British Studies

Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking Topics For

Intermediate ESL Learners.

Student's Textbook (with VCD’s and CD)

Peter Stork
 British Studies
Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking Topics For Intermediate ESL
Learners.
Student's Textbook (with VCD’s and CD)
Acknowledgements

1. The work and benefits of this textbook are in dedication to the commitment, perseverance
and sacrifice of all volunteers who work diligently to help people and organisations achieve
more of their potential and well being.

2. The production of the textbook, CD and DVD was made possible by the generous support
of Australian Volunteers International (AVI) to Nha Trang University, Khánh Hoà
Province, Vietnam. The work of AVI is made possible by funding from the Australian
Government through its agency AusAid.

3. The contents of the textbook were researched, edited and written from select material from
the following sources:
The BBC, Britain Close-Up (Longman), Britain, England Scotland and Wales (Analytical
Software Inc.), The Country and the City (British Council), Discovering England (Quesar)
Education in England: a brief history (Gillard D; 2007), Google Images, Listening Extra
(Cambridge), MSN Encarta, YouTube, What's It Like (Cambridge) and Wikipedia - The
Free Encyclopedia.

Notes
1. Copyright laws are not recognised in The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
2. This textbook, CD and DVD are a 'not for profit' production. They are not to be traded or
used for any commercial gain and should be made freely available to anyone seeking
educational or teaching materials on the subject matter.

Author
Peter Stork, PhD (Science), BSc (Agr.), Grad. Dip. Ed.
ESL Teacher-Trainer
Faculty of English,
Nha Trang University, Nha Trang,
Khánh Hoà Province, Vietnam.
http://www.ntu.edu.vn/default.aspx?lang=1
>Faculty>General Sciences>Major-English>Introduction>Personnel

December, 2009.
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

2.1. The British Isles

The British Isles consist of two large islands,
Great Britain and Ireland. They have thousands
of smaller islands surrounding them. Great Britain
or Britain is the name given to the combination of
England, Scotland and Wales. Important seas
surrounding the British Isles are the North Sea in
the east, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the
English Channel between England and France,
the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.
The topography of Great Britain can be roughly
divided into Lowland Britain and Highland
Britain. The coast has many estuaries and inlets,
so that no place in Britain is far from the sea. The
climate of the British Isles is mild and damp and
moderated by light winds blowing in from
relatively warm seas in the Atlantic Ocean. Inland
temperatures do not usually get below freezing in
winter or above 30°C in summer. Light rains
(drizzle) occur everywhere all year. Fogs usually
develop in winter. The British Isles were once almost entirely covered with forests, but tree cover is now
one of the lowest in Europe. The mighty woodlands of the British Isles of the past have been reduced to a
few pockets of vegetation due to extensive farming.

Exercise A. Label the map on the following page with the correct name or phrase from the definitions
below.

Atlantic Ocean - the body of water in which the British Isles are located
Belfast - the capital of Northern Ireland
Cardiff - the capital of Wales
Celtic Sea - the sea south of Ireland
Dublin - the capital of Ireland
Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland
England - the largest area in the United Kingdom; it is attached to Scotland and Wales
English Channel - the body of water off southern England which separates it from France
Hebrides - islands off the northwest coast of Scotland
Ireland - (the Republic of Ireland) - a country west of England across the Irish Sea (not part of the United
Kingdom)
Irish Sea - the body of water that separates England and Ireland
Isle of Man - an island in the Irish Sea
Isle of Wight - an island off the southern coast of England
London - the capital of England (and the capital of the United Kingdom)
North Sea - the body of water northeast of the British Isles separating it from northwest Europe
Northern Ireland - a part of the United Kingdom bordering the Republic of Ireland on the northeast
Orkney Islands - islands off the northeast coast of Scotland
Scotland - a part of the United Kingdom bordering England on the north

10
2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

11
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

Exercise B. Name each territory of the British Isles (darkened part) in the maps below.

