The written word in great britain

23   As soon as we got on the plane, the pilot told us to get off again. just

        We ………………………………………… the plane when the pilot told us to get off again.

24   We arrived in Budapest two days ago. for

        We ………………………………………… two days.

25   I visited Paris once before. second

        This is the ………………………………………… Paris.

26   I find it hard to go at the same speed as my husband on walking holidays. up

        I find it hard to ………………………………………… my husband on walking holidays.

27   Joan has always been very fond of travelling and has been everywhere. keen

        Joan has always been very ………………………………………… and has been everywhere.

28   We drove away as fast as we could, ready to begin our adventure. full

        We drove away …………………………………………, ready to begin our adventure.

29   As the storm started, we went towards the old house. direction

        As the storm started, we went ………………………………………… the old house.

30   I’m sorry I didn’t look at the hotel room before I booked it. regret

        I ………………………………………… the hotel room before I booked it.

Это первая статья из цикла  «Страноведение. Великобритания». Разнообразные задания по теме помогут вам получше узнать историю и культуру великой страны, язык которой вы изучаете. Возможно, вы захотите посетить ее, чтобы своими глазами увидеть удивительные места, о которых прочитаете и поговорить с жителями на их родном языке.  Прочитайте несложный текст (Great Britain, text for beginners) и  вы узнаете основные факты об этой стране.

Great Britain text for beginners

Страноведение. Великобритания. Задания (вводные)

Task 1. Эти имена имеют отношение к Великобритании. Что вы знаете о каждом из них?

the Beatles, Luis Carol, Scotland, Agatha Christie, Cardiff, Conan Doyle, Robinson Crusoe, Wales, Charles Dickens, Mary Poppins, Isaac Newton, London, Robert Stevenson, England, Oxford, Charlotte Bronte, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Rudyard Kipling

If you don’t know what to say, try to divide the names into groups:

  1. writers
  2. characters
  3. music bands
  4. countries
  5. cities & towns
  6. scientists

Task 2. Выполните Quiz 1. What do you know about the UK?


Task 3. Перед тем как читать текст про Великобританию, найдите на карте географические названия ниже:

  1. the British Isles [‘brɪtɪʃ  aɪlz]- Британские острова ( Great Britain & Ireland)
  2. the Irish Sea — Ирландское море
  3. the English Channel — пролив Ла-Манш (другие названия пролив Па-де-Кале)
  4. the Strait of Dover — Дуврский пролив
  5. the North Sea – Северное море
  6. the Atlantic Ocean – Атлантический океан
  7. England — Англия
  8. Scotland — Шотландия
  9. Wales – Уэльс
  10. the UK – Соединенное королевство
  11. Northern Ireland – Северная Ирландия
  12. Dover – город Дувр

the British Isles — историческое название, которое нужно запомнить.

Не путайте произношение слов: isle [aɪl], island [‘aɪlənd] — остров, Ireland [‘aɪələnd] — Ирландия

Great Britain.Text for beginners with map

The British Isles include two main islands: Great Britain and Ireland.


Task 4. Переведите предложения ниже и найдите на карте части Соединенного королевства и их столицы. Запомните их.

  • Столица Англии и соединенного королевства — Лондон.
  • Столица Шотландии — Эдинбург.
  • Столица Уэльса — Кардиф.
  • Столица Северной Ирландии — Белфаст.

The UK and its parts on the map

Task 5. Вспомните слова по теме «Страноведение»: be situated in, be separated by (from), be washed by, include, consist of, capital, island, continent, main, part, point, narrow, the narrowest, near, the nearest.


Task 6. Прочитайте текст про Соединенное королевство.

New Words:

  • an island state – островное государство
  • the white chalk cliffs of Dover – меловые утесы Дувра

Great Britain (text for beginners)

(after the textbook by Afanasjeva, V)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) is the official name of the state, which is situated on the British Isles. This state is also called Great Britain after the main island with the same name. The UK consists of four countries, which are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

Эту информацию надо выучить выучить!


Geographical position of the UK. Географическое положение Соединенного королевства

The UK is an island state. The two main islands are Great Britain (where England, Scotland and Wales are situated) and Ireland (where Northern Ireland and the independent Irish Republic are situated). The two islands are separated by the Irish Sea. The UK is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and the North Sea in the east.

The UK is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of English Channel. The nearest point to Europe is Dover which is only thirty-two miles from France. Dover is one of the most ancient ports. If you cross the English Channel by ferry you can see the white chalk cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle.

