G’day, mate! Welcome to the land down under! Australia is called “the
land down under” because it is located beneath the equator. Over
twenty million people live on this island, which happens to be the world’
s smallest continent! People in Australia have delightful accents,
similar to the accents of people in Great Britain. Australia’s first settlers
were British, so that explains why the accents sound alike. When the
British came to Australia, they shared the land with the native
Australians, called Aborigines. The largest cities in Australia are
Sydney and Melbourne. You might remember hearing about Sydney –
they hosted the summer Olympics in 2000! The capital of Australia is
Canberra.
One really amazing fact about Australia is that they have animals that
no other countries do. Of course, we can see koalas, kangaroos,
wallabies, and wombats in our American zoos, but these animals are
indigenous (pronounced in-dij-i-ness) to Australia. There are two main
species of kangaroo – red kangaroos and eastern grey kangaroos.
The male red kangaroos are the largest kind of kangaroo. Their
scientific name is “Macropus Rufus,” which means “big red foot” in
Latin. They certainly DO have enormous red feet – they can grow to be
9 feet tall and can hop as fast as 40 miles per hour! Did you know that
kangaroos can’t walk backwards?
Kangaroos live in the middle part of Australia, called the “outback”. It is
dry there, with lots of small shrubs, trees, and grass. This land is very
good for raising cattle and sheep. Most Australians who live in the
outback own a “station”, which is similar to the ranches that we have
here in America. Children who live in the outback have an interesting
way of learning their lessons in school. Because the outback is so
large, children who live on the stations might have a hard time traveling
to the schools. If the journey is too far from the station to the school,
the children use a radio and listen to their lessons each day.
Another wonderful place to visit in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef.
People from all over the world come to the reef to snorkel and scuba
dive. The Great Barrier Reef is about 1250 miles long – it’s the biggest
piece of coral in the whole world! People enjoy scuba diving and
snorkeling here because of the amazing beauty of the reef. The
brightly colored plants, different species of fish, and shimmering
turquoise waters make it an ideal place to enjoy nature.
land down under” because it is located beneath the equator. Over
twenty million people live on this island, which happens to be the world’
s smallest continent! People in Australia have delightful accents,
similar to the accents of people in Great Britain. Australia’s first settlers
were British, so that explains why the accents sound alike. When the
British came to Australia, they shared the land with the native
Australians, called Aborigines. The largest cities in Australia are
Sydney and Melbourne. You might remember hearing about Sydney –
they hosted the summer Olympics in 2000! The capital of Australia is
Canberra.
One really amazing fact about Australia is that they have animals that
no other countries do. Of course, we can see koalas, kangaroos,
wallabies, and wombats in our American zoos, but these animals are
indigenous (pronounced in-dij-i-ness) to Australia. There are two main
species of kangaroo – red kangaroos and eastern grey kangaroos.
The male red kangaroos are the largest kind of kangaroo. Their
scientific name is “Macropus Rufus,” which means “big red foot” in
Latin. They certainly DO have enormous red feet – they can grow to be
9 feet tall and can hop as fast as 40 miles per hour! Did you know that
kangaroos can’t walk backwards?
Kangaroos live in the middle part of Australia, called the “outback”. It is
dry there, with lots of small shrubs, trees, and grass. This land is very
good for raising cattle and sheep. Most Australians who live in the
outback own a “station”, which is similar to the ranches that we have
here in America. Children who live in the outback have an interesting
way of learning their lessons in school. Because the outback is so
large, children who live on the stations might have a hard time traveling
to the schools. If the journey is too far from the station to the school,
the children use a radio and listen to their lessons each day.
Another wonderful place to visit in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef.
People from all over the world come to the reef to snorkel and scuba
dive. The Great Barrier Reef is about 1250 miles long – it’s the biggest
piece of coral in the whole world! People enjoy scuba diving and
snorkeling here because of the amazing beauty of the reef. The
brightly colored plants, different species of fish, and shimmering
turquoise waters make it an ideal place to enjoy nature.
1. The people native to Australia are called the:
a. British
b. Aborigines
c. Australians
2. Australia is called the “land down under,” because:
a. The entire continent is upside down.
b. Everyone thought it was a cute nickname.
c. It is below the equator.
3. Read the following sentence from the passage:
Of course, we can see koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats in our
American zoos, but these animals are indigenous to Australia.
The word indigenous probably means:
a. native
b. hungry
c. furry
4. The largest piece of coral in the whole world is:
a. The Florida Keys
b. The Great Barrier Reef
c. Australia’s Brisbane Beach
5. Where do kangaroos live?
a. by the beaches in Australia
b. in the grasslands of Australia
c. only in the outback
6. How are Koalas different from Kangaroos?
a. Koalas are not marsupials.
b. Koalas have feathers and kangaroos have fur.
c. Koalas live only in Australia, while Kangaroos live in other places as well.
7. Australia is known as the world's:
a. smallest continent
b. biggest producer of corn
c. best ever place to scuba dive
8. According to the passage, one reason why students who live in the
outback listen to radio is:
a. to communicate with other people in the outback
b. to hear ESPN broadcasts about sports
c. to learn lessons from their teachers at school
9. Which one of these is NOT a reason the author has given to visit
Australia?
a. to see interesting wildlife
b. to eat Australian food
c. to visit the Great Barrier Reef
10. One thing that Kangaroos cannot do is:
a. walk backwards
b. grow to be nine feet tall
c. eat grass
The pictures above and below are of
the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
The Australian outback has a dry
climate.
climate.
Kangaroos, like the mother and baby
pictured above, live in the grasslands
of Australia.
pictured above, live in the grasslands
of Australia.
Australia is famous for its many
interesting animals. While kangaroos
can be found in nearby Tasmania,
koalas can only be found in Australia.
Koalas are marsupials - animals that
carry their young in a pouch.
interesting animals. While kangaroos
can be found in nearby Tasmania,
koalas can only be found in Australia.
Koalas are marsupials - animals that
carry their young in a pouch.
Take your time when answering the questions. Look back in the passage to find the answers!
***Parents, we have discovered the best way to print these is to highlight the text and copy it
into Microsoft Word and print from there.
***Parents, we have discovered the best way to print these is to highlight the text and copy it
into Microsoft Word and print from there.
Answers:
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b
5. b 6. c 7. a 8. c
9. b 10. a
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b
5. b 6. c 7. a 8. c
9. b 10. a
Welcome To...
Australia
The Land Down Under
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