A B

C D

E F

Questions
(i) Name the regions that make-up what is called ‘Britain’ and the ‘United Kingdom’.
(ii) What are the capital cities of each region?
(iii) Ireland is part of the United Kingdom? True or False

12
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

2.2. Physiographic features of England, Scotland and Wales.

The term United Kingdom has been used to refer to the
combined regions of England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. We will focus on England, Scotland and
Wales in this course of study on British Culture because
Northern Ireland is only technically a part of the UK today
as most Irish in Northern Ireland would not consider
themselves British.
Citizens of Great Britain are referred to as Britons. This
term is used to refer to the ancient Britons who were
inhabitants of Britain south of Scotland’s Forth River.
The Firth of Forth is the estuary of the Forth River.
Britons are descended mainly from the different ethnic
groups that settled there before the 11th century such as
Celtics, Romans and Anglo Saxons.
While the climate of Britain is similar the physiographic
features of England, Scotland and Wales are quite
different. They are summarised in following paragraphs.

England: The total area of England is 130,410 square

kilometres and London is its capital. It is also the largest
city in the United Kingdom. The coast of England has
excellent natural harbours that are easily accessible to
deepwater shipping. This has been important for its
economic development and for its culture as a seafaring nation. Some important and famous harbour
ports are Newcastle upon Tyne, Hull, London, Dover, Plymouth, Bristol and Liverpool Harbour. The
northern and western parts of England are generally mountainous. Lowland Britain consists of the South,
London, East Anglia, and the West Country which has many rivers connected by a network of canals.
The Thames is a major river flowing through London, Oxford, Reading and Windsor in southern England.
It is 346 kilometres in length and is the second longest river in the United Kingdom.
England mainly consists of flat land and rolling hills except in the Midlands and the 'North'. These
regions that contain the most important English
mountain ranges called the Pennine Chain or
Pennines (between 890-630 metres) and the
Lake District (between 970-820 metres), one of
the most picturesque regions in England. The
city of Birmingham is the centre of the Midlands
and is the second largest city of the United
Kingdom. York is another famous historic city
in the North of England.

The Pennine Mountain ranges. 

13
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

In the east of England lies The Fens, a vast area of flatland that was a marshland that was drained. To the
south of the Bristol Channel is an elevated plateau that slopes upward ending in the barren uplands and
moors of Cornwall and Devon. Sequential ranges of chalk hills can be seen from the English Channel and
are known as the white cliffs of Dover.

Scotland: The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh and Glasgow is its largest city. Scotland can be divided
into three areas. The Southern Uplands are the fertile plains and hills bordering England. The Central
Lowlands run from Edinburgh to Glasgow and contain the industrial towns and most of the population. The
Highlands are mountain ranges (between 1350-1200 metres) rising to their heights at Ben Nevis (1344
metres), Britain's highest mountain. The largest islands that belong to Scotland are the Hebrides, the
Orkneys and the Shetlands. Many of these islands are inhabited.
About three-quarters of Scotland is
made-up of uncultivated bog, rock and
heather, including a lot of peat soils.
The land area of Scotland, including the
islands, is 78,790 square kilometres.
The longest river is the Tay. Scotland
has a very irregular coastline with
numerous inlets from the sea. The larger
and broader inlets are called firths such
as the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of
Forth. The main natural harbour is
located in the Firth of Clyde. Scotland
is very mountainous and more than one-
half of Scotland is occupied by the
Highlands and contains narrow lakes or  
lochs. Loch Lomond is the longest A loch in the  Scottish Highlands 
lake in Scotland and Loch Ness, according to legend contains a sea monster (The Loch Ness Monster).
The Clyde, which flows through the city of Glasgow, is Scotland’s most important river and serves as a
transportation outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.

Wales: The capital city of Wales is

Cardiff and it is the principal seaport and
shipbuilding centre of Wales. The total
area of Wales is 20,760 square
kilometres. Wales has an irregular
coastline with many bays, the largest of
which is Cardigan Bay. Wales is almost
entirely mountainous with three main
regions; Snowdonia in the north-west,
the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales
and Brecon Beacons in the south. The
principal range is the Cambrian
Mountains (between 750-600 metres),
which extend north and south through
central Wales. These mountains are the
source of River Severn which is 354 km
in length and is Britain's longest river.  
The Severn flows through mid Wales and Cambrian Mountain ranges, Wales. 
enters the West Midlands and South West England before discharging into Celtic Sea through the Bristol
Channel. Mount Snowdon is Wales's highest mountain and is the source of the Dee River which is a major
river of Wales. It is 110 kilometres in length and flows through northern Wales passing through the Bala
Lake, which is the largest natural lake in Wales, before entering North West England.

14
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

A Physiographic map of the British 
Isles. 

