3th Form

READING-COMPREHENSION TEST

The Best Coat

Once upon a time there was a boy Tommy. He had many pets: a dog Spotty, a cat Pussy, a parrot Polly and a hedgehog (ежик) Prickly. Prickly was nice and funny. He was very happy when the boy gave him red apples to eat and warm milk to drink.

But sometimes Prickly was very sad. Tommy didn’t take poor Prickly in his hands. He talked to the hedgehog, he played with him but he didn’t take him and didn’t kiss him. Prickly was very prickly (колючий).

One day Prickly went for a walk but he didn’t want to come back to the boy. He wanted to change his coat. But there was no stop in the town where he could change it to a nice one. So he went and went. Suddenly he saw a Rabbit:

“Hello, Rabbit! What a nice coat have you got!”

“Do you like it? Would you like to take it and give me your prickly coat?”

“I’d love to. But my coat is not nice, it is grey and it is very prickly.”

“I’ll take it because the foxes will not get me in your coat!”

And the animals changed their coats. How happy the hedgehog was! His coast was soft (мягкий) and warm.

On his way home Prickly met two hungry foxes: “What a soft tasty rabbit! We are so hungry!” they said and…

Prickly ran home as fast as he could. When Tommy opened the door and saw him, he thought it was a rabbit.

“Come in, Rabbit! Didn’t you see Prickly, my favourite pet in the forest?”

“Tommy, it’s me, Prickly!”

“What are you talking about? I can’t understand you. But come in and have some warm milk.”

Prickly had a lot of warm milk that evening and went to sleep. Next morning he went to the forest to get his prickly coat back.

“Please, give me my coat back!” Prickly asked Rabbit. “Tommy says I am a rabbit, not a hedgehog. He is very sad because he thinks that I am lost (потерялся) in the forest.”

Rabbit was a nice and kind animal and he gave hedgehog his coat back. How happy was Tommy when he saw his favourite pet! He took Prickly in his hands and gave him a kiss: “I love you so much, my dear!” Because it was Prickly, not his coat that Tommy loved.

 

READING-COMPREHENSION TEST

Level 1

Choose the main characters:

1. a boy Tommy, a dog Spotty, a cat Pussy
2. a boy Tommy, a hedgehog Prickly, a Rabbit
3. a hedgehog Prickly, a parrot Polly, a Rabbit
   1. soft and warm

Level 2

Choose the right variant

1) Prickly’s coat was                      b) very prickly

c) black and nice

1. red apples and cold milk

2) The boy gave Prickly                 b) green apples and water

c) red apples and warm milk

1. hungry

3) Sometimes Prickly was very      b) sad

c) angry

1. a dog Spotty

4) Tommy’s favourite pet was       b) a parrot Polly

c) a hedgehog Prickly

Level 3

Form sentences from the words:

1. pets, had, many, at, Tommy, home
2. didn’t, one day, come back, Prickly, for a walk, and, walk
3. Rabbit, coats, Prickly, and, changed, their
4. hungry, two foxes, and, Prickly, wanted to eat, were
5. his, Rabbit, very kind, he, coat back, was, gave, and, Prickly
6. happy, Tommy, to see, favourite pet, was, his

Level 4

Answer the questions:

1. What pets did Tommy have at home?
2. Was Prickly his favourite pet?
3. What did Prickly like to eat and to drink?
4. Did Prickly want to change his coat?
5. What animals did Prickly meet in the forest?
6. Was Rabbit a very kind animal?
7. Did Tommy love Prickly or his coat?

Level 5

Give the full answer:

What character did you like best of all? Why?

 

 

4 th Form
READING-COMPREHENSION TEST
Topic: American – the USA

Holiday Diary

Hi! Welcome to my USA holiday diary. I’ve just got home after a two-week holiday in the USA with my family. It was really great, and I want to remember everything, so I’m putting it all in this diary.

Day 2 – New York. We arrived at New York airport and took a yellow cab to our hotel. Everything here is so big! It’s like the “Batman” films!

Facts about New York. People call New York “The city that never sleeps”. Another popular name for it is “The Big Apple”. Don’t ask me why! The population is 1.323.000.  34 million people visit New York every year!

