In the next step, youre going to watch a short film about the British

countryside. Before you watch, look at the landscape features in this list. Do
you know what each of the words means?
Landscape

coastline

forests

hills

lakes

mountains

rivers

scenery

valleys

NICOLE: Hi. This week, we're going to look at the British countryside. Now, whether
you've visited Britain or not, you probably have some ideas about the countryside here.
Do you have a picture in your head of what Britain looks like? Or an idea of what the
weather is like here? What sort of words come to mind? We asked several people who
have moved from other countries to live in Britain what they think about the countryside
and the climate here.

0:30Skip to 0 minutes and 30 secondsHere are some of the things they said: Fernando
from Brazil talked about his first visit to England in 2006.
0:40Skip to 0 minutes and 40 secondsHe says: "It was just beautiful: the green fields,
small villages and castles seemed like they came straight out of a fairy tale." I think that's
a very traditional view of the British countryside - especially the English countryside green fields, villages, castles. We'll see this week that there's more to the British
countryside than that. But how about the weather?
1:09Skip to 1 minute and 9 secondsThis is what Anne-Lise from Denmark said: "I love
the British climate! The winters are short and mild, and the summers not too hot. You can
wear black tights all year round and don't have to worry about not being suntanned as
lots of people aren't. And I like the rain too!" So Anne-Lise thinks the British climate is OK
because it lets her wear the clothes she wants to! There are lots of reasons why people
might like or not like the countryside and climate in Britain. In the next step, we'll look at
some more opinions of Britain's countryside and climate and then you will share your
views and opinions with other learners.

RICHARD: Welcome to Great Britain and the best of British countryside! This landscape is
incredibly varied from the sweeping coastlines to the rolling hills and majestic mountains and,
with a mild climate and plenty of rain this really is a green and pleasant land that Im about to
explore.
0:28Skip to 0 minutes and 28 secondsThere are 15 national parks in Great Britain, and one of
the most beautiful is here in the Lake District. It's the second largest national park in Britain and
is full of scenic mountains and picturesque lakes.
0:48Skip to 0 minutes and 48 secondsIn the heart of the Lake District is Lake Windermere - the
largest natural lake in England. It's over 18km long and around 66m deep - so it's fairly easy to
find! This area is said to be one of the most beautiful in Great Britain. In the past, boats
transported slate, timber and wool across the lake, and fishing was really important here. Hiya.
One ticket for the Windermere Lake cruise, please.
1:25Skip to 1 minute and 25 secondsRICHARD: Hello, Jacqui.
1:26Skip to 1 minute and 26 secondsJACQUI: Hello, Richard.
1:27Skip to 1 minute and 27 secondsRICHARD: Jacqui O'Connor of Lake Windermere Cruises is
giving me a private tour of the lake. Jacqui, this is lovely. How many people choose to see the
lakes like this every year?
1:44Skip to 1 minute and 44 secondsJACQUI: Richard, we carry on average 1.35 million
passengers on our boats.
1:49Skip to 1 minute and 49 secondsRICHARD: And why do you think so many people find this
area appealing?
1:53Skip to 1 minute and 53 secondsJACQUI: Oh, I think basically all you have to do is to look
around you. Look at this absolutely stunning scenery. It's absolutely beautiful. They come to get
away, to enjoy peace and tranquility, to come to have a look at the nature. It's also, Windermere
Lake Cruises is one of the top tourist attractions in the north-west of England so when you come
to this area, come and cruise on the lake, definitely - it must be done!
2:18Skip to 2 minutes and 18 secondsRICHARD: And you obviously love coming out here and
love being part of all of this?
2:25Skip to 2 minutes and 25 secondsJACQUI: I do. It's fantastic. It's just a beautiful area to live.
Really nice, lovely, friendly, peaceful. It's great.

RICHARD: One of the most visited parks is Snowdonia in Wales. 6 million people come to visit the
incredible mountains every year.
0:15Skip to 0 minutes and 15 secondsWales is famous for its mountains, but also countryside closer to sea
level. This fishing village on the north coast has 3km of sweeping bay, offering a sheltered harbour to
visitors from around the world.
0:33Skip to 0 minutes and 33 secondsRICHARD: Next we're heading north.
0:42Skip to 0 minutes and 42 secondsI've come to Cairngorm National Park in Scotland, home to 5 out of
6 of the tallest mountains in Britain, and what's more, I'm going to get to the top of that mountain without
losing my breath! If you don't fancy the hour and a half walk to the top, like me, you can ride the
Cairngorm Mountain Railway.
1:04Skip to 1 minute and 4 secondsRICHARD: Hiya. One ticket for the funicular, please.
1:12Skip to 1 minute and 12 secondsThe journey is 2km long, which makes this the highest railway
journey in Great Britain. The train takes us to the top of the mountain - nearly 2000 metres above sea level.
Now this is what I call mountain climbing. It only takes about 7 minutes to get to the top and it's the best
way to experience the peaks in all weather conditions.
1:48Skip to 1 minute and 48 secondsAnd here we are right at the top. It might be very windy, but just look
at the views - absolutely incredible.
1:57Skip to 1 minute and 57 secondsRICHARD: The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is just a shot
trip across the water. This world heritage site is the most popular tourist attraction in the area. Around 40
thousand rock columns were formed by the eruption of a volcano here, thousands of years ago. The tallest
of the columns are around 12 metres high.