Природа Австралии.

"Природа Австралии"

I. Reading

Read the text and try to guess: where has this text come from?

1. A leaflet about a guided tour?

2. A book about one of the greatest cities in Australia?

3. A geography book?

Nature at our Doorstep

    Sydney is Australia’s largest city, with over four million residents. It covers more than1500 square kilometers – one of the largest city areas in the world. From the famous beaches to the distant Blue Mountains, Sydney’s suburbs spread out in a network of houses, roads, shopping centers and office blocks. But if you look at a satellite photo of this booming metropolis, the dominant colour is green.
    National parks have much to do with this. From any high point in the city you’ll see them – large areas of protected bushland, enveloping and giving life to Sydney. Even in the metropolitan area, national parks can be found in many places – beside the rivers, among the houses, around the harbour. The largest wilderness area in New South Wales – in Wollemi National Park – begins barely 70 kilometres from the CBD.
    Sydney’s environmental wealth is no accident. It’s the legacy of more than a century of conservation efforts by concerned citizens, conservation groups and the state government. Since the creation of Royal National Park – the world’s second national park – in 1879, Sydney’s parks and reserves have been growing in number. They are now part of a large network of some 500 protected areas across New South Wales, working towards the conservation of the state’s amazing natural diversity.
   Managed by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney’s national parks exist for a variety of reasons. They give Sydneysiders a chance to relax and enjoy themselves in the great outdoors. They provide habitat for the countless animals and plant species that are native to the region. And they protect Sydney’s cultural heritage – Aboriginal sites, colonial relics, and monuments of the often troubled history that Aboriginal and non – Aboriginal people share.
    If you’re in Sydney for the Olympics and Paralympics, you won’t be getting into the spirit of these Games without a visit to a national park. Of course there are many other parks to experience throughout NSW. They include the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the north coast, the red desert landscapes of the far west, and the fragile alpine herbfields of the Snowy Mountains. If you are interested in traveling beyond Sydney to discover more of the state’s huge variety of landscapes, we can help you plan a more extensive trip. Welcome to the sandstone, water and bushland that lie at the heart of this Olympic city!

  According to the text which of the following is true?

1. the dominant color of the booming metropolis is

   1. green

   2. yellow

   3. brown

   4. black

2. from any high point in the city you can see

   1. a network of houses, roads, shopping centers and office blocks

   2. large areas of protected bushland

   3. countless industrial sites

   4. historic defence installations

3. there is a large network of

   1. 200 protected areas

   2. 100 protected areas

   3. 500 protected areas

4. from any high point in the city you’ll see

   1. distant Blue Mountains

   2. large areas of protected bushland

   3. the Sydney Harbour

5. NSW Parks include

   1. the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the north coast

   2. the red desert landscapes of the far west

   3. the fragile alpine herbfields of the Snowy Mountains

Give the reasons for

1. existence of conservation groups and their efforts to protect Sydney’s environmental wealth

2. existence of Sydney’s national parks

According to the text which two of the following statements are wrong? Find them.

1. Sydney’s environmental wealth is an accident.

2. The area of Sydney is one of the largest city areas in the world.

3. Sydney’s parks give Sydneysiders a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.

4. Since the creation of RNP the number of Sydney’s parks and reserves has remained the same.

5. There is a large network of parks in NSW.

  Choose the information which was unknown to you.