Window on Britain

Tetiana Bezverkhnia

Навчальний посібник з країнознавства Великобританії

для учнів старших класів шкіл з поглибленим

вивченням англійської мови

Хмельницький 2013

Методичний посібник

схвалено до друку рішенням науково-методичної ради

управління освіти Хмельницької міської ради

(протокол № від)

Навчальний посібник з країнознавства Великобританії для учнів

старших класів шкіл з поглибленим вивченням англійської мови

Window on Britain

Безверхня Т.О.,

вчитель англійської мови Хмельницької СЗОШ № 1

Рецензент: Кулакова Л.О., методист інформаційно-методичного

кабінету управління освіти Хмельницької міської ради

Навчальний посібник містить розробки тринадцяти тем з курсу «Країнознавство Великобританії», що вивчається у школах з поглибленим

вивченням англійської мови, ліцеях, гімназіях. Посібник побудований з

урахуванням принципів навчання іноземних мов, покладених в основу нової

програми з англійської мови для шкіл даного типу. Він містить базові тести

та групу завдань для вдосконалення комунікативних умінь учнів.

Посібник адресований учням спеціалізованих шкіл, гімназій, ліцеїв,

учителям й широкому колу людей, які вивчають англійську мову.

Unit 1 UK BASIC FACTS

§ What is the official name of Great Britain?

§ What is Union Jack?

§ Who is the head of the state?

Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Abbreviation: UK

Capital: London

Head of the state: Queen Elizabeth II (from 1952)

Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy

Head of Government: Prime Minister

Language: English

Religions: Protestantism and Catholicism

Unit of currency: pound sterling

NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF UK

The UNION FLAG is so called because it embodies the emblems of three countries united under one Sovereign. It is colloquially known as the Union Jack. The flag is made up of three crosses.

The red cross on a white background is the cross of Saint George, the patron

of England. St. George’s Day falls on 23 April and is regarded as England’s

national day. On this day some patriotic Englishmen wear a red rose pinned

to their jackets. The red rose has been the national emblem of England since

the time of the War of Roses (15^th century).

The white diagonal cross on a blue background is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. St. Andrew’s Day falls on the 30 November, is regarded as Scotland’s national day. On this day some Scotsmen wear a thistle in their buttonhole. The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. This is how, according to an old legend, that homely plant came to be chosen as an emblem, in preference to any other.

In very ancient times the Norsemen once landed somewhere on the eastern coast of Scotland, with the intention of plundering the country. The Scots assembled with their arms and camped behind the river Tay. As they arrived late in the day, weary and tired after a long march, they rested not expecting the enemy before the next day.

The Norsemen, however, were near; noticing no guards were protecting the camp, they crossed the river Tay, intending to take the Scots by surprise and slaughter them in their sleep. To do this they took off their shoes so as to make least noise possible. But when one of the Norsemen stepped on a thistle, the sudden and sharp pain he felt made him shriek. The alarm was given in the Scot’s camp.

As an acknowledgement for the timely and unexpected help from the thistle, the Scots took it as their national emblem.

The red diagonal cross on a white background is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day (17 March ) is considered as a national day in Northern Ireland and an official bank holiday there. The national emblem of Ireland is the shamrock. According to the legend, it was the plant bearing three leaves on one stem chosen by St. Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish.

The Welsh flag, called the Welsh dragon, represents a red dragon on a white and green background. St. David’s Day (1 March) is the church festival of St. David, a 6^th-century monk and bishop, the patron saint of Wales. On this day many Welshmen wear either a yellow daffodil or a leek pinned to their jackets, as both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems of Wales.

The link between the leek and St. David is the belief that he is supposed to have lived for several years on bread and wild leeks. The daffodil became an alternative to the leek as a Welsh emblem in the last century, because some thought the leek to be vulgar.

The Royal Standard or Royal Flag

ROYAL COAT of ARMS

In the official coat of arms the shield in its four quarters shows the three golden lions of England in the first and fourth, the red lion of Scotland in the second and the golden harp of Ireland in the third. The shield is surrounded by a garter and the motto on it (Honi soit qui mal y pense) means “Evil be to him who Evil thinks”. These symbolize the Order of the Garter, an ancient order of knighthood, of which the Queen is Sovereign. The shield with royal crown on its top is supported by the English lion and the Scottish unicorn. The motto across the bottom of the coat of arms (Dieu et mon Droit) means “God and my Right” and is the motto of the Sovereign.
National Anthem

The national anthem “God Save the Queen” originated as a patriotic song in London, England, in 1745. Neither the author nor composer is known.