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 Supercomputer E. Intelligent machines in our life
B. Human intelligence test F. Computer intelligence test
C. Man against computer G. Computers change human brains
D. Robotic industry H. Electronic film stars

 

1. Artificial intelligence is the art of making machines that are able to 'think'. We often don't notice it, but artificial intelligence is all around us. It is present in computer games, in the cruise control in our cars and the servers that direct our e-mail. Some scientists believe that the most powerful computers could have the power of the human brain. Machines have always been excellent at tasks like calculation. But now they are better than humans in many spheres, from chess to mixing music.
2. The world's most powerful computer is ASCI Purple, made by IBM in 2004. It can carry out 100 trillion operations per second and has the size of two basketball courts. A computer with double power is expected in the next two years. A spokesman for IBM said that ASCI Purple is near the power of the human brain. But some scientists believe our brains can carry out almost 10,000 trillion operations per second.
3. The possible dangers of intelligent machines became the stories of many science fiction films. In The Terminator (1984), a computer network uses nuclear weapons against the human race in order to rule the world. This network then makes intelligent robots called 'Terminators' which it programs to kill all the humans. In The Matrix (1999) and The Matrix Reloaded (2003), a machine dominates humanity, using people as batteries to power itself.
4. In 1997, then the world chess champion Garry Kasparov played against IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer – and lost. After six games, the world-famous Kasparov lost 2.5 to 3.5 to the computer. In February 2003, Kasparov restored human reputation by finishing equal against the Israeli-built supercomputer Deep Junior. Kasparov ended the game with the score 2-2 against US company X3D Technologies' supercomputer X3D Fritz in November 2003, proving that the human brain can keep up with the latest developments in computing (at least in chess).
5. There are a number of different methods which try to measure intelligence, the most famous of which is perhaps the IQ, or 'Intelligence Quotient' test. This test was first used in early 20th century Paris. The modern day IQ test measures a variety of different types of ability such as memory for words and figures and others. Whether IQ tests actually test general intelligence is disputable. Some argue that they just show how good the individual is at IQ tests!
6. Analysis shows that human intelligence is changing. We are gaining abilities in some areas of intelligence, while losing them in others, such as memory. So this generation may not remember the great number of poems, their abilities are greater in other areas. It has been discovered that wide use of video games improves reaction time. But we could only dream of computing without calculators as fast as our grandparents did.
7. In 1950, mathematician Alan Turing invented a test to check machine intelligence. In the Turing Test, two people (A and B) sit in a closed room, a third person (C), who asks questions, sits outside. Person A tries to answer the questions so that person C doesn’t guess who they are: men or women, while person B tries to help him (C) in their identification. Turing suggested a machine take the place of person A. If the machine fooled the human, it was likely to be intelligent.

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A. Chocolate mania E. Friend or enemy
B. History of chocolate F. Safe sweetness
C. Love of sweet from your father G. Help to dentists
D. Balanced diet H. Problems with weight

 

1. Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao. The ancient Aztecs used the beans of the cacao tree as a form of money. The Aztecs discovered that by crushing the beans into a paste and adding spices, they could make a refreshing and nourishing drink. This drink was very bitter, not like our chocolate drinks today. 16th century European explorers brought the drink back from their travels, added sugar, and soon it was popular as an expensive luxury.
2. You can receive a 'sweet tooth' from your parents. Recent study at New York University suggests there is a genetic reason why some people prefer sugary foods. The study was based on two groups of mice. The parents of the first group were given sweetened water and the parents of the second – unsweetened water. The team found the gene that was different in the two groups of mice and then looked for similar genetic chains in humans.
3. All modern chocolate products have large amounts of sugar, a fact which may partly explain why it becomes a sort of drug for some people. An ability to recognize sweet things, and a tendency to like them was very useful for our forefathers. Such a genetic quality made prehistoric humans look for energy-rich, healthy and tasty food such as fruit, and helped them avoid bitter-tasting poisonous plants.
4. Like other sweet food, chocolate helps endorphins, natural hormones, that give us the feelings of pleasure and well-being, to appear in our body. Chocolate also makes us feel good by reacting with our brains. Scientists say that some people may develop chocoholism - a dependency on chocolate. So it's just possible that, with every bar of chocolate, your brain changes step by step in order to make you love chocolate more and more!
5. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, many scientific works were written explaining the advantages of chocolate for medicine, and today it's a regular food in army rations. Chocolate could help prevent tooth decay, according to scientists at Japan's Osaka University. The cocoa beans from which chocolate is made have an antibacterial agent that fights tooth decay. These parts of the beans are not usually used in chocolate production, but in future they could be added back in to chocolate to make it friendly for teeth.
6. Californian scientist Professor Carl Keen and his team have suggested that chocolate might help fight heart disease. They say that it contains chemicals called flavinoids, which thin the blood. Researchers at Harvard University have carried out experiments that suggest that if you eat chocolate three times a month you will live almost a year longer than those who don’t do it. But it's not all good news - chocolate has much fat, which means that eating too much of it may lead to obesity.
7. Being very fat, or obese, is linked to many health problems including heart disease and diabetes. The causes of obesity are not yet fully understood. Both genes and the environment play a role. The recent growth of the number of fat people seems to be linked to environmental factors: people are much less active nowadays, fatty and sugary foods like chocolate are cheap, people eat larger portions of food, and the calories per person have increased.

