TEST 1 -TASK ONE

TEXT 1
Coco Chanel, a famous fashion designer was born in a poorhouse in the small city of Saumur, France,
and christened Gabrielle. Her mother died when she was just six. This left her father with Gabrielle and
four other young children. He sent them away to grow up with relatives.
In nearly twenties, while she was singing in cafes, she met two wealthy men, a soldier, and an Englishman
Arthur Capel. With the men's money and contacts, in 1913 she set up a shop in Paris selling ladies' hats.
By the 1920s, she had expanded her business to a clothing shop. In the early 1920s she introduced Chanel
No. 5, which became one of the world's favorite perfumes.
In 1939 World War II began. Coco had worked for a short time as a nurse in World War I, but during
World War II she left for Switzerland. She returned to France in 1953 and dressed many Hollywood
stars, such as Liz Taylor and Katharine Hepburn. Before her death, in 1969, Katharine Hepburn had
starred in a Broadway musical about her life.

TEXT 2
Some people who have difficulties in sleeping automatically turn to sleeping pills. But before even
thinking about them, it’s a good idea to try and prepare yourself for sleep. Here’s some advice.
Before going to sleep, don’t discuss exciting problems, quarrel with your family or watch a murder
mystery on TV. Sleep can be completely destroyed by too much excitement or worry. Also exercise
before sleep is not a good idea. You can open the door to let out your dog, but don’t take him for a long
walk.
The old advice to read in bed before sleep has now changed into a new one: be careful what you read
before sleep. An interesting detective story can keep you awake till the morning comes. It’s better to
count sheep, or listen to the news on the radio – many people find it more effective than any sleeping
pill!

TEXT 3
Most children don’t eat anything in the morning and come to school tired, empty and irritable. Many
schools now have a canteen where kids have a choice. And so, they decide to take pizza and chips instead
of salad and fish.
Modern eating habits are very destructive. Today’s children are in more danger of heart diseases and
some forms of cancer than their parents and grandparents. They also have to decide which food to choose,
genetically modified or organic.
So, where do we start if we want to eat in a healthy way? First, we should eat normally but do a lot of
physical exercises. It is very hard to keep to a diet, and it’s all too easy to start getting fat again. The best
idea is to exercise in the morning and not to eat snacks, especially late at night!
If you eat meat, chicken and fish are much better than red meat. They are good for your body and mind,
too. We should also remember that fizzy drinks, tea and coffee take water from our body and reduce the
amount of healthy substances which the body can take from food.
TEXT 4
Sequoyah was a young Cherokee Indian, son of a white trader and an Indian woman. At an early age, he
became fascinated by “the talking leaf,” an expression that he used to describe the white man’s written
records. Although many believed this “talking leaf” to be a gift from the Great Spirit, Sequoyah refused
to accept that theory. Like other Indians of the period, he was illiterate, but his determination to remedy
the situation led to the invention of a unique 86-character alphabet based on the sound patterns that he
heard.
His family and friends thought him mad, but while recuperating from a hunting accident, he diligently
and independently set out to create a form of communication for his own people as well as for other
Indians. In 1921, after twelve years of work, he had successfully developed a written language that would
enable thousands of Indians to read and write.
Sequoyah’s desire to preserve words and events for later generations has caused him to be remembered
among the important inventors. The giant redwood trees of California, called “sequoias” in his honour,
will further imprint his name in history.

TEXT 5
A superstition is a belief that specific things or behaviours can affect the future. For example, astrology
is a kind of superstition: it is the belief that the positions of stars and planets can influence a person's life
and personality.
Because of the world's many cultures, superstitions are often different or even completely opposite in
different places. For instance, in the US and many European countries, it is bad luck if a black cat crosses
your path; in Britain and Japan, however, the same thing is good luck.
People usually learn their culture's superstitions as children. In fact, some superstitions are taught for
practical reasons: spilling milk, for instance, is often said to be bad luck, because this might prevent
children from wasting such a precious item by spilling it. Because they are learned when we are children,
it can be difficult to get rid of superstitious beliefs, and even very rational people sometimes follow
superstitions because they think that it is probably better to be safe than sorry.

TEST 1 -TASK TWO

I will never forget the Saturday I took my great-grandfather to his first movie. I was nine. Granddad was
over 90 years old. The movie was a Wild West show. And that Saturday afternoon in 1920 turned out to
be a wild one too!
We were a little late when we got to the movie. The lights were already turned low. The girl at the piano
had started to play. In those days, the movies had no sound. The only sounds that went with them came
from a piano. I helped Granddad find a seat in the first row. He sat back just as Hoot Gibson came riding
across the screen on his horse. I looked at Granddad. His eyes were fixed on the screen and his lips were
moving. I saw that he was riding right along with Hoot Gibson!
Hoot was running away from criminals. Faster and faster the horses ran. The girl at the piano played
louder and louder. Suddenly Granddad jumped to his feet and shouted at Hoot at the top of his voice.
“Look out!” he cried. “Run for it, Hoot! They are getting closer!”
The girl at the piano turned around. Right behind her she saw a tall old man with arms stretched wide. It
was my granddad. She thought he had gone crazy. With a scream she climbed to the top of the piano.
Then she jumped through the movie screen, making a big hole in it. She ran out the back door of the
movie, yelling.
There were about 40 people at the movie that afternoon. Granddad was the only one there over 12 years
old. All the excitement made us boys feel we should do something.
A friend of mine named Sammy climbed up to see what had happened. Other boys followed Sammy.
Soon about 12 yelling boys were crowded around the screen. What noise! The ticket-taker came running.
“Stop the show!” he yelled. “Turn on the lights!” But no one seemed to hear him. At that moment, Sammy
shot his cap gun. Someone saw the smoke from the cap gun and screamed “Fire!”
Granddad was still standing. He called out, “Get the firemen! Where is the fire?”
Just then several men came in through the back door. The girl who played the piano had told them about
the crazy man. They were coming to get Granddad!
Before they got to him, a fireman came in the front door. He was carrying a hose. “Water!” he shouted
to the firemen behind him. Then he turned his hose on the screen full force. The hole in the screen became
larger and larger.
I’m getting out of here!” Granddad said to me. “I’ve been in many battles, but this is the worst of all.”
We pushed past the firemen and got to the street at last. By this time there was a big crowd of people.
“What’s happened? Where’s the fire?” everyone wanted to know.
But we did not wait to talk. Granddad took me to his little house and gave me some ice-cream. “I am
sorry you didn’t get to see the whole show, Granddad,” I said. “Will you go with me next Saturday?”
Granddad shook his head. “No, Robert,” he said. “I don’t like movies. They are too noisy. My first movie
will be my last!”
TEST 2 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie is possibly the world’s most famous detective story writer. She wrote 79
novels and several plays. Her sales outnumber those of William Shakespeare. However, behind her
words was a painfully shy woman whose life was often lonely and unhappy.
She was born in1890 in Devon, the third child of Clarissa and Frederick Miller, and grew into a beautiful
and sensitive girl with waist-length golden hair.
She didn’t go to school but was educated at home by her mother. Her father died when she was 11 and
both she and her mother were grief-stricken.
During World War 1, while she was working in a hospital dispensary, she learned about chemicals and
poisons, which proved to be very useful to her in her late career. She wrote her first detective novel, The
Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920. In it she introduced Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who
appeared in many subsequent novels. Her other main detective was an elderly spinster called Miss
Marple.

TEXT 2
There is a story going round at the moment about a well-known journalist who went to interview Jack
Parrish at a smart New York restaurant. The journalist was late, but fortunately, when he arrived, he
found the great man was not yet there. On the way to his table, the journalist noticed a colleague from
his paper and stopped to chat to her. After fifteen minutes, a waiter approached him. “There’s some
young man at the door who says he’s supposed to be having lunch with you. I think he’s trying to be
funny, because he says his name is Jack Parrish!”
But of course, it was. The twenty-four-year-old is becoming famous for the fact he doesn’t look like the
owner of one of the world’s most successful computer companies. His manner is polite, his voice is quiet
and his clothes are clearly not expensive. Two years ago, when he started his own company, no one had
heard of him. Friends say that he hasn’t changed at all. He hasn`t even moved out of his parents’ house.
So, what does he do with his money? It’s all used for business. But some people in the computer world
are getting nervous – and they are right. It won’t be long before someone in another company picks up
the phone to hear that quiet voice saying that he’s the new boss.

TEXT 3
Some people are worried that nanotechnology could be difficult to control. Nanobots might escape into
the environment and damage people, plants and animals. Others have even more serious worries. Eric
Drexler is a futurist, a scientist who makes predictions about the future. In his book, Engines of Creation,
he predicted the invention of nanobots. He also described a special kind of nanobot that can make a copy
of itself using the materials around it - and this is where the nightmare begins. In Michael Crichton's
book Prey, nanobots make copies of themselves so quickly that they use all the materials around and
then look for more ... and more, and more, eventually 'eating' the world. Some people are worried that
this might really happen. The most extreme predictions (which very few scientists believe) say that
nanobots could destroy the entire planet in about three hours!

TEXT 4
Balmoral Castle was a present for Queen Victoria from her husband. Prince Albert, in 1852. The
countryside around the Castle is spectacular. The royal couple decided that the original Castle was too
small. so they built a new one. They completed it in 1856 with a beautiful tower about 30 metres high.
The Castle and its grounds have belonged to the British royal family since that time, and each new
generation has improved the property. Today, the Queen and her family always stay at Balmoral when
they visit Scotland. The Castle has been open to the public for over 35 years, but visitors can only enter
the ballroom. The other rooms are the Queeirs private residence.

TEXT 5

Since 1886, the Statue of Liberty has been one of the most famous monuments in America – in fact, the
world. The statue was a gift to the USA from the French people. They built the statue in France, then
carried it across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 pieces and rebuilt it in New York. They completed the work
in 1886, and about a million people watched the opening parade on 28 October of that year. At the time,
the Statue of Liberty was the tallest structure in New York, at 93 metres. Since then, they have built many
taller buildings, but the Statue of Liberty is still an impressive sight, and millions of visitors have climbed
the 354 steps to the top.

TEST 2 -TASK TWO

During summer vacations, I would volunteer at the vet's, so I'd seen a lot of dogs. Minnie was by far the
funniest-looking dog I'd ever seen. Thin curly hair barely covered her sausage-shaped body. Her bugged-
out eyes always seemed surprised. And her tail looked like a rat's tail.
She was brought to the vet to be put to sleep because her owners didn't want her anymore. I thought
Minnie had a sweet personality, though. "No one should judge her by her looks," I thought. So the vet
spayed her and gave her the necessary shots. Finally, I advertised Minnie in the local paper: "Funny-
looking dog, well behaved, needs loving family."
When a young man called, I warned him that Minnie was strange looking. The boy on the phone told me
that his grandfather’s sixteen-year-old dog had just died. They wanted Minnie no matter what. I gave
Minnie a good bath and fluffed up what was left of her scraggly hair. Then we waited for them to arrive.
At last, an old car drove up in front of the vet’s. Two kids raced to the door. They scooped Minnie into
their arms and rushed her out to their grandfather, who was waiting in the car. I hurried behind them to
see his reaction to Minnie.
Inside the car, the grandfather cradled Minnie in his arms and stroked her soft hair. She licked his face.
Her rattail wagged around so quickly that it looked like it might fly off her body. It was love at first lick.
"She’s perfect!" the old man exclaimed.
I was thankful that Minnie had found the good home that she deserved.
That’s when I saw that the grandfather’s eyes were a milky white color - he was blind.
TEST 3 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
A new report describes life 100 years from now. There are many tall skyscrapers, underwater cities, and
holidays in space. In a recent talk show some experts on modern technologies and architecture also gave
their ideas on life in 2117. According to them, in 100 years, the way we live, work and play will be totally
different from today.
Researchers also asked ordinary people for their predictions about the future. They predicted that people
will have virtual work meetings online. There will also be less need for doctors. Our home health monitor
will tell us what the problem is and give us treatment for it. We will also go into space for holidays and
get resources from there that we have finished on Earth. Will people need to study English in 2117? Well,
this is a question which nobody discussed.

TEXT 2
Every year in January the nightmare figure of the Straw Bear – a man covered from head to foot in straw,
with a straw tail – walks around the streets of the small market town of Whittlesea, in the South West of
England.
In the beginning of the 19th century, it became a custom in this part of England for a local farm-worker
to be dressed in a straw suit and to be led around the town accompanied by musicians. He would dance
to music, and receive food, beer or money in return. This happened the day after Plough Monday, when
agricultural workers returned to the fields after a break for Christmas. The custom died out in the early
1900's, partly because the police regarded it as a form of begging but in 1980 it was revived by the local
people.
These days the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival takes place every year on the second weekend in January.
There is traditional music and dancing on the streets and inside some local pubs or halls. The festival
concludes on Sunday, when the straw bear costume is burned in a special ceremony.

TEXT 3

Albert Einstein was born in 1879 in the German city of Ulm. He was no prodigy as infant. In fact, he was
so late to speak that his parents were concerned he was fool. In school, his teachers saw no special talent
in him though the signs of his intelligence were there. He taught himself calculus for example, and it is
said that his teachers seemed a little afraid of him because he asked questions they could not answer. His
gift was no secret. At the age of 16, he asked himself whether a light wave would seem stationary if one
ran with it. It may seem like a strange question, but it shows that Einstein was digging deep to the heart
of a problem. Ten years later would arise his theory of relativity.

