Read the Text, Translate It in Written Form and Do the Task

Контрольная работа по чтению (6 курс 1 семестр)

Variant 1

Read the text, translate it in written form and do the task.

The Firm by John Grisham

The senior partner studied the resume for the hundredth time and again found nothing he disliked about Mitchell Y. McDeere, at least not on paper. He had the brains, the ambition and the good looks. And he was hungry; with his background, he had to be. He was married, and that was mandatory. The firm had never hired an unmarried lawyer, and it frowned heavily on divorce, as well as womanizing and drinking. Drug testing was in the contract. He had a degree in accounting, passed the CPA exam the first time he took it and wanted to be a tax lawyer, which of course was a requirement with a tax firm. He was white, and the firm had never hired a black. They managed this by being secretive and clubbish and never soliciting job ap- plications. Other firms solicited, and hired blacks. This firm recruited and remained lily white. Plus, the firm was in Memphis, of all places, and the top blacks wanted New York or Washington or Chicago. McDeere was a male, and there were no women in the' firm. That mistake had been made in the mid-seventies when they recruited the number one grad from Harvard, who happened to be a she and a wizard at taxation. She lasted four turbulent years and was killed in a car wreck. He looked good, on paper, he was their top choice, In fact, for this year there were no other prospects. The list was very short. It was McDeere or no one. The managing partner, Royce McKnight, studied a dossier labeled «Mitchell Y McDeere -Harvard». An inch thick with small print and a few photographs, it had been prepared by some ex-CIA agents in a private intelligence outfit in Bethesda. They were clients of the firm and each year did the investigating for no fee. It was easy work, they said, checking out unsuspecting law students. They learned, for instance, that he preferred to leave the Northeast, that he was holding three job offers, two in New York and one in Chicago, and that the highest offer was $76,000 and the lowest was $68,000. He was in demand. He had been given the opportunity to cheat on a securities exam during his second year. He declined, and made the highest grade in the class. Two months ago he had been offered cocaine at a law school party. He said no and left when everyone began snorting. He drank an occasional beer, but drinking was expensive and he had no money. He owed close to $23,000 in student loans. He was hungry. Royce McKnight flipped through the dossier and smiled. McDeere was their man. I. Fill in the blanks with words taken from the text. Mitchell Y. McDeere is a ...... student from ...... University. He has been con- tracted for a….. in a…. . …..located in …… . Two men: the …… and the …. have examined McDeere's resume and dossier in depth.

II. Right or Wrong? Justify by quoting from the text. 1. McDeere is a handsome man. 2. McDeere is a bachelor. 3. He got no help from his family to pay for his studies. 4. He is fully qualified.

5. He is a bright young man. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 2

Read the text, translate it in written form and do the task. Choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

Travelling sensitively A tour operator which specializes in environmentally sensitive holidays has banned the use of all cameras. Is this the future of tourism? Asks Mark Hodson. The days of the camera-toting tourist may be numbered. Insensitive travelers are being ordered to stop pointing their cameras and camcorders at reluctant local residents. Tour companies selling expensive trips to remote corners of the world, off the well-trodden path of the average tourist, have become increasingly irritated at the sight of the visitors upsetting locals. Now one such operator plans to ban clients from taking any photographic equipment on holidays. Julian Mathews is the director of Discovery Initiatives, a company that is working hand-in-hand with other organizations to offer holidays combining high adventure with working on environmental projects. His trips are not cheap; two weeks of white-water rafting and monitoring wildlife in Canada cost several thousand pounds. Matthews says he is providing ‘holidays without guilt’, insisting that Discovery Initiatives is not a tour operator but an environmental support company. Clients are referred to as ‘participants’ or ‘ambassadors’. ‘We see ourselves as the next step on from eco-tourism, which is merely a passive form of sensitive travel – our approach is more proactive.’ However, says Matthews, there is a price to pay. ‘I am planning to introduce tours with a total ban on cameras and camcorders because of the damage they do to our relationships with local people. I have seen some horrendous things, such as a group of six tourists arriving at a remote village in the South American jungle, each with a video camera attached to their face. That sort of thing tears me up inside. Would you like somebody to come into your home and take a photo of you cooking? A camera is like a weapon; it puts up a barrier and you lose all the communication that comes through body language, which effectively means that the host communities are denied access to the so-called cultural exchange.’ Matthews started organizing environmental holidays after a scientific expedition for young people. He subsequently founded Discovery Expeditions, which has helped support 13 projects worldwide. With the launch of Discovery Initiatives, he is placing a greater emphasis on adventure and fun, omitting in the brochure all references to scientific research. But his rules of conduct are strict. ‘In some parts of the world, for instance, I tell people they should wear long trousers, not shorts, and wear a tie, when eating out. It may sound dictatorial, but I find one has a better experience if one is well dressed. I don’t understand why people dress down when they go to other countries.’ Matthews’ views reflect a growing unease among some tour companies at the increasingly cavalier behavior of well-heeled tourists. Chris Parrott, of Journey Latin America, says: ‘We tell our clients that indigenous people are often shy about being photographed, but we certainly don’t tell them not to take a camera. If they take pictures without asking, they may have tomatoes thrown at them.’ He also reports that increasing numbers of clients are taking camcorders and pointing them indiscriminately at locals. He says: ‘People with camcorders tend to be more intrusive than those with cameras, but there is a payoff – the people they are filming get a tremendous thrill from seeing themselves played back on the viewfinder.’ Crispin Jones, of Exodus, the overland truck specialist, says: ‘We don’t have a policy but, should cameras cause offence, our tour leaders will make it quite clear that they cannot be used. Clients tend to do what they are told. Earthwatch, which pioneered the concept of proactive eco-tourism by sending paying volunteers to work on scientific projects around the world, does not ban cameras, but operates strict rules on their use. Ed Wilson, the marketing director of the company, says: ‘We try to impress on people the common courtesy of getting permission before using their cameras, and one would hope that every tour operator would do the same. People have to be not only environmentally aware but also culturally aware. Some people use the camera as a barrier; it allows them to distance themselves from the reality of what they see. I would like to see tourists putting their cameras away for once, rather than trying to record everything they see.’

