The united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland
1. BRAIN STORMING. Select the correct answer from the drop down list.
How Much Do You Know About The UK Quiz
1. How many countries are there in the United Kingdom?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
2. Which is NOT the country of the UK?
a) England
b) Scotland
c) Wales
d) Ireland
3. Which of the following is NOT a capital city?
a) Cardiff
b) Oxford
c) Edinburgh
d) Belfast
4. Which of the following is NOT the patron saint of a UK country?
a) St. George
b) St. Harry
c) St. Andrew
d) St. David
5. Which of the following is an area of sea water next to the UK?
a) Pacific Ocean
b) Sea of Scotland
c) Atlantic Ocean
d) Indian Ocean
6. The highest point in the UK is …
a) Kinder Scout, England
b) Snowdon, Wales
c) Ben Nevis, Scotland
d) Hellvellyn, England
7. Which of the following is NOT RIGHT?
a) Scotland is south of England
b) The river Thames flows through London
c) Wales is west of London
d) London is the capital of England
8. Who is the current monarch?
a) King George
b) Queen Ann
c) Queen Elisabeth I
d) Queen Elisabeth II
9. The Queen’s eldest son’s name is …
a) Charles
b) Edward
c) Andrew
d) Philip
10. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a …
a) republic
b) federal republic
c) parliamentary monarchy
d) monarchy
11. Who was NOT the Prime Minister?
a) Margaret Thatcher
b) George Bush
c) Tony Blair
d) David Cameron
12. M. Thatcher was a (an) … by profession.
a) engineer
b) chemist
c) doctor
d) lawyer
13. Margaret Thatcher was the leader of the … party.
a) Labour
b) Social-democratic
c) Liberal
d) Conservative
14. The oldest university in Britain is …
a) Cambridge
b) London
c) Oxford
d) Edinburgh
15. The most ancient monument in Great Britain is …
a) the lower West Gate
b) Hadrian’s Wall
c) the Tower Gate
d) Stonehenge
16. Scotland is a motherland of the greatest English poet …
a) William Blake
b) Agatha Christie
c) Robert Burns
d) William Shakespeare
17. Stratford-on-Avon is the birthplace of the great English poet and writer …
a) W. Shakespeare
b) R. Burns
c) Ch. Dickens
d) B. Show
18. The Beatles started their career in …
a) Liverpool
b) Oxford
c) Birmingham
d) London
19. Loch Ness is in …
a) France
b) England
c) Italy
d) Scotland
20. Which of the following is a well known British food?
a) Frogs legs
b) Chicken
c) Pasta
d) Fish and Chips
FIRST READING OF THE TEXT.
2.1 Skim the text to find out what it is about in general.
The United Kingdom
Hi! It’s me again. At last my dream has come true. I’m on my way to the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is an abbreviation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is often abbreviated to UK and is the political name of the country, which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster).
Strictly speaking, “Great Britain” is a geographical expression; the “UK” is a political expression. Great Britain in fact is the biggest of the group of about 5,000 islands which lie between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately two and a half times size of Ireland, the second largest. Together they are called the British Isles.
The British Isles today are shared by two separate and independent states. The smaller of these is the Republic of Ireland with its capital in Dublin. The larger, with London as its capital, is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom is very small compared with many other countries in the world. Its territory is 244,820 square kilometers. However, there are only nine other countries with more people (61,634,783) and London is the world’s seventh biggest city.
English is not the only language which people use in the UK. English is the official language. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh – in parts of southern and central Wales.
Britain and British have two meanings. Britain sometimes refers to Great Britain alone, and sometimes to the UK including Northern Ireland. “British” refers to people from the UK, Great Britain or the British Isles in general. England and English are often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Great Britain.
Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. The French are supposed to be amorous, fond of champagne; the Germans formal, efficient, fond of military uniforms, and parades. The English have the reputation of being reserved, rather haughty people who do not yell in the street and kiss in public. They are steady and fond of sports.
