Сборник заданий из раздела «Чтение» (задания 13-19) из открытого банка заданий ФИПИ для подготовки к ОГЭ по английскому языку 2025

1.Scouts

On January 24, 1908, the Boy Scout movement started in England with the publication of RobertBaden-Powell'shandbookScoutingforBoys.ThenameBaden-Powell,abraveofficer,was already well-known to many English boys, and thousands of them eagerly bought the handbook. By the end ofApril, numerous Boy Scout troops had appeared across Britain.

In 1900, General Baden-Powell became a national hero in Britain for his 217-day defense of Mafeking in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Soon after, his military field manual, Aids to Scouting, written for British soldiers in 1899, became popular with a younger audience. Boys loved the lessons on tracking and observation and organized outdoor games using the book. Hearing this, Baden-Powell decided to write a non-military field manual for teenagers that would also emphasize the importance of morality and good deeds.

First,however,hedecidedtotryoutsomeofhisideasonanactualgroupofboys.OnJuly25, 1907, he took a diverse group of 21 boys to Brown Sea Island in Dorset, where they set up camp for twoweeks.Withtheaidofotherinstructors,hetaughttheboysaboutcamping,observation,deduction, woodcraft,boating,lifesaving,andgoodmanners.Manyoftheselessonswerelearnedthroughoriginal gamesthatwereverypopularwiththeboys.ThefirstBoyScoutmeetingwasagreatsuccess. Soon the handbook Scouting for Boys appeared.

WiththesuccessofScoutingforBoys,Baden-PowellsetupacentralBoyScouts'office,which registerednewScoutsanddesignedauniform.Bytheendof1908,therewere60,000BoyScouts,and troops began to appear in British Commonwealth countries across the globe. The Scout movement supported the boys in their physical, mental and spiritual development. The boys learned to work together to achieve goals, they also gave a promise to live by certain rules, and to help others when they could.

In September 1909, the first national Boy Scout meeting was held at the Crystal Palace in London.TenthousandScoutsshowedup,includingagroupofuniformedgirlswhocalledthemselves the Girl Scouts.Ayear later, Baden-Powell organized the Girl Guides as a separate organization.

TheAmericanversionof theBoyScoutshasitsoriginsinaneventthatoccurredinLondonin 1909. Chicago publisherWilliam Boyce lost his way in the fog. So, he stopped under a street light to readhismapwhenhewasapproachedbyayoungBritishboy.Theboyaskedthemanifhecouldhelp andWilliamBoyceexplainedthathehadgotlost.AfterguidingBoycetohisdestination,the boy refused a tip, explaining that as a Boy Scout he would not accept payment fordoing a good deed. This anonymous gesture inspired Boyce to organize several regional U.S. youth organizations. The Scouts movement soon spread throughout the country. In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts ofAmerica in Savannah, Georgia.

In 1920 the first international Boy Scout Jamboree was held in London, and Robert Baden-PowellgotthetitleChiefScoutoftheWorld.ThefounderoftheScoutorganizationdied in 1941.

Nowadays,theScoutsMovementexistsin216differentcountriesallovertheworld,thereare more than 28 million boy scouts and over 10 million girl scouts.

1. RobertBaden-Powell wasasecondaryschoolteacher.

   1. True2)False3)Not stated

2. Thesuccessof AidstoScoutingmadeRobertBaden-Powellwriteasimilarbookforyoungpeople.

   1. True2)False3)Not stated

3. ThewordscoutwasinventedbyRobertBaden-Powell.

   1. True2)False3)Notstated

4. ThefirstcamporganisedbyRobertBaden-Powellonanislandwasafailure.

   1. True2)False3)Not stated

5. TheBoyScouts’rulesandtheGirlScouts’ruleswere different.

   1. True2)False3)Notstated

6. William Boyce founded the Boy Scouts organization in the USA because he was impressed by the behaviour of a British Scout.

   1. True2)False3)Not stated

7. RobertBaden-PowellwasawardedthetitleChiefScoutoftheWorldafterhis death.

   1. True2)False3)Not stated

2.Atripofherlife

ThestoryhappenedinNewYork.Max,ataxidriver,wasdoinghislasttripthatday.Hearrived at the place exactly on time and beeped the horn. Nobody came out of the house. Max waited a coupleofminutesandbeepedagain.Hewasneverlatehimselfandhedidn’tliketheclientswhokept him waiting. He was thinking of driving home, but something made him park the car and check the door.

Hecameuptothefrontdoorandknocked.“Justaminute”,anoldweakvoiceanswered.Afteralong pause a small lady of about ninety opened the door. She was wearing an expensive but old-fashioned dressandaveiledhat.Indeed,shelookedlikeafilmstaroftheforties.SheaskedMaxtohelpherwith the heavy suitcase that was inside. He agreed without hesitation.

He came in and noticed that the room looked like people had never lived there.All the furniture was covered with cloth.There were no statuettes and tea set on the shelves or an old clock on the wall. In thecorneroftheroom,henoticedalargeboxfilledwitholdphotosandbooks.“Adesertedroom”,hethought.

They moved slowly to the car and the lady kept thanking Max for his help and being so patient. He said it was his job to treat every passenger like he would treat his mother. “Oh, you are such a good boy!” she said. She took the back seat and named the address. Max understood that she was going to hospital.

SheaskedMaxtodrivethroughthecitycentrethoughitinvolvedextratime.Shedidnot mind the distance and the time. She said she was not in a hurry. She told Max her family had left long before and the doctor said that her chances were not good. Her eyes filled with tears.

Max switched off the counter and asked the lady which route she preferred. The next two hours they were driving through the city. She showed Max the building she had worked in and the dancehallshehadvisitedasalittlegirl.Theywenttothedistrictshehadlivedinwithherhusband after their marriage.

Finally,shesaidshewastiredandtheydroveinsilence,directlytothehospital.Itwasalowbuilding that looked more like a small holiday centre. Two nurses came up quickly to them as if they were waiting. They carefully helped her out of the taxi into the wheelchair. “How much do I owe you?” she said looking at Max. “Nothing”, he answered.

“You need to earn your living”, she added, opening her bag. “There are other passengers”, answered Max. He bent down and embraced the old lady. She hugged in return. “Thank you for the little happinessyougaveme”,shewhispered.OnhiswayhomeMaxdidnotswitchontheradio.Hedrove in silence. He had an impression that it was the most important trip of his life.

1. Maxwaslateto pickuphisclient.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Theoldladywasaformeractress.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. TheoldladywasgratefultoMaxforhishelp.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Theladychosetheshortestwaytothehospital.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Maxdrovetheoldladytotheplaceswhichwereveryspecialtoher.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thehospitalwasinthe countryside.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Maxrefusedtotakemoneyforthetrip fromtheoldlady.

1. True2)False3)Not stated

   1. JamieOliver

Jamie Oliver is a genius in the world of food and one of Britain's most famous cooks. He has encouragedpeopletospendmoretimeinthekitchenandenjoyit.Hisprogrammesareshowninover 100 countries including the USA, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Japan and Iceland. They were translatedintoover30languages.JamieOliver’scookerybooksarebestsellersnotonlyintheUKbut across the world.

Jamie Oliver was born in 1975 in England. From an early age he got interested in food. His parents had a pub where he often helped them in the kitchen. He actually began working there at the age of eight. Jamie cut vegetables like any other ordinary worker in the pub.

JamieOliverleftschoolat16withoutanyofficialcertificate.HewenttoWestminsterCollegetostudy economics and afterthat travelled to France.Jamieknewthatin Francecooking was akind of art.And he wanted to masterthat art. It was no doubt the best place to study if he wished to become a professional chef.

After returning from France, Jamie worked in a number of British restaurants.At that time there was a programme on the telly about the café where Jamie worked. TV producers were impressed by the youngchef.ThenextdayJamiereceivedcallsfromfivedifferentTVcompanieswishingtoworkwith him.Hesoonbecamethebest-likedcelebritychefontelevisionandhisprogrammewasa real revolution in cooking shows. Thanks to an informal and friendly manner Jamie Oliver won crowds of fans around the world.

However,Jamiedevoteshistimenotonlytocooking.He’safamilyman,withawifeandfourchildren. He also works on a number of projects. For example, Jamie Oliver created the ‘Fifteen Foundation’. Each year, fifteen young people are trained and taught to work in the restaurant business. Some of themarefromunhappyfamiliesand areunemployed.Someofthemwereinprisonortookdrugs. InthiswayJamieOlivertriestohelpthem startanew life.

Another project by Jamie Oliver is connected with school dinners and lunches. He wants school children to eat healthy food instead of junk food. The British government supported the project. It spent extra 280 million pounds to improve school meals. Part of the money was spent on training cooks and buying modern cooking equipment for schools.

It's really hard to name all the TV programmes, shows, projects that Jamie Oliver has had. He’s so creativeandimaginative,thatthere’snoendtonewideasandprojects.Excepttelevision,

JamieOliverisawriter.Hiseverybookimmediatelybecomesabestseller.It’sinterestingthathe became the second best-selling author in the country after J.K. Rowling, the ‘Harry Potter’writer.