A physiographic map of the British Isles.  How does this compare with the
area of England, Scotland and Wales?
(viii) How far is London from Hanoi?
(ix) How far is London from Ho Chi Minh City? i. 9551
Exercise. Fill in the blanks for the paragraph below using the following words.
Questions
(i) What are the main mountain
areas of England, Scotland and
Wales called?
(ii) Which region(s) of Britain are
the most mountainous? The least
mountainous? Which region(s)
have the highest and lowest
mountains?
(iii) How do the three regions of
Britain compare with each other
in land area? Which region has the
largest amount of flat land?
Which region has the largest land
area? Which region has the
smallest landmass?
(iv) Which part of Britain has the
largest number of coastal firths
and lochs?
(v) Which part of Britain has the
largest number of harbours? Why
is it good for the economy of the
region?
(vi) Name the seas and countries
closest to Britain?
(vii) Is the landmass of Vietnam
329,556 or 520, 337 or 767, 233
   square kilometres?
i. 8525 ii. 9236 iii. 11455 kilometres.
ii. 10234 iii. 12370 kilometres.

Atlantic Britain Britain canals Cambrian Devon Downs England England English
Channel Cornwall Fens Highlands Ireland Irish island firths lochs North Northern
Ireland Pennines rivers Scotland seas Uplands

The Geography of Britain

Britain is an ____________country that is surrounded by three ________: the __________Sea, the
_______________Ocean and the __________Sea. ______________is separated from ______________and
_______________ _____________by the Irish Sea and from France by the ______________
______________. The most mountainous areas of Britain are in the north: the __________________and
Southern ______________ of________________. The southern part of Britain contains smaller mountain
ranges such as the ________________ in ______________and ________________ Mountains in Wales and
the rolling hills of England such as the __________. ____________also has most of the flatland such as
drained marshlands called the ________and the moors of __________and________________. The south

15
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

part of _____________ also has the greatest number of ____________ and ____________while the northern
part has many narrow lakes called __________ and sea inlets called ____________.

(x) If you went to Britain, which areas would you like to visit?
(xi) What are the similarities between the geography of Britain and Vietnam?
(xii) What are the differences between the geography of Britain and Vietnam?

State if the following statements are true or false.

(i) North Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. True/False
(ii) Northern Ireland belongs to the United Kingdom. True/False
(iii) The term 'Britons' is another name for Scottish people. True/False
(iv) England has the most number of seaports in Britain. True/False
(v) The cliffs of Dover are white because they are made of chalk. True/False
(vi) Scotland is smaller than England but much larger than Wales. True/False
(vii) London is the largest city in the United Kingdom and Glasgow is the second largest. True/False
(viii) Most of the land in Scotland is unfertile. True/False
(ix) The Pennine Chain, Scottish Highlands and Mount Snowdon are the three main mountain regions of
Britain. True/False
(x) The longest river in Britain begins in England. True/False
(xi) Wales has three main mountainous areas. True/False

2.3. The Climate and Weather in Vietnam and Britain

Weather is the name given for rain, sunshine, wind, cloud cover, temperature or humidity in the present
time at a particular place. For example, “It is very sunny today” is a statement about the weather because it
is an observation of sunshine and/or temperature on that day. Climate refers to rain, sunshine, wind, cloud
cover, temperature or humidity over a long period of time in a particular place. For example, “Vietnam is a
tropical country” or “Britain is a cold country” is a statement about the climate of each country because it is
about rain, sunshine, wind, cloud cover, temperature or humidity in each country every year for a long
period of time.
The climate of the United Kingdom
is classified as a mid-latitude
oceanic climate with warm summers,
cold winters and constant rainfall
throughout the year. The constant
rainfall causes frequent cloudy
conditions. This causes the country to
have very low sunshine hours
throughout the year. Sunshine hours
are the number of daylight hours in
each day that are free of most clouds.
The principal factors that influence
the country's climate is its northerly
latitude (which ranges from 50° to
60°N), the close proximity to the
Atlantic Ocean, and the warming of
the surrounding waters of the Atlantic
Ocean by the Gulf Stream. The
The Gulf Stream. The large arrow shows the direction of warm water  weather is very variable and it can
currents that travel past Britain keeping this area of Europe much  change from one day to the next but
warmer. Arrows pointing downwards show the return of this water  these variations in weather through
current that is now cold.   the year are relatively small.
England has a mild and moist climate. The mean annual temperature ranges between 11°C and 9°C. July
is the hottest month of the year, and January, is the coldest month. Fogs, mists, and overcast skies are
frequent, particularly in the Pennine and inland regions. Rainfall is heaviest during October and average

