VI. Сделайте письменный перевод 4 и 5 абзацев текста.

 

SCOTLAND.

Although Scotland takes up one third of the territory of the British Isles, its population is not very big. It is the most northern part of the island of Great Britain and is not far away from the Arctic Circle.

That’s why it is not densely populated: its population is a little over 5 million people. The Cheviot Hills mark the boundary between England and Scotland. Apart from this land link with England, Scotland is surrounded by sea.

Scotland includes the Hebrides off the west coast, and the Orkney and Shetland Island off the north coast. It is bounded by the North Sea on the east.

Scotland is divided into three regions: the Highlands, which is the most northern and the most under populated area with a harsh climate the Lowlands, which is the most industrial region, with about three quarters of the population, and the Southern Uplands, with hills, which border on England.

The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world. They reach their highest point in Ben Nevis (1343m). Many valleys between the hills filled with lakes, called lochs. The best-known is Loch Ness where as some people think a large monster lives. The most important city here is Abardeen which is the oil centre of Scotland. Ships helicopters travel from Aberdeen to the North Sea oil rigs. Work on an oil rig is difficult and dangerous.

Most of the population of Scotland is concentrated in the Lowlands. Here, on the Clyde, is Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. Shipbuilding is one of its most important industries, other industries are iron and steel, heavy and light engineering and coal-mining. Its an industrial city and an important port in the UK. Its houses many of which are not suitable for living and need repairs of rebuilding. Although Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city it is not the capital.

Glasgow is the centre of working class movement and has glorious revolutionary traditions.

Scotland had been an independent state and was forcefully joined into the UK after a long struggle for its independence in 1707.

One of the things that people associate with Scotland is the kilt. The kilt is a relic of the time when the clan system existed in the Highlands. Everybody in the clan had the same family name, like MacDonald or MacGregor (Mac means “son of ”). The clan had its own territory and was ruled by a chieftain. Each clan had its own tartan.

Edinburgh has been the capital since the 15-th century, when its fortified castle was the centre and is associated with the names of G. Byron and W. Scott, R. Stevenson, R. Burus and A. Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlok Holmses. It is also associated with the world –famous Edinburg Festival of Music and Drama. The Festival was first held in 1947 and has been annually ever since.

 

· The Arctic Circle - Ceверный полярный круг.

· Loch Ness - озеро Лох-Несс.

· Kilt - килт, юбка шотландского горца.

· clan - клан (родовая община у шотландцев, в наст. вр. лица, носящие общую родовую фамилию).

· tartan - тартан (традиционный шотландский наряд).

· G.Byron – Джорж Байрон (1788-1824) английский поэт-романтик, приверженец просветительных идеалов и эстетики классицизма.

· W.Scott - Вальтер Скотт (1771-1832), шотландский писатель и поет.

· R.Stevenson - Роберт Стивенсон (1850-1894) шотландский писатель, неоромантик, часто изображал драматические ситуации с элементами фантастики.

· R.Burus - Р. Верьес (1759-1796) шотландский поэт.

· A.Conan Doyle - Артур Конан Доил (1859-1930), английский писатель, автор фантастических и исторических романов.

 

I.Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What is the territory of Scotland?

2. How many regions are there in Scotland?

3. What is the capital of the country?

4. What is the cultural centre of Scotland?

5. What is the oil centre?

6. What is “clan”?

II. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты:

- несмотря на, окружена морем, сосредоточено в, независимое государство, собственно территория.

III. Найдите в тексте следующие названия:

- регионы Шотландии, самый большой город, столица страны, название одежды Шотландского горца, самое известное озеро.