Personal site of Gennadii Bilous, the teacher of English in gymnasium 290 / Персональний сайт Білоуса Геннадія Валерійовича

The 2nd round 2014 Kyiv city tasks / Завдання ІІ туру ІІІ (міського) етапу Всеукраїнської учнівської олімпіади з англійської мови 2014

ДЕПАРТАМЕНТ ОСВІТИ І НАУКИ, МОЛОДІ ТА СПОРТУ

виконавчого органу Київської міської ради

Київський університет імені Бориса Грінченка

Інститут післядипломної педагогічної освіти

Завдання ІІ туру ІІІ (міського) етапу Всеукраїнської учнівської олімпіади з англійської мови

Speaking Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students

Directions:

In this Test you will select three task slips from those before you. After selecting three choose one you feel you are most capable to speak about and return the other two to the table face down. Then take about a minute to collect your thoughts before you begin to speak on the topic. You may refer to the topic as needed.

1. Should the Olympic Games be held only in Greece or should they change between different countries? Where would you like to see them held next time?

2. What transport do you think we’ll be using in 50 years time?

3. Imagine you are an explorer and have the opportunity to make a big journey. Which continent would you visit? Where would you go? What would you hope to see?

4. Is organised travel the best way of learning about the world?

5. What would happen if there were no television? Why would this be good? bad?

6. What kind of program do you enjoy most on TV--detective shows, comedies, game shows--and why?

7. Should there be a dress code in places such as school, restaurants, and places of business? Why or why not?

8. Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do you think people visit museums?

9. Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved.

10. Try to discuss the points about Your Hometown:

· Describe your hometown.

· What are your local industries?

· Is your hometown famous for anything?

· What changes have happened recently in your town and what do you think will happen in the future?

11. Describe a family celebration that you once attended. You should say:

· Where it took place.

· Why it was held.

· How you felt about it.

12. Try to discuss the points about Tourism:

· What are the most interesting places in your country/city

· Do you have a favourite (least favourite) building in your town? Which? Why? Why it was built?

· Do you prefer the town or the countryside? Why?

· How would you recommend a foreigner to spend time on holiday in Kyiv?

13. Try to discuss the points about Family life:

· Tell about your upbringing

· What activities did you do with your grandparents as a child?

· What does family life mean to you in general?

· How different is your life from the lives of your parents/grandparents

· Have these roles changed recently?

14. Try to discuss the points about Travel by air:

• Where/when did you last travel by air
• Tell about usual procedure at an airport from arrival to take off
• What are advantages/disadvantages of travelling by air compared with travel by car/bus/train
• How safe (frequent) is air travel in Ukraine?

15. Try to discuss the points about Pollution:

• Which kinds of pollution do you think are most harmful
• How important to you is it to be 'green'
• What should be done to tackle pollution
• Is it the responsibility of the government or the individual to prevent pollution
• How aware do you think people are nowadays about environmental issues?
• How ecologically friendly is the region you live in? (crowded buildings/parklands/green belt)

16. Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?

17. Will modern technology, such as the internet ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information?

18. What is the most popular transport system in use? Talk about its reliability, frequency and fare. Do you have any problems using the public transport?

19. Which country/place would you most like to visit?

20. Describe the social and professional activities that give you the most opportunity to speak English.

21. Talk about the time of day, the day of the week, and the season of the year you enjoy most. Describe the kind of natural environment you enjoy best or would like to live in.

22. What are some of the activities you value most in life, and how do you find the time to pursue them?

Speaking Comprehension Test for 10th Form Students

Directions:

In this Test you will select three task slips from those before you. After selecting three choose one you feel you are most capable to speak about and return the other two to the table face down. Then take about a minute to collect your thoughts before you begin to speak on the topic. You may refer to the topic as needed.

1. What do you think are the main dangers of scientific advances? What laws do you think we need to protect societies from these dangers?

2. Have computers changed society for the better or for the worse?

3. What would happen if you could become invisible whenever you wanted to? What are some of the things you could do that you cannot do now?

4. What would happen if there were no cars, buses, trains, boats, or planes? How would this change your life?

5. What would you invent to make life better?

6. What would you regard as the most significant events in your country’s recent history?

7. If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change?

8. Holidays honour people or events. If you could create a new holiday, what person or event would it honour and how would you want people to celebrate it?

9. Because of developments in communication and transportation, countries are becoming more and more alike. How is your country becoming more similar to other places?

10. Try to discuss the points about the Internet:

· What is your experience of the internet?

· What are the dangers of the internet?

· What impact does the internet have on society?

· What do you think will happen to the internet in the future?

11. Try to discuss the points about Educational system:

· Does school prepare you for real life?

· What is Ukrainian educational system like from your experience?

· In what ways is English used in your country?

· How do people in your country learn English?

· Do you believe there should be a choice of private (paying) versus state schools?

12. What do you know about the educational systems in other countries?

13. How would you compare your living standards to those of your grandparents?

14. What does "youth culture" mean?

· Which art forms most influence young people today?

· How much do young people influence society as a whole?

· Who are some of young Ukrainians' heroes, the icons of Ukrainian youth culture?

15. Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?

16. In your opinion what factors contribute to a good movie?

17. Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler?

18. Should sports classes be sacrificed in High School so students can concentrate on Academic subjects?

19. Computers can translate all kinds of languages well so our children don't need to learn more languages in the future?

20. Are you looking forward to anything in particular in Australia / UK / USA ?

21. How do you think you will cope abroad?

22. Living in a foreign country can be extremely trying. Talk about some of the difficulties, other than speaking another language.

Speaking Comprehension Test for 11th Form Students

Directions:

In this Test you will select three task slips from those before you. After selecting three choose one you feel you are most capable to speak about and return the other two to the table face down. Then take about a minute to collect your thoughts before you begin to speak on the topic. You may refer to the topic as needed.

