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Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area (or 29.4% of its land area) and, with almost 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population.

Chiefly in the eastern and northern hemispheres, Asia can be defined as part of the landmass of Africa-Eurasia, lying east of the Suez Canal, east of the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas. It is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the Indian Ocean, and to the north by the Arctic Ocean.

Due its size and diversity, Asia is more a cultural concept incorporating a number of regions and peoples.

In geography, there are two schools of thought. One school follows historical convention and treats Europe and Asia as different continents, categorizing subregions within them for more detailed analysis. The other school equates the word "continent" with a geographical region, and the term "region" should be used to describe Asia in terms of physiography.

Asia has the 3rd largest nominal GDP of all continents, after North America and Europe. The largest national economy within Asia, in terms of gross domestic product, is the economy of China, which is followed by the economy of India and Japan. They also may rank as follows: Japan, China, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Indonesia. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the economies of China and India have been growing rapidly, both with an average annual growth rate of more than 8%. Other recent very high growth nations in Asia include Pakistan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and mineral rich nations such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman. Historically, Japan has had the largest economy in Asia and second-largest of any single nation in the world. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japan's GDP was almost as large (current exchange rate method) as economy of the rest of Asia combined. In 1995, Japan's economy nearly equalled economy of the USA to tie as the largest economy in the world for a day, after the Japanese currency was able to reach a record high of 79 yen. Economic growth in Asia since World War II to the 1990s had been concentrated in quite a few countries of the Pacific Rim. (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea)

It is expected that China will surpass Japan to have the largest nominal GDP in Asia within a decade. India may overtake Japan by 2030.

Asia is the largest continent in the world by a considerable margin, and it is rich in natural resources, such as petroleum and forests.

Manufacturing in Asia has traditionally been strongest in East and Southeast Asia, particularly in China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Japan and South Korea dominate in the area of multinational corporations, but China, Taiwan, and India are making significant inroads. Many companies from Europe, North America, and Japan have operations in Asia's developing countries to take advantage of its abundant supply of cheap labour and relatively developed infrastructure.

Asia has three main financial centres: Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. They are to become major employers in India and the Philippines due to the availability of a large pool of highly-skilled, English-speaking workers. The increased use of outsourcing has assisted the rise of India and China as financial centres.

Notes:

1. Brunei – [bru: nei] – Бруней

2. United Arab Emirates – [junaitid ærəbe miərits] – Объединенные арабские эмираты

3. Qatar – [kotə] – Катар

4. Kuwait – [ku weit] – Кувейт

5. Saudi Arabia – [saudiə reibjə] – Саудовская Аравия

6. Bahrain – [bə rein] – Бахрейн

7. Oman – [ou ma:n] – Оман

8. Eurasia – Евразия (материк)

9. physiography – физическая география; физиография

I. Прочитайте текст (без словаря).

II. Перепишите следующие предложения; подчеркните в каждом из них глагол-сказуемое и определите его видо-временную форму и залог. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Asia is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the Indian Ocean, and to the north by the Arctic Ocean.

2. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the economies of China and India have been growing rapidly.

3. Economic growth in Asia since World War II to the 1990s had been concentrated in quite a few countries of the Pacific Rim.

4. China will surpass Japan to have the largest nominal GDP in Asia within a decade.

5. Japan and South Korea dominate in the area of multinational corporations, but China, Taiwan, and India are making significant inroads.

III. Перепишите следующие предложения; подчеркните Participle I и Participle II и установите функции каждого из них, т.е. укажите, является ли оно определением, обстоятельством или частью глагола-сказуемого. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Due its size and diversity, Asia is more a cultural concept incorporating a number of regions and peoples.

2. One school follows historical convention and treats Europe and Asia as different continents, categorizing subregions within them for more detailed analysis.

3. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japan's GDP was almost as large as that of the rest of Asia combined.

4. The increased use of outsourcing has assisted the rise of India and China as financial centres.

5. Many companies have operations in Asia's developing countries to take advantage of its cheap labour and relatively developed infrastructure.

IV. Перепишите следующие предложения; подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол или его эквивалент. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Asia can be defined as part of the landmass of Africa-Eurasia.

2. The term "region" should be used to describe Asia in terms of physiography.

3. In 1995 the Japanese currency was able to reach a record high of 79 yen.

4. India may overtake Japan by 2030.

5. Three main financial centres of Asia are to become major employers in India and the Philippines.

V. Прочитайте, перепишите и письменно переведите текст.

VI. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы:

1. Why is Asia the world’s largest and most populous continent?

2. What country has the largest national economy within Asia? Why?

3. What natural resources is Asia rich in?

4. Why do many companies from Europe and America have operations in Asia's developing countries?

5. What promoted the rise of India and China as financial centres?

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