Упражнение на лексическое преобразование слов. Рекомендуем всем, кто готовится к сдачи ЕГЭ по английскому языку.
Прочитайте приведённый ниже текст. Образуйте от слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами, однокоренные слова, так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста.
ЗаданиеОтвет
The importance of pets
Having friends is extremely important, and most people spend a lot of time with them. But is there another type of ___FRIEND___ that they may be missing out on? Would having a pet be just as good? There is some evidence to support this interesting suggestion. It’s well-known that dogs can form bonds with people, and can show signs of unhappiness if their ___OWN___ suddenly leave unexpectedly.
In the same way, some people feel as close to their pets as their human friends, gaining ___STRONG___ and comfort from their animals.
It seems that the ___CONNECT___ between animals and people goes deeper than might be expected. Studies into the behaviour of gorillas show that these creatures have ___EMOTION___ relationships that are not so different from our own. So although a pet may never completely ___PLACE___ a friend, there is clearly a place for both.
The importance of pets
Having friends is extremely important, and most people spend a lot of time with them. But is there another type of FRIENDSHIP that they may be missing out on? Would having a pet be just as good? There is some evidence to support this interesting suggestion. It’s well-known that dogs can form bonds with people, and can show signs of unhappiness if their OWNERS suddenly leave unexpectedly.
In the same way, some people feel as close to their pets as their human friends, gaining STRENGTH and comfort from their animals.
It seems that the CONNECTION between animals and people goes deeper than might be expected. Studies into the behaviour of gorillas show that these creatures have EMOTIONAL relationships that are not so different from our own. So although a pet may never completely REPLACE a friend, there is clearly a place for both.
- Подробности
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| Прочитайте текст. Заполните пропуски в предложениях под номерами В11-В16 соответствующими формами слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами справа от каждого предложения. TEST 15 (part 2) |
Animals
|
B11 |
The importance of animals in British life is reflected in many ways. In the past, landowners liked to be portrayed with their dogs and horses. Countless pictures of this kind can be seen in art galleries and private residences. |
COUNT |
|
B12 |
Animals are widely used in advertising in magazines and on television. |
WIDE |
|
B13 |
The Royal Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is one of the largest charities in Britain. |
PREVENT |
|
B14 |
RSPCA is a part of a more generalmovement in support of animal rights that has emerged recently in Britain and the USA. |
MOVE |
|
B15 |
Animal rights organizations use various tactics: picketing stores that sell furs, harassing hunters in the wild, or breaking into laboratories to free animals. |
VARY |
|
B16 |
Their main aim is to ban the cruel treatment and killing of animals both in laboratory experiments and in factory farming. The irresponsible and neglectful treatment of animals by some zoo and pet owners is also their concern. |
OWN |
1) Установите соответствие между заголовками 1 — 8 и текстами A — G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.
1. Pets can teach
2. Different pets, different characters
3. Where to get a pet
4. Having fun together
5. Friends in need
6. Reading dog stories
7. A global problem and its solution
8. A long-term treatment
A. It has become clear that stress affects our mental and physical health and, sadly, our world has become more stressful than ever. We live in the environment that can easily wear us out. Luckily, there are certain methods to reduce stress and have control. One of the best is to own a pet. Pets require attention and dedication, but those are small prices to pay for the amount of benefits they bring into our lives.
B. Pets provide support because they are always available to listen (without any judgment) or rub up against your hand, which can help you relax after a hectic day. They can help you see the situation differently and let out some steam. Moreover, when you are feeling under the weather, there is nothing like a sweet pair of eyes that immediately get your mind off thoughts that are making you sad and depressed.
C. Companionship with a loving pet is a real source of entertainment. Pets are constantly giving off love and gratitude, and they are happy to be in your presence. You can be yourself around pets. You can dance silly or talk silly, and they will not criticize you. In fact, they will love the silliness and get silly themselves. Cats and dogs are fantastic companions to sit down and watch TV at night.
D. Studies have shown that communicating with a pet boosts the immune system, improves heart health, reduces physical pain, and improves mental health as well. One man with tuberculosis says that the cat he received after his diagnosis kept him going for 21 years with little pain and very few physical issues. He talked to his cat which helped him walk through his troubles. That proves the power of true love that animals have.
E. Pets are living creatures that have habits and personalities. They can surprise you. Dogs, cats, and birds are probably most known for having distinct personalities. However, one snake owner says that her snake had his own unique personality. He got excited when she came into the room, and she would often put him in the bathtub where he would do all sorts of funny tricks while splashing around.
F. No matter what type of pet you get, it will require you to take care of it. Being responsible for another living being can help you be more responsible in the rest of your life too. This is especially true for kids who are learning the value of good habits. However, adults can benefit from the consistent responsibility as well. Responsible pet owners are kind to pets and remember they are their pets’ world.
G. With millions of cats and dogs killed in shelters in the United States every year, adopting a pet instead of buying one saves at least one animal’s life. Adoption saves not only the animal you adopt, but also the new animal the shelter can take in. Adopting from a shelter helps both ends of the problem: fewer animals will be bred, and more animals can go to a good home.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
2) Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.
Archaeology done under water
Nautical archaeology is the science of finding, collecting, preserving, and studying human objects that have become lost or buried under water. It is a fairly modern field of study since it depends on having the technology to be able to remain underwater for some time to do real work. Whether it is conducted in freshwater or in the sea, ___ (A), nautical archaeology is another way of learning more about the human past.
Although some use the words nautical archaeology to mean a specialized branch of underwater archaeology, ___ (B), most consider the term to mean the same as the words underwater archaeology or marine archaeology. All of these interchangeable terms mean simply ___ (C).
Once real trade began, it is safe to say ___ (D) was probably transported over water at some point in time. By studying submerged objects, we can learn more about past human cultures. In fact, studying ancient artifacts is the only way to learn anything about human societies ___ (E). Being able to examine the actual objects made and used by ancient people not only adds to the written records they left behind, but allows us to get much closer to the reality of what life was like when they lived. Also, if we pay close attention to how the objects were made and used, we begin to get a more realistic picture of ___ (F).
1. what those people were really like
2. and what was discovered underwater
3. that nearly every object made by humans
4. and whether it finds sunken ships or old cities
5. that existed long before the invention of writing
6. that it is the study of archaeology done underwater
7. which is concerned only with ships and the history of seafaring
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
3) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Показать текст. ⇓
What kind of a phone does the author want her children to have first?
1) An old-type phone.
2) A modern phone.
3) Something like her parents’ phone.
4) Something like her “old” phone.
4) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Показать текст. ⇓
Which of the following statements reflects the author’s views?
1) Parents shouldn’t allow their children to play games on iPads.
2) Children are more attached to technology than adults.
3) Children now prefer their gadgets to outdoor games.
