Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации

Муниципальное общеобразовательное учреждение

Средняя общеобразовательная школа № 3

с углубленным изучением отдельных предметов

СБОРНИК ТЕКСТОВ И УПРАЖНЕНИЙ

по теме

«The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland»

ПРАКТИЧЕСКОЕ ПОСОБИЕ

Учитель второй категории:

Т.С. Ткаченко

Фрязино 2012

П Р Е Д И С Л О В И Е

В связи с происходящим расширением сотрудничества во всех сферах человеческой деятельности, а также в процессе адаптации личности к социокультурному многообразию мира все более высокие требования стали предъявляться к овладению иностранным языкам как средством межкультурного общения. Процесс овладения иностранным языком дает возможность ребенку приобщиться к иноязычной культуре. Освоение иноязычной культуры предполагает приобретение знаний  о различных областях жизни страны изучаемого языка, воспитание позитивного отношения к стране и ее народу, развитие умений социокультурного общения и формирование мотивации к дальнейшему овладению языком.

Изучение иностранного языка позволяет обогатить свои знания в общении с представителями различных стран и культур, укрепить экономические и культурные связи нашей страны с зарубежными государствами. При изучении ИЯ широкое распространение приобретает коммуникативный подход, проявляющийся в наибольшей степени в обучении диалогической речи. Благодаря коммуникативному подходу возможна подготовка учеников к спонтанному общению на ИЯ. При этом особая роль в обучении отводится социокультурному компоненту как фактору, который обуславливает использование языка в конкретных ситуациях. Использование материалов социокультурного характера при изучении ИЯ в значительной степени обогащает воспитательный и мотивационный потенциалы учебного предмета, помогает эффективно осваивать его, способствует развитию у школьников интереса к стране изучаемого языка. Не владея социокультурной информацией, учащиеся в процессе иноязычного общения могут допустить социокультурные ошибки, или же такое общение может не состояться. Этот факт объясняет необходимость приобщения социокультурного материала при обучении иностранному языку.

Для эффективности восприятия социокультурного материала, его подачу следует организовать в виде сформулированных проблем или иллюстрированной наглядности, поскольку для учителей наиболее важной является разработка социокультурных заданий и отбор вербального и невербального материала для соответствующих социокультурных ситуаций.  

 Данная работа по теме «The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland» представляет собой практическое пособие, предназначенное для использования на практике в школе, как молодыми учителями, так и учителями, которые имеют достаточный опыт в обучении школьников английскому языку на среднем  этапе, студентами во время прохождения педагогической практики, а также преподавателями вузов на факультетах неязыкового профиля.

Тест на знание социокультурной информации о стране

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

1. Which one is the official name of the country?

a) England

b) Great Britain

c) The United Kingdom oа Great Britain and Northern Ireland

2.  What channel separates the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the continent?

a) North Channel

b) English Channel

c) St. George’s Channel

3. What seas is the UK washed by?

a) North Sea

b) Irish Sea

c) Caribbean Sea

4. How many countries does the UK consist of?

a) 3

b) 4

c) 2

5. Match the country of the UK and its capital:

2. England
3. Wales
4. Northern Ireland
5. Scotland

1. Belfast
2. Edinburgh
3. London
4. Cardiff

6. Which is the highest mountain in the UK?

a) Cape Horn

b) Ben Nevis

c) Everest

7. What are the most important rivers for the UK?

a) the Thames

b) the Ohio

c) the Severn

8. Who rules Britain officially?

a) the Queen

b) Prime Minister

c) the King

9. How many chambers does the British Parliament have?

a) 3

b) 5

c) 2

1. The capital of the UK is:

a) Dublin

b) London

c) Newcastle

2. Who rebuilt St. Paul’s Cathedral?

a) Edward the Confessor

b) Lord Mayor

c) Sir Christopher Wren

3. Traditionally London is divided into … parts.

a) 6

b) 4

c) 3

4. The Tower has served as …

a) citadel

b) palace

c) prison

14. What is Buckingham Palace famous for?  

a) It is the biggest museum in London

b) It is the Queen’s official London residence.

c) There are memorials to Wellington and Nelson.

