ГИА тесты по английскому языку

Задание 1              WHO WAS ROBIN HOOD?

0. It is not often that we make a hero of a robber, but Robin Hood somehow seems to be different. Everybody knows it is wrong to steal, yet Robin Hood is admired. The reason for this, of course, is that he stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
1. Was Robin Hood a real man? We know that he was a favorite figure in the ballads and stories of England in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. We also know that according to these stories he lived in the twelfth century. In the year 1521, there appeared a Latin history which mentioned Robin Hood.
2. This is what he said: “About the time of Richard I, Robin Hood and Little John, the most famous of robbers, were hiding in the woods and stealing only from rich men; they killed none except those who resisted them or came to attack them. Robin had 100 men – all skilled archers – well trained for fighting. They were so good that not even 400 men dared to come against them.
3.  All England sings of the deeds of this Robin; he did not allow any woman to be hurt, nor did he ever take the goods from the poor; indeed he gave them a lot of the goods he stole from the abbots.”
4. Robin Hood definitely captured the imagination of the English people of that period, because he was a hero working for justice. Robin pleased them and they built around his name one legend after another. They made him a great sportsman, a wonderful archer, a loyal friend, and a lover of the green woods where he lived.
5.  There are mane theories about Robin Hood. One of these suggests that he was a Saxon, and among the last of those who held against the Normans when they conquered England. It seems certain that a man called Robin Hood really existed. But it also quite clear that many of the stories about Robin Hood were made up by people.

0. Robin Hood is admired because ____.

a.       he was a robber.

b.      everybody knows him.

c.       He helped people who had no money.

d.      He was different from others.

     1. The Latin history mentioning Robin Hood was written in the ____.

a.       12^th century

b.      14^th century

c.       15^th century

d.      16^th century

2. Robin Hood and his men killed____.

a.       people they didn’t like

b.      only rich people

c.       skilled archers

d.      people fighting against them

3. Robin Hood didn’t let his men ___.

a.       offend women

b.      steal from women

c.       take the goods away from women

d.      meet women and abbots

4. The English people of the Middle Ages made up stories about Robin because ___.

a.       he could fight skillfully with a sword.

b.      he was a great athlete

c.       he wanted life to be fair

d.      he was a great lover

5. We certainly know that  Robin Hood was ___.

a.       a ballad character

b.      a Saxon king

c.       a real man

d.      a Norman conqueror

Задание 2               THE DURSLEYS

0. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.
1. Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man, with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde. She spent so much of her time spying on the neighbours. The  Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.
2. The Dursleys were proud of themselves as they had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was  that somebody would discover it. They didn’t think they could bear ot if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs Potter was  Mrs Dursley’s sister, but they hadn’t met for several years. The  Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street.
3. Once on a dull grey Tuesday morning the  Dursleys woke up late and had breakfast in the kitchen. At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the check and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was throwing his cereal at the kitchen walls.
4.  On the corner of the street Mr Dursley noticed the first sing  of something unexpected – a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr Dursley didn’t realize what he had seen – then he turned his head to look again. There was a cat standing on the corner of Private Drive, but there wasn’t a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of ? It must have been a trick of the light. Cats couldn’t read maps or sighs.  
5. As Mr  Dursley sat in his car in the usual morning traffic jam he couldn’t help noticing there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr Dursley couldn’t here people who dressed in funny clothes. So typical of young people. Suddenly he saw two people. They weren’t young at all. Mr Dursley was enraged to see that they were wearing emerald-green cloaks.  

0. Mr and Mrs Dursley liked to lead ____.

a.       an ordinary life

b.      an unusual life

c.       a life  of mystery

d.      a life of adventure

1. The Dursleys ____.

a.       adored their little son

b.      were indifferent to their son

c.       spied on their son

d.      spent a lot of time with their son

2. The Dursley were ____.

a.       neighbour of the Potters

b.      afraid of the Potters

c.       relations of the Potters

d.      proud of the Potters

3. On Tuesday morning Dudley ____.

a.       was having his porridge

b.      was playing with the briefcase

c.       was kissing his father

d.      was making a mess of his breakfast

4. Mr Dursley ____.

a.       wanted to see a cat reading a map

b.      expected a cat to read a map

c.       was surprised to see a cat reading a map in the street

d.      was sure the cat had been reading a map

5. Mr Dursley noticed that ____.

a.       people on the bus were dressed in unusual clothes

b.      a lot of people in the street were wearing cloaks

c.       a lot of people in the street were wearing emerald-green cloaks

d.      young people in the street were dressed in funny clothes

Задание 3                   TIMMY

0.      The four children were lying in a sunny garden in the first week of the holydays. Timmy, the dog, considered himself on guard. He gave his mistress a soft lick and sat up firmly beside her, his ears cocked, and his eyes bright. He panted hard, but nobody heard him. They were all snoozing deliciously in the sun, getting browner and browner.

1.      The garden sloped up a hillside. From where he sat Timmy could see quite a long way, both up and down the road that ran by the house. It was a wide road, but not a very busy one, for it was a country district.

2.      Timmy heard a dog barking in the distance, and his ears twitched in that direction. He heard people walking down the road and his ears twitched again. He missed nothing, not even the robin that flew down to get a caterpillar on a bush not for off. He growled softly in his throat at the robin – just to tell it that he was on guard, so beware.

3.      Then something came down the wide road, something that made Timmy shake with excitement, and sniff at the strange smells that came floating up to the garden. A big procession came winding up to the road, with a rumble and clatter of  wheels – a slow procession, headed by a very strange thing.

4.      Timmy had no idea what it was that headed the procession. Actually it was a big elephant, and Timmy smelt its smell, strange and strong, and didn’t like it. He smelt the scent of the monkeys in their travelling cage, too, and he heard the barking of the performing dogs in their van.

5.      The procession was just pressing the gates. It was a colorful sight. The caravans were painted in brilliant colors, and looked spick and span from the outside. Little flowery curtains hung at the windows. At the front of each caravan sat the man or woman who owned it, driving the horse that pulled it. Only the front caravan was pulled by an elephant.     

0. While the children were sleeping Timmy was ____.

a.       watching them

b.      licking his mistress

c.       getting sunburnt

d.      snoozing deliciously

1. There were not many people on the road as the road _____.

a.       was in the country side

b.      was very wide

c.       ran near the house

d.      ran down the hillside

2. Timmy barked because he ____.

a.       heard the dog barking

b.      wanted to warn the bird

c.       heard somebody walking

d.      didn’t want to miss anything

3. Timmy became agitated because he ____.

a.       sniffed a very strange thing

b.      heard some chattering of wheels

c.       saw caravans moving down

d.      saw something floating to the garden

4. While the procession was moving down Timmy was ___.

a.       watching the dogs performing in their van

b.      barking at the performing dogs

c.       smelling the barking dogs in their van

d.      smelling everyone passing him

5. The procession looked exciting as ___.

a.       the horses in the front caravan were pulled by an elephant

b.      the windows of the caravans were painted in various colours

c.       the caravans were colourful and bright

d.      the front caravan was brilliant

Задание 4                   UNCLE MATHEW’S PRESENTS

0.      The ship on which Uncle Mathew was travelling struck an iceberg, and all the passengers had to take to the boats. In the night on of the boats filled with water and the passengers were thrown into the see. Uncle Mathew’s boat went to the rescue, by the time it got there everybody was drowned except a baby who was lying smiling happily on a life belt. Mathew collected the baby and wrapped her in his coat, and when they were at last rescued by a liner and taken to England, tried to find someone to own her.

