Task 1. Read the text. Geographical features

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

The United Kingdom is located off northwestern coast of Europe between the Atlan­tic Ocean and the North Sea. It is separated from the continent by the straight of Dover and the English Channel, 34 km. wide.

Its total area of 244,035 sq. km. is shared by four constituent units: England, Wales and Scotland forming Great Britain, and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland separated from Great Britain by the North Channel.

There are also several island groups, of which the best known are the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands, the Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

The distance from the southern coast to the extreme North of Scotland is under 1000 km, and the widest part of Great Britain is under 500 km. No place in Britain is more than 120 km from tidal water.

Landscape. The territory of Great Britain is flat, hilly and mountainous. There are many mountains in the north of England and in Scotland but they are not very high. The highest mountain in Great Britain is Ben Nevis.

Seas and rivers. Great Britain is a sea country — there is no place in the country farther than 120 km from the sea. There are many rivers in Britain. They are not long but some of them are deep. The longest river is the Severn. There are many lakes in Scotland. The most beautiful is Loch Lomond.

The climate in Great Britain is generally mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The south-western winds carry the warmth and moisture into Britain. The climate in Britain is usually described as cool, temperate and humid. British people say: “Other countries have a climate, in England we have weather.” The weather in Britain changes very quickly. One day may be fine and the next day may be wet. The morning may be warm and the evening may be cool. Therefore it is natural for the people to use the comparison ‘as changeable as the weather’ of a person who often changes his mood or opinion about something. The weather is the favourite topic of conversation in Britain.

Great Britain has a very good position as it lies on the crossways of the sea routes from Europe to the other parts of the world. There are many countries which are connected with Great Britain by sea. Thanks to Gulf Stream the climate of Great Britain is mild. It is often foggy and rainy. The summer is not very hot and the winter is not very cold.

Geography made the UK a highly developed industrial country. It lives by manufacture and trade. Its agriculture provides only half the food it needs, the other half of its food has to be imported. Britain is one of the most highly industrialised countries in the world: for every person employed in agriculture, eleven are employed in mining, manufacturing and building. The main branches of British economy are engineering, mining, ship-building, motor vehicle manufacturing, textile, chemistry, electronics, fishing and food processing. The industrial centres of Great Britain are London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and others.

Task 2. Discussion: Answer the questions.

1. Where is the United Kingdom located?

2. What is the climate in Britain?

3. What is the longest river in Britain?

UNIT 3. TRADITIONAL HOLIDAYS OF UKRAINE, UK AND THE USA

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