15. Match the name of the famous English writer and his work:

1) J. Swift

2) R. Burns

3) J. London

4) G. Chaucer

a) “The Canterbury Tales”              

b) “Martin Eden”

c) “My heart’s in the Highlands”

d) “Gulliver’s Travels”

16. What holiday do the English celebrate on October, 31?

a) Boxing day

b) Halloween

c) Thanksgiving day

17. For breakfast Englishman always have …

a) porridge

b) haggis

c) omelet

18. Who sits in the British Parliament on a wool-sack covered with red cloth?

a) the Queen

b) the Lord-Chancellor

c) Prime Minister

19. According to the tradition the faces of Big Ben are light when …

a) New Year comes

b) the weather changes

c) the Parliament works

20. What park is the most famous in London?

a) Kensington Gardens

b) St. Jame’s Park

c) Hyde Park

Ответы к тесту:

1-c

2-b

3-a, b

4-b

5-1-c, 2-d, 3-a, 4-b

6-b

7-a, c

8-a

9-c

10-b

11-c

12-b

13-a, b, c,

14-b

15-1-d, 2-c, 3-b, 4-a

16-b

17-a

18-b

19-c

20-c

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on two large islands called the British Isles. The larger island is Great Britain, which consists of three parts: England, Scotland and Wales. The smaller island is Ireland and there are about five thousand small islands.

  The country’s shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. The English channel separate Great Britain from the continent.

  The total area of the U.K. is 244.00 square kilometers with a population of 56 million. It is one of the most populated countries in the world. The average density of population is very high: about 220 people per square kilometer. The greater part of the population is urban. About 80 percent of people live in numerous towns and cities. More then seven million people live in London area. Very often the inhabitants of The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland are called English.

  The surface of the British Isles varies very mach. There are many mountains in Scotland, Wales and northwest of England but they are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain. The northern part of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands. Scotland is also famous for its beautiful lakes, which are called Lochs.

  The mountains in G.B. are not very high. There are many rivers in G.B., but they are not very long. The Themes is the deepest, the longest and the most important river in England.

  The climate of G.B. is mild. It is not very cold in winter and hot in summer. The average temperature in January is about 5C above zero. February is the coldest month in the year. The summers are cool and rainy. July is the warmest month. There is much rain and flog in autumn and winter. October is the rainiest month in the year.                              

The Union Jack

This is the popular name given to the flag of Great Britain. Actually it is called the Union Flag and it is a mixture of several flags.

It all began in 1606 when Scotland was joined to England and Wales. The Scottish flag, St Andrew's Cross, blue with a white cross from corner to corner, was joined to the English Flag, St George's Cross, white with a red cross. The flag of St George can still be seen on churches in England.

Later, in 1801, when Ireland was joined to the Union, as it was called, the Irish Flag of St Patrick's Cross was added, white with a red cross from corner to corner.

In this way the English people got the Union Flag, which is red, white and blue. King James the Third (1566—1622) ordered that the Union Flag should be flown on the main mast of all British ships, except on ships of war. Here the flag was flown at the front of the ships, on what was called the bowsprit. The end of the bowsprit was called the Jack Star and so we get the name of Union Jack. A “jack”, by the way, is an old word for the sailor. The Union Jack is also on the flags of Australia and New Zealand.

