BRITISH STUDIES

continued from No. 9

Дополнительные задания к книге “Britain in Brief” В.В. Ощепковой и И.И. Шустиловой

Text 2

THE ISLAND OF GREAT BRITAN

Lowland and Highland Britain • Mountains and Hills • The Chief Rivers • The Lake District • The Largest Cities

Great Britain is the name of the largest island of the British Isles and it is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, it does not include Northern Ireland. In everyday speech “Great Britain” is used to mean the United Kingdom. Geographically, the island of Great Britain is subdivided into two main regions – Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises southern and eastern England. Highland Britain consists of Scotland, most of Wales, the Pennines, and the Lake District. The Pennine Chain extends southward from the Cheviot Hills into the Midlands, a plains region with low hills and valleys.
England is separated from Scotland by the Cheviot Hills, running from east to west.
The chief rivers of Great Britain are: the Severn, flowing along the border between England and Wales, tributaries of which include the Avon, famed by Shakespeare, the Thames, which flows eastward to the port of London and some others. The swiftest flowing river in the British Isles is the Spey. Part of the border between Scotland and England is along the lower reaches of the Tweed, near which is made the woollen fabric that bears its name.
There are many lakes in Great Britain. On the northwest side of the Pennine system lies the Lake District, containing the beautiful lakes which give it its name. This district is widely known for its association with the history of English literature and especially with the name of William Wordsworth (1770–1859), the founder of the Lake School of poets.
The largest cities of Great Britain are: London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh. The most important ports are: London, Liverpool, Southampton, Belfast, Glasgow and Cardiff.

References

Lowland and Highland Britain низменная и гористая части Великобритании
the Lake District Озерный край (живописный район гор и озер на северо-западе Англии)
the Pennines = the Pennine Chain Пеннинские горы
the Cheviot Hills Чевиот-Хилс (горы)
the Midlands Мидлендз, центральные графства Англии
the Severn p. Северн
the Spey р. Спей
the Tweed p. Твид
the Lake School “Озерная школа” (литературное сотрудничество поэтов-романтиков начала XIX в.; названа по Озерному краю, где жили поэты)
Southampton г. Саутгемптон

Spaghetti Junction, Birmingham

I. Comprehension.

A. What parts may the text be divided into? What parts of the text give information about:

• the mountains of the UK;

• the chief rivers of Great Britain;

• the largest lakes in the British Isles;

• the largest cities and most important ports.

B. Find answers to the following questions in the text:

• where does the Pennine chain extend?

• which is the highest point in the British Isles?

• which river is associated with the name of Shakespeare?

• which is the swiftest flowing river in the UK?

• what is Lake district known for?

II. Word Study

A. Find in column В the word similar in meaning to the word in column A:

III. Grammar Practice. The Article. Remember:

But: no article before individual mountain peaks: Ben Nevis, Elbrus, Everest

Text 3

ENGLAND

The Largest Part of the UK • Population • Location • The Sea in the History of England • Rivers • “Dales” • Industries

Of the four parts which make up Great Britain England is the largest, the most industrial and most densely-populated part of the United Kingdom. Over 46 million people of the UK live in England.
The greatest concentrations of population are in London, Birmingham and northwestern industrial cities. The coasts of England are washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the English Channel and the Straits of Dover. No part of England is more than 120 kilometres from the sea.
It is interesting to note that the sea has been important in the history of England. It was a good protection against the attacks of outside peoples. Fishing has always been an important industry, especially in the east. The sea also has a great effect on England’s climate.
There are many rivers in England. The longest and the most important is the Thames. The rivers are of great importance for communication and especially for carrying goods.
England is mostly a lowland country. there are upland regions in the north and the southwest, but the rest of England is almost flat.
Northern England, Midlands and Southern England – each part of England is different. The Lake District in Northern England with its lakes, mountains and valleys is a favourite holiday area. On either side of the Pennines the plains of Yorkshire and Lancashire stretch to the sea. In Yorkshire swift rivers flow down from the hills into valleys called “dales”.
The wool industry is centred in Leeds and Bradford, the cotton industry in Manchester, iron ore goes to the steel, heavy machinery and shipbuilding industries of Newcastle and other cities. The industries of the Midlands, with Birmingham as its chief city, produce metal goods, from motor cars and railway engines to pins and buttons. The Midland plain makes good farm land.
In Southern England are found some of the oldest British settlements and traces of ancient monuments such as Stonehenge.

References

dale горная речка (букв. “желоб”)
Yorkshire Йоркшир (графство в Англии)
Lancashire Ланкашир (графство в Англии)
Bradford г. Брадфорд (крупный промышленный город)
Stonehenge Стоунхендж (один из самых больших и известных в мире кромлехов; сооружен в 1900–1600 гг. до н.э.; состоит из огромных отдельно стоящих каменных глыб в виде круглых или квадратных оград; использовался для астрономических наблюдений и определения времен года)

I. Comprehension

A. Which of the paragraphs of the text gives the information about:

• industries of England;

• South England;

• the Lake District;

• the importance of rivers for communication;

• the reasons why the sea has been important in the history of England;

• the most industrial and most densely populated part of the UK.

B. Rearrange this information in the order it was really given in the text.

C. Answer the following questions:

• Which is the largest, most industrially developed and most densely populated part of the UK?

• How long is the longest river in the UK and which river is it?

• Do you know how long the Volga is?

• What is the population of the UK and what is the population of Russia?

• Which are the chief cities of South England?

II. Grammar Practice. Adjectives. Degrees of Comparison. Remember.

A. Find sentences with the adjectives in the superlative degree in the text, read and translate them.

В. Insert adjectives in the superlative degree:

• Russia is ... (large) country in the world.

• The Thames is ... (long) river in Britain.

• Stonehenge is one of... (old) settlements in Britain.

• The Volga is ... (long) river in Russia.

• England is ... (large) part of Great Britain.

III. Communication Practice

Remember how to read figures:

56,2 - fifty six point two
120 - one hundred and twenty
304 - three hundred and four.

A. Find sentences with figures in the text, read and translate them.

B. Read aloud:

23,5 million sq. km; 284 million people; 388 km; 354 km; 244 thousand sq. km.

C. Answer the following questions:

• what is the land area of Russia?

• what is the land area of Great Britain?

• how long is the Thames?

• what is the population of Russia?

• what is the population of the USA?

By Viktoria Oschepkova

to be continued