Task VI. Say whether these statements are True or False according to the text. Give reasons for your answers.
1. Great Britain consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively.
2. The British Isles have an easy contact with mainland Europe.
3. As the United Kingdom is an inland state the climate there is very specific.
4. There is a contrast between the relatively high relief of western and northern Britain and the lowland areas of the south and the east.
5. One of the characteristics of the British Constitution is that it is not contained in any single document.
6. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. This means that a monarch is the head of state and rules the country.
7. The United Kingdom is governed by Her Majesty’s Government in the name of the Queen.
8. Parliament is the supreme executivebody in the United Kingdom.
9. The Queen is the head of the British Parliament which consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
10. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party which has a majority in the House of Lords.
Task VII. Read the text more carefully and complete the following sentences:
1. The official name of Britain is …
2. The United Kingdom …
3. Great Britain has favourable conditions …
4. The English Channel and the North Sea are important for the country as …
5. The peculiarity of the British Constitution is …
6. Although the Queen dispossesses …
7. Members of the House of Commons are …
8. A distinctive feature of the House of Lords …
9. The Cabinet is …
10. … parties dominate the political and social scene.
Task VIII. Focus on the essential details and give extensive answers to these questions:
1. What is the territory and the population of the United Kingdom?
2. What factors present the advantages of Britain’s geographical position?
3. What people inhabit Britain? What languages do they speak?
4. Why is it annoying to many British people when foreigners say ‘England’ and ‘English’ when they mean ‘Britain’ and ‘British’?
5. What can you say about the state organisation of the UK? What does the term ‘constitutional monarchy’ mean?
6. What are the country’s supreme legislative, executive and judicial authorities? Is there a merging of roles in the British politics?
7. Why is the British Parliament called the ‘Mother of Parliaments’?
8. Who has more real power: the House of Lords or the House of Commons? Why is it so?
9. What party is in power at present in Britain? Who heads the Government?
10. Do you see any drawbacks in the British political system?
Task IX. Check how well you know the United Kingdom by deciding which of the following alternatives is most likely to be true:
