THE LOCH NESS MONSTER

Ex.1 Fill the gaps

Loch is the Scottish word (1).................... a lake. Loch Ness is a very long, narrow lake (2).................... the Highlands in the north of Scotland. It is very deep, (3).................... 300 metres in some places. In the summer of 1962, Jimmy Cameron and Dan MacIntosh were fishing from a boat on Loch Ness in Scotland. The loch (4).... calm, but suddenly the boat rocked violently. Then Mr Cameron saw something come to the surface only ten metres from the boat. A small, flat head and a long neck came out from the water. They saw it for a few (5)....., then it dived again into the dark water of the lake.

Their story is not unique. Over hundreds of years, thousands of people have seen things which look like mysterious (6)..... in Loch Ness. When the mist is (7).................... over the lake in the evening, you can see the creature swimming (8).................... the surface of the water, a series of great humps rais ed in the air, (9)..... a huge snake. (10)....... you want to see the monster, it (11)........ if you have a few drops of whisky first, just to (12)...... warm. It quickly gets cold beside the Loch, even (13)...... a warm summer's day. (14)....... very early times, people have talked (15)............... monsters in Scotland. Nessie was seen first in 565AD when she attacked some travellers (16).................... were crossing the lake (17).................... a small boat. The first time she was seen recently was in 1933. The people who saw her (18).......... Mr and Mrs John Mackay. The Mackays were local people who just (19)............ to be the owners of the only hotel beside the lake. The story they (20)............ was printed in the local newspaper, and from (21)..... it found its way (22).................... the London national dailies. Hundreds of reporters invaded Drumnadrochit. The Mackays' hotel (23).................... wonderful business. Every summer, a lot of tourists visit the “loch” and look for Nessie (the monster’s (24)....... Most of them see absolutely nothing, a few see something and one or two take photographs of what they believe is the monster

Some scientists refuse to believe in the monster. They say there isn’t enough evidence. Others believe that thousands of (25).... ago, when soils and rocks blocked both ends of the lake, a group of aquatic dinosaurs called plesiosaurs survived and continued to live there.

But still there is not a good close-up photo or any other convincing proof of the Loch Ness Monster’s existence! What do you think?

Ex. 2 Answer the following questions                     

1. What is the text about?
2. What does “Loch” mean?
3. Who or what is Nessie?
4. Why do thousands of people visit that place?
5. What were the two friends doing on Loch Ness in 1962?
6. Was the loch calm?
7. What did they see?
8. What is the other theory?
9. Do you believe in this monster’s existence? Why? Why not?

Ex. 3 Find these phrases in the text and choose the right meaning according to the context:        

1) The boat rocked violently

a) the boat shook violently    b) the boat stopped suddenly    c) the boat  exploded

2) Come to the surface

a) come into the water        b)come under the water     c) emerge from water

3) enough evidence

a) sufficient time     b)sufficient proof      c) enough monster

4) survived

a) were still alive      b)were dead      c) became extinct

5) close-up photo

a) dark photo     b)photo taken from a short distance     c) enlarged photo