(in preparation for the English language exam and expanding regional knowledge about the country of the target language)
1. The Geographical Position of Great Britain
1) What is the official name of Great britain?
2) What countries does Great Britain consist of and what are their capitals?
3) Why is the UK called an island state?
4) Where is the UK situated? What separates Great Britain from the continent?
5) What are the names of two main islands of the British Isles?
6) What do we call the narrowest part of the English Channel?
Remember the words: consist of, include, be made up of.
Complete the sentences:
1. Great Britain consists of ...
2. Great Britain doesn’t include ...
3. The UK is made up of ...
Remember English words on this topic:: lie, be separated by, be washed by, be surrounded by.
Translate the sentences:
1. An island is a part of land that is surrounded by water on all sides.
2. Great Britain is an island state and is surrounded by seas on all sides.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland lies on the British Isles. The British Isles consists of two large islands - Great Britain and Ireland and about 5 thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. On the island of Great Britain you can find England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland lies on the island of Ireland.
The British Isles are separated from Europe by the English Channel and the North Sea. In the west their coasts are washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.
Great Britain is the largest islands in the British Isles. It is also the largest island in Europe and the seventh largest island in the world.
The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries. It is twice smaller than France and Spain.
2. Climate of Great Britain
Answer the questions based on the information you have learned:
1. What is the British climate like?
2. What is the British weather like?
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the islands. It is mild all the year round. It means that it’s never too hot or too cold. Winters are extremely mild. Snow may come but it melts quickly. The coldest months are January and February, the warmest ones are July and August. But the climate is not the same in all parts of England. The western part is warmer than the east. It has also more rain. The North is colder than the South, but in winter the coldest districts are the eastern ones. There is much humidity in the air of England. It is well-known as a foggy country.
If climate is mild, it is warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Also we can say that the climate on the British Isles is temperate and humid.
- temperate- moderate
- humid- wet
In the past, most Londoners had open fireplaces in which they used coal. The result was that there was a tremendous concentration of smoke and soot in the air. It was the cause of dense and heavy fogs.
While a heavy fog hung over a big English city for days, only a few miles away in the country, the sky might be cloudless and the sun shining brightly. In London today, however, there are no open coal fires. As a result, there are fewer fogs and the air is clean.
The weather is so changeable that the English often say that they have no climate but only weather. They use the comparison “as changeable as the weather” of a person who often changes his mood or opinion about something.
The Russian also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long. The weather is the favorite topic of conversation in the UK. SOON
Answer the questions:
1) Why is the British climate mild? What influences it?
2) Does it vary?
3) Which districts are the coldest in Britain?
3. The Nature of Great Britain
Answer the questions based on the information you have learned:
1. What are the names for two types of landscape in Great Britain?
2. What is the most picturesque place in England?
Remember:
- landscape- landscape
- scenery- landscape
The main characteristic of British landscape is that it changes very often.
The scottish scenery is amasing.
Typically the English landscape - the Lowlands. Photo by the author
The surface of the British Isles varies very much. Geographically, the island of Great Britain is divided into two main regions: Lowland Britain (the Lowlands) and Highland Britain (the Highlands). The lowlands include central, southern and eastern England. They have beautiful valleys and plains.
The highlands consist of Scotland, most of Wales, the pennines and the Lake District. It is mountainous part of Britain, but the mountains are not very high. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1343m).
Scotland. Ben Nevis is the highest point in the UK. Photo by the author
Scotland is separated from England by the cheviot hills, running from east to west. The pennine chain extends (stretches) southward from the cheviot hills into the midlands, plain regions with low hills and valleys.
Remember:
- the Pennine Chain [‘penaɪn] - Pennine Mountains
- the Cheviot Hills [‘ʧiːvɪət] - Cheviot Hills (mountains separating Scotland from England)
- the Midlands - Midlands (central counties of England)
- the Lake District - Lake District
There is a district in Great Britain which is widely known for it association with the history of English literature and the name of William Wordsworth (1779-1859), the founder of the Lake School of poets. This district is called The Lake District.