Great Britain. England. The Dover Castle

 Dover Castle – Дуврский замок (фото автора)

Nationalities. Национальности

Everyone who was born in Britain is British. People from England are English. People from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not English. They are Scottish or the Scotts, Welsh and Irish.


Languages. Языки

Everyone in Britain speaks English. But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak different languages as well. The Welsh are especially proud of their language. They like to speak Welsh, to sing songs in Welsh and when you travel you can see road signs in Welsh all over Wales. Everyone in the UK speaks English but they all speak it differently. A Scottish person has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a Londoner or a Welsh person.

The Scottish people speak Gaelic [‘geɪlɪk] (гаэльский, язык шотландских кельтов).


Population. Население

More than 56 million people live in Britain. Many of them live in big industrial cities like London. The biggest cities of England are Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool (England); Edinburg, Glasgow, (Scotland).


Nature. Природа

Foreigners are often surprised by the fact that much of land in Britain is open country. There are many lonely hills, quiet rivers, deep lakes and just farmlands especially in the south of the country. The open country is named Lowlands but it changes for hills called Highlands in the north of the country.

Climate. Климат

The climate in Great Britain is very mild. The winter temperature is between +3° and +7°. Snow does not cover the ground very long, except on the mountains. The summer temperature is between +15° and +18°.  It often rains.

The English weather is very changeable. So when English people make plans for holidays  they usually begin, “If the weather…”


State Symbol. Государственный символ

The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack. It is made up of three crosses: the cross of St. George (the patron saint of England), the cross of St. Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland) and the cross of St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland).


Упражнения к тексту «Great Britain»

Упражнение 1. Read the text and complete the following sentences:

  1. … is the official name of the state which is situated on the British Isles.
  2. The capital of Great Britain is …
  3. The capital of Scotland is …
  4. The capital of Northern Ireland is …
  5. The capital of Wales is …
  6. Ireland and Great Britain are separated by …
  7. The UK is separated from the continent by …
  8. The UK is washed by… in the west.
  9. The UK is washed by … in the east.

Упражнение 2. Complete the following sentences making the right choice.

  1. The Union Jack is …
    1. the flag of the UK
    2. the flag of the USA
  1. English is spoken …
    1. all over Britain
    2. only in England
  1. The UK is the official name of the country situated …
    1. on the island which is called Great Britain
    2. on the British Isles
  1. Edinburgh is the capital of …
    1. Wales
    2. Scotland
  1. The independent Irish Republic is situated …
    1. in Northern Ireland
    2. on the smaller of the two biggest islands of the British Isles
  1. Great Britain and Ireland are separated by …
    1. the North Sea
    2. the Irish Sea
  1. The nearest point to Europe is …
    1. the Strait of Dover
    2. Dover
  1. The UK is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in …
    1. the north
    2. the west

Упражнение 3. Fill in articles where necessary.

(1) ________ United Kingdom is situated on (2) ________ British Isles which are separated from (3) ________ continent by (4) _________English Channel and (5) _________Strait of Dover. (6) __________two main islands of (7) _________ British Isles are (8)_________Great Britain and (9) ________Ireland. (10) _______ England is situated in (11)________ south of (12) _______ Great Britain and (13) _______ Scotland in its (14) ________ north. (15)_______ two big islands are separated by (16) _______ Irish Sea.

ОТВЕТЫ (упр. 3)


Упражнение 4. Complete this text about Great Britain and learn it by heart.

Use the words: mild, large, falls, rain, sightseeing, Western,  Atlantic, temperature, pound, population,  Highlands, English, London.

Great Britain is a (1) …. country, a kingdom in (2) …. Europe. It lies on several islands and has a (3) …. of about 57 mln people. Great Britain’s capital is (4)…. and the national currency is a (5) …. . (6) …. is the language that people speak in the country.

The climate in Great Britain is very (7) …. . There are a lot of (8) …. falling out all the year round. The wind brings rain from the (9) …. Ocean. Snow only (10) …. occasionally and doesn’t stay for long except in the (11) …. of Scotland. The usual (12) …. in England and Wales are + 4°C in January and + 16°C in July and August.

A lot of tourists come to Great Britain every year to do some (13) …. in its big and small towns.


Упражнение 5. Match the words in the two columns to say what these places are famous for. Make notes to remember.

Example: London is famous for its places of interest.

