Reading Comprehension II term

London is a famous and historic city. It is the capital of England in the United Kingdom. The city is quite popular for international tourism because London is home to one of the oldest-standing monarchies in the western hemisphere. Rita and Joanne recently traveled to London. They were very excited for their trip because this was their first journey overseas from the United States.

Among the popular sights that Rita and Joanne visited are Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye. Big Ben is one of London’s most famous monuments. It is a large clock tower located at the northern end of Westminster Palace. The clock tower is 96 meters tall. Unfortunately, Rita and Joanne were only able to view the tower from the outside. The women learned that the tower’s interior is undergoing renovations until 2021.

Fortunately, the London Eye, the city’s famous Ferris wheel, was open to the public. The London Eye is situated along the southern shores of the Thames River. This attraction stands 135 meters high. It is one of London’s most well-known spots for gaining aerial views of the city. Each capsule of the Ferris wheel can hold up to 25 passengers. When their capsule stopped at the top of the Ferris wheel, the women took spectacular panoramic photographs of the beautiful cityscape below.

The last place that Rita and Joanne visited was Buckingham Palace, the home of the Queen of England. The women were impressed by the palace’s incredible architecture and historical value. Both Rita and Joanne enjoyed watching the Queen’s guards outside the palace. These guards wore red tunic uniforms, shiny black boots, and bearskin hats. Despite the women’s attempts to catch the attention of the guards, the guards are specifically trained to avoid distractions. Because of this, the guards ignored the women completely.

Joanne and Rita had an amazing time visiting the city of London, and they are inspired to seek more international travel destinations in the future.

1. All of the following are true about London except:

2. Why were Rita and Joanne excited for their trip?

3. Why couldn’t Rita and Joanne climb Big Ben?

4. From where did the women receive great overhead views of the city?

5. Which is not a characteristic of the Queen’s guards?

6. Because of their trip to London, Rita and Joanne:

Ukraine is a rich agricultural, industrial and mining region in south-eastern Europe. It is an independent democratic state. Its population is about 42 mln people. The capital of Ukraine is Kiev. Ukraine has its own armed forces, and maintains its own diplomatic relations with foreign countries. Ukraine covers about 603.700 sq. km being larger than any country in Western Europe. From east to west Ukraine stretches for more than 1300 km and from north to south for almost 900 km. It borders with Belarus and Russia on the north and on the east. In the south it is bounded by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. In the west Ukraine is bounded by Moldova, Rumania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Ukraine is located in ideal geographical position for the development of its resources, lying between 440 and 520 latitude north, on the same latitude as the USA or Britain. The climate is mild and warm, with a long summer and a short winter. Together with its fertile black soil, this makes it ideal for the development of intensive agriculture. The main part of Ukraine is located in the watershed of the Dnieper-River, which divides Ukraine into two parts: Right-Bank and Left-Bank Ukraine. Ukraine's proximity to the Black Sea and the presence of large navigable rivers running through its territory has promoted the development of trade and culture. The Black Sea is not only a means of communication with Transcaucasia and Turkey but also with the rest of the world through the Mediterranean Sea. Ukraine also lies on the Danube, and this gives it access to European countries. Through the SiverskyDonets it has access to the Don. The territory of Ukraine is criss-crossed by railroads and highways, oil and gas pipelines and high-voltage transmission lines - all of which ensure close economic ties with Eastern and Western Europe. Ukraine is a highly industrialised country, whose economic potential is great.

1. The territory of Ukraine is…

2. Our country is good for……development.

3. The greatest part of our country is situated on…

4. The waterways of Ukraine are great for….

5. Ukraine is border on…

A good night's sleep

Host: At exam time it is important to sleep well. Today we have Doctor Baker with us in the studio and he is going to give us five top tips for getting a good night’s sleep. Welcome to the show, Doctor Baker. 

Dr Baker: Thank you. It’s great to be here. Let’s start with tip one. Don’t go to bed with the television on. Some people think they can sleep well with the TV on, but the noise and lights mean you don’t really sleep well, so turn it off!

Tip two: Don’t think too much before bedtime. Do your hardest homework earlier in the evening. Do easier homework later. If your brain is too busy and full of ideas it takes longer to get to sleep.

Tip three: Don’t play video games for an hour before you go to sleep. They also make your brain too busy and active. 

Tip four: Turn off your cell phone when you go to bed. What is so important that it can’t wait until the morning? If possible, leave your phone in another room. 

Tip five: Play music if you like. But don’t play it too loud. Turn the sound down low.

Host: Thank you, Doctor. That is very useful advice for our young listeners.

1. The guest in the studio is a teacher.

2. Some people can sleep well with a television on.

3. It is bad to think a lot before going to bed.

4. It is good to play video games before bed.

5. It is good to turn your mobile off when you go to bed.

6. It is bad to play loud music while you sleep.