The UK (Q&A)
Let's talk about Great Britain. What do you know about this
country?
The United Kingdom is very small
compared with many other countries in the world. It is situated on the British
Isles and consists of four countries - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland. They are not independent countries, but ‟countries in a country.” They share citizenship, the
armed forces, money, parliament and the capital – London. Nevertheless, each of
the countries has its own national flag, emblem, anthem, and public holidays.
The total area of
the UK is 244,820 square kilometers. The population of Great Britain is about
63 million people.
The official name
of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. The head of the state is Queen
Elizabeth II. The head of the government is Prime Minister David Cameron. Great
Britain is a highly developed industrial country. The biggest industrial cities
are London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
The climate of
the country is mild and changeable. British people joke that they have no
climate, they have weather.
The UK is a real
attraction for tourists. Its landscape is extremely varied, so everyone will
find something they will enjoy. There are grassy plains, beautiful wide and
narrow valleys, velvet hills, thick forests, picturesque lakes and marvelous
beaches.
Would you like to visit Britain? Why?
If I could, I
would like to visit Britain, for the simple reason that I have heard so much
about it and I want to experience it for myself. I'd like to visit Great
Britain one day to see all sightseeing I have read about, to look at Buckingham
Palace, at Big Ben, to stay at Nelson's monument at Trafalgar Square and to go
on double-decker bus. I'd like to see with my own eyes its famous places of
interest and to improve my English.
What would you like to ask a British teenager about Britain?
1.
What goods does the British industry
produce?
2.
What traditions do British people
follow?
3.
What is the population of your
country?
4.
What are the main tourist
attractions in your country?
5.
What are the Queen′s duties?
Give me a piece of advice on what sights to see in London.
London is the capital and the main
tourist attraction for tourists of the country. The most important parts of
London are the City, the East End, the West End and Westminster.
The City is the oldest
part of London, its financial and business centre. Most banks and offices are situated there, including the Bank of England. Here you can visit St. Paul's
Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral,
the greatest English church, was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was a
fortress, a palace, a prison and now it's a museum.
The West End is the
richest part of London. Theatres, cinemas, museums, picture galleries and famous London parks are
situated here. It′s a symbol of luxury.
Westminster is known for
its governmental buildings. Here you can visit Westminster Abbey, where many
famous English politicians, scientists, poets and writers are buried. One can
see Buckingham Palace, the Queen's home and the House of Parliament here.
The East End is the
poorest part of London. But it's famous for its sights. Trafalgar Square is the
geographical centre of London. There you can see the famous Nelson's Column.
Madam Tussaud's Museum
is famous for its waxworks statues of historical figures and celebrities.
The British Museum is
also situated in the East End. It's one of the greatest museums of the world.
In conclusion I'd like
to say that not only British sights are tourist attraction but also the people
who live there.
What can you
tell us about British character and behaviour?
The British are said to be polite
and well-mannered people. Polite words or phrases such as “ Please",
“Thank you" and “Excuse me” are used very often in Britain. Queuing is a
national habit. At bus stops and cinemas, in shops, banks and post offices and
in lots of other places you’ll have to join the queue and wait for your turn.
The British are said to be reserved.
They don’t like displaying their emotions even in dangerous and tragic
situations. But they are not unemotional. They control their emotions because
they are taught that it is best not to show their feelings. The English hardly
ever lie, but they don’t tell you the truth either. English people take
everything with a sense of humour. You can easily offend them if you tell them
they have no sense of humour.
Englishmen tend to be rather
conservative, they love familiar things. They are proud of their traditions and
carefully keep them up. Britain has more living symbols of its past than many
other countries. Traditional uniforms are still preserved in Great Britain.
There are also a lot of traditional ceremonies such as the "Changing of
the Guard” at Buckingham Palace, “Trooping the Colour”, which is performed on
the Queen’s official birthday, or the “Ceremony of the Keys”, that takes place
every night at the Tower of London.
The English are practical and
realistic, prudent and careful about almost everything. Everything is orderly:
the lawns and the trees are neatly trimmed. Every
Englishman is said to be a countryman at heart. The English countryside is many
things to many people. It means peace and quiet, beauty, good health and no
crime. Most Englishmen love gardens. Gardening is one of the most popular
hobbies among Englishmen. They usually prefer a house with a garden to
an apartment in a modern block of flats.
The British people are
considered to be the world’s greatest tea drinkers. They drink it at meals and
between meals. The English tea is usually strong and with milk.
The British love animals
very much. Millions of families have “bird-tables” in their gardens. Nearly
half of the households in Britain keep at least one pet. The English take good
care of their pets. They are pet lovers.
They say it's important for a person to speak English nowadays
because it is popular all over the world. What is your opinion?
I'm sure that it is very necessary and
important to learn English now, because English is the language of the planet.
760 million people all over the world use it. Every year thousands of people
from Belarus go to different countries as tourists or to work and they can't go
without knowing the language of the country they are going to, but they can
speak English, because it is an international language. A modern engineer or even
a worker cannot work with imported instruments or machines if he is not able to
read the instruction how to use it. Scientists, historians, diplomats are, as a
rule, polyglots, because they need foreign languages for their work. If you
want to be a stewardess or a pilot you must learn English, the language of
international communication.
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