In the United States it’s very different. Americans start conversations with people in the street, in the subway; they are a lot more enthusiastic and spontaneous than people in Britain. I couldn’t understand at first why I was getting so little reaction from people here, but now I see that I was trying to be too friendly too soon.
I think Americans are more open, they speak their mind, so if they don’t like something, they tell you directly. Unlike the British, who might think one thing and say another. So you could say that the English are ruder than the Americans, or that they are less honest.
Another very important point is that Americans work harder than the English do. To the English their private lives are important, their holidays are important, their gardens are important, their animals are important. You know, holidays are longer here, people make the most ridiculous excuses not to go to work – ‘My dog has got a cold’, I heard the other day.
For Americans, their work is the most important. Their jobs come first and the public holidays are much shorter than here. But there are all sorts of services to make life easier around their jobs. I mean, the shops are open till 10 o’clock, some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day and everything is open on Sundays. In the States only the banks are closed. It makes life much easier. You can do what you like when you like. You can work and still lead a normal life.
And more. An Englishman in America is respected. Everyone wants to talk to him. Americans love his accent and his country. An American in England is a little inferior because of his behavior and his language.
Everybody seemed to understand me when I spoke American English, but I was unable to understand everything at first. That was because of the differences in intonation and pronunciation. Of course, some words are different too. But I got used to it very quickly. But all the same I was sorry that I didn’t have more time to study British English and to see more of Britain. May be some other day?
2.2 Choose the best variant to complete the sentences below. Use the text to make the right choice.
1. Ulster is …
a) the capital city of the Republic of Ireland
b) the capital city of Northern Ireland
c) one of the provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island
2. There are … countries in Great Britain.
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
3. Ireland is …
a) a separate and independent state
b) one of the countries of the UK
c) the second largest of the British Isles
4. The territory of the United Kingdom is almost … that of Belarus.
a) half as large as
b) twice as large as
c) the same size as
5. The population of the UK is … times bigger than that of Belarus.
a) two
b) three
c) six
6. The English have the reputation of being …
a) rather cold
b) too friendly to strangers
c) easy-going and free-wheeling
7. The English are fond of …
a) parades
b) sports
c) champagne
8. To the English their … are the most important.
a) jobs
b) social activities
c) households
9. Americans are …
a) alcoholics
b) shopaholics
c) workaholics
10. What makes Americans’ lives easier around their jobs?
a) Shorter holidays.
b) All sorts of services.
c) Banks closed on Saturdays.
WORD STUDY.
3.1 Study the different meanings of the following words. Then choose the most suitable meaning of each to translate the sentences below.
| nation state excuse subway slight | 1) народ, нация 2) страна, государство 1) государство 2) штат 3) состояние (в котором кто-либо или что-либо находится) 1) оправдание, повод, предлог, освобождение 2) извинение 1) тоннель, подземный переход 2) метро (US) 1) стройный, изящный, хрупкий 2) слабый, незначительный |
1) There are 193 member states in the United Nations Organization.
2) The US is a federal nation with 50 states.
3) Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind.
4) The house was in a dirty state.
5) How many states are there in the USA?
6) The British Isles today are shared by two separate and independent states.
7) She’s in a poor state of health.
8) There are 27 member-states in the European Union.
9) Please, give them my excuses.
10) Those who are absent without good excuse will be dismissed.
11) People make the most ridiculous excuses not to go to work – ‘My dog has got a cold’, I heard the other day.
12) Cross the street by the subway.
13) Take the subway if you want to get there as soon as possible.
14) Americans start conversations with people in the street or in the subway.
15) The American subway is the British underground or just the tube.
16) The girl looked slight and slender.
17) There are only a few slight mistakes in his composition.
18) The really surprising thing about the English of England and that of the United States is not that they differ slightly, but that their difference is as slight as it is.