1. Jamie’sparentswantedtheirsontobeaprofessional cook.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. JamieOliverwentto Franceto continuestudying economics.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. JamieOliverhasbecomeawell-knownpersonalityduetohisTVshow.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Jamie’swifewasagainsthisprojectʻFifteenFoundationʼ.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Jamie’sprojectthe‘FifteenFoundation’givespeopleachancetoimprovetheirlives.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. TheBritishgovernmentignoredJamie’sschoolmealsproject.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. JamieOliverisasuccessfulwriter.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. TheCrownJewels

Every year, millions of visitors come to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels have been kept in the Tower since 1303 after they were stolen from Westminster Abbey. Luckily, that time most of the Crown Jewels were found shortly afterwards and put in theTower.

AlthoughtherehavebeenafewattemptstostealtheCrownJewelsfromtheTower,noneofthemhave succeeded. But the name of one of the thieves has remained in the British history. He was Thomas Blood.

Onthe9thMay,1660,ThomasBlood,dressedasapriest,cametotheTower.Hecamewith threewell-dressedyoungmen.ThomasBloodhadalreadybeentotheTowerafewdaysearlier. Hewaswithawomanwhomheintroducedashis‘wife’.WhentheywerewalkingroundtheTower, the‘wife’pretendedtofeelunwellandfainted.TalbertEdwards,whowas MasteroftheJewelHouse and lived in theJewel Housewith his family, took thewoman upstairs tohis family’s rooms.Healso askedhiswifetohelpthefaintedlady.InanhourorsotheladyfeltbetterandlefttheTowerwithher ‘husband’.

Onthesecondvisit,ThomasBlood,againdressed asapriest,brought apresentforEdwards’wifefor herhelpandattentiontohis‘wife’.HegainedtheconfidenceoftheMasteroftheJewelHouse,Talbot Edwards, and asked him to show the Crown Jewels to his friends. Talbot Edwards agreed and took themtotheroom wheretheCrownJewels werekept.SuddenlyBloodtookoutahammerfromunder his priest’s dress and struck the Master on the head. Talbert Edwards fell down and fainted. ThomasBloodtooktheking’scrownandmadeitflatwiththehammerinordertoputthecrown into a large pocket of his priest dress.The other three men took other royal jewels and hid them in their pockets.

By chance, Talbert Edwards’ son, Wythe, arrived at the Tower earlier than expected. He found his father lying unconscious and bleeding. Wythe raised the alarm. Though Thomas Blood and hisganghadleftthejewelroom,theywerecaughtwhentheyweregettingoutoftheTower.The broken crown and the jewels were found with them.

Areportwasimmediatelysenttotheking,and CharlesIIsent forThomasBlood.Thekingwanted to talktothethiefwhohadcommittedsuchawickedcrime.Theendofthestoryisunbelievable.

Thomas Blood was not punished. Moreover, Blood was awarded a pension of £500 a year.At the sametimetheMasteroftheJewelHouseTalbotEdwardswasdismissedforhiscarelessness.Later,he died in misery.

SinceThomasBlood’sattemptin1600uptothepresentdate,therehavebeennoattempts to steal the jewels. Nowadays the priceless collection is open for the public to view and the Crown Jewels are considered to be the most well-guarded treasures in the world.They are kept in theTower and are guarded by theYeomen Warders, commonly known as the Beefeaters.

1. NowadaysBritishkingsandqueensusetheCrownJewelsforceremonialevents.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. ThomasBlood’scrimewaswell-planned.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThomasBlooddamagedthecrowntotakeit out.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thecriminalswerefoundthenextdayafterthe robbery.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. KingCharlesIIpunishedThomasBloodseverely.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThomasBloodpromisedKingCharlesIItostopstealingforever.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. AfterThomasBlood,othercriminalstriedto stealtheCrownJewels.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. RunningtheThames

Three friendsAlan, Tom and Martin decided to run 184 miles along the most famous British river – from the beginning of the Thames down to its mouth, where the river runs into the sea.

Their preparations for the marathon didn’t take long and they set out. It was not easy to find the place marked on the map as the official source of the riverThames. In reality, it was an old stone under a big tree. Surprisingly, there was practically no water at the source, just a small pit. However, at the end of the first day they came to a narrow stream running under a wooden bridge.

Therunnerswereluckywiththeweather;itwascoolandbrightforthewholeweek.Soft winds blew and the sun shone. In spite of the weather, the start of the marathon was not very promising. On the first day, Martin accidentally fell over a tree root and hurt his foot. In addition to that,Alan said he had damaged his rucksack during their preparation. However, the friends went on running.

Theypassedlovelyhousesandsomewonderfulnature.TheThameshadgrownfromasmallriverinto astrongstream.Hypnotizedbytheviewoftheriver,Tommissedthepathandfellintothemud.Cold and angry, he was a real trouble the first day. In the evening, the runners reached the point where the river became possible to navigate. The friends were so tired that they stopped at a cheap hotel for food, drink and sleep.

Theseconddaytheyranalongarchedstonebridgesandthroughforty-fiveriverlocks,eachonehaving its own history.Therunners stopped at thefirst lock to take aphoto by the 19th century statueofOld FatherThames.Theotherlocksandthebridges,datingfromthe13thcentury,couldhavetalkedmuch about British royal families, writers and inventors, battles and victories. So, the runners spent the second day exploring the locks and the old bridges and taking photos.

The next few daysAlan, Tom and Martin ran through quiet and peaceful places in Oxfordshire. The calm river occupied all their thoughts and they left their troubles behind them. They spent nights at small Bed-and-Breakfasts with unusual foreign guests who were discovering the old British towns, castles and churches.

Closer to London the Thames changed its character. It became wide and busy with numerousboatsandships.Thebankswerefullofgrandhouseswithgreenlawns,streetmarketsand modern walkways.

Ontheseventhdaytherunnersfollowedtheriverasitcutthecapitalintwo.Thefriendsmade their way past famous London sights such asTheTower, The London Eye and Greenwich.

Finally,thefriendsgottoTheThamesBarrier,wheretheriverranintothesea.Themarathonwasover.

1. Therewasanatural markwhichindicatedthestartoftheriverThames.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Duringthemarathon theweatherwasfine.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. AftertheaccidentwithMartin’sleg,Tomcarriedhisrucksack.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Duringthemarathonthefriendsspentalltheirnightsinthe tent.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Therewerealot oftouristsnearthestatueofOldFatherThames.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. NearLondontheThameswasclosedtonavigation.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThemarathonroutewentthroughLondon.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. DavidBeckham

David Beckham – is there a more famous and lovable celebrity? The footballer who played for such famous teams as Manchester United and Real Madrid is also a fashion model and a successful businessman.

DavidBeckhamwasbornonMay2,1975,inLondon,England.HisfatherTedBeckhamwas akitchenfitterandhismotherSandra,ahairstylist.DavidBeckhamwasthefamily'sonlyson.A middle child between two sisters, David grew up with parents and relatives who were great fans of Manchester United, England’s legendary football club. From childhood, David was a promising footballer.At11hewontheprestigiousBobbyCharltonSoccerSchoolsNationalSkillsCompetition. DavidwasnoticedbyManchesterUnitedteamofficials,whoaskedhimtotryoutfortheclub’syouth league. By the age of 16, Beckham had to drop out of school. He left home to play for his favourite team. Two years later he became a full-time player for Manchester United and one of its leadingfigures.

From 1992 to 2003, playing for Manchester United, David Beckham scored 85 goals. Every time he had a game, he wore different football boots – it was a sort of ritual for good luck.

In 2003, David unexpectedly left his beloved team for Real Madrid. The reason was the growing conflict between David Beckham andManchester’s manager, SirAlex Ferguson. Once SirAlexFerguson fined David for babysitting with his sick child, whilehis wifeVictoria, adesigner, wasataLondonFashionWeekEvent.Thefinewasreallylarge.Theincidentcausedaseriouspersonal tension between the two men and ended in Beckham moving to the other club.

In Real Madrid, David Beckham was not allowed to wear his favourite number seven, becausetherighttowearitwaswrittenintothecontractofanotherplayer.Instead,Daviddecided to wear a shirt with number 23, which was the number of his favourite basketball player Michael Jordan.ThoughDavidBeckhamimmediatelybecameverypopularwiththeRealMadridfansandhis shirtsalesmadealotofmoneyforthefootballclub,theteamdidn’twinanyserioustournaments.

Perhaps, it was one of the reasons why in 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract to play for the LosAngeles Galaxy and moved toAmerica. However, his career inAmerica was a rocky one – numerous injuries affected him. In May 2013, David Beckham announced his plans to retire. It’simportanttosaythatDavidBeckhamhasalwaysbeenadevotedhusbandandalovingfather. David and his wife Victoria have three sons and a daughter. They say the boys are being trained as‘bodyguards’fortheirlittlesisterHarper.Theyoungest,Cruz,hasbeenpracticingTaekwondo, Brooklynisinterestedin boxing,andtheoldest,Romeo,doeskarate.They arepreparingearlysothat when Harper is older, “they will all be ready to protect her from noisy fans,” David says.

