6. Read the text, classify the animals (reptiles, birds, etc.) and speak on the peculiarities of Britain's fauna. Animal inhabitants of the british isles

The animals of the British Isles resemble those of North-Western Europe, though there are fewer kinds. Some of the larger animals, the wolf, the bear and the reindeer, have become destroyed, though reindeer remained in Scotland. Foxes are spread in many districts of the country. One can see seals on different parts of the coast. Smaller animals are rats, squirrels, hares, etc.

There exist about 430 kinds of birds, many of them are song-birds. About 230 kinds are natives and the rest are regular visitors to Britain. The sparrows and starlings are numerous. Many kinds of sea-birds live round the coast and they often fly far inland looking for food. Some kinds of birds are protected by law.

Reptiles are few. There are only three types of snakes of which only one is dangerous. Snakes can't be found in Ireland.

In the British Isles there are more than 21,000 different kinds of insects, most of them small.

Britain's production of sea-fish is about 5 per cent of the world's. But river-fishing in Britain became unimportant, except salmon.

In spring and just before the winter colds begin, the rocks of the island off the west coast of Britain are absolutely covered with birds, flying from the north to the warmer lands. And local people bring food and water for them while the long-distance travelers stop there for a rest.

7. Read the text and pick out words that can be used in description of a bird (e. G. Feathers, to fly, etc.). Then give a short summary of the text. The long history of birds

Birds are descended from archosaurs, the reptile group which also gave rise to the dinosaurs, flying pterosaurs and crocodiles.

Several fossils of Archaeopteryx, a pigeon-sized creature s with feathers and reptile-like teeth, have been found in limestone laid down in the late Jurassic period, around 140 million years ago. About 40 cm long (one-third being tail), it had claws on its wings, legs like a modern bird and a small sternum with attachment areas for wing muscles.

A fossil bird which may predate Archaeopteryx by about 7 million years was found recently in northeastern China. Its beak lacks teeth and it has been named Confuciusornis sanctus.

The next oldest fossil material discovered so far consists of bones and feathers, found in locations ranging from Spain to Australia and dating from around 115 million years ago, in the early Cretaceous period. Lines of ancient birds which eventually died out included toothed, flightless divers like the 1.7 meter-long. Hesperornis, and the seabird-like flier Ichthyornis.

Around 100 million years ago, the first of the "modern" groups of birds, the Neornithes (the "new birds"), appeared. They diversified into many groups during the "age of dinosaurs" and most survived the changes which led to the disappearance of dinosaurs and pterosaurs. .

8. Read the text and speak on the evolution of the birds in Australia. Australia's birds

Australia is home to some of the world's most remarkable birds. They range from rainforest dwellers to birds of the arid inland, monsoon wetlands, woodlands and grassy plains.

The distant ancestors of these birds lived in the southern super-continent Gondwana. Eventually the land mass which was to become Autsralia separated from Antarctica and drifted northwards, its climate gradually becoming drier. The rainforests which had covered the continent shrank, and plants which could endure arid conditions took their place. Some birds stayed in the remaining area of wet forest, while others adapted to drier environments and to the eucalypts, acacias, spinifex and other drought-tolerant plants which grew in them. Enterprising species such as honeyeaters formed special relationships with these plants. A number of bird species were split into eastern and western forms by the growth of a vast central Australian desert.

The arrival of humans changed Australia's birdscapes once again. Use of fire, clearing trees, hunting, and the introduction of overseas plants and animals contributed to the decline of some species. Other species flourished as new habitat was opened up for them.