Reading Canada—land of the maple tree
Step 1: Lead-in
In the last period, we talked about symbols that represent some countries. Do you still remember Canada’s national symbol? Do you want to know more about the beautiful land? Today, we’ll read a passage about the country Canada. First, let’s enjoy the beautiful scenery of the country.
Step 2: Fast reading for general ideas
Go through the passage as quickly as possible and try to find answers to the three questions in part A on page 2. Just focus on and identify the information needed to answer these questions.
Answers
A 1 About 30 million people.
2 Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton.
3 670 metres wide.
Step 3: Detailed reading for important information
1. Let’s read the passage a second time and then complete Parts C1 and C2.
Answers
C1 1 M 2 M 3 T 4 T
5 M 6 F 7 T 8 T
C2 1 Montreal 2 Montreal 3 Toronto
4 Vancouver 5 Edmonton 6 Toronto
2. Read the reading strategy and concentrate on how to sort the information into sections. Then read the text again and consider how the information is grouped in this reading passage. After that, complete the following chart.
Category
Description
Population
About 30 million
Location
The Arctic is to the north, the USA is to the south, the Atlantic Ocean is to the east and the Pacific to the west.
Size
Second largest country in the world
Geography
Frozen wastes; vast mountain ranges; enormous open plains; countless rivers; endless forests
Landscape
spectacular
Major cities
Toronto
largest in Canada; most multicultural; famous for the CN Tower
Montreal
second largest in Canada; second largest French-speaking city in the world; wonderful mix of Old World and New World architecture and culture
Vancouver
smaller in size but equally famous; multicultural; has the biggest Chinese population in Canada; close to the ski resorts
Edmonton
a city in the province of Alberta; home to the west Edmonton Mall, the largest pedestrian mall in the world
Other interest
Niagara Falls
History
Quebec—originally a French colony; gold rush in 1896
Symbol
Maple leaf
3. Read the text again and choose the best answers according to the text:
⑴ Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, second only to China.
B. Toronto is the largest city in Canada.
C. Maple syrup is Canada’s most famous food.
D. Canada was named the best country in the world to live in by the UN in 1996.
⑵ In which city is the tallest tower in the world located?
A. Montreal B. Tornoto C. Vancouver D. Edmonton
⑶ Why does Montreal has a wonderful mix of Old World and New World?
A. Because it’s the largest French-speaking city in the world.
B. Because Quebec was once lost to the British.
C. Because it’s a port and the second largest city in Canada.
D. Because Quebec was originally colonized by France and its population is still over 70 per cent French.
⑷ Which of the following facts about the Edmonton mall is wrong?
A. It is in the city of Edmonton.
B. It is said to be the largest pedestrian mall in the world.
C. It has an area of more than 20 football pitches.
D. It attracts over 55,000 customers every year.
⑸ Which of the following words can not replace the word name in the last paragraph?
A. declared B. called C. considered D. titled
Keys:
ABDDC
4. Now, read the text again, and remember when you come across a new word, try to guess the meaning from the context. As you know, it is very important to read the sentences before and after the sentence which contains the unknown word. Finish Part D.
Answers
D 1 d 2 b 3 j 4 i 5 f 6 e 7 g 8 h 9 a 10 c
5. Try to give a brief introduction of Canada in your own words and then finish Part E.
Answers
E 1 frozen 2 animals 3 photographers 4 ski 5 sail
6 harbour 7 Toronto 8 Montreal 9 architecture 10 Edmonton
Step 5: Post-reading activities
1. Pair work:
Talk about the country Canada, trying to give as much information of Canada as you can. You may choose to focus on a specific subject about Canada, such as its history, its geography or cities. Prepare a presentation about the topic, based on the reading passage or any other resources you can find.
For reference:
Canada in Brief
Landscape:?Mountains, Prairies, Desert, Artic Tundra, Glaciers, Valleys, Foothills, Rivers, Lakes, 9,976,000 sq km (3.9 million sq mi)
Population:?30 Million
Capital city:?Ottawa, Ontario (pop:?1,010,500)
People:?British descent (28%), French descent (23%), Italian descent (3%), aboriginal peoples (2%), plus significant minorities of German, Ukrainian, Dutch, Greek, Polish and Chinese
Languages:?English, French and 53 native languages
Religion:?Catholic (45%), Protestant (36%) and minorities from most of the world's major religions
Government:?Parliamentary democracy
Prime Minister:?Paul Martin
GDP:?US$774 billion
GDP per head:?US$25,000
Primary sectors:?services 74%, manufacturing 15%, construction 5%, agriculture 3%, other 3%
Annual growth:?3%
Major products/industries:?processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas
Major trading partners:?USA, Japan, EU (UK, Germany, Netherlands), China and South Korea
Political Divisions:?Key Attractions, Transportation, Wildlife
2. Group work:
Let’s come to Part F. Work in pairs and share your opinions with each other.
Step 5: Language points:
Vocabulary
words
Minus, defend, waste, countless, seemingly, freezing, abundant, fond, locate, mix, upwards, awesome, approximately, settlement
useful expressions
Second to, be famous for, have an area of, be abundant in, be fond of, the majority of, be thrilled by, be known for, as well as, be located in, for short, be lost to, have a population of, be home to, consist of, seek one’s fortune, a handful of, be featured on, go with
sentence patterns
1. It is possible to hike, sail, cross-country ski or travel by snowmobile for hours…
2. Located in the heart of Toronto is the Canadian National Tower…
3. Smaller in size, but equally famous, is city of Vancouver in the province …
4. Nearer to the Atlantic coast is Niagara Falls.
5. With all of these attractions, you can see why, in 1996, the UN named Canada the best country in the world to live in!
Step6: Homework
1. Read the text again and again. Try to memorize the language points.
2. Parts A1 and A2 on page102 in Workbook.
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