Capital: Canberra
Largest city: Sydney
Government: Federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Six states – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia
Two territories – the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II (symbolic)
Longest river: the Murray (2375 km long)
Highest mountain: Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 meters high)
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
National holiday: Australia Day (26th January)
National symbols: koala and eucalyptus, kangaroo, dingo, emu
Ex. 1. Practise the pronunciation of the following geographical names:
Australia – [Os’treiljə] – Австралия
Pacific Ocean – [pə’sifik ‘əuSn] – Тихий океан
Indian Ocean – [‘indjən ‘əuSn] – Индийский океан
Tasmania – [t xz’meiniə ] – Тасмания
Western Plateau – [,westən ‘plxtəu] – Западное плоскогорье
Eastern Highlands – [,i:stən ‘hailəndz] – Восточное плоскогорье
Central Lowlands – [,sentrəl ‘louləndz] – Центральная долина
Canberra – [‘kxnbərə] – Канберра
Adelaide – [‘xdleid] – Аделаида
British Empire – [‘britiS ‘empaiə] – Британская империя
Great Sandy Desert – [‘greit ‘sxndi ‘dezət] – Большая Песчаная пустыня
Great Dividing Range – Большой Водораздельный Хребет
Great Barrier Reef – Большой Барьерный риф
Sydney – [‘sidni] – Сидней
Melbourne – [‘melbən] – Мельбурн
Queensland – [‘kwi:nzlxnd] – Квинсленд
Murray – [‘mAri] – Муррей
Australian Alps – [Os’treiljən ‘xlps] – Австралийские Альпы
Mount Kosciusko – [‘maunt ,kOzi’ Askəu] – гора Косцюшко
Ex. 2. Read the following international words and guess their meanings:
N
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A
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V
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continent
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coral
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to illustrate
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plateau
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elective
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to identify
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climate
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private
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to invest
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reef
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natural
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to organize
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equator
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extreme
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to demonstrate
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farmer
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civil
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to discuss
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ocean
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stable
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to correct
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mile
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cultural
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to transport
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monarchy
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permanent
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to control
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sphere
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sporadic
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to test
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peak
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Rare
|
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Topical Vocabulary
Nouns
mainland – [‘meinlənd] – материк
hemisphere – [‘hemi,sfiə] – полушарие
neighbor – [neibə] – сосед
plateau – [‘plxtəu] – плато
elevation – возвышение, высота
level plain – плоская равнина
flow – течение
fertile soil – [‘fWtail soil] – плодородная почва
desert – [‘dezət] – пустыня
edge – край
moisture – [‘moisCə] – влажность, влага
grazing lands – пастбища
cropland – пахотная земля
livestock – [‘laivstok] – домашний скот
cattle – скот
wheat – пшеница
wool – шерсть
dairy products – молочные продукты
sugar cane – сахарный тростник
beef – говядина
kangaroo – [,kxNgə’ru:] – кенгуру
koala – [kəu’a:lə] – коала
emu – [‘i:mju:] – эму
wombat – [‘wombət] – вомбат
lyrebird – [,laiə ‘bWd] – лирохвост
dingo – [‘diNgou] – динго
lizard – [‘lizəd] – ящерица
mining – [‘mainiN] – горное дело
manufactured goods – промышленные товары
lead – [‘led] – свинец
iron ore – [‘aiən ‘L] – железная руда
bauxite – [‘bo:ksait] – боксит
petroleum – нефть
irrigation – орошение
Commonwealth – (Британское) Содружество наций
monarchy – монархия
legislation – законодательная власть
the House of Representatives – Палата представителей
election – выборы
the Labour Party – Лейбористская партия
agriculture – сельское хозяйство
rainforest – тропический лес
farming – фермерство, сельское хозяйство
manufacturing – производство, обрабатывающая промышленность
aborigine – [,xbə’riGini] – абориген, коренной житель
Verbs and Verb Combinations
to comprise – включать в себя, состоять
to rank – занимать место
to settle – поселить(ся), обосноваться
to claim – заявлять (о своих правах), утверждать
to incorporate – включать в состав, соединяться
to remain – оставаться
to surround – окружать
to cover – охватывать, покрывать
to divide – разделять, делить
to graze – пасти
to populate – населять
to extend – простираться
to occur – случаться, происходить
to correspond – соответствовать
to occupy – занимать, оккупировать
to appoint – назначать
to hold elections – проводить выборы
to offer – предлагать
to support – поддерживать
to increase – [in’kri:s] – увеличиваться, возрастать
to include – включать
to belong to – принадлежать
Adjectives
numerous – многочисленный
indigenous – [in’diGinəs] – аборигенный, местный, туземный
sporadic – [spə’rxdik] – случайный, единичный
penal – [‘pi:nl] – уголовный, наказуемый
self-governing – самоуправляющийся, автономный
flat – плоский
mountainous – гористый
fertile – плодородный
evergreen – вечнозеленый
semi-arid – [,semi ‘xrid] – полузасушливый
extreme – [iks’tri:m] – крайний
vast – обширный, огромный
picturesque – [,pikCə’resk] – живописный
distinct – отчетливый, ясный
wet – влажный
rare – редкий
iconic – [ai’konik] – являющийся символом чего-либо важного
prosperous – процветающий, преуспевающий
multicultural – многокультурный
frequent – частый
current – текущий, настоящий
permanent – постоянный
executive – [ig’zekjutiv] – исполнительный
extensive – [iks’tensiv] – всесторонний, громадный
civil – [‘sivl] – гражданский
parliamentary – парламентский
Word combinations and abbreviations
United Nations – Организация Объединенных Наций (ООН)
OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Организация экономического сотрудничества и развития
APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation – Азиатско-тихоокеанское сотрудничество
World Trade Organization – Всемирная Торговая Организация
G20 – Great 20 countries – Большая двадцатка , организация лучших 20 стран мира
Ex. 3. Read the words and say what part of speech they belong to and what words they are derived from.
