English language for technical colleges
Методическое пособие - Иностранные языки
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dom was officially named the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Hong Kong, which has 200,000 population, was returned to China in 1997.
The mainland of the island of Great Britain is 974 km at its longest and 531 km at its widest; however, the highly indented nature of the islands coastline means that nowhere is more than about 120 km from the sea.
The climate of the United Kingdom is mild relative to its latitude, which is the same as that of Labrador in Canada. The mildness is an effect of the warm Gulf Stream. This current brings the prevailing south-west winds that moderate winter temperatures and bring the depressions which have the main day-to-day influence on the weather. The western side of the United Kingdom tends to be warmer than the eastern; the south is warmer than the north. The mean annual temperature is 6C in the far north of Scotland; 11С in the south-west of England. Winter temperatures seldom are below -10C and summer temperatures rarely higher than 32C. The sea winds also bring plenty of moisture; average annual precipitation is more than 1,000 mm.
Rain tends to fall throughout the year, frequently turning to snow in the winter, especially in Scotland, the mountains of Wales, and northern England. The western side of Britain is much wetter than the eastern: average rainfall varies is from 5,000 mm in the western Highlands of Scotland, to less than 500 mm in parts of East Anglia in England.
The population of United Kingdom is more than 56 mln people, but it is one of the worlds leading commercial and industrialized nations. In terms of gross national product (GNP) it ranks fifth in the world, with Italy, after the United States, Japan, Germany, and France.
Vocabulary:
island nation островное государство
constitutional monarchy конституционная монархия
European Union Европейский союз
to comprise включать
numerous многочисленные
principality княжество
North Sea Северное море
interchangeably взаимозаменяемо
to accept принимать, допускать
strictly строго, зд. строго говоря
include включать
constituent составляющий
administratively административно
entities зд. субъекты
single зд. единая
indented зд. изрезанная
latitude широта геогр.
prevailing преобладающий
moderate умеренный
depressions зд. циклоны
mean средний
throughout на всем протяжении
average annual precipitation среднегодовое количество осадков
in terms of говоря (о чем-либо)
GNP (Gross National Product) валовой национальный продукт.
Exercise 6.1. Translate into English.
1. Официальное название Великобритании Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии.
2. Соединенное королевство является членом Европейского союза и конституционной монархией.
3. Северная Ирландия занимает северо-восточную часть острова Ирландия.
4. Пролив Ла-Манш отделяет Соединенное Королевство от континентальной Европы.
Exercise 6.2. Use the following phrases and word combinations to retell the text:
1. As I understood from the text...
2. According to the text...
3. According to the author...
4. As it is described in the text...
5. As it is said in the text...
6. As the author puts it...
7. According to the figures (data, information, opinions) from the text...
Exercise 6.3. Discuss the following statements. Use the following phrases to express your opinion:
1. It seems to me (that)...
2. I would like to say that...
3. As I see it...
4. I think that...
5. I guess...
6. I suppose...
7. I (strongly) believe that...
8. I am (absolutely) sure that...
Statement A: The United Kingdom is a small country. It is one of the leading countries now because it had many rich colonies in the past.
Statement B: UK will loose Northern Ireland soon and Wales and Scotland later, like it lost Hong Kong in 1997, because of the differences in languages, culture and history.
Statement C: British people dont travel much because they live not too far from the sea (ocean).
Exercise 6.4. Which events in the modern history of Great Britain had an impact on world science and technology. Choose five the most important and briefly describe them.
Exercise 6.5. What inventions in UK made life more convenient and safer? What inventions have become dangerous for the mankind?
Exercise 6.6. Use the information below to be able to make a report on the following:
1) Land, 2) Climate, 3) Population, 4) Ethnic groups, 5) Economy.
Table: Modern history of Great Britain1914World War I begins.1918World War I ends.1919First regular London-Paris air service instituted.1926John Logie Baird demonstrates television system.1927British Broadcasting Corporation chartered. 1928Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin.1936First regular television broadcasts from Alexandra Palace.1947Independence for India and Pakistan. Nationalization of coal mines and railways.1949Foundation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization.1952Britain explodes atomic bomb in Australia.1955Irish Republican Army begins terrorist campaign.1960Independence for Cyprus and Nigeria. The Beatles form.1969Oil discovered off Scottish coast.1980North Sea oil makes Britain self-sufficient in certain petroleum products.1986Trident ballistic missile system ordered from US.
LAND
Area
241,752 sq km
Highest Point
Ben Nevis
1,343 m above sea level
Lowest Point
Holme Fen 3 m below sea level CLIMATE
Average Temperatures
London
January 4C
July 18C
Edinburgh
January 3C
July 15C
Average Annual Precipitation
London 590 mm
Edinburgh 680 mmPOPULATION
Population
58,395,000 (1994 estimate)
Population Density
242 persons/sq km (1994 estimate)
Urban/Rural population
92% Urban
8% Rural
Largest Cities
London (Greater) 6,933,000
Birmingham 1,017,000
Leeds 724,500
Glasgow 681,000
Ethnic Groups
94,5% English, Scottish, Welsh, or Irish
5,5% Other
Languages
Official Language
English
Other Languages
Welsh, Scots-Gaelic, other minority languages
Religions
54% Anglicanism
13% Roman Catholicism
33% Other
including other Protestant denominations, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Sikhism
ECONOMY
Gross Domestic Product
US$1,023,900,000,000 (1994)
Chief Economic Products
Agriculture
Wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, oilseed rape, livestock, animal products.
Fishing
Mackerel, herring, cod, plaice
Mining
Coal, limestone, petroleum and natural gas.
Manufacturing
Machinery and transport equipment, food products, chemical products, minerals and metal products.
Employment Statistics
58% Trade and Services
23% Manufacturing and Industry
16% Business and Finance
2% Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
1 % Military and Defense
Major Exports
Industrial and electrical machinery, automatic data processing equipment, road vehicles, petroleum.
Major Imports
Road vehicles, industrial and electrical machinery, automatic data processing equipment, petroleum, paper and paperboard, textiles, food.
Major Trading Partners
Germany, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan
Text B: "HISTORY OF LONDON"
The Romans were the first to settle and occupy the Celtic fortress of Londinium. Construction of a bridge in 100 A.D. made London an important junction: it soon became a busy commercial and administrative settlement, and in the 2nd century A.D. a wall was built round the city.
The Roman Empire fell in the 5th century. London have maintained its trading activity. In the 9th century Danish invaders destroyed much of the city. They were followed by the Saxons led by King Alfred the Great, who entered the city in 886. The Danes remained a powerful force in England, however, and it was not until the reign of Edward the Confessor, which began in 1042, that civic stability was re-established, to be cemented by the Norman Con