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I, What do you know about the

United Kingdom? Choose the
correct answer (a, b, c or d).

No r',t

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l.

of the UK?

a.
b.
c.
d.

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England

Wales
Scotland

Northern lreland

2.
a.
b.
c.
d.

What is the flag of the UK called?

3.
a.

Which of the following islands does

not belong to the Hebrides?
The Shetland lslands

b.

Mull

C.

Skye

d.

Lewis

4.

Which island lies between England

and lreland?
The lsle of Man
The lsle of Skye
The Shetland lslands

a.
b.
c.
d.

OCEAN

Which part of Britain is not in the flag

Tricolore
Union Jack
Stars and Stripes

United Kingdom

Jersey

5.

Which is the highest mountain in

Britain?

a.
b.
c.
d.

Snowdon

Ben Nevis
Ben Macdui
Scafell Pike

unit I

The coasl near Portsmouth.

o Ben Nevis

covered with snow

r-).;

Auif:'ffi
--aq.jJ::r:

The land

The t"lnited Kingdom or the

British lsles?

rlrhe main mountainous areas are in Scotland and

I \Vul.r" The Pennines, a range of hills also known

Britrish lsles is the geographical name that refers

to ail the islands off the north west coast of'the

"f-hu

European conrinent. The United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland, often abbreviated to the
UK, is thc poiitical name of the country which is made
up of England. Scotland, \\'ales and Northern lreland.
ln evervday speech "Britain" is used to mean the
United Kingdorn. "British" re{i:rs to people from the
UK, Great Britain or the British Isles in general.
The Isle of \\right, the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the
Hebrides, u.,hich lie off the coast of Great Britain, belong
to the UK. Other islands, such as the Channei Islands
ofJerser. and Guernsey and the Isle of Man, have their
own legislatures and administration. They have close
politicai, economic and cultural relations with Britain,
and recognise the queen as the Head o1- State.

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3. SCTAO
4, ILSHL
5. ERRVI
6. KLAE
7, ROFSTE
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9.

NENERONTMVI
ORLANDOM

IO. TAHEHS
0 l\larston

two

Moor, near York.

as

the "backbone of England", are situated in the centre

of England. The highest mountains are in Scotland
and \\'ales: Ben Nevis is 1,343 m and Snowdon is 1,085
m. The longest rivers are the Severn (354 km) and the
Thames (346 km). The largest lake in the UK is Lough
Neagh in Northern Ireland (396 sq km).
\tlost of Britain r,r,as covered by thick forest in
ancient times. When the population began to groq
forests were cut down: the land was used for farming,
the wood for fuel, and to build houses and ships.
In recent decades the British government has been
carrying out a programme of reforestation on a large
scale. Modern agricultural methods have also changed
the environment in Britain, where moorland and
heaths have been ploughed up and traditional small
fields have been joined together.

Where does the word

England come from?

A trip to England

tflh. name England comes from the Anglo-Saxon

L Engla Land, that is "the land of the Angles", one of

Afollows

the Germanic tribes that settled in England in the

and 6s centuries.

5m

o"orrron,

5.

Match each ltalian word with its English equivalenf,

1.

confina con

mountainous
b. lowlands

a.

2.

piatta t-,

3.

montuose

c. is

+.

bassopiani

d. estuary

5.

linea costiera
estuario

f.

6.

bordered by

re you planningyour first trip to England? What

is a region by region tour of England,
showing the highlights of each area.

I The South East Canterburyand Brighton

Moving south from London brings you to Southeast England, an area
of beautiful gardens and castles. the city of Gnterbury first attracted
travellers in tl, e Middle Ages, when pilgrims came to visit the tomb of
Thomas Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered in
the beauhful Norman Gthedral by Henry ll's knights in I170.
You can drive as far as Brighton on the English Channel and visrt the
Brighton Pavilion, buih in the lndian style for the Prince Regent (later
Day

Ceorge lV). Brighton is also famous for ib Victorian amusement piers

and its lively nightlife.