Day 2. First we went to the Empire State Building, which is 381 metres high. We went right up to the top and looked out across New York. It was a fantastic view! After that I had the biggest burger I have ever seen! After lunch we went shopping. Clothes and CDs are cheaper than in England, and the shops are BIG, BIG, BIG!

Getting around! Although it’s a big city, you can’t get lost because most of the streets have numbers. For example, if you’re in Thirty-fourth Street, it’s easy to find Thirty-ninth Street.

Day 3 – last day in New York. Saturday. Central Park is the place to go at weekends. It’s full of people walking, playing, jogging and skating. There are musicians and artists and tourist like me. There’s a great zoo in the park with lots of interesting animals. In the evening went to the cinema. (The America call it a “movie theater”).

 

1. I. Match the sentences from the text and the pictures:
   1. Central Park is the place to go at weekends.
   2. Hi! I’ve just got home from a holiday.
   3. Everything here is so big!
   4. Most of the streets in New York have numbers.

 

1. II. Choose the correct ending of the sentences:
   1. The girl – the USA.
      1. is going to visit;
      2. is now visiting;
      3. has just come back home from.
      4. The girl – New York City is called the Big Apple.
         1. explains why;
         2. doesn’t know why;
         3. doesn’t say that.

 

1. III. Choose the correct statements:
   1. The girl stayed in New York for two weeks.
   2. She went there with her parents.
   3. She enjoyed her journey very much.
   4. People call New Your “the city that always sleep”.
   5. New York City is very popular with tourists.

 

1. IV. Explain why.
   1. The girl wrote about her trip in her diary.
   2. She thinks that New York is the like the “Batman” films.
   3. The Empire State Building is the place tourists try to get to.
   4. It is difficult to get lost in New York.
   5. Central Park is the place to go at weekends.

 

1. V. What is your opinion?
   1. Do you think the girl liked New York? Why? Name three things she liked in New York City.
   2. Why does New York differ from other cities? Why does the girl so often use the words “big”, “the biggest”?
   3. What would you like to see or do in New York City?

 

Reading Comprehension Test 7^th Form

My Great Aunt’s name is Mary Grieve. She is my grandmother’s aunt. I do not know her very well having always lived a long way away, but she has always been a woman I have respected for many different reasons.

She is now over eighty years old and was born in Scotland in 1912. She had one brother called Tom. Her family was wealthy for those times and luckily for Mary, her father believed in educating both his children. He didn’t send her to one of the typical schools for daughters of the rich where they only learnt skills preparing them for marriage. She was obviously intelligent and when she left school she went to Oxford University.

In the 1930’s there were very few women at University. However Mary is not a quiet, submissive woman, in fact she has always been very determined and prepared to be different. At this time it was assumed that woman of her class would spend a few years enjoying her freedom and then settle down and get married. Mary did not do this.

After graduating from the University, she got a job in journalism. Newspapers were increasingly popular and to sell them to a wider audience some papers realized that appealing to women was important. She not only worked for newspapers but also wrote articles and books later in her life.

After the Second World War, she got a job with one of the new women’s magazines that were to become more and more popular. After many years of hard work and struggling in a male dominated profession she eventually reached the top and became the editor of the magazine. Mary never married as her work was very important to her and a job and marriage did not mix in Britain in the 1950’s.

She is now old in years and confined to a wheelchair. However she is still full of enthusiasm about life. Her personal courage, her enthusiasm and interest in life, as well as the example she has set for all women working in our still male dominated society, makes Mary a woman I feel privileged to have known.

 

New words:

Wealthy – богатый, состоятельный

Submissive – кроткий, смиренный, покорный

Determined – решительный, твердый

Assume – допускать, предполагать

Appeal – призыв, обращение

Male - мужской

To be confined to – быть прикованным к ч.-л.

Reading Comprehension Test.

 

1. Define the sentences as TRUE or FALSE:
2. The story was written in the 1980’s.
3. Mary got the education typical of the women of her class.
4. Mary stayed in her profession all her life.
5. There have always been more male magazine-editors in Britain than female.

 

 

1. Answer the questions:
2. Why doesn’t the narrator know her Great Aunt very well?
3. What kind of job did Mary get after graduating from the University?
4. Why did Mary never marry?
5. What has always impressed narrator in her Great Aunt?

