Round-Up Lesson Great Britain and its Capital London Выполнила: учитель английского языка Удельнинской гимназии Шалденко Татьяна Григорьевна

How Much Do We Know about Britain? You already know a lot about Britain and its people, but some things are easily forgotten. Let us brush up our knowledge of the country.

Great Britain Britain is very small compared with many other countries in the world. However there are only nine other countries with more people. Its population is over 57 million. Many of them live in big industrial cities like London, Manchester and Liverpool. But foreigners are often surprised by the fact that much of land in Britain is open country. There are many lonely hills, quiet rivers, deep lakes especially in the south of it. Britain is an unusually beautiful country.

The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack. It is made up of three crosses: the cross of St. George (the patron saint of England), the cross of St. Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland) and the cross of St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland).

It is rather difficult to understand the British way of ruling the country. In Britain the Queen is the Head of State, but in fact she doesn’t rule the country as she has no power. The Queen is a symbol of the country history and its traditions. She lives in Buckingham Palace. It is a wonderful building with a monument in front of it which is the Queen Victoria Memorial. Buckingham Palace

The Houses of Parliament The real power in the country belongs to the British Parliament and to the British Government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament has two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords doesn’t have much power but it is important as it can offer and change laws. The House of Commons makes laws. The Houses of Parliament

The main city and the capital of Britain is London The main city and the capital of Britain is London. At the beginning of the 11th century London was already a very important city. But in those days people usually built houses of wood. Sometimes there were fires in the city. Then came 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London. After the Great Fire people built a new city.

Now London is the world’s seventh biggest city Now London is the world’s seventh biggest city. More than seven million people live and work there. London is one of the most important cities in the world. It is a big port, most important commercial, cultural and political centre.

Westminster Abbey Westminster is the political centre of London. It is that part of London where there are a lot of offices. If you go down Whitehall from Trafalgar Square on the right you will see a small street where the British Prime Minister lives. He lives at number 10 Downing Street. Whitehall is a wide street leading to Parliament Square.

Trafalgar Square London is a great centre for tourism. Every day a lot of tourists come there to visit interesting places. Some people say Trafalgar Square is the most beautiful place in London. In the middle of the square stands a tall column. It is a monument to Admiral Nelson. There are two beautiful fountains in the square. They are in front of the National Gallery which is one of the best picture galleries of the world.

Who ever comes to London is eager to see one of the greatest English churches, St. Paul’s Cathedral. The famous English architect Sir Christopher Wren built it in the 17th century after the Great Fire. It took him 35 years. It is a beautiful building with many columns and towers. In one of its towers there is one of the largest bells in the world. St. Paul’s Cathedral

The Tower British people are very conservative. They are proud of their history. The ravens whose forefathers used to find food in the Tower still live here as part of its history. There is a legend that if the ravens disappear the Tower will fall. That is why the birds are carefully guarded.

Make the right choice 1. Britain’s population is over … million people. a) 57 c) 570 b) 5,6 d) 167 2. There are many lonely hills, deep lakes, especially in the … of the country. a) north c) west b) south d) east 3. The Union Jack is … . a) the flag of the UK c) the flag of Wales b) the flag of Scotland d) the flag of England 4. The head of State in Britain is … . a) the Prime Minister c) the Queen b) the President d) the Speaker 5. 650 Members of the House of Commons are elected every … years. a) 2 c) 4 b) 3 d) 5 6. The Great Fire of London broke out in … . a) 1066 c) 1106 b) 1766 d) 1666 7. The British Prime Minister lives at … . a) 12 Whitehall c) 7 Russel Street b) 10 Downing Street d) 15 Oxford Street 8. Whitehall is … . a) a street leading from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament b) a big hall in the centre of London c) a white palace near Trafalgar Square d) the palace where the Queen lives in summer 9. Westminster is a … centre of London. a) cultural c) business b) political d) industrial 10. The National Gallery is in … . a) Piccadilly Circus c) Trafalgar Square b) Parliament Square d) Leicester Square 11. Sir Christopher Wren built … . a) Buckingham Palace c) St. Paul's Cathedral b) Westminster Abbey d) the Tower of London 12. The … still live in the Tower as part of history. a) sparrows c) ravens b) cuckoos d) nightingales

Answer The Questions How many people live in Britain? What fact are foreigners often surprised by? What is the Union Jack? What do you know about it? Who is the Head of State in Britain? Does the Queen rule the country? Where does the Queen live? Who does the real power in Britain belong to? What do you know about the British Parliament? Why is the House of Lords very important? How often do the British people elect members of the House of Commons? When was the Great Fire of London? After the Great Fire people built a new city, did they? What city is London now? What is the political centre of London? What can you see in Trafalgar Square? Where is National Gallery situated? What is one of the greatest English churches?

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