Английский язык: Экспресс-репетитор для подготовки к ЕГЭ, «Говорение».
Урок 4: «Англоговорящие страны. Переговоры. Задание 1».

Task 1

Give a talk on Great Britain.
Remember to discuss:
• what you imagine when you think of Great Britain, why
• whether Great Britain has a unique climate, why
• why people travel to Great Britain
• what places in Great Britain you would like to visit and why

When I think of Great Britain I usually imagine a very green country with lots of beautiful gardens and parks because the British love flowers very much and you can see them everywhere. No wonder that some of the flowers have become the symbols of the UK. I also imagine the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben which is the symbol of this country. And when I think of the British, 1 always imagine a man in a bowler hat with a pipe in one hand like Sherlock Holmes because this English detective is famous all over the world.

I don’t think that Great Britain has a unique climate. In fact, its climate is more or less the same as that of the north¬western part of the European mainland. The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true: London gets no more rain in a year than most other European cities. The bad reputation of Britain’s climate is due to its changeability. There is a saying that Britain doesn’t have a climate, it only has weather. But English weather is never the same two days running. One day it rains, the next day it may be sunny and then it may be cold again. It may not rain very much altogether, but you can never be sure of a dry day. Of course, the climate in Britain differs much from that of central part of Russia because it lacks extremes. It is mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream.

People travel to Great Britain for different reasons. First of all, they want to see Britain’s most treasured sights such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London or Buckingham Palace. Some people are interested in visiting mysterious sites like Stonehenge or Loch Ness. Besides, everybody wants to try traditional British dishes such as fish and chips or haggis as well as to get to know the English lifestyle. Another important reason why lots of people travel to this country is learning English. It goes without saying that the best way to learn a language is to speak with native speakers.

There is a lot to see in Great Britain but, first of all, I would like to visit London, its capital, because it is the most important city in Great Britain. There are a lot of famous sights, such as Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. I also want to visit the British Museum and to see its famous library. Besides, I’d like to visit Stratford-upon-Avon because I’m fond of British literature. This town is closely connected with the name of William Shakespeare. It will be interesting to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, Holy Trinity Church, where he was buried, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is a living memorial to the poet’s work.

Questions
1. What British symbols do you know?
2. What are the main geographical differences between the UK and Russia?
3. What is your personal attitude towards the British? Give your reasons.
4. What are the most popular tourist destinations in Britain?
5. Do people believe that a huge monster lives in Loch Ness? Why? What about you?
6. Why is the Lake District considered to be the loveliest place in Great Britain?
7. Have you ever been to Great Britain? Why did you go there?