Natural gas was discovered in 1965 and oil in 1970 under the North Sea. Today Britain is not only self-sufficient in oil but also has a surplus for export. The transport and domestic heating systems mostly depend on oil. So does the food supply, because most agriculture is highly mechanized. Modern farming requires things which are all oil-based.
在1965年及1970年在北海发现自然气和石油。今天英国的石油不仅能自给自足，还有盈利供出口。交通和家庭供热系统首要依靠石油，因为大部门农业的高度机械化，食物供给也靠石油。
V. Main problems associated with Britain's iron and steel industry today.
现在英国钢铁工业的首要问题。
British iron and steel industry is declining for the following reasons:
英国钢铁工业衰退的原因如下：
1. Local supplies of iron ore have become exhausted;
当地贮备枯竭;
2. Old fashioned furnaces for making coke cannot recover valuable by-products
出产焦炭的老式炉不能提取有价值的副产物，
3. Blast furnaces, steelworks, and rolling mills are often separated from each other and thus cannot perform as well as more compact operation
高炉、钢铁厂和轧钢厂经常分隔，导致不如更紧凑的企业出效益
4. Many steelworks have to be closed down, causing major unemployment in an area.
良多钢铁厂倒闭，导致该地域的多量人失踪业。
VI. Textile Industry
纺织工业
The main textile producing regions of Britain are the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside, and Northern Ireland.
英国首要纺织基地是此刻的中东部，约克郡和汉伯塞德郡及北爱尔兰。
The reasons behind the decline of Britain's textile industry are:
英国纺织业的衰退原因如下：
(1) Exports of textiles have not competed well with those of other foreign producers who have managed to produce cheaper goods.
纺织品出口不能很好地与设法出产出更廉价商品的国外产家竞争。
(2) There has been a rise in cheaper imports of textiles to Britain from foreign producers.
英国增添了从外国产家进口更廉价纺织品。
(3) Poor and outdated management decisions have caused problem.
亏弱及过时的打点抉择妄想导致良多问题。
(4) Substitutions of human-made fibres have been made for natural fibres.
人造纤维庖代品已庖代了自然纤维。
(5) An improvement of output per worker has been achieved, due to mechanization
因为机械化，每个工人的出产量有了提高。
VII. New Industries
New industries include microprocessors and computers, biotechnology and other high-tech industries. There are three areas in Britain which have seen some high-tech industrial growth: (1) the area between London and South Wales, (2) the Cambridge area of East Anglia and (3) the area between Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. The third area is the most spectacular of the three and is now often referred to as the "Silicon Glen". By the end of 1985 half of Britain's microchip output was estimated to have come from Scotland.
英国的新兴工业搜罗微措置器、计较机、生物手艺和其他高科技财富。英国的草科技财富首要集中在以下三个地域：(1)伦敦和南威尔士之间的地域，(2)东英吉利的剑桥地域，(3)苏格兰格拉斯哥和爱丁堡之间的地域。其中最后一个地域是最大的，现在有“硅谷”之称。j到1985年尾，英国有一半的微芯片都产自苏格兰。