Ex. 1. Think about Great Britain and tell your group-mates what words you associate with Great Britain?

UNIT 1

WARM UP

Ex. 1. Think about Great Britain and tell your group-mates what words you associate with Great Britain?

READING

Ex. 2. Read the text and say what new facts you have learnt about Great Britain.

Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the north-western of Europe. The English Channel separates it from the mainland in the South. The Strait of Dover, 18 miles wide, divides it from France. Great Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea and from Ireland by the Irish Sea.

The official name of Great Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the name of the major island of the United Kingdom including England, Scotland and Wales; the United Kingdom, or the UK comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The UK is often referred to as Great Britain or the British Isles. It is an island state consisting of more than 5000 large and small islands, the most important being the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight. England is a part of the island of Great Britain; the Cheviot Hills and the river Tweed divide it from Scotland.

No part of Great Britain lies more than one hundred miles from the coast. The coastline is broken and has a few bays and excellent natural harbours. Internationally famous ports include London, Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth, Dover and others.

Geographically the island of Great Britain is subdivided into two main regions: Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. The highest mountain Ben Nevis (1343) is in Scotland; the highest peak in Wales is Snowdon (1085).

The greater part of the land is flat. There are plenty of short rivers in Great Britain; the Severn is the longest one, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current washing Britain's western shores, the UK enjoys warmer winters and cooler summers than other countries at the same latitude.

There is much rain and fog in England. October is usually the wettest month, July is the hottest and January is the coldest one. All over the world Britain is notorious for its fogs. For many centuries, during the cold time of the year the English people have been using coal in their fireplaces in private houses, though smoke from factories contributed a great deal to the trouble too. That kind of fog and smoke English people used to call smog. An unusually thick smog in London in 1962 caused the death of some 4,000 people. During the 1960s and 1970s, laws were passed under which using open coal fires in homes in the city area was forbidden. The laws stopped much of the pollution from the factories, too. The ordinary damp mists which afflict all parts of the country from time to time are no worse than similar mists in many other countries.

The flora of the British Isles is varied and the fauna is similar to that of the north-west of Europe.

The country is not very rich in mineral resources. Over three-quarters of Britain's land is used for farming; farms produce nearly half of the food that Britain needs. The UK is a highly developed industrial country too, known as a producer and exporter of machinery, electronics, ships, aircraft and navigation equipment.

The capital of the UK is London, in England. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, and the Scottish capital is at Edinburgh; the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.

Britain has been many centuries in the making. The Romans conquered most part of Britain, but were unable to subdue the independent tribes in the West and in the North.

Further waves of invaders followed: Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings and Normans. All these contributed to the mixture we call the English. For many centuries this country was known simply as England.

It had a strong army and Navy. It waged numerous colonial wars. England, once «the workshop of the world», was the first to become a highly developed industrial country.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

 

1. Where does Great Britain lie?

2. What separates Great Britain from the mainland? From France, Belgium, Holland and Ireland?

3. What part parts do Great Britain and the United Kingdom include?

4. What are the most important isles?

5. What are the main important ports?

6. Where is England situated?

7. What main regions is the island of Great Britain subdivided into?

8. How can you define the climate of Great Britain?

9. What was the origin of smog in the UK?

10. What goods are produced in the UK?

11. What tribes and people was Great Britain conquered?

 

 

VOCABULARY

 

Ex. 4. Find the English equivalents for the following:

 

береговая линия, отделять от, материк  (континент), охватывать (включать), называться (именовать), залив, бухта (гавань), течение, омывать берега, широта, быть (скандально) известным, обострить проблему, провести закон, загрязнение, сельское хозяйство (фермерство), высокоразвитая промышленная страна, оборудование, завоевать,  подчинять независимое племя, военно-морской флот, вести колониальную войну

 

FOLLOW UP

 

Ex. 5. Talk to your partner about Great Britain according to the following plan:

1. Describe the geographical position of England.

2. Point out the obvious geographical differences. Say if you have a similar division in your country.

3. Compare the climate of Great Britain with that of your country.

4. Say if the UK is an unusual country, in your opinion. Give your reasons.

 

Useful vocabulary

- I quite agree with you.