1. You are at a sports centre. You would like to do some sport at the weekends in the afternoon. You can pay £50 only. Before making a decision ask the sports centre clerk about:

· sports clubs available at the moment

· time you can attend them

· cost

2. You have been on a tour to Great Britain. You have 4 hours before leaving for the airport. You and your friend are discussing how to spend this time. You can go:

· to a museum

· to the park

· shopping

· to the cinema

· to a café

3. Adults have much to learn from the younger generation. Today it is the young who are knowledgeable about the world and the adults who lag hopelessly behind.

· For example, think of information technology ...

4. How do you think the Internet will change entertainment in the future?

· Can you give some details on how it will be done?

· Will this affect traditional movie theatres?

· What will happen to traditional movie theatres in the future?

5. What does your star sign tell you about your personality and your compatibility with other people?

6. Do you think that the tax payer should have to support the Arts? For example, why should a football fan have to pay for opera?

7. Which country would you visit to appreciate the Arts? What would you plan to see?

8. "Cultural differences cause problems. It is better for people to stay in their own countries rather than to migrate to other ones." Do you agree?

9. "It is better to study major international languages like English rather than to spend time on minority languages for the sake of regional identity." Do you agree?

10. How do you think "British Culture" differs from "N. American Culture"? How do these cultures differ from the culture of your own country?

11. Do you prefer a system where children are put in fast and slow streams or is it better to create mixed ability classes?

12. Which system do you favour for measuring children’s progress - final examinations or continuous assessment?

13. Some fashion models refuse to advertise products involving animal cruelty such as cosmetics and fur coats. Would you buy such products?

14. Which age-group in your country eats most fast and convenience food? What could be done to encourage these people to eat more fresh food?

15. Are you for or against genetically modified food?

16. Do you prefer to book holidays through travel agents or to make your own arrangements? Describe your best and worst holidays.

17. Do you think women and men should perform the same or different roles? Are men usually the bread-winners and women usually the home-makers in your country?

18. In Britain, there are restrictions on what can be screened on TV before 9 p.m. Do you think that TV programme content should be censored?

19. Should political power be limited to people who have been democratically elected? Is Monarchy now out of date?

20. Should political power be regionalized or centralized?

21. Do you think genetic engineering should be used to create good citizens?

22. Do people leave your country to find work in other countries? Where do they go? What sort of jobs do they get? Are they made welcome?

The 1st round 2014 Kyiv city tasks / Завдання І туру ІІІ (міського) етапу Всеукраїнської учнівської олімпіади з англійської мови 2014

ДЕПАРТАМЕНТ ОСВІТИ І НАУКИ, МОЛОДІ ТА СПОРТУ

виконавчого органу Київської міської ради

Київський університет імені Бориса Грінченка

Інститут післядипломної педагогічної освіти

Завдання І туру ІІІ (міського) етапу Всеукраїнської учнівської олімпіади з англійської мови

9 клас

Reading Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students 34 tasks

Directions:

In this Test you will read five texts. Each text is followed by 7 – 15 tasks. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis of what is stated or implied in that text. For each task you will choose the best possible answer and mark your choice on the Answer Sheet.

TEXT 1

Read the article and choose the best answer (a, b or c), according to the text

The Hard Rock Cafe Story

"No matter where you are or what time it is, there's something going on at a Hard Rock Cafe. All over the world our cafes not only serve great food, but they serve up great music."

Hard Rock Cafes around the world symbolize the timeless energy, originality and unifying spirit that have helped to shape rock music over the last century.

The first Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) opened its doors to the public on June 14, 1971, in London.

Founded by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, two enterprising and music-loving Americans, HRC was a classic at once, attracting crowds of customers with its first-rate, but moderately priced American bill of fare, warm service and ever present rock'n' roll music and sensibility.

With more than 108 Hard Rock Cafes in 41 countries Hard Rock Cafe has become a truly global phenomenon. From its launch in London, England, to New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo, and on to such exotic locales as Kuala Lumpur and Taipei, Hard Rock offers a special experience to its devoted, ever-expanding clientele.

HRC has also become the world's leading collector and exhibitor of rock 'n' roll memorabilia.*

It all started when Eric Clapton, a regular at the first Hard Rock Cafe in London, asked the staff if he could hang his guitar on the wall to mark his favourite bar stool as "his spot".

They did and one week later, a package from "The Who's" Pete Townshend arrived by messenger with a guitar and a note with the message, "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete."

Ever since then, Hard Rock Cafes have been collecting pieces of rock memorabilia and covering their walls with them. Their unparalleled collection consists of more than 60,000 pieces. It is rotated from restaurant to restaurant and provides the world's most comprehensive "visual history" of rock 'n' roll.

These treasures include an awe-inspiring collection of classic guitars and other instruments, posters, costumes, music and lyric sheets, album art, platinum and gold LPs, photos and much more.

Throughout its history, HRC has been governed by a special service philosophy: "Love All - Serve All." HRC is a place where all people have always been welcome, regardless of age, sex or class.

Since it was established Hard Rock Cafe has taken part in a wide variety of human activities around the world. Following its idea of being more than just a restaurant, Hard Rock tries to connect its business and its passion to make the earth a safer, healthier and a better place to live. For example, HRC cafes take an active role in organizing parties to raise funds for different local charities.

They have also founded special initiatives like 'Save the Planet' or 'Ambassador Program'.

All in all, today Hard Rock Cafe International is an entertainment and leisure company that continues to successfully expand the Hard Rock brand through countless music-related activities.

1. The first Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) was opened by

A London Hard Rock fans.

B two Americans.

C Eric Clapton.

2. Lots of people like these cafes because there you can hear

A rock 'n' roll music.

B all kinds of music.

C your favourite heavy metal music.

3. The big collection of rock memorabilia

A is shown in a museum in the USA.

B can be seen in the London HRC.

C is passed from restaurant to restaurant all over the world.

