personal adaptability. If you meet the requirements for immigration to Canada, you need to take a medical exam and pay a landing fee, which is refundable if you are not acceptable.
4. Economy
Canada is one of the world‘s wealthiest nation and the majority of its citizens enjoy a high quality of life by world standards. Canada is renowned for the wealth of its natural resources: vast forests, fresh water, oil and gas and the richest mineral deposits. The service sector in Canada is the latgest industry. Canada is a free market economy and is highly integrated into the global economy. During the 19th century, timber became the staple export item. With the improvement of railway lines, wheat became the chief export item. now.
5. Education
Public education is free to all citizens and permanent residents up to the secondary school. In Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are responsible for elementary, secondary and postsecondary(university) education with no national or federal department of education. As a result, Canada has educational systems between different provinces, but almost similar to each other. Degrees from Canadian universities are considered equivalent to those from America and other Commonwealth universities. Students do not have to pass a university exam, but need to achieve a minimum level in their final exam at secondary school. in order to enter the university. 5.1 Laval University is the oldest institution in Canada to offer higher education in French. wit its Campus in Quebec.
5.2 The University of Toronto, the largest university in Canada. 4 Prime Ministers and two Governor Generals graduated from this university. It also boasts most Nobel Prize winning graduates among Canadian universities. P212 Exercise:
Tell whether the following are true or not:
1) Canada‘s political structure has nothing to do with those of Britain and the United States.(-) 2) The Senate functions primarily to accept or reject bills from the house of Commons. (+). 3) Canadian court system is divided at four levels. (+)
4) The New Democratic Party is a left-wing political party in Canada. (+)
5) Multilingualism and multiculturalism are characteristic of Canadian culture. (+) 6) In Canada, different provinces and territories share the same educational system. (-) 7) The Liberal Party is the largest Party of Canada. (+)
Choose the best answers:
1) On average, members of the House of Commons are elected for a maximum of ____ years. A. three B. four C five (+) D six
2) ____ holds the highest position in the Canadian parliamentary system.
A. The British Crown B. The Governor General C. The President D. The Prime Minister. 3) In Canada, the largest religious denomination is ____.
A. the Protestant Church B. the Roman Catholic Church (+)
C. the Puritan Church D. the Anglican Church
4) If applicants meet the basic requirements for an immigrants, they need to do the following except____.
A. applying for citizenship (+) B. taking a medical exam. C. paying an application fee. D. paying a landing fee.
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5.) In the 19th century, ____ was the principle export item of Canada.
A. fish B. fur C. timber D . wheat
Lecture Twelve Australia
Questions for discussion: Why did the British government have to look for a new destination for their convicts?
1. Geographic features and cities:
Australia lies in the Southern Hemisphere, between the Indian ocean on the west and the Pacific Ocean on its east. the Commonwealth of Australia established in 1901, consisting mainland Australia and Tasmania. It is the sixth largest country in the world. Australia can be divided into three geographic regions: the Eastern Highland, the Central-Eastern Lowlands and the Western Plateau. The highest point of elevation in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko, which rises to some 2,228 meters above sea level. As Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, January and February are the hottest summer month, while June and July are the coldest winter month. which is the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere. In the tropical area of the north, which occupies around 40% of the country‘s total landmass, it is warm to extremely hot all year round and there is no winter. Australia is widely known as ―the Dry Continent‖ due to its low rainfall. Lake Eyre in the south Australia has the country‘s lowest annual rainfall, around 100 millimeters, while the eastern coast of Queensland has an annual rainfall of around 4,300 millimeters, enjoys the wettest climate.
60% of the Australian population lives in the big cities. The major urban centers include Sydney, Melbourne(capital city of Victoria), Brisbane(capital city of Queensland) , Perth(capital city of Western Australia), Adelaide, Darwin(the only large city in the northern part) and the capital city , Canberra. The name Canberra originally means ―meeting‖ place in the Aboriginal language. It is between Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales and it‘s Australia‘s largest and oldest city. It is also home to a great deal of Australia‘s historic sites, wildlife parks, great beaches, waterways and national parks. 2. Brief introduction of history.
The history of Australia begins with the arrival of the Aborigines. Most anthropologists believe they migrated from southeast Asia at least 50,000years ago. The Aboriginal people were essentially hunter-gatherers without domesticated animals except the dingo（澳洲猎狗）and lived a nomadic（游牧）life.
