Identifying symbols of the four nations

	England	Wales	Scotland	Ireland
Flag	St Georges Cross Red upright	Red Dragon	St Andrew’s Cross White diagonal	St Patrick’s red Cross diagonal
Plant	Rose	Leek/Daffodil	Thistle	shamrock
colour	white	red	blue	green
Patron Saint	St George	St David	St Andrew	St Patrick
Saint’s day	23 April	1 March	30 November	17 March
names	Smith, Davis, Evans, Jones, Morgan, Rees	Davis, Evans, Jones, Lloyd, Morgan, Rees	Mc Donald (Mac-son), Smith	O’Hara, Mc Call
Clothes			Kilt (skirt)
Musical instrument		harp	bagpipe	Harp, bagpipe
characteristics	Contradictory Paradoxical integrated	Voluble; Have singing ability	Uncompromising Careful with money	Segregated talkers

Some historical and poetic names

Albion comes from Latin “albus”, meaning “white“;is used in some poetic rhetorical contexts to refer to England.

Britannia is the name that the Romans gave to their southern British province. It is also the name given to the female embodiment of Britain, always shown wearing a helmet and holding a trident.

Briton is a word used to describe a citizen of the United Kingdom.

Caledonia, Cambria, Hibernia were the Roman names for Scotland, Wales, and Ireland respectively. Erin is a poetic name for Ireland.

The Union Jack is the national flag of the UK.

The English and the Rest of the World

The high self-opinion is peculiar to the English. On the other hand they are hospitable and friendly. They do not throw their money around. They are interested in the outer world and travelling. They created the biggest Empire. A special relationship links England and America.

Geographical format of Great Britain

Great Britain forms an archepilago. The traditional division of GB is into Highland and Lowland zones. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis. The largest river is the Severn. Loch Lomond is the largest Lake in Scotland . Loch Neagh is the largest one in the British Isles.

The people

Britain absorbed a range of foreign cultures and traditions. Ethnic minorities comprise about 5,5 percent of the population. All the traditional languages spoken in the UK are descended from a common Indo-European original.

The English belong to the Church of England. Britain’s total population is more than 57 mln and is expected to 60 mln in 2020. The average life expectancy for a man is 72 years and for a woman is 78 years.

Task 1. Read the text. Translate it into Russian, and render it.

Task 2. Memorize the key terms, concepts, expressions and their meaning

Commonwealth	содружество наций
the Union Jack	флаг Великобритании
a kilt - a skirt	юбка
harp	арфа
bagpipe	волынка
Britannia – 1) the Roman province 2) the female embodiment of Britain wearing a helmet and holding a trident	римская провинция женское олицетворение Британии
political or religious persecution	политическое и религиозное преследование
refugee	беженец, эмигрант
descent	происходить
life expectancy	продолжительность жизни
allegiance	верность, лояльность, преданность

Task 3. Answer the questions. Solve the problems. Do the tasks.

1. What is “Commonwealth”?

2. Comment on the “geographical format of Great Britain”

3. Think of the most well-known symbols and tokens of nationality in Great Britain and in your country.

4. The dominance of England in Britain is seen everywhere. What is your opinion?

5. What is the British national anthem?

6. What is the average age for first marriage for men and women in Great Britain?

7. How densely is the country populated?

8. Bearing in mind its climate and general character which part of Britain would you choose to live in? Why?

9. How is the pattern of human settlement in your own country different from that in Great Britain?

10. Which of the British characteristics would you regard as also a characteristic of people in your country?

11. The most national trend in employment pattern is the growth of people employed in servies. Another important factor is the growth of the role of science and technology in the economy.

12. Comment on concepts: cockney; multiculturism; conservatism; the love of animals; Blind Date; the National Trust; being different.

13. What places of interest do you know and what would you like to visit?

14. If the English are ambiguous, the Welsh loquacious and the Scots cantankerous, how do they all manage to get along on the same overcrowded island?

15. What traditions and customs do the Brutish follow?

Task 4. Discuss the general geography of the United Kingdom, exchange informed opinions, argue your points effectively and listen carefully to the views of others.

Task 5. Do the test.

1. The capital of Scotland is:

a) Liverpool b) Glasgow c) Cardiff d) Edinburgh

2. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by:

a) the North Sea b) the English Channel

c) the Atlantic Ocean d) the Irish Sea

3. The national emblem of Wales is:

a) Red rose b) Daffodil c) Thistle d) Shamrock

4. People who are born in Great Britain are:

a) the English b) the Scottish c) the Welsh d) the British

5. The national flag of Northern Ireland is:

a) a diagonal white cross on a blue field b) a diagonal red cross on a white field c) a red dragon on a white and green field

d) a red cross on a white field

6. The Loch-Ness is situated in:

a) England b) Scotland c) Wales d) Northern Ireland

7. The head of the UK is:

a) the Conservative Party b) the Labour Party

c) the Parliament d) the Monarch(the queen or the king)

8. The UK population is concentrated in:

a) England b) Scotland c) Wales d) Northern Ireland

9. People who live in Scotland speak:

a) English and Irish b) English and Scottish c) English and Welsh d) Only English

10. What famous river runs through London?

a) the Clyde b) the Shannon c) the Thames d) the Severn

Answer key:

1. d; 2. b;3. b; 4. d;5. b;6. b; 7. d; 8. a;9. b; 10. c.