Vocabulary

1. Choose the words from the box

to complete the sentences:

Ottawa	French	Loyalists	Ottawa River	parks
Montreal	Indian	Upper	fur traders	Bytown

1. __________ is the capital of Canada.

2. It lies on the hills along the south bank of the Ottawa River, 193km west from ______________.

3. Attractive _______________, stately government buildings add beauty to the city.

4. ___________________Town and Low Town are the oldest parts of Ottawa.

5. In early times Indians traveled down the _____________________ for hunting and trading.

6. In 1613, the ___________________explorer S. Champlain passed through the area.

7. French _________________ used the Ottawa River as a route to the west.

8. In 1784 the _______________________ settled in Ontario.

9. In 1826, British troops formed the first settlement in the area knows as _____________.

10. In 1855, it got the name of Ottawa (__________ “adawe” – to trade).

Comprehension

II. Scan for the details and circle the correct variant:

1. Adawe was a) an Indian tribe, b) a hunter that traded in the area.

2. Ottawa was a a) big, b) small, c) old town when Queen Victoria chose it to be the capital.

3. The a) Loyalists, b) King, c) Queen chose Ottawa over the big cities.

4. Ottawa was chosen because of a) compromise, b) secure distance from America.

5. The Dominion of Canada was established in a) 1867, b) 1876 with Ottawa as its capital.

6. Prince of Wales /Edward VII/ laid the first stone of the Center Block in a) 1850, b) 1860.

7. In the House of Commons a) 295, b) 195, c) 95 representatives make law.

8. In the Senate Chamber a) 104, b) 114, c) 140 senators review the passed bills.

DISCUSSION

2. Discuss the following

with your group mates:

1. What is the population of Ottawa?

2. What is the main language of most Ottawans?

3. How many manufacturing plants are there in Ottawa?

4. What are the daily newspapers in Ottawa?

5. How many schools are there in Ottawa?

6. Ottawa is a home of some Universities. What are they?

1. It is interesting to know

HISTORY OF CANADA

Canada’s history is an exciting story of development of a vast wilderness into a great nation. Most experts believe that the first people who lived on this land came from Asia about 15 000 years ago. They came over a land bridge that once connected Asia and North America. Their descendants are known today as Indians. The ancestors of the Eskimos came to Alaska after them probably about 5 000 years ago.

In 1497 John Cabot an Italian navigator in the service of England found rich fishing grounds near Canada’s south-east coast. His discovery led to the European exploration of Canada. France set up a colony n eastern Canada in the early 1600`s. Great Britain gained control of the country in 1763, and thousands of British emigrants came to Canada. In 1867, the French and English speaking Canadians helped to create united colony called the Dominion of Canada. Two groups worked together to settle the country and to develop its great mineral deposits and other natural resources.

Canada gained its independence from Britain in 1931. During the middle of 20-th century, hard-working Canadians

turned their country into an economic giant. Today Canada is a leading producer of wheat, oats and barley. Canada also ranks among the world’s top manufacturing countries and it is a major producer of electric power.

During its history Canada has often been troubled by lack of unity among its people: French Canadians most, of whom live in the province of Quebec, have struggled to preserve their own culture. Many of them support a movement to make Quebec a separate nation. People in Canada’s nine other provinces also often favour local needs over national interests.