Aussie attractions


SW goes down under

By Itsarin Tisantia
Photos courtesy of EPA, AP and Reuters


The iconic Sydney Opera House was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2007 by UNESCO. The arts centre is located in Sydney, New South Wales.

As the world’s sixth largest country by total area, Australia covers the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and many smaller islands. Renowned for its quality of life, public health, higher education, economic freedom and civil liberties, Australia is also a country of diverse natural beauty that attracts millions of tourists every year.

For this week’s Freeze Frame, SW takes a look at some famous Australian attractions.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, comprising more than 2,000 individual reefs and 900 islands. It is also the world biggest structure made by living organisms.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an arched bridge across Sydney Harbour. Visitors can see panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House and surrounding areas from the bridge.

The 10 kilometre-long Lord Howe Island is a crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has also been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cradle Mountain in Tasmania rises 1,545 metres above sea level. The distinctive mountain is popular with hiking enthusiasts.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art from both Australia and around the world.

Located in the Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park is Australia’s largest national park.

 

Exercises

Read though Freeze Frame. Then, answer the following reading comprehension questions.

1. Where is the Museum of Contemporary Art located?

2. Uluru is in South Australia. True or false?

3. Which place mentioned in the article is popular for hiking?

4. How many kilometres long is Lord Howe Island?

Vocabulary

  • mainland (n): the main area of land of a country, not including any islands near to it

    liberty (n): freedom to live as you choose without too many restrictions from government or authority

    panoramic (adj): related to a view of a wide area of land

    crescent (n): a curved shape that is wide in the middle and pointed at each end

    remnant (n): a part of something that is left after the other parts have been used, removed, destroyed, etc.

    enthusiast (n): a person who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it

    reef (n): a long line of rocks, sand or coral near the surface of the sea

    organism (n): a living thing, especially one that is extremely small