Образовательный портал

Методическое пособие по английскому языку

Англоговорящие страны и их города

Смелова Ольга Анатольевна,
преподаватель английского языка СПб ГБПОУ
«Академия индустрии красоты «ЛОКОН»
Красносельского района Санкт-Петербурга

Содержание (Contents):

Пояснительная записка…………………………………………………………………….4

Part 1: Countries……………………………………………………………………………7

1. Russian Federation…………………………………………………………………..7

Text…………………………………………………………………………………….7

Questions……………………………………………………………………………….8

Interesting facts………………………………………………………………………...9

Dialogue………………………………………………………………………………11

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland……………………14

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...14

Questions……………………………………………………………………………..16

Interesting facts……………………………………………………………………….16

Tasks………………………………………………………………………………….18

1. The United States of America………………………………………………………18

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...18

Questions………………………………………………………………………….......20

Interesting facts……………………………………………………………………….20

Tasks………………………………………………………………………………….22

1. Australia……………………………………………………………………………...23

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...23

Interesting facts………………………………………………………………………24

1. New Zealand…………………………………………………………………………28

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...28

Interesting facts……………………………………………………………………....30

Part 2: Cities………………………………………………………………………………..31

1. Moscow………………………………………………………………………………31

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...31

Interesting facts……………………………………………………………………….33

Tasks…………………………………………………………………………………34

1. ………………………………………………………………………..34

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...34

Interesting facts……………………………………………………………………….36

Tasks………………………………………………………………………………….37

Dialogue……………………………………………………………………………...37

1. London……………………………………………………………………………….40

Text…………………………………………………………………………………..40

Interesting facts………………………………………………………………….……40

1. Washington D.C…………………………………………………………………..…41

Text…………………………………………………………………………………...41

Interesting facts……………………………………………………………………….42

1. AustralianCitiesandTowns………………………………………………………..43

ПОЯСНИТЕЛЬНАЯ ЗАПИСКА К МЕТОДИЧЕСКОМУ ПОСОБИЮ ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ ДЛЯ СПЕЦИАЛЬНОСТЕЙ «ПАРИКМАХЕРСКОЕ ИСКУССТВО», «СТИЛИСТИКА И ИСКУССТВО ВИЗАЖА», «ПРИКЛАДНАЯ ЭСТЕТИКА»

          Методическое пособие «Англоговорящие страны и их города» составлено для обучающихся по специальностям «Парикмахерское искусство», «Стилистика и искусство визажа», «Прикладная эстетика».  Данное учебное пособие по английскому языку предназначено для студентов, которые продолжают овладение базовыми знаниями по указанному предмету в процессе его изучения. Пособие ставит своей целью совершенствование навыков современной разговорной речи, накопления страноведческого лексического материала.

          Методическое пособие составлено в соответствии с требованиями ФГОС и направлено на формирование и реализацию ОК  и ПК.

         Цель составления методического пособия включает в себя развивающий, воспитательный и учебный аспекты.

Развивающий аспект – развитие мышления, памяти, внимания, мотивации к дальнейшему овладению иностранным языком, привитие навыков самостоятельной работы.

Воспитательный аспект – приобщение к общечеловеческим ценностям, воспитание уважения к другой культуре, воспитание личностных качеств.

Учебный аспект – развитие умения общаться, используя различные виды речевой деятельности, приобретение знаний о строе языка, его системе, особенностях, сходстве с родным языком.

Задачи:

1. совершенствование навыков чтения, используя страноведческую лексику, фразы данной терминологии, тексты и задания данной направленности;
2. совершенствование произносительных навыков, используя специфику артикуляции звуков, интонации, особенности стиля произношения, характерные для сферы профессиональной деятельности;
3. усложнение упражнений на выработку навыков аудирования;
4. обучение говорению – совершенствование навыков диалогической и монологической речи на темы страноведческой направленности.

Методическое пособие включает изучение таких основных тем, как «Страны» (Россия Великобритания, США, Австралия, Новая Зеландия), «Города» (Москва, Петербург, Лондон, Вашингтон, Канберра, Веллингтон).

Требования к уровню усвоения материала.  

В  конце изучения курса студентами  предполагается:

Аудирование 

-          понимать связные тексты страноведческой тематики,

-           понимать на слух текст, содержащий до 3% незнакомых слов на догадку и до 3% незнакомых слов, не мешающих пониманию.

         Говорение

-          достаточно хорошо владеть навыками  устной (диалогической и монологической речи),

-         умение свободно высказываться по той или иной  проблеме,

-         умение вести  различные виды диалогов,

-         участвовать в дискуссиях, соблюдая этику дискуссионного общения,

  -   рассуждать в связи с определенной тематикой, давать оценку событиям.

  

    Чтение

  - достаточно хорошая техника чтения,  чтение вслух и про себя, умение

     понимать содержание  прочитанных текстов.

-         расширение словарного запаса за счет новой терминологии, словообразовательных моделей,

-         формирование механизма изучающего, ознакомительного, поискового и просмотрового чтения,

-         использование механизма чтения в зависимости от внутренней и внешней мотивации.

   Совершенствовать:

-          навыки чтения, аудирования и устной речи.

-         совершенствовать умения и навыки по выполнению тестовых заданий разного уровня сложности.

-         расширить и  обобщить  объем знаний учащихся по английскому языку

В целом методическое пособие по английскому языку для специальностей «парикмахерское искусство», «стилистика и искусство визажа» подготавливает студентов к работе, обеспечивает широкий круг знаний, необходимых работникам контактной сферы.

 

 

Part 1: Countries

The Russian Federation

Text:

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth's surface. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometres.

The country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There's hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.