1. DavidBeckham’sparentswereprofessionalsportsmen.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. DavidBeckham’sschoolteacherssupportedhisinterestin football.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. WhenhewaswithManchesterUnited,DavidBeckhamplayedallthegamesinthesameluckyboots.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. DavidBeckhamleftManchesterUnitedbecausehehadproblemswiththeteammanager.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. DavidBeckhamwore thesamenumberinManchesterUnitedandRealMadrid.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. DavidBeckhamleftRealMadridforanAmericanfootball club.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. TheBeckhams’sonswanttobecomeprofessionalsportsmen.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. Fishandchips

Long before the Big Mac was invented, Britain had its own national form of fast food – fish and chips (or fish’n’chips for short). Fish’n’chips was a relatively balanced and healthy meal that people could eat in the street on the way home from work, or during their lunch-break. Wrapped in newspaper, it would keep warm even on the coldest days of the year. Besides, serving fish’n’chips in newspaper helped to keep prices low.

No British town is more than 150 km from a sea port, and most are much closer. So, when railwayswerebuiltinthe19thcentury,freshseafishcouldeasilybeboughtinallBritishtowns. Cheaper than meat, sea fish became a popular source of protein. By 1870, fish and chip shops were opening all over the country and soon every town in Britain had its fish’n’chip shops. For a hundred years, they were a popular British style restaurant.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, things changed. “Fish and chips are not so popular with young people these days,” says Lizzie, a teenager. “Most of the time, if young people want to eat out,they’llgotoaBurgerKingoraChinesetake-away.Fish’n’chipsisabitold-fashioned.But there are still cheap chip shops around.We sometimes have it at home, andwe go and get it from the chip shop. It saves cooking!”

Thousands of chip shops have closed in the last twenty-five years. Some have been turned intoChineseorIndiantake-aways,othershavejustclosed.Theyhavesurvivedbestinseasidetowns, where the fish is really fresh, and people visit them more as a tradition than for any other reason.

Yetnothing,perhaps,cansavetheclassicfish’n’chipshopfromdisappearance.Fish’n’chipswrapped innewspaperisalreadyjustamemory.Europeanhygienerulesdon’tallowfoodtobewrappedinold newspapers,sotoday’schipshopsusecardboardboxes.Ofcourse,youcanstilleatfishandchipswith yourfingersifyouwant,buttherearenowplasticthrow-awayforksforpeoplewhodonotwanttoget greasy fingers!

Inspiteofthesechanges, theclassicfish’n’chipshopcoulddisappearinafewyears’timeforanother reason – lack of fish. For over ten years European agriculture ministers have been trying to solve the fish problem but with little success. As a result of industrial fishing, some types of fish are disappearing. Limits on thenumberof fish that can becaught havebeen introduced, but fishermen in Britain and other countries protest against them because jobs are lost. At some point, thousands of Europeanfishermencouldlosetheirjobsanyway,astherewillbefewfishlefttocatch.Soonseafish will become rarer and, as a result, more expensive.

Thetraditionalfish’n’chipshopswillcertainlycontinuetoreduceinnumber.Sooncheap fish’n’chip shops will be gone completely. Fish and chips, however, will survive as a high-priced specialty in someexpensiverestaurants. In theyears to come, they may becometheonly placewhere you can try this traditional English dish.

1. Fish’n’chipsbecamepopularmuchearlierthanBigMacs.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Traditionallyonlyfishwithwhitemeatwereusedtomake fish’n’chips.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Inthe19thcentury,inBritain,fishwasmoreexpensivethanmeat.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. AccordingtoLizzie,today’syoungpeoplepreferburgerstofish’n’chips.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thenumberof fish’n’chipshopsinBritainisrisingsteadily.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Newpackaginghas madefish’n’chipsmorepopular.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Inthenearfuturetherewillbefewerplaceswherepeoplecantryfish’n’chips.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. Hermitagecats

Hermitage cats have been officially kept in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, since its foundation. The cats prevented intensive breeding of rats and mice in the State Hermitage Museum. The director of the Hermitage, Mikhail Piotrovsky, said, “Cats have become a very important part of our Hermitage lives and a significant part of Hermitage Legends.”

It is believed that the history of the Hermitage cats started with a cat that was brought from Holland by Peter the Great. In the XVIII century there were lots of rats in the Old Winter Palace. The history of cats continued due to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Visiting Kazan, she noticed that there were no ratsandmiceinthecitybecauseofthelargenumberofcats.TheEmpressorderedtobringsomeKazan cats to St Petersburg, to the old Winter Palace. The cats had done their job, and almost all the rats disappearedfromthepalace.AftertheconstructionoftheWinterPalace,thecatssettleddowninthe

new building too. The founderof the Hermitage, Empress Catherine II, gave the cats the status of ‘gallery guards’.

CatsintheHermitageexistedforalongtime,duringthewarwithNapoleon,andaftertherevolution, undertheSovietregime.In1941,whentheGreatPatrioticWarbegan,theworksofartwereevacuated to the Urals, to Sverdlovsk.

After the war, two cars brought new cats to the Hermitage. The rats, that had invaded the building duringthewar,steppedback.However,inthe1960sitwasdecidedthatthecatswerenotneededany more.Employeesofthemuseumcaughtthecatsandtookthemaway.But,soonafter,ratsinvadedthe building. Since then, the museum has never got rid of its cats.

Today, about seventy cats livein theHermitageto protect it from miceand rats. Each cat has its own passportandaveterinarycard.Theylivecomfortablyinthebasement.Theplacewherethey live is always warm and dry, and all the rooms of the basement are equipped with small holes, to let the cats move freely inside and outside the building. The Hermitage employees regularly buy food for the cats. They try to make their meals healthy and diverse. Each cat has its own bowl, tray and basket to sleep. In summer, the cats are more often outside on the lawns and courtyards than in their basement.

TocontrolthenumberofcatsintheHermitage,employeessometimesgiveawaytheircatstoresidents of the city. The new owner has to present their passport and leave their contact details. The adopted animals are accompanied by a certificate from the Hermitage.

1. Accordingtoitsdirector,theHermitageistheonlymuseuminRussiawherecatsarekeptofficially.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. DuringthereignofEmpressCatherineII,thecatsreceivedtheofficial status.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. DuringtheGreatPatrioticWar,theHermitagecatsweretakentoSverdlovsktoguardtheworks of art.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Nowadaysallthecatsaresettledintheattic oftheHermitage.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. TheHermitagecatsaretakengoodcareof.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thecatsarenotallowedtoleavethebuildingofthe museum.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thenewownerofa Hermitagecatcanvisit themuseumfreeofcharge.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. GlastonburyFestival

Glastonbury Festival is one of the largest open-air music and art festivals in the world. It becameanexamplewhichotherfestivalsfollowed.Ofcourse,Glastonburyisbestknownformodern music, but its programme also includes dance, comedy, theatre, circus and other arts.

The festival organizer, Michael Eavis, was a common farmer. In 1970 he visited an open-air concert which greatly impressed him. So he decided to organise a big festival outdoors in the same year. He knew it wouldn’t bring any money, but it didn’t matter.At the first festival thereweremorethanonethousandpeople.Eachofthempaid£1fortheticket.Thepricealsoincluded

free milk from the farm. Later on, the festival took place almost every year and grew in size and audience.

The festival takes place in southwest England on a farm. It’s a beautiful and mystical placecalledtheValleyofAvalon.Itissurroundedwithalotoflegends,symbols,myths,andreligious traditions dating back many hundreds ofyears. Legends say that hereKingArthur’s sword was made and the king himself was buried there. No wonder that the main stage of the festival, Pyramid Stage, hastheformofapyramid.Manybelievethatthisisaverypowerfulstructure,whichgetsenergyfrom the stars and gives it to people.

In many ways, Glastonbury is like a mix of different festivals, which take place in the countrysideandlastforaweekend.Eachareaofthefestivalhasitsowncharacter,itsownfansandits ownspecialattractions.Forexample,danceloversgototheDanceVillage.Thereisalsoabigcinema area, Theatre and Circus. Children can have fun in the Kids’ Field. Some people spend the whole weekend in their favourite area. However, most of them prefer walking around and trying lots of different things.

Most people who stay at Glastonbury Festival live in tents. There are lots of different campingareas,eachone withitsownatmosphere.Youcanchoosewheretostay:inaquietplaceora lively one. There are also places for families and disabled people.Anyway, you should remember to bring a tent with you. Of course, it’s possible to rent one, but it’s quite expensive.

Glastonbury Festival supports Greenpeace and has a number of programmes. There are hundreds of rubbish bins on the territory.All cans, glass, paper, electrical and electronic equipment, wood and waste are separated and recycled. Visitors are asked to clean after themselves and not to leave rubbish. The festival supports those who come by public transport or by bicycle, not by car.

Ifyou’rethinkingaboutvisitingGlastonbury,youshouldbookticketsinadvance.Today an average ticket is about £200 for three days, which is quite expensive. Nevertheless, the tickets are sold out in two or three hours. So be quick to catch them. There are usually more people wishing to get to the festival than tickets.

