Тексти для читання англійською мовою. Texts for reading with tasks

 

ELEPHANTS

 

     The elephant is the largest animal to walk on Earth. An elephant can carry a load of 1200 pounds. They eat 300 pounds of food a day. An elephant baby can weigh 200 pounds at birth. Elephants can live up to 70 years. Elephants can be trained to carry logs with their trunks, and have been used in the forestry industry in Asia for many years. Elephants also use their trunks for drinking water, bathing, and eating and communicating.             

     Recently it was discovered that elephants can communicate over a distance of several miles using infrasonic sounds inaudible to humans.             

     Elephants use their ears as a cooling system. The blood flows through veins in the ears and as the elephant flaps his ears, the blood cools and flows through his body to cool off other parts.

     Elephant feet are large and round. They distribute the large animal's weight effectively. In the past, elephants were killed and their feet were made into umbrella stands and small tables for tourists. Now elephants are protected by special laws.

     There are two kinds of elephants: the African elephant and the Indian elephant. African elephants can be identified by the larger ears. The African elephant grows up to 10 feet tall and weighs as much as 12,000 pounds.             

     The Indian elephant grows up to 9 feet tall, and weighs up to 8000 pounds. It's easier to identify because of its smaller ears. Most circus elephants are Indian elephants. Another name for the Indian elephant is the Asian elephant.

     Unfortunately, there is a growing conflict between elephants and humans as more of the elephants' habitat is developed. Elephants can destroy the crops of an entire village in a single night, and this also causes conflict. At the moment, there are about 600,000 elephants remaining in Africa.

     The greatest threat to elephants is the ivory trade. Most commercial ivory comes from elephant's tusks. From 1979 to 1989 was a bad time for African elephants. About 70,000 wild elephants were killed for ivory each year. In 1989 an international treaty limited the trade in ivory, decreasing the number of elephants killed, but elephants are still being killed for ivory. Please don't ever buy anything made from ivory! Don't even buy anything that looks like ivory!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the correct answer for each question.

 

      1. How much does a baby elephant weigh at birth?

             a) 70 pounds;             b) 200 pounds;

             c)  300 pounds;          d) 1200 pounds.

 

      2. True or False: An elephant cannot carry things with its trunk.

             a)True.       b) False.

 

      3. Elephants also use their trunks for:

             a) drinking water and eating ;

             b) a cooling system.

 

      4. "Inaudible" means:

             a) I can't hear it.

             b) It's very noisy.

 

      5. Hunters made umbrella holders out of:

             a) Elephants' trunks.    b) Elephants' tails.

             c) Elephants' feet.        d) Elephants' teeth.

 

      6. Which kind of elephant is the largest?

             a) the Indian Elephant

             b) the African Elephant

 

      7. An Indian Elephant has _________ than the African Elephant.

             a) a longer tail             b) a stronger trunk

             c) smaller ears             d) bigger teeth

 

      8. What part of an elephant's body is used to cool the elephant?

             a) The tail.                  b) The trunk.

             c) The feet.                 d) The ears.

 

      9. What animal is the most dangerous to an elephant?

             a) Human beings.       b) Snakes.

             c) Lions.                     d) Zebras.

 

    10. How can you help elephants?

             a) Don't eat elephant burgers!

             b) Never buy ivory!

             c) Don't go to Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading 

Read the text and answer the questions

Australian Rules Football

 

     Australians are proud of a popular national winter sport fondly referred to as Aussie Rules but also known as Australian football, Australian rules football, football and footy. Since the earliest known football matches held in the 1800s this popular spectator sport is now played in more than thirty countries around the world including Japan, Argentina, Spain, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, France, India, China, Canada, North America, Britain, Sweden and Germany.

     It is a fast paced contact sport whereby two opposing teams, playing on an oval shaped grass field, score goals and points by passing the ball between four posts at either end of the field.  With no offside rules players can go anywhere on the field and propel the ball in any direction.  Each team of eighteen players uses a variety of kicking, handball and running strategies to score goals between the middle posts and points between a goal post and a smaller post known as the behind post.  Each goal is worth 6 points and the combined goals and points make up the final score.

