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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HOLLANDMatch the words with their definitions:

1. Supposedly a. to have something such as a meeting or an election2. Bunch b. approximately3. Density c. used to show that you do not believe that something you

have been told is true

4. Hold d. (of an area of water) deep, wide, or safe enough for a boat to go through5. Dotted e. a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants6. Hallmark f. famous for something7. Drainage g. a number of things of the same type fastened together or in a close group8. Windmills h. adjective describing someone who establishes an important organization

or idea

9. Roughly i. the number of people or things in a place when compared with the sizeof the place

10. Navigable j. to be spread across an area, or to spread many similar things across an area11. Inherited k. describes farming land that is used for, or is suitable for, growing crops12. Ancestor l. money, a house, etc. obtained from someone after they have died13.Renowned m. the study or activity of growing garden plants14.Founding n. a particular place15.Horticulture o. a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing16.Greenhouse p. the system of water or waste liquids flowing away from somewhere

into the ground or down pipes

17.Arable r. a person related to you who lived a long time ago18. Spot s. a building or structure with large blades on the outside that, when turned by the

force of the wind, provide the power for getting water out of the ground or

crushing grain

Now fill the gaps with some of the vocabulary items given above. Change the verb forms if

necessary.

1. The election will be on 8 August.2. John Reith was the .father of the BBC.3. There were portraits of his . on the walls of the room.4. We have ..the same tastes.5. The area has a high/low population ...6. All her children . equally.7. The countryside is . with beautiful churches.8. That stretch of river is too shallow to be ..9. Gladys grows a lot of tomatoes in her ...10.The region is for its outstanding natural beauty.11.Simplicity is a . of this design.

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Read the text about Holland and answer the following questions:

Do you find any similarities between Holland and your country? What picture of the Dutch people does this text present? What problems do the Dutch face? What can attract international tourists to visit the country? Which well-known facts about Holland are not included in this text?

Interesting Facts About Holland There are around 16 million bicycles in Holland, which supposedly means

almost one for every inhabitant.

The highest point in the country is called the mountain and it is as much as323 meters high.

Hollanders usually have a bunch of flowers in their living rooms. Holland has the highest museum density in the world, with almost 1000

museums.

The Van Gogh Museum and the Krller-Mller Museum of Holland house thelargest Van Gogh collections in the world.

The first World Press Photo Exhibition was held in Holland only. The landscape of Holland is dotted with windmills, which have become its

hallmark. A consistent drainage is necessary to save Holland from flooding. For the

purpose, windmills were used in the previous centuries. Holland makes up roughly 13 percent of The Netherlands. The country has over 4,400 km ofnavigable rivers, canals and lakes. The inhabitants of Holland are best known for their unique and colorful

costumes. One can easily find people wearing their traditional costumes - a

culture inherited from their ancestors. They often accessorize their costumewith a pair of wooden shoes.

Talking about the eating habits, Dutch cuisine is renowned in the world for itsrich taste and aroma. Potato is the prime ingredient for a number of traditional

Dutch recipes. Holland is also known for its wide variety of cheese.

Holland is 6.7 meters below sea level, at its lowest point, which is a polder nearRotterdam.

The country was one of the six founding members of the European Community. Holland is quite often termed as a land of compromise, as it always has a

coalition government.

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Horticulture and greenhouse agri-businesses are abundant in the arable landsof Holland.

Holland is the third largest exporter of agricultural produce, after U.S. andFrance, even though only 3% of the Dutch population is employed in the

agriculture sector.

Holland appeared at the first spot in the list of the "happiest" country publishedby the OECD.

Key

Matching:

1. c2. g3. i4. a5. j6. o7. p8. s9. b10.d11. l12.r13. f14.h15.m16.e17.k18.n

Filling the gaps:

19.The election will be held on 8 August.20.John Reith was the founding father of the BBC.21.There were portraits of his ancestors on the walls of the room.22.We have roughly the same tastes.23.The area has a high/low population density.24.All her children inherited equally.25.The countryside is dotted with beautiful churches.26.That stretch of river is too shallow to be navigable.

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27.Gladys grows a lot of tomatoes in her greenhouse.28.The region is renowned for its outstanding natural beauty.29.Simplicity is a hallmark of this design.