16
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

rainfall is about 760 mm in most of England. England has slightly warmer maximum and minimum
temperatures throughout the year compared with Scotland and Wales. The climate of Scotland is similar to
the rest Britain but has the coolest temperatures. Lower temperatures are common in Highland areas during
the winter months. Wales also has similar weather to England but has slightly warmer temperatures
throughout the year than Scotland and lower temperatures in winter compared to England.
Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with humidity averaging 84% throughout the year. However,
because of differences in latitude and its mountainous regions, the climate tends to vary considerably from
place to place. For example, Dalat can be very cool while Ho Chi Minh City a few hundred kilometres away
can be very hot. The winter or dry season is usually between November to April. The south westerly
summer monsoon normally occurs from May to October.

Questions
(i) Which are the months of summer, winter, autumn and spring in Britain and Vietnam?
(ii) Find the meaning of the phrase mid-latitude oceanic climate and explain it in your own words.
(iii) Find out the meaning of the phrase Gulf Stream and explain it in your own words.
(iv) Find out the meaning of the phrase tropical monsoon climate and explain it in your own words.
Exercise. Fill in the blanks for the essay below using the following words.

600 mm 1000 mm Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff drier Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh

Edinburgh four humidity London London London London lower rainfall rainfall
similar slight spring summer Summer temperatures sunshine temperature winter

Comparison of the Climate of London, Cardiff and Edinburgh

Introduction: There are ________climatic factors to consider when comparing the three cities. These are
_____________________, ________________, ________________hours and ________________.
Body: Firstly, there are ____________ differences in ____________ temperatures between the cities.
Summer temperatures in ____________ are approximately 2-3oC higher than _________________ and
approximately 1-2oC higher than ____________. ____________ ________________________in Cardiff are
approximately 1-2oC higher than Edinburgh. Secondly, there are larger differences in ________________
between Cardiff and the other two cities. While ____________ and ________________ receive relatively
even rainfall during each season in the year totalling approximately ______ ____, Cardiff receives uneven
seasonal rainfall totalling approximately ________ ____ annually. Cardiff's seasonal rainfall during the
____________ and ____________ months is almost double to that of London and Edinburgh. Lastly,
humidity is considerably __________ in Cardiff compared to the other two cities. Sunshine hours are similar
in ____________ and __________________. Although no information for sunshine hours is available for
______________ it can be expected that they are ______________ to the other two cities.
Conclusion: Therefore, the biggest differences in climate between the three cities would be __________
winters in ____________ and _______________ in comparison with _______.

(v) Using the graphs in the next page, compare and contrast the climate in an essay of 150 words. Compare
London with Hanoi OR Edinburgh with Ho Chi Minh City. Follow the example for London, Cardiff and
Edinburgh for your essay.
(vi) Which months of the year are British citizens likely to travel? Explain your reasons.
(vii) If they had a choice, which months of the year would they come to Vietnam?
(viii) How do you think that the climate of Britain and Vietnam influences its people?

17
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

The Climate of Major Cities in Vietnam and Britain
   

   
A  B 
   

   
C  D 
  State if the following statements are true or
false.
(i) 'It was windy and rainy during the FA Cup Final
last year' is a statement about the weather.
True/False
(ii) Wales has a mild and moist climate.
True/False
(iii) Sunshine hours in Britain are similar to
Vietnam. True/False
(iv) The rainy season in Britain lasts all year.
True/False
(v) London is a little warmer than Edinburg but
slightly colder than Cardiff during winter.
True/False
(vi) The hottest period in North Vietnam is similar
  to the hottest period in Britain. True/False
E  

18
 2. The Geography and Climate of Britain

2.4. A weather forecast for the United Kingdom by a journalist in a radio station.
Listen to the dialogue and fill the blanks with the correct words.
Aberdeen, Glasgow afternoon Belfast Belfast Borders of Scotland Celsius cloud
Dorset Cornwall East Anglia East Anglia, Lincolnshire England fog
English Channel frosty Lincolnshire Midlands Midlands, Wales mist
Midlands, Wales, North West England North East England North East England cloud
North East of England Northern Ireland Northern Isles North Sea
North West England North West of Scotland Orkney Scotland Scotland
Shetland sunshine temperatures temperatures temperature Wales
wind winds Northern Ireland Southern England rain fog Wales