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A. Types of mass media E. Air in danger
B. World in danger F. World language
C. Danger of smoking G. Wonderful trip
D. English in schools H. Types of travelling

 

1. English is very popular nowadays. It’s the language of computers, science, business, sport and politics. English is an amazing language, the language of great literature. Half of the world’s scientific literature is published in English. Nearly half of the world’s business deals in Europe are conducted in English. It’s the language of sports and glamour, being the official language of the Olympic Games and the Miss Universe Competition. English is the official voice of the air and the sea.
2. Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays travelling. They travel to see other countries and continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns. Some travel to enjoy picturesque places or just for a change of scene. It’s always interesting to try different food, to listen to different musical rhythms. Those who live in the country like to travel to a big city while city-dwellers usually prefer spending a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe.
3. Global warming is the term used to describe the relatively dramatic rise in the world’s average temperature during the 20th century. According to some environmentalists, global warming is a result of the industrial revolution and that if it continues, it will destroy civilization as we know it. Global warming is a problem, and people must take any steps they can in order to prevent it.
4. Speaking English gives people many privileges in society, enabling them to communicate successfully with those who don’t know your mother-tongue. In order to possess these privileges school teachers and methodologists propose to introduce six hours of learning English a week for all Russian schools and introduce this subject from the first year in primary schools. Learning English should become more intensive to make Russian citizens more communicative.
5. Air pollution is a very serious problem in the world. In Cairo just breathing the air is life threatening – it equals smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for Mexico City and 600 cities of the former Soviet Union. Industrial enterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet.
6. The press, radio, television and Internet are various types of mass media that keep people informed on the topical issues of the day. The mass media do much to excite an interest in every aspect of life and play an important role in reflecting the life of society. The mass media draw the public attention to the most serious political, economic, social and ecological problems.
7. Last year my brother and I went to Turkey. This trip left the best impression on me. We took advantage of the excellent weather and went on different tours, for example, rafting. We took ourselves by a raft and a kayak through the picturesque mountainous region of Southern Turkey. Besides, we found new places, saw impressive sights and got acquainted with new people.

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HEALTHY SCHOOL MEALS Children at Southdown Infants School in Bath enjoy tasty homemade meals such as roast turkey with fresh vegetables, chicken, salad and fresh fruit for pudding. Vegetables are 1 _______________________. Instead of crisps, chocolate and sweets, the school canteen serves organic carrots, dried fruit and fresh seasonal fruit in bags for 10p, 2 _______________________. Southdown's healthy eating initiative began four years ago with the start of a breakfast club. Now Ms Culley, the head teacher of the school, says that the teachers very clearly see the link between diet and concentration. “Children's concentration and behaviour 3 _______________________.” The teachers would also like to give the children the experience of eating together. It turned out that some children weren't used to that. Pupils are also encouraged to find out more about where their food comes from by 4 _______________________. Parents are also involved and are invited in to try school dinners on special occasions, 5 _______________________. The efforts of staff, pupils and parents to create a healthy eating environment were recognized earlier this month 6 _______________________ the Best School Dinner award. Ms Culley said: “We are happy to win this award. Healthy eating is at the centre of everything we do. It's really rewarding to see so many children enjoy real food.” A. such as Easter and Christmas B. visiting a local farm C. local, fresh and organic where possible D. provide good quality food E. definitely improve after a good meal F. and about 100 bags are sold each day G. when the school was awarded

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Walking is not enough to keep fit Walking may not be enough on its own to produce significant health benefits, research suggests. A team from Canada’s University of Alberta compared a 10,000-step exercise programme with a more traditional fitness regime of moderate intensity. Researchers found improvements 1 _______________________ were significantly higher in the second group. They told an American College of Sports Medicine meeting that gentle exercise was 2 _______________________. In total 128 people took 3 _______________________. The researchers assessed influence on fitness by measuring blood pressure and lung capacity. They found out the 10,000-step programme did help to get people motivated – and was an excellent way to start 4 _______________________. But to increase the effectiveness, some intensity must be added to their exercise. “Across your day, while you are achieving those 10,000 steps, take 200 to 400 of them at a faster pace. You've got to do more than light exercise and include regular moderate activity, and don't be shy to have an occasional period of time at an energetic level.” The researchers were concerned there was too much focus 5 _______________________, rather than on its intensity. Professor Stuart Biddle, an expert in exercise science at the University of Loughborough, said it was possible that the current guidelines on how much exercise to take were set too low. “However, you have got to find 6 _______________________. The harder you make it, the fewer people will actually do it.” Professor Biddle said there was no doubt that energetic exercise was the way to get fit, but volume rather than intensity might be more useful in tackling issues such as obesity. A. part in the project B. taking exercise C. gave marked health benefits D. in fitness levels E. on simply getting people to take exercise F. not enough to get fit G. a compromise between physiology and psychology

