Umbrellas текст егэ

Umbrellas

Ha, ha, ha! How they laughed that day in the 1790s when a man first walked the streets of London holding an umbrella.

Some people got angry and began shouting that to carry such a contraption was ungodly because it ‘defied the heavenly purpose of rain’ (which is to get us wet).

Drivers of Hackney carriages soon realised umbrellas posed a threat to their trade, and insulted chaps who carried them by yelling: ‘What’s wrong – are you a Frenchman?’ It was a grievous insult (and still is today), but the umbrella was not to be denied.

Eton schoolboys took to carrying them, much to the annoyance of their headmaster, John Keats. “An effeminate innovation,” he thundered. “We are degenerating into a girl’s school.”

Early umbrellas were not impenetrable to rain. Their coverings of cotton, or even silk, were coated with oil, varnish or melted wax, which soon cracked.

They featured all kinds of gimmicks. Some had windows, or whistled when open. There was an umbrella with a gutter, which drained rain down a tube. A variation on this caught rain in a flask for use as drinking water.

It was not until about 1800 that umbrellas and parasols achieved separate identities in Britain. Since ancient times there have been umbrellas to keep off the sun, but the word umbrella had nothing to do with rain. It is derived from Latin ‘umbra’, meaning shade.

Until the early 1850s umbrellas had heavy whalebone frames which tended to crack. But then Samuel Fox came on the scene» and from his factory in Stockbridge, Sheffield, he revolutionised the umbrella world. In 1852, he patented a lightweight metal frame which was to make him a fortune and set the standard for umbrellas we know today.

The first umbrellas came to Britain from France but by the time of the battle of Waterloo in 1815 it was the French who were laughing at the British for using them. Napoleon’s General Lejeune was highly amused that English officers rode across the field of battle holding aloft umbrellas and parasols. It might have looked ridiculous, but the British won!

That was not the only instance of umbrellas being used by the British army. The British Major Digby Tatham-Warter, veteran of WWII, and a commander of a parachute brigade during WWII, always carried an umbrella into battle. This not only provided some British humour in otherwise very serious and frightening circumstances, but was even used by the brave major to fight the Germans. Once he disabled a German tank by pushing the umbrella through the observation slit and wounding the driver in the eye.

Some collectors believe that now is a perfect time to start collecting antique umbrellas and parasols, as they are reckoned to be underpriced, a situation which could easily change if more people got the idea of collecting them. Parasol styles seemed to change every few months in the 19th century, so there are plenty to choose from. Beautiful parasols made in Victorian times can be bought for as little as 30 to 100 pounds, but even a rare Georgian umbrella with carved ivory grip might be unlikely to exceed 500 pounds at an auction.

ВОПРОС 1. Drivers of Hackney carriages insulted people who were using umbrellas because
1) they wanted to sell umbrellas themselves.
2) they were trying to save their business.
3) the owners of umbrellas were French.
4) they didn’t like what umbrellas looked like.

ВОПРОС 2. The funny and clever features of the first umbrellas did NOT include the following:
1) making special noises
2) having transparent parts
3) being totally waterproof
4) having a container for a drink

ВОПРОС 3. Before 1800 the word ‘umbrella’ meant
1) the same as the word ‘parasol’.
2) nothing: it simply did not exist.
3) ‘a device protecting you from the rain’.
4) any kind of shade of any shape.

ВОПРОС 4. What did Samuel Fox do?
1) He replaced heavy whalebone with light metal.
2) He became rich having discovered light metals.
3) He wrote specifications for a quality umbrella.
4) He participated in the revolutionary movement.

ВОПРОС 5. The French were laughing at the British during the Battle of Waterloo because
1) the French were winning.
2) the British looked funny.
3) the British copied the French.
4) it was General Lejeune’s tactics.

ВОПРОС 6. Which statement is NOT true about Major Digby Tatham-Waiter?
1) He had a British sense of humour.
2) He was a typical British eccentric.
3) He used an umbrella as a weapon.
4) He didn’t find war serious or scary.

ВОПРОС 7. According to the author of the article, Victorian parasols are
1) now cheap to buy.
2) collectors’ favourites.
3) not reliable enough.
4) not sold at auctions.

Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами А22–А28. Эти номера соответствуют заданиям A22–A28, в которых представлены возможные варианты ответов. Отметьте в тесте один номер ответа для каждого задания.

