As humans we see ourselves as the strongest race егэ бодоньи - Exhelper.top

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A)Recycling is becoming easier and more widespread. Governments support companies that recycle waste. Also people prefer to buy things from companies that make their products from recycled materials. Reports say that people worldwide are starting to care more about what happens to waste products. For example, now Americans recycle almost 35% of their waste, while in the 1990s the percentage was much smaller.

B)In autumn 2004 a new body was created in Russia to protect the country’s natural resources. It’s called the Federal Ecological Service. The aims of the new institution are the following: to prevent environmental pollution and to control industrial waste. They say that the new governmental service has improved the state system of environmental protection in Russia.

C)Climate change is on us. Ten years ago we only spoke about it, now it’s happening before our eyes. Global warming is bringing unpredictable changes. The Arctic sea ice is disappearing; glaciers are melting faster every year. Due to heavy rains some rivers overflow, while others dry out. Disasters such as tornadoes and floods are spreading. Strong hurricanes are becoming more common and more destructive.

D)People burn plenty of coal, oil and natural gas. As a result of this billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released into the atmosphere every year. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps the sun’s radiation within the atmosphere so the concentration of CO2 increases. As a result of this, temperatures in different parts of the planet rise.

E)Some cars are designed to work using electric power, without gasoline. It means that they don’t pollute the atmosphere, cost less and reduce the need for oil. Such cars are reliable and have interesting designs. However, they have a few bad points. Many have a maximum speed limit of about 50 miles per hour. Most cities are not ready for the appearance of such cars on their roads.

F)Environmental organisations have been discussing ways of saving the rain forests for many years. However, we are still facing huge losses in the Amazon. People think that rainforests have already had enough attention. They have been discussed in the press for years. Unfortunately, the rainforest is still in danger and can be destroyed completely.

G)Environmental problems are serious and we have to deal with them immediately. There may not be easy solutions but we simply can’t continue living as if everything was fine. These problems aren’t going to disappear by themselves. If we want to keep this planet a healthy place for our grandchildren, it’s time to do everything we can to stop the catastrophe.

1)A change in people’s attitude

2)A problem still unsolved

3)A new state organisation

4)A governmental plan of action

5)No time to waste

6)An eco-friendly means of transport

7)A set of dangerous signs

A reason for global warming

A)Nothing brings back memories like a particular smell. Whether it’s of Christmas pine, your grandma’s fresh-baked gingerbread, or cookies, the scents of Christmas are truly special. In the days leading up to this day, the house fills with the wonderful rich, spicy smells of vanilla, cinnamon and ginger coming from the kitchen, promising delights to come.

B)Some of the most pleasant scents after a hard day are vanilla, lavender, and scents with cinnamon or ginger. Each combination of aromas can influence you positively. For example, vanilla’s sweet scent can help you if you feel sad, lonely, or depressed. It is a naturally warming aroma. Cinnamon is good in case you feel tired; it also has a wonderful effect on your nerves, calming you down.

C)The ability to smell is linked to our ability to remember things. When you first smell a new thing, you connect it to an event, a person, or even a moment. As a result, later the smell of cookies might remind you of spending time at your grandmother’s house when you were a small child. When you come across the smell a second or third time, the link is already there, ready to bring out a certain mood.

D)There are certain smells we can identify from a mile away – almost as if they’re preprogrammed into our minds. One of them is vanilla. Today, vanilla is in our coffee, perfumes, tea, home products, body lotion, and everywhere! Both the scent and taste of vanilla are very strong and long-lasting. It is considered one of the most popular scents and flavours in the world.

E)A new study suggests that we can smell not only aromas but feelings as well – fear, happiness, disgust and joy. The experiments proved that we can find out how a person feels even if we neither see nor hear him. Nerves inside our nose take informative messages about the person and his emotional state to the brain. However, the mechanism of how this happens is not yet clear.

F)Our sense of smell does 80% of the job when we taste various foods. Without a sense of smell you can’t taste the difference between an apple and a potato or a glass of juice and a cup of cold coffee. This is why, when our nose is blocked by a cold, most foods seem tasteless. Our sense of smell becomes stronger when we are hungry.

G)There are many good reasons to believe that we all have our own particular smell. Research has proved that our smell might distinguish us from others just as our face does. Our smell is as personal as our fingerprints. For centuries the police have used this phenomenon to catch criminals. Maybe one day they will use our scent too.

1)A widely used aroma

2)Makes meals different

3)A relaxing effect

4)Scents and colours

5)Another unique characteristic

6)Holiday scents

7)Creating memories

Smelling emotions

A)Thanks to television and films, Scotland is often seen by the rest of the world as a magical country, a land of misty mountains and the home of a lake creature called Nessie. This is the image most people have in mind. The truth, however, is completely different from the way the world thinks of Scotland. You may be surprised to find out that most Scots live in the lowlands and don’t believe in Nessie.

B)Scotland is much more than green hills and picturesque valleys. It’s dynamic and cosmopolitan, with a colourful history of invention and innovation. It’s the home of big businesses and a centre of new medical and scientific development. Each year, it hosts the world’s biggest contemporary arts festivals. Scotland is an exciting place to live in, particularly for a young person.

C)Scottish heather, a small bush with flowers, is the floral symbol of the country. The colour of the flowers usually varies from purple to lilac, but they can also be white. In the past, the Scots believed that they would never be captured by enemies and would win victories if they wore white heather. Today, when getting married, girls add white heather to bouquets to bring fortune to their family.

D)Heather has grown in Scotland as far back as its history goes. This has turned it into a kind of household good. Heather honey is rich in minerals, and was traditionally used in medicinal drinks. Thousands of years ago, dried heather was used to make perfumes, and the tough stems were used to make ropes. On many of the northern Scottish islands, heather played a major role in the construction of houses.

E)Scotland is an excellent destination for open-air activities all year round. Its lakes and coastline are ideal for boating and rowing and have some of the best sea-kayaking in the world. The rivers are perfect for fishing and the mountains are wonderful for hill climbing and skiing.Scotland is also good for walkers. You can enjoy easy family walks or more difficult mountain hikes.

F)The Highland Games in Scotland date back to long before Scotland’s written history. The various athletics allowed men to demonstrate their physical power and the skills needed for battle and survival. The Games today still include the athletic competitions in their original form together with dancing contests. All the competitors wear kilts. Traditional bagpipe music accompanies all the events.

G)Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, occupying the northern third of theisland of Great Britain. Edinburgh, the country’s capital and second largest city, is one ofEurope’s financial centres. The population of the country is a little over 5 million people. The currency is the pound sterling although the Bank of Scotland issues its own notes and coins.

1)A talisman for luck

2)The wildlife of the country

3)The modern side of the country

4)Useful in many ways

5)A country profile

6)A false stereotype

7)Opportunities for different sports

The national sporting event

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A)A woolsack race is one of the British local festivals that could be called strange. It started in Tetbury, a wool town, in the 17th century when young men wanted to demonstrate their physical strength. Since then, every spring men and women compete in teams to carry heavy woolsacks up and down the hill. The race events are complemented by a funfair and musical entertainments.

B)Midsummer was the time for the Cheese Rolling Ceremony in many places. Competitors gathered at the top of a hill. The Master of the Ceremonies let a heavy head of cheese roll down the hill. Brave runners raced down to be the first to catch it. However, the event was cancelled in 2010 due to safety reasons.

C)Another cheese ceremony is popular in the village of Randwick. On the first Sunday in May people roll three cheeses from right to left around the church. After rolling, the villagers cut up and share one of the cheeses. They believe that eating cheese brings health to their families.

D)The village of Marshfield, England, is famous for its Paperboys procession. People dressed in paper costumes go through the streets. They start from the market place and perform the town’s unique character play along the road. By noon they have done more than six performances for several hundred people.

E)Every January Up Helly Aa is celebrated in Scotland. People dressed in Viking costumes and helmets go through the streets of Lerwick. They hold flaming torches, sticks with the special material on the top which burns in order to give light. The strongest participants carry a full size model of a Viking ship to an open field. There the people throw lit torches into the ship and burn it.

F)Melbourne Cup Day is held in Australia, in November. Although Cup Day is a public holiday only in the city of Melbourne, the rest of the country refuses to be left out of the event. People gather around televisions and computers, whether at work, at home, or wherever they are, just to watch this world famous horse race. This event is often called ‘the race that stops the nation’.

G)In a village in Eastern England, an unusual race takes place every year. Three groups take part in the race – adults, children (under 11s) and teenagers. Each participant receives a frying pan with a pancake and has to race from one end of a field to the other, throwing the pancake into the air and catching it in the frying pan without dropping it. The winner is the first to cross the line.

2)Eating together

3)Important for the whole country

4)Lifting weights

5)Cooking competition

6)Cheese Rolling

7)In memory of the past events

A cookery sprint

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A)As in many other European countries, Britain’s main newspapers are losing their readers. Fewer and fewer people are buying broadsheets and tabloids at the newsagent’s. In the last quarter of the twentieth century people became richer and now they can choose other forms of leisure activity. Also, there is the Internet which is a convenient and inexpensive alternative source of news.

B)The ‘Sunday papers’ are so called because that is the only day on which they are published. Sunday papers are usually thicker than the dailies and many of them have six or more sections. Some of them are ‘sisters’ of the daily newspapers. It means they are published by the same company but not on week days.

C)Another proof of the importance of ‘the papers’ is the morning ‘paper round’. Most newsagents organise these. It has become common that more than half of the country’s readers get their morning paper brought to their door by a teenager. The boy or girl usually gets up at around 5:30 a.m. every day including Sunday to earn a bit of pocket money.

D)The quality papers or broadsheets are for the better educated readers. They devote much space to politics and other ‘serious’ news. The popular papers, or tabloids, sell to a much larger readership. They contain less text and a lot more pictures. They use bigger headlines and write in a simpler style of English. They concentrate on ‘human interest stories’ which often means scandal.

E)Not so long ago in Britain if you saw someone reading a newspaper you could tell what kind it was without even checking the name. It was because the quality papers were printed on very large pages called ‘broadsheet’. You had to have expert turning skills to be able to read more than one page. The tabloids were printed on much smaller pages which were much easier to turn.

F)The desire to attract more readers has meant that in the twentieth century sometimes even the broadsheets in Britain look rather ‘popular’. They give a lot of coverage to scandal and details of people’s private lives. The reason is simple. What matters most for all newspaper publishers is making a profit. They would do anything to sell more copies.

G)If you go into any newsagent’s shop in Britain you will not find only newspapers. You will also see rows and rows of magazines for almost every imaginable taste. There are specialist magazines for many popular pastimes. There are around 3,000 of them published in the country and they are widely read, especially by women. Magazines usually list all the TV and radio programmes for the coming week and many British readers prefer them to newspapers.

1)Traditional delivery

2)Loss of popularity

3)Money above privacy

4)The best-known newspapers

5)Focus on different readers

6)The successful competitor

7)Size makes a difference

Weekend reading

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A)The world’s deepest lake, the Baikal, is in Siberia. It is also the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia and the oldest lake on the Earth. At least 1,500 unique species live there — they cannot be found anywhere else on the planet! The water in the lake is so clear that if you drop a coin, it can be clearly seen a hundred feet below the water.

B)People who live in the Baikal region believe that it’s a unique and mysterious place. According to them, the water from Lake Baikal can cure different illnesses, gives you strength and clears your mind. They also say that the lake was formed millions of years ago when a huge, hot rock fell to earth. It melted the ice around and that was how Lake Baikal appeared. The story about the meteorite has, however, never been proved by scientists.

C)The lake has also become famous for its unique fish and birds that are not found in other waters. The lake is home to more than 1000 animal species. Among them there are the world’s only freshwater seals. There’s no evidence of how the seals got to the lake but they obviously enjoy their life there. Huge brown bears often come to the lake out of the forest to hunt and fish.

