The UK: Landscape


Landscape
There are many different landscapes in Britain, from high mountains and steep slopes, made out of solid rocks, to rolling hills and valleys. This landscape was formed millions of years ago during the ice age, when moving glaciers of ice made deep valleys, steep mountain slopes and long lakes. The southern and eastern parts of Britain are made up of smaller rocks that have weathered and become fertile farmland.
  •          The northern and western parts of England are mountainous. The Pennine Chain forms the backbone of northern England. Many of England’s major industrial areas lie on the flanks of the Pennine Chain, where there are many coalfields. To the west of the Pennines are the Cumbrian Mountains, a mountainous dome of ancient rocks deeply eroded by glaciers. This region contains the Lake District, diversely beautiful, with breathtaking scenery. The Lake District contains the beautiful lakes that give the district its name. The Lake District mixes soft green dales, cluster of hills, mirror-surfaced lakes and stark mountains, including Scafell Pike (978m) - England’s highest peak. This district is widely known for its association with the history of English literature and especially with the name of William Wordsworth, the founder of the Lake School of poets. (1) All the rest of England is a vast plain. Rolling plains occupy most of central and eastern England. The western part of the central region is known as the Midlands. To the east lies the Fens, a marsh area. To the south an elevated plateau slopes upward. The peninsula southwest of England is another highland zone. It is often referred to as the West Country. The peninsula juts out into the Atlantic Ocean and contains the countries of Devon and Cornwall. It features hilly, rough areas, the moorland plateaus of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and many picturesque valleys. Its sheltered areas are noted for their mild climate.
  • The terrain of Scotland is mountainous and is divided into three regions, from north to south: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands occupy more than a half of Scotland, the most rugged region on the island of Great Britain. The people who live here are called Highlanders.The Grampian Mountains are the chief range in the Highlands. The mountains, though, are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest peak in Scotland- 1.343 meters high. The Cheviot Hills mark the boundary between England and Scotland. The Lowlands have beautiful valleys and plains.There are numerous lakes in Scotland called lochs- for which the country is famous. The best known lake is Loch Ness.The greatest and brightest representative of highlanders was Robert Burns, who dedicated some of his poems to his country. 
  • Wales has an irregular coastline and many bays; the biggest is Cardigan Bay. Except for narrow and low coastal areas, mainly in the south and west, Wales is mostly mountainous. It has two major mountain systems: the Black Mountains with Pen-y-Fan (886m), the highest peak in South Wales, and the spiky peaks of Snowdoniain the north with Snowdon (1.085m), the highest peak in Wales.
  • Northern Ireland has several areas of spectacular natural beauty. One of these is the Giant’s Causeway on its north coast, so-called because the rocks in the area look like enormous stepping stones. There are low hills and peaks of rocks in the southeast of the island of Ireland. The highest part is the Mourne Mountains- 852 meters above the sea level. The northeastern part is plateau. Ireland is famous for its greenness. Poets often refer to it as ‘the Emerald Isle’.
    There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain but they are not very long. Britain’s rivers provide drinking water for towns and irrigate farmers’ crops. They have been navigable for centuries and have served people as trading routes. They flow steadily all year long because they are fed by the frequent rain. The Highlands act as a divide and determine, whether rivers flow west to the Irish Sea or east to the North Sea. Rivers and streams moving westwards, down from the Highlands, tend to be swift and turbulent; rivers flowing eastward tend to be long, graceful and gentle, with slowly moving waters. The Severn is the longest river, flowing along the border between England and Wales. Its tributaries include the Avon, famed by Shakespeare. The Thames is the deepest and most important river. The swiftest river is the Spey, flowing across the Highlands into the North Sea. It is noted for salmon fishing. Other important rivers in England are the Mersey, which enters the Irish Sea at Liverpool; the River Humber is on the east coast. The Trent and several other rivers flow into it. The Tyne is in the northern England and flows into the North Sea. In Scotland the important rivers are the Clyde and the Forth, which are joined by a canal. The River Clyde flows past Glasgow and empties into the Atlantic. The largest river in Ireland is the Shannon, while the most important ones are the Lagan, the Bann, and the Foyle. The largest lake in the British Isles –Lough Neagh- is in Ireland, while the largest lake in Great Britain is Loch Lomond in Scotland. Lake Windermere is the largest of the 15 major lakes in the famous Lake District.


