РАССМОТРЕНО СОГЛАСОВАНО УТВЕРЖДЕНО

На заседании ШМО Зам.директора УВР ШГ №24 Директор ШГ №24

Протокол № от Знаменская Н.А. _________ Абдураимова А.Х.________

ЭКЗАМЕНАЦИОННЫЕ ЗАДАНИЯ ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ В 9 КЛАССЕ

CARD № 1
Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

Can Mozart make you clever?

Some people believe that young children should listen to classical music. They think it can
change a child’s brain and make the child clever. They call this ‘the Mozart effect’.
This idea became very popular in the 1990s. Governments and universities spent a lot of money
over the next twenty years to test if it is true. The research shows that it is not. Listening to
Mozart does not have a permanent effect on your brain.
However, research shows that listening to music can help children learn. Mike Edwards teaches
eight-year-olds. He works in a special school for children with behaviour problems. He is not a
music teacher, but in his classroom there is always music.
‘I play the music at the beginning of the lesson,’ Mike says, ‘and it really works!’
Mike’s students are sometimes difficult to control. ‘They’re not stupid or lazy,’ he says, ‘but
they’re sometimes noisy and rude and you have to be very patient.’ The music is calm and quiet.
It helps the children to feel calm and quiet too. Then they can learn better.
‘I don’t think music changes a child’s brain or personality, but it helps them to concentrate so
they can be more creative. They enjoy coming to class and it makes my job easier because
they’re more polite and hard-working.’
So does Mozart make you a better student? Maybe. But Mike’s students are listening to the
blues!

1 In the last ten years of the twentieth century, many people believed in the Mozart effect.
__________________
2 Research proved that listening to classical music doesn’t make students more clever
__________________
3 Mike teaches children about music.
__________________
4 Mike’s students are always badly behaved.
__________________
5. Mike’s students aren’t listening to classical music in class.
__________________
 CARD № 2

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

Sporting heroes
What makes someone a sporting hero? Millions of spectators watched Usain Bolt running in
the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He broke the world record in three athletics events. At the same
Olympic Games, the American swimmer Michael Phelps won eight gold medals and broke
seven world records. The world media went crazy! Everyone loves a champion.
But at the Olympics there is also another kind of hero. Have you ever seen the film Cool
Runnings? It’s a funny film about a bobsleigh team from Jamaica. It’s based on the true story
of a Jamaican team who competed in the Winter Olympics in 1988. They lived in a country
with no snow, they had nowhere to train and no money from the government or big businesses
to help them, but they made it to the Olympics and they raced for their country. The Olympic
Games have many stories like this.
When Eric Moussambani, from Equatorial Guinea in central Africa, swam in the 100 m
freestyle in Sydney in the 2000 Olympic Games, the international media reported it around the
world. He didn’t win a gold medal. He didn’t break any records. In fact, his time at one minute
and fifty-two seconds was more than twice the time of Pieter van den Hoogenband, who broke
the world record with a time of 47.84 seconds. Before the Olympics, Moussambani trained in
a twenty-metre hotel pool. He only started swimming eight months before the Olympic Games.
The race was his first time in an Olympic-sized fifty-metre swimming pool. And the crowd
clapped and cheered for Moussambani until he reached the finish line.
These people are not champions and they do not go back to their countries with a handful of
medals, but they are heroes because they try.

1 The Jamaican government gave the bobsleigh team money to compete. _____
2 The team from Jamaica tried to compete in the Olympics, but they failed. _____
3 The newspapers and TV journalists were interested in Moussambani. _____
4 Moussambani swam in a fifty-metre pool for the first time at the Olympics. _____
5 Moussambani didn’t finish the race. _____
 CARD № 3
Read and retell the main idea of the text. Match the sentences A–F with the gaps 1–5 in
the text. There is one extra sentence you do not need.

A buzz about town

I’m in an expensive hotel in the centre of Paris. 1_____ The hotel owner, Jean Leforestier, tells
me that the honey is from the hotel’s own bees. I imagine that the hotel has a farm somewhere
in the countryside, but Jean is smiling. ‘Would you like to see the bees?’ he asks. ‘They’re
upstairs.’
I’m surprised, but I follow Jean up the stairs. On the roof of the hotel, far above the busy streets
of Paris, there is a roof garden. 2_____ I can see them flying around. They live in six small hives
made of wood, and they make honey for the hotel’s guests.
3
_____ Some people have gardens, but you don’t need much room for a small hive. Like Jean
at the hotel, people are building them on rooftops or on balconies. In the city of Paris there are
over 400 hives. It’s surprising, but research shows that bees in the city are healthier and produce
more honey than their country cousins.
Research suggests that the use of chemicals on farms, and the size of modern farms are not
good for bees. The farmers plant huge fields with just one type of crop. 4_____ When the
farmers cut their crops to sell them, the bees have almost no food left.
In the city, bees visit our parks, gardens, balconies and flower beds. 5_____ They can produce
honey for longer each year. Next time you’re in the park, look out for bees buzzing among the
flowers. There might be an urban bee keeper in your town too!