1. In the first paragraph we learn that Discovery Initiatives A offers trips that no other tour company offers. B organizes trips to places where few tourists go. C has decided to respond to its customers complaints. D has already succeeded in changing the kind of tourist it attracts.

2. Julian Matthews thinks that the function of the company is to A get people involved in environmental work. B influence the way other tour companies operate. C inform holidaymakers about environmental damage. D co-operate with foreign governments to promote eco-tourism.

3. What does Matthews say in the third paragraph about cameras and camcorders? A They give local people a false impression of holidaymakers. B They discourage holidaymakers from intruding on local people. C They prevent local people from learning about other societies. D They encourage holidaymakers to behave unpredictably.

4. What is Mathews keen for clients to realize? A that certain behavior may spoil their enjoyment of a trip. B that they may find certain local customs rather surprising. C that it is likely that they will not be allowed in certain places. D that the brochure does not contain all the information they need.

5. Which of the following does Chris Parrot believe? A Tourists are likely to agree to travel without cameras. B Local people may react angrily towards tourists who use cameras. C Tourists are becoming more sensitive about their use of cameras. D Camcorders always cause more trouble with local people than cameras.

6. Crispin Jones says that his company A expects its staff to prevent problems over the use of cameras. B seldom encounters problems regarding the use of cameras. C is going to decide on a firm policy regarding the use of cameras. D advises clients about the use of cameras before they leave.

7. Which of the following best summarizes the view of Earth watch? A Too many tour operators ignore the problems caused by cameras. B Most tourists realize when they have caused offence to local people. C There are more problems concerning the use of cameras these days. D Cameras enable people to be detached from places they visit.

8. The word intrusive in the text means… A becoming involved in something in a way that is not welcome. B behaving towards other people in a pleasant way. C willing to do things that are unfair, dishonest, or illegal. D deserving to be blamed for something that has happened. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 3

Good Morning All the morning Bilbo had been cleaning his garden and planting flowers. The spring promised to be warm and calm, and Jungo was looking forward to tea in the garden with the smell of cakes and jam twisted with notes of primroses and crocuses, then with roses and jasmine, and finally with lilies and gladioli. Working, he literally didn't have any time to raise his eyes. Yet after about two hours he decided to have a smoke to rest. He also wanted to see the fruit of his effort.' He stopped, stated his pipe and raised his eyes to look around. All that the unsuspecting Bilbo saw that morning was an old strangely looking tall man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long gray cloak, and a silver scarf. A hoary beard hang down covering his breast. His feet were in high boots worn with age and road. "Good morning!" said Bilbo, and he did mean it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. Birds were singing in the blue sky, and he was looking ahead to yet better and warmer days to come. But the old man looked at him from under his long bushy eyebrows. "What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" "All of them at once," said Bilbo. He had an odd feeling that the conversation could spoil the morning he was so happy with. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine! There's no hurry, we have all day before us!" Then Bilbo sat down on a seat by his door and blew out a beautiful gray ring of smoke. It flew up into the air, became oval with the wind and flew away in the direction of the Forest. "Very pretty!" said the old man. "But I have no time to blow smoke rings this good morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone." "I should think - in these lands! We are plain quiet folk, and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them," said our Mr. Bilbo, and blew out another even bigger smoke-ring. Then he took out his morning letters and began to read, pretending to take no more notice of the bothering old man. The man prevented him from enjoying himself and the wonderful morning. He wanted him to go away. But the old man didn't move. He was standing with a kind of deciding expression on his face which made Bilbo shiver with something unclear yet predictable and uncomfortable. The man stood leaning on his stick and gazing at the hobbit without saying a word, till Bilbo got quite uncomfortable. "Good morning!" he said at last. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you!" "What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!" said the old man. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move oft"." Bilbo was at a loss What to answer. He was a polite hobbit and he was not accustomed to bad thoughts revealed. He felt he shouldn't make the old man think he had been badly brought up and hurriedly spoke. "Well, no, on the contrary. But I really have to read these letters. You see, I have been gardening the whole morning and planting, and had no time to read. But now; while I am resting, I think it is the right time to read them and maybe answer. They may be important. Family matters, you see. Though... I think we could have a cosy chat. If you come... say... for tea. Yes, for tea. What about tomorrow? I think it is a brilliant idea! Is tomorrow a suitable day for you?" A nod. "Perfect! So see you tomorrow at five. Till that time then. Good morning" And Bilbo hid behind his nice round door.

