Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an insular country situated on the British Isles to the north-west of Europe. The total area of the country is 244,021 square km. The UK is a small country. The UK’s territory takes the 75th place among other countries. The British Isles are composed of about 4000 islands of different size.

The largest of the British Isles is Great Britain which contains England, Wales and Scotland. It is the biggest island in Europe and the 7th largest in the world. The second largest island of the British Isles is Ireland. It is shared by 2 separate and independent states. The larger part of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland, an independent state with its capital in Dublin. Northern Ireland, which occupies north-eastern part of the island, remains a part of the UK with London as its capital.

So, the UK comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The capital of England is London. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. The capital of Wales is Cardiff and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. London is also the capital of the UK and its population is approximately 10 mln. people.

Great Britain is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, north-west and south-west. From the European continent it is separated by the North Sea, the Straight of Dover (Pas de Calais) and the English Channel (La Manche – a French name meaning “sleeve”). In the west Great Britain is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea, the North Channel and St. George’s Channel.

The UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a highly centralized and unitary state – the state which has acquired this name since 1922. The UK’s national flag is Union Jack. The name, the colours and crosses symbolize the union of the united parts of the country. Union Jack comprises 3 crosses. The red upright cross on the white field is St. George’s Cross – the patron saint of England. The diagonal white cross on the blue field is St. Andrew’s Cross – the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross on the white field is St. Patrick’s Cross – the patron saint of Ireland.

The national anthem is the oldest in the world, established in 1745 and based on a song of the 17th century. Besides the Union Jack there is Royal Standard – Royal personal flag.

National emblems are: the red rose – of England, the thistle – of Scotland, the leek or daffodil – of Wales, the shamrock – of Ireland.

The rivers of Britain are very short. They seldom freeze in winter but they are not navigable for ocean ships. The most important rivers are the Severn (354 km) the Thames (346 km), the Trent, the Ouse, the Clyde, the Tweed, the Tyne.

Great Britain is a highly-developed industrial state with such centres of industry as Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford, Newcastle, etc.

The total population of the UK nowadays is over 57 mln. people. The UK is inhabited by the English, who constitute about 83% of the total population, the Scots– 9,5%, the Welsh – 5%, the Irish – 2,7% of the total population.

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy headed by the Queen. The queen is not only the Head of State but also an important symbol of national unity. The power of the monarch is limited by the Parliament which consists of the House of Lords (Upper Chamber) and the House of Commons (Lower Chamber).

 

the Clyde – Клайд

cross – крест

the English Channel (La Manche) – Ла-Манш

highly centralized – жёстко централизованный

the House of Commons (Lower Chamber) – Палата общин

the House of Lords (Upper Chamber) – Палата лордов

insular – островной

the Irish Sea – Ирландское море

leek or daffodil – лук-порей или жёлтый нарцисс

national anthem – государственный гимн

national unity – национальное единство, сплоченность

navigable – судоходный

the North Channel – Северный пролив

the Ouse – Уз

patron saint – святой заступник, покровитель

Royal Standard – королевский штандарт

the Severn – Северн

shamrock – трилистник

sleeve – рукав

St. George’s Channel – пролив Святого Георга

the Straight of Dover (Pas de Calais) – Па-де-Кале

the Thames – Темза

thistle – цветок чертополоха

the Trent – Трент

the Tweed – Твид

the Tyne – Тайн

Union Jack – «Юнион Джек»

unitary state – унитарное государство

upright – вертикальный

 

LONDON

London is the capital of England and the UK. It is situated on the Thames River, the largest city in Britain and one of the largest cities in the world. It’s a political, economic and commercial centre of Great Britain. Its population is about 8 million people.

The name of the English capital originates from Celtic «Llyn + dun» in which «llyn» is a Celtic word for «river» and «dun» stands for «a fortified hill» – the meaning of the whole is «a fortress on the hill over the river».

London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world. Traditionally it is divided into four parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. The most striking of them is St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it’s a museum.

Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London. Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned here. Many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried here: Newton, Darwin, Chaucer, Dickens, Kipling etc. Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as «Big Ben”. Now London’s Big Ben clock tower has been renamed Elizabeth Tower to mark the queen’s 60th year on the British throne. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It’s the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and gardens belonging to wealthy people.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s column stands in the middle of the square. On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait gallery. Not far away is the British Museum – the biggest museum in London.

The East End is the poorest district of London. There are a lot of factories, workshops, and docks here. The streets are narrow, the buildings are unimpressive. The East End is densely populated by working class families.

 

Bank of England – Английский банк (государственный банк в Англии)

the battle of Trafalgar – Трафальгарское сражение

British Museum – Британский музей (один из крупнейших музеев в мире,

находится в Лондоне, основан в 1753 г.)

Celtic – кельтский

the City – Сити, деловой центр Лондона

densely populated – густонаселенный

East End – Ист-Энд (восточная часть Лондона)

Elizabeth Tower – «башня Елизаветы»

fortified hill – укрепленный холм

hour bell – колокол, отбивающий часы

the Houses of Parliament – парламент Великобритании

Julius Caesar – Юлий Цезарь

official residence of the Queen – официальная резиденция королевы

Old Bailey – Центральный уголовный суд, находящийся в Олд-Бейли

outstanding statesman– выдающийся государственный деятель

Stock Exchange – фондовая биржа

St. Paul’s Cathedral – Собор Св.Павла

the Tower of London – Лондонский Тауэр

wealth and luxury – богатство и роскошь

West End – Уэст-Энд (западная, аристократическая часть Лондона)

Westminster – Вестминстер (район Лондона)

Westminster Palace – Вестминстерский дворец

William the Conqueror – Вильгельм Завоеватель

 

 

THE USA

 

The USA is the most powerful and highly developed country of the world. It is situated in the central part of the North American continent. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The total area of the USA is over 9 million square km.

The principal rivers of the USA are the Mississippi, the longest river in the world (7,330 km) and the Hudson River.

The population of the United States of America is about 250 million people, who are called Americans. The capital of the USA is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia.

The USA is a highly developed industrial state. Its agriculture is also highly mechanized. There are coal-mines in the Cordillera Mountains, in the Kansas City region. Iron is mined near the Great Lakes. The USA has rich oil-fields in California, Texas and some other regions. It occupies one of the first places among the countries of the world for production of coal, iron and oil.

The USA has a highly developed motor-car industry. Ship-building is developed along the Atlantic coast and in San Francisco. The textile industry is to be found in the north-east and in the south of the country. The USA has a highly developed railway system. It also has the best network of roads in the world. They are called highways.

The USA is a federal country of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The largest American state is Alaska (1,530,700 sq. km) and the smallest one is Rhode Island (3,100 sq. km).

The political life of the country has always been dominated by the two major parties: the Democratic party and the Republican party. The Congress is the highest legislative body of the country. It consists of two chambers – the House of Representatives and the Senate. The President, elected by the whole nation for four years, is head of the state and the Government.

The American flag is often called «Stars and Stripes», it is also called «Old Glory». It represents the growth of the nation. It has 13 horizontal stripes standing for the original 13 states which declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. In the top left hand corner there are 50 white stars on a blue background: one star for each state.

The national anthem of the United States is «The Star Spangled Banner». The words written during the Anglo-American war of 1812-1814 and set to the music of an old song. Every state has its own flag, its own emblem and its own anthem too. The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength).

The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. This National Monument was a present from France to the USA. France gave the statue to America in 1884 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding a tablet with the inscription «July 4, 1776» – American Independence Day.

