11 Form. Reading I semester.

Task 1.

Which of the following is TRUE about most of the people passing by the violinist in the Washington DC Metro Station?

Task 1.

Joshua Bell played in the metro station for ...

Task 1.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned about Joshua Bell?

Task 1.

The Washington Post experiment was organized to investigate people's ability ...

Task 1.

The results of the experiment prove that people ...

Task 1.

Did children like listening to Bell's music?

Task 2. Read the texts below. Match choices (A - H) to (1 - 5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

Unique New Year Traditions

Ecuador has a unique custom of making scarecrows and burning them at midnight. They dress up and fill the scarecrows with newspapers and pieces of wood. As midnight approaches, everyone gathers outside their home and each family burns their scarecrow. The tradition says that this destroys all the bad things that took place in the past 12 months. The scarecrow also scares bad luck. This fills their New Year with luck and happiness.

Task 2. Read the texts below. Match choices (A - H) to (1 - 5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

Unique New Year Traditions

A strange and weird Danish New Year tradition is throwing breakable crockery at your neighbour's door. Strangely this makes them happy instead of annoying them. The family with the biggest tower of broken plates, glasses, and cups is considered to be the luckiest one because it means that they have lots of loyal friends.

Task 2. Read the texts below. Match choices (A - H) to (1 - 5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

Unique New Year Traditions

Talking to spirits is a part of Mexican belief. Mexicans strongly believe that they can communicate with the souls of their dead loved ones. New Year's Eve is considered the best time to communicate with the dead spirits to convey a message or ask for guidance. This is not done at home on an individual basis but is practiced legally. Taos Inn, in New Mexico, offers 15 minute sessions of spiritualism and meditation for $15.

Task 2. Read the texts below. Match choices (A - H) to (1 - 5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

Unique New Year Traditions

A dangerous Scottish festival around the New Year is the festival of Hogmanay. The Hogmanay Festival is a New Year celebration with a touch of Scottish scent. This festival takes place on 31st December every year. Men parade through the streets holding blazing balls of fire. They continuously swing these balls over their heads. According to the locals, the balls of fire bring purification and sunshine. This celebration dates back as far as the Vikings.

Task 2. Read the texts below. Match choices (A - H) to (1 - 5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

Unique New Year Traditions

In Mexico, as well as in Spain and some other Spanish-speaking countries, it is common to eat twelve grapes as the clock strikes midnight, making sure to eat each grape as a wish is made for the New Year. A similar interpretation says that eating the 12 grapes at midnight helps bring good luck for each of the upcoming 12 months.