TEXT 4
A book has just been published to help parents to deal with their children's naughty behavior at home.
The author, Dr James Bruno, says that the first positive discipline technique is for parents to remain calm
because nervous parents don't get good results. Parents who cannot often remain calm find that their
children stop taking any notice of them. The second challenge is to know how to correct bad behavior in
an effective way. For instance, punishing children by preventing them from watching their favorite TV
program is not an ideal solution. Dr Bruno believes parents should establish clear rules for children to
follow. If children refuse to follow these, they know they will be disciplined. Finally, the most effective
way of encouraging good behavior is to give positive feedback as often as possible, to show that it is not
only naughtiness that attracts attention.

TEXT 5

Tea had a reputation for being both safe and almost always beneficial. However, scientists are now
suggesting that tea may not be as safe as we had previously believed. Tea contains caffeine, and caffeine
has been linked to sleeplessness and to the unpleasant jumpy feeling some people get when stressed.
More seriously, there is a link between miscarriages, and pregnant women are advised to reduce their
intake of tea until after their baby is born. Due to its critical side-effects, some people who like tea choose
to be safer and drink a beverage from which the caffeine has been removed, decaffeinated tea, but many
claim that it simply doesn't taste right. The reasonable thing to do is probably moderation; continue to
enjoy a cup of tea, but don't have too many!

TEST 3 -TASK TWO

There are certain people who always like to take their vacations in the same place. They return from a
vacation and ask themselves, "When can I go back there again?" There are other people who like to
go many places. They like to do many different things on their vacations. When they return from a
vacation, they ask themselves, "Where can I go next?"
My parents are perfect examples of the first kind of people. They always like to go to the lake in the
mountains where they went on their honeymoon. They bought a vacation cabin there several years after
they were married. They have gone there two or three times a year for over twenty-five years. My parents
have made friends with the people who also own cabins there. They enjoy getting together with them.
Both my parents enjoy sailing and swimming and my father likes to go fishing! My parents enjoy
variety, but they say they can get variety by going to their cabin at different times of the year. They
particularly like to go there in the autumn when the leaves are beautiful.
I am an example of a person who likes to go to different places for her vacation. When I was a child, I went
to my parents' cabin, but when I got older, I wanted lo travel to many different places. I spent a lot of
time and money learning how to ski, so I wanted to travel to places where I could ski, such as Switzerland.
I was interested in visiting historic places, so I went to Angkor Wat in Cambodia even though it was
difficult to get there. I would like to go to Egypt because I want to see the pyramids and to Rome to see
the Coliseum.
Although I enjoy going to familiar places, I find that going to strange places is more exciting. The world
is so huge and exciting that I don't want to go to the same place twice. Still, I understand my parents'
point of view. They believe that you can never get to know a place too well.
TEST 4 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
As the daughter of an Academy Award-winning actor, Angelina Jolie was not a stranger to the film
industry. She studied at a drama school, where she played in several stage productions. She worked as a
professional model in London, New York and Los Angeles, and also appeared in music videos. Angelina
has won an Oscar. In addition, she has 89 nominations for acting.
In 2000, Jolie was asked to star in the movie Lara Croft. At first, she was not interested, but then she
decided that the athletic training required for the role was intriguing. The Croft character was based on a
popular video game. Lara Croft was a female combination between Indiana Jones and James Bond. When
the film was released, critics were not impressed with the final product, but it won almost 300 million
dollars in sales.
One of the places where the movie Lara Croft was shot was Cambodia. There Jolie was impressed by
the natural beauty, culture and poverty of the country. She considered this an eye opening experience,
and she began her humanitarian campaigns giving one third of her salary to charity.

TEXT 2
Boxing Day is a national holiday in the UK and Ireland. It is celebrated on 26th December, the day after
Christmas. Here are two stories about where this holiday comes from.
A ‘Christmas Box’ in Britain is a name for a Christmas present. In the past Boxing Day was a non-
working day for servants when they received a ‘Christmas Box’ from their masters. The servants also
went home to give ‘Christmas Boxes’ to their families.
Another story tells us that on Christmas day special boxes were placed in churches to collect money for
the poor people and they were opened the next day.
Boxing Day was made an official holiday in England and Wales in the middle of the 19 th century by
Queen Victoria.
Nowadays Boxing Day is a time to spend with family or friends. Traditionally, people exchange small
gifts, and have a slice of traditional Christmas cake or a light meal. Boxing Day is not connected with
the sport of boxing but there are all kinds of public sports events on this day such as football matches
and horse racing.

TEXT 3
The kiwi is a national symbol and icon of New Zealand. The name of the bird comes from the language
of Maor, and it means a “hidden bird”. The association between the kiwi birds and New Zealand is so
strong that often the word kiwi is used to refer to the people of New Zealand. The kiwi appeared as a
symbol for the first time in the middle of the 19th century, when it was pictured on New Zealand military
badges.
During the First World War “Kiwi” was used as a nickname for New Zealand soldiers. Nowadays the
use of the word has spread, so that it applies to all New Zealanders.
Kiwis are one of the most ancient and unique birds in the world. The kiwi is the only bird, which does
not have a tail. In comparison with other birds, it has a very good sense of smell, but not so well developed
vision.

TEXT 4
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 as the entrance to the World’s Fair in Paris. It was named after the
French engineer Gustav Eiffel who designed it. The Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. It is also the
most-visited paid monument in the world.
The Tower stands 320 metres high and has three levels for visitors. They can buy tickets to climb the
Tower by lift only to the first and second level. Of course, visitors can reach all the three levels by stairs.
One has to buy tickets for the stairs, too. There are restaurants only at the first and second level. The
Eiffel Tower has become the most famous symbol of both Paris and France.
However, not all people like the Tower. A well-known journalist visited Paris and spent a lot of time
eating and writing in one of its restauransts. One day a friend said that he must be very impressed with
the Eiffel Tower because he spent so much time there.
"Impressed!?" the journalist replied. "I remain here because it's the only place in Paris where I can avoid
seeing this ugly thing!"

TEXT 5
There was a man who loved money more than anything, and just before he died, he said to his wife,
"Now listen, when I die, I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. I want to
take my money to the afterlife."
Well, one day he died. He was lying in the casket and his wife was sitting there in black next to her
closest friend. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket,
the wife said "Wait just a minute!"
She had a shoe box with her, she came over with the box and placed it in the casket. Then the undertakers
locked the casket and rolled it down in the earth. Her friend said, "I hope you weren't crazy enough to
put all that money in the casket."
"Yes, I did," the wife said, "I promised. I'm a good Christian, I can't lie. I promised him that I was going
to put that money in the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in the casket with him?"
"I sure did. I put all his money into my bank account and I wrote him a check."

TEST 4 -TASK TWO

On 25 October 1881 a little boy was born in Malaga, Spain. It was a difficult birth and to help him
breathe, cigar smoke was blown into his nose! But despite being the youngest ever smoker, this baby
grew up to be one of the 20th century’s greatest painters – Pablo Picasso.
Picasso showed his truly exeptional talent from a very young age. He learned to draw before he could
talk. He was the only son in the family and very good-looking, so he was thoroughly spoilt. He hated
school and often refused to go unless his doting parents allowed him to take one of his father’s pet pigeons
with him!
Apart from pigeons, his great love was art, and when in 1891 his father, who was an amateur artist, got
a job as a drawing teacher at a college, Pablo went with him to the college. He often watched his father
paint and sometimes was allowed to help. One evening his father was painting a picture of their pigeons
when he had to leave the room. He returned to find that Pablo had completed the picture, and it was so
amazingly beautiful that he gave his son his own palette and brushes and never painted again. Pablo was
just 13.
From then onwards there was no stopping him. Many people realized that he was a genius but he
disappointed those who wanted him to become a traditional painter. He was always breaking rules of
artistic tradition and shocked the public with his strange and powerful pictures. He is probably best
known for his “Cubist” pictures, which used only simple geometric shapes.
Pablo created over 6000 paintings, drawings and sculptures. Today a “Picasso” costs several million
pounds. Once, when the French Minister of Culture was visiting Picasso, the artist accidentally split some
paint on the Minister’s trousers, Picasso apologized and wanted to pay for them to be cleaned, but the
Minister said, “Non! Please, Monsieur Picasso, just sign my trousers!”
Picasso died of heart failure during an attack of influenza in 1973.
TEST 5 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Atlantis was an island that existed many thousands of years ago but no one knows where it was or even
if it really existed.
Many people believe that Atlantis was the start of all civilizations, because the founders of Atlantis were
half god and half human. Those people were clever and had a great culture. They created an advanced
civilization and became a great naval power. The island contained gold, silver, and other precious metals.
Numerous exotic plants and animals lived there.
Atlantis was first described by the Greek philosopher Plato in about 400 BC. He believed that it was
destroyed over 9000 years before by a volcano and it was buried under the sea. Many people since Plato
have argued that some of the people who lived on Atlantis escaped and went west – and there founded
some of the great civilizations of South America, such as the Mayas and the Incas.
No one has solved the mystery of Atlantis, and we probably never will solve it.

TEXT 2

The Bermuda Triangle occupies a disturbing and almost unbelievable place in the world's catalog of
unexplained mysteries. More than a hundred planes and ships have vanished in this area into the air since
1945, and more than a thousand lives have been lost, without a single body or even a piece wreckage
from the vanishing planes or ships having been found. Many of the planes concerned have vanished while
in normal radio contact with their base until the very moment of their disappearance, while others have
radioed the most extraordinary messages, implying that they could not get their instruments to function,
that their compasses were spinning, that the sky had turned yellow and hazy on a clear day, and the ocean,
which was calm nearby, didn't look right without further clarification of what was wrong.

TEXT 3
You want to take the best selfie ever? You need Nixie!
Nixie was created at Stanford University and is the winner of a competition for inventions. It is easy to
use and you can always have it on you. It is small and really elegant. You wear it round your wrist like a
watch. You can use it everywhere while doing different activities. If you want to take the most exciting
selfies, and both your hands are busy playing basketball or climbing rocks, it isn't a problem! It is so easy
to turn Nixie into a flying camera, something like a very small helicopter! When you want Nixie to start
filming, just press a button and it will start to fly over and around you, following all your movements.
When you finish, it just gets back to your wrist.

TEXT 4
What is the most unusual home you have ever lived in? Here is one of the most amazing examples of
architecture far different from traditional homes. In the middle of the beautiful Drina River in Serbia,
there is a rock with a little house on top of it.
The idea for the house came in 1968. A group of young people went swimming in the river and needed
a place to rest. They found the rock and started using it regularly. As time went by, they wanted a more
comfortable place to rest. So, to lie down, they began to place wooden boards on the rock. Then they
began to build up a shelter to hide from the sun. The following year, they turned this construction into a
one-room home.
For about 45 years this strange little house has survived everything that the weather and nature has
offered. The house has stood strong after extreme winds, storms, heavy rains and floods. No wonder lots
of tourists come to see it.

TEXT 5
An old man lived in a small street. He had problems with his sleep because every night a group of boys
played cricket outside his house.
One evening, when the boys were extremely noisy, he went out to talk to them. “I’m a great cricket fan
and I get so happy when I can see or hear you playing my favourite game”, he said. He promised to give
them £25 each week to play in the street at night. The boys were excited. “We’ll get money for doing
something we enjoy!” they thought.
At the end of the first week they knocked at the old man's house. He paid them £25. The second week
when they asked him to pay, he said that he did not have enough money and sent them away with £15.
The third week he gave them only £10. He told them he had not yet got his pension. The boys were very
disappointed. The fourth week the man said he was sorry, but he couldn’t pay them more than £5 each
week, because he was a pensioner. This was too much for the boys! “You expect us to play seven days a
week for just £5!” They went away really angry and never played on that street again.

TEST 5 -TASK TWO

It was a cold night, so I could not sit down to rest. Instead, I walked up and down on the beach, trying to
keep warm. There was no sound except the crash of the waves. I felt very lonely and afraid.
In the morning I climbed a hill, and looked out over the sea, but there was nothing at all on the water.
And around me on the island, I could not see any houses or people. I did not like to think what had
happened to my friend Alan and the others, and I did not want to look at his emptiness any longer. So I
climbed down again, and walked eastwards. I was hoping to find a house, where I could dry my clothes,
and get something to eat.
I soon discovered that nobody lived on Earraid. It was too far to swim to Mull, which I could see across
the water. I thought perhaps I could wade across, but when I tried it, the water was too deep, and I had
to turn back. By now it had started to rain, and I felt very miserable. I do not want to remember the time
I spent on Earraid. I had nothing with me except my uncle’s gold and Alan’s silver button, and as I had
never lived by the sea, I did not know what to eat or how to fish. In fact, I found some shellfish among
the rocks on the coast, and ate them, but I was very sick afterwards. That was the only food that I could
find, so I was always hungry on Earraid. All day and all night it rained heavily, but there was no roof or
tree on the island, and my clothes were cold and wet on my body.
I chose to spend most of my time in the north of Earraid, on a little hill. From here I could see the old
church on the island of Iona, not far away to the west, and smoke from people’s houses on Mull to the
east. I used to watch this smoke, and think of the people there, and their comfortable lives. This gave me
a little hope, in my lonely life among the rocks and the rain and the cold sea.
TEST 6 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
People need to be active to be healthy. Our modern lifestyle and all the conveniences we’ve become used
to, have made us sedentary – and that’s dangerous for our health. Sitting around in front of the TV or the
computer, riding in the car for even a short trip to the store and using elevators instead of stairs or ramps
all contribute to our inactivity. Physical inactivity is as dangerous to our health as smoking!
Add up your activities during the day in periods of at least 10 minutes each. Start slowly... and build up.
If you’re already doing some light activities move up to more moderate ones.
Scientists say accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity every day to stay healthy or improve your
health. Time needed depends on effort – as you progress to moderate activities, you can cut down to
thirty minutes, four days a week. This goal can be reached by building physical activities into your daily
routine. Just add up in periods of at least ten minutes each throughout the day. After three months of
regular physical activity, you will notice a difference – people often say getting started is the hardest part.

