普通高中课程标准实验教科书 英语选修9 Unit 3 Australia-Readin

  GLIMPSES OF AUSTRALIA
 AUSTRALIA
 Capital: Canberra                 Offcial name: Commonwealth¹ of Australia
 Area: 7,686,850 km2            Population: 20 million
 Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko, 2,228 metres above sea level
 Lowest point: Lake Eyre, 15 metres below sea level
Australia is the only country that is also a continent. It is the sixth largest country in the world and is in the smallest continent - Oceania. It is a mainly dry country with only a few coastal² areas that have adequate rainfall to support a large population. Approximately 80% of Australians live in the south-eastern coastal area, which includes Australia's two largest cities – Melbourne and Sydney. The centre of the continent, which is mainly desert and dry grassland³, has few settlements.
      Australia is famous for its huge, open spaces, bright sunshine, enormous number of sheep and cattle and its unusual wildlife, which include kangaroos and koalas. Australia is a popular destination with tourists from all over the world who come to experience its unique ecology.
      Australia is made up of six states. Like the states in America, Australian states are autonomous⁴ in some areas of government. However, Australia has a federal government responsible for matters that affect people all over the country, such as defence, foreign policy and taxation⁵. The federal parliament is located in Canberra.
                                          CITIZENSHIP⁶ CEREMONIES PLANNED AROUND AUSTRALIA
      On 26 January, Australia Day, in over 200 locations across the nation , more than 9,000 people will become Australian citizens.
      "By these citizenship ceremonies we welcome those who have come from overseas from many different cultural and social backgrounds into our communities and our nation," said the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural⁷ Affairs. "Australia Day celebrations that include people from so many birthplaces are an excellent way to encourage tolerance⁸, respect and friendship among all the people of Australia."
        Most citizenship ceremonies will be followed by displays of singing and dancing from many of the migrants' homelands and the tasting of food from all over the world.
Go by plane and see clouds
Go by TRAIN and see Australia

Enjoy 3 nights on board the Indian-Pacific
On this 4,352-km journey from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide you'll view some ot Australias unique scenery from the superb Blue Mountains to the treeless plains of the Nuliarbor. Along the way you will spot a fascinating variety of wildlife.
Enjoy 2 nights on board the Ghan
As you travel from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs, you'll observe some of Australia's
most spectacular landscapes - from the rolling hills surrounding Adelaide to the rusty⁹ reds of
Australia's centre and the tropical splendour of Darwin.
For more information, timetables and fares go to www.gsr.com.au/trains.htm
Dear Shen Ping,
I wish you could see this amazing rock. It is part of one of Australia's 14 Worm Heritage Sites and
rises about 335 metres out of a vast, flat sandy plain. A t different times of the day it appears to
change co/our, from grey-red at sunrise, to golden and finally to burning red at dusk. Aboriginal¹⁰ people have lived near Uluru for thousands of years and yout can walk around it with an Aboriainal guide to learn about their customs, art, religion and day-to-day life. It is also possible to climb the rock, but most people don't do this out of respect for the Aboriginal people who consider the rock to be sacred. I’ll be back in Sydney in a fortnight because I've made a reservation on the Indian Pacific train to Perth.
love Jack¹¹

                                                       Tours outside Hobart
Drive 250 km northwestwards from Hobart along the A10 highway and you'll arrive at the southern end of the magnificent Cradle Mountain National Park and World Heritage area. This park is famous for its mountain peaks, lakes and ancient forests. A popular attraction for active tourists is the 80-km walking track that joins the southern and northern ends of the park. There are also a range of short walks.

1 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

4 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

5 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

6 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

7 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

8 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

9 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

10 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

11 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。