15 Lesson 15 Europe

15.1 Words and word combinations to the text

to project – выступать, выдаваться peninsula – полуостров physiographic – физиографический

majestic beauty – величественная красота frightening silence – пугающая тишина desolate stretches – безлюдное пространство relatively – относительно

sizable – порядочного размера

of glacial origin – ледникового происхождения maritime – морской, приморский

transitional – переходный, промежуточный occasionally – время от времени

mistral – мистраль (холодный северный ветер) to damage – повреждать

crops – урожай

sirocco – сирокко ( юж. или юго-восточный ветер в Средиземноморье) vegetation belt – растительная зона (пояс)

boreal – северный

15.2 Practise reading the following words

Europe, Australia, Eurasia, the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Ural Mountains, Emba River, Novaya Zemlya, Iceland, the British Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Malta, the Scandinavian, Iberian, Italian, Balkan, Jutland peninsulas, the Sierra Nevada, Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, the Danube, Dnieper, Don, Rhine, Vistula, Elbe, Oder, Lake Ladoga, Arctic Circle, North Africa’s deserts.

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15.3 Read and translate the text

Europe

Europe, second smallest of the world’s continents (after Australia), composed of the westward-projecting peninsulas of Eurasia, occupies nearly one-fifteenth of the world’s total area. The territory of Europe – 10,400,000 sq km, population – 718,500,000 people. Europe is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and English Channel, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea.

The continent’s eastern boundary runs along the eastern Ural Mountains and the Emba River. Europe’s islands and archipelagoes include Novaya Zemlya, Iceland, the British Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Malta. Its major peninsulas include the Scandinavian, Iberian, Italian, Balkan, Jutland.

Europe can be divided into two major parts –western peninsular Europe, and eastern continental Europe. And it can be divided into several distinct physiographic regions - the central uplands and plateaus, the south-central mountains and the southern fringe. The varied landscape includes the majestic beauty of the Alps, the frightening silence of the sparsely populated British uplands, the almost desolate stretches of the northern tundra, and the flat plains that have been reclaimed from the sea. The mountain ranges include (from west to east) the Sierra Nevada, Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, and the Balkan Mountains.

Europe is well-watered continent with many rivers but relatively few sizable lakes. The river systems may be divided into three groups: the members of the first drain west and north directly into the Atlantic and its marginal seas (the North and Baltic seas); those of the second drain south into the Mediterranean; and those of the third drain east and south-east into the Black and Caspian seas. The Volga River is the longest river (3,529 km). Other major rivers are the Danube, Dnieper, Don, Rhine, Vistula, Elbe and Oder. Lakes covering less then 2 percent of Europe’s surface, are mostly of glacial origin (f. ex. Lake Ladoga).

Lying south of the Arctic Circle and north of the tropics, Europe exhibits a wide range of climates: the maritime climate of the west (abundant rainfall, mild temperatures, both in winter and summer); the transitional climate of Central Europe (500 to 1,000 mm of annual rainfall, cold winters, and warm summers); the continental climate of the north-east (250 to 500 mm of annual rainfall, long and cold winters, and hot summers); the Mediterranean climate of southern coastal Europe (moderate rainfall, mild and wet winters, hot and dry summers). Strong winds occasionally blow over the area of Southern Europe. In winter the mistral – a cold dry wind often damage sensitive crops. In summer hot winds called siroccos bring hot, dry, and dusty air from North Africa’s deserts.

The continent can be divided into five major vegetation belts; tundra zone, coniferous taiga or boreal zone, deciduous mixed forest zone, the steppe zone, the Mediterranean zone.

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15.4 Find these European countries on the map, name their capitals

Австрия – Austria – Vienna Албания – Albania – Андорра – Andorra –

Белоруссия – Belarus –

Бельгия – Belgium – Болгария – Bulgaria –

Босния и Герцеговина – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Ватикан – Vatican (Holy See) –

Великобритания – Great Britain (UK) – Венгрия – Hungary –

Германия – Germany – Греция – Greece – Дания – Denmark – Ирландия – Ireland –

Исландия – Island – Испания – Spain –

Италия – Italy – Латвия – Latvia – Литва – Lithuania –

Лихтенштейн – Liechtenstein – Люксембург – Luxembourg –

Македония – FYRO Macedonia (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) –

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Мальта – Malta –

Молдавия – Republic of Moldova – Монако – Monaco –

Нидерланды – Netherlands –

Норвегия – Norway –

Польша – Poland –

Португалия – Portugal –

Россия – Russian Federation – Румыния – Romania –

Сан Марино – San Marino – Сербия – Serbia and Montenegro – Словакия – Slovakia –

Словения – Slovenia – Украина – Ukraine –

Финляндия – Finland –

Франция – France – Чехия – Czech Republic – Хорватия – Croatia –

Швейцария – Switzerland – Швеция – Sweden – Эстония – Estonia – Югославия – Yugoslavia –

15.5 Say whether the following statements are true or false

1.Europe is smaller in size than Australia.

