ВІДДІЛ ОСВІТИ ТЕРНІВСЬКОЇ МІСЬКОЇ РАДИ ДНІПРОПЕТРОВСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ

КОМУНАЛЬНИЙ ЗАКЛАД «ТЕРНІВСЬКА ЗАГАЛЬНООСВІТНЯ ШКОЛА І-ІІІ СТУПЕНІВ №7 ТЕРНІВСЬКОЇ МІСЬКОЇ РАДИ ДНІПРОПЕТРОВСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ»

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Збірник текстів та завдань для аудіювання та читання

в 5-11 класах

 

 

З досвіду роботи

вчителя англійської мови

Яковлєвої Тетяни Володимирівни

 

 

 

 

2018 р.

 

 

 

 

 

Він містить підбірку різноманітних текстів та цікавих завдань для  оцінювання навчальних досягнень учнів 5-11 класів з аудіювання та читання.

Дуже зручна форма контролю аудіювання та читання.

Призначений для вчителів англійської мови.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ЗМІСТ

 

5 КЛАС...........................................................................................................6

6 КЛАС...............................................................................................................21

7 КЛАС...............................................................................................................32

8 КЛАС...............................................................................................................45

9 КЛАС...............................................................................................................62

10 КЛАС.............................................................................................................86

11 КЛАС...........................................................................................................106

5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________

 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

  THE PARROTS

 

    Parrots live in the forests of South America, where summer lasts all the year round, where leaves are always green. The parrots make their homes in the forest, because there they can find shade in the heat of the day.

    Parrots eat fruit and nuts. They like wild cherries best of all. They like them because of the stones. The beak of the parrot is very sharp and it cracks these stones easily.

    Parrots like to bathe very much. They fly about till they find water. They dip into the water and splash it over their feathers. Then they sit in the sun till they are dry. In the middle of the day the heat becomes very great. Then parrots fly in the deepest shade. They sit in the trees and sleep. But in the evening, when the sun is going down, they wake up. They eat fruit, go to the water and bathe again. Only after that they go to the rest for the night.

    People can tame parrots. The parrot is a very interesting pet, because it can talk.

 

 

5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

 

I. True or false

 __1. Parrots live in the fields.

__ 2. In South America winter lasts all year around.

__ 3. Parrots like to bathe.

__ 4. In the middle of the day it is hot.

__ 5. Parrots like to fly in the middle of they day.

__ 6. People can tame parrots.

 

II. Finish the sentences with the suitable words.

1.                Parrots live …

a) North America; b)South America; c)Africa

2.                Parrots eat …

a) corn; b) nuts; c) fish

3.                When it’s hot they …

a) sleep; b) fly; c) bathe

4.                Parrots wake up …

a) in the morning; b) in the afternoon; c) in the evening

5.                Before going to rest for the night parrots …

a) play; b) fly; c) bathe

6.                The parrot is very interesting pet because it can …

a) play; b) talk; c) sign

 

 

III. Answer the question

1.               How long does the summer last there?
2.               What fruit do parrots like best of all?
3.               How long do parrots sit in the after bathing?

 

IV. Imagine you have a parrot at home. Describe it, what it likes to do and to eat.

 

   5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________ 

 

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

ALL SEASONS ARE BEAUTIFUL

 

    Teacher: Today we shall speak about seasons. There are four seasons in a year: spring, summer , autumn, winter, What is your favourite season?

    Tom: My favourite season is autumn. It’s a beautiful season. The leaves in the trees are red, yellow, brown and green. It is warm in September. I can go for a walk. On the first of September I am glad to see my friends at school after the long summer holiday. In autumn there are a lot of vegetables and fruit. I like sweet pears.

    Alice: I don’t like autumn. It’s a dull season. I don’t like when it rains. In October it is cold and it often rains, and we can’t go for a walk. I like summer. Summer is a bright season. The trees are green. It’s hot and I can swim in the river. I can play outdoors all day long. And I don’t go to school.

    David: And my favourite season is winter. Winter is beautiful. The trees are white with snow. There is a lot of snow in the streets and in the parks. My friends and I can play snowballs and hockey. But most of all I like to ski.

    Susan: I don’t like winter. It’s so cold in winter. It often snows. The sky is grey. The day are short and  the nights are long. I like spring. The sun often shines, the sky is blue , birds singsong. In May the trees and grass are bright green. There are many beautiful flowers in May.

    Teacher: Well, children, I think all seasons are good and beautiful. Everything is good its season.

5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________ 

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

 

I. Write  the correct name:

1. ________likes snow.

2. ________doesn’t like rain.

3. ________likes sunshine.

4. ________likes swimming in hot days.

5. ________likes meeting friends after holidays.

6.________ likes colourful leaves.

 

II.   True or False

__1. It snows in winter.

__2. October is an autumn month

__3. It’s hot in winter,

__4. We start school on the first of October.

__5. You can eat pears in autumn.

__6. The trees are bright green in May.

 

III. Answer the questions.

1. How many seasons are there in a year?
2. How many month are there in each seasons?
3. When can you play snowballs?
4. When can you swim in the river?
5. When can you eat many taste fruit and vegetables?
6. When can you see the first flowers?

 

IV. Describe your favourite season and weather.

5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________ 

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTHDAY

 

 Mary is a pupil of the sixth grade. She lives with her mother in a house in Sedov Street in Kiev. She has a grandmother and she loves her very much. But her grandmother doesn’t live with them. She lives in a house in Sokolov Street. Her house is rather beautiful and comfortable. It is near the park where there are many pretty flowers in spring and summer.

 One day Mother says to Mary, “Today is your grandmother’s birthday. Put this cake and some nice apples into the basket and take them to your grandmother’s house. And do not stop on your way there”.¹

 Mary puts the cake and apples into the basket; then she takes it and goes out into the street. In the street she sees her friend Ann. Ann is a pupil too, but she is in the fifth grade. The girls walk on together². Then they see a bench and sit down. They put the basket under the bench. They talk about their new toys, about their school, their lessons and many other things.

 At that time a little dog sees the basket. It seems the nice cake³. The little dog looks at the basket and then jumps into it.

 After some time Mary says, “Good-bye, Ann”. Then she takes the basket and goes to her grandmother’s house.

 “Good morning,” she says. “Happy birthday to you, Granny dear! This cake and these apples are for you”. With these words she puts the basket on a chair, opens it and… sees a dog, but no cake and apples.

 

 

 “And do not stop on your way there”.¹ – И не останавливайся по дороге.

 walk on together² – идут вместе

 It seems the nice cake³ – Он чувствует запах чудесного пирога.

5 КЛАС ___________________________________________________ 

 

 READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

 

I. Write down 2 names of food and 2 names of the seasons  from the text.

II.  True or False 

1. Mary is a pupil of the seventh grade.

2. She lives with her mother in a house in Pushkin Street in Kiev.
3. She has a grandmother and loves her very much.
4. Her grandmother’s house is not beautiful and comfortable.
5. It is near the forest where there are many pretty flowers spring and summer.
6. Mary’s friend Kate is a pupil, and they study at the same grade.
7. A little kitten sees the basket under the bench. 

III. Choose the right answer

1. What is Mary?

   a) a doctor    b) a pupil    c) a waiter

2. She lives with  ….

    a) her mother in a house in Sedov Street in Kiev

    b) her mother in a house in  Pushkin Street in Kharkiv

    c) her grandmother in a house in Sokolov Streeet

3. Her grandmother’s house is

    a) not beautiful and comfortable

    b) old and dark

    c) rather beautiful and comfortable

4. What does Mother say to Mary one day?

    a) to clean the house and go shopping

    b) to put a cake and some nice apples into the basket and take them to her  grandmother

    c) to water the flowers

IV. Write how you celebrate your birthday.

5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________ 

SEMESTER II

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

The Little Elephant

This is a story about a little elephant. The little elephant is not happy. He says, “I do not like to work at the circus, I do not want to do trick for children. I want to run away.” So he runs away. He goes to the forest and there he sees a brown bear and says, “How do you do Bear. Do you like here? I like to live in the forest. I want to live in the forest with you.” “All right,” says the brown bear. “But you must prepare for the winter. You must find a hole to sleep in winter.”

The little elephant does not like to work. He does not want to prepare for the winter. So he goes away. He walks and walks. Then he sees a squirrel. So he comes up to the squirrel and says, “How do you do, squirrel! Do you like here? I want to live in the forest with you.” “All right,” says the squirrel! “But you must prepare for the winter, you must gather nuts for the winter.” But the little elephant says, “I don’t want to prepare for the winter. I don’t want to gather nuts for the winter. I don’t want to look for a hole, I don’t want to live in the forest. I want to go home. Home is best.”

And the little elephant goes back to the circus.   

5 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________ 

SEMESTER II

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Write the correct form of the jumbled words.

Taepnlhe, sucric, rabe, esqrlrui, niwret, moeh      

II True or false 

1. The little elephant is not happy.
2. He goes to the wood.
3. He sees a brown bear.
4. The little elephant is not fond of working.
5. Then he sees a squirrel.
6. The squirrel says: You must gather nuts and mushrooms.
7. The elephant wants  to do nothing.
8.  He returns to the circus.

 

III. Fill in the suitable words.

1.  He says I do not like _ .
2. He goes to _ and there he sees _.
3. The brown _ says the elephant must _.
4. The little elephant does not want to _ so he _.

 

IV. Write your opinion.

Do you like to work? Write a few sentences about how do you help your mother about the house.

       6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

    Christmas season is the most festive time of the year in Britain and in the United States. Students at schools and colleges usually have a 2 week vacation, beginning before Christmas and ending soon after the New Year. There are a lot of parties to celebrate the birth of Christ and the arrival of the New Year. 

    Although no one knows exactly when Jesus was born. Christians everywhere in the world celebrate his birthday on December 25^th . This day was a festival long before Christianity because ancient people believed this was time when the son god started his journey back to the earth and it was a custom to give presents to each other.

    Now children are told that Santa Claus or Father Christmas in a red suit, red hat and with a long white beard puts presents for them into their stockings by the fireplace.

    The winter tradition of decorating homes with evergreens began in ancient times too.

Branches of fir were thought to bring good luck and guarantee the return of spring. The Germans were the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations.

