Topic 4. Great Britain (geography and sightseeing)

VOCABULARY for reading thetext A “Geographical Outline”

 

1. Read and translate some international words: state, population, million, interesting, territories, continent, tunnel, nationalities, immigrants, transform, region, peak, cultivate, isolate, climate, deposits, gas, energy, mineral resources, industrial, base on production, trade, manufacturing, service industries, financial, agriculture, farming.

2. Some new words for the text

sovereign – суверенный

to consist of –состоять из

to surround –окружать

legislative –законодательный

taxation –налогообложение

to wash by –омывать

to connect with –связывать с

to complete –завершить

refugee –беженец

bilingual –двуязычный

equal –равный

court –суд

relief –рельеф

to comprise –включать в себя

rich – плодородный

owing to –из-за, благодаря чему-либо

frequent –частый

numerous –многочисленный

hedge –живая изгородь

mild –мягкий

temperate –умеренный

benefit –польза, выгода

raw materials –сырье

wealth –богатство, состояние

significantly –значительно, существенно

livestock –домашний скот

3. Look through the text A, write out all proper nouns, find their translation and transcription in the dictionary. Be ready to pronounce and translate them properly while reading the text.

Text A Geographical Outline

The sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (their capital cities are: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast). Its total area is 244.000 square km. Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. With a population of about 62.0 million people (in 2011) it is the third most populous island in the world. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller islands. It is interesting to note, that the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom. They are self-governing dependent territories of that state with their own legislative and taxation systems. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the North Sea and by the English Channel. It is also washed by the North Channel, Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Celtic Sea. The island is connected with continental Europe via the Channel Tunnel, the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world which was completed in 1993.

There are four main nationalities living in Britain: the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. Besides, the immigrants and refugees for centuries have been coming here. Most people speak English, a Germanic language of old Angles and Saxons with some Latin vocabulary which was transformed under the influence of Norman French. Some people speak old Celtic languages: Welsh, Scottish, Gaelic and Irish. In Wales 20-30% of the population is bilingual and Welsh is equal with English at courts and in education. About100.000 people speak Gaelic in Scotland and in Ireland.

According to the relief Great Britain can be divided into two main regions: Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Highland Britain comprises all mountainous parts of Great Britain. The highest mountains are in the highlands of Scotland which occupy north of the country. The highest peak is Ben Nevis in the Grampians. Lowland Britain is a rich plain. British rivers are not very long but quite deep owing to frequent rains. The longest English rivers are the Severn and the Thames. There are two areas with lakes. The Lake District is in England with the largest lake – Windermere. The second is in Scotland where the biggest lake Loch Lomond is situated. But the most famous is Loch Ness because of the Lochness Monster. In the past a greater part of the Lowland Britain was covered with the oak forests but later most of the area was cultivated. At present English countryside is completed by numerous hedges and isolated trees. The climate is mild and temperate with warm winters and not very hot summers.

Britain has got big deposits of high quality coal. Nevertheless most mines are closed now. Since 1970s the country benefits from gas and oil found in the North sea, and is self sufficient in energy. Other mineral resources are far less important and lot of raw materials must be imported. Britain became the first industrial country in the 18th and 19th centuries when its wealth was based on the production of iron, steel, heavy machinery, textiles, coalmining, shipbuilding and trade. Manufacturing and high technology industries still play an important role but service industries have become much more important. The financial branch of the economy has been significantly growing. British agriculture employs about 2% of the workforce. It has concentrated on livestock production, especially diary farming.

 

4. Find English equivalents to the following word-combinations:

суверенное государство; общая площадь; наиболее населенный; интересно отметить что; самоуправляемые территории; на протяжении столетий; под влиянием; в зависимости от; можно разделить на; горные районы; дубовые леса; сельская местность; уголь высокого качества; молочное фермерство.

5. Read the text A and answer the following questions:

 

What does UK consist of?

What are the capital cities?

How large is the state?

What seas and channels is it washed by?

What is it surrounded by?

What is the peculiarity of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands?

What nationalities inhabit the country?

What languages do they speak?

What languages influenced modern English?

How do they divide the country according to the relief?

What is the highest mountain peak?

What influences the British rivers? How?

Where are the largest lakes located?

How has the English countryside changed?

What mineral resources is the country rich in?

How does the state manage to be a highly developed industrial country for centuries?

