13.4 Find these South American countries on the map and name their capitals
Аргентина – Argentina – Buenos Aires
Боливия – Bolivia –
Бразилия – Brazil –
Венесуэла – Venezuela –
Гайана – Guyana –
Гвиана – French Guiana –
Колумбия – Colombia–
Парагвай – Paraguay–
Перу – Peru –
Суринам – Suriname–
Уругвай – Uruguay –
Чили – Chile –
Эквадор – Ecuador –
13.5 Say whether the following statements are true or false
1. South America covers an about one-eight of the world’s total area.
2. The Drake Passage separates South American continent from North America.
3. The narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama is about 80 km.
4. Himalayas of Asia are higher than the Andes Mountains of South America.
5. The Amazon River basin drains a third of the continent’s land area.
6. The Peru Current influences climate on the western continent.
7. The Atacama Desert is situated on the eastern coast of South America.
8. Enormous Amazon Rain Forest is steadily diminishing.
13.6 Complete the following sentences
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1. South American continent extends about 7,600 km from ………. .
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2. ………. separates South America from Antarctica.
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3. The ancient Guiana and Brazilian continental shields are situated ………. .
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4. The Pampas of eastern Argentina consists of ………. .
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5. Lake Titicaca lies at ………. between ………. .
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6. The four climatic regions of the continent are ………. .
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7. The Peru Current helps to create ………. .
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8. Plant and animal life of South America include ………. .
13.7 Answer the following questions
Where is South America situated?
What is the area? the population of the continent?
How is the continent joined to North America?
What mountain range forms South America’s western edge?
What is the Pampas?
What are the major river systems of South America?
Where are most of the lakes situated?
What is unusual about Lake Titicaca?
How can South America be divided according to the climatic regions?
How does the Peru Current influence South America’s climate?
What can you say about wild life of the continent?
13.8 Read and translate the texts and reproduce them in the form of a dialogue
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South America possesses abundant reserves of several important minerals. Its deposits of iron found mainly in Brazil and Venezuela represent almost one-fifth of the world’s total. South America’s imports substantially out-weigh exports, and many countries suffer chronic balance-of-trade deficits.
Most export trade is with the USA and the members of the European Community (EC). Intraregional trade within the continent is slowly increasing. Agriculture employs approximately one-fourth of the overall South American work force. Despite the continent’s reputation as a food producer, agricultural productivity is generally low, and land utilization is inefficient.
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Four main ethnic components have contributed to the present-day population of South America: American Indians, who were the continent’s pre-Columbian inhabitants; the Iberians, Spanish and Portuguese who conquered and dominated the continent until the beginning of the 19 th century; the Africans, imported as slaves by the colonizers; and finally, the post-independence immigrants from the overseas, mostly Germans and Southern Europeans but also Lebanese, South Asians, and Japanese. Spanish is the official language throughout South America except for Portuguese and Brazil, French in French Guiana, English in Guyana, and Dutch in Suriname. Less than 10 percent of South America’s total population are speakers of Indian languages. South America is predominantly Christian in religious affiliation.
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Страны Южной Америки три века были колониями Испании и Португалии. Политической независимости они добились в начале 19 века, но затем оказались в экономической зависимости от европейских государств, а затем – от США. Сравнительно недавно освободились от колониальной зависимости Гайана и Суринам. Сохраняет свой колониальный статус Гвиана – « заморский департамент » Франции. Государства Южной Америки относятся к группе развивающихся стран. Они сильно различаются по уровню социально-экономического развития. Наиболее развитые страны Южной Америки – Аргентина, Бразилия, Уругвай.