Тексты для чтения по темам
учебно-методический материал по английскому языку

Text 1. Wild America

     The United States is a large country with many different natural wonders. It goes from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the islands of Hawaii in the Pacific, and from cold, snowy northern Alaska to sunny Florida in the southeast. The US has almost every kind of weather. Also, it has many kinds of land – rocky coasts, dry empty deserts, powerful rivers, wide plains and grasslands, lakes of all sizes, high mountains, great forests, sunny beaches, and lands of endless winter.

     More than 235 million people live in the US. But the country is very big, so there is still a lot of open space and natural scenery outside the cities. Americans have tried to save many of the most beautiful wild areas of the United States. There are more than three hundred national parks, national seashores, national forests, and recreation areas. The Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley, and Yellowstone are among the more famous national parks. National forests are areas like the great redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest. National seashores protect coastal areas and keep them open for the public to enjoy. Recreation areas include lakes and parks in and around cities such as the Golden Gate Recreation Area near San Francisco. These places are popular for boating, swimming, and other outdoor activities. There are also many state parks and forest areas. In these parks and wild lands, you can enjoy the beauty and power of wild America.

Are these sentences true or false?

1. Today the Grand Canyon is one mile deep and 277 miles long.
2. The oldest rocks at the bottom of the canyon are only one million year old.
3. The South Rim has tall forests. The North Rim is dry desert country.
4. In winter, the canyon is covered with snow.

Answer these questions

1. What river formed the Grand Canyon?
2. Is it cold or hot inside the canyon?
3. Why do many visitors come to the South Rim?
4. How long does it take to get to the North Rim from the South Rim?
5. What is the “Painted Desert»?
6. What is better: to see the Grand Canyon from the top or from the bottom?

Text 2. The Statue of liberty

     One of the most famous statues in the world stands on an island in New York Harbor. This statue is, of course, the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is a woman who holds a torch up high. Visitors can go inside the statue. The statue is so large that as many as twelve people can stand inside the torch. Many more people can stand in other parts of the statue. The statue weighs 225 tons and is 301 feet tall.

      The statue of Liberty was put up in 1886. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France. Over the years, France and the United States had a special relationship. In 1776, France helped the American colonies gain independence from England.  The French wanted to do something special for the US centennial, its 100th birthday.

     Laboulaye was a well-known Frenchman who admired the United States. One night at a dinner in his house, Laboulaye talked about the idea of a gift. Among Laboulayes guests was the French sculptor Frederic August Bartholdi. Bartholdi thought of a statue of liberty. He offered to design the statue.

     Many people contributed in some way. The French people gave money for the statue. Americans designed and built the pedestal for the statue to stand on. The American people raised money to pay for the pedestal. The French engineer Alexander Eiffel, who was famous for his Eiffel Tower in Paris, figured out how to make the heavy statue stand.

     In the years after the statue was put up, many immigrants came to the United States through New York. As they entered New York Harbor, they saw the Statue of Liberty holding up her torch. She symbolized a welcome to a land of freedom.

Circle the letter of the correct answer

1. The people of France wanted to give the United States a special …..

1. Gift               b) torch

2. France and the USA had a special …..

1. Independence       b) relationship

3. France helped the American colonies …….     Independence.

1. build         b) gain

4. A famous Frenchman, Laboulaye,  ….  The United States.

1. Admired       b) visited

5. Frederic Bartholdi … to design the statue.

1. Contributed      b) offered

6. The statue of Liberty stands on a …

1. Pedestal          b) harbor

Circle T if the sentence is true. Circle F if the sentence is false.

1. Twelve people can stand inside the torch of the statue.                 T        F

2. The United States helped France gain its independence in 1776.  T        F

3. Alexander Eiffel was among the guests at Laboulayes house.       T        F

4. Frederic Bartholdi was a French engineer.                                     T        F

5. Americans designed the pedestal for the statue.                             T        F

Text 3. Australia’s Unique History

     Captain James Cook discovered Australia in 1770. He was sent to discover the huge land that many people believed was south of the equator. He landed south of present day Sydney in New South Wales. He claimed this part of the land for the King of England.

