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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ( p203) To the west of the continent of Europe lie two large islands. The larger of them is called Great Britain, and the smaller, Ireland. These two and 5,500 smaller islands form the British Isles. The island of Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales. The isle of Ireland is divided into Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The UK (the United Kingdom) is the official name of the country, occasionally referred to as Great Britain, which is, strictly speaking, only a geographic name.
Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea from the west, by the North Sea from the north and west. It is separated from the European continent by the English Channel. The narrowest part of the English Channel is called the Strait of Dover. The UK is not a very large country. Its territory is about 244,000 square kilometers, and no point of the country is more than 120 kilometers away from the sea.
At the same time, the population of the UK is the third largest in Europe, comprising about 60 million people. It is incorrect to call everybody who lives in the United Kingdom “English”, as this is the name only for those who live in England. The residents of Wales are named Welsh, while the people of Scotland are called Scottish. The correct common name for English, Scottish and Welsh is British. Those who live in Northern Ireland are called Irish.
The climate of the British Isles is generally mild; it is seldom cold in winter and never too hot in summer. This is due to the warm current of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf Stream. Britain was always known as the country of fogs, but now it is not quite so because of the climatic changes: there is maybe less fog than in any other European country.
There are no high mountains and long rivers in the UK. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in the Highlands of Scotland, and the longest rivers are the Severn and the Thames.
Geographically, the UK has a very convenient position, being located on the crossroads from Europe to America. This is one of the reasons why Britain was (and is up to the present time) one of the leading world powers. The capital of the country is London. It is situated on the river Thames.
Britain has an ancient and glorious history. It used to be the great empire “where the sun never sets”. It gave the world many famous scientists, writers, political leaders and explorers, such as Newton, Darwin, Drake, Shakespeare, Churchill and others.
For centuries monarchs ruled Britain. The constitutional monarchy is still preserved in the country, though it is practically no more than a tradition and a tribute to the past. Queen Elisabeth II is Head of State. Her power is limited by the parliament, which is elected every four years. The leader of the party that has won the majority during the elections becomes the Prime Minister. In fact, he becomes the head of state and forms the Cabinet. The second largest party forms the official Opposition.
Exercises
Ex.1 Find in the text the English equivalents of the following word combination.
a) Иногда называемая
b) Строго говоря
c) Омывается
d) Отделена
e) Третье по величине
f) Называются
g) Никогда не бывает слишком жарко
h) Меньше туманов
i) Удобное местоположение
j) Древняя и славная
k) Раньше была
l) Вторая по величине
Ex. 2 Answer the following questions:
a) What are the names of the islands situated to the west of the continent of Europe?
b) What parts does the island of Great Britain consist of?
c) How many parts is Ireland divided into?
d) What is the official name of Great Britain?
e) Name the seas and oceans the country is washed by.
f) How large is the territory of the UK?
g) How are the people living in the UK called?
h) Why is the climate of the British Isles moderate?
i) What is the highest mountain in the UK?
j) What are the longest and most important rivers in the UK?
k) What is the capital of the country?
l) Prove that the UK has a very convenient position.
m) Give the names of famous people of Great Britain.
n) What type of state is the UK?
o) Who rules the country in fact?
p) How often do the elections take place?
Ex.3 Say what these figures refer to in the text.
a) 5500 b) 244000 c) 120 d) 60 000 000
Ex. 4 Open the brackets and use the adjective on the corresponding degree of comparison.
a) The (large) island is known as Great Britain, the (small) is Ireland.
b) The (high) mountain in Scotland is Ben Nevis.
c) The (long) river in Great Britain is the Severn, the Thames is (important)
d) The arctic zone has (cold) climate.
e) The (narrow) part of the English channel is called the strait of Dover.
f) Among the Russian lakes (deep) is the Baikal.
Ex.5 Make up sentences about Russia and Great Britain using the verbs in the appropriate form.
Great Britain | To occupy To consist of To border on To be washed by To be covered with To have To be surrounded by | Many forests Mild climate Seas and oceans A vast territory Four main parts Different countries Four climatic zones |
Russia |
Ex.6 Make up sentences according to the model using the words given below.
Model: English live in England. They speak English.
Welsh Scottish Irish Portuguese Italian | American Mexican German French Russian |
KEYS
Ex.1
a) Иногда называемая – occasionally referred to
b) Строго говоря– strictly speaking
c) Омывается– is washed by
d) Отделена– is separated from
e) Третье по величине– the third largest
f) Называются– are named
g) Никогда не бывает слишком жарко– and it is never too hot
h) Меньше туманов, чем– less fog than
i) Удобное местоположение– a very convenient position
j) Древняя и славная– ancient and glorious
k) Раньше была– It used to be
l) Вторая по величине– The second largest
Ex.2
a) What are the names of the islands situated to the west of the continent of Europe?
The larger island is called Great Britain, the smaller – Ireland. They form the British Isles with 5.500 smaller islands.
b) What parts does the island of Great Britain consist of?
The island of Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales.
c) How many parts is Ireland divided into?
It is divided into two parts.
d) What is the official name of Great Britain?
The United Kingdom (UK).
e) Name the seas and oceans the country is washed by.
The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
f) How large is the territory of the UK?
Its territory is about two hundred and forty-four thousand square kilometers
g) How are the people living in the UK called?
They are called British , Welsh, Scottish or Irish.
h) Why is the climate of the British Isles moderate?
This is due to the Gulf Stream.
i) What is the highest mountain in the UK?
Ben Nevis.
j) What are the longest and most important rivers in the UK?
The Severn and the Thames.
k) What is the capital of the country?
The capital of country is London.
l) Prove that the UK has a very convenient position.
It is located on the crossroads from Europe to America.
m) Give the names of famous people of Great Britain.
Newton, Darwin, Shakespeare, Dickens.
n) What type of state is the UK?
It is the constitutional monarchy.
o) Who rules the country in fact?
The Prime Minister
p) How often do the elections take place?
Every four years
Ex.3 Say what these figures refer to in the text.
a) 5500- smaller islands
b)244000 square kilometers –territory
c) 120 kilometers to the sea
d) 60 000 000 people- population
Ex. 4 Open the brackets and use the adjective on the corresponding degree of comparison.
a) larger, smaller
b) highest
c) longest, the most important
d) the coldest
e) narrowest
f) the deepest
Ex.5 Make up sentences about Russia and Great Britain using the verbs in the appropriate form.
1. Great Britain consists of four main parts.
2. Russia occupies a vast territory.
3. Russia borders on different countries.
4. Russia is washed by seas and oceans.
5. Russia is covered with many forests.
6. Great Britain has mild climate.
7. Russia has four climatic zones.
8. Great Britain is surrounded by seas and oceans.
Ex.6 Make up sentences according to the model using the words given below.
1. The Welsh live in Wales. They speak Welsh.
2. The Scottish live in Scotland. They speak Scottish.
3. The Irish live in Ireland. They speak Irish.
4. The Portuguese live in Portugal. They speak Portuguese.
5. The Italian live in Italia. They speak Italian.
6. The Americans live in America. They speak English.
7. The Mexican live in Mexico. They speak Mexican.
8. The German live in Germany. They speak German.
9. The French live in France. They speak French.
10. The Russians live in Russia. They speak Russian.