There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe's biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers - - the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena — flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean. Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world's deepest lake (1,600 metres) is Lake Baikal. It's much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there's much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom. Russia has one-sixth of the world's forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

On the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental. Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma. The capital of Russia is Moscow. It's its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It's one of the oldest Russian cities. There are a lot of opportunities for Russia to become one of the leading countries in the world. I'm sure that we, the younger generation, can do very much to make our country strong and powerful.

Questions:

1. Where is Russia situated?
2. What is the total area of Russia?
3. What is the country washed by?
4. What states does Russia border on?
5. What kinds of scenery can be found in the country?
6. What mountain chains on the territory of the country do you know?
7. What mountain chain separates Europe from Asia?
8. What rivers in Russia do you know?
9. What is the world's deepest lake?
10.  Where are the forests in Russia concentrated?
11.  What types of climate are there in Russia?
12.  What mineral resources are found in the country?
13.  Who is the Head of the State?
14. What is the capital of the State?

Interesting facts about Russia:

Arbat is the first reserved street among the reserved zones of the capital. “Alexander and Natalie” is the only Moscow fountain with drinking water.

Now in S.-Petersburg there are 221 museums, 2 000 libraries, more than 80 theaters, 100 concert organizations, 45 galleries, show-rooms, 62 cinemas. About 100 festivals and competitions of different trends of culture and art including 50 international ones are held every year.

More than 70 halls for shows are built in the Winter palace.

The Mikhailovsky (Inzhenerniy) castle is considered the most romantic construction in S.-Petersburg.

In Petergoph there are more than 40 operating fountains and 5 cascades.

Ladoga lake is the largest one in Europe. Its area makes 18 400 sq km, average depth is 51m.

Baikal lake area is 31.5 thousand sq km. The Baikal is the deepest lake in Russia, it is a large reservoir for fresh water (23 thousand km³).

Towns of Zolotoe Kolco are a vivid encyclopedia of Old-Russian architecture.

A monument to blessed Alexander Nevsky was erected in Pskov in 1993. The monument was made of bronze, its height is 30 m, weight – 163 tons. The monument embodies Russian unity and indivisibility of Russian lands.

Caucasian Mineral Waters are situated only in 90 km from the Elbrus.

The Ural mountains are ones of the first mountains in the world.

The Khibins are the highest mountains behind the polar circle of Russia.

Ski resort Dombai has about 20 km of prepared ski routes.

In Altai there are more than 820 glaciers covering over 600 sq km.

Russia is the only State, on the territory of which there are 12 seas.

On the territory of Russia there are 100 reserves, total area of which makes 33.55 mln ha, and 35 national parks with total area of 6.96 mln ha.

The delta of the Volga is famous for its famous Caspian rose – lotus flower.

250-300 swans and 1.5-2 thousand wild ducks fly together in Swan lake in Altai krai every year.

1. Russia covers one-seventh of the total land area of the world.

2. There are 2,000 libraries, 100 concert organizations, more than 80 theaters, 62 movie theaters, 45 art galleries, 221 museums, and 80 nightclubs in St. Petersburg alone.

3. St. Petersburg is the host of up to 100 cultural and art festivals annually, at least 50 of which are international events.

4. Contrary to what some people may think, it was Russia, not the US, who was the first nation to launch a man into space. (The USA was just the first nation to land a man on the moon.)

5. Ten percent of the income of the Russian government is from the sales of vodka.

6. One-fourth of the world’s fresh water is contained in the lakes of Russia.

7. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the world’s highest active volcano at a height of 4,750 meters (15,584 feet), is found in Russia.

8. The country is referred to as the “Lungs of Europe” because it has the biggest forest reserves in the world.

9. The Tsar Kolokol bell, the largest bell in the world with a height of 6.14 meters (20 feet) and a weight of 223 tons, is inside the Kremlin of Moscow.

10. Women outnumber men in Russia by approximately 10 million.

Dialogue:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Text:

The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern 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 244 000 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 (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island).

There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviots separate England from Scotland, the Pennines stretch down North England along its middle, the Cambrian mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains. There is very little flat country except in the region known as East Anglia.

Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest and the longest of the British rivers. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Trent, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon.

Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources, it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.

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 56 million people. The main nationalities are: English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. In Great Britain there are a lot of immigrants from former British Asian and African colonies.

Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol.

The capital of the country is London. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy.

 

Questions:

1. How many god – children does the Queen have?
2. What city hosted the Olympics three times?
3. Who was the last prisoner kept in the Tower of London?
4. Who invented the world’s earliest railways?
5. Name four parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
6. What is the currency used in Great Britain?
7. Where are “The Beatles” from?
8. How many languages are spoken in England?
9. Who invented the world’s earliest railways?
10. What is the most popular name in England?
11. What is the first city in the world to have an underground subway system?
12. What is the tallest ferris wheel in Europe?
13. Where was the first hot chocolate store opened?
14. What is the highest point in Great Britain?
15. Name the shortest war against England.
16. Who drinks more tea than anyone else in the world?
17. Who was the first person to make a billion dollars from writing books?
18. What do the gold medals consist of?
19. Where is the world’s worst food?
20.  Is Big Ben a clock or a bell?