4. Pete Townshend sent his guitar to the first HRC in London because

A he wanted to do the same as Eric Clapton before him.

B it was a present to the staff.

C he wanted to pay his bill with it.

5. Hard Rock Cafes also organize

A instrument sales for musicians.

B school concerts.

C activities to help people or the environment.

TEXT 2

Read the following article from a newspaper. Six paragraphs have been removed. You must choose which of the paragraphs A-G match the numbered gaps 1-6. There is one extra paragraph which does not fit in any of the gaps.

The Pressure point Stressed out? Don't fret, enjoy it!

I recently gave a course on stress, which had nothing to do with stress management. It said that stress is magical and needful to our inner lives. This is a very unfashionable idea. Everyone knows that stress at work is the disease of our time. That it can kill. That it should be avoided at all cost by stress management techniques such as visualisation of calm scenes, aromatherapy and yoga.

In peace and war, stress has turned ordinary people into heroes and heroines. It can galvanise and inspire. Those who actively seek stress know the value of it, so why does current thinking suggest that we should avoid it?

Yet the word 'stress' is used to refer to both cause and effect, to what makes people feel stressed and to how they feel when they are stressed. Because of this conflation of stimulus and response, arousal has come to be blamed for the harm caused by threats and dangers.

This isn't necessarily so, although it may happen. Animals, for instance, subjected to long-term, uncontrollable pain and threat eventually resign themselves to their fate and then succumb to disease. This behaviour has been labelled 'learned helplessness' and human research supports this theory. Helplessness causes changes which affect the immune system and make the body more susceptible to disease.

The unsatisfactory scientific research into stress has had two consequences. First, it has led to the medicalisation of the normal stress response, turning a survival mechanism into a disease. Second, it has led to a lucrative, underqualified and largely unregulated industry of stress counsellors, offering to 'manage' and manipulate stress arousal and make it go away. An industry that says both overwork and underwork can be “stressful”. An industry whose techniques have been questioned by a number of scientific investigators as to their effectiveness and their purpose. An industry that encourages people to be calm about real threats they face at home and at work, when they should be getting off their backsides and doing something to help themselves.

There is one pattern to them all. Arousal, increasing tension and exhilaration leading to a resolution of the experience. By these activities we learn to survive. They toughen us up and help us to cope.

Yet nowadays, while every emphasis is placed on stressing the body to achieve physical fitness, stressing the brain is avoided. We are into mind flab in a big way.

A The problem here is not stress arousal, but failure to act on it. Doing nothing about a threat is clearly linked in the research literature to disease. Despair can be an anaesthetic but it is also a killer.

B In my course we look at society's training exercises for dealing with danger and actually go through with the arousal experience. Spectator sport, fairground rides, quizzes, thrillers and chillers of every kind, childhood dares and daredevil pursuits.

C Recently, I have been looking at the research on stress. Disturbingly, I found no agreed definition of the term. Stress arousal is a response to threat or challenge.

D My course was rather different. It featured clips from the climaxes of horror films, interviews with sports stars, creepy-crawlies (I have a giant metal spider named Esmerelda) and lots of evidence from the arts and sciences on stress arousal as the key to peak experiences.

E Lamentably, if we see somebody working flat out on a project, the fashion is to say 'they'll kill themselves', How sad and strange. In reality, triumphing over adversity can give people a tremendous sense of achievement.

F The experimental literature on stress and disease is also prone to another serious error. It says 'disease often follows stressful experience, so stress must cause disease.' In logic, this is a flaw known as post hoc, ergo propter hoc - which means that 'it followed it, therefore it was caused by it'.

G Third, it is my view that in the triumph over terror we find our greatest rewards. Such experiences help us to become mature and independent.

TEXT 3

Read the text below, and chose the word which best fits each gap from the list below.

English in Europe

English has without a 1) ______________ become the second language of Europe and the world. European countries which have most 2) ______________ assimilated English into daily life are England's neighbours in Northern Europe: Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and the 3)____________ of Scandinavia.

The situation is so 4) ______________ that any visitor to the Netherlands will soon be 5) ______ of the pressure of English on daily life: television, radio and print 6) __________ it into every home and the schoolyard 7) _____________ of children; advertisers use it to 8) __________ up their message, journalists take refuge in it when their home-bred skills 9) ___________ them. Increasingly one hears the 10) ______________ that Dutch will give way to English as the national tongue within two or three generations ...

TEXT 4

Read the text below and decide whether the following statements are true or false.

THE HAWKING STORY

Jane Hawking met the man who was to become her husband in 1963, shortly before the beginning of his illness. They married two years later and, as Hawking got down to work, the disease progressed tandem with his fame.

A string of academic positions and awards came his way did an increasing dependence on his wife and those around him. For Mrs Hawking, life became paradoxically easier. An American philanthropic organization provided the for 24-hour nursing. For the first time in their marriage, she was no wholly for keeping him alive, and could devote more time concentrating on her work and their three children.

Mrs Hawking has a neat, organised air, and at that is high-pitched and genteel of which conceal the fact that she regards the world’s belief that her husband is about to come up with an explanation for the universe the deepest suspicion. It is ironic that his work threatens to undermine the foundations of her strongly religious convictions, which have sustained

1 Hawking’s illness prevented him from working. T/F

2 The Hawkings were initially unable to afford full-time professional nursing. T/F

3 Jane Hawking gave up working when she had children. T/F

4 Jane Hawking is dubious about her husband’s work. T/F

5 Jane Hawking and her husband share the fundamental beliefs. T/F

6 There are certain beliefs that Hawking does not discuss with his wife. T/F

TEXT 5

For questions 1-7, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0). Example: 0 construction

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Dutch bridge-builder

Pieter Lodewijk Kramer (1881–1961) was responsible for the

(0) ….. of some of the most famous bridges in Amsterdam. CONSTRUCT

As road traffic increased in Amsterdam at the beginning of the last

century, the city started demolishing (1) ….. older structures in NUMBER

the city centre. But when workmen began pulling down the most

attractive bridges and (2) ….. them with modern iron ones, there PLACE

was strong public (3) ….. . As a result, the position of APPROVE

architectural (4) ….. was created, and in 1917 Kramer took up the ADVICE

post.

