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THE FIRST WOMAN IN BUSINESS
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Структура экзаменационной работы.
Экзамен проводится в устной форме. Каждый билет содержит три задания. 1-вопрос – предметные умения.
2-вопрос – предметные навыки. 3-вопрос – предметные знания.
На подготовку всех трех заданий отводится 30 минут, устный ответ занимает 8–10 минут.
Первое задание: проверяет умения и навыки на продуктивное монологическое высказывание учащихся на основе тем, изучавшихся на протяжении всего курса английского языка за 5 – 9 классы, в соответствии с требованиями ГОСО и учебной программы.
Объектами контроля являются продуктивные коммуникативные умения учащихся в устной речи. Объем монологического высказывания не менее 15 фраз.
Второе задание: проверяет умения ознакомительного чтения (чтения с пониманием основного содержания).
В процессе подготовки к ответу учащийся не может пользоваться двуязычным словарем.
Необходимо ответить на 4 - 5 вопросов по содержанию текста, касающихся:
• основной идеи (О чем говорится в тексте? Какова основная идея текста?);
• главных фактов (Кто? Что? Когда? Как? Где? Куда?).
От учащихся с повышенными способностями к изучению иностранного языка, помимо ответов на четыре или пять вопросов по содержанию текста, требуется ответить еще на два вопроса экзаменатора, в которых необходимо:
• оценить полученную информацию и выразить свое мнение (Что ты думаешь по поводу прочитанного и почему?);
• прокомментировать те или иные факты/события, описанные в тексте (Чем можно объяснить возможность/невозможность (возникновение/исчезновение, интерес/отсутствие интереса, популярность/ непопулярность т.д.) событий/фактов, описанных в тексте?).
Третье задание: проверяет знания, умения и навыки учащихся в использовании грамматических структур, изучавшихся на протяжении всего курса английского языка за 5 – 9 классы
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1. Speak on the topic: ―School days
2. Read the text and answer the questions.
3. Grammar task
Card № 2
1. Speak on the topic: ―Choosing a profession
2. Read the text and answer the questions.
3. Grammar task
Card № 3
1. Speak on the topic: ―Learning about the world
2. Read the text and answer the questions.
3. Grammar task
Card № 4
1. Speak on the topic: ―Travelling is one of the way of discovering the new countries
2. Read the text and answer the questions.
3. Grammar task
Card № 5
1. Speak on the topic: ―Every country is special
2. Read the text and answer the questions.
3. Grammar task
Card № 6
1. Speak on the topic: ―What makes you feel proud of your country?
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
1. Speak on the topic: ―What famous people from Kazakhstan would you tell your foreign friends about?
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №8
1. Speak on the topic: ―Traditional holidays and celebrations in Kazakhstan
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №9
1. Speak on the topic: ―Astana is the heart of Kazakhstan
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №10
1. Speak on the topic: ―Books in our life
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №11
1. Speak on the topic: ―Protection of the environment
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card № 12
1. Speak on the topic: ―TV and cinema in our life
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
1. Speak on the topic: ―Free time activities for teenagers in Kazakhstan, Great Britain, and America
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №14
1. Speak on the topic: ―Music in our life
2. 2 Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №15
1. Speak on the topic: ―Sport in our life
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card № 16
1. Speak on the topic: ―Karaganda is my native town
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №17
1. Speak on the topic: ―Healthy way of the life
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №18
1. Speak on the topic: ―Problems of ecology
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
1. Speak on the topic: ―Learning English is popular all over the world
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card № 20
1. Speak on the topic: ―Great Britain
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
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Card №21
1. Speak on the topic: ―Educational system in Kazakhstan
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №22
1. Speak on the topic: ―Me and my family
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №23
1. Speak on the topic: ―My hobby
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card № 24
1. Speak on the topic: ―Art in our life
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
Card №25
1. Speak on the topic: ―Weather
2. Read the text and answer the questions
3. Grammar task
“ABOUT CONAN DOYLE”
There is probably no one among book-lovers who has not heard of Sherlock Holmes in the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes's method of analyzing the most difficult problems was to notice the smallest facts, even if they seemed unimportant. His method never failed; the criminal always had to give up, and to become the prisoner of the great detective.
Conan Doyle once arrived in Paris, after spending a month in the south of France. There was a long row of cabs outside the gate of the railway station. Conan Doyle got into the first cab and ordered the driver to take him to a good hotel. The driver was silent all the way to the hotel, but when Conan Doyle paid him, he said, "Thank you, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle".
"How do you know who I am?" Conan Doyle asked in the greatest surprise.
"I have never seen you before", the man answered, "so I can't pretend that I recognized you. But I read in the newspapers that you were expected in Paris after your vacation in the south of France. The train you arrived on came from the south of France. I could tell from your clothes, especially your hat, and also from the strange way you pronounce French words that you were English. These facts helped me to guess that you were probably Sir Arthur Conan Doyle".
