The Union Jack, spoken English topic with translation. Topic. The Union Jack and other symbols of the countries of the United Kingdom Scientific work union jack English language

The national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the most obvious symbol of the United Kingdom. It is called the Union Jack.

"Jack" is an old word which means "sailor". It explains the name of the flag. King James III (1566-1622) ordered the Union Flag to be flown on the main mast of all British ships, except for the ships of war. So the flag was flown at the front of the ships.

Union Jack is a mixture of several overlaid flags. It combines three flags representing England, Scotland and Ireland.

These flags are the crosses of the Patron Saint of England (St. George"s Cross - red cross on a white ground), the flag of the Patron Saint of Scotland (St. Andrew"s Cross - white diagonal cross on a blue ground ) and the flag of the Patron Saint of Northern Ireland (St. Patrick's Cross - red diagonal on a white ground).

St. David of Wales is not represented in the flag probably because Wales is a principality, not a kingdom.

The National Anthem of the UK

People all over the world know the first line of the national anthem of Great Britain which is called "God Save the Queen". It was adopted after the War with Napoleon.

God save our gracious Queen Long Hue our noble Queen God save the Queen!

Send her victorious Happy and glorious Long to reign over us God save the Queen! Read also other topics in this section:

• "The National Emblems / State Emblems (National Symbols)"
• The National Emblems / State emblems (National symbols)

The National Flag of the UK. The National Anthem of the UK / National flag and anthem of Great Britain

It originally consisted of English and Scottish flags: St. Andrew's cross, blue flag with a white cross, was joined with English St. George's Cross, white flag with a red cross. This way original Union Jack of 1606 was a blue flag with two crosses (white and red). Later, in 1801 when Ireland joined the union a red cross from St. Patrick’s Cross (Irish flag) was added to the flag and the Union Jack began to look as it does today.

Despite being a part of the United Kingdom, Welsh flag (St. David) is not represented on the flag of the union. The reason might be that Wales is not a kingdom. It is interesting to notice that the Union Jack is also a part of the flags of Australia and New Zealand. King James III ordered that the flag should be flown on the main mast of all British ships.

Today the Union Jack is a popular symbol that regularly appears on clothes, bags, souvenirs and even cars. Its colors attract people so that it has become a fashionable emblem all over the world.

Translation:

"Union Jack" is the name of the flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Flag, as it is officially called, is a combination of several flags: Scottish, English and Irish. The creation of the flag began when Scotland joined England and Wales.

It originally consisted of the English and Scottish flags: the St. Andrew's Cross, a blue flag with a white cross, was combined with the English St. George's Cross, a white flag with a red cross. Thus, the Union Jack in 1606 looked like a blue flag with two crosses (white and red). Later, in 1801, when Ireland joined the union, the red cross from the "St. Patrick's Cross" (Irish flag) was added to the flag and the Union Jack took on its modern form.

Although Wales is also part of the United Kingdom, its flag (St David's) is not represented on the union flag. The reason may be that Wales is not a kingdom. It is interesting to note that the Union Jack is also part of the flags of Australia and New Zealand. By order of King James III, this flag flew on the mainmast of every British ship.

Today the Union Jack is a famous symbol, regularly appearing on clothing, bags, souvenirs and even cars. Its colors attract people, which is why it has become a fashion emblem all over the world.

Words and expressions:

Cross - cross

To be joined with – join to..., unite with...

Despite +V ing/N – despite (Despite being a part of...)

To be represented – to be depicted/represented

Kingdom - kingdom

to order – to dispose, to order

]