The lake school- "The Lake School" - a literary collaboration of romantic poets of the early 19th century, named after the Lake District, where poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge lived.
Answer the questions and check yourself:
Answer the questions based on the information you have learned:
1) What do we call people who were born in Britain? In Scotland? In Wales?
2) Do people in these countries speak “the same” English?
3) Is English the only language spoken in the UK?
The Population
Memorize the verbs: populate - to inhabit, populate, inhabit - to live, live, inhabit; settle - settle.
Translate the sentences:
1. The UK is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish.
2. London, the south and the southeast are the most densely populated areas.
Translate the nouns: population, inhabitants, settlers
The population of the UK is over 57 million people. The population lives mostly in towns and cities and their suburbs. The biggest cities are (… try to remember 8 cities) but except them the most well-known cities are Oxford, Cambridge, Stradford-upon-Avon.
The nationalities of the UK:
the English - English (46 mln)
the Scottish - Scots (5 mln)
the Welsh - Welsh (Natives of Wales) (6 mln)
the Irish - Irish (1.5 mln)
the British - British (more than 57 mln)
The language
English is the official language of the UK. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland and Welsh in parts of northern and central Wales.
Welsh is a Celtic language and it is very different from English. For example, "Welcome to Wales" is "Croesu i Cymru" in Welsh. Before the 16th century everybody in Wales spoke Welsh, but after Wales was united with England in 1536, Welsh was banned. It started declining, only 500,000 out of 3 mln of population spoke it until 1960s. It was not taught at school and the people thought that their language was dying out. The situation changed only few years ago. Nowadays Welsh is spoken in the government and there is a Welsh TV station. The Welsh are proud of their language.
The most known English-speaking countries are the USA, then Canada, Australia, New Zealand. People in these countries speak variants of English, so called American English, Australian English. It slightly differs from the British English in grammar and pronunciation.
5. The British National Character
Although the British live on the same island, they are very different. Ii is right to say that the English are not like the Scottish, Irish or Welsh (or the other way around). Of course, they have something in common. For example, it is true that British people often talk about the weather, especially if they don’t know each other very well. It is true that they are more reserved than Russian people: they don’t like to show their emotions and they don’t make friends easily with strangers. It also seems to be true that the British are not very good at learning foreign languages.
6. The British Places of Interest, Cities & Towns
Answer the questions based on the information you have learned:
- What famous cities & towns of Great Britain do you know?
- What places of interest can you name?
Every year more than eleven million tourists visit Britain. In fact, tourism is an important industry, which enjoys thousands of people. Most visitors come in summer months when they can expect good weather. Usually they spend a few days in London, then they go to other well-known cities. Perhaps the least visited places in England are old industrial towns like Birmigham or Manchester. Below you will find the information about the most visited places of interest in Britain.
Stonehenge
If you go to Great Britain you will probably be planning to visit Stonehenge. It is a group of Celtic stones in the south of England. Stonehenge is situated right on a major road, about 12 kilometers from the town of Salisbury. If you really want to feel the magic and mystery of this ancient place, go there early in the morning to see the sunrise. It is worth it.
Hadrian's Wall
It is one of the Britain’s greatest monument. The wall is 73 miles long and was built by Romans to protect the conqured England from the wild Scotts. The trail called the Hadrian's Wall Path goes along the Wall through the hills and moors of the north of England.
England is famous for its mazes. One of the best mazes is situated at the hampton court, a royal palace near London. It consists of one kilometer of paths and it takes 20 minutes to reach the center… if you are lucky.
The most famous labyrinth at the residence of Henry VIII (Hampton Court)
River trips
If you want to have a river trip, go to Oxford or Cambridge for punting. A punt is a type of boat that you move by planting a long pole in the river bed and pushing the boat along. The best place to go punting is the river Cam, which runs through the ancient university. You will enjoy the incredible views of the old colleges and the scenery.
