Характеристика великобритании англійською мовою. Великобританія - країна майбутнього

Великобританія є найбільшим островом в Європі. Будучи частиною суверенної держави Сполученого Королівства, вона розташована в Атлантичному океані на Британських островах. Вона включає в себе територію Англії, Шотландії, Уельсу та оточена більш ніж 1000 маленьких острівців. Ірландія знаходиться в західній частині. Щороку більше 20 мільйонів чоловік відвідують Великобританію. Це 8-я в світі країна за кількістю туристів. Сюди приїжджають не тільки люди з сусідньої Франції чи Бельгії, щоб подивитися визначні пам'ятки країни, а й з таких віддалених країн, як Австралія і США. Лондон вважається основним напрямком туристів, так як в ньому розташовані найпопулярніші визначні пам'ятки країни. До них відносяться Лондонський Тауер, Біг Бен, Букінгемський палац, Вестмінстерське абатство, Музей мадам Тюссо, площа Пікаділлі, Трафальгарська площа, Гайд-парк і багато інших відомих місця.

Кожна з цих пам'яток є унікальною і значущою. Наприклад, всі знають, що Біг-Бен - це найбільші в світі годинник. Незважаючи на те, що Біг Бен це просто назва великого дзвону палацових годин, сьогодні це один з найвідоміших символів Великобританії. Лондонський Тауер вважається найбільш відвідуваною пам'яткою в країні. Це історичний замок на північному березі річки Темза, який є Королівським палацом і фортецею одночасно. Відвідувачі можуть побачити там Королівські регалії і знаменитих воронів. Офіційна резиденція британського монарха, розташована в центральному районі Лондона, також часто відвідувана. Це Букінгемський палац. У палаці 775 кімнат і він особливо привабливий своєю церемонією зміни караулу, яка проходить щодня о 11.30. Гігантське колесо огляду на південному березі річки Темзи, під назвою Лондонське око, є ще одним будовою, що приваблює іноземних гостей. Воно складається з 32 капсул, в кожну з яких вміщується до 25 осіб. У ясний день пасажири можуть бачити на відстані 25 миль з вершини.

Відходячи від Лондона, в Великобританії є безліч інших красивих місць для відвідування, в тому числі Білі скелі Дувра в графстві Кент, Лох-Несс в Шотландському Високогір'я, Единбурзький замок на Замковій скелі, Стоунхендж в Уилтшире, Римські лазні в Баті, Шервудський ліс і багато та інші знаменні місця. Одним з найбільш знакових символів Британії є доісторичний пам'ятник в Уилтшире, відомий як Стоунхендж. Він являє собою залишки кільцем стоять каменів, розташованих в землі. Вважається, що йому 5000 років, і він внесений до списку Всесвітньої спадщини. Багато друїди святкують там літнє сонцестояння. Ще одним цікавим місцем є Лох-Несс. Це глибоке, прісноводне озеро в Шотландії, відоме передбачуваними появами Монстра Лох-Несс.

Відвідувачі Великобританії можуть скупатися в природних термальних джерелах, виявлених більше 2000 років тому і відомих як Римські лазні. Це добре збережений історичний комплекс побудований римлянами для громадського купання. Пам'ятка знаходиться в красивому місті Бат. Всім відома легенда про Робін Гуда і тисячолітньому дубі. Тому щороку понад 500 тисяч туристів відвідують Шервудський ліс. Побудований на недіючому вулкані, якому понад 700 мільйонів років, Единбурзький замок є історичною фортецею, яка використовувалася в якості королівської резиденції протягом багатьох століть. Скала, на якій стоїть замок, має символічну назву - Замкова скеля. Білі скелі Дувра можна також віднести до видатних британським пам'яток. Вони обрамляють англійське узбережжі з видом на протоку Дувр і Францію. Ці скелі утворюють символічну захист від численних вторгнень.

Великобританія / Great Britain (з перекладом)

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. 2. They lie to the north-west of Europe. 3. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the narrow strait of water which is called the English Channel. 4. The United Kingdom consists of four parts. 5. England, the central part, occupies the most of the island of Great Britain. 6. To the west lies Wales and to the north the third part of the country, Scotland, is situated. 7. The fourth part is called the Northern Ireland and is located on the second island. 8. Each part has its capital. 9. The capital of England is London. Wales has Cardiff, Scotland has Edinburgh and the main city of the Northern Ireland is Belfast. 10. Great Britain is a country of forests and plains. 11. There are no high mountains in this country. 12. Scotland is the most mountainous region with the highest peak, Ben Nevis. 13. The rivers of Great Britain are not long. 14. The longest rivers are the Thames and the Severn. 15. The capital of the United Kingdom. London, stands on the bank of the Thames. 16. As the country is surrounded by many seas there are some great ports at the seaside: London, Glasgow, Plymouth and others. 17. Wales is a country of lakes. 18. It has the most famous lake in the world - Loch-Ness. 19. Seas and oceans influence the British climate which is not too cold in winter but never hot in summer. 20. Great Britain is a beautiful country with old traditions and good people.