"Fine work! Wonderful!" Conan Doyle cried. "You analyzed the facts quite correctly. It's a pity you aren't a detective!"
"Of course", the driver added, "your name is on both your travelling bags. I can't pretend that fact didn't help".
Questions:
1. What is the main idea of the text?
2. Where did Conan Doyle once arrive in?
3. How did the cabman surprise Conan Doyle?
4. How did the cabman find out it was Conan Doyle?
5. What do you think about this story? Was it a real or fictitious story? Why?
“WOODMANSHYTHE ACTIVITY CENTER”
Woodmanshythe is a small town. About 3,000 people live here. It is unusual for a town of this size to have a good cinema.
«It all started ten years ago. There was a large store here which was for sale. A couple of us old people thought that it would be the ideal place for an activity centre. There wasn't anywhere where people could get together. Then by chance we heard that the cinema in Workshop — that's our nearest big town — was closing down. All its equipment was for sale. I contacted Jim Breasley, who is our financial brain, and before we knew where we were, we had plans drawn up for a cinema here. We made a broad group of twelve people representing all ages and interests — as far as possible, anyway — and this very nice cinema is the result of it!».
The cinema shows films five nights a week (not on Sundays and Mondays). There are also two afternoon programs a week for children. Old age pensioners have the cinema two mornings a month.
«We try to show a mixture of films: we try to get the very newest ones, we show some of the old classics, and we have had one or two of the violent films as well. That always gives a good bit of discussion afterwards!»
The discussions take place in the cafeteria, which is a large room at the side of the foyer. It is open in the mornings and afternoons as well, and many people enjoy just dropping in here for a chat and something to drink. «It's all part of the centre-idea, you see,» says Major Danby proudly.
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Questions:
1. What is the text about?
2. Who is the cinema for?
3. What kinds of films are shown at the cinema?
4. What do you see as the main purpose of the cinema?
5. Why do you think such a cinema has appeared in a little town like Woodmansythe?
“IS IT WORTH BUYING THEM?”
Men have walked on the moon, transplanted hearts and invented machines to think for them. But they cannot cure the common cold. Scientists have been working on the problem for years but the most optimistic expectation was the hope that they would find a cure within the next 10 years. So what was their advice on coping with a cold meanwhile?
In urban areas we have about three colds a year and they are caused not by wet feet but by viruses which are always changing so that a vaccine prepared from one is useless against the next. But every year the pharmaceutical companies spend millions of pounds trying to persuade us that their product will help us get rid of our cold. They admit they can't cure the cold, but they do promise to relieve the symptoms.
We looked at 10 well-known brands of cold medicine and asked a doctor to explain, exactly what they contain, and his opinion on their effectiveness. Nearly all contained a painkiller, either aspirin or paracetamol. These help to reduce temperature and relieve general aches and pains. Aspirin can irritate the stomach, so paracetamol is generally preferred.
The worst thing about them was the cost. Advertising and packaging had increased the price of relatively cheap ingredients, and in many cases you could get the same relief from just paracetamol taken with a warm drink of lemon and honey.
Questions:
1. What is the text about?
2. What are common colds caused by?
3. Why is paracetamol generally preferred?
4. What caused the rise in the price of medicine for colds?
5. People can get the same relief from just paracetamol. Why do pharmaceutical companies keep on producing more and more new cold medicine?
6. What is the main idea of the text?
“TOYS”
Toys have the formed part of human culture since the earliest times. Every society has provided its children with imitation of human beings or animals, and dolls are probably the oldest form of a toy. No dolls have been found in prehistoric graves, but this may be because they were made of materials like wood or cloth that have perished. Nevertheless, there were certainly dolls in Egypt over six thousand years ago.
Other ancient toys include balls and sticks, and it is clear that most games requiring physical action were originally introduced to train boys in the art of warfare. Sometimes the result went beyond the inventors' intention. Football was banned in England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I because it became too violent.
Modern technology has made possible the production of sophisticated moving toys like model railways, aircraft controlled by radio, and dolls that can walk.
Children need toys because many adult skills are developed from playing with them. Children who learn to construct model aircraft are using their hands to a purpose; children who solve jigsaw puzzles are using their minds. Above all, children's imagination is stimulated by playing with objects.
Many parents are upset to find that two or three days after Christmas or a child's birthday, the expensive presents they bought have been broken or are lying in a corner of the room, and the child is once again happily building an imaginary castle with a few pieces of wood or playing with an old teddy bear the parents think is ugly and should be thrown away.
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Questions:
1. What is the text about?
2. What was the purpose of ancient toys like balls or sticks?
3. Why do children need to play with toys?
4. Why are many parents upset after Christmas or a child's birthday?
5. Why do you think children prefer to play with their old toys and don‘t play with new expensive toys?
6. What do you think are the two main functions of toys according to the text?
“HALF A GIFT”
I was ten years old then, and my brother Nick was fourteen. For both of us this purchase of gift for our mother on Mother‘s Day was an occasion of excitement and great importance.
