English-speaking countries There are many English-speaking countries around the world.

Some of the most important are: Australia: Captain Cook discovered it in 1770. It first served as a jail for British criminals and its capital city is Canberra, in the southern part of the country, near Sydney. Its wildlife is very peculiar. In Australia you can find animals that only live here, such as kangaroos, koalas and the famous Tasmanian devil. The Olympic Games in 2000 took place in Sydney. Kylie Minogue and Mel Gibson were born here. New Zealand: The Lord of the Rings and Narnia Chronicles were filmed here. Its capital city is Auckland and it consists on two large islands and a few small islands, which are very close to Australia. New Zealand is famous for its beautiful landscapes, the kiwi, a very rare bird, the Maoris, and the All Blacks, its rugby national team. Probably the most famous New Zealander is Russell Crowe. United Kingdom (UK): it is the homeland for the English language. Queen Elizabeth II is the leader. It consists of four countries: Scotland at the north, England at the south, Wales at the west, and Northern Ireland. Each country has a different flag. During the 19th century the UK formed an empire, with colonies all around the world. The capital city is London, where 7 million people live. Ireland: its capital city is Dublin. Besides English, in some regions people speak Gaelic, a very old and complicated language. Irish mythology is very famous. For example, the legend of the pot full of gold at the end of the rainbow was originated here. The shamrock is its national symbol. Irish people are famous for being very religious and for being heavy drinkers. Some famous Irish people are Bono and Collin Farrell. Canada: the capital of this country is Ottawa, but the most populated city is Toronto. One of the peculiarities of this country is that it has two official languages, English and French, which is spoken mainly in Quebec. The maple leaf is Canadas national emblem and appears on the national flag. Famous Canadians are Alanis Morrissette and Jim Carrey. USA: more than 250 million people live here, so it is the country with the biggest amount of English speakers. People from all parts of the world come here looking for better opportunities. The United States of America were discovered in the 18th century and it was the first country in America in becoming independent. Its capital city is Washington, in honor of George Washington, one of its founding fathers.

Say if the statements are true (T) or false (F) 1. ________ The capital city of Ireland is London 2. ________ The maple leaf is the national emblem of the USA 3. ________ England is one of Britains four countries 4. ________ The shamrock is Irelands national emblem 5. ________ Alanis Morrissette was born in Ireland 6. ________ More English speakers live in the USA than in everywhere else. 7. ________ Australia and New Zealand are very close. 8. ________ In Ireland people only speak English.

With the information from the text, do the following crossword. 2

3 7 6 9 8 10 13 12

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1. Captain Cook discovered it. 2. National emblem of Canada 3. Animal that lives exclusively in Australia 4. It is famous because of its mythology 5. Capital city of Canada 6. One of the countries of the United Kingdom 7. National symbol of Ireland 8. Capital city of the USA 9. Capital city of Ireland 10. She rules the United Kingdom 11. Capital city of the United Kingdom 12. The Lord of the Rings was filmed here 13. Capital city of New Zealand Using your own ideas complete the following sentences about Argentina:

1.- The capital city of Argentina is ____________________________. 2.- Argentina is famous for __________________________________. 3.- Famous Argentineans are ____________________________________. 4.- Argentina organized _____________________________________ in 1978.