Interesting fact. Albion is the archaic name for Great Britain. It is often used poetically. Occasionally it instead refers to only Scotland, whose name in Gaelic is Alba.
The place name Albion is old and there is controversy regarding its etymology. The name is perhaps of Celtic origin, from the Proto-Indo-European root that denotes both “white” and “mountain”, but the Romans took it as connected with albus (white), in reference to the chalk “White Cliffs of Dover”.
As a literary figure, Albion is the name of a character in the poetry of William Blake.
I. True or False? Write True if you agree, or False if you don’t.
1. Britain has several active volcanoes
2. London gets much more rain in a year than other European cities
3. Britain and Ireland have more grassland than any other European country
4. The word “smog” is made of “smoke” and “fog”
5. Much of the land in Britain is used for human habitation
II. Find the right answer. Write a, b or c.
1. The climate of Britain is .
a) mild and damp
b) cold and wet
c) dry and hot
2. The UK is separated from Ireland by .
a) the Irish sea
b) the English Channel
c) the North sea
3. Pas de Calais is the French name for .
a) the English Channel
b) the Strait of Dover
c) the Irish sea
4. Mountainous areas are found only of Britain.
a) in the south
b) in the north and west
c) in the south and southeast
5. On the British Isles there are states.
a) two
b) three
c) four
6. Britain’s most important port after London is .
a) Bristol
b) Dover
c) Glasgow
7. In the northwest the British Isles are washed by .
a) the Atlantic Ocean
b) the English Channel
c) the North sea
8. The British landscape is .
a) mostly low-lying
b) immensely varied
c) mostly rocky and mountainous
9. Britain’s second largest city is .
a) Cardiff
b) Birmingham
c) Manchester
10. Scafell Pike (3.210 feet) is the highest point in .
a) England
b) Scotland
c) Wales