D)Though Lake Baikal is located in a very remote place, and is difficult to reach in autumn and winter, it attracts thousands of visitors every year. A chance to see this unique place is worth the long journey! On the banks of Lake Baikal you can stay in a modern, comfortable hotel, take part in hiking tours and enjoy the untouched natural beauty. People who have visited Lake Baikal once want to return to the place again and again.

E)However, the growing popularity of the lake and the industrial development of the region have caused ecological problems. The safety of this unique natural ecosystem has been discussed at an international level. Now Lake Baikal is on the list of heritage sites protected by UNESCO. A federal state law about the conservation of the lake was also supported in Russia.

F)The lake attracts not only tourists but also many wildlife researchers, biologists and even archaeologists. The world famous explorer and scientist, Jacques Cousteau, and his team spent lots of time studying the deep waters of Lake Baikal. They also shot a film about their research that was broadcast by major TV channels all over the world.

G)Everyone considers the Siberian climate very severe, which is perfectly true for the Baikal region. The winters there are really freezing — the average temperature is as low as -25 degrees Celsius. Due to its location in the middle of the continent, the place is characterised by a sharp contrast between winter and summer temperatures. The summers are generally cool, with a few hot days. The sun shines brightly above the lake till late autumn.

1)Local legends

2)Special in many ways

3)Tourist аttraction

4)Diverse wildlife

5)Protection of the ecosystem

6)Extinct species

7)Scientific expeditions

Harsh climate

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A)Lions have caught people’s imagination for centuries. They are stars in documentary movies and books; their images can be found on emblems, coats of arms and shields. Lions live in the jungle, open woodlands or thick grasslands where they hunt. In their environment, lions are at the top of the food chain — adult lions have no natural enemies. If we call a person ‘a lion’ it means he is strong, aggressive and important.

B)Lions do not look the same as other members of the large group of cats: tigers, leopards, and jaguars. Adult male lions are much larger and have thick brown hair around their neck, which is called a mane. No other cats have manes. The mane makes the lion look more impressive and protects the animal in fights with other lions for territory.

C)Lions live in large social groups called ‘prides’. A pride can have up to thirty female lions and their children. Inside the pride there are mothers, sisters, and cousins. The pride has a close relationship and never accepts a stranger. They mark their territory by scent. There are very strict rules in the pride and everyone has to observe them.

D)Lions and lionesses have different roles in the pride. Females do most of the hunting. Together, lionesses guard and look after their cubs. The little ones feel safer and more confident with so many ‘nannies’ around. It also reduces the chance that they are left hungry. The females usually exchange their hunting and home duties during the day.

E)Male lions spend most of their day sleeping or relaxing. While it may look like the lionesses do all the work in the pride, lions play an important role too. Though they bring less food and hunt less, they mark their territory and protect it from strangers. A lion from outside the pride is very dangerous for cubs. If he gets into the pride, he may kill all the little ones there.

F)When new lions are born, they are not shown to the rest of the pride for a month, until the cubs become strong enough. Later they start playing together and have a lot of playmates. If needed, any lioness becomes their nurse and teacher. Small lions have to learn hunting and survival skills. When they are two years old, male lions leave the pride to live on their own. The females may stay with their mothers for the rest of their lives.

G)In the wild, lions eat mainly meat. That’s why they greatly depend on hunting. Their favourite dishes are zebras, deer, and even young elephants and rhinos. When hungry, they chase mice, birds and reptiles. Very rarely they may eat fruit and vegetables, but it is never their first choice. In zoos and national parks, where the lions cannot hunt, they are offered special meals made of beef and chicken.

1)King of the wild

2)Different from the others

3)Early years

4)Hunting habits

5)A big family

6)Team work

7)The lion’s responsibilities

Their essential diet

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A)The London Underground is the quickest and easiest way of getting around the city. Today it is as important a landmark of the capital as Big Ben or the London Eye. The underground is often called the Tube because of its shape: tube shaped tunnels, stations and trains. The Tube became an official name for the first time in the early 1900s, after the Central London Railway (now the Central Line) was named the Twopenny Tube.

B)In 1956 the red London double-decker bus appeared on the London streets for the first time. At that time, the London buildings had gone black because of smoke from the coal used for heating. What’s more, due to the local climate and lack of wind, there was always fog in the city. Under such gloomy circumstances, the bright-red London double-decker bus became a sensation! In the past 50 years, the red double-decker has become an icon of London.

C)Oyster is an electronic smart card ticket. Regardless of whether you live in London, or you are a tourist, a day trip visitor, or a regular visitor to the capital, the Oyster Card is definitely the easiest way to travel around the London Transport system. Simply touch the card on the yellow reader to get through the Tube gates or board other London public transport. The card doesn’t even need to be removed from your purse or wallet to work.

D)The London Transport Museum is worth visiting. Entrance is not free but the price of £15 for a year pass is more than reasonable. The exhibitions displayed in the museum present London transport in its historical context. There are more than 80 vehicles, including a red London bus and the world’s first Underground train. The galleries are full of interactive exhibits for young people to play on – including real buses and trains!

E)In London there are around 23 000 taxis. The taxi drivers know every corner of London because all of them have to take an exam, called the Knowledge. This exam supposes that the candidate driver can recognize most of the 20 000 London streets and knows how to choose the shortest route between two points. Each taxi driver should also know all the parks, cinemas, theaters and museums in the city.

F)Over the last few years, cycling around London has been getting more and more popular. The reasons are obvious — there is no ‘carbon waste’ and it prevents obesity and heart disease. For tourists, it is often also the quickest and the easiest way to see London, with the bonus of getting some exercise. The casual user hires a bike at one of the numerous bike stations, rides it where he or she wants and then returns it to any of the docking stations.

G)If you’ve ever been to Britain, one of the first things you will have noticed is that the British drive on the wrong side of the road. They drive on the left! The reason for this goes back to the days when people travelled on horses. Most people are right-handed and the left is the natural side to ride on if you are on horseback — you need your right hand to hold a sword in case of any trouble.

1)Capital experts

2)A place to see history

3)Popular tourist routes

4)Named after its form

5)An easy way to pay for the trip

6)A healthy form of transport

7)A contrast to the dark city

Why driving on the other side

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A)New Zealand is an island country. Cruises to New Zealand are a perfect way to explore over 15,000 km of coastline and to enjoy the spectacular landscapes this diverse country has to offer. Cruising to New Zealand is a well-established tradition. Until the 1960s, it was the only way to arrive in the country.

B)The climate is pleasant in all seasons, though it’s rather windy. Wellington, the country’s capital, is known as the Windy City. The strongest winds blow from the south. The wind speed and direction can be seen from the flag flown from the Parliament. A large flag is flown only on calm days and a small flag is flown when windy days are expected.

C)More than a century before Columbus crossed the Atlantic to discover America, the Maoris sailed over thousands of kilometers of ocean to settle in New Zealand. They made their great journey in double canoes. Today, Maoris make up 14% of the country’s population and their history, language and traditions are central to New Zealand’s identity.

D)Before humans settled in New Zealand, it had an incredible variety of birds. As they had no natural enemies to fly away from, wings became unnecessary for some birds. When Maori and, later, Europeans came to New Zealand, they started to hunt birds. They also brought predators, including rats. The new enemies and loss of territory led to the reduction in the birds’ populations and to the complete extinction of some species.

E)Ever since the first ‘Lord of the Rings’ film was released in 2001, New Zealand has been known as the ‘Home of Middle-earth‘. New Zealand’s dramatic scenery plays the mythical world of Middle-earth on the big screen in both ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies. More than 250 places throughout the country were used as locations for the films, which made New Zealand the greatest destination for Tolkien enthusiasts.

F)Auckland is the largest city, and is sometimes called the ‘crime capital’ of the country. Violent crime is not common in New Zealand but minor crimes are committed there quite often. A major problem is theft, primarily from cars -travellers should avoid leaving valuables in vehicles, no matter where they are parked. Actually, according to criminal statistics, tourist parking areas and car parks are the worst places.

G)Auckland’s diverse landscapes provide countless opportunities to be impressed: rainforests and black sand beaches, picturesque country gardens and calm bays. However, this region is spotted with 48 volcanic cones. Rangitoto Island, just a 25-minute ferry ride from Auckland, is the region’s most iconic volcano and a favourite day trip destination for visitors. But who knows when the trip might be interrupted?

1)Beware of thieves

2)The best way to get there and get around

3)A beautiful but dangerous land

4)Weather watching

5)National sports

6)The first inhabitants

7)Attractions for fantasy book fans

Once safe, now endangered

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A)Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the Earth. Some people think bamboo is a tree, but it is not – bamboo is grass though some species can grow over 30 meters! People use bamboo for different purposes: to build and decorate houses, to produce textiles and paper, to make food and drinks. Recently, a new practical application for bamboo has been suggested: in the bicycle industry.

B)More and more Londoners prefer to use bicycles to get to their offices in the city centre. The latest model of this popular form of transport was presented at the motor show in Birmingham. It was made from bamboo. The designers, from Oxford Brooks University, say they have invented a bamboo bike not only for ecological reasons. According to them, bamboo is as safe as metal.

C)The new bikes will be produced in Yorkshire. At the beginning the price of a bike might be rather high — about 1700 pounds. Nevertheless, the designers expect that the model will be successful on the market. Its growing popularity will finally bring down the price. By the year 2014, the company is planning to produce five hundred thousand bamboo bikes for the British.

D)One of the inventors of the new technology, James Bruton, teaches at the University. During one of his seminars, students were testing different materials and chose bamboo. They discovered that its characteristics were ideal for long journeys because it stopped vibration. The whole journey becomes more pleasant than on a metal bike and the cyclist will be less tired.

E)Not everyone, however, believed in the safety of bamboo. Skeptics doubted if it could stand long distances. They argued that a metal frame helped the wheels turn faster. As a result, engineers decided to test the bamboo in a real situation. They rode twenty kilometers in the hills. The experiment was successful in spite of the difficult conditions.

F)During the project, designers had to solve another problem: what sort of bamboo to use, as not all of them were suitable for making a bike. Finally, from more than a thousand varieties, the scientists chose only one. Another important detail is that the bamboo should be cut at a definite stage of growth.

G)The director of the Raw Bikes Company, Rachel Hammond, says she would support the idea of a bamboo farm. She has been interested in bamboo bikes for a long time. Once she rode the bike, she felt comfortable and happy. Now Rachel has an idea to make bamboo bikes for import. Although production takes several days, she is sure the model is attractive and will have a long life.

1)Useful in many ways

2)An unusual material

3)A real enthusiast

4)Ambitious sales plans

5)А road test

6)A cycling competition

7)Excellent qualities

The right kind of bamboo

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A)Coca Cola appeared in Atlanta, Georgia, 1886. Doctor John Pemberton made a special syrup, but he kept its components secret. He added some mineral water to it and took the new product to the chemist’s. There the syrup was sold for five cents a glass. Pemberton told everyone that Coca-Cola cured many illnesses, including headaches, stomachaches, and nervous breakdowns.

B)Coca Cola was first sold in ordinary bottles. In 1915, the company held a competition to create a new bottle for their drink. They said it should be a bottle that would make Coca Cola different from all other drinks. Even today the shape of Coca Cola bottle is one of the most recognized packages on the planet…»even in the dark!».

C)The famous Coca Cola symbol was created by John Pemberton’s colleague, Mr. Robinson. He thought that two letters «C» would look great in advertising. Besides, the red and white colours were simple and effective. Red was energetic and bright and so would attract young people. As for the style of writing, it was just popular in the United States during that period.

D)Before the 1930s, Coca Cola was only considered to be a drink for warm weather so the company started a campaign to remind people that Coca Cola was a great choice in any month. For this a talented artist drew pictures of a happy Santa Claus enjoying a drink of Coke. The pictures were published in magazines and made Cola even more popular.