1.      That was the trouble. Nobody knew for sure whose baby she was; there had been other babies on board, and there were missing. “She must go to an orphanage”, said everybody but Uncle Mathew had a better idea. He remembered that he had meant to bright his nice Sylvia back a present. Now what can be better than this? He waited while the adoption papers were made out, took the baby and went home to London.

2.      Seeing nobody in the hall he called rather angrily for Sylvia. Sylvia in a moment was down the stairs with Nana panting behind. “Darling, why didn’t you let me know you were coming? ” she said. Her uncle kissed her and pushed the baby into her arms. – “Look! I’ve brought you a present.”

3.      “A baby!” Nana almost jumped to the last stairs. “Really, sir I don’t know what you’ll be bringing to the house next. Who do you suppose has time to look after a baby?”  “I thought all women liked babies,” Uncle Mathew protested. There was some trouble over giving her a name. Sylvia chose Pauline, as she said Saint Paul was rescued from the sea, so it was suitable.

4.      A year later Uncle Mathew brought Sylvia a second baby. On his travels this time his leg had given him trouble and he was put in hospital. There he had made friends with a Russian, Boris by name. His wife had died leaving him a small baby. When Boris was going to die too, the nurses in the hospital were most concerned. “What will we do?” “Don’t trouble about that,”  Uncle Mathew answered airily. “We have one baby at home that I have adopted. We shall have another. ” Sylvia called this baby Petrova, as it remained her of the child’s Motherland. “Very nice for Pauline to have a companion,” said Sylvia. Nana was firm. “Now, sir, before you go away, do get it into your head, if you bring one more baby, I’ll leave this house.”

5.      Uncle Mathew didn’t want to create an unpleasant situation (he remembered too well what Nana had said), so the last baby he did not deliver himself. He sent her round by a messenger in a basket with later. The later said: “Dear Niece,                                                                                                                  

This is the little daughter of a dancer. The father has just died, and the poor young mother has no time for babies, so I said I would have her. All her mother had to give her child was the little pair of shoes enclosed. I regret not to bring the child myself, but today I am joining  my friend who is visiting some strange islands, and expect to be away some years.

Yours affectionate uncle,

        Mathew

                  P.S.: her name is Rosy. Unfortunate but true.”

0. Uncle Mathew found the baby ____.

a.       on the iceberg

b.      in the sea

c.       in a drowning boat

d.      on a liner

1. Uncle Mathew took the baby because ___.

a.       he didn’t want it to be parentless

b.      he wanted to give it to his niece Sylvia as a present

c.       there were many other babies on board the liner

d.      it was easy to adopt it

2. Sylvia and Nana ___.

a.       didn’t expect uncle Mathew to return that day

b.      were happy to see him with the baby

c.       expected some presents from Uncle Mathew

d.      were just coming down the stairs when he arrived

3. Sylvia called the baby Pauline because ____.

a.       Uncle Mathew wanted it that way

b.      she liked the name

c.       she wanted Saint Paul to look after her

d.      the baby had been found in the sea and so had Saint Paul

4. the second baby was called Petrova because ____.

a.       it was Sylvia’s favourite name

b.      the girl came from Russia

c.       it sounded very beautiful

d.      the name suited Pauline’s companion

5. Uncle Mathew didn’t bring the third girl himself because ____.

a.       the girl’s mother gave him ballet shoes in addition

b.      he didn’t want to see his niece

c.       he wanted to avoid trouble at home

d.      he was going to far-away countries

0	1	2	3	4	5
C

Задание 5               THE STORY OF MY TROUBLES

0.      From my childhood I was easily taught and obedient boy. My kindness was so noticeable that my friends made fun of me. I was especially fond of animals and had a great number of pets. With this a spent most of my time, and never was so happy as when feeding and playing with them. My character did not change much when I grew up.

1.      I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a character very much like my own. Seeing my love for pets she never lost a chance of getting the most pleasant animals. We had birds, gold-fish, a fine dig, rabbits, a small monkey, and a cat.

2.      This cat was a remarkably large and beautiful animal, quite black and surprisingly clever. In speaking of his cleverness, my wife, who was a superstitious woman, often mentioned the old popular belief, which considered all black cats to be witches in disguise.

3.      Pluto – this was the cat’s name – was my favoutite pet and playmate. I alone fed him, and he followed me everywhere about the house. It was even difficulty that I could prevent from following me through the streets.

4.      Our friendship lasted for several years, during which my character (I blush to confess it) had changed for the worse. I became day by day more moody and more irritable. It often happened that I hurt the feelings of others. I suffered myself as I was rude to my wife. At last I even hit her.

5.      My pets, of course, could feel the change in my character. In fact, I began to treat them cruelly. As for Pluto, I held back from cruelty as I did treat cruelly the rabbits, the monkey, or even the dog when they came in my way. But my illness took hold of me – for what other illness is like alcohol! – and at last even Pluto, who was now becoming old, even Pluto began to feel  the effects of my ill temper.  

0. In his childhood the boy was laughed at as ___.

a.       he was very kind

b.      he liked animals very much

c.       he spent a lot of time with animals

d.      he was obedient

1. He liked the fact that his wife ___.

a.       always tried to bring home pleasant animals

b.      preferred monkeys to other animals

c.       married him early

d.      got a small monkey and a cat by chance

2. The wife thought that the cat was smart as ___.

a.       it was remarkably large and beautiful

b.      it was an evil spirit turned into a cat

c.       she was a superstitious woman

d.      all black cats were clever

3. The cat followed the master everywhere because ___.

a.       he was the only one who fed him

b.      it was difficult to prevent him from doing that

c.       it felt the master’s preference and loved him in return

d.      he was his favourite playmate

4. Over the years the story-teller’s character changed. He ___.  

a.       didn’t mind his change

b.      enjoyed this change

c.       was ashamed of his change

d.      discussed the change with his wife

5. The reason for the story-teller’s illness was ___.

a.       his cruelty

b.      his bad temper

c.       his pets

d.      his drinking habits

Задание 6                 THE WORLD OF NATURE

0.      People have always affected Nature. But during the last two centuries due to the development of industry human has transformed the environment radically. Satellite observation of the Earth have revealed that 60 per cent of land surface is damaged by industrial agricultural and other human activities.

1.      The world has over 9 million square of forests. This is a lot of tree, and also a lot of different species of trees. But they are disappearing fast. In many of our towns there are streets  or areas where the names remind us that forests have been cleared to make place for us to live. Every day we see paper and cardboard – both made from wood – being used up. We see different kinds of wood being used in furniture and in other ways. Every year over 100,000sq.km of forest is so badly damaged that it is very hard for it to recover.

2.      At this rate, by the time you are as old as your grandparents are now, all the forests on earth could be destroyed. In fact, the rate of destruction is increasing, so in only just over thirty years there will be very little forest left in most areas. This includes rainforests in Madagascar, Ecuador.

3.      Development of industries often means the destruction of the natural habitat of rare plants and insects. The power stations in the UK are responsible for causing acid rain not only in Britain but elsewhere in Europe. More than 450 mln of Britain’s trees are affected by acid rain.

4.      The world is also experiencing a permanent decline in water quality and water availability. In a lot of places water supplies are poisoned with toxic chemicals and nitrates. Waterborne diseases kill 10 million people a year.

5.      Can we preserve the life? Can we preserve the quality of life  necesery for future generation?  When we are sick we try to take care of ourselves. There is nobody but us, humans, to take care of the Earth that is sick because of our actions. Can we do something? – YES, we can. And we are the only life from that is able to destroy our life support system. But we are sensible beings and we can maintain life on Earth for the many generations to come.