- I can’t agree more.

- I disagree with you.

- Are you sure?

- I suppose so.

- I’m afraid you are wrong.

 

 

UNIT 2

WARM UP

 

READING

 

ENGLISH TRADITIONS

London has preserved its old ceremonies and traditions to a greater extent than any other city in England. Most of these traditions have been kept up without interruption since the thirteenth century.

Foreigners coming to London are impressed by quite a number of ceremonies, which seem to be incompatible with the modern traffic and technical conditions of a highly developed country. Uniforms are rather characteristic of this fact. When one sees the warders at the Tower of London with their funny hats and unusual dresses with royal monograms, one feels carried back to the age of Queen Elizabeth I.

Even in the unromantic everyday life of English businessmen we can see the same formal traditions. In the City of London there may be seen a number of men in top-hats. These are the bank messengers who had to put on these hats according to traditions. The same tradition makes the Eton boys (the boys of Eton College which was founded in 1440 by Henry VI) put on a silk hat, a very short jacket and long trousers.

All of you, of course, have seen English films and noticed official black dresses and white wigs of judges and advocates, though wigs have not been used for nearly two hundred years in other countries.

One of the most impressive and popular ceremonies is «Changing the Guard», which takes place at Buckingham Palace every day, including Sunday, at 11. 30. The uniform of the guards is extremely coloured - red tunics, blue trousers and bearskin caps, and they always attract London sightseers.

Another formal display is the «Ceremony of Keys» which takes place every night at 9. 53 p. m. when the Chief Warder of the Tower of London lights a candle lantern and carrying the keys makes his way with the Escort to the gates of the Tower and locks them. This ceremony takes place every night without interruption. It is said that on the night of April 16, 1941 air bombing stopped the ceremony, knocking out members of the Escort. Despite this the duty was completed.

Strange as they may seem to a modern European or American, nobody in London sees anything remarkable in these old traditions which mix harmoniously with the city everyday life.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

VOCABULARY

Ex. 4. Find the English equivalents for the following:

 

cохранять, в большей степени, несовместимый, страж в лондонском Тауэре,

цилиндр, курьер (посыльный), адвокат, медвежья шкура, фонарь со свечой, сбить с ног

 

FOLLOW UP

 

UNIT 3

WARM UP

READING

 

ENGLISH CHARACTER

One of the most striking features of English life is the self-discipline and courtesy of people of all classes. There is little noisy behaviour, and practically no loud disputing in the street. People do not rush excitedly for seats in buses or trains, but take their seats in queues at bus stop in a quiet and orderly manner.

Englishmen are naturally polite and are never tired in saying «Thank you», «I'm sorry», «Beg your pardon». If you follow anyone who is entering a building or a room, he will hold a door open for you. Many foreigners have commented on a remarkable politeness of the English people.

English people don't like displaying their emotions even in dangerous and tragic situations, and ordinary people seem to remain good-tempered and cheerful under difficulties.

The Englishman does not like any boasting or showing off in manners, dress or speech. Sometimes he conceals his knowledge: a linguist, for example, may not mention his understanding of a foreigner's language.

The Englishman prefers his own house to an apartment in a block of flats, because he doesn't wish his doing to be overlooked by his neighbours. «An Englishman's house is his castle».

Many Englishmen help their wives at home in many ways. They clean the windows on Saturday afternoon, they often wash up the dishes after supper in the evening.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

 

1. What is the most striking feature of English life?

2. Are Englishmen naturally polite or rude?

3. What do Englishmen dislike?

4. How do ordinary people behave under difficulties?

5. What kind of home do the Englishman prefer?

6. How do Englishmen help their wives at home?

 

VOCABULARY

Ex. 4.   Find the English equivalents for the following:

 

внутренняя дисциплина (сдержанность), вежливость, громкий спор, бросаться занимать места (в транспорте), занимать место в очереди, проявлять эмоции, всегда находиться в хорошем (бодром) настроении, хвастовство, позерство, скрывать свои знания, квартира, многоэтажный дом,

подсматривать (заглядывать), выбираться за город

 

FOLLOW UP

 

UNIT 4

WARM UP

 

READING

 

ENGLISH MEALS

The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea (5 o'clock) and dinner. Breakfast can be a full «English breakfast» of cornflakes with milk and sugar, or bacon and eggs, toast and marmalade, tea or coffee. Some people, however, have just a cup of tea or coffee with a toast or something similar. This is usually called a continental breakfast».

