TEXT 5. NEW ZEALAND

The beautiful island country of New Zealand is a distant nation in the huge Pacific Ocean. The nearest continent to it, more than 1,200 miles away, is, Australia. Like Australia, New Zealand is south of the equator.

Surprising as it may seem, far-off New Zealand is a land of English-speaking people with modern ways of work and play. North Island, South Island, and many other parts in it have English names. Farms and pastures¹ near Christchurch are in a lowland called Canterbury Plains. Mountain Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, and the capital is named Wellington.

Some of the early settlers went to New Zealand because gold was found there. But in Auckland, its largest port, we see signs that today grass, which feeds millions of sheep and cattle, is New Zealand's "gold". Millions of pounds of wool, mutton, and lamb are shipped away. And refrigerated ships carry to other lands so many tons of butter, condensed milk², and cheese that New Zealand is now one of the world's great dairy countries. Britain is its best customer, and supplies most of New Zealand's imports which include automobiles and oils.

Most English settlements in New Zealand are less than a century old. Early settlers found brown-skinned Maori³ natives there. Today the Maoris, who make up only about a twentieth part of the New Zealanders, are highly respected citizens.

New Zealand has some volcanoes and hot springs. December comes in summer there. For Christmas trees, New Zealanders use trees with bright red, real blossoms. But the green pastures, rain, and mild winters and summers help to make people from the British Isles feel at home in New Zealand. Just as Ireland in those islands is called the "emerald isle", New Zealand is a "country of the emerald isles".

Questions

1) Which is the nearest continent to New Zealand?

2) Which is New Zealand's highest mountain?

3) What is New Zealand's capital?

4) What is the largest port in New Zealand?

5) Is New Zealand one of the world's great dairy countries?

Notes

1. pasture - пастбище

2. condensed milk - сгущенное молоко

3. Maori - маори (коренное население Новой Зеландии)