E)Coca Cola was one of the first companies that invested money in public projects. For example, the company is proud to be an old and devoted partner of the Olympic Games. This connection began in 1928 with the Games in Amsterdam. Since then the company has sponsored lots of football, hockey, and basketball competitions.

F)The Coca Cola Collectors Club was formed in 1974 by a small group of people. Today it has become international with more than 5,000 people from 28 countries. Club members collect everything connected with Coca Cola: bottles, posters, newspaper articles, postcards – everything. They sometimes meet to exchange their treasures.

G)Today there are 16 special variants of the original Coca Cola recipe. Some have less sugar or no sugar at all. Such Coke is chosen by those who want to keep fit. Children may prefer a cherry or a vanilla flavour. The drink also changes from country to country, reflecting national preferences. For example, if you travel to France, you can try the unusual orange Coca Cola.

1)Supporting sports

2)A remarkable container design

3)A universal medicine

4)A smart symbol

5)The drink ingredients

6)Good in any season

7)A fan society

The drink varieties

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A)Sport can be a great way to develop life skills. It helps you to learn about teamwork, self-control, and competition. You set your goals and do your best to reach them. In a good sporting environment, children have the opportunity to make new friends and develop new interests. Sport also keeps you fit and greatly improves your health. If you do sports, you have no weight problems.

B)German planes have finally managed to save a climber from one of the world’s highest mountain peaks. Tom Gummar, a Slovenian, was trying to climb the mountain when he ran into difficulties. He had spent nearly a week six-thousand metres above the ground. All the previous attempts to save him had been unsuccessful because of snow storms. Only yesterday the planes managed to reach him and now his health is improving.

C)The Ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece. The beginning of these games is surrounded with mystery and legend. One of the most popular myths says that Heracles was the first who called the Games «Olympic». He started the tradition of holding them every four years. The legend continues that he built the Olympic stadium in honour of his father.

D)Former Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova is back at the US Open semi-finals. «It’s been a long road back to the tournament,» said Sharapova, who spent 10 months off court with a shoulder injury that needed serious treatment. “Now I’m in good shape again and hope to repeat the 2006 title win,” she added.

E)Chelsea was founded in 1905 and it soon entered the Football League. In the early years they saw little success. From the very beginning Chelsea had a reputation for inviting famous footballers to play for them but the team changed dramatically only after a new coach, Ted Drake, joined it. He led them to their first main victory: they won the national championship.

F)Yesterday Andy Wistler played one of his best matches at the Australian Open. Due to his wonderful performance he easily won three sets and the match was finished very quickly. It was impossible for his opponent Yang Chung to play at the same level and the match was finished in a very short time. Still, it should be mentioned that Yang Chung was an experienced Chinese tennis player.

G)Janet Evans retired from swimming in 1996. She was sure her best days were behind her. She had won three gold medals at the Seoul Olympics and had set world records that had stood for years. Everyone was surprised when Janet announced her return. She said she is hoping to become part of the US Olympic team. A big decision after a 16 year break!

1)Winning a quick victory

2)Saving a sportsman

3)Fit and healthy again

4)The first sporting events

5)The club history

6)Sport and its advantages

7)The swimmer comes back

Champions award ceremony

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A)Christ’s Hospital school was founded in the 16th century. Its uniform at that time consisted of a long blue coat, a leather belt and yellow socks. Today students still wear the same uniform because they think it’s a symbol that unites them. There was some talk about making the uniform more modern, but it was decided to keep the original uniform.

B)Nola Ochs from the USA is the world’s oldest university graduate. She says she has always loved learning and has never lost her taste for knowledge. She started university when she was over 90. Her example proves that age is not important if you want to be a student. You can acquire new skills at any age.

C)The Dublin College of English offers one, two or three week Football and English Programmes. They are for young people who are interested in both learning English with native speakers and practising football. The students enjoy the friendly, inspiring atmosphere in the classrooms, after which they improve their skills on the school football pitch.

D)Harrow is a prestigious boys’ school in northern London with a strict uniform policy. You can easily recognise a Harrow student by his hat, which is part of the uniform. All boys have to wear their hats every day when going to or from lessons. Some students are allowed to wear a different scarf, tie or jumper but the hat should always be there. Wearing it remains a must.

E)One of the recent trends is the growing number of elderly students in universities and colleges. It is believed that the elderly and the young can benefit from studying in a mixed class. The older ones are quicker at detailed and logical tasks. On the other hand, younger students can often help their older classmates with new gadgets and technologies.

F)When it comes to studying English abroad, try to get as much information about the school as possible. Asking the right questions will help you save money, time, and avoid culture shock. Remember that the school should provide you both with good teaching and with an unforgettable experience so besides everyday classes, social activities should be part of the programme.

G)In most British schools children start studying a foreign language at 11, but many are happy to give up languages completely at 14. Research suggests that students think that it is more difficult to get good marks in Modern Foreign Languages than in other subjects such as Science or History. They also say that foreign languages are less fun than other lessons like PE or Art.

1)Learn and play

2)A less popular subject

3)Never too late to learn

4)The essential piece of uniform

5)Keeping the tradition

6)The advantages of learning together

7)Choosing the place to learn

School exchange programmes

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A)When you think of the Irish, you often picture a red-haired person dressed all in green. However, it’s just a popular myth which has grown into a tradition, particularly in the United States. It’s customary in Ireland to wear green clothes only on St. Patrick’s Day. Lots of people are tricked by this cliché. However, originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was not green, but blue.

B)In Ireland, the colour green was long considered to bring bad fortune. The reason is that in Irish folklore green is the favourite color of the Good People (the proper name for fairies). Myths run that they are likely to steal people, especially children, who wear too much of the colour. In the past, a girl would never wear anything green on her wedding day.

C)Christmas is a very important celebration in Ireland. After dinner on Christmas Eve, it is common for families to leave milk and bread on the table as a sign of friendliness and kindness. Another custom is to leave the door unlocked. A lit candle is left in a window during the night. It represents help for any traveller who is passing by.

D)Potatoes form the basis for many traditional Irish dishes. They are eaten boiled, mashed, fried and baked. Potatoes are mixed with cabbage or green onions to make traditional Irish dishes. They are also made into potato cakes and used in soups or stews. It’s common to find potatoes cooked in two different ways on the same dinner plate.

E)The shamrock is still a popular sign of good fortune in Ireland. It is believed that anyone who possesses one will be blessed with fortune in everything, even in gambling, and will be saved from the evil of witches. There are certain conditions to be met so that its power remains effective: the owner of the shamrock must keep it away from the public eye and never give it to anyone else.

F)The name Gulliver is known to everyone due to the book or the film about the fantastic trip of the English doctor. However, not all of us remember the name of the author Jonathan Swift, an Irish writer, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1667. In his book Gulliver’s Travels a man went to an island where strange tiny people lived. His life there was full of adventures and dangers, he met there friends and enemies.

G)Ireland is known as the native land of limericks – short humorous poems that have five lines. They make people laugh and are easy to remember! Lots of poets and writers were fond of limericks. The word ‘limerick’ probably comes from the Irish town of Limerick. The short poem has made the town known all over the world.

1)A false stereotype

2)An unlucky symbol

3)A colourful present

4)A world famous journey

5)One and the same name

6)The national food

7)A talisman for luck

Old holiday traditions

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A)The history of Scotland is rich and varied but most people would also describe it as violent and bloody. Scotland’s history appears to be just an endless list of battles between the Scottish clans and their close neighbours, the English. But if you look carefully at the history of Scotland, you will be surprised by the great influence that this small nation has had upon the development of Western civilization.

B)Of all the scary places in Scotland, the castles provide us with the most terrifying stories. You need courage to visit them. The castles are known for numerous murders and cases of violent death. Edinburgh castle is at the top of the list. According to legend, there is the ghost of a headless drummer and the ghost of a piper, whose music can be heard even above the noise of Edinburgh’s traffic.

C)To decide on what to wear for a walk can be a challenge in Scotland! This tiny country is surrounded by so much water that Scottish weather can change at any moment. In fact, sometimes you feel as though you’ve experienced three (or even all four) seasons in just one day! This may explain why Scots are fascinated by the weather, and follow daily weather reports very closely.

D)Scotland has 30,000 miles of roads. Travelling around Scotland by car can be challenging for foreign visitors. When travelling by car, tourists should be very careful. When they see something they wish to look at, they mustn’t slow down as they could be hit by the car behind. Tourists should also remember that Scottish motorways have a speed limit of 70 miles per hour.

E)There are many breeds of Scottish dogs. One of the most famous is the Collie or Scotch colliethat comes from the Scottish highlands. It has been bred for many years to help shepherds. Some people say the name Collie comes from the Gaelic word for useful. The Collie is a dog that can do many jobs. The Collie can guard property as well as search for a missing chicken or drive sheep. The dogs can be taught how to open doors and gates.

F)Scotland is a country where tourism offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature at its best. As you explore the Scottish countryside, be sure to look out for Daubenton’s bats. These tiny creatures with funny short ears weigh from 7 to 11 grams but they are vital for the ecosystem as they keep insect populations in check, eating lots of small insects every day.

G)For active and curious people there is a lot to do in the Scottish Highlands! You can explore castles and visit museums. The famous Loch Ness is situated here and you’ll find ancient castles, which can be visited. If you like something more adventurous, you might try horse riding, mountain biking, kayaking and sailing. There is no end of things to do in the Highlands so you can be sure you’ll enjoy yourself there.

1)А small but important country

2)Sights for the brave

3)Mind your driving

4)You’ll never get bored

5)Difficult to predict

6)Traditional industries

7)Keeping the balance in nature

Helpful assistants

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A)Geographically, the Wild West refers to the states west of the Mississippi River. The American West is both a place and an idea. In people’s minds, it was a place that promised excitement because it was new and unknown. From the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, lots of people pushed their way westward trying to find land, better lives, gold and silver, and, sometimes, to escape the law.

B)Due to books and films, the first thing that comes to mind about the American West is cowboys, rodeos and riding broncos. Bronco is the nickname for a wild horse. When a bronco jumps, it kicks its back legs trying to throw the rider off. Nowadays, there are popular rodeo competitions where cowboys try to remain on aggressive broncos as long as possible. To entertain the public they also lasso cows and bulls.

C)Yellowstone Park, the first American national park, is situated in the western states. The park has a great variety of natural features – waterfalls, plateaus, canyons, hot springs and geysers. It is also famous for its diverse wildlife and harsh beauty. Camping and backpacking are encouraged at Yellowstone, but visitors must be careful. A few careless or unlucky people have already been killed by angry bears.

D)In the 1970s and 1980s, people from all over the United States moved to Colorado to work in the mining industry. New citizens of the state capital, Denver, were attracted to the city by its location in the Rocky Mountains and its clean air. However, due to the rapid development of Denver, they got into serious trouble –growing air pollution. Car engines did not burn fuel efficiently at a high altitude and thick smog hung over the city.

E)In 1935, the federal government selected St. Louis, Missouri, as the site for a new national monument – The Gateway Arch. The memorial, also known as the Gateway to the West, was to honor the pioneers exploring the American West. Eero Saarinen, an architect, won the nationwide competition with his project for a giant steel arch. Since the Gateway Arch was opened in 1965, millions of people visit it every year.

F)The Mississippi River is often mentioned in Mark Twain’s books. In his novel, Life on the Mississippi, the famous writer describes the history of the river and his own experiences related to it. There is also a collection of tales that either take place on the river or are associated with it. Another of Mark Twain’s famous works, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells us about a journey down the river.

G)Hawaii is the USA’s 50th state. It’s a popular holiday destination for the citizens, as well as for foreign tourists. Along with Florida, it’s one of a few states where it’s usually sunny and hot all the year round. Hawaii is made up of 132 tropical islands, though people live only on seven of them. Tourism is Hawaii’s biggest industry. People are attracted to the islands because of their beautiful scenery and beaches. Surfers come to experience the high waves.

1)Eco-friendly business

2)A good place for holidays

3)A silent hero of American literature

4)In search of luck and happiness

5)To those who went west

6)An unexpected environmental problem

7)Great sights and dangerous creatures

Dangerous sport

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A)The popularity of social networking sites such as Vkontakte, Facebook, MySpace, and Classmates has risen more than four times from 2005 to 2009. Many users say these sites are good for our society, but others are sure that there are more dangers in them than benefits. Your attitude to such websites depends on your age, job, interests and way of life.

B)Social networks promote communication with friends and family, they give people necessary and useful computer skills and teach them to express their ideas in a clear way. Another thing is that the sites let people create new relationships and reconnect with old friends. In every way, more communication, even online, makes connections stronger.

C)Social networking sites make people spend more time online and less time communicating face-to-face. The sites have many time-wasting activities. You stay online longer than you planned and do nothing serious or important. Experts say that teenagers spend about nine hours every week on social networking sites.

D)A big risk about social networks is that teenagers are careless. They don’t worry that their personal information and photos could be open to lots of people. Also the sites don’t guarantee that their registered members are who they say they are. If a person says he is James Burns, a college student, we have to believe him. We cannot check his real name or occupation.

E)Psychologists say that social networking sites can have serious disadvantages. It is hard for children to have real conversations and make friends. They become selfish personalities and lose interest in real life. Parents spend less time with their children and all members of the family spend less time with each other because they are using the Internet instead of communicating in person.

F)Internet users spend most of their time on social networks and blogs. Users in the USA spend about five and a half hours every month on their favourite site. And the number is growing. Russians spend 6.6 hours monthly on social networking sites. It is more than people in any other country. For example, in Europe it is 3.7 hours a month.

G)New research shows that social networking sites can be used in schools. Teachers should find ways to use them in class. It would help students to learn how to get information from Internet resources and share it with classmates. Students would also be able to express themselves creatively and present themselves better.

1)Worrying time statistics

2)Hidden dangers

3)New communication opportunities

4)Communication problems in real life

5)Different opinions

6)The best social networking site

7)Time eaters

Prospects in education

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A)Coffee was first found in Eastern Africa in the area we know today as Ethiopia. A popular legend says that one day a man called Kaldi was watching his goats eating grass and leaves. He noticed that after eating berries from a certain bush the goats became very active. Curious, Kaldi tried the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him additional energy. The story quickly spread throughout the region.

B)The first coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to Arabian countries and then they were cultivated in Yemen. From there, coffee travelled to Turkey where coffee beans were roasted for the first time over open fires. The roasted beans were crushed and then boiled in water, creating the drink we enjoy today. Finally, in the seventeenth century coffee arrived inFrance, Britain and Italy.

C)The first coffeehouses opened in Mecca and quickly became popular centres of social and political activity. The government believed that coffee stimulated radical thinking, and the governor even thought it might unite his opposition. As a result, coffee was forbidden inMecca. The same thing happened in Turkey a century later, when coffee drinkers were severely punished.

D)They say, in 1776 the thirteen American colonies adopted coffee as their national drink instead of tea. When the British tried to raise the tax on tea, Americans refused to buy it and switched to coffee. In fact, by drinking coffee Americans demonstrated their political views and their dislike for the British – the famous tea-lovers.

E)The Italians drink their espresso with sugar, the Germans and Swiss add an equal part of hot chocolate, the Mexicans prefer it with cinnamon, and the Belgians – with chocolate. Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices. The Egyptians, on the other hand, are extremely fond of pure, strong coffee. They add neither milk nor cream.

F)Plain and simple, nothing else. People discovered that if they drank coffee slowly they could taste bitterness, sourness, sweetness and saltiness. For a long time such a taste was new and more than enough. It needed no improvement. Only later did they start experimenting with coffee by adding milk, chocolate, and other flavors. However, nothing can hide the taste of real coffee.

G)When the first European coffeehouses opened, they quickly grew into places where people played chess, exchanged gossip, sang and danced. Coffeehouses were very popular because anyone could go and enjoy a cup of the drink. The price of a cup of coffee was reasonable. European coffee houses became meeting points for intellectuals, writers and businessmen.

1)Coffee in the New World

2)The original taste of coffee

3)A chance discovery

4)A place for communication

5)An illegal drink

6)A long journey to Europe

7)Growing coffee plants

Different recipes

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A)Street art can be described as art that is developed in public spaces and above all in the street. It can mean a lot of different things including graffiti, poster art, wall paintings, and just about any artwork that is displayed in public places. Typically, street art is used to separate public-space artwork from illegal graffiti and vandalism.

B)The start of street art is closely connected to graffiti, which appeared in New York in the 1970s. The American artists soon became an inspiration for a number of other young street artists all over the world. For the following ten years graffiti grew more and more popular and was soon joined by new forms of street art including street installations, street sculptures and 3D pavement illusions.

C)Street artists are often associated with opposition. Their artwork is considered a crime and vandalism and the artists may be arrested for damaging property so the artists prefer to use nicknames and create their drawings mostly at night. They are not looking for fame, especially in countries where graffiti is still illegal.

D)Kurt Wenner was the one who developed an absolutely new form of street art. That is 3D pavement art. He started his career as a graphic artist but after moving to Italy he worked on a new technique. Wenner attracted the attention of the entire world with his remarkable 3D artwork and he also inspired a future generation of 3D pavement street artists.

E)Banksy is probably the most famous English street artist who has already become a legendary figure. It’s still true that no one knows who the person really is. However, his works are exhibited in galleries across the world. An American magazine even named him among the top most influential people in the world. However, he was the only one whose photo the magazine could not publish.

F)The motivations and ideas that inspire street artists are as different as the artists themselves. Some street artists, by creating certain works, want to draw attention to social and political problems. For other artists, street art is just a form of self-expression. And there are those who enjoy the challenge and risks which are connected with working illegally in some city areas.

G)Traditional graffiti has recently been used as a successful method for advertising. Lots of companies agree that traditional advertising on city streets is too boring and common so many people simply ignore it. However, graffiti adverts catch your attention, creating a memorable image. Big companies find this quite useful and try to include more elements of graffiti in their advertising campaigns.

1)Historical facts

2)Different reasons for drawing
in the street

3)A street art exhibition

4)A commercial effect

5)An innovative method

6)An unknown artist

7)The meaning of the term

Keeping their names secret

Прочитайте тексты и установите соответствие между текстами А–G и заголовками 1–8.

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A)For tourists coming to China, visiting Shanghai is a must. Shanghai is the largest city not only in China but in the world, too. About twenty-three million people live there! The city has always attracted people looking for a new life and business opportunities. Lots of Americans, Japanese, Koreans, French, Russians, and Germans live there permanently. Like most multinational cities, Shanghai accepts all cultures to produce a new type of a global culture.

B)To keep up with the city’s rhythm, tourists may use the metro system, which is cheap and very efficient. The Shanghai metro is fast and modern. It covers the whole city and is known as the biggest metro in the world. Stations and trains are perfectly clean and well-equipped. Monitors show arrival and departure time and business adverts, and give information about Shanghai sights and events in many languages.

C)If you love shopping, you will be glad to get lost in Shanghai for a couple of days, especially in Nanjing Road. This street houses a great number of prestigious shops, restaurants, and night clubs. There is no traffic here, which is very convenient for people. The shop assistants are very helpful and tourists are very welcome. In the evening the street looks absolutely magical with colourful lights.

D)Another iconic landmark of the city is the embankment of the River Huangpu, the Bund. It is famous for its classical European buildings. There are more than fifty large buildings on the Bund. They are built in different styles such as Gothic, Romanesque or Baroque and others. In spite of this great variety, the buildings stand together in perfect harmony. The constructions in this part of the city remind people of those in New York, Chicago, London, Moscow and ten thousand other cities.

E)Among the many monuments in Shanghai, the monument to Alexander Pushkin is special. First built in 1937, the monument was ruined and restored twice throughout its history. Now it stands at a road intersection. Specialists from both China and Russia took part in its construction. It is devoted to the greatest poet of all time and also highlights the friendly relationship between the two countries.

F)The Shanghai climate is generally mild and humid, with four distinct seasons — a pleasant, warm spring, a hot, rainy summer, a comfortable, cool autumn and an overcast, cold winter. The location makes the city really wet — it rains for about one third of the year. From late August to mid-September, typhoons may happen. The hottest time comes in July and August, the coldest — from late January to early February. The spring is recommended as the best time to visit Shanghai.

G)Naturally, if you visit the city, you have a chance to try authentic Shanghai cuisine, which is very diverse. It offers dishes made of fresh meat, chicken, vegetables and various, seafood such as fish, shrimps and crabs. The dishes may taste hot and spicy, sweet and bitter. It really differs from European cuisine but Europeans usually enjoy it very much, as well as the atmosphere of the authentic national restaurants.

1)Seasons and weather

2)The most convenient transport

3)Local food

4)Multicultural community

5)World business centre

6)Links with Russian culture

7)Diverse architecture

A paradise for shopaholics

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A)Jeans are one of fashion’s most long enduring trends. Cowboys wear them but so do supermodels, farmers, presidents and housewives. Ask any group of people why they wear jeans and you will get a range of answers. For some they’re comfortable and easy – for others they’re trendy and cool. Jeans mean different things to different people, but they are popular everywhere.

B)Americans do not have a national folk dress with a long tradition. Blue jeans are probably the most recognisable article of American clothing. They have been part of American life for over 125 years. Blue denim jeans became not only an expression of American fashion but also an element of American identity known around the world.

C)Jeans were first designed as trousers for farmers and miners in the states of the American West. They quickly grew popular with common people, including cowboys, factory employees and railroad builders. The new trousers were made from a very strong material which did not wear out easily. However, at the same time jeans were very practical and comfortable to wear.

D)Pockets were the weak point of the miners’ clothes – they easily tore away from the jeans. A man called Jacob Davis had the idea of using metal rivets (fasteners) to hold the pockets and the jeans together so that they wouldn’t tear. Davis wanted to patent his idea, but he didn’t have enough money, so he offered Levi Strauss a deal if Strauss paid for the patent. Strauss accepted and started making jeans.

E)By the middle of the twentieth century, these heavy cotton trousers were a symbol of opposition for young artists and writers. College students started to wear them to show they were against the Vietnam War. The new trousers were banned in American schools from coast to coast and sometimes in theatres and cinemas.

F)Jeans are good because they don’t show the dirt. You can easily go a month without washing them and they don’t look shocking. They don’t need to be washed as often as other trousers and you don’t need to iron them. What’s more, because of the strong material you can wear your favorite jeans for years. Even the occasional hole or spot doesn’t spoil them at all.

G)In the 30s and 40s many people began to spend their spare time watching movies where adventurous cowboys rode horses, fought bad guys and wore blue jeans. The actors made jeans popular in movies and everyone wanted to wear them. Young people wished to imitate the casual “cowboyish” look they saw in films, and they began to wear jeans as casual wear.

1)Good for everyone

2)Easy to care for

3)Part of culture

4)Screen fashion

5)An innovative idea

6)Working clothes

7)Jeans’ labels

Clothes to protest

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A)Young people often worry about the style and functions of mobile phones. However, today companies present more models for people who are over 50 or 60 years old. They need a mobile phone with large buttons, so that they can dial numbers without glasses. The menu is also simple. It really doesn’t matter if the phone has a camera or the Internet. For them, less is more.

B)Today, when friends meet in a café, they put their mobile phones in the middle of the table. They aren’t allowed to touch them at all. If someone does it and answers the phone, they have to pay for everybody. Sounds fun, right? The idea is to make people concentrate on a real conversation with each other instead of using their mobiles all the time.

C)Visitors of theatres and cinemas often complain that mobile phones ring during performances. The city government of New York passed a new act. It is now forbidden to use mobile phones in places, like theaters, libraries, museums, galleries, and cinemas. Those who don’t switch off their mobiles will have to pay $50.