Our mother worked from early morning till late night, cooking, buying, washing and looking after us in illness.
After careful deliberation I bought for my mother a comb decorated with little shiny stones. Nick came back from the store with a pleased look but wouldn‘t tell me about gift.
The next morning when I came back, Mother was on her knees scrubbing the floor. It was the job she hated most in the world. Then Nick came with his present, and Mother sat back on her heels, staring unbelievingly at the gift. Her face went pale with disappointment as she looked at the new scrubbing brush.
―A Mother‘s Day gift of a scrubbing brush‖, her voice almost broke.
Tears sprang to Nick‘s eyes. Without a word he picked up the scrubbing brush and rushed down the stairs. I ran after him.
On the way down we met Father. ―It‘s a fine gift. A wonderful gift,‖ I explained.
We all went upstairs where Mother was still scrubbing the floor. Without a word Father took the brush and showed us how to use it. ―You didn‘t let Nick finish‖, he said to Mother. ―Part of his gift was that he was going to wash the floor from now on. Isn‘t that so Nick?‖ With a flush of shame Nick understood the lesson. ―Yes, yes‖, he said in a low eager tone.
Questions:
1. What is the text about?
2. What gifts did Nick and his brother buy for their mother?
3. Why was their mother disappointed when she saw Nick‘s gift?
4. What did the brothers do after they understood that their mother didn‘t like Nick‘s gift?
5. What lesson do you think Nick understood?
6. Why do you think the text is called ―HALF A GIFT‖?
THEY CAME TO SEE ME OFF
The porter saw three men who arrived at the railway station at about half past nine in the evening. One of them came up to the porter and wondered at what time the next train was to start for London. The porter told the man that the trains for London went every hour.
The three men decided to go and have a drink. They came to the refreshment room and ordered three drinks. A minute or two after ten o`clock they approached the porter and asked him if the 10 o`clock train had gone. The answer was affirmative. Besides the porter added that the next train was due to start at 11 sharp.
The three men returned to the refreshment room for another drink. They missed the 11 o`clock train in the same way. The porter had to warn them that the next train was the last. If they missed it they would have to spend the night at the railway station.
Twelve o`clock came and the last train was just starting out when the three men came out the refreshment room running as hard as they could. Two of them managed to get into a carriage just when the train was starting off.
The third man could not run so fast and the train went on leaving him behind. The man stood at the platform watching the train disappear in the distance. The porter who saw all that was very sorry for the man.
When he came up to the man, he saw him laughing. The porter couldn‘t understand why the man was laughing. He wanted to ask him a question, but at that moment the man said to the porter:
―Did you see those two boys get on the train and leave me behind?‖
―Yes, I saw them‖, answered the porter.
―They came to see me off,‖ explained the man to the porter.
Answer the following questions:
1. Name the main characters of the story.
2. Where did the action take place?
3. How often did the trains for London go?
4. The three men managed to go to London, didn‘t they?
5. Why did the porter feel sorry for one of the men?
TOO WELL
After O. Henry
Miss Carington was a famous actress. She began her life in a small village named Cranberry. But that was long ago. Now she was to perform the leading part in a new comedy.
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A capable young actor Highsmith by name dreamt of being Miss Carington‘s partner in the new play. He told it to the manager. The manager explained to the young actor that if he wanted to play the part he must persuade Miss Carington to accept him as a partner.
The young actor knew very well that it was the part of a young farmer. The next day he went to Cranberry where he stayed for three days and gathered much information about the life and the people of that small village. Then he returned to the village and went to one of the restaurants where actors usually gathered after the performance.
He saw a small party sitting at the table. The star of that party was Miss Carington. She noticed a poorly dressed man enter the restaurant. He approached the famous actress, greeted her and told her much interesting news about her relatives and friends
from Cranberry. The way he spoke made her believe every word he said. She was sure he was a farmer.
In the end he told the famous actress that her mother wanted to see her again before she died. Then he gave her a rose he picked up from a bush in front of her house in Cranberry.
Miss Carington was so touched that she couldn‘t help crying. She thanked the young man and invited him to see her again at the hotel before he left the city.
The next morning the young actor dressed in the latest fashion went to the hotel. He was sure Miss Carington would agree to take him as her partner in the play if he told her everything.
To his surprise he was told that Miss Carington had left for her native village forever. Highsmith realized that he had acted too well.
Answer the following questions:
1. Name the main characters of the story.
2. Did Highsmith have to play the part of a young farmer or a sailor?
3. Why didn‘t the young actor find Miss Carington at the hotel?
4. Why did Miss Carington leave for her native village forever?
5. Was Highsmith a good actor? Why?
THE LOST RUBY
There was once a king who was always sad. Nothing could please him. He always looked on the dark side of life.
The king had a large house with a wonderful garden. An old man looked after the garden. He was always singing as he worked.
