Ex. 2. Answer the questions. 1. What is the role of agriculture in the life of the country?

1. What is the role of agriculture in the life of the country? 2. What part of the land area is used for agriculture? 3. Speak about the size of farms and their share in the total agricultural output. 4. What are the main groups into which rural population of Britain can be divided? Characterise each of them. 5. What parts does Great Britain geographically consist of? 6. What can you say about the soils in Great Britain? 7. What favours the development of agriculture? 8. What are the main types of farming? 9. What type of farms prevails in the country? 10. What cereals are grown in Britain? 11. What other crops are cultivated in this country? 12. Why is the number of small farms decreasing? 13. How well is the country supplied with agricultural produce? 14. What products does Great Britain import?

Ex. 3. Complete the sentences:

1. Britain is а (густонаселенная) country. 2.The larger part of the land belongs to (землевладельцам). 3. The main productive forces in Britain's agriculture are (сельскохозяйственные работники, занятые полный или неполный рабочий день). 4. Medium-sized farms account for 40% of total agricultural (выпуск продукции). 5. Landlords (получают доход) from rents. 6. Owner-farmers make their living from the (продажи) of agricultural produce. 7. (Фермеры-арендаторы) rent the farms from landlords. 8. The cool (умеренный) climate and the even distribution of rainfall (благоприятствуют) the development of agriculture. 9. The main types of farming are (пастбищные, пахотные и смешанные).10. Small farms (преобладают) in the country. 11. Arable crops include (хлебные злаки). 12. In the western part of the country most farms are (молочного направления). 13. (Из-за сильной конкуренции) the number of small farms is decreasing. 14. Britain today is (сама себя обеспечивает) in many products.

Ex. 4. Put questions to the following sentences.

1. Agriculture remains one of the most important industries. 2. British agriculture is efficient, for it is based on modern technology and research. 3. The larger part of the land area belongs to large landowners. 4. Large farms produce about a half of the total agricultural output. 5. Landlords derive income from rents. 6. The agricultural area of England is towards the English Channel and the Continent of Europe. 7. The cool temperate climate favours the development of agriculture. 8. There are three main types of farming: pastoral, arable, mixed. 9. Most farms are less than 50 acres. 10. In the eastern part of Britain most farms are arable. 11. Arable crops include cereals: wheat, oats and barley .12. Farmers breed cattle, sheep and pigs. 13. Due to tough competition, the number of small farms is decreasing. 14. Britain is self-sufficient in milk, eggs, potatoes, barley and oats. 15. Britain usually imports meat, wheat, butter, sugar and tea.

Ex. 5. Put the headlines into the right order as in the text and tell about British agriculture using your plan.

1. Types of farms.

2. Arable crops.

3. Role of agriculture

4. Land area and landowners.

5. Farm output.

6. Size of farmlands, their output.

7. General characteristic of agricultural area.

8. Rural population.

Ex. 6. Make dialogues about:

a) British population;

b) size of British farms and their output;

c) factors favouring the development of agriculture;

Text B

Agriculture.

The United Kingdom has about 240,000 farms. They average about 175 acres (71 hectares) in size. About two-thirds of Britain's farmers own the farms on which they live. The rest rent their farms. About half the people who operate or work on farms do so on a part-time basis.

Many British farmers practice mixed farming – that is, they raise a variety of crops and animals. Methods of mixed farming vary from farm to farm. In the rough highlands of Scotland, Wales, and western England, grass grows much better than farm crops. There, farmers use most of their land for grazing. The land in southern and eastern England is drier and flatter, and it is more easily worked. Farmers in eastern England use most of their land for raising crops.

Britain's most important crops are barley, potatoes, rapeseed, sugar beets, and wheat. Farmers in southern and eastern England grow almost all the country's rapeseed, sugar beets, and wheat and most of its barley. Potatoes are grown throughout the United Kingdom. Farmers in southern England grow most of Britain's fruits and garden vegetables. One of the most productive regions is the county of Kent in southeastern England. It is called the Garden of England and is famous for the beautiful blossoms of its apple and cherry orchards in springtime. Farmers in Kent also grow hops, which are used in making beer.

England's chief agricultural products include barley, cattle, chickens and eggs, fruits, milk, potatoes, sheep, sugar beets, and wheat. England's shallow coastal waters provide excellent fishing. Cod, haddock, and mackerel are the principal fishes caught in English waters.

Northern Ireland is a region of low mountains, deep valleys, and fertile lowlands. The land is lowest near the center and rises to its greatest heights near the north and south coasts. The chief natural resources are rich fields and pastures, and most of the land is used for crop farming or grazing. Cattle, chickens, eggs, hogs, milk, potatoes, and sheep are among Northern Ireland's most important agricultural products. Much barley and hay are grown for animal feed. Other farm products include butter, cheese, mushrooms, and turnips. Orchards in the district of Armagh produce apples, pears, and plums. The fishing fleet of Northern Ireland brings in large catches of cod, herring, mackerel, shrimp, and whiting, mainly from the Irish Sea. Salmon and trout are netted in the Rivers Foyle and Bann.

About three-fourths of Scotland's land is used for farming. Most of the land consists of rough grazings, rangelands that farmers use for grazing livestock. Scottish farmers developed many famous breeds of beef and dairy cattle, including Ayrshire, Aberdeen-Angus, Galloway, and Highland. They also developed the Clydesdale workhorse; the Shetland pony; and a sheepdog, the collie.

Livestock products, such as meat, milk, and wool, account for about three-fourths of Scotland's farm production. In the northeast, farmers produce much beef. Milk ranks as a major product in the southwest, which is traditionally associated with Ayrshire cattle. Farmers raise Scottish Blackface sheep on the rangelands of the Highlands and of southern Scotland.

Less than one-fifth of Scotland's land is suitable for growing crops. Farmers mainly plant grain, including barley, oats, and wheat. Much of the barley is used for brewing and distilling. Most of the remainder becomes livestock feed. Potatoes are also an important crop. Families own and operate most of the farms in Scotland.

Fishing is an important activity in coastal towns. Important catches include haddock, cod, mackerel, herring, lobsters, and prawns. Aberdeen and Peterhead, on the east coast of Scotland, are among the leading fishing ports in Europe. Salmon are caught in the Tay and other rivers, and are raised on fish farms.

Wales . The Cambrian Mountains cover most of Wales. These mountains are especially rugged and beautiful in the north and are more rounded in central Wales. Southern Wales is largely a plateau deeply cut by river valleys. Most of the people live on the narrow coastal plains or in the deep, green river valleys. These are the best areas for crop farming and raising dairy cattle. The rest of the land is too steep for raising crops and is used mostly for grazing sheep and some beef cattle. Livestock production ranks as the leading agricultural activity in Wales. Farmers raise beef and dairy cattle in the lowlands, and southwest Wales is the center of the Welsh dairy industry. Farmers in the uplands raise sheep for meat and wool. The main crops grown in Wales include barley, oats, and potatoes.

Ex. 9. Find the English equivalents for:

Владеть фермой, разводить сельскохозяйственных животных, травы, пастбища, ячмень, рапс, пшеница, хмель, треска, пикша, сено, грибы, груши, сливы, селедка, креветки, мерланг, лосось, форель, породы мясного и молочного скота.