TEXT 2
Is it better to study English in Britain or America or to study in your own country?
The advantages of going to Britain seem obvious. Firstly, you will be able to listen to the language all
the time you are in the country. You will be surrounded completely by the language wherever you go.
Another advantage is that you have to speak the language if you are with other people.
On the other hand, there are also advantages of staying at home to study. You don’t have to make big
changes to your life. If you have a good teacher in your country, I think you can learn in a more
concentrated way than being in Britain without going to a school.
So, in conclusion, I think that if you have enough time and enough money, the best choice is to spend
some time in the UK. This is simply not possible for most people, so being home is the only viable option.
The most important thing to do in this situation is to maximise your opportunities: to speak only English
in class and to try to use English whenever possible outside the class.

TEXT 3
Jonathan Swift, the famous Irish writer, leading satirist of his age, was not very generous. He seldom
gave anything to the servants of those who sent him presents.
But once he received a lesson from a boy who very often brought him hares, partridges, and other games.
One day the boy arrived with a heavy basket full of fish, fruit, and game. When Swift opened the door,
the boy said gruffly, “Here, my master has sent you a basket full of things.” Swift, feeling displeased at
the boy’s rude manners, said to him: “Come here, my boy, and I will teach you how to deliver a message
a little more politely. Come, imagine yourself Jonathan Swift, and I will be the boy.”
Then taking off his hat very politely and addressing himself to the boy, he said: “Sir, my master sends
you a little present and begs you will do him the honour to accept it.”
“Oh, very well, my boy,” replied the boy, “tell your master I am much obliged to him, and there is half
a crown for yourself.”
Swift laughed heartily, and gave the boy a crown for his wit.

TEXT 4
Roald Dahl was born in Wales on September 16, 1916 to Norwegian parents. His father died when the
boy was 3 years old and he was raised by his mother. He had a fairly unhappy time at boarding school
which provided some of the inspiration for his later stories.
After leaving school he worked for the Shell Oil Company based in Africa until the outbreak of World
War II, when he signed up with the Royal Air Force. Unfortunately, he was injured in action and
eventually returned home as an invalid.
In 1943 he wrote his first children’s book, “The Gremlins,” which was originally intended to be made
into an animated film by Walt Disney. The film was not made and instead, Dahl turned to writing adult
fiction, not writing another children’s story until the 1960s.
By this time he was a father himself and had started making up stories to entertain his own children.
From this came the stories of “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” He
went on to write 21 children’s books including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “The BFG”,
“Matilda”, and “The Witches”, all of which have been made into films. Roald Dahl died on November
23, 1990.

TEXT 5

Modern technology brings with it modern crimes. One of the most common crimes today - and certanly
one of the most worrying - is identity fraud. This is when someone steals your personal information and
uses it to take money from your bank accounts.
People can do this in many ways. One way is by using the Internet. Today so many people give all sorts
of information on the net when they buy and sell things or check their bank accounts. It is quite easy for
clever thieves to find this out. Something else thieves do is to steal rubbish bags from outside our houses.
They check through them to find personal letters, letters from our banks and from other organisations.
From these they can learn our account numbers find other personal information such as the names of our
family members and pets and also information about our spending habits.
To protect people from this kind of theft, there are special security systems on our personal computers
and on the Internet. We must also be very careful about what we throw away. Unfortunately, when we
stop this type of crime, another will probably replace it. Criminals are always looking for the new ways
to make money!

TEST 6 -TASK TWO

Every country has its native instruments which capture the mood and spiritof its culture.
The first of these instruments is the banjo a simple four stringed instrument. This stringed musical
instrument originally came from Africa and was most probably brought over by the black slaves in the
early nineteenth century. After working all day in the cotton fields the black slaves would relax in the
evening under the shade of plantation trees and sing simple songs of their native lands. They would
accompany themselves on simple banjos evocative of the spirit of their homelands.
Later after the Civil War banjos were widely played in minstrel shows throughout the South featuring
folk music and jazz ensembles. It has a crude sound when plucked and, although it resembles the guitar,
its sound was not as mellow and its range was not as wide. Yet, when played well, it creates a distinct
atmosphere which evokes the feeling of life on the early American plantation.
A second instrument associated with America is the harmonica. Originally the first harmonicas were
made in Germany, but the early pioneers brought this instrument with them from their homeland when
they came to America. They would play in the evenings while passing the night under the stars. On the
lonely prairie after a long day's work the sound of the harmonica is especially melancholic.
If the banjo has a jittery sound, then the harmonica has a distinctly melancholic one. It is the sound of a
sad, nostalgic lament. It is the sound of someone yearning for his home or wanting to return to the lost
experiences of happier days. When properly played it captures the mood of the vast frontier especially in
the west where the cult of the cowboy dominated the wilderness.
TEST 07 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Most people today cannot imagine their life without the Internet. I believe it is one of the most important
innovations. Thanks to the worldwide web, our lives have become easier and more exciting.
First of all, the Internet helps us find information easily. For example, we can read the news and find
answers to the questions 24 hours a day.
In addition, we can use the Internet for entertainment. We can send e-mails to friends and shop online.
We can even listen to the latest music and watch live sporting events from other parts of the world.
However, some people argue that the Internet has a negative effect on society. Internet users become less
sociable. They stay at home most of the day instead of going out to shop, work and meet friends.
In my opinion, the Internet has more advantages than disadvantages. Our lives are better with it and I
hope it is here to stay.

TEXT 2
A pale, yellow moon was rising as I was walking home from my friend's house. We had spent the evening
baby-sitting her younger sister and had watched two really frightening horror films on TV.
Imagine my shock when suddenly, from the distance I heard a loud cry and saw a strange white form
moving towards me at top speed through the air. My mouth opened but no sound came out. The terror I
felt stopped me from screaming for help. 1 fell to the ground to escape as I was certain it was a ghost. I
kept my eyes tightly shut, in case I would end up staring into the eyes of a terrible monster.
After a couple of minutes, when I realised that I hadn't been hurt, I carefully opened my eyes and looked
around. It was then that I heard the hooting coming from a nearby tree. I looked up and saw a large, white
owl sitting on a branch, watching me with what seemed to be a puzzled expression on its face.
I could have kicked myself for being so stupid. It's strange how the mind can play tricks on you. I
promised myself that that was the last time I would go wandering around late at night after watching
horror films!

TEXT 3
You can’t go anywhere these days without hearing the buzz of mobile phones. If that noise isn’t enough
to drive you mad, have you noticed that people who use mobile phones have louder voices than everyone
else? When you shout that loudly, you don’t need a phone, the person you are calling will probably hear
you anyway!
People who have mobile phones say that they can’t live without them, but they managed quite well before
they had them. You cannot escape them; you hear them on buses and trains, in the street, at the
supermarket, even in places where you expect it to be quiet, like cinemas, theatres and libraries. Is there
anything more annoying than having to listen to unnecessarily loud voices talking to people who aren’t
there, while you are trying to enjoy a pleasant dinner at a ‘quiet’ restaurant? I find it rude and antisocial.
Even school kids have mobile phones now. A teacher I know told me not long ago that lessons were
often interrupted by phones ringing.
More seriously, mobile phones can be dangerous. According to the police, about a quarter of all road
accidents are caused by people driving while using mobile phones.

TEXT 4
We never know exactly when volcanoes are going to erupt. When they do, they can kill thousands of
people and destroy towns and villages. There are about 800 active volcanoes in a lot of countries,
especially in Asia and Americas. In Europe, there are volcanoes only in Italy and Iceland. Millions of
people live near dangerous volcanoes all over the world. Manyof them are farmers because ash from
volcanoes makes very good soil so the land near volcanoes is very good for farming. The lava from
volcanoes is very hot - over 1000°C. It can travel for many kilometres before it cools and it burns
everything it touches. Lava isn't the only danger of volcanoes. When volcanoes erupt, they blow out
rocks, ash and poisonous gas. After an eruption, people often have nowhere to live, because volcanoes
destroy their homes.

TEXT 5
The London Eye is among the woid's most famous landmarks - more famous than the Eiffel Tower, the
Statue of Liberty, and the leaning Tower of Pisa.
The 135 m-high Eye on the south bank of the River Thames was voted the world's best tourist attraction
in a recent poll, more popular than sighls such as Sydney Opera House and the Vatican in Rome, James
Elliot, director of the British Tourist Board, said the London Eye represented the modern face of Britain.
'We are known throughoutthe world forour history, butthe London Eye is a modern monument'.
'It's not just the attraction itself, but the wonderful views of other London attractions, such as the Houses
of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral, that make it so special,' he said, Mr Elliot said it was the most
popular tourist attraction in Britain, receiving 4.2 million visitors in 2005. It is the biggest 'big wheel' in
the world. Since it opened in 2000 it has welcomed more than 50 million visitors, and has won more than
40 awards.

TEST 07 -TASK TWO

That year we started very late for the Klondike. When Steve and I were ready to leave, it began snowing
and the weather was freezing. We had to buy dogs in order to pull the sledge, which was the only way of
transport in Alaska at that time of the year.
We had little time and it was difficult to buy dogs. We paid about one hundred dollars for each dog.
That was how we got Spot, though we paid even more for him – he cost one hundred and ten dollars. He
looked a very good dog. I think he was the strongest-looking and the most intelligent-looking dog in
Alaska.
When it was time to start our journey, Steve gave the signal and all the dogs started pulling the sledge.
Only Spot did not move. We tried hard to make him pull the sledge. It had no effect. Spot stood where
he was. Well, the dog stayed with us but he did not do any work.
And how much he ate! We often had no dinner because Spot had it instead of us. He stole food from
everywhere. People very often saw him stealing meat and came to get their money from us. That’s why
we decided to sell Spot. He looked a good dog, so people were glad to buy him. Very soon we sold him
to the police. We went north and the policemen went south. Six days passed. On the seventh day we were
woken up by a terrible dog fight. Obviously, Spot was with us again. Steve and I ate a pretty depressing
breakfast but we cheered up two hours later when we sold Spot again. This time he came back in three
days. As usual, Spot celebrated his arrival with a fight with the other dogs. We spent the whole winter in
Alaska. We got some money for our work and we got some money for Spot. We sold that dog ten, twenty,
thirty times. We sold him as high as one hundred and fifty dollars, and we sold him as low as twenty-
five dollars. But he always came back.
After Jack London
TEST 8 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Hi Mum, it’s Ben again. As you know, today is my sixth day at the camp. Life here isn’t exactly what I
expected, but don’t worry about me. Yesterday we had to get up at five thirty.
I’ve already told you about that silly bird called Harry. Well, Harry woke us up very early. We cleaned
the rooms and had breakfast. Then we went fishing to the nearby lake. The only thing I caught was an
old shoe.
In the afternoon we went hiking. I thought this would be the sport for me. But then I found out that my
rucksack was too heavy and the nearest mountain was too high! So I don’t think I’ll try again! We started
back to the camp, but soon it got completely dark.
You know I’m afraid of bears and the dark forest was really scary. I felt safe when we got back and sat
around the campfire. We had sausages and baked potatoes and we told ghost stories. That was fun.
Well, tomorrow I am coming back home. I’ve learned that camping is not for me. That’s all for now. See
you tomorrow. Bye-bye.

TEXT 2
Every day millions of people do their Shopping and make decisions that we think are not important, but
they do influence our planet. Here are some tips for Shopping wisely, so that you can help the Earth and
save some money at the same time. First of all, don't go Shopping every day. You will save some money
on petrol and, as a result, you will not pollute the air. Secondly, make a Shopping list before you go and
stick to it. When you go Shopping, don't take plastic bags from the shop — remember to take your own
reusable Shopping bag or ask the shop assistant for a paper bag - it's better than plastic because it
decomposes. When you are in the shop, look for things made of recycled materials. Instead of taking two
small tubes of toothpaste, take one bigger one - it's more economical and more ecological. Finally,
remember that you don't always need new things — you can buy some second-hand goods, like books,
clothes, furniture - every day lots of people simply throw away things that could still be used. The goods
end up in the landfill and more materials are used to produce new stuff. Next time you go into a shop,
remember that every single customer can make a difference.