D)With mobile phones we can contact anyone, anywhere, any time. Scientists say that some people are so used to mobiles that they can’t go to the kitchen without them. They are in panic if they leave them at home or lose. It has become a habit to have a mobile everywhere. People depend on mobile phones so much that doctors have started worrying. They say it may be a thing similar to drugs.

E)Throwing mobile phones is an international sport that started in Finland in 2000. Traditionally participants throw mobile phones over their shoulders. The person, who throws farthest, wins. There’s also freestyle throwing. In this contest sportsmen should throw a mobile in a beautiful and creative way.

F)In 2010 a young girl from China made a song using only her mobile phone. She wrote it without any guitars, pianos, drums. She used different functions of her mobile. It took her several days to record the song. Later she made a video of it and put the video on the Internet, where over a million people watched it. She sent the song to the Apple company and suggested using it in their advertisements.

G)Today’s mobile phones can already send e-mails, surf the Internet, and keep you in touch with friends. Tomorrow’s phones are like helpful secretaries. In a few years you’ll see that they know your habits and can advise you what to cook for dinner. They will remind you where to go and what present to buy.

1)A new music instrument

2)The latest fashion

3)A mobile for grandma

4)Phone addiction

5)A strange competition

6)A law against mobiles

7)Back to real-life communication

Digital personal assistants

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A)Edinburgh Tattoo takes place every year in August in the capital of Scotland. It is an event when military music is played by different bands from all over the world. It also includes traditional dances, bagpipe melodies, songs and a horse parade. All this is accompanied by the sounds of national Scottish music.

B)Using music can make the learning process more enjoyable and effective. You can introduce a new topic with music. It may be a great way to improve vocabulary and make students start thinking in the right direction. If students are doing a grammar exercise, you may play some music in the background, and this will help them concentrate.

C)The performance Lady Gaga gave at Manchester was called «The Monster Ball». It was a really strong and loud concert, consisting of four parts. The singer changed costumes 15 times. The «special» effects included a big sea monster and a grand piano which was burnt to pieces. The audience was just going crazy with every new song, it was no doubt a thrilling performance.

D)Are words important in a song? Some people say they don’t matter much. A song is music and you enjoy listening to the melody and don’t pay attention to words. On the other hand, a musician expresses himself through words, so they also matter. The words give meaning to a song and touch people’s feelings.

E)The most common song for English speakers on New Year’s eve is «Auld Lang Syne». When the clock strikes midnight, people join their hands and start singing. However, few of them remember that it’s an old Scottish song first published by the poet Robert Burns. The Scots also sing it on January 25th when they celebrate Burns’ birthday.

F)It’s typical to use music in advertising on radio and television. A lot of companies have jingles. They are short songs or tunes that attract customers. A jingle is quick to remember and usually has very simple words. The melody should be easy to sing and cheerful. The jingle must give a positive image of the company. A good example of it is McDonalds’ «I’m lovin’ it».

G)»We Are the Champions» is a ballad performed by the British group «Queen». It has become one of the most famous and widely used songs. It is also regularly played to celebrate sports victories. The song can be heard in many films, video games, cartoons, TV programmes. It was named the world’s favourite song in 2005.

1)The song of the winners

2)An annual music festival

3)Music of the future

4)Two sides of the same coin

5)An impressive show

6)Music in the classroom

7)The old music hit

Music for advert

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A)The first winners of the Olympic Games got free food and housing for the whole lives. They were mentioned in poems and well-known all over Greece. Sculptors even built statues of the competitors. Everyone respected and admired the winners. In short, the victory in the competitions made the man a national hero and all the little children wanted to be like him.

B)Olympia was chosen as the place of the Games because it was a peaceful and neutral area. There the ancient Greeks praised their most important God – Zeus. Another factor was that it had a beautiful green valley. It was very suitable for all kinds of sports competitions. Also people could easily get to Olympia because there were two rivers nearby. It was impossible to find a better place anywhere else in Greece.

C)The Olympiads were named in honor of the runner who came first in the stadium race. For example, the Olympiad of Dionis. So the years after this Olympiad were named as the first, the second, the third or the fourth year since the Olympiad of Dionis. The early historians used this system to give dates to important events.

D)The Olympic Museum was founded in 1993 in Switzerland. It has a big collection of pieces connected with the Olympic movement. It also has the largest number of books and documents about the Games in the world. No wonder the place is one of the main tourist attractions. The museum is surrounded by a park with wonderful works of art based on a sporting theme.

E)The modern Olympics began in 1894. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman decided to bring back the ancient Greek tradition. He wanted to begin a sports festival to celebrate health, youth and peace. The first modern Olympiad took place in Athens in 1896. Since then the Olympic Games have been held every four years with two exceptions because of the two world wars.

F)The Olympic Games traditionally start with the “Parade of the Nations”. Most of the participating athletes walk out into the stadium. The Greek athletes open the parade and the hosts appear on stadium the last. The name of each country is announced in French and English, the official languages of the Olympic Games, and the language spoken in the country that organizes the Games.

G)The five Olympic rings represent the five main regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceana. Every national flag in the world includes one of the five colours, which are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The rings are connected and there is a reason for it. It’s done to show that the Games are for all nations. All good sportsmen can come and compete against one another in unity.

1)The opening ceremony

2)A great honour

3)The Olympic team

4)The Greek calendar

5)A symbolic meaning

6)A place to visit

7)A new start

The best location

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A)The age between 14 and 17 is often considered to be one of the best periods in a person’s life. Grown-ups remember it with excitement and happiness. The wish they were teenagers again. However, most teenagers won’t agree with this point of view if they were asked. They’re sure that they are facing a lot of difficult problems and that’s quite true.

B)Smoking has become one of the most important problems for modern teenagers. About 40 percent of teenagers are attracted by the bright cigarette advertisement. It seems they just don’t realize the harm it does to their health, because advertisements show smoking as something positive. They really believe that smoking will make them look like they’re cool and grown-up.

C)In fact, teenagers have got a lot of work. They’re busy with their studies, household chores, some of them have jobs. They can’t even find a moment to entertain themselves at times. It’s a more serious problem especially for those who are responsible and want to be successful students and good children.

D)The problem number one for most young people is between fathers and sons. All young people want to be independent, they want their parents to listen to their opinion. As for parents, they want to control their children’s lives. At the same time some parents can’t find a common language with their kids and simply don’t pay enough attention to them.

E)They say that all teenagers want to have a lot of money to dress well, to go to theatres, to visit foreign countries, to eat what they want and to buy books. But how can they do all these things? They have to get some money and it’s possible to do it. Some teenagers wash cars, others sell newspapers, help elderly people and babysit.

F)School ages are also very difficult. Children are always stressed because of their marks at school. It seems to teenagers that they do a lot of homework, but mothers and fathers are never satisfied. They want their children to have the highest marks at school. Teenagers do their best, but adults are never happy. They always want more.

G)There are many organizations which unite young people. Teenagers get together because of common interests and beliefs. Members of every organisations have their own attitudes to the world. There are some informal clubs, for example: emos, hippies, panks, and so on. However, some teenagers choose to join more serious groups like Greenpeace.

1)Generation gap

2)Attractive but unhealthy

3)Youth movements and societies

4)Always busy

5)Conflicts with friends

6)Parents’ ambitions

7)Are teenagers happy?

They want to earn and spend

Текст

A)Hamleys is the best toyshop in the UK. It has seven floors of toys, games and sweets. The shop assistants often dress up in costumes of famous characters from fairy tales and stories. Because of this the place looks like a magic land. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the shop really has everything young ones could ever want.

B)Harrods, is perhaps London’s most famous department store, named after Charles Harrods, who opened a family grocer’s shop on the site in 1849. The little shop has grown and become a symbol for expensive and glamorous shopping. It contains over 300 departments selling luxury items, from furniture and ladies fashion to sports equipment. Harrods continues to astonish customers from around the world with first-class service and product quality.

C)The Old Umbrella Shop is one of the shops that hasn’t changed from the early twentieth century. Inside it looks exactly as it was years ago. There are old telephones, shelves, shop windows and an umbrella museum. What’s more, it still sells umbrellas and doesn’t want to specialize in anything else. The shop has faithful clients who have been coming there for years.

D)Muara Kuin is an unusual river market in Indonesia. With the sunrise people from local villages arrive here by boat with fresh fruit and vegetables. Buyers get to the market in the same way. Nobody goes on shore, all business is done from boats. If you wish to get a cup of tea, there are special motor boats selling drinks and cookies.

E)The city of Dongguan in China has the world’s largest shopping mall. There are seven zones in it, which are designed to look like world’s cities and regions. In no time you’ll get fromParis to Amsterdam. Take a lift and it will take you from Europe to Canada. There’s even a small river with boats, where you can relax and take a trip after shopping.

F)Hope and Greenwood is a sweet shop in London. It offers traditional British sweets. They were popular in the 50s and 70s. Now you can’t find them anywhere else, because chocolate factories use new modern recipes and ingredients. This shop offers a unique opportunity to try the desserts of the previous century.

G)Oxfam is a chain of shops all over the world, which sells very cheap things. Its aim is to attract shoppers by offering them many second-hand and donated things of good quality. Also anyone can come and bring the books or clothes they no longer need. Oxfam takes everything: from stamps to furniture.

1)Shop and travel

2)They don’t want to change anything

3)A shop for the rich

4)Shopping on water

5)Children’s dreamland

6)Shopping alone

7)A taste from the past

Not new but good and cheap

Текст

A)For intelligence, ravens rate up with chimpanzees and dolphins. These birds have the largest brain of any bird species. Ravens can push rocks on people to keep them from climbing to their nests and play dead to scare other ravens away from a delicious meal. If a raven knows another raven is watching, it hides its food. It pretends to put the food in one place but hides it in another.

B)It’s amazing to watch ravens sliding on snow-covered roofs. For entertainment, they also roll down snowy hills. Ravens often play keep-away with other animals like wolves, foxes and dogs. They even make toys—a rare animal behaviour—from sticks, pine cones, golf balls, or rocks to play with each other or by themselves. When they feel bored, they mock other creatures and find it very amusing.

C)According to surveys, the ravens are one of the main reasons why tourists come to see the Tower of London. Nobody knows when the ravens first appeared there but there is a belief that at least six ravens must always remain on the territory of the Tower. Otherwise, the British Monarchy may fall. To prevent the birds from flying away their wings are clipped every three weeks.

D)In the past, in some cultures, people were truly afraid of these dark birds. In Germany, ravens were considered to be the incarnation of criminals’ souls or sometimes Satan himself. In Sweden, ravens were thought to be the souls of murdered people. And in Denmark, people believed that it was dangerous to look at ravens because you could turn into a raven yourself.

E)Sometimes people find injured ravens and take them home but keeping a raven as a pet is really difficult. These birds require a lot of care, a lot of freedom, and a lot of time. Ravens are wild creatures, and are not pets in the same way as cats and dogs are. If the bird is strong and healthy, it is unfair and cruel to keep it in captivity. In some countries it’s even illegal. So if you really love and admire these birds, enjoy them from a distance!

F)Crows and ravens are often confused with each other because they are both black birds. Even people who are well aware of the differences between the two birds can get confused. You can tell them apart by their voice and differences in their behaviour. Ravens are larger than crows, with thicker beaks, and longer tails. Ravens have a deeper voice than crows.

G)Many poets and writers wrote about ravens in their works. Shakespeare refers to the raven more often than to any other bird. The raven Grip plays an important part in Charles Dickens’ book Barnaby Rudge. Edgar Allan Poe presents the raven as a mystical messenger in his poem The Raven. The wise and sensible raven is also a popular figure in fairy tales.

1)The dark bird of evil

2)A prominent literary character

3)Fun lovers

4)Alike but different

5)The guardians of the country

6)Smart and cunning

7)Born to be free

Favourite diet

Текст

A)How many rubbish bins do you have where you live? In our area there are about 6 of them, each bin for a different kind of rubbish. There are separate containers for glass, cans, paper, textiles, plastic bottles and food products. I’m sure it’s really good because lots of things which we throw away can easily be recycled. It’s time to start caring for our environment.