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Double-decker Bus A double-decker bus is a bus that has two levels. While double-decker long-distance buses are in widespread use around the world, 1 _______________________. Double-decker buses are popular in some European cities and in some parts of Asia, usually in former British colonies. Many towns around the world have a few that specialize in short sight-seeing tours for tourists because, as William Gladstone observed, "the way to see London is from the top of a 'bus'". Double-decker buses are taller than other buses. They are extensively used in the United Kingdom, 2 _______________________, removed from normal service in December 2005 - they still operate on heritage routes. Elsewhere in Europe, double-deckers are used throughout the Dublin Bus network in Ireland, where they are making a comeback on Dublin's outer suburban routes and also the streets of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. They are a common sight in Berlin, where the BVG makes extensive use of them. Double-decker long-distance coaches are also in widespread use throughout Europe. Most buses in Hong Kong and about half in Singapore are double-deckers as well. The only areas in North America that 3 _______________________ are the western Canadian province of British Columbia and the United States city of Las Vegas. They are currently being tested in Ottawa on the express routes. The city of Davis, California, in the United States uses vintage double-decker buses for public transport. Davis, California is also home to the first vintage double-decker bus converted from diesel gasoline to run on CNG. The city of Victoria, BC, the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, and a couple of others use Dennis Tridents. A few are also used as tour buses, especially in New York. Double-deckers are have also been used in Mumbai since 1937. In Brazil, 4 _______________________, some companies use double-decker buses. Double-deckers are not a good option for use outside the towns (most roads in Brazil are in very poor condition), and 5 _______________________. Double-decker buses are in widespread use in India in many of the major cities. Some double-decker buses 6 _______________________, with no roof and shallow sides. These are popular for sightseeing tours. A. double-deckers are adored by thousands of tourists B. use double-decker buses for public transport C. double-decker city buses are less common D. where perhaps the most famous was the London Routemaster E. their use is being discouraged by transportation authorities F. have an open upper deck G. where buses are sometimes the only interstate transport

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ABBY’S TIDY DRAWER One Saturday morning, Abby’s Mum came upstairs to see Abby in her bedroom. There was a big mess on the floor and Abby sat in the middle of it all reading a book. “What a mess,” Mum said. “You need to have a clear up in here. Because things get broken or lost when they’re all willy-nilly like this. Come on, have a tidy up now.” “But I’m very busy,” Abby argued, “and it’s boring doing it on my own. Can’t you help me?” “No I can’t, I’m busy too. But I’ll give you extra pocket money if you do a good job.” When Mum came back later all the toys and clothes and books had disappeared. “I’m impressed,” said Mum. “But I’ll inspect it properly later.” “It was easy,” said Abby. “Can I have my extra pocket money now?” “All right. Get it out of my change purse. It’s in the kitchen tidy drawer.” In the kitchen, Abby went over to the dresser and pulled open the tidy drawer. She hunted for the purse. “It must be somewhere at the bottom,” Mum said. “Let’s have a proper look.” She pulled the drawer out and carried it over to the table. Abby looked inside. There were lots of boring things like staplers and string, but there were lots of interesting things as well. “What’s this?” Abby asked, holding up a plastic bottle full of red liquid. “Fake blood, from a Halloween party years ago. Your Dad and I took you to that, dressed up as a baby vampire. You were really scary.” Abby carried on looking through the drawer. She found some vampire teeth, white face paint, plastic witch nails and hair gel. Mum pulled out a glittery hair band. It had springs with wobbly balls on the top that flashed disco colours! Abby found some sparkly hair elastics to match the hair band. She made her Mum put lots of little bunches all over her head so she looked really silly. “I remember this,” Abby said as she pulled out a plastic bag. “This is from my pirate party.” Inside there was a black, false moustache and some big gold earrings. “Come here,” Mum said and smeared white face paint all over Abby’s face. She dribbled the fake blood so it looked as if it was coming out of Abby’s eyes and mouth. She put gel all over Abby’s hair and made it stand up into weird, pointy shapes. Abby put in the vampire teeth and slipped on the witch fingers. She made scary noises at Wow-Wow, the cat. He ignored her and carried on washing himself on the seat next to her. Abby came to sit on her Mum’s knee. “It’s fun doing this together,” she said. “Maybe. But we still haven’t found the change purse.” “Well, you know things will get lost, or broken, when they’re all willy-nilly.” “You cheeky monkey!” Mum laughed. “But what shall I do with it all?” “I know, it’s easy,” Abby said and began to remove everything off the table into her arms. She put it all back in the kitchen drawer. Mum looked at her suspiciously. “Let’s go and inspect your bedroom, shall we?” Abby followed her upstairs and into her bedroom. Wow-Wow was sitting in front of her fish tank looking hungrily at the goldfish. He dashed under the bed when he saw Mum and Abby. Mum kneeled down and lifted the bed cover to get him out. Underneath were heaps of Abby’s toys, books, tapes, clothes and shoes, empty plastic cups, wrappers and a half-eaten sandwich on a plate. “Abby! What’s all this?” “It’s my tidy drawer,” Abby said. She wrapped her arms around her Mum and gave her a kiss. “Let’s sort this one out together now.”   1. When Mum came to Abby’s room she saw A) her daughter reading at her table. B) the cat looking at the fish. C) a terrible mess all over the place. D) Abby dressed up as a vampire. 2. Abby agreed to tidy up her room because Mother A) promised to take her to the Halloween party. B) offered to give her extra pocket money. C) promised to help her. D) said that she would punish her. 3. Where did Abby find many interesting things? A) In her Mother’s change purse. B) Under her bed. C) On the kitchen table. D) In the tidy drawer in the kitchen. 4. Abby’s parents used most of the interesting things A) when they dressed themselves up for Halloween parties. B) as presents for Halloween parties. C) to dress her up for different parties. D) when they wanted to play tricks on Abby. 5. Abby put on the vampire teeth, witch nails and other things from the tidy drawer because A) she wanted to scare the cat. B) she was going to a Halloween party that evening. C) she enjoyed dressing up with her Mother. D) she had to dress up for a pirate party. 6. Abby’s Mother decided to inspect Abby’s bedroom A) after she had seen Abby tidy up the kitchen table. B) because she had promised she would do that. C) before Father came home from work. D) when they heard some strange noise from it. 7. When Abby’s Mother looked under her daughter’s bed she saw A) the cat eating a sandwich. B) the tidy drawer from the kitchen. C) her change purse. D) all the Abby’s things.