     At this time, England was having many social problems. Unemployment was high. Crime was one of the greatest problems. The government punished people by sending them to prison. England’s solution to crowded prisons was to send prisoners to the far colonies. They could work off their prison sentences as laborers in the new colonies and eventually earn their freedom. Therefore, in 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip commanded eleven ships to Australia. About 750 of the 1000 people on the ships were convicts. The Aborigines, the first inhabitants of Australia, greeted these first settlers. There were an estimated 300,000 Aborigines living in Australia at that time.

     Great Britain claimed all of Australia in 1827. In 1851 gold was discovered about 300 km west of Sydney. People rushed to the gold fields to find their fortunes. These attracted robbers called bushrangers. Ned Kelly was a famous bushranger. He was a very clever outlaw.

     In 1901, Australia become a nation within the British Empire under Queen Victoria’s rule. It was called the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia had a very limited constitution. Great Britain continued to make decisions regarding all of Australia’s foreign affairs.

     In 1931, Australia gained independence from Great Britain.

Answer the questions:

1. Do you think Australia’s history is so unique? Can you think of another country with a similar history – British settlement, natives already there, gold rush?
2. What part of Australia’s history do you find unique or interesting

Explain the meaning of the following sentence: “At this time England was having many social problems».

Fill in the blanks:

1. Captain Cook claimed land for __________.
2. _______ punished people by sending them to prison.
3. Captain ______ commanded eleven ships to Australia.
4. People _____ to find their Fortunes.
5. In 1931 Australia ______ from Great Britain.

Text 4 Australian Endangered Species.

     No one will ever see a paradise parrot fly across the sky again. Paradise parrots are extinct. Extinction is forever.

     Since the settlement of Australia by Europeans in 1788, 30 species of mammals and birds and about 100 species of plants have become extinct. A further 57 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fish, many hundreds of species of invertebrates, and 209 plants are considered endangered and could become extinct within ten to twenty years.

     The main cause of extinction is the destruction of habitats. A habitat contains all that a living thing needs to survive6 space, light, water, food and shelter. Habitat destruction may occur when vegetation is cleared for agriculture, foresty, cities, mines or roads. It can also occur when swamps are drained or rivers are damped to store water. About 50 species of introduced animals live in the wild in Australia. These animals prey on native animals or compete with them for food and shelter.

     Today we have a far greater understanding of the threats our wildlife faces than did the early settlers. Yet still we have created added threats such as urban and industrial development, pollution, and pet and fur trade. Parrots, for example, are illegally transported overseas. Often the parrots cannot adapt to the new environment and die.

     People are the only animals with the power to save endangered species. But, why save a species? Without a variety of species, the earth may not be inhabitable by humankind. Plants and animals help to maintain the chemical balance of the atmosphere. Forests help to regulate water supplies. Plants and animals help to make soil. They provide food and control pests and diseases. They also provide a constant source of wonder and enjoyment.

Read the statements and say if they are true or false.

1. Since the settlement of Australia by Europeans in 1788. Thirteen species of mammals and birds and about 100 species of fish have become extinct.
2. Paradise parrots are extinct.
3. The main cause of extinction is the destruction of habitats.
4. A living thing needs the destruction of habitats.
5. About 50 species of introduced animals live in Russia.
6. Often the parrots can adapt to the new environment.
7. Forests help to regulate water supplies.

Text 5. Australian Wildlife

     Australia has nearly half a million species of plants and animals – one of the greatest varieties of any country in the world.

     Australia, South America and Africa occupy approximately the same range of latitudes and have a similar variety of habitats. Tet they support quite different types of fauna (animals). The term “animal” includes not only mammals, but also insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, etc.

     Mammals are produce milk to suckle their young. Mammals have fur or hair. There are three types of mammals and examples of each type are found in Australia.

1. Monotremes are mammals that lay soft-shelled eggs. They can be found in Australia and New Guinea. Two monotremes are:

– Platypus;

– Echidna.

2. Marsupials are mammals that give birth to young, which are in an immature state. The females often have pouches in which to carry the young. The main groups of the 180 species of marsupials are:

- Kangaroos;

- Possums;

- Carnivorous Marsupials (numbats, moles, native cats);

- Koalas, wombats.

3. Placentals are mammals whose young are born in a more developed state, and produce a well-developed placenta. Many species are found in other parts of the world. Only the following few are found in Australia:

- Whales and dolphins;

- Native rats and mice;

- Bats;

- Dingoes;

- Seals.

1. Answer the following questions.

1) How many species of plants and animals live in Australia?

