Anthem: "God Save the Queen/King"

Currency: Pound.

Following the decimalization of the currency, effective February 15, 1971, the pound consists of 100 pence.

Location: The British Isles lie off the northwest coast of the continent of Europe. They include Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), Ireland (Northern Ireland and the independent Irish Republic), and some 5,500 smaller islands. The biggest island is Great Britain.

Climate: Britain has a temperate climate due to the influence of the Gulf-stream.

Regions: The United Kingdom can be divided into four large historical areas: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland,

The word "region" is used to refer to any of the large areas of the country: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the South (southern England), the Midlands (central England), the North (northern England), etc.

The chief regional administrative units are called "counties" in England and Wales, "regions" in Scotland, and "districts" in Northern Ireland.

Languages: English is the official and predominant language; Gaelic is spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, while Welsh is the first language in most of the western counties of Wales and at least formally enjoys equal status with English as the official language of the area. There is a growing movement in Wales and Scotland for a revival of the culture and native languages.

There is one standard literary English that is characterized by the Received Pronunciation, but there are also several regional and social dialects.

Population: The population of the United Kingdom is 56,2 mln people. The British population is predominantly urban and suburban, About half the people live in a belt across England with southern Lancashire and western Yorkshire at one end and London at the other, having the industrialized Midlands at its centre. /Иностранные языки в школе 1, 2, 1987» с 77-78./

Пояснения и тексту

Union Jack - Union Flag - "Юнион Джек"- государственный флаг Соединенного королевства Великобритании и Северной Ирландия

St. George - Святой Георгий

Anthem - гимн

Currency - денежное обращение (напр. фунт стерлингов)

Gaelic - гельский язык

Received Pronunciation- нормативное произношение /особенно выпускников привилегированных частных школ/

Lancashire - графство Ланкашир

Yorkshire - графство Йоркшир

Midlands - центральные графства Англии

Слова и выражения для активного запоминания

to refer to - ссылаться на что-нибудь

different – различный

background - фон

to include – включать

influence – влияние

to divide – делить

country – графство

to reply – отвечать

language – язык

revival- возрождение

to receive – получать

received - общепринятый

urban – городской

Questions to the text.

1. What does the United Kingdom consist of?

2. What is the Union Jack?

3. Is English the official language in the United Kingdom?

4.What do you know about the population of the United Kingdom?

Text 2