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Mr. Sticky No one knew how Mr. Sticky got in the fish tank. "He's very small," Mum said as she peered at the tiny water snail. "Just a black dot." In the morning Abby jumped out of bed and switched on the light in her fish tank. Gerry, the fat orange goldfish, was dozing inside the stone archway. It took Abby a while to discover Mr. Sticky because he was clinging to the glass near the bottom, right next to the gravel. At school that day she wrote about the mysterious Mr. Sticky who was so small you could mistake him for a piece of gravel. Some of the girls in her class said he seemed an ideal pet for her and kept giggling about it. "I think he's grown a bit," Abby told her Mum at breakfast the next day. "Just as well if he's going to be eaten up like that," her Mum said, trying to put on her coat and eat toast at the same time. "But I don't want him to get too huge or he won't be cute anymore. Small things are cute aren't they?" "Yes they are. Now hurry up, I'm going to miss my train." At the weekend they cleaned out the tank. "There's a lot of filth on the sides," Mum said. "I'm not sure Mr. Sticky's quite up to the job yet." They took the fish out and put them in a bowl while they emptied some of the water. Mr. Sticky stayed out of the way, clinging to the glass while Mum used the special 'vacuum cleaner' to clean the gravel. Abby cleaned the archway and the filter tube. Mum poured new water into the tank. "Where's Mr. Sticky?" Abby asked. "On the side," Mum said. She was busy concentrating on the water. Abby looked on all sides of the tank. There was no sign of the water snail. "He's probably in the gravel then," her mum said. She put the fish back in the clean water where they swam round and round, looking baffled. That evening Abby went up to her bedroom to examine the tank. The water had settled and looked lovely and clear but there was no sign of Mr. Sticky. She went downstairs. Her mum was in the study surrounded by papers. She looked impatient when she saw Abby in the doorway and even more impatient when she heard the bad news. "He'll turn up." was all she said. "Now off to bed Abby. I've got masses of work to catch up on." Abby felt her face go hot and red. It always happened when she was furious or offended. "You've poured him out, haven't you," she said. "You were in such a rush." "I have not. I was very cautious. But he is extremely small." "What's wrong with being small?" "Nothing at all. But it makes things hard to find." "Or notice," Abby said and ran from the room. The door to the bedroom opened and Mum's face appeared. Abby tried to ignore her but it was hard when she walked over to the bed and sat next to her. She was holding her glasses in her hand. "These are my new pair," she said. "Extra powerful, for snail hunting." She smiled at Abby. Abby tried not to smile back. "And I've got a magnifying glass," Abby suddenly remembered and rushed off to find it. They sat beside each other on the floor with the tank between them and peered into the water. "Ah ha!" Mum suddenly cried. There, perfectly hidden against the dark stone, sat Mr. Sticky. And right next to him was another water snail, even smaller than him. "Mrs. Sticky!" Abby breathed. They both laughed. Then Abby put her head on her mum's chest and smiled. 1. Mr. Sticky was A) a goldfish. B) a piece of gravel. C) a snail. D) a turtle. 2. Abby didn’t want Mr. Sticky to grow too big because A) there wouldn’t be enough space in the fish tank. B) he would eat too much. C) he would leave a lot of dirt on the walls of the fish tank. D) she found small things to be very pretty. 3. When helping her mother to clean out the tank Abby A) polished the walls of the tank. B) used a vacuum cleaner. C) poured fresh water into the tank. D) cleaned the filter tube of the fish tank. 4. Abby came to her mother’s study A) to tell her that Mr. Sticky hadn’t turned up. B) when she had found Mr. and Mrs. Sticky. C) because she didn’t want to go to bed. D) to say goodnight. 5. Abby was angry with her Mum because A) mother ignored her. B) mother didn’t like Mr. Sticky. C) she thought that her mother had poured out Mr. Sticky. D) mother was very strict. 6. Mother came to Abby’s room to look for Mr. Sticky with A) her new glasses. B) a filter tube. C) a magnifying glass. D) a vacuum cleaner. 7. Abby felt happy and laughed because A) mother came to help her look for Mr. Sticky. B) they found Mr. Sticky in the fish tank. C) the water in the fish tank was very clear and clean. D) her mother was trying to make her laugh.

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A Gifted Cook If there is a gene for cuisine, Gabe, my 11-year-old son, could splice it to perfection. Somewhere between Greenwich Village, where he was born, and the San Francisco Bay area, where he has grown up, the little kid with the stubborn disposition and freckles on his nose has forsaken Boy Scouts and baseball in favor of wielding a kitchen knife. I suppose he is a member of the Emeril generation. Gabe has spent his formative years shopping at the Berkeley Bowl, where over half a dozen varieties of Thanksgiving yams, in lesser mortals, can instill emotional paralysis. He is blessed with a critical eye. “I think Emeril is really cheesy,” he observed the other night while watching a puff pastry segment. “He makes the stupidest jokes. But he cooks really well.” With its manifold indigenous cultures, Oaxaca seemed the perfect place to push boundaries. Like the mole sauces for which it is justly famous, the region itself is a subtle blend of ingredients – from dusty Zapotec villages where Spanish is a second language to the zocalo in colonial Oaxaca, a sophisticated town square brimming with street life and vendors selling twisty, one-story-tall balloons. Appealing to Gabe’s inner Iron Chef seemed like an indirect way to introduce him to a place where the artful approach to life presides. There was also a selfish motive: Gabe is my soul mate, a fellow food wanderer who is not above embracing insanity to follow his appetite wherever it leads. Months ahead of time, we enrolled via the Internet in the daylong Wednesday cooking class at Seasons of My Heart, the chef and cookbook author Susana Trilling’s cooking school in the Elta Valley, about a 45-minute drive north to town. In her cookbook and PBS series of the same name, Ms. Trilling, an American whose maternal grandparents were Mexican, calls Oaxaca “the land of no waste” where cooking techniques in some ancient villages have endured for a thousand years. I suspected that the very notion of what constitutes food in Oaxaca would test Gabe’s mettle. At the suggestion of Jacob, his older brother, we spent our second night in Mexico at a Oaxaca Guerrero baseball game, where instead of peanuts and Cracker Jack, vendors hawked huge trays piled high with chapulines, fried grasshoppers cooked in chili and lime, a local delicacy. Gabe was bug-eyed as he watched the man next to him snack on exoskeletal munchies in a paper bowl. “It’s probably less gross than a hot dog,” he admitted. “But on the rim of the bowl I saw a bunch of legs and served body parts. That’s revolting!” Our cooking day began at the Wednesday market in Etla, shopping for ingredients and sampling as we went. On the way in the van, Gabe had made friends with Cindy and Fred Beams, fellow classmates from Boston, sharing opinions about Caesar salad and bemoaning his brother’s preference for plain pizza instead of Hawaiian. Cindy told Gabe about a delicious sauce she’d just had on her omelet at her B & B. “It was the best sauce – to die for,” she said. “Then I found out the provenance. Roasted worms.” The Oaxacan taste for insects, we’d learn – including the worm salt spied at the supermarket and the “basket of fried locusts” at a nearby restaurant – was a source of protein dating back to pre-Hispanic times. When our cooking class was over I saw a flicker of regret in his face, as though he sensed the world’s infinite variety and possibilities in all the dishes he didn’t learn to cook. “Mom”, he said plaintively, surveying the sensual offerings of the table. “Can we make everything when we get home?” 1. Gabe’s mother thinks that he is A) lazy. B) determined. C) selfish. D) thoughtful. 2. Gabe is supposed to represent the Emeril generation because he A) is fond of criticizing others. B) feels happy being alone. C) is interested in cooking. D) is good at making jokes. 3. The narrator wanted to take Gabe to Oaxaca because A) he could speak Spanish. B) there are a lot of entertainments for children there. C) he knew a lot about local cultures. D) he was the best to keep her company. 4. Gabe was struck when he A) was told that local cooking techniques were a thousand years old. B) saw the man next to him eat insects. C) did not find any dish to satisfy his appetite. D) understood that a hot dog was less gross than a local delicacy. 5. The Oaxacan people eat insects because this kind of food A) tastes pleasant. B) is easy to cook. C) contains an essential nutritional element. D) helps to cure many diseases. 6. At the end of the class Gabe felt regret because A) there were a lot of dishes he could not make on his own. B) the dishes he made were not tasty. C) he did not want to go back home. D) he had not managed to master all the dishes he liked. 7. In paragraph 3 “brimming with” means A) lacking. B) being filled with. C) astonishing with. D) beckoning with.

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  А. Places to stay in B. Arts and culture C. New country image D. Going out E. Different landscapes F. Transport system G. National languages H. Eating out 1. Belgium has always had a lot more than the faceless administrative buildings that you can see in the outskirts of its capital, Brussels. A number of beautiful historic cities and Brussels itself offer impressive architecture, lively nightlife, first-rate restaurants and numerous other attractions for visitors. Today, the old-fashioned idea of ‘boring Belgium' has been well and truly forgotten, as more and more people discover its very individual charms for themselves. 2. Nature in Belgium is varied. The rivers and hills of the Ardennes in the southeast contrast sharply with the rolling plains which make up much of the northern and western countryside. The most notable features are the great forest near the frontier with Germany and Luxembourg and the wide, sandy beaches of the northern coast. 3. It is easy both to enter and to travel around pocket-sized Belgium which is divided into the Dutch-speaking north and the French-speaking south. Officially the Belgians speak Dutch, French and German. Dutch is slightly more widely spoken than French, and German is spoken the least. The Belgians, living in the north, will often prefer to answer visitors in English rather than French, even if the visitor's French is good. 4. Belgium has a wide range of hotels from 5-star luxury to small family pensions and inns. In some regions of the country, farm holidays are available. There visitors can (for a small cost) participate in the daily work of the farm. There are plenty of opportunities to rent furnished villas, flats, rooms, or bungalows for a holiday period. These holiday houses and flats are comfortable and well-equipped. 5. The Belgian style of cooking is similar to French, based on meat and seafood. Each region in Belgium has its own special dish. Butter, cream, beer and wine are generously used in cooking. The Belgians are keen on their food, and the country is very well supplied with excellent restaurants to suit all budgets. The perfect evening out here involves a delicious meal, and the restaurants and cafes are busy at all times of the week. 6. As well as being one of the best cities in the world for eating out (both for its high quality and range), Brussels has a very active and varied nightlife. It has 10 theatres which produce plays in both Dutch and French. There are also dozens of cinemas, numerous discos and many night-time cafes in Brussels. Elsewhere, the nightlife choices depend on the size of the town, but there is no shortage of fun to be had in any of the major cities. 7. There is a good system of underground trains, trams and buses in all the major towns and cities. In addition, Belgium's waterways offer a pleasant way to enjoy the country. Visitors can take a one-hour cruise around the canals of Bruges, (sometimes described as the Venice of the North) or an extended cruise along the rivers and canals linking the major cities of Belgium and the Netherlands.
 

