1. Find the odd term in each line. Explain your choice.

English / Scottish / Welsh / Irish / British

Sassenach / Pommy / Scott / Limey

London / Leeds / Edinburgh / Cardiff / Belfast

2. Explain the meaning of the words below.

English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, British

Time to write

You’re on a blog of English customs and culture website. John, an American student, leaves his message and asks some questions. Give your comments and write a short passage for him. Here’s John’s question:

Hi, I’m from the U.S. and I was wondering what is the difference between Britain, England, and the UK. Second, what do you all call yourselves, British or English (...U.K.ish...?!)? Please, Help! John

Unit II. History of the uk question time

Part II gives facts and information on the history of British people, the process of forming of the United Kingdom and some national symbols.

Before reading the texts below sum up your knowledge on this subject and try to answer the questions:

• What tribes lived originally on the British Isles? What peoples replaced them and how did it happen?

• What countries form the United Kingdom at present time? Were they always members of the same state?

• What does the name the Union Jack refer to? A person or an object?

Check your answers after reading the texts.

Text 1

Invasion

What makes the Scottish, Welsh, English and Northern Irish different from each other?

About 2,000 years ago the British Isles were inhabited by the Celts who originally came from continental Europe. During the next 1,000 years there were many invasions. The Romans came from Italy in AD* 43 and, in calling the country 'Britannia', gave Britain its name. The Angles and Saxons came from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands in the 5th century, and England gets its name from this invasion (Angle-land). The Vikings arrived from Denmark and Norway throughout the 9th century, and in 1066 (the one date in history which every British school-child knows) the Normans invaded from France.

These invasions drove the Celts into what is now Wales and Scotland, and they remained, of course, in Ireland. The English, on the other hand, are the descendants of all the invaders, but are more Anglo-Saxon than anything else. These various origins explain many of the differences to be found between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland - differences in education, religion and the legal systems, but most obviously, in language.

_____________

*AD – [ei´di:] сокр. от Anno Domini (лат.) н.э., нашей эры; Р.Х., от Рождества Христова

Words, words, words…

1. Read the proper names and give their Russian equivalents. Use the dictionary if needed.

Angle [´æŋgl]	Norman [´nƆ:mən]
Celt [kelt]	Norway [´nƆ:wei]
Denmark [´denma:k]	Roman [´rəumən]
Europe [´juərəp]	Saxon [´sæks(ə)n]
Germany [´dƷə:məni]	Viking [´vaikiŋ]
Netherlands [´neðələndz]