One day the king was walking in his garden when he heard the old man‘s song. He asked him, ―Tell me, old man,‖ said the king, ―Why are you always so cheerful?‖
The old man said:‖Sadness can never enter my heart. I have locked it out.‖
―Your heart is not a house! No one can escape sadness.‖ said the king.
The old man just smiled. The king was angry. He decided to prove that he was right, and the old gardener was wrong.
The next day the king went down into the garden again. He took a large ruby from his pocket and gave it to the old gardener. ―I want you to look after it for me,‖ he said.
‖But if you lose the ruby, you‘ll lose your life.‖
The old man took the ruby home and hid it under his bed. That night the king, dressed as a beggar, went to the gardener‘s house and stole the ruby. He took it and threw it into the river.
The next morning the king went down into his garden, called the old man over and said,‖ I want you to bring the ruby to the palace in two days time. And remember, if you lose it…‖ The old man got home and looked under his bed. When he saw that the ruby wasn‘t there he knew he had only two days to live.
Answer the questions.
1. What is this text about?
2. What was the old man‘s job?
3. What did the king decide to do?
4. Why did the king go to the gardener‘s house?
5. What happened the next morning?
When I (Waris) was a child I lived in Somalia. We moved around from place to place to find water for animals. I looked after them and was quite happy.
When I was thirteen an old man wanted to marry me. He offered my father five camels. Camels are important in the desert, so my father said ‗yes‘. I said to my father, ‘I‘m not going to marry him. That man needs a nurse not a wife.‘
That evening I decided to run away and go to my uncle and aunt to Mogadishu. I didn‘t tell my father. When I told my mother, she said, ‗You‘ll be OK. Do what you want and be happy.‘ It took two weeks to walk to Mogadishu. I got a job as a builder. It was hard work, but I earned money and sent food to my mother.
Then I lived with an uncle in Saudi Arabia and worked as a nanny. When I worked there I met another uncle who lived in London. I went there and looked after his children. When I was nineteen, my uncle went back to Somalia but I stayed in London. I had no visa and I didn‘t speak English. I worked as a cook and cleaner and learned English quickly.
Then I met a photographer who took photographs of me for the Pirelli calendar. My next job was in a James Bond film and after that I became famous.
In 1995 I went back to Somalia for the first time in fourteen years. It took a month to find my mother. My father has another wife. One day I‘m going to build a house for my mother and buy my father some camels. I want to say I‘m sorry.
Questions:
1. What is this text about?
2. What happened when Waris was thirteen?
3. Why did she decide to run away?
4. How long did it take her to walk to Mogadishu?
5. When did she become famous?
Danina Petrovska was born in 1885 in Moscow. Her father was an officer in the Litovsky Regiment, and she had four brothers. They were tall and handsome and wore uniforms, and brought her sweets when they came home to visit. The youngest of them was twelve years older than she was. And when they were at home, they sang and played with her, and made lots of noise. She loved being with them when they ran with her, and let her pretend that they were horses. It was obvious to everyone, that her brothers adored her.
Danina remembered that her mother had a lovely face and gentle ways and she sang Danina to sleep at night, after telling her long, wonderful stories about when she was a little girl herself. She used to laugh a lot, and Danina loved her. She died when Danina was five, of typhoid. And after that, everything changed in Danina‘s life.
Her father had absolutely no idea what to do about her. He and his sons were in the army, so he hired a woman to take care of her, a string of them, but after two years, he knew he simply couldn‘t do it anymore. He had to find another solution for Danina. And he found a perfect one. He went to St.Petersburg to make the arrangements. He was vastly impressed when he spoke to Madame Markova. She was a remarkable woman, and the ballet school and company she ran would provide not only a home for Danina but a useful life, and a future she could rely on.
Questions:
1. What is this text about?
2. What did they do when the brothers were at home?
3. What did Danina remember of her mother?
4. Where did her father go to make the arrangements?
5. Do you like the story? Why?
NEWSPAPERS IN BRITAIN
If you get on a bus or catch a train in Britain, especially during the morning and evening "rush hour", you'll see a lot of people reading newspapers. The press tells us about various political views, interest and levels of education. Papers are usually divided into "quality" papers which are serious with long, informative articles and "popular" which have smaller size. They are less serious and contain more human interest stories than news. More daily newspapers, national and regional are sold in Great Britain than in most other developed countries. There are about 135 daily papers and Sunday papers, 2000 weekly papers and about 100 papers produced by members of ethnic groups. A lot of people buy a morning paper, an evening paper and a couple of Sunday papers. On an average day two out of three people over the age of 15 read a national morning paper, about three out of four read a Sunday paper. So it's not surprising to learn that national newspapers have a circulation of 15.8 million copies on weekdays and 19 million on Sunday Newspapers are almost always financially independent of any political party. However during general election campaigns many papers recommend their readers to vote for a particular political party. Ownership of the national London and regional daily newspapers is concentrated in the hands of large press publishing groups.
Answer the questions.