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  А. Places to stay in B. Public transport C. Cultural differences D. Nightlife E. Camping holidays F. Contacts with neighbours G. Different landscapes H. Eating out 1. Sweden is a land of contrast, from the Danish influence of the southwest to the Laplanders wandering freely with their reindeer in the wild Arctic north. And while Sweden in cities is stylish and modern, the countryside offers many simpler pleasures for those who look for peace and calm. The land and its people have an air of reserved calm, and still the world’s best-selling pop group Abba, which used to attract crowds of hysterical fans, come from Sweden. 2. Historically, Sweden has an interesting story. Its dealings with the outside world began, in fact, during Viking times, when in addition to the well-known surprise attacks of the nearby lands, there was much trading around the Baltic, mostly in furs and weapons. Swedish connections with the other Scandinavian countries, Norway and Denmark, have been strong since the Middle Ages. The monarchies of all three are still closely linked. 3. Sweden's scenery has a gentler charm than that of neighbouring Norway's rocky coast. Much of Sweden is forested, and there are thousands lakes, notably large pools near the capital, Stockholm. The lakeside resort in the centre of Sweden is popular with Scandinavians, but most visitors prefer first the Baltic islands. The largest island, Gotland, with its ruined medieval churches, is a particular attraction. 4. Sweden boasts a good range of hotels, covering the full spectrum of prices and standards. Many of them offer discounts in summer and at weekends during the winter. In addition, working farms throughout Sweden offer accommodation, either in the main farmhouse or in a cottage nearby. Forest cabins and chalets are also available throughout the country, generally set in beautiful surroundings, near lakes, in quiet forest glades or on an island in some remote place. 5. Living in a tent or caravan with your family or friends at weekends and on holiday is extremely popular in Sweden and there is a fantastic variety of special places. Most are located on a lakeside or by the sea with free bathing facilities close at hand. There are over 600 campsites in the country. It is often possible to rent boats or bicycles, play mini-golf or tennis, ride a horse or relax in a sauna. It is also possible to camp in areas away from other houses. 6. Swedes like plain meals, simply prepared from the freshest ingredients. As a country with a sea coast and many freshwater lakes, fish dishes are found on all hotel or restaurant menus. Top-class restaurants in Sweden are usually fairly expensive, but even the smallest towns have reasonably priced self-service restaurants and grill bars. Many restaurants all over Sweden offer a special dish of the day at a reduced price that includes main course, salad, soft drink and coffee. 7. Stockholm has a variety of pubs, cafes, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres but in the country evenings tend to be very calm and peaceful. From August to June the Royal Ballet performs in Stockholm. Music and theatre productions take place in many cities during the summer in the open air. Outside Stockholm in the 18th-century palace there are performances of 18th-century opera very popular with tourists.
 

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  588D50

 

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  А. Education B. Way of life C. Public transport D. Geography E. Places to stay in F. Favourite food G. Hot spots for kids H. Nightlife 1. Denmark, a small kingdom in northern Europe, has a lot of interesting places for tourists with children. For example, Legoland, a theme park, has become the largest tourist attraction in Denmark outside its capital Copenhagen. And Copenhagen itself is world famous for its Tivoli Gardens amusement park, which opened in 1843 in the heart of the city. The park offers ballet and circus performances, restaurants, concerts, and fireworks displays. 2. Denmark is the smallest Scandinavian country, consisting of the Jutland peninsula, north of Germany, and over 400 islands of various sizes, some inhabited and linked to the mainland by ferry or bridge. Throughout the country, low hills provide a constant change of attractive views; there are also cool and shady forests of beech trees, large areas of open land covered with rough grass, a beautiful lake district, sand dunes and white cliffs on the coast. 3. More than four-fifths of all Danes live in towns. The main cities represent a combination of medieval buildings, such as castles and cathedrals, and modern office buildings and homes. Denmark's high standard of living and wide-ranging social services guarantee that the cities have no poor districts. Most people in the cities live in flats. But in the suburbs many also live in single-family houses. 4. Denmark's fine beaches attract many visitors, and there are hotels and pensions in all major seaside resorts. Besides, excellent inns are to be found all over the country. Some are small and only serve local travellers, but others are adapted to the tourist and have established reputations for both international dishes and local specialities. There are also private rooms to let, usually for one night, and chalets all over Denmark. 5. There is a wide selection of places to go out in the evening, particularly in Copenhagen. Jazz and dance clubs in the capital city are top quality and world-famous performers appear regularly. There are numerous cafes, beer gardens and speciality beer bars. Entertainment available includes opera at the recently opened opera house in Copenhagen, ballet and theatre at a number of places in the larger cities, and live music of all kinds. 6. Most Danes eat four meals a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a late-evening supper. Breakfast generally consists of cereal, cheese, or eggs. Dinner, which includes fish or meat, is usually the only hot meal. A traditional Danish dinner consists of roast duckling stuffed with apples, served with red cabbage and boiled potatoes. The other Danish meals consist mostly of sandwiches. 7. Almost all adult Danes can read and write. Danish law requires children to attend nine years of school. Primary school consists of the first seven grades, and secondary school lasts from three to five years. A five-year secondary school student can enter a university. Denmark has three universities. The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest. It was founded in 1479 and has about 24,000 students.  
 

