Вариант 2

1. Прочитайте и переведите текст письменно: Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It covers the British Isles. Great British and Ireland are the largest islands and there are about five thousands small islands.

The North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel separate Great Britain from the continent.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. There are numerous lakes in Scotland and they are called Lochs.

The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest – east, centre and south-east is a vast plain. The South English plain is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country. In the south-east one can see the most beautiful scenery in England and the largest fruit-producing county Kent, which is often called “The Garden of England”.

The mountains in Great Britain are not very high.

There are many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames, which flows through rich agricultural districts into the North Sea, is the busiest and the most important river in England.

The climate of the British Isles is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the weather of the British Isles. The summers are cool and rainy. It is not so hot in England as on the continent. July is the warmest month. The average July temperature in the south-east is 17 ºC, and in the north-west it is 14 ºC. There is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter. October is often the rainiest month of the year. Snow is rare and it does not lie on the ground for long. The average January temperature is about 5 ºC above zero.

The British Isles cover an area of about 121,600 square miles. The comparatively small territory of the country is very densely populated (56,000,000 people). The greater part of population is urban. 80 per cent of the inhabitants live in numerous cities and towns. There are many large industrial cities in Great Britain, such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and others.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. Most of the industries are concerned with the production of the iron and steel goods, textiles and chemicals. And in the annual production of coal Great Britain occupies the third place in the world. Great Britain has very few raw materials. It imports oil and oil products, ores and metal, timber, cotton, and enormous quantities of food-stuff: grain, meat, butter, tea, etc. Great Britain exports motor-cars, aircrafts, electrotechnical apparatus, chemicals, cotton and woolen fabrics.

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