1. What does press tell us about?
2. What kinds of papers do you know?
3. What circulation do national newspapers have?
4. Who is the owner of newspapers in Britain?
5. Is information given by newspapers always reliable?
Running a business can be stressful at any age, but when you're just 15 and have to juggle it with going to school and doing your homework, it's even more remarkable. And that's exactly what young entrepreneur, Luisa Bundy, designer of a range of soft toys called Little Bundles, has done. It all started when Luisa's mother bought her some modelling clay for her 12th birthday and she began experimenting with making small model figures based on her friends at school. The first batch went down a storm, and her friends encouraged her to make more. So she did, handing them out at Easter instead of eggs. As word spread around the school, Luisa introduced a form so she could take orders during the day and make the figures over the weekend. Her mother used to come to find piles of order forms spread out on the kitchen table. She thought Luisa was going to get into serious trouble for doing business in the playground. But teachers' names were on the order forms too.
Two years later, Luisa had made 13,000 Little Bundies. Prior to this, she had spent most weekends and holidays researching craft fairs across the south of England. At one fair she sold 250 figures in an hour at £2 a go. And she even researched the number of people that usually turned up to each fair, so she know exactly the number she needed to make for the customers there. When she noticed that the majority of customers were buying the toys as gifts she designed a range of gift cards to accompany them.
At this point, the volume of work was becoming overwhelming and she decided to seek advice from Sir Richard Branson, who had begun his Virgin empire as a teenager. On his advice she set up Bundy Creations Ltd, with her mother as director.
Last year they took on the cost of exhibiting at a craft fair in the north of England and it paid off. They were spotted by a major toy manufacturer, which quickly signed the figures to a three-year soft toy licensing deal. According to the manufacturer, they have already practically sold out.
Answer the questions.
1. How old was Luisa when she first started making clay models?
2. Did the first figures she made get a positive reaction at school?
3. How did she know how many people would come to the gift fairs?
4. Who did Luisa contact to ask for advice?
5. Who discovered Luisa's model figures at a gift fair last year?
STONE SOUP
One day an old man whose clothes were very old came to a woman‘s house. He looked terrible. ―Excuse me‖, said the old man, ―I‘m thirsty and very hungry. Could you give me some food, please?‖ But the woman was very greedy.
―Go away‖, she said, ―I haven‘t got any food‖, ―Oh‖, said the old man. ―That‘s a pity. I‘ve got a magic stone. I can make soup with it. But I need some water‖. ―Well, I‘ve got a lot of water‖, said the greedy woman. ―A magic stone, oh?‖
She brought a big pan of water. The old man put the stone into it. After a while he tasted the soup. ―M-m-m-m. It‘s very good,‖ he said, ―it just needs some vegetables. It‘s a pity you haven‘t got any vegetables‖.
―Oh, I can give you some vegetables‖, said the woman. She ran away, and soon brought some potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. The old man put the vegetables into the pan. ―Is it all right now?‖ asked the woman. ―Yes, but it needs some meat‖.
―Oh, I have some‖, said the woman and ran away. She came back with some meat, and the old man put it into the pan.
―Right‖, said the man. ―I can‘t see the stone now. So the soup is ready. Bread is very good with stone soup. It‘s a pity you haven‘t got any bread‖. ―Oh, I‘ve got some bread‖, said the woman. She went away and soon came back with some bread in her hands. She put it on the table.
The woman tasted the soup. ―M-m-m-m. This stone soup is very tasty, and you have made it with that magic stone‖.
When they ate the soup, the old man said: ―Here is the magic stone. You can keep it‖.
―Oh, thank you‖, said the woman. But remember‖, said the old man, ―for the best soup you need some meat, vegetables and some salt, too‖.
Questions:
1. How did the old man look like?
2. Why did he ask for some food?
3. What kind of soup did he make?
4. Why did the old man decide to make a stone soup?
5. How can you characterize the old man?
THE GIANT PANDA
An endangered species, the giant panda can only be found in the mountain bamboo forests of Western China. There are only about 1,000 wild giant pandas left in the world. Giant pandas are members of the bear family, and they are mammals. Even though giant pandas look just like bears, they certainly do not behave like bears. Unlike their meat-eating relatives, giant pandas are vegetarians for the most part of their time. Their favourite food is bamboo. Giant pandas must eat a lot of bamboo everyday to get enough nourishment. In fact, they spend at least 12 hours everyday eating about 33 pounds of bamboo. However, if they are extremely hungry and bamboo is nowhere to be found, giant pandas may eat grass, fruits, or sometimes, small animals like chicken.