    In the 19^th century the decorated fir tree became popular in Europe and in the USA. Carol singers began to go from house to house in groups singing traditional Christmas songs asking for charity.

    The greeting cards are sent on Christmas too. The most popular wishes on these holiday cards are: “Merry Christmas”, “Peace on Earth”. 

       6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

 

I. Find true and false statements. 

1. Christmas is the most widely celebrated festival in Great Britain.
2. The 25^th of December was celebrated after Christmas.
3. Students have a month winter vacations.
4. Ancient people gave each other presents at this time.
5. Father Christmas puts children’s presents into stockings by the fireplace.
6. It is a modern tradition to decorate the house with a fir tree. 

II. Choose the right answer.

1.               How many days of vacation have the students got at schools and colleges?
   1.         a week vacation
   2.        a 10 days  vacation
   3.         a 2 weeks vacation
   4.        3 months vacation
2.               When do people usually celebrate the birth of Christ?
   1.         on the 25^th of December
   2.        on the 20^th of December
   3.         after the New Year
   4.        long before the New Year

3. What did the ancient people believe in?

1.         they believed in god
2.        that was the time the sun god started his journey back to the earth
3.         that the ancient people were very kind
4.        they believed in their happy future

4. What are the children told?

1. they are told that everything will be all right
2. the Santa Claus dressed in a red suit puts presents for them in their stockings
3. the Father Christmas will sing them songs
4. they will celebrate the New Year around the fir tree

5. When did the tradition of decorating homes begin?

1. many centuries ago
2.  two weeks ago
3. at present days
4. in ancient times

6. What did ancient people think of the branches of fir?

1. they would bring them good luck and return of spring
2. they would bring them good mood
3. they would bring them much bread and butter
4. they would bring them happiness

 

III. Complete the sentences 

1.Students at schools and colleges usually have a … vacation.

2.There are a lot of parties to celebrate the birth of … and the arrival of the … .

3.The winter … of decorating homes with evergreens began in ancient times.

4.The Germans were the first to use the … in their celebrations.

IV. Write down what you have remembered about Christmas celebrations.

 

6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST    

ALI BABA AND FORTY THIEVES

    Ali Baba was such a poor man that he had only one shoe for his two feet. Even mice in his house were hungry.

    One day his wife said, “We have no food in the house. No rice. No potatoes. Go and collect leaves in the forest so that I can make a soup.”

    Ali was a lazy man. He looked for leaves for about ten minutes and then he climbed a tree to sleep. He was afraid of wolves. When he woke up he was surprised to see forty thieves on forty horses. They stopped in front of the big rock.

    “Open, Sesame!” shouted the leader. A door in the rock opened. The thieves carried sacks full of gold into the cave. When they had finished, the leader shouted, “Close, Sesame!” and the door closed. As soon as the thieves had disappeared, Ali Baba jumped down from the tree and said, “Open, Sesame” and went into the cave.

    There were shelves all around the walls. The shelves were full of sacks. The sacks were full of gold. Ali took a sack home with him.

    One of the thieves saw Ali’s footprints on the sand. He followed them to Ali’s home. He took out his knife and made a cross on the door.

    “Now I shall know which house it is”, he said. He rode off to get the other thieves. But Ali had seen the thief.

    He and his wife took the brooms and swept away the footprints. Then he made crosses on every door in the street. When the forty thieves arrived they had their knives between their teeth. But they never found Ali – or the gold. And Ali and his wife lived happily ever after. 

 

  6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST    

I. Find true and false statements. 

1.               Ali Baba was a poor man.
2.               When he woke up he saw forty wives on forty horses.
3.               “Open, Sesame!” thought the leader.
4.               The thieves carried sacks full of gold into the cave. 
5.               The sacks were full of gold and brilliants.
6.               Ali took a sack home with him.
7.               One of the thieves saw Ali’s footprints on the sand. 
8.               He took out his knife and made a cross on the floor
9.               Ali and his wife took the brooms and flew away .

10)    But forty thieves never found Ali – or the gold. 

 

2. Choose the correct answer

1) What kind of man was Ali Baba?

a) busy and serious; b) stupid and lazy; c) poor and lazy; d) happy and lazy

2) Why did Ali’s wife tell him to go and collect leaves?

a) because they had no food; b) they liked leaves; c) his wife couldn’t cook; d) they had no leaves

3) What did the leader of the thieves shout to open the cave?

a) Don’t close, Sesame! b) Never open, Sesame! c) Open the door! d) Open, Sesame.

4) What were there on the shelves in the cave?

a) sacks with silver; b) sacks with gold; c) sacks with sugar; d) sacks with salt

5) What did Ali take home?

a) nothing; b) a sack with gold; c) a sack with silver; d) a sack with salt

6) Why did the thief follow Ali’s footprints?

a) to kill him; b) to thank him; c) to know where he lived; d) to help him

 

III. Answer the questions

1) What did the thief carve on the door? 

2) Who took brooms and swept away the footprints?

3) What did forty thieves have between their teeth?

4) Whom did the thieves never find?

IV. Write a short composition about 8-10 sentences, answering the question.

What are you going to do if you find a sack of gold?

 

a) was designed        b) designed c) built

6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

ALLIGATORS

    The boys now returned to their tent. They lay down on the grass and talked about bears and alligators. As Paul was a young naturalist he knew a lot of interest­ing things about alligators. Here is what he told his brother about them.

    He said that they were found in the rivers of Africa, in South and North America and in the West of India. There were a lot of alligators in the Ganges and other Indian rivers.

    An alligator itself is long but his legs are very short. Alligators cannot turn round quickly, and it is easy to hunt them on land. One must only keep away from the alligator's big teeth and strong tail. He can even kill a man with it.

    Alligators lay eggs as big as those of geese and put them in the sand where they are warmed by the heat of the sun. The number of eggs is often nearly two hundred.

   "Is it true that old father alligators eat their own young ones?" asked Paul's brother.

    "Yes, it is true. I saw it myself. The first concern of the mother is to get young alligators to the water where she can hide them better from their father but still many of the young are eaten by old alligators.

    "When the young ones grow up they run away from their fathers as they are quicker in their movements. Small alligators often ride on the backs of their fa­thers. They know that the fathers cannot do anything with them in that situation."

    "They can eat anything that comes in their way," added Paul, "but fish is their favourite food. They usually eat very slowly. Alligators don't need mush food. They sleep during the winter without any food."

6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

 

I. Fill in letters.

1) wa...m 2) qui...kly; 3) favo...rite

4) the...r 5) he...t 6) mov...ment

 

II. Fill in the suitable words.

1. Paul knew a lot of … things about alligators.

2 Alligators have short …

3. An alligator can kill a man with its …  .

4. Alligator lay eggs in the … .

5. Old alligators can … their children.

6. The fathers can do nothing when small alligators are on their…

 

III. Answer the questions.

1. Where can we find alligators?

2. Where is it easy to catch alligators?

3. How many eggs do alligators usually lay?

4. Why can't the fathers catch their children?

5. What is alligators' favourite food?

6. What do they do in winter?

 

IV. Pretend you are a guide and your job is to tell something interesting about the place where you work. Write about it ( it can be in the jungle, at the seashore, on the bank of the river, etc.)

 

 

6 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

THE SECRET ICE CREAM

 

Ancient manuscripts tell that the Greek commander Alexander Makedonsky used to have different fruits arid juices mixed with ice and snow for dessert.

In Russia for holidays people used to put a dish with frozen little pieces of sweet milk next to the dish with pancakes. In old times in some countries the recipes of cold dainties were kept in secret, for their divulgence the court cooks could be sentenced to death. Besides, it wasn't easy to cook ice cream, especially in summer. Ice and snow were delivered to Alexander Makedonsky's palace from the mountains. Later peo­ple began to sell ice. The ships with huge blocks of ice would hurry to the shores of the hot countries. That lasted till the first ice-making machines appeared. They were called refrigerators. That happened  about one hundred years ago. Now ice cream is sold everywhere and of any kinds: fruit and berry, milk and chocolate. And it is available to everybody.

By the way, if you have a sweet tooth you can make ice cream your­self. It's quite easy for those who can cook. The recipe is not a secret: eggs, sugar, milk, sour cream are mixed together, boiled for one or two minutes, cooled and frozen in the refrigerator. Add some nuts-or jam and enjoy this delicious product.

6 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Say if the sentence is true false:

1. The Greek commander Alexander Makedonsky used to have fruits and juices mixed with ice and snow for dessert.
2. Russian people usually ate frozen pieces of sweet juice with pan-  cakes for holidays.
3. In old times the cook who had told somebody the recipe of ice cream could be sentenced to death.

4.     Ice and snow were made at the court of Makedonsky, there were no problems with it
5.     People used to sell ice.
6.     The ships with huge blocks of ice would bring ice from the shores of the hot countries.   

II. Fill in the words

1.               In old times in some countries … of cold dainties were kept in secret.
2.               Besides, it wasn't easy to cook ice cream, especially in … .
3.               The ships with huge blocks of ice would hurry to the shores of the … .
4.               That lasted till the first …  machines appeared.
5.               Now ice cream is sold … and of any kinds.
6.               By the way, if you have a sweet tooth you can make …  yourself. 

III. Answer the questions

1. Which of Greek commanders liked to have fruits and juices mixed with ice and snow for dessert?
2. Was there a kind of ice cream in Russia in old times?
3. What was it like?
4. Were the recipes of ice cream available to everybody?
5. Where did the cooks of Alexander Makedonsky get ice and snow for ice cream?
6. How were the blocks of ice carried to hot countries?  

4. Write the recipe of the ice cream

7 КЛАС  _______________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

Many years ago an elephant and a monkey had a quarrel. The elephant was proud because he was strong.

"Look how big and strong I am," he said. "I can pull a tree down. Can you?”

Now the monkey was proud because he was so quick.

"Look how quickly I can run and climb," he said. "Can you climb a tree?"  

At last they decided to go and speak to the Old Bird.

"We cannot agree," they told the Bird, "tell us what you think about it. Which is better - to be strong or to be quick?"

The Old Bird said to them: "Do as I tell you and then I’ll learn which is better. Do you see that great tree across the river? Go and get the fruit from it and bring it to me."

So they went to the river, but the monkey was afraid of the water.

"Get on my back," said the elephant proudly. "I will carry you. I am big and strong and I am not afraid to swim across the river."