Interesting & Fun Facts About Great Britain: 

1. The official name of Great Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2. England, Scotland, and Wales, together make up Great Britain.
3. It is the largest island in the European continent and the ninth largest in the world.
4. The capital and the largest city of Britain is London, while the capitals of the three countries forming Britain are London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff, of England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively.
5. Christianity is the major religion practiced in Great Britain with over 5 million believers across the entire island, divided into 4.5 million in England and Wales, and 750,000 in Scotland.
6. The official language of Britain is English.
7. The currency used in Great Britain is pound sterling.
8. Ben Navis, at 1,344 m (4,409 ft), is the highest point in Great Britain in Scotland, while the lowest point is the Fenlands which is 4 m below sea level.
9. Interestingly, with a population of 60 million people, Great Britain is the third most populous island in the world, after Java and Honshû.
10. The word British is used to refer the people belonging to the entire Great Britain, Britain for short. However, they are referred to as Welsh, Scottish, and English in their respective nations.
11. The longest river is The Severn, measuring 322 km long, that rises in central Wales and flows into the Bristol Channel.
12. The official name for the British flag is Union Jack, while the English flag is called the Flag of St. George, the Scottish is called the Flag of St. Andrew, and the Welsh flag is called the Flag of St. David.
13. Did you know that the world-famous pop music band ‘The Beatles’ that changed the music scene across the globe are from England?
14. Britain is the only country in the world that does not have the country’s name on its postage stamps.
15. Surprisingly, there are more chickens than humans in England.
16. Of all the mammal species found in Great Britain, rodents constitute 40% which include squirrels, mice, rats, and the European beaver. Others comprise of rabbits, hares, hedgehogs and several bats species.
17. The deer is the largest land-based wild animal found in Great Britain.

 

 

Tasks:

Exercise 1. Choose from the text the words according to the next points:

1. Geographical names. (more than 20)
2.  

Exercise 2. In these words the vowels are missing. What are these words?

Dpsts, cptl, prlmntr, rsrcs, mntn, kngdm, Lvrpl, mntns, ndstrl, pnnsl, mnrch, nflnc,

Exercise 3. Make up sentences from the words below.

1. and /is the deepest / of the / the longest /The Thames/ British rivers.
2.  
3. are separated/ by the North Sea /the European continent / The British Isles/ from and /the English Channel.
4. the British Isles./ is /The United Kingdom /situated on

THE USA

Text:

TheUnitedStatesofAmericaisthefourthlargestcountryintheworld(afterRussia,Canada and China).ItoccupiesthesouthernpartofNorthAmericaandstretchesfromthePacifictotheAtlantic Ocean.ItalsoincludesAlaskainthenorthandHawaiiinthePacificOcean.Thetotalareaofthe countryisaboutnineandahalfmillionsquarekilometres.TheUSAbordersonCanadainthenorth andonMexicointhesouth.Italsohasasea borderwithRussia.

TheUSAismadeupof50statesandtheDistrictofColumbiawherethecapitalofthecountry, Washington,issituated.Thepopulationofthecountryisabout250million people.

IfwelookatthemapoftheUSA,wecanseelowlandsandmountains.Thehighestmountainsarethe RockyMountains,theCordillera,andtheSierraNevada.ThehighestpeakisMountMcKinley,whichis locatedinAlaska.

America’slargestriversaretheMississippi,theMissouri,theRioGrande,andtheColumbia.The GreatLakesontheborderwithCanadaarethelargestanddeepestintheUSA.

Theclimateofthecountryvariesgreatly.Thecoldestregionsareinthenorth.TheclimateofAlaskais arctic.Theclimateofthecentralpartofthecountryiscontinental.Thesouthhassubtropicalclimate. HotwindsblowingfromtheGulfofMexicooftenbringtyphoons.TheclimatealongthePacificcoastis muchwarmerthanthatoftheAtlanticcoast.

TheUSAisahighlydevelopedindustrialcountry.Itistheleadingproducerofcopperandoilandthe worldssecondproducerofironoreandcoal.Ontheindustrialenterprisesofthecountrytheyproduce aircrafts,cars,textiles,radioandtelevisionsets,weapon,furniture,andpaper.

ThoughmainlyEuropeanandAfricaninorigin,theAmericansaremadeupfromnearlyallracesand nations,includingtheChineseandthenativeAmericans—Indians.

ThelargestcitiesareNewYork,LosAngeles,Chicago,Philadelphia,Detroit,SanFrancisco,and others.

TheUnitedStatesisafederalrepublicconsistingof50states,eachofwhichhasitsowngovernment.Theseatofthecentral(federal)governmentisWashington,D.C.AccordingtotheConstitutionofthe USA,thepowersofthegovernmentaredividedinto3branches:theexecutive,headedbythe President,thelegislative,exercisedbytheCongress,andthejudical.TheCongressconsistsofthe SenateandtheHouseofRepresentatives.TherearetwomainpoliticalpartiesintheUSA:the RepublicanandtheDemocratic.

Questions:

1.WhatkindofstateistheUSA?
2.Whereisitsituated?
3.WhatistheUSAwashedbyintheeastandinthewest?
4.WhatistheUSAseparatedfromCanadaby?
5.Whatisthetotalareaofthecountry?
6.WhataretheprincipalriversoftheUSA?
7.Whatisthepopulationofthecountry?
8.Wheredomostpeoplelive?
11.Whereisthecapitalofthecountrysituated?
12.IstheagricultureinAmericahighlymechanized?
13.WhatrawmaterialsisAmericarichin?
14.WhathasbecomethesymbolofAmericanwayoflife?
15.Whereisthemotor-carindustrysituated?
16.Whereisthetextileindustrytobefound?
17.HastheUSAahighlydevelopedrailwaysystem?
18.HowmanystatesarethereintheUSA?
19.BywhatpartyhasthepoliticallifeinAmericabeendominated?
20.Whatdothetwopartiescontestatanelectiontime?
21.Whatisthehighestlegislativebodyofthecountry?