The UK of GB and Northern Ireland is located on the British Isles. It consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of Great Britain. Northern Ireland is situated in the northern part of Ireland. The territory of the UK is about 244000 square kilometers, it takes the 75th place among other countries in the world. GB is separated from the continent by the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of GB. It is mild the whole year round. The surface of GB varies greatly. The northern and western parts of the country is mountainous and is called the Highlands. All the rest (south, east and center) is vast plain which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high. The highest region are in Scotland and in the North Wales. The highest peak in Scotland is Ben Nevis, 1343 m. In Wales the highest peak is Snowdon. There is also the Pennine chain in North England with some wild mountains for climbing. The rivers are not long. The most important of them are the Severn, the Thames, the Trent. The Thames flowing to the East is the busiest and the most beautiful river, the Severn flowing to the west is the longest river – about 200 miles, the Trent flowing to the north is the fastest. The are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous parts of the country. Here is Lake District which consists of 16 lakes or “lochs” as they call them. The largest lake is Windermere and the deepest one is Westwater. The commonest trees in England are oak, ash and beech. Scotland has much pine and birch. The animal life is varied. There are several small lizards, snakes and frogs. The most numerous birds are blackbirds, sparrows and starling. Some birds are protected by law. They are partridges and pheasants. The national emblem of England is the Red Rose, the national bird is the Robin Redbreast. The national emblem of Wales is the daffodil and leek. The national emblem of Scotland is the thistle. The national emblem of Northern Ireland is the shamrock.

GB is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textiles, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. Seven per cent of the population is engaged in farming. The population is more then 57 million. About 80% of the population is urban. The largest cities of GB are: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool, Bristle, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow. The largest ports of the country are: Belfast, London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff. The capital of the country is London.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. It has a monarch – a King or a Queen. The present British monarch is Queen Elizabeth the Second. She become Queen in 1952. The monarch has little power and can reign with the support of Parliament. British Parliament is the legislative body at the country. It consists of two Houses. The House of Commons and House of Lords. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the Government of the country. In reality, the House of Commons has truth power. It introduces new bills. Then they go to the House of Lords for approval. Then the monarch since them. The functions of the Queen are: to open the sessions of the Parliament, to head the commonwealth, to be Commander-in-Chief, to declare the war, to make peace. The house of commons is made up of 650 elected knows of members of parliament. The party which has the majority of suits in the Government and its leader usually becomes prime minister. The prime minister forms his or her Cabinet Ministers. The chairman of the House of Commons is the Speaker. The chairman of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor. He sits on a special place, which is called the woolsack. It means that wool made England rich. The members of the House of Lords are not elected, there are living peers. There are several political parties in GB. They are the Conservative, the Liberal, the Labor, the Social Democratic and the Communist parties. Prime minister of the country Antony Blair is representative of the Labor party.

Text translation: The Union Jack

Great Britain GIGABIT and Northern Ireland are located in the British Isles. It consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of Great Britain. Northern Ireland is located in the northern part of Ireland. The UK's territory is approximately 244,000 square kilometers, ranking 75th among other countries in the world. GIGABIT is separated from the continent by the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of GIGABIT. It is moderately whole all year round. The surface of the GIGABIT varies greatly. The northern and western parts of the country are mountainous and are called the Highlands. All the rest (south, east and center) are a vast plain called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high. The highest area is in Scotland and North Wales. The highest peak in Scotland is Ben Nevis, 1343 m. In Wales, the highest peak is Snowdon. There are also the Pennines in the North of England with some wild mountains to climb. Rivers are not long. The most important of them are the Severn, Thames, and Trent. The East-flowing Thames is the busiest and most beautiful river, the West-flowing Severn is the longest river - about 200 miles, the North-flowing Trent is the fastest. Many beautiful lakes in the mountainous parts of the country. Here is the Lake District, which consists of 16 lakes or “lochs” as they call them. The largest lake is Windermere, and the deepest is Westwater. The most common trees in England are oak, ash and beech. Scotland has a lot of pine and birch. Animal life is changing. There are several small lizards, snakes and frogs. The most numerous birds are blackbirds, sparrows and starlings. Some birds are protected by law. They are partridges and pheasants. The national emblem of England is the Red Rose, the national bird is the Robin Redbreast. The national emblem of Wales is the daffodil and leek. The national emblem of Scotland is the thistle. The national emblem of Northern Ireland is the shamrock.

GIGABIT is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textiles, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the country's main industries is shipbuilding. Seven percent of the population is employed in agriculture. The population was then more than 57 million. Approximately 80% of the population is urban. Largest GIGABIT cities: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool, Bristle, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow. The country's largest ports: Belfast, London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff. The capital of the country is London.