7. The Political System of the UK
Answer the questions:
- What is the name of the Queen of England?
- Where does the Queen live?
- What is the Union Jack?
- What does the Union Jack look like and what does it symbolize?
- What does the power in the country belong to?
The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The queen is the Head of the State. Everything in the country is done in the Queen's name. She appoints all the ministers, including the Prime Minister. But the English Queen doesn’t rule the country as she has no power. She is the symbol of the country’s history and its traditions. The Queen is very rich as are the members of the royal family. Also, the government pays her expenses as Head of State, for a royal yacht, train, aircraft and her several palaces. The queen's image appears on stamps, notes and coins.
The great English Queens are:
The real power in the country belongs to the British Parliament and the British Government. The British Prime Minister (head of the government) is Theresa May (2016-2019).
The British Parliament consists of two Houses (chambers): the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The members of the House of Commons are elected, the members of the House of Lords are not. The House of Commons plays the major part in law-making process. In reality the House of Commons is the only one which has true power.
The branches of government are:
- Legislative(the Parliament with the Queen in her constitutional role) - legislative
- Executive(Prime Minister and his Cabinet) - executive
- Juridical(the Royal Court) - judicial
Try to answer the questions:
- Who rules Britain officially?
- What is special about the political system of the UK?
- What is the difference between the House of Lords and the House of Commons?
8. The History of Great Britain
Answer the questions:
- Who do the British come from?
- Who founded London?
- What was the original name of the British capital?
Descendants- descendants
The british are descendants of different people who settled in the British Isles at different times.
Great britain
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consists of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and above five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 315,000 square kilometers. The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively.
The British isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest - east, center and southeast - is a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain. (1343 m.)
There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.
The UK is one of the world’s smallest countries. The population of the country is over 87 million and about 80% of it is urban. The UK is highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. The UK is constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen, but in practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labor, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The Liberal party is the ruling party nowadays.
[ translation ]
Great Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland located in the British Isles. British islands consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and more than five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 315,000 square kilometers. The UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively.
The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The west coast of Great Britain is washed by Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The surface of the British Isles is very diverse. The north of Scotland is mountainous and called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England is mountainous, but everything else - east, center and southeast - is a vast plain. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain. (1343 m)
There are many rivers in the UK, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and most important.
Great Britain is one of the smallest countries in the world. The population of the country is over 87 million people and approximately 80% of them live in cities. Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. It is known as one of the world's largest manufacturers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textiles, aircraft and navigation equipment. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. By law, the head of state is the Queen, but in practice, the Queen rules, but does not rule. The country is governed by an elected government headed by a prime minister. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. They lie to the north-west of Europe. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the narrow strait of water which is called the English Channel.
The United Kingdom consists of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England, the central part, occupies the most of the island of Great Britain. To the north lies Scotland and to the west the third part of the country, Wales, is situated. The fourth part is called Northern Ireland and is located on the second island. Each part has its capital. The capital of England is London, Wales has Cardiff, Scotland has Edinburgh and the main city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.
Great Britain is a country of forests and plains. There are no high mountains in this country. Scotland is the most mountainous region with the highest peak, Ben Nevis. The rivers of Great Britain are not long. The longest rivers are the Thames and the Severn. The capital of the United Kingdom, London, stands on the banks of the Thames. As the country is surrounded by many seas there are some great ports at the seaside: London, Glasgow, Plymouth and others.
Wales is a country of lakes.
Seas and oceans influence the British climate which is not too cold in winter but never hot in summer. Great Britain is a beautiful country with old traditions and good people.
Great Britain
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is located in the British Isles. They lie in the northwest of Europe. The British Isles are separated from the mainland by a narrow channel called the English Channel.
