THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN

1. Read and translate the text:

The full name of Great Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is not a big country. Its area is 244,000 square kilometres. The population of Great Britain is about 57 million. The main nationalities are: English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is the head of state. But according to the constitution, power in the country belongs to the Parliament. The monarch can only reign with the support of the Parliament. The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. They meet only on symbolic occasions, such as the opening of the Parliament. In reality, the House of Commons has true power. New bills are introduced and debated here. If the majority of the members are in favour of a bill it goes to the House of Lords to be debated and then to the Queen for signing. Only then it becomes a law. The House of Commons is made up of 650 elected members (MPs). They are elected by the people at general elections. Parliamentary elections must be held every five years.

There are four political parties in Great Britain – the Conservative, the Liberal, the Labour and the Communist Parties. The political parties choose candidates in elections. The party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government. Its leader usually becomes the Prime Minister. The largest minority party becomes the Opposition. The majority party runs the country.

The Prime Minister chooses about 20 MPs from his party and they form Cabinet of Ministers. Each minister is responsible for a particular area of the government. The leader of the Opposition chooses MPs too. They are responsible for opposing the government. They form the “Shadow Cabinet”. The Conservative and Liberal parties are the oldest. Since 19th century they were the only parties elected to the House of Commons. The members of the House of Lords are not elected.

Parliament in London is responsible for deciding national policy, but many public services are provided by local governments. They are responsible for organizing such services as education, libraries, police and others.

Great Britain is a member of a voluntary association of 50 independent states called the Commonwealth. It is also a member of the European Community and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It has diplomatic relations with 166 states.

Great Britain is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland. There are also more than 5,000 smaller islands around the coasts of the two main islands. 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. Great Britain consists of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviots (the Cheviot Hills) separate England from Scotland. In the centre of England is a range of hills called the Pennines, known as the backbone of England. The Cumbrian mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland and are the tallest of the British mountains. Ben Nevis, the tallest peak is only 1,343 m. high and Snowdon is 1,085 m. high.

The longest and the deepest rivers are the Severn, the Thames, the Tyne, the Trent and the Clyde. There are many lakes in Great Britain, especially in the mountains. The Lake District is the most beautiful corner of England. Loch Lomond, Loch Ness in Scotland are the largest ones. There are no great forests in the country. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest in the east of England. It was the home of Robin Hood.

Great Britain is rich in coal, iron, copper, lead, zinc, salt, china-clay, granite. British coal is of high quality. In the annual production of coal Great Britain occupies the 3rd place in the world.

The British Isles are surrounded by the ocean which influences the climate of the country. It is mild thanks to the warm water of Gulf Stream. Western districts have a high rainfall because of winds and the mountains and eastern parts of the country are much drier. Strong frosts are rare. Due to the Gulf Stream the January temperature is higher and the July temperature is lower than in any other country of the same latitude. The average temperature in winter is about 5 degrees above zero and 15-17 degrees in summer. The rivers are not frozen throughout the year. The mild and damp climate of the British Isles is very good for agriculture, especially for vegetables-farming, sheep and cattle-farming, but the lack of sunshine hinders the cultivation of grain crops.

Vocabulary:

Support	Підтримка
Head of state	глава держави
Power	Влада
Bill	Законопроект
Majority	Більшість
Election	Вибори
to vote	Голосувати
Minority	Меншість
to be responsible for	відповідати за що-небудь
Shadow	тінь, тіньовий
Agreement	Угода
to sign	Підписувати
to be separated (from)	відокремлюватись (від)
to be rich in	бути багатим на
to surround	Оточувати
Mild	м‘який
to vary	Змінюватись
to due (to), thanks (to)	дякувати (завдяки)
Average	Середній
Lack	Нестача
to freeze	Замерзати
Dry	Сухий
to hinder	Шкодити

2. Answer the following questions:

1. What kind of country is the United Kingdom?

2. What is the population of the country?

3. What is the area of the country?

4. Where is Great Britain situated?

5. Who is the head of state?

6. What Houses does the British Parliament consist of?

7. Who has true power in the country?

8. How many political parties are there in Great Britain?

9. What islands do the British Isles consist of?

10. What parts does Great Britain consist of?

11. What mineral resources is Great Britain rich in?

12. What is the climate of Great Britain?

13. What influences the climate of the country?

14. What is the average temperature in winter and in summer?

15. Why do western districts have a high rainfall?

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