1. Сполучене королівство Великобританія і Північна Ірландія розташоване на Британських островах. 2 Вони лежать на північний захід від Європи. 3. Британські острови відокремлені від континенту вузькою протокою, який називається Ла-Манш. 4. Сполучене королівство складається з чотирьох частин. 5. Англія - \u200b\u200bцентральна частина - займає більшу частину острова Великобританія. 6. На захід лежить Уельс, і на північ розташована третя частина країни - Шотландія. 7. Четверту частину називають Північною Ірландією, і вона розташована на іншому острові. 8. Кожна частина має свою столицю. 9. Столиця Англії - Лондон, Уельсу - Кардіфф, Шотландії - Единбург і головне місто Північної Ірландії - Белфаст. 10. Великобританія-країна лісів і рівнин. 13. У ній немає високих гір. 12. Шотландія - найбільш гористий район з найвищим піком Бен-Невіс. 13. Річки Великобританії, недовгі. 14. Найдовші річки - Темза і Северн. 15. Столиця Великобританії, Лондон, розташована на березі Темзи. 16. Оскільки ця країна оточена безліччю морів, на узбережжі є великі порти: Лондон, Глазго, Плімут і інші. 17. Уельс - країна озер. 18. Тут знаходиться найвідоміше озеро в світі - Лох-Несс. 19. Моря і океани впливають на британський клімат: не надто холодний взимку, але зовсім не жаркий влітку. 20. Великобританія - прекрасна країна з давніми традиціями і хорошими людьми.

The full name of the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total area is over 314 000 sq. km.

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.

Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south.

The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island).

There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviots separate England from Scotland, the Pennines stretch down North England along its middle, the Cambrian mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains. There is very little flat country except in the region known as East Anglia.

Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest and the longest of the British rivers. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Trent, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon.

Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources, it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.

The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot.

The population of the United Kingdom is over 58 million people. The main nationalities are: English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. In Great Britain there are a lot of immigrants from former British Asian and African colonies.

Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol.

The capital of the country is London. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy.

British Institutions

Parliament is the most important authority in Britain. Parliament first met in the 13th century. Britain does not have a written constitution, but a set of laws. In 1689 Mary II and William III became the first constitutional monarchs. They could rule only with the support of the Parliament. Technically Parliament is made up of three parts: the Monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The continuity of the English monarchy has been interrupted only once during the Cromwell republic. Succession to the throne is hereditary but only for Protestants in the direct line of descent. Formally the monarch has a number of roles. The monarch is expected to be politically neutral, and should not make political decisions. Nevertheless, the monarch still perforins some important executive and legislative duties including opening and dissolving Parliament, signing bills passed by both Houses and fulfilling international duties as

head of state. The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II who was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953.

The House of Lords comprises about 1200 peers. The house is presided over by the Lord Chancellor. The House of Lords has no real power but acts as an advisory council for the House of Commons. As well as having legislative functions, the Lords is the highest'court of appeal.

The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament who are elected by the adult suffrage of the British people in general elections which are held at least every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies each of which elects one Member of Parliament. The Commons, therefore, has 650 Members of Parliament. The party whkch wins the most seats forms the Government and its leader becomes the Prime Minister. The functions of Commons are legislation and security of government activities. The house is presided over by the Speaker. The government party sits on the Speaker's right while on his left sit the members of the Opposition.

British traditional holidays

Great Britain is famous for its old traditions. Some of them existed in ancient times and survived through centuries. Some of them appeared when Christianity came to British isles. Speaking about religious holidays one can not but mention Easter, Pancake Day and Mother's Day. The dates of these holidays are not strict, they depend on the date of Easter, that varies every year.

Pancake day is the popular name for the Shrove Tuesday, the day before the first day of Lent. In the middle ages people on that day made merry and ate pancakes. The ingredients of pancakes are all forbidden by Church during Lent, that is why they have to be used the day before. The most common form of celebrating this day in the old times was the all town ball game or tug-of-war, in which everyone was tearing here and there, trying to get the ball or rope into their part of the city. Today the only custom, that is observed throughout Britain is pancake eating.

For the English people the best-known name for the fourth in Lent Sunday is Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day. For 3 centuries this day has been a day of small family gatherings when absent sons and daughters return to their homes. Gifts are made to mothers by children of all ages. Flowers and cakes are still traditional gifts. Violets and primroses are most popular flowers. Sometimes the whole family goes to church and then there is a special dinner at which roast lamb, rice-pudding and home-made wines and served.

