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1. Запишите и выучите слова и выражения.

1. British Isles — Британские острова

2. chamber — палата

3. chemical — химический

4. climate — климат

5. density — плотность

6. government — правительство

7. high — высокий

8. industry — промышленность

9. lake — озеро

10. land — земля, страна

11. low — низкий

12. mild — мягкий

13. plain — равнина

14. population — население

15. ruling — правящий

16. shipbuilding — кораблестроение

17. surface — поверхность

18. textile — текстильная

19. to be situated — быть расположенным

20. to develop — развивать

21. to export — экспортировать

22. to occupy — занимать

23. to produce — производить

24. vast — огромный

2. Прочитайте и устно переведите текст

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles – a large group of islands lying off the northwestern coast of Europe and separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Straight of Dover in the south and the North Sea in the east. The British Isles consist of two large islands – Great Britain and Ireland – separated by the Irish Sea, and many small islands. Historically the territory of the United Kingdom is divided into four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The total area of the United Kingdom is 244 square kilometers.

The territory of Great Britain can be divided into three natural regions:

1) Scotland with highland and upland relief and coniferous and mixed forests;

2) Wales and mountainous England with upland considerably cut by ravines and valleys and covered with meadows, moorland and cultivated farmland, with patches of broadleaf forest;

3) South-east England with plain landscape, fertile soils, the predominance of cultivated farmland, with patches of broadleaf forest.

Great Britain is situated in the temperate zone of Europe. The nature of Great Britain is greatly affected by the sea: there is no place situated more than 100-120 km from the seashore, in the northern parts only 40-60 km.

Great Britain enjoys the humid and mild marine West-Coast climate with warm winters and cool summers and a lot of rainfall throughout the year. As to temperature, Great Britain has warmer winters than any other district in the same latitude. It is due in large measure to the prevalence of mild south-west winds. Another factor is the Gulf Stream, which flows from the Gulf of Mexico and brings much warmth from the equatorial regions to northwestern Europe.

The rivers of Britain are short; their direction and character are determined by the position of the mountains. British rivers are not navigable for ocean ships, but they form deep estuaries. Most of the large ports of Great Britain are situated in the estuaries. The most important rivers are the Severn, the Thames, the Tyne and the Trent.

The United Kingdom was the first country in the world, which became highly industrialized. Until recent times, Britain’s heavy industry was mainly concentrated in the centre of England and in the London region. Such towns as Birmingham, Coventry and Sheffield produced heavy machines, railway carriages and motorcars. In the 20th century new branches of industry appeared: electronics, radio, chemical industry and others.

Great Britain produces a lot of wool. Sheep farming, cattle farming and dairy farming are also important branches of Britain’s economy. The south of England is often called the “Garden of England”, because there are many gardens and orchards there.