 

 

1. III. Correct the sentences according to the text:
2. Women magazines began to be popular in Britain in 1930’s.
3. Mary is now old and has lost interest in life.
4. Mary’s father couldn’t afford educating both his children.
5. She eventually reached the top and became the editor of one of the British newspapers.

 

 

1. IV. Put the sentences into the correct order:
2. After graduating from the University she got the job in journalism.
3. She is now over eighty years old and was born in Scotland.
4. At this time it was assumed that woman of her class would spend a few years enjoying her freedom and then settle down and get married.
5. She is my grandmother’s aunt.
6. She was obviously intelligent and when she left school she went to Oxford     University.

 

 

1. V. Complete the sentences according to the text:
2. Luckily her father believed …
3. Newspapers were very popular …
4. At last she reached …

Reading Test  10^th Form

What really Happened to Titanic.

This is perhaps the best documented mystery and extremely difficult to explain. In 1050 BC, there lived a princess in Egypt, the Princess of Amen-Ra. After her death, she was put in a beautiful coffin and buried at Luxor, on the banks of the Nile.

But the Princess decided to live on spreading misfortune for anyone who came to know her down the ages.

In the 1880s, more than two thousand and eight hundred years after the death of the Princess, four Englishmen visited Luxor. They wanted to buy the mummy of the Princess in a richly decorated coffin. One of them paid several thousand pounds and the coffin was taken where they lived. Some hours later, he was seen walking out to the desert, never to return…

One of the other men was shot by an Egyptian servant. The third man, returning home, found his money gone. And the fourth man died of a bad illness.

The Princess in her coffin reached England after making some misfortunes on its way. In London, she was bought by a businessman. His three family members were injured in an accident and a fire damaged his house. He decided to give the coffin to the British Museum.

When the coffin was being taken a wagon in the museum courtyard, the wagon suddenly turned around and killed a passerby. Then the workman fell and broke his leg, the other one died two days later.

The Princess was put in the Egyptian Romm but troubles continued. Museum’s night watchmen often heard hysterical crying from the coffin. One watchman died on duty, cleaners refused to go near the Princess, too.

Finally the mummy was carried down to the underground room. Within a week one of the helpers was seriously ill, and the administrator was found dead.

The papers had heard about it and the journalist photographer took a picture of the mummy case. When he developed the picture, it was a horrifying, human face. The photographer went home and shot himself. Soon afterwards, the museum sold the mummy to a private collctor. After some misfortune, the owner wanted to sell the mummy, but no British Museum would take it, the fact that almost 20 people had met with misfortune, disaster or death from handling the coffin was now well known.

An American archeologist bought the mummy and arranged its removal to New York. In April of 1912, the new owner escorted it abroad a new White Star liner to make its voyage to New York.

Because the reputation of the mummy was well known, the owner, William T.Stead, was scared. He secretly hid it in his new Renault automobile which was being transported to America on the ship. On the night of April 14, among scenes of unprecedented horror, the Princess of Amen-Ra accompanied 1,500 passengers to their deaths at the bottom of the Atlantic.

The name of the ship was Titanic.

Reading Test 

What Really Happened to Titanic?

1. I.      Pick up the words that you’ve come across in the text:

Bout, ocean, voyage, escorted, watchman, passerby, tomb, cemetery, coffin

1. Complete the sentences according to the text:
   1. Along time ago the princess of Amen-Ra decided…
      1. To live forever
      2. To live after death
      3. To make trouble after death
      4. To live at Luxor, on the banks of Nile.

 

1. Four Englishmen wanted …
   1. To open the coffin and look at the mummy of the Princess.
   2. To buy a richly decorated coffin
   3. To buy  the mummy of the Princess without coffin
   4. To buy the mummy with the coffin.
   5. The English businessman decided to give the coffin to the British Museum because…
      1. He had not enough place for it in his house
      2. His house was damaged by the fire
      3. It was damaged in the incident
      4. He thought it made much trouble to his family
      5. A journalist photographer who took a picture of the mummy case…
         1. Saw a beautiful Princess’ face while developing the picture
         2. Couldn’t develop the picture
         3. Died because of it
         4. Was shot
         5. No British Museum wanted to take the mummy because…
            1. It was not valuable
            2. It had a very bad reputation
            3. It was too expensive
            4. It was badly damaged

 

1. Mark the statements as true or false:
   1. The Princess decided to spread misfortune on anyone who forgot her.
   2. The British Museum’s night watchmen could hear hysterical crying of the mummy.
   3. The bad reputation of the coffin was then well known.
   4. An American sculptor bought the mummy of the Princess.