Giant pandas do not live in groups. They are loners! They only leave their territory from March to May to look for a mate. Female giant pandas usually give birth to twins. Baby giant pandas are very small, blind, pinkish, and weigh about 5 ounces at birth. Strangely, mother giant pandas tend to choose to raise just one baby and leave the other to die. Mother giant pandas feed their babies with milk. A baby giant panda opens its eyes at six to seven weeks. It starts to learn how to walk when it is about three or four months old. Mother giant pandas look after their babies for about 18 months. Once the young is strong enough, it bids farewell to its mother and moves out to live independently. (1201)
Questions:
1. Where do pandas live?
2. What class of animals do they belong to?
3. What is the main difference between giant pandas and bears?
4. Why do young giant pandas leave their mothers when they are about 18 months?
5. Are there any other endangered species in the world? What are they?
THANKSGIVING DAY
The story of America‘s Thanksgiving begins with the Pilgrims. Early in the 17-th century, the Pilgrims left England in search of religious freedom. In 1608, they sailed to Holland. Then, in 1620, they crossed the Atlantic by ship called the Mayflower.
After sailing for many weeks, the Pilgrims landed at a place now called Massachusetts. They planted the seeds they had brought from England. But the seeds didn‘t grow well, and there was so little food for the Pilgrims that many of them starved to death.
Luckily for the Pilgrims, some nearby Indians came to rescue. They taught the Pilgrims to grow native food such as corn. Without this help, the Pilgrims would not have survived.
After the first harvest, the governor of Plymouth Colony - William Bradford - suggested that the Pilgrims hold a feast of thanksgiving. And to their thanksgiving feast the Pilgrims invited the Indians. The Pilgrims were grateful to the Indians for helping the Colony survive. In addition, they hoped that the celebration would strengthen their friendship with the Indians.
Nobody knows the date of the first Thanksgiving feast. But we do know that the Pilgrims and Indians enjoyed a huge feast of deer, goose, duck, oyster, eel, bread, fruit, and corn meal pudding.
In 1789 George Washington declared that Thanksgiving would be a national celebration. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. (1163)
Questions:
1. When did the Pilgrims cross the Atlantic Ocean?
2. Who taught them to grow native food?
3. How did the Pilgrims thank the Indians?
4. Why did the Pilgrims leave England?
5. What other American holidays do you know?
THE MUSICAL GLASS.
Mary Elizabeth loved music. She was happy when she heard lovely sounds. She waited to hear the birds sing outside her window in the spring. She listened for the cricket's song when she swept the hearth in her mother's kitchen. The horses passing her papa's store made a "clip clop" sound. That was a song to Mary Elizabeth. These songs made her heart fill with joy.
Mary Elizabeth had only one wish. She wanted to make music on her own. She couldn't sing very well. Her brother, Matthew, had said, "You sound like the cat when Nana stepped on its tail." She loved music so much. Why couldn't she make music on her own?
Mary Elizabeth knew where to go when she was sad. Her Uncle Ben Franklin could always make her smile. Best of all, Uncle Ben loved music just like Mary Elizabeth. One morning, Mary Elizabeth stood outside Uncle Ben's workshop. She could hear him humming to himself. She knew something fun was going to happen. She opened the door and saw Uncle Ben at his work table. Oh, no! What had happened? Broken glasses were everywhere. There were big glasses, little glasses, and middle sized glasses spread out on his table. Wait a minute. Only the stems that held the glasses up were broken off. What was Uncle Ben doing? Uncle Ben saw the puzzled look on Mary Elizabeth's face. "Come, little songbird," he said. "I will show you how we can make beautiful music. We will use what is broken. We can turn it into something good."
Questions:
1. What sounds did Mary Elizabeth enjoy?
2. What was her only wish?
3. Who made her smile and laugh when she was upset?
4. What did Mary hear while she was standing outside her uncle‘s workshop?
5. Why was Mary puzzled when she opened the door and look at his table?
THE FIRST WOMAN IN BUSINESS
At the start of the twentieth century the idea of women in business seemed crazy. In those days men held all the positions of power and made all the decisions about money. They believed that a woman` s place was at home, looking after her children, cooking for her family and managing the house. If a woman needed to work she could perhaps find a job in a shop or in a factory, but she had no chance of working as a businesswoman or a banker, or a lawyer.
Women` s fashions in the USA and Europe at that time supported their position in society. Fashionable women wore long dresses that almost touched the ground. This made it difficult for them to drive a car, ride a horse or even walk quickly.
But many women were not happy with their position in society, and they didn‘t like the clothes they had to wear. One of those people was a French woman called Gabrielle ‗Coco‘ Chanel. When she went into business in 1910, she planned to change clothes that women wore. But over the next sixty years she did much more than that, as she became the richest and the most successful businesswoman.
Coco Chanel had no experience of business when she opened her first hat shop in Paris in 1910. She was only twenty-seven years old and she came from an ordinary family. Many of Coco‘s customers in her first shop were her young women friends. They loved the simple but beautiful hats and dresses that Coco made for them, and soon her shop started to do well. (1181)
Questions.
1. What were a woman‘s opportunities in business?
2. What did fashionable women use to wear?
3. Why didn‘t` all women like the style of clothes which were in fashion at that time?
4. How did Coco Chanel start her business?
5. Why did Coco Chanel become famous all over the world?
A TEENAGE BUSINESSMAN
When most 14-year-old boys are playing football or computer games after school, James Kenyon from Manchester is running his own successful business. ―I‘ve heard of a company in Scotland selling homemade bath products and thought it was a good idea.
