Summary
Summary of the Content:
A. The activity involves looking at a picture and discussing it with a partner, focusing on identifying what is shown, its location, and any familiarity with such places.
B. Lake Baikal is described as the deepest and one of the largest lakes in the world, located in southern Eastern Siberia, Russia. It is significant for its immense size and age, covering 31,500 sq km, with a maximum depth of 1,620 m. It holds about one fifth of the world’s fresh surface water. The area has hot springs, and the lake experiences stormy weather, especially in autumn, affecting its appearance and water color.
C. Matching words with their meanings includes terms such as "miracle," "basin," "brook," "crest," and "exceptional," with definitions provided for each.
D. A chart is to be completed with information about Lake Baikal, including its location, setting, length, width, maximum depth, area coverage, and water characteristics.
E. A list of Lake Baikal's attractive features is to be made.
F. Personal reflection is encouraged regarding experiences with lakes or rivers that were particularly appealing.
A. Look at the picture. Work in pairs and ask and answer the following questions.
1. What do you think it is?
2. Where is this situated?
3. Are you familiar with something like this?
B. Read the text to find out if your guess about questions 1 and 2 is right.
Lake Baikal is the deepest and one of the biggest and most ancient lakes of the world. It is situated almost in the centre of Asia. Lake Baikal is a gigantic bowl set at 445 meters above sea level. This grand, enormous, unusual and charming miracle of nature is located in the south of Eastern Siberia, in the Buryat Autonomous Republic and region of Irkutsk, Russia.
The lake covers 31,500 sq km. It is 636 km long and on an average of 48 km wide. The widest point of the lake is 79.4 km. The water basin occupies 557,000 sq km. and contains 23,000 cu km (cubic kilometer) of water, which is about one fifth of the world's reservoir of fresh surface water.
The average water level in the lake is never higher than 456m. The average depth of Lake Baikal is 730 m, and its maximum depth in the middle is 1,620 m. It would take about one year for all the rivers of the world to fill Baikal's basin, and would take four hundred years for all the rivers, streams and brooks now flowing into Siberian lakesea to do the same.
There are hot springs in the surrounding area of Lake Baikal. The quality of the water of these springs is excellent. The lake acts as a powerful generator and bio filter producing this water. Baikal is a stormy lake. Autumn is the most stormy time. The wind blows in various directions.
The weather depends on the wind. If it is blowing from the north, the weather is bright and sunny. The water of the lake looks green and dark blue. But if the winds get stronger, Baikal turns black, waves rise high with white crest. The beauty of Lake Baikal is exceptional.
C. Match the words with the meanings.
| Words | Meanings |
|
miracle basin brook crest exceptional |
small stream top outstanding an act believed to be caused by God bowl-shaped depression filled with water |
D. Read the text in C again and complete the chart.
| Lake Baikal | Information |
| location | |
| setting/placed | |
| length | |
| width | |
| maximum depth/ utmost/highest depth |
|
| extended over an area/occupies an area |
|
| water |
E. Make a list of attractive features of Lake Baikal.
F. Have you seen a lake or river that has attracted you very much? If yes, write what aspects of the lake or river appealed to you. If not, go and see a lake or a river. Then write about it.