     Australians love watching their footy.  The crowd goes crazy when players show skill and talent in taking possession of the ball and scoring.  Although it is a contact sport dangerous play is not allowed and usually results in free kicks to the opposing team, penalties or suspension. 

     Many teams have their own song however one well known footy song, Up There Cazaly, is often played during national grand final games.  Recorded in 1979 it was based on the catch cry of a fellow team mate of whom the song was named after, the great Roy Cazaly.  It is also interesting to note that ‘Up There Cazaly’ was also a cry used by Australian soldiers during the Second World War.

     Cazaly is a former champion football player from the early twentieth century who was famous for his ‘marks’ which is where a player catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than fifteen metres without touching the ground or being touched by any other players.  A good player will take several marks every game.  There are several different types of ‘marks’ including the ‘Spectacular Mark’ (also known as a ‘speccy’, ‘screamer’ and ‘hangar’) which involves catching the ball whilst jumping in the air.  The best mark of the season is awarded with a special ‘Mark of the Year’.

     Aussie Rules is an exciting sport to watch and play whether it is a school match, a local community match or a larger game.  Watch out for details of your nearest footy games and learn more about this popular national sport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the correct answer:

 

 

        1. Aussie Rules is another name for

a) Australian football

b) Australian basketball

c) Australian hockey

 

        3. The pace of a game is

a) slow

b) medium

c) fast

 

       5. The shape of the field is

a) rectangular

b) square

c) oval

 

 7. The two middle posts are called

a) goal posts

b) middle posts

c) behind posts

 

 9. Players can travel

   a) in any direction

   b) forwards only

   c) backwards only

 

11. A Spectacular Mark is where a player catches

      a kicked ball that has

 a) travelled more than fifteen metres without touching

     the ground or being touched by any other players; 

 b) travelled less than fifteen metres without touching

     the ground or being touched by any other players; 

c) travelled more than fifteen metres without bouncing

     more than once.

2. The first known match was in the

a) 1600s

b) 1700s

c) 1800s

 

4. The shape of the ball is

a) round

b) square

c) oval

 

        6. The number of posts at each end of the field is

a) two

b) four

c) six

 

         8.  The end posts are called

a) goal posts

b) middle posts

c) behind posts

 

10. Dangerous play

   a) is allowed

   b) is not allowed

   c) is neither allowed or disallowed

 

      12. Roy Cazaly was famous for his spectacular

a) kicks

b) catches

c) handball strategies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                   Key:

1. a                       7) a
2. c                       8) c
3. c                       9) a
4. c                     10) b
5. c                     11) a
6. b                     12) b

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clocks

     Clocks are used to measure time. Clocks are used to show the time. Clocks are used so that people can agree on the time.

     People use clocks to measure units of time that are shorter than natural units. Natural units are the day, the month, and the year. The sun rises at the beginning of each day. The moon is new at the beginning of each month. The sun appears at the same place in the sky at the beginning of each year.

     The clock is a very old invention. Sundials were used in ancient times. Sundials work by measuring shadows that are cast by the sun. Candle clocks were used a very long time ago. Candle clocks work by measuring the time it takes for the wax to melt. Hourglasses are similar to candle clocks because they also measure the time it takes for something to happen. Hourglasses work by measuring the time it takes for sand to pour through a small opening into a glass.

Mechanical clocks appeared in the 13th century in Europe. They work with a system of moving gears. The gears always move at the same speed. Pendulum clocks work with a swinging weight. The swinging weight is called a pendulum. The pendulum makes the clock parts move.

     Now people typically use mechanical clocks or digital clocks. Digital clocks show numbers on a screen. The numbers represent the time. Some people use auditory clocks. Auditory clocks use language to tell the time aloud. Computers also use clocks. Computers use internal clocks in order to work properly.

     In today’s world, clocks are everywhere –– in homes, schools, offices, and public places. Many people live their lives according to the clock. People go to work and return home according to the clock. School days start and end according to the clock. Airplanes take off and land according to the clock. It is fun to imagine a world without clocks!