My dad said I could do that, so I decided to take a chance,‖ James explains. That was two and a half years ago.
James started selling bath products to his friends and neighbours, but soon he began working for two local shopkeepers. Since he started his own soap company, selling homemade soap, bath salt and other bath products, James has earned over & 4,500.
James is proud of his success in business but he thinks there are more important things in his life. ―I‘ve learnt lots and I‘m really enjoying it, but my school work always comes first.
James` s parents are proud of their son, they think that he plans everything really well
– he does homework and he can focus on the business in his spare time. James says his parents have been a big support.
In 2006 James became a finalist in the Enterprising Young Brit Award. James is just one of an extraordinary group of enterprising young British businessmen who have innovative ideas and enthusiasm for business. Age and experience is certainly no obstacle to their success; their ambition and energy inspires them to create their money-making ideas.
Questions.
1. What business does James Kenyon run?
2. How did he start his business?
3. Why do his parents support him?
4. What do you think helps him to be a successful businessman?
5. Do you think it` s good or bad for teenagers to run their own business?
IT’S ONLY ME
After her husband had gone to work, Mrs Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too excited to do any housework that morning, because in the evening she would be going to a fancy dress party with her husband. She intended to dress up as a ghost and she had made her costume the night before. Now she was impatient to try it on. Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective. Mrs Richards put it on, looked in the mirror, smiled and went downstairs. She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.
Just as Mrs Richards was entering the dining-room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs Richards quickly hid in the small store-room under the stairs. She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the store-room was opened and a man entered. Mrs Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the meter. She tried to explain the situation, saying 'It's only me', but it was too late. The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs Richards walked towards him, he ran away, slamming the door behind him. (1110)
Questions:
1. Why was Mrs Richards excited?
2. Why did she go downstairs in her costume?
3. Where did she hide when she heard a knock on the door?
4. What was the man‘s reaction when he saw Mrs. Richards in the storehouse?
5. What holiday were Mr. and Mrs. Richards going to celebrate? Why do you think so?
THE RICH FAMILY IN CHURCH
I'll never forget Easter of 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, and my elder sister Darlene was 16. We lived at home with our mother; our dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with three school kids to raise and no money.
A month before Easter the pastor of our church asked everyone to save money and help a poor family.
When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could.
Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them.
The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and the manager gave us three $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We had never had so much money before.
We could hardly wait to get to church. When the pastor was taking money, Mom gave him a $10 bill, and each of us, kids, $20.
As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. Later that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door and then came back with an envelope in her hand. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills. (1219)
Questions:
1. Why did the pastor ask the people in church to save money?
2 How did the narrator‘s family try to save some money?
3 Why could they hardly wait for Easter Holiday?
4 What happened later that afternoon?
5 Did the family expect anybody to bring them the money? Why?
THE SPIDER
Have you ever seen a small animal with four pairs of legs, a body that is divided into two parts?
This is a spider. Spiders live all over the world. They do not live only in the coldest places. You may find them on land: on grass, bushes, trees, and on pools, rivers, seas. There are 15,000 different kinds of spiders. The smallest spider is less than 1 mm in body length, and the biggest one can have body length up to 90 mm.
The spider spins its web to catch insects for food. It spins its web all its life. The process of spinning a web is very long. People say that the spider is very persistent in its work. If you destroy its web, a spider will begin to spin a new web.
There is a story about a spider and a Scottish hero Robert Bruce (1274-1329). Robert Bruce was at the head of the Scottish army in the fight for the independence of Scotland against the English kings, Edward the First and Edward the Second..
Once Robert Bruce was watching a spider spinning the web. Robert Bruce destroyed the web, and the spider began to spin a new web. Several times Robert Bruce destroyed the web, and each time the spider began its work from the beginning.
Watching the persistent work of the spider, Bruce decided to be as persistent as the spider and continue the fight for the independence of Scotland. And he defeated the English.
It was many years ago, but Scottish people still remember their great victory, and their great leader Robert Bruce.
Questions:
1. Where do spiders live?
2. What does the spider do all its life? Why?
3. What happens if you destroy its web?
4. What nationality was Robert Bruce and who did he fight against?
5. Why did Robert Bruce decide to continue the fight? Who won?
MANUSCRIPTS
by Jack London
When Martin Eden returned to San Francisco, he began to write. He sent his works to newspapers and magazines, but the editors sent his manuscripts back. Martine continued to write and study at the same time. Martine slept five hours: only a man in very good health could work for nineteen hours a day.
The weeks passed. All Martin‘s money was spent and publishers continued to send his manuscripts back. Martin sold his coat, then his watch.
One morning the postman brought him a short thin envelope. There was no manuscript in that envelope, therefore, Martin thought they had taken the story. It was The Ring of the Bells. In the letter the editor of a San Francisco magazine said that the story was good. They would pay the author five dollars for it. And he would receive the check when the story was published.