A In fact, more and more people in big cities are keeping bees. _____
B Alice Jennings keeps bees at her farm in Devon. _____
C It’s breakfast time and I’m putting some honey on my bread. _____
D This means that bees have only one type of food. _____
E Urban bees can have up to 250 different types of food. _____
F This is where the hotel keeps its bees. _____
 CARD № 4

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Choose the correct answers.
The BAFTAs or the Oscars?
Do you know anything about the BAFTA awards? It’s not surprising if you don’t, because many people
see the awards as just a practice for the Oscars. However, BAFTA (British Academy of Film and
Television) started in 1947 and their award ceremony was first held in 1948. The awards were not shown
on television until 1967, but since then more and more people have started to watch. In 2011 the viewing
figures were up to 5.3 million, and the awards are now a well-known event in the film industry calendar.
The BAFTA awards ceremony celebrates the best of film and television every year. Although it does
have some special categories just for British films, it also awards prizes to many foreign films and
programmes (usually American). When the award ceremony began in 1948, there was just one category
and one prize – for best film. Nowadays there are over 25 award categories, including awards for current
affairs programmes and sports programmes, as well as the usual awards for best actor and actress.
Awards are usually presented by actors or actresses, but in the past, members of the British royal family
have also presented them. The prize is a golden mask statue. One of the eyes in the mask is missing,
which makes it look quite strange.
The BAFTA awards ceremony used to happen in April or March, but in 2002 they changed the date to
February to make sure that the ceremony came before the Oscars. The Oscars now often nominate the
same films, actors and actresses for prizes (even though the same actors and actresses don’t always win).
This happens so often that the BAFTAs are now seen as a good way to predict Oscar nominations. So
if you are interested in the Oscars, it is worth watching the BAFTAs first.

1 The BAFTA awards started in

a 1947. c 1967.
b 1948. d 2002.

2 The BAFTA awards honour

a international television and cinema. c only the British film industry.
b mostly foreign productions. d only a few categories.

3 The BAFTA awards prize

a is a statue of the Royal family. c is made out of gold.
b is a different design every year. d is always presented by an actor or actress.

4 BAFTA changed the date of the awards ceremony

a to be closer to the Oscars ceremony. c to the same month as the Oscars.
b to be earlier than the Oscars ceremony. d to come later in the year than the Oscars.

5 Watching the BAFTAs is a good way

a to avoid watching the Oscars. c to see who will present the Oscars.
b to see who will win an Oscar. d to see who might be nominated for an Oscar.
 CARD № 5

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Match the paragraph titles A–F with the
paragraphs 1–5. There is one extra title you do not need.

One-click shopping
1 ______
What can you buy online? These days you can buy food, cars, holidays and even a house with
a few clicks and a credit card. In fact, it might be quicker to list the things that you can’t buy
on the Internet.
2 ______
According to statistics, 85% of Internet users have bought something online. In 2006 only 10%
of the world’s population shopped on the Internet. Two years later the figure was 40% – that’s
nearly 900 million shoppers!
3 ______
It’s easy to see why people are choosing their computer instead of the high street. With city
centres getting more and more crowded, and things like petrol and parking getting so expensive,
it makes sense to avoid the crowds and shop from home. There are often great deals on the
Internet too.
4 ______
Of course, there are disadvantages to shopping for things online. You can’t try clothes on before
you buy, so they can sometimes be the wrong size, or disappointing when they arrive. And of
course, Internet shoppers have to be patient and wait for the goods to arrive.
5 ______
So will Internet shopping replace shopping in town completely? It’s hard to say, but most people
think it won’t, even with more and more Internet offers and possibilities. In the UK shopping
with friends or family has become one of the most popular leisure activities. Many people
simply enjoy going shopping.

A I’ll meet you in town D Saving time and money

B Watch out for Internet crime! E Is this what I ordered?
C It’s all there on the web F More and more customers
 CARD № 6

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Match the sentences A–F with the gaps 1–5 in
the text. There is one extra sentence you do not need.

The death of the cinema?

1
_____ In the 1940s thirty million people in Britain went to the cinema regularly. It wasn’t
expensive. Ordinary working people could afford it and it was a treat for children. It was also
the place to see the news. Hundreds of cinemas opened up all over Britain.
2
_____ By the 1960s more and more homes had televisions, and cinemas started to close. In the
1980s people watched videos. Then came satellite TV, the Internet and computer games. By
the end of the twentieth century, fewer and fewer people went to the cinema.
3
_____ New technology like 3D means that cinemas can offer something most people can’t get
at home. In 2007 the number of people going to the cinema started to go up again. When the
3D film Avatar came out in 2009, it broke records – millions of people went to see it at the
cinema.
4
_____ Now there are huge multiplex cinemas showing ten different movies, there are drive-in
cinemas and open-air screens in parks. Over 100 years after the first movie theatres in America
opened, the cinema is still evolving.
5
_____ It is true that you can watch a film on the bus on your smartphone, on a screen that is
smaller than your hand. But the cinema experience, with friends, popcorn and ice cream is a
tradition we have learned to love. It seems the cinema will be around a while longer.

A In the second half of the century, different forms of entertainment became popular.

