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A29 – Australia and New Zealand

Vlastnosti
predmetAnglický jazyk
typmaturitná téma
okruhanglický jazyk
číslo29
stavvypracované
Zadanie

Talk about the general information on Australia and New Zealand, and the places of interest in both countries.

1. Osnova témy​

  • Australia — location, size, population, states and territories.
  • Australian geography — deserts, the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef.
  • Australian wildlife and why it is unique.
  • The main Australian cities and places of interest.
  • New Zealand — location, the two main islands, population.
  • New Zealand's landscape and places of interest.
  • The indigenous peoples — Aboriginal Australians and the Māori.
  • What the two countries have in common.

2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba​

  • Australia: the Commonwealth of Australia, the smallest continent and the largest island, six states and two territories, Canberra, the Australian dollar, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, Tasmania
  • cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra
  • Australian geography: desert (the Great Victoria Desert, the Simpson Desert), the Outback (vnútrozemie), the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru / Ayers Rock, the Great Dividing Range, coral reef, bushfire (lesný požiar), drought
  • Australian wildlife: marsupial (vačkovec), kangaroo, koala, wombat, platypus (vtákopysk), emu, dingo, kookaburra, unique species, isolated evolution
  • Australian sights: the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, the Australian National Gallery, the Australian War Memorial, the National Library of Australia
  • New Zealand: an island state in Oceania, the North Island, the South Island, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, the New Zealand dollar, the Southern Alps, fjords, geysers, hot springs, volcano, glacier
  • New Zealand nature: kiwi (both the bird and the fruit), sheep farming, Milford Sound, Mount Cook, geothermal activity
  • indigenous peoples: Aboriginal Australians, the Aborigines, the Dreamtime, boomerang, didgeridoo; the Māori, the haka, the marae, the Treaty of Waitangi
  • shared features: the Commonwealth, English-speaking, a constitutional monarchy, a British colonial past, convicts (trestanci), settlers, the southern hemisphere, opposite seasons

3. Užitočné frázy a väzby​

  • Australia is unusual in being both the smallest continent and the largest island in the world.
  • It lies between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, in the southern hemisphere.
  • Because it is in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are the other way round — Christmas falls in summer.
  • Most of the interior is desert, which Australians call the Outback.
  • Almost all the population lives along the coast.
  • Australian wildlife is unique because the continent was isolated for millions of years.
  • The best-known landmark is undoubtedly the Sydney Opera House.
  • New Zealand consists of two main islands and a number of smaller ones.
  • It is famous above all for its scenery, which is why The Lord of the Rings was filmed there.
  • Both countries are members of the Commonwealth.
  • If I could choose one place to visit, it would be…

4. Modelová odpoveď​

Australia is an unusual country in that it is at the same time the smallest continent and the largest island in the world. It lies in the southern hemisphere, between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, and its nearest neighbours are Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. The island of Tasmania also belongs to it. The population is roughly twenty-seven million, the capital is Canberra, the currency is the Australian dollar and the language is English. It is a federation of six states and two territories, and it is a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth.

The largest cities are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. It surprises many people that the capital, Canberra, is none of these — it is a relatively small, purpose-built city that was chosen as a compromise because Sydney and Melbourne could not agree which of them should be the capital.

Geographically, most of the interior is desert or semi-desert; Australians call this vast empty region the Outback. Because of that, almost the entire population lives in a narrow belt along the coast. In the centre stands Uluru, also called Ayers Rock, an enormous red sandstone monolith sacred to the Aboriginal people. Off the north-east coast lies the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, which unfortunately is being seriously damaged by rising sea temperatures. Because Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed — Christmas falls in the middle of summer, and Australians often spend it on the beach.

Australian wildlife is like nowhere else on Earth, because the continent was isolated for millions of years. It is the home of marsupials — kangaroos, koalas and wombats — and of genuinely strange animals such as the platypus, which is a mammal that lays eggs.

The most famous sights are in Sydney: the Opera House with its sail-shaped roof, and the Harbour Bridge, which visitors can actually climb. Sydney hosted the Olympic Games in 2000. Canberra has the Australian National Gallery, the Australian War Memorial and the National Library, which by law must hold a copy of every book published in Australia.

New Zealand lies about two thousand kilometres to the south-east, in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands — the North Island and the South Island — and many smaller ones, and has a population of around five million. The capital is Wellington, the largest city is Auckland, and the official languages are English and Māori. Like Australia, it is a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth.