Questions:

I. According to the passage, which of the following statements is/are true?

     A) The clock is people’s oldest invention.

     B) Sundials were the first kind of clock that people invented.

     C) Mechanical clocks contain gears

        II. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

A) Why clocks are used.

B) How sundials work.

C) How hourglasses are similar to candle clocks.

D) What types of clocks have been invented?

E) How mechanical clocks are different from digital clocks.

        III. In line 16, auditory most closely means:

A) related to machines

B) related to numbers

C) related to hearing

D) related to moving parts

E) related to the sun

 

Answers and Expllanattiions

I. The correct answer is C.

     A) Incorrect. While line 7 states that “The clock is a very old invention,” it does not state that

          the clock is people’s oldest invention.

     B) Incorrect. While line 7 states that “Sundials were used in ancient times,” there is no

          mention of whether it was the oldest type of clock.

     C) Correct. Lines 11-12 state that “Mechanical clocks appeared in the 13th century in Europe.  

          They work with a system of moving gears.”

 

II. The correct answer is D.

     A) Incorrect. Line 3 in paragraph 2 explains why clocks are used with the statement

          “People use clocks to measure units of time that are shorter than natural units.”

     B) Incorrect. While lines 7-8 explain how sundials work with the statement “Sundials work

          by measuring shadows that are cast by the sun,” this is only one explanation of how a type

          of clock works in a series of types of clocks and their workings. This is not the main idea

           of the paragraph.

     C) Incorrect. While lines 9-10 explain how hourglasses are similar to candle clocks, this is

          only one explanation of how these clocks work in a series of types of clocks and how

          they work. This is not the main idea of the paragraph.

     D) Correct. The paragraph is a listing of various types of clocks and how they work.

     E) Incorrect. While lines 12-13 explain what mechanical clocks are and how they work by

          stating “Mechanical clocks appeared in the 13th century in Europe. They work with a system

          of moving gears. The gears always move at the same speed,” there is no mention of digital

          clocks in paragraph 3. More information is given about mechanical clocks and digital clocks

          in paragraph 4: “Now people usually use mechanical clocks or digital clocks. Digital clocks 

         show numbers on a screen. The numbers represent the time.”

 

III. The correct answer is C.

           A) Incorrect. Lines 15-17 tell about three kinds of clocks – mechanical, digital, and auditory.  

         Since these words are related to three different types of clocks, auditory cannot mean mechanical.

     B) Incorrect. Lines 15-17 tell about three kinds of clocks – mechanical, digital, and auditory.

         Lines 15–16 state that “Digital clocks show numbers on a screen.” Since numbers on a screen are 

         related to digital clocks, it is unlikely that the word auditory is related to numbers.

     C) Correct. Since line 17 states that “Auditory clocks use language to tell the time aloud,” and 

          hearing the sense which would be associated with time told aloud, it is very likely that the word

          auditory is related to hearing.

     D) Incorrect. Lines 15-17 tell about three types of clocks – mechanical, digital, and auditory.

         Since lines 12-13 state that “Mechanical clocks appeared in the 13th century in Europe.” and

        “They work with a system of moving gears,” it seems that mechanical clocks are related to moving

         parts, not primarily auditory clocks. So the word auditory is most likely not related to moving parts.

     E) Incorrect. Lines 15-17 tell about three types of clocks – mechanical, digital, and auditory.

The sun is mentioned in lines 6-8 with the sentences “Sundials were used in ancient times.

Sundials work by measuring shadows that are cast by the sun.” Sundials were invented long before other clocks mentioned in this passage. It is unlikely that the word auditory is related to the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mother’s Day

     The idea of Mother’s Day is a very old idea. This idea dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who celebrated a day to honor Isis, the mother of the pharaohs. The Egyptians were not the only ones who felt the need to honor their mothers. The ancient Greeks celebrated a day to honor Rhea, the mother of the gods. The Romans built a temple to the mother of the gods, named Magna Mater. They also held a celebration every March in her honor. The early Christians celebrated a day to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Later, English Christians expanded the celebration to honor all mothers. This English holiday was called “Mothering Sunday.” When the English colonists came to America, they did not have time for Mothering Sunday, so the holiday was not celebrated in America.