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  DCE10C

 

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  А. Education: the Way to the Top B. From Agony to Love C. Teaching to Learn D. Learning That Never Stops E. Things Worth Learning F. The Right Word Can Bring Changes G. What My Father Taught Me H. The Power of Numbers 1. Education has the power to transform a person’s life. I am the living example of this. When I was on the streets, I thought I was not good at anything but I wrote a poem, and it got published. I went back to school to learn. I have learned the benefit of research and reading, of debate and listening. One day soon a group of fresh-faced college students will call me professor. 2. Language has the capacity to change the world and the way we live in it. People are often afraid to call things by their direct names, use taboos not to notice dangerous tendencies. Freedom begins with naming things. This has to happen in spite of political climates, careers being won or lost, and the fear of being criticized. After Helen Caldicott used the word ‘nuclear arms race’ an anti-nuclear movement appeared. 3. I never wanted to be a teacher. Yet years later, I find myself teaching high school English. I consider my job to be one of the most important aspects of my life, still I do not teach for the love of teaching. I am a teacher because I love to learn, and I have come to realize that the best way to learn is to teach. 4. One day my sister and I got one and the same homework. My sister finished the task in 2 minutes and went off to play. But I could not do it, so I went into my sister's room and quickly copied her work. But there was one small problem: my father caught me. He didn’t punish me, but explained that cheating makes people feel helpless. And then I was left feeling guilty for cheating. 5. Lifelong learning does not mean spending all my time reading. It is equally important to get the habit of asking such questions as “what don’t I know about this topic, or subject?”, “what can I learn from this moment or person?”, and “what more do I need to learn?” regardless of where I am, who I am talking to, or what I am doing. 6. Math has always been something that I am good at. Mathematics attracts me because of its stability. It has logic; it is dependable and never changes. There might be some additions to the area of mathematics, but once mathematics is created, it is set in stone. We would not be able to check emails or play videogames without the computer solving complex algorithms. 7. When my high school English teacher asked us to read Shakespeare, I thought it was boring and too difficult. I agonized over the syntax – I had never read anything like this. But now I am a Shakespeare professor, and enjoy teaching Hamlet every semester. Each time I re-read the play, I find and learn something new for myself.

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  А. Not Just Fun B. Running For Heart and Mind C. United By The Game D. I Want To Be A Coach E. Team Work in Sport and Life F. Next Year We Win G. Learning From Father H. School between Practices 1. I believe playing sports is more than an activity to fill your day, it can teach important life lessons. When I was a child, my dad spent a lot of time teaching me how to play different sports. He told me that if I can succeed in sports, I can succeed at anything in life. He used to say, “It’s not about how good you become. It’s about working hard to get where you want to be.” 2. I like bicycles. Group rides help me to get new skills and make new friends. I try to apply the tactics of group riding to team work in the real world. In the perfect group ride, each rider takes a turn leading the pack, while the others enjoy the benefits of drafting. I think this way of working is a great method for approaching a group task anywhere. 3. I believe in the power of running. Running should not be a battle for your body but rather a rest for your mind. I felt this last fall, when I was running in the park. Suddenly I felt as if I could have run forever, as if I could use running as a source of therapy for my body. Running allows the body to release different types of stress and even change our understanding of life. 4. My father coached basketball every day of his life, and I was right there with him in the gym watching him work his magic. Basketball appears entertaining and exciting. But the path to success is not simple. My father always told me, “Nothing is free.” I took this advice and ran with it. I truly believe that only practice and determination lead to success. 5. Baseball is so much more than a sport. One of the powers of baseball is that it brings people together. It unites fans of all ages, genders, and nationalities. No matter who you are, you can be a baseball fan. My mom and I have one unspoken rule: no matter what has been going on before, no fighting at the game. 6. I believe that you must always be loyal to the sport teams you support. The teams I follow in the United States generally lose many more than they win. The start of each season brings dreams of victory in baseball, basketball or football, dreams that fade away soon. But then there is always next year. It will be our year for sure. 7. I was determined to join the swim team. I knew I would get my strengths and learn my weaknesses there. Waking up early for 6:30 A.M. practices is what swim team is all about, as it helps us get into state. On a long school day you think about the practice in the pool after school. You want to hear the crowd cheering you, telling you that you have to do more than your best.
 

Конец формы

 

  5E9321

 

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  А. Personal style in a uniform B. Old but dear C. Get a holiday spirit D. Dance competition E. A hobby that carries away F. Meaning without words G. The number is not guilty H. Yes to school uniform 1. Dance is in my heart, in my blood and in my mind. I dance daily. The seldom-used dining room of my house is now an often-used ballroom. The CD-changer has five discs at the ready: waltz, rock-and-roll, swing, salsa, and tango. Tango is a complex and difficult dance. I take three dancing lessons a week, and I am off to Buenos Aires for three months to feel the culture of tango. 2. Clothes play an important role in my life. My passion for fashion began when I was in elementary school. I attended a private school with uniformed dress code. At first I felt bad that I could not wear what I wanted, but soon I learned to display my creativity and style through shoes and accessories. They can make each of us each of us unique, in a uniform or not. 3. I believe that music has a bigger place in our society than it is given credit for. The single word ‘music’ covers so many styles. Rock bands and classical musicians make listeners get the meaning from the music. Music tells stories about life and death, expresses feelings of love, sadness, anger, guilt, and pain without using words. 4. Even as an eighteen year old young adult, I still feel the magic of Christmas. I believe in a real Christmas tree. My family has had a real Christmas tree every year of my life. When you get home and smell the sweet pine needles, something magical goes into your soul, raises your spirits. Every year we buy a real tree to fully embrace the spirit of Christmas. 5. People often try to get rid of the number thirteen. Many hotels and office buildings across the world do not have a 13th floor! I believe that the number thirteen is not an unlucky number. I was born on January, 13 and do not consider myself unlucky in any way at all! I believe that this number should have all the rights and respect we give the rest of the numbers. 6. Many kids that go to public schools don’t wear a uniform. They like to show off the new expensive clothes and often have trouble picking out outfits for school in the morning. They are more worried about whether their shirt matches the belt, rather than if the homework is completed. I believe that this is a fault of our school system and only causes problems. 7. They say that the music of your youth is the soundtrack of your life. I am 50; I enjoy new artists and new music, but I still find words of wisdom in singles of sixties and seventies, still believe that "you can't always get what you want, but sometimes, you get what you need," that "all you need is love." I like to listen to the songs I grew up with.
 