1. MichaelEaviswas fondofcountrymusic.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. MichaelEavisstarted thefestivaltoearnmoney.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. NowadaysGlastonburyfestivalisheldinKingArthur’s Museum.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. FamousmusiciansandsingerstakepartinGlastonburyFestival.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Duringthefestivalallthevisitorsstayinthenearbycountryinns.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. GlastonburyFestivalisanenvironmentally-friendlyevent.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. It’srecommendedtoreserveticketstoGlastonburyFestivalbeforehand.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. ‘The1900House’

‘The 1900 House’ was a reality television programme in Britain. It took people back a hundred years to the time of Queen Victoria, when there were no computers, mobile phones or the Internet.The idea of the show was to give people an experience of living in the past.

Amodernfamily,theBowlerfamily,spentthreemonthslivinglikepeopleatthebeginningof the20thcentury.Thereweretheparents(PaulandJoyce)andtheirfourchildren(threedaughtersand ason).Thecamerasrecordedthemeveryday.Thehousedidn’thaveatelephone,afridge,aTVsetor even centralheating.TheBowlers woreclothes from1900and atethefood thatexisted inEngland at that time. There wasn’t much to choose from. The main dishes on the table were meat and fish, and the day usually started with a cup of tea and porridge.

The father of the family, Paul Bowler, still went to work but in an old-fashioned uniform. He couldn’t read newspapers or use a computer. The mother, Joyce, became a housewife and stayed home. She did all the cleaning, washing and cooking.The children still went to school, but they changed their clothes on the way to and from school so their classmates wouldn’t know anything about this unusual project.

The Bowlers noticed that life at the beginning of the century was much slower. It was rather hard for them to get used to the new speed. For example, it took 28 minutes to boil water and make a cup of tea. And can you imagine cleaning the house without a vacuum cleaner or washing clothes withoutawashingmachine?Therewasn’tanytoothpasteormodernshampoo.Withoutcentralheating nobody thought about a warm bath or a shower in the morning. Toothbrushes were made of pig and horsehair.Toothpastewasexpensivesomostpeoplecleanedtheirteethusingsaltorsoda.Thechildren thought it was horrible.

11-year-old Hilary said, “The most difficult thing was finding entertainment. We couldn’t go to the cinema or to a café. It was a new experience to be with the family for half a day or more.Itwas

newandhardtobenicetoeachotherallthetime.ButIreallythinkweallbecamecloser.” 17-year-old

Kathryn rememberedthatshecouldn’twear anymake-up.Shehadtoweara corset every day and had only three sets of clothes: one to wear every day, the second – to wear while cleaning, and the third was for special events, like celebrations.

When the show was over the Bowlers were asked: what did you miss most from the modern world? Thefathersaid it was ahot shower.Themotherhad longed to havea quick cup oftea.Thedaughters saiditwasthemusic,thehotwater,shampooand“normalsoundslikethewashingmachine”thatthey missed. For the son it was pizza and the computer.

It’sinterestingthatthefamilywasallowedtokeepanythingtheywantedaftertheproject.Joyce took her corset and each of the children took something from the house to remind them of their experience.

1. ‘The1900House’isaTVprogrammeaboutQueenVictoria’slife.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. There wereonlytwo roomsandakitcheninthehouse.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. DuringtheprojectMr.Bowlerlearntthenewsfromthenewspapers.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thechildrenhadto misstheirschoolclassesbecauseofthe project.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. BecauseoftheprojectHilaryhadtospendmoretimewithherfamily.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Duringtheprojectit wasdifficultfortheBowler’sboytolivewithouthiscomputer.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Aftertheprojectthefamily boughtanewhouse.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. TheOpenWindow

Mr.Nuttel,ayounggentleman,cametoliveinthecountry.Thedoctorssaidaquiet placelikethatand

completerestcouldhelpcurehisnerves.Hedidn’tknowanyoneround there. That’s why his sister gave him letters of introduction to some nice people she knew.

OneoftheletterswastoMrs.Sappleton.WhenMr.Nuttelvisitedher,Mrs.Sappletonwasbusy and he was asked to wait for several minutes. The servant invited Mr. Nuttel into a room. There Mr. Nuttel met Mrs. Sappleton’s niece, avery self-confident young lady of fifteen.Theyoung lady asked himwhatheknewaboutheraunt.Mr.NuttelknewnothingexceptMrs.Sappleton’snameandaddress. Mr.Nuttellookedaround.Therewassomethingabouttheroomthattoldhimtherewereotherpeople livinginthehouse.So,hewaswonderingifMrs.Sappletonwasmarried.Suddenlythegirl got sad and told a story of Mrs. Sappleton’s tragedy. Mr. Nuttel was greatly surprised because his sister hadn’t told him anything about it. The tragedy was very unusual for that peaceful place.

The girl pointed at the French window, which opened on to the lawn and said that Mrs. Sappletonalwayskeptitopen.Mr.Nuttelstatedthatitwasnaturaltokeepthewindowopenbecause the weather was quite warm. But the girl sighed and explained that her poor aunt always kept the windowopenintheeveningsbecauseshewaswaitingforherhusbandandsonstoreturn.Threeyears ago, they had gone hunting and never came back. The story caught Mr. Nuttel’s imagination deeply. He felt very upset.

He felt a little better only when Mrs. Sappleton finally appeared in the room. She apologized forbeinglateandaskedifhemindedtheopenwindow.Shesaidherhusbandandsonswould soon be home from hunting.They always came in that way.Then, she continued talking cheerfully about hunting ducks. But Mr. Nuttel felt terrible.

Hemadeanattempttochangethetopicandtoldheraboutthereasonswhyhehadcometothe country. But Mrs. Sappleton didn’t seem to notice. She was constantly looking at the open window. Mr. Nuttel felt uncomfortable. He understood that he had chosen the wrong moment to visit her. SuddenlyMrs.Sappletoncriedhappilypointingat thewindow,“Herethey are atlast,justintimefor tea!”Three male figures were walking across the lawn towards the window.They carried guns and a dog followed them.

Shocked and afraid, Mr. Nuttel grabbed his stick and hat and rushed out of the house. Mrs. Sappleton was extremely surprised at the extraordinary man who had left the house so quickly without a word. Her niece suggested that it was because of the dog. She said that Mr.Nuttelhad been afraid ofthemsincechildhood–once,adoghad seriouslybitten him.This was enough to make the young man lose his nerve. The young lady was so good at making up stories!

1. Mr.Nuttelcametothevillagetoimprovehis health.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Mr.NuttelwasanoldfriendofMrs. Sappleton.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. AccordingtoMrs.Sappleton’sniece,agreattragedyhadhappenedinheraunt’sfamilythree years before.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Mrs.Sappleton’sniececouldspeakFrenchfluently.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. ThatafternoonMrs.Sappletonwaswaitingforherhusbandandsonstoreturnfromhunting.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Mr.NuttelcheerfullygreetedMr.Sappletonandhissons.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Mr.Nuttelranoutofthehousebecausehewasafraidofthedog.

1. True2)False3)Not stated

12. Honestylesson

Josh Ferrin worked as an artist for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah. The newspaper hasthelongesthistoryinthestateandthebiggestSundaycirculation.Joshhadalotofworkandhoped that in several years he could save up for a house of his own.

Josh adored his wife and two children.They spent holidays together travelling in theiroldcarthat

brokedownregularly.Atweekendsinwinter,theywatchedtheirfavouritemovies in a rented flat that

seemed smaller and smaller as the children were growing.

OnceJoshandhiswifewerewatchingaTVprogramaboutchildrenwholivedinanorphanage andneededparents.They weresodeeplymovedbythechildren’ssadlifestoriesthattheydecidedto adoptachild.Theonlythingthatcouldstopthemwasthesmallflat.ThatwasthemomentJoshstarted looking for a new house.

Finding a proper house was not an easy thing to do. They wanted it to be not very expensive, big enough and have some history. Finally, Josh brought his wife to look at an outdated two-storey housewithalargeattic.Thoughthehouseneededrepair,therewassomethingaboutitthatmadeJosh and his wife like it.The real estate agent told them the story of the previous owner. He had six children but lived a lonely life in that house and died several years ago. His children decided to sell the old house and share the money.

Whentheymovedin,theywentonexploringthehouse.Themassivestaircases,cosybedrooms, a large kitchen and an airy living-room were all they could dream of. The only door that was closed led to the attic below the roof.The next day when his wife and children were away, Josh managed to unlock the door and decided to inspect the attic.

Thedarkspacewas empty,withspiders’webshanginginthecorners.Joshturnedonthelight andnoticedapileofboxesandtinsinoneofthecorners.Asmall,brokenbikelaynearby.Josh thought the room would be ideal for his art studio and started cleaning it up. He threw away several empty boxes when he suddenly found out that all the rest were stuffed with old books.

Josh drew out several books from one of the boxes and found a thick pile of banknotes at the bottom. When the family returned, Josh called his wife and told her about the treasure he had found. He also showed her a short notice he had found in the same box. The message, ‘to my children’, was written on a piece of yellowish paper.

