The Island of Great Britain

Great Britain is the name of the largest island of the British Isles and it is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, it does not include Northern Ireland. In everyday speech "Great Britain" is used to mean the United Kingdom. Geographically the island of Great Britain is subdivided into two main regions - Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises southern and eastern England. Highland Britain consists of Scotland, most of Wales, the Pennines, and the Lake District. The Pennine Chain extends southward from the Cheviot Hills' into the Midlands, a plains region with low hills and valleys.

England is separated from Scotland by the Cheviot Hills, a range of hills running from east to west.

The chief rivers of Great Britain are: the Severn⁶, flowing along the border between England and Wales, tributaries of which include the Avon, famed by Shakespeare; the Thames, which flows eastward to the port of London and some others. The swiftest flowing river in the British Isles is the Spey. Part of the border between Scotland and England is along the lower reaches of the Tweed, near which is made the woolen fabric that bears its name.

There are many lakes in Great Britain. On the northwest side of the Pennine system lies the Lake District, containing the beautiful lakes which give it its name. This district is widely known for its association with the history of English literature and especially with the name of William Wordsworth ( 1770 - 1859), the founder of the Lake School of poets.

The largest cities of Great Britain are: London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, Leeds, and Edinburgh. The most impor­tant ports are: London, Liverpool, Southampton, Belfast, Glasgow and Cardiff.

Of the four parts which make up Great Britain England is the largest, the industrial and most densely populated part of the United Kingdom. About 50 million people of the population of the UK live in England.

The greatest concentrations of population are in London, Birmingham and northwest industrial cities. The coasts of England are washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. No part of England is more than 120 kilometres from the sea. The opening of the Channel Tunnel means Britain's railway network is now linked directly to Europe. Eurostar trains run several times a day from the centre of London to Paris and Brussels.

1. What is the name of the largest island of the British Isles?

2. What parts is Great Britain made up?

3. In everyday speech "Great Britain" is used to mean the United Kingdom, isn’t it?

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

5. How is England separated from Scotland?

6. What are the chief rivers of Great Britain?

7. Are there many lakes in Great Britain?

8. Who was the founder of the Lake School of poets?

9. What are the largest cities of Great Britain?

10. Why is England the most important part of Great Britain?

2. Read the text. Decide if the statements below are true or false. Put “T” if it is true, put “F” if it is false.

Scotland

      In area Scotland is more than half as big as England. Its population is, however, only one-eighth as great. Scotland was an independent kingdom, often at war with England, until 1603. It had never been entirely conquered by the Romans, who advanced some distance into Scottish territory, but for the most of their four centuries in Britain remained mainly behind the great wall which they built in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, to the south of the modern boundary. In 1603 King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England too, and from then onwards the countries were under the same monarch, though the Act of Union was not passed until 1707. This Act incorporated Scotland with England in the United Kingdom, but the Scots kept their own legal system, religion and administration and still keep them now. Thus Scotland has never been united with England in the same way as Wales.

      On the whole Scottish national consciousness is cultural and sentimental, and not much concerned with language. The Gaelic language, a Celtic tongue, is still used rather than English among the people of some remote Highland districts, but elsewhere most of the people are not of Celtic origin and would have no possible reason for wanting to introduce the Gaelic which would be an entirely foreign tongue. The English language is spoken all over Scotland with a variety of regional accents, but all of these can be at once recognized as Scottish, with the vowels and consonants pronounced more nearly as written than in standard English or any of the regional accents of England.

1. Scotland is more in area than England.

2. King James VI became the king of Wales.

3. The Act of Union incorporated Scotland with England.    

4. Scotland has never been united with England.

5. The Scots kept their own legal system, religion and administration and still keep them now.

6.  The Gaelic language is used among the people of some remote Highland districts

7. Scotland has been united with England in the same way as Wales.

8. Most of the people are not of Celtic origin.

9. The English language isn’t spoken all over Scotland.

10. All regional accents can be at once recognized as English.