New Zealand is famous above all for its scenery: the Southern Alps with Mount Cook, glaciers, fjords such as Milford Sound, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs. It is exactly this landscape that made it the filming location for The Lord of the Rings. There are also famously more sheep in New Zealand than people. Wellington is the political centre and also the centre of theatre and film, Auckland is known for its harbours and parks, and Christchurch on the South Island is named after its cathedral.

Both countries share an indigenous heritage that is now much more respected than it once was. The Aboriginal Australians have lived on the continent for tens of thousands of years and are known for their Dreamtime stories, the boomerang and the didgeridoo. In New Zealand, the Māori arrived by canoe centuries before the Europeans; the haka, their ceremonial dance, is performed by the national rugby team before every match and is probably the best-known thing about the country after the landscape.

5. Otázky na diskusiu​

  1. Why is Australia unusual from a geographical point of view?
  2. Where do most Australians live, and why?
  3. What is the Outback?
  4. Why is Australian wildlife so different from wildlife elsewhere?
  5. What do you know about the Great Barrier Reef and the threats to it?
  6. Which Australian landmarks can you name?
  7. How is New Zealand different from Australia?
  8. What is New Zealand famous for?
  9. What do you know about the Aborigines and the Māori?
  10. Which of the two countries would you rather visit, and why?

6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď​

  • Austrália: smallest continent, largest island; between the Pacific and Indian Oceans; six states, two territories; Canberra the capital, Sydney the largest city.
  • Príroda: deserts and the Outback in the centre; population along the coast; Uluru; the Great Barrier Reef; reversed seasons.
  • Zvieratá: marsupials — kangaroo, koala, wombat; the platypus; unique because of isolation.
  • Pamiatky: the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Olympics 2000; Canberra's National Gallery, War Memorial and Library.
  • Nový Zéland: two main islands, about five million people, Wellington the capital, Auckland the largest; English and Māori.
  • Príroda NZ: Southern Alps, Mount Cook, glaciers, fjords, geysers, volcanoes; The Lord of the Rings; more sheep than people.
  • Pôvodní obyvatelia: Aboriginal Australians (Dreamtime, boomerang, didgeridoo) and the Māori (the haka).
  • Spoločné: the Commonwealth, English, constitutional monarchy, British colonial past, southern hemisphere.
Overené

Učiteľkin materiál tvrdí, že Canberra je najväčšie mesto Austrálie — to nie je pravda. Najväčšie je Sydney; Canberra je len hlavné mesto a je pomerne malá. Materiál ďalej uvádza 18 miliónov obyvateľov Austrálie (dnes vyše 27 miliónov) a 4 milióny na Novom Zélande (dnes okolo 5 miliónov), a hlavou Nového Zélandu už nie je kráľovná Alžbeta II., ale kráľ Karol III.

Čo povedať na skúške

Vďačná poznámka, ktorá sa vždy páči: Canberra sa stala hlavným mestom ako kompromis, lebo Sydney a Melbourne sa nevedeli dohodnúť, ktoré z nich to bude — tak sa postavilo úplne nové mesto medzi nimi. Presne to isté platí o Washingtone D.C. aj o Ottawe, takže z toho vieš spraviť peknú paralelu naprieč témami A27 – The USA a A28 – Canada.

Súvisiace poznámky​

Kontrolné otázky​

Why is Australia unusual from a geographical point of view?

It is a country and a continent at the same time, mostly flat and dry, and isolated from other continents.

Where do most Australians live, and why?

On the south-east and east coast, in cities like Sydney and Melbourne, because the interior is too hot and dry.

What is the Outback?

The huge, dry, sparsely populated interior of Australia.

Why is Australian wildlife so different from wildlife elsewhere?

Australia was isolated for millions of years, so unique animals evolved there, like marsupials – kangaroos and koalas – and the platypus.

What do you know about the Great Barrier Reef and the threats to it?

It is the largest coral reef in the world, off the coast of Queensland. It is threatened by rising sea temperatures, which cause coral bleaching, and by pollution.

Which Australian landmarks can you name?

The Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef.

How is New Zealand different from Australia?

New Zealand is much smaller, consists of two main islands, is greener and more mountainous, and has volcanoes and glaciers.

What is New Zealand famous for?

Beautiful nature, the Lord of the Rings films, the kiwi bird, sheep, rugby and Māori culture.

What do you know about the Aborigines and the Māori?

Aborigines are the original inhabitants of Australia, living there for tens of thousands of years. The Māori are the native people of New Zealand. Both suffered under colonisation.

Which of the two countries would you rather visit, and why?

Choose one and explain – e.g. New Zealand for its mountains and nature, or Australia for its cities, beaches and wildlife.

🔗 Spätné odkazy (3)