The British Parliament

The British Parliament is the oldest in the world. It originated in the 12th century as Witenagemot, the body of wise councellers whom the King needed to consult pursuing his policy. The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons and the Queen as its head. The House of Commons plays the major role in law-making. It consists of Members of Parliament (called MPs for short).  Each of them represents an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. MPs are elected either at a general election or at a by-election following the death or retirement. Parliamentary elections are held every 5 years and it is the Prime Minister who decides on the exact day of the election. The minimum voting age is 18. And the voting is taken by secret ballot. The election campaign lasts about 3 weeks, The British parliamentary system depends on political parties.  The party which wins the majority of seats forms the government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister.  The Prime Minister chooses about 20 MPs from his party to become the cabinet of ministers. Each minister is responsible for a particular area in the government. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and "shadow cabinet".  The leader of the opposition is a recognized post in the House of Commons. The parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government and they only meet together on symbolic occasions, such as coronation of a new monarch or the opening of the parliament. In reality, the House of Commons is the one of three which has true power. The House of Commons is made up of six hundred and fifty elected members, it is presided over by the speaker, a member acceptable to the whole house. MPs sit on two sides of the hall, one side for the governing party and the other for the opposition. The first 2 rows of seats are occupied by the leading members of both parties (called "front benches") the back benches belong to the rank-and-life MPs. Each session of the House of

Commons lasts for 160-175 days. Parliament has intervals during his work. MPs are paid for their parliamentary work and have to attend the sittings. As mention above, the House of Commons plays the major role in law making. The procedure is the following:  a proposed law ("a bill") has to go through three stages in order to become an act of parliament, these are called "readings".  The first reading is a formality and is simply the publication of the proposal. The second reading involves debate on the principles of the bill; it is examination by parliamentary committee.  And the third reading is a report stage, when the work of the committee is reported on to the house. This is usually the most important stage in the process. When the bill passes through the  House  of Commons, it is sent to the House of Lords  for  discussion,  when the Lords agree it, the bill is taken  to  the  Queen  for  royal assent, when the Queen sings the bill,  it  becomes  act  of  the Parliament and the Law of the Land. The House of Lords has more than 1000 members, although only about 250 take an active part in the work in the house.  Members  of  this  Upper  House  are  not elected, they sit there because of their rank,  the  chairman  of the House of Lords is the Lord  Chancellor.  And he sits on a special seat, called "Woolsack" The members of the House of Lords debate the bill after it has been passed by the House of Commons. Some changes may be recommended and the agreement between the two houses is reached by negotiations.

London

London dominates the life of Britain. And it is the greatest and nicest town in the world. Also, the nature of this city is very picturesque.  There are a lot of sites and places of interest here. Many parks and theatres, museums and halls, which are always ready to surprise tourists and English with it’s beauty and charm.  There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum, and the best art galleries.

Speaking about parks we can always see many people here listening to others or just heaving their rest.  Hide Park with its Speaker's Corner is also in London. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens, St. James Park. In the West End is Buckingham Palace, which is the Queen's Residence, and the Palace of Westminster the seat of Parliament. The best-known streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the London residence of Prime Minister and the place where cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest paid doctors live, and some others. There are many statues and monuments there.  I think that the majority is devoted to the famous and outstanding people.

London Is situated upon both banks of the River Thames and it is one of the largest cities in the world.  Speaking about the West end of London we mean it’s center where famous parks and tropical places are situated.  In Westminster Abbey begins and comes to an end royal destiny: in its walls the British monarchs are crowned, here they find their eternal rest. Besides Westminster Abbey is well known for the "poet’s Conner". So… many others memorial boards are established. But the present tombs are far from being all mentioned to the poets.

Well it is safe to say that it is the most famous building in England.  It is a fine Gothic building, which stands opposite the Houses of Parliament. It is the work of many hands and different ages and the oldest part of the building dates from the 8th century.

While speaking about a Tower I want to say that the Tower has been part of the capital's history for the past 600 years. The Tower of London is a very old building. It is more than 900 years old. English kings lived in it many years ago, but now it is a museum. People, who come to London, like to go to the Tower. It was a fortress, a royal palace and later a prison.

The White Tower, dating from 1078, contains a spectacular collection of arms.       Now The Tower protects the Crown Jewels. The Imperial State Crown and the Crown of Queen Elizabeth both incorporate precious stones whose history goes back centuries. Ceremony is still part of the daily life within The Tower. Following a 700-year tradition, each night the Chief warder locks the gates and hands the keys to the Resident Governor.