Easter is one of the most important holidays in Christianity. In England it's a time for giving and receiving presents, mostly Easter eggs. We can say that the egg is the most popular emblem of Easter, but spring-time flowers are also used to stress the nature's awakening. Nowadays there are a lot of chocolate Easter eggs, having some small gifts inside. But a real hard-boiled egg, decorated and painted in bright colours, still appears on breakfast tables on Ester Day, or it's hidden in the house or garden for children to finny. In egg that is boiled really hard will last for years. Egg-rolling is a traditional Easter pastime. You roll the eggs down a clope until they are cracked and broken, after they are eaten up.

Christmas in Great Britain

For most British families, this is the most important festival of the year. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day. If you try to catch a train on 24th December you may have difficulty in finding a seat. There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but the most important one is the giving of presents. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be bound on Christmas morning. At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding.

In the afternoon they may watch the Queen on the television as she delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. Then they enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie. On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes singers can be heard on the streets as they collect money for charity. Most families decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the room, glittering with coloured lights and decoration. 26th December is also a public holiday, called Boxing Day. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or be a spectator at one of the many sporting events.

Everyone in Great Britain is waiting and enjoying this holiday very much!

The Climate of Great Britain

Great Britain is situated on islands. It is washed by seas from all sides. That's why the climate and the nature of Great Britain is very specific. The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true. In fact, London gets no more rain in a year than most other major European cities. Generally speaking, the further west you go, the more rain you get. The mild winters mean that snow is a regular feature of the higher areas only. The winters are in general a bit colder in the east of the country than they are in the west. While in summer, the south is slightly warmer and sunnier than the north. Besides Britain is famous for its fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it is impossible to see anything within 2 or 3 metres.

Why has Britain's climate got such a bad reputation? Maybe it is for the same reason that British people always seem to

be talking about the weather. There is a saying that Britain does not have a climate, it only has weather. You can never be sure of a fry day, though it may not rain very much altogether. There can be cool and even cold days in July and some quite warm days in January. The weather changes very often. Mark Twain said about America: «If you do not like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes * but it is more likely to have been said about England. The lack of extremes is the reason why on the few occasions when it gets genuinely hot or freezing cold, the country seems to be totally unprepared for it. A bit of snow, a few days of frost and the trains stop working and the roads are blocked. If the thermometer goes above 27 ° C, people behave as if they were in the Sahara and the temperature makes front-page headlines. These things happen so seldom that it is not worth organizing life to be ready for them. Everyone «who comes to Great Britain says that it looks like one great beautiful park. The British people love their country and take care of it.

London

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and cultural centre. It's one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is more than 11 million people. London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old and beautiful. It was founded more than two thousand years ago.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, the West End, the East End and Westminster. The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. The heart of the City is the Stock Exchange.

Westminster is the most important part of the capital. It's the administrative centre. The Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Government, are there. It's a very beautiful building with two towers and a very big clock called Big Ben. Big Ben is really the bell which strikes every quarter of an hour. Opposite the Houses of Parliament is Westminster Abbey. It's a very beautiful church built over 900 years ago. The tombs of many great statesmen, scientists and writers are there.

To the west of Westminster is West End. Here we find most of the big shops, hotels, museums, art galleries, theatres and concert halls. Piccadilly Circus is the heart of London's West End. In the West End there are wide streets with beautiful houses and many parks, gardens and squares.

To the east of Westminster is the East End, an industrial district of the capital. There are no parks or gardens in the East End and you can not see many fine houses there. Most of the plants and factories are situated there.

London has many places of interest. One of them is Buckingham Palace. It's the residence of the Queen. The English are proud of Trafalgar Square, which was named so in memory of the victory at the battle. There in 1805 the English fleet defeated the fleet of France and Spain. The last place of interest I should like to mention, is the British Museum, the biggest museum in London. The museum is famous for its library - one of the richest in the world.

All London's long-past history is told by its streets. There are many streets in London which are known all over the world. Among them Oxford Street, Downing Street and a lot of others can be mentioned. And tourists are usually attracted not only by the places of interest but by the streets too.

British Cuisine

Some people criticize English food. They say it's unimaginable, boring, tasteless, it's chips with everything and totally overcooked vegetables.

The basic ingredients, when fresh, are so full of flavour that British have not had to invent sauces to disguise their natural taste. What can compare with fresh pees or new potatoes just boiled and served with butter? Why drown spring lamb in wine or cream and spices, when with just one or two herbs it is absolutely delicious?

If you ask foreigners to name some typically English dishes, they will probably say «Fish and chips * then stop. It is disappointing, but true that, there is no tradition in England of eating in restaurants, because the food does not lend itself to such preparation. English cooking is found at home. So it is difficult to find a good English restaurant with a reasonable prices.

In most cities in Britain you'll find Indian, Chinese, French and Italian restaurants. In London you'll also find Indonesian, Mexican, Greek ... Cynics will say that this is because English have no «cuisine * themselves, but this is not quite the true.