At midday everything is stopped for lunch. Most offices and small shops are closed for an hour and the city pavements are full of people on their way to cafes, coffee bars, restaurants. Factory workers usually eat in their canteens.

The English like what they call «good plain food». They must be able to recognize what they are eating. Usually they like steak, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and fish and chips.

Afternoon tea is taken at about 5 o'clock, but it can hardly be called a meal. It is a cup of tea and cake or biscuits. At the weekends afternoon tea is a special occasion. Friends and visitors are often invited to have a chat over a cup of tea.

Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. It is usually eaten at 7 o'clock. The first course may be soup (though the English don't like it very much). The main course will often be fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef of old England, and a lot of vegetables. The next course will be something sweet and often cooked, such as fruit pie. Last of all there may be cheese, often with biscuits.

It is common knowledge that the English are very fond of tea. They like to have «a nice cup of tea» 6 or 8 times a day, sometimes even more.

On Christmas Day a roast turkey is traditionally cooked for dinner. It is usually followed by Christmas pudding. Long before Christmas housewives begin to plan what cake to make for Christmas. Usually they make fantastic Christmas cakes.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

1. How many meals a day do the English have?

2. What is the traditional English breakfast like?

3. What is usually cold a “continental breakfast”?

4. When do the English usually have Lunch?

5. Why do the English like what they call “good plain food”?

6. What do the English prefer to have for dinner?

7. What is the traditional dish for Christmas table?

8. What other dishes are popular in England?

 

VOCABULARY

Ex. 4.  Find the English equivalents for the following:

 

кукурузные хлопья, яичница с беконом, джем, кафетерий, столовая, простая пища, особый случай, плотный, первое блюдо, второе блюдо

 

FOLLOW UP

 

UNIT 5

WARM UP

READING

 

U.S.A AND ITS GOVERNMENT

 

The United States of America is located on the continent of North America. There are 50 states in the U.S. Forty-eight of the states form the United States. The U.S. borders on Canada to the north, and Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. On the east coast, the U.S. is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west coast it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

To the northwest of Canada is the state of Alaska. The state of Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean, southwest of California.

In addition to the 50 states, the U.S. has several territories and possessions, located in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

 

The first type of government in America was based primarily on state government. Prior to the signing of the Constitution, America had been made up of thirteen colonies, which had been ruled by England. Following the Revolutionary War, these colonies, although they had formed a league of friendship under the Articles of Confederation, basically governed themselves. They feared a strong central government like the one they lived with under England's rule. However, it was soon discovered that this weak form of state government could not survive and so the Constitution was drafted.

The Constitution:

- defines and limits the power of the national government,

- defines the relationship between the national government and individual state governments, and

- guarantees the rights of the citizens of the United States.

This time, it was decided that a government system based on federalism would be established. In other words, power is shared between the national and state (local) governments. The opposite of this system of government is a centralized government, such as in France and Great Britain, where the national government maintains all power.

Sharing power between the national government and state governments allows Americans to enjoy the benefits of diversity and unity. For example, the national government may set a uniform currency system. Could you imagine having 50 different types of coins, each with a different value? You would need to take along a calculator to go shopping in another state. By setting up a national policy, the system is fair to everyone and the states do not have to bear the heavy burden of regulating their currency.

On the other hand, issues such as the death penalty have been left up to the individual states. The decision whether or not to have a death penalty depends on that state's history, needs, and philosophies.

After the American colonies won their independence from England, the thirteen colonies became thirteen states. The new states formed a league so they could work together. Their system of government was described in a document called the Articles of Confederation. In this system, the state governments had most of the power. The national government was very weak. This was very different from the government under the King.