Martin thought that five dollars for five thousand words was very little. After a few weeks the story was published, but the check didn‘t` arrive. Martin had waited for about a month before he decided to go and get the five dollars from the editor.
He entered the office and said that he wanted to see Mr Ford – the editor. ―I`m Martin Eden,‖ Martin began the conversation. He wanted to ask for his five dollars, but it was his first editor and he didn‘t want to make a bad impression on him. To his surprise Mr Ford quickly stood up with the words ―You don` t say so!‖ and the next moment, with both hands was shaking Martin` s hand.
Questions:
1. Where did Martin Eden write his first stories?
2. What happened to most of his early works?
3. What was in the letter the postman brought him one morning?
4. How much money did Mr. Ford, his editor, was going to pay him? Was it a large sum of money for Martin‘s story?
5. Why did Martin Eden come to Mr. Ford‘s office? How was he accepted by the editor?
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
About one hundred years ago many educated people learned and spoke French when they met people from other countries. Today most people speak English when they meet foreigners. It has become the new international language. There are more people who speak English as a second language than people who speak English as a first language. Why is this?
There are many reasons why English has become so popular. One of them is that English has become the language of business. Another important reason is that popular American culture (like movies, music, and McDonald's) has quickly spread throughout the world. It has brought its language with it.
Is it good that English has spread to all parts of the world so quickly? I don't know. It's important to have a language that the people of the earth have in common. Our world has become very global and we need to communicate with one another. On the other hand, English is a fairly complicated language to learn and it brings its culture with it. Do we really need that?
Scientists have already tried to create an artificial language that isn't too difficult and doesn't include any one group's culture. It is called Esperanto. But it hasn't become popular. But maybe the popularity of English won't last that long either. Who knows? There are more people in the world who speak Chinese than any other language. Maybe someday Chinese will be the new international language.
Questions:
1. What language do people learn and speak about one hundred years ago?
2. Why has the English language become so popular?
3. Why is it important to learn and speak English?
4. What do you know about Esperanto? Who was it created by?
5. Do you think Chinese will be the new international language in the future?
FLIGHT
Inventions That Changed the World
For many centuries people watched birds and dreamed that they could fly. We cannot fly like birds: we don`t have enough strength in our arms to move wings up and down. We also really need the power of an engine to drive up forward. Many people died learning these lessons, before controlled flight became possible.
The first flying machine which could carry a human being was built in Spain in 875. Reports tell us that the inventor flew some distance, but the landing was hard: the man hurt his back badly and was never able to fly again.
It was possible that the news of his flight reached England, carried there by men returning from war in the Middle East. Whether this is true or not, in 1010 a man called Oliver jumped off a church roof in Mulmesbury. This time we know the distance of his flight - 125 steps.
In the last years of the 15th century, the Italian Leonardo da Vinci studied the flight of birds and made a number of drawings of flying machines. His early machines tried to copy the movement of birds` wings, which he didn‘t fully understand. But less than 10 years before his death in 1519, he drew a machine with wings that didn‘t move. One of
the machines was built and it did fly.
In 1536 in France, Denis Bolor returned to the idea of moving wings. He tried to fly using wings that were moved up and down. The idea didn‘t` t work and he fell to his death.
Questions:
1. What did people dream about for many centuries?
2. Why can‘t we fly?
3. Where and when was the first flying machine built?
4. Where did Oliver jump off?
5. What did Leonardo da Vinci study and make?
DAILY BREAD
O`Henry
Miss Martha was 40 years old but she was not married. She had her own shop where she sold bread, both fresh and stale which was cheaper.
There was a customer who called at her shop two or three times a week. The man was not young but he was very pleasant. He wore cheap clothes but they always looked nice on him. He always bought stale bread and never fresh. Miss Martha decided that he was very poor.
She often thought of him and was always sorry that she couldn‘t invite him to have dinner with her. She wanted to talk to him, to know more about him. She liked the man and began wearing her best dress. She wanted to help the poor man but didn‘t know how to do it.
Once when her customer called on her to buy stale bread, Miss Martha had an idea and a good one, as she thought, to help him. She put some butter in the stale bread.
The next day two men came into the shop. One of them was her customer and the other – a young man. The customer was very angry and couldn‘t speak to her. So the young man told Miss Martha everything. ―We work together in the same office‖, he said. ―We use stale bread to take away to pencil lines from our plans. We have worked at a plan of a new district for six months. We finished it this morning and began taking away pencil lines from it with your bread. You see, as there was butter in the bread the plan is good for nothing, and we can‘t show this plan to anybody now.‖
When the men left, Miss Martha went to her room, took off her best dress and put on her old one.(1201)
Questions:
1. What did Martha sell in her shop?
2. Who came to her shop two or three times a week?
3. Why did Martha decide to help the man? What did she do?
4. Why were the man and his friend angry?
5. How do you think Martha felt when the men left the shop?
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