TEXT # 1 English Speaking Countries
Great Britain, United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are English speaking countries. They are situated in different parts of the world and differ in many ways.
The nature of these countries, their weather and climate and way of life of their people differ. Each country has its own history, customs, traditions, and its own national holidays. But they all have a common language. English is the language of the people who left England to make their names in new countries.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland. The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total area is over 314 000 sq. km. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south. The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England, Wales and Scotland.
The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot. The population of the United Kingdom is over 58 million people. Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centers are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol. The capital of the country is London. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy.
The USA is the most powerful and highly developed country of the world. It is situated in the central part of the North American continent. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The USA is separated from Canada in the north by the 49th parallel and the Great Lakes and from Mexico in the south by a line following the Rio Grande River and continuing across the highlands to the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the USA is over 9 million square kilometers. The continental part of the USA consists of the highland regions and two lowland regions. The highland regions are the Appalachia Mountains in the east and the Cordillera in the west. Between the Cordillera and the Appalachian Mountains are the central lowlands which are called the prairie and eastern lowlands are called the Mississippi valley. The principal rivers of the USA are the Mississippi, the longest river in the world (7,330 km) and the Hudson River.
The population of the USA is more than 236 million people. The capital of the USA is Washington. The USA is a federal country of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The largest state is Alaska. The political of the country has always been dominated by the two major parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. At an election time they contest presidency and the majority of seats in the Congress. The Congress is the highest legislative body of the country. It consists of two chambers - the House of Representatives and the Senate. The President, elected by the whole nation for four years, is head of the state and the Government.
The USA is a highly developed industrial state. Its agriculture is also highly mechanized. There are coal-mines in the Cordillera Mountains, in the Kansas City region. Iron is mined near the Great Lakes. The USA has rich oil-fields in California, Texas and some other regions. It occupies one of the first places among the countries of the world for production of coal, iron and oil.
A) Answer the questions about uk.
1. Where is the United Kingdom situated? 2. What islands do the British Isles consist of? 3. What ocean and seas are the British Isles washed by? 4. How many parts does the Island of Great Britain consist of and what are they called? 5. What is the climate like in Great Britain? 6. What is the population of Great Britain? 7. What city is the capital of the U. K.? 8. What kind of state is Great Britain?
b) Answer the questions about USA.
1. What kind of state is the USA?
2. Where is it situated? 3. What is the USA washed by in the east and in the west? 4. What is the USA separated from Canada by? 5. What is the total area of the country? 6. What are the principal rivers of the USA? 7. What is the population of the country? 8. Where do most people live? 9. Is the agriculture in America highly mechanized? 10. What raw materials is America rich in? 11. Where is the motor-car industry situated? 12. Where is the textile industry to be found? 13. How many states are there in the USA? 14. By what party has the political life in America been dominated? 15. What do the two parties contest at an election time? 16. What is the highest legislative body of the country?
2. Define whether the following sentences are True of False. Correct them if necessary. 1. The total area of the USA is less than 9 million square kilometers. 2. The eastern coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. 3. There is lowland between the Cordillera and the Appalachian Mountains in the USA which is called the desert. 4. The President of the USA is elected by the whole nation for three years. 5. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. 6. The Mississippi is the widest river in the world. 7. The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England, Wales and Scotland.
3. Find English equivalents for the following Russian words and phrases: 1.Располагаться 2.Омываться 3.Население 4.Состоять из 5.Обычаи 6.Западное побережье 7.Восточное побережье 8. Граничить 9.Влиять 10.Течение 11.Промышленность 12.Долина 13.Сельское хозяйство 14.Выборы 15.Шахта
TEXT #2 English Speaking Countries (continuation)
Canada is the second largest country in the world. Only Russia has a greater land area. Canada is situated in North America. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast by the Atlantic Ocean. Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but has only about a tenth as many people. About 28 million people live in Canada. About 80% of the population lives within 320 km of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited or thinly populated because of severe natural conditions.
Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and 2 territories. Canada is an independent nation. But according to the Constitution Act of 1982 British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is recognized as Queen of Canada. This symbolizes the country's strong ties to Britain. Canada was ruled by Britain completely until 1867, when Canada gained control of its domestic affairs. Britain governed Canada's foreign affairs until 1931, when Canada gained full independence. Canada's people are varied. About 57% of all Canadians have some English ancestry and about 32% have some French ancestry. Both English and French are official languages of the country. French Canadians, mostly live in the provinces of Quebec, and have kept the language and customs of their ancestors. Other large ethnic groups are German, Irish and Scottish people. Native people — American Indians and Eskimos — make up about 2% of the country's population. 77% of Canada's people live in cities or towns. Toronto and Montreal are the largest urban areas. Ottawa is the capital of the country.
The Commonwealth of Australia is a self-government federal state. It has six states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queens land, South Australia, Western Australia and two internal territories. It is situated in the southwestern of the Pacific Ocean. The area of this country has 7000000 square kilometers. Australia is the largest island in the world and the smallest continent. The Dutch were the first Europeans to visit Australia. In the 1770 the English captain James Cook discovered the East Coast of Australia. Nearly 20 million people live in Australia. The capital of the country is Canberra, this city become a capital in 1927. Federal government works in Canberra in the government buildings. There are no industrial plants in the town. The population of Canberra is about 300 000 people. There are many sits in the city. They are the buildings of Australian academy of sings, the Australian national university and others. There are two big industrial cities in Australia: Sydney and Melbourne. Australian climate is dry and warm. Australia is situated in the Southern Hemisphere and that is why it has summer when we have winter. January is the hottest month in Australia.
New Zealand is a very interesting country. It has got total area of 269,000 square kilometers. It is situated to south-east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (North Island and South Island) and some smaller ones. Nearly 3.5 million people live in the country. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. It is a financial center too. The city was founded in 1840 and has been the capital since 1865.
The climate of New Zealand is moist. New Zealand is rich in minerals. There are some main industries in the country, for example, iron and steel industry. The country has gas and petroleum. There are many mountains in New Zealand. The highest is Mount Cook (3,764 meters or 12,349 feet).
There are many rivers and lakes in the country. The chief rivers are the Waikato and the Wairau. You have heard about the native animals in the country. One of them is the kiwi. This interesting bird lives in the wet parts of the thick bushes. In the day-time the bird does not go out. It comes out only at night to find food. Kiwis cannot fly. Many years ago kiwis were hunted for food. Now the government does not permit the hunting the kiwis. The kiwi is now the symbol of New Zealand people. Small children are often called kiwis.
New Zealand is independent state, but formerly it is a part of the British Empire. The head of the state is the Queen. New Zealand is self-governing state. The Parliament consists of one House only, the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.
New Zealand has heavy industry. There are many plants in the country. Paper and rubber industries are developed too. New Zealand exports wool, meat, butter. New Zealand is a very interesting and beautiful country.