The Founding Fathers saw that this system left the nation too weak. They decided to develop a new system of government. They wrote a new document, the Constitution, to replace the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution made a stronger national government. It divided power between the national government and the state governments. This system is called federalism. Since the signing of the Constitution, the division of power in the United States has been based on sharing power between the national government and individual state governments. This is known as federalism.

    Let's take a look at how power is distributed in the United States:

 

National Government	State Government
- Coin money. - Declare war. - Conduct foreign relations. - Oversee foreign and interstate trade.	- Ratify amendments. - Manage public health and safety. - Oversee trade within the state. - Education

 

In addition, the national government and state governments share the following powers:

- Make and enforce laws.

- Tax.

- Borrow money.

In order to carry out these duties, the national government and individual state governments are divided into areas. Each area is given a duty to perform.

State Government

Each state has its own constitution based on its unique history, needs, philosophy, and geography. A state's constitution is similar to that of the national Constitution; however, the laws made in individual states cannot conflict with the national Constitution or national laws. The national Constitution is "the supreme law of the land."

Just like that of the national government, each state's constitution separates power between three branches -- legislative, judicial, and executive. In addition, in most states, the legislative branch contains two houses. Instead of a president, each state elects a governor.

National government and state government are two types of government, but there are also local governments. Most Americans live under the national government, a state government, and several local governments. Local government is divided into five categories: county, town and township, municipality, special district, school district.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

1. Where exactly is the United States of America located?

2. What countries does it border on?

3. What type of government was America primarily based upon?

4. Why was the original model of the government eventually considered as weak for the first thirteen states?

5. What are the primary functions of the US Constitution?

6. What benefits does the idea of sharing power between the national and state governments bring?

7. What kind of issues should be handled by the national government? Why?

8. What is Federalism?

9. What is the difference between the national and state governments? Enumerate their functions.

10.  Why is the national Constitution considered as "the supreme law of the land"?

11.  What branches share power, according to each state's constitution?

What are local governments responsible for?

 

 

VOCABULARY

 

FOLLOW UP

 

UNIT 6

WARM UP

READING

 

HISTORY OF THE USA IN BRIEF

European nations came to the Americas to increase their wealth and broaden their influence over world affairs. The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World and the first to settle in what is now the United States.

By 1650, however, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Many of the people who settled in the New World came to escape religious persecution. The Pilgrims, founders of Plymouth, Massachusetts, arrived in 1620. In both Virginia and Massachusetts, the colonists flourished with some assistance from Native Americans. New World grains such as corn kept the colonists from starving while, in Virginia, tobacco provided a valuable cash crop. By the early 1700s enslaved Africans made up a growing percentage of the colonial population. By 1770, more than 2 million people lived and worked in Great Britain's 13 North American colonies.

Defending the Colonies against attack by the French and others had cost the British a great deal of money. As a result, the British had very high taxes in their country. They thus decided to shift some of their financial burden to the colonists. The Stamp Act of 1765, which taxed all legal documents, newspapers and other documents, was met with a great uproar in the Colonies. In 1766, this tax was repealed, but it was just the beginning of the problems between the colonists and the British. The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was an act of revolt against the British and their tax on tea in the Colonies.

Tensions such as these eventually led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. A year earlier, the War of Independence, also known as the American Revolution, began. When the British finally surrendered on October 19, 1781, Americans were officially independent of Britain and set about establishing their own government.

During this time, Americans established their government and two parties emerged--the Federalists and the Republicans. Americans had a lot to deal with during this period. They had to struggle with the need to increase taxes to pay for the American Revolution as well as deal with the French Revolution which divided American support between France and Britain. Under President Jefferson, the country expanded westward with the purchase of the Louisiana territory and the Lewis and Clark expedition. The War of 1812 against Britain, sometimes called the Second War of American Independence, lasted three years. After the war, a mood of nationalism existed as people focused on events and issues at home. However, troubles were brewing, particularly on the topic of slavery.

Conflict over issues of how much control the federal government should have over the states, industrialization, trade, and especially slavery had increased tension between Northern and Southern states. After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, 11 Southern states seceded (or withdrew) from the Union and set up an independent government--the Confederate States of America. These events led to the outbreak of the Civil War--a brutal, bloody, four-year conflict that left the South defeated and ended slavery at the cost of more than half a million lives.