B)»Please, keep this place clean». This is often written on picnic sites and camping areas in forests. Do we follow the recommendation? We have fun and enjoy the views and then throw away unwanted food, glass, plastic bottles, cans, wrappers and paper. Is that your «thanks» to nature? Make your site or travel route look like nobody was there. Leave no sign of human influence.

C)Before people started destroying the rainforests, they covered 15% of the Earth’s land area. Today, they cover only 6%. In just the last 50 years, one third of the tropical rainforests have been destroyed. If people don’t stop, global warming will become more severe, rare ecosystems will be destroyed, we’ll breathe polluted air and the climate will be changed forever.

D)In the first years of the 21st century there were lots of discoveries in the animal world. But in the past 10 years some animals have completely disappeared from earth. You can no longer see a golden toad, a baiji dolphin or a black rhino. It is frightening that today the process is going faster and faster. These days about 5000 animals could disappear at any time.

E)More than 100 million animals every year suffer and die from inhuman drug, food or cosmetic tests, biology lessons, medical training exercises and other experiments. It seems that we have no pity for them. Have you ever thought that we hurt them? If there isn’t testing on people there shouldn’t be testing on animals either.

F)For my birthday this year I got an unusual and unexpected invitation from a friend to plant a tree. It was a thrilling experience. On the day of the event I chose a tree myself, got some professional advice and did the job. I have never felt such joy. I know my «personal» tree will be part of a small park in the district, a place of beauty for people of all ages to enjoy.

G)The Green School Awards are for quality in environmental education. You can enter the competition as a whole school, a class, a team or an individual. The main task is to make a report on any topic mentioned on our website. You can present it in any form: a scrapbook, a DVD, a website, and so on. Each winner will get a cheque for £700.

1)Why worry about trees?

2)Choose: what goes where?

3)Cruel business

4)Dead or endangered

5)A green society

6)Don’t leave rubbish behind!

7)A green present

Become green and get the prize!

Текст

A)Everybody remembers what school smells and sounds like. It may seem unimportant but research results suggest that smells and sounds can influence learning ability and creativity. Some schools are now introducing noises, music and even smell into the classroom. The aim is to see which of these factors can improve students’ grades.

B)It’s obvious that the constant sounds of traffic, airports and police sirens are a part of a busy city. Numerous studies have focused on the combined effect of aircraft and road traffic sounds on reading ability and memory. It was found out that children from schools near big airports reported annoyance and showed less success at exams, which proves that the aircraft noise is the most harmful type of machinery noise.

C)The International Noise Awareness Day was started by the American Centre for Hearing and Communication in 1995. The aim of this day, which takes place every year in April, is to raise awareness among the people of the noise problem and the risks it makes. On that day people are asked to turn off noise sources such as TV sets and auto engines for a few hours and to enjoy the silence.

D)There is no one best colour, some are just better than others in different situations. The design of the classroom is very important, too. It should be nice and pleasant and help students to focus on learning – remember about it when you paint the walls! Generally, light blue and purple have a calming effect on learners. Warm tones like peach and light yellow provide a relaxing atmosphere that is good for learning too. However, most physiologists say that red, white, black and brown should be avoided in the classroom.

E)However, when students do tasks in groups or discuss something, noise is unavoidable. Sometimes the noise distracts other students. To prevent this, a traffic light system has been introduced. A large set of traffic lights, made of coloured paper, is placed in the classroom. When the noise is acceptable, the green light is on. When it gets too loud, the yellow light is put on. Changing to the red light means the end of activities or complete silence.

F)On the other hand, some noises stimulate creativity, but the sound should be neither too high nor too low. There was a special experiment held in an office. While working, the people were listening to different melodies, played at different levels. It was observed that the most original projects were created when the songs and compositions were played at a medium level. Low and high levels, on the other hand, damaged creativity.

G)According to Professor Shields, listening to classical or calm music helps creative learning. This conclusion is not really new. For a long time, teachers and coaches have been using quiet melodies to inspire their students and stimulate their imagination. This is particularly useful in art classes, where students learn to create pieces of art like pictures, sculptures and hand-made articles.

1)Some time without noise

2)Harmful background noise

3)Special effects for better results

4)A way to reduce noise pollution

5)Colours for the classroom

6)Music in the classroom

7)Music for relaxation

Different effects of music

Раздел 1. АУДИРОВАНИЕ

Вы услышите 6 высказываний. Установите соответствие между высказываниями каждого говорящего A—F и утверждениями, данными в списке 1—7. Используйте каждое утверждение, обозначенное соответствующей цифрой, только один раз. В задании есть одно лишнее утверждение. Вы услышите запись дважды. Занесите свои ответы в таблицу.

Вы услышите диалог. Определите, какие из приведённых утверждений А—G соответствуют содержанию текста (1 — True), какие не соответствуют (2 — False) и о чём в тексте не сказано, то есть на основании текста нельзя дать ни положительного, ни отрицательного ответа (3 — Not stated). Занесите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа в таблицу. Вы услышите запись дважды.

A The Armoury is situated near the Kremlin.

B Originally the Kremlin was wooden.

C New walls and towers of red brick were built in the 15th century.

D The Trinity Gate leads to Red Square.

E The monument to Minin and Pozharsky is the oldest in Moscow.

F The monument to Alexander Pushkin is not far from the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky.

G You can watch ballets in the Maly Theatre.

Утверждение

Соответствие диалогу

Вы услышите интервью с автором детективных романов. В заданиях 3—9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Вы услышите запись дважды.

Which benefit of trees has not been mentioned by the speaker?
1) Protection from flooding.
2) Protection from the sun’s rays.
3) Protection from precipitation.
Ответ: .

The smell of pines in the forest is the result of trees releasing

1) oxygen.

2) carbon dioxide.

3) other gasses.

Ответ: .

Scientists want to study how
1) gasses are released by trees into the atmosphere.
2) organic compounds form tiny particles.
3) these particles influence the climate.
Ответ: .

Cloud droplets are unable to

1) absorb solar radiation.

2) reflect solar radiation.

3) scatter solar radiation.

Ответ: .

According to scientists, cloud droplets influence

1) the size of the cloud.

2) the colour of the cloud.

3) the movement of the cloud.

Ответ: .

The actual formation of the clouds is governed
1) only by the formation of cloud droplets.
2) primarily by the formation of cloud droplets.
3) by several different processes.
Ответ: .

A new way of addressing the problem of global warming is by reducing the amount of
1) greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
2) the sun’s radiation getting through the atmosphere.
3) the sun’s radiation reflected by the clouds.
Ответ: .

Раздел 2. ЧТЕНИЕ

Установите соответствие между заголовками 1—8 и текстами A—G. Занесите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Exotic Pets
2. Going Back in Time
3. Small Screen Addiction
4. Body Language

5. Massive Destruction
6. Buried Treasure
7. Reason for Extinction
8. Intelligent Enemies

A. The VLT (Very Large Telescope) is the world’s largest telescope and it is taking scientists further back to the Big Bang than they ever thought possible. In other words, the VLT is a kind of a time machine, giving astronomers detailed views of events that took place in the earliest days of the cosmos. One day, we will have a much clearer picture of how our planet was born.

B. The latest development in the debate amongst scientists about what killed the prehistoric dinosaurs is the suggestion that acid rain was the cause. Some geologists suggest that a large meteor hitting the earth at 65 kilometres per second would have led to strongly acidic rain falling all over the world. This idea is fascinating but it would mean the dinosaurs would all have died within a very short time.

C. In 1948, a British farmer discovered an interesting lump of metal while ploughing his field. At first he thought the metal bits were parts of an old bed. Then more ‘parts of old beds’ turned up and the farmer took them to the local museum. ‘But these bits are priceless!’ exclaimed the keeper of the museum. ‘They are Iron Age jewellery and coins!’ Over the next 40 years, more and more items were found in the same field.

D. Rats may have had a bit of a hard time over the years but these days lots of people are forgetting about guinea-pigs and hamsters and are buying rats instead. Domestic rats aren’t the same as the ones that run around rubbish bins — they’re actually quite cute. They are very intelligent and can be trained like dogs. They come in different colours and — a big bonus — they will eat anything!

E. In Western cultures, people look each other in the eye during a conversation to show interest and trust, but in many Asian countries, it’s rude to look people in the eye, especially a superior such as a teacher. One of the most basic and powerful signals is when a person crosses his or her arms across the chest. This can indicate that a person is putting up an unconscious barrier between themselves and others.

F. Earthquakes happen all the time in all parts of the world but we don’t notice most of them because they are small. However, big earthquakes are really dangerous. They can make buildings fall down, set off landslides and do other deadly things. The highest death toll caused by an earthquake was in China in 1556, when at least 830,000 people died.

G. According to scientists, Americans watch more TV on average than any other nationality. In fact, many people, particularly children, sit for 35 hours or more per week glued to the box. What’s wrong with watching all that TV? Studies have linked it to everything from obesity to aggression in children not to mention that it puts your mind into a sort of sedated state. Habitual television watching, over long periods of time, has been known to cause depression, and anger.

Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A—F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1—7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя. Занесите цифру, обозначающую соответствующую часть предложения, в таблицу.

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for the best original full-length novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. It aims to represent the greatest in contemporary literature and promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the best book of the year. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, A ____________. However, it was better-known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping ‘Booker’.

Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted B ____________. Firstly, the Advisory Committee gives advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize. Then it selects the people C ____________. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once.

Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender and professions within the industry. A writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions D ____________. The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics E ____________. The influence of the prize is so great that the winner will almost certainly see the considerable sales increase, in addition to the £50,000 F ____________. In 1992, a Booker Russian Novel Prize was introduced.

without any further interference from the prize sponsor
so as to maintain the consistent quality of the prize
who will judge the books
so as to sell them
which was the name of the company that sponsored it
that comes with the prize
they think should be included

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12—18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

‘Have you written a letter to the Froplinsons?’ asked Egbert.

‘No,’ said Janetta, with a note of tired defiance in her voice; ‘I’ve written eleven letters today expressing surprise and gratitude for sundry unmerited gifts, but I haven’t written to the Froplinsons yet.’

‘Someone will have to do it,’ said Egbert.

‘I don’t dispute the necessity, but I don’t think that someone should be me,’ said Janetta. ‘I wouldn’t mind writing a letter of angry recrimination or heartless satire to some suitable recipient. In fact, I should rather enjoy it, but I’ve come to the end of my capacity for expressing servile amiability. Eleven letters today and nine yesterday, all couched in the same strain of ecstatic thankfulness: really, you can’t expect me to sit down to another. There is such a thing as writing oneself out.’

‘I’ve written nearly as many,’ said Egbert, ‘and I’ve had my usual business correspondence to get through, too. Besides, I don’t know what it was that the Froplinsons sent us.’ ‘A William the Conqueror calendar,’ said Janetta, ‘with a quotation of one of his great thoughts for every day in the year.’

‘Impossible,’ said Egbert; ‘he didn’t have three hundred and sixty-five thoughts in the whole of his life, or, if he did, he kept them to himself.’

‘Well, it was William Wordsworth, then,’ said Janetta; ‘I know William came into it somewhere.’

‘That sounds more probable,’ said Egbert; ‘well, let’s collaborate on this letter and get it done. I’ll dictate, and you can scribble it down. ‘Dear Mrs. Froplinson, thank you and your husband so much for the very pretty calendar you sent us. It was very good of you to think of us.’ ’

‘You can’t possibly say that,’ said Janetta, laying down her pen. ‘We sent them something on the twenty-second,’ said Janetta, ‘so they simply had to think of us. There was no getting away from it.’

‘What did we send them?’ asked Egbert gloomily.