3.2 Fill in the synonyms from the list. Use the context of the text if necessary.
Fair; small (not important); conduct; to shout (to cry); a little; underground;
| to yell behavior | subway slight | honest slightly |
3.3 Study the following adjectives from the text.
| 1 amorous 2efficient 3 formal 4 haughty 5 steady 6 reserved 7 enthusiastic 8 spontaneous 9 rude 10 ridiculous 11 respected 12 inferior | 1влюбчивый 2эффективный, рациональный 3формальный, официальный 4надменный, высокомерный 5уравновешенный 6сдержанный 7увлеченный, полный энтузиазма 8зд.непосредственный, непринужденный 9грубый 10смешной, нелепый 11уважаемый 12зд. низший, худший |
3.4 Now match the adjectives to their definitions.
| 1 amorous 2efficient 3 formal 4 haughty 5 steady 6 reserved 7 enthusiastic 8 spontaneous 9 rude 10 ridiculous 11 respected 12 inferior | a) easy-going, informal b) of good social position and reputation c) full of enthusiasm d) easily moved to love; showing love e) deserving to be laughed at; absurd f) impolite g) capable; able to perform duties well h) slow to reveal feelings or opinions; uncommunicative i) lower in rank, social position, importance, quality, etc. j) in accordance with rules or customs k) having or showing a high opinion of oneself l) regular in behavior, habits, etc. |
3.5 Suggest your Russian equivalents for the following word-combinations from the text. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 approximately two and a half times size of Ireland
2 are shared by two separate and independent states
3 “British” refers to people from the UK
4 the French are supposed to be amorous
5 they speak their mind
6 they tell you directly
7 Unlike the British
8 ridiculous excuses not to goto work
And more
10 because of his behavior and his language
11the great writer wasdefinitelyexaggerating
12 is not that they differ slightly, but that their difference is as slight as it is
READING FOR DETAIL.
4.1 Read the text carefully to answer the following questions.
1) What does the abbreviation “United Kingdom” or “UK” mean?
2) What countries is the UK made up of?
3) Why is “Great Britain” a geographical, not a political expression?
4) What is the second largest of the British Isles?
5) What states share the British Isles today?
6) What are the capitals of the states?
7) What is the territory (population) of the UK?
8) What do “Britain” and “British” refer to?
9) Why are “England” and “English” often incorrectly used?
4.2 Guess WHO (the French, English, Americans or Germans)?
People of this nationality
1) communicate easily and informally at work, in the street, etc.;
2) easily fall in love and like to have fun;
3) have or show a high opinion of themselves;
4) are able to perform duties well and always act according to rules or customs;
5)regular in behavior, habits, etc.;
6) have aggressive attitude to work and expect everyone to work hard;
7) slow to reveal feelings or opinions to strangers;
8) sincere and honest in communicating with other people;
9) consider professional and technical skills to be very important;
10) do not tell you directly what they think.
5. SPEAKING. Without looking at the text add information to the following statements.
1) The United Kingdom is an abbreviation of …
2) It is a political name of the country, which is made up of …
3) The country is situated on the …
4) The largest island is …
5) It is made up of …
6) Ireland is the second largest of …
7) The British isles are shared by …
8) The United Kingdom is small compared with …
9) However, there are only nine other countries with …
10) And London is the world’s …
11) People from the UK, Great Britain or the British Isles in general are collectively called …
12) And Britain sometimes refers to …
13) However, England and English are often incorrectly used to refer to …
14) The English have the reputation of being …
15) To the English their …, …, …, … are important.
16) Americans are different. They are a lot more …
17) Unlike the British, who might think one thing and say another, Americans are …
18) For Americans their … is the most important.
19) It should be mentioned, however, that there are all sorts of services to …
20) And one last thing. An Englishman in America is … An American in England is …
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.
6.1 Read the following extract about the flag of the United Kingdom and translate it into Russian in writing. Use a dictionary if necessary.