0. The environment is much spoiled because of ___.

a.       the mismanagement in industry and agriculture

b.      the people’s disability to make true observations

c.       the amount of satellites in space

d.      the industrial progress

1. Forests are disappearing fast because ___.

a.       people damage them badly

b.      people prefer furniture made of wood

c.       there are very few species of trees

d.      we don’t know how to make paper and cardboard

2. All the forests on earth can disappear ____.

a.       except the rainforests

b.      if the rate of destruction increases

c.       if your grandparents don’t solve this problem

d.      in about three decades

3. The reason for acid rain is ___.

a.       not in Britain but somewhere else in Europe

b.      Britain’s tree

c.       rare plants and seeds

d.      power plants

4. The quality of water ___.

a.       is getting better

b.      is getting worse

c.       doesn’t change

d.      doesn’t tell on people’s health

5. People can preserve life on the Earth as ___.

a.       they can look after themselves

b.      they have ruined their life support system

c.       they can act reasonable

d.      they are human

Задание 7               THE ACTRESS

0.      Julia was born in Jersey, where her father, a native of that island, practiced  as a veterinary surgeon. Her mother’s sister was married to a Frenchman, a coal merchant, who lived at St. Malo, and Julia had been sent to live with her while she attended classes at the local lycee. She learnt to speak French like a Frenchwoman.

1.      She was a born actress and it was an understood thing for as long as she could remember that she was to go on the stage. Her aunt, Madame Falloux, had relations with an old actress who had been with the Comedie Francaise.  It was she who gave Julia her first lesson. She taught her all the arts that she had herself learnt at the Conservatoire.

2.      She recited to her the great tirades of Corneille and Racine as she had learnt to stay them at the Francaise and taught her to stay them in the same way. It was charming to hear Julia in her childish voice recite those languorous, passionate of Phedre, emphasizing the beat of the Alexandrines and mouthing her words in that manner which is so artificial and yet so wonderfully dramatic.

3.      Jane Taitbout must always have been a very stage actress, but she taught Julia to articulate with extreme distinctness, she taught her how to walk and how to hold herself, she taught her not to be afraid of her own voice, and she made deliberate that wonderful sense of timing which afterwards was one of her greatest gifts. “Never pause unless you have a reason for it,” she thundered, banging with her clenched fist on the table at which she sat, “but when you pause, pause as long as you can.”

4.      When  Julia was sixteen  and to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Gower Street she knew already much that they could teach her there. She had to get rid of a certain number of tricks that were out of date and she had to acquire a more conversation style. But she won every prize that was open to her, and when she was finished with the school her good French got her almost immediately a small part in London as a French maid.

5.      It was two years later than Jimmie Langton, a famous theatre manager, discovered her. She was on tour in a melodrama that had been successful in London; in the part of an Italian adventures. Jimmie was taking a short holiday which he spent in going  every night to the theatre in on town after another. At the end of the piece he went round to see Julia. He was well enough known in the theatrical world for her to be flattered by the compliments he paid her, and when he asked her to lunch with him next day she accepted.

0. Julia could speak French very well because____.

a.       her father was born in Jersey

b.      her aunt’s husband was French

c.       she stayed at her aunt’s when she went to school

d.      she liked the French very much

1. As ____, she was destined to belong to the theatrical world.

a.       one of her aunt’s friends was an actress

b.      her aunt’s friend taught Julia everything

c.       her aunt had learnt at the Conservatoire

d.      Julia had a born gift of an actress

2.  Julia was good at reciting different speeches as ___.

a.       her voice was passionate and charming to listen to

b.      she learnt how to emphasize and pronounce her words in a dramatic manner

c.       she had listened to a lot of great tirades of famous parts

d.      she had learnt how to do it at the Comedie Francaise

3. Julia had a good feeling of the time as ____.

a.       Jane Taitbout had deliberately taught her how to make pauses

b.      Julia had an instincts of time by birth

c.       Jane Taitbout taught her how to time her walk

d.      Jane Taitbout made her deliberately distinct while speaking

4. Julia was a very good student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art because ___.

a.       she won almost every prize she could

b.      she got a small part in a London theatre

c.       she was already aware of a lot of tricks they taught there

d.      she got rid of old-fashioned tricks she knew

5. Julia agreed to lunch with Jimmie Langton because ____.

a.       he was taking a short holiday

b.      he came to the theatre to see her

c.       she was flattered by his compliments

d.      he was well-known as a good manager 

Задание 8               A GREAT CHARACTER

0.      Life is not always easy. Sometimes it presents serious problems that make people sad and cause despair. At such times it might be good to think about the example of Helen Keller, born in America in 1880. She never gave in.

1.       There was nothing wrong with Helen when she was born. Her parents were very proud of their pretty baby. She was able to walk when she was one and could even say a few words. But one day she refused to eat and started crying. She had a high temperature and they had to call a doctor. When she recovered, it was clear that little Helen would never again able to see and to hear. Before Helen Keller was even two she was blind and deaf.

2.      Her parents were very upset and at first decided to let her grow up untaught. But soon they understood that their pity could not help her, but could do her a lot of harm. They did their best to find a good teacher from the Institution for the Blind in Boston. It was a wonderful day for Helen Keller when Ann Sullivan came to their place. Ann by great effort and patience taught Helen the meaning of words.

3.      When Ann arrived she was only 20, and Helen – 7. From the first day they became good friends. Helen turned out a very capable pupil; she quickly learned to communicate through sign language and later was good at reading, writing and typing in Braille. For fifty years they were good companions till 1936, when Ann died. It was due to the patience and skill of Ann Sullivan that Helen Keller developed into one of the most remarkable women of our time.

4.      Miss Sullivan loved her pupil who was so quick to learn. She lived with Helen, played with her, and worked with her every hour of the day. By means of the hand language, Helen and her teacher were able to talk to each other. By this time she was also able to go on a vacation trip, to swim, to ride a pony, and to do many of the other things that any other child might do.

5.      Helen was determined that she would learn to speak, too. At first she had difficulty with her speech, but Anne Sullivan understood what she was trying to say. Helen practiced speaking day after day until at lost she developed a clear voice. Later she was able to speak before large crowds which came to hear her whenever she lectured.

6.       When Helen Keller completed formal schooling she went on to college. She graduate from Radcliff with honours. One of Helen Keller’s professors was so pleased with the things that she wrote for her English classes that he suggested she write the story of her life. Helen did write “The Story of My Life” while she was in college. It was such a cheerful account of how this young girl was able to live happy, useful life in spite of terrible difficulties. In her writings and lectures Helen Keller did everything possible to help and encourage those who were blind.