4) It’s hard to imagine the modern life without mobile devices.
5) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Показать текст. ⇓
What does the author remember about her childhood?
1) She didn’t like to play outside.
2) She enjoyed PlayStation more than Lego.
3) She went for a walk outside whenever her parents told her.
4) She preferred to ignore her parents when she played.
6) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Показать текст. ⇓
Teacher Kinney is worried about children’s
1) communicative skills.
2) computer skills.
3) parents’ attitudes.
4) writing skills.
7) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Показать текст. ⇓
“This” in paragraph 8 (This, however, is not an excuse ) refers to
1) addiction to technology.
2) computer language.
3) importance of computers.
4) literacy skills.

Показать текст. ⇓
What does the author imply by asking “How young is too young”?
1) Leap Band is inappropriate for young children.
2) Technology may enter children’s life too early.
3) Leap Band products suit any child.
4) Wristwatch-like products are for older children.
9) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Показать текст. ⇓
How, according to the author, will the parents solve the technological dilemma?
1) In favour of communication skills.
2) In favour of both the computer and communication skills.
3) They will try to refrain from making the decision.
4) In favour of the computer skills.
Imagine that you are doing a project on what pets are popular in Zetland. You have found some data on the subject – the results of the opinion polls (see the table below).
Comment on the data in the table and give your opinion on the subject of the project.
|
Pet Animals |
Pet Ownership (%) |
|---|---|
|
Dogs |
35 |
|
Cats |
25 |
|
Fish |
20 |
|
Hamsters |
16 |
|
Guinea pigs |
4 |
Use the following plan:
– make an opening statement on the subject of the project;
– select and report 2–3 facts;
– make 1–2 comparisons where relevant and give your comments;
– outline a problem that can arise with keeping a pet and suggest a way of solving it;
– conclude by giving and explaining your opinion on the importance of pets in people’s lives.
1) 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. Прослушайте запись дважды.
1. It is necessary to take care of your pets health if it has problems.
2. Having two pets can be more enjoyable than having one.
3. Giving an unwanted pet a home is an opportunity to do something kind.
4. Each and every pet has an interesting and unique personality.
5. Choosing the right pet is a very important decision.
6. A pet often loves its owner and can be like a best friend.
7. Pets need something to play with, just like people do.
| Говорящий | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| Утверждение |
2) 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). Прослушайте запись дважды.
A. Vicky is not interested in seeing Jason’s costume for the party.
B. Vicky wants to spend a lot of money on a costume.
C. Jason first suggests that Vicky should dress up as a famous person.
D. Vicky knows what all of her friends are wearing to the party.
E. Jason suggests that Vicky wears normal clothes as part of her outfit.
F. Vicky’s mum will help Vicky make her outfit.
G. Vicky doesn’t want to start putting her outfit together straight away.
| Утверждение | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| Соответствие диалогу |
3) Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
The tour company that John works for provides
1) large-scale tourism.
2) environmental education.
3) food and drink tours.
4) Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
While at university, John studied
1) biology.
2) forest conservation.
3) zoo management.
5) Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
What must travellers do before they go on a trip?
1) Participate in a short course on environmental protection.
2) Sign forms promising not to damage the environment.
3) Donate money to an environmental protection programme.
6) Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
John believes that most people
1) know a great deal about rainforests.
2) want to travel to rainforests.
3) are unaware of the importance of rainforests.
7) Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
How does John describe the fight to protect rainforests in Brazil?
1) The government is losing the fight.
2) Despite some good news, the struggle is ongoing.
3) It is going extremely well.
Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
What does John say about the native peoples?
1) It is very rare that they get to meet with them.
2) All native people are willing to engage with the tour.
3) Cultural understanding is gained from some of them.
9) Вы услышите интервью. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.
In the future, John hopes his company will
1) begin tours in new regions.
2) expand tours in existing regions.
3) focus more on South-East Asia.

ЕГЭ Раздел 1. Аудирование
1. 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.
C-1. I like having the best of both worlds. — Мне нравится иметь лучшее из обоих миров.
E-2. Life in the countryside is good for my health. — Жизнь в сельской местности хороша для моего здоровья.
B-3. I love the countryside, because life there is very peaceful. — Я люблю деревню, потому что жизнь там очень спокойная.
F-4. The beauty of nature makes living in the country enjoyable. — Красота природы делает жизнь в сельской местности приятной.
Extra-5. I love the countryside, because life there is good for my children. — Я люблю деревню, потому что жизнь там хороша для моих детей.
A-6. I enjoyed moving to a town where life is more comfortable. – Мне нравится ездить в город, где жизнь более комфортная.
D-7. I dislike living in the country, because I need human company. — Я не люблю жить в деревне, потому что мне нужна человеческая компания.
2. 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 положительный, ни отрицательный ответ (3 — Not stated). Занесите номер выбранного Вами варианта ответа в таблицу. Вы услышите запись дважды.
3-A John usually spends Christmas at his parents’ house. — Джон обычно проводит Рождество в доме своих родителей.
1-B Angela is rather pessimistic about her chances to get the job. — Анжела довольно пессимистична по поводу ее шансов получить работу.
2-C John considers Angela a workaholic. — Джон считает Анжелу трудоголиком.
2-D John is enthusiastic about Angela moving to Russia. — Джон с энтузиазмом относится к переезду Анжелы в Россию.
3-E Angela worked in an international company in Canada. — Анжела работала в международной компании в Канаде.
1-F John is more optimistic than Angela about her chances to get the job. — Джон более оптимистичен, чем Анжела о ее шансах получить работу.
3-G John is going to leave at 2 PM. — Джон собирается ехать в 2 часа дня.
Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях 3-9 запишите в поле ответа цифру 7, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Вы услышите запись дважды.
3. Tony Stevens 2) watches his films once. — Тони Стивенс смотрел свои фильмы один раз.
4. What is the most important thing about writing for Tony Stevens? – Какая наиболее важная вещь о писательстве для Тони Стивенса?
1) Writing is NOT a team work like acting. – Писательство НЕ является командной работой как игра актеров (актерство).
5. Tony Stevens says that if, as a child, you are fascinated by a literary character, 2) you want to become that character. — Тони Стивенс говорит, что если, будучи ребенком, вы очарованы литературным персонажем, то вы хотите стать этим персонажем.
6. Tony Stevens wished he had had on the school curriculum 1) “Pickwick Papers” by Charles Dickens. — Тони Стивенсу хотелось, чтобы в его школьной программе было произведение «Записки Пиквикского клуба» Чарльза Диккенса.
7. What advice does he give to beginning writers? — Какой совет он дает начинающим писателям?
3) Go by your experience and write clearly. – Следовать своему опыту и писать ясно.
8. What is his present attitude to critical reviews? — Каково его настоящее отношение к критическим отзывам?
3) He pays no attention to them. — Он не обращает на них никакого внимания.