2) Which two continents occupy approximately the same range of latitudes as Australia?

3) What does the term “animal” include?

4) What are the three types of mammals?

5) What type of mammal is the human?

2. Decide whether each animal is a monotremes, marsupial or placental.

Koala__________                                                                Platypus ___________

Bat ___________                                                                 Kangaroo _____________

Dolphin __________                                                          Seal ____________

3. Link each word in the first line with a word in the second line.

Text 6. Geographical position of the Chita Region

     The civilized world learned of our region only in the 17th century. Naturally, there were no such names as the «Chita region” or “Trans Baikal” at that time. With superstitious fear, those living in European Russia referred to the territory beyond the Urals as “Eastern Tataria”.

     Nowadays the Chita Region is in the southeast of Siberia, in Zabaikalye, the territory beyond Lake Baikal. Its territory is 431, 5 thousand sq.km. It holds the 9th place among territories and regions. The area of the Region is twice more than England and almost the same as Italy and Greece together. In the west and north-west, the Region borders on the Buryat Republic and the Irkutsk Region, in the northeast and east – the Republic Saha (Yakutia) and the Amur Region. In the south and southeast, the state border of Russia stretches for 1,5 thousand kilometers. It is between Russia and the Mongolian Republic and Chinese Republic.

     Chita is located 6,704 km from Moscow, 2,861 km from Novosibirsk, 2,327 km from Khabarovsk, 3,093 km from Vladivostok and 2,805 km from Pekin, China.

     The relief is dominated by highlands, plateaus, hills and plains. It is also composed of conifer forests and rolling steppes. There are mountain rangers running in a northeastern direction – the Yablonovy, Chersky, Malkhanovsky, Daursky, Argunsky and Gazimuro-Ononsky rangers. Stretching from the southwest to the northeast, these rangers are with hollows between them. In the southwest, it is the Henthei – Chikoi uplands including short and high rangers (the Malkhansky, Asinsky and Chikoisky). In the northern part of the Region, it is the Stanovoy uplands, mountains of which form a belt. The range Kodar, Udokan, Karal, Yankan have broken-up relief with steep slopes of lowlands. The range Kodar is the highest of them. The Peak BAM of it is 3073 m above sea level.

     The world’s watershed divide of the Pacific and Arctic oceans extends over the territory of the Chita Region. It is located between Lake Baikal, the Lena River (flowing north to the Arctic Ocean), and the Amur River (flowing east to the Pacific). The great Amur River begins from the confluence of the Shilka River (560 km) in the frontier. The Shilka, in its turn, has the tributaries – the Ingoda and the Onon. Such rivers as the Khilok and the Chikoi flow into the Lena river basin. The Argun River (1000km) is in east of the Region. The main river in the Aginsk steppes is the Onon (1032 km), and in the north is the Vitim (960 km). In the territory of Zabaikalye, there are more than 46 thousand rivers.

     There are about twenty thousand lakes in the Region, more than 10 of them have water tables exceeding 10 sq.km. For the most part they are freshwater and only in the South they turn selfish and salty. There are four groups of lakes in the Region: lakes of glacial extraction are in the north (the Leprindo, the Nichatka, the Davatchan, the Leprindocan), lakes of tectonic extraction are near Chita (the Arachley, the Ivan Lake, the Kenon), mineralized lakes are to the south (the Arey), and lakes occupying ancient water basins (the Zoon-Torey, the Barun-Torey). Many lakes can be used for balniological treatment. The Arey Lake located in 250 km from Chita is famous for the medical characteristics of its water, silt and microclimate.

     In the Region, there are about four hundred mineral springs. The Chita Region is one of the richest territories of the Russian Federation in its natural resources. According to administrative territorial division, the Region consists of 28 districts with 10 cities, 45 urban villages, and more than 700 rural villages.

1. Find in the text English equivalents to the following words and word combinations.

2. Fill in the gaps with the words from Task 1.

1. The Chita Region ________ the 9th place among the territories and regions of Russia.
2. The southern border of Russia ________ for several thousand kilometers.
3. The relief is dominated by _____, _____, ________, ________.
4. In the territory of Zabaikalye, we can find ____ forests, _____, mountain ______.
5. The mountain rangers of Zabaikalye are broken up by _________, which are called pads.
6. In the southwestern and northern parts of the Region, there are _______.
7. World   ______ between the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean runs through the territory of Zabaikalye.
8. The Ingoda and the Onon Rivers are _______ of the Shilka River.
9. The Lena River ________ north to the Arctic Ocean, the Amur River ______ east to the Pacific.
10. In the territory of the Region, there are lakes of the ________ extraction, _________ extraction, _________ lakes.
11. In the Region, there are about four hundred _____________.