‘Bridge-markers,’ said Janetta, ‘in a cardboard case, with some inanity about ‘digging for fortune with a royal spade’ emblazoned on the cover. The moment I saw it in the shop I said to myself ‘Froplinsons’ and to the attendant ‘How much?’ When he said ‘Ninepence,’ I gave him their address, jabbed our card in, paid tenpence or elevenpence to cover the postage, and thanked heaven. With less sincerity and infinitely more trouble they eventually thanked me.’

‘The Froplinsons don’t play bridge,’ said Egbert.

‘One is not supposed to notice social deformities of that sort,’ said Janetta; ‘it wouldn’t be polite. Besides, what trouble did they take to find out whether we read Wordsworth with gladness? For all they knew or cared we might be frantically embedded in the belief that all poetry begins and ends with John Masefield, and it might infuriate or depress us to have a daily sample of Wordsworthian products flung at us.’

‘Well, let’s get on with the letter,’ said Egbert. ‘How clever of you to guess that Wordsworth is our favourite poet.’

Again Janetta laid down her pen.

‘Do you realise what that means?’ she asked; ‘a Wordsworth booklet next Christmas, and another calendar the Christmas after, with the same problem of having to write suitable letters of thankfulness. No, the best thing to do is to drop all further allusion to the calendar and switch off on to some other topic.’

‘But what other topic?’

‘Oh, something like this: ‘What do you think of the New Year Honours List? A friend of ours made such a clever remark when he read it.’ Then you can stick in any remark that comes into your head; it needn’t be clever. The Froplinsons won’t know whether it is or isn’t.’

‘We don’t even know on which side they are in politics,’ objected Egbert; ‘and anyhow you can’t suddenly dismiss the subject of the calendar. Surely there must be some intelligent remark that can be made about it.’

‘Well, we can’t think of one,’ said Janetta wearily; ‘the fact is, we’ve both written ourselves out.’

There was a long silence, the forlorn silence of those who are bereft of hope and have almost ceased to care. Then Egbert started from his seat with an air of resolution. The light of battle was in his eyes.

‘Let me come to the writing-table,’ he exclaimed; ‘I’m going to write to the editor of every enlightened and influential newspaper in the Kingdom, I’m going to suggest that there should be a sort of epistolary Truce of God during the festivities of Christmas and New Year. From the twenty-fourth of December to the third or fourth of January it shall be considered an offence against good sense and good feeling to write or expect any letter or communication that does not deal with the necessary events of the moment. Answers to invitations, arrangements about trains, renewal of club subscriptions, and, of course, all the ordinary everyday affairs of business, sickness, engaging new cooks, and so forth, these will be dealt with in the usual manner as something inevitable. But all the devastating accretions of correspondence, incident to the festive season, these should be swept away to give the season a chance of being really festive.’

‘But you would have to make some acknowledgment of presents received,’ objected Janetta; ‘otherwise people would never know whether they had arrived safely.’

‘Of course, I have thought of that,’ said Egbert; ‘every present that was sent off would be accompanied by a ticket bearing the date of dispatch and the signature of the sender, and some conventional hieroglyphic to show that it was intended to be a Christmas or New Year gift; there would be a counterfoil with space for the recipient’s name and the date of arrival, and all you would have to do would be to sign and date the counterfoil, add a conventional hieroglyphic indicating heartfelt thanks and gratified surprise, put the thing into an envelope and post it.’

‘It sounds delightfully simple,’ said Janetta wistfully, ‘but people would consider it too perfunctory.’

‘It is not a bit more perfunctory than the present system,’ said Egbert; ‘I have only the same conventional language of gratitude at my disposal with which to thank dear old Colonel Chuttle for his perfectly delicious Stilton, which we shall devour to the last morsel, and the Froplinsons for their calendar, which we shall never look at. So you see the present system of acknowledgment is just as perfunctory and conventional as the counterfoil business would be, only ten times more tiresome and brain-racking.’

‘Your plan would certainly bring the idea of a Happy Christmas a step nearer realisation,’ said Janetta. ‘Meanwhile, what am I to say to the Froplinsons?’

(Adapted from ‘Down Pens’ by H. H. Munro)

Egbert and Janetta were writing

1) application letters.
2) thank-you letters.

3) letters of recrimination.
4) letters of complaint.

Ответ: .

Egbert and Janetta didn’t want to write a letter to the Froplinsons because they
1) had both written themselves out.
2) didn’t like this couple.
3) didn’t know what the Froplinsons had sent them.
4) had a lot of work to do.
Ответ: .

Janetta liked her present to the Froplinsons because it was

1) expensive and useless.
2) cheap and useless.

3) expensive and useful.
4) cheap and useful.

Ответ: .

Janetta didn’t want to mention that Wordsworth was their favourite poet because
1) she actually didn’t like his poems.
2) her favourite poet was John Masefield.
3) the Froplinsons would send them new Wordsworth-related presents.
4) she didn’t want the Froplinsons to know the truth.
Ответ: .

Janetta considered the Froplisons to be

1) stupid.

2) clever.

3) kind.

4) mean.

Ответ: .

Egbert suggested that at Christmas people should
1) stop writing letters at all.
2) put off all the everyday affairs of business.
3) not make any acknowledgment of received presents.
4) send counterfoils instead of thank-you letters.
Ответ: .

Janetta considered a new system

1) absolutely impossible.
2) too perfunctory.

3) easy to implement.
4) totally unacceptable.

Ответ: .

Раздел 3. ГРАММАТИКА И ЛЕКСИКА

Прочитайте приведённый ниже текст. Преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами 19—25, так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы 19—25.

Обратите внимание, что по правилам ЕГЭ ответы нужно писать без пробелов и других знаков, например, правильный ответ ‘have done’ нужно будет записать как ‘havedone’, иначе ваш ответ не засчитается.

Swimming Pools

The first heated swimming pool by Gaius Maecenas of Rome in the first century BC.

CON-
STRUCT

Swimming pools became popular in Britain in the beginning of the 19th century. By 1837, London authorities six indoor pools with diving boards.

BUILD

The surviving swimming club in the world is the Arlington Baths Club in Glasgow. It is still an active club and continues to own its original Victorian building with a large pool.

OLD

After the start of modern Olympic Games in 1896, the popularity of swimming pools off. Nowadays there are lots of different swimming pools, both public and private.

TAKE

Most enjoy swimming and swimming pools with their wave-making machines, water slides and tropical vegetation are something unique for them.

CHILD

If they could, kids to spend their entire summer in the swimming pool.

CHOOSE

However, not everyone their own backyard pool.

HAVE

Прочитайте приведённый ниже текст. Образуйте от слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами 26—31, однокоренные слова так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы 26—31.

Waste Management

Waste affects our environment — everything that surrounds us including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things. We need a healthy environment for our own health and .

HAPPY

The waste we create has to be controlled to be sure that it does not harm our environment and our health.

CAREFUL

So waste management is very important.

EFFECT

Waste reduction and recycling have a wide range of environmental benefits and promote public awareness and personal for the waste we create.

RESPON-
SIBLE

The best place to start making a is our home. Learn how you can reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to decrease household waste.

DIFFER

If we recycle what we can’t use any more, we save resources because the materials replace some of the natural resources including water and energy, which we use to make new products.

RECYCLE

Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами 32—38. Эти номера соответствуют заданиям 32—38, в которых представлены возможные варианты ответов. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Globalization and Communication Growth

The 21st century has 32____ in a new era in man’s ongoing quest for a better life and a better world. For the first time in history, we can now claim to live in ‘One World.’ Globalization has removed many of the gaps that have existed between and among nations. While the physical divide is still present, the 33____ of the Information Highway on how we communicate and live in the present day is simply staggering. Rapid improvements in information technology have allowed us to exchange information and communicate almost everywhere, anywhere, and anytime.

Globalization, as a general term, is best understood as the spread of ideas about the environment, democracy, human rights, and less complicated issues like fashion and fads. Global exchange is now taking place as the market of ideas, culture, and beliefs expand through the use of technology. The nature of business and how it is done has also improved by 34____ and bounds because of globalization.

An example of the remarkable effects of globalization is the invention of the telephone and the television. Television has enabled young people and adults to have the ability to share cultural and ethnic experiences with others. Telephones have also greatly improved communication. Gone are the weeks and even months of waiting for a letter. Anybody can talk to anyone who has another phone 35____ of distance or location on the planet. With the aid of satellites, 3rd generation phones allow us to make a phone call, send a video, or even receive an e-mail. These 36____ in communication have revolutionized business, commerce, and even the personal lives and relationships of millions of people.

Because of the electronic media, vast amounts of important information can reach any parts of the globe in 37____ time. Business establishments, whether big or small, are using the Internet in many ways to build or expand their company’s growth. With the ever improving technology come new markets, high 38____ for products, and also greater competition. Making investments in information and communication technology is now a must for any business enterprise.

1) started

2) began

3) ushered

4) launched

Ответ: .

1) cause

2) impact

3) consequences

4) result

Ответ: .

1) bonds

2) gaps

3) jumps

4) leaps

Ответ: .

1) regardless

2) despite

3) notwithstanding

4) because

Ответ: .

1) breakbeats

2) breakdowns

3) breakouts

4) breakthroughs

Ответ: .

1) any

2) no

3) none of

4) some

Ответ: .

1) access

2) claim

3) demand

4) rise

Ответ: .

Ваш результат: пока 0.

Далее вы можете набрать еще 40 баллов. Автоматически это проверить нельзя, поэтому сделайте реалистичный прогноз о том, сколько бы вы смогли набрать баллов, и получите ваш итоговый результат ЕГЭ.

Если возник вопрос по ответу, в котором вы ошиблись, можете задать его в комментариях.

Раздел 4. ПИСЬМО

Для ответов на задания 39 и 40 используйте бланк ответов № 2. Черновые пометки можно делать прямо на листе с заданиями, или можно использовать отдельный черновик. При выполнении заданий 39 и 40 особое внимание обратите на то, что Ваши ответы будут оцениваться только по записям, сделанным в БЛАНКЕ ОТВЕТОВ № 2. Никакие записи черновика не будут учитываться экспертом. Обратите внимание также на необходимость соблюдения указанного объёма текста. Тексты недостаточного объёма, а также часть текста, превышающая требуемый объём, не оцениваются. Запишите сначала номер задания (39, 40), а затем ответ на него. Если одной стороны бланка недостаточно, Вы можете использовать другую его сторону.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Jessica who writes:

… By the way, we are doing a project at college on the fashion industry in different countries. It would be nice if you could tell me what clothes are popular with teenagers in Russia. Do you have any special fashion for teens? What kind of clothes do you prefer? Why?

Write a letter to Jessica.
In your letter
— answer her questions
— ask 3 questions about her tastes in clothes
Write 100 — 140 words.
Remember the rules of letter writing.

За это задание вы можете получить 6 баллов максимум.

Comment on the following statement.

Lots of people enjoy celebrating holidays. However, for some people a holiday is just a day off.

What is your attitude to celebrations? Which way of celebrating holidays do you find more enjoyable?

Write 200 — 250 words.

— make an introduction (state the problem)
— express your personal opinion and give 2—3 reasons for your opinion
— express an opposing opinion and give 1—2 reasons for this opposing opinion
— explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion
— make a conclusion restating your position

За это задание вы можете получить 14 баллов максимум.

Раздел 5. ГОВОРЕНИЕ

— За 1,5 минуты нужно подготовиться и в следующие 1,5 минуты выразительно прочитать текст вслух — 1 балл.
— Составление 5 вопросов на основе ключевых слов. На подготовку отводится 1,5 минуты, затем каждый вопрос надо сформулировать в течение 20 секунд — 5 баллов.
— 3 фотографии. Нужно выбрать 1 и описать ее по предложенному тут же в задании плану за 3,5 минуты — 7 баллов.
— 2 картинки. Нужно сравнить их, описать сходства и различия, объяснить, почему выбранная тематика близка выпускнику, за 3,5 минуты — 7 баллов.