Kramer built no fewer than 220 bridges. Each exemplifies Kramer’s

individual style: his acute sense of detail and his use of many

unusual (5) ….. of stone and iron. COMBINE

Kramer’s bridges, which are now a (6) ….. part of the Amsterdam DISTINCT

landscape, were largely ignored until a Dutch museum presented

an (7) ….. successful exhibition of his work in 1995. ASTONISH

Listening Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students

I. You will hear a story. On your answer sheet put T if the statement is true, F if it is false.

1 He first noticed the new man in the neighbourhood on a Thursday evening.

2 A look about him that told Ray Bankcroft he was American

3 It was the following week that Ray began to notice him everywhere.

4 When Ray and his wife travelled up to Stamford for a picnic he became convinced the Englishman was following him.

5 One night on Ray Bankcroft’s way home he walked up to the man.

6 Linda laughed, ‘Why wouldn’t anyone want to follow you?

7 Ray wasn’t certain the Englishman following him.

8 Ray had spoken to him, cursed at him, and threatened him.

9 Linda proposed to call the police.

10 Ray was going to grab the Englishman and beat the truth out of him.

II.Decide who does the following actions, the Englishman or Ray.

1) ran out of cigarettes

2) paused, out of breath

3) saw him waiting

4) followed him down the railroad
5) was beckoning him to follow

6) ran on, faster and faster

7) turned and walked away

8) called out, 'Come back here!'

9) heard the Express train

10) I’m going to grab him

Tape script 9

He first noticed the new man in the neighbourhood on a Tuesday evening, on his way from the station. The man was tall and thin, with a look about him that told Ray Bankcroft he was English. It wasn’t anything Ray could put his finger on, the fellow just looked English. That was all there was to their first encounter, and the second meeting passed just as casually, Friday evening at the station. The fellow was living around Pelham some place, maybe in that new apartment house in the next block.

But it was the following week that Ray began to notice him everywhere. The tall Englishman rode down to New York with Ray on the 8:09 train, and he was eating a few tables away at Howard Johnson’s one noon. But that was the way things were in New York. Ray told himself, where you sometimes ran into the same person every day for a week.

It was on the weekend, when Ray and his wife travelled up to Stamford for a picnic that he became convinced the Englishman was following him. For there, fifty miles from home, the tall stranger came striding across the rolling hills, pausing now and then to take in the beauty of the place.

‘Linda,’ Ray remarked to his wife, ‘there’s that fellow again!’

‘What fellow, Ray?’

‘That Englishman from our neighbourhood. The one I was telling you I see everywhere.’

‘Oh, is that him?’ Linda Bankcroft frowned through the tinted lenses of her sunglasses. ‘I don’t remember ever seeing him before.’

‘Well, he must be living in that new apartment in the next block. I’d like to know what he’s doing up here, though. Do you think he could be following me?’

‘Oh, Ray, don’t be silly,’ Linda laughed. ‘Why would anyone want to follow you? And to a picnic?’

‘I don’t know, but it’s certainly odd the way he keeps turning up...’

It certainly was odd.

And as the summer passed into September, it grew odder still. Once, twice, three times a week oblivious of his surroundings.

Finally, one night on Ray Bankcroft’s way home, it suddenly grew to be too much for him. He walked up to the man and asked, ‘Are you following me?’

The Englishman looked down his nose with a puzzled frown. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Are you following me?’ Ray repeated. ‘I see you everywhere.’

‘My dear chap, really, you must be mistaken.’

‘I’m not mistaken. Stop following me!’

But the Englishman only shook his head sadly and walked away. And Ray stood and watched him until he was out of sight.

‘Linda, I saw him again today!’

‘Who, dear?’

‘That Englishman! He was in the elevator in my building.’

‘Are you sure it was the same man?’

‘Of course I’m sure! He’s everywhere, I tell you! I see him every day now, on the street, on the train, at lunch, and now even in the elevator! It’s driving me crazy. I’m certain he’s following me. But why?’

‘Have you spoken to him?’

‘I’ve spoken to him, cursed at him, threatened him. But it doesn’t do any good. He just looks puzzled and walks away. And then the next day there he is again.’

‘Maybe you should call the police. But I suppose he hasn’t really done anything.’

‘That’s the trouble, Linda. He hasn’t done a single thing. It’s just that he’s always around. The thing is driving me crazy.

‘What - what are you going to do about it?

‘I’ll tell you what I’m going to do! The next time I see him, I’m going to grab him and beat the truth out of him. I’ll get to the bottom of this ...’

Writing Test for 9th Form Students

1. Mobile telephones have become very popular nowadays. However, some people say that their use should be restricted.

What can you say for and against using a mobile telephone?

Write not less than 250 words.

2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Write not less than 250 words.

3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts.

Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.

Write not less than 250 words.

10 клас

Reading Comprehension Test for 10th Form Students 40 tasks

Directions:

In this Test you will read five texts. Each text is followed by 6 – 15 tasks. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis of what is stated or implied in that text. For each task you will choose the best possible answer and mark your choice on the Answer Sheet.

TEXT 1

Read the text below, and chose the word which best fits each gap from the list below.