There on the bank stood the tree. It was so high that the fruit was above them. The elephant tried to pull the tree down, but it was too strong.

"Wait a minute," said the monkey proudly. "I can climb."

He ran quickly up the tree and threw the fruit to the, ground. The elephant put it in his great mouth. Then they crossed the river again and gave the fruit to the Old Bird.

"Now," they said, "which is better — to be strong or to be quick?"

"Can anybody tell which is better?" asked the Old Bird. The elephant could not get the fruit alone. The monkey could not get the fruit alone. But you could get it together. One of you crossed the river, the other climbed up the tree."

 

7 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Say if the sentences are true or false (+/-).

1. Many years ago an elephant and a monkey had a quarrel.
2. The elephant was angry.
3. The monkey was quick
4. They could run and swim.
5. They decided to speak to the Old Bird.
6. The Old Bird promised to help them.

II. Choose the correct answer.

1.    What did an elephant and a monkey have many years ago?

a)   a wardrobe; b)   a quarrel; c)   a squirrel; d)   a friendship

2.    Why was the elephant proud?

a)   he was strong; b)   he wasn't strong; c)   he was big; d)   he was clever

3.    Was the monkey proud too? Why?

a)   he was strict; b)   he was quiet; c)   he was merry; d)   he was quick

4.    What did they decide to do?

a)   to speak to the Old Bird; b)   to ask some questions their friends; c)   to go to the river; d)   to speak to the Old Bear

5.    What did they ask the Old Bird?

a)   to be strong or to be big; b)   to be quick or to be clever; c)   to be strong or to be quick; d)   to be quick and to be quick

6.   What did the Old Bird ask them to do?

a)   to bring him a tree; b)   to bring him some fruit; c)   to get some flowers; d)   to bring him some apples

III. Make up 4 questions to the text (general, tag, alternative, special).

IV. What have you learnt from the text? Write a mini-composition (10 sentences)

7 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

The Boy who Saved the Netherlands.

   Many years ago in Harlem, Holland, there lived a young boy. His name was Hans and he was eight years old. One autumn day, Hans went across the channel  to visit an old blind man. He took the man some biscuits and stayed there for a while. Then,       Hans decided to return home.

    “Be careful, Hans” said the old man. “The water in the canal usually gets higher in autumn.” On his way home, Hans sang a song, watched the rabbits run around and picked some flowers for his mother. Suddenly, the sky got dark and heavy rain began to fall. Hans felt scared and started to run. Just then, he heard the sound of water flowing away .He looked around carefully, and then noticed a very small hole in the dike.

     Hans felt frightened because he knew what could happen. The small hole could get bigger and bigger. Then the dike could burst and flood Holland. Hans knew what to do. He put his finger into the hole, so no more water cold come through it. “Please, someone help me!” Hans shouted. But there was no one to help him. After a while, he began to feel very cold and tired, but he could not leave the dike. All night long, Hans waited and waited…

     The next morning, a priest walked by and heard Hans’ cries. “I am trying to stop the water,” the boy said. “Can you help me?” the priest called some other people and they quickly mended the hole. Finally, they took Hans home. Everyone was very proud of that brave boy.

7 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Write true or false:

1. Hans was eighteen years old. ______

2. Hans lived in Paris, France. ______

3. Hans visited a young woman. ______

4. It started raining that evening. _______

5. Hans saw a big hole in the dike._______

6. He put his shoes in the hole in the dike.______

 

II. Put the events in the correct order

a___ Hans heard the sound of the water flowing away.

b___ A priest heard Hans cries and called some people to help.

c___ The sky got dark and rain began to fall .

d_1_ Hans went to visit an old blind man.

e ___ Hans put his finger in the hole.

f___ Hans decided to return home.

g___ The people mended the hole.

h___ Hans noticed a very small hole in the dike.

III. Answer the questions.

1. Where did Hans live?

2. How old was Hans?

3 .Who did Hans visit?

4. What did the blind man tell Hans?

5. What did Hans take the blind man?

6.What did Hans hear on his way home?

 

IV.

1. Write the summary of the story in 10 sentences.
2. Describe your attitude to Hans in 5 sentences

        7 КЛАС 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION  TEST

AN ARAB AND HIS SONS

Far to the East there lived in old days an Arab who had three sons, whom he dearly loved. He had seventeen beautiful horses whom he loved.

One day the old man became very ill. Feeling that the end was near, he called his sons to give one - half of his horses, to the second son - one third, and to the youngest - one-ninth.

The sons met to divide the horses but they didn't know how to divide them.

"How can I take one half of seventeen horses?" said the eldest son. "1 can't divide a living horse in two. "And how can I," asked the second, "take one third of seventeen horses? But this is what my father wanted me to do".

"I also want to do what my father wanted us to. But what is one ninth of seventeen horses?"

At that time an old man came riding on a horse. "May be he can tell us", they said hopefully. They told their story to him.

The man began to think. Several minutes passed before he spoke. At last he said, "Take my horse and there will be eighteen".

They did so. The elder son took one half of the horses. Then the second son called the horses, which he loved best, and the six animals came running to him. And the youngest son took two horses. The sons said lo the man: "You divided the horses wonderfully. Say what you want us to give you for it".

"I shall take all the horses that are left", said the old man and he rode away with his own horse.

7 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION  TEST

 

Task 1. Say if the sentences are true or false (T/F)

 

1) An Arab had four sons whom he dearly loved.

2) He had seventeen beautiful horses whom he loved greatly.

3) One day he called his youngest son to give him the horses.

4) The three young Arabs couldn't divide the horses because they didn't know

Arithmetic well enough.

6) The old man came riding on a horse.

Task 2. Choose the right answer.

1.  Who lived far from to the East?

1. a robber; b) an Arab; c) an old man

2.   What did he have?

1. Houses; b) Hamsters; c)horses

3.   How many horses did he have?

1. Sixteen; b) Seventeen; c) seventy

4.   Why did he call his children?

1. he was angry; b) he was ill; c) he was happy

5.   Why did they meet?

1. to divide the horses; b) to divide money; c) to help their father

6.  How many horses did he give to his elder son?

1. one half; b) one third; c) one ninth; d) the horses that are left

Task 3. Make up 4 questions to the text (general, tag, alternative, special).

Task 4. Retell the text in 10-12 sentences using the reported speech.

7 КЛАС  ____________________________________________________

SEMESTER II

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

A Fairy-Tale Princess

    It was like a fairy-tale when the beautiful young girl married the Prince and become the Princess of Wales. Unlike a fairy tale, the happiness soon ended, but Diana is still The Peoples Princess.

   Diana Frances Spencer was born on 1^st July, 1961, in Norfolk, England. Her father was Earl Spencer. She had two older sisters and a younger brother. Her parents died when she was a young girl. As a child Diana studied in a boarding school in Kent. She completed her education in Switzerland. When she returned to England she worked as a nanny.

    Diana married Prince Charles in July, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. People all around the world watched her wedding on television. Diana and Charles had two sons, William and Harry. Diana was very popular. The British loved her for her kindness and beauty. They called her “The Peoples Princess” because she cared so much sick and poor people all over the world. She once said: “I see myself as a princess for the whole world, not the Princess of Wales.” reporters were always around her. She was their favourite person.

    But Diana’s life was not as happy as it appeared. She and Charles had problems with their marriage. They finally divorced in August, 1996.

    Dianna continued to travel round the world and helped those in need. But her life was short. She died in a car accident on 31^st August, 1997, in Paris. She was only thirty-six.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Match the headings to the paragraphs

1. Everyone Loved Her   Paragraph 1

2. Diana’s Early years _______________

3. The Divorcé ______________

4. The Tragic End _____________

5. The Wedding ______________

 

II. Answer the questions

1Where and when was Diana was born?

2Where did she studied?

3When and where did she marry Prince Charles?

4 How many children did they have?

5 Why was she popular?

6 Was her life as happy as it appeared?

 

III. Complete the table. Then, about Diana , as in the example.

Diana Frances Spencer was born on 1^st July, 1961, in Norfolk, England….

 

Name :	Diana Frances Spencer
Born on:	………in……..
Studied:	………………….
Married:	……….in ………..at…………
Children:	……………………….
Famous for:	…………………………
Divorced in:	…………………….
Died on:	………………in…………

 

IV. Do you agree with statement that Diana was “The People’s Princess”? Write 5- 10 sentences about your attitude to Diana Spencer.

       8 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

A GOOD FINDER

     One day two friends went for a walk. One of them had a dog. “See here, John,” one of the men said. “I am going to put this coin here in the ground. I know my dog will find it.” He put the coin in the ground on the road. Then the two friends went on.

     In half an hour the man took out the coins he had in his pocket and said to his dog: “I lost a coin, Rex. Go and look for it, quick!” The dog ran back along the road and the two friends went home.

     At that time a traveller drove along the road. His horse kicked the coin from the ground and the traveller picked it up. The dog scented out the coin in the pocket of the traveller’s trousers and ran after him. Soon they came to an inn.

     The traveller thought: “Poor dog. It lost its master.” As he liked the dog very much he took it to his room and gave it a good supper. Then the traveller took off his clothes. He put his pyjamas and his night cap on and was ready to go to bed.

     The dog stood at the door. The man thought: “The dog wants to go out,” and he opened the door. The dog snatched the man’s trousers and ran out of the room. The man ran after it with his night cap on.

     The dog ran to its master’s house. The man ran after it. He was very angry.

    “Sir,” said the dog’s master, “my dog is very clever and if it ran away with your trousers, it is because you have in them the money which is not yours.”

      The traveller became still more angry. “I’m sorry”, said the other, ”but I know there is the coin in your trousers’ pocket which you picked up on the road. It’s my coin. That’s why my dog brought me your trousers.”

     The traveller was amused. He laughed together with the dog’s master. Then he took out the coin and gave it to him. He took his trousers and went to his inn.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

 I  Listen to the text and put “+” if the sentence is right and “-“if one is false.     

1.   One day three friends went for a walk.
2.   One of them had a dog.
3.   He put a coin in the ground on the road.
4.   At that time a traveller drove along the road.
5.   The dog found the coin near the tree.
6.   The dog ran after the traveller.
7.   The dog wasn’t very clever.

II Choose the correct answer.