1. What kind of people are speaking? 1.companions 2.strangers

3. brothers

4. enemies

2.The words "Good morning" in the text

1 are a password

2 are used to describe the morning

3 express different ideas 4 show that Jungo was ready for an adventure

3. What is not characteristic of Bilbo? 1.hospitality 2.liking for a comfortable life 3.love for adventures 4.skill to blow smoke rings

4. Why was Bilbo uncomfortable in the end? 1.He felt he was impolite. 2.His seat was too hard. 3. His back ached badly

4.His smoke ring was ugly. 5. The old man didn’t wear _ 1. a cloak 2. a hat

3. a scarf

4. a sweater

6. Bilbo invited the old man to sit down and ______1. to take some of his tobacco 2. to have tea with him 3. to discuss the adventure 4. to enjoy good weather alone

7. As Bilbo's folk was plain and quiet, it______1. liked to travel by plane 2. lived on a plain 3. was calm and simple 4. was risky and courageous Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 4

JOHN PAUL STAPP: THE FASTEST MAN ON EARTH

Captain John Paul Stapp, already a medical doctor, began his scientific career in the 1940s studying the negative effects of high altitude flight, issues absolutely critical to the future of aviation. How could men survive these conditions? The problem of the bends, the deadly formation of bubbles in the bloodstream, proved the toughest, but after 65 hours in the air, Stapp found an answer. If a pilot breathed pure oxygen for thirty minutes prior to take-off, symptoms could be avoided entirely. This was an enormous breakthrough. The sky now truly was the limit. The discovery pushed Stapp to the forefront of the Aero Med Lab and he abandoned his plans to become a pediatrician, instead deciding to dedicate his life to research. The Lab's mandate, to study medical and safety issues in aviation, was a perfect match for his talents. It was the premiere facility in the world for the new science of biomechanics.

Stapp was assigned the Lab's most important research project: human deceleration. This was the study of the human body's ability to withstand G forces, the force of gravity, when bailing out of an aircraft. In April 1947, Stapp traveled to Los Angeles to view the 'human decelerator', a rocket sled designed to run along a special track and then come to a halt with the aid of 45 sets of normal hydraulic brakes, which slowed it from 150 miles per hour to half of that speed in one fifth of a second. When it did, G forces would be produced equivalent to those experienced in an airplane crash. The sled was called the 'Gee Whiz'. Built out of welded tubes, it was designed to withstand 100 Gs of force, was beyond the 18 Gs that accepted theory of the time thought survivable. Early tests were conducted using a dummy called Oscar Eightball, but Stapp soon insisted that conditions were right to use himself as a human guinea pig.

Exercising a modicum of caution on the first ride in December 1947, Stapp used only one rocket. The Gee Whiz barely reached 90 miles an hour, and the deceleration was only about 10 Gs. So Stapp began to increase the number of rockets, and by August 1948, he had completed sixteen runs, surviving not just 18 Gs but a bone-jarring 35 Gs. Beaten, bruised and battered though he was by the tests, Stapp was reluctant to allow anyone else to ride the Gee Whiz. He feared that if certain people, especially test pilots, were used, their hot-headedness might produce a disaster. Volunteers made some runs, but whenever a new approach was developed, Stapp was his own one and only choice as test subject. There was one obvious benefit: Stapp could write extremely accurate physiological and psychological reports concerning the effects of his experiments.

Yet while the Gee Whiz allowed Stapp to answer the existing deceleration questions, new ones emerged. What could be done to help pilots ejecting from supersonic aircraft to survive? Stapp set out to find the answer on a new sled called Sonic Wind No. 1, which could travel at upwards of 750 miles per hour, and withstand an astonishing 150 Gs. In January 1954, Stapp embarked on a series of runs leading to his 29th and final ride, which took him to above the speed of sound, protected only by a helmet and visor. And when the sled stopped, which it did in a mere 1.4 seconds, Stapp was subjected to more Gs than anyone had ever willingly endured. He wasn't just out to prove that people could survive a high speed ejection, he was trying to find the actual limit of human survivability to G force. As Stapp's friend, pilot Joe Kittinger put it: 'It was a point of departure – a new biological limit he was going to be establishing on that return'.

