From the History of Great Britain
The United Kingdom has a very long history. Many times it was invaded by various conquerors from abroad: the Romans, the Scandinavian Vikings, the Normans, etc.
During the period from the 6th to the 3rd century B. C. people called the Celts spread across Europe from the east to the west.
More than one Celtic tribe invaded Britain. From time to time these tribes were attacked and overcome by other Celtic tribes from the Continent. Celtic tribes called the Picts penetrated into the mountains on the North; some Picts as well as tribes of Scots crossed over to Ireland and settled there. Later the Scots returned to the larger island and settled in the North beside the Picts. They came in such large numbers that in time the name of Scotland was given to that country. Powerful Celtic tribes, the Britons, held most of the country, and the words “Briton” and “British” refer to the people of the whole of the British Isles.
The Iberians were unable to fight back the attack of the Celts who were armed with metal spears, swords, daggers and axes. Most of the Iberians were slain in the conflict; some of them were driven westwards into the mountains of what is now Wales and the other probably mixed with the Celts.
We know more about the Celts than about the earlier inhabitants of the island, because of the written accounts that exist.
The Greeks were the first to mention the British Isles. It is from the Greek books that we know about the Phoenicians, who were great sailors and traders even before the Greeks and who traveled as far as the shores of Britain. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus who is called the Father of History wrote that in the 5th century B. C. the Phoenicians used to come to the British Isles for tin which was used in making bronze. They called the British Isles the Tin Islands.
NOTES:
Celts – кельты
Picts –пикты
Scots – скотты
Britons – древние бритты
Iberians – пиринейцы
Phoenicians – финикияне
Herodotus – Геродот
Answer the questions in Russian.
1) What were the Celts armed with?
2) Where were most of Iberians driven to?
3) Who was the first to mention the British Isles?
4) What can you tell about the Phoenicians?
5) What did Herodotus write about the Phoenicians?
Additional Texts
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London
London is the capital of Great Britain. It is situated upon both banks of the River Thames, it is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 10 million people.
London is a very ancient city. When Roman troops conquered south-east England in the summer of A.D. 43, the Emperor Claudius marched through the marches of south-east England and the Romans crossed the Thames at or near the site of present London. Here Roman traders established a port and called their port Londinium. Without the river Thames London wouldn’t exist.
London today dominates the life of Britain. It is a big port and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London.
London is one of the most fascinating cities of the world and it has many “faces”. London is very attractive for tourists because it is full of historical buildings, monuments, customs and traditions. There are four parts in London: the City, the West End, the East End and the Port.
Some visitors will best remember its beautiful buildings, palaces, historic monuments and parks. To people interested in learning and art, London means a centre of culture with the British Museum, the Covent Garden Opera, the Old Vic Theatre and so on. Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End with its fine shops, restaurants, dances and social life.
London is very rich in sights. Among them is Westminster Abbey which is famous for its architecture and history. In Westminster Abbey the kings and queens of England are buried. Here is also the Poet‘s Corner where many great writers and poets are buried: Kipling, Dickens, Tennyson and others.
Of no less interest are the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, the Buckingham Palace – the Queen’s residence, the National Art Gallery, the British Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower, which was first a fortress, then a prison and which is now a museum.
There are a lot of parks in London, the most famous of them is Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner.
Whitehall, for example, is the political centre of the country. All government departments are situated here.
If you walk westwards from St. Paul Cathedral, you’ll come to Fleet Street, the place known all over the world. Here the most important newspapers and news agencies have their offices and publishing houses.
Trafalgar Square is about a hundred years old. The main feature is the tall Nelson Monument, with the figure of the great seaman on the top. Many demonstrations and meetings take place here.
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