Great Britain

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Pedro: Are Yvonne and Marie older than you, Lucille?

Lucille: Marie is older than I am; Yvonne is two years younger than I am.

Jan: Are your brothers and sisters older or younger than you are, Frieda?

Frieda: They are all younger; I am the oldest of the family. When I am here with you I feel young, but when I look at my brothers and sisters I begin to feel quite old.

Hob: That reminds me of my Uncle Albert—I will tell you about him some day. He's sixty now, but he says he doesn't feel a day older than forty; and he says, "A man is as young as he looks, and no older than he feels."

Jan: Tell me about the others in your family, Frieda.

Frieda: Well the youngest and the smallest one is Fritz; he's the baby of the family. He's only four. Then there are Hans and Peter, the twins. They are exactly as old as each other, thirteen, and exactly as tall as each other, and they are so like each other that people can hardly tell one from the other.

Lucille: What are your sisters' names?

Frieda: Gretchen and Ruth.

Hob: Are they as pretty as you are?

Frieda: Oh they are both prettier than I am. Ruth is the prettiest girl I know. They both have long fair hair, but Ruth's hair is longer and fairer than Gretchen's. Gretchen is fatter than Ruth. (She doesn't like you to say she is fat; and we tell her she will get thinner when she gets older.)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Wales, Scotland and North­ern Ireland. It covers the British Isles. Great Britain and Ireland are the largest islands and there are about five thousand small islands.

The North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel separate Great Britain from the continent.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the High­lands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. There are numerous lakes in Scotland and they are called Lochs.

The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rests—east, centre and south-east is, a vast plain. The South English plain is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country. In the south-east one can see the most beautiful scenery in England and the largest fruit-producing county Kent which is often called "The Garden of England".

The mountains in Great Britain are not very high.

There are many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames, which flows through rich agricultural districts into the North Sea, is the busiest and the most important river in England.

The climate of Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the weather of the British Isles. The summers are cool and rainy. It is not so hot in England as on the continent. July is the warmest month. The average July temperature in' the south-east is 17°C, and in the north-west it is 14°C. There is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter. October is often the rainiest month of the year. Snow is rare and it does not lie on the ground for long. The average January temperature is about 5°C above zero. February is the coldest month in Great Britain. But, of course, the climate is different in different parts of the country. In Scotland the climate is colder than in England.

Great Britain has an area of 244,000 square kilometres and a population of 54,744,000. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The average density of population is very high: about 220 people per square kilometre. The greater part of the population is urban. About 80% of the people live in numerous towns and cities.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-31