After the North defeated the South in the Civil War, politicians faced the task of putting the divided country back together. There was great debate about how severely the former Confederate states should be punished for leaving the Union. With the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865, it was up to President Andrew Johnson to try to reunite former enemies. The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 laid out the process for readmitting Southern states into the Union. The Fourteenth Amendment (1868) provided former slaves with national citizenship, and the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) granted black men the right to vote. These were only the first steps, however, toward reconstructing the fragmented nation.

In the 1890s, the belief that Americans should avoid getting involved with other countries was slowly fading. Because of its rapid economic and social growth, the U.S. had become a major world power. So when Cuban rebels began a violent revolution against Spanish rule in 1895, and a mysterious explosion sunk the U.S.S. Maine in the Havana harbor, the U.S. entered into what diplomat John Hay called "a splendid little war" with Spain. Although the Spanish-American War ended relatively soon, issues over ownership of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the Hawaiian islands also had to be resolved.

Foreign affairs (relationships with other countries) took up a great deal of President Woodrow Wilson's attention. In Europe, there was the outbreak of World War I, also known as the Great War, in 1914, and in Mexico, there was the Mexican Revolution. Although at first Americans did not want to get involved, they supported the Allies in their fight against Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. Finally, the U.S. entered the war in 1917. The war concluded in 1918 and the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. The Allied Powers of the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Russia, France, Belgium, Serbia and Montenegro had been victorious.

 

VOCABULARY

 

Ex. 3. Give the synonyms for the following:

help, protect, especially, result in, murder for political or economic reasons, quick, start a war with smb.

 

Ex. 4. Give the Russian - English equivalents of the following:

исследовать, основатель, процветать, порабощать, в результате чего-л., сдаться (капитулировать), покупка (приобретение), покончить с рабством, гражданство, предоставить право голоса, вмешиваться во что-л., поддерживать

 

Ex. 5. Give the English-Russian equivalents of the following:

 

broaden their influence, settle in,  established a dominant presence,  kept the colonists from starving,  valuable cash crop.,  to shift some of their financial burden to the colonists, legal documents, with a great uproar,  act of revolt,  mood of nationalism,  troubles were brewing, seceded (or withdrew),  outbreak of the Civil War, reconstructing the fragmented nation, “splendid little war”,  also had to be resolved, Allied Powers

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

Ex. 6. Put the following events in their chronological order:

1. The Stamp Act, which taxed all legal documents, newspapers and other documents, was met with a great uproar in the Colonies.

2. Cuban rebels began a violent revolution against Spanish rule and a mysterious explosion sunk the U.S.S.

3. The Civil War was brutal, bloody, four-year conflict that left the South defeated and ended slavery at the cost of more than half a million lives.

4. The Louisiana territory was purchased.

5. The Pilgrims, founders of Plymouth, arrived in Massachusetts.

6. Although at first Americans did not want to get involved, they supported the Allies in their fight against Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey.

7. England established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast.

8. Southern states seceded from the Union and set up an independent government.

9. The Boston Tea Party was an act of revolt against the British and their tax on tea in the Colonies.

10.  The Fifteenth Amendment granted black men the right to vote.

 

FOLLOW UP

 

UNIT 7

WARM UP

 

READING

 

IRELAND

 

The Island of Ireland is situated in the extreme north-west of the Continent of Europe between 51.5 and 55.5 degrees north latitude and 5.5 and 10.5 degrees west longitude. Its total area is 84,421 square kilometers, of which the Republic covers 70,282 square kilometers and Northern Ireland 14,139 square kilometers. The flat central plain, with many boglands and lakes, is bisected by the River Shannon, the longest river in either Ireland or Britain, running for nearly 450 km. Ireland has some 300 lakes, large and small. _____________ In the Republic, the largest lakes are Lough Corrib, Lough Derg, and Lough Ree.

Since Ireland is an island, with no part more than 112 km from the sea, the climate is temperate and equable. Temperatures are fairly uniform over the whole country. The coldest months are January and February, with average air temperatures of between 4˚C and 7˚C, while the warmest are July and August, when the average air temperature goes around 15˚C.