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  5A2870

 

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A School Story It happened at my private school thirty odd years ago, and I still can't explain it. I came to that school in September and among the boys who arrived on the same day was one whom I took to. I will call him McLeod. The school was a large one: there must have been from 120 to 130 boys there as a rule, and so a considerable staff of masters was required. One term a new master made his appearance. His name was Sampson. He was a tall, well-built, pale, black-bearded man. I think we liked him. He had travelled a good deal, and had stories which amused us on our school walks, so that there was some competition among us to get a chance to listen to him. Well, the first odd thing that happened was this. Sampson was doing Latin grammar with us. One of his favourite methods was to make us construct sentences out of our own heads to illustrate the rules he was trying to teach us. Now, on this occasion he ordered us each to make a sentence bringing in the verb memini, 'I remember.' Well, most of us made up some ordinary sentence such as 'I remember my father,' but the boy I mentioned - McLeod - was evidently thinking of something more interesting than that. Finally, very quickly he wrote a couple of lines on his paper, and showed it up with the rest. The phrase was "Remember the lake among the four oaks." Later McLeod told me that it had just come into his head. When Sampson read it he got up and went to the mantel-piece and stopped quite a long time without saying anything looking really embarrassed. Then he wanted to know why McLeod had put it down, and where his family lived, and if there was such a lake there, and things like that. There was one other incident of the same kind. We were told to make a conditional sentence, expressing a future consequence. We did it and showed up our bits of paper, and Sampson began looking through them. All at once he got up, made some odd sort of noise in his throat, and rushed out. I noticed that he hadn't taken any of the papers with him, so we went to look at them on his desk. The top paper on the desk was written in red ink - which no one used - and it wasn't in anyone's handwriting who was in the class. I questioned everyone myself! Then I thought of counting the bits of paper: there were seventeen of them on the desk, and sixteen boys in the form. I put the extra paper in my bag and kept it. The phrase on it was simple and harmless enough: 'If you don't come to me, I'll come to you.' That same afternoon I took it out of my bag - I know for certain it was the same bit of paper, for I made a finger-mark on it - and there was no single piece of writing on it! The next day Sampson was in school again, much as usual. That night the third and last incident in my story happened. We - McLeod and I - slept in a bedroom the windows of which looked out at the main building of the school. Sampson slept in the main building on the first floor. At an hour which I can't remember exactly, but some time between one and two, I was woken up by somebody shaking me. I saw McLeod in the light of the moon which was looking right into our windows. 'Come,' he said, - 'come, there's someone getting in through Sampson's window. About five minutes before I woke you, I found myself looking out of this window here, and there was a man sitting on Sampson's window-sill, and looking in.' 'What sort of man? Is anyone from the senior class going to play a trick on him? Or was it a burglar?!' McLeod seemed unwilling to answer. 'I don't know,' he said, 'but I can tell you one thing - he was as thin as a rail: and water was running down his hair and clothing and,' he said, looking round and whispering as if he hardly liked to hear himself, 'I'm not at all sure that he was alive.' Naturally I came and looked, and naturally there was no one there. And next day Mr. Sampson was gone: not to be found, and I believe no trace of him has ever come to light since. Neither McLeod nor I ever mentioned what we had seen to anyone. We seemed unable to speak about it. We both felt strange horror which neither could explain. 1. Why did schoolchildren like the new teacher, Mr. Sampson? А) They liked his appearance. B) He often went for a walk with them. C) He organized competitions for them. D) They enjoyed listening to his stories. 2. How did Mr. Sampson teach Latin grammar? А) He told the pupils to learn the rules by heart. B) He asked the pupils to make up example sentences. C) He illustrated the rules with pictures. D) He made up interesting sentences to illustrate the rules. 3. Why did McLeod write the phrase "Remember the lake among the four oaks?" А) There was a place like that in his native town. B) He wanted to show his knowledge of Latin grammar. C) The phrase suddenly came to his mind. D) He wanted to embarrass the teacher. 4. What did Mr. Sampson do after reading the examples of conditional sentences? А) He left the classroom immediately. B) He put the papers with the examples into his bag. C) He asked who had written the example in red ink. D) He gave marks to the pupils. 5. What was wrong with the paper written in red ink? А) It didn’t illustrate the rule that was studied. B) It had finger-marks on it. C) It didn’t belong to anyone in the class. D) It had many grammar mistakes. 6. Who did McLeod see on Mr. Sampson’s window-sill? А) Nobody. B) A stranger. C) One of his schoolmates. D) Mr. Sampson. 7. Why did the boys never tell anyone about the incident at night? А) They were not asked about it. B) Mr. Sampson asked them not to tell anyone. C) They agreed to keep it secret. D) They were afraid to speak about it.

Конец формы

 

  ECEDAC

 



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