e. flat

coastline

Day 2 South Central England: Salisbury and Stonehenge

The southern coast of England is characterised by beautiful harbours in

The geography of England

ngland is bordered by Scotland to the north and by
'Wales to the west. It is about 130,422 sq km in size,
and it is the largest country of the UK covering about
two-thirds of the island.
Most of England is flat with two important
mountainous regions: the first dividing the Northeast
from Northwest (the Cumbrian Mountains ol the
Lake Disrict; the highest mountain of the region is
Scafell Pike, 978 m) and the second forming a kind of
backbone down the centre (the Pennines). The rest of
the country is known as the English Lowlands with its
national and country parks and 600 miles of coastline.
The main rivers are the Thames, the Severn and the
Humber. The most important cities include London (the
capital), Birmingham, Sheffield, keds, Newcasde and
Manchester. London is one of the best-known cities in
the world and for many is representative of the whole
of England. Near Dover, the Channel Tunnel links the

E
I'

United Kingdom with France.

text above. Answer the following

questions.

4. Read the

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

standing stone circle dating back to nearly 5000 years ago. Salisbury
Plain is also home to hundreds of other prehistoric tombs and circles.

Day 5 The South West West Country and Comwall

The South West is the largest region of England, and extends from
Cloucestershire to Cornwall. The region is largely rural, with many small
towns and villages. The largest cities are Bristol, Bournemouth, F:xeter
and Bath. You can drive westwards and reach Land's End, the most
westerly tip of the English mainland.

Day 4 The Heart of England: Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon

Drive through some of the prettiest countryside in England and reach
the unversity town of Oxford. The history of Oxford is linked to the
growth of its University, which was begun in the l2s century. Oxford
University is a collection of independent colleges, each with its own
history and its own administration; Christ Church is the largest of the
Oxford University colleges. Northwest from Oxford lies Stratford-onAvon, birthplace of \Mlliam Shakespeare. ln Stratford you can visitthe
school Shakespeare attended and the lovely cottage where his wife,
Anne Hathaway, lived before their marriage.

l.

the county of Hampshire and the lsle of Wight You can drive westwards
and reach Salisbury. lts cathedral has the tallest spire in England and
in the nave you can see the oldest working mechanical clock in the
,l386.
world, built in
North of Salisbury lies Stonehenge, the mysterious

Day 5 East Anglia: Nonruich and Cambridge

Drive through flat East Anglia towards Norwich. lts famous cathedral
is a magnificent example of Norman architecture; the bishop's throne

Which countries have borders with England?

How big is it?
ls England mountainous or flat?
Which are the main rivers?
Which are the major cities?
What links the United Kingdom with France?
I

sixteen

behind the high altar is the oldest in England. Move from Norwich to
Gmbridge on the river Cam. This town is famous for its universrty,
begun in the l3n century. University buildings include the impresslve
King's College Chapel, Trinity College and Queen's College.

Day 6 The East Midlands: Nottingham and

Shenruood Forest
The East Midlands includes the counties of
Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Nottingham
is known for its association with the legend of
Robin Hood. At the Shenrvood Forest Visitor
Centre you can see the Major Oa( the place
where Robin Hood and his Merry Men used
to gather and hide.

Day 7 The West Midlands: Birmingham and

Manchester
Several large cities, like Birmingham, Liverpool,

and Manchester, lie in this area. Birmlngham,

an important commercial and industrial centre,
is the second-biggest city in England. Liverpool,
on the River Mersey, has become famous
through The Beatles, while Manchester is a
modern aft and cultural centre.

Day 8 The Lake District

The Lake District is one of England's most
visited regions because of the Lake District
National Parh which is the largest of England's
National Parls. The spectacular scenery of this

county has attracted important men of letters

like the romantic poet VMlliam Wordsworth.
The highest mountain of the region is Scafell
Pike (s78m).

Day 8: The Lake District

Day 9 The North East: York and Durham
This area of England includes the counties
of Yorlshire and Northumbria. The former
was ruled by the Vikings, and that heritage
is celebrated in numerous festivals and

museums. Durham Cathedral is one of the

earliest examples of the Cothic style in English
architecture. Hadrian's Wall, which runs from
the West Coast to the East was erected in the
century by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to
divide England from Scotland.
2nd

Day I0 London
We finish our tour in London, which is the
capital of the UK. You can use the information

in unit 1 (pages
town.

-5) to plan a visit of the

seventeen 17