 

6. Study the mapof Great Britain and be ready to comment on the country’s geographical outline.

 

7. Read the text B “Sightseeing ” and tell what British place of interest you would like to visit. Explain your choice. Make a presentation [3].

Text B Sightseeing

 

Windsor Castle Birmingham Stonehenge Cornwall

They say that, the most interesting sightseeing is in London. But you can also find it out of the capital. Windsor Castle rises on a chalk hill above the Thames to the west of London. It is the largest inhabited castle in the world. William the Conqueror built the original castle in the 11th century to protect his kingdom. But nothing of this castle was left because it was made of wood. The successive kings built the castle of stone and during the centuries they turned it into a more comfortable residence. There is an Eton college not far from Windsor. Probably it is the most prestigious English Public School.

You will find Stonehenge, a megalithic monument dating from about 2,800 B.C. on Salisbury plain. The ruins consist of two stone circles and two horseshoes. The origin and purpose of these is still unknown but it may have been a ritual place.

Birmingham is one of the oldest and biggest cities in Great Britain. In the 13th century it became a market town and in the 16th century a well known metallurgy centre, Birmingham is not just an industrial landscape though it is also a nice city with a lot of things to see. There are museums and galleries, there and also a few old churches. Apart from historical spots there are also places where you can enjoy with the whole family like Drayton Manor Family Theme park which offers more than 250 acres of fun including splash canyon and pirate adventures.

Visiting Cornwall everyone can feel the special atmosphere created by its beautiful landscape and the remains of rich historical past. The most famous one is a legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Scotland is an interesting place where men wear tartan skirts and play the bagpipes. Aberdeen is a city in the Grampian region of northern Scotland. It was the seat of the Scottish kings until the 14th century. It is often called the granite city as most of the buildings in the area are built of it. Aberdeen is a great city for art and history lovers because it is a city of old houses and museums. In Maritime Museum you can find displays of shipwrecks, shipbuilding, fishing, rescues and oil rigs. The Art Gallery has a collection of jewellery, ceramics, tapestries and glass.

In Ireland there is a town where Titanic was built. It is Belfast – a capital, a large port and a centre of shipbuilding. When wandering round the city you can’t miss Irish pubs. There are even special pub walking tours for those who want to have a beer in the best pubs. So Great Britain is a great place for sightseeing where you can find both prehistoric and modern monuments.

8. Read the text C “Union Jack ” and explain

a)the design of the flag;

b) the origin of the term “ Union Jack ”.

Text C. Union Jack

 

The Union Jack flag is the most common name for the flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack has been in existence since 1606, when England and Scotland merged. In 1606, the first Union Jack flag was created by merging the English flag (the red cross of Saint George) with the Scottish flag (the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew on a blue background). Then, in 1801, the addition of Ireland to the United Kingdom added the Irish flag to the flag (the red Saint Patrick's cross). The crosses on the flags relate to the patron saints of each entity - St. George is the patron saint of England, St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

The term “Union Jack” is attributed to various origins. The “union” is thought to come from the union of the three flags into one and “jack” has for many centuries referred to a small flag flown from a boat or ship. The Union Jack is most properly called the Union Flag, but that term is not as commonly used as Union Jack. Today, Union Jack flag is the flag of the independent country that has absorbed England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland - the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Union Jack is also incorporated into the flags of four independent countries of the British Commonwealth - Australia, Fiji, Tuvalu, and New Zealand.

9. Assignment for a curious student

What is the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table about?

10. Test yourself and choose the correct answers.

1)What is the capital of the Republic of Ireland?

Cardiff

Dublin

London

Belfast

2) Where in Britain can you find Loch Ness?

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

 

 

3) What is the capital of Scotland?

Glasgow

Aberdeen

Edinburgh

Inverness

4) What is the highest mountain in Britain?

Snowdon

Ben Nevis

Ben Macdhui

Scafell Pike

5) In which part of Britain can you find the Snowdonia National Park?

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

6) Which island lies between England and Ireland?

The Isle of Man

The Isle of Skye

Shetland Islands

Jersey

7) Which part of Britain is not in the flag of the UK?

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

8) How is the flag of the UK called?

Tricolor

Union Jack

Stars and Stripes

United Kingdom

9) In which part of the UK is Dartmoor?

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

10) In which part of the UK is the Lake District?

England

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland