Reading
Text 1
Time: 20 minutes
Task 1.
Read the text and questions 1‐5 below. For each question, mark the correct letter A,
B, C or D.
My home is a windmill by Josh Summers, aged 14.My home’s different from where
my friends live because I live in a19th century windmill! My parents saw it one day,
and bought it. It was in poor condition, but it was repaired and now it’s fantastic!
The windmill was once used to make flour from corn. The corn store used to be
downstairs, where our kitchen is now, and horses came there to deliver the corn. The
enormous 20‐metre sails are still on the front, but they don’t turn in the wind like they
used to because it’s too dangerous, so birds live in them instead. There’s always a
ladder up the side of the windmill so that dad can paint it and keep it a nice cream
colour. He also cleans the windows, although a company comes to do the top ones as
the ladder’s too short. Inside it’s like a tent with six sides, and it becomes more
pointed towards the top, so the rooms get smaller. My room’s under the roof and I get
a fantastic view – it’s like looking out of an airplane window. There are some other
houses around now, and a new main road, but I can relax and make a noise when I
play my guitar up there and no one can hear me! I can hear everything, though, like
the birds when it’s quiet, which is really calming, or the very loud storms, which I
can see coming towards us. And I actually find it easier to concentrate on my school
work up there, as my brothers and sisters don’t want to climb up all the stairs, so they
don’t disturb me! I can’t imagine living anywhere else!
1. What is Josh trying to do in the text?
A compare his home with his friends’ homes
B explain why his family chose to live in their current home
C tell readers about advantages of living where he does
D suggest how his home could be improved
2. What does Josh say about the outside of the windmill?
A Wild creatures have made their homes there.
B It’s covered in dark paint.
C There’s a ladder that goes right to the top.
D The windows frequently need cleaning.
3. Josh says that his room
A is a bit like an aeroplane inside.
B is a good place for practicing a musical instrument.
C is the largest one in the windmill.
D is better for relaxing in than doing school work.
4. What does Josh say about the different sounds he hears in the windmill?
A He dislikes the noise of the sails in the wind.
B He enjoys listening to all the birds.
C He feels nervous when a loud storm comes along.
D He’s pleased that he’s not disturbed by any noise.
5. What would a visitor from the 19th century say if they saw the windmill now?
A It’s great that they’ve kept the corn store as it was. The horses used to love coming
there.
B The sails are a lot smaller than they used to be. I suppose that’s for safety reasons.
C It’s still in the same condition as before. The owners never looked after it then,
either.
D You can still see the windmill from miles away. Of course, there weren’t all these
buildings around it then, as a busy road going past.
Task 2.
Read the text and mark statements 6‐12 below as T (true) or F (false).
On 2 November 1982, the British public turned on their television sets for the arrival
of the nation’s fourth TV station, called Channel 4. They were greeted by the smiling
face of local TV news presenter Richard Whiteley, who welcomed them with the
words: ‘As the countdown to a new channel ends, a brand new countdown begins.’
And with this sentence, the words and numbers game show ‘Countdown’ was
launched.
The rules of this new game show were as follows: two contestants faced each other
over several rounds of games with letters and with numbers. Finally, there was the
Conundrum round, where contestants had to work out the nine‐letter anagram. At the
end of the show, the contestant with the highest score won and was invited back the
next day to face a new challenger. However, despite the simplicity of the rules, those
who watched the early editions of the 30‐minute show, which was on five days a
week, could hardly have imagined that it would last any longer than the original
seven weeks that had been planned for it. The first contestants and guests were not
exactly the most exciting people on television. But luckily for ‘Countdown’, there
were enough old people, university students and other people with nothing much to
do each afternoon to keep the show alive. When the show began, Carol Vorderman
won over fans with her amazing mathematical abilities. ’Countdown’ made a
celebrity out of Carol, and these days she’s a familiar face on British TV. Despite her
fame, Carol still loyally turned up on ‘Countdown’ each day to turn over the letters
and show the contestants how to solve the numbers game until she retired in 2008.
Yes, that is correct – nearly 30 years since it began, ‘Countdown’ continues to keep
its audience’s brains working every afternoon. In fact, on 3 January 2006, it
celebrated its 4,000th show. Other signs of its success include the increase in the
length of each programme to 45 minutes, the addition of a show on Saturdays and the
number of British celebrities who have made an appearance.
6. ‘Countdown’ was the first programme ever shown on Channel 4. ……………
7. Every day two new contestants compete to become ‘Countdown’
champion. …………..
8. Originally only 35 programmes of ‘Countdown’ were planned.
……………
9. The early shows were popular with working people.
……………
10. Carol Vorderman is no longer involved with the show.
……………
11. These days ‘Countdown’ is on for four and a half hours every
week. ……………
12. More and more famous people like turning up on the programme. ……………
Task 3.
Read the text and match sentences 13‐20 below with paragraphs A‐F of the text.
The History of BMX Biking
A. BMX biking began in the late 1960s in southern California. It’s based on the sport
of motocross, which dates back to 1924 and involves racing motorbikes across rough
tracks. It started when children began to copy motocross riders by racing their bikes
on tracks which they built themselves. This new form of bike racing was named
bicycle motocross, or BMX.
B. In July 1971, a movie about motocross called ‘On Any Sunday’ came out. At the
start of the film a group of kids from California are shown riding their bicycles as if
they were riding motorbikes. This helped to make BMX biking more popular. Soon
BMX races attracted hundreds of riders.
C. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the most famous BMX bike was the Schwinn
Sting‐Ray; this was the bike every young rider wanted to own. At this time 70 per
cent of all bicycle sales in the USA were either the Sting‐Ray or similar models. By
the mid 1970s BMX design had improved a lot and there were many new models to
choose from. But the bikes all had the same sized wheels and usually only one brake.
D. In 1977, the American Bicycle Association was formed to organize the
competitions and to make the rules. The sport was also becoming popular in other
parts of the world, particularly in Europe. The first BMX world championship was
held in Indianapolis, USA, in 1978. Most of the 165 competitors were teenagers, but
there were also children competing in special races for the under 8s and under 12s.
There were separate races for boys and girls. There weren’t many nationalities
present at this competition; apart from Americans there were only a few riders from
Australia, Japan and Venezuela.
E. Since that time the number of races for adults has grown very quickly, but BMX
racing didn’t become a full Olympic sport until the 2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing. Maris Stromberg from Latvia won the first ever Olympic men’s gold medal
for BMX racing and Anne‐Caroline Chausson from France became the first women’s
champion.
F. As the popularity of BMX grew, riders were constantly testing the limits of their
bikes. BMX wasn’t just about racing any more. Riders began to take their bikes to
skateboard parks and started performing tricks and jumps. This became known as
‘freestyle’ and riders soon began to practice this as much as racing.
13. There were races for different age groups at the first BMX world championships.
____
14. BMX freestyle started because BMX riders wanted new challenges. ____
15. BMX biking was invented by children.
____16. The Schwinn Sting‐Ray
was the favourite model of BMX riders to begin with. ____
17. More BMX bikes were sold than any other type of bike in the USA in the early
1970s.____
18. Many people learned about BMX biking from a film.
____
19. BMX biking appeared more than 40 years after its prototype – motocross. ____
20. Some riders from Asia and Latin America took part in the first BMX world
championship. ____
Task 4.
Transform the words in brackets so that they grammatically corresponded to the
contents of the text.
Adopt or Die?
As history shows, monarchies need to reform 23)______(THEY), if they want to
survive. 24)_________(ARGUE) about the Monarchy are as old as the institution
itself. But this summer, critics who have been calling for reform were taken by
surprise. According to the Political 25) _______(EDIT) of the Sun newspaper, Trevor
Kavanagh, it is the
Queen who has recognized, the need for change. "She set up the committee four years
ago," he said. "They meet every six months, and she, at the age of 70, looks into the
future and understands that the Royal Family has to change taking into account the
changing times". Buckingham Palace has not revealed all the details about the
committee's 26) _______(DISCUSS), but it is clear that the Queen is considering
changing some of the Monarchy's more ancient rules. One
27)____________(PROPOSE) is to end the law, which says that the title of Monarch
passes to sons rather than daughters. The present Queen only inherited the title
because there were no male heirs. But big changes are not expected soon. It is clear
that these meetings are part of an 28) ______(EVOLUTION), not revolutionary
process of change and reform. The British Monarchy has, throughout history, been
very good at adapting to circumstances. It has survived wars,
29)__________(POLITICS) and social changes, and tips and downs in its
30)_______(POPULAR).
Task 5.
1) Read the text twice and do the following tasks.
Thirty years ago my family were one of the lucky ones and went on
holiday, once a year for a week. They went every year to the nearest
seaside resort where there were a few traditionally run hotels, a beach, a
little town and that was it. Today tourism is big business throughout the
world and our expectations and life styles have greatly changed.
There are those people, especially environmentalists, who see the
growth of tourism as a disaster for the environment as well as local
cultures. Tourism has often meant huge hotel complexes, swimming
pools, pollution and overcrowding that has destroyed many beautiful
places. This has been the case on the Costa del Sol in Spain, which has
been literally invaded by tourists for the past few decades. As the
tourists start to look for more exotic places to go on holiday, the
problem with protecting yet unspoiled areas in, for example, South East
Asia, Central America and Africa grows.
Many of us have laughed at the documentary film that shows an
American tourist group on a sightseeing tour in Norway. Whenever the
guide points out a local sight of interest someone on the bus notices a
McDonald's or another American Company on the ot her side of the bus,
and everyone's attention is drawn to that. This is a good example of how
many people, who go abroad on holiday, are actually more interested in
familiar surroundings than discovering the local culture. As a result,
travel companies try to make the resorts look as much as possible like
the environment the tourists are used to.
Yet the growth of tourism has opened up parts of the world and
enabled travellers to go to places they could only have dreamed of thirty
years ago. The meeting of different cultures in this way has led to a
greater mixture of cultures and habits. Take food for example: Italian
dishes such as spaghetti are nowadays eaten all over the wo rld.
On a more serious level, foreign tourists bring in much needed
foreign investment and this can help that country buy equipment and
goods from abroad. In this way tourism is good for an area country.
True or False
1. THE NARRATOR'S FAMILY usualy went on HOLIDAY TO RESORTS TWICE A YEAR.
A. True
B. FALSE
2. NOW TOURISTS TRY TO find more exotic places FOR A HOLIDAY.
A. True
B. FALSE
3. SOME PEOPLE THINK that the growth of tourism HAS BEEN HARMFUL TO NATURE.
A. True
B. FALSE
4. MANY TOURISTS on a holiday abroad laugh at Mc DONALD'S or OTHER
AMERICAN
COMPANIES.
A. True
B. False
5. COSTA DEL Sol in Spain hadn't been a popular tourist place UNTIL A few
DECADES AGO.
A. True
B. False
6. TOURISM HAS led to the disappearance of MANY cultures.
A. True
B. False
7. TRAVEL companies cry to make the RESORTS look different from the
ENVIRONMENT
THE TOURISTS are
8.
used to.
A. True
B. False
Tourism IS often the most IMPORTANT source of investment for
DEVELOPING
countries.
A. True
Task 6.
B. False
Read the text twice and do the following tasks.
Thirty years ago my family were one of the lucky ones and went on
holiday, once a year for a week. They went every year to the nearest
seaside resort where there were a few traditionally run hotels, a beach, a
little town and that was it. Today tourism is big business throughout the
world and our expectations and life styles have greatly changed.
There are those people, especially environmentalists, who see the
growth of tourism as a disaster for the environment as well as local
cultures. Tourism has often meant huge hotel complexes, swimming
pools, pollution and overcrowding that has destroyed many beautiful
places. This has been the case on the Costa del Sol in Spain, which has
been literally invaded by tourists for the pa st few decades. As the
tourists start to look for more exotic places to go on holiday, the
problem with protecting yet unspoiled areas in, for example, South East
Asia, Central America and Africa grows.
Many of us have laughed at the documentary film that shows an
American tourist group on a sightseeing tour in Norway. Whenever the
guide points out a local sight of interest someone on the bus notices a
McDonald's or another American Company on the other side of the bus,
and everyone's attention is drawn to that. This is a good example of how
many people, who go abroad on holiday, are actually more interested in
familiar surroundings than discovering the local culture. As a result,
travel companies try to make the resorts look as much as possible like
the environment the tourists are used to.
Yet the growth of tourism has opened up parts of the world and
enabled travellers to go to places they could only have dreamed of thirty
years ago. The meeting of different cultures in this way has led to a
greater mixture of cultures and habits. Take food for example: Italian
dishes such as spaghetti are nowadays eaten all over the wo rld.
On a more serious level, foreign tourists bring in much needed
foreign investment and this can help that country buy equipment and
goods from abroad. In this way tourism is good for an area country.
True or False
1. THE NARRATOR'S FAMILY usualy went on HOLIDAY TO RESORTS TWICE A YEAR.
A. True
B. FALSE
2. NOW TOURISTS TRY TO find more exotic places FOR A HOLIDAY.
A. True
B. FALSE
3. SOME PEOPLE THINK that the growth of tourism HAS BEEN HARMFUL TO NATURE.
A. True
B. FALSE
4. MANY TOURISTS on a holiday abroad laugh at Mc DONALD'S or OTHER
AMERICAN
COMPANIES.
A. True
B. False
5. COSTA DEL Sol in Spain hadn't been a popular tourist place UNTIL A few
DECADES AGO.
A. True
B. False
6. TOURISM HAS led to the disappearance of MANY cultures.
A. True
B. False
7. TRAVEL companies cry to make the RESORTS look different from the
ENVIRONMENT
THE TOURISTS are
8.
A. True
Tourism
used to.
IS
B. False
often the most
IMPORTANT
source of investment for
DEVELOPING
countries.
A. True
B. False
Task 7.
Transform the words in brackets so that they grammatically corresponded to the
contents of the text.
Adopt or Die?
As history shows, monarchies need to reform 23)______(THEY), if they want to
survive. 24)_________(ARGUE) about the Monarchy are as old as the institution itself.
But this summer, critics who have been calling for reform were taken by surprise.
According to the Political 25) _______(EDIT) of the Sun newspaper, Trevor Kavanagh,
it is the
Queen who has recognized, the need for change. "She set up the committee four years
ago," he said. "They meet every six months, and she, at the age of 70, looks into the
future and understands that the Royal Family has to change taking into account the
changing times". Buckingham Palace has not revealed all the details about the
committee's 26) _______(DISCUSS), but it is clear that the Queen is considering
changing
some
of
the
Monarchy's
more
ancient
rules.
One
27)____________(PROPOSE) is to end the law, which says that the title of Monarch
passes to sons rather than daughters. The present Queen only inherited the title because
there were no male heirs. But big changes are not expected soon. It is clear that these
meetings are part of an 28) _____________ ______(EVOLUTION), not revolutionary
process of change and reform. The British Monarchy has, throughout history, been very
good at adapting to circumstances. It has survived wars, 29)__________(POLITICS)
and social changes, and tips and downs in its 30)_______(POPULAR).
Task 8.
You are going to read Jane’s story. For questions 1 -7, choose the correct answer
A,B,C or D.
During the baking hot months of the summer holidays my mother and I used to
escape to one of the scattered lakes north of Prince Albert. In its magic surroundings
we used to spend the long summer days in the open air, swimming and canoeing or
just lying dreaming in the sun. In the evening the lake was always a bright, luminous
grey after the unbelievable sunset colours had faded.
The last summer before we returned to England was particularly enchanted. For
one thing, I was in love for the first time. No one will ever convince me that one
cannot be in love at fifteen. I loved then as never since, with all my heart and without
doubts or reservations or pretence.
My boyfriend Don worked in Saskatoon, but the lake was ''his place'' – the
strange and beautiful wilderness drew him with an obsessive urgency, so I suspected it
was not to see me that he got on his motor-cycle as many Fridays as he possibly could,
and drove three hundred-odd miles along the pitted prairie roads to spend the
weekends at our place.
Sometimes he couldn't come, and the joy would go out of everything until
Monday, when I could start looking forward to Friday again. He could never let us
know in advance, as we were too far from civilization to have a phone or even a
telegraph service. Three hundred miles in those conditions is quite a journey. Besides,
Don was hard up, and sometimes worked overtime at weekends.
One Friday night a storm broke out. I lay in bed and listened to the thunder and
the rain beating on the roof. Once I got up and stood looking out over the treetops,
shivering. I tried not to expect Don that night hoping he would have enough sense to
wait until the storm ended. Yet in my frightened thoughts I couldn't help imagining
Don fighting the storm. His motorbike, which had always looked to me so heavy and
solid, seemed in my thoughts frail enough to be blown onto its side by the first gust
that struck it. I thought of Don pinned under it, his face pressed into the mud.
I crawled back into bed, trying to close my throat against the tears. But when my
mother, prompted by the deep sympathy and understanding between us, came in to
me, she kissed my cheek and found it wet.
"Don't get upset, Jane,'' she said softly. ''He may still come.''