Smallest, sixth, mountainous, elevation, swimmer, leading, rainy, independent, highly, producer, drinking, unusual, active, developed, productive, agricultural, consists, farmer, sandy, disagree, extremely, coastal.
Ex. 4. Practise conversion. Form new words according to the model. Fill blank spaces of the table with correct words. Consult the dictionary if necessary.
Model: noun verb
check – to check
проверка – проверять
copy
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копия
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to copy
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––––––
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flow
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течение
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to flow
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––––––
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house
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––––––
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to house
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поселить
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change
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––––––
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to change
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менять,
изменяться
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milk
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молоко
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to milk
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––––––
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face
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––––––
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to face
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повернуться лицом
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place
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место
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to place
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––––––
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water
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вода
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to water
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––––––
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Ex. 5. Find in the text given below the words formed with the help of conversion and state what part of speech they belong to.
Ex. 6. Choose the word that is similar or synonymous to the underlined word.
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mainland – matter – continent – motherland
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soil – seal – mild – ground
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to be – to begin – to exist – to grow
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important – essential – rural – successful
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frequently – quickly – rarely – often
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to locate – to situate – to create – to rule
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private – low – own – peaceful
-
to allow – to call – to include – to let
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country – language – symbol – state
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Aussie – New Zealanders – British – Australians
Ex. 7. a) Read and translate into Russian the following N + N word combinations:
Mountain range, tourist resort, beef exporter, coal production, sea level, health care, life expectancy, sheep farming, wool production, meat export, Governor-General, , ocean current, home economics, plant life, majority support, land region.
b) Make up sentences with these word combinations.
Ex. 8. a) Make up as many word combinations as you can choosing from A and B. Translate them into Russia.
A)
|
B)
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1. flat
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1. continent
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2. southern
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2. plateau
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3. square
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3. liberties
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4. Australian
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4. country
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5. wet
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5. prisoners
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6. prosperous
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6. kilometers
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7. former
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7. wheat
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8. civil
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8. land
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9. to grow
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9. government
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10. to form
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10. season
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11. mountainous
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11. mainland
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12. low
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12. hemisphere
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b) Make up sentences with these word combinations.
Ex. 9. Read and translate the sentences into Russian paying special attention to the different meanings of the underlined words.
1. It is the only country that is also a continent.
2. The seasons in Australia are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
3. They say that Australia is full of rare animals.
Ex. 10. Insert suitable word from the box.
1. Australia is … country that is also a continent.
2. Australia … between the Indian and South Pacific oceans.
3. Deserts cover about … of the country.
4. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most popular … .
5. The seasons in Australia are … to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
6. Australia’s farms are … mechanized.
7. Crops are … on only about 5% of the farmland.
8. … people make up about 2.7% of Australia’s population.
9. The Constitution gives extensive executive powers to the … .
10. Australia is a … monarchy.
aboriginal, tourist attraction, constitutional, the only, lies, opposite, grown, a third, Governor-General, highly
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Ex. 11. Answer the following questions.
1. Do you know anything about Australia?
2. Is it an island or a continent?
3. Does it snow in Australia? How many seasons are there in Australia?
4. What are the main farm products in Australia?
Ex. 12. Read and translate the text into Russian.
Australia.
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only country that is also a continent. In area it ranks as the sixth largest country and smallest continent. It covers 7,682,300 square kilometers or about 5% of the earth’s land area. Sometimes Australia is called “the upside down world” because it lies in the Southern Hemisphere, where winter comes in July and summer begins in December.
Pronounced [ə’stræɪljə, -liə] in Australian English, the name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern". The country has been referred to colloquially as Oz since the early 20th century. Aussie is common colloquially, as an adjective and noun for "Australian".
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 language groups of indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north, and discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, founded on 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in the following years; the continent was explored, and another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established during the 19th century. Free settlers and former prisoners established six colonies: New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland.