______________
B There is something special about seeing a film in the cinema.
_______________
C The ratings system helps parents choose which films are suitable for children.
_______________
D In the first half of the twentieth century, going to the cinema was the most popular
form of entertainment.
________________
E However, in the twenty-first century, cinemas are fighting back!
_________________
F Cinema venues have also changed in the last few years.
__________________
 CARD № 7

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

The big day

A wedding is one of the biggest family celebrations. A traditional wedding in the UK is a formal
event and there are lots of rules that go with it.
First, there is the dress code. Traditionally, men must wear suits and ties. They needn’t wear
hats, although at a very formal wedding the groom and his best man often wear top hats. Women
wear dresses or suits and they must wear hats. You mustn’t wear white (only the bride wears
white) or black (because it is too serious).
There are other traditions too. The bride’s father makes a speech at the wedding. The bride’s
mother and the groom’s parents needn’t make a speech, but the groom’s best friend (the best
man) makes a speech too.
Traditionally, the bride’s family pay for the wedding, but many modern couples now plan and
pay for their special day themselves. The average wedding costs nearly £20,000, so many
parents are happy about this change!
Weddings are an old tradition and there are a lot of superstitions about the wedding day and the
ceremony. Here are a few of them:
• If you are a bridesmaid three times for your friends, you will never get married yourself.
• If you catch the bride’s bouquet of flowers when she throws it, you will be the next one
to get married.
• The groom mustn’t see the bride’s dress until the wedding ceremony. If he does, the
couple will have bad luck.

1 You must make sure you wear the right clothes at a formal wedding. _____
2 Men mustn’t wear hats. _____
3 Women don't usually make speeches at a traditional wedding. _____
4 Not all modern parents pay for their daughter’s wedding. _____
5 It is traditional for the groom to help the bride choose her dress. _____
 CARD № 8

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

Earthquakes
Every year there are over 150,000 earthquakes around the world. Many are very small and
people don’t notice them. Others, like the ones in Haiti in 2010, or Japan in 2011, cause
terrible damage and can destroy whole towns and cities.
Scientists study the Earth and know where earthquakes are likely to happen. Some countries
have a much higher risk than others. Japan has, on average, 1,500 earthquakes every year. In
Britain there are 140. The earthquakes in Britain are usually very small and don’t cause
damage to people’s houses. In Japan there are much bigger earthquakes, and many modern
buildings are specially built so that they don’t get damaged by the movement of the Earth.
One of the big problems with earthquakes is that we don’t know when they are going to
happen. Scientists can tell us where a big earthquake will probably happen, but they can’t tell
us the date or the time. If we could predict earthquakes, we could prepare for them. If we were
prepared, we could save lives by moving people away from the earthquake area.
In the future things may be different, however. In the 1970s, Chinese scientists noticed
something interesting about the behaviour of animals. In the winter of 1974 lots of snakes
woke up from their winter sleep and came out into the cold. That winter there were several
earthquakes in the north of China. In January the following year, people around the city of
Haicheng noticed that lots of farm animals like cows and horses were nervous and refused to
go into buildings at night. In February there was a large earthquake in the area. Its centre was
in Haicheng.

1 There are over 150,000 serious earthquakes annually. _____

2 Japan has over ten times more earthquakes annually than Britain. _____
3 All new buildings are safe in an earthquake. _____
4 If we could say where earthquakes will happen, we could rescue more people. _____
5 Scientists think that animals may know that an earthquake is coming. _____
 CARD № 9

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Choose the correct answers.

Super Gran
It was broad daylight and lots of people were out shopping in Northampton city centre on
Saturday. Suddenly, a gang of six criminals attacked a jewellery shop. They were wearing black
jackets and black ski hats to hide their faces.
Their plan was to smash the big glass windows of the jewellery shop, steal as much valuable
jewellery as they could and then quickly escape on motorbikes before anyone could do
anything. They thought that nobody would stop them. But they were wrong.
As the gang were smashing the window, a seventy-year-old woman saw what they were trying
to do. She ran up to them and started hitting the men on the head with her handbag. The men
were very surprised when they saw that their attacker was an old lady. They were so shocked
that they dropped the jewellery and tried to run away. But now other shoppers had seen what
was happening and came to help the old lady. The shop assistants locked the shop and called
the police. Four of the men were arrested.
The whole incident was filmed on the mobile phone of a passer-by. He put the film on the
Internet and the story was in all the newspapers: ‘Granny stops armed robbers’. And what about
the old lady? Nobody knows who she is! Police questioned people at the scene, but they said
she had gone to have a cup of tea and then quietly disappeared.

1 The story is about a

a robbery. b mugging. c burglary.
2 The crime happened
a during the night. b in the middle of the day. c in the evening.
3 The old woman
a was the only person to react.
b was the first person to react.
c filmed the gang on her phone.
4 All the members of the gang
a were arrested. b escaped on motorbikes. c tried to escape.
5 The old lady
a was questioned by the police.
b didn’t tell anyone her name.
c phoned the police.
 CARD № 10

Read the interview. Are the sentences true or false?

Wherever you go these days, everyone is talking about Ophelia. Her photo is on every billboard,
her songs are playing in every shop. Our reporter, Jane Wilkes, met her in a café in London.
Jane: So, Ophelia, it’s really nice to meet you. Is that your real name, by the way?
Ophelia: Yes, I’m afraid it is. Of course, everyone knows Ophelia is a character in a play by
Shakespeare. My parents loved the name, so now it’s mine too.
Jane: Hm. Ophelia is a tragic character in the play, but things seem to be going well for
you since you became famous suddenly last year.
Ophelia: Yes, the last year has been incredible. I was singing in my school show when a
famous theatre director heard me. I was invited to go to an audition for a part in a
big musical in London.
Jane: Yes. And when people heard you sing at the premiere, all the tickets for the show
were sold out in two days!
Ophelia: It was amazing. When the show finished, I started working on my own songs, and
my CD came out before Christmas. Apparently, a million copies have been sold
already.
Jane: And I believe you’re working on a book about your life – so far!
Ophelia: Yes, I am. It’s crazy. I’m only nineteen, and my mother asked me: ‘What is there to
say about someone so young?’ But I was asked to do it, and I’m working with a very
good writer, so I hope my fans won’t be disappointed.
Jane: So your biography will be published in June.
Ophelia: Yes, that’s right.