Stapp's life was never the same after that successful run on 10 December 1954. Dubbed 'The Fastest Man on Earth' by the media, his celebrity rose to dazzling heights. Stapp graced the pages of magazines, and became the subject of a Hollywood movie. If the attention was a bit much for the soft spoken Lt. Colonel Stapp, it nevertheless provided him with an opportunity he had longed for – to promote the cause of automobile safety.

For even in the earliest days of the Gee Whiz tests, Stapp had realized that his research was just as applicable to cars as it was to airplanes. At every opportunity, Stapp urged the car industry to examine his crash data, and design their cars with safety in mind. He lobbied hard for the installation of seat belts and improvements such as soft dashboards, collapsing steering wheels, and shock absorbing bumpers. 'I'm leading a crusade for the prevention of needless deaths,' he told Time magazine in 1955.

Stapp's work in aeronautics and automobiles continued right up until his death in 1999 at age 89. He had received numerous awards and honors. But the best was the knowledge that his work had helped to save many lives, not just in aviation, but on highways around the world.

What does the writer mean when he says 'The sky now truly was the limit' A Stapp had set an unassailable scientific record. B All previous restrictions on flight had been removed. C Pilots could now be trained to fly at greater altitude. D A new design was needed for high-altitude planes.

What assessment of Stapp's skills does the writer make in the first paragraph? A His scientific skills were superior to those of his contemporaries. B He was able to solve scientific problems at great speed. C He was able to prove a theory set out by others. D He was ideally qualified for employment at Aero Mad Lab.

What was surprising about the construction of Gee Whiz? A It incorporated a revolutionary new kind of brakes. B It was initially designed to function without a passenger. C It could withstand exceptionally high G forces. D It was not built of conventional materials. Why did Stapp usually insist on doing test runs on Gee Whiz himself? A He felt his powers of observation were superior to those of other people. B He was aware that some people were psychologically unsuited to the tests. C He had little faith in the overall safety of the equipment. D He thought it was unethical to recruit people for a dangerous task.

What was the significance of the experiments on Sonic Wind No. 1? A They broke all previous speed records. B They gradually improved deceleration times. C They set new limits to human potential. D They proved that people could survive high speeds.

How did Stapp respond to becoming a celebrity? A He avoided appearing in public if he could. B He was embarrassed by the extent of his fame. C He responded gracefully to the demands of fame. D He made use of his fame to achieve a goal.

In this text, the writer implies that Stapp's main motivation was A a desire to minimize loss of life. B a spirit of adventure. C a quest for knowledge. D a wish to be remembered after his death. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 5

The Slob’s Holiday

My husband and I went to Reno for our holiday last year. “Isn’t that place where people go to get a quickie divorce?” asked my second son? ‘Yes’, I said, trying to look enigmatic and interesting. ‘You are not getting divorced, are you?’ he asked bluntly. ‘No,’ I said, ’we are going to an outdoor pursuit trade fair. The children sighed with relief and slouched away, muttering things like

‘boring’. I call them children, but they are all grown up. My eldest son has started to develop fine lines around his eyes – fledgling crow’s feet. A terrible sight for any parent to see. Anyway, the piece isn’t about children. It’s about holidays.

The first thing to be said about holidays is that anybody who can afford one should be grateful. The second thing is that planning holidays can be hard work. In our household it starts with somebody muttering, ’I suppose we ought to think about a holiday.’ This remark is usually made in July and is received glumly, as if the person making it has said ‘I suppose we ought to think about the Bolivian balance of payment problems.’

Nothing much happens for a week and then the potential holiday-makers are rounded up and made to consult their diaries. Hospital appointments are taken into consideration, as are important things to do with work. But other highlights on the domestic calendar, such as the cat’s birthday, are swept aside and eventually two weeks are found. The next decision is the most painful: where?

We travel abroad to work quite a lot but we return tired and weary, so the holiday we are planning is a slob’s holiday: collapse on a sunbed, read a book until the sun goes down, stagger back to hotel room, shower, change into glad rags, eat well, wave good-bye to teenagers, have a last drink on hotel terrace, go to bed and then lie awake and wait for hotel waiters to bring the teenagers from the disco.

I never want to be guided around another monument, as long as I live. I do not want to be told how many bricks it took to build it. I have a short attention span for such details. I do not want to attend a ‘folk evening’ ever, ever again. The kind where men with their trousers tucked into their socks wave handkerchiefs in the direction of women wearing puff-sleeved blouses, long skirts and headscarves.

I also want to live dangerously and get brown. I want my doughy English skin change from white sliced to wheat germ. I like the simple pleasure of removing my watch strap and gazing at the patch of virgin skin beneath.

I don’t want to make new friends – on holidays or in general; I can’t manage the ones I have at home. I do not want to mix with the locals and I have no wish to go into their homes. I do not welcome tourists who come to Leicester into my home. Why should the poor locals in Holidayland be expected to? It’s bad enough that we monopolize their beaches, clog their pavements and spend an hour in a shop choosing a sunhat that costs the equivalent of 75 pence.

