In the first paragraph we learn that discovery initiatives

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In the first paragraph we learn that discovery initiatives

Текст «Into the eye of the Storm» — перевод

Прочитайте статью об охотнике за бурями и выполните задания по тексту.

Задание: Read the article about a storm chaser. For statements 1-7, choose A, B, С or D to complete each statement correctly.
Перевод: Прочтите статью об охотнике за бурями. Для выражений 1-7 выберите A, B, С или D, чтобы выполнялось соответствие утверждениям.

«Into the eye of the Storm»

There’s a change in the sky, the clouds are gathering and there’s a rumble and howl in the distance. It first appears on the horizon — a funnel of violent air that rips through everything in its path. It’s a tornado, one of nature’s most destructive forces.
It can pick up cars, rip trees out of the ground and demolish houses. Most of us would panic at this point, hide in the house, lock the door and crawl under the kitchen table. But Warren Faidley grabs his camera, jumps in his car and heads right for the storm. Warren Faidley is a storm chaser and makes his living by getting as close to tornadoes as possible to capture them in photographs or on video.

He soon moved on to more profitable pursuits. «About a year after my near-death experience, I decided to ride my bike into the center of a large dust devil, a much smaller type of tornado. After that, I formed a gang of local kids and we’d chase after these mini-tornadoes. It was experiences such as these that gave me the confidence that eventually led to my first job, collecting deadly scorpions. The heavy rain storms drove them out of their hiding places and I dodged the lightning bolts, collected the scorpions and sold them to an old man who put them into plastic paperweights to sell by the side of the road. Eventually, some of the parents found out about my near drowning, scorpion trade and dust devil adventures. The majority of the local kids were banned from hanging out with me».

He goes on to say: «Chasing is extremely dangerous — especially when I started and there was no on-board radars to show us where and when the tornado would hit, and no preexisting chase instructions. One recent scary event occurred when I was fleeing a terrible storm in Texas. The winds became so intense the chase truck could hardly move; rocks were being lifted and smashed into the windshield. I was literally being sucked into the tornado!» Of course, he survived to tell the tale.

Some motion picture companies have made inquiries into making a film based on his adventures, but Faidley says: «I’m not committed to anything yet. I’ve devoted my life to chasing, sold my soul to those pursuits and turned them into a million-dollar career. I’m going to be very careful about giving it away.»

Faidley’s photography has been greatly admired. He explains, «As an artist, I’m always looking for that perfect shot. Someone once said: ‘Artists seek perfection in their work to make up for imperfections in their lives.’ That fits me. I’ve given up on any kind of serious personal life or family and dedicated my life to my work. Chasing involves so many things I enjoy in life: adventure, danger, travel, science, friendships and, of course, the excitement.»

Перевод текста «Into the eye of the Storm»

В небе что-то меняется, собираются тучи, а вдалеке слышится грохот и вой. Он впервые появляется на горизонте-воронка яростного воздуха, которая разрывает все на своем пути. Это торнадо, одна из самых разрушительных сил природы.
Он может подбирать машины, вырывать деревья из земли и разрушать дома. Большинство из нас запаниковало бы в этот момент, спряталось бы в доме, заперло дверь и заползло под кухонный стол. Но Уоррен Фейдли хватает свою камеру, запрыгивает в машину и мчится прямо на грозу. Уоррен Фейдли-охотник за штормами и зарабатывает себе на жизнь тем, что подбирается как можно ближе к торнадо, чтобы запечатлеть их на фотографиях или видео.

Фотографии дикой красоты и ужасающих последствий экстремальных погодных условий Уоррена были использованы на плакатах и рекламных материалах такими знаменитостями, как Шерил Кроу и Пол Маккартни. Некоторые продаются по цене до 20 000 долларов. Кроме того, видеозапись, которую он снимает, была показана по телевидению во всем мире, и он даже работал консультантом в Голливуде над полнометражным фильмом, который лучше всего отражает его образ жизни, «Твистер».