0. We should look at the example of Helen Keller because ____.

a.       her life was easy

b.      her life caused despair

c.       she refused to be defeated

d.      she was born in America

1. Helen was deaf and blind because ____.

a.       she was born like that

b.      she had a complication after her illness

c.       she had had a car accident

d.      her parents were deaf and blind

2. Helen’s parents found her a good teacher from Boston because ____.

a.       they didn’t want her to go to an ordinary school

b.      they wanted her to grow untaught

c.       they pitied Helen

d.      they knew the teacher could work with blind children

3. Helen was a very bright pupil. As a result she ____.

a.       learnt the meaning of words and the hand language quickly

b.      invented the system of Braille

c.       began to teach herself

d.      helped Ann Sullivan

4. Helen Keller was a fast learner because ____.

a.       she could see again

b.      she played every hour of the day

c.       she started talking

d.      her teacher always helped her

5. Later Helen could give lectures before large crowds as ____.

a.       she developed a clear voice

b.      people understood sign language

c.       Ann Sullivan worked as an interpreter

d.      she was determined character

6. In her book “The Story of My Life ” Helen ___.

a.       wrote about her friend Ann

b.      described her school life

c.       showed the way to overcome the difficulties

d.      gave a true picture of her cheerful friends

Задание 9              HOW MY FRIENDS HELPED ME

0.      At 10 o’clock I have a cup of black coffee sweetened with glucose. My friend Alf recommended it. Then I massage my head, as my friend Bill advised, and take some oil recommended by my grandmother. My lunch will consist of nuts and raisins, then I’ll take some pills. And then I’ll have to lie down as by this time I’ll be feeling bad. And I blame my friend for my bad condition.

1.      A few weeks ago I could eat whatever I liked. Now a raisin makes me seasick. My friends try to advise me how to live e healthy life. George started it. He said: “You look white. You must eat a lot of raw liver. It makes blood. You take it in pills so the taste is pleasant”.

2.      George gave me the powder to be taken after meals. Alf gave me the powder to be taken before eating. My grandmother recommended oil. At a meeting of friends it was decided that I should cut down my lunch to nuts and raisins.

3.      I continued to follow the advice of my friends but felt worse and worse. Then I couldn’t sleep. I told George about my problem. He gave me some very small tablets and said: “Take one them when you go to bed but don’t tell anyone I gave them to you. They are prohibited”.

4.      On Sunday night I took two small tablets. When I woke up it was Tuesday afternoon. The house was full of my friends and there was a doctor standing by my bed. My friends look sad, they were all holding their hats in their hands.

5.      Tomorrow I’m leaving for the country where there are no friends. Life in the city is very dangerous when you want to follow all the advice.

  0. The narrator is angry with his friends because ____.

a.       They insist he eats only nuts for his meals

b.      He feels very bad through their advice

c.       He argued with his grandmother

d.      They take too many pills

1. His friends’ advice has changed his life because ____.

a.       The narrator has stopped taking food

b.      His friends have decided to keep him in hospital

c.       He eats what he likes

d.      His friends want him to live a healthy life

2. His friends understood by a healthy way f life ____.

a.       Taking some powders and pills

b.      Eating no lunch

c.       Taking some oil before meals

d.      Drinking black coffee in great amounts

3. George asked the narrator not to tell anyone about the tablets because ____.

a.       Getting them was a big problem

b.      They were not allowed in medical practice

c.       The narrator now slept well

d.      They had not been tested

4. The house was full of friends because ____.

a.       There was a party

b.      They had come to talk to the doctor

c.       They thought the narrator had died

d.      They had come to hold the narrator’s hand

5. Life in the city is dangerous when ____.

a.       Friends live there

b.      A lot of people leave for the country

c.       Toy get too many instructions

d.      You do everything you are told to

Задание 10              THE CYCLONE

0.Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife. Their house was small.

1.One day Uncle Henry was sitting upon the doorstep. He looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the doorway with Toto, her pet dog, in her arms, and looked at the sky. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south. “There’s  a cyclone coming, Em,” – Uncle Henry called to his wife. Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door. One glance told her of the danger close at hand. “Quick, Dorothy!” – she screamed; “run after me!”

2.Suddenly Toto jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and hid under the bed. Dorothy caught Toto at last, and started to follow her aunt, but the house shook so hard that she lost her balance and sat down upon the floor. A strange thing then happened. The house rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon. The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made in the center of the cyclone. It raised up the house higher and higher and the house was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather.

3.Hour after hour passed away, and slowly Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely. Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep. She was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed he might have been hurt. Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving. It wasn’t dark, for the bright sunshine came in through the window.

4.Dorothy jumped from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opened the door. The little girl gave a cry of amazement. The cyclone had set the house down, very gently in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty. There were lovely trees with rich fruits and birds of rare bright colours.

5.While Dorothy stood looking with interest at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the strangest people she had never seen. They were not as big as the grown people, but neither were they very small. They were wearing round hats that rose to a point a foot above their heads, with little bells.

6.When they approached Dorothy, a little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice: “You are welcome, most noble Princess, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from a great disaster”.

0. Dorothy was from ____.

a.       Russia

b.      The United States

c.       Great Britain

d.      A fairy land

1. Uncle Henry guessed about the cyclone coming because of ____.

a.       Toto’s behaviour

b.      The weather forecast

c.       Some rain drops

d.      A gray sky and a strange whistle of the wind

2. The house with Dorothy and Toto was carried miles away because ____.

a.       Dorothy was a fairy

b.      It was carried by a balloon

c.       The house got into the center of the cyclone

d.      The house was as light as a feather

3. When the house landed ____.

a.       Dorothy was fast asleep

b.      Dorothy was badly hurt

c.       Toto got lost

d.      It was dark and Dorothy got frightened

4. Dorothy was greatly surprised as ____.

a.       Toto felt there like at home

b.      The trees were of different colours

c.       She had never seen such a marvelous country

d.      She was back in Kansas

5. What struck Dorothy most of all was ____.

a.       The people’s colour

b.      Their height and clothes

c.       Their speech

d.      The way they were walking

6. The strange people thanked Dorothy for ____.

a.       Coming to their country

b.      Bringing the dog with her

c.       Becoming their princess

d.      Killed their enemy

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B

Задание 11

VIEWS OF THE UNIVERSE

0.      Ancient men wondered why the sun, the moon and the stars moved as they do. For thousands of years man had watched the skies. They couldn’t understand and made up myths to explain the movements of the heavenly bodies. Greek astronomers studied the heavens and finally most of them decided that the sun and stars travelled around the Earth.

1.      In the 3d century B.C. the Greek astronomer, Aristarchus had some very different ideas. He wrote them in a book “The Earth travels around the sun in a circle. This takes a year. The moon alone circle round the Earth. The stars are very far away. The Universe is very large”. Other astronomers did not agree with him, and, of course, people didn’t accept his ideas. They couldn’t agree that the Earth was moving. For centuries no one developed his ideas.

2.       Nicolaus Copernicus was the Polish astronomer who began to study the Greek writings of the ancient astronomers. He checked them and found mistakes. Copernicus worked out formulas that seemed to prove the Earth travelled around the sun. Finally he decided the idea was right. The Earth and the planets did indeed circle the sun. Copernicus’ formulas, however, still had the heavenly bodies travelling in epicycles.

3.      In 1513 Copernicus wrote a book about his ideas. He showed it to some friends but never had it published. Year after year he went on checking the orbits of the planets. In his studies he used homemade instruments. Often he checked the stars’ positions against those given in the ancient Greek astronomers’ tables. He filled many pages with his findings, but he did not always trust them. He did not publish them.

4.      Copernicus knew that people were not ready to accept the idea of a moving Earth. Copernicus did not want to go against his church’s teaching which declared that other planets moved round the Earth. Once a friend came to visit him. He talked with  Copernicus and read the many pages of his studies. He urged Copernicus to let him put the pages into order and publish them. Finally Copernicus agreed. Copernicus did not live to read the printed copy of his book. It was placed in his hand as he lay dying on May 14, 1543.

5.      Today we honor Nicolaus Copernicus because he helped people accept the idea of the moving Earth. He dared to doubt the idea held for centuries. He looked at the heavens with his own eyes. Using math, he tried to show how the Earth circled the sun. He was the first man to do this. Copernicus’s book pointed the way to truth. Other astronomers began to explore the idea of the moving Earth.   