1. What did the traveller think the dog lost?

a) its bone       b) its home          c) its friend         d) its master

2. Where did he take the dog?

a) to his house b) to his yard      c) to his flat         d) to his room

3. What did the traveller give the dog?

a) some meat   b) a tasty dinner c) a good supper d) a little water

4. Was the traveller ready to go to...?

a) the park       b) bed                  c) the bathroom d) the dining room

5. What did the dog snatch?

a) his shirt       b) his night cap    c) his pyjamas    d) his trousers

6. Where did the dog run?

a) to the wood b) along the road c) to its master’s house d) to another room

7. Did the dog take his trousers because there was ... in his pocket?

a) a coin          b) a bone              c) a candy          d) an apple

III Fill in the gaps using the words from the box. One of the words is extra one.

Rex,   money,  amused,   dog,   kicked,   coin

1. I put this ... on the ground.
2. I lost a coin, … 
3. The traveller’s horse ... the coin from the ground.
4. That’s why my ... brought me your trousers.
5. The traveller was... 

IV Ask five questions to the text.

8 КЛАС  ___________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

 THE FIRE ON THE HILL 

     Long, long ago there was a lake of cold water in Kenya.  Many animals came at night to the lake to drink some water. But people never came to the lake at night: the animals could kill and eat them.               

Now, a rich man who had a beautiful daughter once said: „The young man, who will go to the lake in the evening and stay in the cold water till morning, will have my daughter for his wife."

There lived a poor young man who loved the rich man's daughter very much. He said to his mother, „I shall try to stay all night in the lake and then marry my dear girl".

„No, no", the mother said, „you are my only son!". The water in the lake is very cold, and the animals will eat you up. Don't go there!" She cried and cried, but her son said: „Mother, don't cry, I must try. I love her so much!"

So the young man went to the girl's father. He told him that he wanted to go to the lake and stay in the cold water all night. The rich man sent his servants to the place where they could watch the young man.

When night carne, the young man went to the lake and his mother followed him, but he didn't see her. There was a hill forty paces away from the place where the young man went into the water. The woman climbed up the hill and made up a fire there. The wild animals saw the fire and were afraid to go near that place.

The young man saw the fire too. He understood that his mother was there. He thought of his mother's love, and it was easier for him to stay all night in the very cold water.

Morning came. The young man went to the rich man's house. The rich man saw him and said, „My servants say that there was a fire on the hill forty paces from the lake. It warmed you and that is why you could stay all night in the water. So you can't marry my daughter. Good-bye".

     The   young   man   was    very    angry.   He went to the judge.  “Well”, 

the judge said, „this is a very simple case".

The next morning the young man with his mother and the rich man with his servants came before the judge. There were many people there who wanted to hear the case.

The judge asked for a pot of cold water. Then he walked forty paces from the pot and made a fire. „Now", he said, „we shall wait a little until the water is warm". The people cried: „But the fire is so far away, it can't warm the water in the pot". Then the judge said: „How could that young man warm himself at a fire forty paces away?"

So the case was over, and the young man married the rich man's daughter. They lived happily for many years.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

I  Read the text and put “+” if the sentence is right and “-“if one is  false.

1. There was a river of cold water in Kenya.
2. A rich man had a beautiful daughter.
3. A poor young man loved his daughter very much.
4. Mother wanted that her son married the rich man’s daughter.
5. The rich man sent his servants to the lake.
6. There was a hill thirty paces away from the lake.
7. The mother made a fire to warm the place.

II  Find the correct answer.

1.  What was the lake famous for?

a) for its good clear water; b) for its animals living close to it; c) for the fact that people were afraid to go there at night; d) for the fact that the lake was very old.

2. What did a rich man want the young man to do?

a) to go to the lake; b) to stay in the cold water; c) to stay in the river all night; d) to marry his daughter

3.  Why did the mother cry? 

a) because she worried about her son; b) because she was afraid of animals;  c) because the water was too cold. d) because she wanted her son to marry.

4. Where did the mother go?

a) to the lake; b) to the forest; c) to the rich man; d) to the hill

5. What helped the young man to stay in the lake all night?

a) wild animals; b) the servants; c) his mother's great love; d) his love to the girl

6. Who came before the judge?

a) the young man, his mother, servants and the rich man; b) the rich man and his daughter; c)       people who wanted to hear the case; d) the young man and the servants who watched him

8. What did the judge prove?

a) that there was no fire on the hill; b) that the water in the lake was warm;

c) that the young man loved the girl; d) that the fire couldn't warm the water in the lake

III Complete the sentences with the correct words

1. Many animals came at night to the lake to...
2. The young man said: “I’ll try to stay all night in the lake and then ...
3. His mother followed him but at first he ...
4. The wild animals saw the fire and ...
5. They lived happily for ...

IV In several sentences prove that mother really loved her son.

 

8 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

HOW THE PAINTER REMBRANDT WAS DISCOVERED

In a museum in Holland one can see a pair of wooden shoes with funny little figures of animals drawn on them.

Those drawings helped to discover the great painter Rembrandt.

When he was still a boy, Rembrandt worked to become a painter and travel in foreign countries.

One day at school, instead of listening to the teacher, he was drawing pigs and chickens on the wooden shoes of the pupil sitting next to him. Seeing this, the teacher got angry with him and said he would tell his mother.

In the afternoon Rembrandt was sitting on the top of a hill quite near his house, watching the traffic in the streets.

When he saw his teacher coming towards his father’s house, he was sure that his teacher had come to speak to his parents. His father called him and the young Rembrandt saw his teacher with one of the wooden shoes in his hand. All eyes were turned on him as he came near. To his great surprise, his mother spoke to him kindly, saying, "Do you really want to be a painter, my child?" The boy could not believe his ears, his heart was full of happiness.

His teacher told him that he liked his excellent drawings and wanted him to study painting with a famous artist in the town.

Later Rembrandt painted wonderful pictures, but he died a poor man.

8 КЛАС                         LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I Listen to the text and put “+” if the sentence is right and “-” if one is false

1.               In a museum in Holland one can see two pairs of shoes.
2.               The drawings helped to discover the great painter Rembrandt.
3.               When he was a boy, Rembrandt wanted to be a teacher.
4.               One day at school he was drawing pigs and chickens on his boots.
5.               The teacher was angry and punished him.
6.               In the afternoon Rembrandt was sitting on the top of a hill.

II Choose the correct answer

A. One can see a pair of wooden shoes.

B. One can see a pair of wooden boots.

C. One can see a wooden shoe.

D. One can see a pair of leather shoes.

A. Little figures of animals.

B. Little figures of children.

C. Little figures of birds.

D. Little figures of fish.

B. The drawings.      D. The birds.

A. He was listening to the teacher.

B. He was reading.

A. He was sitting in the park.

B. He was sitting on the roof of the house.

C. He was sitting in the tree.

D. He was sitting on the top of a hill.

A. He was watching people in the street.

B. He was watching the traffic in the street.

C. He was watching birds in the street.

D. He was reading.

III Fill in the gaps using the words from the box. One of the words is extra one

Afternoon, turned, ears, wooden, behaviour, painter

1.                                                    In a museum in Holland one can see a pair of … shoes.
2.                                                    In the … Rembrandt was sitting on the top of a hill.
3.                                                    All eyes were … on him as he came near.
4.                                                    The boy could not believe his … .
5.                                                    He wanted to be a … .

8 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

BOOKS AND TV

Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes; fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read a novel, when a play on television can tell you same story with colour, picture and action?

Why read the biographies of famous men and women, when an hour-long television programs can tell you all that you want to know?

Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers and magazines are sold in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and entertainment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are published today as paperback books, which are reasonably cheap. A paperback novel, for example, is almost always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or theatre, and you can keep a book forever and read it many times.

Books at home are a wonderful source of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. Every home should have an atlas of the world, with large clear maps. It might be expensive, but a good encyclopedia is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. In addition, it is useful to have on your bookshelves other non-fiction books such as history books, science textbooks, cookery books, books about medicine and health, etc. It is equally important to have some fiction on your shelves, too. Then you can relax with a good story, or from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favourite poets.

8 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

I Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right

1. ...an article a) a book that is used to study a school subject

2. ...an atlas b) a publication that comes out weekly or monthly
3. ...a biography c) a book with maps of the world
4. ...a novel d) usually a cheap book with a soft cover
5. ...a textbook e) a story about a real person
6. ...a dictionary   f) a piece of writing in a newspaper
7. ...a poem   g) a book of word definitions
8. ...a paperback    h) usually a short piece of writing expressing a deep

feeling or thought

9. ...a magazine i) a story about people who are not real

 

II Choose the best answer according to the information in the passage

1. Which is easier to get the news from?

1.  a newspaper
2. the television

2. Which is usually quicker?

1.  to read a biography of a famous person
2. to watch a television programme about a famous person

3. Which is usually cheaper?

1.  a paperback
2. an evening at the cinema

4. Which is usually cheaper?

1.  a paperback
2. a hardcover book

5. Which is it most important to have in your home?

1.  non-fiction books, such as a dictionary and an encyclopedia
2.           fiction, such as novels, short stories and books of poems
3. a mixture of both good non-fiction and your favourite fiction.

III Which of the following are non-fiction and which are fiction? Put the words into the two columns

Atlas, novel, short story, textbook, play, dictionary, encyclopedia, poem.

IV Write a short review of the book you've read and liked very much. Be sure to mention the title of the book, say a few words about the author, describe the scene of the action, main characters and ideas.

 

9 КЛАС ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

THE THREE WISHES (AN OLD ENGLISH FAIRY TALE)

    One winter evening a poor peasant sat near the fire talking with his wife about one of their neighbours who was a rich man.

"If only I had a little money myself", he said, "I should open my own shop".

"I", answered his wife, "should not be satisfied with that, I should be happy if I lived in a big house, and then, if I saw people like ourselves, I should help them and try to make everybody happy. But we are no longer in the time of fairies. If only I could meet one of them, it would not take me long to decide what to ask of her".

    Hardly had she said these words when a beautiful young lady appeared in their room and told them she was a fairy willing to grant their first three wishes. But she said they should choose carefully as she could allow them no more than three wishes. Then the beautiful lady disappeared.

    At first the husband and wife were astonished. Then they began discussing the first wish that it would be best to have. They quarreled for a long time and finally decided to wish for nothing for a while and put it off till the next day.