Interesting facts about the USA

1. The US is the fattest country in the world, with a third of adults being obese.
   1. Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest airport.
   2. College Park, Maryland has the oldest functioning airport in the US.
   3. Wisconsin has more lakes than Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes.
   4. Maine grows 98% of the nation’s blueberries.
   5. Wabash, Indiana was the first electrically lighted city in the world.
   6. Pensacola, Florida (not St. Augustine) is actually the oldest European-founded settlement in the US. It was settled in 1559 by Don Tristan de Luna.
   7. The first public university in the US was the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
   8. Kentucky has the longest cave system in the world—the Mammoth cave system has over 200 miles of caves.
   9. Wyoming was the first place in the US to allow women to hold office and vote.
   10. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in 1884.
2. Though the statue is associated with New York City, it’s physically located in New Jersey.
   1. American Indians were not US citizens until 1924.
   2. The King of Thailand is technically an American citizen. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1927.
   3. The US has no official language.
   4. Harvard was the first university in the US and was founded in 1636.
   5. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had a bet on who would die first. They both died on July 4th, 1826, each thinking the other had outlived him.
3. The holiday of Thanksgiving actually dates to the Civil War and was designed to help bring the country together.
   1. New York was once ruled by the Dutch and called New Amsterdam.
4. The original capital of the U.S. was Philadelphia. Washington DC became the capital in 1790.
   1. The US debt per person is $45,000 USD.
   2. John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in a theatre and was found in a warehouse. Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and was found in a theatre.
   3. American women got the right to vote in 1920.
   4. In America, you can drive a car when you are 16, vote and own a gun when you are 18, and buy alcohol when you are 21.
   5. Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, was the first (and only) foreign-born first lady.
   6. The population of the US is 307 million.
5. One-fourth of Americans believe the sun revolves around the Earth.
6. 63% of young Americans can’t find Iraq on a map.
   1. George Washington had to borrow money to go to his own inauguration.
   2. Ronald Reagan was the oldest President elected to office.
   3. The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world by area.
   4. 32% of all land in the US is owned by the federal government.

Tasks:

Exercise 1. Choose from the text the words according to the next points:

1. Geographical names. (more than 20)
2. Water objects. (7)

Exercise 2. In these words the vowels are missing. What are these words?

Cptl, pltcl, ppltn, rpblcn, ndstrl, brdr, sbtrpcl, clmt, dmcrtc, prsdnt, tlvsn, Msssspp, cnstttn.

Exercise 3. Make up sentences from the words below.

1. thelargest/ intheLakes/ are /anddeepest
2. the Senate / TheCongress/ and/ theHouse/ consists
3. inthethefourth/ country / TheUnitedStatesAmerica
4. Canada/ onMexico/TheUSA/inthenorth/ and/inthe
5. MountMcKinley, / inis/ Thehighestpeak/is/ located

 

 

 

Australia

Text:

Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere with a population of about 17 million people. It’s an independent member of the Commonwealth. The capital of the country is Canberra. The official language is English. Australia consists of an island Tasmania and six states: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

Australia has always been influenced by Britain. Speaking about the history of the country, it should be mentioned that at first it was a big colony for prisoners. Later, it became an ordinary country.

The main economic sector of the country is the service one, which includes tourism, education and financial services.

Australia’s biggest city is Sydney, which is situated in the state of New South Wales. This place is famous for its Blue Mountains, covered with forests of blue coloured eucalyptus trees. So, the air above is full of microscopic drops of eucalyptus oil and it is of a real blue colour in the sunshine.

The driest of all the states is South Australia with the only big river flowing there, that is called the Murray River. In former times it used to be South Australia’s main road, which transported people and goods. Tourists can ride old riverboats that are still kept in some towns on the river.

Tasmania, located in the south of Australia, differs from the other states. There are no deserts on the island. Most of the territory is covered with wild beautiful forests. There are lots of rains both in winter and summer. The population of Tasmania is about half a million people.

It should be said that Australia is home to beautiful nature as well as to such exotic animals as kangaroos, echidnas, koalas, dingoes and many others.

 

Interesting facts about Australia:

1) It is the 6th largest country in the world, occupying an entire continent of some 7.6 million square kilometres.

2) It has the world's 3rd largest ocean territory, spanning three oceans and covering around 12 million square kilometres.

3) Vegetation covers nearly 7 million square kilometres or 91 percent of Australia.

4) The largest Greek population in the world beside Athens in Greece can be found in Melbourne Victoria.

5) Most of Australia's exotic flora and fauna cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

6) The Indigenous 'Dream Time' is the foundation for tens of thousands of years of spiritual aboriginal art, traditions, legends, myths, folklore and culture.

7) The only nation-continent of 20 million people in the world.

8) Thewattlewas adopted as the national floral emblem in 1912.

9) The first Australian Friendly Society with the motto of 'Advance Australia' was the Australian Natives' Association (ANA) formed in Victoria in 1871.

10) More than 80 percent of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coast making Australia one of the world's most urbanised coastal dwelling populations.

11) Over 200 different languages and dialects are spoken in Australia including 45 Indigenous languages. The most common non-English spoken languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

12) The world's highest proportion of migrant settlers in a developed nation with over 25% of Australians born in another country.

13) Today's Australia is very multicultural with Indigenous peoples and migrants from some 200 countries.

14) Australia's first small step to a fully multicultural Australia was the result of immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean after 1945.

15) It contains an amazing ecosystem with unique flora and fauna including pristine rainforest, ancient rock formations and beautiful beaches.

16) The first Australian of the Year award was awarded to Professor Macfarlane Burnet who had won the Nobel Prize in the same year of 1960 for his groundbreaking physiology research.

17) Debate continues today on the calls to change the Australian flag because of the prominence of the British Union Jack, which does not reflect contemporary Australian society.

18) It has 16 world heritage listed sites including historic townships, cities and landscapes.

19) While 1988 was named a 'Year of Mourning' for Aboriginals, it was also regarded as a celebration of survival where the Aboriginal community staged a 5 kilometre march for "Freedom, Justice and Hope" in Sydney.

20) Australia used to be a beer-drinking nation but its quaffing plunged to a 65-year low in 2010-2011 with only 4.23 litres consumed per person.

21) Aboriginal leader, Lowitja O'Donoghue, a recipient of the Order of Australia in 1976 and Australian of the Year in 1984 delivered the first milestone national Australia Day address on 26 January 2000.