TEXT 3
Work plays a very important role in Japan. A Japanese says, "I belong to my company" and not "I work
for my company". So a Japanese child, especially a boy, must work very hard, indeed. He begins to study
seriously as soon as he starts going to school because if he doesn't pass all his exams he can't go to a
good school and later to a good university - and so he can't get the good job he needs! Because of this
system Japanese children don't have as much time to play as children in most Western societies.
A lot of Japanese parents "arrange" marriages for their children. This is because they feel that marriage
affects not only the young people, but the whole family. They believe that young people should have the
same interests and social background to be happy after their marriage.
Sometimes parents go to a "matchmaker" whose job is to find a good pair and arrange for them to meet.
If they like each other they get married. A lot of arranged marriages are very successful and help the
tradition of the Japanese family to continue.
TEXT 4
A young man, Peter Johnson, had some things which he valued highly. One of them was a book by a
famous writer, another was a dog, which had won many prizes but which had some rather bad habits. It
used to chew everything the dog could get its teeth into, shoes, records, hats, books, whenever it had the
opportunity.
One day Peter Johnson had to go out and could not take his dog with him, so he asked his girl-friend to
look after the dog. She agreed, but when she was in another room, the dog chewed up several things and
among them was the book by that famous writer with his signature. The girl was very upset and looked
for that book in many bookshops. At last she found one copy and sent it to the author with a note
explaining the situation and asking him to sign it.
A few days later he returned the book with the following message: " To Peter Johnson or his dog,
whichever likes it best".

TEXT 5
People who work in offices are frequently referred to as "White collar workers" for the simple reason
that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. A great many people are often willing to sacrifice
higher pay for the privilege of becoming white collar workers. This can give rise to curious situations, as
it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman. When he got married, Alf was too
embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job. Every morning, he left home dressed in a fine
black suit. He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning
home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit. Alf's wife never discovered that she had
married a dustman. Alf has now found another job. He will soon be working in an office as a junior clerk.
He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his rise in status is well' worth the
loss of money.

TEST 8 -TASK TWO

Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very rich old lady, shares a big flat with her cat, Rastus. She has lived with him
for many years. She is so fond of her cat Rastus that she is ready to do anything for him. The cat leads a
usual way of life and has regular habits. He usually sleeps all day and takes a short walk in the evenings
and always returns home by seven o’clock, drinks some milk and goes to his soft bed.
One evening, however, he didn’t come back and Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere
for him but could not find him. She waited for him for a very long time but he didn’t come back.
Three days passed when Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. The writer claimed that Rastus was
in safe hands and nothing bad would happen to him. He promised to return him immediately if Mrs.
Ramsay paid 1000 pounds. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a small box and to leave
it outside her door.
At first, Mrs. Ramsay decided to go to the police, but she was afraid that she would never see Rastus
again – that was said quite clearly in the letter. So she changed her mind. First she went to her bank, took
1000 pounds, found an old box, put the money in it, left the box in front of the door and began waiting.
Nothing happened that night. The next morning, the box wasn’t there but the cat didn’t appear. However,
Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the man would keep his word and would give
the cat back.
That evening Rastus arrived at seven o’clock sharp as he does every time. He looked very well, but he
was quite thirsty. He drank half a bottle of milk and went to sleep.
The police were very surprised when Mrs. Ramsay told them the story. She explained that Rastus was
very dear to her. Considering the amount she paid for the cat, he was dear in more than one way!
TEST 9 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Over the years, people have used a wide variety of items for money, such as seashells, beads, tea, fish
hooks, fur, cattle, and even tobacco. Most early cultures traded precious metals.
During the 18th century, coins became popular throughout Europe as trading grew.
Coins were appealing since they were durable, easy to carry and contained valuable metals. The value
of the coin depended upon the amount of gold and silver it contained.
During the 18th century, coins became popular throughout Europe as trading grew. People are willing to
accept money in exchange for goods and services they sell only because they are confident it will be
honored when they buy goods and services. If prices remain stable, people have confidence that the
money they use to buy goods and services today will buy a similar amount in the future.
The Chinese were the first to use paper money. If prices remain stable, people have confidence that the
money they use to buy goods and services today will buy a similar amount in the future.

TEXT 2
Christmas is probably the most festive time of the year, a season of gift-giving and celebration. We all
know that Christmas is a religious holiday which marks the birth of Jesus Christ. But did you also know
that some of the traditions are adapted from rituals dating back to the time before Christianity?
Many pagan peoples regarded the winter solstice as a time of celebration. Anticipating the return of
spring, people decorated their homes with evergreen plants, a symbol of eternal life.
At pagan festivals there was also a lot of singing and dancing going on – “dancing in a circle” is the
original meaning of the word “carol”.
By the way, did you know that it was a German who set the trend of decorating Christmas trees in
England? It was Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. When he moved to England, Christmas trees
had already been popular in continental Europe, but not in England. In 1841, Prince Albert put up a
Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. The event was reported in the press; and as the whole country was very
keen on the royal family, people enthusiastically took up the custom of decorating a tree at Christmas.

TEXT 3
Americans often express a great love of informality when using nicknames. These are shortened forms
of their given name at birth and reflect the casual relationships which exist among friends and co-
workers. Family names are hardly ever used in daily situations and the use of one’s father’s last name is
saved only for rare and formal occasions.
This love for nicknames can create a sense of closeness between people who are otherwise not related.
Even the presidents of the United States have borne nicknames. Abraham Lincoln was known as “Honest
Abe”, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was simply called FDR, Eisenhower was referred to informally as Ike,
President Ronald Reagan was affectionately called “The Gipper”, and John F. Kennedy was known as
Jack or JFK. Not every nickname, however, is a compliment and some can be downright rude and
insulting. If someone should demonstrate a certain negative characteristic, a label will soon be attached
to describe that person in a non-flattering way. Likewise, a person’s dominant physical traits may lead
to nicknames that are not necessarily to one’s liking or choice.
TEXT 4
One of South America’s mysteries is Easter Island. Easter Island, also called Rapa Nui and Isla de Pascua,
3,600 km west of Chile, is a volcanic island with an interesting and partly unknown history. The island
was named by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen because he encountered it on Easter Sunday, 1722.
He was the first European to find the island. The official name of the island, Isla de Pascua, means Easter
Island in Spanish. This island is famous because of the approximately 887 huge statues which were found
there. The statues consist of heads and complete torsos, the largest of which weighs 84 tons! Statues are
still being found. Some of the monuments were left only half-carved. Nobody knows why the island was
abandoned. It is thought that the statues were carved by the ancestors of the modern Polynesian
inhabitants. But the purpose of the statues and the reason they were abandoned remain mysteries.

TEXT 5

In the hills above Los Angeles, you can see an image that is familiar to millions: tall, white letters spelling
“HOLLYWOOD”. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the film industry arrived and changed Hollywood
forever.
In film’s early days, most movies were made in New Jersey on the US east coast. However, bad weather
and limited sunlight made making movies there difficult. Added to this was the fact that Thomas Edison
had patents in the east on most filmmaking technology, and getting permission to use it was expensive.
In the west, however, these patents were rarely obeyed. In 1910, director D.W. Griffith arrived in Los
Angeles to film the short movie In Old California. He loved filming there and quickly spread the word
of this great location. Hollywood has since grown a lot, adding famous movie studios and becoming the
center of the motion picture world. Less well known is a film editing company called Hollywood Digital
Laboratory. When it first opened its doors in 1911, it was called Hollywood Film Laboratory. As
Hollywood’s oldest operating film company, the small building is a different kind of Hollywood
landmark showing how the town began years ago and how far it has come since then.

TEST 9 -TASK TWO

Boxing is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective
equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined
amount of time in a boxing ring.
The sport of boxing has had a long history. It began 6,000 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa and spread to
Egypt and Greece. Ancient boxing had no ring, no gloves, and few rules. In Greece, two fighters sat on
stones and pounded each other on the head until one of them was knocked out.
Boxing became part of the Olympic Games in 688 B.C. In the games, boxers wore leather strips to protect
their hands and wrists.
Romans adopted the sport, and invented the boxing “ring”. It was simply a marked circle that defined
the field of action. Roman boxing was especially brutal and even deadly. In 30 B.C., the sport was
abolished and disappeared for more than 1,600 years.
In seventeenth-century Europe, boxing made a comeback. At first it combined wrestling and bareknuckle
fighting. Boxers grabbed their opponents, threw them to the ground, and hit them while they were down.
There was little technique and few rules.
In 1719 James Figg, an expert fencer as well as a boxer, opened a boxing school in London. He helped
boxers develop skill in sidestepping, counterpunching, and quick movements.
A set of rules were drawn up, and eventually boxing became so popular that English gentlemen took up
the sport.
TEST 10 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
In 1983, Howard Schultz was visiting Italy. In Italy he noticed people sitting at coffee bars sipping their
coffee and talking. Schultz returned to the United States and tried to convince his bosses to turn Starbucks
into a chain of coffee bars. They did not like the idea. Schultz then began to approach potential investors.
Within a year, he had raised $1.7 million, and by April 1986, he had opened his first coffee bar. A year
later, Schultz offered to buy Starbucks from his old bosses. They ended up selling him the company for
about $4 million.
But the road to success was not an easy one for Schultz. The new Starbucks company lost money in each
of the first three years of operation. Schultz said that he “cried a lot. But we had tremendous conviction
that this was the way to build a company and that the losses were going to end.”
Now Schultz’s success in the coffee business is quite remarkable. Sales are projected to reach $1 billion
by the end of the decade.
He believes that “Strength is not the absence of weakness but how we wrestle with our weakness.”

TEXT 2
William Shakespeare, the greatest English writer of drama, was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. We
do not know everything about Shakespeare’s early life. But we know that he studied at the Grammar
School in Stratford, and that he became interested in the theatre when he was still a boy. In 1586
Shakespeare went to London, where he worked in the theatre for some years before he began to write his
own plays. Shakespeare soon became well-known in London literary circles. Every play that he wrote
was good news to the people of the capital. Queen Elizabeth I liked Shakespeare’s plays, and the actors
were often invited to play before the Queen and later before the King James, a great honour in those days.
th
By the end of the 16 century Shakespeare and his friends had enough money to build their own theatre,
the famous Globe Theatre.
But Shakespeare had quite many difficulties in his life. Less talented writers, whose plays were worse
than his, often quarreled with Shakespeare and attacked him, the actors in his own theatre sometimes
turned against him. Now people in many countries love and honour Shakespeare for his plays, comedies
and tragedies that are still modern and well-known all over the world.

TEXT 3
One of the worst storms ever to hit the United States was Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The storm
flooded 80% of the city of New Orleans. The tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December 2004 was also a
huge disaster that killed 230,000 people. But the reasons for terrible weather conditions have led to a lot
of disagreement between scientists and meteorologists around the world.
Some experts say that in the past 100 years there haven’t been any real major changes in the weather.
They say that harsh weather is something that occurs naturally and that it isn’t getting any worse. The
reason that people think it is getting worse is due to the fact that, nowadays, there is more information
on weather events around the world in newspapers, on the radio and on television.
There are, however, scientists who believe that global warming is affecting the climate. They believe that
greenhouse gases are responsible for making the Earth warmer. Which theory do you agree with? The
truth is, with more research and discussion into the reasons for harsh weather conditions, the brighter the
world’s future will be.
TEXT 4
The Earl of Sandwich lived long ago in England. He was a fanatic about playing cards. He didn't even
want to stop playing long enough to eat a meal and refused to put his cards away. So his servant invented
a quick meal for him. He put some meat between two slices of bread, so that the Earl could hold his meal
in one hand and play cards with the other.
Sandwiches were great favourites in Victorian England. It was a tradition to take an afternoon tea at
about 5 o'clock, and many rich families ate Sandwiches at that time. Cucumber Sandwiches were very
popular. The servants always cut the crusts off the bread, so the Sandwiches were very small and delicate.
Sandwiches are less elegant now and often much bigger. The English eat millions of Sandwiches every
day. They are a typical 'snack' meal because they are easy and quick to prepare. You can buy Sandwiches
if you don't want to make them yourself. There are thousands of sandwich bars and cafes and even some
restaurants that sell them.

TEXT 5
Do you believe in fairies?
Ron Black has just published a book on fairies and their secret lives. In his book he is trying to convince
us that fairies exist and live everywhere around us. There are different types of fairies. Some of them are
good and they always help people.
Other fairies are very hard to please. When they get angry, they can even steal a human child or make
you very ill.
Fairies live not just under flowers and leaves in gardens, but also in our homes. There was a custom in
some countries to leave something to eat and drink in the corners where people thought the fairies were
the most active. Today, as Ron Black writes, people forget to feed fairies properly. That's why there are
so many wars and conflicts in the world.
But does Ron Black really believe in fairies? Has he ever seen one? When we asked such a question, he
only smiled. Then he took out a plan of his house and showed where they live in his place: brownies in
the bathroom, goblins in the kitchen and pixies in the bedroom upstairs. So, who knows? Let's try. The
next time I've got a headache, I will remember to leave some milk in the corner of the bathroom.