    The woman looked at the bright fire and said without thinking: "Oh, it would be a good thing to have a good sausage for our supper". And a long thick sausage fell on their table. The husband got very angry and began scolding his wife. "Isn't that a fine wish? You're such a stupid woman! I wish this sausage would stick to your nose!" This was hardly said when the sausage jumped up and stuck to the poor woman's face.

    The husband understood that he himself had been even more foolish than his wife, but no matter how he tried he could not tear the sausage off his wife's nose. "If you had not wished to have this beauty sausage, I should not have wished it to stick to your nose", said the husband.   

Finally they realized that they had only one wish  left. They thought for a long time and agreed to have their last wish. They wished the sausage to fall on the table, which it did.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I Listen to the text and put “+” if the sentence is right and “-” if one is false

1 One spring evening a poor peasant sat near the fire talking with his wife.

2 They were talking about one of their neighbours who was a rich man.

3 They had their own shop.

4 The woman wanted to meet a fairy.

5 A young lady appeared in their room and told them that she was their neighbour.

6 They were astonished.

7 They began to discuss their first wish and were ready to tell about it in ten minutes.

8 They wanted to have supper first of all.

9 The husband understood that he himself had been even more foolish than his wife.

10 Finally they wished to have a beautiful house.

 

II Choose the correct answer

1) What were they talking about near the fire?

A. about money

B. about a rich man

C. about a poor peasant

D. about winter

2) What would the peasant do, if he had money?

A. buy sausage

B. build a new house

C. open his own shop

D. help poor people

3) What is happiness for a woman?

A. to live in a big house

B. to have a rich neighbour

C. to have a shop

D. to have many wishes

4) Who could help them to become happy?

A. a rich man

B. a stranger

C. a fairy

D. relatives

5) What was a fairy willing to do?

A. to get dinner for them

B. to ask money

C. to sit near the fire

D. to realize their first three wishes

6) What does the word "astonish" mean?

A. to be pleased

B. to surprise

C. to quarrel

D. to satisfy

7) What did the husband and wife do when they heard the fairy's will?

A. they quarrelled with her

B. they decided to wish for something at once

C. decided to put it off till the next day

D. they asked her to sit near the fire

8) How did they feel when they got their first wish?

A. were happy

B. angry

C. frightened

D. hungry

9) What was their first wish?

A. bright fire

B. much money

C. a big house

D. a good sausage

10) What was their last wish?

A. to stick the sausage to the wife's nose

B. to have good appetite

C. to tear the sausage off the wife's nose

D. to fall on the table

 

III Complete the sentences

1 One winter evening a poor peasant sat near…

2 If only I had a little money myself I should…

3 At first the husband and wife were…

4 And a long thick sausage fell on…

5 Finally they realized that they had only one…

 

IV Express your attitude to the behaviour of the husband and the wife (8 – 10 sentences)

 

9 КЛАС ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

The Lady or the Tiger?

In the very old times there lived a king, and he was a man of great fancy.

One day an idea came to his mind, and the king decided to modernize the system of court trial in his kingdom.

For this purpose there was built a big arena with galleries around it. In that arena the most important criminals were to be put on trial in public. But neither the king nor anybody of his court was to decide the fate of the accused person. It was the criminal himself who did it. On an appointed day when all the people had gathered at the galleries, and the king and his court had taken their places, the accused person stepped into the arena. On the other side of the arena there were two doors. The doors were side by side and identical. The accused person was to walk to those doors and open one of them. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger and tore him to pieces, as a punishment for his crime. At the same time the sad bells began to clang, and the people with heavy hearts went to their homes. But if the accused opened the other door, there came out of it a beautiful lady. And to that lady he was immediately married, as a reward for his innocence. It did not matter that the accused might already have a wife and children, or a bride; the king took no notice of such trifles.

Such was the king's method of showing justice.

The king had a daughter whom he loved greatly. She was very beautiful and, at the same time, she was very conceited. It happened so that she fell in love with a young man whose social position was not as high as hers. But they were happy.

One day the king learned about their love. The young man was immediately put into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king's arena.

On this occasion the most savage tiger was caught and caged behind one of the doors, and a very beautiful girl was found to stand behind the other door.

The appointed day came. A lot of people gathered at the galleries. The king and his court were in their places. Then the signal was given, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. He bowed to the king and looked at the princess who was sitting to the right of her father. The princess had learned the secret of the doors. She knew not only in which room there was the lady, but also who that lady was. It was one of the most beautiful girls of the court, and the princess hated her. The princess was very jealous.

When the lover looked at her, he understood that she knew behind which door was the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. His eyes asked: "Which?"

The question was clear to her, and she had to answer. She raised her hand and made a slight movement towards the right door. Her lover turned and, without the slightest hesitation, went to the door on the right.

And now it is for you, dear reader, to decide: did the princess lie or didn't?

Make your decision. But remember, that, on the one hand the princess loved the young man greatly; but on the other hand she was hot-tempered and jealous.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

 I Read the text and put “+” if the sentence is right and “-” if one is false

1 The king decided to modernize the system of court trial in his kingdom.

2 For this purpose there was built a stadium.

3 The accused person stepped into the gallery.

4 If the accused opened the door and a beautiful lady came out, he had immediately to sing a song for her.

5 The king’s daughter was conceited, hot-tempered and jealous.

6 The princess didn’t know the secret of the doors.

7 The princess’ lover turned and, without the slightest hesitation, went to the door on the right.

 

II Find the correct answer

1 What kind of man was a king?

1. a man of great courage
2. a man of great fancy
3. a man of great mind
4. a man of great wit

2 What did the king decide to modernize one day?

       a)       a political system

       b)       a system of education

       c)       a system of court trial

       d)       a system of social assistance

3 What was built for this purpose?

      a)      a big arena with galleries around it

      b)        a beautiful palace

     c)         a new market

      d)         a new highway

   a)       the trial

    b)        the government

   c)        neither the king nor anybody of his court

   d)        the court

5 Where did the accused person step?

b)          into the palace

   c)       into the arena

   d)       into the prison

6 What did the accused person have to open?

    a)       a box on the table

    b)       a letter in the envelope

    c)      a door of the arena

    d)        a window in the palace

 

III Write synonyms from the text

1 an imaginative man

2 a pretty lady

Ambitious

4 ill-tempered

5 envious

IV Write 10 – 15 sentences about your attitude to the story “The Lady or the Tiger?”

9 КЛАС ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

JIM THORPE

    Jim Thorpe was perhaps the greatest athlete the United States has ever had.

James Francis Thorpe was born on May 28, 1888 in Oklahoma.

First he went to a public school for Indians near his home. In 1904 he entered the Carlisle Indian School. He did not have enough money to study full-time and had to interrupt his education several times as he had to earn his living.

The director of athletics at Carlisle was Glenn Warner, a famous athletic coach. Warner began to train Thorpe for football and track. Jim became the best American football player. He also competed in baseball, basketball, tennis and swimming.

In 1912 the Olympic Games were held in Stockholm. Never before in the history of the Modern Olympics had one man competed in both pentathlon and decathlon at one meeting of the Olympic Games. Thorpe did this and he won two gold medals.

According to the rules only amateur athletes can take part in the Olympic Games. One of the reporters discovered that Thorpe had earned 25 dollars a month playing baseball during two summer vacations some years before. He was not therefore an amateur athlete and he had to return his gold medals. The men who came second in the pentathlon and decathlon refused to take them saying they really belonged to Thorpe.

Thorpe decided to give up amateur athletics. He became a professional baseball and football player. He continued to play professional football and baseball until 1929.

Since 1929 Thorpe had odd jobs: he worked as a laborer in California, sometimes he played the part of an Indian in movies about the old West.

On March 28, 1953 Thorpe died in the town of Lomita, California, a poor lonely man not quite 65 years old.

 LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I Agree or disagree

1 Jim Thorpe was the greatest athlete the United Kingdom has ever had.

2 He was born on June 28, 1888 in Oklahoma.

3 He didn't have enough money to study full-time.

4 He had to interrupt his education only once as he had to earn his living.

5 The director of athletics at Carlisle, who began to train Jim, was John Warner.

6 Jim Thorpe became the best American coach.

II Choose the correct answer.

1 Jim went to a public school...

A for black people

B for Indians

C for poor people

2 Warner began to train Thorpe for...

A handball and track

B football and track

C football, track and volleyball

3 In 1912 the Olympic Games were held in...

A Sydney

B Strasbourg

C Stockholm

4 Thorpe competed at one meeting of the Olympic games in both pentathlon and decathlon and won...

1 the gold medals

B the silver medal

C the silver medal and the gold one

5 Thorpe had earned 25 $ a month playing ... during two summer vacations some years before he won his medals.

A football

B baseball

C basketball

6. Thorpe decided to give up amateur athletics because...

A he wanted to become a professional football player

B one of the reporters discovered that he hadn't been an amateur athlete taking part in the Olympic Games

C he wanted to become a basketball instructor

III Fill in the gaps

1 Jim Thorpe perhaps the greatest athlete the United States…

2 James Francis Thorpe was born on May 28, 1888 in…

3 The director of athletics at Carlisle was Glenn Warner…

4 In 1912 the Olympic Games were held in…

5 Thorpe decided to give up amateur athletics, he became a professional…

IV Give facts proving that Jim Thorpe was one of the best athletes in the history of sport in the USA (10 sentences)

9 КЛАС ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

THE TRIMMED LAMP (after O. Henry)

Lou and Nancy were friends. They came to New York to find work because there was not enough to eat at their homes. Nancy was nineteen. Lou was twenty. Both Nancy and Lou were very pretty. Lou found work in a laundry. She was an ironer. Nancy began to work as a sales-girl.

At the end of six months of their life in the big city, Lou met a young man named Dan. They soon became good friends. In fact they fell in love with each other. They went out together several times a week.

"Aren't you cold, Nancy?" Lou asked her friend one evening. They were standing on the corner waiting for Dan. "I feel sorry for you. Why are you working in that old store for eight dollars a week? I made eighteen dollars last week! Of course, ironing is not so pleasant as selling gloves in a store, but it pays. None of the ironers make less than ten dollars a week. I like my work."