TRINITY COLLEGE

Trinity College was 1) ___________ by Sir Thomas Pope in 1555. A devout catholic with no surviving children, Thomas Pope saw the Foundation of an Oxford college as a means of 2) ___________that he and his family would always be remembered in the prayers and masses of its members. He came from a family of small 3) _____________ in Oxfordshire, trained as a lawyer, and rose rapidly to prominence 4) ____________ Henry VIII. As Treasurer of the Court of Augmentations he handled the estates of the monasteries 5) _______________ at the Reformation, and amassed a considerable personal 6) _____________. Pope was a discreet and trusted privy counsellor of Mary Tudor, and it was from Mary and Philip that he 7) ______ Letters Patent and royal approval for his new foundation. Pope died in 1559. Although his religious 8) ______ were never fully realised - Elizabeth I had succeeded her sister and England 9) __________ to the Protestant faith - nonetheless the memory of his name, like his college, has endured the fluctuating fortunes of over 400 years. His wife, Lady Elizabeth Pope, was a particularly influential 10) ___________ in Trinity's early years. Pope's foundation was for a President, twelve Fellows and twelve scholars, all supported by the income from his 11) ______________ endowment of lands, and for up to twenty undergraduates. The Fellows, all men, were required to take Holy Orders and remain unmarried. The College Statutes set out rules for a simple monastic life of religious observance and study. The Garden was an informal grove of trees, mainly elms, amongst which the members of the College could 12) ______________ and meditate.

TEXT 2

Read the text and choose the best answer (1, 2, 3 or 4), according to the text

My friendship with Kathy wasn’t a perfect friendship. I learned very soon in our relationship that Kathy was jealous. We would have great fun going out shopping but if I bought, say, a dress for a party and she thought my dress was better than hers, she would start to say slightly unkind things about it. She would be keen to come out with me to buy the dress. She would give me a lot of helpful advice while I was trying on the various dresses in the shops. Her advice would be good. She would even tell the shop assistant if she thought the price was too high. I can remember one occasion when she said this and, to my surprise, they knocked the price down so that I could afford to buy it. The trouble would come later. When we were actually going to the party and we were both dressed up and she was looking marvellous (for she was very beautiful) she would suddenly say, “I think, Sarah, we were both wrong about that dress. It looks a bit cheap, doesn’t it!”

Once or twice I “dropped” Kathy. I told her I was too busy to see her. Or I told her I had to see another friend. All these lies hurt me because I had no other friend and I was so lonely. But they never hurt her. She just smiled sweetly and said she’d see me next week. And of course, within a week or so, I’d be on the phone asking her to come out. She never minded this. She never sulked at me and pretended that she was too busy.

Students always celebrated the end of the college year with a fancy-dress ball. It was a big event. But as luck would have it, Kathy and I had made other arrangements for the day of the ball. We had booked to go to the theatre. We had talked for ages of going, and at last we had our tickets. For us it was a big event. It was a musical and our favourite singer star was in it, so our hearts were set on the theatre.

Then Kathy came round to see me. Mother was in at the time, and I had to speak to her on the doorstep because Mum had just been having a go at me for seeing too much of Kathy.

“I don’t want that girl coming in this house and nosing around.” So I told Kathy I couldn’t invite her in because my Mum had a bad headache.

Kathy didn’t mind. She smiled and said she was sorry about my mother’s bad head. I was sure she knew what had really happened.

But she carried on smiling, and then she said: “I’m sorry, but I can’t come to the theatre with you after all. My brother’s come home and he wants to take me to the fancy-dress ball at the college. I can’t let him down.” I couldn’t believe that she would let me down. She knew how much I had looked forward to the theatre trip. We had talked about it together for months.

I was almost in tears by the time I had said goodbye to her and closed the door. My Mum was kind and understanding. She made me promise I would never see Kathy again. I agreed, and felt that was the least I could do by way of revenge for my disappointment. I told myself that I would never so much as talk to Kathyif I saw her. Our relationship was at an end. I would never forget what she had done to me.

1. When Sarah says that Kathy was jealous she implies that Kathy didn’t like it when Sarah

2. When Sarah was buying a dress in a shop Kathy would

3. When Sarah tried to “drop” her, Kathy

4. “But as luck would have it” in paragraph 3 means Kathy and Sarah

5. Sarah couldn’t invite Kathy to come in because

6. Kathy said she didn’t mind speaking to Sarah on the doorstep because she

7. Sarah decided not to see Kathy again because

TEXT 3

For questions 1-8 read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.

The History of Man

TEXT 4

You are going to read a magazine article about John Prince, a dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose the most suitable sentence from the list A-H for each part (1-6) of the article. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning.

Career success in the arts

John Prince, famous dancer and choreographer, gives advice on how to succeed in a career in the arts.

"So all in all I'm really happy to be a dancer!" I asked John how he got started and what requirements there are. "Well, to be a professional dancer it's useful to have had acting lessons or some background in drama. If you want to succeed in musical theatre you have to have a good singing voice as well. When you approach an agent you should take a portfolio with your CV, your statistics sheet and some good photos and reviews of past performances. You'll need dance clothes, ballet shoes, tap shoes, and even roller skates depending on what kind of show you are going to go for."

"Of course, you need to be extremely fit if you want to be a professional dancer. I dance or move about for about six hours a day. There are great health benefits to being a dancer. I can eat a lot of pasta without gaining weight because dancing increases your metabolism so much."

John has a very busy schedule in the next few months. He took time out to speak to me today from the making of a pop video to promote N-ergy's latest record. "I choreographed the dance routine for the boys and they only had 2 days in which to learn it! I am going to be working on a video for another well known band - but that's top secret. Next month I'll be touring Spain in a production of a musical that was written by a friend of mine, Michaela Evans.

As for the future, I've come to realise that I would never be content to be just a chorus dancer - I'm too much of an individual for that. Like all artists I'd love to become a household name by writing and choreographing my own musicals."

John was born in Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a Scottish mother but the family emigrated to England 20 years ago. "I have a little sister I adore, who is also training to be a dancer." How does it feel to have someone else following in your footsteps?

Has he much more to learn, I wondered. "I've spent an incredible amount of my life training to get where I am. I went to college for two years in England, I trained for six months in Paris and about eight months in America. But you never really stop training or learning your art."