Names:

The Pennine Chain ['penain]

Scafell Pike [ˌskɔ:'fel]

Ben Nevis [ben'neivis]

The Cheviot Hills ['tʃeviǝt]

Loch Ness ['lɔk'nes]

Pen-y-Fan [ˌpeni'fæn]

Lough Neagh ['lɔk'nei]

Loch Lomond ['lɔk'lǝumǝnd]

The Thames [temz]


Key vocabulary:


landscape n. – լանդշաֆտ, բնապատկեր
steep slope – զառիվեր լանջ, զառիվայր
solid adj. – ամուր, պինդ
rolling hill –բլրաշատ տեղանք
glacier ['glæsiǝ], ['glei] n.- սառցադաշտ
erode , weather ['weðǝ] v. – քայքայ(վ)ել, հողմահար(վ)ել
fertile ['fǝ:tail] adj. – բերրի, պտղաբեր
backbone n.- հիմք
vast adj.- լայնարձակ, անծայրածիր
plain n. – հարթավայր
flank n. – լանջ /սարի/
marsh n. – ճահճուտ
elevated adj. – բարձր
plateau ['plætǝu] n. – բարձրավանդակ, սարահարթ
diverse [dai'vǝ:s] adj. – բազմազան, զանազան
dale n. – հովիտ
 cluster n. - խումբ
 stark adj. – բոլորովին մերկ
terrain [tǝ'rein] n. – տեղանք, տարածություն
the Highlands n.- Շոտլանդիայի հյուսիսային և հյուսիս-արևմտյան մասը
rugged ['rʌgid] adj. – կտրատված, խորդուբորդ, անհարթ
dedicate v. – ձոնել, նվիրել
bay n. – ծովածոց, ծոց
spiky ['spaiki] adj. – սրածայր, սուր
spectacular [spek'tækjǝlǝ] adj. – տպավորիչ, գրավիչ
enormous [ı'nɔ:mǝs] adj. – վիթխարի
Emerland Isle- զմրուխտե կղզի
irrigate v.- ոռոգել
tributary ['tribjǝtǝri] n. – վտակ /գետի/

Talking points:
1.     What is the surface of the British Isles like?
2.     Which are the highest peaks in England/ Scotland?
3.     Which are the mountainous parts in England?
4.     What is Scotland famous for?
5.     How diverse is the surface of Scotland?
6.     Why is Scotland often referred to as Highlands? 
7.     Who is the greatest representative of the Highlands?
8.     What rivers and lakes in the British Isles do you know?


1.Լճային դպրոց (բանաստեղծների խումբ, The Lake School of poets) - 18-րդ դարի վերջի 19-րդ դարի սկզբի անգլիական ռոմանտիկ բանաստեղծների խումբ, որոնք ապրել են Անգլիայի հյուսիսում, այսպես կոչված, «լճերի երկրում»։ «Լճային դպրոց»-ի բանաստեղծներ Ու. Վորդսվորթը, Ս. Քոլրիջը և Ռ. Սաութին հայտնի են նաև «լեյկիստներ» (անգլերեն lake - լիճ բառից) անունով։ Իրենց ստեղծագործությունը հակադրելով 18-րդ դարի կլասիցիստական ու լուսավորական ավանդույթին, նրանք ռոմանտիկական ռեֆորմ կատարեցին անգլիական պոեզիայում: Նրանք սկզբում ողջունեցին ֆրանսիական մեծ հեղափոխությունը, հետագայում երես թեքեցին նրանից։ «Լեյկիստներ»-ի քաղաքական հայացքները գնալով ռեակցիոն դարձան։ Տարիների հետ անկում ապրեց նաև նրանց պոեզիան։ Սակայն վաղ շրջանի լավագույն ստեղծագործությունները մինչև հիմա էլ անգլիական պոեզիայի հպարտությունն են։

Ուիլյամ Վորդսվորթ (1770, ապրիլի 7 -1850, ապրիլի 23), անգլիացի բանաստեղծ - Ուիլյամ Վորդսվորթը Ս. Թ. Քոլրիջի հետ հեղինակել է «Քնարական բալլադաներ» (1798) երկհատոր ժողովածուն։ Գրել է «Պրելյուդիա կամ Բանաստեղծի գիտակցության զարգացում» (1798-1805) ինքնակենսագրական պոեմը, բանաստեղծություններ, սոնետներ, «Զբոսանք» (1814) փիլիսոփայական պոեմը: