GREAT BRITAIN (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Pre-Reading Task: What is Great Britain? What do you know about this country?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or the UK) is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK covers the British Isles which is the geographical name of all the islands situated off the northwest coast of the European Continent. They consist of Great Britain, Ireland and of about five thousand small islands. The North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel separate Great Britain from the continent. It is washed on the west coast by the Atlantic Ocean and by the Irish Sea.

The mountains in Great Britain are not very high, the highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. The main rivers in Britain are the Thames, the Mersey, the Severn and others, but none of them are very long.

The climate of Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the weather on the British Isles. The summers are cool and rainy; the winters are not very cold.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. One of the leading industries in Great Britain is the textile industry. Coal, iron and steel as well as various machines are also produced there. Shipbuilding and motor industry are highly developed too.

There are many big industrial cities in Britain, such as Birmingham and Sheffield (with big iron and steel works), Manchester and Liverpool (the biggest centres of textile industry), Cardiff and others. London, the capital city of the UK, is one of the biggest commercial centres and ports of the world. It is also an important political, cultural and educational centre. Other educational centres in Great Britain are Oxford and Cambridge with the world famous oldest Universities, and also Edinburgh and Sheffield.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen. In practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The current Prime Minister is ...

Britain is famed for its history, heritage and tourist attractions. London is obviously attractive as much for domestic travellers as it is for those travelling from abroad. The list of famous London landmarks and attractions is virtually endless. It’s often best to make a list of things you'd like to do on your short London break. Culturally, there's theatreland with its world famous West End shows. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Southwark is an interesting must-see for many visitors. Madame Tussauds Waxworks is another must-do on many people’s lists. After going around London’s world-famous shopping districts, why not visit South Kensington and the museums - the Science Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

York is a great destination for experiencing a cross section of historical influence, from Viking times through Roman and medieval right up to modern institutions like the Terry's chocolate factory and the famous Banks of York Music Store. Must-sees here include York Minster, where you can see the finest examples of gothic buildings.

Edinburgh is another great location. Is there anyone who doesn't recognise the iconic Edinburgh Castle? History is everywhere here too, though well balanced by modern culture and influence, not least the Edinburgh International Festival.

The total population of Great Britain today is about 59 million people. The official language of the country is English, though in Wales people speak Welsh which is different from English, while the Scottish dialect differs little from English. There are many other languages spoken in Britain as it has become now a multinational state.

VOCABULARY

to be made up of (to consist of) —состоять из

to cover— охватывать

to be situated— быть расположенным

the Strait of Dover —Па-де-Кале

The English Channel— Ла-Манш

The Gulf Stream —Гольфстрим

to be washed— омываться

mild climate— мягкий климат

cool — прохладный

coal (iron, steel, shipbuilding, etc.) industry —угольная (металлургичес­кая, сталелитейная, кораблестроительная и т. д.) промышленность

works— промышленные предприятия, заводы

commercial centre— торговый центр

constitutional monarchy– конституционная монархия

to rule - править

Prime Minister – премьер-министр

the House of Lords– палата лордов

the House of Commons– палата общин

the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties– лейбористская, консервативная и либеральная партии

landmarks - архитектурный памятник, ориентир

West End- Уэст-Энд, западная аристократическая часть Лондона

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre- театр Шекспира «Глобус»

Southwark– Саутуорк (район)

Madame Tussauds Waxworks– музей восковых фигур Мадам Тюссо

must-see– то, что обязательно нужно посмотреть

must-do –то, что непременно нужно сделать

York Minster - Кафедральный собор Йорка

cross section– перекресток, перепутье

Viking times (Roman, medieval times)– времена/эпоха викингов (Римлян, средневековья)

Edinburgh– Эдинбург, столица Шотландии

the total population— общая численность населения

1. Answer the following questions:

1. Where is the UK situated?

2. What parts does it consist of?

3. Are there any high mountains in Great Britain?

4. What are the main rivers?

5. What influences the climate in Great Britain?

6. What are the most highly developed industries in the country?

7. What important industrial and cultural centres do you know in Great Britain?

8. Where are the most famous universities?

9. What system of ruling the country is there in the UK?

10. Who reigns and who rules the country?

11. What structure does the British Parliament have?

12. What are the three main political parties in Great Britain?

13. Why is London attractive both for domestic travellers and for those travelling from abroad?

14. What must-sees and must-dos are there in London?

15. What makes York an interesting place?

16. What can a traveller find in Edinburgh?

17. What languages are spoken in different parts of the country?

2. Say if these statements are right or wrong:

1. The UK is made up of England & Scotland.

2. The English Channel separates Great Britain from the Continent.

3. On the west coast the UK is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

4. The mountains in Great Britain are not very high.

5. The climate in Great Britain is tropical.

6. The summers in the UK are very hot.

7. The UK's leading industry is food processing.

8. Birmingham and Sheffield are big industrial cities.

9. London is one of the commercial centres of the world.

10. Britain is well-known for its food shops.

11. Only people travelling from abroad find London attractive.

12. Madame Tussauds Waxworks is a must-do for tourists.

13. In York you can see Viking times through Roman and medieval up to modern institutions.

14. Everybody knows the Edinburgh Castle.

15. Only English is spoken in Great Britain.

3.Finish these sentences:

1. The UK is made up of ...

2. The British Isles consist of Great Britain, ...

3. The Atlantic Ocean & the warm waters of the Gulf Stream ...

4. Coal, iron and steel ...

5. Other educational centres in the UK are ...

6. London is obviously attractive as much for …

7. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Southwark is ...

8. Madame Tussauds Waxworks is ...

9. History is everywhere here too, though ...

10. Must-sees in York include …

11. Edinburgh is another ...

12. There are many languages ...

Read the dialogue and translate it.

