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Учебный материал
РОССИЙСКОЙ КОЛЛЕКЦИИ РЕФЕРАТОВ (с) 1996
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Moscow State Pedagogical University
the department of sociology,
economics and
law
chair of English
language
Course paper on the topic
'Scotland'
by Gribacheva Alexandra,
a student of the 3rd year
Moscow 2000
The plan:
Introduction.
I. A few words about this work.
II. Scotland - how does it look like?
1.Geographical position.
2.Climate
3.Plant & animal life.
4.Natural resources.
5.Population.
6.Scotland's government.
The main part.
I. Early peoples of Scotland & their relations.
II. ': we will never consent to subject ourselves to the
dominion
of the English:'
III. Scotland's beautiful capital.
1.Introduction
2.Edinburgh's Castle
3.The Military Tattoo
4.St. Giles' Cathedral.
5.Edinburgh's museums.
6.Where life is one long festival.
Conclusion.
I.'Scottishness'.
1.'A wee dram'.
2.Scottish national dress.
3.A few words about tartan.
4.The national musical instrument of the Scots.
5.Highland's dances and games.
6.The famous Loch Ness.
7.St. Andrew's Cross.
II.Scotland for every season.
Appendices.
Practical part.
Literature.
Introduction.
I.A few words about this work.
Though Scotland is a part of The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland it still remains an
individual country with its own traditions, customs,
history and the way of life. In one word, Scotland is not
England at all. It is a country with a unique culture
full of ancient legends, bright contrasts and mysterious
castles. Secrets and mystery always appear immediately
when you open a book about Scotland.
But unfortunately you can come across such a problem as
lack of literature on this topic. I was lucky to find
several books that gave exhaustive information about this
magic country. I was so exited by the Scottish national
heroes and by this independent nation that I decided to
find out more information about them.
Some people say that if you haven't been in Venice you
haven't seen Italy at all. I can say that if you haven't
been in Scotland you haven't seen Britain at all. As for
me I was lucky to visit the capital of England London.
But alas! I didn't have any opportunity to visit or just
to have a glimpse of Scotland, a land of festivals, kilts
and bagpipes.
It seemed to me that after visiting London I know
everything about Britain. And only after reading several
books about Scotland I realized how wrong I had been. Now
I can just say: 'I wish I were in Scotland!'
I was seized with an idea of studying more about it and
that is why I decided to take this topic for my course
paper. I am not sure that I will be able to tell
everything that I found out about this country and its
people. But I promise to depict all unforgettable events
and traditions of the Scottish people that impressed me
most of all.
II.Scotland - what does it look like?
1.Geographical position
Scotland, administrative division of the kingdom of
Great Britain, occupying the northern third of the island
of Great Britain. Scotland is
bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean; on the east
by the North Sea; on the southeast by England; on the
south by Solway Firth, which
partly separates it from England, and by the Irish Sea;
and on the west by
North Channel, which separates it from Ireland, and by
the Atlantic Ocean.
As a geopolitical entity Scotland includes
186 nearby islands, the majority of which are contained
in three groups-namely, the Hebrides, also known as the
Western Islands, situated off the western coast; the
Orkney Islands, situated off the northeastern coast; and
the Shetland Islands, situated northeast of the Orkney
Islands. The largest of the other islands is the Island
of Arran. The area, including the islands, is 78,772 sq
km (30,414 sqmi).
Scotland has a very irregular coastline. The western
coast in particular is deeply penetrated by numerous arms
of the sea, most of which are narrow submerged valleys,
known locally as sea lochs1, and by a number of broad
indentations, generally called firths. The principal
firths are the Firth of Lorne, the Firth of Clyde, and
Solway Firth.
Scotland is characterized by an abundance of streams and
lakes (lochs). Notable among the lakes, which are
especially numerous in the central and northern regions,
are Loch Lomond (the largest), Loch Ness, Loch Tay, and
Loch Katrine.
Many of the rivers of Scotland, in particular the
rivers in the west, are short, torrential streams,
generally of little commercial importance. The longest
river of Scotland is the Tay; the Clyde, however, is the
principal navigational stream, site of the port of
Glasgow. Other chief rivers include the Forth, Tweed,
Dee, and Spey.
2.Climate
Like the climate of the rest of Great Britain, that
of Scotland is subject to the moderating influences of
the surrounding seas. As a result of these influences,
extreme seasonal variations are rare, and temperate
winters and cool summers are the outstanding climatic
features. Low temperatures however, are common during the
winter season in the mountainous districts of the
interior. In the western coastal region, which is subject
to the moderating effects of the Gulf Stream, conditions
are somewhat milder than in the east.
3.Plant and Animal Life
The most common species of trees indigenous to
Scotland are oak and conifers-chiefly fir, pine, and
larch. Large forested areas, however, are rare, and the
only important woodlands are in the southern and eastern
Highlands.