Read the text, write down 10 key words and make a summary of the text (7-10 sent), answer the following questions: 1) How many British people go to Oxbridge?
2) How long have women had the opportunity to enter Oxbridge?
3) What’s the difference between Oxbridge and Redbrick universities?
4) Where do people graduated from Oxbridge work?
TEXT:
For seven hundred years two universities dominated in British education, and today they dominate more then ever, with fame enhanced by their isolation, and their sheer hypnotic beauty. Like Dukes, Oxford and Cambridge preserve an antique way of life in the midst of the twentieth century. Oxford and Cambridge have always provided a large number of permanents secretaries (White-hall civil servants), members of Parliament, and of the vice-chancellors of the universities. The students of Oxbridge make up, from the outside, at least, one of the most elite in the world. Less than one per cent of Britain's population goes to Oxbridge but, once there, industry and government woo them. AB.A. (Oxford) or BA (Cambridge) is quite different from an ordinary BA.
Oxbridge is only in session half the year, and the universities adjourn for four months in the summer - a relic from medieval times, when scholars had to bring in the harvest.
Slowly the population of Oxford and Cambridge has been changing. In the nineteenth century it was a mixture of some boys who were poor and clever, and others who were rich and idle. Only since in 1870s women have been admitted, and the women's colleges constitute only 12 per cent of the Oxbridge population, so that competition to reach them is fierce: at St Anne's, Oxford, only a small per cent of the candidates are chosen - mainly on the results of the written examinations.
The division between Oxbridge and Redbrick is sharp. It's absurd that four-fifth of undergraduates should be made to feel that they're inferior for life. In the civil service, politics and law there has been no visible breach in the supremacy of Oxbridge graduates. The division is essentially a class one. While a large per cent of Oxbridge undergraduates come from public schools, very few of Redbrick do: many public school boys would rather go straight into business, into the services foreign university, than go to a Redbrick university: they prefer no degree to a Redbrick degree.
In England Redbrick has been separated from the beginning. When Oxford and Cambridge were exclusively Anglican, the new Victorian universities were built to provide a liberal education for the poorer boys and dissenters of the provinces - and to give technological training. They grew up outside the old aristocratic pattern. Oxford and Cambridge graduates scorned them

Dear Tom,
Hi! I'm Jimmy Brown. I'm twelve years 1) old Here is a picture of my family. I've got a big family.
My 2) parent' names are James and Rose. My mother has got short 3) dark hair.
My 4) father has got glasses and he is 5) tall. I've got a 6) brother .
His name is Mark. He's got 7) short fair hair. I've got a 8) sister, as well. Her name is Annie.
My grandparents have got three 9) children, my mum, Bob and Lisa. Bob is my 10) uncle.
He 's got a 11) big nose. Lisa is my 12) aunt . She ' 13) slim with 14) long
straight, brown hair. Bob and Lisa are 15) twins. They are very 16)  young.
My 17) grandfather 's name is Greg. He has got 18) grey hair. Lusy is my 19) grandmother 's name.
Her hair is 20) wavy.
That's all about me and my family.
Please write soom and tell me about your family. Send a picture!
Love,
Jimmy

Дорогой Том,
Привет! Я Джимми Браун. Мне 12 лет. Здесь фотография моей семьи. У меня большая семья. Моих родителей зовут Джеймс и Роза. У моей мамы короткие темные волосы. Мой папа носит очки и он высокий. У меня есть брат. Его зовут Марк. У него короткие светлые волосы. У меня также есть сестра. Ее зовут Анни. У моих бабушки и дедушки трое детей, моя мама, Боб и Лиза. Боб мой дядя. У него большой нос. Лиза моя тетя. Она худая с длинными прямым каштановыми волосами. Боб и Лиза близнецы. Они очень молодые. Моего дедушку зовут Грег. У него седые волосы. Люси зовут мою бабушку. У нее волнистые волосы.
Это все обо мне и моей семье напиши поскорее и расскажи мне о своей семье. Пришли фотографию!
С любовью, Джимми.

1. Where is the UK situated?
1. The UK is an island state: it is situated on the British Isls: two large islands and several much smaller ones. The two main islands are GreatBritain to the east and Ireland to the west. (The UK is situatedoff the west coast of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean on thenorth-west and the North Sea on the east.)2. What countries does the UK consist of?  What are their capitals?
2. The UK consists of four countries. They are England,Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh,Cardiff and Belfast.3. Is the UK a large country?
3. The total area of Great Britain is over 244,000 square kilometres.
4. What channel separates the  British Isles from  the European continent?
4. The English Channel does.  (It is separated fromthe European continent by the English Channel. The narrowest partof the English Channel is called the Strait of Dover.)
5. Can you prove that Great Britain has a variety of landscapes?5. Geographically, the island of Great Britain is subdivided into two main regions — Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises southern and eastern England. Highland Britain consists of Scotland, most of Wales, the Pennines, and the Lake District. The Mountains are not very high.
6. What is the highest mountain in the UK? 
6. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1343m). 
7. Are there a lot of long deep rivers in Great Britain ?
7. There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long.
The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the mostimportant one. The chief river in Scotland is the Clyde. 
8. What famous lakes in Britain do you know?
8. Great Britain has many beautiful lakes. The best known of them is long narrow Loch Ness, legendary home of the famous monster. 
9. What is the Lake District known for?
9. The Lake District, contains beautiful lakes.
10.What's the population of the UK?
10.The population of the United Kingdom is over 60 million people.
11. What do you imagine when you think of Britain ?
11. Queen Elizabeth ll, Big Ben, The London Eye, red buses, Shakespeare.
12. What British symbols do you know?
12.The red rose is the national emblem of England. The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. The daffodils and the leek are the emblems of Wales. And the shamrock is the national emblem of Ireland.
The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack.
13. What are the main geographical differences between the UK and Russia?
13. Of course, the climate in Britain differs much from that of central part of Russia because it lacks extremes. It is mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. But most part of Russia has severe continental climate with long cold winter and short warm summer.