9. What made his career as an actor successful? — Что сделало его карьеру как актера успешной?
2) Determination and decisiveness. – Целеустремленность и решительность.
ЕГЭ Раздел 2. Чтение
10. Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Занесите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.
F-1. Beware of rabbits — Остерегайтесь кроликов
A-2. Exotic pets — Экзотические домашние животные
B-3. Saving animals – Спасение животных
G-4. Teaching and entertaining – Обучение и развлечение
Extra-5. Protecting pets — Защита домашних животных
D-6. Tender pets — Нежные домашние животные
C-7. What’s in a name? — Что в имени?
E-8. Contribution to science — Вклад в науку
A. Little is known for certain about how guinea pigs were first introduced to Europe and North America as a domestic pet, but they most probably came during the 16th century. Holland, Portugal and Spain had colonies in South America, and the explorers brought to Europe gold and precious gems, along with other unusual and exciting finds. Colourful parrots became very popular status symbols in the homes of the wealthy, and with them came the guinea pig and other animals previously unknown in Europe.
Мало что наверняка известно о том, как морские свинки впервые были ввезены в Европу и Северную Америку в качестве домашнего питомца, но они, скорее всего, появились в 16-м веке. Голландия, Португалия и Испания были колониями в Южной Америке, и исследователи привезли в Европу золото и драгоценные камни, наряду с другими необычными и захватывающими находками. Красочные попугаи стали очень популярными символами статуса в домах богатых, а вместе с ними привезли морскую свинку и других животных, ранее неизвестных в Европе.
B. Many species of wild animals are in danger of complete extinction. This is usually due to loss of habitat as a result of human expansion, or it could be due to excessive hunting. A good, modern zoo has a valuable role to play in assisting with the protection of endangered species. This is both through education of the general public in the importance of conservation in general, and through breeding programmes to increase the population of endangered species in captivity and then reintroduce them into the wild.
Многие виды диких животных находятся под угрозой полного исчезновения. Это, как правило, из-за потери среды обитания в результате человеческой экспансии, или это может быть из-за чрезмерной охоты. Хороший, современный зоопарк играет ценную роль в оказании помощи в защите исчезающих видов. Это происходит как за счет образования широкой общественности в важности сохранения в целом, а также посредством программ разведения для увеличения популяции исчезающих видов в неволе, а затем вновь выпускать их в дикую природу.
C. The guinea pig is today one of the world’s most popular pets, ranking only a little way behind the rabbit. Though called guinea pigs, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. Why Guinea, then? Some say they could have originally changed hands at the cost of a guinea (twenty-one shillings — very expensive!). As for the “pig”, an explanation is much easier to guess — they run and squeal much as little piglets do!
Морская свинка сегодня является одним из самых популярных домашних животных в мире, лишь немного отстает от кролика. Хотя они и называются морскими свинками, эти животные не являются свиньями, и они не из Гвинеи. Почему тогда Гвинея? Некоторые говорят, что они первоначально были названы по стоимости «guinea» (двадцать один шиллинг — очень дорого). Что касается «свинка», объяснение гораздо проще угадать — они бегают и визжат как маленькие поросята!
D. Rabbits are among the most popular pets to keep due to their affectionate nature and love of cuddles. To show they are happy, they often grind their teeth softly when being petted, similar to cats purring. In general, rabbits are timid, non-aggressive and sociable with each other. With gentle handling they are generally quite tame. They are playful and entertaining to watch, but they need a great deal of interaction with their owners. Their cage should be relatively big, but they need some playtime outside it as well.
Кролики являются одними из самых популярных домашних животных, которых держат из-за их ласковой природы и любви объятий. Чтобы показать, что они счастливы, они часто скрипят зубами, когда их мягко поглаживаешь, похожие на кошачье мурлыканье. В общем, кролики пугливые, неагрессивные и общительные друг с другом. При бережном обращении они, как правило, совсем ручные. Они игривы и за ними интересно наблюдать, но они нуждаются во взаимодействии с их владельцами. Их клетка должна быть относительно большой, но им также нужно играть и за ее пределами.
E. For a long time guinea pigs were used as experimental animals. In 1890, the antitoxin for diphtheria was discovered using guinea pigs in the research, and as a result the lives of millions of children have been saved. In 1907 vitamin С was discovered due to guinea pigs. Like humans they cannot produce the vitamin and need it supplied in their diet. The guinea pig’s wide variety of hair types and colours has also made them a prime choice for studies of genetics and heredity. Later they were replaced by rats and mice.
Долгое время морских свинок использовали в качестве экспериментальных животных. В 1890 году антитоксин дифтерии был обнаружен с использованием морских свинок в исследованиях, и в результате жизни миллионов детей были спасены. В 1907 Витамин С был обнаружен из-за морских свинок. Как и люди, они не могут производить витамин и нужно, чтобы он присутствовал в их рационе. Широкое разнообразие морских свинок по типу шерсти и цвету также сделало их основным выбором для изучения генетики и наследственности. Позже они были заменены на крыс и мышей.
F. Security at Denver International Airport tries to protect cars from vandalism and theft, but there’s a new threat at its expansive parking lot. Ravenous rabbits. The animals are causing hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars in damage to cars by devouring the wires under the hood. At least 100 rabbits are removed every month, but the problem persists. The airport is surrounded by prairie, and the rabbits are seeking warmth and food in the parked vehicles.
Служба безопасности в международном аэропорту Денвера пытается защитить автомобили от вандализма и кражи, но есть новая угроза на открытой стоянке. Прожорливые кролики. Животные наносят ущерб в сотни, а иногда и тысячи долларов, в виде повреждения автомобилей, пожирая провода под капотом. По крайней мере, 100 кроликов, удаляются каждый месяц, но проблема не решена. Аэропорт окружен прерией, и кролики ищут тепло и еду в припаркованных транспортных средствах.
G. Our mission at Wild Adventures Zoo is to bring family entertainment back to Las Vegas, in an educational manner. Teaching respect for animals through hands-on applications, workshops and conservation efforts, as well as helping injured and abandoned wildlife and exotic pets, is the reason Wild Adventures Zoo was created. Our focus is on educating the public through fun and exciting activities that allow them to interact with the animals.
Наша миссия в зоопарке Уайлд Эдвенчерс принести развлечение для всей семьи обратно в Лас-Вегас, в образовательной манере. Обучение уважению к животным через практическое применение, мастерские и семинары по сохранению, а также помощь раненым и брошенным диким и экзотическим животным, это и есть причины создания зоопарка Уайлд Эдвенчерс. Наше внимание сосредоточено на просвещение общественности с помощью увлекательных и интересных мероприятий, которые позволяют им взаимодействовать с животными.
11. Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски А-F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1-7. Одна из частей в списке 1-7 лишняя. Занесите цифры, обозначающие соответствующие части предложений, в таблицу.
Father’s Day
Father’s Day has been celebrated for over 100 years. It is also an event celebrated in many countries around the world, A 3. although at different times of the year. In North America and the United Kingdom, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Here are some tips to help you В 7. celebrate Father’s Day in a special way. Use this opportunity to get everyone in the family together for a day of fun. You don’t have to stay at home; you could go to the beach, a local park, one of dad’s favourite places!
Having a picnic during the summer months can be entertaining and a blast for the entire family. It’s a great boredom buster, but it also helps the family to get together and С 2. eat some delicious food and play fun games. It doesn’t take more than a picnic basket and a few food items. Among the healthier items good for a picnic there are apples, a watermelon, celery, and raisins, to name a few. Ask other members of the family to D5. help you choose some of their favourite food items that they’d like to have. You need to realize that it acts as glue for family bonds.
When it comes to making gifts for Father’s Day, perhaps steer clear of the E 6. traditional store-bought gifts of tie and socks. He has probably still got last year’s socks stuffed at the back of a drawer. Expensive gifts are not necessary, but the time and F 1. effort you put in to create a personalized present will be deeply appreciated.
Extra — 4. give advice on the best spot for the picnic – дать совет о лучшем месте для пикника
День отца
День отца отмечается уже более 100 лет. Кроме того, это событие отмечается во многих странах по всему миру, хотя в разное время года. В Северной Америке и Соединенном Королевстве, День отца празднуется в третье воскресенье июня. Вот несколько советов, которые помогут вам отметить День отца особым образом. Используйте эту возможность, чтобы собраться вместе всей семьей и повеселиться. Вы не должны оставаться дома; вы могли бы пойти на пляж, местный парк, в одно из самых любимых мест папы!
Устроить пикник в летние месяцы может быть интересным и является глотком свежего воздуха для всей семьи. Это отличный способ борьбы со скукой, но также помогает семье собраться вместе и поесть вкусной еды и поиграть в веселые игры. Не потребуется ничего больше, чем корзина для пикника и несколько продуктов питания. Среди здоровых продуктов хороших для пикника есть яблоки, арбуз, сельдерей, и изюм, вот всего несколько. Попросите у других членов семьи помочь вам выбрать некоторые из их любимых продуктов питания, которые они хотели бы иметь. Вы должны понимать, что оно действует как клей для семейных уз.
Когда дело доходит до дарения подарков на День отца, возможно, лучше держаться подальше от традиционных купленных в магазине подарков, таких как галстук и носки. У него, вероятно, все еще есть носки, подаренные в прошлом году в задней части ящика. Дорогие подарки не нужны, но время и усилия, которые вы приложили для создания персонального подарка, будут высоко оценены.
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 ever thought about cities of the future? Clean streets, flying cars and robots doing all the work? Almost half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, and by 2050 that is predicted to increase to 75%, but what kind of city will they be living in? Today, most city dwellers are dissatisfied because they have to live in overcrowded and polluted surroundings. Traffic jams are getting worse, queues longer, power cuts more common, bad air quality more threatening to human health.
There are various ideas about how a future city should look. Some of these revolve around the idea that better means greener. Experts predict carbon-neutral cities full of electric vehicles and bike-sharing schemes, with air quality so much improved that office workers can actually open their windows for the first time. Visions of a green city often include skyscrapers where living and office space comprises high-rise green-houses and vegetables growing on the roofs. Behind such greenification of cities lies a very pressing need.
Technology companies such as IBM believe that the best cities will become networks. In Rio de Janeiro, for example, IBM has already built an operations centre, which it describes as the “nerve centre” of the city. (отрывок из текста)
Вы когда-нибудь думали о городах будущего? Чистые улицы, летающие автомобили и роботы делают всю работу? Почти половина населения земного шара в настоящее время живет в городах, и по прогнозам к 2050 году увеличится до 75%, но, в каком городе они будут жить? В настоящее время большинство городских жителей недовольны, потому что они должны жить в перенаселенной и загрязненной среде. Пробки на дорогах становятся все хуже, очереди больше, отключения электроэнергии чаще, плохое качество воздуха представляет более серьезную угрозу для здоровья человека.
Есть различные идеи о том, как будущий город должен выглядеть. Некоторые из них вращаются вокруг идеи о том, что лучшее означает зеленее. Эксперты прогнозируют углерод-нейтральные города, полные электрических транспортных средств и схем движения велосипедистов, с качеством воздуха настолько улучшенным, что офисные работники могут фактически открыть свои окна в первый раз. Видения зеленого города часто включают в себя небоскребы, где жилые и офисные помещения включает в себя многоэтажные парники и теплицы, расположенные на крышах. За таким озеленением городов лежит очень острая необходимость.
Технологические компании, такие как IBM считают, что лучшие города станут электронными сообществами. В Рио-де-Жанейро, например, IBM уже построила центр управления, который она описывает как «нервный центр» города. Построенный изначально, чтобы помочь справиться с наводнениями, которые регулярно ставят под угрозу город, теперь он координирует 30 правительственных учреждений. Каждый человек с мобильным телефоном соединен с операционным центром. Оперативный центр отправляет сообщения на мобильные телефоны граждан и предоставляет информацию о потенциальных авариях, пробках и других обновлениях города.
Тот факт, что крупные корпорации стали настолько активно участвовать в проектировании городской инфраструктуры натолкнул критиков на вопрос, как быстро такой город может, как компьютерные системы, на которые они полагаются, стать устаревшими. Компьютеры и другие гаджеты обновляются все время, новые модели появляются два раза в год. Параллель также можно провести с офисными зданиями шестидесятых годов, которые могут быть описаны как места с низкими потолками стоящие грустные и пустые, так как передовые технологии посчитали их бесполезными.
Большинство проектов IBM обязуется привлекать сбор данных. Компания работает в тесном контакте с общественными группами, а также городскими советами. В штате Айова корпорация завершила проект, где домашним хозяйствам была предоставлена информация об их потреблении воды. Большинство быстро отреагировали и сэкономили воду при столкновении с данными. Интересно, что те, кто получил информацию о потреблении воды своих соседей, в два раза чаще вносили изменения.
Города имеют возможность предоставления чего-то для всех, только потому, и только тогда, когда они созданы всеми. Тем, кто строит города будущего, следует обратить внимание на эти советы.
12. Which of these problems of modern cities are NOT mentioned in paragraph 1? — Какие из этих проблем современных городов не упоминаются в пункте 1?
3) Water pollution — Загрязнение воды
13. The word “greenification” in paragraph 2 means… — Слово «озеленение» в пункте 2 означает
3) gardens on top of buildings — сады на крышах зданий
14. The pronoun “it” in sentence 3 of paragraph 3 refers to… — Местоимение «она» в предложении 3 пункта 3 относится к
1) the IBM company. — компания IBM.
