Reading (1 курс, II семестр)

Variant I

Task 1. Read the text and match choices (A-H) to (1-6). There are two choices you do not need to use.
1) William Joseph Turner (1774 – 1851) was the greatest English romantic, landscape and marine painter. His
water-colours were exhibited at the Royal Academy when he was only 15. At 18 he started his own studio and
received a commission to make drawings for magazines. During his life Turner created some hundreds of
paintings and some thousands of water-colours and drawings. After his death his own entire collection of
paintings and drawings was willed to the nation. They are exhibited at the National and Tate Galleries in London.
Some of his famous pictures are: “The Fighting Temeraire”, “Rain, Steam and Speed”, “Light and Colour”,
“Fisherman at Sea” and others.

2) Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599 – 1641), who married the daughter of an English Lord and who died in London
is considered to be the father of the English portrait school. He worked at the court of Karl I, was an extremely
hardworking painter. His most famous works are: his self-portrait, “Portrait of the Man” and “Karl I”.

3) John Constable (1776 – 1837) is one of the most outstanding painters, who developed his own style of
painting. He considered sketch, made directly from nature, to be the first task of a landscape painter. He
introduced green into his painting: the green of trees, the green of summer, and the greens which until then other
painters had refused to see. He made quick sketches based on his first impressions of natural beauties. John
Constable used broken touches of colour. His work is important as the beginning of the impressionist school.

4) Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 – 1792) is one of the outstanding British portraitists, who had an important
influence on his contemporaries. Within a short period of time he achieved a considerable success. In 1755, at the
highest point of his career, he painted 120 portraits. When, in 1768, the Royal Academy of Arts was founded, he
naturally became its first president.

5) Thomas Gainsborough (1727 – 1788) succeeded brilliantly as a portrait painter. He created a national type of
the English portrait. His manner of painting differs from Reynolds’. Thomas Gainsborough’s portraits of actors,
actresses and his close friends are famous. One of his greatest friends was Richard Sheridan, the dramatist,
whose portrait belongs to one of the best pictures of this painter. Even in his portraits Thomas Gainsborough is
an out-of-door painter. The backgrounds of his portraits are often well-observed country scenes.

6) Thomas Lawrence (1768 – 1839) was the painter of kings, princes, great diplomats and generals. All these
are presented in large, full-dressed portraits, painted with elegance. His portrait of Vorontsov (1821) is an
example of the brilliant official portrait. Landscape is another glory of English art because in it English art is also
rose to supreme highs.

A) developed a style characterized by light, fresh colours and indistinct, subtle outlines. In his later works he
concentrated on the human, especially female, form.
B) is considered to be the father of the English portrait school.
C) became the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts.
D) is a romantic artist who painted landscapes, seascapes and water-colours.
E) is famous for using broken touches of colour and introducing green into his paintings.
F) created a national type of the English portrait at the backgrounds of which country scenes can be
observed.
G) used non-naturalistic colour which led him to be regarded as a leader of the fauvists.
H) created elegant, large, official, full-dressed portraits.

Task 2. Read the text and decide if the following statements are true or false.
SHOPPING ONLINE
Love them or hate them, online shops are here to stay, and more and more are appearing on the World Wide
Web every day. Shopping online should be quick, easy and, above all, safe, but many people still feel
uncomfortable about doing business on the net. By following the advice below, you can ensure that your
shopping trip in cyberspace is a successful one.
Before you purchase an item online, make sure that the website you are buying from is secure. Many websites
use special technology to encrypt the credit card information that customers send over the Internet. If a site does
not tell you that they are using this technology, you could also look for an icon of a locked padlock or an
unbroken key at the bottom of your screen, an icon of a lock on your status bar.
Many websites ask you to choose a password for future orders. Make sure you use a different password to the
one you use to log on to your computer or network. Never use your address, date of birth, phone number or other
recognizable words as your password. Instead, pick at least five letters, numbers and punctuation marks. For
example, “wyslmt.3” comes from “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”. Don’t write your password down, as
somebody might see it and be able to use it. If you can’t remember your password and have to write it down, try
reversing the order of the characters, or change the order of the letters and numbers so that anyone who finds it
still won’t know your true password.
Never e-mail anyone your password and credit card details. Only give them in a secure connection on a
website. You should make sure that you are not making your personal information accessible to thieves as this
will allow them to impersonate you. “Theft of identity” which involves someone accessing your bank account,
getting credits or loans in your name, or using your credit card details to purchase products, is a growing problem
these days. If you don’t like the idea of giving your credit card details over the Internet, most online stores allow
you to order online and pay over the phone. However, you should be sure to make a note of the company’s phone
number, the date and time of your call and the name of the person you spoke to.
These tips should ensure that you will have a safe and easy shopping experience. However, as in all areas of
life, it is important to have faith in your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable buying an item over the Internet,
or if you do not trust a website one hundred percent, then you may well be right.
Happy shopping!

1. According to the text online shopping is easy to do.

2. There are strict regulations about what passwords should look like.
3. You don’t necessarily need to have a credit card to shop online.
4. It’s a common practice to use the Internet for providing your personal info.
5. Not all websites need your password for doing shopping.

Task 3. Read the text “Shopping online” again and choose the correct variant.
1. The text implies that online shopping.
A is something uncomfortable
B is something never giving you trouble
C is created for cheating customers
D develops independently of people’s likes and dislikes

2. A website may not be secure if

A there is a picture of a key on your screen
B there is a picture of a padlock on your screen
C it uses technology to conceal credit card details
D the website does not tell you anything about it

3. If you have to write your password down, you should

A always keep it with you
B write it somewhere in your files
C write it backwards
D write down some different letters and numbers

4. You should not give information about your credit card but
A over the phone
B in a note to store manager
C in an e-mail
D on a secure website

5. If you pay over the phone you should

A make a note of your call
B order by phone too
C know the clerk personally
D be aware of phone thieves
 Reading (1 курс, II семестр)

Variant II

Task 1. Match choices (A – H) to (1 – 5). Three choices are extra.