Thesumwasenoughtobuyanewcarandrepairthehousefortheirowngrowingfamilyandthechild the Ferrins wanted to adopt. The temptation to keep the money was great, but Josh and his wife understood it was not their money.

The next week Josh found the previousowner’s family and handed them the money and the note.

1. JoshFerrinstartedhiscareeratthenewspaper afterhismarriage.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. ThemembersofJosh’sfamilyoftenspentfreetimetogether.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Josh’schildrenapprovedoftheirparents’ideatoadoptachild.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Thepreviousownerofthehousehadmovedtolivewithhischildren.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Joshwantedtoarrangeaplacetoworkinthe attic.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Inthemessage,thepreviousowneraskedtogivethemoneytothelocalhospital.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. JoshFerrinfulfilledthewillofthepreviousownerofthehouse.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. FlorenceNightingale

FlorenceNightingalewasacelebratedEnglishnurseandwriter.Accordingtoasurvey,Britishpeople consider her to be one of the most famous British persons along with outstanding scientists, writers and politicians.

She was born into a rich, upper-class family in 1820, in Italy. She got her name Florenceafterthecityofherbirth,astherewasatraditioninherfamilytonamethechildrenin honour of the city they were born in. She got an all-round education and according to the family’s status Florence was expected to become a faithful wife and attentive mother.

However, in 1844 Florence decided to become a nurse, despite the intense anger and distressofhermotherandsister.Atthattimenursingwasseenasajobthatneededneithereducation nor special medical skills.

In 1854 the CrimeanWar broke out and Florence Nightingale offered her services to theWar Office and soon left for the Crimea with thirty-eight volunteer nurses. They began their work in the mainBritishcamp,inthehospital.VerysoonFlorencefoundoutthathygienewasneglected,andfatal infections were common. There was no equipment to cook proper food for the patients. Florence decided to change the situation.

Nightingalemanagedtofoundavastkitchenanda laundry.Inadditiontohernursingwork,shetried to organize reading and recreation rooms for the wounded soldiers. She was on her feet for twenty hoursadayandsoweretheothernurses.Florencewascalled‘TheLadywiththeLamp’for her habit of making rounds round the hospital at night. She checked on her helpless patients.

Florenceremainedinthe Crimeauntil1856,thenshereturnedtoEngland.

InLondonFlorenceNightingalevisitedQueenVictoriaandpersuadedtheQueenoftheneedtocreate a military hospital system. Soon Florence Nightingale set up a training school for nurses, the first nursing school in the world.It is now called The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery and is part of King’s College in London.The annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on Florence’s birthday, the 12th of May.

In the Crimea camp, Nightingale got ‘Crimean fever’and never fully recovered. By the time she was 38 years old, she was seriously ill. She left her house very rarely and had to stay in bed most ofthetime.Nevertheless,Florencecontinuedherworkfromherbed.Shewrotemanybooks,someof them became the base of the curriculum at the Nightingale School and other British nursing schools.

Florence Nightingale died in London in 1910, at the age of ninety. The government offered to bury Florence in WestminsterAbbey, but her relatives did not agree. However, the memorial service took place in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

FlorenceNightingalereceivedalotofhonorableawards.Several bookswerewrittenabout thelifeof ‘The Lady with the Lamp’and a few films were shot about her.

1. FlorenceNightingalewasnamedin honourofherbirthplace.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Florence’sfamilyapprovedofherwishtobecomeanurse.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. FlorenceNightingalecookedforthewoundedsoldiers herself.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. FlorenceNightingalegothernicknamebecausesheoftenvisitedthewoundedat night.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. QueenVictoriawasimpressedbyFlorenceNightingale’swork.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. FlorenceNightingale’sschoolfornurseswasclosedafterherdeath.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. FlorenceNightingalewasburiedinWestminsterAbbey.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. Hershey'schocolate

People from all over the world like the taste of chocolate. It’s the most popular dessert and snack.You may like dark or milk chocolate, you may prefer it plain or with nuts, but whatever your tastes are, you will certainly enjoy the chocolate produced by the Hershey Company.

Hershey chocolate became famous all over the world thanks to a quiet but very hard- working and generous person – Milton Hershey, the founder of the company.

MiltonHersheygrewupinPennsylvania,USA.Hismotherwantedhimtolearnpracticalskills. She believed practice is more important than college education. So, when Milton finished the fourth grade,shearrangedforhimtobecomeaprinter’sassistant.ButMiltondidn’tlikethejoband left it soon after. In a while he became an assistant in a candy factory. He helped to make candy and became very successful at it.

Aftera fewyearsoftraining,Miltonunderstoodthathewantedtostarthisownbusiness.

HeboughttheequipmentandstartedtheLancasterCaramelCompany.Successsoonfollowed.Within afewyears,MiltonHersheyhadagrowingbusinessandwassellinghiscaramelsalloverthecountry. At that time, he became focused on milk chocolate, which in those days was an expensive dessert importedfromSwitzerland.Milton Hersheywasdetermined tofind anewformulaforthe product that could allow him to manufacture milk chocolate in large amounts and sell it countrywide. He succeeded in making a new recipe.

So, in 1900 Milton Hershey sold his caramel company and started up a chocolate factory. In fact,itwasmorethana factory.MiltonHersheybuiltawholetownaroundthefactory–withhouses, schools,churches,andstores.Hewantedthepeoplewhoworkedinhisfactorytolivenearbyandfeel comfortable. The factory was focused on producing the Nickel Bar, a relatively cheap chocolatebarthat everyonecould afford.Later,HersheyKisses wereadded.Thesedelicious,bite- sized pieces of chocolate were named after Milton Hershey himself.

As success and profits rose, Milton Hershey invested more money in the infrastructure of his town and added a sports arena, a stadium, and a school for orphanedchildren.

Milton Hershey died in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1945, one year after his retirement as chairman of the board. He was 88 years old. By the end of his life Hershey had donated most of his money to his town and the school for orphans.

His chocolate factory remains the largest in the world. The town of Hershey is still home to about12,000peopleanddrawsmorethan30millionvisitorseachyear.Theycometoseethefamous HersheyPark,whichboastsarollercoaster,Ferriswheelandotherrides.Thefactorytoursdrawmore visitors annually than theWhite House. Guests can take a tour through a mock chocolate factory that includes a ride through a simulated roasting oven, and eating samples of Hershey chocolate.

1. TheHersheycompanywasnamedafterthemanwhohadstartedit.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. MiltonHersheytriedsomeotherjobsbeforehestartedmakingchocolate.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. MiltonHershey’smotherranasmallbusinessofherown.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. MiltonHersheyproducedhischocolateinstrictaccordancewiththe Swissrecipe.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. TheNickelBarwasexpensivechocolatefor elite customers.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. MiltonHersheygave lotsofmoneytocharity.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ItwasMiltonHershey’sideatocreateHersheyPark.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. Jeans

The history of jeans goes as far back as the 16th century when sailors in Genoa (Italy) wore a materialthateventuallybecamethematerialusedinjeans.Theword‘jean’derivesfromthe nameoftheItalianportcityGenoa,asitwasacustomtonameamaterialafteritsplaceoforigin. By the late 16th century, jean material was already produced in Lancashire, England.

It was the California Gold Rush of 1849 that started the evolution ofAmerican trousers that would one day become blue jeans. The gold miners wanted clothes that were strong and did not tear easily. The person who suggested an appropriate type of clothing was a German businessman Levi Strauss, who had moved toAmerica. Levi Strauss sold many differentthings, buthis main productwasatoughcanvasmaterialusedfortentsandwagoncovers.Understandingtheurgent need of the gold miners Levi Strauss decided to make trousers out of the tough canvas he was selling. The miners liked the new ‘working’trousers, though they were uncomfortable to wear as the material was too rough.

To improve the trousers for miners, Levi Strauss began looking for a different material andsoonhefoundasuitableoneinFrance.Thematerialwascalled‘sergedeNimes’.Americans just called it ‘de Nimes’, and this name soon became its short form ‘denim’. Denim was a bit lighter and softer than the material Levi Strauss used for his working trousers. It was very strong and did not wear out quickly,even after many washes.The trousers made of denim became quite popular among the miners.

Theonlyproblemwasthatoriginaldenimwasalmostwhiteandthetrousersgotdirtyas soon as the miners started working! For that reason, Levi Strauss decided to use coloured denim, and he chose dark blue. This was a radical new idea and ‘Blue jeans’had arrived!

Levi'sjeansweresopopular,thathiscompanygotbiggerandbigger.Otherfirmsweremaking blue jeans too. Miners liked them, but so did cowboys and other working men.

Levi’s jeans were work trousers. Male workers wore them all the time but a gentleman would noteventhinkofwearingjeans.Thingschangedwhenwesternmoviesbecamepopular.Allthe cowboys wore jeans and people thought they looked heroic, attractive and cool. Also, jeans weregreatlypopularizedinEuropebyAmericanoff-dutysoldierswhoworethemduringWorld WarII.TheymadejeansseemlikecasualAmericantrousers,asymboloftheAmericanlifestyle. Inthe2000s,thesaleofclassicbluejeansstopped growing.Youngpeoplewerenotparticularly interestedintraditionaljeansstyles,mainlybecauseoftheirparents,whoadoredjeans.Sinceno teenagerwouldweartheclothes,theirparentswerewearing,thelatestgenerationofyouthturnedto

otherfabricsandstyles.Theystillweardenim, butithad tobeinnewcuts,shapesand styles.

