The Commonwealth of Australia is composed by six states and two territories:
the State of New South Vales with its capital in Sydney,
the State of Victoria with its capital in Melbourne,
the State of South Australia with its capital in Adelaide,
the State of Queensland with its capital in Brisbane,
the State of West Australia with its capital in Pert,
the State of Tasmania with its capital in Hobart,
Australian Capital Territory with its Federal Capital in Canberra, Northern Territory with its capital in Darwin.
Its basic law is the Constitution adopted in 1900 which defines the structure and the method of national government and lists its rights and fields of authority.
Though Australia is now an independent state, according to the Constitution the head of the state is the Monarch of Great Britain, represented by the Governor-General. His duties include assenting to bills, opening, proroguing and dissolving Parliament and commissioning the Prime Minister to form government. Each of six states has a Governor who carries out duties similar to those of the Governor-General.
Australia has a parliamentary system. Legislative power is vested in Federal and states' Parliaments. The Federal Parliament is composed of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives consists of 125 members elected every three years. The number of members in the House of Representatives is determined on a population basis, with a minimum of five members from each state.
There are 60 Senators, elected for 6-year terms, half of them retiring every three years.
The function of tile Parliament is to make laws and to finance the operation of the government. Australia's Parliament sits in Canberra.
The executive power, which includes Prime Minister and his cabinet, is responsible for administrating and executing the laws. As a result of the election, the leader of the political party which a majority in the House of Representatives, is called on to form a government, end becomes Prime Minister.
Australia has two main political parties the Labour Partу and the conservative Liberal Party, both of which are committee to a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society.
Vocabulary notes:
authority - власть
to assent - соглашаться
toprorogue - объявлять перерыв в работе парламента
todissolve - распускать парламент
tocon'mission - поручать, уполномачивать.
IV. Study the text and answer the following questions.
1. What kind of state is Australia?
2. What government, body is responsible for the legislative/executive power?
3. What are the duties of the Governor-General?
4. What is the structure of the Federal Parliament?
5. How many senators are elected to the Senate and what is their term of service?
6. Who exercises the executive power in Australia?
7. Who becomes Prime-Minister in Australia?
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8. Where does Australia's Parliament sit?
9. What are the main political parties of the country?
V. Think and say about:
1. The geographical position of Australia.
2. The population of Australia.
3. The duties of the Governer -General.
4. The Parliament, the field of action and responsibility
I. Read the text. Write down the main facts about industry and agriculture of Australia.
ТЕХТ 4. Economy
Australia is one of the ten foremost capitalist countries in terms of its level of economic development.Agriculture and mining are the mainstays of the economy.
Australia is rich in minerals which are mined in different parts or the country, especially in Western Australia and in the north-east of the country. The mining sector is highly capital intensive and accounts for 42 per cent of export income. Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal, which is now the country's largest earner. It is a major producer of mineral sands, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, tin and diamonds. Gold production using new recovery technique is increasing rapidly.
Major manufacturing industries include steel, chemicals, automobiles, food and beverage processing and paper products. Textiles and clothing, light engineering are also widespread. The sector is dominated by large companies with the 200 firms accounting for half total output. The two giants,the USA and Japan,have the lion's share of Australia's exports and imports, of the manufacturing and processing industries,dominate the market in most consumer goods.
Most of the factories are concentrated in or around the big cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.
Agriculture provides about 40 per cent of Australia's foreign earnings. Wheat is grown in the south, sugar is produced along the north-east coast, while fruit-growing is developed in the south.
Australia is famous for its sheep. Sheep farming was the first form of agriculture developed in Australia.Australia now has 15% of the world's sheep, and produces 25% of the world's wool. Wool remains the biggest source of income accounting for five billion Australian dollars. It is followed by coal (approximately the same value), gold (2,5 billion Australian dollars), meat (two billion) and wheat (1,8 billion).
Cattle are also reared and large area of land is devoted to livestock grazing. Cattle-farming is developed in the in the Northern Territory, in some parts of Western Australia, along the east coast and in the south. Wool, beef, wheat, dairy products, and minerals account about 85% of Australian exports. Nation is self-sufficient in food. Wheat, timber and many kinds of fruit are grown; wine is produced. Australia's agricultural success makes it among the top exporters of beef, lamb, wool and wheat.The most arid continent of the globe has become a major producer of agricultural produce.
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II. Think and say about:
a) Australia's industry
b) Australia's agricultur
I. Read the following text and find answers to the questions.
1) What is the school education scheme?
2) What educational institutions provide higher education in Australia?
3) What types of school exist in Australia?
4) What are the specific features of the Australian system of education?