When she had tucked me in and gone, I lay thinking about Don, about the danger
of the roads. You couldn't ride or walk along them safely after heavy rain; your feet
would slip from under you. The roads in Northern Canada are not like the friendly
well-populated English ones, where there are always farmhouses within walking
distance and cars driving along them day and night.
It was hours later, that I suddenly realized the sound of the roaring engine was
real. The storm was dying.
1. Every summer Jane used to spend
A. in the camp
B. by the sea side
C. near the lake
D. in the village
2. The last summer was particularly fascinating for Jane because she
A. spent it in the magic surroundings.
B. had a lot of fun in the open air.
C. enjoyed unbelievable sunsets by the lake.
D. fell in love for the first time.
3. Jane believes that love at fifteen is
A. a sincere deep feeling.
B. associated with doubts.
C. full of reservations.
D. connected with pretence.
4. Don travelled three hundred-odd miles every weekend because he was
A. desperate to see the author before she left.
B. fond of riding his motorcycle.
C. attracted by the beauty of the lake.
D. fond of spending weekends with his friends.
5. Sometimes Don didn't come to see Jane and her mother on Friday because he
A. thought they were too far from civilization.
B. had given up hope of seeing the author.
C. worked to make some extra money.
D. hated travelling in exhausting conditions.
6. Mother came into Jane's room during the storm because she
A. felt Jane was afraid of the thunder.
B. felt Jane was worried about Don.
C. heard Jane walking in the room.
D. heard Jane crying in her bed.
7. According to the author the roads in Northern Canada were
A. slippery.
B. muddy.
C. lonely.
D. busy.
Task 9.
Each night after it was dark, young Johann Sebastian Bach would steal away
from his home in Eisenach inGermany, taking with him a manuscript of organ music
by the great masters. Then, sitting in the moonlight, he would carefully copy out the
compositions into one of his well-thumbed school exercise books.
The manuscript belonged to Johann’s married brother, Christoph, who had the
responsibility of looking after the boy on the death of their father.
Christoph was very proud and jealous of his organ manuscript and refused to let
anyone in the family see it. Six months later, in 1696, Christoph discovered what
Johann had done. He took both the manuscript and the copy away from him.
Choose the best answer (a, b, c, or d)
8. In what way did Johann leave his home?
a. He left the house hurriedly.
c. He ran out of the house.
b. He left the house secretly.
d. He walked out of the house.
9. What does the word “would” express in line 1?
a. That he sometimes went away.
c. That he was in the habit of going
away.
b. That he wanted to go away.
d. That he was not allowed to go away.
10. Who are meant by “the great masters” (line 3)?
a. composers
c. musicians
b. managers
d. school teachers
11. What do you know about his exercise books?
a. They were much used.
c. They were dirty.
b. They were new.
d. They were well-kept.
12. “looking after the boy” (line 6) stands for:
a. going after the boy
c. keeping the boy indoors
b. going in search of the boy
d. taking care of the boy
13. Why did Christoph not only take away the manuscript but also the copy?
a. He was jealous of his property.
c. Johann had deceived him.
b. He was very proud of his property.
d. Johann was not allowed to see them.
14. Which words are the strongest indication that Christoph was older than
Johann?
a. “Young Johann Sebastian Bach”
c. “the responsibility of looking after the
boy
b.
“Johann’s
married
brother, d. “Christoph was very proud and
Christoph”
jealous”
Task 11.
Read the text about
Sister Wendy, TV Star!
Sister Wendy Beckett has been a nun for nearly 50 years, since she was 16.
Most of the time she lives in solitary confinement in a caravan in the grounds of a
Carmelite monastery in Norfolk, often not speaking to anyone for 22 hours a day. But
every few months she leaves her caravan and travels round Europe, staying in
international hotels and eating in famous restaurants. Why is she leading this double
life? How does a nun who has devoted her life to solitude and prayer become a visitor
to the Ritz?
Sister Wendy has a remarkable other life. She writes and presents an arts
programme for BBC television called “Sister Wendy`s Grand Tour”. In it, she visits
European art capitals and gives her personal opinions on some of the world`s most
famous works of art. She begins each programme with these words: “For over 20
years I lived in solitude. Now I`m seeing Europe for the first time. I`m visiting the
world`s most famous art treasures.”
She speakes clearly and plainly, with none of the academic verbosity of art
historians. TV viewers love her common-sense wisdom, and are fascinated to watch a
kind, elderly, bespectacled, nun who is obviously delighted by all she sees. They are
infected by her enthusiasm. Sister Wendy believes that although God wants her to
have a life of prayer and solitary contemplation, he has also given her a mission to
explain art in a simple manner to ordinary people. She says: “I think God has been
very good to me. Really I am a disaster as a person. Solitude is right for me because
I`m not good at being with other people. But of course I enjoy going on tour. I have a
comfortable bed, a luxurious bath and good meals, but the joy is mild compared with
the joy of solitude and silent prayer. I always rush back to my caravan. People find
this hard to understand. I have never wanted anything else; I am a blisfully happy
woman.”
Sister Wendy`s love of God and art is matched only by her love of good food
and wine. She takes delight in poring over menus, choosing a good wine and
wondering whether the steak is tender enough for her to eat because she has no back
teeth. However, she is not delighted by her performance on television.
“I can`t bear to watch myself on television. I feel that I look so silly – a
ridiculous blackclothed figure. Thank God we don`t have a television at the
monastery. I suppose I am famous in a way, but as 95% of my time is spent alone in
my caravan, it really doesen`t affect me. I`m unimportant.”
Sister Wendy earned £1, 200 for the first series. The succes of this resulted in an
increase for the second series. The money is bieng used to provide new shower rooms
for the Carmelite monastery.