15. What is the purpose of Rio de Janeiro’s operations centre? — Какова цель оперативного центра Рио-де-Жанейро?
1) To inform citizens on traffic density and emergency situations. — информировать граждан о плотности дорожного движения и чрезвычайных ситуациях.
16. Why does the author draw a parallel between the offices of the 60s and the cities of tomorrow? — Почему автор проводит параллель между офисами 60-х и городами завтрашнего дня?
2) To demonstrate the speed of progress. — Для того, чтобы продемонстрировать скорость прогресса.
17. How can access to information influence the behaviour of citizens? — Каким образом может доступ к информации влиять на поведение граждан?
3) They change their habits. — Они меняют свои привычки.
18. Choose the best title for the text. — Выберите лучший заголовок для текста.
2) A City of the Future — Город будущего
ЕГЭ Раздел 3. Грамматика и лексика
Прочитайте приведённые ниже тексты. Преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами 19-25, так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содер¬жанию текстов. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый про¬пуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы 19-25.
Around the world: the Seychelles
Welcome to the Seychelles! This is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. It’s not difficult to find a good tourist spot in the Seychelles. It’s difficult to say which of them is the 19) best.
As the Seychelles islands have a year-long warm, tropical climate, it’s always a good time to visit, although different times of year may be better suited to your particular interests. People interested in 20) diving can make a visit to Denis Island.
Families with 21) children should visit St Anne National Marine Park and the famous beaches.
По всему миру: Сейшельские острова
Добро пожаловать на Сейшелы! Это архипелаг из 115 островов в Индийском океане. Не трудно найти хорошее туристическое место в Сейшельских островах. Трудно сказать, какое из них является лучшим.
Поскольку Сейшельские острова имеют круглый год теплый, тропический климат, то это всегда хорошее время для посещения, хотя разные времена года могут лучше всего подходить для ваших конкретных интересов. Люди, заинтересованные дайвингом могут посетить Денис Айлэнд.
Семьи с детьми должны посетить Национальный морской парк Санкт-Энн и знаменитые пляжи.
Happy New Year
It was an exam before Christmas. One of the students 22) didn’t know how to answer the question.
He was trying hard, but couldn’t remember a single word from the textbook. So he 23) wrote, “God knows! I don’t. Merry Christmas!”
Some time 24) later, just before the New Year, the examination papers came back.
The student saw that the professor 25) had written on his paper, “God gets 100, you get 0. Happy New Year!”
С новым годом
Это был экзамен перед Рождеством. Один из студентов не знал, как ответить на вопрос.
Он изо всех сил старался, но не мог вспомнить ни одного слова из учебника. Таким образом, он написал: «Бог знает! Я нет. Счастливого Рождества!»
Через некоторое время, незадолго до Нового года, пришли экзаменационные работы.
Студент увидел, что профессор написал на его работе, «Бог получает 100, вы получаете 0. С Новым годом!»
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.
The history of radio
Radio started with the discovery of “radio waves”. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that can transmit music, speech, pictures and other data 26) invisibly through the air.
Many devices work by using electromagnetic waves, including radio, microwaves, cordless phones, remote controlled toys, television broadcasts, and more.
During the 1860s, Scottish physicist, J.C. Maxwell predicted the 27) existence of radio waves.
In 1886, German 28) scientist, H.R. Hertz demonstrated that rapid variations of electric current could be projected into space in the form of radio waves.
G. Marconi, an Italian 29) inventor, sent and received his first radio signal in Italy in 1895.
By 1899 he flashed the first 30) wireless signal across the English Channel and two years later received the letter “S”, telegraphed from England to Newfoundland.
This was the first 31) successful transatlantic radiotelegraph message.
История радио
Радио началось с открытия «радиоволн». Радиоволны представляют собой электромагнитные волны, которые могут передавать музыку, речь, изображения и другие данные незримо через воздух.
Многие устройства работают с помощью электромагнитных волн, в том числе радио, микроволновые печи, беспроводные телефоны, игрушки с дистанционным управлением, телевизионные передачи и многое другое.
В течение 1860-х годов, шотландский физик, Дж. К. Максвелл предсказал существование радиоволн.
В 1886 году, немецкий ученый, Г. Р. Герц показал, что быстрые изменения электрического тока могут быть спроецированы в космическое пространство в виде радиоволн.
Г. Маркони, итальянский изобретатель, послал и получил свой первый радиосигнал в Италии в 1895 году.
К 1899 году он отправил первый беспроводной сигнал через Ла-Манш и два года спустя получил букву «S», телеграфированную из Англии в Ньюфаундленд.
Это было первое успешное трансатлантическое радиотелеграфное сообщение.
Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами 32-38. Эти номера соответствуют заданиям 32-38, в которых представлены возможные варианты ответов. Обведите номер выбранного Вами варианта ответа.
Tests and test-takers
You don’t have to be a psychologist to guess how students are feeling during a test or an exam. Just by observing their body language you can tell whether they will pass or 32) fail.
Just before the test starts, they will often 33) tell silly things and try nervously to hide their nervousness. A little tension or stress before and during a test is normal. When the examinees get their papers, some of them will 34) smile to themselves — a sure sign they know the answers. 35) However, if they feel the exam is hard, you may hear how disappointed they are or see how annoyed they are when they frown. Some will try to glance quickly at their neighbours’ tests, and some will yawn to pretend that they are bored or tired, while, in fact, they are just waiting for the teacher to turn 36) away so that one of their mates can quietly 37) whisper the answers to them. When they finish, some will immediately dash out as if they were desperate to check their answers in their course book, while others will 38) stroll out slowly, relaxed and sure they have passed.
Тесты и тестируемые
Вам не нужно быть психологом, чтобы догадаться, как студенты чувствуют себя во время теста или экзамена. Просто наблюдая за языком их тела, вы можете сказать, сдадут они, или по терпят неудачу.
Как раз перед началом теста, они часто говорят глупые вещи и пытаются нервно скрыть свою нервозность. Небольшое напряжение или стресс до и во время теста нормально. Когда испытуемые получают свои задания, некоторые из них будут улыбаться себе — верный признак того, что они знают ответы. Тем не менее, если они чувствуют, что экзамен трудный, вы можете услышать, как они разочарованы или увидеть, как они раздражены, когда они хмурятся. Некоторые из них будут пытаться заглянуть быстро в тест своих соседей, а некоторые будут зевать, делая вид, что им скучно или они устали, в то время как, на самом деле, они просто ждут, когда учитель отвернется, чтобы один из их товарищей смог спокойно прошептать им ответы. Когда они заканчивают, некоторые из них немедленно выскакивают, словно они спешат проверить свои ответы в учебнике, в то время как другие выходят неторопливо, спокойные и уверенные, что они сдали.
