Text 3 the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country in NW Europe which is a member of the EU. The government is based in The Hague. Most of the country is flat and large parts of it are below sea level. The size of the Netherlands has been increased by draining land that was formerly under the sea and building a system of dikes to keep the sea back.

Windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, cheese and pottery are among the items associated with the Netherlands. The country is also known for its less strict attitude towards drugs, especially cannabis. The Dutch rank third worldwide in the value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. Exports include fresh-cut plants, flowers, and bulbs. Holland also exports a quarter of all world tomatoes, and ¹/₃ of the world’s exports of peppers and cucumbers.

Holland has had many well-known painters, such as Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh. Holland is the country of philosophers Erasmus of Rotterdam and Spinoza. The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens discovered Saturn’s moon Titan and invented the pendulum clock. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe single-celled organisms with a microscope.

Text 4 JAPAN

Japan is a country in East Asia consisting of four large islands and many smaller ones. Japan is an ancient civilization but during the 1970s and 1980s it became a rich country with advanced industries, known especially for making cars and electronic goods. When people in the US and UK think of Japan, they typically think of its industrial products and of parts of its traditional culture, such as geishas wearing beautiful kimonos and sumo wrestlers.

Japan is a developed country with high living standards and the longest life expectancy in the world. Most of the islands are mountainous, and there are many earthquakes. Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Only 12% of Japan’s land is suitable for cultivation. Due to this lack of arable land, a system of terraces is used to farm in small areas. This results in one of the world’s highest levels of crop yields per unit area. Although Japan is usually self-sufficient in rice and wheat, the country must import about 50% of other grain and fodder crops.

Japan imports large quantities of wheat, sorghum, and soybeans, primarily from the United States. Japan is the largest market for EU agricultural exports. Pears and oranges were first introduced by Dutch traders, in Nagasaki in the late 18^th century. Japan ranks second in the world behind the People’s Republic of China in tonnage of fish caught. Among the many fish species caught are sardines, tuna, crab, shrimp, salmon, squid, and mackerel.

Text 5 BANGLADESH

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia which separated from Pakistan in 1971 to become an independent nation. Population: 152,518,015 (2012). Capital: Dhaka. Bangladesh is the eighth most populous country in the world and is among the most densely populated countries with a high poverty rate. Although rice and jute are the primary crops, maize and vegetables are becoming important. Due to the expansion of irrigation networks, some wheat producers have switched to cultivation of maize which is used mostly as poultry feed.

Worker in a paddy fieldis a common scene throughout Bangladesh. Two thirds of the population work in the agricultural sector.Because of Bangladesh’s fertile soil and normally ample water supply, rice can be grown and harvested three times a year in many areas. Bangladesh’s labor-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the often unfavorable weather conditions.

Agricultural improvement includes better flood control and irrigation, more efficient use of fertilizers, and the establishment of better distribution and rural credit networks. However, population pressure continues to place a severe burden on production capacity, creating a food deficit.