17.2. Answer the questions:

1. What is “American food”?

2. What do you know about doughnuts?

3. What is a fast food restaurant?

4. What do people usually do if they can’t finish their food?

5. What kind of breakfast do most Americans have?

Unit 18. Australia

18.1. Read and translate the text

Australia, or the Commonwealth of Australia, as it is officially called, is situated on the island continent. It also occupies the Island of Tasmania and some minor islands round the coast of the continent. It is a highly developed industrial­ agrarian country. Its area is about 8 million km². It is the only state in the world that occupies the territory of a whole continent.

The capital of Australia is Canberra, which became the capital only in 1927.

From 1787 to 1867 Australia was a place where criminals were sent from Britain. That is why the official language of Australia is English.

Almost one half of Australian territory is occupied by deserts and semi deserts. For quite a long period of time it was thought to be useless for economic development. But it is rich in coal, iron ore, bauxites, uranium, lead and many other mineral resources. For almost a century the production and export of sheep wool was the basis of the economy of the country. Now the most important industries are oil, chemical, ore mining, radio electronics, and food industry. The country exports agricultural products and raw materials.

As for the nature, the commonest trees of Australia are the eucalyptus and the Australian acacia or mimosa, the national emblem of the country.

Such unusual animals as a kangaroo or a koala bear originate from Australia.

Australia is one of the most unusual and exotic countries of the world. A significant feature of modern Australian society is the representation of a lot of cultures drawn from many lands by its people. Historically part of the British Empire and now a member of a Commonwealth of Nations, it is a relatively prosperous and independent nation.

18.2. Answer the questions:

1. What is the official name of Australia?

2. Where is it situated?

3. What kind of country is it?

4. What is the national emblem of the country?

5. What are the famous animals of

6. Australia?

Unit 19. Geography

19.1. Read and translate the text

Australia is located southeast of Asia, and is the only country in the world to occupy a single continent. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea, the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea. The nearest country is not New Zealand and Australia or Oceania. The Australia continent and the nearby island of Tasmania, form the sixth largest country on earth, with a total area of 7,686,850 sq km. This large area is populated by only 19 million people, making Australia the most sparsely populated continent after the Antarctica. Australia continents of six states and two territories.

Area of Australia’s States:

New South Wales	802,000 sq km
Victoria	228, 000 sq km
Queensland	1,727,000 sq km
South Australia	984,000 sq km
Northern Territory	1,346,000 sq km
Western Australia	2,526,000 sq km
Tasmania	68,000 sq km
Australia Capital Territory	2,400 sq km

The Northern Territory, appropriately situated in the north, is a tropical area that runs into desert in the south. The Stated is very sparsely populated, and stations (huge farms). In the extreme north lies the biggest city, Darwin. It is not a big city by Australian standards, but Darwin is the main gateway to this vast state, and is also the closest city to Asia.

Queensland is situated in the northeastern corner of Australia, and lies in the tropical and subtropical climatic zones. The largest city is Brisbane, which has a population of 1.2 million people.

New South Wales to the south of Queensland is situated in the Subtropical to Temperate climatic zones.

This state is Australia is most populated, and is also home to the biggest city in Australia. That city is Sydney and is considered by many to be the most beautiful big city in the world.

The New South Wales coastline is blessed with many superb beaches, and contains many famous surf breaks such as Byron Bay.

Australia Capital Territory, which is home to the nation’s capital city Canberra. Canberra was planned before the first stone was laid, and was chosen as the site of the new capital city as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, who both competed for this title.

Across the New South Wales border lies the state of Victoria. Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia, but has the highest density of population. Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne is located near the south coast of the state.

If you continue west from Victoria you will eventually cross the border into South Australia.

South Australia is bordered by the Southern Oceanic and other mainland states. South Australia is sometimes referred to as the driest state in the driest continent on earth.

Toward the west of South Australia lies Western Australia. This state covers one third of the continent and is approximately five times the size of Texas. Yet there are only about 1.4 million people here. This makes Western Australia the most sparsely populated of all states, especially when you consider that over 1 million people live in the state’s capital city, Perth.

The only State in Australia that is not found on the mainland, is south of Victoria, and sits on the same latitude as central New Zealand. The State is roughly the size of Ireland, or Sri Lanka, and is one of the most mountainous islands on earth. Tasmania’s climate is temperate and the island is covered in wilderness. In fact, about one quarter of Tasmania is protected wilderness.

Australia is the lowest, flattest and, apart from Antarctica, the driest of the continents.

From north to South Australia spans 3,200 kilometers. From east to west, Australia’s widest point is approximately 4,000 kilometers. Australia’s coastline measures approximately 36,800 kilometers.