ЕГЭ Раздел 4. Письмо
Для ответов на задания 39 и 40 используйте бланк ответов № 2. Черновые пометки могут делаться 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.
39. You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Tom who writes — Вы получили письмо от англоговорящего друга по переписке Тома, который пишет:
…This summer we are again going to Brighton. I wish I could go abroad to France or Spain — I have never been abroad. How do you usually spend your summer holidays? If you won a trip abroad, what country would you like to visit and what would you like to see there? How would you like to get there?
By the way, my sister is getting married in the autumn…
Write a letter to Tom.
In your letter
— answer his questions
— ask 3 questions about his sister
Write 100-140 words.
Remember the rules of letter writing.
Этим летом мы снова собираемся в Брайтон. Я хотел бы поехать за границу во Францию или Испанию — я никогда не был за границей. Как ты обычно проводишь свой летний отпуск? Если бы ты выиграл поездку за границу, какую страну ты хотел бы посетить и что ты хотел бы увидеть там? Как бы ты хотел туда попасть?
Кстати, моя сестра выходит замуж осенью …
Напишите письмо Тому.
В своем письме
— ответьте на его вопросы
— задайте 3 вопроса о его сестре
Напишите 100-140 слов.
Помните правила письма.
40. Comment on the following statement. – Прокомментируйте следующее утверждение.
There are no bad students — there are bad teachers. — Нет плохих учеников — есть плохие учителя.
What is your opinion? Do you agree with this statement? — Каково ваше мнение? Согласны ли вы с этим утверждением?
Write 200-250 words. — Напишите 200-250 слов.
Use the following plan — Используйте следующий план:
— make an introduction (state the problem) — введение (постановка задачи)
— express your personal opinion and give 2-3 reasons for your opinion — выскажите свое личное мнение и дайте 2-3 причины за ваше мнение
— express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opposing opinion – выразите противоположное мнение и дайте 1-2 причины для этого мнения
— explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion — Объясните, почему вы не согласны с противоположным мнением
— make a conclusion restating your position – сделайте вывод подтверждающий вашу позицию
Установите соответствие тем 1 — 7 текстам A — F. Занесите свои ответы в соответствующее поле справа. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании одна тема лишняя.
Laughing and evolution
- 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
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 В ___ , 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 С ___ . 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 ___ .
Прочитайте текст и выполните задания А15—А21, обводя цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую номеру выбранного вами варианта ответа.
Scarcely had we settled into the Strawberry-pink Villa before my mother decided that I was running wild, and that it was necessary for me to have some sort of education. As usual when a problem arose, the entire family flung itself with enthusiasm into the task of solving it. Each member had his or her own idea of what was best for me.
Sitting under the open window in the twilight, I had listened with interest, not unmixed with indignation, to the family discussion of my fate. Finally my mother decided that George would be a good teacher for me. Now it was settled, I wondered vaguely who George was, and why it was so necessary for me to have lessons. But the dusk was thick with flower-scents, and the olive-groves were dark, mysterious, and fascinating. I forgot about the imminent danger of being educated, and went off with Roger to hunt for glow-worms in the sprawling brambles.
Later I discovered that George was my brother’s friend and he had come to Corfu to write. There was nothing very unusual about this, for all Larry’s acquaintances in those days were either authors, poets, or painters.
My new teacher came over to the villa to discuss my education with Mother, and we were introduced. We regarded each other with suspicion. George was a very tall and extremely thin man with a brown beard and a pair of large spectacles. He had a deep, melancholy voice, a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. However, he was not upset by the fact that there were no school-books available on the island; he simply looked through his own library and appeared on the appointed day armed with his own selection of books. He patiently taught me Geography from the maps in the back of an ancient copy of Pears Encyclopedia, English from books that ranged from Wilde to Gibbon, French from the book called «Le Petit Larousse», and mathematics from memory. From my point of view the most important thing was that we devoted some of our time to natural history, and George carefully taught me how to observe and how to note down observations in a diary. At once my enthusiastic interest in nature became focused, for I found that by writing things down I could learn and remember much more. The only morning that I was ever on time for my lessons were those which were given up to natural history.
Every morning at nine George would come into the little dining-room of the villa, sit at the table methodically arranging the books. He would droop over the exercise- book pensively, pulling at his beard. Then in his large, clear writing he would set the task for me to solve.
«If it took two caterpillars a week to eat eight leaves, how long would four caterpillars take to eat the same number? Now, apply yourself to that».
While I was struggling with the apparently insoluble problem of the caterpillar appetites, George was practicing some dancing moves in the hall as at that time he was engaged in learning some of the local dances, for which he had a passion. Through all this I would be watching him, fascinated, the exercise-book lying forgotten in front of me. Mathematics was not one of our successful subjects.
In geography we made better progress, for George was able to give a more zoological tinge to the lesson. We drew giant maps and then filled in the various places of interest, together with drawings of the most exciting animals and birds to be found there.
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.
2
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.
3
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: .
4
The smell of pines in the forest is the result of trees releasing
1) oxygen.
2) carbon dioxide.
3) other gasses.
Ответ: .
5
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: .
6
Cloud droplets are unable to
1) absorb solar radiation.
2) reflect solar radiation.
3) scatter solar radiation.
Ответ: .
7
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: .
8
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: .
9
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
10
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.
11
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)
12
Egbert and Janetta were writing
1) application letters.
2) thank-you letters.
3) letters of recrimination.
4) letters of complaint.
Ответ: .
13
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: .
14
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: .
15
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: .
16
Janetta considered the Froplisons to be
1) stupid.
2) clever.
3) kind.
4) mean.
Ответ: .
17
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: .
18
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
19
The first heated swimming pool by Gaius Maecenas of Rome in the first century BC.
CON-
STRUCT
20
Swimming pools became popular in Britain in the beginning of the 19th century. By 1837, London authorities six indoor pools with diving boards.
BUILD
21
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
22
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
23
Most enjoy swimming and swimming pools with their wave-making machines, water slides and tropical vegetation are something unique for them.
CHILD
24
If they could, kids to spend their entire summer in the swimming pool.
CHOOSE
25
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
26
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
27
The waste we create has to be controlled to be sure that it does not harm our environment and our health.
CAREFUL
28
So waste management is very important.
EFFECT
29
Waste reduction and recycling have a wide range of environmental benefits and promote public awareness and personal for the waste we create.
RESPON-
SIBLE
30
The best place to start making a is our home. Learn how you can reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to decrease household waste.
DIFFER
31
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.
32
1) started
2) began
3) ushered
4) launched
Ответ: .
33
1) cause
2) impact
3) consequences
4) result
Ответ: .
