Read and translate the facts. 1. In 1901 Australia became a nation within the British Empire and was called the Commonwealth of Australia.

1. In 1901 Australia became a nation within the British Empire and was called the Commonwealth of Australia.

2. In 1931 Australia gained independence from Great Britain.

3. Australia has participated in every Olympiad since 1896. Melbourne and Sydney hosted the Olympic Games in 1956 and in 2000.

4. More than 400 species of reptiles are known in Australia. Some of them are unique.

5. Aboriginal languages are spoken all over Australia. Many people speak Aboriginal English.

6. The food they eat in Australia is a result of a great diversity of cultures including English, Italian, Asian, Russian, Greek, Turkish and many others.

7. Crocodile Bread is one of Australian foods. This is bread with bacon, green peppers and cheese which should look like crocodile when it is made.

8. Australia has many national parks, where wildlife is protected. Kakadu National Park is the largest. There are 1,500 species of fish in the famous Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Russia

Read and translate the text. Find the topical sentences in each paragraph of the text.

GEOGRAPHY

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth's surface. Russia 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. Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the south. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Byelorussia and Ukraine. It also has a sea border with the USA.

SCENERY

We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the central region, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

Russia is located on 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.

Russia is a land of long rivers. There are over two million rivers in our country. The Volga is the biggest river in Europe. The main Siberian rivers are the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena.

CLIMATE

Over the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. Winters are cold and windy with a lot of snow. Summers are rather hot and dry. In Siberia the temperature in winter falls to 50 degrees below zero. The coldest registered temperature was minus 70 degrees.

THE ANIMAL WORLD

The animal world in the north includes walruses, seals, polar bears and polar foxes. In the central zone there are a lot of wolves, foxes, hares and squirrels. The famous Russian furs come from sables, minks and ermines. The brown bear of the Russian forests is a kind of symbol of Russia.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources. Three quarters of the country's minerals, oil and natural gas, coal, gold and diamonds come from Siberia.

THE PEOPLE

The population of Russia is 145.5 million people, 83 per cent of them are Russians. There are 1,030 towns and cities in Russia. Moscow is the capital and the biggest city with a population of about 9 million people.

GOVERNMENT

Russian Federation is a Presidential Republic. The federal government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The legislative powers are exercised by the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers: the Council of Federation and the State Duma. The executive power belongs to the government, which is headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial branch is represented by the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and regional courts. All three branches are controlled by the President.

Today the state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. A new national emblem is the two-headed eagle, the most ancient symbol of Russia.

Answer the following questions:

1. Where is Russia situated?

2. What countries does it border on?

3. What do you remember about its scenery?

4. What mountain chains are there in Russia?

5. Can you name the most important rivers of the country?

6. What’s the climate like?

7. Can you name some of the Russian animals?

8. What do you remember about its natural resources?

9. What is the population of the country?

10. What is the capital?

11. What is Russia politically?

12. The federal government consists of three branches. Which ones?

13. Who is the president of Russia?

14. What is the state symbol?

15. What is the national emblem of Russia?

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