So, would you say it's been plain sailing? "I feel I've been lucky to a degree; many people hit problems breaking into the arts. It can be a vicious circle really. You can't become a member of Equity, which is the actors' and dancers' union, without good contracts and you can't get good contracts without being a member of Equity. My advice to people who want to get into the arts would be to go out into the world, and try everything else first.

What has a dance career done for you as a person? "Thanks to dancing, I've visited and performed in 23 countries so far. This has opened my eyes to the world, and I've been able to understand issues like racism and inequality from a wider perspective.

A It's fine, but I try not to give out too much advice as it gets irritating!

B And if nothing you like comes out of it, then come back and be an actor or dancer.

C Without a strict daily timetable like this you find yourself wasting too much time.

D After that it's back to England to start a new term of dance classes.

E Hopefully this has enabled me to become a better and more tolerant person as a result.

F When it comes to coping with stress, I find that exercise helps me to cope with my problems, so I stay in good shape mentally as well.

G Like any profession where you're always travelling, you tend to acquire something new almost every day.

H Being fully equipped with all this stuff beforehand makes it easier when you go for auditions.

TEXT 5

Read the text and look at the questions that follow it. In this reading comprehension, the questions are true or false.

Mother Fined For Son's Absences.

An Ipswich mother, who allowed her son to go on holiday during school term, has been fined Ј400 after her son repeatedly refused to go to school.

The 36-year-old mother, who can not be named for legal reasons, appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court yesterday where magistrates heard her 14-year-old son was currently on holiday in Spain.

She told that court: "He just does not like going to school. Although he is getting better now and seems to be enjoying it."

The boy has had 145 unauthorised absences between October 15 last year and March 22 this year. His absences were blamed on a late-night life style.

The mother has been attending parenting classes voluntarily and told the court that she thought they were helping her.

Out of the last eight school sessions - there are two a day - he has attended five.

Chairman of the bench David Coe asked her if she thought she could get her son to school in future.

"Yes I think I can with some help," she said.

She told the court that he was on holiday during the time other pupils were doing work experience because he had not been given a place.

On sentencing Mr Coe said: "He is not in school and then he disappears on holiday. We would expect the local authority to bring this back to court quickly if there are further problems."

She was fined Ј400 and ordered to pay Ј50.

Yesterday's case is the second to be dealt with by south east Suffolk magistrates recently. Last month a 37-year-old was fined Ј50 after her son had attended just 16 out of 182 sessions.

And the cases follow national concern after Oxfordshire mother Patricia Amos was jailed for allowing her children to miss school. She was originally sentenced to 60 days' jail, but this was reduced on appeal.

1. The boy had returned to school when his mother was in court. T/F

2. The main reason for his absences was the fact that he went out late every night. T/F

3. The mother has to go to parenting classes. T/F

4. The mother claims her son is not currently missing school lessons. T/F

5. The mother may find herself in court again soon. T/F

6. There have been other similar cases nationwide but this is the first in this area. T/F

7. There was national support for the tough treatment of Patricia Amos. T/F

Listening Comprehension Test for 10th Form Students

I. Look at the events of the story. They are in the wrong order. Try and guess the right order.

Write the corresponding order number of the sentence in your answer sheet.

a) Sister Coxall was in charge of Violet Ward.

b) Dr Green was interested in psychiatric medicine.

c) She met the new doctor.

d) He got out of his car.

e) She wondered who the new doctor was.

f) He nearly ran her over.

g) She offered him tea.

h) He gave her a lift to the Nurses' Home.

i) She listened to his plans for Violet Ward.

j) He had recently finished his studies.

k) She walked through the hospital grounds.

l) He got the new job without an interview.

II. Match each question with one of the answers below.

1 Why was Sister Coxall angry?

2 Why did nobody know what Dr Green looked like?

3 Why did she want him to come straight to the ward?

4 How do we know it was a lie that Dr Green was paranoid and confused?

5 Why did she fill the syringe?

6 How do we know this was not the first time she had done this?

7 How did Sister Coxall know that the person who had almost driven over her was new to the hospital?

8 Why did Dr Green intend to move the sister on Violet Ward to a different ward?

a Because the sedative would make Dr Green easy to handle.

b Because she was only pretending to read from a report

c Because the ward was full of men all insisting they were doctors.

d Because he hadn't been to the General Office yet to get his identity badge.

e Because she didn't want him to suspect that the nurse thought he was a patient.

f Because she wanted to stay in her job.

g Because almost everybody who worked at the hospital knew she walked through the grounds at that time of day.

h Because she must have lost her identity to some extent and was in danger of illness herself.

Tape script10

Sister Coxall had been running Violet Ward for many years. Her pride and joy was her own little office, scrupulously clean, its walls glistening with fresh white paint. She sat at her desk, her eyes unseeing. Who was this new doctor, anyway? Some silly youth fresh from medical school? What right had he to interfere in the running of her ward?

She had met him yesterday. He had driven into the hospital grounds and almost driven over her. There were plenty of ‘Go Slow’ notices within sight. Besides, almost everybody who worked at the hospital knew she walked through the grounds at that time of day.

‘Are you all right?’ he had said, getting out of his car. ‘I really wasn’t concentrating.’ He seemed embarrassed. ‘Er, Sister, I’m frightfully sorry.’

She couldn’t help smiling. ‘That’s all right, Mr –’ she paused politely.

‘Doctor – Doctor Green. I’ve just arrived, as you can see,’ he grinned. ‘I’m taking over the running of D Block.’

Sister Coxall noticeably stiffened. ‘D Block?’ she echoed.

‘Look, get into my car, and I’ll drive you to the Nurses’ Home.’

They sat in silence and soon were climbing the dingy staircase leading to Sister Coxall’s neat room. Once inside, she took off her cape. ‘Sit down, Doctor, I’ll make some tea.’