Источник

Задание №6981.
Чтение. ЕГЭ по английскому

Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.

Laughing and evolution

The first hoots of laughter from an ancient ancestor of humans could be heard at least 10 million years ago, according to the results of a new study.

Researchers used recordings of apes and babies being tickled ___ (A) to the last common ancestor that humans shared with the modern great apes, which include chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.

The finding challenges the opinion ___ (B), suggesting instead that it emerged long before humans split from the evolutionary path that led to our primate cousins, between 10m and 16m years ago.

“In humans, laughing can be the strongest way of expressing how much we are enjoying ourselves, but it can also be used in other contexts, like making fun of someone,” said Marina Davila Ross, a psychologist at Portsmouth University. “I was interested in ___ (C)

Davila Ross travelled to seven zoos around Europe and visited a wildlife reserve in Sabah, Borneo, to record baby and juvenile apes ___ (D). Great apes are known to make noises that are similar to laughter when they are excited and while they are playing with each other.

Davila Ross collected recordings of laughter from 21 chimps, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos and added recordings of three babies that were tickled to make them laugh.

To analyze the recordings, the team put them into a computer program. “Our evolutionary tree based on these acoustic recordings alone showed ___ (E), but furthest from orangutans, with gorillas somewhere in the middle.” said Davila Ross. “What this shows is strong evidence to suggest ___ (F).”

1. whether laughing emerged earlier on than humans did
2. to create the evolutionary tree linking humans and apes
3. that laughter is a uniquely human trait
4. that humans were closest to chimps and bonobos
5. that laughing comes from a common primate ancestor
6. while their caretakers tickled them
7. to trace the origin of laughter back

A	B	C	D	E	F

Решение:
Пропуску A соответствует часть текста под номером 7.
Пропуску B соответствует часть текста под номером 3.
Пропуску C соответствует часть текста под номером 1.
Пропуску D соответствует часть текста под номером 6.
Пропуску E соответствует часть текста под номером 4.
Пропуску F соответствует часть текста под номером 5.

Показать ответ

Источник: ЕГЭ. Английский язык: типовые экзаменационные варианты. Под ред. М.В. Вербицкой

Сообщить об ошибке

Тест с похожими заданиями

Источник

Подробности: 4401


Прочитайте текст. Заполните пропуски в предложениях под номерами В4-В18 соответствующими формами слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами справа от каждого предложения. TEST 11 (part 1)

B4	If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. (Mark Twain) (1-й conditional)	PICK
B5	If you don’t know where you are going, probably you will end up somewhere else. (Laurence J. Peter) (1-й conditional)	END UP
B6	Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life. (Herbert Henry Asquith) (2-й conditional)	BE
B7	Television is more interesting than people. If it were not, we would have people standing in the corners of our rooms. (Alan Corenk) (2-й conditional)	HAVE
B8	There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up. (Oscar Wilde) (2-й conditional)	THROW
B9	If nobody spoke unless he had something to say, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech. (W. Somerset Maugham) (2-й conditional)	SPEAK
B10	If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm. (Vince Lombardi) (1-й conditional)	FIRE
B11	If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant:if sometimes we didn’t not taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. (Anne Bradstreet) (2-й conditional)	HAVE TASTE
B12	Could you imagine how horrible things would be if we always told others how we felt? Life would be intolerably bearable. (Randy K. Milholland) (2-й conditional)	BE
B13	If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. (Thomas A. Edison) (2-й conditional)	DO
B14	Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) (2-й conditional)	SUCCEED
B15	If men were angels, no government would be necessary. (James Madison) (2-й conditional)	BE
B16	Many would be cowards if they had courage enough (Thomas Fuller) (2-й conditional)	HAVE
B17	If we couldn’t laugh, we all would go insane. (Jimmy Buffett) (2-й conditional)	GO
B18	What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes! (Georg Christoph Lichtenberg) (2-й conditional)	CAN

n01 n02 n03 n04 n05 n06 n07 n08 n10 n11 n12 n13 n14 n15 n16 n17 n18 n19

Источник

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Do we see ourselves as we really are?
A worldwide survey casts doubt on national stereotypes
The English are cold and reserved, Brazilians are lively and fun-loving, and the Japanese are shy and hardworking – these are examples of national stereotypes which are widely believed, not only by other nationalities but also by many people among the nationality themselves. But how much truth is there in such stereotypes? Two psychologists, Robert McCrae and Antonio Terracciano, have investigated the subject and the results of their research are surprising. They found that people from a particular country do share some general characteristics, but that these characteristics are often very different from the stereotype.
In the largest survey of its kind, a team of psychologists used personality tests to establish shared characteristics among 49 different nationalities around the world. They then interviewed thousands of people from these same groups and asked them to describe typical members of their own nationality. In most cases the stereotype (how nationalities saw themselves) was very different from the results of the personality tests (the reality).
For example, Italians and Russians thought of themselves as extrovert and sociable, but the personality tests showed them to be much more introvert than they imagined. The Spanish saw themselves as very extrovert, but also as rather lazy. In fact, the research showed them to be only averagely extrovert and much more conscientious than they thought. Brazilians were quite neurotic – the opposite of their own view of themselves. The Czechs and the Argentinians thought of themselves as badtempered and unfriendy, but they turned out to be among the friendliest of all nationalities. The English were the nationality whose own stereotype was the furthest from reality. While they saw themselves as reserved and closed, Dr McCrae’s research showed them to be among the most extrovert andopen-mindedof the groups studied.
The only nationality groupin the whole study where people saw themselves as they really are was the Poles – not especially extrovert, and slightly neurotic.
Dr McCrae and Dr Terracciano hope that their research will show that national stereotypes are inaccurate and unhelpful and that this might improve international understanding – we’re all much more alike than we think we are!

0/5000

Результаты (русский) 1: [копия]

Скопировано!

Мы видим себя как мы на самом деле?Глобальное обследование бросает тень сомнения на национальные стереотипыАнглийский холодно и сдержанно, бразильцы живой и веселый и японцы застенчивы и трудолюбие – это примеры национальных стереотипов, которые являются широко распространено мнение, не только других национальностей, но и многие люди среди гражданства сами. Но сколько правды есть в таких стереотипов? Два психолога, Роберт McCrae и Antonio Terracciano, исследовали тему и результаты их исследований удивительно. Они обнаружили, что люди из конкретной страны разделяют некоторые общие характеристики, но что эти характеристики очень часто отличаются от стереотипа.В крупнейших обследования такого рода группа психологов используются личность тесты для установления общих характеристик среди 49 различных национальностей во всем мире. Затем они опросили тысячи людей из этих же групп и попросил их описать типичные членов их собственной национальности. В большинстве случаев стереотип (как национальностей считали себя) был очень отличается от результатов личностных тестов (реальность).Например итальянцы и русские считали себя как экстраверт и общительный, но личность тесты показали им быть интроверт гораздо больше, чем они предполагали. Испанской видел себя как очень экстраверт, но и как довольно ленивый. В самом деле исследования показали их в среднем только быть экстраверт и гораздо более добросовестный, чем они думали. Бразильцы были довольно невротические – в противоположность их собственное мнение о себе. Чехи и аргентинцы считают себя badtempered и unfriendy, но они оказались среди дружелюбных всех национальностей. Англичане были национальности, чьи собственные стереотип был далеко от реальности. Хотя они считали себя как зарезервированные и закрытые, Dr McCrae исследования показали им быть среди наиболее экстраверт andopen-mindedof группы учился.Groupin всего исследования, где люди видели сами, как они на самом деле только гражданство было поляков – не особенно экстраверт и слегка невротические.Д-р Terracciano и д-р McCrae надеются, что их исследование покажет, что национальные стереотипы являются неточными и бесполезной и что это может улучшить международное понимание-мы все гораздо больше похожи, чем мы думаем, что мы!

переводится, пожалуйста, подождите..

Результаты (русский) 2:[копия]

Скопировано!

? Видим ли мы себя, как мы на самом деле
глобальное исследование ставит под сомнение национальных стереотипов
на английском холодно и сдержанно, бразильцы живой и веселый, и японцы застенчивы и трудолюбивый — это примеры национальных стереотипов, которые широко верили не только представителями других национальностей, но и многих среди самих национальности. Но сколько правды есть в таких стереотипов? Два психолога, Роберт Маккрэ и Антонио Terracciano, исследовали предмет и результаты их исследований удивительны. Они обнаружили, что люди из конкретной страны разделяют некоторые общие характеристики, но, что эти характеристики часто очень отличается от стереотипа.
В крупнейшем опроса в своем роде, команда психологов, используемого личностных тестов, чтобы установить общие характеристики среди 49 различных национальностей вокруг мир. Затем они взяли интервью тысячи людей из этих же групп и попросил их описать характерные членов своей национальности. В большинстве случаев стереотип (как национальности считали себя) очень отличается от результатов личностных тестов (реальности).
Например, итальянцы и русские считали себя экстраверт и общительный, но личностные тесты показали их намного больше, интроверт, чем они представляли. Испанская увидел себя самого экстраверт, но и как весьма ленивы. На самом деле, исследования показали, что они будут только в среднем экстраверт и многое другое добросовестный, чем они думали. Бразильцы были весьма невротический — противоположность их собственному мнению о себе. Чехи и аргентинцы считают себя badtempered и unfriendy, но они оказались среди самых дружелюбных всех национальностей. На английском были национальности, чьи собственные стереотип был дальше от реальности. В то время как они видели себя как защищены и закрыты, исследование д-ра Mccrae показали их, чтобы быть среди самых экстраверт andopen-mindedof исследуемых группах.
Только национальности groupin весь кабинет, где люди увидели себя, как они действительно были поляки — не особенно экстраверт, и немного невротиком.
Д-р и д-р Маккрэ Terracciano надеются, что их исследование покажет, что национальные стереотипы являются неточными и бесполезными, и что это может улучшить международное понимание — мы все гораздо более похожи, чем мы думаем, что есть!

переводится, пожалуйста, подождите..

Результаты (русский) 3:[копия]

Скопировано!

мы видим себя такими, какие мы на самом деле?
глобального обзора порождает сомнения в отношении национальных стереотипов: английский холодно и зарезервированы, бразильцы — живой и веселая, и японцы застенчивый и трудолюбивый, — это примеры национальных стереотипов, которые, как считают многие, не только других национальностей, но и многие люди из гражданства сами.но сколько правды есть в таких стереотипов?два психолога, роберт mccrae и антонио terracciano, изучали вопрос и результаты их исследований поразительны.они обнаружили, что люди из конкретной страны действительно есть некоторые общие характеристики, но эти характеристики, зачастую весьма отличается от стереотипа.
в крупнейших опрос,группа психологов, используемых тестов определить общие характеристики среди 49 разных стран во всем мире.затем они опросили тысячи людей из этих групп и попросили описать типичного членов их собственных граждан.в большинстве случаев стереотип (как национальностей, увидели себя), весьма отличается от результатов тестов (Reality).
, например, итальянцы и русские считали себя extrovert и общительный, но тестов показал им гораздо больший интроверт, чем они думали.испанский видел себя очень extrovert, но и как довольно ленивый.на самом деле,

переводится, пожалуйста, подождите..

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говорит сам за себя
Міністерство доходів
plumber
People use the Internet to explore thei
говорит сам за себя
I’m writing to say that teen magazines h
What a beautiful team
У него полосатая окраска
Лампа находится в спальне.
я согласна с этим выражением. Иногда про
У него полосатая окраска
Физика
Я не завершил бы работу если бы ты не по
E-commerce (business conducted on the
Почему именно английский
В заключение я хочу сказать что
A vobis
Do the children like to do exercises and
veulent qu on occupe eux mais pas sophie
Teach
Где он провел прошлое лето?
Как она помогла маме вчера
Где он провел прошлое лето?
Как она помогла маме вчера

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