II. The Commonwealth Members

Canada

Canada is a vast country, the second largest one after Russia. Its area is about 10 mln sq km. As Canada extends for thousands of miles from the Arctic Ocean to the United States and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, all kinds of weather conditions and scenery are to be found there. The population of Canada is more than 30 mln people. The capital of Canada is Ottawa; the major cities are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The name Canada comes from the Indian word “Kanata”, meaning “a number of huts, a village”. Canada is known all over the world for having the maple leaf as its national emblem, so the country is often called the “Land of the Maple Leaf”. The story of Canada goes back to1600s. The French were the first to settle down in this country. In 1759 Canada became a part of the British Empire. In 1931 it became independent from Britain. Today Canada is an independent federative state, consisting of 10 provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and 3 territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, Nunavut Territory). It is a member of the British Commonwealth, headed by the Queen of Great Britain, and is one of the 16 Commonwealth Realms. In Canada there are two official languages: English and French.

to extend – простираться

scenery – зд. ландшафт

to go back – брать начало, восходить

Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that is also a continent. It is the sixth large country and the smallest continent. Australia lies between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The name of the country comes from Latin word “australis” which mean southern. The country’s official name is Commonwealth of Australia.

The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of states. Australia has six states – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Each state has its government. Australia has two territories – the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The capital of the country is Canberra. The major cities are Sidney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain. The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is also queen of Australia and country’s head of state. But the queen has little power in the Australian government. She serves mainly as a symbol of long historical tie between Great Britain and Australia. Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations which is an association formed by Britain and some of its former colonies.

1. English is … most spoken language in the world.

a) the 1st,

b) the 2nd,

c) the 3rd.

2. What language is supposed to be the current lingua franca?

a) English,

b) French,

c) Chinese.

3. English is the official language of the USA …

a) de facto,

b) de jure.

4. The British Commonwealth establishment dates back to the …

a) 18th century,

b) 19th century,

c) 20th century.

5. What country doesn’t belong to the British Commonwealth of Nations?

a) Singapore,

b) Ireland,

c) Australia.

6. Commonwealth realms are the states-members of the British Commonwealth that …

a) share Queen Elizabeth II as monarch,

b) don’t recognize Queen Elizabeth II as monarch.

7. The Head of Canada is …

a) president,

b) prime minister,

c) British queen.

8. The capital of Canada is …

a) Toronto,

b) Vancouver,

c) Ottawa.

9. Official language(s) of Canada is(are) …

a) English,

b) French,

c) English and French.

10. The capital of Australia is …

a) Sidney,

b) Canberra,

c) Perth.

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