0. The myths about stars and the Universe were made ____.

a.       to describe them

b.      to explain the movement of the sun and the stars

c.       to help Greek astronomers study the skies

d.      to show them in a poetic way

1. Aristarchus was the only astronomer who ____.

a.       never read myths

b.      wrote a book that is recognize nowadays

c.       declared that the Earth moved around the sun and the moon travelled round the Erath

d.      made other astronomers agree the Earth was moving

2. Nicholas Copernicus proved that ____.

a.       the sun travelled round the Earth

b.      other ancient astronomers were right

c.       his own formulas were wrong

d.      that the Earth moved round the sun

3. Copernicus explored the Universe using ____,

a.       homemade instruments

b.      a telescope

c.       Greek astronomers’ tables

d.      a microscope

4. Copernicus didn’t want to publish his ideas because ____.

a.       his friend was against them

b.      Copernicus supported the church’s view

c.       people were not ready to understand them

d.      Copernicus was going to die

5. We honor Copernicus because ____.

a.       he was an astronomer

b.      his ideas encouraged other astronomers

c.       he supported the ideas of the Greek astronomers

d.      he always helped people

0	1	2	3	4	5
B

Задание 12                WHERE THERE’S A WILL

0.      While leaving Dr. Meynell told Charles Ridgeway “Your aunt may live for years. At the same time any shock may kill her. She must lead a very quiet life. And she must be kept cheerful.” Charles was a very thoughtful patient young man. He was also persistent. That evening he suggested the installation of a radio set. “My dear Aunt Mary,” said Charles enthusiastically, “it is the very thing for you to keep you cheerful. You will listen to different programmes, Berlin, for example.”

1.       Mary Harter, Charles’s aunt, was very fond of Charles. For some years a niece had lived with her and she had even thought of leaving her all her property and money. But her niece Miriam was impatient, bored by her aunt’s society and then married a man of whom her aunt disapproved. Thus Mrs Harter found nieces disappointing and turned her attention to nephews. Charles was a success. And she made a new will.

2.      It was about 3 months after the radio had been installed that a strange thing occurred. Charles was out that evening. Mrs Harter was listening to one of her favourite operas when the music suddenly stopped and she heard a voice, a man’s voice with a faint Irish accent. “Mary – can you hear me? It’s Patrick speaking. I’m coming for you soon. You will be ready, won’t you, Mary?” Mary Harter was sure it was her dead husband’s voice. “It’s a warning – that’s what it is,” she said to herself. She said nothing of her experience to anyone but she became thoughtful and preoccupied. And then came the second occasion. Mrs Harter was sure it was no hallucination.

3.      Friday evening found the house very quiet. Mrs Harter sat as usual near the fireplace. All her preparations were made. She had written a list of instructions for Charles and had set for her will. Now she was looking through the will again. Charles would be a very rich man after her death. Well, he had been a dear good by for her.

4.       It was half past nine. She switched on the radio. What would she hear? A familiar voice was announcing the weather forecast. Suddenly she heard a noise at the front door: her husband had come for her. The blue envelope with the will slipped into the fireplace as Mrs Harter fell down to the ground. She was dead. When Charles came home late at night and learnt the news he looked very upset.

5.      On the previous night when everybody was in bed Charles had removed a certain wire which ran from his room to his aunt’s. So as far as he could see he was perfectly safe. His plane had worked. Now he was to wait for the announcement of the will.

6.      They couldn’t/t find the will anywhere in the house. Charles was shocked. “If that will’s never found, there’s a former will, dated September, 1920. by it Mrs Harter left everything to her niece, Miriam Harter”, said the lawyer. Charles got pale. No hope in front of him – only the shadow of the prison wall for his debts.

 0. The doctor said that Charles’s aunt ____.

a.       had a quiet life

b.      could die of a shock because she was seriously ill

c.       didn’t need a radio

d.      could die of joy if he kept her cheerful

1. Mrs Harter made a new will ____.

a.       in favour of her niece

b.      because she wanted to give her money on charity

c.       in favour of Charles because he was good and patient

d.      because she was disappointed in all her relatives

2. Mary Harter became thoughtful because ____.

a.       she wanted to change the will

b.      she wanted to find out who really talked to her

c.       she didn’t hear the opera to the end

d.      she believed her dead husband talked to her

3. Mary Harter made all preparations because she ____.

a.       was ready to die, following her husband

b.      knew Charles would cheat everybody

c.       wanted to destroy her will

d.      wanted Miriam to be rich

4. The new will was burnt ____.

a.       because Mrs Harter wanted to change it

b.      because the house was set on fire

c.       quite by chance

d.      as the ghost of Mr Harter threw in into the fire

5. Charles was sure that ____.

a.       his aunt had left all the money to Miriam

b.      he had played a good trick

c.       he had removed the wrong wire

d.      he had missed the announcement of the will

6. Charles was unhappy because ____.

a.       he loved his aunt greatly

b.      Miriam was poor

c.       he could get imprisoned

d.      the lawyer had divided the money between him and Miriam

0	1	2	3	4	5	6
B

Задание 13                   HOP-FROG

0.I never knew anyone so fond of a joke as the king was. He seemed to live only for joking. To tell a funny story, and to tell it well, was the surest road to his favour. His seven ministers were noted as good jokers. They all took after the king, too, in being large, fat man.  I have never been able to decide if people grow fat by joking, or there is something in fat itself which influence one to favour a joke. But it is quite certain that jokers are rare.

1.The king had a fool; or professional jesters, who was not only a fool, however, his value was three times greater in the eyes of the king, by the fact that he was also a dwarf and a cripple. Dwarfs were as common at court, in those days, as fool. Many kings did not think if possible to get on without both a jester to laugh with and a dwarf to laugh at. But, as I have already said, jesters in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, are fat. Therefore it was a great source of self-satisfaction with the king that in Hop-Frog (this was the fool’s name) he possessed three times repeated treasure in one person.

2.I believe the name “Hop-Frog” was not given to the dwarf at birth. The seven ministers agreed to give it to him because he was unable to walk as other men do. In fact, Hop-Frog could only get along by a movement that was something between a leap and a twist from side to side. This movement greatly amused the king. It also pleased him, because, in spite of his bulging stomach and big head, the king was considered a stately figure.

3.I cannot say exactly from what country Hop-Frog came. It was from some region that was a great distance from the court of our king. Hop-Frog had a friend, a young girl, a dwarf like him, but well-built and a wonderful dancer. The two young people had been carried off by force from their homes and sent as gifts to the king by one of his generals.

4.In this situation, it is no wonder that the two captive had become close friends. Hop-Frog was not very popular, and it was not in his power often to do Trippetta a service. But she, because of her grace and remarkable beauty (although a dwarf), was admired by everybody; so she had much influence and never stopped at using it to help Hop-Frog.

5.Now the king decided to have a masquerade; and when a masquerade or anything of that kind took place at our court, then the talents of both of Hop-Frog and Trippetta were needed. Hop-Frog especially, was so clever at putting up shows and ceremonies, suggesting new character and arranging costumes for masquerades, that nothing could be done, it seemed, without his help.