Five Strangest Inventions
1) Dog-to-Human Language Translation Device. Keita Sato invented Bow-Lingual, a computer-based
automatic dog-to-human language translation device. The Bow-Lingua’s a two-piece set – a wireless microphone
that attaches to your dog’s collar, and a walkie-talkie-looking handset with an LCD screen. Barks and yelps are
transmitted to the handset, where their voiceprint is analyzed and placed into one of six emotional categories:
happy, sad, on guard, frustrated, needy, or assertive.

2) Alarm Clock that Runs Away From You. Gauri Nannda (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) invented
“Clocky”, an alarm clock that runs away and hides if you don’t get out of bed on time. When the alarm sounds
you can snooze one time. If you still don’t wake up, “Clocky” will jump off of the bedside table, and wheel
away, mindlessly bumping into objects until he finds a spot to rest. You’ll have to get up and out of bed to
silence his alarm.

3) Washing Machine for Cats and Dogs. The co-inventors of the Lavakan, Eduardo Segura and Andres Diaz,
decided in 1998 that their dogs deserved the same treatment that humans get from a shower massage. The side-
loading automatic pet washing machine is safer and less stressful for the animals than washing them by hand. It
soaps, rinses and dries dogs and cats in less than half an hour.

4) Self-Perfuming Business Suit. Hyuk-ho Kwon of Kolon Company of Seul, Korea, invented this suit. The suit
is made with fabric soaked in a chemical that contains scented micro-capsules, which pop and release the odour
when the wearer moves – or gets bumped on a crowded subway train.

5) Automobile Burglar Alarm Consisting of a Detection Circuit and a Flamethrower. Charl Fourie and
Michelle Wong from South Africa invented an automobile burglar alarm consisting of a detection track and a
flamethrower, to provide a deterrent to carjacking. The Blaster car modification functions as a liquefied
petroleum gas flamethrower; when a carjacking occurs, the driver steps on an additional pedal next to the
accelerator and flames erupt from the outer sides of both front doors, “neutralizing” the attacker.

A) This invention was created in order to defend drivers from hijackers.

B) This invention can be used to soap, rinse and dry dogs and cats.
C) This invention helps to protect your computer from cats.
D) This invention should be implanted years afterwards in most cases.
E) This invention can escape from you.
F) This invention is a two-piece set.
G) This invention smells nice.
H) This invention can help to understand dogs barking and yelping.

Task 2. Read the text and decide if the following statements are true or false.
SHOPPING ONLINE
Love them or hate them, online shops are here to stay, and more and more are appearing on the World Wide
Web every day. Shopping online should be quick, easy and, above all, safe, but many people still feel
uncomfortable about doing business on the net. By following the advice below, you can ensure that your
shopping trip in cyberspace is a successful one.
Before you purchase an item online, make sure that the website you are buying from is secure. Many websites
use special technology to encrypt the credit card information that customers send over the Internet. If a site does
not tell you that they are using this technology, you could also look for an icon of a locked padlock or an
unbroken key at the bottom of your screen, an icon of a lock on your status bar.
Many websites ask you to choose a password for future orders. Make sure you use a different password to the
one you use to log on to your computer or network. Never use your address, date of birth, phone number or other
recognizable words as your password. Instead, pick at least five letters, numbers and punctuation marks. For
example, “wyslmt.3” comes from “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”. Don’t write your password down, as
somebody might see it and be able to use it. If you can’t remember your password and have to write it down, try
reversing the order of the characters, or change the order of the letters and numbers so that anyone who finds it
still won’t know your true password.
Never e-mail anyone your password and credit card details. Only give them in a secure connection on a
website. You should make sure that you are not making your personal information accessible to thieves as this
will allow them to impersonate you. “Theft of identity” which involves someone accessing your bank account,
getting credits or loans in your name, or using your credit card details to purchase products, is a growing problem
these days. If you don’t like the idea of giving your credit card details over the Internet, most online stores allow
you to order online and pay over the phone. However, you should be sure to make a note of the company’s phone
number, the date and time of your call and the name of the person you spoke to.
These tips should ensure that you will have a safe and easy shopping experience. However, as in all areas of
life, it is important to have faith in your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable buying an item over the Internet,
or if you do not trust a website one hundred percent, then you may well be right.
Happy shopping!

1. In general, secure websites use a code for your information.

2. People normally buy things online paying by checks.
3. It is possible that your money may be stolen.
4. Online companies may be quite flexible in choosing the ways of payment.
5. You should make decisions basing on your inner feeling.

Task 3. Read the text “Shopping online” again and choose the correct variant.
1. Some people do not like to shop online because
A it is not safe
B there are too many online stores
C it is not easy
D there aren’t computer happy

2. A password is not safe if it

A contains more than five letters
B is the same as other passwords you use
C contains punctuation marks
D is different from your address

3. The author suggests that a password may

A encrypt your personal information
B be a familiar abbreviation
C be an abbreviation of a song line
D be a nickname of your favourite pop group

4. “Theft of identity” is not when

A someone steals your credit card
B someone copies your style in clothes
C someone uses your info to get money or products
D someone applies for a loan for you

5. Don’t buy a product online if

A you do not trust the company
B you do not trust your instincts
C you feel too comfortable
D the website does not have all the information