Sitting drinking the sweet tea, Doctor Green explained that he had always been interested in psychiatric work and when he had finished his studies, he had applied for this post in one of the country’s largest psychiatric hospitals. He had not expected to get the job, but he did, and without an interview.

He told her of the great changes and new ideas he hoped he would introduce. ‘For instance,’ he said, ‘the sister on Violet Ward has been working there for ten years. She must have lost her identity to some extent. Her patients must be more like children to her than sick people.’ He leaned forward. ‘You know, Sister, she is in danger of illness herself. Tomorrow, when I begin my work, I intend to move that sister to a different ward. She may not realise it at the time, but the change will do her good.’

Sister Coxall listened, a faint pink flush tinged her ears.

The day had arrived. She looked around her office. She was going to be removed from this, her home, and placed among strangers.

‘No,’ she screamed, and her fist came heavily down upon the desk, scattering pens into sudden life.

Sister Coxall’s mind began to work. Now it raced. Nobody knows he is coming here except me. He said he was going to stay at a hotel last night and was coming straight to the ward this morning, before reporting to the General Office. He had no white coat or identity badge yet.

A diabolical smile drew back the corners of her thin straight mouth. ‘There is only one thing to do,’ she muttered, and rose and went to the door.

‘Nurse,’ she called, ‘a new patient is expected this morning, a Mr Green. When he arrives, bring him straight to my office.’ She looked down at the empty report paper she held in her hand. ‘It says here that he is paranoid and greatly confused; he thinks he’s a doctor. Humour him, Nurse. I’ll prepare a strong sedative.’

Going to the cupboard, Sister Coxall took down a syringe and filled it with a cool orange liquid. She then took an empty file from a cabinet and began to prepare a written report on Mr Green.

She sighed. The ward was full of men, all confused, all insisting they were doctors. No one was ever going to take her ward and office away from her. No one.

Writing Test for 10th Form Students

1. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in business, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits?

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Write not less than 250 words.

2. Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development of your society?

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Write not less than 250 words.

3. Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Write not less than 250 words.

1 клас

Reading Comprehension Test for 11th Form Students (52 tasks)

Directions: In this Test you will read four texts. Each text is followed by 5 – 15 tasks. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis of what is stated or implied in that text.

TASK 1
You are going to read an extract from a novel.
For questions 1-8, choose the answer (А-D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Many trees in the Brackham area were brought down in the terrible storms that March. The town itself lost two great lime trees from the former market square. The disappearance of such prominent features had altered the appearance of the town centre entirely, to the annoyance of its more conservative inhabitants.

Among the annoyed, under more normal circumstances, would have been Chief Inspector Douglas Pelham, head of the local police force. But at the height of that week's storm, when the wind brought down even the mature walnut tree in his garden, Pelham had in fact been in no fit state to notice. A large and healthy man, he had for the first time in his life been seriously ill with an attack of bronchitis.

When he first complained of an aching head and tightness in his chest, his wife, Molly, had tried to persuade him to go to the doctor. Convinced that the police force could not do without him, he had, as usual, ignored her and attempted to carry on working. Predictably, though he wouldn't have listened to anyone who tried to tell him so, this had the effect of fogging his memory and shortening his temper.

It was only when his colleague, Sergeant Lloyd, took the initiative and drove him to the doctor's door that he finally gave in. By that time, he didn't have the strength left to argue withher. In no time at all, she was taking him along to the chemist's to get his prescribed antibiotics and then home to his unsurprised wife who sent him straight to bed.
When Molly told him, on the Thursday morning, that the walnut tree had been brought down during the night, Pelham hadn't been able to take it in. On Thursday evening, he had asked weakly about damage to the house, groaned thankfully when he heard there was none, and pulled the sheets over his head.

It wasn't until Saturday, when the antibiotics took effect, his temperature dropped and he got up, that he realised with a shock that the loss of the walnut tree had made a permanent difference to the appearance of the living-room. The Pelhams' large house stood in a sizeable garden. It had not come cheap, but even so Pelham had no regrets about buying it. The leafy garden had created an impression of privacy. Now, though, the storm had changed his outlook.

Previously, the view from the living-room had featured the handsome walnut tree. This had not darkened the room because there was also a window on the opposite wall, but it had provided interesting patterns of light and shade that disguised the true state of the worn furniture that the family had brought with them from their previous house.
With the tree gone, the room seemed cruelly bright, its worn furnishings exposed in all theirshabbiness. And the view from the window didn't bear looking at. The tall house next door, previously hidden by the tree, was now there, dominating the outlook with its unattractive purple bricks and external pipes. It seemed to have a great many upstairs windows, all of them watching the Pelhams' every movement.
'Doesn't it look terrible?' Pelham croaked to his wife.

But Molly, standing in the doorway, sounded more pleased than dismayed. 'That's what I've been telling you ever since we came here. We have to buy a new sofa, whatever it costs.'

1Why were some people in Brackham annoyed after the storm?

2.In the third paragraph, what do we learn about Chief Inspector Pelham's general attitude to his work?

3Who does 'her' in paragraph 4 refer to?

4When Inspector Pelham's wife first told him about the walnut tree, he appeared to be

5What aspect of the Pelhams' furniture does 'shabbiness' in paragraph 8 describe?

6As a result of the storm, the Pelhams' living-room

7Why did Molly sound pleased by her husband's comment?

8From what we learn of Inspector Pelham, he could best be described as

TASK 4

For questions 31-42, read the text below and decide which answer (А-D) best fits each gap.

Learning to make a perfect pizza

According to the European Pizza-Makers' Association, making a good pizza is not a straightforward skill to learn. The ingredients seem very simple: flour, yeast, water and a bit of salt.(31)_____, water and flour can easily(32)_____a rather unappetizing gluey mix, and anyone who has eaten a(33)_____quality pizza will know how bad it can make your stomach(34)_____.

