronics, chemicals and aerospace.
Great Britain is a famous international cultural centre as well. About 2,500 museums and art galleries include the major national museum, with world-famous artistic, archaeological, scientific and historical collections. The Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace shows pictures from the royal collection. Many of Britain's great private houses (some open to the public), of prime architectural interest, also contain art treasures.
A network of free public, and other institutional and private, libraries helps to maintain the vast wealth of English literature and culture. The British Library, Britain's national library, is one of the world's three largest. Great Britain is a major international centre for theatre, opera and dance. The Royal Opera, Covent Garden and the English National Opera are the main opera companies.
Britain's main foreign policy objectives are to enhance its security and prosperity, and to promote and protect its interests overseas through world peace and economic growth. Great Britain has diplomatic relations with 169 countries. It is a member of some 120 international organizations, including the European Community, the United Nations where it is a permanent member of the Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Commonwealth.
The largest cities of Great Britain are Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Oxford and Cambridge are called University towns. The capital of Great Britain is London.
London
ancient - давній
invader - загарбник, iнтервент
Celtic settlement - кельтське поселення
A. D. - Anno Domini
trading centre - торговельний центр
cradle - колиска
commerce - комерція, торгівля
entertainment - розвага
to attract smb. - приваблювати (кого-небудь)
to explore smth. - вивчати, досліджувати (що-небудь)
Trafalgar Square - Трафальгарська площа
starting point - відправний пункт
the House of Parliament- резиденція Парламенту
to stretch - простягатися
Westminster Abbey - Вестмінтерське Абатство
chapel - церква
to be buried - бути похованим
manuscript - рукопис
St. Paul's Cathedral - собор св. Павла
Sir Christopher Wren - Кристофор Рен
masterpiece - шедевр
the Great Fire - велика пожежа
Hyde Park - Гайд парк
London is the capital of Great Britain. It is an ancient city, it grew up around the first point where Roman invaders found the Thames narrow enough to build a bridge. They found a small Celtic settlement then known as Londinium and they turned it into a separate port and an important trading centre. Nowadays it is the cradle of British traditions and culture.
Over 8 million people live in London. It is the home of the nation's commerce and finance, the main centre of its legal system and press. It has the largest university and the greatest possibilities for entertainment and for sport in Great Britain. London is one of the most famous capital cities of the world, and every year it attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. They come to explore its historic buildings, to see its museums and galleries, its streets and parks, and its people.
It's a pity I haven't been to London yet, but I have read a lot about this famous city. So I have no doubt that London is worth sightseeing. .
Sightseeing tours in London usually start in Trafalgar Square. It's the centre of London and the best starting point for anybody's tour of the English capital. Tourists are particularly impressed by the Nelson Column there in the centre of the square. From Trafalgar Square you can go along down Whitehall and see the Houses of Parliament, which stretch along the Thames's North Bank. Big Ben, the famous clock, is in one of the Towers. It chimes the hours to the tune of Handel's music: Near the Parliament there is Westminster Abbey, an old beautiful chapel. Many great Englishmen are buried here: Newton, Darwin, and others. The south side of the Abbey is called the Poet's Corner where famous British writers and poets lie: Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Tennyson and Thomas Hardy. Here, too, are memorials to Shakespeare, Byron, Scott, Burns and Thackeray.
I must say that in London one meets the past and the present, the old and the modern. It is a city of contrasts.
London consists of three parts: the rich West End, the poor East End and the City - its financial centre. The biggest department stores, offices and banks can be found there. The City is the heart of the capital.
One of the best known museums is the British museum with its Hyde Park, reading room and the collection of manuscripts both old and new. One of the greatest monuments is St. Paul's Cathedral, which is the Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece. The well-known architect of that day, he took part in rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of London. Sir Christopher Wren lies buried under the roof of his own great work. These words are written on his grave: "If you want to see his monument, look around".
London is full of parks and green spaces. Hyde Park is the largest park in London, which is famous for its Speaker's Corner.
In London all kinds of vehicles ride up and down the streets: double-decker buses, lorries, vans, taxis, private cars. Besides, the oldest underground railway system called "tube" is still one of the largest in the world.
1. You are going to play the game "Around Great Britain" in the group. In this game two teams take turns to ask each other questions on the geography of Great Britain. Each correct question and each correct answer brings one point. The team that scores more points is the winner.
2. Sum up what the text says about:
- political system and administrative division of the United Kingdom;
- industry and agriculture of the U.K.;
- the U.K. as a scientific and cultural centre of the world.
3. You dream of visiting Great Britain, don't you? To avoid any possible misunderstanding there, make sure you can answer the following questions:
a) What is the United Kingdom?
b) What is Great Britain?
c) What does the term "The British Isles" refer to?
d) Are all the English British?
e) Are British people English?
4. You are going to take part in the competition "Welcome to London". What would you like to say? To be efficient find some additional information in an encyclopaedia, newspapers and magazines. Copy it out and get ready to deliver a report.
5. Act out the following situation.
You are working for an international travel agency and are to make a list of sights in London to provide foreign tourists. Give the necessary information about the places of interest in London.