Ответы на вопросы конкурса«Знатоки иностранного языка»

АвстралияМОУ СОШ 1

Проект ученицы 8Б класса с углубленным изучением английского языкаМОСУНОВОЙ МАРИИ

Учитель- Некрасова Татьяна Михайловна

AUSTRALIA AS I SEE IT

Mosunova Maria_Sch.1_Form 8B _Komsomolsk-na-Amure_The teacher- Nekrasova T.M

1.What is the official name of the country? Its official name is the Commonwealth of Australia. It has many names. They are: Fifth Continent, Mysterious land, Down Under Land, Ausie Land (or Ausie).

2. Where does the name of the country come from?

The name of the country comes from Latin world «australis» which means southern.

The first use of the word “ Australia” in English was in 1625, in “a note of Australia del Espiritu Santo, written by Master Hakluyt” The name “Australia” was popularized by the 1814 work “A Voyage to Terra Australis” by the navigator Matthew Flinders. Because it was widely read it gave the term general currency, though its title reflected the British Admiralty’ usage. In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as “Australia”.

3. When was the Commonwealth of Australia formed?

Национальный девиз: нетГимн: «Продвигайся, прекрасная

Австралия»Дата независимости

1 января 1901 (от Великобритании)

Официальный язык

de facto английский

Столица КанберраКрупнейший город Сидней

Форма правления Конституционная монархия

КоролеваГенерал-губернаторПремьер-министр

Елизавета IIМайкл ДжеффериДжон Говард

Территория  • Всего  • % водн. поверхн.

6-я в мире7 686 850 км?1 %

Население  • Всего (2001)  • Плотность

52-я в мире18 972 3502 чел./км?

ВВП  • Итого (2001)  • На душу населения

16-я в мире611 млрд. долл. США29 893 долл. США

Валюта Австралийский доллар (AUD)

The east coast of Australia was discovered by captain Cook in 1770. He was sent to discover the huge land that people believe was the South of the equator. He landed south of present day Sydney in New South Wales .He proclaimed this new land as a British Colony. It was first used as a colony for convicts (каторжник).

Other settlements of a few three settlers began to appear. Of these settlements Sydney was the most important; but other smaller settlements for convicts were in Tasmania, at Brisbane, and on the Swan River in Western Australia.

Abel Tasman, Dutch navigator visited Tasmania in 1642.

4.Who discovered Australia?

Abel Tasman, Dutch navigator, visited Tasmania in 1642. Later, Captain James Cook was sent to discover the huge land that many people believed was south of the equator. In 1770 he landed south of present day Sydney in New South Wales, raised the British flag and claimed this part of the land as a British Colony.

6. What kind of state is Australia?

Australia is an independent sovereign nation within the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is formally Queen of Australia. The representative of the English queen is the formal head government structure.

The system of government was based on a written constitution approved by the British Parliament and reflected the political traditions of Europe and North America. The Australian government is given the power of low by being elected by a majority, of the people using the secret ballot.

The Australian Federation has a three-tier, Federal, State, and local, system of government. It is historically based on a two system, the party or coalition of parties with the majority in the House of Representatives forming the government.

The Australian Parliament and government are responsible for all matters of national interest. Six state governments complement activities of the national government on a state level. Parliamentary elections are conducted by a statutory electoral office, which is part of the permanent. Four political parties are represented in the Australian Parliament – the Liberal Party, the Australian Labor party, the National Party of Australia and the Australia Democrats.

7. What is the capital of Australia? The capital of the city is Canberra. Canberra, the capital of Australia, is located in the Australian Capital territory. Eighty years ago, Canberra did not exist. Today it is a beautiful city, the capital of a young and prosperous Australia.

8.Who is the Head of Australia?

The Commonwealth of Australia is a self-governing federal state. Formally the head of the state is the King or Queen of England represented by the Governor-General. Australia’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II.

Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)

Governor-General: Michael Jeffery (2003)

Prime Minister: Kevin Rudd (2007)

9.How many states and territories are there in Australia?Australia has six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government.

10.What is the population of Australia? The preliminary estimated resident population of Australia at 30 June 2008 was 21,374 000 persons. Out of the population, 92% Caucasian, 7% are Asian, with only 1% aborigines and other ethenticities.

11.Which is the official language in Australia? English is the official national language. Australian English is a major variety of the language, with its own distinctive and vocabulary. Grammer and spelling are largely based on those of British English, some of which have found their way into standard English. 12. Name the Australian national anthem… When was it adopted?

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are young and free;

We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;

Our home is girt by sea;

Our land abounds in nature’s gifts

Of beauty rich and rare;

In history’s page, let every stage

Advance Australia Fair.

So begins the national’s anthem of the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia Fair.

Since 19, April 1984, Australia has had a new National Anthem to play and sing at official functions and ceremonies. The song Advance Australia Fair has replaced the Royal Anthem, God Save the Queen as Australia’s National Anthem.

‘Advance Australia Fair’ was composed by Scottish emigrant Peter Dodds McCormick (1835-1916). His song ‘Advance Australia Fair’ was first sung on St Andrew’s Day, 30 November 1878, in Sydney.

‘Advance Australia Fair’ is played at official functions, opening ceremonies, Anzac Day services, Australia Day functions, football grand finals, school assemblies, Australia Day functions, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games when an Australian has won a medal, and many other special times.

13. 15. What colour is the flag of the Australia? What can you see on the flag of Australia? What else can you see on the Coat- of-Arms?

The Australian National Flag is Australia’s national symbol. It was first flown in 19001 and has become an expression of Australian identity and pride. The Australian National Flag has three elements on a blue blackground: the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross. The Union Jack is in the upper left corner. Bellow the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth or Federation star. It has seven points representing the unity of six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Southern Cross is shown on the flag in white. This constellation of five stars can be seen only from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.

The Australian flag is major national symbol, both within Australia and overseas. It belongs to equally to all Australians and anyone in Australia may fly it. The Australian National Flag has a spacious blue background and depicts three symbols: the Commonwealth star, the stars of the Southern Cross and the Union Flag. The Commonwealth star has seven points, one for each state and one for the additional territories.

The kangaroo and emu are the native animals that hold the shield with pride.

A gold Commonwealth Star sits above the shield. A wreath of gold and blue sits under the Commonwealth Star.

14. Which are the national colours? Australia’s official National Colours are green and gold. These were formally established in a proclamation by the Governor-general, dated 19 August 1984. Green and gold are the colours commonly used by Australians when representing their country in international sporting events.

These are the predominant colours found on many species of Wattle (acacia), namely, green foliage and golden inflorescences.

16.Which is the hottest month in Australia? When is spring in Australia?

February is the hottest month in Australia. Spring is from September to November. 17. How long does kangaroo live? What is the size of kangaroo?

How many babies can kangaroo have ? Kangaroo lives in average 9-18 years but some of the species can live about 30 years. Kangaroos vary greatly in size. The smallest is a rat kangaroo which is about the size of a rabbit. The largest red kangaroo can be over 1,8 m. tall. Kangaroo can have only one baby.

It's 30 days old It’s 130 days old This is a one- year- old baby

17. What are Australian’s best-known animals?

There are many wild animals in Australia. Some of them such as the kangaroo, the dingo, or wild dog, and the koala, are not found in any other country of the world. Australia has been called “the land of differences” and “the continent of contrasts”. There are many ways in which it is different from other countries. The first things most people think of are the strange native animals. Early in the world’s history Australia was separated from the other continents and her animals developed differently. Of these, the strangest of all are the water loving platypus and the echidna. The appearance of the platypus is so unusual

that when the skin of one was first sent to England some scientists said that no such animal could possibly exist. Australia is also the home of the kangaroos. The koala is a tree-loving, comical-loving animal that lives on the leaves of eucalyptus trees. It will eat nothing more. It usually sleeps during the day. The dingo, or wild dog, is the only killer among the native animals. You can meet dingoes in many parts of Australia, but most of them now live in mountains or hills. In some places they were killed for that reason. The native birds of Australia are very interesting. The emu, for example, which, with the kangaroo, is represented on the Australian coat-of-arms, is the next tallest bird in the world after the ostrich.

