Great britain
To the west of the continent of Europe there lie two large islands called the British Isles. The larger of these islands is known as Great Britain and it consists of England, Scotland and Wales. The smaller island is Ireland with Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
Great Britain has a very good geographical position as it lies on the crossways of the sea routes from Europe to other parts of the world. The sea connects Great Britain with most European countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and a lot of other countries.
England is the southern and the central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the north of the island and Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern part of Ireland. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is washed all around by water. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea in the west and the eastern coast is washed by the North Sea. The southern coast is washed by the English Channel. The narrowest part of the Channel, the Straight of Dover, is only 32 kilometers wide.
The British Isles have no high mountains. Scotland is a mountainous country. Here there is the main chain of mountains which is called the Grampians and its highest peak is Ben Nevis which is 4 400 feet high. Mountains which separate Scotland and England are called the Cheviot Hills. In England the Pennine Chain runs down from the north through the centre. In Wales there are the Cambrian Mountains. Its peak Snowdon is in the North Wales. Ireland is covered with mountains and hills.
The British Isles have a lot of rivers, but they are not very long. The longest river is the Severn which flows south-west into the Irish Sea. The other important rivers are the Thames in England on which London stands and the Clyde in Scotland where Glasgow is situated. Many rivers in England and Scotland are joined by canals. There are a lot of lakes in Great Britain and the most famous lakes are in the Lake District in the north-west of England. There are no great woods on the British Isles now. Historically the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest in the east of England. It was the home of Robin Hood.
The climate of the British Isles is not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer. The rivers do not freeze in winter and snow never lies on the ground for long. In winter thick fogs cover Britain. The British Isles are warmed by the Gulf Stream, as a result the temperature in Britain is higher than in Moscow and St. Petersburg which are between the same parallels. It often rains in Great Britain in all seasons. The mild and damp climate is very good for agriculture.
Great Britain has a highly developed industry. It is rich in coal, iron and other metals. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol. Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield make up the industrial area called the “Black Country” situated in the middle of the country near coalfields. Its centre is Birmingham which is called the “City of 1500 Trades”. Sheffield is the city of steel. Manchester is a chief cotton manufacturing city. Liverpool is the first port exporting the products of the “Black country”. Bristol is a large port and the centre of aircraft and food industry. In Scotland Glasgow is the largest shipbuilding and mining centre. New industries are developing in the regions which were agricultural and the old industrial centres have developed new branches of industry – electronics, wireless, chemical industry and others.
At the head of the state there is the Queen but in practice state power is in the hands of the Parliament and, to be more precise, in the hands of the Prime Minister. The Parliament has two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The members of the House of Lords are not elected. The Commons are elected. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party which has the majority of seats in the House of Commons.
Exercise 2. Agree or disagree.
1. The British Isles consist of 3 large islands.
2. The UK includes 3 parts.
3. Great Britain is washed by water.
4. England is the northern part of Great. Britain.
5. Wales is in the west of the island.
6. The Gulf Stream warms the British Isles.
7. The UK isn’t a highly developed industrial country.
8. The main industries in Great Britain are: shipbuilding, electronics, coal mining, chemical and food industries.
9. In practice state power is in the hands of the Queen.
10. There are two houses in the Parliament of Great Britain.
Exercise 3. Choose the right variant.
1. To the (west, east) of Europe there lie the British Isles.
2. Great Britain is washed by (the Pacific, the Atlantic) ocean.
3. Scotland is in the (north, south) of the island.
4. (The North Sea, the English Channel) connects Great Britain with the continent.
5. (Ben Nevis, Snowdon ) is the highest peak of the Grampians.
6. London is situated on (the Severn, the Thames).
7. The climate of Great Britain is (cold, mild).
8. The UK (has, hasn’t) got a highly developed industry.
9. People elect members of (the House of Lords, the House of Commons).
Exercise 4. Read the sentences translating Russian word-combinations.
1. To the west of the continent there lie two islands (называемые Британскими островами)
2. The British Isles (омываются) by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the Atlantic Ocean.
3. The official name of Great Britain is (Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии ).
4. The UK consists of (Англии, Уэльса, Шотландии, Северной Ирландии).
5. The mountains of the British Isles are (Грампианские, Шевиотские, Кембрийские и Пенинские).
6. (Самые важные реки ) are the Severn, the Thames, the Clyde.
7. The climate of Great Britain is (мягкий, влажный).
8. The UK is a (высокоразвитая индустриальная страна).
9. The Parliament in Great Britain consists of (Палаты Лордов и Палаты Общин ).
Text 2
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.
Notes:
Good Friday - Великая пятница, пятница на страстной неделе, является официальным выходным днем. В этот день по традиции едят горячие булки с крестами.
Boxing Day - день рождественских подарков, второй день рождества, 26 декабря, официальный выходной день. В этот день принято дарить подарки. Состоятельные люди делают небольшие денежные подарки прислуге, почтальону и т.д.
the Battle of the Boyne – битва на реке Бойн (1690), принесла победу королю Вильгельму III над войсками Якова II, завершила процесс покорения Ирландии Великобританией (по названию реки в Ирландии, на которой проходило сражение).
England and Wales. Most public holidays in the United Kingdom are also known as “Bank Holidays’. These holidays are: New Year’s Day (January 1st), Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day (first Monday in May), Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May), August Bank Holiday (last Monday in August), Christmas Day (December 25th), Boxing Day (December 26th).
Scotland. The Scots do not usually celebrate Good Friday or Boxing Day. In the winter they concentrate instead on Hogmanay, their version of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, which is even more of a festive occasion than Christmas. Their bank holidays can also be more variable to the south of the border, with Spring and Autumn Holidays replacing some of the fixed date bank holidays in England. Scotland has also a number of its own festivals, celebrating the birthday of their national poet with Burns suppers on January 25th, and their national Saint on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30th.
Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has several additional festivals of its own, namely, St. Patrick’s Day in Catholic communities (March 17th) and Orange Day, in Protestant communities, celebrating the Battle of the Boyne (July 12th).
Besides public holidays, there are other festivals, anniversaries and simply days, for example, St. Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day, on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall on Sunday, they are ordinary working days.
EASTER
At Easter the British celebrate the idea of a new birth by giving each other chocolate Easter eggs, which are opened and eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday is a holiday and many people travel to the seaside for the whole day or go and watch one of the many sporting events as football or horse-racing.
Egg-rolling is a traditional Easter pastime which still flourishes in Northern England, Scotland, Ulster, and the Isle of Man. It takes place on Easter Sunday or Monday, and consists of rolling coloured, hard-boiled eggs down a slope until they are cracked and broken after what they are eaten by their owners. In some districts, this is a competitive game, the winner being a player whose egg remains longest undamaged, but usually, the fun consists simply of the rolling and eating.