Amos
It wasn’t unusual for Amos to go to Deravenels on Saturday, even though the offices were closed over the weekend. He (A22) ______ to go to tidy up his paperwork and do other small jobs he couldn’t attend to during the week.
But on this Saturday morning he had a specific purpose when he arrived at the grand old building on the Strand. The uniformed doorman (A23) ______ Amos close his umbrella and take off his raincoat. Then he touched his cap and said, “Good morning, Mr. Finnister”.
Amos had come to the office to (A24) ______ a few telephone calls. His first call was to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, where he quickly discovered the records office was not open on weekends. He then dialed Ravenscar and was put through to Edward Deravenel.
“Good morning, Amos,” Edward said. “I’m assuming you have some news for me.” Amos then relayed all the information he had gathered the night before.
“Well done, Amos!” Edward exclaimed. “Thank you for going into all this (A25) ______ . I knew I could depend (A26) ______ you. My wife will be happy as I am to know everything; it’s been such a mystery all these years. To (A27) ______ the truth, I think that Grace Rose should also know what happened to her mother. It will finally put her mind at rest.”
“I agree, sir. I will telephone you on Monday”. Amos walked home, (A28) ______ no attention to the heavy rain. He felt happy.

ЕГЭ А22-А28

    Инструкция

Umbrellas

Ha, ha, ha! How they laughed that day in the 1790s when a man first walked the streets of London holding an umbrella.

Some people got angry and began shouting that to carry such a contraption was ungodly because it ‘defied the heavenly purpose of rain’ (which is to get us wet).

Drivers of Hackney carriages soon realised umbrellas posed a threat to their trade, and insulted chaps who carried them by yelling: ‘What’s wrong – are you a Frenchman?’ It was a grievous insult (and still is today), but the umbrella was not to be denied.

Eton schoolboys took to carrying them, much to the annoyance of their headmaster, John Keats. “An effeminate innovation,” he thundered. “We are degenerating into a girl’s school.”

Early umbrellas were not impenetrable to rain. Their coverings of cotton, or even silk, were coated with oil, varnish or melted wax, which soon cracked.

They featured all kinds of gimmicks. Some had windows, or whistled when open. There was an umbrella with a gutter, which drained rain down a tube. A variation on this caught rain in a flask for use as drinking water.

It was not until about 1800 that umbrellas and parasols achieved separate identities in Britain. Since ancient times there have been umbrellas to keep off the sun, but the word umbrella had nothing to do with rain. It is derived from Latin ‘umbra’, meaning shade.

Until the early 1850s umbrellas had heavy whalebone frames which tended to crack. But then Samuel Fox came on the scene» and from his factory in Stockbridge, Sheffield, he revolutionised the umbrella world. In 1852, he patented a lightweight metal frame which was to make him a fortune and set the standard for umbrellas we know today.

The first umbrellas came to Britain from France but by the time of the battle of Waterloo in 1815 it was the French who were laughing at the British for using them. Napoleon’s General Lejeune was highly amused that English officers rode across the field of battle holding aloft umbrellas and parasols. It might have looked ridiculous, but the British won!

That was not the only instance of umbrellas being used by the British army. The British Major Digby Tatham-Warter, veteran of WWII, and a commander of a parachute brigade during WWII, always carried an umbrella into battle. This not only provided some British humour in otherwise very serious and frightening circumstances, but was even used by the brave major to fight the Germans. Once he disabled a German tank by pushing the umbrella through the observation slit and wounding the driver in the eye.

Some collectors believe that now is a perfect time to start collecting antique umbrellas and parasols, as they are reckoned to be underpriced, a situation which could easily change if more people got the idea of collecting them. Parasol styles seemed to change every few months in the 19th century, so there are plenty to choose from. Beautiful parasols made in Victorian times can be bought for as little as 30 to 100 pounds, but even a rare Georgian umbrella with carved ivory grip might be unlikely to exceed 500 pounds at an auction.

ВОПРОС 1. Drivers of Hackney carriages insulted people who were using umbrellas because
1) they wanted to sell umbrellas themselves.
2) they were trying to save their business.
3) the owners of umbrellas were French.
4) they didn’t like what umbrellas looked like.

ВОПРОС 2. The funny and clever features of the first umbrellas did NOT include the following:
1) making special noises
2) having transparent parts
3) being totally waterproof
4) having a container for a drink

ВОПРОС 3. Before 1800 the word ‘umbrella’ meant
1) the same as the word ‘parasol’.
2) nothing: it simply did not exist.
3) ‘a device protecting you from the rain’.
4) any kind of shade of any shape.