Say if the sentence is true or false:
1. Sister Wendy spends a lot of time alone.
2. She travels to art capitals all over the world.
3. Her television programmes are popular because she meets famous art
historians and interviews them.
4. She believes that God wants her to lead this double life.
5. She doesn`t enjoy being alone in her caravan any more.
6. She only eats plain food and she doesn`t drink alcohol.
7. Some of her teeth are missing.
8. She loves watching herself on television.
9. The other nuns at the monastery always watch her programmes on television.
10.Sister Wendy is using the money she has earned to improve the monastery.
11.
Task 12.
Read the text and choose the best possible answer to the questions given
below.
The Belly And The Members by Aesop
Long ago when the members of the human body had very strong wills of their own
and did not work together as amicably as they do now, they denounced the belly for
leading an idle and luxurious life, while they were wholly occupied in supporting it
and ministering to its wants and pleasures. At one point, they agreed to cut off the
belly's supplies for the future. The hands declared that they would not lift a thing, not
even a crust of bread, the mouth that it would not accept any more food for the teeth
to chew, the legs that they would no longer carry the belly from place to place, and
so on with the others. No sooner did they set to their plan of starving the belly into
subjection, than they all began, one by one, to fail and flag so that the whole body
started to pine away. Consequently, the members became convinced that the belly,
cumbersome and useless as it seemed to be, also had an important function of its
own. In fact, they realized that they were just as dependent on it as it was on them
and that if they wanted to keep the body in a healthy state, they would have to work
together for the common good of all.
1. Why were the members of the body upset?
a) They were quarrelsome and decided to pick a fight with each other.
b) Their strong wills drove them to accuse the belly of being lazy and useless.
c) They thought they were too dependent on the belly.
d) Each part only thought about itself and couldn't make a plan to outwit belly.
2. «Ministering» in line 4 most closely means:
a) serving;
b) preaching;
c) helping;
d) accepting.
3. What did the members decide to do about their predicament?
a) tо kill the belly;
b) to protest by ignoring the belly;
c) to serve only themselves with life's pleasures;
d) to punish the belly with a lack of nourishment.
4. The belly could actually best be described as:
a) idle; leading a luxurious life;
b) industrious; an energy producing furnace;
c) strong; a forceful muscle;
d) smart; a central control agent.
5. What is the most important moral that this story is trying to convey?
a) People are not always what they seem.
b) Communities are reliant on each of their different parts.
c) People need their stomachs to survive.
d) People shouldn't complain about their predicaments no matter how bad they
seem.
Task 13.
Read the announcement of various exhibitions (1-10) and match exhibitions with
various interests of people (А-К) below. One of the categories is extra.
Museum and exhibition update
(1)
This exhibition shows a less well-known side of the famous French writer Victor
Hugo. He was also a talented and experimental visual artist. The exhibition proves
that in fact he understood a lot of the new 2.0th century art movements and
tendencies.
(2)
This exhibition looks at the American landscape of the 19th century, which is part of
American art history not known in Europe. At that time landscape was the most
important form for US artists who turned to nature for their inspiration.
(3)
It is an exhibition of paintings by Zuloaga, an artist from the Basque region. His
work includes intimate portraits of people of Spain from the late-19th to mid-20th
centuries. There is a gallery of different human characters as well as Spanish
landscapes.
(4)
Taylor-Wood is an important representative of the 'New British Art'. She works
mostly with video and photography. This exhibition presents a series of large-format
photos which bring her personal interpretation of pre-Renaissance religious motifs.
(5)
Hammons is an American artist who uses everyday things and materials. Colours,
smells and sounds are here as important as the visual reality of his works. The
exhibition presents the artist's reflection on Afro-American identity.
(6)
Corchero specialises in interactive multimedia installations which combine sound,
smell, video and CD-Rom projections. This exhibition, the highest point of his career
so far, shows a dark, lonely sea — a poetic space full of symbolism.
(7)
This exhibition is a selection of portraits by Diaz. They are mostly drawings of the
most important cultural, popular and political figures of his times (1882.-1969). The
portraits are drawn with elegant lines, showing some experimental influence.
(8)
Voramar shows his latest work: armchairs, bicycles and pieces of furniture which are
painted in rich colours. All these objects of everyday life are shown in his pictures
against abstract backgrounds, but look harmonious and very peaceful.
(9)
The career of Serrano included many creative fields till finally he concentrated on
photography. He is a lover of classical culture and some of his photos show classical,
Greek and Roman, influence. This display invites us to reflect on symbolism in art
and life.
(10)
This exhibition shows 100 years of Spanish life in photos. The photos have been
selected to concentrate on portraits of everyday life. They have also been selected to
present the similarities and differences at the two turns of the century.
(adopted from: “Museum and exhibition update”, In Madrid)
Which exhibition will be interesting for somebody who
A. would like to see important people in Spanish history?
B. is interested in modern British art?
C. wants to know something new about a famous person?
D. likes modern interpretation of classical art?
E. would like to know more about one type of American art?
F. wants to see the best work of one particular artist?
G. is interested in art showing things from everyday life?
H. wants to see the paintings of the artist coming from one part of Spain?
I. believes that art is not only looking, but smelling and listening, too?
J. would like to see what the world was like a hundred years ago?
K. wants to learn something about contemporary Spanish sculpture?
Task 14.
Food for Free.
Andy Wallace has invited me to dinner while I interview him, so I meet him at
eight o’clock, not at some charming local cafe or new Japanese sushi bar, but at the
back of the local supermarket beside the rubbish bin. As I come round the corner, he
is already poking his head into one of enormous skips, and pulling out bulging bags
of things. ‘Look at this,’ he calls, beckoning to me. ‘Have a tuna sandwich - they
look delicious. And here’s some almond croissants. And we've also got bananas and
some yoghurts. Fantastic.’ Andy is a ‘freegan’ - pronounced /fri:gan/. He can
perfectly well afford to buy food, but he chooses not to as a protest against our
shamefully wasteful consumer society. ‘It’s an outrage.' he explains, as he tucks into
a crayfish and lettuce baguette. This food is perfectly good and could have fed at
least thirty people, it should not be in the bin in the first place.'