1. Jeansclothwasnamedafteracity.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. LeviStrausshadafewfriendsamonggoldminers.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. LeviStraussbeganto maketrousers forminers fromthematerialwhichwasusedfortents.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. LeviStraussfounddeniminalocalAmericanshop.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Theoriginalcolourofdenimwasblue.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. AfterWorldWarIIjeansbecamepopularwithEuropeans.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. NowadaysmorejeansareproducedinEurope thanintheUSA.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. TheMoneylessMan

For most of us it seems that money makes the world go round. However, not for Mark Boyle who has turned his life into a radical experiment.

Mark Boyle was born in 1979 in Ireland and moved to Great Britain after getting a degree in Business. He set up his own business in Bristol. For six years Mark Boyle managed two organic food companies which made him a good profit.

However,in2008,hedecidedtogiveupearningmoney.Hevowedtolive withoutcash,creditcards, or any other form of finance.

MarkBoylebegantorealisethatmanyoftheworld’sproblemsarejustsymptomsofadeeper problem. He thought that money gave people the illusion of independence.

Mark sold his house and started preparing himself for his new life. He posted an advert on a website askingforatent,acaravan(avehicleforlivingortravelling)oranyothertypeofahouse.Soon an old lady gave him a caravan for free.At least he then had a roof over his head!

After that, with his pockets empty, Mark was ready to go. He didn’t even carry keys as he decided to trust the world a bit more and not lock his caravan. On November 28th (International Buy Nothing Day 2008), he became the Moneyless Man for one whole year.

Everythingwasdifferentfromthenon.Marklivedinhiscaravanonanorganicfarmwherehe worked as avolunteerthreedays a week. In return hegot apieceofland to liveon and growhis own vegetables. His food was cooked on a stove, and he washed in a shower made from a plastic bag hanging from a tree, and warmed by the sun.

Even breakfast was different. With no morning coffee to brew, Mark had to find an alternative drink to start the day with. So, he drank herbal teas, sometimes with some fresh lemon verbena that he could find nearthe caravan. “It’s all very good foryou: iron, calcium, anti-oxidants,” Mark said.

Food was the first thing to consider. Mark discovered that there were four ways to find it: looking for wild food, growing his own food, bartering (exchanging his grown food for something else), and using loads of waste food from shops.

Public interest in his project was divided. While a huge number of people supported him, there was criticism of him, particularly on Internet forums. “People are either very positive aboutwhatI’mdoingorverynegative;Ithinkit’sabout70percent/30percent.It’sfunny,ifyou don’t have a massive plasma TV these days, people think you are an extremist,” Mark said.

PeopletendtoaskMarkwhathelearntfromayearofamoneylesslife.“WhathaveIlearned?

Thatfriendship,notmoney,isrealsecurity,”heanswers.

Mark’s remarkable journey is described in his new book “The Moneyless Man”, which shows in a detailed way the challenges he faced on the road to his new world.

1. Beforegivingupmoney,MarkBoyleranasuccessful business.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Markboughtanexpensivecaravanforhisnewlife.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Mark’sfamilyapprovedofhismoneylessproject.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. TheonlythingMark couldn’tgiveupwascoffee.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Markgotfoodfromdifferentsources.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. People’sopinionstowardsMark’sprojectweredifferent.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. SomeofMark’sfans wanttorepeathis experiment.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. Eton

Withinaten-minutewalkofWindsorCastle,acrossabridgeovertheRiverThames,there’san oldGothicbuilding.ItisthelegendaryEtonCollege.ItisoneofEngland’slargestindependentschools andoneofthehighestinprestige.MembersoftheBritishroyalfamilyaretraditionallyeducatedhere. It was one of the best schools when first founded and remains so now; it is still commonly known as one of the greatest schools among all the schools in the world.

Following the old tradition, Eton is a full boarding school, which means all students live and study at the school with their fellow students throughout the school year. Eton is also one of thefourremainingboys’schools,sothere’snoopportunityforagirltostudythere.Etonstudents traditionallycomefromEngland’swealthiestandmostprestigiousfamilies,manyofthemaristocratic. Boys enter Eton at about 13 and continue to study there until they are ready to enter university.

The school was founded by Henry VI in the fifteenth century to provide free education forpoor

pupilswhowouldthengoontogetahighereducationatKing’sCollegeinCambridge. That

connection no longer exists today.

Allstudentshaveauniformofablacktailcoatandawaistcoat,awhitecollaranddarktrousers. All students wear a white tie. This uniform is not for special occasions, it is worn at all times for all classes.IfyouvisitEtonduringtermtime,youwillseestudentswalkingalongthestreetswithbooks under their arms dressed in their uniforms.

At Eton, there are dozens of organisations known as ‘societies’, in many of which students come together to discuss a particular topic. The societies are traditionally governed by the boys themselves. Societies range from astronomy to Scottish dancing and stamp-collecting. Some of them arededicatedtomusic,sometoarts,sometolanguages,andsoon.Meetingsareusuallyheld after supper and often include a guest speaker. Among past guest speakers were composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, writer J. K. Rowling, designer Vivienne Westwood, and actor Ralph Fiennes.

One of the oldest and most influential Eton societies is called the Pop. Its members are like school head-boys or prefects who are given limited authority over other students. They are called Poppersandtakeanactivepartinmanyofficialeventsoftheschoolyear,includingparents’evenings.

While all students wear black waistcoats, members of the Pop are allowed to wear any waistcoat they please. Prince William, when he was a Popper, wore a waistcoat designed like the British national flag. The style immediately became popular.

Irrespectiveofthis,theofficialcolourof thecollegeistheso-called ‘Eton blue’.It’s a light blue-green colour which has been used since the early 19th century.The main purpose was to identify Eton sportsmen in rowing races and on the cricket field.

1. EtonistheoldestboardingschoolinGreatBritain.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Inourtime,girlsareallowedtoenterEtonCollege.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. EtonCollegewasestablishedtoeducatethechildrenfromthewealthiestBritish families.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. TheEton uniformis soldonly inoneshop ontheterritoryofthecollege.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Manyfamouspeoplehavetakenpartintheworkofthestudent societies.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. ItiseasytoidentifyPoppersinacrowdofstudentsduetotheirclothes.

1)True2)False3) Not stated

1. TheofficialcolourofEtonCollegeiswhite.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. Thewill

OnedayyoungWilliamwascalledtoalawyer’soffice.ThelawyerannouncedthatWilliam’s uncle had left him a thousand dollars. He also added that William was required to give the lawyer a report of how he used the money as soon as he spent it. That was his uncle’s last wish.

William promised to follow his uncle’s wish and went straight to his club. He looked for Bryson, a calm wise man of about forty, who was sitting in a corner reading a book. When William toldhimaboutthecontentsofthewill,Brysondidnotseematallsurprised.Heonlyremarkedthatthe uncle was worth about half a million.

William told Bryson that his uncle had left a lot of money to charity while his servants hadreceivedonlytendollarseach.Therewasonemorepersonmentionedinthewill,MissHayden,

adistant relativewho lived in theuncle’s house. Shewas aquiet, musical girl and thedearest woman in the world to William. William had been in love with her for two years but he had never told her about his feelings.

Williamhadnoideahowtospendathousanddollarsandhehatedmakingthereport.Hehadafeeling that his uncle was making fun of him.

In the streetWilliam saw a blind man selling pencils.William went up to him and asked him what he would dowith the money.The blind man shrugged his shoulders and said that he had neverseensuchahugeamountofmoneyandthereforehadneverhadtheproblemofspendingsuch a sum. William bought all his pencils and gave him ten dollars above the price.

Williamwaswalkingdowntheemptystreetwhenhehadan idea.He got into a cab and went to his uncle’s house where Miss Hayden lived. He found her, sad and beautiful, writing letters in the library. William knew that like the servants she had received nothing from his uncle but ten dollars. So, he said that there was an addition to his uncle’s will that allowed her to have a thousand dollars and he gave her the money there and then. Miss Hayden turned white, took the banknotes and put them in the drawer of the writing desk. Then she quietly thanked William and gave him a shy smile.

InexcitementWilliamwentbacktothelawyer’soffice,readytohandoverthereport.Suddenly the lawyer took out another document which had been given to him by William’s uncle and started reading. It said that in the case that William spent the money wisely, he was to receive another fifty thousand dollars. On the contrary, if he had spent it in a foolish way, the fifty thousand would go to Miss Hayden.

Smiling brightly, William destroyed the report and said he had lost a thousand dollars on the races. William realized that he was going to lose much more than that, but he felt happy about it.