1 Ophelia chose her name when she saw a play ._____

2 Ophelia sold tickets at a theatre in London. _____
3 Ophelia’s CD has been very successful. _____
4 It was Ophelia’s idea to write about her life. _____
5 Ophelia’s writing an autobiography of her life so far. _____
 CARD № 11

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

Martin Blane is a farmer in Cornwall, in England. One summer, Martin noticed that
something strange was happening on his land. He was standing on a bridge and looking at the
wheat in his fields when he realised there was a strange picture in the wheat.
‘I looked and saw lots of circles in the wheat. The line of circles went across the field from
the gate all the way to the end by the stream. They were very big. Other circles made a kind of
picture in the wheat. I thought aliens had come from space.’
During that summer, and all through the 1970s, more strange pictures appeared in wheat
fields on farms in the south of England. Nobody knew what these ‘crop circles’ were.
Photographs of them appeared in all the newspapers and people thought the subject was
gripping. Many thought that aliens had come to Earth and made the pictures.
But then in the 1990s two men admitted to making the crop circles. They made a plan for a
picture and then they went out secretly in the night to make their picture in the fields. Some
people think they were creative and the crop circles were entertaining, but their actions were
illegal. The men were on land that didn’t belong to them. Farmers were angry because their
crops were damaged. The two men promised to stop.
However, the crop circles are still appearing. On the Internet, you will find photographs of
crop circles on farms in different countries around the world. Some people believe the two
men were lying, and the crop circles are really made by aliens.

1 Martin Blane noticed that the animals in his fields were behaving strangely. _____
2 The big circles went from one end of the field to the other. _____
3 The media weren’t interested in the crop circles. _____
4 Everyone was angry because the men damaged farmers’ crops. _____
5 People disagree about who makes the crop circles. _____
 CARD № 12

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Match the topic sentences A–F with the film
reviews 1–5. There is one extra sentence you do not need.

1
_____ They said nothing could be better than the original, but I think they were wrong! The
latest film in the Darkness series is just as gripping as the first story. If the epilogue wasn’t
enough for you and you wanted more, you’ll love this next story.

2
_____ If you’re already a fan, you’ll absolutely love it! If you don’t like musicals, you won’t
choose this film. But you ought to see it anyway, and you might be surprised. A moving story
about the challenges of life. Don’t miss it!

3
_____ Her projects are famous for their amazing scenery and serious message. This film
follows in the path of hurricane Leila, which brought so much destruction to the coast of China
last year. It will really make you think.

4
_____ The fast-moving new film from director Seth Goldblum is going to be a hit this winter.
White-out tells the story of a group of skiers who are caught in an avalanche. It’s gripping from
the first minute, and the scenes on the mountain are really scary. You must see this!

5
_____ If that’s enough for you, you’ll enjoy this ridiculous romantic comedy. If you’re looking
for a gripping story, a funny script or you just want some entertainment, you won’t find it here!
It was so dull, my friend asked for a refund.

A Angel from the inner city is a film biography of a great jazz singer. _____
B This film has no plot, no characters, just a handsome male lead. _____
C Can a sequel ever be a real success? _____
D This is another stunning documentary from Jane Armathwaite. _____
E Fans of the disaster movie will not be disappointed! _____
F This is a spectacular horror film that will keep you awake all night. _____
 CARD № 13

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

If you travel around the world, you will learn that every country has different customs. It is
what makes travelling so interesting! If you visit Thailand in April, you will see the Songkran
celebrations – and you might get very wet! Songkran is the Thai New Year, and it is traditional
to throw buckets of water at passers-by on the street! If you did that in London, you might get
arrested!
Different countries have different laws, so you have to be careful. Of course, stealing and
murder are illegal everywhere, but some laws are surprising. In England, if you buy a stamp
with the Queen’s head on it, you must make sure you stick it on your letter the right way up. It
is illegal to stick the stamp on a letter upside-down. It shows that you do not respect the Queen.
Many laws in England were made centuries ago. As time passes, they are not important any
more, but they have not been changed. For example, did you know that it is illegal to wear a
top hat in the city of London? And in the seventeenth century Oliver Cromwell banned eating
mince pies on Christmas Day. Mince pies are a traditional Christmas treat, so millions of people
in the UK break that law every Christmas. There are hundreds of laws like this, which seem
stupid to us now. Since 1965 over 2,000 old laws have been changed, but there are thousands
more – so be careful!