And now we can talk about a Tower Bridge of London. London's best known and most distinctive bridge has straddled the Thames for a century. The twin draw-bridges, each weighing about 1,000 tons, have been raised more than half a million times since the bridge was built. It is a working tribute to Victorian engineering genius. The draw-bridges take just 90 seconds to rise. All the original machinery is still in place with just one concession to modern technology: electric motors now replace the steam engines. Between the massive gothic-style towers that rest on the river bed are walkways, giving superb views of the river and the Tower of London.

Now we can talk about BIG BEN!!

Big Ben is the name of the huge clock in one of the tall towers of the Houses of Parliament. People are allowed to get inside the Tower so that they can see the works of Big Ben. There is no lift and there are 340 steps up to Big Ben. The faces of the clock are very large.

The sound of Big Ben is well-known to all British people and the tower of Big Ben is often used as a symbol of Britain. The great bell got its name in 19th century after Sir Benjamin Hall.  Big Ben is the voice of London; it shows an exact time since 1859.

Therefore there are many nice squares in London. Trafalgar Square is one of them and it is situated in the center of the West End.  There you can see a statue of Lord Nelson named by Nelson’s Column, which is situated in the middle of the square.  Trafalgar Square commemorates Nelson's naval victory of 1805. It was laid out between 1829 and 1841. There is Nelson's column there, nearly 185 feet high topped by statue of Nelson 17 feet high. The fountains and friendly pigeons make Trafalgar Square a popular place for Londoner and tourists. The building of National Gallery - one of the world famous art museums is situated on the Trafalgar square too.

Now we can tell few words about Buckingham Palace. It  has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis. The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. 
 Visits to Buckingham Palace can be combined with visits to The Queen's Gallery, which will reopen in the spring of 2002. The nearby Royal Mews is open throughout the year.

Well… it is safe to say that a have finished my story about the nicest city in the world, exactly London and about all it’s sights, beauties and places of interest of course. As for me I’d like to visit it again, to feel everything I felt before, spending there my free spring time and therefore I’d like to know English better and that’s why I advise all of you to visit this irresistible city!

Holidays and festivals in Great Britain

There are 8 holidays in Great Britain. On these days people do not go to work. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, Late Summer Bank Holiday.

Most of these holidays are of the religious origin. But nowadays they have lost their religious significance and are simply days on which people relax, visit their friends. All the public holidays, except New Year's Day, Christmas and Boxing Day, are movable. They don't fall on the same date each year.

Besides public holidays, there are other festivals, anniversaries, on which certain traditions are observed. But if they don't fall on Sunday, they're ordinary working days.

New Year

In England New Year is not as widely observed as Christmas. Some people just ignore it, but other celebrates it in one way or another.

At midnight people listen to the chiming of Big Ben and sing "Auld Lang Syne" (a song by Robert Burns "The days of long ago").

Another popular way to celebrate New Year is to go to a New Year dance.

The most famous celebration is round the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus. People sing, dance and welcome the New Year.

May Day

May Day - the first day of May - is associated more with ancient folklore than with the workers. In some villages the custom of dancing round the maypole (майское дерево) is acted out.

Halloween

Halloween is celebrated on 31st of October. This is the day before All Saint's Day in the Christian calendar and is associated with the supernatural. People hold fancy-dress parties (people dress up in witches and ghosts).

Christmas

Christmas day is observed on 25th of December. On Christmas Day many people go to church. On returning from church the family gather round the tree and open the parcels. Every one gets something.

Christmas meal is really traditional stuffed turkey, boiled ham, mashed potatoes to be followed by plum pudding, mince pies, tea or coffee and cakes.

People travel from all parts of the country to be at home for Christmas.

St Valentine's Day

St Valentine's day is celebrated on February, 14. Every St Valentine's day thousands of people travel to a small village on Scotland's border with England to get married.

On this day boys and girls, sweethearts, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors exchange greetings of affection and love. People send each other greeting cards, chocolate and flowers. Valentine's cards are very colorful, with a couple of human hearts on them.