The places of interest: the Lake District, Hadrian’s Wall, Stonehenge, Land’s End, Cambridge and Oxford, Heathrow, Greenwich, Liverpool, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Descriptions:

  1. the biggest airport in England
  2. a group of huge stones of pre-historic times
  3. the fact it is the most westerly [‘west(ə)lɪ] point in the country
  4. the fact that it was built by Romans
  5. its 12th century universities
  6. its lakes and beautiful scenery
  7. the fact that it is the home town of Beatles
  8. the fact that it is Shakespeare’s place of birth
  9. Greenwich Observatory, the zero meridian of longitude passes through it.

Упражнение 6. Answer the questions.

  1. What is the official name of Great Britain now?
  2. What parts does the UK consist of and what are their capitals?
  3. What is the national symbol (emblem) of England (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)?
  4. What is the British flag called? Why?
  5. What are the names of two main islands of the British Isles?
  6. What separates Great Britain from the continent?
  7. What do we call the narrowest part of the English Channel?
  8. Why is the UK called an island state?
  9. What do we call people who were born in Britain? In Scotland? In Wales? In Ireland?
  10. Is English the only language people speak in the UK?
  11. What is the Union Jack? What does the Union Jack look like and what does it symbolize?
  12. What language is spoken in Scotland? In Wales? In Ireland?
  13. How big is London compared with other cities?
  14. How does the scenery change across the country?
  15. What is the British climate like?
  16. What is the English weather like?
  17. What is Stratford-upon-Avon famous for?
  18. What is Oxford famous for? Cambridge?
  19. What is Liverpool famous for?
  20. What is Lake district famous for?

Упражнение 7. Match the country and its symbol.

Countries of the UK: England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland

Symbols: Daffodil, Rose, Shamrock, Thistle


ОТВЕТЫ (упр. 3)

1.the; 2.the; 3 the; 4.the ; 5.the; 6 the; 7.the; 8.-; 9.-; 10.-; 11.the; 12.- ; 13.-; 14.-; 15.the; 16.the.

2. Complete this text about Great Britain and learn it by heart.
Use the words: mild, large, falls, rain, sightseeing, Western, Atlantic,temperature, pound, population, Highlands, English, London.

Great Britain is a (1) …. country, a kingdom in (2) …. Europe. It lies on several islands and has a (3) …. of about 57 mln people. Great Britain’s capital is (4)…. and the national currency is a (5) …. . (6) …. is the language that people speak in the country. The climate in Great Britain is very (7) …. . There are a lot of (8) …. falling out all the year round. The wind brings rain from the (9) …. Ocean. Snow only (10) …. occasionally and doesn’t stay for long except in the (11) …. of Scotland. The usual (12) …. in England and Wales are + 4°C in January and + 16°C in July and August. A lot of tourists come to Great Britain every year to do some (13) …. in its big and small towns.

Ответы

Автор ответа: MathDaddy





27

Ответ:

1. large

2. Western

3. population

4. London

5. pound

6. English

7. mild

8. rains

9. Atlantic

10. falls

11. Highlands

12. temperature

13. sightseeing


MathDaddy:
рад помочь. успехов =)

Интересные вопросы

Sometimes when I realize just how many books there are out there that I want to read, it can feel a little overwhelming! But, something that helps when picking out a new book is to break it down by the author. Reading all of one author’s works is a great goal to have and can help keep your reading on track.

But, which author to choose?! That’s where this handy list comes in. Below, I’ve chosen 10 of the most popular British writers. Now, this list could have been the top 100 writers, but for the sake of time, I’ve broken it down to just 10 to get you started.

1. William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare by John Taylor – WikiCommons

A list of the top 10 most popular British writers just wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to the Bard! William Shakespeare is hands down one of the most famous British authors to ever live, and his works deserve all of the attention that they get.

Shakespeare was an actor and playwright in London in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His plays have been performed for nearly 500 years, and continue to be read and studied today! He was such a prolific writer that over 1,500 words and phrases that the Bard himself coined are still in use in the English language today.

Start with: Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth

2. Jane Austen

Jane Austen

A colorized version of an engraved depiction of Jane Austen – WikiCommons

Jane Austen was a British writer who lived and worked in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At the time, women just didn’t become writers (they weren’t expected to work at all) and thus Austen published all of her works anonymously. Most of her novels are focused on the lives of upper and middle-class women and their families, the focus on marriage as the only option for women at the time, and are filled with romance and humor. Austen also happens to be one of my all-time favorites!