1 Songkran is an annual festival in Thailand. _____

2 You mustn’t use stamps with the Queen’s head on them. _____
3 Some laws are old-fashioned and out-of-date. _____
4 Many people commit a crime at Christmas. _____
5 All the silly laws have been changed. _____
 CARD № 14

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Choose the correct answers.
An unusual job!
Have you seen a football match recently? If you have, I’m sure that you heard lots of comments about the
referee as well as about the players! Referees have a very difficult job. They have to make quick and
important decisions in the middle of a fast-moving game. And, of course, there are thousands of people
shouting at them too. The crowd is never happy when the ref sends off their favourite player. Also, in
football today there still isn’t the same technology as there is in other sports, like tennis. The job can get
even more difficult when you’re a woman who is refereeing a men’s match!
There is no reason why there should not be the same number of male and female referees in the sport today.
However, the number of female refs is still very low – particularly at the highest levels of professional
football. This is something that one woman, Pat Dunn, who died in 1999, would have been very sad about.
Pat was the first woman in the UK to referee a men’s football match but she wasn’t allowed to do this for
a long time. Pat was a strong supporter of women’s rights in sport and became President of the Ladies’
Football Association in 1969. Then she decided to train to be a referee. For a long time the Football
Association refused to give her a certificate although she had passed the exams. But Pat continued fighting
and she finally got permission in 1976. The next month she became famous when she refereed her first
official FA game. Pat became a very good and successful referee and even saved a footballer’s life. She
helped him when he was injured during a match!
Today there are some famous female referees, like Bibiana Steinhaus from Germany who has just refereed
the final of the Women’s Football World Cup. Bibiana decided to become a referee at the age of 16 and
later was the first female referee in the German men’s professional league. But there are only a few like
her.
Football is still mainly a men’s game – both for players and referees. But for how long? Will we see more
women referees in the future? We’d like to know what YOU think. So, please go online and leave a
comment on our website. We’ll print the most interesting ones in the magazine next week.
1 Referees have a difficult job because…
A they need to run fast.
B the players shout at them.
C they have to think quickly.

2 In the sport of tennis…

A they use more technology.
B there are more women players.
C there are bigger crowds.

3 Who was Pat Dunn?

A A woman football player.
B A nurse at football matches.
C An important member of the Ladies’ Football Association.

4 When was the first female referee in the UK appointed?

A 1969
B 1976
C 1999

5 Bibiana Steinhaus…
A wanted to be a referee when she was a teenager.
B recently refereed a men’s football final.
C plays in the top women’s league.
 CARD № 15

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Choose the correct answers.
A blind date
Can you imagine what life would be like if you couldn’t see? At a new exhibition, you can experience
the world using your other senses: touch, hearing, smell, taste and sense of balance to ‘see’ without
using your eyes. Learn to understand beauty in a totally new way! Find out what things look like when
you are not looking at all!
At the Invisible Exhibition, you can learn about the practical aspects of being blind. Try out useful
devices that make life easier for visually-impaired people, such as talking clocks, Braille typewriters,
and computer screen reading software. Have a go at crossing the road using a walking stick with a
sensor. Experience what it is like to do your shopping without seeing what you are buying, or build first
impressions of a person based on their voice and tone, not on their appearance.
But there is more to life than practicality! The Exhibition also allows you to explore art: touch sculptures,
hear descriptions of paintings and photographs, and listen to music in complete darkness. Experience
what it feels like to have dinner in the dark. Spend an evening at the Invisible Restaurant: eat in a relaxed
atmosphere, surrounded by the tastes and smells of a delicious meal, and the sounds of good
conversation and quiet music. Bring someone on a real blind date – and show them a world they have
never ‘seen’ before.
To book tickets for the exhibition or a table for dinner (Thursdays only), call 020 771 4236. Allow 90
minutes for the exhibition, and around three hours for dinner.
Exhibition runs from Saturday 9th April until 3rd September.
Prices: Exhibition €5; two-course dinner €16; four-course dinner €22. Download the menu on our
website.
1 The new exhibition allows people to
a experience the world using all of their primary senses.
b understand how much we rely on our sight.
c experience the power of senses other than sight.
d see details that they may have overlooked.
2 The exhibition is designed
a to demonstrate innovations which help people in their everyday lives.
b for blind people to socialise and meet other blind people.
c to help sighted people understand what life is like for blind people.
d to allow more people to experience culture and art.
3 When you explore art at the exhibition, you
a can only use your sense of touch.
b can listen to artists talking about their sculptures.
c can feel objects and listen to people talking about pictures.
d can compare experiences in light and in darkness.
4 At the restaurant, you
a can have conversations with blind people.
b can choose the dishes you want by tasting them first.
c must book a table for two.
d can choose between two different menus.
 CARD № 16

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Complete the text with the missing sentences A–F.
There is one sentence you do not need.

100 years of memory and legend

On 10 April 1912, an amazing, imposing new ocean liner steamed out of Southampton Harbour. 1____
She was the largest ship in the world at that time, and the most luxurious. Her passengers included some
of the wealthiest people in the world. Everyone agreed this beautiful new ship was the best liner in
existence – in fact, she was said to be unsinkable.
The ship’s crew had absolute confidence in her. When, four days later, Captain Edward Smith gave his
radio-men the order to transmit the international distress signal, SOS, they thought he was joking. He
wasn’t. At 2.20 a.m. on 15 April 1912, the Titanic sank beneath the freezing waters of the Atlantic.
2
____ It is still one of the biggest peacetime maritime tragedies in history.
On 14 April 2012, a passenger ship stopped in the North Atlantic. 3____ It was cold and dark. 1,300
passengers stood on deck as a memorial service was held for the people who died there. After hymns
and prayers, two wreaths of flowers were thrown into the freezing water.
The story of the Titanic has touched and fascinated people for over a century. Mistakes were made that
added up to disaster. 4____ There are records of generosity and courage that saved lives when so many
others were lost. Millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim was offered one of the few places in a lifeboat, but
said it should be given to a woman or a child, and chose instead to dress for dinner. Someone overheard
him say ‘We’ve dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen!’ 5____The pure
drama of the scene means that the legend of the Titanic will never be forgotten.

