The united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

The U.K. of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The British Isles lie to the north-west from the coast of Europe. The total area of Great Britain is over 244000 square kilometers. Its population is about 55 million.

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. Almost all mountains in Great Britain are in the north and west. They are not high. North-West England is also famous for its lakes.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Power of the Queen is limited by the Parliament which consists of two Houses – the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Prime Minister is usually the head of the party in Power. There are the following Parties there: the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Party.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country, and most of the people live in large towns. Great Britain exports machinery, vessels, motors and other goods. There are a lot of factories and mines there. The textile industry is also highly developed and a lot of British textiles are exported. At the same time Great Britain imports some food products and raw materials from many countries of the world.

As for climate of the British Isles it is not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer. There is no ice on the lakes and rivers in winter. It rains very often in all seasons. The weather changes very often. Besides, Britain is famous for its fogs.

Everyone who comes to England says that it looks like one great beautiful park. The Englishmen love their country and take care of it.

IV. Give English equivalents to the Russian words and phrases

1. состоять из … 9. премьер-министр

2. общая площадь 10. Либеральная партия

3. население 11. партия трудящихся

4. страна омывается 12. Консервативная партия

5. гора 13. высокоразвитая

6. парламентарная монархия 14. текстильная промышленность

7. палата общин 15. заботиться

8. палата лордов

V. Make up sentences

1. To be, its, 55 million, about, population.

2. Mountains, in, almost, west, north, and, in, to be, the Great Britain, all.

3. Monarchy, Great Britain, a, parliamentary, to be.

4. To change, often, the, very, weather.

5. To love, the, it, Englishmen, their, and, country, to take care of.

VI. Answer the following questions

1. Where is Great Britain situated?

2. What counties does it consist of?

3. What is the total area of Great Britain?

4. What is the population of Great Britain?

5. What is the capital of the U.K.?

6. What can you say about the political system of the U.K.?

7. What kind of goods does the U.K. export and import?

8. What can you say about the climate of Great Britain?

9. Why do tourist like to visit the U.K.?

VII. Give a short story about the country the language you study.

UNIT VIII

LONDON

I. Vocabulary list

1. major – главный

2. to record – записывать

3. an invader – завоеватель

4. original – первоначальный

5. a lonely port – одинокий порт

6. to grow together – срастаться

7. vast – широкий

8. urban – городской

9. an entry – вход

10. to be guarded – охраняться

11. prominent – выдающийся

12. wealth – богатство

13. well-to-do – состоятельный

14. to be crowned – короноваться

15. to be buried – быть похороненным

16. huge – огромный

17. pigeons – голуби

18. fortress – крепость

19. armor – вооружение

20. bas-relief – барельеф

21. to find ourselves – очутиться

22. true Londoners – истинные лондонцы

23. date back – относиться

II.

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии

2. Normans – нормандцы

3. Celts – кельты

4. Romans – римляне

5. Germanic – германский

6. Themes – Темза

7. Westminster – Вестминстер

8. Blackfrairs – Блэкфрее

9. Waterloo – Ватерлоо

10. Tower – Тауэр

11. Mansion House – резиденция Лорда Мэра

12. Royal Exchange – Королевская биржа

13. St. Paul’s Cathedral – Собор св. Павла

14. Renaissance – Ренессанс

15. Christopher Wren – Кристофер Рен

16. Julius Caesar – Юлий Цезарь

17. Admiral Nelson – адмирал Нельсон

18. Westminster Abbey – Вестминстерское Аббатство

19. Houses of Parliament – Парламент

20. Buckingham Palace – Букингемский дворец

21. Queen – королева

22. Piccadilly Circus – площадь Пиккадилли

23. Trafalgar Square – Трафальгарская площадь

24. Nelson’s Column – Колонна Нельсона

25. National Gallery – Национальная галерея

III. Text

LONDON

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a big port and a major industrial commercial and cultural center

It is also interesting because of its history which dates back to Norman times and is recorded in the names of many streets. London is a very old city. It is more than 20 centuries old. The old Celts gave London its name. The Romans made the city the center of their colony, the Germanic invaders tried to destroy it and Normans made London the capital of the country. Lynn-din was the original name of the settlement which means a “lonely port”.

London is situated on the river Themes that divides it into north and south. There are 15 bridges there. The best known of them are Westminster, Blackfrairs, Waterloo, the Tower and London bridges.

London is one of the biggest and most interesting cities in the world. Its population is more than 11 million people. London covers the territory of 400 square miles. Modern London is not one city. It is a number of cities, towns and villages that have grown together to make one vast urban area. “Greater London” consists of many parts but the main traditional parts are: the city, the West End and the West End.

The heart of London is the City – its commercial and business center. Different banks and offices are situated here. It is the oldest Part of London with the Tower of London founded by Julius Caesar. It is one of the oldest and most famous buildings of the country. For centuries entry to London was guarded by the Tower Fortress. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it is a museum of armor. The most famous buildings of the City are the Mansion House, the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England. The finest Renaissance church in Europe is St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was the resting place of its builder and architect sir Christopher Wren, famous Admiral Nelson and other prominent Englishmen.

To the west of the City there is a region known as the West End which is the symbol of wealth high class as they say. The best and most expensive clubs, theatres, shops and restaurants are here. London’s well-to-do live here. You can’t leave the city without visiting Hide Park with Kensington Gardens, the really national London park, the place of all sorts of national parades. One of the most interesting sightseeing of London is Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is famous for its architecture. It has its world famous Poet’s Corner, where many of the greatest writers (Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Kipling) are burried. It was founded in the eleventh century. All British kings and queens are crowned there.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Parliament Square with the Houses of Parliament. An interesting feature of the Houses of Parliament is Big Ben, a huge clock built over a century ago.

West to the Westminster Abbey stands Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen.

The center of theatrical life is Piccadilly Circus. Not far from it you can see Trafalgar Square which is in the center of London. There is a big monument called Nelson’s Column. Its pedestal is decorated with bas-reliefs of famous naval battles. The large platform, decorated with four great lions is often used by orators during large meetings and demonstrations. Trafalgar Square is also known for its fountains and pigeons. On the north side of Trafalgar Square are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. The National Gallery was built in 1824. It contains one of the finest collections of pictures in the world. There are more than 850 masterpieces of all European schools of painting. In the northern corner there is the well-known church of St.Martin-in-the-Fields. The church was built in 1222 and rebuilt in 1726.

If we go to the east of the City we find ourselves in the East End, the poorest district of London, its industrial part with many plants, factories, workshops.

It is a densely populated district. It is inhabited by the workers and the poor. They produce the wealth of the West End and are proud of being called true Londoners. The port of London is also in the East End. The main industries of London are shipbuilding, textile and machine – building industries.

It is often said: “The City is the money of London, the West End is its goods, the East End is the hands of London”.