With a shocking four million people in Britain suffering they do not have
access to a decent diet, it seems he has a point. And it’s not just the big
supermarkets that waste food - we are all just as guilty. According to a recent
goverment survey, up to a third of the food we buy is thrown away, which in the UK
amounts to a staggering & 420 of wasted food per adult per year. Lord Haskins, the
government’s food and farming adviser, said. 'We are very greedy when we go and
shop. Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs in homes and in restaurants’.
The food redistribution charity,‘Fareshare’, specialises in collecting highquality food before it is past its sell-by date, and taking it to the many charities who
feed our country’s poor and vulnerable. Although the company has doubled in size
in the last year, it is simply not able to cope with the endless supply of wasted food
on its own. For a better example, we need to look to that enormous monument to
consumerism which is the USA. If we were able to redistrubute as mucn food as they
do in the USA, we could give out at least 50,000 tonnes of freefood a year. If only
our government supported these food redistribution charities, along with forcing our
food businesses to cooperate, then it would be possible.
At the moment, most of our nation's surplus food goes, along with the other
rubbish, to one of our many landfill sites, where it decomposes into methane - a
greenhouse gas over 20 times more destructive to the planet than carbon dioxide.
Simply by dealing this one problem, Britain could reduce its emissions by 5%.
Freegans feel strongly that our wasteful consumerist culture with all its endless
producing, packaging, buying and binning, is entirely to blame for the destruction of
the planet. So, as a freegan, Andy is committed to taking as little part in this massive
cycle of consumerism as possible.’I just never buy food,’he explains. ‘Either I look
for it outside supermarkets or restaraunts, or I grow it in my garden. I also recycle
and mend everything. I actually have not bought anything new for years, and do you
know what –I have not needed to. In fact, it is amazing what you don’t really need!’ I
was so impressed by Andy’s life view that I overcame my initial disgust at what our
dinner had actually come out of , opened a sandwich and started to eat.
11th Form. Reading Comprehension. Food for Free.
True/False Statements.
1. Andy eats food from skips because he can’t afford to buy food from shops.
2. Every year about 33% of the food that we buy is thrown away.
3. It is just the fault of the big supermarkets in the endless supply of wasted food.
4. ‘Vegan’ is a person who can buy food for himself but he does not do that because he
gives all his money to charities.
5. The charity ‘Fareshare’ buys food that is past its sell-by- date and gives it to poor
people.
6. Last year ‘Fareshare’ doubled the amount of the wasted food it redistributed among
the poor people.
7. The USA is better than the UK at reusing food that would otherwise be wasted.
8. The food that is thrown away also causes environmental problems.
9. Andy gets all his food from outside supermarkets and restaurants.
10.The writer was so disgusted that he couldn’t bring himself to eat the food that Andy
offered him.
History Lessons.
Napoleon Bonaparte said: “History is the version of past events that people
have decided to agree upon”. Think of these words. What do you know about some
historical events? Where did you get your information from? Did you ever think
about those who wrote down these facts? How can you be sure that they are true?
The thing is that many historical “truths” are in fact historical myths. Let’s take
some examples. In America, the 4th of July is Independence Day, the most
important holiday in American calendar, which Americans celebrate with parades
and fireworks. It was on 4th July, 1776 that Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence. It was a good start. However, the struggle continued for another
seven years after this, with some of the most brutal fighting in the whole war, as
King George III was not willing to grant America total independence, which was
the only arrangement that the American leaders would accept. So the fighting
continued. The first draft of a Treaty of Peace was signed in November 1782 and in
February 1783 the King officially announced that the war would soon be over. This
led to the signing of the Treaty of Paris on 3rd September that same year.
Think about the discovery of America. What’s the first name that comes to
mind?
More than likely it’s Christopher Columbus. Was America really discovered
by him? He had set out to reach Asia and that’s where he thought he was when he
came to America. But there were many people there before him. The first ones were
certainly the Native Americans, thousands of years before 1492. Where had they
come from? Even the Vikings had made a number of expeditions, with Leif Eriksson
landing there in around 1000 AD. Perhaps Amerigo Vespucci was the discoverer of
America. After all, unlike Columbus before him, he was the first fifteenth-century
explorer to realise where he was, or rather, where he definitely wasn’t. So, maybe the
word “re-discover" is more accurate when it comes to Columbus, if history is to give
him any credit at all. Everyone believes such historical "facts" because, like you, they
got them from what they thought was a reliable source. But how can such things be
written down in the first place? One of the reasons must be that histoкy is seldom
"cut and dried". The events are often complicated and messy. The achieving of
American independence was a lengthy affair. Presumably 4th July was chosen as the
date to celebrate because it was seen as more significant than the dale of the actual
end of the war. Another reason is that such myths always contain a grain of truth.
Columbus was not the first person to travel to America, but he was the first fifteenthcentury explorer to go there. His "re-discovery" was, from a historical point of view,
extremely significant for Europe since his voyages opened up large-scale commerce
between Europe and America. History has traditionally been written by the winners.
If the conquered indigenous peoples had written the history of the discovery of the
New World, it would most probably have been very different, but not necessarily
objective: the point of view of the conquered can be just as biased as the point of
view of the conqueror. But that is not the whole story. The writing of history depends
not only on the "side" the writer is on, but also on the culture and attitudes of the era
it is written in. History is always subjective. So, remember: when you read history,
take it with a pinch of salt..
True/False Statements.
1. Napoleon Bonaparte thought that historical events were described very
subjectively.