So, the slob’s holiday has several essential requirements: a hotel on a sunny beach, good food, a warm sea, nightlife for the teenagers, a big crowd to get lost in, and the absence of mosquitoes.

As I write, we are at the planning stage. We have looked through all the holiday brochures, but they are full of references to ‘hospitable locals’, ‘folk nights’, ‘deserted beaches’, and ‘interesting historical sights’. Not our cup of tea, or glass of sangria, at all.

The parents’ choice of holiday destination made the narrator’s children feel

1) jealous.

2) excited.

3) alarmed.

4) indifferent.

The narrator’s words ‘A terrible sight for any parent to see’ refer to

1) the way children behave.

2) the fact that children are aging.

3) the way children change their image.

4) the fact there is a generation gap.

When the need for holiday planning is first announced in the narrator’ family, it

1) is regarded as an important political issue.

2) is met with enthusiasm by all the family.

3) seems like an impossible task.

4) is openly ignored.

To find a two-week slot for a holiday potential holiday-makers have to

1) negotiate the optimum period for travel.

2) cancel prior business appointments.

3) re-schedule individual summer plans. 4) make a list of the things to be taken into account

The slob’s holiday is the type of holiday for people, who

1) do not want to go on holiday abroad.

2) go on holiday with teenagers.

3) do not like public life.

4) prefer peaceful relaxing holidays.

When the narrator says ‘I also want to live dangerously’, she means

1) getting lost in the crowd.

2) going sightseeing without a guide.

3) choosing herself the parties to go to.

4) lying long hours in the sun on the beach.

The main reason the narrator doesn’t want to mix up with locals is because she

1) doesn’t let tourists to her house at Leicester.

2) doesn’t want to add to their inconveniencies.

3) is afraid to make friends with local people.

4) values her own privacy above all. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 6

My friendship with Kathy wasn’t a perfect friendship. I learned very soon in our relationship that Kathy was jealous. We would have great fun going out shopping but if I bought, say, a dress for a party and she thought my dress was better than hers, she would start to say slightly unkind things about it. She would be keen to come out with me to buy the dress. She would give me a lot of helpful advice while I was trying on the various dresses in the shops. Her advice would be good. She would even tell the shop assistant if she thought the price was too high. I can remember one occasion when she said this and, to my surprise, they knocked the price down so that I could afford to buy it. The trouble would come later. When we were actually going to the party and we were both dressed up and she was looking marvellous (for she was very beautiful) she would suddenly say, “I think, Sarah, we were both wrong about that dress. It looks a bit cheap, doesn’t it!” Once or twice I “dropped” Kathy. I told her I was too busy to see her. Or I told her I had to see another friend. All these lies hurt me because I had no other friend and I was so lonely. But they never hurt her. She just smiled sweetly and said she’d see me next week. And of course, within a week or so, I’d be on the phone asking her to come out. She never minded this. She never sulked at me and pretended that she was too busy. Students always celebrated the end of the college year with a fancy-dress ball. It was a big event. But as luck would have it, Kathy and I had made another arrangements for the day of the ball. We had booked to go to the theatre. We had talked for ages of going, and at last we had our tickets. For us it was a big event. It was a musical and our favourite singer star was in it, so our hearts were set on the theatre. Then Kathy came round to see me. Mother was in at the time, and I had to speak to her on the doorstep because Mum had just been having a go at me for seeing too much of Kathy. “I don’t want that girl coming in this house and nosing around.” So I told Kathy I couldn’t invite her in because my Mum had a bad headache. Kathy didn’t mind. She smiled and said she was sorry about my mother’s bad head. I was sure she knew what had really happened. But she carried on smiling, and then she said: “I’m sorry, but I can’t come to the theatre with you after all. My brother’s come home and he wants to take me to the fancy-dress ball at the college. I can’t let him down.” I couldn’t believe that she would let me down. She knew how much I had looked forward to the theatre trip. We had talked about it together for months. I was almost in tears by the time I had said goodbye to her and closed the door. My Mum was kind and understanding. She made me promise I would never see Kathy again. I agreed, and felt that was the least I could do by way of revenge for my disappointment. I told myself that I would never so much as talk to Kathy if I saw her. Our relationship was at an end. I would never forget what she had done to me.

When Sarah says that Kathy was jealous she implies that Kathy didn’t like it when Sarah

1) had fun going out. 2) managed to buy the dress cheaply. 3) wore expensive clothes. 4) wore clothes smarter than her own.

When Sarah was buying a dress in a shop Kathy would

1) start to say slightly unkind things about it. 2) do her best to ensure that Sarah made the best buy. 3) insist that Sarah should buy a cheap dress. 4) be keen to buy a marvellous dress for herself.

When Sarah tried to “drop” her, Kathy

1) pretended to be busy. 2) went to see another friend. 3) felt hurt and lonely. 4) always took it easy.

