Comprehension check 1) what are the popular buildings? 2) what is the name of its river? 3) what is it famous for? 4) what problems does it have? 5) how many people live there? 6) is it a center for tourism?

Australia

Australia is the most remote from other inhabited continents of the Earth. It lies entirely in the southern hemisphere. This is the mainland, where everything is "the other way around": in July it is winter here, in January it is summer. The trees of Australia shed not leaves, but bark, forests do not give shade, and through thickets of deserts you have to fight your way with an ax. Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Deserts occupy 40% of its area.

Geographical position

Australia is the smallest continent on Earth. Its area is 7.6 million square kilometers. Due to its small size, the continent is sometimes called an island. It is washed by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and has only two significant bays: Carpentaria in the north and the Great Australian in the south. Off the east coast of Australia is the world's largest coral reef called the Great Barrier Reef. It stretches along the northeastern part of Australia for more than 2 thousand kilometers.

Big cities

Melbourne

Melbourne is the second largest industrial and financial center of the country, and the largest oil refineries are located here. The population of the suburbs is about 5 million (estimated for 2018). Melbourne is famous for its combination of Victorian and modern architecture, numerous parks and gardens. The main one is the house of James Cook, which originally stood in his English estate and was moved here about a hundred years ago. It was founded in 1835 by the farmer John Batman. In 1847 Melbourne received city status. Gold and wealth have contributed to the rapid development of Melbourne and its status as Australia's premier city.

Sydney

Sydney is the largest and oldest city in Australia, located in the southeast of the country. Sydney was founded on January 26, 1788 by Arthur Phillip, head of the first party of British colonists, and is named after the British Home Secretary, Lord Sidney. The status of the city was assigned on July 20, 1842. Sydney is not the capital of Australia, as many think, but nevertheless it is the oldest and largest metropolis. It is a city of architectural contrasts, where modern skyscrapers of business centers coexist with old buildings. The main attraction and symbol of the city is the Opera House. Sydney is home to the tallest buildings in Australia - the Sydney Tower and the headquarters of the country's largest insurance company, as well as the grandiose Harbor Bridge, which offers stunning views of the city.

Canberra

Canberra, the capital of Australia, is one of the earliest examples of a modernly planned city. The city is located in the southwestern part of Australia. The population is about 310 thousand inhabitants. In 1824, Europeans first settled on the site of Canberra. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city became the capital of Australia. In 1927, the national parliament moved here from Melbourne. The main attractions of the capital are the modern parliament building, the Captain Cook museum ship. It houses the National Library, exhibition pavilions and universities, the Australian Academy of Sciences, as well as the head office of Australia's largest research institute, the Commonwealth Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Cap Seller and the Monkeys

There was a cap seller in a city. He used to go from village to village to sell his caps. His way laid back a forest. It was a hot summer day and he got tired. To get some rest he sat under a tree. Soon he fell asleep . Many monkeys lived on that tree. When they saw the caps, they climbed down the tree and took the caps. Then they climbed up the tree again

The cap seller woke up after some time. He found that his caps were missing. He looked up and saw the monkeys wearing his caps. He tried his best to get his caps but he couldn’t. Suddenly an idea occurred to him. He took off his own cap and threw it on the ground. The monkeys did the same, since they are imitators. The cap seller collected all his caps and went away happily.