A For example, the Titanic’s radio room received no fewer than seven ice warnings on the night of
the tragedy.
B It was twenty to midnight, the exact time that the Titanic hit the iceberg 100 years before.
C Survivors recalled that the lights stayed on and the orchestra was playing until the moment the
huge ship sank into the black water.
D They arrived two hours later, but only 53 people were rescued from the water.
E It was her first voyage and her destination was New York City – across the Atlantic Ocean.
F On that night, over 1,500 people lost their lives.
 CARD № 17

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the statements true or false?

A degree in what?
How many people in the world have a university degree in enigmatology? Well, not many. As a matter
of fact, the number of enigmatology graduates in the whole world is just one: a man whose job it is to
design puzzles for newspapers and magazines.
American Will Shortz is an author and crossword editor. He has worked on over a hundred books, and
he owns the world’s largest collection of puzzle books and magazines. The oldest title in his collection
was published in 1545! And because his work is also his hobby, he has always been interested in learning
as much as possible about the subject.
Obviously, because he is the only enigmatologist in the world, there were no university professors who
could teach him an established course of studies. He did not go to lectures and classes like his fellow
students. Shortz designed his own research programme, which the university accepted, and he completed
his course and received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1974.
So the question remains, what exactly is enigmatology? It is the study of puzzles: their types, their
history, and their popularity. It’s a mixture of history, maths, logic and cultural studies.
There were some people who criticised the university for offering a course in such a strange subject, and
they were also critical of Shortz, claiming that he had taken advantage of Indiana University’s flexibility.
But Shortz has his fans too, such as the former US president Bill Clinton. He sent Shortz a personal note
on his 50th birthday because he loves the New York Times crossword, which Shortz edits. Shortz has
also been a guest on several television shows, including an episode of the famous cartoon The Simpsons,
and the comedy series How I Met Your Mother, where he played himself.

1 Shortz’s occupation is to write puzzles for university graduates. ___

2 Shortz has worked on all the titles in his collection. ___
3 Shortz did original research and graduated from an American university. ___
4 Some people didn’t think enigmatology was an appropriate university course. ___
5 Bill Clinton sent Shortz a note on his birthday because they’re friends. ___
 CARD № 18

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the statements true or false?

A capsule fails the test of time

The US state of Oklahoma, the 48th state in the Union, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007. In a
year full of official celebrations, one event in June attracted spectators and media from all around the
world. On 15 June 2007, thousands of people gathered in Tulsa to watch the unearthing of a time capsule
that had been buried half a century ago in 1957. There was a feeling of excitement in the air. As well as
waiting to see the time capsule, the crowd was also waiting to find out who had won a competition which
had been launched when the capsule was buried 50 years earlier.
The time capsule was a large reinforced concrete box. People said it was strong enough to survive a
nuclear strike. It had to be large and strong, because it contained a car: a brand new 1957 Plymouth
Belvedere. Inside the car were lots of everyday items from the 1950s. For example, there was a jerry
can of petrol and a case of beer in the boot. In the glove compartment was a handbag containing a lipstick
and other small items considered essential for a ‘typical’ woman in the 1950s. A savings account was
also opened in 1957, and $100 was deposited in it. By 2007, this prize fund was worth about $1,200.
But the main attraction was the car.
Before the capsule was buried, officials ran a competition. Entrants had to guess what the population of
Tulsa would be in 2007. The organisers recorded all the guesses and saved them on a roll of microfilm.
The microfilm was placed in the Plymouth Belvedere. The organisers’ idea was that when the time
capsule was opened in 2007, the winner would be announced – and he or she (or his or her heirs) would
win the entire contents of the time capsule, plus the contents of the savings account.
In the centre of Tulsa on 15 June 2007, thousands of people came to see the opening of the capsule.
Diggers dug down and exposed the large concrete box. The crowd heard a dramatic drum-roll as the
time capsule was opened and a large crane lifted the car out of the ground. But cheers turned to gasps
as the crowd saw the rusting, muddy shape that was raised out of the hole. Water had penetrated the
concrete casing and the beautiful chromed vehicle was in a sorry state. The beer cans were rusty, the
handbag was a solid lump of leather and the microfilm had apparently disintegrated. The winner would
never be known.
As publicity stunts go, it was a bit of a disaster. But Tulsans took the setback with a smile! The sense of
connection with the past, and the feeling of taking part in an event that had been planned half a century
ago, was worth more to them than the sight of a gleaming vintage car!