The six colonies became states and in 1901 federated into the Commonwealth of Australia with a constitution that incorporated British parliamentary and U.S. federal traditions. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The population is 22 million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. The nation's capital city is Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. It is a young city. Its construction began in 1913.
Most of Australia is low and flat. The highest and most mountainous land lies along the east coast. Nearly all the land west of this region consists of level plains and low plateaus.
Australia can be divided into three major land regions. They are the Eastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Western Plateau. The Eastern Highlands include the highest elevations in Australia. The region is sometimes called the Great Dividing Range. Many of the plateaus here have fertile soils and are used as cropland.
The Central Lowlands are generally flat. Many rivers flow through the lowlands after heavy rains. Farmers in the southern part grow wheat. Most of the rest of the region is too dry or too hot for most kinds of crops. The region has no large cities.
Deserts cover about a third of Australia. They are in the central part of the Western Plateau. The deserts gradually give way to land with grass and bushes. Much of this land is used to graze livestock.
The climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents. Australia lies south of the equator, and so its seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. The southern part of the continent has four distinct seasons. Tropical northern Australia has only two seasons – a wet season and a dry one. The wet season corresponds with summer and lasts from November through April. The dry season corresponds with winter and lasts from May through October.
The nature of Australia is different and exciting. The tropical rainforests of northeastern Australia are very different from the dry interior of the continent. They are hot and damp providing a home for an unusual variety of animals. The country is full of rare animals such as kangaroo, koala, lyrebird, dingo, emu, hairy-nosed wombat, huge lizards. The koala and the eucalyptus form an iconic Australian pair.
Australia is a prosperous developed country with a multicultural society. It ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance such as human development, quality of life, health care, life expectancy, public education, economic freedom and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. Australian cities rank among the world's highest in terms of cultural offerings and quality of life. It is a member of the United Nations, G20, Commonwealth of Nations, OECD, APEC, Pacific Islands Forum and the World Trade Organization.
The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional democracy based on a federal division of powers. The form of government used in Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General at the federal level and by the Governors at the state level. Although the Constitution gives extensive executive powers to the Governor-General, these are normally exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The Commonwealth Parliament consists of the Queen, the Senate (the upper house) of 76 senators, and the House of Representatives (the lower house) of 150 members.
Elections for both chambers are normally held every three years. Although the Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General, in practice the party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms government and its leader becomes the Prime Minister.
There are two major political groups that form government, federally and in the states: the Australian Labor Party, and the Coalition which is a formal grouping of the Liberal Party and its minor partner, the National Party. Independent members and several minor parties—including the Greens and the Australian Democrats—have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses. The Labor Party came to office with Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister following the November 2007 election.
Australia is one of the richest developed countries. Its wealth has come chiefly from farming and mining. The farms are highly mechanized. The leading farm products are cattle, calves, wheat, wool, dairy products, fruits and sugar cane. These products are the chief agricultural exports.
Australia has rich mineral resources. It has become one of the world’s major mining countries. Western Australia produces iron ore, nickel, gold and bauxite. Queensland is the chief producer of bauxite, copper and silver. New South Wales leads in the production of coal, lead and zinc. Victoria produces almost all the petroleum and natural gas. Most of the factories are located in and around two oldest and largest cities Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia is the country for tourists. There are official tourist offices in all capitals and some regional centers providing a full range of usual services for visitors.
Comprehension check
Ex. 1. Search the text for the English equivalents of the word combinations.
Восточное плоскогорье, южное полушарие, единственная страна, плодородная почва, обширные пустыни, минеральные ресурсы, поддержка большинства, палата представителей, генерал-губернатор, высокий уровень жизни, австралийские аборигены, вечнозеленые растения, демократическая система управления, по совету премьер-министра, промышленные товары, молочные продукты, сахарный тростник.
Ex. 2. Read the statements and say if they are true or false.
1. Australia is a country in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. Free settlers and former prisoners established six colonies.
3. Deserts cover about a half of Australia.
4. The climate is significantly influenced by ocean currents.
5. The hottest month in Australia is January.
6. The Queen is represented by the Prime Minister.
7. The Commonwealth Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
8. Australia has become rich chiefly from farming and mining.
9. The country has rich mineral resources.
10. The Greens is the main political party in Australia.
Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences using information from the text.
1. Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising … .
2. The name Australia is derived from … .
3. The highest and most mountainous land lies … .
4. Australia is a member of … .
5. The parliament consists of … .
6. The main political parties are …
7. The leading farm products are … .
8. Australia is rich in mineral resources such as … .
9. An iconic Australian pair is … .
10. Oz is colloquial for … .
Ex. 4. Rearrange the words below into grammatically accurate sentences.
1. animals, of, full, is, Australia, rare
2. has, history, interesting, long, and, Australia
3. rains, at, year, any, come, time, of, the, may
4. mechanized, highly, farms, are, the
5. Australia, a member, many, is, of, organizations, international
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