0. The best way to please king was ____.

a.       to make him laugh

b.      to live for joking

c.       to be large and fat like the king

d.      to be one of his ministers

1. The king appreciated his fool as _____.

a.       he was a professional joker

b.      he was a cripple

c.       he was a dwarf

d.      he was a cripple, a dwarf and a jester at the same time

2. It was difficult for Hop-Frog to ____.

a.       twist from side to side

b.      move like other people

c.       amuse the king by his movement

d.      have a stately figure

3. All we know about Hop-Frog’s past is that ____.

a.       he made friends with a young dwarf girl

b.      he was given to the king as a present

c.       he was a gift for one of the generals

d.      he sent gifts to the king and his generals

4. Trippetta could help Hop-Frog as ____.

a.       she was a dwarf like him

b.      he had a lot of power

c.       he was very popular and influential

d.      he admired her grace and beauty

5. The king needed Hop-Frog to prepare the masquerade because Hop-Frog was ___.

a.       Trippetta’s good friend

b.      an important figure at the King’s court

c.       very clever

d.      good at organizing masquerades and other shows

0	1	2	3	4	5
A

Задание 14                             SOPHIE

0.      Sophie Amundsen was on her way home from school. She had walked the first part of the way with Joanna. They had been discussing robots. Joanna thought the human brain was like an advanced computer. Sophie was not certain she agreed. Surely a person was more than a piece of hardware?

1.      When they got to the supermarket they went their separate ways. Sophie lived on the outskirts of a sprawling suburb and had almost twice as far as got school as Joanna. There were no other houses beyond her garden, which made it seem as if her house lay at the end of the world. This was where the woods began.

2.      It was early May. In some of the gardens the fruit trees were encircled with daffodils. The birches were already in pale green leaf. It was extraordinary how everything burst forth at this time of year! What made this great mass of green vegetation come welling up from the dead earth as soon as it got warm and the last traces of snow disappeared?

3.      As Sophie opened her garden gate, she looked in the mailbox. There was usually a lot of junk mail and a few big envelopes for her mother, a pile to dump on the kitchen table before she went up to her room to start her homework. From time to time there would be a few letters from the bank for her father, but then he was not a normal father. Sophie’s father was the captain of a big oil tanker, and was for fast of the year. During the few weeks at a time he was at home, he would shuffle around the house making it nice and cosy for Sophie and her mother. But when he was at sea he could seem very distant.

4.      There was only one letter in the mailbox – and it was for Sophie. The white envelope read: “Sophie Amundsen, 5 Clover Close.” That was all; it did not say who it was from. There was no stamp on it either.

5.      As soon as Sophie had closed the gate behind her she opened the envelope. It contained only a slip of paper no bigger than the envelope. It read: Who are you?

Nothing else, only the three words, written by hand, and followed by a large question mark.

She looked at the envelope again. The letter was definitely for her. Who could have dropped it in the mailbox?

0. Sophie walked half way home with ____.

a.       her heighbour

b.      her classmate

c.       her teacher

d.      a robot

1. Sophie lived ____.

a.       not far from school

b.      in the center of the city

c.       in the wood

d.      at the very edge of the town

2. Sophie was amazed that all the gardens were ____.

a.       full of daffodils

b.      full of fruit trees

c.       in rich blossom

d.      in bloom that time of the year

3. As soon as Sophie got home she ____.

a.       looked at the daffodils

b.      walked around the garden

c.       checked the mailbox

d.      dumped the junk mail

4. That afternoon Sophie received ____.

a.       a bank statement

b.      a parcel from her father

c.       an ordinary latter

d.      a shot note

5. Sophie was puzzled by the letter because ____.

a.       it was hand-written

b.      it was an unusual letter

c.       it was a question mark

d.      it was addressed to her

0	1	2	3	4	5
B

Задание 15

THE ENCHANTED PRICE

0.      There was a king who dreams came true. And his queen had a baby son. And the king dreamed that if the child’s feet touched the ground before he was twelve years old, something awful would happen to him. So the little prince was never allowed to walk, and all went well with the little prince; he was clever and good, everybody loved him. When the tome of the prince’s twelfth birthday came near, the King prepared a great party, because the next day his son would be able to walk and run and play like other children.

1.      On the day before his birthday when the prince was about to ride a pony the sky suddenly grew dark, there came a clap of thunder. The palace and the earth trembled, and the little prince fell down, his feet touched the ground. Immediately everything was quiet. But the prince had disappeared.

2.      Six years passed in grief. One night a servant was passing the prince’s empty bedroom and suddenly he heard sighs. He opened the room but saw nobody there. The servant was frightened and ran to inform the king. The next night the king had a dream. In his dream a voice sad: “If a girl watches in the room all night, it may break the spell. But only it must be the right girl”. The king offered three hundred pieces of gold to any girl who could watch in the room all night.

3.      Not far from the palace there loved a widow with three daughters. They were very poor and the girls had to wear poor shabby clothes. To earn some money the two elder daughters wanted to have a try. Many girls wanted to get money but at night when they heard a noise they were so frightened that they ran away. Of course, neither of the sisters managed to break the spell. They were brave enough to stay there but when they saw the prince they didn’t say the right words.

4.      So the youngest sister went to the palace and told the king she would like to watch. When se saw the prince she offered him the supper she had cooked for herself and let him sleep in the bed she had made for herself. The Prince was happy. “Follow me,” he said.

5.      Under the floor was a dark staircase going down and down. The girl stepped after the prince and felt she was falling down and down. She was frightened but didn’t shout. She found herself in a new world. It was a silver-gold forest with beautiful flowers and birds. On the way the girl broke off a gold branch and a silver branch and hid them under her apron.

6.      In the morning the king saw the prince asleep in the bed, and the girl was asleep by the fire. The prince looked at the girl and said: “You have broken the spell. Now you shall never leave me. You will be my wife”. Then he picked up the gold branch and the silver branch and threw them out the window and they turned into gold and silver palaces for them to live in.

0. The king had a dream that if his son’s feet touched the ground _____.

a.       the queen would turn into a tree

b.      the prince would have trouble

c.       the prince would never walk or run

d.      something awful would happen to the king

1. On the eve of his twelfth birthday _____.

a.       the king disappeared

b.      there was a terrible thunderstorm

c.       the palace fell down

d.      the prince fell from the pony

2. In his new dream the king was told that _____.

a.       the prince was under the spell

b.      he had to marry the right girl

c.       they had to spend six more years in grief

d.      he should give three hundred  pieces to the  servant

3. The widow’s elder of daughter failed to break the spell because they ____.

a.       ran away scared

b.      were brave enough to leave the palace

c.       didn’t speak properly to the prince

d.      didn’t want to wear poor clothes in the palace

4. The youngest sister was clever and good enough ____.

a.       to watch the king’s palace

b.      to offer the prince supper and a bed

c.       to cook supper for herself

d.      to refuse to follow the prince

5. When the girl found herself in the silver-gold forest ____.

a.       the prince forgot about her

b.      she didn’t want to leave all that gold

c.       she lost her apron

d.      she managed to get some gold and silver from the trees

6. In the morning the prince _____.

a.       decided to marry the girl

b.      threw away gold and silver branches

c.       was asleep and never woke up

d.      turned into a silver and gold stone

0	1	2	3	4	5	6
B

Задание 16

A LOST DIAMOND

0.      I was on board a big steamer returning from India. Among the passengers there was a rich Hindoo, Sir Padishah by name. He were a big red turban with a fine diamond in it. There was another man with five ostriches on board. His name was Potter. One day, one of his ostriches came up to Padishah, took the diamond off his turban and swallowed it. Than the ostrich ran away to the other ostriches. All the ostriches were exactly alike, so nobody could tell which of the five had swallowed the diamond. You can understand that Padishah got terribly angry.

