For self-examination

Answer the questions:

1. The UK is an island state, isn't it? Where is it situated?

2. What countries is the UK made of? What are their capitals?

3. What channel separates the British Isles from the European continent?

4. What's the highest mountain on the British Isles?

5. Are there a lot of long and deep rivers in Great Britain? What are they?

6. What is the climate on the British Isles? What do Britons say about their weather?

7. What's the UK's population?

8. What does the UK produce and export?

9. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. What does it mean?

Fill in the blanks:

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and ________ is situated on the________.

2. The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, _______, _______, and Northern Ireland.

3. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the North Sea and the _______.

4. The ______is the longest river, while the ______is the deepest and the most important one.

5. The weather in Britain is very ________.

6. The UK is a highly _______ industrial country.

7. One of the chief industries of the country is _______.

8. The UK is a _______ monarchy.

9. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and _______.

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence:

1) the, is made up, United Kingdom, of, countries, four;

2) in, there are, rivers, Great Britain, a lot of;

3) a nasty, to, a fine, morning, afternoon, can change;

4) the, UK, is, smallest, one of, the world's, countries;

5) UK, is, the, industrial country, a highly developed;

6) the Queen, in practice, but, does not rule, reigns.

4. Make up a plan (logical scheme) and then summarize the content of the text "Great Britain" in writing.

5. Read and translate the texts about London and its traffic. Write the annotations to them in Russian.

London

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It's one of the largest, oldest and most interesting cities in the world. Its population is about 8 million.

Traditionally it's divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End, and the East End. They are very different from each other and seem to belong to different towns.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, and the Old Bailey. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St Paul's Cathedral, the greatest of British churches. It was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it's a museum.

Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London. Westminster Abbey has more historic associations than any other building in Britain. Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned here. It is a place of burying of many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets, and painters.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big bell, known as "Big Ben".

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It's the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs, and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson's victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square.

On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Not far away there is the British Museum – the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures, etc., and is famous for its library.

The East End was once the poorest district of London with lots of factories and docks, narrow streets and unimpressive buildings. Today the district is changing very fast. There are huge offices and new blocks of flats in the East End.

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