ВОПРОС 4. What did Samuel Fox do?
1) He replaced heavy whalebone with light metal.
2) He became rich having discovered light metals.
3) He wrote specifications for a quality umbrella.
4) He participated in the revolutionary movement.

ВОПРОС 5. The French were laughing at the British during the Battle of Waterloo because
1) the French were winning.
2) the British looked funny.
3) the British copied the French.
4) it was General Lejeune’s tactics.

ВОПРОС 6. Which statement is NOT true about Major Digby Tatham-Waiter?
1) He had a British sense of humour.
2) He was a typical British eccentric.
3) He used an umbrella as a weapon.
4) He didn’t find war serious or scary.

ВОПРОС 7. According to the author of the article, Victorian parasols are
1) now cheap to buy.
2) collectors’ favourites.
3) not reliable enough.
4) not sold at auctions.

Задание №12698.
Аудирование. ОГЭ по английскому

Вы услышите четыре коротких текста, обозначенных буквами А, B, C, D. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды.

What colour is the girl’s umbrella?
1) It’s black and white.
2) It’s light blue.
3) It’s multicoloured.

Решение:
What colour is the girl’s umbrella? It’s multicoloured.
Какого цвета девичий зонтик? Он разноцветный.

«… I need to get my umbrella back. It’s bright and noticeable. … Mine has got red, pink and violet flower patterns on a white background.»

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Источник: ФИПИ. Открытый банк тестовых заданий

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Тест с похожими заданиями

(1)Эти трое были живые, смешливые, острые на язык. (2)Разговор шёл о новых книгах. (3)Было приятно слышать, как эти ребята, молодые строители, показывали свой вкус, самостоятельность суждений. (4)Они знали стихи Булата Окуджавы, уже прочитали новый роман Габриэля Гарсии Маркеса. (5)Они были в курсе последних фильмов и премьер, которых я ещё не видел, и книжных новинок, о которых я ещё понятия не имел. (6)Они сидели передо мной в своих замызганных спецовках, но видны были их модные стрижки, слова они употребляли на уровне наивысшего образования, разговаривать с ними было трудно и интересно.

(7)Когда они ушли, я обернулся к прорабу и похвалил его ребят. (8)«Понравились… а Ермаков, значит, не произвёл?» — сказал он как-то неприятно-насмешливо.

(9)Ермаков был плотник, с которым я разговаривал до этого, и Ермаков действительно «не произвёл». (10)Ничего не читал, не видел, не стремился. (11)Был он, очевидно, из тех забойщиков «козла», что часами стучат во дворах или режутся в карты.

(12)Так-то оно так, и прораб согласно качал головой. (13)Однако, к вашему сведению, Ермаков — золотой человек, один из самых честных и добросовестных работников. (14)Тот, на кого можно положиться в любой ситуации, сердечный, отзывчивый человек, работу которого, кстати, можно никогда не проверять. (15)Не то что эти молодцы, тяп-ляп, кое-как, лишь бы скорее. (16)Прораб говорил об этих троих с подчёркнутым пренебрежением, он был обижен за Ермакова, и мои оценки задели его несправедливостью. (17)Позднее я имел возможность проверить его слова. (18)Он был прав, удручающе прав…

(19)Годами не убывающая очередь стоит в Эрмитаж. (20)С утра до вечера залы его полны горожан и приезжих издалека. (21)Какая часть из приходящих сюда действительно что-то получит для себя, как-то взволнуется произведениями великих мастеров, но сколько зайдёт сюда, чтобы отметиться, чтобы сказать, что был в Эрмитаже, для престижа, сколько из них скользят равнодушно-спокойным взглядом, запоминая, чтобы знать. (22)Ермаков, тот вообще не был в Эрмитаже, и в Павловске не был, и в Пушкине. (23)Был в Петергофе, фонтаны смотрел. (24)Огромная культурно-художественная жизнь такого города, как Петербург, проходит мимо него. (25)Но, может быть, этот откровенный неинтерес более честен, чем […] приобщение к культуре.

(По Д. Гра­ни­ну)*
*Даниил Алек­сан­дро­вич Гра­нин (род. в 1919 г.) –
рус­ский пи­са­тель, автор мно­же­ства ро­ма­нов, по­ве­стей, эссе, очер­ков.