5 There wasn’t much interest in the time capsule. ____

6 As well as the car, the buried time capsule contained some prize money. ____
7 The people who entered the competition had to make a prediction about the future. ____
8 The car was ruined because the protective box around it was not waterproof. ____
9 The winner of the competition was disappointed with the ruined prize. ____
 CARD № 19

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Answer the questions.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award

Would you like to learn to rock climb? Or spend time working at an animal sanctuary? That's what
Andrea Black and Jenny Smith are doing as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award programme.
The award encourages young people to do exciting cultural, social and adventure activities in their
free time. The Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, started the award in 1956. He started it
because he wanted young people to learn to help themselves and other people. The award is for
people aged 14-25, and there are three levels: Bronze, for those aged 14 or over, Silver for over
15s, and Gold for over 16s. You have to complete four activities to achieve the award: go on an
expedition (e.g. hiking, kayaking or climbing) learn a new practical or social skill (anything from
painting to podcasting!) take on a physical challenge (e.g. learn or improve at a sport) do voluntary
work, helping people or the environment (e.g. work with disabled or elderly people, or raise money
for a charity) Young people usually do the award at a Duke of Edinburgh club at their school or at
a local youth group. They decide what they are going to do, and write a plan. It usually takes
between one and three years to finish an award.

1 Who started the award?

2 Why did he start the award?

3 How many levels of award are there?

4 How old do you have to be to get a Gold award?

5 How many activities do participants have to complete?

6 Who plans which activities the participants do?

 CARD № 20

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Answer the questions.
The Oscars

The Oscars award ceremony is one of the most famous ceremonies in the world, and is watched
live on TV in over 200 countries. The first ceremony happened in Hollywood in 1929, and all of
the prizes were for silent films. For the first ten years, the results were given to the newspapers
before the ceremony. However, since 1941, the names of the winners have been a secret until the
last moment. No one is exactly sure where the name 'Oscars' came from. One story is that in 1931,
the director of the Academy thought that the golden award looked like her uncle Oscar - and the
name stayed! The Academy of, Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has over 6,000 members (actors,
directors, producers, etc.). Each year, they vote for the winners in 25 categories. The most
important categories are Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor. No one is very
interested in what the men wear (they usually come in a dinner jacket or a suit), but the big fashion
houses, like Chanel and Dior, try to persuade the most popular female stars to wear their dresses.
The stars usually get the dresses for free, and they usually look great. But there are some bad
choices too! The speeches that the winners make when they accept their Oscars are often rather
boring, as they're usually just a list of people they want to thank (including their mum). The
winners often get very emotional - it can sometimes be almost impossible to understand what
they're saying!

1 In the 1930s, how did people know the result before the ceremony?

2 Whose uncle looked like the prize that was awarded to the winners?

3 Who votes for the winners?

4 How much do the female stars usually spend on their outfits for the ceremony?

5 Why are the acceptance speeches often boring?

 CARD № 21

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Are the sentences true or false?

LOVE LEEDS

Sports lovers
Sports fans are spoilt for choice in Leeds. Watch Leeds United play football at the Elland Road
Stadium, or see the Leeds Rhinos play rugby. International cricket matches take place regularly at
Headingley, while at Wetherby Racecourse, under-16s can watch top-quality horse racing for free.
History lovers
Visitors to Leeds are surrounded by history. For example, Harewood House is a wonderful historic
building with beautiful gardens. It is still the family home of the Earl of Harewood, although it is
also open to visitors between April and November. And history comes to life at the Royal
Armouries Museum, where they put on shows of medieval combat in full costume!
Culture lovers
Leeds is famous for its live music and has one of the best venues in the UK: the 02 Academy.
Many top bands perform here. Recent acts include Lily Allen, Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow and Duffy.
For fans of dance, there is the Northern Ballet Theatre, one of the most important classical dance
companies in Britain. And every year, Leeds is home to the biggest film festival in the UK outside
London. Sixteen different cinemas around the city show more than 300 new films.
Food lovers
In Leeds, every meal offers the chance of a new experience. Choose from over 200 flavours of
milkshake at Shaky Jakes, or book a table for dinner on the Black Prince, a riverboat, and explore
the waters of the Aire Valley while you eat! Whether you are looking for a fancy ten- course meal,
an authentic Indian curry, or traditional fish and chips, Leeds has it all.

1 You can watch rugby at the Elland Road Stadium.

2 Children do not have to pay to watch horse racing at Wetherby Racecourse.
3 You can visit Harewood House all year round.
4 Lily Allen performed at the 02 Academy in Leeds.
5 The Leeds Film Festival is the biggest in the UK.
6 You can have your drinks on a boat at Shaky Jakes.
7 Restaurants in Leeds offer a wide range of British and ethnic food.
 CARD № 22

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Answer the questions.

The one and only…. Covent Garden!

Flowers, fruit and vegetables

In the 17th century, Covent Garden was the biggest and most important flower, fruit and vegetable
market in Britain. It was also one of the first markets to start selling pineapples and for this reason,
the pineapple became the market's logo. Today, there is no longer a fruit and vegetable market at
Covent Garden, but you can still see pineapples as part of the architecture.
Eating and drinking
Around 1700, workers at the market often went to a pub called the Lamb and Flag to drink beer or
gin after work. (It wasn't safe to drink water!) They sometimes saw illegal boxing matches there,
a for that reason, the pub's nickname was the 'Bucket of Blood'! The pub is still open today. The
oldest restaurant in London, Rules, is; Covent Garden. It has been open since 1798 and serves
traditional English food, including pies and puddings.
Entertainment and shopping
Covent Garden is the only venue in London where buskers and other street performers are allowed
to work. A lot of people want perform there, so there are auditions and only the best artists can
perform. Bon Jovi once busked there in front of a very surprised audience! In fact, if you want to
spot a celebrity, Covent Garden is a good place to start. Singer Lily Allen owns a clothes shop
there, an if you can't afford the outfits, you can hire them just for a night out!

