Австралия : пособие по страноведению

Трофимова-Рыбкина Е. А. 
Сааринен Л. Б.

УДК 372.881.111.1
ББК 81.2 Англ-922
 
Т76
Трофимова-Рыбкина Екатерина Анатольевна, 
Сааринен Людмила Борисовна.
Т76       Австралия : Пособие по страноведению / Е. А. ТрофимоваРыбкина, Л. Б. Сааринен — Санкт-Петербург : КАРО, 
2024. — 160 с. : илл.
ISBN 978-5-9925-1573-2.
Данная книга представляет собой пособие по страноведению, которое знакомит учащихся с природой, основными достопримечательностями, историей Австралии и биографиями 
ее знаменитых граждан.
Книга предназначена для учащихся старших классов гимназий и школ с углубленным изучением английского языка, для 
студентов высших и средних специальных учебных заведений.
УДК 372.881.111.1
ББК 81.2 Англ-922
© КАРО, 2024
ISBN 978-5-9925-1573-2

CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION
Australia, which is officially called the Commonwealth of 
Australia, is a country situated on the Australian continent, 
the island state of Tasmania, and smaller islands. Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, 
reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciuszko (7,308 ft; 
2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by 
a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the 
west coast. It includes the Great Victoria Desert to the south 
and the Great Sandy Desert to the north. The Great Barrier 
Reef, extending about 1,245 miles (2,000 km), lies along the 
northeastern coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq. mi.; 
67,800 sq. km) is off the southeastern coast.
Australian culture is as big and as varied as the landscape. Australia is multicultural and multiracial and it 
has an impact on food, lifestyle and cultural practice. The 
Australians have an important heritage from indigenous 
people.
This diversity creates a cultural practice, which is lively, 
energised and innovative. Australia follows a Westminster 
3

system of government and law inherited from the British 
who originally colonised the country. Nowadays Australia 
is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
King Charles III reigns as King of Australia, who is represented by the Governor-General at the federal level. Each 
state and territory also has its own government.
The capital is Canberra, a city with population of more 
than 400,000, situated in the Australian Capital Territory. 
It is located about 250 km southwest of Sydney.
Australia has a population of about 26 million people. It 
is famous for its natural heritage areas like the Great Barrier 
Reef, famous buildings like the Sydney Opera House, its 
ancient geology, as well as for its highly developed country.
QUESTIONS:
 
1.  What does the continent of Australia consist of?
 
2.  What do you know about Australian culture?
 
3.  What political system does Australia have?
 
4.  Who represents the King in Australia?
 
5.  What is the capital of Australia?
 
6.  How many people live in Australia?
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW
Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list:
Capital, Governor-General, Commonwealth, indigenous, 
British, Westminster.
	
1.  Australia is officially called the  
 
 
 
of Australia.
 
2.  Canberra is situated in the Australian  
 
 
 
 
 Territory.
4

 
3.  The Australians have an important heritage from 
the  
 
 
 people.
 
4.  Australia follows a   
 
        system of 
government and law inherited from the  
 
 
 
 
 who originally colonised the 
country.
 
5.  King Charles III is represented by the  
 
 
 
 
 at the federal level.

CHAPTER 2
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SYMBOLS
1. THE FLAG OF AUSTRALIA
The Flag of Australia
The Australian Flag was adopted in 1901. It consists of a blue 
background with the Union Jack 
in its top left-hand corner. The 
Union Jack, which is the United 
Kingdom flag, represents the historical link with the Great Britain. 
The large seven-pointed star beneath the vertical stripe on the 
Union Jack represents the six States and the two Territories. 
The smaller stars form the Southern Cross, a constellation 
of five stars, which is a well-known feature of the southern 
hemisphere’s night sky.
2. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
Advance Australia Fair (The National Anthem of Australia) 
was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick. It became the 
6

national anthem in 1984 after the plebiscite to choose the 
national song in 1977.
Advance Australia Fair
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are one and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt1 by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
“Advance Australia fair!”
Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!”
3. THE COAT OF ARMS
The Australian Coat of Arms 
consists of a shield containing 
the badges of the six Australian 
1 girt — опоясан, окружен
The Coat of Arms
7

states symbolising federation, and the national symbols of 
the Golden Wattle, the kangaroo and the emu. The Golden 
Wattle was proclaimed the national floral emblem in August 1988.
4. NATIONAL DAY
Australia Day is celebrated on the 26th of January. This 
date is the anniversary of the unfurling of the British flag 
at Sydney Cove in 1788.
QUESTIONS:
 
1.  When was Australian Flag adopted?
 
2.  How can you describe the Australian Flag?
 
3.  What is the name of Australian Anthem?
 
4.  What is the Anthem about?
 
5.  What animals are depicted on the Australian Coat 
of Arms?
 
6.  When is the Australia Day?
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW
Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list:
States, Territories, Anthem, coat, adopted, link, turn, the 
Union Jack, background, unfurling
 
1.  The Australian Flag was  
 
          in 1901.
 
2.  It consists of a blue   
 
 
 with 
 
 
 
 in its top left-hand corner.
 
3.  The Union Jack represents the historical  
 
 
 
 
 with Britain.
8

 
4.  The large seven-pointed star beneath the vertical 
stripe on the Union Jack represents the six   
 
 
 
 and the two   
 
 
  .
 
5.  “Advance Australia Fair” (The National  
 
 
 
 
 of Australia) was composed 
by Peter Dodds McCormick sometime around the 
 
 
 
 of this century.
 
6.  The Australian  
 
 
 of arms is one 
of the national symbols of Australia.
 
7.  The 26th of January is the anniversary of the  
 
 
 
 
 of the British flag in 1788.

CHAPTER 3
HISTORY
1. ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIANS
The ancestors of present-day Aboriginal Australian 
people migrated from South East Asia by sea during the 
Pleistocene1 epoch and lived over large sections of the 
Australian continental shelf, when the sea levels were 
lower and Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea were a part 
of the same landmass, known as Sahul. As sea levels rose, 
the people on the Australian mainland and nearby islands 
became increasingly isolated, and some were isolated on 
Tasmania and some of the smaller offshore islands when 
the land was inundated at the start of the Holocene, the 
interglacial period, which started about 11,700 years ago 
and persists today.
Aboriginal Australians had no written history. Dreamtime stories, cave paintings and etchings are the only records we have of their past. Before white settlements, some 
1 The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological 
epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago.
10