22) It is believe that the Aboriginal game of Mangrook inspired the rules for Australian Football, while invented in Sydney became popular in Victoria.

23) Australia was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1902.

24) The largest cattle station in the world is Anna Creek Station in South Australia at over 34,000 square kilometres is the world's largest cattle station. It is even larger than Belgium.

25) It has the highest rate of gambling in the world with over 80 percent of Australian adults engaging in gambling of some kind and 20 percent of the pokie machines in the world are found in Australia.

26) Australia Day today is a celebration of diversity and tolerance in Australian society, embracing all ethnic backgrounds, racial differences and political viewpoints.

27) Kangaroo meat can be purchased from the supermarket, butcher and available on restaurant menus as a leaner and healthier alternative to beef or lamb with a 1-2 percent fat content.

28) Surprisingly Australia is the most obese country in the world as of 2012 with a 26 percent obesity rate despite being a sport loving nation.

29) Approximately 1.35 trillion bottles of wine are produced by Australia.

30) Former Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd's national apology to Indigenous Australians in 2007 is viewed by many as
a major milestone in reconciliation.

31) The hold of the old White Australia Policy was broken by Gough Whitlam's Labor Government which adopted a broader approach to citizenship and opening migration to Asia and the Middle East.

32) Australian TV networks love cooking shows, airing one after another upon viewership success of My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef.

33) Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital of Australia.

34) Australians refer to English people as Pome, which is actually the acronym for Prisoners of Mother England.

35) Ugg boots or as local call them 'very ugly boots' are an Australian design where a sheepskin has been turned inside out and made into a boot.

36)Melbournetopped 140 rivals to be crowned the world's most liveable city 2 years in a row since 2011.

37) The only place in the world where you can still find the lung fish which is a living fossil from the Triassic period 350 million years ago.

38) The sports capital of the world has 70 percent of its total population participating at least once a week in a particular recreational activity or sport.

39) Despite having a convict colony history, Australia's homicide rate is 1.2 per 100,000 population compared to the 6.3 per 100,000 in the United States.

40) 80 percent of Australians believe Australia has a strong culture and identity characterised by being down to earth, mateship, honesty, sports and multiculturalism based on research organised by the Australia Day Council of NSW in 2008.

 

 

New Zealand

Text:

What is the name of the country which has volcanoes and rivers of ice, deer and sea-elephants?

It is New Zealand, called the Land of the Long White Cloud by the Maoris.

New Zealand is an island country. It is made up of three islands: the North and South Islands and Steward Island, a small land mass just to the south of (he South Island. Most of its people live in North Island, and that is where you find big volcanoes like Egmont and Tongariro and the boiling pools and geysers and lakes of bubbling mud. Auckland, Christ church and Wellington are the biggest cities. Wellington is the capital.

South Island is larger than North Island and has the highest mountains. There you can find the snow-capped Southern Alps, rising 3.764 metres to the tip of Mount Cook (named after Captain Cook, of course, because he visited the islands before sailing on westwards and discovering the eastern coast of Australia).

South Island is very beautiful with its Alps and lakes, its glaciers and fiords. Have you ever heard of Milford Sound? That is one of the most picturesque of the fiords, with cliffs rising straight up out of the water, the whole scene reflected in the water. Down there, too, are the Sunderland Falls, where water drops six hundred metres, making these falls one of the highest waterfalls in the whole world.

So you can see there is plenty to look at in New Zealand. Plenty of things to do for tourists, because New Zealand is also famous for its fishing, snow sports, mountaineering, sailing and hiking.

The climate is pleasant at all seasons, without much difference between winter and summer. New Zealand does not have the terrible heat of Australian summers; the oceans temper its climate and the mountains bring down quite a lot of rain.

What do the people do? Farm mostly. Dairy products, meat and wool are the main exports. New Zealand ranks second only to Australia as an exporter of wool. There are many factories there too, with hydro-electric stations to produce the power for them.

North Island is where you find the Maoris, the fine people who lived in these islands hundreds of years before the white man came. Most of them live near Auckland.

The Maoris, a Polynesian people, are the aborigines of New Zealand. After long stays in Indonesia and the South Pacific, which they explored for many years, they made their great journey to New Zealand about the middle of the 14th century. They sailed in double canoes open to all weathers. They knew the winds, the ocean currents and the stars, and this earned them the name of Vikings of the Sunrise.

The capital of New Zealand since 1865, and one of its busiest ports, Wellington is at southern end of North Island, lying among hills on the western side of a natural harbour.

It is the third largest city in New Zealand.

Auckland (the former capital) is the first largest city, and Christchurch is the second.

The Maori name for Wellington Harbour means the great bay of Tara. According to Maori legend, Tara was the first Polynesian settler in this place. But Nicholson (after a Royal Navy captain) was the name given to it by the first British settlers, and it is still sometimes called by this name.

In 1839 a British officer bought the site of Wellington from the Maoris; he got it in exchange for blankets and some other unimportant things. In 1840 the first settlers arrived and called their settlement Britannia. By 1842 there were 3.700 colonists in the settlement and Britannia had become Wellington.

The kiwi is rather an unusual bird found only in New Zealand. It has no tail, almost no wings, and its nostrils are situated near the end of its bill. No other bird lays an egg so large in proportion to its size. Its egg is about one fifth of its own weight. This is a tremendous size.

In many countries. New Zealander. too, are known as Kiwis, for the bird is also the symbol of people of the two islands.

Forests of exotic pines near the centre of New Zealand's North Island, cover an area of more than 160000 hectares. This is the largest single continuous area of planted forest in the world. New Zealand has more than four hundred thousand hectares of planted forests.

The most important wood is pine, which grows five times faster in New Zealand than in its native habitat in California, USA.