Start with: Pride and Prejudice and Emma

3. Charles Dickens

Dickens

Charles Dickens by Rischgitz circa the 1860s – WikiCommons

Charles Dickens is another world-famous British writer. Author of classics such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, Dickens is a household name all over the world. He lived and worked in Victorian England in the 19th century. Most of his books told a story as well as served as a criticism of social conditions in Europe at the time. Unlike many writers, Dickens enjoyed fame and fortune during his lifetime.

Start with: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and A Tale of Two Cities

4. J. R. R. Tolkien

Known by many as the man who invented the fantasy genre, J. R. R. Tolkien is another popular British writer you should add to your reading lists! Tolkien lived and worked in the early 20th century, and is the author of the famous, now turned into a movie series, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s books can be intimidating solely due to their length, but trust me, it’s worth it! You can’t help but be impressed by the intricate worlds that Tolkien creates.

Start with: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

5. Brontë Sisters

Jane Eyre

Excerpt of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë with illustrations – WikiCommons

Charlotte Brontë is the most famous of this group of literary sisters, but I think that they all deserve a place on this list of top 10 popular British writers! The sisters lived and worked in the 19th century and were basically brought up to become authors. Their father encouraged the girls to write and master their craft. Like Austen, because they were women, they used pseudonyms to publish their work. Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë wrote on isolation, women’s place in society in the 19th century, and the British countryside. Charlotte is most famous for the classic Jane Eyre, Emily for Wuthering Heights, and Anne for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Start with: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

6. Daniel Defoe

defoe

Daniel Defoe by Unknown, style of Sir Godfrey Kneller – WikiCommons

Daniel Defoe lived and worked in the 17th and 18th centuries in England. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, the tale of a man stranded on a desert island. The tale has been rewritten and transformed into television shows and movies, and is a true classic. Defoe is also considered to be one of the first writers to pen a novel and thus made this style of book popular among the British. In addition to Robinson Crusoe, Defoe wrote over 500 pieces over his lifetime.

Start with: Robinson Crusoe

7. George Eliot

Middlemarch

First edition title page of Middlemarch, 1871 – WikiCommons

George Eliot, otherwise known as Mary Ann Evans, is another female author who was forced to hide behind a male pseudonym. In the 19the century, women writers were expected to only write romance novels, but Evans wanted to be taken seriously, which is why she chose the name George Eliot as her pen name. Her plan worked as thanks to the success of her most famous work, Middlemarch, she gained respect for her insight and intelligence. The novel was recently voted the greatest British novel of all time by the BBC!

Start with: Middlemarch

8. C.S. Lewis

C.S Lewis plaque -by MartinRobinson- Wikimedia Commons

C.S. Lewis was an academic who is most well-known for his fictional fantasy books aimed at children. I remember the first time that I read The Chronicles of Narnia as a kid – I was instantly hooked! Lewis and Tolkien were good friends, working and living in England in the 20th century, which isn’t surprising. I wonder if they ever brainstormed together to come up with their impressive fantasy worlds!

Start with: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

9. Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf in 1927 – WikiCommons

Virginia Woolf was a leading modernist writer in the 20th century. She is most well-known for her use of stream of consciousness in her works. She is often referenced in feminist studies as well, thanks to her involvement in early feminist movements in the 1920s. Her essay, A Room of One’s Own includes the famous line, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Such a line might not seem that important now, but trust me, in the early 20th century, it was groundbreaking.

Start with: Mrs. Dalloway, A Room of One’s Own, and Orlando

10. George Orwell

1984

Early 1960s paperback cover of George Orwell’s 1984 by Chris Protopapas – Flickr

If you’re into dystopian fiction, you’re going to love George Orwell. You may have heard of him thanks to his well-known novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. “Big Brother is watching” ring any bells? Well, you’ll find that line many times over in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Most of Orwell’s works focus on social injustice and what can happen in a totalitarian society.

Start with: Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm

Conclusion

I hope you’ve been taking notes because you have a lot of titles to add to your reading lists! There are so many impressive British writers out there that it was extremely difficult for me to narrow them down to a list of 10, but I think that the author’s above are a great start!

If you’re in London and you want to learn more about the famous British writers that lived and worked there, I suggest that you join one of our walking tours with our knowledgable local guides. Click here to learn more and to make your booking!

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