The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Great Britain occupies a large island to the west of Europe. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The total area of the United Kingdom is 224.000 square kilometers with a population of 56 million.  The capital of the country is London. It is situated on the Thames. It is a large industrial and cultural center. Its population is about 9 million people. The Thames divides London into two parts: the West End and the East End.

The West End is the district of rich. There are many famous museums and theatres here. The City is a part of London, where nobody lives and which is the commercial center of the country. White hall – the political center of Great Britain is also situated in the West End. The East End is the district of working class. There are many plants and factories here.

London is known all over the world for its places of interest such as: the Tower, the House of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Piccadily Circus, Trafalgar Square, the British Museum. London is not only a large city but also a seaport.

The climate of Great Britain is mild. It is not too hot in summer or too cold in winter. It often rains in England.

There are many universities, colleges, libraries, museums and theatres in the country. The most famous universities are Cambridge University and Oxford University.

The U.K. is a parliamentary monarchy. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is the head of the Government. The main political parties of Great Britain are the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party.

The United Kingdom has various mineral resources. Coal and oil are the most important of them. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most industrialized countries. The main industrial centers are Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester. The largest cities in the country are London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country.

Machine building, shipbuilding, electronic engineering are the main branches of Great Britain’s industry.

I. Vocabulary

To occupy [‘ɒkjʋpai] (v) – 1. Занимать;

2. арендовать

To constitute [‘kɒnstitju:t] (v) – 1. To form – составлять;

2. основывать, учреждать

Square [skweǝ] (a) – Квадратный

To divide [di’vaid] (v) – 1. Делить, разделять, подразделять;

2. отделять, разъединять

District [‘distrikt] (n) – 1. Region – район, округ, местность;

2. избирательный участок

Plant [plɒ:nt] (v) – 1. Factory – завод, фабрика;

2. растение

Mild [maild] (a) – 1. Moderate – умеренный;

2. мягкий

House [haʋs] (n) – 1. Chamber - палата;

2. дом, здание, жилище, помещение

Various [‘veǝriǝs] (a) – 1. Different – различный, разный, разнообразный;

2. многосторонний, разносторонний

Coal [kǝʋl] (n) – уголь

Branch [brɑ:ntʃ] (n) – 1. Отрасль;

2. ветка, ветвь

Known [nǝʋn] (a) – 1. Famous – известный

II. Comprehension

Ex. 1. Answer the questions.

1) What does constitute the United Kingdom?

2) Where is Great Britain situated?

3) What is the population of the United Kingdom?

4) What is the capital of Great Britain?

5) How many parts is London divided into?

6) Is the West End district of rich?

7) What is London known for?

8) What is the climate of Great Britain?

9) Is the United Kingdom parliamentary monarchy?

10) What mineral resources does the country have?

11) Name the largest cities of the country.

12) What industry is highly developed in the country?

13) Do you want to live in Great Britain?

Ex. 2. Translate the next words and phrases.

Западнее; составлять; общая площадь; быть расположенным; индустриальный центр; делить на две части; район богатых; рабочий класс; заводы; быть известным; морской порт; мягкий; часто идёт дождь; состоять из; глава правительства; рабочая пария; различный; нефть; высоко развитый; отрасли индустрии.

III. Word study

Ex. 3. Complete the sentences, using the words given below. Translate the sentences.

East; plants; island; library; government; place of interest; mineral resources

1. I usually go to the….to take a book.

2. Nobody lives on the …. It is uninhabited.

3. My dream is to live in the….of the Atlantic Ocean.

4. Our….respects the rights of citizens.

5. Not many people in our country work at the ….

6. The country is rich with the different… …

7. Tourists from all over the world come to Irkutsk to visit such … as the Baikal.

Ex. 4. Complete the table, using the information from the text.

The name of the country	capital	population	main rivers	climate	politics	main cities	mineral resources

Ex. 5. Correlate the names and the description of the sightseeing’s. 

The Houses of	Abbey	It is very old. It has a long and cruel history.
St. Paul	Square	The famous clock.
Westminster	London	The coronation of all British kings and queens takes place here.
Buckingham	Parliament	The main cathedral in London. It was designed by Christopher Wren in the 17^th century.
Trafalgar	Castle	The place where British kings and queens live when they are in London.
The British	Palace	Is a place where Nelson’s Column stands.
Tower of	Eye	Is one of the world’s greatest museums of human history and culture.
Big	Museum	Is a royal residence. It was built in the 11^th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror.
London	Cathedral	Is the major feature of London’s skyline. It consists of thirty two capsules each holding up twenty five people.
Windsor	Ben	Is the building in which the Chamber of Commons and the Chamber of Lords meet.

 

IV. Speech practice

Ex. 6. Retell the text according to the following plan using the words and expressions given below.

To occupy an island; to constitute; the population; the capital; to divide into; the West End; the East End; places of interest; Parliamentary monarchy; two Houses; mineral resources; industrial center; industrial country.

V. Grammar review

Формы герундия

	Active	Passive
Simple	writing	being written
Perfect	having written	having been written

 

He likes telling fairy tales – Он любит рассказывать сказки.

He likes being told fairy tales – Он любит, чтобы ему рассказывали.

He is proud of having spoken to this person – Он гордится, что поговорил с этим человеком.

He is proud of having been spoken to – Он гордится, что с ним поговорили.

Ex. 7. Translate the sentences, paying attention to Gerund.

1) She has always dreamt of living in a small house by the sea.

2) She was thinking of buying a new car.

3) Ann likes cooking and she is very good at it.

4) I hate getting up early.

5) He enjoys being photographed.

6) They hate being laughed at.

7) Мне нравится водить машину.

8) Я люблю, когда меня хвалят.

9) Студенты гордятся, что поступили в университет.

10) Студенты гордятся, что их зачислили на третий курс.

11) Это место стоит посетить.