"And I like mine," said Nancy, "even though I make only eight dollars a week. I like to work in a big store, and to be among beautiful things and nice people. One of our sales-girls married a steel maker from Pittsburg. He makes a lot of money! You may be sure I'll catch a millionaire some day! And whom can you marry working in a laundry?"

"Why, I met Dan in the laundry,'" said Lou. "He came in to get his Sunday shirt and collars and saw me. I was ironing. Later he said he had noticed my arms first, how white and round they were. I tell you, some very rich men come to laundries. Of course if you want to starve and put on airs, do as you like!"

Just then Dan came. He was an electrician, making thirty dollars a week. It was clear he was in love with Lou, he looked at her with the sad eyes of Romeo.

"Nancy, I want to introduce to you my friend, Mr. Owens. Dan, shake hands with Miss Danforth," said Lou.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Miss Danforth," said Dan. "I've heard so much about you from Lou."

"Thanks," said Nancy, "I've heard from her about you, too."

"I have tickets for a theatre," said Dan. "Let's all go." The three of them started out to have a good time together.

Nancy had no gentlemen friends. Nobody waited for her after work. Some of the sales-girls joked that she was waiting to "catch a millionaire". "I'll make the biggest catch in the world, – or nothing at all!" she used to say.

One day, two of the sales-girls who worked with Nancy invited her to have dinner together with them and their gentlemen friends. The dinner took place in a fashionable cafe.

One of the gentlemen friends had no hair on his head, – the other wore a diamond ring and liked neither the food nor the wine.

The next day the gentleman with the diamond ring appeared in the shop and asked Nancy to marry him. She said 'no'. When he left, one of the girls said to Nancy: "What a terrible fool you are! That fellow is a millionaire – he is the son of Van Skittles himself! Are you mad, Nancy? What do you want? Do you want to be a Mormon and marry Rockefeller and the King of Spain at the same time?"

"I don't want his money," said Nancy "I don't ' like him, that's all! I want to marry a rich man, that's true. But I also want to like him!"

Lou worked on in the laundry. Out of her eighteen dollars a week she paid six dollars for her room and board. The rest of the money went for clothes.

When the day's work was over she met Dan who was always waiting for her outside the laundry.

Sometimes Dan did not like her clothes, they were too bright – he thought – and in bad taste. But she liked bright clothes, and when people in the streets looked at her, she liked that very much.

Dan and Lou always asked Nancy to come with them when they went out to have a good time.

One Saturday afternoon the two girls met, and Lou said:  "Dan is always asking me to marry him. But why should I? I am independent. Now I can do what I like with the money I make. And if I marry Dan he will not allow me to work. Nancy, what are your plans for the future? Have you caught your millionaire yet?"

"Not yet," said Nancy with a laugh. "I haven't selected one yet..."

"You are joking, of course," said Lou.

"Millionaires don't notice working girls like us. Still I am sure that I'll catch one before you do."

Nancy worked on. She watched and studied the rich men and women who came to the store. She hoped some day to find the man she could marry.

So she kept her lamp trimmed and burning to receive her bridegroom when he should come.

One Thursday evening Nancy left the store and walked over to the laundry. Dan and Lou had invited her to go to a musical comedy with them.

Dan was just coming out of the laundry when she arrived. There was a strange nervous look on his face.

"I hoped to find out something about her. I thought they had heard from her," he said. "Heard from whom? What are you talking about?" said Nancy. "Isn't Lou there?" "I thought you knew everything," said Dan. "She hasn't been here or at the house where she lived since Monday. She lock all her things from there. She told one of the girls in the laundry that she was going to Europe."

"Has anybody seen her anywhere?" asked Nancy. Dan looked at her. His gray eyes were like steel.

"They told me in the laundry," he said, "that they saw her yesterday ... in an automobile. With one of those millionaires that you and Lou were always talking about."

For the first time in her life Nancy did not know what to say. Then she laid her hand on Dan's arm and said:

"You have no right to say such a thing to me, Dan. Do you think that she has done it because of my jokes about millionaires? I am sorry for you, but I have nothing to do with it."

"I'm sorry I said it," answered Dan, "Don't be angry with me!"

"I have tickets for a show to-night," he said a moment later. "If you..."

Nancy saw how miserable he was and she felt sorry for him.

"I'll come with you, Dan," she said.

Three-months passed before Nancy saw Lou again.

One evening she was hurrying home from the store. Suddenly somebody called her name. She turned around and saw Lou who caught her in her arms.

Nancy noticed at once that Lou had become rich. She was very well dressed and had diamond rings on her fingers.

"You little fool," cried Lou, "I see you are still working in that store. I see you haven't caught a millionaire yet."

And then Lou looked and saw that Nancy had something better than money, something that shone brighter than stars in her eyes, something that was redder than a rose in her cheeks. Happiness!

"Yes, I'm still in the store," said Nancy, "but I am going to leave it next week. I've made my catch, the best catch in the world. I'm going to be married to Dan... to Dan! He is my Dan now."

A policeman, going around the corner of the park saw two young women. One of them, with diamond rings on her fingers was crying like a child. The other, a simply dressed working girl, was trying to console her. The policeman passed on. He knew he could not help the one who was crying.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

I Do you agree or not?

1 Nancy and Lou came to New York to catch the bridegrooms.

2 The girls did not find any work in New York.

3 Lou found her happiness in New York

4 Nancy envied Lou.

5 When Van Skittles asked Nancy to marry him she agreed at once.

6 Lou was looking forward to marrying Dan.

7 Dan was nervous when he hadn't found Lou.

8 Lou was happier than Nancy.

II Choose the correct answer according to the information in the text.

1 Lou and Nancy came to New York

a) for entertainment; b) to get acquainted with its sights; c) to find work; d) to buy all the necessary things.

2 Lou and Dan

a) got married on the second day; b) became good friends soon; c) were close relatives d) met in the theatre.

3 Nancy's dream was

a) to return home; b) to change her boring work; c) to spend all her free time shopping; d) to catch a millionaire some day.

4 It was clear that Dan was in love with Lou because

a) he brought her flowers every day; b) he looked at her with the sad eyes of Romeo.

c) he asked her to marry him; d) he wanted to be with Lou every minute.

5 Nancy refused to marry the son of Van Skittles because

a) he wasn't rich enough; b) she fall in love with the other man; c) he lived in a small provincial town; d) she didn't like him.

6 When Nancy met Dan there was a strange nervous look on his face because

a) he had forgotten his wallet at home; b) his mother was seriously ill; c) he hadn't been able to find out something about Lou; d) he had lost his job.

7 When Nancy saw Lou

a) she learned that Lou was very unhappy; b) she told her about her further marriage.

c) they went to a café; d) she invited her to her new place.

 

III Choose the right answer

1 Lou:

a) liked her work very much;

b) wanted to catch a millionaire;

c) decided to return home.

2 Dan:

a) wanted to marry Lou as she always told Nancy;

b) was a millionaire who liked spending his free time with poor girls;

c) wasn't an honest man.

3 Nancy:

a) seemed a matter-of-fact sort of girl;

b) had something better than money, something that shone brighter than stars in her eyes;

c) was very unhappy.

 

IV Ask Lou, Nancy, Dan any questions you would like (5 questions).

 

10 КЛАС

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

CANADA. ITS GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

    Canada covers all of the North American continent to the north of the USA except Alaska and the small French Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. It is the second largest country in the world after Russia. But the population of Canada is not very big – only 27,4 million people who live mostly in the south of Canada, along the border of the USA. Canada is bordered by three oceans, the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Pacific. The capital of the country is Ottawa.

    Canada is a nation in North America composed of two linguistic and cultural groups: French and English. To these major groups, and to the small native population of Indians and Eskimos, have been added many thousands immigrants representing the major European cultures. The two official languages of Canada are English and French. In the north of the country there are 330,000 Indians and 25,000 Eskimos who are the original peoples of the North , Central and South America. They have no equal rights with other citizens of the country and they have fought for their rights for many years.

    The interior of the country is a vast plain. The plain extends from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains. In the north the plain ends in the islands of the Arctic Ocean. In the south Canada shares the Great Lakes with the United States. The most admirable sight which attracts tourists from all over the world is the Niagara Falls. They are on the Niagara River between the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

    All parts of the country have cold weather in winter. Winter in Canada lasts from four to five month with heavy snowfalls. Summer is usually warm, though quite short.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Find true and false sentences

1) Canada is situated in the south of the North American continent.

2) Alaska is included in the territory of Canada.

3) Canada is the second largest country in the world.

4) It is bordered by two oceans: the Atlantic and the Arctic. 

5) The population of Canada is over thirty million people.

6) The capital of the country is Ottawa.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1) Canada is a nation in North America composed of two linguistic and cultural groups: … and … .

2) In the north of the country there are 330,000 … and 25,000 … who are the original peoples of the North , Central and South America.

3) They have no equal … with other … of the country.

4) The interior of the country is a vast … .

5) In the south Canada shares the … … with the United States.

6) The most admirable sight which attracts tourists from all over the world is the … .

III. Answer the questions.

1) Where is Canada situated?

2) What oceans is Canada bordered by?

3) How much is the population?

4) What are the two official languages of the country?

5) Where are the Niagara falls situated?

6) What can you say about the climate of Canada?

 

IV. Make up a plan to retell the text.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

. THE ANGRY FAN

This happened in Australia, during a water-polo game that was one of the main sports events of the season. There was nothing ex­citing at the beginning of the game; but suddenly one of the players jumped out of the water and ran to the referee. He said that one of the forwards of the other team had bitten him in the leg while he was swimming under the water.

At first the referee thought that it was some kind of a joke, but when the player pointed to blood on his leg, he had to believe that it was serious. He called the forward and asked him why he had done such a strange thing; and though the forward insisted that he had not bitten anybody, the referee made him leave the game.

They began again, but a few minutes later, two players, one from each team, climbed out of the water, shouting that somebody had bitten them. There was blood on both players' legs. The game was stopped, and they began to let the water out of the pool. When almost all the water was let out, everybody saw a young crocodile at the bottom of the pool. Somebody had put the crocodile into the pool, but why? The truth became known when the players returned to their dressing room after the game and found a letter there.

"I have been a water-polo fan for many years", the author of the letter wrote, "and I am not satisfied with the way the players seem to act. They have allowed the game to become slow and uninteresting, and I have decided that I must do something to make them move faster. I don't think I can do this well myself, and I have decided that my crocodile will do it better".