     During the U.S. Civil War, mothers on both sides of the war lost sons. The country was very sad. Grieving mothers from both sides had meetings. Sometimes families had been torn apart by the war. In 1868, Ann Reeves Jarvis started a committee to help families get back together after the war. This committee tried to establish a “Mothers’ Friendship Day” for mothers who had lost sons in the war. Unfortunately, Ann Reeves Jarvis died in 1905, so she did not see that the day eventually became popular.

     Another woman, Julia Ward Howe was also against the war. She was also against slavery. She declared the first official Mother’s Day in 1870, and held an anti–war Mother’s Day observance. She funded this observance with her own money every year for several years, but an annual Mother’s Day celebration still did not catch on in the U.S. However, the idea stayed alive.

     Meanwhile, Anna M. Jarvis, The daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, wanted to honor her mother. She requested that her mother’s West Virginia church be allowed to celebrate a Mother’s Day in 1908 in honor of her mother. Every mother at church that day received two carnations –– Ann Reeves Jarvis’ favorite flower. Now, carnations and other flowers are associated with Mother’s Day because they were handed out at the first celebration of Mother’s Day.

     In 1914, the U.S. Congress passed a law which desiignatted the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. In the same year, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Mother’s Day. He called for the flying of the flag to honor the mothers who had lost sons in war.

     Mother’s Day is celebrated in many other countries. In Mexico, Dia de las Madres is celebrated on May 10. It is a popular holiday celebrated by schools, churches, and civic groups. Children give their mothers flowers and handmade cards. Schools present performances in honor of mothers as part of the national observance of Dia de las Madres.

     In China, ten distinguished mothers are chosen to receive government recognition. National drives for mothers living in poverty are also held. The holiday is a demonstration of the respect the Chinese have for the elderly, and the love they have for their parents.

     In India, children send their mothers cards and flowers and cook a meal for their mothers. Companies launch women’s products on Mother’s Day, and restaurants advertise heavily for Mother’s Day; the day has become commerciialliized.

     In Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the same day as in the United States –– the second Sunday in May. People mark the day in the same way that they do in the United States. Children give their mothers cards, gifts, and flowers. Churches and schools give special Mother’s Day presentations, and civic groups observe the day.

     The first President of the U.S. George Washington said of his own mother, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer the questions:

 

1) Who built a temple to Magna Matter?         A. The Greeks

     B. The Romans

     C. The early Christians

     D. The American colonists

     E. None of the above

2) Why did Ann Reeves Jarvis want a special day?           A. To help Civil War mothers

     B. To honor her own mother

     C. To honor mothers of soldiers

     D. Both A and C are correct.

     E. All of the above

3) What did mothers receive at the first Mother’s Day in West Virginia?        A. flowers

       B. presents

       C. handmade cards

       D. Both A and B are correct.

       E. Both B and C are correct.

4) Which U.S. President first proclaimed Mother’s Day?      A. Harry Truman

      B. John Kennedy

      C. Woodrow Wilson

      D. Abraham Lincoln

      E. George Washington

5) In what year did the U.S. Congress designate the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day?

          A. 1862

          B. 1868

          C. 1908

          D. 1914

          E. 1962

6) The best synonym for honor is…           A. respect.

B. explain.

C. perform.

D. describe.

E. decrease.

7) Expanded means…            A. made larger.

B. made famous.

C. dressed up.

D. made up.

E. gave in.

8) What does funded mean?                       A. Looked at

B. Celebrated

C. Watched

D. Paid for

E. Both A and C are correct.

9) The best synonym for designated is…               A. required.

B. named.

C. wished.

D. hired.

E. left.

10) If something is commercialized it is…       A. used to make a profit.

B. celebrated for mothers.

C. proclaimed a holiday.

D. made into a new law.

E. used to fund military expansion.