III. Read the text and do the tasks following it

Great Britain

I. First thoughts. Say some words about your native town. Have you ever been to Donetsk? What places in Donetsk do you like best of all? What country would you like to visit? Why?

II. Study the words. Make sure you know them. Practice the pronunciation.

Eupore, Asia, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Thames, the Avon, the Cam, Stratford, Cambridge, Oxford; to constitute, to connect, to be situated, to limit, to hold, to be engaged, island, valley.

III. Read the text and do the tasks following it.

Great Britain occupies a large island to the West of Europe. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The total area of the United Kingdom is 244,000 square kilometres with a population of 50 million.

The climate of the country is mild. It is typically maritime. The winters are warm, the summers are cool and the weather is very changeable.

There are many rivers and beautiful lakes in the country. The rivers in Britain are not long. Many of them are connected by canals.

Many large cities are situated on the rivers. London, the capital of Great Britain, is in the valley of the Thames, Stratford is on the banks of the Avon, Cambridge is on the Cam.

Great Britain is a monarchy but the power of the Queen is limited by Parliament.

It is a highly developed industrial country. Almost half of Great Britain's population is engaged in industry. Shipbuilding, machine building, electronic engineering now are the main branches of Great Britain's industry.

IV. Comprehension Check.

Match the words with their meanings.

1) constitute                      a) долина

2) island                            b) ограничивать

3) connect                         c) быть занятым

4) valley                            d) соединять

5) limit                              e) составлять

6) be engaged                    f) остров

Complete the following sentences.

1. Great Britain occupies....

2. … constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

3. The climate of Great Britain is....

4. London is..., it is situated....

5. Great Britain is....

6. The main branches of Great Britain's industry are....

Answer the questions.

1. What island does Great Britain occupy?

2. What constitutes the United Kingdom of Great Britain?

3. What is the total area of the United Kingdom?

4. What is its population?

5. What is the climate like in Britain?

6. Where is London situated?

7. What towns situated on the banks of rivers do you know?

8. What country is Great Britain?

9. What are the main branches of Great Britain's industry?

V. Speaking.

Look at the map of the United Kingdom. Point and name: the parts of the UK, the capital, the main rivers.

VI. Grammar.

1. Form gerunds from the following verbs:

to occupy, to constitute, to connect, to limit, to hold, to develop, to depend.

Read and translate paying attention to the function of gerund.

1. I like reading English books.

2. We know of her coming to Donetsk.

3. He continued studying English.

4. He likes translating English stories into Russian.

5. After finishing the translation the students handed their copybooks to the teacher.

State Structure of Great Britain. Parliament

I. First thoughts. Who is the head of the state in GB? What is the name of the monarch? Have you ever heard the words of the Victorian writer Walter Bagehot “The Queen reigns, but she does not rule”? What do you think they mean?

II. Study the words. Make sure you know them. Practice the pronunciation.

monarchy, limit, parliament, lord, throne, speaker, minister, prime minister, policy, ministry, party; House of Lords, House of Commons, Lord Speaker, Lord Chancellor, Speaker, Union Jack, woolsack, State Opening of Parliament, Big Ben.

III. Read the text and do the tasks following it.

Great Britain is a monarchy. But the power of the Queen (or King) is limited by Parliament.

Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Members are elected only to the House of Commons. The House of Lords is hereditary. Members of one House may not enter the other. The exception is the day of the State Opening of Parliament.

In the House of Lords before the Throne there is the Woolsack upon which the Lord Speaker presides over the lords. Until July 2006, the role of presiding officer in was undertaken by the Lord Chancellor.

The Speaker presides over the members of the House of Commons.

The Party which obtained the majority of seats in the House is called the Government and the others – the Opposition. The Prime Minister is responsible for the policy conducted by Parliament. Ministry is formed from the party in power.

The House of Lords has 850 members. The House of Commons has 630 members who are elected. The election is held every 5 years.

When Parliament sits, a flag (Union Jack) flies over Victoria Tower by day and a light in the Clock Tower burns above the Big Ben—by night.

IV. Comprehension Check.

Match the words with their meanings.

1) power                           a) палата лордов

2) House of Commons      b) наследственный

3) House of Lords             c) правительство

4) elect                              d) получать

5) government                   e) власть

6) obtain                           f) палата общин

7) hereditary                     g) выбирать

Answer the questions.

1. What houses does British Parliament consist of?

2. Which party is called the Government?

3. Who is responsible for the policy conducted by Parliament?

4. What party is in power now?

5. Who is the Prime Minister?

V. Discuss the following with your groupmates.

Would you like to be a politician? Is being a king or a queen an easy job? Why?

VI. Grammar.

1. Decide what part of speech the following words belong to:

typical, changeable, beautiful, dependent, industrial, powerful, electronic.

London

I. First thoughts. Have you ever been abroad? Would you like to visit London?

II. Study the words. Make sure you know them. Practice the pronunciation.

The West End, the East End, the City, Whitehall, Houses of Parliament, the Tower, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, British Museum; district, famous, rich, poor, places of interest.

III. Read the text and do the tasks following it.

London is the capital of Great Britain. It is situated on the Thames. It is a large industrial and cultural centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is about 9 million people.

The Thames divides London into parts: the West End and the East End.

The West End is the district of the rich. In the West End there are many famous museums and theatres, palaces and parks. The City, where nobody lives, is the commercial centre of the country; Whitehall is the political centre. The East End is the district of factories and of the poor.

There are very many places of interest which are known to you through photographs and pictures: e.g. the Houses of Parliament, the Tower, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the British Museum.

London is not only a large city but also a seaport. Great ocean-going ships bring various goods from countries thousands of miles away.