Wombats and koalas have many similarities and are probably related. Both have pockets inside their mouths to store food and neither has a tail. The number of koalas is getting smaller. This is partly because of fumes from bush fires. Rescue teams help the koalas by catching them, putting them on respirators, then returning them to their original location when they are better. Australia also has a lot of native marsupial mice that live in the desert. Many of these only come out at night.

You know, there are many animals that are «unpopular» in Australia including spiders which are dangerous. You can find these in Sydney. If they are hungry, they will attack anything that moves. They have sharp teeth and poison. Luckily, there is an antidote if you can get to hospital quickly. There have been 12 deaths since 1927.

Another animal with sharp teeth and a fatal bite is the shark. However, there are normally a lot of beach patrols and protective nets to stop these from eating you for breakfast. Other animals that that are a problem for beach lovers are jellyfish. They look like bubbles of blue bubble gum and they have a painful sting therefore people do not swim when there are many in the water. Other «unpopular» animals include dingoes. These are a cross between wolves and dogs. They are unpopular because they eat farmers’ animals.

Now what about the ugly animals & a word that people often use to describe a cane toad is ugly! Other words include fat, noisy and disgusting. They are also as big as footballs! The Queensland Government brought cane toads to Australia to eat cane beetles. Unfortunately cane toads can’t fly but cane beetles can. Now the toads are more of a problem than the beetles. Hundreds of thousands are born every year. The toads eat everything including rare Australian animals. The toads are also poisonous to eat. Animals that eat them die. Though they are unpopular animals, some people like them and keep them as pets or write songs about them.

There are a number of types of crocodiles found in northern Australia, ranging from the potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles to smaller, shyer, harmless varieties.

They have got snakes too although fears of the poisonous types are largely exaggerated. They are generally shy creatures, only too ready to avoid trouble. The taipan and the tiger are worth keeping away from.

That is only a small selection of the creatures of the country. Others include penguins, turtles, seals and possums.

In the dry areas, you can see an amazing variety of lizards; some grow to a very hefty size.

19. Name a large bird which cannot fly but runs well. Describe it. It’s EMU, which is a big bird looking like an OSTRICH but it can not fly.

20.Name a large bird which cannot fly but runs well. Describe it. I can name only two- the platypus and echidna.

The echidna or a spiny anteater is about fifteen inches long and resembles a hedgehog in size and appearance. Its flattened body is covered with coarse hair and sharp spines which are used for protection. Its mouth and nose form a long, slender snout, and it uses its long sticky tongue to collect ants and termites. Its strong claws are able to tear into the huge rock-like nests of termites. The echidna lives mainly in open scrubby or rocky country. It rests underground during the day and comes out at night to feed. Usually the

female lays only one leathery-shelled egg. It is incubated for about ten days in a pouch-like fold of skin which develops only at breeding time.

The platypus has the characteristics of several different types of animals. The Platypus has a wooly furred coat and range from 30cm to 45cms in length and the tail about 10 to 15 cms. The wooly furred coat actually has three different layers. The first layer keeps the animal warm, by trapping air, the second layer which provides an insulating coat for the animal, and lastly the third layer of long flat hairs to detect objects close by. These creatures weight on average between 1 to 2.4 kilograms. They have an average lifespan of 12 years.

It has velvety brownish fur like that of an otter above its body and grayish fur below, a soft rubbery bill and webbed feet with claws. The

Platypus has a bill that resembles a duck's bill but is actually an elongated snout covered with soft, moist, leathery skin and sensitive

nerve endings. The body of the platypus is 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) long; the flattened tail measures 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) in length. The feet are webbed. The body and tail are covered with a thick, soft, woolly

layer of fur.Amazing Fact: The male platypus has venom strong enough to can kill a small dog.

