сократить текст The System of education in Great Britain is rather complicated. By law, children in G.B. go to school at the age of 5. They go to Infant school for two years. At the age of 7 they go to Junior school. So, English children get their Primary education during 6 years. At the age of I1 they take the so-called 11+ examination (Eleven plus exam). It is an examination in English and arithmetic: The I I+ examination includes intelligence testing. Each boy or girl is given a printed test paper, On the test paper we can find 100 questions and 5 answers to each question. The pupil must choose the correct answer to each question. Time is limited. Children who have very good results go to the Grammar school. Some children go to the Secondary Technical schools. Those who have bad results, go to the Secondary Modern school. The education system in the UK The Grammar school prepares pupils for University or college. Those who study at the Secondary Technical school are taught practical subjects, such as commerce, industry and agriculture. The Secondary Modern school gives a very limited education. There pupil get instruction in woodwork, metalwork, sewing, shorthand, typing and cooking. It is difficult to imagine the system of education in Great Britain without Independent Schools. They are boarding schools for children from rich families. The most expensive boarding schools in Britain are exclusive public schools like Eton and Harrow colleges for boys and St. James' school for girls. When the pupils are sixteen they take Ordinary Level ("O" level) examinations in three or four subjects. There is also the Comprehensive School which takes children without any 11+ examinations. At the Comprehensive School children have the opportunity to be taught according to their ability and the level of intelligence. Comprehensive Schools were introduced in 1965. The idea of comprehensive schools was supported by the Labour Party. Some pupils leave the Comprehensive school at 16 without any real qualification. They do not pass GCE (General Certificate of Education) exams and increase the ranks of unemployed people. Those who have passed their "O" level examinations enter the sixth form. In two years they take their Advanced Level examinations ("A" level) in one or two subjects. Those who have passed "A" level examinations can enter colleges or Universities. Universities accept students mainly on the basis of their "A" level results. After graduating from the University a student gets a degree of Bachelor of Arts or Sciences. Students receive grants to pay for books, accommodation and food. The most famous Universities are Oxford and Cambridge. They are called "Oxbridge" The education system in the USA The federal government pays little attention to school education in the USA. There is neither a uniform school system nor a uniform curriculum in the USA. Each state has its own system of schools, but there are some common features in the organization of school education in the country. Schools in the USA can be divided into state (or public) schools and private schools. State schools are free of charge and private schools are fee-paying. One shouldn't confuse American public schools with British ones. In Great Britain private schools are traditionally called public. They are not financed by the Government and education there is not free. In the USA the money for public schools is given by each state, so education in these schools is free. The system of private schools is very popular in the USA. The cost of education in these schools is high and not each family can afford it. Education in the USA is compulsory for children from 6 to 16-18, depending on the state. The system of secondary education has two levels: elementary (primary) and high. Secondary schools in the USA are usually named high school', and the pupils are called students.

Dear Mom, guess where I am writing this letter - I am sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon! We leave Santa Fe two nights ago and arrive here early yesterday morning. And let me tell you, the Grand Canyon is really GRAND! I have already taken a lot of photos so that you can see them, and soon I will take a few more, but in fact, Mom, you won’t believe how great it is! It extends 277 miles from end to end — at a depth of a mile, and in some places — at a mile — and there are so many incredible colors in the rock! Blues, reds, violets, oranges, greens, yellows, and so on. There is a funny story about how the Spaniards first discovered the canyon. When the Spanish explorer first came here in 1540, he sent two of his men to the canyon for research. He told them: "Go there and quickly inspect." Quick look around! No wonder they will never return. They just die there, as long as they have a "look around." You see, the Spaniards never imagined even something so big, so they cannot guess its real size. In any case, we are probably going to spend several days here, but we have not yet decided what we will do after this. See you in a couple of weeks. Love, Mike.

Australia, or the Commonwealth of Australia, as it is officially called, is situated on the island continent. It also occupies the Island of Tasmania and some minor islands round the coast of the continent.

It is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country. Its area is about 8 million km2. It is the only state in the world that occupies the territory of a whole continent.

The capital of Australia is Canberra, which became the capital only in 1927.

From 1787 to 1867 Australia was a place where criminals were sent from Britain. That is why the official language of Australia is English.

Almost one half of Australian territory is occupied by deserts and semideserts. For quite a long period of time it was thought to be useless for economic development. But it is rich in coal, iron ore, bauxites, uranium, lead and many other mineral resources.

For almost a century the production and export of sheep wool was the basis of the economy of the country. Now the most important industries are oil, chemical, ore mining, radioelectronics, and food industry. The country exports agricultural products and raw materials.

As for the nature, the commonest trees of Australia are the eucalyptus and the Australian acacia or mimosa, the national emblem of the country. Such unusual animals as a kangaroo or a koala-bear originate from Australia.

Australia is one of the most unusual and exotic countries of the world. A significant feature of modern Australian society is the representation of a lot of cultures drawn from many lands by its people.

Historically part of the British Empire and now a member of a Commonwealth of Nations, it is a relatively prosperous and independent nation.

Перевод:

Австралия, или Австралийский Союз, как она официально называется, находится на островном континенте. Она также занимает остров Тасмания и небольшие острова вокруг континентального побережья. 

Это весьма развитая индустриально-аграрная страна. Её площадь составляет около 8 млн км2. Это единственное государство в мире, занимающее территорию целого континента. 

Столица Австралии- Канберра, стала столицей лишь в 1927 году. 

С 1787 по 1867 год Австралия была местом, куда отправлялись преступники из Англии. Именно поэтому официальным языком Австралии является английский. 

Почти половину территории Австралии занимают пустыни и полупустыни. В течение довольно долгого времени они считались бесполезными для экономического развития. Но они богаты углём, железной рудой, бокситами, ураном, свинцом и многими другими полезными ископаемыми. 

Почти столетие производство и экспорт шерсти овец являлся основой экономики страны. В настоящее время наиболее важными отраслями являются нефтяная, химическая, горнорудная промышленность, радиоэлектроника, а также пищевая промышленность. Страна экспортирует сельскохозяйственную продукцию и сырьё. 

Что касается природы, то самыми распространенными деревьями в Австралии являются эвкалипт и австралийская акация, или мимоза, - государственный герб страны. Такие необычные животные, как кенгуру или коала, родом тоже из Австралии. 

Австралия является одной из самых необычных и экзотических стран мира. Важной особенностью современного австралийского общества является представительство многих культур, принесённых на континент из разных земель. 

Исторически - часть Британской империи, в настоящее время - член Содружества Наций, Австралия является процветающей и независимой страной.