Ireland has a total population of around five million people. Over three and a half million people live in the Republic, while Northern Ireland has slightly over one and a half million inhabitants. Before the 1840s potato famine, the population was eight million. ______________

In the first two decades after Ireland achieved independence in 1922, the institutions of the State were consolidated and a tradition of political stability was established. The Constitution of 1937 and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 severed Ireland’s last formal links with Britain. Ireland remained neutral during the Second World War and does not belong to any military alliance.

The national flag is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The harp has been regarded as the official symbol of Ireland since medieval times. ______________Systems of government in both parts of Ireland have many similarities with those elsewhere in Western Europe.

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. Its law is based on common law and legislation enacted by Parliament under the Constitution. Regulations of the European Communities have the force of law in Ireland.

The Constitution of Ireland sets out the form of government and defines the powers and functions of the President, both Houses of the National Parliament and the Government. It also defines the structure and powers of the Courts and outlines the fundamental rights of citizens.

The President is the Head of State. _____________The President has no executive functions. A President may only serve for two terms. The current President, Mary McAleese, was elected for the second time for a seven year term in 2004.

 

1. The heraldic harp is used by the Government, its agencies and its representatives at home and abroad.

2. Where there is more than one candidate for the office, the people elect the President by direct vote.

3. By far the largest is Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, which covers 400 sq km, making it the biggest lake in Ireland and Britain.

4. So, the present population is the highest on record since 1871.

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions:

 

1. Where is Ireland situated?

2. What are the coldest and the warmest months in Ireland?

3. When did Ireland achieve its independence?

4. What kind of state is Ireland?

5. What is the Head of State?

 

VOCABULARY

Ex. 6. Give the English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

 

pасполагаться, умеренный, средняя температура воздуха, голод, достичь независимости, политическая стабильность, оставаться нейтральным, принадлежать к военному альянсу, иметь много общего, основные права граждан.

 

FOLLOW  UP

 

 

Ex. 7.  Compare Ireland with its nearest neighbour Great Britain according to the following plan:

1. Total area.

2. Climate.

3. Population.

4. Political order.

 

 

UNIT 8

WARM UP

 

READING

 

HISTORY OF IRELAND

 

Ireland’s location as an island to the west of continental Europe and close to Britain has, in large measure, shaped her history.

Ireland has been inhabited for about 7,000 years. The first settlers, mostly hunters from Britain, brought with them a Mesolithic culture. They were followed around 3000 B.C. by farmers who raised animals and cultivated the soil and traders. After these Neolithic settlers, around 2000 B.C. came prospectors and metalworkers. So, Bronze Age settlers brought craft of metalworking.

By the sixth century B.C. waves of Celtic invaders from central Europe began to reach the country. While it was never unified politically by the Celts, Celtic Ireland developed a strong culture and language over the next nine centuries. 

The introduction of Christianity in the fifth century A.D. is traditionally credited to St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, though there is evidence that there were Christians on the island before his arrival in 456 A.D.

Unlike most of Western Europe, Ireland never experienced the barbarian invasions of the early medieval period and, partly as a result, the sixth and seventh centuries saw a flowering of Irish art, learning and culture centering on the monasteries.

During the ninth and tenth centuries, Ireland was regularly raided by the Vikings. In 841 A.D. They established a settlement on the River Liffey, which later became Dublin. Vikings were also traders and did much to develop life in Dublin, Cork and Waterford. In 999 A.D. Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings, and three years later he was crowned King of All Ireland.

In the twelfth century, the arrival of the Normans shattered such progress as had been made towards the creation of a centralized State under a single High King. First major landing of Normans took place in 1169. The following year, they capture Dublin. In the thirteenth century they establish many towns and introduce Ireland’s first system of centralized government. By the end of the fifteenth century Norman rule has shrunk to a small region around Dublin. They quickly gained control over large parts of Ireland, which then came under the political authority of the King of England. For the next 400 years the Normans and their descendants were an influential presence in Ireland.

