Reading of the geographical names.

Great Britain ['greıt 'brıtn] – Великобритания Northern Ireland ['nɔ:ðn ' aıələnd] –Сев. Ирландия Scotland ['skɔtlənd] – Шотландия Wales [weılz] – Уэльс the United Kingdom – [ju'natıd 'kıŋgdəm] – Соединенное Королевство London – ['lʌndən] – Лондон Edinburgh ['edınbərə] – Эдинбург Cardiff – [ka:dıf] – Кардифф Belfast [,bel'fa:st] - Белфаст the British Isles ['brıtıʃ 'aılz] – Британские острова the Isle of Weight ['aıləv 'wait] – остров Уайт Anglesey ['æŋglsı] – о. Англси the Isle of Man – ['aıləv'mæn] – остров Мэн the Hebrides – ['hebrıdı:z] – Гебридские острова the Orkney Islands ['ɔ:knı 'aıləndz] – Оркнейские острова the Shetland Islands ['ʃetlənd 'aıləndz] – Шетландские острова Guernsey ['gə:nzı] – остров Гернси Jersey ['dʒə:zı] – остров Джерси the English Channel – ['ıŋglıʃ'tʃænl] – Па-де-Кале the Strait of Dover – ['streıtəv'dəʊvə] – Ла-Манш the North Sea – ['nɔ:θ'sı:] – Северное море the Irish Sea – ['aırıʃ'sı:] – Ирландское море

the Atlantic Ocean [ət'læntık 'əʊʃn] – Атлантический океан Highlands ['haıləndz] – Северное нагорье Lowlands – ['ləʊləndz] – Шотландская низменность Ben Nevis [,bən'nevıs] – г. Бен-Невис Snowdon ['snəʊdən] – г. Сноудон the Grampian Mountains – ['græmpıən 'mauntınz] – Грампианские г. the Cheviot Hills ['tʃı:vıət 'hılz] – Чевиот-Хиллхз (горы) the Pennine Chain – ['penaın 'tʃeın] – Пенинские горы the Cambrian Mountains – ['kæmbrıən 'mauntınz] – Кембрийские г. the Severn – ['sevn] – Северн р. the Thames – ['temz] – Темза р. the Clyde – ['klaıd] – Клайд р. the Tweed – ['twı:d] – Твид р. the Avon – ['eıvn] – Эйвон р. the Trent – ['trent] – Трент р. the Cam – [kæm] – Кэм р. the Great Ouse – ['greıt'u:z] - the Tyne – ['taın] – Тайн р. Lake District – Озерный край Lock Ness – ['lɔk'nes] – Лох-Несс оз. Lock Lomond – ['lɔk'ləʊmənd] – Лох-Ломонд, озеро Lough Neagh– ['lɔk'neı] – Лох-Ней оз.

 

The British Isles lie off the western shores of Europe and come nearest to the Continent where the white cliffs of Dover face the cliffs of north-east France. The Strait of Dover is so narrow that a tunnel was built to connect the railways of the two countries. In the narrowest place it is only 32 km wide.

North and west of Dover the British coasts are farther away from the Continent, they are separated from it by the North Sea and the English Channel. In the east the country is washed by the North Sea rather shallow. The Atlantic Ocean washes the western coast of the country.

Great England is the greater island and includes England, Scotland and Wales. It is separated from Ireland, the second largest island, by the Irish Sea. And there are a lot of smaller islands, the main of which are the Isle of Weight in the English Channel, Anglesey and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, the Hebrides – a group of islands off the north-western coast of Scotland, and two groups of islands lying to the north of Scotland – the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands. Near the north-western coast of France one can see two islands – Guernsey and Jersey that belong to the UK.

Great Britain owes much to the seas. In the first place, the seas acted as a guard and often kept the island free from wars. In the second place, the seas have given Great Britain a great advantage through the tides. Far out in the Atlantic the tides are scarcely noticed, but in the shallow British Seas the difference between high tide and low tide is often very considerable especially in funnel-shaped estuaries (воронкообразное устье реки) like those of the Severn and the Humber. Thus in-coming deep water twice in every twenty-four hours up the lower channels and estuaries of the rivers has made it possible for large ports to be built many miles from the open sea. Besides the shallow waters around the British Isles are the homes of many fish.

The total territory of the country is 244 000 square km. Its coast line is very indented. So this indentation gives a lot of convenient harbours for ships. Ship-building, sea navigation and sea trade are among the most developed branches of national economy. Owing to the shape of the country there is no point in it that is more than 100 km from the sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. There is hardly any other country in the world where such a variety of scenery can be found in so small a compass. There are plains and ravines, plateaux and chalk cliffs, wonderful fruit gardens, pastures and gloomy moors and swamps.

 Speaking about the mountains of the country one can mention the fact that they are not very high. The north of Scotland is mountainous and it is called Highlands. There are the Grampians with the highest point of the country Ben Nevis (1343 m). The north-west highlands, deeply intended by sea lochs, are one of the most scenically impressive areas of Europe. The middle part of Scotland, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called Lowlands and the southern part is occupied by the Southern Uplands. The Cheviot Hills separate Scotland and England. The Pennine Chain stretches in the north-south direction across the northern and central parts of England. Nearly the whole of Wales is occupied by the Cambrian Mountains with its highest point Snowdon (1085 m). The north and west of England are mountainous having the Cumbrian Mountains, but the eastern, central and south-eastern parts of England are a vast plain with gently sloping hills.

There are many rivers in the UK but they are not very long and only few of them are navigable. So they are no of great value as water-ways. The longest river is the Severn, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. Among other prominent rivers one can name the Clyde, the Tweed, the Avon, the Trent, the Cam, the Great Ouse, and the Tyne.

When speaking about lakes, first of all we should mention one area in the north-west of England – Lake District (Озерный край). It is famous for its beauty of nature, numerous lakes and valleys, and it is the home of many poets of Great Britain. Among other famous lakes everybody knows Lock Ness with its mythological monster Nessy. As Lock Ness, Lock Lomond is in Scotland too. But the largest lake of the UK is in the Northern Ireland – Lough Neagh.

Answer the questions.

1. Where do the British Isles lie?

2. Is the strait between Great Britain and the continent narrow or wide?

3. What seas and oceans wash the British Isles?

4. What are the two greatest islands of the British Isles?

5. What sea is between Great Britain and Ireland?

6. Are there only two large islands or many other islands of smaller size?

7. What are their names?

8. Where are they situated?

9. What islands are close to France?

10. Why does the country owe much to the seas? What role do they play in the history of the kingdom?

11. What is the role of tides in the life of the coastal towns and cities?

12. What is the total area of the country?

13. Is the coast line regular or indented?

14. What can you say about the scenery of the kingdom?

15. What mountain rages do you know? Where are they situated?

16. Is Scotland mountainous or plain country?

17. The greater part of Wales is a huge plain, isn’t it?

18. What are the highest points of the country?

19. Why are the rivers of the UK of not great value?

20. What rivers of the UK do you know? Where do they run to?

21. What is Lake District famous for?

22. What other lakes can you name? What are they famous for?