British Literature

Great Britain gave the world a lot of talented people. Many famous writers and poets were born and lived in Great Britain.

Robert Burns represents the generation of Romantic writers. In his poems he described with love and understanding the simple life he knew. Among his wall-known poems are «Halloween», «The Jolly Beggars,« To a Mouse ».

Lord George Gordon Byron. His free-spirited life style combined with his rare poetic gift makes him one of the most famous figures of the Romantic Era. His famous works such as «Stanzas to Augusta,« The Prisoner of Chillon »,« Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, «Manfred draw readers into the passion, humors and conviction of a poet whose life and work truly embodied the Romantic spirit.

Sir Walter Scott wrote the first examples of historical novel.

Lewis Carroll became famous when he published "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".

The Geographical Position of Great Britain

There are two large islands and several smaller ones, which lie in the north-west coast of Europe. Collectively they are known as the British Isles. The largest island is called Great Britain. The smaller one is called Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel. The country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Great Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea, and from Ireland - by the Irish Sea.

In the British Isles there are two states. One of them governs of the most of the island of Ireland. This state is usually called the Republic of Ireland. The other state has authority over the rest of the territory.

The official name of this country is the United Kingdom

of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is usually known by a shorter name - * The United Kingdom *. The total area of \u200b\u200bGreat Britain is 244,000 square km.

They say that the British love of compromise is the result of the country's physical geography. This may or may not be true, but it certainly true that the land and climate in Great Britain have a notable lack of extremes. The mountains in the country are not very high. It does not usually get very cold in the winter or very not in the summer. It has no active volcanoes, and an earth tremos which does no more than rattle teacups in a few houses which is reported in the national news media. The insular geographical position of Great Britain promoted the development of shipbuilding, different training contacts with other countries.

The Structure of Government in Great Britain

The Queen is officially head of all the branches of government, but she has little direct power in the country. The constitutionhas three branches: Parliament, which makes lows, the government, which «executes * laws (puts them into effect) and the courts, which interpret laws. Parliament has two parts: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the voters of 650 constituencies. They are known as Members of Parliament. The Prime- Minister is advised by a Cabinet of about twenty other ministers.

The Prime Minister, or leader of the Government, is usually the leader of the political party. The Cabinet includes the ministers in charge of major government departments or ministries. Departments and ministries are run by civil servants, who are permanent officials. Even if the Government changes after an election, the same civil servants are employed. Members of the House of Lords are not elected. About 70 per cent of them are «hereditary peers» because their fathers were peers before them. The 30 per cent are officially appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Government, for various services for people.

Meals in Britain

Since the 1970's eating habits in Britain have undergone a Change. People have been encouraged by doctors, health experts and government advertisements to eat less fat and more fibre. Fat is believed to be one of the major causes of obesity and heart disease. Forty per cent of adults in Britain are overweight and Britain has one of the highest death rates due to cardiovascular disease in the world. Britons have also become more aware of calories, the energy value of food. Some people count the number of calories they eat every day, so that they can try to take in fewer calories and lose weight. Food manufactures have started to help the general public to make more informed choices about what they eat.

So the traditional British breakfast is bacon, eggs or sausages, preceded by fruit and followed by toasts. Britons may eat this breakfast at weekends or on special occasions but prefer a smaller and healthier meal to start a day. Lunch is a light meal and is eaten at school or work. Lunch takes 30-40 minutes. Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and consists of two courses.

In recent years, foreign foods have become a regular part of the British diet. Indian and Chinese dishes are particularly popular for evening meals. Take-aways became extremely popular in the 1980's. The traditional British take-away is fish and chips eaten with salt and vinegar and served in an old newspaper.

The British are famous for their love of sweet things and afternoon tea with sandwiches; scones, jam and several kinds of cake, was once a traditional custom ;. Most working people do not have tea as an afternoon «meal», but they do have a short break in the middle of the afternoon for a cup of tea. Tea is often also drink with lunch and dinner.

National Emblems of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (abbreviated from «The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland *) is the political name of the country which consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster).

Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, whereas the British Isles is the geographical name of all the islands off the north-west coast of the European continent.

In everyday speech «Britain» is used to mean the United Kingdom.

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Yack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross on a white background is the cross of the 1st George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross on a blue background is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross on a white background is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

The Welsh flag, called the Welsh dragon, represents a red dragon on a white and green background.

St. George's Day falls on 23 April and is regarded as England's national day. On this day some patriotic Englishmen wear a rose pinned to their jackets. A red rose is the

national emblem of England from the time of the Wars of the Roses (15th century).

St. Andrew's Day (the 30th of November) is regarded as Scotland's national day. On this day some Scotsmen wear a thistle in their buttonhole. As a national emblem of Scotland, thistle apparently first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The Order of the Thistle is one of the highest orders of knighthood. It was founded in 1687, and is mainly given to Scottish noblemen (limited to 16 in number).

