Text 19 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of Great Britain. Northern Ireland is situated in the north­ern part of Ireland.

The territory of the United Kingdom is about 244,000 square kilometres, it takes the 75th place among other countries in the world. The population is more than 57 million. About 80% of the population is urban. The capi­tal of the country is London. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel which is 34 km wide in its narrowest point. The country is also washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The surface of Great Britain varies greatly. The north­ern and western part of the country is mountainous and is called the Highlands. 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 not long. The most important of them are the Severn, the Thames, the Trent. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous parts of the country.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm wa­ters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of iron and steel products, machinery and elec­tronics, chemicals and textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is ship­building. 7 per cent of the population is engaged in farming.

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 a Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It sits in the House of Parliament in Westminster.

There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The Labour party with Antony Blair at the head is the ruling party nowadays. There's no written constitution in Great Britain only precedents and traditions.

Vocabulary:

country, n страна

occupy, v занимать

power, n держава

territory, n территория

be situated быть расположенным

border on, v граничить

population, n население

wash, v омывать

density, n плотность

island, n остров

develop, v развивать

urban, a городской

produce, v производить

surface, n поверхность

export, v экспортировать

vary, v отличаться

import, v импортировать

high, a высокий

natural resources природные ископаемые

low, a низкий

plain, n равнина

land, n земля, страна

raw, n сырье

steel, n сталь

goods, n товары

vast, a огромный

lake, n озеро

machinery, n машинное оборудование

navigation, n судоходство

shipbuilding, n кораблестроение

electronics, n электроника

equipment, n оборудование

chemical, a химический

cotton, n хлопок

textile, n текстиль

iron ore железная руда

aircraft, n самолеты

oil, n нефть

political set-up-политическое устройство

rubber, n резина, каучук

river, n река

authority, n власть

climate, n климат

belong (to), v принадлежать

mild, a мягкий

government,n-правительство

industry, n промышленность

chamber, n палата

heavy and light industry- тяжелая и легкая промышленность

ruling, a правящий

Geographic names:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии

England — Англия

Scotland — Шотландия

Wales — Уэльс

The Northern Ireland — Северная Ирландия

The English Channel — принятое в Великобритании название пролива Ла-Манш

Exercises:

I. Answer the questions.

What is the official name of Great Britain?

Where is the U. K. situated?

What parts does it consist of?

What is the territory and the population of the United Kingdom?

What city is the capital of the U. K.?

What is the surface of the country?

Are there any big rivers and lakes?

Why is the climate of the British Isles milder than that of the Continent?

The United Kingdom is a highly developed industrial country, isn't it?

What goods does the British industry produce?

What industrial cities are there in Great Britain?

What outstanding people of Great Britain do you know?

Are there any big educational establishments in Great Britain?

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy, isn't it?

What is the name of the Queen of Great Britain?

Is her power limited by Parliament?

How many chambers does the British Parliament consist of? What are they?

What are the main political parties in Great Bri­tain?

Who is the Prime Minister of Great Britain?

Which political party does he represent?

II. Make up sentences using italicized words and word combinations)

The British Isles are washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

On the continent the country borders on France.

It occupies the territory of about 244,000 square kilometres.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial coun­try.

The power in the country belongs to the Queen and the two Houses of Parliament.

III. Finish the following sentences.

The United Kingdom consists of...

The British Parliament consists of...

There are the following political parties in Great Britain...

There are some famous educational establishments such as...

The United Kingdom is situated on...

The British Isles are washed by...

The Queen's rights are limited by...

The territory of Great Britain is...

The population is...

IV. Express your agreement or disagreement.

1. Great Britain lies about the same distance from the equator as the Crimea.

2. The climate of the country is much milder than that of Kazakhstan.

3. The English Channel separates England from France. On a clear day the French coast can be easily seen from the Downs.

4. The waters of the English Channel are very shallow, and there are many fishing villages along the coast.

5. The highest body of state power in the United King­dom is the Congress which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

6. Wales is one of the big mining districts in Great Britain. In the towns and villages of Wales you can see thousands of miners.

V. Read the dialogues and say what new you’ve learnt about Great Britain.

Teacher: I've told you that the scenery of Great Britain is very diverse. You can find the fine combi­nations of low- and highlands, plains and mountains. And what are the highest regions in the country?

Student 1: The highest regions are in Scotland and in the. North Wales, The highest peak in Scotland is Ben Nevis, 1343 m. In Wales the highest peak is Snowdon. There is also the Pennine chain in North England with some wild mountains for climbing. Here is Lake District which con­sists of 16 lakes or «lochs» as they call them. The largest lake is Windermere and the deep­est one — Westwater.

Teacher: That's right. Lakes and rivers are roads of water which are not less important as rail­ways or roads. And now who'd like to speak about English rivers?

Student 2: There are many rivers in Great Britain, but the greatest rivers are the Thames flowing to the East, the Severn to the West and the Trent to the North. The longest river is the Severn — about 200 miles. The busiest river is the Thames. It is also the most beautiful river. The Trent is the fastest.

Teacher: And who can tell me about the most beautiful lowlands in Britain?

Student 3: I think the South English plain is very attrac­tive. It is not only beautiful but the richest, the most fertile and that's why the most populated in the country.

VI. Read the text and retell about the history of Great Britain and its places of interest.

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