TEST 10 -TASK TWO

LOST IN THE POST
by Austin Philips
A few months after Arthur Ainslie had lost his job he came home and found that his wife was giving tea to
a round-faced man. They appeared to be having a good time.
"Good Lord, it's Dicky Soames:" cried Arthur.
Dicky Soames was his wife's cousin who was known to be in love with Adela once. But Adela married
Arthur and Dicky Soames went to Melbourne to join his and Adela's uncle. Arthur and Adela were quite
happy, but Arthur still continued hating Dicky though there was no reason for it.
Twice in the past year the Ainslies had got letters from Dicky. And each time, though Arthur knew that
the letters were to be handed to Adela, he tore them to pieces and threw them into the fire without reading
them. He didn't want Adela to be disturbed by Dicky's letters, so he explained it to himself at the time.
Arthur and Dicky shook hands.
"I hope you have had a nice chat," Arthur said.
Dicky laughed, "Well, it was I who've been talking all the time. You see, I am here because I have some
business to discuss with your wife."
Adela looked at her husband. "Uncle Tom is dead," she explained, "and Dicky has come into money."
Then she turned to her cousin, "Tell Arthur the rest."
Dicky for some reason or other seemed to be uncomfortable. He cleared his throat several times before he
said, "Uncle Tom left Adela 5,000, but when Uncle Tom got paralyzed, he began to get funny. He was
very angry with Adela that she had never answered the two letters I wrote to her for him. You know how
particular old people are about such things. He said he expected his letters to be answered and changed
his will, leaving Adela's part to hospitals. Shortly before his death I spoke to him again saying that the will
needed to be rewritten, but he said he was to weak to be troubled with such matters, and he did not want the
will to be changed."
Dicky stopped and gave Arthur a look that made him feel quite weak. "It's strange about those two letters.
I've often wondered what happened to them."
Arthur's face was as white as paper. Adela faced Dicky, "They were sure to have been lost in the post,"
and she took her husband's ice-cold hand.
At that moment Arthur realized that she knew everything.
TEST 11 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
There is almost no water in a desert, but many animals can live in deserts. How do these animals get
water and stay alive?
Everything is hot and dry in the daytime, but the nights are cold. Plants often have dew on them in the
early morning. This is because cold air can’t hold as much water as hot air. Small insects can drink the
dew, and bigger animals eat the plants with the dew on them.
Small birds and animals get water from the bodies of insects. Bigger birds and animals get water from
the bodies of small animals. There is a North American bird which is called a roadrunner. It runs fast and
catches small snakes, lizards and scorpions.
Most big animals can’t live in the desert because they need a few liters of water every day. They can’t
keep water in their bodies for a long time. But camels are different. They can drink 90 liters of water in
ten minutes, and then drink nothing for a week.

TEXT 2
Psychologist George Spilich at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, decided to find out
whether, as many smokers say, smoking helps them to think and concentrate. He put non-smokers,
active smokers and smokers deprived of cigarettes through a series of tests. In the first test, each
subject sat before a computer screen and pressed a key as soon as he or she recognized a target letter. In
this simple test, smokers, deprived smokers and non-smokers performed equally well. The next test
was more complex. Non-smokers were faster, but under the stimulation of nicotine, active smokers
were faster than deprived smokers. In the third test of short-term memory, non-smokers made the
fewest errors, but deprived smokers committed fewer errors than active smokers. In the fourth test,
non-smokers were the best and deprived smokers bested those who had smoked a cigarette just before
testing. As the tests became more complex, non-smokers performed better than smokers by wider and
wider margins.

TEXT 3
Diana, Princess of Wales, became famous when she decided to marry Prince Charles. She became the
most photographed person in the world. Everywhere she went, there were photographers taking pictures
of her and people were very interested in her clothes, where she went on holiday and who she was with.
They were also interested in the problems between her and her husband. When they divorced she
remained very popular. In addition to her image as a 'star', Princess Diana used her influence to attract
attention to some charities. She was very sympathetic to all people who were ill and unhappy and
dedicated time to helping them and drawing public attention to their problems. She used to visit homeless
people regularly and did a lot of work for the National AIDS Trust; she visited people suffering from
AIDS.

TEXT 4
In the 1920s, new technology allowed filmmakers to attach to each film a soundtrack of speech, music
and sound effects synchronized with the action on the screen. These sound films were initially
distinguished by calling them talking pictures, or talkies. The next major step in the development of
cinema was the introduction of color. While the addition of sound to film revolutionized the medium,
quickly driving out silent movies, color was adopted more gradually. The public was relatively
indifferent to color photography as opposed to black-and-white. But as color processes improved and
became as affordable as black-and-white film, more and more movies were filmed in color after the end
of World War II, as the industry in America came to view color an essential to attracting audiences in its
competition with television, which remained a black-and-white medium until the mid-60s. By the end of
the 1960s, color had become the norm for filmmakers.

TEXT 5
Pizza delivery poses risks to those engaged in it, as they are required to go to the homes of strangers in
unfamiliar neighbourhoods. Pizza deliverers have been robbed and occasionally even killed. In one
strange incident, deliverer Brian Wells tried to rob a bank with a timebomb strapped to his neck. When
police arrived, Wells claimed that the bomb had been placed there by unknown persons who had
instructed Wells to do the robbery. The police, though, were unable or unwilling to disarm the bomb, and
it exploded, killing Wells minutes before the bomb squad arrived. The crime has never been solved.
Before appearing at the bank, Wells had last been seen going to deliver a pizza to a place which turned
out to be an unmanned radio tower on a dirt road.

TEST 11 -TASK TWO

Joan was very good at science when she was at school, and she was especially interested in computers,
so when she finished her education she decided to start work at an office.
She very much liked her work and soon she could do thousands of things with computers.
“They are really like friends to me nowadays,” Joan told her mother one evening. “I can ask them
questions, and they answer just like people, but more politely and they do not argue. And they never lie!”
“I hope not!” her mother answered. “It sounds like the computer is a perfect companion, doesn’t it?”
They both laughed. “But can any of them think for themselves?”
“I’m afraid not,” Joan said. “You can get out of them only what you have put in. It’s called programming.
But it’s wonderful what you can make computers do.”
“Well,” Joan’s mother said, “I’m curious to know if you can programme one of them to give me some
advice.”
“I hope so”, answered Joan. “I’ll try. What do you want advice about?”
“Well,” her mother answered, “you know my two watches, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Joan answered doubtfully. “What advice can a computer give you about them?”
“Well,” her mother answered, “one of them is fast and it gains one second every hour, and the other has
stopped and won’t start again. I would like to know which one to keep. Do you mind asking one of your
computers?”
Joan laughed and answered, “That’s a strange thing to ask a computer, but I’ll do so. I’ll ask Donald. He
is my best friend.”
When she got home the next evening, her mother had forgotten all about her request for advice.
“You remember what you asked about your two watches, Mum?” Joan said.
“Eh? My two watches? Oh, yes. I don’t suppose your computer could give me any advice.”
“Oh, yes, he could!” Joan replied. “Donald advised you to keep the watch that has stopped.”
“Why did he advise that?” Joan’s mother asked.
“Because he said that that watch will be right once every twelve hours, but the other one will be right
only once every five years.”
TEST 12 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors
have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their
society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are
ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do.
Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they
communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent
than man? Certainly, the most common argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill
them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover
about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy them.

TEXT 2

Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry
Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have happened. It was well designed and carefully
maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal
voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly
that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of
those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the
rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there
were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were
men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.

TEXT 3
New research has confirmed that listening to music can have a significant positive impact on feelings of
chronic pain or depression. The 60 patients who took part in the study had been suffering from severe
continuous pain, often in more than one part of their bodies, for an average of six-and-a-half years. Many
people who suffer from pain say that it continues despite their use of medication, so such results are
positive. Dr. Cathy Stannard, however, said that, from other studies, the effects of music tended to be
relatively small, and there was doubt as to whether they were anything more than short-term. She pointed
out that the amount of pain a person feels is influenced by factors such as emotion, experience, and mood.
She said it was possible that music simply distracted people from concentrating on their pain.

TEXT 4
The fairy stories of the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen were not written only to entertain; they
all have a moral, or a message, or at least put forward a serious idea. These ideas, however, are always
very simple, so even quite small children can understand them and enjoy them. Andersen often presents
opposites such as good and evil, truth and falsehood, or appearance and reality. We see this last contrast
in the story of The Ugly Duckling. To the ducks he appeared ugly. But the reality was he grew up to be
a beautiful swan. This is another characleristic of the stories: they offer hope. The future may be so much
better than the present. Most of the tales had been told to children before being written down, so they
have a natural, easy, oral style which makes them very successful among children in all countries.
TEXT 5
The sad situation of the homeless remains a problem. It is difficult to estimate how many people are
homeless because the number depends on how the homeless are defined. There are street people - those
who sleep in bus stations, parks, and other areas. Many of these people are youthful runaways. There are
the so-called sheltered homeless - those who sleep in government supported or privately funded shelters.
Many of these individuals used to live with their families or friends. While street people are almost
always single, the sheltered homeless include numerous families with children. Conservatives argue that
many homeless are alcoholics, drug users, or mentally ill. In contrast, many liberals argue that
homelessness is caused by a reduction in welfare benefits and by excessively priced housing. They want
more shelters to be built for the homeless.

TEST 12 -TASK TWO

Spaghetti is a very popular meal all over the world. Most people think it comes from Italy. But originally
spaghetti comes from Asia.
Close to the heart of Tokyo among the shops selling old books, there’s a nice place to eat, called Sabor
(a Spanish word for ‘taste’). It first opened its doors in 1955. Sabor serves the type of light meals you
can find in a café. During the lunch hour this place is often crowded with students and office workers.
Most of them come for the spaghetti napolitan. This is the most popular item on the menu. On some days
more than 200 customers ask for this delicious meal.
The ingredients and recipe differ a little from chef to chef, but one ingredient that’s always present is
ketchup. The Sabor’s cook cuts the ham, onion, green pepper and mushrooms into small pieces. He boils
the spaghetti, adds the chopped ingredients and fries them lightly. After that he stirs everything in a sauce
made from herbs, ketchup and tomato paste. When the spaghetti is ready for the table the cook puts some
Tabasco pepper sauce and powdered cheese on it. “Soft spaghetti and ketchup?”, “Italian pasta dish”,
you may say, but you will be wrong. The recipe doesn’t come from Naples, Italy but from Yokohama,
Japan!
Soon after World War II a chef at a Yokohama hotel decided to experiment and fried boiled spaghetti
with tomato sauce and bits of ham and green pepper. However, tomato sauce comes originally from
Naples, Italy, which explains the name, spaghetti napolitan.
TEST 13 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the greatest musicians in the world. He created some of the most
beautiful music ever heard, which made him people’s favourite composer of all time.
Mozart was born in 1756 in Austria. Mozart's father, Leopold, was a musician. He played the violin and
earned his living as a music teacher. His son Wolfgang could play the piano, when he was 3. At the age
of 4 he started to write music. He simply took a violin and started to play before anyone showed him
how to play the instrument.
Mozart's sister, Maria Anna, was good at music, too. Mozart and his sister invented their own secret
language. They told stories about a magic kingdom where they were a king and a queen. Leopold took
his two children to Vienna. There they played for the Emperor of Austria at his palace. Everyone admired
their talent, and the Emperor called Mozart a 'little magician'.

TEXT 2
Matthew Youlden speaks nine languages and understands more than a dozen more. He is a polyglot. A
polyglot is a multilingual person or a speaker of several foreign languages. But Matthew is more than a
polyglot as he can fluently and comfortably talk to native speakers in their own languages. Matthew, who
is originally from Manchester, England, is a language chameleon: Germans think he’s German, Spaniards
think he’s Spanish, Brazilians think he’s Portuguese. According to Matthew, the more languages you
speak, the more points of view on the world you have: “I think every language has a certain way of seeing
the world. Each language is a different world and a different understanding of the world. I couldn’t
choose only one language because it would mean not accepting the possibility to see the world in many
different ways. So a person, with only one language, is the saddest and the loneliest person.
Unfortunately, this means that he or she sees the world in the most boring way, too. There are so many
advantages of learning a language; I really can’t think of any reason not to.”

TEXT 3
You’ve probably heard the expression ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. Well, scientists and medical
doctors now agree that laughter can help people deal with stress and anger.
Research has also shown that people who feel happy and relaxed are healthier and have better
relationships.
Laughter yoga is a series of exercises which teaches you to laugh for no reason. You don’t need to have
a sense of humour, or understand funny jokes. You just have to laugh.
Laughter yoga was developed by a medical doctor from India, Dr Madan Kataria. He started the first
laughter yoga classes in a park in Mumbai in 1995 with just five people, and now there are over six
thousand laughter clubs in sixty different countries.
Companies who have run laughter yoga workshops find that they have advantages for both employers
and employees. People who are happy at work are more hardworking and make more money for the
company. Also, people who can laugh together, communicate more successfully.
In general, people do better at work when they feel happy and relaxed.
TEXT 4
When the first English settlers came to the United States, they found the woods full of big birds. The
birds looked very much like a bird that Europeans had imported in their countries from Turkey. So, they
called the new bird a turkey.
Thanksgiving is a tradition that dates back to the early settlers of America, who were known as the
Pilgrims. They arrived in the new continent in 1620. In the spring, with the help of the Indians, they
planted crops, built houses, and learned to fish and hunt. That autumn, the Pilgrims decided to give thanks
to God for their good luck and to celebrate with a huge dinner. They invited their Indian friends to the
celebration. Tables were loaded with food: deer meat, ducks, fish and many wild turkeys.
The next year they celebrated Thanksgiving again. And it has become an American tradition since then.

TEXT 5
James Cameron is a world-famous film director and explorer. His films have created new trails in visual
effects for other artists to follow. Cameron’s films have also set performance records both domestically
and abroad. Two of the films he directed - Avatar and Titanic are the number one and number two most
profitable films in history. Also, they earned 23 Academy Award nominations and 14 Oscars.
James Cameron is very good at scuba diving. He has made 33 dives to the Titanic, and over the years he
has led seven deep ocean expeditions with over 70 deep dives. He has created a number of documentary
films about ocean exploration and conservation, including a documentary called “Ghosts of the Ocean”
and another one called “Aliens of The Deep”. In both films, together with his assistants, he has put to
use the 3D camera system for the first time.

