Английский язык, 7 класс

Australia is the only country in the world that is also a continent. It is the sixth large country and the smallest continent.The capital of the country is Canberra. The official language is English. Australia is the driest continent on the Earth. The unique climate and the isolation of Australia from other continents explain the existence of unusual plants and animals. The commonest tree of Australia is the eucalyptus. In the drier areas there is the Australian acacia or mimosa. In those areas one can also find strange bottle trees. They preserve water in their trunks. Australian animals are also very unusual. Among them there are kangaroos, duck-bills, koala bears, and others. Australian population is about 23 million people. The natives of the country are called Aborigines. There are 5 big cities in Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. Canberra was specially planned as a capital. All the government buildings are situated there. Sydney is the oldest and largest city in Australia. It is a big industrial centre. About 5 million people live in the city. Australia has a lot to offer to tourists. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. The most famous building in the country is the Sydney Opera House. Its roof looks like sails. It is a masterpiece of architecture. More than 5,000 people can visit concerts, operas, theatre performances and other events. Kakadu National Park is in Australia’s Northern Territory and covers about 20,000 square kilometres. It is a wetland with over 200 kinds of birds and 1,700 plant species. It is also the home of Australian crocodiles.