1. BrysonwasafriendofWilliam’suncle.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. William’suncleleftallhismoneytohisservants.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. MissHaydenarrivedattheuncle’shousetwoyearsago.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. Williamaskedtheblindmanforadvice.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. WilliamtoldMissHaydenalieabouthisuncle’swill.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. MissHaydenrefusedtotakeathousanddollarsofferedbyWilliam.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. WilliammadeMissHaydenarichwoman.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. TheIsleofMan

IntheIrishSea about20milesawayfromtheUKyouwillfindabeautifulisland.Thisis the Isle of Man. The people of the island are called Manx and they speak the Manx language. The island occupies a mid-point in the Irish Sea and the British Isles – right between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

ThesceneryoftheIsleisvaried.Therearerangesofhillswithgreenvalleysbetweenthem.

Therearesandybeachesinthenorthwhichcontrastwiththerockycliffsalongthecoasts.Theisland's

onlymountainisslightlyover600metreshigh.Anoldlegendsaysthatfromitstoponcleardaysyou can see six kingdoms: the island itself, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and Heaven.

The Isle of Man has the oldest parliament in the world. It is called Tynwald and it has met regularly since 979. Tynwald usually meets in the capital of the country. However, for one day every summertheManxparliamentgathersinasmallvillagetocelebrateTynwaldDay.Itistheonly day of the year when parliament is held in the open air. On this day government officials read a summary of all the laws that have been passed during the year in both the English and the Manx languages. There is entertainment before and after the ceremony and it is a real community event. In addition to that, an open-airmarket is organised and different concerts are held in the evening.At the conclusion, the Manx national anthem is played and there is a firework display.

Another thing that attracts tourists to the Isle of Man is its rich and unique culture.Any visitor to the island will be particularly fascinated by the legends, folklore and the ancient traditions that are still kept alive today. Most tourists are happy to participate in the folk programmes.

InManxmythology,theisland’snamecomesfromthenameofaCelticSeagod.Heruledthe kingdom and protected the land from invaders by covering the island with mist and thick fog.

The island is also reputedly home to fairies who are very special. The Manx fairies are described as smallandhuman-like.Theywearredcapsandgreenjacketsandarenaughtyandwicked.There’seven abridge called Fairy Bridge.Those who cross it are advised to say ‘hello fairies’in order to get good fortune.Ifthepersondoesn’tgreetthefairies,thefairieswillbecomeangrywithhimand may play a nasty trick on him.

IfyoulovereadingaboutKingArthurandhisknights,thenamust-seeplaceisPeelCastle.

It was constructed in the 11th century by the Vikings and has a fascinating history. It is believedthatPeelCastlewasthelocationofAvalon–thelegendaryislandwhereKingArthur’ssword was made and where KingArthur was taken after being wounded.

1. TheIsleofManislocated intheIrishSea.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Theisland’slandscapelooksallthesameeverywhere.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. OnTynwaldDaytheManxparliamenthasadayoff.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThefirstManxKing ruledforahundredyears.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. AccordingtoManxbeliefs,ignoringthefairiescancause trouble.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. PeelCastlewasbuiltbytheVikings.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThereareafewstatuesofKingArthurontheIsleofMan.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. MarkTwain

MarkTwainwrote‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’in1884.Sincethen,thebook hasbeenpublishedinatleastsixtylanguages,andsomepeoplesayitisthebestbookevercreated by an American writer. American students have ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ on their school reading list and parents, teachers and literary experts still debate the problems touched in the book.

Thewriter’srealnamewasSamuelClemens.Samuelwasbornin1835.Hegrewupinthestate ofMissouriontheMississippiRiver.Afterhisfatherdied,youngSamuelwenttoworkasanassistant to a publisher. Ten years later, he became a pilot on a steamboat that sailed on the Mississippi. He heard the riverboat workers call out the words “mark twain!” That was a measure for the depth of water. Later he used this word combination as a pen-name.

In 1861 Clemens travelled west and became a reporter for newspapers in Nevada and California.Hewrotenewsstories,editorialsandsketchesunderhispen-nameMarkTwain.Hebecame oneofthebest-knownstorytellersintheWest.Hedevelopedhisownnarrativestyle–friendly,funny, and often satirical, which won him a wide audience. The first success came with the story ‘The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’.

MarkTwain travelled a lot during his lifetime not only round the USAbut also to Europe and the Holy Land. He naturally began writing books about his travels. ‘TheAdventures ofTom Sawyer’ was published in 1876, and soon after he began writing a sequel, ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’.

IttookMarkTwainlongertowrite‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’thananyofhisotherbooks.

He started writing in 1876, but put the story away after about two years of work. He returned to it in 1883, and the following year it was published.

From the beginning, the book was strongly debated. Some critics praised its realism and honesty, but the others stronglydisliked it.They protested against the personality of Huck – a rough,dirtyanddisobedientboy.Theycouldnotagreethatsuchapersonshouldbethemaincharacter of a book. What’s more, critics disliked the way Mark Twain used the language of a common, uneducated person to tell the story; no writer had ever done that before.

Todaythereisnolongeranydebateabouttheimportanceof‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’in American literature. In 1935 Ernest Hemingway wrote: “All modernAmerican literature comesfromonebookbyMarkTwaincalled‘HuckleberryFinn.’Therewasnothingbefore.And there has been nothing as good since.”

No wonder then that the novel ‘TheAdventures of Huckleberry Finn’was a great inspiration forfilmproducers–morethan20screenversionsofthebookhavebeenshotnotonlyinAmerica,but alsoinEurope,RussiaandJapan.Therearefeaturefilms,musicals,cartoonsandevenJapaneseanime.

1. ‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’hasbeentranslatedintomany languages.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thewritertookhispen-namewhenworkingasanassistanttoapublisher.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ‘TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty’isstillonthereadinglistforAmericanschoolchildren.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. IttookMarkTwaintwoyearstowrite‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Literarycriticsexpresseddifferentopinionsof‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberry Finn’.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ErnestHemingwaystronglycriticized‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thefirstfilmonthe novel‘TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn’wasshotinEurope.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. TheOwl

JoanHarrisonwaswalkingalongthestreet.Shewasshyandalwaysfeltlonelyandupset.Joan worked as a secretary in an office in the city centre. It was lunch time and she went out to get some air.Shewaslookingabsentlyattheshop-windowswhenshesawabrownwoodenowlinoneofthem. SuddenlyJoanstopped.Joanwastotallyindifferenttobirdsandshehadneverunderstood people who collected useless statues. But for some reason she could not take her eyes off the owl. The wooden owl drew Joan to itself.

Joan decided to buy theowl.Sheearned a little, justto pay forherroomand food. She couldn’t afford new clothes. Even a ticket to the cinema was a heavy expense for her.But this time Joan was sure that she had to buy the wooden owl.

Joan opened the door of the shop. She asked the shop assistant about the price of the wooden owl. It was fifty pounds. Joan understood that it was sheer madness to buy such an expensive wooden bird. But she did it without any hesitation.

The next morning, she left her house in a very good mood. Now, having the owl at home,Joanmadeitahabittosaygood-byeandtouchtheowl’sheadbeforeleaving.Amazingly, after this simple gesture she was cheerful and energetic the whole day. One morning, when patting the owl on the head, Joan remembered her wish to join the evening pottery class atcollege.Shehadoftenthoughtaboutitbutalwayschangedhermindatthelastmoment.Now she decided to fulfill her wish.

AtthepotteryclassJoanachievedconsiderableresults.Herteachersaidshehadauniquestyle. Nobody knew that she worked hard at home. Under the owl’s observation Joan experimented with formsandcolours.Onceshetookpartinthestudents’showatthecollege,andtheMuseum ofArtsaskedhertosell herworksfortwo thousandpounds.Thesumcoveredallherdebtsand she could afford to buy a new dress and shoes and even more.

The next step was the annual National Art Festival, at which a secretary, Joan Harrison, presented her personal exhibition. Her fame and income were growing. Joan left her office and becameapotter.Ayearlatersheandtheartdirectorofthemuseumwerehappilymarried.Theymoved to a large country house and now Joan had her own pottery.

Joantooktheluckyowlwithher.Ittookitshonoraryplaceinthelargelivingroom.Inherlast years she often remembered the shop where she had bought the owl, her evening classes and her first stepsinpottery.Joan wassoproud oftheowlthateach pieceof herpotteryhad apicture of the owl on it. Lots of famous artists and important people visited Joan and her husband, but Joan never gave her owl to anybody until her dying day.

1. Joancollectedsmallstatuesof birds.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Joanhadawell-paidjob.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThewoodenowlimprovedJoan’smood.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Joanjoinedthepotteryclassbecauseofherfriends’advice.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Joansuccessfullyparticipatedinartexhibitions.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. TherewasanimageoftheowlonJoan’severy work.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. AfterJoan’sdeaththewoodenowldisappearedfromherhouse.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. 1. Potatoes

The potato comes from the high and cool areas of theAndes of Peru. It began to be grown as food more than 7,000 years ago. When Europeans came to SouthAmerica, they took the potato back to Europe.