TEST 13 -TASK TWO

Once, long ago, an Indian maiden was found by a band of Indians nearly starved to death. They took her
to their chief, and because she was a pretty child, he let her help his many wives. The Indians named her
Sunflower, for she was good to look upon. She was the best canoe paddler of the tribe, and she was the
fastest runner of all the maidens. Nothing seemed too difficult for her.
When she was eighteen years old, the chief adopted her as his daughter.
One day the chief called Sunflower and told her that she had to make a choice from among her suitors
for a husband. So, the day was appointed on which she would choose the one whom she would wed.
They should one by one try to beat her in a canoe race.
The day came. It was a warm September day. As Sunflower and her first opponent stepped into their
canoes a handsome Indian was seen floating down the river with the palms of his hands upward, as a sign
of peace.
The chief signaled for him to approach. The young Indian said that he had come a long distance to ask
for Sunflower as his wife. The chief answered that if none of Sunflower’s many suitors succeeded in the
competition he would have a chance to try.
Then the signal was given and the canoes darted down the stream. From the start Sunflower's canoe was
ahead of that of her suitor, and not once did he catch up to her.
When the goal was reached, Sunflower had won the race. One after another, each suitor was beaten. This
made Sunflower more scornful and vain than ever. She made fun of their fruitless efforts.
The next day Sunflower in her canoe, and the stranger in his canoe were found both waiting for the signal.
When it was given instead of shooting down the stream they rose slowly up from the river and paddled
toward the sun. Slowly, slowly, they went up, until they were lost to view among the clouds. The people
stared after them, too astonished to speak. Finally, the old chief broke the silence.
"It was Sun against whom she was to try her skill. He will marry her and with him she will have to stay
because she wanted to be loved and admired.
TEST 14 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
In September 1991, some German climbers found the body of a man in the melting ice of a glacier on
the Austro-Italian border. At first they thought it was a crime happened not long ago. Scientists thought
that the man's body must have spent more than five hundred years in the glacier. When they examined
the body closely they realised that they were wrong. The man died between 4,600 and 4,800 years ago.
It was a young man in his twenties. When he died he was about 1 metre 52 centimetres tall. And weighed
around 55 kilos. The biggest surprise was his clothing. He wore a well-made leather jacket and trousers,
leather boots, and a fur hat. The clothes were filled with grass to keep him warm. He carried a bow and
arrows, a bronze axe, a bronze knife, and a bag of small stones to light fire.
Nowadays scientists believe that the man died from the extreme cold in the high mountains. Obviously
the body fell into the glacier. It took more than 4,000 years to move down the glacier to the place where
it was found.

TEXT 2
The word "nostalgia" is derived from two Greek words: nostos, meaning "homecoming", and algos,
meaning "pain". The term was originally coined in 1688 by Johannes Hofer, a Swiss physician, to refer
to a serious emotional and physical condition. Indeed, nostalgia was long considered a legitimate
condition for release from military Service when a soldier became too overwhelmed by thoughts of home
or the life he had left behind. Nowadays, nostalgia means little more than a wistful memory of childhood
or a strong feeling of homesickness—things nearly everyone experiences from time to time. Nostalgia in
reasonable doses can provide a sense of comfort for stressed people, but too much nostalgia can have a
negative effect in that believing that an earlier time was necessarily preferable to the present can be
misleading. While it is important to remember that feelings of nostalgia are normal and healthy, we
should also note that making a conscious effort to live in a long-gone past may not be.

TEXT 3
Children need love, they need to live in an atmosphere where they feel confident that they will always
be accepted and loved, whatever their shortcomings. In this way, they will be able to mature themselves
in their ability to love others. Love should always be given unconditionally, not offered as a reward for
good behaviour. Some parents are concerned that, if they accept their children wholly and without
question, the children will never learn to strive for anything. We can help them, for instance, by creating
an environment in which they are applauded for telling the truth, even when they have done something
wrong. They should be encouraged to tell fully and accurately what has happened, or what they have
done. Children have difficulty honestly descrtbing how something has happened because they fear of
being punished. Therefore, parents should focus on what was done, rather than ask who did it. So long
as they are given this kind of emotional support and help, children will be better able to find and follow
their own dreams.
TEXT 4
Children need love, they need to live in an atmosphere where they feel confident that they will always
be accepted and loved, whatever their shortcomings. In this way, they will be able to mature themselves
in their ability to love others. Love should always be given unconditionally, not offered as a reward for
good behaviour. Some parents are concerned that, if they accept their children wholly and without
question, the children will never learn to strive for anything. We can help them, for instance, by creating
an environment in which they are applauded for telling the truth, even when they have done something
wrong. They should be encouraged to tell fully and accurately what has happened, or what they have
done. Children have difficulty honestly descrtbing how something has happened because they fear of
being punished. Therefore, parents should focus on what was done, rather than ask who did it. So long
as they are given this kind of emotional support and help, children will be better able to find and follow
their own dreams.

TEXT 5

Since 1929, hundreds of Academy Award of Merit „Oscars“ have been awarded. Winners or their heirs
are legally constrained from selling their Oscars without first offering to sell them to the Academy for
$1. So, essentially, winning an Oscar doesn't mean you own it, a fact that has often been criticized. More
criticism, though, has been directed at what and whom the awards are given to. The Academy is seen by
many as overly conservative, preferring to grant Oscar to relatively safe films and people, rather than to
more challenging or radical work. Even a film like 1941's Citizen Kane, now often considered the best
film ever made, won an Oscar only for Best Original Screenplay. Another criticism concerns actors. It is
rumoured, and statistics bear it out, that actors in comedic roles are at a great disadvantage, as the
Academy prefers drama to comedy.

TEST 14 -TASK TWO

“It all started with an advertisement in a science journal. When I replied to it, however, it wasn’t a matter
of mere chance but a really serious decision.
I’ve always worked hard and with enthusiasm. My greatest desire was to discover new places. So, at the
age of 18, I joined the Peace Corp, the biggest voluntary organization in America and I went to Zaire,
Africa, as a teacher.
At the age of 20, I returned to the United States to continue my education. After my degree, I started my
research work on the behaviour of monkeys. I went to Africa again, in the research centre in Rwanda.
The centre was situated in an amazing park: a paradise for gorillas.
Unfortunately, these animals, until a few years ago, risked extinction at the hands of the poachers, that is
the illegal animal hunters.
I started my work immediately. I used to get up at 5 in the morning every day and observed the gorillas
up to 5 in the afternoon. I can tell you that gorilla families are fantastic! The male gorilla is so affectionate
to his children! The female gorilla, too, is very close to them. I observed that after the birth, she took
great care in bringing her child up. There is a strong bond among the members of the same group. The
mountain gorillas are very shy. The male look very frightening but in reality they are not at all aggressive.
They just want to have discipline in their group. In short, the mountain gorillas are “little giants”.
They increased in number in the past few years, from 380 in 2003 to 485 today. An incredible success I
would say! That’s because life for the illegal hunters has become really difficult. Every day, two teams
of anti-poaching volunteers go into the jungle. They remove all the traps, help the injured animals come
out and arrest the poachers. Furthermore, tourism in this area is controlled. Only small groups are
allowed: about 6 to 8 people. These groups can observe the gorillas for only one hour at a distance of at
least 5 metres. But before tourists enter the jungle they are examined by a doctor in order to prevent the
risk of any disease transmitted to the gorilla by man. I love my job and the years I’ve spent among the
gorillas have been a great lesson in my life.”
TEST 15 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
The game of chess was first played many centuries ago in China, India and Persia. The name “chess”
comes from the Persian word “shah”, which means “king”. Later, the Arabs learned chess from the
Persians and brought the game with them when they invaded Spain. From Spain, chess quickly spread
all over Europe. This was about one thousand years ago.
The Europeans gave the names of the chess pieces we know today, which are Castle, Knight, Bishop,
King, Queen and Pawn. It was probably difficult to pronounce and spell the original Persian names for
the chess pieces, so they modernized them to fit in the way they lived in Europe.
Today, they do not sound like very modern names but imagine for а moment that we were living several
hundred years ago. From the castle window we might see pawns – the servants working in the field, or a
bishop coming out from a nearby church, and a king and queen might appear somewhere. The way the
chess pieces look, where they are placed on the chessboard, the way in which they move, even their
names, all look like a very old picture.

TEXT 2
The game of chess was first played many centuries ago in China, India and Persia. The name “chess”
comes from the Persian word “shah”, which means “king”. Later, the Arabs learned chess from the
Persians and brought the game with them when they invaded Spain. From Spain, chess quickly spread
all over Europe. This was about one thousand years ago.
The Europeans gave the names of the chess pieces we know today, which are Castle, Knight, Bishop,
King, Queen and Pawn. It was probably difficult to pronounce and spell the original Persian names for
the chess pieces, so they modernized them to fit in the way they lived in Europe.
Today, they do not sound like very modern names but imagine for а moment that we were living several
hundred years ago. From the castle window we might see pawns – the servants working in the field, or a
bishop coming out from a nearby church, and a king and queen might appear somewhere. The way the
chess pieces look, where they are placed on the chessboard, the way in which they move, even their
names, all look like a very old picture.

TEXT 3
Ancient Greece was a very advanced society, but someone had to make the laws. The first lawmaker in
Ancient Greece was named Draco.
What made Draco so famous is that his laws were harsh. The word "draconian" comes from Draco. It
means overly harsh or strict. Draco wrote the laws and posted them on wooden tablets in the center of
town so that everyone could see. Draco made very strict rules, which made regular people into slaves.
For example, if someone owed someone money, and they didn't come from a good family, they would
have to become slaves to whoever they owed money to.
Draco believed that all crimes should have harsh punishments. Whether it was a murder, small theft, or
not clearing debts. Draco believed that people needed severe punishments. He thought that it would make
them understand that committing crimes was not acceptable.
Later, all of Draco's laws were taken away by Solon, another Athenian lawmaker.
TEXT 4
Now, we're going to talk about one of the most debated topics in modern politics: the issue of gun
control. Gu'ns are a huge part of America's history.
They are also a part of many Americans' lives. Today, Americans collect guns and use them for hunting
and target shooting.
When Europeans first came to the Americas, it was very important for them to be armed. There were
hostile natives as well as wild animals. The Revolutionar War was also fought by men who were used to
having guns. Having guns was one of the main reasons that the American colonists were able to win the
war.
Since then, guns have become a much discussed topic in America. Some people think that guns are no
longer necessary. Guns bring violence. Others say that guns have been such a big part of American
culture that they need to stay. To make them illegal would go against the ideas of freedom that started
America.

TEXT 5
On Saturday, April 20, Billy Brady won the Lynch Park Hot Dog Eating Contest. Hot Dog Shack donated
all of the hot dogs. All the people in the contest and all the people who watched paid five dollars. This
money went to local hospitals for children. The winner of the contest got free hot dogs at Sadie's for one
year.
Billy Brady is an eighth-grader here at Fratsburg Middle School, who is in Mr. Dunn's homeroom. "I
didn't know if I would win," said Billy, "But I love hot dogs and I can eat a lot. My friends thought I had
a chance, so I wanted to try."
Billy was able to eat fifty hot dogs in ten minutes. For every minute, he ate five hot dogs. That means he
ate one hot dog in a little more than ten seconds. After the contest, Billy said, 'T'm so happy I won, but I
feel sick." When asked about going to Sadie's for a hot dog he said, "I know the hot dogs are free for me,
but I'm going to need to wait. After the contest, I don't want to eat any more hot dogs!"

TEST 15 -TASK TWO

We were going to visit some friends for the weekend and my father wanted to drive there on Friday night
instead of Saturday morning. He said it would give us some extra time to enjoy ourselves. My mother
was not convinced that it was a good idea and said that my little sister would be deprived of sleep. I had
nothing against the plan and was rather looking forward to arriving in the early hours of the morning.
The roads were deserted. There was not a soul in sight. By 1 a.m. we were more than half way there and
my father was boasting proudly that he had made the right decision. My sister had fallen asleep almost
immediately. Car journeys always have that effect on her. Once the car gets going, she can’t keep her
eyes open.
Suddenly there was a loud bang and the car swerved all over the road. My father fought to get it under
control and pulled to a stop close to a verge. It was a puncture, he said, and we were lucky to have got
off so lightly. My poor sister had been woken by the bang and was crying on the back seat. She looked
terrified. My mother comforted her while my father got out to change the tyre. He asked me to help and
I had to hand him tools whenever he needed them.
We were ready to leave after half an hour. Father said, “Right, let’s get going.” He turned the ignition
key but nothing happened. “Oh, no!”, said mother, “The car won’t start”.
My father, who knows practically nothing about how engines work, was at a loss what to do. Mother
suggested he should push us to the nearest garage, which he didn’t find very funny. Fortunately, a car
approached soon after and my father asked for a lift to a garage. He returned an hour or so later with a
mechanic, who fixed the car in no time at all.
Father thanked him and paid him and we were on our way at 4 a.m. We arrived thoroughly exhausted
soon after 7 o’clock. Our friends laughed when my mother explained what had happened and we spent
most of Saturday in bed, catching up on lost sleep. My father said he would pay more attention to
mother’s advice in the future.
TEST 16 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
One interesting area of study is that of birth order. This study is based on the idea that the order in which
we are born affects who we are. The way that we see the world, ourselves, and our families is impacted
by birth order. For example, someone who is the oldest child in their family was raised differently than
someone who is the youngest or the middle child.
An oldest child who was the only child in the family for a time is often well put together and neat. They
are given a lot of work in caring for and teaching their younger brothers and sisters, which can make
them smart and hard-working. First-borns often also feel the need to have control and power.
Middle children, because they have at least one sibling older and younger than them, often feel
overlooked. Sometimes, middle children will do things in order to get attention and they may become
very independent.
The youngest child is usually very friendly and outgoing. They have always had older brothers or sisters
looking out for them, so they usually depend more on other people.