21. What grows on beautiful islands? Australia has 20,000 species of plants, including living fossils such as the cycad palm and the grass tree, and brilliant wildflowers such as the waratah, the flowering cones of banksia trees, and the red and green kangaroo paw. The continent has 700 species of acacia, which Australians call wattle, and 1,200 species in the Myrtaceae family, which includes eucalypts or gum trees. Wildflowers turn the arid and savanna grassland areas of Australia into carpets of colour after rain. Native forests are limited mainly to wetter coastal districts. It is the eucalypts that really catch your eye in Australia. They cover the length of the country, and grown in the snow country, the tropics, and in salt-laden estuary banks and harsh deserts. Some species hug the ground while others reach towards

the sky and specimens more than 150 metres in height have been recorded.

22. What is the Great Barrier Reef? Where is the Great Barrier Reef situated? What is its length and how old is it? Why don’t the Aborigine people climb it?The Great Barrier Reef on the coast of Queensland is a garden under the sea. There are 1400 different kinds of fish and more than 350 kinds of corals there. Tropical fruit and flowers grow on the beautiful islands.It’s the most popular place for holiday makers and tourists.

23. What is the main occupation in Australia? Australians are one of the most urbanised societies in the world. Almost 80% of the workforce are employed in service industries such as: offices, banks, etc in the major cities. About 16% work in manufacturing. About 3% are farmers or graziers.

24. What does Koala eat? Koala eats only their favorite Eucalyptus leaves.25. Where does Australia lie ?   How long does it take you to get to Australia from England? Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east.

It is the sixth large country and the smallest continent. Australia lies between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It is situated about 11000 km southwest of North America and about 8200 km southeast of mainland Asia.

Australia is the smallest continent between the Indian and Pacific oceans. With the island state of Tasmania to the south, the contitent makes up the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary state the total area is 7 686 810 sq.km. Australia’s capital is Canberra. Its largest city is Sydney, closely followed in population by Melbourne. There are five continental states in the nation (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia). The population of Australia is about 15 million people. There are only 40 000 aborigines. The first Europians settled in 1788. There are more about 200 nationalities in Australia.

/Хотя Австралия и большая страна, она при этом маленький континент. Она даже меньше Европы на 14 процентов. А по сравнению с Азией или Африкой этот континент — вообще крошка. Однако Австралия — единственная в мире страна, занимающая целый материк. Как страна она примерно в 33 раза крупнее Великобритании, а австралийский штат Новый Южный Уэльс в 100 раз больше старого доброго Южного Уэльса! Австралия до недавнего времени, пока Аляска и Гавайи не получили статус штатов, почти не уступала по размерам США./

26. What area has Australia? Australia has an area of 7,617,930 square kilometers.

27.What are the longest rivers? What mountains are there in Australia?

The longest rivers are the river Murray and the river Darling

River Murray 2375Murrumbidgee River 1485Darling River (from the Murray River to Culgoa River) 1472Lachlan River 1339Cooper Creek  1113Flinders River 1004Diamantina River 941

Australia is a very flat continent where the average elevation is just 330 metres, the lowest in the world.

The highest Mountain is Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 metres in New South Wales

28. How many UK could you squeeze inside Australia? - 31

29. What are the biggest cities in Australia?

Over 85% of the people live in cities. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra are the biggest cities.30. What agricultural product is Australia famous for?Australia is famous for wheat, cattle, sheep, poultry.

31.Why is Australia called “The Land of Oz”? Do you know any other nicknames?