 

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Put "+" next to the true sentences and "-" next to the false ones.

1. Water-polo is very popular in Australia.
2. The players were very excited at the beginning of the game.

3. One of the players was bitten in the leg.
4. d) It was a joke.

e) There was a crocodile at the bottom.

f) The crocodile was put in the pool in order to kill the best

player of the opposite team.

 

II. Choose the correct answer.

1. How many water-polo players were bitten by the crocodile?

1. one
2. two
3. three

 

2. How was the crocodile found?

1. the water was let out of the pool
2. the players put the net into the pool
3. the water was let into the pool

 

3. Who put the crocodile into the swimming pool?

1. the referee
2. the player
3. the water polo fan

 

4. What did he do it for?

1. to play a joke
2. to make them move faster
3. to frighten them

 

5. When did they know the truth?

1. in the afternoon
2. when they returned to their dressing room
3. when they returned to the living room

 

6. Who could make them move faster?

1. a coach
2. a shark
3. a crocodile

 

 

III. Fill in the suitable words

At fast the 1._____ thought that it was some kind of a joke? But when the player pointed to 2._____ on his leg? He had to 3._____ that it was serious. He called the 4._____ and asked him why he had done such a strange thing; and though the forward insisted that he had not 5._____ anybody, the referee made him 6._____ the game.

 

1. Leave     D) referee
2. forward     E) believe
3. bitten     F) blood

 

IV. Ask 6 questions to the text

 

 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

MARK TWAIN'S FIRST MONEY

Somebody once asked Mark Twain whether he could remember the first money he ever earned.

"I remember quite well", the famous writer answered. "It happened at school. Schoolboys in those days had very little respect for their teachers and even less for their desks. The boys used pens and pencils and even knives to draw stars and faces, or to write their names on their desks. At last, the school principal said; 'The next time anybody does such thing, he will have to pay five dollars, or he will receive a beating in front of the whole school'.

Soon after that, I had to go to my father and ask him to give me five dollars. I was honest enough to explain that I could agree to receive a beating instead, but he said: 'No, I can't allow you to connect our name with such things. So I'll pay the five dollars. But you must suffer for what you have done. I'll give you the beating here, at home'.

So he beat me, and then gave me the five dollars to take to school. But I decided that the beating didn't hurt so much, and an­other beating at school wouldn't be worse. So I told them to give trie a beating in front of the whole school, and I kept the five dol­lars. And that was the first money I ever earned".

 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

1. Mark  Twain  had  to  work  to  earn  money when  he was  a schoolboy.
2. The pupils were punished for drawing and writing on then
   desks.
3.           The pupils had to pay for the desks they had spoilt.
4. The pupils had to pay money instead of getting a beating
   in front of the school.
5.           Mark Twain preferred being beaten to paying.
6. He was suffering hard from the beating he had got in front
   of the school.

 

II. Answer the questions

1. What did the boys use their pens, pencils and knives for?

A) to make smth for their friends

B) to play different games

C) to draw or to write on the desks

2. Why did the school principal invent such a strict punishment for student.

A) to make pupils to learn well

B) to stop writing and drawing on the desks

C) to make pupils to do their home task well

3. Why did the boy’s father decide to pay five dollars?

A) he couldn’t allow his son to be beaten in front of the whole school

B) he didn’t want his son to suffer

C) he wanted his son to buy some pens

4. How much money did they have to pay?

A) some dollars

B) five pounds

C) five dollars

5. How did the boy earn the money for the first time?

A) he let him beat

B) he sold food

C) he worked in an office

6. What did he do with the money that father gave him?

A) he spent them

B) he kept them for himself

C) he gave them to his father

 

III. Give the antonyms to the words

pay

honest

instead

agree

suffer

allow

 

 

IV. Ask 6 questions to the text

10 КЛАС

 

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

A CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER GRACE PALEY

 My father is eighty-six years old and in bed. His heart, that bloody motor, is equally old and will not certain jobs any more. It still floods his head with brainy light. But won’t let his legs carry the weight of his body around the house. Despite my metaphors, this muscle failure is not due to his old heart, he says, but to a potassium shortage. Sitting on one pillow, leaning on three, he offers last minute advice and makes a request.

    “I would like to write a simple story just once more,” he says,” the kind de Maupassant wrote, or Chekhov, the kind you used to write. Just recognizable people and then write down what happened to them next

    I say, “Yes, why not? That’s possible.” I want to please him, though I don’t remember writing that way. I would like to try to tell such story, if he means the kind that begins: “There was a woman…” followed by plot, absolute line between two points which I’ve always despised. Not for literary reasons, but because it takes all hope away. Everyone, real or invented, deserves the open destiny of life.

    Finally I thought of a story that had been happening for a couple of years right across the street. I wrote it down, then read it aloud. “Pa,” I said, “how about this? Do you mean something like this?”

    Once in my time there was a woman and she had a son. They lived nicely, in a small apartment in Manhattan. This boy at about fifteen became a junkie, which is not unusual in our neighborhood.

    In order to maintain her close friendship with him, she became a junkie too. She said it was part of the youth culture, with which she felt very much at home. After a while, for a number of reasons, the boy gave it all up and left the city and his mother in disgust. Hopeless and alone, she grieved. We all visited her.

 

 

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

II. Circle the correct letter

1. My father spends his time in …

a) bed; b) church; c) the cafes; d) pain and sufferings

2. His heart is weak but has not reduced the follow of blood …

a) to his legs; b) to his strong arms and shoulders; c) to his head; d) to his liver

3. He thinks I write simple stories like …

a) Shultz and Dilbert; b) Bulgakov and Shevchenko; c) Chekhov or de Maupassant; d) Chekhov and Marquis de Sade

4. I was … to write a simple story for my father.

a) unwilling; b) eager; c) saddened; d) unable

5. The woman and her son lived in …

a) Sumy; b) Poland; c) Manhattan; d) Washington D. C.

6. The boy became a junkie, which was … where we lived.

a) common; b) uncommon; c) looked down upon; d) held in high esteem

 

III. Fill in the blanks

Once in my time there was a woman and she had a son. They lived 1_____, in a small apartment in Manhattan. This boy at about fifteen became a 2_____, which is not 3_____ in our neighborhood.

In order to 4_____ her close friendship with him, she became a junkie too. She said it was part of the 5_____culture, with which she felt very much at home. After a while, for a number of reasons, the boy gave it all up and left the city and his mother in 6_____. Hopeless and alone, she grieved. We all visited her.

1.nicely                                 2.unusual                                 3. youth

4. disgust                              5. junkie                                   6. maintain

IV. Make up  5 questions of different types.

 

 

 

11 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

“DEAR MOM, YOU'RE RUINING ME" Jean Van Leeuwen

Dear mom,

I am working very hard on cleaning my room. But I want to go to Katy's this afternoon to work on our Halloween costumes. Can I finish tomorrow? I would get up early and do it before breakfast and I'll do a good job. Please? Write back.

Love, The Prisoner in Tower # 3

Dear Prisoner,

No.

Love, Mom.

    For days a time Sam's mother never came up to her room. And then one day Sam would come home from school and find the Condemned sign on her doorknob. Her mother had made the sign. It said: THIS ROOM IS CONDEMNED.

ITS OWNER MAY NOT GO ANYWHERE OR DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE PREMISES ARE RESTORED TO NEETNESS. In other words, Sam was grounded until she cleaned her room.

    It wasn't fair. She was always getting the Condemned sign. Bradley hardly ever did. And his room was really disgusting, with posters of rock stars and basketball stars and movie stars wearing tiny bikinis covering every inch of his walls, and even suspended from the ceiling. But, her mother pointed out, his floor was clean. And his desk. That was all she cared about.

Sam had been imprisoned in her room for three hours now. She sat on the floor, looking at everything she was supposed to be putting away. It was possible she might be there all day.

    There were her clothes, piled high on her chair and overflowing onto the floor. Assorted shoes. An umbrella from when it rained on Tuesday. Library books. Magazines with pictures of adorable teen-movie stars that Rebecca had lent her. Her piano music from yesterday's lesson. And odds and ends of junk: nail polish remover, cotton balls, a tennis-ball, wadded-up notes from Katy, rocks from rock collection they were making for science, pencil stubs, gum wrappers. And about twenty crumpled tissues.

    The thing to do, Sam decided, was sort everything into piles. A pile of dirty laundry, a pile of her dresser drawers, a pile to throw away. That was how her father, the organization man, would do it.

She sighed. It was conceivable she could be imprisoned in her room all week-end. She decided to paint her finger nails instead.

READING COMPREHENSION TEST 

I. Find true and false statements.

1. Sam was a schoolgirl.

2. She was the only child in the family.

3. The above mentioned episode occurred in winter. 

4. Sam was put into prison.

5. Sam was often punished by her mother for the constant disorder in her room.

6. Sam's mother was abusive and aggressive.

II. Choose the correct variant

1. As a punishment the girl was not allowed to: a) visit her friend; b) attend the party;

c) leave the room until it is cleaned.

2. Sam wanted to go to Katy's because she wanted: a) to prepare costumes for
the party; b) to gossip about their classmates; c) to do homework together.

3. Bradley was fond of: a) basketball stars; b) rock, movie and basketball stars; 

c) posters of stars. 

4. The mother didn't scold Bradley because: 

a)she liked Bradley more than Sam; b) he was physically handicapped; c) the floor in his room was always clean.  

5. Sam's clothes were:

a) scattered around the room; b) piled on her chair, c)kept in a wardrobe.  

6 Concerning her possessions lying on the floor Sam's decision was:  

a) to sort everything into piles; b) to throw everything away; c) to put everything into her dresser drawers.  

a) humorous; b) tragic; c) dramatic.

III. Answer the questions.

1.                What sign did Sam see on her doorknob?
2.                Why did Sam think that it wasn’t fair?
3.                What was Sam doing in her room?
4.                What kinds of things were there on the floor?
5.                What did she decide to do first?
6.                What did she do at the end of the story?

 

IV. Make up six questions  of different type to the text.  

11 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST  SEMESTER I

THE DISCOVERY OF DINOSAURS

    Less than two hundred years ago, no one ever dreamed there was such a thing as dinosaur. Today, everyone knows about dinosaurs. They are especially popular with children. Even young children who can barely write their own names are often familiar with such dinosaur names as Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops. 

