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A26 – The United Kingdom

Vlastnosti
predmetAnglický jazyk
typmaturitná téma
okruhanglický jazyk
číslo26
stavvypracované
Zadanie

Talk about the general information on the United Kingdom, its location, population, industry and educational system, the interesting places in Britain, London as the capital city, famous British people, and customs and traditions.

1. Osnova témy​

  • General information — the four countries, location, population, currency.
  • The political system — a constitutional monarchy.
  • Climate, rivers and landscape.
  • Industry and agriculture.
  • The British system of education.
  • Interesting places in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • London — its history and its main sights.
  • Famous British people, customs and traditions.

2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba​

  • the country: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the British Isles, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland; London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast; the Union Jack, the pound sterling (GBP)
  • geography: island, the English Channel (Lamanšský prieliv), the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Thames, the Severn, the Highlands, the Lake District, cliffs (útesy), mild and rainy climate
  • politics: constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, the monarch, the head of state, the Prime Minister, the head of government, Parliament, the House of Commons, the House of Lords, Downing Street, general election, Brexit
  • industry: highly industrialised, services, finance and banking, insurance, the iron and steel industry, shipbuilding, textiles, the car industry, North Sea oil
  • agriculture: potatoes, sugar beet (cukrová repa), wheat (pšenica), sheep farming, dairy farming
  • education: compulsory school attendance, infant school, junior school, primary school, secondary school, comprehensive school, public school (a private fee-paying school in Britain), school uniform, GCSE, A-levels, Oxbridge
  • London sights: the Houses of Parliament / the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, the Elizabeth Tower, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guard, the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Nelson's Column, Piccadilly Circus, the British Museum, the London Eye, Hyde Park, the West End
  • other places: Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and Cambridge, Liverpool, Loch Ness, the Scottish Highlands, Hadrian's Wall
  • customs and traditions: afternoon tea, the pub, fish and chips, driving on the left, queuing, talking about the weather, Guy Fawkes Night, the Changing of the Guard, bagpipes and kilts in Scotland

3. Užitočné frázy a väzby​

  • The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • It is important not to confuse Great Britain with the United Kingdom.
  • The UK is a constitutional monarchy, which means the monarch reigns but does not rule.
  • The climate is mild but rather rainy, which is why the British talk about the weather so much.
  • London is situated in the south-east of England on the river Thames.
  • One of the most famous landmarks is…
  • It was built in the… century and it is famous for…
  • If I ever visited London, the first thing I would like to see is…
  • The British are known for their politeness and their sense of humour.
  • One custom foreigners always notice is that they drive on the left.
  • To sum up, Britain is a country where history is visible on every corner.

4. Modelová odpoveď​

The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and it consists of four parts: England with its capital London, Scotland with Edinburgh, Wales with Cardiff and Northern Ireland with Belfast. It is worth being precise here, because Great Britain is the large island containing England, Scotland and Wales, while the United Kingdom also includes Northern Ireland. The country lies off the north-west coast of Europe, separated from the continent by the English Channel, and it has a population of roughly sixty-eight million. The currency is the pound sterling and the flag is called the Union Jack.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The monarch is the head of state but has mostly ceremonial powers, while real political power lies with the Prime Minister and Parliament. Parliament has two chambers, the House of Commons, whose members are elected, and the House of Lords. In 2016 the country voted to leave the European Union, and Brexit has shaped British politics ever since.

The climate is mild but changeable and rainy, which is probably why the weather is the national conversation topic. The most important river is the Thames, on which London stands, and the longest is the Severn. Scotland has mountains and hundreds of lakes, called lochs, while much of England is gentle green countryside.

Britain was the first industrialised country in the world. Today services — finance, banking, insurance and computing — are the most important sector, with the City of London one of the world's great financial centres. Traditional industries such as iron and steel, shipbuilding and textiles have declined. Agriculture produces potatoes, sugar beet, wheat, milk and meat, and sheep farming is typical of Wales and Scotland.

The education system differs from ours. Compulsory school attendance starts at five. Primary education is divided into infant and junior school, and at eleven children move to secondary school. Most pupils wear a school uniform, different for each school. At sixteen they take the GCSE examination, and those who want to continue study two more years and take their A-levels, which are needed for university. Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities.

There is a great deal to see. In England there is Stonehenge, a prehistoric stone circle whose purpose scientists still argue about; Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare; the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge; and Liverpool, the home of the Beatles. In Scotland there is Loch Ness with its famous monster, and the wild landscape of the Highlands.