“But as luck would have it” in paragraph 3 means Kathy and Sarah

1) had the luck to get the tickets for the musical. 2) were happy to have made arrangements for the ball. 3) were looking forward to hearing their favourite singer. 4) had by chance two events on the same day.

Sarah couldn’t invite Kathy to come in because

1) their house was in a mess. 2) her mother was suffering from a bad headache. 3) her mother disapproved of her daughter’s friend. 4) Kathy had come to their house to nose around. Kathy said she didn’t mind speaking to Sarah on the doorstep because she

1) didn’t want to make Sarah feel uncomfortable. 2) believed that Sarah’s Mum had a headache. 3) did not want anyone to overhear them talking. 4) was in a hurry to see her brother.

Sarah decided not to see Kathy again because

1) her mother forbade her. 2) she couldn’t forgive Kathy. 3) her mother was disappointed. 4) she wanted to revenge for her mother. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 7

Even Cow Girls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins When he was eight, he emigrated to the United States of America, where his uncle tended gardens in San Francisco. The Chink picked up English and other bad habits. He went to high school and other dangerous places. He earned American citizenship and other dubious distinctions. When asked what he wished to do with his life, he answered (although he had learned to appreciate movies, jukebox music and cheerleaders) that he wanted to grow yams on the side of a volcano - but as that was impracticable in the city of San Francisco, he became, like uncle, a gardener. For more than a dozen years he made the grass greener and the flowers flowerier оn the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. By special arrangement with his employers, the Chink attended one class a day at the university. Over a twelve-year span he completed a good many courses. He never graduated, but it would be a mistake to assume he did not receive an education. He was astute enough to warn his relatives, on December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor, «The shinto is gonna hit the fan. We'd better get our yellow asses back to some safe volcano and eat yams till this blows over. » They didn't listen. After all, they were patriotic, property-owning, tax-paying American citizens. The Chink wasn't anxious to flee, either. He was in love again. Camping on the rim of a different volcano. So to speak. On February 20, 1942, came the order. Two weeks later, the Army took steps. In March, evacuation was in full swing. Some 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry were moved out of their homes in «strategic» areas of the West Coast and settled in ten «relocation» camps further inland. They could bring to camp only what they could carry. Left behind were houses, businesses, farms, home furnishings, personal treasures, liberty. Americans of non-Nip ancestry bought up their farmland at ten cents on the dollar (the crops failed). Seventy percent of the relocated people had been born and reared in the U.S. «Loyal» Japanese were separated from «disloyal». If one would swear allegiance to the American war effort - and could pass an FBI investigation - one had the choice of remaining in a relocation camp or finding employment in some nonstrategic area. The camps were militaristic formations of tarpaper barracks, supplied with canvas cots and potbellied stoves. Six to nine families lived in a barracks. Partitions between «apartments» were as thin as crackers and did not reach the ceiling. (Even so, there were an average of twenty-five births per month in most camps). There was no great rush to leave the camps: a loyal family that had been relocated on an Arkansas farm had been killed by an irate anti-Jap mob. Disloyal Japanese-Americans — those who expressed excessive bitterness over the loss of their property and the disruption of their lives, or who, for various other reasons, were suspected of being dangerous to national security - were given the pleasure of one another's company at a special camp, the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Siskiyou County, California. The Chink had been asked if he supported the American war effort. «Hell no! » he replied. «На ha ho ho and hee hee.» He waited for the logical next question, did he support the Japanese war effort, to which he would have given the same negative response. He was still waiting when the military police showed him on the train to Tule Lake.

Words: astute — very quick and clever; The shinto is gonna hit the fan — there is going to be trouble.

1.Choose the appropriate answer. 1 The text is: a historical document; purely fictional; autobiographical; fictional with a historical background.

2 It deals with: an episode of the Second World War in America; an episode of the history of Japan; the conquest of California by the Japanese; Asian emigration to California.

3 This passage refers to: a historical event: (quote): the consequences this event had on the population concerned: (quote): the area in the USA where these people lived: (quote): 2. The main character. 1 When the war broke out, the hero was: a member of the FBI; a recently immigrated Japanese citizen; an American citizen of Japanese origin; a Japanese student at Berkley University. Justify with the quotations from the text.

2 Say if it is Right or Wrong and justify with a sentence from the text: as a result of his integration he gave up all Japanese traditions; he managed to get a degree.

3 Find the contradiction between his present job and his education: He is a...... and yet he ......

4 His views about the situation: Say if it is Right or Wrong and justify: a. he was aware of a possible threat and advised his family to leave; b. his views proved to be right.

