Before reading
5.1 Read and translate some international words: state, population, million, interesting, territories, continent, tunnel, nationalities, immigrants, transform, region, peak, cultivate, isolate, climate, deposits, gas, energy, mineral resources, industrial, base on production, trade, manufacturing, service industries, financial, agriculture, farming.
5.2 Learn new words for reading the text. Look through the text below, find the sentences with these words and translate them into Russian.
sovereign – ñóâåðåííûé
to surround – îêðóæàòü
legislative – çàêîíîäàòåëüíûé
taxation – íàëîãîîáëîæåíèå
to wash by – îìûâàòü
to connect with – ñâÿçûâàòü ñ
to complete – çàâåðøèòü
refugee – áåæåíåö
bilingual – äâóÿçû÷íûé
equal – ðàâíûé
court – ñóä
relief – ðåëüåô
to comprise – âêëþ÷àòü â ñåáÿ
rich – ïëîäîðîäíûé
owing to – èç-çà, áëàãîäàðÿ ÷åìó-ëèáî
frequent–÷àñòûé
numerous – ìíîãî÷èñëåííûé
hedge – æèâàÿ èçãîðîäü
mild – ìÿãêèé
temperate – óìåðåííûé
to benefit from – èçâëåêàòü ïîëüçó, âûãîäó
raw materials – ñûðüå
wealth – áîãàòñòâî, ñîñòîÿíèå
significantly – çíà÷èòåëüíî, ñóùåñòâåííî
livestock–äîìàøíèé ñêîò
5.3 Look through the text“Geographical Outline” and write out all proper nouns. Find their translation and transcription in the dictionary. Study the UK map and identify these places. Be ready to pronounce and translate them properly while reading the text.
5.4( A) Choose the appropriate definitions.(B)Try to give your own definitions.
A | |
sovereign | taking place again and again |
equal | forming a large number; many |
legislative | not controlled by others; independent |
frequent | free from extremes of temperature |
numerous | having the power to make or pass laws |
temperate | the same, as in amount, number, rank, or size |
B | |
bilingual | |
livestock | |
wealth | |
court | |
refugee |
5.5 Think and answer.
– May Englishmen be also called British? Why?
– What do the words “England” and “Scotland” mean?
– How can one travel from London to Paris?
5.6 Listen to the text and read it observing English phonetic rules. Try to understand as many details as possible
Text Geographical Outline
The sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capital cities are: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast). Its total area is 244.000 square km. Great Britain, or Britain, is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. With a population of about 62.0 million people (in 2011) it is the third most populous island in the world. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller islands. It is interesting to note, that the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom. They are self-governing dependent territories of that state with their own legislative and taxation systems. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the North Sea and by the English Channel. It is also washed by the North Channel, Irish Sea, St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea. The island is connected with Continental Europe via the Channel Tunnel, the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world, which was completed in 1993.
There are four main nationalities living in Britain: the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. Besides, the immigrants and refugees for centuries have been coming here. Most people speak English, a Germanic language of old Angles and Saxons with some Latin vocabulary which was transformed under the influence of Norman French. Some people speak old Celtic languages: Welsh, Scottish, Gaelic and Irish. In Wales 20-30% of the population is bilingual and Welsh is equal to English at courts and in education. About100.000 people speak Gaelic in Scotland and in Ireland.
According to the relief Great Britain can be divided into two main regions: Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Highland Britain comprises all mountainous parts of Great Britain. The highest mountains are in the highlands of Scotland which occupy the north of the country. The highest peak is Ben Nevis in the Grampians. Lowland Britain is a rich plain. British rivers are not very long but quite deep owing to frequent rains. The longest English rivers are the Severn and the Thames. There are two areas with lakes. The Lake District is in England with the largest lake – Windermere. The second is in Scotland where the biggest lake, Loch Lomond, is situated. But the most famous is Loch Ness because of the Lochness Monster. In the past a greater part of the Lowland Britain was covered with the oak forests, but later most of the area was cultivated. At present the English countryside is completed by numerous hedges and isolated trees. The climate is mild and temperate with warm winters and not very hot summers.
Britain has big deposits of high quality coal. Nevertheless, most mines are closed now. Since the 1970s the country has benefitted from gas and oil found in the North Sea, and is self sufficient in energy. Other mineral resources are far less important and many raw materials must be imported. Britain became the first industrial country in the 18th and 19th centuries when its wealth was based on the production of iron, steel, heavy machinery, textiles, coalmining, shipbuilding and trade. Manufacturing and high technology industries still play an important role, but service industries have become much more important. The financial branch of the economy has been significantly growing. British agriculture employs about 2% of the workforce. It has concentrated on livestock production, especially diary farming.
5.7 Find English equivalents to the following word-combinations:
ñóâåðåííîå ãîñóäàðñòâî; îáùàÿ ïëîùàäü; íàèáîëåå íàñåëåííûé; èíòåðåñíî îòìåòèòü ÷òî; ñàìîóïðàâëÿåìûå òåððèòîðèè; íà ïðîòÿæåíèè ñòîëåòèé; ïîä âëèÿíèåì; â ñîîòâåòñòâèè ñ; ìîæíî ðàçäåëèòü íà; ãîðíûå ðàéîíû; äóáîâûå ëåñà; ñåëüñêàÿ ìåñòíîñòü; óãîëü âûñîêîãî êà÷åñòâà; ìîëî÷íîå ôåðìåðñòâî.