Task 1. For items 1–10 listen to a passage from a lecture and decide whether the statements (1–10) are TRUE (A), or FALSE (B) according to the text you hear. You will hear the text twice.
1. Activities of rich industrialised countries are aimed at helping poor people in developing countries.
A) True
B) False
2. Changes in sea level may threaten the life of small island states.
A) True
B) False
3. Egyptians living in the coastal areas are threatened by flooding.
A) True
B) False
4. Food security is a problem in some dry tropical countries.
A) True
B) False
5. Northern hemisphere countries suffer the most from the air pollution.
A) True
B) False
6. Measures aimed at the modification of the impact of climate change may be very costly.
A) True
B) False
7. People should learn to care about the lives of people of future generations.
A) True
B) False
8. We can be satisfied with the achievements in dealing with the climate change on the international scene.
A) True
B) False
9. We as individuals can’t add to the reductions of the greenhouse gas emissions.
A) True B) False
10. Energy efficiency measures include less use of private cars.
A) True B) False
Task 2 For items 11–15 listen to the dialogue. Choose the correct answer (A, B or C) to
Answer questions 11–15. You will hear the text only once.
11. The first photo Mike saw in the old photograph album was that of…
A) his wife as a baby.
B) his wife’s sister Paula.
C) his wife’s mother.
12. In the photo of Paula she was with her…
A) mother.
B) sister.
C) boyfriend.
13. When Mike says “she takes after you” he means that Paula …
A) looks like his wife.
B) behaves like his wife.
C) tries to mock his wife.
14. What does Mike think about the hat his wife’s mother is wearing in the photo?
A) It’s too old.
B) It looks strange.
C) It’s very fashionable.
15. What does Mike’s phrase “you’ll probably look like her…” suggest?
A) He doesn’t like the way his wife’s mother looks now.
B) He thinks about hats his wife would wear in twenty years.
C) He thinks that Paula would look nice in twenty years.
READING. Time: 45 minutes (20 points)
Task 1. For items 16–25, read the passage below and choose option A, B, C or D which best
fits according to the text.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is the former imperial palace in the center of Beijing, China.
Construction began in 1406, and the emperor’s court officially moved in by 1420. The
Forbidden City got its name because most people were barred from entering the 72-hectare
site, surrounded by walls. Even government officials and the imperial family were permitted only limited access. Only the emperor could enter any section at will.
The architecture of the Forbidden City conforms rigidly to traditional Chinese principles. All buildings within the walls follow a north-south line, and the most important ones face south to honor the sun. The designers arranged the other buildings, and the ceremonial spaces between them, to impress all visitors with the great power of the Emperor, while reinforcing the insignificance of the individual. This architectural concept was carried out to the smallest detail. For example, the importance of a building was determined not only by its height or width but also by the style of its roof and the quantity of statuettes placed on the roof’s ridges.
In recognition of the importance of its unparalleled architecture, UNESCO added the palace to its World Heritage List in 1987. Today, visitors from all over the world do not wait for an imperial invitation to walk about this palace, now a museum of imperial art. One of the most impressive landmarks of the Forbidden City is the Meridian Gate, the formal entrance to the southern side of the Forbidden City. The gate, with its auxiliary wings on either side of the entryway, is 38 meters high at its roof ridge. When you stand in front of this majestic structure, you understand how awed people felt when they stood there listening to imperial proclamations.
As you walk through the gate, you come into a large courtyard, 140 meters long and 210 meters wide. Running through the courtyard is the Golden River, which is crossed by five parallel white marble bridges. These bridges lead to the Gate of Supreme Harmony, which, in turn, leads to the heart of the Forbidden City. Its three main halls stand atop a three-tiered marble terrace overlooking an immense plaza. The plaza has enough space to hold tens of thousands of subjects paying homage to the emperor.
At the northernmost end of the Forbidden City is the Imperial Garden, which is totally different from the rest of the compound. Instead of rigid formality, you see a seemingly spontaneous arrangement of trees, fishponds, flowerbeds, and sculpture. Here is the place of relaxation for the emperor. The motion picture The Last Emperor (1987), which portrays the life of Hsüan-t’ung P’u-i, was filmed partly within the Forbidden City.
16.Which sentence in the first paragraph explains who could go anywhere in the
Forbidden City at any time?
A) Sentence 2.
B) Sentence 3.
C) Sentence 4.
D) Sentence 5.
17. How long did it take to build the Forbidden City?
A) About five years.
B) About seven years.
C) About ten years.
D) About fourteen years.
18. From the passage, it can be inferred that
A) Chinese architects borrowed ideas from many different countries.
B) the design of the Forbidden City is dull and colorless.
C) the architecture of the Forbidden City exemplifies traditional Chinese values.
D) the garden of the Forbidden City was laid out in a strict, rectangular pattern.
19.Which phrase is closest in meaning to the word 'unparalleled' as used in paragraph 3?
A) At an angle from the main line.
B) A high quality found nowhere else.
C) Partially designed in a foreign country.
D) Careless of small details in design.
20.Which word(s) does the word 'its' refer to in paragraph 3?
A) UNESCO.
B) Architecture.
C) Palace.
D)World Heritage List.
21.From the passage, it is implied that the main entrance area to the Forbidden City is
A) surrounded by three tall walls.
B) painted gold and green.
C) decorated with statuettes.
D) not very impressive.
22.Which phrase is closest in meaning to the word 'proclamations'?
A) Music composed for public ceremonies.
B) Speeches encouraging soldiers to fight.
C) Official public announcements.
D) Poetry written for the emperor.
23. All of the following are found in the Imperial Garden EXCEPT:
A) fishponds.
B) sculpture.
C) bridges.
D) flowerbeds.
24. According to the passage, what do the bridges over the Golden River lead to?
A) The Meridian gate.
B) The center of Beijing.
C) The Gate of Supreme Harmony.
D) The Imperial Gardens.
25. The Imperial Garden is
A) a traditional formal garden.
B) a complex arrangement.
C) an unplanned patch of land.
D) a favorite spot of the emperor.