5 His position. He condemned the war effort on both sides Justify with 2 quotations:

7. His fate. He was extremely surprised at the decision that was taken against him Justify with a sentence from the text:...... Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 8

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

Of the ingredients that go into our fruitcakes, whiskey is the most expensive, as well as the hardest to obtain: State laws forbid its sale. But everybody knows you can buy a bottle from Mr Haha Jones. And the next day, having completed our more prosaic shopping, we set out for Mr Haha's business address, a «sinful» (to quote public option) fish-fry and dancing cafe down by the river. We've been there before, and on the same errand; but in previous years our dealings have been with Haha's wife, an iodine dark Indian woman with brassy peroxided hair and a dead-tired disposition. Actually, we've never laid eyes on her husband, though we've heard that he's an Indian too. A giant with razor scars across his cheeks. They call him Haha because he's so gloomy, a man who never laughs. As we approach his cafe (a large log cabin festooned inside and out with chains of garish-gay naked light bulbs and standing by the river's muddy edge under the shade or river trees where moss drifts through the branches like gray mist) our steps slow down Even Queenie stops prancing and sticks close by. People have been murdered in Haha's cafe. Cut to pieces. Hit on the head. There's a case coming up in court next month. Naturally these goings- on happen at night when the colored lights cast crazy patterns and the victrola wails. In the daytime Haha's is shabby and deserted. I knock at the door. Queenie barks, my friend calls: «Mrs Haha, ma'am? Anyone to home?» Footsteps. The door opens. Our hearts overturn. It's Mr Haha Jones himself! And he is a giant; he does have scars; he doesn't smile. No, he glowers at us through Satan-tilted eyes and demands to know: «What you want with Haha?» For a moment we are too paralyzed to tell. Presently my friend half-finds her voice, a whis- pery voice at best: «If you please, Mr Haha, we'd like a quart of your finest whiskey». His eyes tilt more. Would you believe it? Haha is smiling! Laughing, too. «Which one of you is a drinkin' man?» «It's for making fruitcakes, Mr Haha. Cooking.» This sobers him. He frowns. «That's no way to waste good whiskey.» Nevertheless, he retreats into the shadowed cafe and seconds later appears carrying a bottle of daisy yellow unlabeled liquor. He demonstrates its sparkle in the sunlight and says: «Two dollars.» We pay him with nickels and dimes and pennies. Suddenly, jangling the coins in his hands like a fistul of dice, his face softens. «Tell you what,» he proposes, pouring the money back into our bead purse, «just send me one of them fruitcakes instead.» «Well,» my friend remarks on our way home, «there's lovely man. We'll put an extra cup of raisins in his cake. »

EXERCISES

I. How many characters are present?

II. Who are they?

III. The scene takes place: a. in a big American city; b. in rural America; c. in the business district of an American town.

IV. Right or Wrong? Justify by quoting from the text. 1. Whiskey is hard to get.

2. The characters have already bought everything they needed except whiskey. 3. Haha owned the local grocery. 4. Haha lives in a lovely place near the city centre. 5. People consider his cafe as an evil place. 6. It is the first time that the characters go to Haha's. 7. They used to do business with Haha's wife. 8. Haha's cafe is dangerous all the time. 9. Haha made fun of the two characters at first. 10. Haha sold them what they wanted. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 9

How Children were Brought up in 1910 by George Orwell

The old ideas about bringing up children still held good, though they were going out fast. In theory children were still thrashed and put to bed on bread and water if they made too much noise eating, or refused something that was «good for them», or «answered back». In practice there wasn't much discipline in our family, and of the two. Mother was the firmer. Father, though he was always quoting «Spare the rod, spoil the child», was really much too weak with us, especially with Joe, who was a hard case from the start. He was always «going to» give my brother a good hiding, and he used to tell us stories, which I now believe were lies, about the frightful thrashings his own father used to give him with a leather strap, but nothing ever came of it. By the time Joe was twelve, he was too strong for mother to get him across her knee, and after that there was no doing anything with him. At that time it was still thought proper for parents to say «don't» to their children all day long. You'd often hear a man boasting that he'd «thrash the life out of», his son if he caught him smoking, or stealing apples, or robbing a bird's nest. In some families these thrashings actually happened. Old Lovegrove, the saddler, caught his two sons, great lumps aged sixteen and fifteen, smoking in the garden shed and walloped them to that you could hear it all over the town. Love grove was a very heavy smoker. The thrashings never seemed to have any effect, all boys stole apples, robbed birds' nests and learned to smoke sooner or later, but the idea was still knocking around that children should be treated rough. Practically everything worth doing was forbidden,; in theory anyway! According to Mother everything that a boy ever wants to do was «dangerous». Swimming was dangerous, and so were sliding, snowballing, climbing trees, hanging on behind carts, using catapults, and even fishing. All animals were dangerous, except our dog, and the two cats, Practically all kinds of food, except the food you had at meals, were poisonous or «bad for you». But certain things had mysterious virtues: Raw onions were a cure for almost everything and a stocking tied round your neck did away with your sore throat. 1. Choose the right answer. This text is about: children's education; children's moral; children's future. The author's father: was a brutal man; was feared by his children; never punished his children. The author's mother: had confidence in boys; did not care about what they could do; was worried about everything they did. In those days parents: very seldom remonstrated with their children; kept reprimanding their children; never threatened to beat their children. II. Find the following sentences in the text. Explain what they mean by choosing the right answer. In theory children were still thrashed: children were still rewarded; children were still told off; children were still locked up; children were still beaten. «Spare the rod, spoil the child»: you spoil a child if you punish him too often; never punish a child; it is forbidden to beat a child; if you never beat a child you are too indulgent and you will not build up his character. Joe was a hard case from the start: Joe had not been in very good health from the start; he always kept his word; Joe hardly ever talked to his parents; it had always been difficult to understand Joe. But nothing ever came of it: his threats were empty; he always kept his word; the children knew he would punish them; the children did not care about anything. There was no doing anything with him: punishments had no effect on him; mother refused to do anything which could offend him; it was impossible to do what he liked; he did not do what he was expected to. You would often hear a man boasting that: you would often hear a man saying proudly that... you would often hear a man pretending that... you would often hear a man denying that... you would often hear a man saying shyly that...