TEXT 2
Charlie Chaplin is one of the most admired actors and film directors of all time. Born in 1889, Charlie
Chaplin worked during the silent film era. He was well-known for his use of visual comedy. He did not
need sound to be funny. Chaplin's most famous role was as "The Tramp" in a movie called Kid Auto
Races at Venice. Amazingly, Charlie Chaplin worked in ' the film industry for about seventy-five years.
Chaplin made people laugh during and after World War I. Charlie Chaplin was too small and underweight
to join the army himself. Insiead, he was able to give the gift of laughter during this difficult time. Despite
Charlie Chaplin's life in America and influence on American film, he was bom and raised in Britain. His
parents were both entertainers at music halls. Chaplin had an interesting personality. He had many wives
and girlfriends, along with many children. He married his last wife when he was fifty-four years old.
Charlie was seventy-five when his wife gave birth to their eighth child.

TEXT 3
Before the modern guitar, any instrument with a long wooden back with strings to pluck was called a
guitar. This included many instruments in Europe and America during the 12th Century and after. These
early forms of guitars actually came from ancient Asian and Indian Instruments. It is believed that tar
translates to string.
In the 12th Century, there were two guitars that were mainly used in Europe. One was called the guitarra
moresca and the other was the guitarra latina. Both of these guitars played classical music, but they
sounded different from each other.
As time went on, more and more guitars were developed. A Spanish guitar called the vihuela of the 16th
Century is believed to have influenced today's guitars. If you know anything about guitars today, you
know that there are many different types. This was true in the past as well. There have always been many
different types of guitars, used for playing different kinds of music.

TEXT 4
The human heart is responsible for pumping blood through your body. It would be impossible to live
without it. That's why heart attacks are so dangerous. Every time a healthy heart beats, it is sending blood
throughout the body. The average human heart beats about seventy-two times per minute. Electricity
causes the four parts of the heart to work together to create heartbeats. A heart attack happens when the
blood supply cannot get in or out of the heart. Usually, this happens when fat and white blood cells get
clogged in an artery. An artery is a pathway to the heart. When blood flow to the heart is stopped, heart
cells begin to die.
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death all over the world, but there are certain things we can do to
prevent them from happening to us. First of all, eating healthy and exercising can stop heart disease.
Also, we should not smoke. Smoking increases the chance of having a heart attack.

TEXT 5
Penguins are black and white birds that live about half the time on land and half the time in the water.
Penguins are very popular in movies and on television and can be seen in movies such as The Adventure
of Scamper the Penguin, Happy Feet, and March of the Penguins. However, many people do not know
certain basic facts about these interesting birds.
Often it is thought that, because penguins usually live in the cold, they must live in the Far North. Instead,
the opposite is true. All penguins are native to the southern hemisphere. Some, like the Galapagos
penguins, even live in a fairly warm part of the world. Because penguins do not live in places such as the
North Pole, they would never be around animals like polar bears and walruses.

TEST 16 -TASK TWO

The sea has been the most important thing in Ellen MacArthur’s life since she spent a summer on her
Aunt Thea’s boat on the English coast when she was eight years old. Her bedtime reading at that time
was a biography of a famous yachtsman who had sailed round the world three times and her dream was
to do the same thing. Her parents could do nothing to alter this decision. Ellen had already started to save
up her pocket money to buy a boat.
But as Ellen knew, it is easy to dream of doing a round-the-world voyage, but finding the money and
learning how to go about it is more difficult. At the age of eighteen she made her first solo trip around
the coast of Great Britain. For her this was the test to see if she could cope with the hardships of alone
voyage. In 1994 she started talking about entering Vendee Globe, the famous French single-handed, non-
stop, round-the-world race. By 1996, she knew she had to do it.
Then the real struggle began. Ellen lived in a caravan to save money for the race and even slept under
her boat for a few nights during a Northern English winter. She wrote two thousand letters asking for
sponsorship from companies and got two replies. One of these was from the Kingfisher brewery, and an
alliance was born. She named her boat under them, and they are still her sponsors today. “My strongest
quality is that I just don’t give up,” she says.
By the time the boats lined up for the start of the Vendee Globe race, Ellen MacArthur sailed 120,000
kilometers in eight months in her beloved Kingfisher, more than anyone else in the race had sailed in the
previous two years. By now she was also a very experienced racer and was considered to be one of the
favourites. Nevertheless, the sight of this tiny figure at the helm of the enormous ocean racing yacht
made almost everyone in France feel protective towards her.
Ellen believes that everyone who finishes Vendee Globe is a winner.
TEST 17 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Nowadays, you can have many books without needing a room to store them. The Internet is making it
more efficient for people to read. Web sites now make it easy for people to buy books. Thousands of
books are available online. You can buy used books or new books. Now you can even buy electronic
books such as The Kindle, which allows people to download books online and read them on the device.
People can download hundreds of books at a time and put them on this small, hand-held e-book reader.
The personal libraries of the past still look good and many people still like to have paper books, but e-
book readers like the Kindle are changing things fast. Now people can carry huge libraries with them
anywhere. People can read books for a lot cheaper as well. The Kindle and other reading devices are
going to change book-buying and reading forever.

TEXT 2
The Civil War happened just as the art of photography was growing. Many people believe that
photography had a big effect on the war. People were able to see images of their President, Abraham
Lincoln. They were also able to have photographs of their sons, fathers, brothers, and husbands who
fought or died in the war.
Not only that, but many photographs of battlefields were shown in galleries in New York and Washington
D.C. These photographs made people understand just how terrible the war was. The pictures show piles
of dead bodies in empty fields.
Army generals also used photographers as part of their staff. They sent photographers to take pictures of
enemy areas and bases. They took pictures of roads, railroads, and bridges so that they could have
information about what everything looked like. They wanted to have information so that they could win
the war.

TEXT 3
Everyone knows that exercising is good for you, but why? And how often and for how long should you
exercise? Physical exercise is any activity that makes your body work. Taking a long walk, going on a
bike ride, or taking an aerobics class can make your body work. Exercising makes muscles stronger,
makes people better at many sports, and is good for the heart. Regular exercise prevents diseases such as
obesity and diabetes. It's also good for your bones.
Doctors say that the average person should exercise for thirty minutes every day, and this daily exercise
should be cardiovascular. That means that while exercising, your heart rate should go up.
If your life is busy, you can do simple things like taking the stairs rather than the elevator. Walk to the
places you need to go as often as you can. Exercise can be tiring and is not always the most fun thing to
be doing. However, it's certainly the best way to keep your body healthy. You only have one body, so
take good care of it by giving it proper exercise.

TEXT 4
For thousands of years, people have been interested in stars. They have been used as fortune-tellers,
calendars, and maps. Travelers often used the stars to help them find their way.
Before there was electricity, the stars and moon were the brightest things in the night sky. People spent
hours staring up and wondering what the little, twinkling lights were. Back then, the stars were easier to
see because there weren't any other lights at night.
Not many ancient people realized that the sun was a star. The sun and moon were thought of as father
and mother of Earth in some ancient cultures.
Greek philosophers 2,300 years ago started to try and unravel the mystery. A man named Anaxagoras
thought that the sun was a giant ball of metal burning in the center of our universe. He was thrown in jail
and sentenced to death because this idea conflicted with people's religious beliefs.
Even so, people did not stop trying to understand the sun. Scientists still study it today.

TEXT 5

William the Conqueror was a great warrior and king of England, known for his victories in battle.
However, one of the most interesting things about him is not his life, but his death. William is known to
have been a very heavy man with a large belly. During one of his sieges in the year 1087, he fell off his
horse and was very badly hurt when his stomach hit his saddle.
As a result of these injuries, William died and was to be buried in a stone tomb. All of the family and
friends of the king were taking care of his property, and were not able to plan his funeral. A knight took
care of the king's body and made sure that it was taken to the church where it was to be buried.
However, at the same time as the funeral, there was a fire within the town. Everyone left immediately to
put the fire out and save the town. As all of this was going on, William's body sat in the hot sun for a
long time. The heat made his body get even bigger. Later, when they tried to put him into the tomb, his
body would not fit. The people who were burying him pushed him into the tomb so tightly that his
stomach burst, spraying everyone with fluid.

TEST 17 -TASK TWO

The planet Venus is almost the same size as Earth. For that reason, Venus is called the sister planet of
Earth. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. As the brightest natural object in
Earth's night sky after the Moon, Venus can cast shadows and can be, on rare occasions, visible to
the naked eye in broad daylight. For many years, astronomers, people who study planets and stars,
thought that life might exist on Venus. They even thought that a human civilization might exist on Venus.
A gigantic, dense cloud covers most of Venus’s surface, and the planet cannot be easily seen. For a long
time scientists could not take a clear photograph of it.
Today, scientists know Venus is too hot to support life as we know it. Its cloud cover traps much of the
heat the planet absorbs from the sun. Venus has the hottest average temperature for planets in our solar
system.
Venus has other similarities to Earth. It has mountains, valleys, earthquakes, and volcanoes. It has
formations from lava flows, which may have formed during a long-past time when Venus’s volcanoes
erupted.
Today information about Venus comes mainly from spacecraft. The vehicles have orbited the planet and
inserted probes into its atmosphere. These probes have mapped the complete surface of the planet. They
have explored the materials that make up Venus’s surface and recorded the planet’s surface temperature.
Venus is indeed a fascinating planet. There is still much on Venus to explore and discover.
TEST 18 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Many American children spend part of their summer at summer camps. Some of these camps are day
camps, but many are places where children stay overnight for one week or more. At some camps, the
campers sleep in tents. At others, the campers sleep in cabins. Some summer camps have themes.
Children can attend a week of horseback riding, drama, or sports camp. The most common summer
camps, however, are general camps on a lake.
Americans believe that sending their children to summer camp will help them gain independence and
make friends. At camp, they learn to swim, sail, canoe, and snorkel in the water. They also learn many
sports and learn about surviving in nature. Some camps create organized events such as a color war.
During a color war, the camp is divided into different colors.
Children that have gone to camp repeatedly say that it was one of the best experiences of their lives. Even
though some campers get homesick, they usually return year after year and keep their camp friends for a
very long time.

TEXT 2
Did you know that the dog was the first animal to be domesticated? Dogs have been kept as workers,
hunters, and friends for much of human history.
Dogs were originally gray wolves, but domestication gradually changed this. Humans have selectively
bred dogs for traits that they believed were good. That's how many varieties of dogs came to exist today.
Dogs come in many shapes and sizes. Dogs also have different kinds of coats. Dogs also have different
skills. Some varieties are good at hunting wild animals, while others are good at herding cattle or
protecting people.
Because dogs are closely related to wolves, it might seem like they would be violent. Although some
dogs are violent, 15,000 years of domestication has made most dogs friendly to humans. Today's dogs
are much easier to train than wild wolves. They respond well to human training: learning to sit, roll
over, and even participate in dog shows. Training dogs is a practice that has been improved for many,
many years.

TEXT 3
Dracula, the legendary vampire, was inspired by a real man, Vlad III Dracula. Over six hundred years
ago, Dracula ruled Romania. He became famous throughout Europe for his cruelty.
The first thing he did when he became ruler of Romania was to destroy his enemies, the nobles called
Boyars. Dracula killed the older Boyars and made the younger and fitter Boyars build him a Castle. He
forced them to work until they died.
Dracula was equally cruel to people who broke the law. Lawbreakers would be killed or tortured in the
worst ways. Those who angered Dracula were thrown onto wood spikes. He left their bodies on the spikes
outside his Castle to warn people to behave. Many people believed he liked killing and hurting people.
They also believed he drank the blood of his victims. The rumors of Dracula drinking blood and killing
so many people gave Bram Stoker, an Irish novelist, an idea for a story about an evil, blood-drinking
monster. He wrote and published a book with the title of Dracula in 1897. After the book, many more
vampire stories in which Dracula appears were written. In modern vampire fiction, one can always find
aspects of Bram Stoker's original story.
TEXT 4
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most famous presidents ever elected in the United States. He is also one
of only two American presidents to ever be assassinated. He was self-educated and eventually became a
lawyer in the country region of Kentucky.
After that, he started his career in politics. He was elected to the Illinois Legislature. In 1860 his anti-
slavery campaign won him the Republican nomination for president. He won the election but the
American Civil War began shortfy after. During the war, Lincoln declared the "Emancipation
Proclamation," a speech which introduced the law he is most famous for. This law stated that slavery in
America was to be abolished.
After the North was victorious over the southem states, Lincoln was very happy to finally get to govern
his country in relative peace. However, Lincoln's presidency and life would not last much longer. On
April 14th, 1865, while attending a play in Washington, D.C., Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of
the head by John Wilkes Booth.

