1. Climate
_ On a journey from north to south across this huge region, you would pass through a fascinating series of hot tropic landscapes. Plenty of rain falls in the far south, whereas the arid (1) northerly region is prone to (2) serious drought (3). (West Africa)
(1) dry
(2) tending to have a particular negative characteristic
(3) period without rain
2. Vegetation
_ About one third of the landscape of Canada lies within the Arctic Circle and can remain frozen for up to nice months of the year.
_ In these cold areas, known as the tundra (1), and vegetation (2) is limited. However, further south, large areas of land and covered by dense, coniferous (3) forests, known as taiga. Towards the border with the USA lie the mixed, temperate forests and the grasslands of the prairies (4). (Canada)
(1) area in north with no trees and permanently frozen ground.
(2) plant life
(3) trees that are avergreen (green all year round) and produce cones, unlike deciduous trees, which lose their leaves in winter.
(4) flat grassland in Canada and northrn USA (similar to steppes in Asia or pampas in South America)
3. Agriculture (nông nghiệp)
_ In the south the main crop is rice, though tea, cotton, fruit and vegetables are also grown.
_ The rice is planted in flooded paddy fields (1). Two crops of rice and one of vegetables are harvested in a good year.
_ In the north and west, which is drier and hillier, farmers grow a single crop of cereals (2) and tend (3) sheep and cattle. (China)
(1) fields planted with rice growing in water
(2) type of grass cultivated to produce a grain, i.e. a food plant like rice, wheat or maize
(3) take care of animals
4. Industry
_ One of the worlds's leading industrial nations, France has large manufacturing (1), steel and chemical industries and stand at the forefront (2) of engineering and technology.
_ The country is a major producer of cars and aircraft.
_ France has a large nuclear industry which generate (3) about 75 per cent of the country's electrical power. (France)
(1) producing goods in large numbers
(2) in an important position
(3) produces
5. Population
_ The population of Brazil is a mixture of people. Some are descended from (1) (v- có ai là tổ tiên) native Indians who have always lived in Brazil, other from the Portuguese who ruled (v- thống trị, cầm quyền) there for 300 years.
_ Many Brazillians have African ancestors (n- ông bà, tổ tiên) (2) who were brought over in the 17th century to work as slaves on sugar plantations. (n- đồn điền, khu đất trồng)
_ During the 20th century large numbers of European migrants (3) settled (4) in the south. (Brazil)
(1) are related to
(2) relatives from earlier times: we are our ancestor's descendants
(3) people who move to live in another country (an amigrant is someone who leaves a country and an immigrant is someone which moves to live in a country)
(4) made their homes.
plantation: tea, coffee, rubber
industry: maufacturing, pharmaceutical, textile
forest: deciduous, rain, dense
field: oil, wheat, ripe (ready to harvest)
nation: civilised, independent, sovereign
_ I believe my ancestors came to Britain from France in the 17th century.
_ Many emigrants left Russia for France after the Revolution in 1917.
_ The USA has traditionally welcomed immigrants/migrants from all over the world.
_ Our lasgest cities are full of migrants/immigrants looking for work and a better life.
_ Some Scots are said to be the descendants of 16th century Spanish sailors ship-wrecked off the Scottish coast.
_ About 80% of population lives in or around cities along the coast where life is easier than in the remote towns and farms of the outback (vùng xa xôi hẻo lánh). (Australia)
_ 400 years ago it was the centre of the Inca Empire that stretched (v- căng ra, kéo dài) the length of South America. (Peru)
_ Two thirds of the farmland (đất làm farm) is under water but deliberately (adv- có chủ tâm) so, because the fields are flooded to grow rice. (Vietnam)
_ To the east of a long, narrow peninsula more than a hundred islands make up the rest of the country. (Denmark)
_ Much of the land is desert, dotted with oases, but parts of the coastline (n- bờ biển) are more fertile (adj- phi nhiêu, màu mỡ). (Oman)
_ A line of volcanoes, many still active, dominates the landscape of this small country and forests, once rich with cedar, mahogany and oak, have been cut down for farmland. (El Salvador)
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