1.       Padishah said he would have his diamond and in very strong terms ask for his rights. Bur he said he would not buy the birds. Why not give all the ostriches some medicine? Potter refused to give them any medicine. One of the passengers said that what a bird had swallowed was part of the bird and that Padishah could do nothing. If he wanted his diamond he had to buy the birds. And that was the general opinion.

2.      Immediately Padishah offered Potter two hundred and fifty pounds for the five of the birds. It was much more than Potter had paid for them. But Potter didn’t agree to sell all the birds. He said he would sell the birds, one after another, and keep the fifth for himself.

3.      Of course all the passengers were interested in the auction, but at first nobody wanted to risk their money. Then, little by little, the auction became more lively. Potter said he would continue the auction only if everybody promised not to kill the birds till the end of the auction. They all promised not to kill the birds on board the ship. The next morning three birds were sold for over 200 pounds each. But Padishah didn’t get even one of the birds.

4.      Padishah with tears in his eyes tried to give his name and address to the man who had bought the birds so that they would know where to send the diamond when they found it. But they didn’t want to take his name and address and refused to give their own addresses.

5.      A week or so after landing I was in Regent Street and suddenly met Padishah and Potter, walking along, arm-in-arm, talking in a very friendly way. I think that Padishah was really a rich Hindoo and the diamond was a real one. But whether the bird really swallowed the diamond or not – that is, of course, quite another question.

0. Padishah was terribly angry because ____.

a.       there were ostriches on board the ship

b.      he had lost the diamond

c.       an ostrich had stolen his turban

d.      Potter was not a Hindoo

1. Padishah had to buy the birds as ____.

a.       he wanted to test some medicine on them

b.      it was everybody’s opinion

c.       the ostriches liked and followed him

d.      his diamond was inside one of the birds

2. Potter’s idea was ____.

a.       to sell just two ostriches to Padishah

b.      to sell the birds immediately

c.       not to sell the birds altogether

d.      to keep the five birds to himself

3. The passengers promised ____.

a.       to pay 200 pounds for two ostriches

b.      to take part in the auction the next morning

c.       to risk their money

d.      to keep the birds alive till the end of the auction

4. Padishah begged the passengers ____.

a.       to address him “your honour”

b.      to return the diamond

c.       to buy him another diamond

d.      to keep their addresses a secret

5. It was not clear if ____.

a.       Padishah and Potter were walking in Regent street

b.      Padishah and Potter were both rich Hindoo

c.       the diamond had been lost on board the ship

d.      the diamond had ever been on the turban

0	1	2	3	4	5
B

Задание 17

THE LUNCHEON

0.      It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment and I was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered, thanking her, and pleasantly I received from her another latter saying that she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me. She asked me if I would give her a little luncheon at Foyot’s.

1.      Foyot’s is a restraint at which the French senators eat and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even though of going there. But I was flattered and I was too young to say no to a woman. I had eighty franc to live on till the end of a month and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks I could manage well enough.

2.      I answered that I would meet her at Foyot’s on Thursday at half past twelve. She was not so young as I expected and in appearance imposing rather than attractive. She was in fact a woman of forty, and she gave me the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose. She was talkative, but since she seemed inclined to talk about me I was prepared to be an attentive listener. I was startled when the menu was brought, for the prices were a great deal higher than I had expected.

3.      She reassured me that she never ate anything for luncheon. “Oh, don’t say that” I answered generously. She added that she never ate more than one thing. She thought people ate too much nowadays. She wondered if they had any salmon. Well, it was early in the year for salmon and it was not on the menu, but I asked the waiter if they had any. Yes, they had a beautiful salmon, it was the first they had had. I ordered it for my guest.

4.      The waiter asked her if she would have something while it was being cooked. She said that she wouldn’t mind having caviare. My heart sank a little. I knew I could not afford caviare, but I could not tell her that. I told the waiter by all means to bring caviare. For myself I chose the cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.

5.      So she ate the caviare and she ate the salmon. She talked gaily of art and literature and music. But I wondered what the bill would come to. When my mutton chop arrived she said I was in the habit of eating a heavy luncheon and that was a mistake. She asked me to follow her example and just eat one thing. She was sure I’d feel much better then.

0. First she wrote to the story-teller as ____.

a.       she was passing through Paris

b.      she had read his book

c.       she wanted to talk to him

d.      she wanted to lunch with him

1. He agreed to have a little luncheon with the woman at Foyot’s as ____.

a.       it was a very good restaurant

b.      he wanted to meet one of the French senators

c.       he could afford it

d.      he didn’t want to refuse a woman

2. The man was surprised at ____.

a.       the woman’s age

b.      the number of a woman’s teeth

c.       the cost of dishes

d.      the woman’s talkativeness

3. She decided to order only salmon because ____.

a.       the man was generous enough

b.      they had a beautiful salmon

c.       it had been the firs salmon in the season

d.      she never ate more that one thing

4. The story-teller wasn’t happy about ordering caviare as ____.

a.       he liked mutton chops

b.      his money was limited

c.       caviare was bad that season

d.      it wasn’t on the menu

5. While the woman was enjoying her luncheon the man ____.

a.       was thinking about the bill

b.      was enjoying his mutton chop

c.       was talking about his eating habits

d.      was listening attentively to her talking

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B

Задание 18

BEING A STUDENT AGAIN

0.      In 1999 I decided to return to University – I already have a degree in mechanical engineering which I read at Sussex University and suddenly found I had an opportunity to study full time again for a few years. I decided to do a degree in Russian and German! These had both become hobbies of mine. I had met many people from both countries over the previous six years when renting my two spare rooms to students and academics from Surrey University. Many of these people had become great friends and I am keeping in touch with them.

1.      But Russian and German became my favourite languages and I wanted to be able to speak them fluently and to understand something of the culture – literature, politics, history, music, etc – of each country – not to mention visiting them for a year each, as part of the course.

2.      My original plan was to return to Sussex. However there is an old saying – “never go back” – and I think it is right. Nostalgia is fine, but we have to move on and have new experiences. I decided in the end to go to London University. After living in Guildford, which is about 30 miles from London I was hankering after in the great city – a daily visit is fairly easy but costs time and money – and to live in the center would be wonderful; also,  London University includes the famous “Schools Of Slavonic And Eastern European Studies” (“SSEES”) and I decided that this was THE place to be!

3.      So I applied for a place. And, to my amazement, I got one! And I am now living in a tiny room, sharing a flat with two other students. But it is really brilliant – one minute’s walk from the main college, University College (London) (“UCL”), where I do my German, and of which SSEES is now a part, two minutes from the Students Union Building  and five from SSEES itself. The British Museum is about 8 minutes walk away and I can get to any part of central London in under 20 minutes. It’s fabulous!

4.      What’s it like being a middle aged student? Well…to my amazement (and, I must admit, to my relief) all my student friends have taken me on board as one of them and I am inundated with invitations to parties, film trips, pub evening, and all the other aspects of student life.

5.      And at home? Well, I still visit my house in Guildford, about once a week, and still rent you out mu two spare rooms. (I have to, to pay for my London accommodation). But now to two British guys, Nick and Neil. The reason I decided to do this and not to have foreign students was I felt that I needed some stability at home. The foreign students tended to stay for a few months at the most. Nick and Neil are now working locally and I don’t have the problem that every few months I need to find new people. It looks as though they will be living at my place for at least a year or two and can look after it for me when I am on my study periods abroad.