St. Patrick's Day (the 17th of March) is considered as a national day in Northern Ireland and an official bank holiday there. The national emblem of Ireland is shamrock. According to legend, it was the plant chosen by St. Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish.

St. David's Day (the 1st of March) is the church festival of St. David, a 6th-century monk and bishop, the patron saint of Wales. The day is regarded as the national holiday of Wales, although it is not an official bank holiday.

On this day, however, many Welshmen wear either a yellow daffodil or a leek pinned to their jackets, as both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems of Wales.

In the Royal Arms three lions symbolize England, a lion rampant - Scotland, and a harp - Ireland. The whole is encircled and is supported by a lion and a unicorn. The lion has been used as a symbol of national strength and of the British monarchy for many centuries. The unicorn, a mythical animal that looks like a horse with a long straight horn, has appeared on the Scottish and British royal coats of arms for many centuries, and is a symbol of purity.

Newspapers in Britain

If you get on a bus or catch a train in Britain, especially during the morning and evening * rush hour », you'll see a lot of people reading newspapers. The press tells us about various political views, interest and levels of education. Papers are usually divided into «quality» papers which are serious with long, informative articles and * popular * which have smaller size. They are less serious and contain more human interest stories than news.

More daily newspapers, national and regional are sold in Great Britain than in most other developed countries. There are about 135 daily papers and Sunday papers, 2000. weekly

papers and about 100 papers produced by members of ethnic groups.

A lot of people buy a morning paper, an evening paper and a couple of Sunday papers. On an average day two out of three people over the age of 15 read a national morning paper, about three out of four read a Sunday paper. So it's not surprising to learn that national newspapers have a circulation of 15.8 million copies on weekdays and 19 million on Sundays.

Newspapers are almost always financially independent of any political party. However, during general election campaigns many papers recommend their readers to vote for a particular political party. Ownership of the national London and regional daily newspapers is concentrated in the hands of large press publishing groups.

Outstanding Events in the History of Great Britain

There were many outstanding events in the history of Great Britain. Many different tribes tried to control the territory of Britain. England was added to the Roman Empire in 43 A.D. Roman invasion played a very important role in the history of the country. The Roman built the first roads in the country, dug the first walls. The Romans, who were great architects, constructed the first towns in Britain.

But the Normans influenced the British civilization most of all. They came in 1066 under the leadership of William the Conqueror. As the invaders spoke French, their speech influenced the English language.

Once the British had to face the French in 1805 at the battle of Trafalgar. Then Admiral Nelson won a great victory over the French fleet. In order to commemorate this event the monument to Admiral Nelson was erected on this square.

In the 18th century technological and commercial innovation led to the Industrial Revolution. The 13 North American Colonies were lost, but replaced by colonies in Canada and India.

The beginning of the 20th century coincided with the beginning of the decline of the British Empire. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa became dominions and drew up their constitutions. Britain was no longer the greatest world power. Germany was rapidly becoming the major economic power in Europe.

The rivalry between the great European powers led to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. After four years of bitter fighting the war ended in victory for the Allied Powers of Britain, France, Italy and the USA. Germany was defeated. The destruction was terrible, there were more than 10 million killed.

The war was followed by a period of depression in economy. It was a period of great social unrest. Unemployment was high, wages low and there were numerous strikes. From 1930 to 1933 three million British people out of the total workforce of 14 million were unemployed.

Britain was soon involved into another war. After Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 Britain declared war on Germany. Led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill Britain fought against Germany in the alliance with the Soviet Union and the USA. Germany surrendered in May 1945. The war had cost Britain a quarter of its national wealth.

Between 1945 and 1965 more than 500 million people in former British colonies became self-governing. India, Pakistan, Ceylon and Burma became independent and joined the Commonwealth as free and equal members.

In the 1970s and 1980s Britain experienced new social problems connected with the arrival of immigrants. By 1 990 there were 5 million immigrants in Britain. The government passed laws to prevent unequal treatment of immigrants, but also to control the number of immigrants coming to Britain.

Places of Interest in Great Britain

Britain is rich in its historic places which link the present with the past.

The oldest part of London is Lud Hill, where the city is originated. About a mile west of it there is Westminster Palace, where the king lived and the Parliament met, and there is also Westminster Abbey, the coronation church.

Liverpool, the «city of ships», is England's second greatest port, ranking after London. The most interesting sight in the Liverpool is the docks. They occupy a river frontage of seven miles. The University of Liverpool, established in 1903 році, is noted for its School of Tropical Medicine. And in the music world Liverpool is a well-known name, for it's the home town of «The Beatles *.