Easter

Easter is a time when certain traditions are observed. I England presents traditionally take the form of an Easter egg. Easter eggs are usually made from chocolate.

Easter eggs always grace breakfast tables on Easter Day. Sometimes they are hidden about the houses for the children to find them.

British theatres

Until recently the history of the English theatre has been build around actors rather then companies. It has been hard to find any London theatre that even had a consistent policy. There are no permanent staffs in British theatres. Apply is rehearsed for a few weeks by a company of actors working together mostly for the first time and it is allowed to run as long as it draws the odious and pays it's way.

Another peculiarity of the theatres in Great Britain is an follows: there are two kinds of seats, which can be booked an advanced (bookable), and unbookable once have no numbers and the spectators occupy them on the principal: first come - first served. And ancient times plays were acted inside churches and later on the market places.

The first theatre in England "The Blackfries" was built in 1576, and "The Globe" was built in 1599, which is closely connected with William Shakespeare. Speaking about our times we should first of all mention "The English National theatre", "The Royal Shakespeare Company” and "Covent Garden".

"Covent Garden" used to be a fashionable promenade - it was, before then, a convent garden - but when it became overrun with flower-sellers, orange-vendors and vegetable-growers, the people moved to more exclusive surroundings farther west, such as "St. Jam’s Square".

The first "Covent Garden theatre" was built in 1732. It was burnt down in 1808 and rebuilt exactly a year after. It opened in September 1809, with Shakespeare's "Macbeth". Since the middle of the last century "Covent Garden" became exclusively devoted to opera.

Now "Covent Garden” in busier than ever, it is one of the few well-known opera houses open for 11 months of the year and it employs over 600 people both of the Opera company and the Royal Ballet.

The National Theatre

It took over the hundred years to establish a national theatre company. Its first director from 1962 was Lawrence Olivier. This is the first state theatre Britain has ever had. A special building for it was opened in 1976. It has three theatres in one: "The Oliver theatre", the biggest is for the main classical repertoire; "The Lyttilton", a bit smaller is for new writing and for visiting foreign countries and "The Cottesloe theatre", the smallest is used for experimental writing and productions. "The Royal Shakespeare Company" are divided between the country and the capital and it's produces plays mainly by Shakespeare and his contemporaries when it performs is "Stratford -on-Avon", and modern plays in its two auditoria in the Cities, Barbican center.

The sight of London

The Tower of London is very old building. It's more than 900 years old. English kings lived in it many years ago. People, who came to London, want to see it. Earlier Tower was a fortress, then it was a royal palace, later it was a prison and now it's a museum. The ravens are another famous sign. The legend says that without them the Tower will fall.

St. Paul's Cathedral is the greatest work of England's greatest architect, Christopher Wren. The Cathedral was begun in 1675. It was opened in 1697 but was finished only in 1710, when Wren was almost eighty years old. Later it was destroyed and rebuilt. St Paul's Cathedral is the second large church in Europe. Admiral Nelson is buried here.

The British Museum has one of the largest libraries in the world. It has a copy of every book that is printed in the Eng lish language, so that there are more than six million books there. They receive nearly two thousand books and papers daily. The British Museum was opened in 1753. It grew out of the collection of tree rich men. George II gave the royal library to this museum in 1757. The collection is enormous and it covers ancient Greece, Egypt, China, Japan, as well as prehistoric times. Among the readers there are philosophers, scientists, economists, engineers, artists, musicians, in other specialists of all possible professions. The British Museum Library has a very big collection of printed books and manuscripts, both old and new. You can see beautifully illustrated old manuscripts which they keep in glass cases.

The Trafalgar Square is yet another symbol of London. This square received its name from Trafalgar, the cape off which Lord Nelson defeated a Franco-Spanish fleet in 1805. Admiral Nelson, cast in bronze, stands on top of a tall column in the middle of the square.