Text 7. The climate of the Chita Region

     The climate of the Region is continental. This is due to the Region being located in the interior of the Asiatic continent, a long distance from seas and oceans with a considerable amount of the territory being above sea level.

     Winter is long and severe with little snow and sunny dry weather. Calm spells are interrupted by severe frosts; significant changes of temperature in the course of a day and a month characterize it. However, these climatic conditions are rather tolerable because of the low wind velocity, dry clear air and a long period of insolation. Summer is short and warm. Some years it may be hot with temperature above 35 degrees. Spring is short, sunny and dry. The first and late light frosts are characteristic of spring and autumn. Therefore, the vegetation period is rather short, but it is possible to grow the valuable and resistant varieties of wheat, potatoes and vegetables. Autumn is sunny and windless and it is the best season here. The most part of the Regions territory is located in the zone of low humidity. The distribution of rainfall over the territory and within a years’ time is very uneven.

1. Find the English equivalents of the following words.

Континентальный климат, внутренняя часть континента, над уровнем моря, короткий промежуток времени, суровые морозы, значительные изменения температуры в течение дня, терпимые климатические условия, низкая скорость ветра, инсоляция, период вызревания культур, морозоустойчивые сорта пшеницы, низкая влажность, уровень осадков.

2. Fill in the gaps with suitable words from the task above.

1. We are lucky to live ________ and not to be in danger.

2. My Granny lives in Moscow. She is not used to _______ climate. She reacts badly to _____ in the course of the day.

3. My friend came to see me from Moscow last week. He thought he would be unable to stand our _____, but our climate happened to be rather ________ for him because of low _______, dry clear weather, low _____, a long period of insolation.

4. People in Zabaikalye gather harvest only once a year. Besides, they cannot grow strawberries and different fruits. The reason is _______ period. Thus, they have to grow just ______ of vegetables.

Text 8.  Flora of Zabaikalye

     The position of the Region near the taiga area of Siberia defines the great variety of plants – about 1800 species. The Siberian larch grows in the southwestern part of the region. We can find it in the valleys and on the everfrozen slopes. The second place belong to the pine. This tree is widely spread on the whole territory of Zabaikalye. The variety of it is the cedar. It occupies the tops of the region. The Siberian fir-tree is less spread, but such rare species as the blur fir-tree also grows in Zabaikalye. The number of these trees is not great and we can see them on the tops of the Daursky and Stanovoy ranges. In the forests of Zabaikalye, we can find broad-leaved trees such as a birch, an aspen, a polar.

     The bushy storey is represented by a rhododendron, an alder, a wild rose and willow. The most wonderful decoration of Zabaikalyen nature is rhododendron. It begins to blossom before leaves appear on it. The whole bush is covered with crimson with violet flowers. It covers the slopes of the hills and decorate the wood in May. The bush has a surprising quality to be in blossom even in winter being put into the water.

     As for the slopes of the hills in Nerchensko-Zavodsky part of the region, they are covered with the Siberian apricot, filling the air al around with inimitable aroma. Its branches are covered with tiny soft pink and white flowers. The fruit of this bush is uneatable and most of all it is used for decoration in gardening. As there is a danger of its disappearing, it is in the Red Book of Zabaikalye now.

     We cannot mention two more species of trees: a bird-cherry tree and an apple tree. Decorating the banks of the rivers and filling the air with unbelievable soft smell a bird-cherry tree defines the time of sowing and vegetable planting. The plant of surprising beauty with large white and pink flowers – the peony is in blossom with a unique smell of a violet, a lily and a rose. This plant is widely spread in the region up to its eastern border. On such areas, we can also see a lily of red, orange and yellow colours. The beauty of this plant was the reason of its disappearance. Such flower as a lily-of-the-valley loved by all people grows in Zabaikalye, in many parts of the region. In the period of blossom, the stem of it is covered with tiny white and pink flowers like bells that seem to ring just in a moment. The wild rose with pink flowers are on the slopes and on the edges of the forests. Its fruits are eatable and they are the greatest merit of this bush, as they have medical quality.

