Page 15 - University English for non-speacalist

International Tourism: UK

What do you know about the United Kingdom? Write T (true) or F (false)

1 - Great Britain consists of England, Scotland ad Northern Ireland.

2 - Most of the UK population lives in Scotland.

3 - England is agricultural and industrial.

4 - The symbol of Wales is a red dragon.

5 - Scotland had the same legal, justice, education and banking system as England.

6 - Glasgow is the capital of Northern Ireland.

Read the text and check your answers.

The United Kingdom for Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern
Ireland is north-west of mainland Europe.

51 million people live in its biggest country, England, a fertile agricultural region,
industrial centre and international melting pot. Cornwall, in the south-west, is perfect for
surfers, walkers and art-lovers with its long coastline, futuristic botanical gardens – the Eden
Project – and great art galleries. The Norfolk Broads, a canal network in south-east, England,
offer cycling, boating or bird-watching; and London, the capital, in the south-east, is full of
history, style and entertainment.

Wales is small, mountainous and coastal country with frequent rain from the Irish Sea
with an economy based on tourism and agriculture. There are about 3 million people, but 10.2
million sheep! Losing political independence from England in 1282, Wales became semi-
autonomous through its National Assembly in 1999; thanks to a strong sense of identity based
on language and culture and represented by its symbolic red dragon. Tourist attractions are; the
cosmopolitan capital, Cardiff, with its 27,500-seat Millennium Stadium and recently developed
Cardiff Bay, with hotels, bars, restaurants, cinemas, museums, an arts centre and a leisure
village; Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, favourite beauty spots for hikers; and many
romantic historical castles.

Scotland is the UK's northernmost country with a harsh climate, dramatic landscapes and
a population of just 5.1 million. Scotland was united with England in 1707, but it's very
independent due to separate legal, justice, education and banking systems and more recently a
devolved parliament. The economy is based on oil and gas, the service sector, and whisky
exports. Places to visit include; the beautiful capital, Edinburgh, with an annual arts festival;
Glasgow with its Victorian architecture, industrial history and modern music, café and art
scenes; the UK's highest mountain, Ben Nevis; its deepest lake, Lock Ness, with legendary
monster; or the wild and remote Outer Hebrides islands with rare wildlife.

Northern Ireland is also semi-autonomous with a population of 1.7 million in the north-
eastern part of Ireland. Separated from southern Ireland since the 1920s, it was well-known for

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