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. It has a monarch – a King or Queen. The current British monarch is Queen Elizabeth the Second. She became Queen in 1952. The monarch has little power and can rule with the support of Parliament. The British Parliament is the legislative body in the country. It consists of two Buildings. House of Commons and House of Lords. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the Government of the country. In reality, the House of Commons has the power of truth. This introduces new accounts. Then they go to the House of Lords for approval. Then the monarch starts with them. Functions of the Queen: open sessions of Parliament, lead the Commonwealth of Nations, be Commander-in-Chief, declare war, make peace. The House of Commons is made up of 650 elected, knowledgeable members of parliament. The party that has the most claims in the Government and its leader usually becomes the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister forms his or her Cabinet members. The President of the House of Commons is the Speaker. The President of the House of Lords is the Chancellor of God. He sits on a special place called a woolsack. This means that wool made England rich. Members of the House of Lords are not elected, but have living peers. There are several political sides to GIGABIT. They are Conservative, Liberal, Labour, Social Democratic and Communist parties. The country's Prime Minister Anthony Blair is representative of the Labor side.

The main symbol of any country is its flag. By studying the colors and designs depicted on the flag, you can find out what principles the country adheres to, what is important for its citizens, or even facts from the history of the country. Thus, the bright flag of Brazil carries joy and optimism: green means closeness to nature, and yellow means the bright sun that does not disappear from the blue sky almost all year round.

The colors of the Russian flag can be interpreted as follows: white stands for peace and independence, blue stands for freedom, and red stands for the strength and spirit of the Russian people.

What have you heard about the flag of the United Kingdom? Why is his composition complex? Why are the colors red, blue and white predominant on the flag?

The Union Jack or why it's called that

« The Union Jack" translated into Russian means "flag of unity" or "united flags", where " jack" is a flag, and " union“- unity, agreement.

Each color of the flag has its own meaning: scarlet means freedom and independence, blue means fidelity and security, and white means peace and tranquility.

The history of the English flag begins in 1603.

• Flag of England

Until 1603, the flag of England was an image of a red cross on a pure white background, which is also interpreted as the “symbol of St. George,” the main guardian and protector of the English, who, according to legends and chronicles, was the guardian and protector of the people for a long time (in Russian - Georgievsky flag).

• Scottish flag

The main symbol of the country is a flag with a design of a white cross, presented diagonally on a bright blue background. This composition is a symbol of the patron and guardian of Scotland, revered by the Scots to this day - St. Andrew. This apostle was crucified on a cross that has the same shape as that shown on the flag.

After the signing of the Treaty of Union of the two states in 1707 and the accession of Scotland to Great Britain, the English and Scottish flags were united.

• Flag of emerald Northern Ireland

The symbolism of Ireland is reminiscent of the flag of England, but the red cross, located on a white background, is diagonal. This composition is a symbol of the patron saint of all residents of Ireland, the revered St. Patrick.

The Emerald Country became part of Great Britain already in 1801, when the existing flag of the state was merged with the Irish one. After part of Ireland gained independence and Northern Ireland remained part of the kingdom, the flag was not changed. The way we know it" The UnionJack", the flag has existed since 1801.

It is noteworthy that the official symbol of Wales (the famous red dragon) is still not present on the flag. There has long been controversy over this issue, but the flag of the United Kingdom, resulting from the union of four historical provinces, has remained unchanged since the 19th century.

Symbols of four countries. Plants

Floriography or flower symbolism is the depiction of plants to represent emotions and ideas. For thousands of years, people have made efforts to unravel the meaning of ancient floral emblems by studying ancient myths and legends. Today, many countries have flower symbols. But what is the significance of the national floral emblems of the four historic provinces of the United Kingdom?

• England

The floral emblem of England is the double rose ( rose), depicted in bright scarlet and white, as a sign of unification and the end of hostility between the royal dynasties of Lancaster and York, which had been at war for a long time. The symbol was adopted during the accession of Henry VIII. Henry Tudor's mother came from the Lancastrian family. With the desire to forever reunite the warring parties, Henry Tudor married the heiress of the York dynasty. Having combined the emblems of different dynasties, the king adopted a new emblem - the magnificent and unique Tudor rose.

Currently, the Tudor rose is a permanent symbol of England, which can be seen on the English Life Guards, Tower guards, and also as the emblem of the British Supreme Court. Moreover, this symbol was depicted on the twenty-peso coin, which was in use from 1982 to 2008.