Ozzie is a slang word/ shortly Oz-изумрудный /. Australians call themselves Ozzie and they call their continent- the Land of Oz./

The other nicknames are- the Upside World or Down Under, Terra Incognita

32. What part of Australia was first used as a colony? New South Wales, where Sydney is now.

33. How did the early settlers behave towards the aborigines?

The early settlers were very cruel (жестокий) to the aborigines. They were killed or driven away from their lands. Aborigine and the Settlers cultures were so different! They didn't understand each other. When the aborigines realized that the settlers were taking more and more of their land and destroying the trees and wild life they began to fight back. The settlers reacted by slaughtering and poisoning the aborigines and systematically destroying the land and wild animals they lived on. The killing and exploitation of aborigines by whites continued well into the twentieth century. The aboriginal population declined from the original 300,000 when the first white settlers arrived to only about 60,000 people.

The world Aborigine is derived from Latin and means “from the beginning”. This is the name given to the native Australians by the Europeans. The first human inhabitants of the Australia were the Aborigines. They are a dark-skinned people belonging to the Australoid group. They may have walked and sailed here from Asia. They gathered fruits, nuts and yam, which they ate. In Melbourne and Sydney, the sparse Aboriginal population includes many militants. The whites – who have little experience of Aboriginal traditions an appealing theoretical alternative to western society’s moneymaking and rule by the clock. And public policy tends to be generous towards Aboriginal causes and claims.

4. Why did many people rush to Australia after 1851?

In 1851, Edward Hargraves, found gold, and the rush was ON ! The rest of the world, on hearing tales of giant nuggets and creeks paved with gold, set sail to Australia ! In 1852 alone, 95,000 new arrivals flooded into New South Wales and Victoria.

35.   What landscape is typical of Australia?

The continent is mostly a great plain with mountains in the east and south-east. The western part of the continent forms a plateau which occupies half of the continent. The Central Lowlands is very dry. Through the eastern part of these Central Lowlands run Australia.s greatest rivers, the Murray and the Darling. A number of short rivers flow from the Australian Alps and the Blue Mountains into the Pacific Ocean.

Australia has several different climatic regions, from warm to subtropical and tropical. The winds from the sea bring heavy rainfalls, especially in tropical summer. The

climate in the west is very dry and more than half of Australia gets very little rain. In the south-west and east the winds bring rain in winter.

The tropical forests in the north and north-east are displaced by savanna or grassland. In the south-east and on the sides of the mountains there are forests of eucalyptus and other evergreen trees. There are two hot deserts in the central and western parts of the continent.

36.Why is the air above the forests blue?

There are, for example, the Blue Mountains. They are covered with forests of blue colored eucalyptus trees. The air above the forest contains millions of microscopic drops of eucalyptus oil. When the sun shines, the air of the Blue Mountains is a real, beautiful blue.

37. Name the largest National Parks of Australia…

Warumbungle NP

Cockatoo NP

38.Name the weapons of the Aboriginal people… The weapons that Aboriginal people use are Spears, Stone Knives, Shields, Boomerangs, and Fighting Stick .

39. What Russians are the honorable people of Australia?

Alexey Dmitrievich Putiata, First Russian Imperial Consul Captains Lazarev and Bellingshausen- explorers of Antarctica The Russian scientist and anthropologist Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay who lived in Australia from

1878 to 1886, founding the first biological station in Sydney. The famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who danced in Melbourne and Sydney in 1926,

Famous opera singer Feodor Shalyapin made an Australian concert tour. Kostya Dzu- the Russian boxer

Cockatoo NP

Crowdy Bay NP

40. What is the most popular way of traffic in Australia?

The most popular way of traffic are buses and ferries /паром/ and aborigine boats as well.

41.When does the school year begin in Australia?

The dates of the beginning of the school year are different in different parts of Australia. In 2008 in Australian Capital Territory the school year began on the 1st of February, in New South Wales – on 29th of January, In Northern Territory - on 30th of January, in South Australia – on 29th of January.

42. What is a “School of the Air”?

School of the Air is one of the means by which children in remote communities can access schools. Alternatively, community schools provide an opportunity for children to attend schools and to grow up in their communities. Teaching and learning in both types of schools has benefited greatly from radio communication and more recently, electronic facilities.