Great Britain is divided into four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England, in the central part, occupies most of the island of Great Britain. In the north is Scotland and to the west is the third part of the country, Wales. The fourth part is called Northern Ireland and is located on another island. Each part has its own capital. The capital of England is London, Wales is Cardiff, Scotland is Edinburgh and the main city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.
Great Britain is a land of forests and plains. In this country there is no high mountains... Scotland is the most mountainous region, with the highest peak, Ben Nevis. Great Britain's rivers are not long. The longest rivers are the Thames and Severn. The capital of Great Britain, London, stands on the banks of the Thames. Since the country is surrounded by seas, several large ports lie on the sea coast: London, Glasgow, Plymouth and others.
Wales is a land of lakes.
The seas and oceans affect Britain's climate, which is not too cold in winter and never too hot in summer. Great Britain is a very beautiful country with long traditions and good people.
Interesting facts about the UK in English with translation will help you learn a lot about this country and prepare for the lesson.
Interesting facts about the UK in English
It is considered an act of treason to put a postage stamp with the queen's head upside down on an envelope!
The British eat over 11.5 billion (1,500,000,000) sandwiches every year !!
England's first telephone directory was published in 1880 and had only 248 names and addresses (there were no telephone numbers as you had to call the operator and ask for someone's name to get connected).
Our wonderful city London has not always had this name. In the past it has been called Londonium, Ludenwic, and Ludenburg!
In 1945, a flock of birds landed on the minute hand of Big Ben and put the time back by 5 minutes.
Big Ben is not actually the name of the clock, it is the name of the bell which is inside the clock.
Black cab (taxi) drivers in London have to memorize every street and important building in London within six miles from Charing Cross and they need to take a test called ‘The Knowledge’ before they can drive a cab.
It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
The picture of the Queen on £ 1 coins show her age at the time they were made.
England was part of the shortest war in history. They fought Zanzibar in 1896 and Zanzibar surrendered after just 38 minutes!
England is the most populated country in the United Kingdom. The other countries that make up the United Kingdom are Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The capital city of England is London. Other major cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds.
Famous English scientists include Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking among many others.
The largest lake in England is named Windermere.
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in England but others such as cricket and rugby have large followings.
The official London home of the British monarch (king or queen) is Buckingham Palace. It is the oldest royal residence in the world that is still being used by the royal family.
Putting a postage stamp with the Queen's portrait upside down on an envelope is a betrayal
Brits eat over 11.5 billion (1,500,000,000) sandwiches each year!
Our wonderful city London has not always had such a name. In the past it was called "Londinium", "Ludwick" and "Lüdenburg"!
In 1945, a flock of birds landed on the minute hand of Big Ben and the time was 5 minutes behind.
Big Ben is not actually the name of the clock, it is the name of the bell that is inside the clock.
Black taxi drivers in London have to memorize every street and important building in London six miles from Charing Cross, and they need to take a test called "Knowledge" before they can drive a car.
It is illegal to die in the chambers of parliament.
England was part of the shortest war in history. They fought Zanzibar in 1896, and Zanzibar surrendered in just 38 minutes!
England is the most populous country in the United Kingdom. Other countries that make up the United Kingdom are Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The capital of England is London. Other major cities are Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds.
Famous English scientists - Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking and many others.
The most big lake in England it is called Windermere.
Famous English writers include William Shakespeare, who wrote classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet.
Football is the most popular sport in England, but others such as cricket and rugby are of great importance.
The official London home of the British monarch (king or queen) is Buckingham Palace. It is the oldest royal residence in the world and is still used by the royal family today.
Many of us often confuse concepts such as Great Britain and the United Kingdom, as well as England and the United Kingdom. In order to finally understand these subtleties, we suggest reading this article.
So let's start by saying that:
Great Britain= England (England) + Scotland (Scotland) + Wales (Wales).