Cambridge and Oxford Universities are famous centres of learning.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument, presumably built by Druids, members of an order of priests in ancient Britain. Tintagel Castle is King Arthur's reputed birthplace. Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England.

The British Museum is the largest and richest museum in the world. It was founded in 1753 and contains one of the world's richest collections of antiquities. The Egyptian Galleries contain human and animal mummies. Some parts of Athens 'Parthenon are in the Greek section.

Madam Tussaud's Museum is an exhibition of hundreds

of life-size wax models of famous people of yesterday and today. The collection was started by Madam Tussaud, a French modeller in wax, in the 18th century. Here you can meet Marilyn Monroe, Elton John, Picasso, the Royal Family, the Beatles and many others: writers, movie stars, singers, politicians, sportsmen, etc.

Sport in Great Britain

Sport plays such a large part in British life that many idioms in the English language have come from the world of sport. For example, «that's not cricket * means« that's not fair »and« to play the game * means «to be fair». The most popular sport in England is football. A lot of people support their local clubs at matches on Saturday afternoons or watch the matches on television.

The football league in England and Wales has four divi-

sions. Each division contains twenty teams. There are two main prizes each season. The football league championship is won by the team that is top of the first division. The final of this competition takes place every May at the famous Wembley stadium in London. Some of the best-known clubs in England are Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. But many clubs have problems with money at the moment. Some people say that the league is too big and that the players get paid too much. Others say that television is making the crowds stay at home.

Sport has for a long time been a very important part of a child's education in Britain, not just - as you may think to develop physical abilities, but also to provide a certain kind of moral education. Team games encourage such social qualities as enthusiasm, cooperation, loyalty and unselfishness.

The British Media

The British Media consists of the press and radio and TV broadcasting.

Now a couple of words about papers. First of all there is no subscription. You may buy any on sale. There are two main types of newspapers: the «popular» papers and the «qua-lity» papers.

The popular papers are less in size, with many pictures, big headlines and short articles. They are easy to read. They are such papers as «Daily Express *, « Daily mail »,« Daily Mirror »,« Daily Star »,« The Sun »and others.

The «quality» papers are for more serious readership. These papers are bigger in size, with larger articles and more detailed information. The «quality» papers are - "The Times *,« Daily Telegraph *, «The Guardian *,« Financial Times *, «The Independent *.

In addition to daily papers we. have just mentioned above there are Sunday papers. They have a higher circulation than the dailies. Sunday papers in Great Britain are such «quality» papers as «Observer *,« Sunday Times »,« Sunday Telegraph * and such «popular * papers as:« News of the World *, «Sunday Express *,« Sunday Mirror *, «Mail on Sunday *.

As far as broadcasting and telecasting are concerned there are two radio and TV stations. The first one - well-known BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation, and the second - IBA - Independent Broadcasting Authorities.

The newspapers in Britain are proud of the fact that they are different from each other - each tries to have a definite profile.

The British Painters

William Turner, A great romantic English landscape painter, was born in Devonshire in 1775. He lived with his uncle in Middlesex, where he began to attend school. His first drawings are dated тисяча сімсот вісімдесят сім, when he was only twelve years of age. His childish sketch-books, filled with drawings, are still preserved in the British Museum.

When he was 21, he began to exhibit oil paintings. As a landscape painter Turner was interested mainly in light and colour effects. One of his famous paintings is even called "Light and Colour" .Turner died in London in 1851. His pictures and drawings became the property of the British nation.

William Turner is considered to be one of the world greatest painters.

John Constable is a master of landscape painting in the romantic style. Constable was the first who introduced green into painting.

He was the son of a miller in Bergholt. He went to London in 1799 to study painting at the Royal Academy schools.

He exhibited his first landscape paintings in 1802. He was fascinated by reflections in water and light on clouds, and produced many cloud studies. Many of his paintings depict the countryside of the Stour River valley in Suffolk where he had grown up. He often painted in the open air, but he usually finished his canvases in the studio.

Constable's works include The Cornfield (1826 National Gallery, London), Dedham Lock and Mill in 1820.

Thomas Gainsborough, (1727-1788), English painter, considered one of the great masters of portraiture and landscape painting. Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He showed artistic ability at an early age, and when he was 15 years old he studied drawing and etching in London with French engraver Hubert Gravelot. From 1760 to тисяча сімсот сімдесят чотири he lived in Bath, a fashionable health resort, where he painted numerous portraits and landscapes. In 1774 he painted, by royal invitation, portraits of King George III and the queen consort, Charlotte Sophia. He was the favorite painter of the British aristocracy.

Gainsborough executed more than 500 paintings, of which more than 200 are portraits. His portraits are characterized, by poetic charm, and by cool and fresh colors. His most famous portraits include Orpin, the Parish Clerk (Tate Gallery, London); The Baillie Family (Одна тисячі сімсот вісімдесят чотири) and Mrs. Siddons (1785).