2. The author confirms that many historical facts are not true.
3. On the 4th of July Americans did not get real freedom from the English King.
4. Christopher Columbus was not the first man who landed in America.
5. Besides Columbus, the Vikings made a lot of expeditions in search a new way
to Asia.
6. Amerigo Vespucci and Christopher Columbus were two great explorers who
realized what they had discovered.
7. The author of the article believes that many historical facts have been taken
from unreliable sources.
8. Historical events are often complicated and messy that is why they can not be
written down properly.
9. The author tells us that history has been traditionally written by winners.
10. The author advises us to read history with a bit of distrust to historical facts and
figures.
History Lessons.
1. America was not actually free from British rule until
A July, 1776
B November 1782.
C February, 1783.
D September 1783.
2.
A
B
C
D
One thing that is definitely true is that
Christopher Columbus didn't know he had found a new land.
the Native Americans had always been in America.
the Vikings were the first to discover America.
Amerigo Vespucci was the first explorer to travel to America.
3. The writer thinks an important difference between Amerigo Vespucci and
Christopher Columbus is the fact that
A Vespucci was a braver discoverer.
B Columbus had made more expeditions.
C Vespucci had a dearer idea of his place on the map.
D Columbus is less well known than Vespucci.
4.
A
B
C
D
Which of these historical events did the author name by the word “re-discover”?
The appearnce of Native Americans on the continent.
Columbus expedition.
Leif Erikson landing.
Amerigo Vespucci expedition.
5.
A
B
C
D
People believe in things that are not true because historical facts are
taken from unreliable sources.
written down.
not complicated.
not simple.
6.
A
B
C
D
Columbus is credited with the discovery of America because
the fact that he travelled there is true.
the historical myth happens to be completely true.
his voyage there had important consequences.
he wrote the history of New World explorations.
7. The 4th of July had been chosen as the date to celebrate American Independence
because
A it was better to celebrate this holiday on a summer day.
B this day was more significant than the actual end of war.
C on that day the Treaty of Peace was signed.
D this day coincided with the Day of Discovery of America.
8. If native people had written the history of the New World, then history would
have been
A accurate.
B complete.
C objective.
D different.
9. What did the author mean when he said about writing history “that is not the
whole story”?
A History should always be written by the losers.
B The writing history depends on many factors.
C The history of the discovery of the New World was never finished.
D History should not be written by the winners.
10. What might be a suitable alternative title for the text?
A There is no history, only biography.
B History is deception.
C History lies, lies, lies!
D History is just a version of the past.
Task 15. USE OF ENGLISH
Match sentences 1‐10 with the way (a‐k) each person is travelling in Great Britain.
There is one
extra means of travelling.
1. I am often called to rescue people, because I can take off and land in difficult
places.
2. When the traffic lights turned green, my dad drove away.
3. I got a flat tyre as I was on my way to school.
4. We had to wait for ages on the platform.
5. You get a seat upstairs and I’ll buy a ticket from the driver.
6. The waves are coming right over the side, so we’re all getting wet!
7. The driver will take us to our door, and we’ll pay when we get there.
8. I go very fast when I’m riding this, so it’s dangerous not to wear a helmet.
9. After we’d all got in, the door shut and we dived down under the water.
10. We climbed into the basket and took off from a field – it was really quiet!
a motorcycle
b boat
c train
d helicopter
e submarine
f hot air balloon
g bus
h car
i bicycle
j taxi
k airplaneTask 2.
Task 16. Complete the sentences with the prepositions from the box. The
prepositions can be used more than once.
into with out of on to
by
off
11. The man got ……… his yellow car and walked away.
12. We’re going to Spain ……... sea – we’re taking the ferry.
13. The ship will leave as soon as everyone is …….. board.
14. We got …….. the bus when we reached our stop, and walked home.
15. The train left the station exactly …….. time.
16. My bike needs fixing, so I’ll have to go into town …….. foot.
17. We got ……… the car and drove to the beach.
18. We’ll be away …….. holiday for two weeks.
19. They both think that sharing a room ……… a brother or sister has advantages.
20. When your remote‐control model is ready, you can look forward ……… playing
with it in a park.
Task 17. USE OF ENGLISH (30 POINTS)
Choose the right variant from a), b), c) or d).
1. Have you ever visited other countries? - Yes, I... to Italy and France.
a) was c) had been,
b) have been d) would be
2. I feel really tired. We ... to the party last night and have just returned home.
a) went c) had seen
b) has gone d) was going
3.When the bus stopped in the small square, Helen … her magazine and didn't
realize at first that she had arrived at her destination...
a) read c) was reading
b) reads d) had read
4. My sister's son ... in tomorrow's race, because he is too young. They do not allow
riders under sixteen.
a) won't ride c) wouldn't ride
b) shan't ride d) doesn't ride
5. A beautiful bridge ..... in our city. It will be finished next year;
a) builds c) is being built
b) is built d) has been built
6. Television has many advantages. It keeps us informed about the latest news, and
also ... entertainment at home.
a) provide c) is provided
b) provides d) provided
7. On the other hand television ... for the violent behaviour of some young people,
and for encouraging children to sit indoors, instead of doing sports.
a) blames c) is blamed
b) blamed d) would blame
8. Every time that I miss the bus, it means that 1 ... walk to work.
a) has to c) had. to
b) have to d) could
9. Every time when I missed the bus, I .... to return home late.
a) must c) can
b) had d) may
10.That was great! It was…meal you have ever cooked.
a) good c) best
b) better d) the best
11. This exhibition is .... interesting than the previous one.
a) little c) least
b) less d) the least
12. My cat catches a lot of….
a) mouse c) the mice
b) mice c) a mouse
13. Everybody agrees that... happiness is very important in the life of people.
a) - c) a
b) the d) many
14. When they arrived ... the station, they rushed to the platform not to miss the train.
a) to c)in
b) at d) for
15. When you…older, you'll change your mind about this.
a) will grow c) have grown
b) grow d) grew
16.... is at home and no one knows where they are.