1 Why did the pineapple become the logo of Covent Garden?

2 Why did workers at Covent Garden not drink water?
3 What was the nickname of the Lamb and Flag pub? Why?
4 When did the oldest restaurant in London open?
5 How many places are there in London where people are allowed to perform in the streets?
6 What can you do if the outfits in Lily Allen's shop are too expensive for you to buy?
 CARD № 23

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Answer the questions.
Electronic obsessions
Over 25 million people in the UK use Facebook. Thais 459of the population! And on average,
each user spends over six hours a month on Facebook. Is Facebook a dangerous obsession or just
harmless fun? Seventeen-year-old Bethan has written on her blog about what it was like to stop
using Facebook.
1st May
I think I am a Facebook addict. I log on to Facebook every day to chat to my friends - real friends
and loads of online friends. Sometimes I have ten conversations going at the same time. I upload
photos and update my Facebook profile all the time. But recently I've started to feel worried if I
am offline for more than a few hours. And then last weekend I forgot to meet a real friend because
I was online! I've realised I could have a problem. So I've decided to give it up a for a while ...
11th May
I found it really hard. Facebook and my friends demanded to know why I had left. I spent the first
few evenings wondering what everyone was chatting about on Facebook. I even phoned a couple
of friends to find out. The fourth night wasn't quite so bad. I actually concentrated on my
homework better and I had more time to watch my TV programmes. And I spoke to my friends
during the day at school. At the end of the first week, I reactivated my account. I think Facebook
is fun and it's useful for posting messages to friends and sharing photos. But I'll try not to spend
so much time on it in future.
Nathan, London:
I created a Facebook account because my friends all use it. But I think it's boring.
Dan, Brighton:
Wow, you've really made me think. I'm going to deactivate my account and see how I do.

1 How often does Bethan go on Facebook?

2 What activities does she do on Facebook?
3 What made her realise that she might have a problem?
4 How did her friends react when she left Facebook?
5 What aspects of her life improved after she left Facebook?
6 In her opinion, what are the advantages of Facebook?
 CARD № 24

Read and retell the main idea of the text. Answer the questions.

PROUD OF THER DUSTBIN!

The dustbin is full to the top with crisp packets and coloured plastic. In fact, it's so full that it's
difficult to put the lid on. But the Strauss family, who own this dirty, old dustbin full of rubbish,
are very proud of it. Why? Because it contains all the family's rubbish for a whole year! Two years
ago, Richard and Rachelle Strauss and their daughter Verona read an article about plastic bags and
how they cause pollution and harm sea creatures. They decided to stop using plastic bags
completely. Now, when they buy food, they reuse their own bags each time. They recycle as much
as they can - glass bottles, plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, cans - and they simply don't buy things
if they can't recycle the packaging. (They buy their toothpaste in aluminium tubes just because
aluminium can be recycled.) And they never throw food away - they eat their leftovers or use them
to make compost. At the moment, it's impossible to recycle plastic crisp packets and sweet
wrappers - and Verona loves crisps. If she bought a packet of crisps a day, she'd have to throw
away lots of plastic. So she buys the biggest packets she can find - and each packet lasts for a
week! The family are keeping a record of their lifestyle on their website. They hope that other
people will read it and reduce their waste. If everyone recycled a bit more, it would make a huge
difference.

1 Why is it difficult to put the lid on the Strauss family's dustbin?

2 Why did they stop using plastic bags?
3 Why do they take their own bags to the shop?
4 Why do they buy toothpaste in aluminium tubes?
5 Why does Verona buy one big packet of crisps every week?
6 Why does the family have a website?
 CARD № 25

Read and retell the main idea of the text. What does these numbers refer to?

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is probably the most famous playwright in history. He was born on 23 April
1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. He was one of eight brothers and sisters. His father, John
Shakespeare, was a successful businessman. William went to school in Stratford and learnt Latin
and Greek, but he didn't go to university. At the age of fifteen he went straight to work in his
father's business.
When he was eighteen, he met and fell in love with Anne Hathaway. She was eight years older
than him. They got married in November 1582, and six months later their daughter Susanna was
born. In 1585 they had twins, Hamnet and Judith. Little is known about the following seven years
of his life. We only know that he moved to London, leaving Anne and the children in Stratford,
and that by 1592 he was writing plays and working as an actor.
His plays were very popular and he made a lot of money. In 1597 he bought a big house in Stratford
for his family, but he stayed in London for a further thirteen years. He continued to write and act
and also bought a theatre. In 1611 he finally retired and moved back to Stratford to live in the
house he had bought. In total, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets (fourteen-line poems).
Some of his love poems are addressed to a married woman, and some of them are addressed to a
young man. Nobody knows the identity of these two people. Shakespeare died in Stratford on his
birthday, on 23 April 1616, and was buried in the church where he had been christened 52 years
earlier.

1 eight 4 thirty-seven
2 fifteen 5 a hundred and fifty-four
3 eighteen 6 fifty-two