43.When do Australians celebrate their national Day?

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation, and voting. The Commonwealth of Australia was born as a dominion of the British Empire. Australia Day, also known as Anniversary Day, Foundation Day and Invasion Day, is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788.

44. Do Australian children wear a uniform to school?

School uniforms in Australia have traditionally followed the model of their British counterparts. Most private and government schools, in all Australian states, have a compulsory uniform policy, though the degree of enforcement varies. For boys, the uniforms generally include trousers, shorts, jumpers and a button-up shirt and/or polo shirt. Girls' uniforms generally include skirts, culottes, dresses, jumpers, blouses and/or polo-shirts and sometimes also trousers and shorts. At Private schools, uniforms for either gender often include a blazer, tie and hat.

45.When do Australian children have holidays?

Each state of Australia sets their own school term and holiday dates. For example in Queensland the first term begins on the 12, April and ends on the 29,January while in Victoria it begins in March and ends in December. Nevertheless they have short holidays between the 4 terms.

46.What is the name of a friendly music competition between the kids?

The Kids Talent Quest is a competition for children only. It is open to budding country music artists less than 16 years of age. There are two age categories: under 12 years and 12-16 years.

47.What is the “Red Heart” of Australia? Uluru (also Ayers Rock or The Rock) is a large rock formation in central Australia, in the Northern

Territory. It is located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 350 km southwest of Alice Springs It is the second-largest monolith in the world

(after Mount Augustus, more than 318 m high and 8 km around. It also extends 2.5 km (1.5 miles) into the ground.

There is an aboriginal legend about this area. They say Mount Olga, the tallest rock, was the

home of the snake Wanambi, who, during the rainy season, stays curled up in a waterhole on the summit. During the dry season he moves down to the gorge below. He also uses the various caves on Mount Olga. The hairs of his beard are the dark lines on the eastern side of the rock. His breath is the wind which blows through the gorge; when he gets angry it can become a hurricane. The domed rocks on the eastern side are identified with ancestors known as the mice women; food prepared for them are two large rocks near the end of Mount Olga. Rocks in the south-western portion are where the poisonous snake men, the Liru, make their camp before setting out to attack the harmless carpet snakes at Uluru. The pointed rocks on the east is Malu, a kangaroo man, who is dying of wounds inflicted by dingoes. Malu leans on a rock which is his sister, Mulumura, a lizard woman, who cradles him in her arms. Also present are the stone bodies of the Pungalunga, giant cannibals who fed on Aboriginals. The legend says two hunters decided to kill the last giant after he had eaten their wives. While one was a decoy the other crept up behind him and speared him in the back. He died in the Kuniula Cave.

48.Name the currency of Australia? Australian dollar.

49. What places do thousands of tourists visit every year?

The most popular tourist attractions are: The Great Barrier Reef, The Great Ocean Road, Kakadu National Park, Noosa, Uluru, Yurra Valley, Byron Bay, The Blue Mountains, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower,

Sydney Opera…..

50. What do Australians do on Christmas Day?

Christmas in Australia comes in the middle of their summer. Preparation starts in early December when decorations are put up, including wreaths, artificial trees and Christmas cards are sent out To family and friends. In many homes, Christmas cakes and puddings will be baked ready to eat on Christmas Day. Christmas carols are played throughout the country – traditional songs as ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ and ‘Little Town of Bethlehem’ Six White Many people will attend the midnight service on Chistmas Eve before returning home. Christmas Day is a time for families to get together and exchange gifts before having their Christmas lunch. This is a traditional meal of turkey, cranberry sauce, ham, pork and vegetables followed by a Christmas pudding. However due the fact that the weather is so hot at this time of year, many people take picnic either to the country or to the beach. In some parts of Australia there is a new tradition beginning to take hold – that of ‘Christmas in July’ which is the coldest month of the year.