The climate in England

Jane has come to visit Natasha who is recovering after the flu Natasha is much better now.

Jane: Hello, Natasha. You’re better now, I can see it myself.

Natasha: Oh, yes. I’m fine.

Jane: Well, and now you know that our climate is not as good as you imagined. It’s true that our winter is warmer than yours, but our summer is cooler too.

Natasha: But fortunately there are fewer rainy days here than I expected. Last summer in Moscow I had to use my umbrella more often than here now.

Jane: You’re just lucky. We are having less rain this summer than usual. And the temperature is a bit higher too. But still remember what I’ve said about the weather.

Natasha: I will. Especially when we go for a weekend to Bognor Regis. I think the winds are likely to be stronger there because it’s on the coast.

Jane: They may be stronger but they are warmer. The air is much cleaner there, as in every resort.

Natasha: That’s good. The air in London is not very clean, is it?

Jane: No, it’s not. Though it’s not so dirty as it used to be. Clean air is so important for people’s health!

Natasha: It certainly is.

Roleplay the dialogue.

6. Speak on:

1. Geographical situation, mountains, climate.

2. Industry.

3. London. Languages and educational centres.

4. Britain’s tourist attractions.

7. Use each of the following word combinations in sentences of your own:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

the UK

is made up of

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

islands

consist of

The North Sea

the Strait of Dover

the English Channel

the continent

is washed by

the Thames

mild

The Atlantic Ocean

the Gulf Stream

cool and rainy

developed

the capital city

commercial centre

educational centre

Oxford and Cambridge

Population

the official language

Welsh

Scottish

Retell the text.

POINT OF GRAMMAR

Plural Form of Nouns

Spelling of plural endings:

-esafter-s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x,

bus – buses,dish – dishes,church – churches,box – boxes,

also: potato – potatoes, tomato – tomatoes

-y →-ies:

lady – ladies, baby – babies, party-parties, dictionary - dictionaries

but -ay→ ays/ -ey→ eys/-oy→oys/ -uy→uys

day-days, monkey-monkeys, boy-boys, guy-guys

-f/-fe →-ves:

leaf – leaves; wolf – wolves; wife – wives

Exceptions:chief – chiefs, handkerchief – handkerchiefs, roof – roofs, safe – safes, kerchief - kerchiefs

The endings are pronounced:

1. [z] – desks, maps
2. [s] – shoes, hands, potatoes
3. [iz] – classes, boxes, dishes

• These things are plural in English

scissors

glasses

trousers

jeans

shorts

pyjamas

tights

You can also say a pair of…with these words:

a pair of scissors

a pair of jeans

- I need a new pair of jeans

Irregular Plurals:

also: a person– two people/some people/many people

1. Write the plural:

flower - flowers man - men

woman umbrella address person boat sheep family language tooth holiday watch leaf sandwich country child city knife foot mouse pen trip office wall clock week dress day bus woman factory visitor fox language place shelf ship play party man key child.

2. Change the following nouns to the plural and transform the sentences:

1. Put the box on the shelf. 2. This is an English dictionary. 3. This story is very long. 4. The speech was very interesting. 5. A copy of the contract was sent to Saint-Petersburg. 6. This factory has a good laboratory. 7. Women and children were in the street. 8. I have the keys to these boxes. 9. This house has three windows. 10. There are five letters on his desk. 5. He had some visitors.

3. Paraphrase the following using the possessive case:

1. the wife of the teacher

2. the ball of the boy

3. a dress of a lady

4. the watch of my friend Peter

5. the opinion of a student

6. the library of my father

7. the sister of his wife

8. the question of the teacher

9. the coat of the boy

10. the exercise-book of the student

11. the social work of the students

12. the club of the workers

13. the rights of women

14. the house of my parents

15. the attention of the children

16. the distance of ten miles

17. the work of three days

18. the novels of H.Wells

4. Put in is or are:

1 ...... the shop open? 6 Where ........ my camera? 11 Who ....... those men?

2 ...... the shops open? 7 Where ........ my glasses? 12 Who ........ that woman?

3 My hands ........ cold. 8 Where ........ the children? 13 Who ........ those people?

4 My nose ........ cold. 9 Your coat ........ dirty. 14 Mice ........ small animals.

5 My feet ........ cold. 10 Your jeans ........ dirty. 15 Where ........ the scissors?

5. Some of these sentences are right and some are wrong. Correct the sentences that are wrong. Write 'okay' if the sentence is right.

1 She's a very nice person. okay

2 I need a new jeans. I need a new pair of jeans / I need some new jeans

3 I've got two brother and four sister……………………………………………...

4 It's a lovely park with a lot of beautiful tree……………………………………..

5 There are a lot of sheep in that field………………………………………………

6 Do you make many mistake when you speak English?.............................................

7 She's married and she has three childs……………………………………………….

8 Most of my friend are students……………………………………………………….

9 He put on his pyjama and went to bed……………………………………………….

10 We went fishing but we didn't catch many fish………………………………………

11 There were three persons in the car, two women and a man…………………….

12 I like your trouser. Where did you get it?.....................................................................

13 The town centre is usually full of tourist……………………………………………..

14 This scissor isn't very sharp…………………………………………………………..

6. Which is right? Complete the sentences:

1 It's a nice place. Many people go there for a holiday, (go or goes?)

2 Some people always late, (is or are?)

3 The president is not popular. The people like him. (don't or doesn't?)

4 A lot of people television every day. (watch or watches?)

5 Three people killed in the accident, (was or were?)

6 How many people in that house? (live or lives?)

7 the police carry guns in your country? (Do or Does?)

8 The police looking for the stolen car. (is or are?)

9 I need my glasses, but I can't find (it or them?)

10 I'm going to buy new trousers today, (a or some?)

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