Canada (топик на английском)

CANADA
Canada is the second largest country in the world. It occupies northern part of North American continent and borders on the United Stated in the south and in the north-west. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Pacific Ocean in the west.
The climate of Canada is rather cold: winters are usually long and snowy and summers in Northern Canada are short and cool. Summers in Southern Canada are longer and warmer. Canada is mostly covered by forests which are one of the most important resources of the country.
Canada is divided into ten provinces. The biggest provinces are Quebec (which is the largest province of Canada), British Columbia and Ontario.
The capital of Canada, Ottawa, is situated in Ontario. It is mainly a government city but it also has a lot of places of interest such as The Chateau Laurier, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Parliament Buildings which are the symbol of Ottawa.
English and French are the two official languages of the country. English is the first language for most Canadians, but in Quebec province French is the main language.
The flag of Canada has two red vertical stripes and a big middle white vertical stripe with a red maple leaf in the centre. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth. It is a confederation with parliamentary democracy. Queen Elizabeth II is not only the Queen of Great Britain, but of Canada as well. Every Canadian province has its own government.
Canada has numerous cities and towns. Montreal which is situated in the province of Quebec is the largest city in Canada. It is divided into two parts: the English part and the French part. The heart of Montreal offers some excellent restaurants, shops and a lot of leisure activities.
Toronto, which is the capital of the province of Ontario, is the second largest city in Canada. It is an international commercial and business centre and it has always been an artistic and cultural centre as well. The CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing building, is the symbol of Toronto.
Niagara Falls is the most beautiful city in Canada. Tourists from all over the world come here to enjoy the view of the Canadian Falls or the Horseshoe. The city is a big entertaining centre with a lot of bars, restaurants, small shops, hotels and a big casino.
Canada is a very interesting country to visit!


Vocabulary:
border on [Ъо:ёэ] граничить с
Commonwealth ['kttmanwelO] Британское Содружество
confederation [kan^eda'reif^n] конфедерация
cool [ku:l] прохладный
covered ['bvvad] покрытый
free-standing ['frii'stcendrrj свободно стоящее
building 'bildrrj] здание
leisure activity [Ъзэгэк'пугй] занятие в свободное время
occupy ['ttkjupai] занимать
parliamentary [,ра:1э'теп1(э)п парламентская
democracy di'mttkrasi] демократия
province ['provins] провинция
vertical stripe ['v3:tik(3)rstraip] вертикальная полоса


Questions:
1. Where is Canada situated?
2. What can you tell about the climate of the country?
3. How many provinces are there in Canada?
4. What's the capital of the country?
5. How many official languages are there in Canada?
6. What can you say about the flag of the country and Canadian political system?
7. What can you say about Canadian cities?
8. What else is Canada famous for?

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