The Emerald Isle

Ireland is mainly an English-speaking country. It is the most westerly land in Europe. Ireland lies on the same parallel as Novosibirsk, but it is not cold in winter and it rains very often. This is because it is the first land to meet the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

Ireland is often called the Emerald Isle because of its beautiful green hills and fields. There is an old Irish saying that Ireland must be the cleanest place in the world because rain washes it every day.

There are few big cities in Ireland. The only really large cities, where the population is concentrated, are Dublin and Belfast.

Dublin is a very interesting city. With its galleries, museums and theatres, it is a centre of literature, learning and art.

The history of Ireland has not been peaceful. The Irish people had continually to fight for their land against English invaders.

In 1949 Ireland became an independent republic. But its northern part called Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The people of the Emerald Isle hope to see their country united.

NOTES:

- emerald - изумруд

– because of – из-за

- field - поле

– peaceful - мирный

– to fight for – сражаться за

Questions

1. Where is Ireland situated?

2. Why is Ireland called the Emerald Isle and the cleanest place in the world?

3. What is the most interesting city in Ireland? Prove it.

4. What can you say about the history of Ireland?

5.

Canada.

Canada is the world’s second largest country. It has an area of about 10 mln. square km. Canada occupies the whole of the northern part of the North American Continent. It is washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west, by the Arctic Ocean in the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean in the east. In the south Canada borders on the United States of America.

Canada has six main divisions: the Appalachian Region, the Great Lakes, the Canadian Shield, the Interior Plains, the Western Cordilleras, the Arctic Islands.

Canada has nearly 15 per cent of the world’s fresh water surface. There are so many lakes in Canada that they have never been counted. Canada’s main fresh water resource is the Great Lakes system with an area of 95000 square miles. The main rivers are the St. Lawrence and the Mackenzie.

The Niagara Falls is one of the world’s largest falls on the Niagara River. Nearly a million tons of water passes over the falls every five minutes.

The climate of the eastern and central parts of Canada greatly varies, but in the southern part of the country, the climate is milder.

Canada is very rich in mineral resources. The most important minerals are nickel, copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, oil, natural gas and coal.

Canada is a highly industrialized and agricultural country. The main industrial centres are Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

The population of Canada consists of many nationalities. But the Canadian constitution has no articles guaranteeing the Indians and Eskimos equality with the other citizens of the country. So their struggle for their rights never stops.

The capital of Canada is Ottawa.

If you are interested in hockey, you have certainly watched matches played by Canadian hockey players. You will remember that each player in the Canadian team had a picture of the maple leaf on his sports shirt. This is because the maple leaf is the national emblem of Canada.

NOTES:

• division- подразделение (район)

• fresh water – пресная вода

– the struggle for … rights – бороться за … права

– equality – равенство

Answer the questions.

1. What area does Canada have?

2. Where is Canada situated?

3. What country does Canada border on in the south?

4. How many divisions does Canada have?

5. What is Canada's main fresh water resource?

6. In which part of the country is the climate milder?

7. What is the capital of Canada?

8. What is the national emblem of Canada?

9. Who has to struggle for equal rights with the other citizens of Canada?