The Most Popular British Writers

The Bronte sister, Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818- 1848) and Anne (1820-1849), were three talented 19th century women novelists whose works are regarded as classics today. Charlotte is best known for her novel «Jane Eyre».

The novels of Jane Austen are known for their subtlery of observation and irony, together with their insights into the provincial life of the middle-class in the early part of 19th

century. Her works include «Emma», «Pride and Prejudice * and others.

One of the most widely known English poets is remarkable because his work has been transcribed, published, read and comment on since his death. He is Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1345- 1400). His best known work is «The Canterbury Tales *, a collection of tales. Chaucer is buried in Westminster Abbey.

The Problem of Environmental Protection in Great Britain

Environmental protection is an international issue of great importance and Great Britain pays much attention to it. There are nearly 500 000 protected buildings and 7000 conservation areas of architecture of historical interest in Britain. The Government supports the work of the voluntary sector in preserving the national heritage.

Total emissions of smoke in the air have fallen by 85 per cent since 1960. Most petrol stations in Britain stock unleaded petrol. The Government is committed to the control of gases emission, which damage the ozone layer. They also contribute to the greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming and a rise in sea levels. Britain stresses the need for studying the science of climate change.

Green belts are areas where land should be left open and free from urban sprawl. The Government attaches great importance to their protection. National parks cover 9 per cent of the total land area of \u200b\u200bEngland and Wales. The National Rivers Authority protects island waters in England and Wales. In Scotland the River purification authorities are responsible for water pollution control. Great Britain takes care of its environment for themselves and next generations.

The Towns of Great Britain

The centre of everything in Great Britain is the city of London. It's situated at the centre of a vast national and international network of communication. London consists of four main districts, which differ from each other. These are the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.

London's industries are extremely varied. Among them an extensive system of docks and port industries, electrical engineering, the motor car industry and other.

The other towns, situated to the north of the Thames are Oxford and Cambridge.

Oxford was first mentioned in recorded history in the tenth century and later became an important trade centre in medieval times, then it developed into leading educational centre.

Cambridge is also best known for its ancient university. Its industries are mostly concerned with electronics which has an international reputation.

Bristol dominates South-west England, both as the region's largest seaport and as its largest city. It is a major centre of metallurgy, aircraft and chemical industries.

Of the towns situated in the south of England the largest ones are Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton.

Southampton is primarily a seaport, the most important on the south coast.

Brighton is sne of the most popular seaside resorts of Britain. It has mild climate, warm sea and wonderful beaches.

Manchester is a city of ancient origin. By the 17th century it was great commercial city, a centre of textile industry. Now engineering along with clothing manufacture are most important industries there.

Sheffield, situated in South Yorkshire, produces almost

two-thirds of the country's alloy steel, it is famous for its tools and cutlery. Other industries include paper making machinery and food processing.

In North Yorkshire the largest town is York. Its leading industries are engineering and manufacture of confectionery. York attracts many tourists because of its famous medieval city walls.

Topic: Great Britain

Тема: Великобританія

Інша річ, яка привертає велику кількість туристів - особлива політична система, яка існує в цій країні, як ви знаєте, Великобританія має королеву - Єлизавету II. Система називається конституційною монархією. Крім того, є одна особливість цієї країни - тут немає такого документа, як конституція, замість цього існує особливий набір правил, яких повинен дотримуватися кожен громадянин Великобританії. Парламент в країні складається з трьох частин. Це Монархи, Палата Лордів і Об'єднана Палата.

Great Britain has many places of interest, that is why the country attracts a big number of tourists. situated in the London city, where you can also find many interesting places. In my opinion, every person who is travelling to Great Britain should visit the London city. There are some interesting facts about London. London is built on the river Thames. , That span the river. The first bridge was wooden and the Romans built it. London is divided of the government.

Великобританія має багато цікавих місць, тому країна залучає велику кількість туристів. Серед найбільш відомих пам'яток, є Біг-Бен, Вестмінстерське абатство, яке знаходиться в місті Лондон, де ви також можете знайти багато цікавих місць. На мій погляд, кожна людина, яка подорожує до Великобританії повинні відвідати місто Лондон. Ось деякі цікаві факти про Лондон. Лондон побудований на річці Темзі. У місті є 15 мостів, які охоплюють річку. Перший міст був дерев'яним і побудували його римляни. Лондон ділиться на окремі локальні одиниці уряду.

Among the special things, concerning Great Britain, it is necessary to mention the famous red double decker buses and the unique red British telephone boxes. Every person who takes big interest in Britishness will also mention the two famous characters - Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. There is also the museum of Sherlock Holmes, where you will get a chance to feel the special atmosphere of the detective stories.