United Kingdom (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)= Great Britain + Northern Ireland
Ireland (Ireland)= The Republic of Ireland + Northern Ireland
The British Isles= United Kingdom (the UK) + Isle of Man + Guernsey + Jersey
Great Britain Is the largest unitary state in Europe, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, where English is spoken.
Historically, the modern lands of Great Britain began to be populated by humans as early as 30,000 years ago. After the Roman conquest of Britain and the invasion of the Germanic Anglo-Saxons, the Celts began to predominate in Wales. After the Norman invasion, Scotland was settled, which for many years tried to secede, overcoming constant conflicts with England. And finally, in 1603, the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland were united, and under the leadership of James I were transformed into a personal union. After the Union Act of 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain appeared, and after almost 100 years, Great Britain and Ireland agreed to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.
Unitarity remains relative as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland enjoy a significant degree of autonomy. Moreover, London is the largest financial and economic center. England occupies more than half of the territory of Great Britain. Scotland occupies about a third of Great Britain and consists of eight hundred islands, and the highest point is Ben Nevis, whose height reaches 1243 meters. Wales occupies less than one third of the UK, is dominated by mountains, and the largest cities Cardiff, Newport and Swansea are located in South Wales. Northern Ireland is the smallest part of the United Kingdom. It is here that the largest lake in the British Isles, Lough Ney, is located.
State language and political structure
The official language is English, it is spoken by 95% of the population, the languages of national minorities are Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Gaelic and Cornish. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy, headed by Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her 90th birthday on 21 April. The Queen ascended the throne when she was 25 years old. In addition to Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth II is the queen of fifteen independent states - Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica.
British culture, together with traditions and customs, has a significant impact on the world community. This is thanks to the English language, which continues to gain traction and spread at lightning speed. In the UK itself, there are many, each of which has its own characteristics and differences.
Please note that each country in the United Kingdom has its own system of administrative divisions and government functions are subject to local ordinances. The laws are established by the parliament and government of Great Britain, which consists of nine government regions.
In fact, the United Kingdom means much more to the inhabitants of Foggy Albion themselves, because the UK has sovereignty over 17 territories that are not part of the UK. This membership includes 14 British Overseas Territories and three Crown Lands. Despite its membership in the European Union and NATO, the UK has retained its national currency -.
Topic the UK
The word combination “Great Britain” often compares with academic English, special humor, the Queen, Big Ben, red busses called double-decker and the changing weather. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. Taking it into consideration we should know the difference between Great Britain that consists of England, Scotland and Wales, and The United Kingdom that includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
In turn Ireland is Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the English Channel. Each part has its own capital. The capital of England is London, Wales has the greenest city Cardiff, Scotland has Edinburgh or "Land of Cakes" or Northern Athens the way people call it, while Belfast is the main city of Northern Ireland. Coming to Great Britain you will find out that the country consists of forests and plains. Meanwhile there are no high mountains in this country.
Among all the sights you can choose well-known ones such as Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge and the Tower of London or pay attention to less famous places as White Cliffs of Dover, Portobello Road Market, Bristol Cathedral etc.
Translation of the UK topic into Russian
The word "Great Britain" is often compared to classic English, special humor, queen, Big Ben, red buses called "double decker" and changing weather. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is located on the British Isles. With this in mind, we need to be aware of the differences between the UK, which consists of England, Scotland and Wales, and the United Kingdom, which includes the UK and Northern Ireland.
In turn, Ireland is the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the English Channel. Each part has its own capital. The capital of England is London, Wales has the greenest city of Cardiff, the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, or as people call it, "The Land of Cakes" or Northern Athens, while Belfast is the main city of Northern Ireland. When you come to the UK, you will learn that the country is made up of forests and fields. At the same time, there are no high mountains in the country.
Among all the attractions, you can choose the famous ones such as Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge and the Tower of London, or pay attention to lesser-known places such as the White Cliffs of Dover, Portobello Flea Market, Bristol Cathedral and other.
I hope this article has helped you understand the main differences between the UK, England and the United Kingdom.
