Контроль навичок читання 8 клас

Read the text

Cheese-Rolling Races

 In England, many towns have traditional competitions. In them, competitors usually try to win a game or contest. However, the annual cheese-rolling race in Brockworth is quite unique. At the start of the race, someone rolls a wheel of cheese down a very steep hill. Then, the competitors run after the cheese. The first person to reach the bottom of the hill is the winner.

Сheese-rolling has been a tradition in the town of Brockworth since the early 1800s. But what happens in this old and locally famous competition? It's quite simple, really. First, the competitors come together at the top of a hill named 'Cooper's Hill'. The slope of the hill is very steep - almost 45 degrees! And after that? They wait, but wait for what?

They wait for someone to push a very large wheel of cheese down the hill. The competitors then run very quickly after it. The cheese may reach up to 65 kilometers per hour. The competitors go quite fast too. The first one to the bottom of the hill wins. What's the prize for such an unusual event? It's the wheel of cheese – of course!

So, what drives these runners? What makes them do it? Are they crazy? One cheese runner thinks they may be. "It is dangerous," he says as he looks at the very steep slope of Cooper's Hill. "If I'm running down the hill, I must be crazy. Yeah, I must be crazy..." he decides with a smile.

The cheese racers of Brockworth may just be crazy. However, the crowds keep on cheering, and the competitors keep on running - year after year. It seems that a lot of people are very happy to try this dangerous run. Is it for the fame? Is it for the fun? We may never know, but you can almost be sure of one thing; it's not only for the prize. It's more than just cheese that makes people want to win Brockworth's annual cheese-rolling race!

I. Read the text and decide if the statements are true or false.

1. Many towns in Great Britain hold an annual cheese rolling race.

2. The race in Brocktown is held once a year.

3. The first person who rolls the wheel up the hill is the winner.

4. The race is run on flat land.

5. The cheese has the shape of a circle.

6. People can run as fast as the cheese goes.

7. The team that eats the cheese the fastest –wins.

8. People enjoy watching and running in the race.

9. The Cheese Rolling Race is quite safe.

10. The Cheese Rolling Race is not well-attended

II.  Choose the correct item to complete the sentences.

1.    In paragraph 2, what does the word “locally” mean?

2. How long has this competition been happening?

3.  The goal of the competition is to…

4.    How fast does the cheese roll down the hill?

5.    What does the writer probably think about the competition?

6. People who watch a sporting event are…

7. A hill which rises or falls sharply is…

8. The cheese has the shape of 

9. The winner of this competition is a person who….

10.  The Cheese Rolling Race is …

III. Choose the right answer.

1.    How often is the cheese rolling race held in England?

2.    Where do the cheese racers get together to start the competition?

3.    Why is the cheese rolling race so popular in Brockworth?

4.    Does the writer think that the competitors are crazy? Why?