Vague lines "білі плями"

plant рослина

creature жива істота

kangaroo кенгуру

koala коала (сумчатий ведмідь)

dark-skinned темношкірий

settler мешканець

convict засланець

punishment покарання

Australia and New Zealand were discovered in 1642 by the Dutch explorer A. Tasman, but for more than a hundred years after that they remained vague lines on the map. It was thought that they were part of a Great South Land.

In 1768 British scientists sent an expedition to the southern seas. The leader of the expedition was Captain James Cook, one of the greatest explorers of all times. Cook never did discover the mysterious South Land, but in the southern ocean he did discover the east coast of New Zealand.

Cook came face to face with the Maoris, the native people. After leaving New Zealand, Cook sailed north-west. He believed that he might find another land, and nineteen days later, that is exactly what he did. It was Australia. They saw plants and creatures that no white man had ever seen before: kangaroos, koalas, brilliantly coloured birds and butterflies, and grey-green eucalyptus trees of all kinds. They also met the dark-skinned Aborigines.

Ten years later, Australia's first settlers landed in Sydney Harbour. These first settlers were convicts, who had been sent to this wild land as a punishment. There were also soldiers to guard them.

New Zealand was colonized much later. The first colony of British settlers did not arrive until 1840. Like Australia, New Zealand became an independant country within the British Commonwealth.

Like the USA, Australia is a federation of states, but Australian members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation. Everyone aged 18 and over has to vote in federal and state elections.

Australia is divided into six states. Queensland is known as "The Sunshine State".

Twenty percent of Australia is desert. Sixty percent of Australia is almost as dry as a desert, therefore it is impossible to grow food there. Apart from Antarctica, it is the driest continent in the world. For this reason, Australia earns more from exporting minerals (such as diamonds and coal) than from agriculture.

Although Australia is normally dry and warm, it sometimes has "unusual" weather such as terrible hailstone storms. The rain freezes and falls as balls of ice.

The Queen of Great Britain is head of both the Australian and the New Zealand governments, but is represented in both cases by a Governor-General.

In the future Australians are going to decide if they want to be a republic and get rid of the Queen. They want to be independent. They think that the idea of a monarchy is old-fashioned.

Answer the following questions:

1. When were Australia and New Zealand discovered?

2. Who discovered Australia and New Zealand?

3. What did the explorers see in the new lands?

4. When did the first settlers land in Sydney Harbour?

5. When was New Zealand colonized?

6. What is the government structure of Australia and New Zealand?

7. Who is the head of both the Australian and the New Zealand governments?

TEXTS ON SPECIALITIES