The Houses of Parliament are situated here. It's the seat of British Government. The building is very beautiful with its two towers and the biggest clock in England called Big Ben. According to the tradition the faces of Big Ben are light when the Parliament works.

On the other side of Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey. It is one of the most famous and beautiful churches in London. It is very old too. It is more than nine hundred years old. There are so many monuments and statues there. Many English kings and queens are buried there. Westminster Abbey is famous for the Poet's Corner too. Many great writers are buried there: for example Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling. The Abbey with its two tall towers is really wonderful.

The National Gallery houses one of the richest and most extensive collections of painting in the world.  It stands to the north of the Trafalgar Square.  The gallery was designed by William Wilkins and build in 1834-37.  The collection covers all schools and periods of painting, but is an especially famous for it's examples of Rembrandt and Rubens. The National Gallery was founded in 1824 when the government bought the collection of John Angerstein which included 38 paintings.

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official London residence. Built in 1702-1705 for the Duke of Buckingham, it was sold in 1761 to George III. The Palace was little used by royalty until Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837. London's most popular spectacle is Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It takes place in the forecourt and lasts about 30 minutes.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is named after Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. It grew out of the collection of objects bought for the Great Exhibition in London in 1851.

Britain Meals

Breakfast

All people in the world have breakfast, and most people eat and drink the same things for breakfast. They may eat different things for all the other meals in the day, but at breakfast time, most people have the same things to eat and drink—Tea or Coffee, Bread and Butter, Fruit.

Some people eat meat for breakfast. English people usually eat meat at breakfast time, but England is a cold country. It is bad to eat meat for break fast in a hot country. It is bad to eat too much meat; if you eat meat for break fast, you eat meat three times a day; and that is bad in a hot country. It is also bad to eat meat and drink tea at the same time, for tea makes meat hard so that the stomach cannot deal with it.

The best breakfast is Tea or Coffee, Bread and Butter, Fruit. That is the usual breakfast of most people in the world.

How Tea Was First Drunk in Britain

By the time tea was first introduced into this country (1660), coffee had already been drunk for several years.

By 1750 tea had become the most popular beverage for all types and classes of people — even though a pound of tea cost a skilled worker perhaps a third of his weekly wage!

Tea ware

Early tea cups had no handles, because they were original ly imported from China. Chinese cups didn't (and still don't) have handles.

As tea drinking grew in popularity, it led to a demand for more and more tea ware. This resulted in the rapid growth of the English pottery and porcelain industry, which not long after became world famous for its products.

The Tea Break

Nowadays, tea drinking is no longer a proper, formal, "social" occasion We don't dress up to "go out to tea" anymore. But one tea ceremony is still very important in Britain - the Tea Break! Millions of people in factories and offices look forward to their tea breaks in the morning and afternoon Things To Do

1) Make a display of as many pictures, cut from magazines, as you can find showing different kinds of tea pots and tea cups.              

2) Design your own kind of tea pots and tea cups.

Система упражнений для формирования социокультурной компетенции при обучении диалогической речи

Exercise 1. Цель: формировать навыки реплицирования.

Task 1. Imagine that you happened to be in the United Kingdom. What country would you like to visit – Scotland or Wales?

Example:

P1: I would like to visit Scotland, because Scotland is the land of myths and mysteries. And I want to know more about them.

P2: I would like to visit Wales, because it is famous for its castles. I want to see them.

Task 2. “When in Rome do as the Romans do”. What does this proverb mean? Do you have a similar proverb in your own language?

Task 3. What is allowed to do in Britain? What rules do the tourists usually break?  

Exercise 2. Цель: формировать навыки и умения в овладении диалогическими единствами.

Task 1. Your friend from London came to visit you. You show him your city, then decide to have a snack in a cafe. He asks you about eating habits in your country. What will you answer him?

1. How about meals in your country? Do they differ greatly from ours?
2. …
3. I know that your dinner is quite substantial, isn’t it?
4. …
5. It’s quite nourishing. Do you prefer a heavy midday meal?
6. …

Task 2. Make up questions concerning British food and ask somebody to answer them. Take turns to ask questions.

