Vocabulary

to empty waters-впадать (о реках)

undrained-

plain-равнина

tributary-приток

silt-

shallow-отмель

estuary-устье

reed-

marsh-болото

Questions and Assignments.

1. Name the rivers and lakes of North America.

2. What is the greatest North American river?

3. What is its longest tributary?

4. What is the Grand Canyon and where is it situated?

5. What do you know of the great Niagara falls?

6. What are the Great Lakes of North America?

7..Compare Lake Superior and Lake Baikal. In what respect is the former superior, in what inferior?

NATURAL ZONES

6. Glacial and Tundra Zones. The Coniferous Forest Belt.

Map Questions.

Examine the zonal map of North America. Compare the zonal positions in North America and in Europe.

North America has the same natural zones as Europe and Asia. In North America, however, the mountain ranges extend in a northern to southern direction, and the western, eastern and interior parts of the continent have widely differing climates.

North America comes very close to Asia, with which it was formerly connected where the Bering Strait now flows. Their plant and animal life have, for this reason, much in common, although North America has many plants and animals not met with in either Europe or Asia. The vegetation of North America is more varied than that of Europe.

The Glacial Zone. The glacial zone in North America includes Greenland and the northernmost islands of the Arctic Archipelago. They are buried beneath a thick sheet of ice that moves down towards the sea in places, breaking off and forming icebergs and floating islands of ice. These islands were more than once taken for unknown lands, but were later found to have changed position.

In central Greenland the ice sheet is over three metres thick. Only along the coast does the snow melt in summer and a scanty vegetation appear.

The Tundra. The remaining Arctic Sea islands and the entire northern shore of North America consist of tundras that extend across the northern part of Labrador as far as Newfoundland.

The American tundra is similar to that of Eurasia. Here, too, there is a layer of permanently frozen ground beneath the surface that does not let the water through and is the reason for so many marshes and lakes. Vegetation consists mainly of mosses and lichens. Amidst these occur dwarf shrubs and trees.

The Coniferous Forest Belt. The coniferous forest belt extends south of the tundra from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The chief trees are, as in the Siberian taiga, firs, pines, silver firs and larch. The species are different, however. Coniferous trees grow in combination with deciduous trees, such as birch, aspen and poplar.

There are beasts of prey in the coniferous forests: bears (grizzly and brown) and foxes. Deer and moose are found, as well as such valuable fur-bearing animals as raccoon and musk-rat. The musk-rat is now bred also in the Soviet Union.

Questions and Assignments

1. Compare the southern boundaries of the North American, European and Asian tundras and taigas. How far south do the North American tundras reach?

2. Trace the southern boundaries of the tundras and coniferous forests on the outline map.