Серед особливих речей, які стосуються Великобританії, необхідно відзначити, знамениті червоні двоповерхові автобуси і унікальні червоні британські телефонні будки. Кожна людина, яка дуже цікавиться брітаністікой, також згадає про двох знаменитих персонажів - Шерлока Холмса і доктора Ватсона. Існує також музей Шерлока Холмса на знаменитій Бейкер-стріт, де ви отримаєте можливість відчути особливу атмосферу детективів.

Another special feature of Great Britain is its climate. As you know, very often the country is called -. There is a real reason for it. Usually,

]

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of Great Britain. Northern Ireland is situated in the northern part of Ireland. The territory of the United Kingdom is about 244 square kilometres. His the 75th place among other countries in the world. The population is over 55 million. About 80% of the population is urban. The capital of the country is London.

2. Geographical position and physical features:

The surface of Great Britain varies greatly. The northern and western part of the country is mountains and is called the Highlands. All the rest (south, east and centre) is a vast plain which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high. The rivers are not long. The most important of them are the Severn and the Thames. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous parts of the country.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain.

The weather in GB is very changeable. A fine morning can change into a wet afternoon and evening and the wrong side out. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The English 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 best time of the year in GB is spring (of course, it rains in spring too). The two worst months in Britain are January and February. They are cold, damp and unpleasant. Summer months are rather cold and there can be a lot of rainy days. So most people who look forward to summer holidays, plan to go abroad for the summer.

4. National economy

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world "s largest producers and exporters of iron and steel products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The most famous educational centres are Oxford and Cambridge universities. They are considered to be the intellectual centres of Europe. The education is not free, it is very expensive.

5. Politic system

The United Kingdom is a monarchy and the Queen is the head of state. But in practice it is ruled by the elected government with a 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 London, the Conservative and the Liberal parties, The Conservative party is the ruling party nowadays.

Переклад тексту: Great Britain

1. Генерал

Великобританія Великобританії і Північної Ірландії розташована на Британських островах. Це складається з чотирьох частин: Англія, Уельс, Шотландія і Північна Ірландія. Англія, Уельс і Шотландія займають територію Великобританії. Північна Ірландія розташована в північній частині Ірландії. Територія Великобританії - приблизно 244 квадратних кілометри. Його 75-е місце серед інших країн в світі. Населення - понад 55 мільйонів. Приблизно 80% населення є міськими. Капітал країни - Лондон.

2. Географічне положення і фізичні особливості:

Поверхня Великобританії змінюється дуже. Північна і західна частина країни - гори і називається Гірської місцевістю. Всі інші (південь, схід і центр) є великою рівниною, яку називають Среднешотландськой низовиною. Гори не дуже високі. Ріки не довгі. Найважливіші з них - Северн і Темза. Є багато красивих озер в гористих частинах країни.

Гори, Атлантичний океан і теплі води Гольфстріму впливають на клімат Великобританії.

Погода в гігабіт дуже мінлива. Прекрасний ранок може змінитися у вологий день і вечір і неправильну сторону. Англійські люди кажуть: "Інші країни мають клімат, в Англії ми маємо погоду." Англійці також говорять, що вони мають три варіанти погоди: коли йде дощ вранці, коли йде дощ днем \u200b\u200bабо коли йде дощ цілий день.

Найкраща пора року в гігабіт - весна (звичайно, йде дощ навесні також). Два гірших місяці в Великобританії - січень і лютий. Вони замерзли, вологість і неприємний. Літні місяці швидше холодні і може бути багато дощових днів. Таким чином більшість людей, які з нетерпінням чекають літньої відпустки, планує виїхати за кордон протягом літа.

4. Народне господарство

Великобританія - високо розвинена індустріальна країна. Це відомо як один з найбільших в світі виробників і експортерів залізних і сталевих продуктів, машин та електроніки, хімікалій і тканини, літака і навігаційного обладнання. Одна з головних галузей промисловості країни - суднобудування.

Великобританія - країна зі старими культурними традиціями і митницею. Найвідоміші освітні центри - Кембриджські університети і Оксфорд. Вони, як вважають, є інтелектуальними центрами Європи. Освіта не є вільним, це дуже дорого.

5. Розсудлива система

Великобританія - монархія, і Королева - глава держави. Але практично цим керує обраний уряд з Прем'єр-міністром в голові. Британський Парламент складається з двох палат: Палата лордів і Палата громад. У Великобританії є три головних політичних боку: Лондон, Консерватор і Ліберальні партії, Консервативна партія - правляча сторона в даний час.

Використана література:
1. 100 тем англійської усного (Каверіна В., Бойко В., Жидких Н.) 2002
2. Англійська мова для школярів і вступників до ВНЗ. Усний іспит. Топіки. Тексти для читання. Екзаменаційні питання. (Цветкова І. В., Клепальченко І.А., Мильцева Н.А.)
3. English, 120 Topics. Англійська мова, 120 розмовних тем. (Сергєєв С.П.)