Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Cities of the United Kingdom

About 57 million people live in Great Britain. It has a very large population for its size. Nine people out of 10 live in towns and cities. British cities began to grow when industries developed. Lots of people left the country and moved into cities to work in industry. Later more people moved to cities because farming was done mostly by machines. Other people choose to live in a country village and travel to work in the towns.

Britain’s largest cities are: London with the population of about 7 million people, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield, Edinburgh (all with the population less than one million)

London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is built on the river Thames. It is a world centre for business and money trading. It is also the country’s largest port and a cultural centre with numerous museums and theatres. Plays, musical shows, operas and concerts attract large audiences, including many tourists.

Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city and its engineering centre. It produces iron and steel for making cars, ships, aeroplanes and machinery. Leeds, the third largest city in the United Kingdom, produces woolen goods. Sheffield is a centre of producing steel goods.

Glasgow is famous for heavy industry. Besides, it is an important cultural centre. It is noted for its architecture and art galleries. Edinburgh is the city of science. It is associated with science, beautiful historic buildings and the annual festival of arts. Edinburgh is called «The Athens of the North».

There are a lot of small towns in Great Britain, too. Most towns have a busy shopping area in the centre. Now there are new suburbs around the edges of old cities and old towns. New buildings are planned to make the best use of space.

Topical Vocabulary

- to have a very large population for its size
иметь слишком большое население для ее (страны) размеров
- industries
промышленность
to develop
развиваться
to move into cities
переехать в города
farming
обработка земель
to be done by machines
производиться машинами
to travel to work in the towns
ездить на работу в города
- the population of about
население около (примерное количество)
- a world centre for business and money trading
мировой центр бизнеса и финансов
the country’s largest port
крупнейший порт страны
a cultural centre with numerous museums
культурный центр с бесчисленными музеями
to attract large audiences
собирать большую аудиторию
- an engineering centre
центр машиностроения
to produce iron and steel for machinery
производить железо и сталь для станков
to produce woolen goods
производить изделия из шерсти
a centre of producing steel goods
центр производства изделий из стали
- to be famous for heavy industry
быть знаменитым тяжелой промышленностью
to be noted for architecture
быть известным архитектурой
an art gallery
художественная галерея
to be associated with science
быть связанным с наукой
a historic building
историческое здание
the annual festival of arts
ежегодный фестиваль искусств
«The Athens of the North»
Северные Афины
- a busy shopping area
оживленный торговый центр
a suburb
пригород
around the edges of smth.
вокруг границ чего-либо
to make the best use of space
лучше всего использовать пространство

Answer the questions:

  1. Why do most people in the United Kingdom live in towns and cities?
  2. What part does London play in the life of the United Kingdom?
  3. What goods are produced in Birmingham and Leeds?
  4. What is Glasgow famous for?
  5. What is Edinburgh famous for?

Translate into English:

  1. Население Великобритании (57 миллионов человек) - большое для страны такой величины.
  2. Люди переезжали из деревни в город, так как земли стали обрабатываться машинами.
  3. Лондон - деловой и финансовый центр страны; в нем находятся центральные учреждения различных организаций.
  4. В Бирмингеме производится сталь, в Лидсе - изделия из шерсти, в Шеффилде - изделия из стали.
  5. Глазго, крупный культурный центр страны, известен также тяжелой промышленностью.
  6. Эдинбург знаменит своими историческими зданиями, фестивалем искусств и научными учреждениями.