The first documented European sighting of Australia was in 1606 by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. The most successful Dutch expedition was that of Abel Tasman, who in 1642 sailed into the waters of Southern Australia. No further detailed explorations were made until 1770, when the English captain, James Cook, sailed along the fertile eastern coast of Australia. James named the coast New South Wales, and formally claimed it for Britain.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with the rapid development of English industry, the growth of population in London and other area also brought various social problems, such as unemployment, overcrowding, homelessness and poverty. The rising crime rate compelled Britain to find somewhere to house the population of its overcrowded prisons. In May , 1787, the First Fleet of 11 ships under the command of Captain Arthur Philip sailed from Portsmouth, Britain for Australia. The ship reached Botany Bay on January 18, 1788 with about 1,500 people on board,
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736 of them convicts. Finding the Bay unsuitable choice, the group moved north to Sydney on January, 1788, and made their permanent colony. It‘s a date now celebrated as Australia Day. Life was extremely harsh for the new arrivals, because few of them had farming knowledge and lack of understanding of the seasons here. It was at this time that Captain John Macarthur(who was considered as the founder of wool industry) began breeding fine merino （美利奴细毛羊）sheep for their wool The wool trade flourished and later became Australia‘s most important industry. With the expansion of sheep and cattle raising and the discovery of gold and other minerals in the eastern parts, many other settlements apart from Tasmania and New South Wales were established in Western Australia, South Australia, Victor and Queensland. These six colonies were unified to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia. The mid-19th century saw rapid growth of population in the colonies. The three decades following the gold rush in the 1950s became a period of great economic expansion in Australia, which made a dramatic contribution to the growth of both the economy and population. Advances in railroad, telecommunications and ship transportation not only established a link between Australia and the international markets, but also transformed the national economy.
The federation of the six colonies was proposed by Earl Grey, Britain‘s colonial secretary., as early as 1847. Those in favor of federation argued that uniform policies on matters such as tariffs, immigration and defense would be advantageous . In 1885, the Federal Council formed . The National Australia Convention took place in Melbourne in 1891 and a draft constitution was put forth. In 1901, the six colonies of Australia adopted a federal constitution and became a self-governing dominion of British Empire. Although World War I was fought in Europe, as a member of the British Empire Australia automatically followed Britain into war to display their tremendous patriotism. This participation proved to be a disaster for Australia. World War II struck Australia much closer to home than WWI. On Feb. 19, 1942, the Japanese air raids on Darwin, sinking eight ships and killing over 240 people. With the beginning of the Pacific War, Australia developed a foreign policy independent of Britain for the first time. It looked for secure from elsewhere. It was the United States that helped protect Australia during the Battle of the Coral Sea. With the end of WWII, Australia entered a boom period. The number of employment grew steadily. In 1950s, the economy was fortified by the opening up of mining resources. In sports, Melbourne‘s hosting the Olympic Games in 1956 put an international spotlight on Australia. The 1960s was a change for Australia. The postwar generation emerged as an active force, seeking changes in political, economic and social relationships. In September, 1951, Australia took the historic step of signing its first treaty with foreign nations. It signed a collective defense treaty with America and New Zealand(《美澳纽安全条约》), pledging to mutual defense and support in case of war. The next three years witnessed major changes in Australia‘s social and economic policy agenda and legislative reforms in health, education, foreign affairs and social security and industrial relations. The Whitlam government established formal diplomatic relations with China and abolished the death penalty for federal crimes. P231 Exercise:
Tell whether the following are true or not:
1) In terms of landmass, Australia is the sixth ;largest country in the world. (+)
2) The name ―Sydney‖ means ―meeting place‖ in the Aboriginal language.(-) 3) Australia Day is on January 26. (+)
4) There was a period of great economic depression in Australia in the 1850s following the gold
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rush. (-)
5) In World War I, all members of the Australian armed forces who serviced overseas were volunteers (+).
6) It was Britain that helped protect Australia from the Japanese in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II. (-). Choose the best answers； 1) ___is Australia‘s Capital.
A. Sydney B. Melbourne C. Brisbane D. Canberra. 2） Britain‘s first permanent colony was established in ____.
A. 1606 B. 1770 C. 1787 D 1788 (+)
3） The first time that Australia developed a foreign policy independent of Britain was _____. A. after the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. B. during the Great Depression of the 1930s. C. during the Pacific War in WWII D. after the World War I.
