Great Britain

Ex. 1. a) Look through the questions and translate them into Russian.

b) Read the text.

c) Answer the questions.

QUESTIONS
1. What do the British Isles consist of?

2. What do Northern Ireland and Great Britain form?

3. What does Great Britain consist of?

4. Is Great Britain washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

5. What can you say about the climate of Great Britain?

6. What do you know about the rivers in Great Britain?

7. Are the rivers short and deep?

8. The surface of Great Britain varies greatly, doesn't it?

9. What can you say about the mountains of Great Britain?

10. Are there many beautiful lakes in the mountains?

11. What can you say about the territory of the UK?

12. Is the population over 70 million?

13. Is Great Britain an industrial country?

14. What big industrial centers do n know?

15. What is the capital of Great Britain?

16. Are Oxford and Cambridge university towns?

17. What are main political parties in Great Britain?

GREAT BRITAIN

If we look at the map we can see the British Isles. There are 5,000
of them. The British Isles consist of two large islands - Great Britain
and Ireland. Great Britain and Northern Ireland form the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the official name
of the British Kingdom. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland
and Wales. The capital of the country is London.

The territory of the United Kingdom is about 244,000 square
kilometres, it is the 75th place among other countries in the world. The
population is over 60 million. About 80% of the population is urban.

It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and is separated from the
European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel.

The surface of Great Britain varies greatly. The northern and western
part of the country is mountainous and is called the Highlands. In the
North of Great Britain you can see the Cheviot Hills, the Pennines and
the Cambrian Mountains. There are very many beautiful lakes in the
mountains. This part of the country is called the Lake District. All the
rest (south, east and centre) is a vast plain which is called the Lowlands.
The mountains are not very high. The rivers are short and deep. The
most important of them are the Severn and the Thames.

The climate of Great Britain is mild due to the warm waters of the
Gulf-Stream. Summer is usually cool and rainy. There is much rain
and fog in autumn and in winter. The weather is very changeable and
it is the favourite topic for conversation in Britain.

Great Britain is an industrial country. Sheffield, Manchester,
Birmingham are big industrial centres. One of the main industries of
the country is shipbuilding.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs.
The most famous educational centres are Oxford and Cambridge
Universities. They are considered to be the intellectual centres of
Europe. The education is not free, it is very expensive.

The United Kingdom is a monarchy and the Queen is the head of the state. But in practice it is ruled by the elected government with
the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two
chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

There are three main political parties in Great
Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal Social Democratic parties. The Prime Minister, who heads the Government, is usually the leader of the party which has a majority in the House of Commons.

Ex. 2. Complete the following sentences.

1. If we look at the map we can ... 2. The British Isles consist
of … 3. Great Britain is washed by … 4. The climate of Great Britain is …
5. The most important rivers are ... 6. The weather is ... 7. In
The North of Great Britain we can ... 8. This part of the country is … 9. Great Britain is a country with ... 10. The Prime Minister is ...

Ex. 3. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Британские острова состоят из двух больших островов –
Великобритании и Ирландии. 2. Великобритания состоит из Англии, Шотландии и Уэльса. 3. Великобритания омывается Атлантическим океаном. 4. Климат Великобритании мягкий. 5. Летом обычно прохладно и дождливо, а осенью и зимой много дождей и туманов. 6. Поверхность Великобритании очень сильно различается. 7. Горы в Великобритании не очень высокие, а реки – короткие и глубокие. 8. Кораблестроение – это одна из основных отраслей промышленности этой страны. 9. Великобритания – это страна с древними культурными традициями и обычаями.