In1589,SirWalterRaleigh,anEnglishexplorerandhistorianknownforhisexpeditionstothe Americas, first brought the potato to Ireland and planted the new vegetable there. In spite of the fact thatthepotatoesgrewverywellinthepoorsoilofIreland,ittooknearly200yearsforthemtobecome awidelygrown cropin Irelandand GreatBritain. Peopledidn’tlikeitsunusualappearance and originally bitter taste. Besides, the potato was not mentioned in the Bible and it was often associated with the devil.

Accordingtolegend,SirWalterRaleighpresentedpotatoplantstoQueenElizabethI.Aspecial royalpotatodinnerwasmadeandthenoblemenwereinvitedtotastethenewAmericanvegetable.

Buttheroyalcooksdidn’tknowhowtocookpotatoes:theycutoffandthrewawaytheugly- lookingtubersandbroughttotheroyaltableadishofboiledleaves(whichareverypoisonous). Most of the guests died after that royal dinner and potatoes were forbidden for many years.

Only two hundred years later farmers in Great Britain and Ireland began growing potatoes. SoontherestofEuropestartedtofollowBritain.Theonlycountrywhich didnotacceptpotatoeswas France.ToovercomethenegativeattitudeoftheFrenchpeopletowardsthenewvegetable, King Louis XVI started to wear a potato flower as a decoration. He tried to make the people understand the benefit of potatoes as food. Even after the French king had given an order to his citizens to grow potatoes, they still were against the unfamiliar vegetable. The farmers refused to eat potatoes because of its unusual smell and taste. Then King Louis XVI decided to trick his people. In ordertoshowthevalueofthepotato,thekingorderedtohaveitplantedinaroyalfieldandputguards towatchoverthefield.Whenthelocalfarmerssawtheguardsattheroyalfield,theydecidedthatthe thingsocarefullyguardedmustbevaluable.Oneday,theguardswereallowedtogooffduty. Thelocalfarmerswentintothefield,dugoutsomepotatoesandplantedthemintheirfields.The king’s plan was a success. From this small start, the habit of growing and eating potatoes spread all over the country.

AsEuropeansbegantogrowpotatoes,theyrealizedtheadvantagesofthenewvegetable.

The potato harvest was enough to feed their own families and to sell some to the citizens of townsand cities.Thenewfood stimulated thedevelopmentofcitiesand industries.Besides,the health of the people improved as they included potatoes in their diets. Now the potato is grown and enjoyed everywhere.

1. Potatoeswerethebasicfood forthepeopleofPeru.

1)True 2)False3)Notstated

1. TheBritishpeoplelikedpotatoesatonce.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Thepotatodishfortheroyaldinnerwaspreparedinawrongway.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. KingLouisXVIwasagainsttheideaofgrowingpotatoesforfood.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. FarmersstolesomepotatoesfromtheKing’sfield.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ThepotatohelpedthedevelopmentoftheEuropean countries.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. NowadaysthepotatoisthemostpopularvegetableinEurope.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. Tea

Everybody knows that Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Tea is more than just a drink to the British–itisawayoflife.Manypeopledrinkitfirstwithbreakfast,thenmid-morning,withlunch,at tea-time (around 5 o’clock), with dinner and finally just before bed.As a nation, they go through 185 million cups per day! No less than 77% of British people are regular tea drinkers; they drink more than twice as much tea as coffee.

Alegend says that tea was discovered in China in the third millennium BC. When a Chinese Emperor was having breakfast in his garden, a tea leaf fell into his cup with hot water. The water became colored and the emperor was delighted with the taste of the new drink. To Britain, tea came much later. It happened in the 17th century, when the British ships landed on the shore of China and came back with a load of tea.

Tea drinking became fashionable in England after Charles II married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. She adored tea and introduced it to the royal court. Just as people today will copy celebrities, people in the 17th and 18th centuries copied the royal family.Tea drinking spread like wildfire, starting first among the nobles and then spreading to wealthy businessmenwholikedtositdownforanice‘cuppa’incoffeehouses.Teawasanexpensiveproduct. It was only for the rich and often kept under lock and key.

In the 17th century the British really had two daily meals – breakfast and dinner. Dinner was the heaviest meal of the day, and was usually served in the afternoon.The custom of eating a regular ‘afternoontea’began duringthe1700’s,as peoplebegan servingdinnerlaterand laterin theevening.

Forthe aristocracy, orat least forthe DuchessAnna Maria of Bedford, 6 hours between mealswassimplytoolong.Shebegantoaskforacupofteaandlightsnackstobeservedaround 5pm,and then began toinvitegueststo join her.Thecustom of ‘afternoon tea’wasborn,and it spreadamongtheupperclassesandthenamongtheworkers,forwhomthislateafternoonmealbecame the main of the day.

The first tea shop for ladies was opened by Thomas Twining in 1717 and slowly tea shops began to appear throughout England making the drinking of tea available to everyone. The British appreciated the new drink for its taste. It was also believed that tea cured lots of diseases.However, the most important thing was that drinking tea prevented lots of diseases – to make the drink people used boiled water and drank less raw water.

For centuries now, tea has been the national drink of Great Britain. Tea has so thoroughly integrateditselfintoBritishculturethatduringWorldWarIIthegovernmentwasseriously afraidthatthecountry’smoralecouldsufferfromthelackofteaandmadeaspecialdecisionto ration it.

Teahasworkeditswayintolanguagetoo.Nowadayspeoplehaveteabreaksatwork,even ifthey drink coffeeor cola. Many peoplecall themain evening meal tea, even ifthey drink beer with it.When there is a lot of trouble about something very unimportant, it is called a storm in a tea cup. Whensomeoneisupsetordepressed,peoplesaytheyneedteaandsympathy.Infact,teaisthebest treatment for all sorts of problems and troubles.

1. Ingeneral,Britishpeopleprefercoffeetotea.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Inthe17thcenturyaChineseEmperorsentteatotheBritish royalfamilyasapresent.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. TeabecamepopularinGreatBritainduetotheroyal marriage.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. The‘afternoontea’traditionwasstartedbya woman.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. InthefirstteashopstheBritishcould alsobuysomemedicines.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. DuringWorldWarIItheBritishgovernmentprohibiteddrinkingtea.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Therearemanyphraseswith‘tea’intheEnglish language.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. 1. SirChristopherWren

Sir Christopher Wren was a designer, astronomer, geometer, and one of the greatest English architects of his time.

ChristopherWrenwasbornintoarichfamilyin1632.Hewasaweakandsicklychildandwas taughtathomebyprivatetutorsandhisfather.Wren’sschoolingisamystery:therearenodocuments aboutwhetherheattendedschoolornot.However,thereiswrittenevidencethatheentered OxfordUniversityin1650tostudyscienceandmathematics.Ongraduatingfromuniversity,Wren wasappointed ProfessorofAstronomy atGreshamCollege,London. Hewasrequired togiveweekly lectures in both Latin and English to all who wished to attend; admission was free. His lectures and thefollowingdiscussionsledtoestablishingtheRoyalSociety,England’sfirstscientificorganization. Later, Christopher Wren taught at Oxford University. His scientific work includedastronomy,optics,mechanics,medicineandmeteorology.Heinventedandimprovedlotsofthings.

He experimented with submarine design, road paving, and design of telescopes. It was also around these times that his attention turned to architecture.

InWren’stime,theprofession ofan architectdid notexist. Inthepast,buildingshad been constructed to the requirements of the patron and the suggestions of building professionals, such as master carpenters or master bricklayers. Since the early years of the 17th century, it was not unusual for the well-educated gentleman to take up architecture as a hobby. Wren designed 51 London churches,includingStPaul’sCathedral,andseveralbuildingsaftertheGreatFirein1666.Eachchurch wasdifferent,thoughallwereclassicalinstyle.Heinsistedonthefinestmaterials,andonly skillful workers were hired for the job.

Actually, St Paul’s Cathedral is still Wren's masterpiece. The architectural style of St Paul’s CathedralisabeautifulmixoftheMedieval,Classical,andBaroque.TheinsideofStPaul’sCathedral isgorgeous.ThefoundationstoneoftheCathedralwaslaidin1675whenWrenwas43yearsold,and

thelaststonewasputinplacebyhis son,35years later.

Wrendiedon25thFebruary1723.HisgravestoneinStPaul’sCathedralfeaturesaLatin inscription which translates as: 'If you seek his memorial, look about you.'

1. ChristopherWrenwasnamedafterhisfather.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

1. ThereisnoproofthatChristopherWrenstudiedatOxfordUniversity.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ChristopherWren’sscientificinterestswereindifferentspheres.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. Theprofessionofanarchitectwasverypopularinthe17th century.

1)True2)False3)NotstatedChristopher

1. Wrenwasdemandingwhenchoosingmaterialsandbuilders.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. ChristopherWren’ssoncompletedtheconstructionofStPaul’sCathedral.

1)True2)False3)Not stated

1. StPaul’sCathedralwasSirChristopherWren’sfavouriteproject.

1)True2)False3)Notstated

Адрес публикации: https://www.prodlenka.org/metodicheskie-razrabotki/602982-sbornik-zadanij-iz-razdela-chtenie-zadanija1