Lecture Thirteen Government, Parties , Population
Question for discussion: Why can Australia attract people from over 200 countries worldwide to make their home there? Why is Australia a multicultural society? 1. Government
In terms of governmental system , Australia follows the federation model of the United States. The federal government has three-tier system: the Federal government at the national level; government at state and territory level. The federal government is based on the elected Parliament with two chambers: the House of Representatives forms the government and the Senate, with ministers appointed from both chambers to service in the Cabinet. The party with a majority in the House of Representatives forms the government, thus responsible for Parliament. The Commonwealth Australia Constitution Act is a written constitution consisting of eight parts and came into effect in 1901. The government is also divided into three branches: the legislation, the executive and the judiciary. Parliament is the Federal executive Council. Parliament makes laws and provides a legislative framework for the operations of the other two arms of government. The Senate is the upper of the two houses of Parliament. It has the a highly developed committee system, whish enable the 76 Senators to inquire into policy issues and is thus a house of review and a powerful check on the government. The central function of the House of Representatives is the consideration and passing of new laws and amendments to the existing laws. Another function is to determine the government. 2. The Executive
In Australia, executive authority is vested in the Governor General. The King or Queen is recognized as the royal head of the state, but plays a merely symbolic role. The Governor General acts on the advice of the Federal Executive Council or Cabinet composed of senior ministers and the Prime Ministers, who is accountable to Parliament, Federal policy, in practice, is determined by the Cabinet. 3. The Judiciary
The judiciary is the government branch concerned with the administration of justice and
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absolutely separate from the executive branch and legislature. The independence of the judiciary is crucial for a democratic community The Australia judiciary includes the High Court, the Federal Court , and the Family Court , and the court of the six states and two territories.
4. The Party . There are major political parties in Australia , the Labor Party , the Liberal Party and the National Party. There are two dominant political parties or coalitions. and it‘s difficult for independents or other parties to gain seats. The Labor Party, nominally representing the trade unions and liberal groups, is Australia‘s oldest political party. The Liberal Party nominally represents urban business-related groups. The National Party is the most stable party in Australia. Of all the election, the general election is the most important, the result of which determines which party leader will rule the country as the Prime Minister.
5. Population. Most Australia‘s are of British and Irish ancestry and the majority of 20 million people live in urban areas. Australia is the sixth largest nation in the world, however, ranks 53rd in terms of population. This multicultural society is home to people from more than 200 countries. Australia has an enviable international reputation for diversity and tolerance. Australia accepts and respects the right of all Australians to express and share their individual cultural heritage. Multiculturalism as a policy was officially adopted in 1973, which advocates a multicultural society based on the diversity of ethnic groups and cultural identities., and also favors the equality of all. The major religion in Australia is Christianity and Christians represents 68% of the population. The non-Christian religion religions includes Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. 6. Education.
Australia has a well-developed educational system with a very high rate of participation and secondary completion. Less importance is placed on outward discipline and memorizing. On the contrary, the emphasis is on self-discipline, learning by discovery and by questioning, and encouraging student‘s interest in and enthusiasm for learning. The standard, design and diversity of education offered by Australian universities are among the most impressive in the world. There are 36 universities in Australia, together with two private institutions. In addition, the Commonwealth government maintains a number of specialized learning institutions, nobly the Australia Film, Television and Radio School.; the Australia Maritime College, and the National Institute of Dramatic Arts. Apart from universities, vocational training institutions provide courses with a strong vocational focus such as travel, tourism, graphic design and many others. The University of Sydney , established in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia. It is a member of Australia‘s ―Group Eight‖ and the largest and most prestigious educational institutions. The University of Melbourne, established in 1853 by Hugh Childers, and is the second oldest university. This university is ranked among the top a in Australia and is highly regarded in the fields of arts, humanities and biomedicine. The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide. This university is a the third oldest university and has a reputation for academic excellence, having a number of Nobel laureates. This is the first university in Australia to admit women and the first to grant degree in science. 7. Economy and others.
Australia is self-sufficient in food: the raising of sheep and cattle and the production of grain have long been the country‘s major staple occupation. Australia‘s economy depends largely on foreign trade. Its chief export commodities are metal, mineral, coal, wool, beef, mutton, cereals and manufactured products. The leading imports are machinery, transportation and
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