The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, reflects the history of the state. This term can be explained as follows: ‘Union’ refers to the union of England and Scotland in 1606, and ‘Jack’ means the flag flown on the jack staff (a small flagstaff) of ships to show their nationality.
The flag of the United Kingdom is made up of three crosses on a blue ground. They are the crosses of the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland. (The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. David is the patron saint of Wales. However, the symbol of Wales is not reflected in the Union Jack, because when the flag first appeared Wales was already firmly united with England. The Welsh flag is a red dragon on a white and green ground.
6.2 British English versus American English.
People in Britain and America understand each other perfectly most of the time. However, there are differences in grammar, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation. With vocabulary, the same word may have a different meaning. Sometimes there are completely different words for the same thing.
British ‘government’, for example, is American ‘administration’, ‘shops’ are ‘stores’ or ‘outlets’, ‘shop-assistants’ are ‘clerks’, ‘tins’ are ‘cans’. Where the English say ‘All Right’, Americans say ‘O.K.’ Where the British will say ‘I think’ or ‘I suppose’, the American will say ‘I guess’ or ‘I recon’.
Here are some important differences. The British word comes first.
| Roads and Transport taxi/ cab return (ticket)/ round trip single (ticket)/ one way railway carriage/ railway car petrol/ gas filling station/ gas station main road/ highway motorway/ interstate underground/ subway subway/ underpass pavement/ sidewalk lorry/ truck car park/ parking lot Education secondary school/ high school term/ semester | Time and Dates day/ month/ year/ (month/ day/ year) autumn/ fall holiday/ vacation fortnight/ two weeks Homes and Households surname/ family name flat/ apartment ground floor/ first floor lift/ elevator toilet (gents/ladies)/ restroom (men’s/ladies’) wardrobe/ closet rubbish/garbage (trash) dustbin/ trashcan Other film/ movie biscuit/ cookie trousers/ pants trainers/ sneakers waistcoat/ vest sweets/ candy fill in/ fill out queue/line |
Note: One special problem is that ‘guys’ in American English can refer to men and to women, but in British English it is only used to refer to men.
Exercise 1 Decide if the speaker is using British or American English, and cross out the incorrect answer.
1) We decided to take our vacation in the autumn/ fall this year.
2) At my son’s high school the new term/ semester starts next week.
3) I never eat biscuits or sweets/ candy.
4) Put that garbage in the dustbin/ trashcan.
5) The trousers look nice with the waistcoat/ vest.
6) The lorry/ truck came past us on the highway.
7) His apartment is on the sixth floor but I’m afraid there’s no lift/elevator.
8) The people next door are on holiday/ vacation. They’ll be away for a fortnight.
9) We left the car in the car park/ parking lot and took the subway to the centre.
10) My trainers are in the wardrobe/ closet.
Exercise 2 The extract below has some words used in American English. Underline them and write the British English words on the right hand side.
| It was getting near lunchtime and I needed some gas, So I left the interstate and drove towards the nearest town. There was a gas station just outside the town and I decided to stop and have a look round. I put the car in a parking lot and took a cab to the centre. It was midday and very hot, so I stopped at a little café with tables on the sidewalk. I started talking to a truck driver, who gave me a history of the town, and afterwards he took me on a guided tour. It made a very nice break. | 1 …….. 2 …….. 3 …….. 4 …….. 5 …….. 6 …….. 7 ……... |
Exercise 3 In the extract below replace the British English words in italics with their American equivalents.
I had to fill in some forms in which I was asked to write my surname. I had to write my date of birth like this: 22 May 1986. There was a queue in front of the immigration desk. I took a taxi to a hotel in a small square in Central London. On the way we stopped at a filling station to get some petrol. The receptionistgave me the key of my room. I didn’t have to use the lift as it was on the ground floor.
7. PRESENTATION. Use the information from the text and the exercises to present the topic ‘The United Kingdom’.
UNIT 4