2.The Atlantic Ocean washes the western coast of European continent.

3.The continent’s southern boundary runs along the Ural Mountains.

4.Europe can be divided into several distinct physiographic regions.

5.The Sierra Nevada and Pyrenees mountains are situated in the west of the continent.

6.Rivers of the first group drain into the Black and Caspian seas.

7.Maritime climate means moderate rainfall, mild and wet winters, hot and dry summers.

8.Siroccos bring hot, dry, and dusty air from North Africa’s deserts.

15.6 Complete the following sentences

1.Europe is composed of ………. and occupies ………. of the world’s total area.

2.It’s major peninsulas include ………. .

3.The continent’s eastern boundary runs along ………. .

4.Europe can be divided into two major parts - ………. .

5.The varied landscape of the continent includes ………. .

6.Lake Ladoga is of ………. origin.

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7.Stretching from ………. to ………., Europe exhibits a wide range of climates.

8.Strong cold winds are called ………., hot summer winds are called ………. .

15.7 Read and translate the texts, reproduce them in the form of a dialogue

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The people of Europe constitute about one-seventh of the world’s population. The vast majority of Europe’s inhabitants belong to the European geographic race. Europe is the most densely populated continent, yet it has the lowest rate of natural increase primarily because of low birth rates. In general, Europe's population is highly urbanized, with the degree of urbanization increasing in proportion to the degree of industrialization. Thus the United Kingdom and Germany are among Europe’s most urbanized countries, while Albania and Portugal are among its least urbanized.

Europe’s population is overwhelmingly Christian in religion, with all free major divisions of that faith (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodoxy). There are some Muslims in southeastern Europe.

Europe has been a major source of emigrants for settlement and economic development of America, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand. Since the early 1800s estimated 60 million persons have emigrated overseas.

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Politically fragmented Europe contains countries none of which covers much territory. Despite their small sizes their economics rank among the world’s most productive. All western European nations have democratic forms of government. Many are constitutional monarchies in which the rulers, whose powers are limited, share the powers of government with elected or appointed officials. The monarchies include kingdoms, such as the United Kingdom; principalities, such as Monaco and Liechtenstein and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

15.8 Answer the following questions

Which continents have a larger area than Europe?

What is the territory? The population of Europe?

What oceans and seas wash the continent?

Name Europe’s islands, archipelagoes and peninsulas.

What are Europe’s physical regions?

What are the major mountain ranges of the continent?

How are Europe’s river systems divided?

What percentage of continent’s area is covered by lakes?

What climatic types does Europe exhibit?

What are the five major vegetation belts?

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15.9 Text for written translation

Europe is relatively poor in minerals with the exception of coal and some petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zink. Russia, on the other hand, is one of the most favourably endowed nations in the world in terms of mineral reserve. Though being dependent to a large extent on imported raw materials, Europe was the first of the world’s major regions to develop a modern economy based on commercial agriculture and industrial development, and it remains one of the world’s major industrial regions. Western Europe in particular has progressed beyond basic heavy industries into a post-industrial economic structure reliant on an array of service industries and the manufacture of high-quality machine and metal products, electrical goods, synthetic textiles, petrochemicals, automotive vehicles, aircraft, computers. The economies of Eastern Europe are considerably less advanced; they rely more heavily on basic iron and steel industries, textiles and food processing.

Europe accounts for approximately one-half of the world’s international trade. Exports represent more than one-fifth of the aggregate gross national product (GNP) of the EC, which constitutes the world’s largest trading bloc. In 1958, six Western European nations founded an organization called the European Economic Community, or the Common Market. Now the EEC comprises 12 countries. The purpose of the organization is to allow goods and workers of the member countries to move free across each other’s borders.

15.10Make up all possible types of questions to the text 15.9

15.11Speak on:

1.geographical position of Europe

2.landforms

3.climate

4.population

5.economy

15.12 Get ready to speak about any European country you like (see Lesson 9 ex. 9.12)

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