Level 1 tasks

1. Reading

Task 1.

Before you read: look at the texts quickly. Which text has come from:

1. an encyclopedia?

2. an advertising leaflet?

3. a postcard?

4. a guidebook?

5. a website?

British islands

Did you know that “the British Isles’ doesn’t mean the two large islands of Britain and Ireland, but hundreds of other small islands around their coasts? Many of these islands are inhabited, and a lot of them are popular tourist destinations.

TEXT A

Hi, Riccardo!

Here we are on holiday on Anglesey. That’s off the north coast of Wales.

It’s a large island, and the scenery is typically Welsh – there are mountains and lots of lovely coastline. Today we climbed Holyhead Mountain, so tomorrow we’re just going to relax on the beach!

Love from Fiona

TEXT B

Man, Isle of

Location: In the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland

Area: 572 sq. km

Climate: Cool summers and mild* winters

Geography: Hills in the north and south, valley in centre

Population: 73,873

Nationality: Manx (Norse-Celtic)

Languages: English but the ancient Manx language is being revived.

Government: British dependency* with its own parliament called the Tynwald. Elections every 5 years.

TEXT C

Daily flights to the Scilly Isles

The Scilly Isles, with their subtropical climate, and exotic flowers, are only 28 miles from Cornwall, and are the most southwesterly point of the British Isles. Enjoy the 20-minute flight from Penzance to St. Mary’s, the largest island, in one of our helicopters.

Why not make a day of it?

After exploring St. Mary’s, you could take a boat to visit the famous tropical gardens and shipwreck* museum on the island of Tresco.

Flight times: Penzance – St. Mary’s: every half hour from 7.30

to 18.00.

St. Mary’s – Penzance: every half hour from 8.00 to 18.30.

Fares*: £80 adult, £60 child / OAP* (day return)

TEXT D

The Channel Islands lie between the south coast of England and the north of France

The sandy beaches and cliffs of Jersey, the largest island, make it a popular tourist destination, Jersey slopes* from north-south, giving the whole island maximum exposure to the sun. Guernsey, the second island, has a flatter landscape but a mild climate which makes it suitable for growing flowers. And tiny Alderney, which is only 8 miles from France, has its own special atmosphere. It is only 1.5 miles by 3.5 miles, but has a population of 2,000 people and its own government.

The Channel Islands offer historical attractions too. They were the only part of the UK to be invaded and occupied in the Second World War, and hospitals and fortifications from that time can still be visited today.

TEXT E

The Orkney Islands

Travel information: Be warned – the Orkney Islands, off the

north-east coast of Scotland, are very remote!

Air: Flights operate from Glasgow (90 mins), Edinburgh (90 mins)

or Aberdeen (45 mins). There are plenty of internal flights within the islands.

Sea: Ferries leave Aberdeen in the evening and arrive in Lerwick in

the morning.

The geography of the Orkneys is flat and rather uninteresting, and

the climate is wet, but the islands’ ancient history make them an unmissable* destination. There are 1,000 prehistoric monuments here – the most in Europe. And rare birds and flowers are a popular attraction in spring and summer too.

Task 2.

Which texts mention:

1. the history of the islands?

2. the climate of the islands?

3. the wildlife of the islands?

4. transport to the islands?

5. the government of the islands?

Task 3.

Are these sentences true or false?

1) The helicopter flight from Penxance to the Scilly Isles is short.

2) Tresco is the biggest of the Scilly Isles.

3) The Isle of Man is to the east of Great Britain.

4) The Isle of Man has its own language and culture.

5) The Channel Islands are in Scotland.

6) Guernsey has a lot of mountains.

7) You can fly between the different Orkney Islands.

8) There are many ancient sites on the Orkneys.