London itself was founded by the Romans around 43 AD as Londinium, and its name comes from that. It survived the Great Fire in the seventeenth century and grew into the largest city in the world in the nineteenth. Today it is a multicultural city of some nine million people. The main sights are the Houses of Parliament with the clock tower housing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey where monarchs are crowned, Buckingham Palace with the Changing of the Guard, the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and the British Museum.

As for famous Britons, there is Shakespeare, Newton, Darwin, Churchill, the Beatles and, more recently, writers like J. K. Rowling. And British customs are famous in themselves: afternoon tea, the pub, fish and chips, queuing patiently, driving on the left, and a dry sense of humour that takes some getting used to.

5. Otázky na diskusiu​

  1. What is the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
  2. How is the United Kingdom governed?
  3. What is the British climate like, and how does it affect the people?
  4. How does the British school system differ from ours?
  5. Which places in Britain would you most like to visit?
  6. What are the main sights of London?
  7. What do you know about the history of London?
  8. Which famous British people can you name?
  9. What British customs and traditions do you know?
  10. What effect do you think Brexit has had on Britain?

6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď​

  • Štyri krajiny: England–London · Scotland–Edinburgh · Wales–Cardiff · Northern Ireland–Belfast; GB ≠ UK.
  • Základné údaje: about 68 million people, the pound sterling, the Union Jack, the English Channel.
  • Politika: constitutional monarchy; monarch reigns, PM governs; House of Commons and House of Lords; Brexit 2016.
  • Príroda: mild rainy climate, the Thames, the Severn, the Highlands and lochs.
  • Hospodárstvo: services and finance (the City) · declining heavy industry · sheep and dairy farming.
  • Školstvo: from age 5, uniforms, GCSE at 16, A-levels, Oxford and Cambridge.
  • Pamiatky: Stonehenge, Stratford, Oxbridge, Liverpool, Loch Ness.
  • Londýn: Roman Londinium → Great Fire → largest city in the 19th c.; Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Tower, Tower Bridge, St Paul's, Trafalgar Square.
  • Zvyky: tea, pubs, fish and chips, queuing, driving on the left.
Overené

Učiteľkin materiál je starý a má tri neaktuálne údaje. Hlavou štátu už nie je kráľovná Alžbeta II. (zomrela roku 2022) — dnes je ním kráľ Karol III. Premiérom nie je Gordon Brown; ten skončil roku 2010 a odvtedy sa vystriedalo niekoľko premiérov, tak si aktuálne meno pred skúškou over. Počet obyvateľov už nie je 59 miliónov, ale približne 68 miliónov. Materiál tiež prekladá sugar beet ako „cukrová trstina" — správne je cukrová repa; cukrová trstina je sugar cane.

Čo povedať na skúške

Dva chytáky. Po prvé: Big Ben je pôvodne názov zvona, nie veže — veža sa od roku 2012 volá the Elizabeth Tower. Bezpečne povieš „the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, whose great bell is called Big Ben". Po druhé: britská public school je v skutočnosti súkromná platená škola (napr. Eton), nie štátna. Štátna je state school.

Súvisiace poznámky​

Kontrolné otázky​

What is the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?

Great Britain is the island with England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland also includes Northern Ireland.

How is the United Kingdom governed?

It is a constitutional monarchy. The King (Charles III) is head of state, Parliament has the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and the Prime Minister leads the government.

What is the British climate like, and how does it affect the people?

Mild and wet, with changeable weather and few extremes. People talk about the weather a lot and often carry an umbrella.

How does the British school system differ from ours?

Students wear uniforms, take GCSEs at 16 and A-levels at 18, and choose only a few subjects. "Public schools" are actually private.

Which places in Britain would you most like to visit?

London, Edinburgh, Stonehenge, Oxford or Cambridge, and the Scottish Highlands.

What are the main sights of London?

Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and the British Museum.

What do you know about the history of London?

It was founded by the Romans as Londinium, it burned in the Great Fire of 1666 and was bombed during the Second World War (the Blitz).

Which famous British people can you name?

William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, the Beatles and Queen Elizabeth II.

What British customs and traditions do you know?

Afternoon tea, queuing, Bonfire Night (5 November), Christmas crackers, pantomime and the Changing of the Guard.

What effect do you think Brexit has had on Britain?

The UK left the EU in 2020. Trade with Europe became more complicated, it is harder for EU citizens to work and study there, and opinions in Britain are still divided.

🔗 Spätné odkazy (9)