34
1) bonds
2) gaps
3) jumps
4) leaps
Ответ: .
35
1) regardless
2) despite
3) notwithstanding
4) because
Ответ: .
36
1) breakbeats
2) breakdowns
3) breakouts
4) breakthroughs
Ответ: .
37
1) any
2) no
3) none of
4) some
Ответ: .
38
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?
As for me, I bought a new dress yesterday …
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.
Предлагаем попробовать свои силы и выполнить полное аудирование в формате ЕГЭ. Ответы и полные тексты к аудио даны в спойлерах. Здесь представлен вариант 1.
Задание 1
Вы услышите 6 высказываний. Установите соответствие между высказываниями каждого говорящего А-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.
Play Задание 1
1. It is necessary to take care of your pet’s health if it has problems.
2. Having two pets can be more enjoyable than having one.
3. Giving an unwanted pet a home is an opportunity to do something kind.
4. Each and every pet has an interesting and unique personality.
5. Choosing the right pet is a very important decision.
6. A pet often loves its owner and can be like a best friend.
7. Pets need something to play with, just like people do.
ответ
A – 5
B – 4
C – 2
D – 1
E – 7
F – 3
Speaker A: We’ve had our dog, Fido, for two years now. My parents asked me which animal I’d like, and I said a dog. A dog was a good choice for us because we’ve got a big house and a fenced-in garden where he can play, and we all take turns walking him. Dogs need space and exercise. People who’ve got a small flat and not a lot of free time to spend with their pet should probably get a fish instead!
Speaker B: Our cats, Leo, Tabs and Boo, certainly keep us entertained round the house. They love to play and sleep and they certainly perk up at mealtimes. But they have their own characters. Leo is super friendly and loves to sit on your lap. Tabs always runs away when you try to pick her up. And Boo is unpredictable – sometimes he loves you, and sometimes he doesn’t! I guess they’re like people in a way – no two are alike!
Speaker С: I love having an aquarium. I’ve got two fish in it now. They don’t really have personalities, you know, although they get excited when I toss flakes of food in their tank. I started off with just one fish, then after six months, I decided it would be fun to get a second one, and they seem very happy together. They’re easy to look after – just give them some food and watch them swim!
Speaker D: We’ve got a really cool parrot named Polly. Polly’s a great character, and she talks! What better pet could you have, right? Sadly, though, Polly wasn’t feeling well a few weeks ago. She stopped eating and wasn’t talking so much. Everyone who owns a pet must look after it, so we had to take her to a vet, who prescribed some medicine. She’s much improved now and back to her usual chatty self!
Speaker E: Our local pet shop has got lots of different pets – rabbits and hamsters, birds and fish. I’m always tempted to buy another pet, but I know I mustn’t! But every time I go there, I pick up something for my dog, Gus. He loves having a new toy to chew on or chase round the house. I think about myself, you know. I love video games, but I can’t play the same one over and over again!
Speaker F: When we were thinking of getting a pet, we had to consider where we would get one. The pet shop near my house has lots to choose from. But I get so sad when I think about all those animals that are out on the streets. So my parents and I decided that we would visit the city shelter and rescue a pet from there. And that’s how we got our dog Chester, who’s more than happy to live with us!
Задание 2
Вы услышите диалог. Определите, какие из приведённых утверждений A-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).
Play Задание 2
A) Vicky is not interested in seeing Jasons costume for the party.
В) Vicky wants to spend a lot of money on a costume.
С) Jason first suggests that Vicky should dress up as a famous person.
D) Vicky knows what all of her friends are wearing to the party.
E) Jason suggests that Vicky wears normal clothes as part of her outfit.
F) Vicky’s mum will help Vicky make her outfit.
G) Vicky doesn’t want to start putting her outfit together straight away.
ответ
A – 2
B – 2
C – 1
D – 3
E – 1
F – 3
G – 1
Jason: Vicky, are you going to Helens fancy dress party on Saturday? You have to come, if only to see my outfit. I’m going as a gorilla rugby player!
Vicky: That’ll be hilarious, Jason! I wasn’t sure if I was going to come, but I think you’ve helped me make up my mind. But I don’t know what to wear. I was thinking maybe a princess, but that seems a bit boring.
Jason: No, that sounds great. If you came as a princess, you would wear loads of jewellery and a huge crown, right?
Vicky: Hmm, I’m not keen on that idea, really. Where would I get all those things? I don’t want to spend a thousand pounds on an outfit.
Jason: That’s a good point. Well, what about a celebrity? Maybe you could come as Lady Gaga. That should be easy to do, shouldn’t it? Just copy one of her looks.
Vicky: No, I can’t do that. Lisa’s already going as Gaga. Besides, I think I’m way too tall to be her. She’d only come up to my chin if she were standing in front of me!
Jason: What about a mermaid? You know, dress up like a fish! I think you’d look really good in that kind of outfit, and it can’t be that expensive, can it?
Vicky: That sounds interesting, but how would I get round the party without falling over? It would be quite difficult to walk!
Jason: Hmm, maybe you could wear a long green skirt and ask your mum to sew a fish tail on the bottom.
Vicky: How creative! I’ve also got a funky green blouse and I can put some fake seashells all over it. I think we’re getting somewhere with this idea! Of course, I’ve got an exam in three days, so I can’t spend all my time making a mermaid costume.
Jason: Hopefully it won’t take too long to make.
The party’s this weekend and today’s Monday. That’s plenty of time, don’t you think?
Vicky: Well, my exams in maths, which I’m terrible at. I think I’ll have to wait until it’s over before I can do this costume. But at least I’ve got the idea.
Jason: Well, good luck in your exam, and with the costume!
Vicky: Thanks. See you at the party Jason!
Задание 3
Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях выберите правильный вариант ответа. Вы услышите запись дважды.
Play Задание 3
1. The tour company that John works for provides …
1) large-scale tourism.
2) environmental education.
3) food and drink tours.
2. While at university, John studied …
1) biology.
2) forest conservation.
3) zoo management.
3. What must travellers do before they go on a trip?
1) Participate in a short course on environmental protection.
2) Sign forms promising not to damage the environment.
3) Donate money to an environmental protection programme.
4. John believes that most people …
1) know a great deal about rainforests.
2) want to travel to rainforests.
3) are unaware of the importance of rainforests.
5. How does John describe the fight to protect rainforests in Brazil?
1) The government is losing the fight.
2) Despite some good news, the struggle is ongoing.
3) It is going extremely well.
6. What does John say about the native peoples?
1) It is very rare that they get to meet with them.
2) All native people are willing to engage with the tour.
3) Cultural understanding is gained from some of them.
7. In the future, John hopes his company w ill…
1) begin tours in new regions.
2) expand tours in existing regions.
