Warm- up
Problems for discussion
Ø What is (are) national language(s) in our republic? Are any other languages spoken here? Do you agree that it is necessary to have at least two languages spoken in the country? Why? Why not? Give your arguments.
Ø You are willing to participate in the international conference “Belarus today and tomorrow”. The organizers require a short abstract. You are to represent social and political situation in our country to the international participants.
Ø Imagine you are a teacher of History. The topic of your lesson is “The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus”. You are to tell your pupils what rights the Constitution grants every citizen.
Ø Discuss in your group what changes you would like to introduce into the Constitution.
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ASPECTS
What do you know about the United Kingdom?
· What is the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain?
· How is the British flag called?
· What are the British national emblems (flowers)?
Read about the British Flag and say which country is not represented on the flag of the U.K.?
The Union flag, popularly known as the ‘Union Jack’*, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is called the Union Flag because it symbolizes the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom. It is made up of the individual flags of three of the Kingdom’s countries all united under one Sovereign¹ – the countries of England, of Scotland and of Northern Ireland (since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom; Southern Ireland is an independent republic). As Wales was not a Kingdom but a Principality² it couldn’t be included on the flag.
* ‘Union Jack’ was officially accepted as an alternative name for the Union Flag by the Admiralty³ and parliament in the early 20th century. The term ‘jack’4 refers to the flag that is flown from the bowsprit5 of a ship, often denoting6 nationality.
* Union Jack - государственный флаг Соединённого Королевства
¹ sovereign [′sÉvrın] – монарх, правитель
² principality [‚prınsı′pælıtı] - княжество
³ admiralty [′ædm(ə)rəltı] – адмиралтейство; военно-морское министерство (Великобритании до 1964 г.)
4 jack [dZæk] – мор. гюйс, флаг
5 bowsprit [′bəυ‚sprıt] – мор. бушприт
6 denote [dı′nəυt] – показывать, обозначать
The flags that appear on the Union Flag are the crosses of three patron1 saints2 :
This is England's Flag.
It is called the "St. Georges Flag".
The red cross of Saint George for England on the white ground.
This is Scotland's Flag.
It is called the "St. Andrews Flag".
The white diagonal cross of Saint Andrew for Scotland on the blue ground.
On the Union Flag, Northern Ireland is represented by the flag of St. Patrick.
The red diagonal cross of Saint Patrick for Ireland on the white ground.
This is Wales’s Flag.
The Welsh flag (the red dragon on the white and green ground) doesn’t appear on the Union Flag.
1 patron [′peıtr(ə)n] - покровитель, патрон, заступник
2 saint [seınt] - святой