    People have known of dinosaurs for only about 150 years. Before then, no one dreamed there had ever been such creatures. The word “ dinosaur” didn’t even exist.

Anyone who chanced to dig up a fossil dinosaur bone or tooth might have thought it had come from an elephant – or perhaps from a dragon or giant! There were few if any people who could look at a bone and tell what sort of animal it had come from.

    But by 150 years ago there were a good many scientists who could examine a bone or a tooth  and tell exactly what kind of animal it had come from. Some of these man were very interested in the fossil remains of ancient animals. And they began to discover a number of  fossils that they knew had come from reptiles – scaly skinned creatures such as lizards, snakes and crocodiles. But most reptiles of today are rather small, and these fossil reptile bones and teeth were enormous!

    In a book written in 1824, an Englishman named William Buckland described a huge fossil jaw that had been dug up near an English town. He called this creature Megalosaurus, which means “ giant lizard ”. It was the first dinosaur to be named. During the next few years, fossils of other ancient reptiles were found and named. Scientists now realized that a great many different kinds of giant reptiles must have lived long ago. A name was needed for these reptiles, just  as there is a name for every other group of animals that are alike. In 1841, the English scientist Richard Owen suggested these huge, terrible-seeming reptiles should be called dinosaurs. The word was made up from Greek words “deinos “, which means “terrible”, and sauros”,  which means “lizard”. As it turned out, this really wasn’t good name, because dinosaurs were not lizards.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Say if the sentence true or false 

1) People have known of dinosaurs for about 150 years.

2) Three hundred years ago there were few people who could tell what sort of animal the bones belonged to. 

3)  By 150 years ago the scientists learned to tell exactly what kind of animal it had come from.

4) The first dinosaur to be named was Triceratops.

5) William Buckland was the first man to name  the creature Megalosaurus.

6) The word “dinosaur” was suggested by Richard Owen

 

II. Complete the sentences.

1) The word …  didn’t even exist. 

a) thesaurus; b) dinosaur; c)  jigsaw d) creature

2) These fossil reptile bones and teeth were … !

a) anomalous; b) great; c) enormous; d) normal  

3) William Buckland described a huge fossil … that had been dug up near an English town. 

a) jaw; b) skeleton; c) bone; d) leg

4) He called this creature Megalosaurus, which means “ giant … ”.

a) elephant; b) crocodile; c) bird; d) lizard

5) A …  was needed for these reptiles.

a) title; b) name; c) kind; d) surname

6) The word was made up from … words.

a) Latin; b) Italian; c) German; d) Greek.

 

III. Answer the questions.

1.               For how much time have people known of dinosaurs?
2.               Who named the first dinosaur?
3.               When and where was it?
4.               Who suggested he name for that group of animals?
5.               How was the word “dinosaur” created? 
6.               Why wasn’t it a very good name for the animals?

 

IV. Make up and write down a plan to retell the story

 

11 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

 

    In Britain censorship of videos is much stricter than in many other European countries. And it might be even stricter in future, especially with violent. Soon, it may be difficult to hire films like Reservoir Dogs on video in Britain. Film censors are worried that young people might copy screen violence.

    In England last year, a ten-year-old and eleven-year-old killed two-year-old boy. Many people blamed a famous horror film. The two boys copied many of the violent scenes in the film when they attacked their victim.

    A recent investigation showed that many young, violent criminals watch violent films. However, this does not mean that there is a definite connection. Millions of other people also watch them, but not perform violent crimes.

    In the USA, a boy dropped a bowling ball from a bridge onto cars on motorway and killed someone after he saw it on “Beavis and Butt-Head”. A mother blamed this programme when her son started a fire, which killed his sister. But don’t young people know the difference between reality and fiction? The producers of the programme say that the audience know that the two characters are “crazy”, but prefer  “Beavis and Butt-Head” to cartoons with moral messages because they are original and funny.

    Countries vary in their opinion of video violence. Spain and Portugal have almost no limitations for the cinema or video. France has no limitations for videos.

    In England “Die Hard 2” was a certificate 15 but the film censors cut out the most violent scenes. In France, there was no age limitation and it was possible to see the entire film.

    Many film producers believe that too much censorship might destroy the film industry. What do you think? 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST

 

I. Find true and false statements

1) In most European countries there’s no censorship on videos.

2) censorship in Great Britain is very strict.

3) Violent films on TV cause violence in reality.

4) Teenagers sometimes cannot see the difference between reality and fiction.

5) The film producers think that too strict censorship might destroy the film industry.

6) Parents may not be worried about the quality and content of the films their kids watch on TV.

II. Complete the sentences.

1) Film censors are worried that young people might copy screen … .

a) fights; b) violence; c) kisses; d) movements 

2)    A recent … showed that many young, violent criminals watch violent films. 

a) discussion; b) investment; c) research; d) investigation

3) But don’t young people know the difference between reality and … ?

a) fiction; b) fantasy; c) film; d) flowers

4) France has no limitations for … .

a) music; b) films; c) videos; d) clips

5) Countries vary in their opinion of video … .

a) cruel scenes; b) murders; c) fights; d) violence.

6) Spain and … have almost no limitations for the cinema or video.

a) Ukraine; b) Portugal; c) Peru; d) Germany.

III. Answer the questions. 

1) Why can the censorship become stricter in Great Britain?

2) Why do people prefer to watch “Beavis and Butt-Head”?

3) What countries don’t almost have censorship?

4) What might destroy film industry?

IV. Ask 6 questions of different type to the text.

11 КЛАС  ________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION TEST

MOTHER TERESA

Mother Teresa was a simple nun. She never wanted to be famous, but every­one in the world knew who she was. She received many important awards. She travelled around the world to accept them. She asked people for help. Then she gave everything to the poor.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now Macedonia. She was the youngest of three children. Agnes's father died when she was a child. Her mother made dresses to support the family. Agnes's mother also liked to do charity work, such as visiting the sick. Agnes often went with her, and she enjoyed helping these people. She was a good and re­ligious girl.

Even as a child, Agnes wanted to be a nun. When she was 18 years old, she joined a group of nuns in Darjeeling, India. There, she chose the name Teresa. Then she went to Calcutta to work at St. Mary's School. The school was in a con­vent. Sister Teresa lived in the convent and worked at the school for 20 years. She eventually became the principal. During all those years, Sister Teresa was always concerned about how other people lived. The convent had clean buildings and beautiful lawns. But outside the convent, the streets were dirty and crowded and full of very poor people.

One day in 1946, Sister Teresa was riding on a train to Darjeeling. She looked out of the window and saw dirty children. They were wearing rags and sleeping in doorways. Sick and dying people were lying on filthy streets. She loved her work at the school, but she realized that other people needed her help more. At that moment, she believed God sent her a message. She decided to go to work with the poor.

Two years later, Sister Teresa left the convent. First, she went to a hospital to learn to take care of sick people. After three months, she was ready to live with the poor and the sick. One day, she saw a group of poor children and called them to her. She told them she was going to open a school. The school had no roof, no walls, and no chairs. On the first day, only five students came. She used a stick to write lessons in the dirt.

Several months later, Sister Teresa had many students. Everyone in Calcutta knew about her. A friend let her use part of his house for the school. She taught the children language and math. She also taught them how to keep clean and stay healthy. Soon, other nuns came to help her. Sister Teresa was happy that they wanted to join her. But she told them that life with her was not easy. She said that everyone had to wear the same clothes — white cotton saris. She wanted all the nuns to look like the poor people in India.

In 1948, Sister Teresa started her own group of nuns. They were called the Missionaries of Charity. She was their leader, so they called her "Mother" Tere­sa. The nuns lived in the slums with people who were poor, dirty, and sick. It was hard work and the days were long. But many young nuns came from around the world to join Mother Teresa.

One day, Mother Teresa saw an old woman in the street. She took her to a hospital. They refused to help the woman because she was poor. Mother Ter­esa decided to open a place for the sick and the dying. Later, she started homes for children without families. She also started clinics. Over the years, news of her work spread around the world. Many people sent her donations of money. Oth­ers came to work with her in India or other places. By 1990, the Missionaries of Charity were working in 400 centres around the world.

Over the years, Mother Teresa received many great awards, such as the Nobel Peace Prize. But she always said her greatest reward was helping people. Her message to the world was, "We can do no great things — only small things with great love". She died in 1997 at the age of 87. The whole world mourned her death.

 

READING  COMPREHENSION TEST

1. True or False Statements

1.      Everyone in the world knows who Mother Teresa was.
2.      Agnes chose the name Teresa when she joined a group of nuns in In­dia.
3.      Sister Teresa had worked at St. Mary's school for 20 years and eventu­ally became a principal.
4.      Sister Teresa was rarely concerned about the convent where the school
   was.
5.      She decided to go to work with the poor because she didn't like her
   work at school.
6.      Sister Teresa was the only nun in the school she opened.

 

 2. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Mother Teresa became famous because she...

A. started a hospital; B. was a good teacher; C. knew everything about everybody;

D. lived her life to help others.

2. When Agnes was 18 years old, she went to...

A. Macedonia. B. Mexico; C. India. D. Indonesia.

3. Sister Teresa lived and worked in the convent in Calcutta for...

A. two years; B.  twelve years; C. twenty years; D. twenty two years.

4. Right after Sister Teresa had left the convent, she...

A. went to hospital to learn to take care of sick people; B. went to Calcutta; C. travelled around the world to accept awards; D. went to St. Mary's School.

5. Sister Teresa decided to work with the poor...

A. when she did charity with her mother; B. when she saw sick and dying people lying on dirty streets; C. when she asked people for help; D. when she opened her school.

6. Mother Teresa's first school...

A. taught religious subjects only; B. was very small and simple;  C. wasn't liked by the people of Calcutta; D. had clean buildings and beautiful lawns.

3. Complete the sentences. 

1. She never wanted … , but everyone in the world knew who she was.
2. Even as a child, Agnes wanted to be … .
3. During all those years, … Teresa was always concerned about how other people lived.
4. First, she went to …  to learn to take care of sick people.
5. She also taught them how to keep …  and stay … .
6. By 1990, the Missionaries of … were working in 400 centres around the world.

4. Make up four questions of different type to this text.