I. Read the text and translate without a dictionary

I. Read the text and translate without a dictionary:

1) weather forecast, 2) right; 3) awaken;4) melt; 5) freeze; 6) cover; 7) become; 8) it gets; 9) strong ; 10) dry; 11) mild; 12) wet; 13) thunder; 14) lightning; 15)landscape; 16) grass; 17) ground; 18) average; 19) sowing campaign; 20) fertilize the soil; 21) plough the fields; 22) harvest; 23) ripe; 24) grow.

1) When it rains people say that the weather is …;

2) When it snows they say it is …;

3) When the wind blows, it is … ;

4) When the sun shines, the weather is …;

5) Winter is … in our Republic, but not in England;

6) There are many … days in autumn;

7) We had a … summer last year;

8) When it is … we take umbrellas.

IV. Answer the following questions.

1. How many seasons are there in the year?

2. What are they?

3. How long does each season last?

4. In what season of the year does nature return to life?

5. What is the nature like in spring?

6. Which season is the hottest in the year?

7. Why do people like to have their holidays in summer?

8. Do you like stay in town or do you go to the country in summer?

9. What season is the harvest time?

10. Is the weather pleasant in September?

11. Does it rain in autumn?

12. What is the shortest (longest) day of the year?

13. What is the busiest season of the year?

14. Which is your favourite season and why?

V. Pick out the adjectives from the text and give comparative and superlative of these adjectives:

Model:

Сold – colder - the coldest

Вeautiful - more beautiful - the most beautiful

Methodical recommendations:

1. Read the text and to try to understand without the dictionary.

2. Discuss the text with your groupmates

3. Write a short composition about seasons and weather

1«Английский язык для географов» Еремина В.А., Майоршина С.В., Цыбина Л.П., Москва 1999.

The British Isles lie in the north-west of Europe. They consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland and many smaller ones. Their total area is over 244,000 square km.

The North Sea and the English Channel separate the British Isles from the European continent. The Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea wash the western coast of Great Britain.

Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south.

The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England, Wales and Scotland.

The surface of England and Ireland is flat, but the surface of Scotland and Wales is mountainous. The highest mountain in the United Kingdom is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,343 m high). Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest river. The Severn is the longest river.

The warm currents in the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot.

The population of the United Kingdom is about 59 million people. The main nationalities are the English, the Scottish, the Welsh and the Irish. About 80 percent of the population is urban.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is a large producer of iron and steel products, electronics and machinery, chemicals and textiles. It has a highly developed shipbuilding industry. Great Britain is not rich in mineral resources; it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.

Great Britain has a lot of industrial cities, such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and others. The capital of the country is London.

Large; cold; rich; long; deep; warm; high, wide, clear, fresh.

Think of the opposites to these adjectives. Put them down. Translate the pairs.

III. Answer the questions using the map.

1. Where do the British Isles lie?

2. What parts does Great Britain consist of?

3. What is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom?

4. What is the climate like?

5. How can you characterize the surface of the British Isles?

1. The North Sea and English Channel separate the British Isles from the European continent.

2. The Pacific Ocean and the Irish Sea wash the western coast of Great Britain.

3. Most of the deepest rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

4. The Severn is the deepest river.

5. The population of the United Kingdom is over 59 million people.

6. Great Britain is rich in mineral resources.

Есеп беру формасы:.

Speak about England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Use the following table:

Information	England	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland
Area	130,441	78,775	20,768	14,120
Population	46,029,000	5,229,000	2,723,596	1,536,000
Highest mountain	Scaffel Pike, 978 m	Ben Nevis, 1,342 m	Snowdon 1,085 m	Slieve Donard 852 m
Largest City	London 6,970,100	Glasgow 809,700	Cardiff 287,000	Belfast 363,000
Symbols	Red rose	Thistle	Daffodil	Shamrock
Languages	English	English, Scottish	English, Welsh	English, Irish

Text 2 London

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world (together with Tokyo and New York) and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.

London is situated on the river Thames. The city is very old. It has more than a 20-century-old history. Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.

The city is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. Two masterpieces are situated within the City: St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in the 17^th century by Christopher Wren. The tower of London was built in the 11^th century. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it is a museum.

Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives and the Houses of Parliament stretching for nearly 1000 feet along the north bank of the Thames.

The Clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as “Big Ben”. Westminster Abbey is the place where coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here as well as some other famous people of the country (G. Chaucer, I. Newton, Ch. Dickens, T. Hardy, R. Kipling, etc.).

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parks and houses are situated there. English aristocracy lives in this district. One of the busiest streets in the West End is Oxford Street. There are many various shops here which attract customers from different countries of the world.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.

Opposite the Nelson monument is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. They contain the finest art collections in the world. Not far from the National Gallery is the British Museum famous for its rich library (about 7,000,000 books).

The East End is an industrial district of London there. The region is densely populated by working class families, those people who have built the palaces of the West End. Old residents of the East End are proud to be called cockneys which means true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area. They love the district very much.