a) Anybody c) Everybody
b) Somebody d) Nobody
17. Martin said that he .... the tickets the next day.
a) bought c) will buy
b) had bought d) would buy
18. Whose house is it? - It's ..... .
a) my c) her
b) mine d) our
19. "Come home ... Christmas Day, we'll be waiting for you", my mother always
says
to me.
a)in c)
b) on d) at
20. Everybody in our team played ... except the captain.
a) bad c) worst
b) badly d) the worst
21. The comic told silly jokes, but nobody laughed ... him.
a) on c) at
b) under d)about
22. Tom has had to give ... playing football since he broke his leg.
a) in c) at
b) on d) up
Task 18.
Choose the right variant from a), b), c) or d).
1. Have you ever visited other countries? - Yes, I... to Italy and France.
a) was
c) had been,
b) have been
d) would be
2. I feel really tired. We ... to the party last night and have just returned home.
a)went
c) had seen
b)has gone
d) was going
3.When the bus stopped in the small square, Helen …
didn't
realize at first that she had arrived at her destination...
a)read
c) was reading
b)reads
d) had read
her
magazine
and
4. My sister's son ... in tomorrow's race, because he is too young. They do not
allow
riders under sixteen.
a)won't ride
c) wouldn't ride
b)shan't ride
d) doesn't ride
5. A beautiful bridge ..... in our city. It will be finished next year;
a)builds
c) is being built
b)is built
d) has been built
6. Television has many advantages. It keeps us informed about the latest news,
and
also ... entertainment at home.
a)provide
c) is provided
b)provides
d) provided
7. On the other hand television ... for the violent behaviour of some young people,
and for encouraging children to sit indoors, instead of doing sports.
a)blames
c) is blamed
b)blamed
d) would blame
8. Every time that I miss the bus, it means that 1 ... walk to work.
a)has to
c) had. to
b)have to
d) could
9. Every time when I missed the bus, I .... to return home late.
a)must
c) can
b)had
d) may
10.That was great! It was…meal you have ever cooked.
a)good
c) best
b)better
d) the best
11. This exhibition is .... interesting than the previous one.
a) little
c) least
b) less
d) the least
12. .......................... My cat catches a lot of….
a)mouse
c) the mice
b)mice
c) a mouse
13. Everybody agrees that... happiness is very important in the life of people.
a)c) a
b)the
d) many
14. When they arrived ... the station, they rushed to the platform not to miss the
train.
a)to
c)in
b)at
d) for
15. When you…older, you'll change your mind about this.
a)will grow
b)grow
c) have grown
d) grew
16.... is at home and no one knows where they are.
a)Anybody
c) Everybody
b)Somebody
d) Nobody
17. Martin said that he .... the tickets the next day.
a)bought
c) will buy
b)had bought
d) would buy
18. Whose house is it? - It's ..... .
a)my
c) her
b)mine
d) our
19. "Come home ... Christmas Day, we'll be waiting for you", my mother always
says
to me.
a)in
c)
b) on
d) at
20. Everybody in our team played ... except the captain.
a)bad
c) worst
b)badly
d) the worst
21. The comic told silly jokes, but nobody laughed ... him.
a)on
c) at
b)under
d)about
Task 19. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use to five words.
1. I think you should apply for the course.
were If ....... apply for the course.
2. “Let’s text each other about it later”, he said/
texting He ....... it later
3. It’s not a good idea to go out alone at night.
go
You ...... alone at night.
4. The dentist cleaned her teeth.
had She .... by the dentist.
5. She doesn’t usually overreact like that.
unusual It is very ........ like that.
6. There was such a lot of traffic that he was late.
because He ... much traffic.
7. I am sure Peter will help you.
bound Peter ....... help you.
Task 20.
For Questions 8-14, read the text and then write the correct form of the word in
CAPITALS to complete the gaps.
Example: 0 __risky__
Skiing
Nowadays, skiing is much less (0)….. than it used
RISK
to be. Many people get a lot of (8)……. from skiing.
ENJOY
It is popular as a leisure (9)….. for people
of all ages and also as a (10)……. competitive
sport which can be practised up to Olympic
standard. The spectacular mountain (11)…...,
bright sunshine, fresh air and the sheer (12)…..
of moving at high speed attract thousands of (13)…..
to the snowy (14)….. regions of the world.
ACT
HIGH
SCENE
EXCITE
TOUR
MOUNTAIN
WRITING
1. Personal letter
You have received a letter from your English pen-friend Jane who writes:
...I want to arrange an end-of-term entertainment for my class. Have you got any
ideas how to do it? Is it expensive to arrange such a special event in your town? Can
they provide whatever you want: hold your disco in your gym or use your tennis
courts, which are lit up at night? Do they offer special rates for students and young
people?
Write back soon.
Best wishes,
Jane
Write a letter to Jane. Answer her questions.
Write 100-140 words.
Remember the rules of letter-writing.
2.Oscar Wilde once that “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines
what you will be when you can’t help it.”
- Do you believe that reading and literature play that important role in
shaping one’s character?
- Relate this quote to your personal experience; use examples.
3. Many people have a ‘dream profession,’ or a job that they would love to have
throughout their lives. What is your ‘dream profession’? Why would you choose this
profession over others?
What steps would you have to take to become a member of this profession?
4. Since the beginning of the world, millions of species of animals have died out.
Despite our efforts species go extinct everyday, some even before we discover them.
Is it important for humanity to make sure more species don’t die out? What would
happen to the world if we stopped protecting animals? What would this mean for
nature and for humans? What are the benefits of biodiversity?