VII. Сделайте письменный перевод 5 и 6 абзацев текста

NORTHERN IRELAND.

Northern Ireland is the smallest component of the United Kingdom. It occupies Northeast of the island of Ireland, only one-sixth of its territory. Northern Ireland contains six of the nine counties of the historic province of Ulster and that is why the name “Ulster“ is sometimes used as equivalent to Northern Ireland. Its capital city is Belfast.

For seven centuries Ireland was a colony of Britain. Due to the colonial policy of British imperialist the Irish nation was forcefully partitioned. As a result of hard struggle of the Irish people for independence the larger part of Ireland (26 counties) gained the status of a British dominion in 1921. Much later in 1949 it was officially proclaimed an independent state, the Irish. Free State of Fire. The industrial Northeast (Northern Ireland with its 6 counties) was retained by Great Britain as its smallest component. But the progressive forces of both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are for the reunification of the country against social deprivation which is at its worst among Catholics. They believe that British withdrawal from Ireland is the only way to achieve peace. Each day that British troops remain in Ireland is day longer that the Irish people have to wait for freedom.

If one asks an Irishman away from home what he misses most about Ireland, he will probably tell you “the greenness”. Irish poets put it in a different way when they call Ireland “the Emerald Isle”. Is the grass really greener in Ireland? The fact is that the winds usually blow in from the Atlantic Ocean and make the air and soil warm and damp. Grass grows well in such a climate and it makes the island look so beautiful.

There are low hills and peaks of rock in the Northwest, while the Northeast sector of the island is the plateau The Mourn Mountains in the Southeast slope down to Laugh Neigh, the largest lake in the British Isles. The rivers of Ireland are short, but deep. The largest river is the Shannon.

The population of Northern Ireland is about 1,5 million people. 53 per cent of the total population live in urban areas. The whole economy of Northern Ireland is closely integrated with that of Great Britain. It has its roots in three basic industries – agriculture, textiles and shipbuilding. The largest industry is agriculture conducted for the most part on small family farms. It occupies about 72 per cent of the land area.

Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland is the leading industrial centre and a large port. Its chief industries are the production of linen and other textiles, clothing, shipbuilding, engineering.

· Ulster – Ольстер (историческая область на севере острова Ирландия).

· dominion – доминион (название стран Британской Империи).

· Eire – Эйре (другое название Ирландской Республики).

· the Ireland Isle – Изумрудный Остров (так называют Ирландию из-за ярко-зелёного цвета растительности).

· the Mourn Mountains – горы Морн.

· Laugh Neigh – озеро Лох Ней в Северной Ирландии.

· the Shannon – Шеннон.

Ответьтe на вопросы:

1. What is “Ulster” ?

2. Whose colony was Ireland ?

3. What happened in 1921 ?

4. What rivers are in Ireland ?

5. What is the population of Ireland ?

6. Is agriculture the largest industry ?

FROM THE HISTORY OF LONDON.

1. In the year 55 before our era a Roman legion headed by Julius Cesar crossed the English Channel that divides the British Isles from the continent of Europe. Having landed in Britain the Romans founded a military station on the northern bank of the river Thames. Being skilled in the art of building they started fortifying their settlements with thick massive walls and laying roads across the country leading to the sea coast. After staying in Britain for two centuries the Romans returned to the continent having left behind excellent roads and strong fortifications. One of the Roman settlements was called Londinium Augusta. Four centuries later, according to some historians, the capital of Britain was founded in its locality, part of the Roman wall still lying deep under the ground beneath modern London.

2. No other ancient monuments of Roman times have remained in the city. The earliest historical monument of English architecture is the so called Tower of London which has retained its name up to the present day. Being erected on the ruins of a Roman fortress, it consists of parts belonging to different periods of English history, its central and most ancient part being the huge square tower four storeys high. It was called the White Tower, deriving its name from the white stone it was built of. The White Tower was surrounded with a double row of walls with smaller towers forming the inner and outer court with the scaffold in the back of it.

3. Nine centuries have passed since its erection, but time failed to destroy the enormous thickness of its walls or shake the solidity of its construction. In spite of constant alterations and repairs during the ages of its existence the tower has retained much of its former character and original appearance. Flowing past the gloomy structure the dark waters of the Thames reflects its enormous walls and square towers as they had reflected them in the eleventh century.

4. Looking at the Tower you feel its close connection to the historical past of England with its constant and cruel fighting for power. Since the time of its erection the Tower of London has served many purposes: first a king's palace, then a fortress and a political prison. Now it is a museum.

5. Several kings of England found protection within its walls both against foreign enemies and their own people fighting for their liberties and privileges. The White Tower was the royal residence, all the kings of England spending the first days of their reign there according to an ancient custom. From the While Tower kings went to their coronation and out of it some of them came down to the scaffold lying in the outer court, forced to surrender their power to new pretenders.

6. All the towers in the walls surrounding the White Tower served as places of imprisonment, each of them keeping some dark and tragic secret. Narrow galleries, steep staircases, secret passages and dark cells formed in the thickness of the walls exist up to the present day. Among the numerous prisoners were kings of England, France and Scotland, princes and noblemen, Protestants, and Catholics, scientists and public leaders. Shakespeare mentioned many of their names describing their tragic fate in his historical plays. Standing in the heart of modern London the Tower reminds Londoners of many historical events that took place in their country.

I. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. Whom were the first settlements on the river Thames founded by?

2. What has remained in England from the times of the Romans?

3. Where was the Roman wall discovered?

4. White Tower. Why was it called so?

5. What people were imprisoned there?

II. Определите, правильны или неправильны следующие утверждения.

1. The Romans have left excellent roads in Britain.

2. The White Tower was surrounded with 3 rows of walls.

3. The Tower is not a museum now.

4. The White Tower was the royal residence.