Appendix 1

The United Kingdom

Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales, which are situated to the northwest of Europe. Great Britain is separated from the continent by English Channel.
The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The official name of
the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The UK is washed
by the North Sea in the north-east, by Atlantic Ocean in the north-west and by English
Channel and the Strait of Dover in the south. The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of the
English Channel.
England is the largest part. It is famous for its Lake District. There are many rivers in
England: the largest is the Severn, but the most important is the Thames, which is navigable.
Scotland, a part of Great Britain, consists of highlands and lowlands. The highlands are
the oldest mountains in the world. There are a lot of valleys and lakes in this region; the best
known lake is Loch Ness. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh.
Wales is the land of song and poetry. Welsh and English are both official languages in
Wales now. Wales is a highland country of old, hard rocks. The capital is Cardiff. The symbol
of Wales is the yellow daffodil. Wales is rich in coal mines and full of medieval ruined castles.
Northern Ireland is the land of stories. Storytelling is a part of the Irish tradition. The
national symbol of Northern Ireland is the shamrock. The capital is Belfast.
The national flag of the United Kingdom is called the Union Jack.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The official head of the state is the
king or queen.

1. Complete the gaps using the information from the text:

1. You can see, England, ____________, __________, and Northern Ireland on the map.
2. London is the capital of ________.
3. Edinburg is the capital of ___________.
4. __________ is the capital of Wales.
5. __________ is the capital of Northern Ireland.
6. The English Channel separates the British Isles from the __________.

2. Choose the correct answer:

1. The largest part of the United Kingdom is ___________.
a) England

b) Wales

c) Scotland

2. The symbol of Wales is ____________.

a) the shamrock

b) the red rose

c) the daffodil

3. Loch Ness is in ___________.

a) England

b) Wales

c) Scotland

4. Wales is famous for its _________ castles.

a) modern

b) medieval

c) big