Билет № 21

Билет № 21

1.     Let’s talk about any English-speaking country. What can you tell me about the parts Great Britain consists of?

There are over 300 million people in the world speaking English. The English language is the official language in many countries all over the world.

These countries are the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles and consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel. The country is washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The capital of the UK is London. 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. The West End is the richest part of London. The East End is the poorest part of London.

The population of the country is more than 60 million people. The climate is moderate and mild and the weather in Britain is very changeable.

There are a lot of rivers in Britain. The most important rivers are the Thames, the Severn and the Trent. The mountains are not very high. There are many beautiful lakes in the country.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. The main industrial centres are London, Manchester, Liverpool and others.

The UK is a parliamentary monarchy. It is governed by Parliament and the Queen is the Head of the State. There are three main political parties in the country: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. There is no written constitution in Great Britain, only customs and traditions.

Great Britain is a country of strong attraction for tourists. Among the most popular tourist attractions we can name the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and others.

2.     Does Belarus differ greatly from Great Britain?

Yes, it does. The Head of the Republic of Belarus is the president. The UK is a parliamentary monarchy and it is ruled by Parliament but the head of the State is the Queen.

But we have something in common. British and Belarusian people are very religious and we have a lot of traditions and customs connected with religious events and holidays.

3.     What questions will you ask the Belarusian Ambassador to Great Britain?

1. Have you seen the Queen?

2. What is your favourite dish in Britain?

3. Are British people always polite?

4. What are your duties?

5. What is your favourite holiday in Britain?

4.     What advice will you give to a person who wants to make the relationship between Belarus and Great Britain better?

You should learn about traditions of the other country. You can make friends with people from the other country and tell them about your native country. We should visit Great Britain and the British should visit Belarus.

5.     Do the British traditions and customs differ Belarusian ones?

British and Belarusian customs and traditions differ a lot because our countries have different historical roots. The main difference is that many British traditions are connected with the Royal family: the State Opening of parliament, Guy Fawke’s Night. But we have something in common: British and Belarusian people have family parties at Christmas, Easter and New Year. Some pagan customs are observed in both countries during Kupalle in Belarus and the Summer Solstice in Britain.