Interesting facts about New Zealand:

1. New Zealand is located in the south-western Pacific Ocean and features two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, as well as other smaller ones.
2. Other smaller islands include Stewart Island, Waiheke Island, Chatham Island, Great Barrier Island and more, although many are uninhabited.
3. The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington while the largest city is Auckland.
   Other major cities include Christchurch, Hamilton and Dunedin.
4. The population of New Zealand was estimated to be around 4.5 million at the start of 2013.
5. The official spoken languages of New Zealand are English and te reo Maori, with English being the most widely used.
6. Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.
7. The Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa.
8. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between the British and Maori, making New Zealand a colony of the British Empire.
9. In 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give all women the right to vote.
10. Due to its isolation, New Zealand has developed unique animal and plant life.
11. The bird species of New Zealand are particularly diverse, including alpine parrots and ground dwelling Kiwis.
12. The term ‘Kiwi’ is also used as a nickname for a New Zealander.
13. The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in New Zealand.
14. In New Zealand they drive on the left-hand side of the road.
15. Located in the South Island, the highest mountain in New Zealand is Aoraki Mount Cook which reaches 3,754 metres (12,316 ft) in height.
16. Dairy products are New Zealand’s highest earning exports.
17. Rugby is the most popular spectator sport in New Zealand but a variety of sports such as football (soccer), cricket, netball, golf and others are popular among participants.

Part 2: Cities

Moscow

Text:

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow's history.

Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the tartar yoke. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon's attack. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed by fire during Napoleon's occupation, but by the mid-19th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometres (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 9 million.

Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It has more historic associations than any other place in Moscow. The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture.

The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Tzar-Cannon and the Tzar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world. St Basil's Cathedral was built in the mid-16th century in memory of the victory over Kazan. There's a legend that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects Barma and Postnik, because he didn't want them to create another masterpiece.

There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we all hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful.

There are more than 100 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russia Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Alexei Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.

Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very popular.

Moscow is a city of students. There are over 100 higher educational institutions in it. Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country.

Interesting facts about Moscow:
1) The oldest church in Moscow is the Kremlin Uspensky Cathedral, built in 1475-1479.
2) The highest monument is the 107-metre-tall obelisk called "To the Conquerors of Space" (1967) located in Prospect Mira.
3) The first theatre open to the public was established in Red Square, near the Nikolaevskaya Tower of the Kremlin, in 1702-03, by order of Tsar Peter I. Today, there are about 200 theatres in Moscow, the oldest of which is the Moscow University Student Theatre.
4) The first museum in Moscow was established in 1791. It was the Moscow University Exhibition of Natural History, later renamed as the Zoological Museum. The oldest parks in Moscow are Alexandrovsky Park, Neskutchny Park, and Hermitage Park, built in the 18 and 19-th centuries.
5) The largest of Moscow's 500 libraries is the Russian State Library (the former Lenin Library), with a depository of over 40 million pieces in 247 languages.
6) The Moscow Zoo, founded in 1864, is the largest zoo in Russia. It contains more than 3,000 specimens of 550 species.
7) The first sports stadium appeared in the vicinity of Petrovka Street in the second half of the 19tn century. Its playing surface has survived and exists today, but cannot be seen from the street because it is hidden from view by tall buildings.
8) The oldest clock in Moscow is the Kremlin Chimes. The largest clock in all Russia is on the main building of Moscow University. The clock face has a diameter of 9 meters. The minute hand is 4.2 meters long and weighs 50 kilograms. The hour hand is 50 centimeters shorter and 11 kilograms lighter.
9) The total length of Moscow streets is 4,350 kilometers. To cover that distance on foot at an average speed of 5 km per hour, a pedestrian would have to walk nonstop for 36 days.

Tasks:

Exercise 1. Choose from the text the words according to the next points:

1. Places of interests in Moscow. (13)
2. Historic figures. (12)

Exercise 2. In these words the vowels are missing. What are these words?

Cptl, pltcl, btfl, dctnl, mstrpc, msm, rvltn, ppltn, prlmnt, mmr, cnmc, cmmrcl, cltrl, cntr.

St. Petersburg

Text:

St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the "Window on Europe." St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918.

The city was built on the swampy land at the mouth of the River Neva. Prominent European and Russian architects worked here. The new capital grew rapidly in wealth and beauty.

When World War I began in 1914, the German-sounding name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd. After the October Revolution the city was renamed in honour of Lenin. In 1991 the old name of St. Petersburg was returned to the city.

During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next two years and a half the city was cut off from the rest of the country. No food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.

Now St. Petersburg is an industrial, cultural and scientific centre. There are over 80 museums, more than 20 theatres, a lot of exhibitions, clubs, universities, colleges, schools and parks. The Alexandrinski Drama Theatre, the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are pearls of the Russian art.

In St. Petersburg there are a lot of parks and gardens where citizens spend their free time. The Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by Italian sculptors decorate the Summer Garden. There is a bronze monument to the prominent Russian writer of fables Ivan Krylov (by sculptor Klodt) in the Summer Garden.

St. Petersburg is famous for its magnificent architectural ensembles of the 18th and 19th centuries. The city began with the Peter and Paul Portress built to protect the Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later Domeniko Trezzini, the famous Swiss architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison. Now it is a museum. Trezzini erected the Peter and Paul Cathedral here, and Russian tsars were buried in it.

The most famous square in the city is the Palace Square with its magnificent ensemble. Here one can see the Winter Palace built by Rastrelli. Till the revolution it was the residence of the Russian tsars. Now the Winter Palace and four other buildings are occupied by the Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia. There one can see masterpieces of outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazquez and other unique works of art.

The Russian Museum is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Rossi. Marvellous paintings by the famous Russian artists: Tropinin, Repin, Bryullov, Fedotov, Surikov, Serov; the works of sculptors: Rastrelli, Shubin, Antokolsky are exhibited here.

