Welcome to
UK
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It
shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the
west. The Irish Sea lies north west of England, whilst the Celtic Sea lies to the south west. The North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and
southern part of the island of Great Britain which lies in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over
100 smaller islands. England has a temperate maritime climate: it is mild with temperatures not much lower
than 0 °C in
winter and not much higher than 32 °C in summer. The weather is damp and changeable. The coldest
months are January and February, the latter particularly on the English coast, while July is normally the warmest month.
Months with mild to warm weather are May, June, September and October. Rainfall is spread throughout the year. England mostly comprises low hills and plains,
especially in central and southern England. The Flag of
England is the St. George's Red Cross on the white background.
London
is the capital of England. It stands on
the river Thames. London
contains four districts: the Tower of London. Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's
Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. London is home to numerous museums (Madame
Tussauds meseum), galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions,
including the British
Museum, Madame
Tussauds meseum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library and 40 West End theatres. The London
Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the
world.
London is a world cultural capital. Although England is a
country with rich cultural traditions, it has no national
costume. The
best-known folk costumes are costumes of dancers. The
emblem of England is a red rose.
The Flag of Scotland is a white
X-shaped cross, which represents the cross of the patron saint of Scotland,
Saint Andrew on a blue field. The flag is called the Saltire or the Saint
Andrew's Cross.
Edinburgh, the country's
capital and second-largest city, is one of
Europe's largest financial centres. The central
part is Edinburgh Castle, at the top of a steep hill. The castle has a military
display every year, called a tattoo, where soldiers show their skills at
marching and competitions, and there are brass bands and bands of bagpipes.
Scotland
clothing mainly features the tartan which is the traditional dress of
Scotland. People of the Highland Scots mostly wear this dress. Kilt was the one
of the traditional Scotland dress of the people. The modern Scotland
clothing comprises of jackets, sporran, kilt hose and garters. Kilt is only
worn by men because it is male garment .Very few people wear tartans and these Scotland
traditional dresses are mostly found in the tourist markets. Seldom you can
see a tartan trouser or tartan bonnet.
Common
throughout the highlands, islands and lowlands of Scotland, the prickly purple
thistle has been Scotland's national emblem for centuries. This proud and regal
plant, which grows to a height of five feet, has no natural enemies because of
the vicious spines that cover and protect it like a porcupine.
The
bagpipes are a musical instrument. They are sometimes just called
"pipes". They have a bag that holds air. The player keeps the bag
full of air by blowing into it with a tube or pumping it with a bellows. To
make music, the bag is pressed and the air comes out through a kind of flute or
"chanter".
Wales
is situated on the west of Great
Britain. It had a
population in 2011 of 3 million
people and has a total area of 20,779 km2 .
Wales
has over 1,200 km of coastline, and is largely mountainous, with its
highest peak Snowdon.
The country has a changeable, maritime climate.
The Flag of Wales is called "The Red Dragon“.It consists of a red dragon on a green and white field.
The Capital of Wales is Cardiff. 325,000
people live in Cardiff.It is the most important city in Wales for tourism,
culture, government, sport, transport, and business. Almost everyone speaks English. Over
560,000 Welsh
language speakers
live in Wales, where it is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of
the north and west.
The daffodil and
the leek are
also symbols of Wales. The origins of the leek can be traced to the 16th
century, while the daffodil became popular in the 19th century, encouraged by David Lloyd-George.
Saint
Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It is
named after Saint
Patrick, the most commonly recognised of the patron
saints of Ireland. Wearing of the green. Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick
was blue.
Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day
grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as
early as the 17th century. Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a
three-leaved plant, to explain theHoly Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the ubiquitous wearing and display of
shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a feature of the day. The
phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on
one's clothing.
QUESTIONS
1. What`s the capital of
the UK?- London
2. The Flag of
England is the St. George's Red Cross or the St.
Patrick`s one?- St.
George's Red Cross
3. Where is the Big Ben
situated?-London
4. Where will you find costumes of
dancers
?- In England
5. What is Edinburgh? -
The capital of Scotland
6. What river does London
stand on?- Thames
7. Men wear kilts
(skirts) in Wales or Scotland? -Scotland
8. Where can you find
national musical instrument "bagpipes"?-
Scotland
9. What country does wear
the flag "The Red Dragon“?-Wales
10. Where can eat this
dish?-Wales
11. Where can you find
daffodils?-Wales
12. What is the smallest
part of the UK?-Nothern Ireland
13. The capital of Nothern
Ireland is......- Belfast
14. Where do people celebrate
St. Patrick`s day?- Nothern Ireland
15. Who wrote “Othello” ?-W.Sh.
16. Is "Romeo and Juliet" a tragedy, poem or a short
story ?- Tragedy
17. . What country does
wear an emblem of red rose?- England
18. What is the capital of Wales?- Cardiff
Poems
England, My England(William Henley)
What have I done for you,
England, my England?
What is there I would not do,
England, my own?
With your glorious (славний) eyes austere,
As the Lord were walking near,
Whispering terrible things and dear
As the Song on your bugles(стеклярус ) blown(лунати) ,
England –
Round the world on your bugles blown!
Scotland and the Scots
I know not in what land thy children, O
Scotland,
Remember not proudly the place of their birth;
Brave sons and fair daughters, though over the waters
They wander afar(здалеку) to the ends of the earth!
Thy fame and thy glory, in ballad and
story,
Are sung and rehearsed, where a Scottish heart beats;
And that flower, good humor, is still a free bloomer
Whenever, wherever a Scottish clan(братія) meets.
United Kingdom
With
hate in the heart
this country loses its glory,
but with love to impart(ділитися)
life's a beautiful story.
Hate is a burning emotion
the most irrational kind(нерозумним видом)
whereas(в той час як) love is sweet
devotion(відданість)
leaving the sword(меч) behind.
Hate we know cannot win
so let the loving begin...
then life forever will shine
in this Kingdom of roses and wine.