     In the forests, steppes and meadows of Zabaikalye there are more than 1800 species of plants. They are of a unique beauty; as if the nature had worked hard for many hundreds of years to create such flowers and to let them grow in severe conditions of Zabaikalye.

     We cannot speak about the medical herbs. Among 1800 species of plants in Zabaikalye, 260 species have medical value. The scientific medicine uses about 60 species of Zabaikalyen flora. Some of the species are rare; the stores of the others are unlimited. To such plants belong golden rood and the bear grapes – 30-35 sm high with large blue flowers, used as the best medicine against high blood pressure.

     The forests of the region are full of berries such as raspberries, blueberries, bilberries, wild strawberries, honeysuckle and many others.

1. Find the English equivalents of the following words in the text.

Лиственница, горы с вечной мерзлотой, кедр, сибирская ель, широколиственные деревья, береза, осина, тополь, ярус кустарников, багульник, ольха, ива, сибирский абрикос, неподражаемый аромат, черемуха, ранет, посев, саранка, жарок, лечебные травы, редкий вид, малина, голубика, черника, земляника, жимолость.

2. Fill in the gaps with suitable words from the task above.

1. In the times of Peter the Great, the trunks of the ______ were used as water pipes.

2. The soil on the ______ slopes never thaws.

3. Nowadays in our region people mostly use a ______ instead of a ______ for New-Year holidays. Moreover, of course, they never use a ______.

4. __________ are cut down in our town now.

5. Late in May, it is especially dangerous to walk in _____ and ______ groves because of ticks.

6. My birthday is in January. My friends always give me some branches of ______ as a present. The branches have neither leaves nor flowers. However, I put it into the water and in some days, it is in blossom.

7. As a child, I spent my spare time on the bank of the river. We used to play hide-and-seeks in _____ and _____ thickets.

8. The blossoming _______ trees and its _________ aroma are associated in my mind with the end of the school year, the time of sowing and vegetable planting.

9. I like many flowers of Zabaikalye: _______, _______.

Text 9 Fauna of Zabaikalye

     The peculiarity and the variety of the animal world in Zabaikalye is due to coming here the animals from Siberia and Mongolia. The most various is the animal world in the mountainous taiga.  One can find there elks, wild north deer, Manchurian deer, wild boars.

     The elk is a nice forest giant with large antlers on the head. Its weight is 300-400 kg and height is about 3 meters. As for the Manchurian deer, it is famous for its soft antlers, which are used for making valuable medicine.

     In the parts where cedar grows, a squirrel and a sable live for whom nuts are good food. They also eat seeds of the trees and store mushrooms. Since the time when Ermak sent 2400 sables to Moscow, this animal has been the object of hunting. Expensive furs, skins of animals and meat, soft antlers were got there in great number. The wolves and lynx hunt the hares in the taiga. The common number of wolves in the region is about one thousand. The bear like the sable lives in the places where there are many berries. It is large, strong, and very quick animal. It jumps well, climbs the trees and is so strong that can kill an ox with one strike. It is considered that there are about 2000 bears on the territory of Zabaikalye. Such animals as tigers, leopards, panthers come to our region from other territories.

     There is a eat variety of birds in Zabaikalye: a wood grouse, a hazel-grouse, a woodpecker, cuckoo, snipe and different species of ducks. A white owl, an eagle, a hawk, a nightingale are typical for the taiga.

     The fish world is also rich. In the waters of the North Rivers, salmon families live. There is a great number of Siberian grayling. In the lakes there live crucian, perch and in the rivers – pike, carp, wild carp^[a], sheat fish, burbot, gudgeon. From other parts of Russia, some other kinds of fish were brought and have lived in our lakes since that time: in the Ivan, we can find bream, in the Shaksha sheat-fish.

1. Find the English equivalents of the following words in the text.

Лось, кабан, рога, белка, запасать, рысь, тетерев, куропатка, дятел, кулик, хариус, карась, окунь, налим, пескарь, лещ.

2. Fill in the gaps with suitable words from the task above.

1. Expensive furs of ______, skins of ______, meat of ______, soft _______ of deer, antlers of _____ were got in great number in Zabaikalye in the 17th century.

2. There is a great variety of birds in Zabaikalye: …………………

3. There is a great variety of fish in Zabaikalye: …………………