I. Read and translate the text using a dictionary.
II.
TEXT 6. Canberra
The national capital of Australia lies at the foothills of the Australian Alps,midway Sydney and Melbourne. Its name held to be of aboriginal origin meaning "Meeting Place" began to be used around the year 1836.
Founded in 1913, the Federal capital spreads out from beautiful Lake Burley Griffin, named after the architect who designed and landscaped the city. The Molongolo River has been dammed to create the lake.
Canberra was chosen as the site for a national capital in 1908. The area covers some 900 square miles and a foundation stone was laid in 1913 to mark the commencement of development. A plan for this had been chosen from a worldwide competition seeking designs for national capital.Some 125 designs had been submitted and that prepared by Walter Burley Griffin of Chicago, USA, won the accolade from the Federal Government. However, World War I intervened and effective work on the new capital had to wait until hostilities ceased.
But it was not until 1927 that the Federal Parliament could transfer from its temporary seat in Melbourne.
Canberra is unique in that it is one of the very few capital cities in the world has been planned from a blueprint.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the capital is the magnificent parks and gardens that separate the commercial centers from the residential areas.
Canberra, as the capital of the country, is the seat of Parliament and the other branches of government. Some 30 embassies, legations, and offices of high commissioners give the city an international flavour.
Broad avenues and residential streets are lined with trees, and Canberra is often called the Garden City of Australia.
The architecture of the government buildings is very interesting. When the city was planned it was decided that none of the building should be high. The Parliament buildings, which stand near the lake, are only two-storeyed.
The industrial enterprises in Canberra are not numerous.They are mostly printing-houses, structural element factories and food industry factories. Heavy industry is not permitted withinthe Capital Territory.
The capital is one of the major centres of higher education and research in Australia.
In Canberra there are dozens of sightseeing attractions and prominent buildings to visit - Parliament House, the Mint, Australian National University, the Institute of Anatomy, the National Library.
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(From "Australia.Land of contrast")
II Answer the following questions:
1. What does the word "Canberra" mean?
2. Where is the city situated?
3. What area does it cover?
4. Is there a river or a lake? What are their names?
5. Who designed and landscaped the city?
6. When did the Federal Parliament move to Canberra?
7. What city was the first Australia's capital?
8. What is the most striking feature of Canberra?
9. What industrial enterprises can we find in Canberra?
10. What places of interest are there in Australia's capital?
III. Give a summary of the text "Canberra".
I. Read and translate the text.
TEXT 7. Sydney ("The Queen City of the South")
Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is the largest city and port of Australia. It is situated on the shores of Port Jackson Bay (Sydney Harbour) and at the mouth of the Parramatta River. This inlet of the South Pacific Ocean forms an exceptionally good natural harbour, 13 kilometres long.
Here, on the shore of Port Jackson, the first group of convicts from England landed on January 26, 1788 and founded the first British settlement on Australian soil. Captain Arthur Phillip,who commanded the fleet carrying a large number of convicts (770) and about 250 soldiers to control them, established and administered that penal colony, naming the settlement after Lord Sydney, the British Home secretary. January 26 was subsequently celebrated in Australia as Foundation Day.
Sydney is the largest city in Australia with the population of 5 405 000.On the south shore of Port Jackson there are many banks, shops, various exhibitions, insurance companies and a stock exchange.The city's wool market handles much of wool produced in New South Wales, Australia's leading wool-producing state.
Factories and plants producing various machinery,tools,transport equipment, chemicals, light metal and electric products, and also dairy plants, textile and clothing mills, saw-mills, oil refineries are situated on the north shore.Cockatoo Island on Port Jackson is a naval shipbuilding and repair centre.
The commercial and industrial districts of Sydney are connected by a beautiful single-span suspension bridge which crosses Port Jackson. The bridge was built in 1932.It is one of the most remarkable structures of the world. It is four kilometers long together with the approaches, and the arch rises 53 metres above sea level. The biggest ocean-going ships are able to pass under it. The bridge carries railroads, motorways and two footways. Vehicles and people must pay toll, the amount of which varies according to the size of the vehicle.
The central part of the city is not large. Victorian and modern styles combine in its architecture. This part of the city is decorated with gardens and parks containing various tropical and subtropical plants. The most famous among them are the Sydney Zoo, the National Park and in particular the Botanical Gardens situated on the shores of Port Jackson and Tasman Sea.
The Sydney area is famous for its sandy beaches around which several resort suburbs have grown, attracting tourists for swimming and surf-boarding.
II. Say what information you have learnt about Australia's cities.
III. Give a summary of the text "Sydney".