And now the detailed f_______for the next twenty-four hours, starting with E___ A____, L____________,
and the N_____ E____ __ E_______. A gentle flow of air from the N_____ S__ is bringing c_____ and a
few spots of light r___, but this will tend to thin and break, the showers dying out later this a_________.
The w___ is rather cold, so the t__________ won't get much above four or five degrees today. Tonight
there'll be a frost, with temperatures dropping to zero or minus one in ____ ______, as low as minus two
or minus three in _____ ____ _______. Parts of Lincolnshire and North East England may see a few mist
and fog patches by dawn tomorrow morning. Now to the M_______, W____, _____ W___ _______, and all
of S_______ _______, where there's likely to be a pretty dry afternoon. There are some bands of cloud
circulating, especially along the south coasts from D_____ to C_______, but apart from that it's fine, with
some pleasant s_______ on the west coast of _____ and parts of the ________. Strong north-easterly w____,
especially in the E______ C______, will slowly ease this afternoon, though tt___________will remain
around four or five. Tonight, with little wind, it'll be frosty, especially away from the coast,
____________falling as low as minus three or minus four. In parts of the ________, _____ and _____ ____
_______ there may be a few freezing f__ patches to start the day tomorrow. So that's _______and _____.
Now to N_______ I______ and S_______. It's going to be a dry day here as well, slowly warming up over
the afternoon, with some really quite pleasant winter sunshine. At the moment it's sunny in A_______,
G______ and B______. For the ________ I_____ it's a different story. There's a weather front approaching
S________ and O_____, and that will bring rain or showers by the end of the afternoon. In the ______ ____
__ ________, south-westerly winds are bringing milder air, so temperatures here around six C______.
Further south, only three or four degrees over much of _______, and five for B______. Tonight we can
expect cloud and patchy rain, some sleet perhaps, to edge into the north of mainland Scotland. Otherwise
it'll be clear and f_____, with some freezing fog. Lowest temperatures: five for Stornoway, but minus two in
the B______ __ _______ and minus three in _______ _______.

Questions
(i) Which part of the United Kingdom has the best weather during the afternoon of the reported day?
(ii) Which part of the United Kingdom will have the coldest weather during the following morning?

19
 3. Cities, Population and Countryside

3.1. Major cities

Cardiff is the capital of Wales and is about sixty-seven kilometres east of Swansea on the south coast of
Wales. The city was once a major port for coal transport. It is now a shopping, commercial and industrial
centre. The city centre has international sporting stadiums such as the Millennium Stadium for rugby and
soccer. Many colleges of the University of Wales are based in Cardiff. Cardiff Bay has many tourist centres
of interest on the waterfront such as the Millennium Arts Centre and the Welsh Assembly.

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It contains the centre of government at the
Houses of Parliament. It is a major financial, commercial, distribution and communications centre,
situated in the South-East of England, some eighty kilometres north of the south coast. Greater London
covers 625 square miles and consists of thirty-three separate boroughs (districts), including the City of
London (the financial centre), and the City of Westminster (site of the Houses of Parliament). It is also one
of the major centres in the world for the arts with major theatre and music companies as follows.

Theatre The West End, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre
Music The London Symphony Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Opera and
the English National Opera

Birmingham is a manufacturing and commercial city and communications centre in the West Midlands
with the second highest population in Britain after London. It is 169 kilometres north-west of London. The
city centre was redeveloped in 1960s and 1970s as a national commercial centre. It is the home of the
National Exhibition Centre and the International Convention Centre which are major venues for
commercial conventions and industrial fairs. The city’s cultural activities include dance (the
Birmingham Royal Ballet) and music (the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra).

Manchester is an important cultural and commercial centre on the western side of England about 298
kilometres north-west of London. This city was a creation of the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries, when, it was known as 'Cottonopolis', for textile manufacturing and became
regional capital of the North-West. It is home to the Halle Orchestra and Royal Northern College of Music.
It is also a major centre for higher education, the arts and the media industry.

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, whose Irish name is Beal Feirste, meaning 'mouth of the
sandbank' in Gaelic. It was once had a major shipbuilding, tobacco and linen industry. It is also famous for
its Victorian architecture.