 

arrow – стрела

the Atlantic Ocean – Атлантический океан

background – фон

chamber – палата (Конгресса)

Congress – Конгресс

Cordillera Mountains – Кордильеры

Democratic party – демократическая партия

District of Columbia – округ Колумбия

the Great Lakes – Великие озера

the Gulf of Mexico – Мексиканский залив

highway – скоростная автострада, шоссе, автомагистраль

House of Representatives – Палата представителей

(нижняя палата Конгресса США)

the Hudson river – река Гудзон;

Independence Day – День независимости

(4 июля – национальный праздник США)

legislative body – законодательный орган

Liberty Island – остров Свободы

the Mississippi – Миссисипи

national anthem – государственный гимн

oil-field – месторождение нефти

«Old Glory» – государственный флаг США

olive branch – оливковая ветвь

original colonies – первоначальные колонии

Republican party – республиканская партия

the Senate – сенат (верхняя палата конгресса США)

«Stars and Stripes» – досл. «Звезды и полосы»

«The Star Spangled Banner» – «Усыпанное звездами полотнище»

Statue of Liberty – Статуя Свободы

top left hand corner – верхний левый угол

WASHINGTON

Washington is the capital of the USA. It is situated in the District of Columbia on the north bank of the Potomac River. Washington is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in the USA. It’s the world’s largest one-industry city. And that industry is government. The White House, where the US President lives and works, the Capitol, the home of the US Congress, and the Supreme Court, are all in Washington. Washington has little industry, and only one million people. One reason Washington looks different from other cities is that no building in the city may be more than 40 metres tall. There are no skyscrapers, because they would hide the city’s many monuments from the view.

Washington was named after the first US President George Washington. He selected the place for the capital and Pierre L’Enfant, a French engineer, designed the city. Washington was first settled in 1790 and since 1800 it has been the Federal capital.

In the very centre of Washington rises the huge dome of the Capitol – a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation’s affairs. It’s easy to get lost in this huge building, full of paintings and statues.

Not far from the Capitol is the library of Congress, the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents. The White House is the official residence of the US President. He works in the Oval Office. Important decisions are made in the White House.

The White House belongs to everyone in the USA. You can visit it almost every day of the year. It is open for tours. The White House is the symbol of the country, and like most big old houses has its story closely connected with the history of the American capital.

Here is the story of Washington D.C.

Once it was a little village on the Potomac River. About two hundred years ago, when the USA was a young country, people began to talk about where the capital should be and where the President should live.

While the Congress debated what to build and where to build it, the first American President, George Washington picked a patch of land on the Potomac River. The land was on the border of Maryland and Virginia. George Washington named the land the District of Columbia (D.C) after Christopher Columbus.

Washington is one of the only cities in the world that was designed before it was built.

The city is well planned. The heart of the city is the Capitol. George

Washington decided to put the Capitol Building on a hill at one end of the city, and the president’s house on a hill at the other end.

Nowadays the Capitol is the best starting point for sightseeing about the city. There are memorials to the most famous American Presidents in Washington. The Washington Monument, the 555-foot-high obelisk honors the first US President. It is called the “Pencil” because of its shape.

The Lincoln Memorial is just opposite the Washington Monument. Inside the Lincoln Memorial there is the Statue of Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th President. The Jefferson Memorial is located at the Tidal Basin in Washington D.C. It commemorates Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the USA.

Outside the city there is the Arlington National Cemetery. One can see the eternal flame on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier here. John F. Kennedy, the 35th American President, whose death shocked everyone in America, was buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.

There are 5 universities in Washington. Thousands of tourists visit Washington every day. People from all parts of the USA come to see their capital.

 

the Arlington National Cemetry – Арлингтонское национальное кладбище

bank – зд. берег

the Capitol – Капитолий, здание Конгресса США

circle of pillars – группа колонн

District of Columbia – округ Колумбия

eternal flame on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – вечный огонь на

могиле неизвестному солдату

one-industry city –город, в котором развита одна отрасль промышленности

the Oval Office – Овальный кабинет

to pick a patch of land – выбрать небольшой участок земли

Pierre L’Enfant – Пьер Ланфан

the Potomac River – река Потомак;

skyscraper – небоскреб

the Supreme Court – Верховный суд

the Tidal Basin – приливный бассейн

the White House – Белый дом