IV. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What is the role of services in the life of the country?

2. What do the service industries include?

3. Why do we observe comparatively high unemployment in the U.K.?

4. Does the private sector play an important role in the life of the British economy?

5. Is the U.K. self-sufficient in energy supply? Why?

6. Does nuclear power play an important role in meeting the country's energy needs?

7. Is British agriculture efficient? Prove it.

8. Why does the country continue to import agricultural products?

9. What gap exists between the North and the South?

10.Is the South Industrial and Agricultural Region an important region in the country? Why?

III. Основные экономические регионы страны. Часть 2.

Прочтите текст С и перечислите на русском языке основные отрасли и продукцию, которая производится в данном регионе. Английские эквиваленты выделены жирным шрифтом.

Text c. The midlands

The Midlands is situated in the centre of Great Britain between the South Industrial and Agricultural region in the south and Lancashire and Yorkshire in the north. For the past two hundred years the Midlands has been one of Britain's leading industrial regions.

It was the presence of coalfields which influenced the industrial development of the region. Birmingham, Coventry and several other larger towns make the face of the region. Much of the early development of this part of the country was connected with the iron industry. Quite often this region was called the Black Country due to its mass industrialization. Today the iron and steel industry has almost disappeared, though the industries which depend upon it, engineering and the finishing of metals, remain important to the area. With these changes the Black Country is also changing for the better.

Birmingham is the second largest city in Britain with a population of about one million. It has been said that Birmingham makes everything from a pin to a steam roller. The city has preserved its long tradition of making guns, especially sporting guns. Also famous are articles in gold and silver. The city is also a major producer of consumer goods. Among the manufacture of food products cocoa and chocolate occupy an important place.

The other major city is Coventry which is the centre of the British motor industry. Wolverhampton is a centre where heavy engineering, tyre production are developed. There are three other major industrial centres to the east and north-east of Coventry. They are Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. The first two are leading centres of the knitwear industry and in the manufacture of knitting machines. Nottingham is twinned to Minsk and different contacts are maintained between the two cities. Derby is an important railway engineering centre because of its central position. However, today most important are the Rolls Royce factories which now produce aircraft engines. In the south-west lies a district of the Midlands known as the Potteries with its centre Stoke-upon-Trent famous for its pottery and ceramics industry.

In climate the Midlands has a midway place between the wet area to the west (Wales) and the drier area to the east (East Anglia). Much of the region is under grass. Dairy cattle are more numerous in the wetter west, and beef cattle in the drier east. Sheep are also quite numerous. The principal crops are wheat and barley together with potatoes and sugar beet. Gardening is also developed and lots of vegetables are produced for the people living in the cities.