'In Italy, 70 per cent of pizza makers could improve on their product, not to(35)_____all the pizza makers around the world who(36)_____uneatable meals,' says Antonio Primiceri, the Association's founder. He has now started a pizza school in an attempt to(37)_____the reputation of this traditional dish. As part of an(38)_____course, the students at Mr Primiceri's school are taught to(39)_____common mistakes, produce a good basic mixture, add a tasty topping and cook the pizza properly. 'Test the finished pizza by breaking the crust,' advises Mr Primiceri. 'If the soft(40)_____inside the pizza is white, clean and dry, it's a good pizza. If it is not like this, the pizza will(41)_____your stomach. You will feel(42)_____full and also thirsty.'

Listening Comprehension Test for 11th Form Students

I. Questions 1 through 10 (on your answer sheet put “T” if the statement is true, “F” if it is false).

1. The Notting Hill Carnival is a celebration of the victory of democracy.
2. It happens at the Bank holiday weekend every May.
3. Approximately one million people attend the carnival.
4. It is a great multi-cultural festival taking place in Notting Hill.
5. There are three live stages of the carnival where high quality music goes on.
6. A range of 250 different cuisines is represented in the carnival.
7. Every spectator is a participant in the carnival.
8. The costume bands are made up of seventy per cent men.
9. What makes the Notting Hill Carnival special is that it is spontaneous and it includes everybody.
10. Every spectator is expected to contribute and be creative in the carnival.

II. On your answer sheet circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D.

11. The Notting Hill Carnival is…

a) a religious festival

b) a celebration of freedom from slavery

c) an annual Bank holiday

d) a folk music festival.

12. There are… main artistic disciplines in the carnival

a) two

b) three

c) four

d) five

13. One of two main artistic disciplines in the carnival is the pan which are the steel …

a) artists

b) bands

c) live statues

d) clowns

14. The calypsonians are…

a) the reporters or raconteurs of carnival

b) the dancers

c) the food stalls

d) the participants in fancy dress

15. Nothing is charged for in the carnival, except for the…

a) fireworks

b) souvenirs

c) food

d) tickets

16. There are seventy costume… in the carnival.

a) dance groups

b) bands

c) foreign delegations

d) actors and actresses

17. What makes the Notting Hill Carnival special is that…

a) it is a religious festival

b) it reflects the spirit of the British people

c) it is spontaneous and it includes everybody

d) it is the only time of the year when the weather is warm.

18. For a tourist coming to the carnival, the experience isn’t necessarily…

a) a useful one

b) a great one

c) a planned one

d) a useless one

19. As a spectator at the carnival you are expected…

a) to act in a play

b) to sing a folk song

c) to dance, jig a little

d) to recite a poem

20. The main goal of the Notting Hill Carnival is…

a) to entertain people

b) to let people dance, sing

c) to free up people’s spirit

d) to make people relax

Tapescript 11

The Notting Hill Carnival happens at the bank holiday weekend every August. The carnival is really a religious festival, but our carnival is a celebration of our ancestors' freedom from slavery. We commemorate that in the carnival activity. We brought that with us from Trinidad, where it is a huge pre-Lenten festival that would normally take place in February, or March, but the reason why we have it at August bank holiday here in England is because, one, it's a bank holiday weekend, and two, it is the only time of the year you can guarantee warm weather.

Approximately two million people attend the carnival from all walks of life, all races, all creeds. We have the English, the Irish, the Greeks, the Spanish, the Caribbean people, the Africans, and all of them contribute towards making the carnival what it is today, a great multi-cultural festival that takes place in the streets of Notting Hill.

There are five main artistic disciplines in carnival. They are the mas. short for masquerade, the costume bands in carnival; then we have the pan which are the steel bands; and then we have the static sound systems. These are like steel bands to be found on street corners and they cater for more contemporary forms of celebration, so you'll find jazz music, pop music, rap music, reggae music, whatever, being played on those static sound systems, and then there are the calypsonians who are the reporters or raconteurs of carnival who will make up calypsos on any theme that affects us in society, like the senior citizens, like the crime rate, like the interest rate, whatever, they will make a song or calypso about it. These disciplines are found in the main in carnival, added to that there are three live stages of carnival where very high quality music goes on.

Nothing is charged for in carnival, except of course the food you eat, and the food is provided by 250 food stalls that are scattered across the carnival area, and those food stalls represent a range of different cuisines. So for a tourist coming to carnival, the experience isn't necessarily a planned one, you just have to go with the flow of the crowd and you know, we have a saying in carnival, 'You do not come to carnival just to spectate, every spectator is a participant.' So you. as a spectator, you're expected to dance, jig a little and add to the general atmosphere and the culture of carnival. Freeing up your spirit to celebrate your freedom as an individual.

We have over seventy costume bands in carnival, each one with over a hundred players in them. Each band is allowed to choose their own theme for the particular carnival and then they have to make costumes that reflect that theme. The bands are made up of, I would say, seventy per cent women, because it is the women who tend to be able to make the costumes, because they can sew, and who tend to take costume-wearing certainly more seriously than the men do. There is no embarrassment, whereas the men feel embarrassed about prancing around in a leotard.

What makes the Notting Hill Carnival special is that it is, by and large, spontaneous and it includes everybody. No spectator stands and spectates. Every spectator is expected to contribute and in contributing you express yourself, you find yourself. You can be as creative as possible and that makes it different.

Writing Test for 11h Form Students

1. Discuss the difference between a play in the theatre or a novel and their screen version. What do you like and what do you dislike about the screen version of the book you admire?

Write at least 250 words.

2. Some people say that it is impossible for women to be an effective woman and to be a good mother in home at the same time. They also suggest that the government should give the salary to mothers who stay at home to take care of their children.

Write at least 250 words.

3. What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

Write at least 250 words.