Great Britain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) consists of four countries which are: England

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) consists of four countries which are: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The UK is one of the world’s smallest countries. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. There are many rivers in Great Britain. The longest river in England is the Severn, and the deepest is the Thames, on which the capital of Great Britain, London, stands.

English is the official language. But it is not the only language which people use in the UK. Some people speak Scottish, Welsh and Irish.

The population of the United Kingdom is about 60 million people.

The climate in the UK is generally mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The weather is so changeable that the English say that they have no climate but only weather. It is never too hot or too cold. It rains very often. Snow may come, but it melts very quickly. The thick fog is the worst feature of the British climate.

The formal name of the British national flag is Union Flag. It combines the St. George’s cross of England, St. Andrew’s cross of Ireland.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It exports machinery, vessels, motors and other goods. At the same time Great Britain imports some food products and raw materials from many countries of the world.

The United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy. The monarch (a king or a queen) is the Head of State, but his power is limited by the Parliament.

The Parliament consists of two chambers known as the House of Commons and the House of Lords and the queen as its head. The British parliamentary system depends on political parties. The party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government and the leader usually becomes Prime Minister.

Once the British Empire included a large number of countries all over the world ruled by Britain. An association of former members of the British Empire and Britain is called the British Commonwealth of Nations. The Queen of Great Britain is also the Head of the Commonwealth.

New words and expressions:

to be situated	быть расположенным, располагаться
to consist	состоять
total area	общая площадь
to be washed	омываться
to be famous	быть знаменитым
to be limited	быть ограниченным
highly developed	высокоразвитый
food products	продукты питания
raw material	сырье
due to	вызванный, обусловленный
the Commonwealth	Содружество

Дайте ответы на следующие вопросы:

1. Where is Great Britain situated?

2. What parts does Great Britain consist of?

3. What is its population?

4. Are there many rivers in Great Britain?

5. What is the longest river in Great Britain?

6. What is the deepest river in Great Britain?

7. What is Great Britain as a political system?

8. What are the two Houses of the British Parliament?

9. Who is usually the head of the Government?

10. Great Britain is a highly developed country, isn`t it?

11. What does Great Britain export?

12. What does Great Britain import?

13. How is an association of former members of the British Empire and Britain called?

Dialogue:

A: Do you know the full name of Great Britain?

B: Yes, I do. It is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

A: What is the Queen`s name?

B: Her name is Elizabeth.

A: Why do tourists like to visit Great Britain?

B: It is a very beautiful country. They say that “England is green throughout”. Englishmen like their parks and gardens best of all.

A: Yes, I know that the art of gardening has a very old tradition in England.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-10