In 1541 Henry VIII becomes the first English monarch to declare himself King of Ireland, in a bid to restore the Norman hegemony. In 1601 Irish forces, aided by Spanish, were defeated by the army of Elizabeth I at the battle of Kinsale. It marked the end of the old political order.

In 1609 plantation of Ulster began; English and Scottish settlers encouraged to come to the North of Ireland, were ousting the native Irish. The largest single plantation took place in Londonderry. In 1641 there was the rebellion by Gaelic Irish in Ulster. This rebellion was aided by remnants of the Anglo-Norman colony. The following year the rebel assembly, the Confederation of Kilkenny, was set up.

Irish political history in the seventeenth century was intimately linked to events in England and Scotland. In 1649 Cromwell, the English Puritan dictator, landed in Ireland, first storming the town of Drogheda. By 1652 Galway, the last major royalist stronghold, had been taken. In 1689 James II arrived with his army from France, whence he had fled, and besieges the city of Londonderry, which held out for nearly four months.

In the eighteenth century, there was much economic development. The linen industry flourished, particularly in Ulster, and Irish wool, beef, butter and pork were important exports.

In 1829, thanks to Daniel O’Connell, Catholic Emancipation removed most disabilities against Catholics in Ireland. Catholics, led by Daniel O’Connell, won the right to sit in parliament.

In 1846 the first potato crop failure took place. In the late 1840s, as a result of the wholesale failure of the potato crop in successive years, a terrible famine occurred: one million people died and a further million fled Ireland.

In 1867 Fenian rising took place. The question of self-government, or ‘Home Rule’ had not, however been settled. The campaign for it lost its main impetus with the death of its inspirer, Parnell, in 1891. A Home Rule Bill was finally enacted in 1914.

In 1916 a republic was declared in Dublin and an armed insurrection took place. This Easter Rising, which initially enjoyed little public support, was suppressed.

It was Sinn Fein that had an overwhelming victory in Ireland in British general election. Sinn Fein (‘Ourselves’), the election victors, set up the first Parliament led by Eamon de Valera in 1919. In 1920 six out of nine Ulster counties were granted their own Parliament in Belfast.

In 1921 an Anglo-Irish Treaty gave twenty-six counties of Ireland Dominion status within the Commonwealth. Setting up of the Irish Free State in 1922 was followed by a short but savage civil war which was finished in 1923. In 1937 Eamon de Valera introduces new constitution.

During World War II (1939-1945) Ireland remained neutral. But Northern Ireland joined the British war effort.

In 1949 Ireland’s last constitutional links with Britain were severed; the twenty-six counties became a Republic. And in 1955 Ireland was admitted to the United Nations (UN). Both parts of Ireland joined the European Economic Community what is now the European Union (EU) in 1973.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK

 

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

 

1. What shaped Irish history?

2. How long has Ireland been inhabited?

3. Characterize the Irish settles of the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age.

4. When did Celtic invaders begin to reach Ireland?

5. Who is the introduction of Christianity traditionally credited to?

6.  When was Ireland raided by the Vikings?

7. What was the Normans’ progress in the twelfth century A.D.?

8. What marked the end of the old political order in 1601?

9. Where did the largest single plantation take place?

10.  How do the Irish name Oliver Cromwell?

11. When did the Catholics win the right to sit in parliament?

12.  When did a terrible famine occur?

13.  What took place in 1867?

14.  What was Home Rule?

15.  When was a republic declared?

16.  What was Ireland’s position during World War II?

17.  When was Ireland admitted to the United Nations?

 

VOCABULARY

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

 

населять, первые поселенцы, завоеватели, ремесло, святой покровитель, вторжения варваров, расцвет искусства и культуры, основать поселение, установить контроль, восстание, завоевать право заседать в парламенте, подавлять, гражданская война, оставаться нейтральным, вводить конституцию, быть принятым куда-либо, вступать куда-либо.

 

FOLLOW UP

Ex. 6. Tell your group-mates what the following people are famous for:

 

St. Patrick, Brian Boru, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell, James II, Daniel O’Connell, Parnell, Eamon de Valera.

 

UNIT 1

WARM UP

Ex. 1. Think about Great Britain and tell your group-mates what words you associate with Great Britain?

READING