Вскоре он перешел к более прибыльным занятиям. — Примерно через год после моего предсмертного опыта я решил поехать на велосипеде в центр большого пыльного дьявола, гораздо меньшего типа торнадо. После этого я сформировал банду местных ребят, и мы гонялись за этими мини-торнадо. Именно такие переживания придали мне уверенность, которая в конечном итоге привела к моей первой работе,
собирал смертоносных Скорпионов. Проливные дожди выгоняли их из укрытий, и я уворачивался от молний, собирал Скорпионов и продавал их старику, который складывал их в пластиковые пресс-папье на обочине дороги. В конце концов, некоторые из родителей узнали о моем близком утоплении, торговле Скорпионами и приключениях пыльного дьявола. Большинству местных ребят было запрещено общаться со мной».

Он продолжает говорить: «преследование чрезвычайно опасно — особенно когда я начал, и не было никаких бортовых радаров, чтобы показать нам, где и когда ударит торнадо,и никаких ранее существовавших инструкций по преследованию. Один недавний страшный случай произошел, когда я спасался от ужасного шторма в Техасе. Ветер стал таким сильным, что грузовик «Чейз» едва мог двигаться; камни поднимались и разбивались о ветровое стекло. Меня буквально засасывало в торнадо!- Конечно, он выжил, чтобы рассказать эту историю.

Некоторые кинокомпании уже начали делать запросы на создание фильма, основанного на его приключениях, но Фэйдли говорит: «Я еще ни к чему не стремлюсь. Я посвятил свою жизнь погоне, продал душу этим занятиям и превратил их в карьеру на миллион долларов. Я буду очень осторожен, когда буду отдавать его кому-то другому.»

Фотографией фэйдли очень восхищались. Он объясняет: «как художник, я всегда ищу этот идеальный снимок. Кто-то однажды сказал: «художники ищут совершенства в своей работе, чтобы компенсировать недостатки в своей жизни.- Это мне подходит. Я отказался от любой серьезной личной жизни или семьи и посвятил свою жизнь работе. Погоня включает в себя так много вещей, которые мне нравятся в жизни: приключения, опасности, путешествия, наука,дружба и, конечно же, волнение.»

Задания к тексту.

Правильные ответы выделены скобками. В тексте выделены предложения, на основе которых получен ответ.

1. We learn in the first paragraph that Warren Faidley
A enjoys the danger involved in his job.
(B) does things other people would not do.
С drives right into tornadoes.
D takes photographs of people in danger.

2. The producers of the film Twister
A based the film on his life.
В used his photographs to promote the film.
(С) took advice from Faidley when making the film.
D wanted Faidley to star in the film.

3. When the writer says that Faidley ‘moved on to more profitable pursuits’ (para 4) he means that Faidley
A changed the way he conducted his ‘chases’.
В started to take his hobby more seriously.
С went on even more daring adventures.
(D) made money from a dangerous hobby.

4. Eventually, most of the members of Faidley’s teenage gang
A joined him in his scorpion trade.
B had to hide their friendship with him.
C lost interest in storm chasing.
(D) weren’t allowed to associate with him.

5. Faidley tells us that when he began his career,
A he was less cautious than he is now.
(B) the equipment was not as advanced as it is nowadays.
С the job was less dangerous than it is now.
D he did not take any equipment with him on his ‘chases’.

6. When film companies suggest making a film about his experiences, Faidley feels
(A) cautious.
В proud.
С excited.
D unimpressed.

7. In the final paragraph, we learn that Faidley
(A) puts work before anything else.
В makes sure every shot is perfect
С is pleased that others admire his work.
D has some regrets about his life.

Контрольная работа по чтению, 6 курс, 1 семестр

Контрольная работа по чтению (6 курс 1 семестр)

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 applications. 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.

Royce McKnight flipped through the dossier and smiled. McDeere was their man.

I. Fill in the blanks with words taken from the text.

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)

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

A tour operator which specializes in environmentally sensitive holidays has

banned the use of all cameras. Is this the future of tourism? Asks Mark

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

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

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)

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

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.»

«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?

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?

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 _

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)

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

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)

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

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)

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

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

Контрольная работа по чтению, 6 курс, 1 семестр