The streets and squares in St. Petersburg are very beautiful. Nevsky Prospect is the main street of the city, where there are amazing buildings, shops, hotels and the remarkable Kazan Cathedral (by Voronikhin) with a colonnade and monuments to M. Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. Here in the prospect one can see the magnificent building of the Admiralty (by Zakharov) and the ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors were buried in the Lavra.

Majestic palaces, cathedrals, churches and other buildings, built by famous architects, such as: palaces of Stroganov, Menshikov, Anichkov, and St. Isaac's Cathedral, erected by Montferrand, decorate St. Petersburg.

The city is often called the Venice of the North because there are 65 rivers and canals with artistically decorated bridges. One of the most beautiful is the Anichkov Bridge.

Citizens and tourists enjoy visiting the suburbs of St Petersburg: Petergof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk with their wonderful palaces, parks and fountains.

St. Petersburg inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and actors. Much of the life and work of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Repin and Kramskoi was connected with the city.

Interesting facts about Saint-Petersburg

1. The highest cathedral of Russia is located in Saint-Petersburg, inside of thePeter and Paul Fortress. Petropavlovsky Cathedral is the burial vault of Romanovs, it’s height up to the golden top with the Flying Angel is 122,5 meters.
   1. Saint-Petersburg is the city of museums and theatres – we have 200 active museums and 80 theatres.
   2. In Zoological Museum of Saint-Petersburg (Kuntskammer) you can find the mommy of the oldest dog of Saint-Petersburg, favor dog of Peter the Great named Lisette. One can also find there the mommy of the favor horse of Peter the Great whose name was also Lisette. By the way the most successful daughter of Peter the Great was Elisabeth – Queen of Russia.
   3. Saint-Petersburg has the deepest metro in the world. Due to the swampy territory that was chosen for the city construction they had to drive the tunnel under the solid rocks. The depth of the underground railway is 70-80 meters.
   4. Saint-Petersburg is the capital of trams. The length of the tramway is 600 kilometers, this fact is registered in the Guinness Records Book.
2. Saint-Petersburg is the city of bridges, it has 580 bridges within the city line including 20 flap bridges over theRiver Neva.
   1. Saint-Petersburg is the city of canals, their length is 217,5 kilometers that is why Saint-Petersburg suffered 288 floods most of those floods happened before the 1950s. Now the city is protected from the flood by the recently constructed dike.

Tasks:

EXERCISE 1: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What suburbs of St Petersburg do you know?
2. How many rivers and canals are there in the city?
3. When was St. Petersburg the capital of Russia?
4. Where were famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors buried?
5. What is the oldest and most fascinating park?
6. When was the old name of St. Petersburg returned to the city?
7. Who and when founded St. Petersburg?
8. Who was the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral?
9. What can one see in the Summer Garden?
10.  Where was the city built?

EXERCISE 2: DIVIDE ALL THESE WORDS INTO FOLLOWING GROUPS: SUBURBS, PALACES, THEATRES, WRITERS, SCULPTORS, ARTISTS.

the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Stroganov, Shubin, Pavlovsk, Leonardo da Vinci, Dostoevsky, Antokolsky, the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, Rembrandt, Pushkin, Petergof, The Alexandrinski Drama Theatre, Velazquez, Anichkov, Pushkin, Raphael, Rastrelli, Menshikov.

Dialogue:

Dan:How much do you know about St. Petersburg? Have you ever been there?

Kate:I actually go there every summer to visit my cousins.

Dan:You must have been to the Hermitage, haven’t you?

Kate: Yes, certainly I have. The Hermitage is one of the most outstanding museums in the world. It is considered one of the world’s greatest museums of art.

Dan: What kind of collectionsdoes it have? What is it famous for?

Kate: It has some truly fabulous treasures that have been collected through many years. It basically has rich art collections of all ages. The Oriental art collection of the Museum is the richest in the world and it's my favorite.

Dan: Are there also collections representing art and culture of the peoples of the Near and Far East? 

Kate: Yes, there are. I was truly impressed by the rare and splendid collections from China and India, also ancient Greece and Rome I saw there.

Dan: Can I see works by Raphael and Rembrandt there too? They are my favorite painters.

Kate:  Oh yes, you can. Western European painting collection is widely represented in the Hermitage. It includes world famous works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Murillo, Rubens, Rembrandt and many other masters.

Dan: What about pictures representing the art of Italy, Spain, Holland and France?

Kate: You won't be disappointed with that collection either. The museum also exhibits the art of Belgium, Germany Austria, Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and some other Western European countries.

Dan: Can you tell me a little more about the Western - European section in the museum?

Kate:Well, it includes a very fine collection of European sculpture with monuments by such titans as Michelangelo, Rodin, Falconet and many other eminent sculptors.

Dan: Sounds very impressive. Is it true that the museum mostly exhibits paintings and sculpture?

Kate: Not really. The museum actually has the world’s most outstanding collections of applied art too: lace, furniture, tapestries, ivories, porcelain, metalwork, silver, jewelry - you name it!

Dan:  The Hermitage is open to the public every day, isn’t it? 

Kate:  Yes, it is. Its working hours are very convenient.

Dan: I'd love to visit it one day.

Kate: You absolutely should. I could be your guide if I am in St. Petersburg when you visit.

Dan:Thank you so much for the offer. I'll keep that in mind.

London

Text:

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and cultural centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is more than 11 000 000 people. London is situated on the river Thames.

The city is very old and beautiful. It was founded more than two thousand years ago. Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, the Westminster, the West End and the East End.

The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. The Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives, and the Houses of Parliament.

The West End is the most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, restaurants, shops, clubs, parks and houses are situated there.

The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London there.