In some families these thrashings actually happened: in some families these thrashings sometimes happened; in soriae families these thrashings might happen; in some families these thrashings really happened; in some families these thrashings seldom happened. The idea was still knocking about that: the idea persisted that... the idea never came to anyone that... the idea never prevailed that... the idea struck everyone. Everything worth doing was forbidden: everything foolish was forbidden; everything dangerous was forbidden; everything enjoyable was forbidden; every useless act was forbidden. Raw onions were a cure for almost everything: cooked onions were good for all diseases; only a few diseases could be cured with raw onions; nearly everything could be cured with raw onions; raw onions could be mixed with any dish. Контрольная работа по чтению (5 курс)

Variant 10

Read the text, translate it in written form and do the task..

The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien I was not sorry to be leaving the old village. It was dead and tired and old and crumbling and falling down. The shops needed paint and there seemed to be fewer geraniums in the upstairs windows than there had been when I was a child. The next hour flew. Once again we were saying good-bye, Martha cried. I suppose she felt that we were always going; and that life stood still for her. Life had passed her by, cheated her. She was just forty. We were in a third-class carriage that said «No Smoking», and the train chugged along towards Dublin. «Chrisake, Where's there a smoking-carriage?» Baba asked. Her father had put us on the train, but we didn't let on that we each had a packet of cigarettes in our handbags. «We'll look for one,» I said and we went down the corridor, giggling and giving strangers the «So what» look. I suppose it was then we began that phase of our lives as the giddy country girls brazening the big city. People looked at us and then looked away again, as though they had just discovered that we were naked or something. But we didn't care. We were young and, we thought, pretty. . Baba was small and thin, with her hair cut short like a boy's and little tempting curls falling on to her forehead. She was neat looking, and any man could lift her up in his arms and carry her off. But I was tall and gawky, with a bewildered look, and a mass of bewildered auburn hair. 1 «We'll have sherry or cider or some damn' thing», she said, turning round to face me. Her skin was dark and when she smiled I thought of autumn things, like nuts and russet-coloured apples. «You're lovely looking», I said. «You're gorgeous», she said, in return. «You're a picture», I said. «You're like Rita Hayworth», she said. «D'you know what I often think?» «What?» «How the poor bloody nuns managed the day you kept them out of the lavatory» At the mention of the convent, I got a faint smell of cabbage; that smell that lingered in every corner of the school. «Twas tough on them, holding it», she said, and she let out one of her mad, donkey laughs The train turned a sharp bend and we fell on to the nearest seat. Baba was laughing, so I smiled at a man opposite. He was half asleep, and didn't notice me. We got up and went down the aisle of the carriages, between the dusty velvet-covered seats. In a while we came to the bar. «Two glasses of sherry», Baba said, blowing smoke directly into the barman's face. «What kind?» he asked. He was friendly and didn't mind the smoke. «Any kind». He filled two glasses and put them on the counter. After we had drunk the sherry I bought cider for us, and we were a little tipsy as we swayed, on the high stools and looked out at the rain as it fell on the fields that shot past the train. But being tipsy we did hot see very much and the rain did not touch us.

Choose the correct answer: The scene takes place in: a) England; b) Ireland; c) Scotland.

There are two girls: one is called Martha, the other one's name is not mentioned; one is called Baba, the other one is Martha; one is called Chrisake, the other one is Baba; one is called Baba, the other one's name is not mentioned.

The girls are leaving their village: for a holiday abroad; to go and live in the city; to go shopping for the day.

Leaving the village was: a heart-breaking experience; a liberating experience; a frightening experience; a frustrating experience.

In the narrator's view, «Martha cried»: because she would miss the girls; over her own situation; because she didn't want to leave; because she was angry.

«People looked at us...» reveals that: they approved of the girls; they were amused; they admired the girls; they disapproved of the girls.

«But being tipsy we didn't see very much»: The girls were shortsighted; The girls were drunk; It was too dark; The girls were asleep.