• Scotland

The national floral emblem of Scotland has been the thistle for over 500 years ( thistle). The image of this plant can be seen on souvenirs, coins, T-shirts and other items that are popular among tourists. This is because the thistle is, in a sense, a “Scottish rose.” This wild flower is a symbol of the Scottish invincible spirit, as well as their pride, inaccessibility and unpretentiousness.

The thistle has been a symbol of this beautiful country since ancient times. There is a legend about how the Vikings, having landed on the shore with the goal of capturing the territory of Scotland, began to creep up on the sleeping Scottish army. In order to silently approach at close range, the warriors took off their shoes. Their plan was almost successful, but one of the conquerors accidentally stepped on a thorny plant, which caused sudden and severe pain. He started screaming, which woke up the Scots. A battle began, as a result of which the Scottish army won a fair fight.

After this, in gratitude for their patronage and help, the Scots chose this simple plant as their national emblem.

• Wales

The main flower of Wales is the yellow daffodil (daffodil). This plant serves as one of the main decorations for the inhabitants of the country on St. David's Day.

Saint David is the patron saint of this small state. According to an ancient legend, a heavenly creature appeared in a dream to Saint David - an angel who predicted the death of the saint: “this will happen in an indefinite time on March 1.” David zealously fulfilled his destiny, became the founder of a dozen monasteries, and also a healer of sick people. Saint David died on March 1st. Since the 18th century, the people of Wales have celebrated St. David's Day by decorating the city with daffodils, which bloom just at the beginning of spring. The Welsh believe that the blooming of bright yellow flowers symbolizes the beginning of a new life and occurs in honor of their beloved and revered saint.

According to another version, the word "cenhinen" is translated from Welsh as "leek" and "narcissus". To avoid confusion between symbolism, both plants are recognized as symbols of Wales.

• Northern Ireland

Shamrock or three-leaf clover ( shamrock) is the main symbol of Northern Ireland. This symbolism is used for decorations during the celebration of St. Patrick's Day: the Irish wear green clothes and decorate their clothes and faces with images of shamrocks.

People believe that this plant is the symbol chosen by St. Patrick to preach about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is believed that the three leaves are three hypostases of God. This is why the image of a three-leaf clover can now be seen along with the image of a saint holding a shamrock in his hand. That is why this plant is deeply revered by the Irish people, and every person on the emerald island treats the celebration of St. Patrick's Day with respect and reverence.

It is important to know the symbols of the country of the language being studied, since sometimes they indicate the history of the state, and sometimes they tell interesting legends that fully reveal the character, strength and spirit of the people.

Probably, floral symbolism is the most interesting and beautiful, because it shows the connection between people and nature. However, each symbol of the state has an important and unique meaning for the history of the country.

What unusual symbols of English-speaking countries do you know?

1. What is the capital of Great Britain?

a. Edinburgh
b. Boston
c. London

2. How many parts does Great Britain contain?

a. 4
b. 3
c. 5

3. What is the English flag called?

a. Union Patrick
b. Union Jack
c. Lines and Crosses

4. Who is the symbol of the typical Englishman?

a. John Bull
b. John Bell
c. St. Patrick

5. What is the London underground called?

a. the tube
b. the metro
c. the subway

6. Who is the Head of State in Britain?

a. the Mayor
b. the Queen
c. the Prime Minister

7. What is the river in London?

a. Thames
b. London
c. Avon

8. What is the most expensive part of London?

a. West End
b. East End
c. Westminster
d. the City

9. What color are the taxis in London?

a. blue
b. red
c. black

10. The building in the picture is…

a. St. Paul's Cathedral
b. The British Museum
c. The National Gallery

11. If you go to London, you’ll see...

a. the White House
b. St. Paul's Cathedral
c. Greenwich

12. English people say...

a. candies
b. cookies
c. sweets

13. What is the home of the Queen?

a. Buckingham Palace
b. the White House
c. Westminster Abbey

14. What city did The Beatles come from?

a. London
b. Manchester
c. Liverpool

15. They say the Loch Ness Monster lives in a lake in…

a. Scotland
b. Wales
c. Ireland

Key: 1. c; 2.b; 3.b; 4. a; 5. a; 6. b; 7. a; 8. a; 9. c; 10. a; 11. b; 12.c; 13. a; 14.c; 15. a

By Natalia Korotaeva,
School Feniks, Moscow