The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

English is not the only language which people use in the UK. English is the official language. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh – in parts of southern and central Wales.

Britain and British have two meanings. Britain sometimes refers to Great Britain alone, and sometimes to the UK including Northern Ireland. “British” refers to people from the UK, Great Britain or the British Isles in general. England and English are often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Great Britain.

Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. The French are supposed to be amorous, fond of champagne; the Germans formal, efficient, fond of military uniforms, and parades. The English have the reputation of being reserved, rather haughty people who do not yell in the street and kiss in public. They are steady and fond of sports.

In the United States it’s very different. Americans start conversations with people in the street, in the subway; they are a lot more enthusiastic and spontaneous than people in Britain. I couldn’t understand at first why I was getting so little reaction from people here, but now I see that I was trying to be too friendly too soon.

I think Americans are more open, they speak their mind, so if they don’t like something, they tell you directly. Unlike the British, who might think one thing and say another. So you could say that the English are ruder than the Americans, or that they are less honest.

Another very important point is that Americans work harder than the English do. To the English their private lives are important, their holidays are important, their gardens are important, their animals are important. You know, holidays are longer here, people make the most ridiculous excuses not to go to work – ‘My dog has got a cold’, I heard the other day.

For Americans, their work is the most important. Their jobs come first and the public holidays are much shorter than here. But there are all sorts of services to make life easier around their jobs. I mean, the shops are open till 10 o’clock, some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day and everything is open on Sundays. In the States only the banks are closed. It makes life much easier. You can do what you like when you like. You can work and still lead a normal life.

And more. An Englishman in America is respected. Everyone wants to talk to him. Americans love his accent and his country. An American in England is a little inferior because of his behavior and his language.

Everybody seemed to understand me when I spoke American English, but I was unable to understand everything at first. That was because of the differences in intonation and pronunciation. Of course, some words are different too. But I got used to it very quickly. But all the same I was sorry that I didn’t have more time to study British English and to see more of Britain. May be some other day?

2.2 C hoose the best variant to complete the sentences below. Use the text to make the right choice.

1) There are 193 member states in the United Nations Organization.

2) The US is a federal nation with 50 states.

3) Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind.

4) The house was in a dirty state.

5) How many states are there in the USA?

6) The British Isles today are shared by two separate and independent states.

7) She’s in a poor state of health.

8) There are 27 member- states in the European Union.

9) Please, give them my excuses.

10) Those who are absent without good excuse will be dismissed.

11) People make the most ridiculous excuses not to go to work – ‘My dog has got a cold’, I heard the other day.

12) Cross the street by the subway.

13) Take the subway if you want to get there as soon as possible.

14) Americans start conversations with people in the street or in the subway.

15) The American subway is the British underground or just the tube.

16) The girl looked slight and slender.

17) There are only a few slight mistakes in his composition.

18) The really surprising thing about the English of England and that of the United States is not that they differ slightly, but that their difference is as slight as it is.

3.2 Fill in the synonyms from the list. Use the context of the text if necessary.