Edinburgh is the historic city and capital of Scotland on the south side of the Firth' of Forth, 608
kilometres north of London. It is a centre for law firms, banking, insurance and is also a cultural centre. Its
industries include printing and publishing, brewing and tourism. The city is dominated by Edinburgh castle.
The International Festival of Music and Drama is held here annually. Edinburgh also has distinctive
architecture.

Exercise: Locate these cities on the map of the United Kingdom in a following page and write their names
in the table in a following page.

20
 3. Cities, Population and Countryside

3.2. Other Interesting Cities

Brighton is the first seaside resort on the south coast of England. It has lots of well-known buildings,
including Brighton Pavilion, a palace commissioned by King George IV, and famous girls' school Roedean.

York has preserved or reconstructed Roman, Viking and medieval remains, ancient walls and the beautiful
'Minster', that are popular with tourists. It is situated inland, 311 kilometres north of London.

Oxford is situated at the meeting point of the River Thames and the River Cherwell, eighty-five kilometres
north-west of London. Oxford university was founded in the thirteenth century. The University and
Cathedral is a tourist attraction. Oxford is a commercial centre too, with a car manufacturing industry at
Cowley, just outside the city.

Sunderland developed as a coal port and a centre of shipbuilding and engineering in the nineteenth
century. It is situated seventeen kilometres south-east of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Nottingham is a city on the River Trent, seventy-two kilometres north-east of Birmingham. It is the nearest
city to Sherwood Forest, home of the legendary Robin Hood. It contains a seventeenth-century castle,
restored in nineteenth century; houses museum and art gallery. It’s industrial prosperity as a centre of lace-
and hosiery-making commenced with the invention of the stocking-frame in 1589.

Glasgow is a city, port, commercial and industrial centre on the River Clyde, sixty-six kilometres west of
Edinburgh. It was once known as 'the second city of the British Empire' after London. In the nineteenth
century it was the centre for the building of great locomotives and ships which were exported worldwide.
The name 'Clyde-built' came to mean 'of the highest quality'. The city was greatly affected by industrial
decline after 1945. Now a major artistic and cultural centre; it became the first 'European City of Culture' in
1990.

Sheffield is a city on the River Don, 256 kilometres north-west of London and 116 kilometres north-east of
Birmingham. Coal mining was once located near the city. It has been a centre for the production of cutlery
since the Middle Ages and of high-quality steel since the eighteenth century. In recent years it has become
an important venue for conferences.

Leeds is a commercial and industrial city on the River Aire, and on the Leeds–Liverpool Canal, fifty-eight
kilometres north-east of Manchester and 270 kilometres north of London; south-west of York. It has been
traditionally a centre of the textile trade.

Liverpool is fifty-six kilometres south-west of Manchester and close to the border with North Wales on the
north-west coast of England. It was once a major port and is now a centre for commercial redevelopment
such as the Albert Dock which has been transformed into offices, shops, museums and a television studio.
Liverpool has universities, Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals and world-famous football teams.

Swansea is a large port city at the mouth of the River Tawe, sixty-seven kilometres west of Cardiff. It was
once a centre for iron, steel, coal and tin mining. There were coal-mining and oil-refining industries near the
city today. It is still an industrial, residential and academic centre and also the main shopping centre for
South-West Wales. The remains of a fourteenth-century castle or manor house are the main tourist
attraction.

Aberdeen is the centre of North Sea oil industry. It is third largest fishing port in Britain and famous for its
granite buildings.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a city and port, 180 kilometres north of Leeds. It is a commercial and industrial
centre. The quayside and the river, where coal-exporting gave Newcastle its identity for centuries, now
combine picturesque decay with signs of redevelopment.

21
 3. Cities, Population and Countryside

Exercise A.
(i) Locate the other cities on the map and write their names in the table on the next page.
(ii). Name nine major Financial and Commercial Centres of the United Kingdom in the table on the next
page.
(iii). Name eight major centres for Tourism and the Arts in the United Kingdom in the table on the next
page.

Map of the United Kingdom. 

22
 3. Cities, Population and Countryside

City I. Major City II. Other City III. Financial/ IV. Tourism
Commercial and Arts Centre
Tick (√) Tick (√) centre Tick (√)
Tick (√)

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Question: What does the distribution of major cities, other cities, financial centres, arts and tourism centres
across the United Kingdom imply? Write a 3-paragraph essay of approximately 180 words.

23