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1. The United Kingdom is not large. The total land area is about 241, 590 square kilometers. The population of Great Britain is about 60, 000, 000 people.
2. The country whose official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and is situated on the British Isles. This group of islands lies between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and consists of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and 550 smaller Islands around them. It is separated from the continent of Europe by the English Channel, the narrowest part of which is called the Straight of Dover. In the west the UK is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea and the North Channel. The seas around Britain are often rough and difficult to navigate during storms but they are full of fish and are extremely important for trade. Britain’s main ports are London, Hull, Liverpool, Glasgow and some others.
3. You will not find high mountains or large plains in Britain. The highest mountain, Ben Nevis, is in Scotland. In the centre of England is a range of hills called the Pennine Chain which is also known as the “backbone of England”. The Cambrian Mountains in Wales and the Cambrian Mountains in the Lake District in the north of England are not high but amazingly beautiful. The Cheviot Hills mark the boundary between England and Scotland.
4. Britain’s climate is mild and damp. It often rains and fogs are quite frequent.
5. There are very many rivers in Great Britain but they are not very long. The longest river is the Severn in England, but the most famous is the Thames because it gave rise to the capital of the country – London.
6. Many people say that Great Britain look like a large well-kept park. The best-known is Sherwood Forest where Robin Hood once lived, the legendary outlaw who robbed the rich and gave their money to the poor. The most famous lake is Loch Ness in Scotland which is said to have a water monster.
7. Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources though there is oil in the North Sea, coal in Wales and in the north of England, tin and other non-ferrous metals in the south.
8. The biggest cities of Britain are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and some others.
9. The United Kingdom is a constitutional or parliamentary monarchy. It means that it has a monarch (either a queen or a king) as its Head of State but the monarch has very little power. The Queen (or King) reigns but she (he) doesn’t rule. Parliament and the monarch have different roles and they only meet together on symbolic occasions.
10. There is no written constitution in Britain. The rules for governing the country have been developed over the centuries.
11. The present British monarch is Queen Elizabeth (since 1953) and the next in line to the throne is her son, Charles, the Prince of Wales.
12. Britain is a democracy. Men and women over 18 have the right to vote, but it is not compulsory. They have the right to elect a Member of Parliament (M.P.) for their electoral area. Britain in reality has two-party system of government, since most people vote either Labor or Conservative. The party that wins the most seats in general elections forms the government and its leader becomes the Prime Minister, the head of the government. He or she usually takes policy decisions with the agreement of the Cabinet of Ministers. The power of the Cabinet, in its turn, is controlled by the Parliament, for no bill can become law until it is passed by an Act of Parliament.
13. There is no specific date when the office of Prime Minister first appeared. However, modern historians apply the title of First Prime Minister to Sir Robert Walpole, who led the country for 21 years from 1721 to 1742. Since 2007 the office has been holding by Gordon Brown, the Leader of the Labour Party.
14. All important bills are presented to the House of Commons (the lower chamber of the Parliament, all 659 members of which are elected by people), where they are explained and debated. If they receive a majority vote they go to the House of Lords (the upper chamber consisting of 92 hereditary or life-time peers, clergy, and supreme judges) and after that to the monarch to be signed. The monarch always acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. So the House of Commons is the main law-making body while the Cabinet of Ministers and the government are the main executive bodies.
15. Scotland and Wales have their own governments: the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff. Both opened in 1999.
16. Great Britain is a member of the Commonwealth. The British monarch is the Head of the Commonwealth and also the Head of State of 16 member countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and some others.
Ex. 9 Find in the text and put down English equivalents to the following word combinations:
Сукупна площа території; офіційна назва; важливий для торгівлі; пасмо гір; м’який та вологий клімат; бути схожим; доглянутий парк; давати гроші; багата на корисні копалини; корольові метали; парламентарна або конституційна монархія; глава держави; мати різні ролі; символічні події; наступний зайняти трон; право вибирати; виборча територія; двопартійна система правління; приймати політичні рішення; парламентський закон; важливі законопроекти; рішення більшості голосів; верховні судді; виконавча влада; діяти за порадою; Палата лордів; член співдружності.
Ex. 10 Give Ukrainian/Russian equivalents to:
plain rule
island hereditary
oil vote
coal elect
develop government
Ex. 11 Insert the suitable words and word combinations given below into the following sentences:
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is … of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
2. In the west the UK is … from Ireland by the Irish Sea and the North Channel.
3. The seas around Britain are often rough but they are full of fish and are extremely … for ….
4. The Cheviot Hills mark the … between England and Scotland.
5. The most famous river is the Thames because it … to the capital of the country – London.
6. Great Britain is not very … in ….
7. The monarch has very little ….
8. The … is the main law-making body while the Cabinet of Ministers and the government are the main ….
| rich; boundary; separated; House of Commons; trade; made up; gave rise; power; mineral resources; executive bodies; important |
Ex.12 Find in the text and put down the answers to the questions in Ukrainian/Russian:
1. What is the geographical position of Great Britain?
2. Is Great Britain a mountainous country?
3. What does it mean a parliamentary monarchy?
4. What is the structure of the political system of Great Britain?
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