Great Britain
1) Let's talk about Great Britain. What
do you know about this country?
The United
Kingdom is very small compared with many other countries in the world. It is
situated on the British Isles and consists of four countries - England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They are not independent countries, but‟countries
in a country.” They share citizenship, the armed forces, money, parliament and
the capital – London. Nevertheless, each of the countries has its own national
flag, emblem, anthem, and public holidays.
The total
area of the UK is 244,820 square kilometers. The population of Great Britain is
about 63 million people.
The
official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland. The head of the state is Queen Elizabeth II. The head
of the government is Prime Minister David Cameron. Great Britain is a highly
developed industrial country. The biggest industrial cities are London,
Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
The climate
of the country is mild and changeable. British people joke that they have no
climate, they have weather.
The UK is a
real attraction for tourists. Its landscape is extremely varied, so everyone
will find something they will enjoy. There are grassy plains, beautiful wide
and narrow valleys, velvet hills, thick forests, picturesque lakes and marvelous
beaches.
2) Would you like to visit Britain?
Why?
If I could,
I would like to visit Britain, for the simple reason that I have heard so much
about it and I want to experience it for myself. I'd like to visit Great
Britain one day to see all sightseeing I have read about, to look at Buckingham
Palace, at Big Ben, to stay at Nelson's monument at Trafalgar Square and to go
on double-decker bus. I'd like to see with my own eyes its famous places of
interest and to improve my English.
3) What would you like to ask a British
teenager about Britain?
1. What
goods does the British industry produce?
2. What
traditions do British people follow?
3. What
is the population of your country?
4. What
are the main tourist attractions in your country?
5. What
are the Queen′s duties?
4) Give me a piece of
advice on what sights to see in London.
London is
the capital and the main tourist attraction for tourists of the country. The
most important parts of London are the City, the East End, the West End and Westminster.
The City is
the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Most banks
and offices are situated there, including the Bank of England. Here you
can visit St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral,
the greatest English church, was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher
Wren. The Tower of London was a fortress, a palace, a prison and now it's a
museum.
The West
End is the richest part of London. Theatres, cinemas, museums, picture
galleries and famous London parks are situated here. It′s a symbol of luxury.
Westminster
is known for its governmental buildings. Here you can visit Westminster Abbey,
where many famous English politicians, scientists, poets and writers are
buried. One can see Buckingham Palace, the Queen's home and the House of
Parliament here.
The East
End is the poorest part of London. But it's famous for its sights. Trafalgar
Square is the geographical centre of London. There you can see the famous
Nelson's Column.
Madam
Tussaud's Museum is famous for its waxworks statues of historical figures and
celebrities.
The British
Museum is also situated in the East End. It's one of the greatest museums of
the world.
In
conclusion I'd like to say that not only British sights are tourist attraction
but also the people who live there.
5)
What can you tell us about British character and behaviour?
The British
are said to be polite and well-mannered people. Polite words or phrases such as
“ Please", “Thank you" and “Excuse me” are used very often in
Britain. Queuing is a national habit. At bus stops and cinemas, in shops, banks
and post offices and in lots of other places you’ll have to join the queue and
wait for your turn.
The British
are said to be reserved. They don’t like displaying their emotions even in
dangerous and tragic situations. But they are not unemotional. They control
their emotions because they are taught that it is best not to show their
feelings. The English hardly ever lie, but they don’t tell you the truth
either. English people take everything with a sense of humour. You can easily
offend them if you tell them they have no sense of humour.
Englishmen
tend to be rather conservative, they love familiar things. They are proud of
their traditions and carefully keep them up. Britain has more living symbols of
its past than many other countries. Traditional uniforms are still preserved in
Great Britain. There are also a lot of traditional ceremonies such as the
"Changing of the Guard” at Buckingham Palace, “Trooping the Colour”, which
is performed on the Queen’s official birthday, or the “Ceremony of the Keys”,
that takes place every night at the Tower of London.
The English
are practical and realistic, prudent and careful about almost everything.
Everything is orderly: the lawns and the trees are neatly trimmed. Every
Englishman is said to be a countryman at heart. The English countryside is many
things to many people. It means peace and quiet, beauty, good health and no
crime. Most Englishmen love gardens. Gardening is one of the most popular
hobbies among Englishmen. They usually prefer a house with a garden to an
apartment in a modern block of flats.
The British
people are considered to be the world’s greatest tea drinkers. They drink it at
meals and between meals. The English tea is usually strong and with milk.
The British
love animals very much. Millions of families have “bird-tables” in their
gardens. Nearly half of the households in Britain keep at least one pet. The
English take good care of their pets. They are pet lovers.
6)
They say it's important for a person to speak English nowadays because it is
popular all over the world. What is your opinion?
I'm sure
that it is very necessary and important to learn English now, because English
is the language of the planet. 760 million people all over the world use it.
Every year thousands of people from Belarus go to different countries as
tourists or to work and they can't go without knowing the language of the
country they are going to, but they can speak English, because it is an
international language. A modern engineer or even a worker cannot work with
imported instruments or machines if he is not able to read the instruction how
to use it. Scientists, historians, diplomats are, as a rule, polyglots, because
they need foreign languages for their work. If you want to be a stewardess or a
pilot you must learn English, the language of international communication.
References:
• Your English Exam Support:
Подготовка к экзамену по английскому языку: пособие для учащихся учреждений
общего среднего образования / [сост. Н.А. Сергиенко]. – Мозырь: Белый Ветер, 2015. – 97, [3] с.
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