London has many places of interest. One of them is the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Government. There one can see the famous Tower Clock Big Ben, the symbol of London. Big Ben is the real bell which strikes every quarter of an hour. Another place of interest is Buckingham Palace. It’s the residence of the Queen. There are many other places of interest in London: Trafalgar Square, Regent’s Park, Westminster Abbey and, of course, the British Museum. It’s impossible to describe all places of interest.

The best way to know London is to visit it.

Interesting Facts About London:

1.There are more languages spoken in London than in any other city in the world.

2.Believe it or not, if London was a country it would be the 8th biggest in Europe.

3.Angel Tube Station, has Western Europe’s longest escalator with 318 steps, I suppose you could call it a tourist attraction. It does seem to go on forever.

4.It takes 61 seconds to open Tower Bridge, which opens about 1,000 times a year.

5.The well - known landmark, Marble Arch was originally built as the entrance to Buckingham Palace, but was never used. There is actually a tiny office inside it, which use to be used as a police station.

6.The tallest building in London and the UK, is in Canary Wharf, which is part of the London Docklands. It is called the Canary Wharf Tower and stands at 244 metres or 800 feet high and was built in 1991.

7.The Houses of Parliament also known as the Palace of Westminster, has over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles (5 km) of corridors, as well as 19 bars and restaurants!

8.London is formed by two ancient cities – City of London and City of Westminster, both cities forming the region of Greater London

9.The London Underground, was built in 1863, which is known as the ‘Tube’, and was the first metro of the world. It is quite probably the most out of date, broken down and delayed metro system in the entire world.

10.Big Ben is not actually the name of the clock or the tower, it isn’t ? But the 13-ton bell inside the clock. The tower is known as St Stephens Tower.

Washington

Text:

Washington, the capital of the USA, was founded in 1791. The city was named after the first president George Washington. The population of the city is nearly three million people.

The Capitol is the centre of the city. It was built according to the plans of William Thornton, who was an amateur architect. It is situated on Capitol Hill.

The White House is the place where the president of the USA lives and works. This house was first occupied in 1800 by John Adams, who was the first president to live in that house. The White House has 132 rooms.

Washington has many sights, for example, the Library of Congress, the Lincoln memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and others.

The National Gallery of Arts contains art collections by the great masters of the 14th to 18th centuries.

The Library of Congress contains millions of books and manuscripts.

Outside the city the Arlington National Cemetery is situated. John Kennedy was buried there. The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also situated there.

The industry of the city is not well developed. But Washington is a large scientific and cultural centre. Many research and designing institutes are concentrated here. There are five universities in the city and the National Academy of Sciences.

Interesting Facts aboutWashington DC.

What are the Geographic Facts About Washington, D.C.?

It is located between the states of Maryland and Virginia. The Potomac River separates Washington, D.C. from Virginia to its south. The Anacostia River flows from Maryland through the center of DC. The Atlantic Ocean is about 90 miles away. The city's lowest elevation is sea level, along the Potomac River. DC's highest elevation is 410 feet, which is located at Fort Reno Park in the neighborhood of Tenleytown. Washington, D.C. has an area of 68 square miles, and is subdivided into four quadrants (Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast), with the US Capitol in the center. The area has a mild climate in spring, fall, and winter. Summers can get humid and hot. The average temperature in January is 35 degrees F and in July is 80 degrees F.

What Are the Demographic Facts?

The population in 2012 was 632,323 people, making it the 24th largest city in the United States. Approximately 53 percent of the population is female and 47 percent are male. Approximately 51 percent of the population identified themselves as Black, 39 percent as White, 9 percent as Latino, and 4 percent as Asian. Median income was $58,906. About 47 percent of the population has a bachelor's degree. Approximately 72 percent are Christian.

What Are the Historical Facts?

The full name of the city is Washington, District of Columbia. It was named for President George Washington and Christopher Columbus. It was founded in 1790. It was created to be a federal district, not part of any state, to be the seat of the US federal government. Before the creation of Washington, D.C., the cities of Philadelphia, New York, and Annapolis had at one time acted as the country's capital. On December 1, 1800, the government fully transferred from Philadelphia to Washington DC, with President John Adams becoming the first president to live in the White House.

What Are Symbols for Washington, D.C.?

Washington, D.C. has several city symbols. Its official bird is the wood thrush (дрозд) and official tree is the scarlet oak (дубамериканский). The American Beauty Rose is the city's official flower. DC's motto is Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All.) The city's official song is "The Star-Spangled Banner." («Звездноезнамя») Its official seal is a woman representing justice hanging a wreath on a statue of George Washington.

Washington, D.C. is an old, diverse city of over 600,000 people. It is a unique American city because it was established specifically to be the seat of the country's government. As the seat of the United States government, it is an important center of law and policy. The city has an interesting history, filled with many different facts, which visitors can learn about at one of many museums.

Australian Cities and Towns

The capital of Australia, Canberra, is a young and comparatively small city. It was founded in the 20th century and now has a population of about 260 000 people.

The centre of Canberra is a small hill. Several streets run from that hill. Special charm is given to Canberra by an artificial lake in the centre of the city. A fountain more than 100 metres high is in the western part of the lake. At night powerful lights illuminate the water. It is the Captain Cook Fountain, one of the main places of interest in Canberra. Another one is a memorial military museum. The building of the Australian Academy of Sciences is quite unusual in form — it is like a huge overturned bowl.

Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia. It was the capital of the country till 1927 and now is the centre of Australian business world. It is also one of the largest ports in the country. Melbourne is a beautiful city with numerous skyscrapers, straight boulevards and large parks and gardens. One of Melbourne’s places of interest is the house of Captain Cook, the famous British navigator.

Sydney is Australia’s largest and oldest city. It was the first British settlement. Sydney has the oldest in the country botanical gardens and the Zoo. One of the main places of interest of the city is the famous bridge over the Bay of Port Jackson. Another one is the Opera House, which resembles large white shells in form. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Sydney is the city of three universities.