Тема: Об’єднане королівство Великої британії

1.a) Choose the correct word.

1 The UK includes / consists of four parts: England, Scotland,

Wales and Northern Ireland.

2 When people mention / refer to the country, most of them

shorten its name to the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain.

3 The North Sea and the English Canal / Channel separate /

divide the island from Europe.

4 The climate is manipulated / infl uenced by the Gulf Stream.

5 Northern Ireland which occupies / conquers the northeastern

state / part of Ireland lies to the west, across / round

the Irish Sea.

b) Fill in the gaps with the prepositions by, to, of, off.

1 Great Britain is an island lying ... the north-western coastline

... Europe.

2 The UK is often referred ... as Britain.

3 The UK consists ... four parts.

4 Due ... the infl uence ... the Gulf Stream the UK has a warm

and mild weather.

5 Two islands are separated ... the Irish Sea.

6 The UK is washed ... the Atlantic Ocean.

7 The main rivers ... Great Britain are the Thames and the Severn

c) Make up sentences with the words and word-combinations.

thanks to

to produce

to border

to be surrounded by

to be situated in

the official name

to be washed by

to consist of

2. Read the text and say what new information you’ve discovered about the country. Guess the meanings of the words in bold.

The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The

rest of Ireland is an independent country. The official name of the country is the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ‘Great Britain’ refers only to England, Scotland and Wales, not to Northern Ireland.

There are also several islands which are closely linked with the UK but are not a part of it: the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. They have their own governments and are called ‘Crown dependencies’. There are also several British overseas territories in other parts of the world, such as St Helena and the Falkland

Islands. They are also linked to the UK but are not a part of it.

The UK is located in the north west of Europe. The longest distance on the mainland is from John O’Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land’s End in the south-west corner of England. It is about 870 miles (approximately 1,400 kilometres).

The UK is governed by the parliament sitting in Westminster. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have parliaments or assemblies of their own, with devolved1 powers in defined areas.

The UK today is a more diverse society than it was 100 years ago, in both ethnic and religious terms. Post-war immigration means that nearly 10% of the population has a parent or grandparent born outside the UK. The UK continues to be a multinational and multiracial society with a rich and varied culture.

Most people live in towns and cities but much of Britain is still a countryside. Many people continue to visit the countryside for holidays and for leisure activities such as walking, camping and fishing.

3. Say if the statements below are true or false.

a The UK consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

b Great Britain doesn’t refer to Northern Ireland.

c The Isle of Man and Falkland Islands are a part of the UK.

d Scotland has got its own parliament.

e The longest distance on the mainland is about 1 400 km.

f The population of the UK is multinational.

g Most people live in the countryside.

4. Do the quiz about the biggest part of the UK — England.

1 England is only one part of the United Kingdom. How many

countries are there in the UK?

a) two b) three c) four d) five

2 What’s the capital of England?

a) Liverpool b) London c) Manchester d) Glasgow

3 Who is the patron saint of England?

a) St George b) St Patrick c) St Andrew d) St David

4 Which of these writers is not English?

a) Charles Dickens b) Agatha Christie

c) J.R.R. Tolkien d) Mark Twain

5 Which of these actors is not English?

a) Rowan Atkinson b) Jude Law

c) Daniel Craig d) Ewan McGregor

5. Look at the England factfi le and check your answers.

 England is the biggest part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There are four countries in the UK — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west.

 England got its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. In Old English the word Anglaland meant “land of the Angles”.

 England’s population is about 51 million, around 84% of the population of the UK. England

 London is the capital of England and the UK. It’s also the largest city in Europe.

 The national fl ag of England, known as St George’s Cross, has been the national fl ag since the 13th century. In 1606, the St George Cross became part of the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom.

 The patron saint of England is St George and the National Day of England is St George’s Day, on 23 April.

 The national symbol of England is the Tudor rose, also known as the Rose of England.

 The most famous English universities are Oxford and Cambridge.

 The most popular sport in England is football, followed by cricket, rugby, tennis, badminton, squash and many others.

 Some famous English writers are William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, J.R.R. Tolkien and many others.

 There are a lot of famous singers from England: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Robbie Williams, Mick Jagger, Elton John, to name just a few.

 Well-known English actors are Rowan Atkinson, Daniel Craig, Jude Law, Clive Owen, Michael Caine, etc.