TEXT 5

Global Warming is the idea that the world's temperature began to increase in the twentieth Century and
is continuing to increase. During the twentieth century, the global surface temperature went up by
approximately 0.6 degrees Celsius. This may not seem like a lot, but this type of temperature rise is very
unusual, considering Earth's history.
Scientists believe that today's global warming is not caused by nature. Instead, it is humans who are
causing it. Human activity is causing Earth's atmosphere to change. Carbon emissions from factories,
livestock industry, airplanes, and automobiles are all threats to the ozone layer of the atmosphere. It may
seem like fun to have a world without winter, but global warming may result in the melting of the polar
ice caps and rising sea levels. This would destroy coastal towns and cities and wipe out a lot of animal
species. This is not something anybody wants.

TEST 18 -TASK TWO

What is ‘extreme’ weather? Why are people talking about it these days? ‘Extreme’ weather is an unusual
weather event such as rainfall, a drought or a heat wave in the wrong place or at the wrong time. In
theory, they are very rare. But these days, our TV screens are constantly showing such extreme weather
events. Take just three news stories from 2010: 28 centimetres of rain fell on Rio de Janeiro in 24 hours,
Nashville, USA, had 33 centimetres of rain in two days and there was record rainfall in Pakistan.
The effects of this kind of rainfall are dramatic and lethal. In Rio de Janeiro, landslides followed, burying
hundreds of people. In Pakistan, the floods affected 20 million people. Meanwhile, other parts of the
world suffer devastating droughts.
So, what is happening to our weather? Are these extreme events part of a natural cycle? Or are they
caused by human activity and its effects on the Earth’s climate? Peter Miller says it’s probably a mixture
of both of these things. On the one hand, the most important influences on weather events are natural
cycles in the climate. Two of the most famous weather cycles, El Niño and La Niña, originate in the
Pacific Ocean. The heat from the warm ocean rises high into the atmosphere and affects weather all
around the world. On the other hand, the temperature of the Earth’s oceans is slowly but steadily going
up. And this is a result of human activity. We are producing greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth’s
atmosphere. This heat warms up the atmosphere, land and oceans. Warmer oceans produce more water
vapour – think of heating a pan of water in your kitchen. Turn up the heat, it produces steam more quickly.
This warm, wet air turns into the rain, storms, hurricanes and typhoons that we are increasingly
experiencing.
Climate scientists say that we need to face the reality of climate change. And we also need to act now to
save lives and money in the future.
TEST 19 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most famous historical figures of all time. He was a painter, sculptor,
astronomer, inventor, mathematician, writer, and more.
Da Vinci, however, is perhaps most famous as a painter. He painted the Mona Lisa, which is one of the
most renowned paintings in the world. He also painted The Last Supper, which shows the last dinner of
Jesus.
As a scientist and inventor, Da Vinci designed and invented things that were not possible to create during
the time that he lived. He made plans for helicopters, tanks, calculators, and solar-powered machines. He
kept extensive notebooks in which he wrote in code. Historians have to hold the notebooks up to a mirror
to be able to read them. Da Vinci also made many discoveries, but he was not interested in becoming
famous for them. He didn't publish any of his ideas.
Not much is known about Da Vinci's personal life or childhood. He was a legendary figure. He proves
that one person can be talented at many things at the same time.

TEXT 2
The highest mountain in the world is thought to be Mount Everest, but, in fact, the Mauna Kea Stands
taller than all other Mountains in the world. Although Mount Everest is over 29,000 feet above sea level,
the Mauna Kea volcano is over 33,000 feet tall. Most people do not know Mauna Kea is taller because
the base of the volcano begins under the sea. In contrast, Mount Everest's base is completely above the
ocean.
There has been confusion about why Mount Everest holds the crown as the highest mountain in the world
when Mauna Kea is roughly 4,000 feet taller. This is because of the difference between mountain height
and tallness. Height is how far a mountain reaches into the sky. While the tallness of a mountain is
measured from the base to the peak, the height is measured from sea level to the peak. Because Mount
Everest is 29,000 feet above the sea, it is higher than Mauna Kea. However, Mauna Kea is taller because
a large part of the mountain is under water. If both mountains started at sea level, Mauna Kea would be
the loftier of the two.

TEXT 3
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most famous Americans to have ever lived. He is recognized by many
historians for his contributions to American independence. Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston,
Massachusetts, but lived most of his life in Philadelphia. He attended school, but by the age of ten, he
had already dropped out to work with his father. He continued his education on his own and was well-
known for reading many books. Benjamin Franklin was one of the most
respected politicians of his day. He was part of the committee that drafted the Declaration of
Independence and was also the United States' first ambassador to France.
Outside of politics, he was a renowned inventor and scientist. He was a leading figure of the American
Enlightenment. His work with electricity, as well as many other inventions, made him a very wealthy
and celebrated person. He invented things like the lightning rod but he never requested a patent. He felt
that his inventions should be used by everyone around him and believed that all other inventors should
feel the same way about their creations. He was already very wealthy from his books, so to him, scientific
research was just out of curiosity rather than for financial success.
TEXT 4
AI "Scarface" Capone will forever be famous for his place in American movies, but who was the real
man behind the Hollywood creation? Capone was a promising student but had trouble following the
rules. At the age of fourteen he was expelled for causing violence at school. After that, he never went
back. As a young man he joined local gangs and used his wit and courage to work himself up. It didn't
take long before he became a major force in the world of organized crime. When alcohol was made
illegal in the U.S., Capone started to make a lot of money. He moved to Chicago, where he brought
alcohol down from Canada to sell for a very large profit in the United States. He made lots of money and
he also made lots of enemies. He was attacked so many times that he had a bulletproof car built for
himself. When he was arrested years later, the car was taken and used by President Roosevelt as his
limousine. In 1931, Capone was indicted for violation of income tax laws. He had made and spent a lot
of money but failed to ever pay any government taxes. He was convicted and was sentenced to 11 years
in jail, some of which were served in the famous Alcatraz prison. It was to be the end of his crime days.
When he was finally released from prison, he was too sick to continue his life of crime. He died in 1947
while living in Florida.

TEXT 5
Alligators have always been the most dangerous predators of the Florida Everglades but their long-held
position is now being challenged by a growing population of Burmese pythons. The Burmese python, a
giant snake measuring up to 20 feet long and weighing up to 200 pounds, is very popular among exotic
pet owners. However, as the deadly snakes grow, they become more difficult to cage and handle. To
avoid dealing with the snakes, the owners irresponsibly release them into the wild. Since the Everglades
is quite similar to the python's native environment of Southeast Asia, they survive and prosper without
difficulty.
The issue with the Burmese pythons is their choice of meals. They eat alligators and endangered birds,
which creates a strain on an already fragile ecosystem. With over 30,000 Burmese pythons now living in
the Everglades, a solution to stop this invasive species is necessary. If the pythons are left unchecked,
there is a strong possibility they will wipe out a variety of species necessary for the functioning of the
Everglades ecosystem.

TEST 19 -TASK TWO

Would you like to be served in a restaurant by a robot waiter? This is what happened when a robot lost
its head.
A robot that was supposed to serve wine in a restaurant ran amok instead, knocking over furniture and
frightening customers, until eventually its head fell off into a customer's lap, the court of Sessions in
Edinburgh was told yesterday.
The court was told that during its eventful career in a restaurant in Leith, Edinburgh, the robot spilled a
glass of wine on its first test run and became uncontrollable after thirty minutes, knocking over furniture.
It was said to have been erratic and uncontrollable again during tests the next day, when it spilled more
glasses of wine and ended dropping its head into a customer's lap, while its lights and voice cassette also
failed.
The engineer who demonstrated the robot at the restaurant and showed a disc jockey how to use it, told
the court:
"It just needed practice, and in time you can perfect it. It is almost like a conjuring trip. You speak into
the microphone."
But he said that if the batteries were undercharged "the results would be catastrophic, because the radio-
controlled signal would be too weak and there would be jerky movements."
The robot stood in court wearing a black hat and bow tie. It looked in a sorry state, incapable of speech
or movement. After the case was settled, it was taken from the court on a trolley, its internal wiring
detached from its body.
TEST 20 -TASK ONE
TEXT 1
The idea of life in outer space has been talked about for a long time. Some scientists say that life
development on Earth was far too unlikely for it to have happened anywhere else. Things had to be
perfect for us to make it on this planet. Other scientists say that space is too big. Stars and other planets
are far too numerous for there to be no other life in the universe.
For many years, there have been reports of visitors from other planets. People all around the world have
claimed to see alien spaceships or even aliens themselves. There have been glimpses of these so-called
UFOs (unidentified flying objects) flying through the air and they have even been captured on video.
Some Americans believe that the U.S. Army found an alien spaceship crashed in the desert and then lied
to the press about it. Although these sightings may be true, scientists have not found significant evidence
that aliens exist.

TEXT 2
Tornadoes are giant rotating columns of air. They form in thunderstorms when there is a great difference
in the temperature and humidity of the lower and Upper atmosphere. They can be very dangerous and
very destructive. There are different varieties of tornadoes. They can be very big or small. Some
tornadoes are only a few feet across and others can travel across an entire State. Tornadoes Stretch from
the ground high into the sky. They are a very violent force of nature and can lay whole towns completely
flat.
Tornadoes can happen all over the world but a lot of them happen in the central United States in a region
called Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley is made up of the low, flat states of the central United States
between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. Even though Tornado Alley is the most
common place for tornadoes, the deadliest recorded tornado was in Bangladesh in 1989 and killed around
1,300 people. Recently, massive tornadoes destroyed large parts of Alabama in the United States, a State
that does not usually have tornadoes.

TEXT 3
Shakespeare is considered one of the most iconic figures not only In British literature, but also in all of
literature written in English. Shakespeare was a master of wordplay that made him special. He created
funny and touching dialogue with his excellent use of words. He was a poet as well as a playwright. He
knew how to write using poetic meter. His words are beautiful, meaningful, often funny, and always
carefully put together. Shakespeare was also a skilled storyteller. His plays tell fascinating stories that
are full of interesting ideas. All of his plays tell stories with different kinds of characters. He wrote
tragedies to make people cry and comedies to make them laugh. Many of Shakespeare's plays have
morals and lessons, and they give audiences things to think about.
The story of Romeo and Juliet is a good example. Two young lovers die because their families have been
fighting for years. Through the tragic deaths in the story, Shakespeare proves that family's grudges are
pointless.

TEXT 4
When the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its
walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people
hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats. Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses,
which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals. Early artists drawing
these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily
accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or
crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex.
Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many
of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognisable. To prevent further damage, the site was
closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.

TEXT 5

This summer I traveled around Europe with my family I liked most of the countries we visited, but I
think France is the best country in Europe because of the language, the tourist sites, and the food.
The French language is not hard to learn because it is like English. It was easy for me to learn important
phrases. French is a popular language worldwide. I can use the French I learned in forty-five different
countries.
France has some of the best and most popular tourist sites in the world. Some examples are Notre Dame,
the Louvre Museum, and the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre is the home of the Mona Lisa, and the Eiffel
Tower is the most visited monument in the world. Also, the food is wonderful! There are lots of tasty
pastries and cheeses. All of the food is fresh and delicious. The very best part of eating in France was the
desserts. Chocolate mousse and pain au chocolat are the best.
If you get a chance to see one country in Europe, I think you should go to France so that you can
experience all of these wonderful things!

TEST 20 -TASK TWO

Slavery was officially abolished in the USA in 1865. But black Americans continued to be treated as
second class citizens for almost 100 years. Segregation laws allowed for racial separation in schools,
parks, playgrounds, restaurants, hotels, theatres. As for the public transport, this law usually involved
whites sitting in the front and blacks in the back. Blacks sitting nearest the front had to give up their seats
to whites that were standing. Anyone breaking the law could be arrested and fined.
On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks got on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and sat with three
other blacks in the fifth row – the first row that blacks were allowed to occupy according to the transport
segregation laws. The front rows filled up with whites and a few stops later, a white man got on and was
left standing. The law stated that blacks and whites could not sit in the same row. So, the driver asked
the four black passengers seated in the fifth row to move and make way for the one white passenger.
Three of the passengers stood up, but Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. When the driver saw her
still sitting, he asked if she was going to stand up, and she answered negatively. Then the driver said:
“Well, if you don’t stand up, I’m going to call the police and have you arrested”. And Rosa answered:
“You may do that”. The driver called the police.
The police arrived and Rosa was arrested. She was not the first black passenger to disobey a bus driver.
Blacks had been arrested and even killed for disobeying drivers in the past, but Rosa was a well-known
and respected figure in the black community and her arrest sparked a mass boycott on the city buses that
lasted over a year and culminated in a Supreme Court ruling which abolished segregation on public
transport throughout the United States.
Rosa Parks’ brave decision marked the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement. On the
evening before she was due in court, a young priest, Dr Martin Luther King, stood up in a meeting in
Montgomery and called for the black community to back Rosa Parks and fight for equal rights on the
buses. He said: “Right here in Montgomery when the history books are written in the future, somebody
will have to say “There lived a race of people who had the moral courage to stand up for their rights”.
Almost ten years later, in 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill which granted equal rights
to all American citizens regardless of the colour of their skin. In the same year, Martin Luther King was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the civil Rights Movement.