Example:

P1: Do you know what parts does the country consist of?

P2: The United Kingdom consists of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Do you know what their capitals are?

P3: Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Task 3. You came to visit your friend in England. He/she invited you to make a bus-tour round the London. Study the list of the sights and ask your friend about some places of interest. Then swap the roles.

The Tower of London

St. Paul's Cathedral

The British Museum

The British Museum Library

The Trafalgar Square

The Houses of Parliament

The Westminster Abbey

The National Gallery

The Buckingham Palace

The Victoria and Albert Museum

The Shakespeare’s Globe

St. James’s Park

Piccadilly Circus

Hyde Park

Royal Albert Hall

Baker Street

Example:

P1: Do you know why the National Gallery so famous is?

P2: Its collection covers all schools and periods of painting, but it is especially famous for it's examples of Rembrandt and Rubens.

Task 4. The pupils are divided into 4 groups. Each group gets a text, reads it and makes 3-4 questions to it. Then groups exchange lists of questions and ask each other what they got to know about the countries.

England

England is the largest country in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The capital of England is London. Its land is 130,000 sq. km. The population of England is 48 mln. people. The largest cities are Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham, Sheffield and others. People who live in England are called the English. They speak only English. The famous River Thames runs through London. The national emblem of England is the red rose. The national flag of England represents a red cross  —  on a white field. It's Saint George's Cross of England. England is the heart of Great Britain.

Scotland

Scotland is smaller than England but larger than Wales. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. Scotland is the second part of the UK. Its land is 78,000 sq. km. The population of Scotland is 5,3 mln. people. The largest cities are Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee. People who live in Scotland are called the Scottish or Scots. They speak Scots and English. The biggest rivers are the Clyde and Spey. There are a lot of beautiful lakes in Scotland. But the most famous of them are Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. The lake "Loch Ness" is famous all over the world because of its monster. The greatest mountains are Ben Nevis and Grampian Hills. The national emblem of Scotland is a thistle. The national flag is a blue field with white diagonal crossed stripes. It's Saint Andrew's Cross. In the north west Scotland is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, but in the north east it is washed by the North Sea.

Wales

Wales is the smallest country in the UK. The capital of Wales is Cardiff. Its land is 20,800 sq. km. Its population is about 2,8 mln people. The largest cities are Swansea and New Port. The biggest river is Usk and the biggest lake is Wirnwel. One of the biggest mountains is Snowdon. The national symbol is a yellow daffo dil. The national flag is white and green with a red dragon on it.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is the fourth country in the UK. Its land is about 14,000 sq. km. The population is about 1,5 mln. people. The capital of the Northern Ireland is Belfast. The largest cities are Ulster and Dublin. The biggest rivers are the Shannon and Bun. Northern Ireland is a land of lakes and rivers. The biggest lakes are Lock Neagh and Loch Ney. People who live in Ireland are the Irish. They speak Irish and English. The national flag of Ireland represents a diagonal red cross on a white field. It's Saint Patrick's Cross. The national symbol is a green shamrock.

Task 5. Your friend invites you to spend holidays in his welsh castle, but you’re busy and can’t go. Refuse politely and explain your reasons. Then swap the roles.

Example:

P1: I’m so tired; I want to have a rest in Wales. Would you like to join me?

P2: I’m sorry. I’m afraid I can’t. I have too much work these week-ends.

P2: I’m sorry. I’m afraid I can’t. I have to visit my grandma in Edinburgh.

Exercise 3. Цель: формировать навыки и умения в построении собственных диалогов.

Task 1. You have just returned from England. There you lived in a host family and very often you went sightseeing. Your friends want to know about British sights and ask you a lot of questions. Tell them what you know about British sights.

Task 2. Your friend came back from Britain and began to praise British history and British sights. He/she says they’re more interesting, more famous then ours. Try to persuade him/her that tastes differ and we also have wonderful sights and the most exiting periods in history.