3) focus more on South-East Asia.
ответ
1 – 2
2 – 3
3 – 1
4 – 3
5 – 2
6 – 3
7 – 1
Presenter: Hi everyone and welcome to our programme, Awesome Job! Today we have John Stone with us to talk about his work in ecotourism. John, welcome to the show.
Speaker: Thanks for having me.
Presenter: Tell us some things about your job and what your company does.
Speaker: I work as a tour guide for a company called Go Green Tourism. We specialise in tours to unique habitats with rich biodiversity. We organise very small tours, for maybe 20 people or less, so that the environment remains protected, and our destinations are mainly tropical regions in South America and most recently South-East Asia. We travel to our destination and stay at a local village near the habitat, which is where we eat and sleep. Then we go on a guided walking tour of a rainforest and we educate our travelling companions about the different flora and fauna of the area.
Presenter: So you have to be well-trained in plant and animal sciences to give one of these tours, yes?
Speaker: That’s right. Typically the tour guides have a degree in biology or botany, or a master’s in forest conservation, something like that. My specific educational background is in zoo management, but I saw an advert for this job and decided I wanted to give it a try. I’ve learned a great deal more about the natural environment through this work, which I’m happy about.
Presenter: Is ecotourism safe for the environment, in your opinion?
Speaker: We do our very best to ensure that any place we visit is left virtually untouched. Our ecotravellers must attend a seminar before we embark on our journey in order to learn the dos and don’ts of the trip. People who sign up for these tours are quite conscious of the environment to begin with.
Presenter: Does your company participate in environment protection programmes?
Speaker: I’m glad you asked that, because yes, we do. Part of our profits go to awareness programmes aimed at educating people about the rainforests and their value as a resource. Most people don’t realise that without rainforests, we wouldn’t be able to survive.
Presenter: There is also the problem of rainforests being cut down, isn’t there?
Speaker: Yes, we also provide funds for organisations that fight illegal logging and land clearing in Brazil. These organisations work with the Brazilian government and although it’s a continuous battle, they have made progress in recent years in protecting land.
Presenter: That’s good to know. What sorts of things do people get to see in the rainforests, besides plants and animals of course?
Speaker: Oh, many things. We visit dazzling waterfalls, and pristine lakes and rivers. We also visit the native peoples who live in or near the rainforests – the ones who are welcoming to visitors anyway! So there is also a cultural exchange that takes place between the ecotravellers and the locals. I’ve even picked up a few words of the locals’ languages, which is really cool. Of course, I’m a long way off being fluent!
Presenter: And do you just visit rainforests?
Speaker: Well, the company is only about eight years old, so the focus has been rainforest regions mainly in Brazil, but as I said before, we do visit South-East Asia, which we started doing a couple of years ago. But I’m excited to say that we are planning to expand our operations to regions in Africa, such as the Serengeti and Madagascar. Business has been booming for ecotourism, so hopefully that trend will continue, for us and for other environmentally-conscious organisations…
They say a dog is man’s best friend, but they aren’t the only animals close to humanity’s heart. According to historians and archaeologists, dogs were the first domestic animal. The history of domestication is complicated and different animals played different roles. Keeping pets is part of this history. Why are pets important to humans? Here are ten reasons:
#1. Pets help people manage loneliness
Pets offer companionship. This is especially beneficial to people who live alone. In a six-year span, pet ownership among singles rose by 17%, while it only increased by 1.37% in families. Among single men who live alone, pet ownership ballooned by 27.7%. These numbers suggest that pets help with the loneliness that often accompanies being single.
#2. Pets reduce the stress of life
The simple act of petting an animal reduces stress. As you stroke the fur or hair of a pet, both your body and your pet’s release oxytocin. This hormone is linked to emotional bonding and is nicknamed “the love hormone.” Playing with a pet also raises your levels of dopamine and serotonin. Studies show that pet ownership can even help during stressful situations. One study showed that people with pets have lower blood pressure during stressful events than those who don’t.
#3. Pets can help improve mental health
One of the most commonly-cited benefits of pets is how they improve mental health. In a survey by the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute, 74% of pet owners said their pet boosted their mental health. In the Journal of Psychiatric Research, experts found that pets could even enhance an antidepressant’s benefits for some study participants with severe treatment-resistant depression. People who say their pets help with mental health point to reasons like comfort, companionship, and the need for a consistent schedule.
#4. Pets bring people together
Pet owners are naturally drawn to each other. Studies show that if you have a dog, it’s easier to meet people. Places like dog parks are social gatherings where people who are just getting to know each other can talk about their pets. Dr. June McNicholas, a senior research fellow at the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, tested this theory. She spent five days with a dog and five days without while going about her normal routine. She recorded the number of times people – friends, acquaintances, and strangers – stopped to talk to her. On the days she had the dog, more people interacted with her.
#5. Pets can improve longevity
Does owning a pet help you live longer? In a study on patients recently discharged from a coronary care unit, those who had pets at home had a better survival rate over the next year than those who didn’t. The health benefits of pet ownership, such as reduced stress and better mental health, no doubt play a role in why people live longer.
#6. Owning pets at a young age can prevent allergies
Some studies show that children who live with pets are less likely to develop allergies later on. The more pets in the house, the more protection a child gets. In a study with babies living in homes with two or more dogs and cats, they were 77% less likely to develop allergies by age 6. Children were also less likely to develop allergies to ragweed, grass, and dust mites.
#7. People with pets are in better physical shape
This benefit applies mostly to people with dogs since these pets need to be walked. Many people get a dog to help them exercise more. Dogs are great motivators because they’re so eager to be active. At Michigan State University, researchers reported that dog owners are 34% more likely to get in 150 minutes of walking each week compared to people without dogs.
#8. Pets can protect your household
Throughout history, animals have always helped humans in a variety of ways. Today, cats are great pets because they hunt rodents and kill insects. Dogs, especially certain breeds, are territorial and can scare off home invaders. Studies show thieves are often deterred simply by the presence of a dog.
#9. Pets reduce stress in the workplace
We’ve talked about how pets reduce a person’s stress, but it’s worth noting how that applies specifically to the workplace. It’s becoming more common to allow pets (specifically dogs) in workplace settings. Petsmart is a big example. A study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University looked at a manufacturing company that allowed employees to bring in their dogs. After a week, having dogs around the office reduced stress levels and increased job satisfaction. Employees even reported that their communication with each other improved.
#10. Pets impact a child’s development
According to a review of 22 studies on how pets influence child development, it appears that growing up with pets improves a child’s self-esteem, social skills, and cognitive development. It’s important to note that there are other factors at play. Households with pets are wealthier than those without pets, so that could be a more significant factor in a child’s development. Pets do encourage children to have more responsibility and empathy, however, so pet ownership certainly isn’t insignificant to development.