 0. Christopher decided to become ____.

a.       a part time student

b.      a full time student

c.       a postgraduate student

d.      a correspondence student

1.  Christopher’s first University degree was in _____.

a.       foreign languages

b.      history

c.       mechanical engineering

d.      political studies

2.  In 1999 Christopher started a course at ____.

a.       Sussex University

b.      Surrey University

c.       London University

d.      University College (London)

3. Christopher chose to study Russian and German because ____.

a.       he had visited Russia and German

b.      had met a lot of Russians and Germans

c.       both languages had become his hobbies

d.      he wanted to do something new

4. Christopher’s greatest worry was ____.

a.       communication with young students

b.      finding London accommodation

c.       renting out his house in Guildford

d.      getting accustomed to life in central London

5. Christopher goes back to Guildford because ____.

a.       he feels homesick

b.      needs some stability

c.       has rented out his house to foreign students

d.      he still uses part of his house as home

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B

Задание 19               VILLAGERS GIVE WAY TO ELEPHANT WITH A CRUSH

0.An Indian man was trampled to death trying to break up a love affair between a tame elephant a her wild 8,000 lb (3,629kg) suitor from the jungles of south Bihar. The irresistible force of love between elephants is something the villagers of Gumla, northern India, wish they had avoided.

1.It is rare for wild elephants to develop crushes on domesticated pachyderms (mammals such as elephants, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses). Usually, they show no interest and do not care. But when a bull elephant passing through the jungle near Gumla earlier this month happened to spy an attractive female of the species named Madhubala, it was, well, love at first sight.

2.Even though Madhubala was chained to a tree, the bull elephant refused to leave. At first the villagers tried to lure away the heavyweight stranger with a banana bribe. It was not food the elephant had on his mind, but his chained sweetheart. Angry and scared,  the villagers and police began tossing firecrackers and flaming sticks at the wild male.

3.As the furious elephant charged back to the jungle, it crushed a forest ranger underfoot, killing him, according to local press reports. The bull elephant’s retreat was only tactical. The lovesick male sneaked back later that night and freed Madhubala by smashing her chains. That night the two elephant lovers successfully ran away. Madhubala’s keeper, Mahedi Hussain, tracked her down in the jungle after a week and brought her back to the village. The she-elephant, alas, remained lovelorn. She even turned up her trunk at a bunch of bananas, her favourite food. Finally her plaintive trumpet calls were answered.

4.The avenging lover swept down on the village last Friday like an army tank, flattening huts and scattering people into the forest. As the United News of India reported, the elephant “returned to Gumla in a rage, demolishing walls and anything that stood between him and Madhabula. The act, many said, would have done credit to any firm hero who had been denied his love.” With Madhabula loose-again, the reunited elephant pair slipped off into the dense trees. This time, the elephant-keeper is in no hurry to bring her – and her trouble-making boyfriend – back again.

0. The village of Gumla is situated in ____.

a.       southern India

b.      northern India

c.       western India

d.      north-eastern India

1. The wild elephant _____.

a.       came to the village for the first time

b.      had already visited the village before

c.       used to came to the village before

d.      lived nearby the village

2. At first the villagers tried to ____.

a.       chase the wild elephant away

b.      distract the animal

c.       chain the animal to a tree

d.      frighten the furious elephant

3. The wild animal killed the firest ranger ___.

a.       on purpose

b.      by chance

c.       by accident

d.      by mistake

4. The male elephant returned to Gumla ____.

a.       take revenge on the villagers

b.      leave the femall elephant alone

c.       take the femall elephant into the jungle

d.      join the femall elephant in the village

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B

Задание 20                    CHRISTMAS TIDE

0.      November the nineteenth. That was definitely a new record, Sam noted darkly. Last year it had been November the twenty-sixth. He could clearly see that when he was fifty or sixty he’d be hearing his first performance of “Santa”s Super Sleigh’ in July or August.

1.      This year it was a busker at the bottom of the escalator at the Angle station, a cheerful, attractive young woman with a violin who was obviously trying to supplement her music scholarship. Sam looked at her with all the hatred he could muster, a look intended to convey not only that he wouldn’t be giving her any money, but that he would like to smash up her instrument and throw it down the escalator steps.

2.      Sam hated Christmas, for the obvious reason: people knocked on his door, singing the son he hated more than any song in the world and expected him to give them money. It had been worse when he was a kid, because his dad hated Christmas too, for the obvious reason (although Sam hadn’t realized it was the obvious reason until he was much older – back then, he just thought that his dad was as sick of the song as everybody else): it was a terrible reminder of how badly he had failed in his life.

3.      Quite often people wanted to interview his father about “Santa”s Super Sleigh’, and they always used to ask what else he had written, and he would tell them, sometimes even play them things, or show them records which featured another of his songs. They would look embarrassed, cluck sympathetically and tell him how hard it was for everyone who was famous for only one thing, a long time ago, and ask him whether the song had ruined his life, or made him wish he’d never written it. He would get angry, and tell them no to be so stupid and patronizing and insensitive, and when they had gone, he would complain bitterly that the song had ruined his life, and say he wished he’d never written it. One radio journalist even went away and made a series called One-Hit Wonders inspired completely by his interview with Charles Freeman, all about people who’d written one great book, or appeared in one film, or written one famous song;  the journalist had had the cheek to ask him for another interview and, perhaps understandably, Sam’s father had refused.

4.      So Christmas was the season of anger and bitterness and regret and recrimination. It was a season of presents by chimney too, but even when he was nine Sam would gladly have swapped his toys and his Bat – mobiles for a little peace and goodwill.

5.      But thing changed. His father died, and then his mother, and he lost touch with his stepbrother and stepsister, who were old and dull anyway, and Christmas was usually spent with friends, or girlfriends’ families, and all that was left was “Santa”s Super Sleigh’ and the cheques it carried ti him through the snow. But rhat was more than enough. Sam had often wondered whether there was any other stupid song which contained, somewhere deep within it, as much pain and despair and regret. He doubted it. He still felt he needed a stiff drink, or counseling, or a good cry, when he heard it in a department-store lift or in a supermarket in the weeks leading up to 25 December. Maybe there were others like him somewhere.

6.      He had no plans for his Christmas whatsoever. There was no girlfriend, and so there were no girlfriend’s parents, and though he had friends on whom he could inflict himself, he didn’t feel like it. He would sit at home and watch millions of films. Why not? He was as entitled to a break as anyone else, even if there was nothing to break from.

0. Christmas Tide stars as early as ____.

a.       November, 19^th

b.      November,26^th

c.       July

d.      August

1. Sam heard the performance of “Santa”s Super Sleigh’ ____.

a.       in the street

b.      in a supermarket

c.       in the underground

d.      in  a music school

2. Sam' father ____.

a.       hated Christmas presents

b.      hated Christmas because of the song

c.       hated people who knocked on their door

d.      hated receiving guests at Christmas

3. Sam’ father was ____.

a.       a famous musician

b.      the author of a popular Christmas song

c.       a radio journalist

d.      a radio presenter

4. For Sam’s family Christmas was ____.

a.       a jolly time

b.      time of anger and regret

c.       time of good cry

d.      time of deep thought

5. After his father died Sam ____.

a.       forgot all about the song

b.      remembered him every year on 25 December

c.       often visited his stepbrother and stepsister

d.      still felt miserable when he heard the song

6. At Christmas Sam ____.

a.       always had great plans

b.      spent time with his girlfriend

c.       had no plans at all

d.      went to the cinemas

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A