1. The United Kingdom is situated to … of Europe.
a. the northwest b. the southwest c. the northeast d. the southeast
2. The English Channel separates Great Britain from …
a. Belgium b. Ireland c. the Netherlands d. France
3. The largest undersea tunnel in the world is under …
a. the North Channel c. the Strait of Dover
b. St. George’s Channel d. the English Channel
4. What is another name of Great Britain?
a. Ulster b. Union Jack c. Albion d. Britannica
5. What is the symbol of the United Kingdom?
a. a bald eagle b. Britannia c. a rose d. a dragon
6. The British national flag is called …
a. the Union Jack c. the Stars and Stripes
b. the Star Spangled banner d. the Big Apple
7. Which mountain chain is called ‘the backbone of England’?
a. the Cumbrians b. the Cheviot Hills c. the Pennines d. the Grampians
8. Which is the highest mountain in Britain?
a. Snowdon b. Ben Nevis c. Cheviot d. Scafell Pike
9. Which is the longest river in the UK?
a. the Thames b. the Tay c. the Trent d. the Severn
10. The largest lake in the British Isles is …
a. Loch Lomond c. Loch Ness
b. Lake Windermere d. Loch Neagh
11. The Lake District is situated in …
a. England b. Wales c. Scotland d. Northern Ireland
12. What city is known as ‘the heart of England’?
a. Birmingham b. Worcester c. Nottingham d. Manchester
13. The second largest seaport of Britain is …
a. London b. Belfast c. Liverpool d. Swansea
14. What are the best English resorts?
a. Bristol and Southampton c. Leeds and Bradford
b. Brighton and Bath d. Plymouth and Hove
15. Who rules the United Kingdom in practice?
a. the Sovereign c. the Parliament
b. the Prime Minister d. the Government
16. Who presides in the House of Lords?
a. the Queen c. the Prime Minister
b. the Speaker d. the Lord Chancellor
17. Who presides in the House of Commons?
a. the Queen c. the Prime Minister
b. the Speaker d. the Lord Chancellor
18. Who composes the Cabinet?
a. the Queen c. the Prime Minister
b. the Speaker d. the Lord Chancellor
19. Tories and Whigs are …
a. the Conservative and the Democratic parties
b. the Conservative and the Labour parties
c. the Labour and the Liberal parties
d. the Liberal and the Democratic parties
20. The most important departments of civil service and ministries are situated in …
a. Whitehall b. Downing Street c. Westminster d. Fleet Street
21. WestminsterPalace is the seat of …
a. the Queen c. the Lord Chancellor
b. the Parliament d. the Government
22. Where does the British Premier live and work?
a. at 10 Downing Street c. at 10 Baker Street
b. in the Houses of Parliament d. at BuckinghamPalace
23. Who is the heir to the British throne?
a. Prince Edward b. Prince Henry c. Prince Charles d. Prince Andrew
24. Most of the British are …
a. protestants b. the Orthodox c. Catholics d. nonconformists
25. What is the centre of Britain’s national newspapers?
a. Piccadilly Circus b. Downing Street c. Fleet Street d. Trafalgar Square
26. The famous British newspaper which is printed on pink paper is …
a. The Times c. The Financial Times
b. The Guardian d. The Sun
27. What is the world’s largest museum?
a. the Victoria and AlbertMuseum c. the National Gallery
b. the BritishMuseum d. the Tate Gallery
28. Eisteddfod is the international competition of …
a. folk-dancing and music c. poetry
b. modern drama d. rock music
29. British inventors didn’t give the world …
a. telephone b. bicycle c. television d. radio
30. Britain established direct diplomatic relations with Belarus in …
a. 1990 b. 1992 c. 2000 d. 2004
Task X. Try to give an adequate translation of the sentences that follow:
1. Соединенное Королевство расположено на Британских островах, которые находятся недалеко от северо-западного побережья Европы.
2. Великобритания – многонациональное государство. Создавалось оно постепенно: в 1543 Англия присоединила Уэльс, в 1707 – Шотландию, а в 1800 – Ирландию.
3. Великобритания весьма богата достопримечательностями. Среди них – озеро Лох-Несс, Стоунхендж, Озерный край, Дорога Великана, национальный парк «Сноудония» и др.
4. Британский парламент часто называют прародителем всех парламентов, хотя исландский альтинг, созданный в 930 н.э., намного старше британского, сложившегося в течение 13-14 вв.
5. Написанной конституции в Британии традиционно не существует в том смысле, что ее основные правила не объединены в особом документе, однако она основана на статутах, юридических решениях, парламентских законах, традициях и обычаях.
6. Монарх считается главой государства, верховным главнокомандующим, главой администрации и светским главой официальной церкви Англии.
7. Конституционная монархия предполагает совместное правление монарха, Палаты лордов и Палаты общин, которые все вместе составляют парламент.
8. Кабинет министров, руководящий исполнительной властью, формируется Премьер-министром – лидером партии, имеющей большинство в парламенте. Члены Кабинета определяют правительственную политику и ответственны за нее перед парламентом.
9. Члены Палаты общин принадлежат к различным политическим партиям, и та партия, которая получает большинство мест в парламенте, называется правящей партией, а другие – оппозицией.
10. В настоящее время Великобритания является постоянным членом Совета Безопасности ООН, членом Европейского Союза, Большой Восьмерки, Организации экономического сотрудничества и развития.
C. Follow-up Activities
Task XI. Share your opinions on the following:
1. With the discovery of America the British Isles became an intermediary between Europe and the New World, didn’t they?
2. Do you agree that the British are different in their behaviour from other Europeans living on the continent?
3. Law effectiveness of the House of Lords work caused a popular criticism in the UK. Is the House of Lords as a second chamber necessary, in your opinion?
4. Is the merging of powers in Britain’s political system really needed for flexibility in the British society?
5. Carry out a comparative analysis of the state structure of the United Kingdom and Belarus.
D. Optional Reading