 

1. Answer the questions:
   1. When did the four Englishmen visit Luxor to buy the mummy?
   2. What happened to a journalist photographer?
   3. How many people met with misfortune, disaster or death from handling the coffin all in all?
   4. What car did William T.Stead have?
2. Do you agree with this version of the crash of Titanic? Explain your point of view.

 

Reading Test    KEYS

1. I.      Voyage, escorted, watchman, passerby, coffin
2. II.      1. c,  2d,  3d,  4c,  5b
3. III.      1.false,  2true,  3true,  4false
4. IV.      :
   1. in the 1880s, more than two thousand and eight hundred years after the death of the Princess.
   2. he shot himself.
   3. 20 people and 1,500 passengers
   4. Renault automobile

 

9 th Form
Reading-comprehension test
A SHOCK FOR COLIN

Completely – полностью

To fancy – представить себе

To be frightened – испугаться

Tracks – следы

In despair – в отчаянии

 

By the time Peter had stood up to see where the horrified man had gone, he had completely disappeared. There wasn’t a sign of him anywhere.

“I am no good as a Red Indian”, said Peter. “Can’t even stalk somebody right my nose. Where in word has the fellow gone?”

He began to hunt here and there, and soon the others, seeing him stating up, knew that something had happened. They called to him, “Peter – what is it? Why are you showing yourself?”

“There was a man hiding under one of the bushes,” said Peter. “I just wondered why. But he got up and ran away. Anyone see where he went?”

No one had seen him at all. They came up to Peter. “Fancy – seven of us crawling hidden in this field – and no one saw the man run off,” said Pam. “We haven’t even seen Colin!”

“The game’s finished for this afternoon,” said Peter. He didn’t want the girl to come suddenly on the man in hiding. He thought they would be frightened. “We’ll call Colin.”

So they shouted for him. “Colin! Come out, wherever you are! The game’s finished”.

They waited for him suddenly to stand up and appear. But he didn’t. There was no answer to their call, and no Colin suddenly appeared.

“Colin!” shouted everyone. “Come out”.

Still he didn’t come. He didn’t even shout back. It was strange.

“Don’t be funny!” shouted George. “The game’s over! Where are you?”

Colin was where he had been all the time – hidden up in his tree. Why didn’t he shout back? Why didn’t he go down the free, run over to the others, pleased that he hadn’t been caught?

He didn’t show himself for a very good reason. He was much too frightened to! He had had a shock when he saw the man jump down from the wall, and run to the thicket and hide – and he had an even greater shock when he saw him suddenly appear from a nearby bush, and run to the foot of the tree that he himself was hiding in.

Then he heard the sounds of someone climbing up. It was the man climbing the very tree that Colin himself had chosen for a hiding place!

Colin’s heart beat fast. He didn’t like this at all. He was frightened. The man was climbing up. But when he was almost up to the branch on which Colin sat, he stopped. The branch wasn’t strong enough to hold a man, though it was quite strong enough for a boy. The man was just breathing as quite as possible. Peter was not so very far away and might hear it.

Colin sat as if he was turned to stone. Who was this man? Why had he come over the wall? Why had he hidden in Little Thicket? And now here he was up in Colin’s tree. And at any moment he might look up and see Colin. It was very unpleasant indeed. Then Colin heard the other shouting for him. “Colin! Come out, wherever you are – the game’s finished!”

But poor Colin couldn’t come out, and certainly he couldn’t shout back. He was afraid to breathe, and hoped that he wouldn’t have to sneeze or cough. He sat there as still as a mouse, waiting to see what would happen. The man also sat there as still as a mouse, watching to six children below, looking at them through the leaves of the tree. Colin knew they had no brought old Scamper with them. And he was sorry. Scamper had been left behind. He always got much too excited when they were playing Red Indians, and by his barking gave away where everyone was hiding!

After other had hunted for Colin and called him, they began to walk off. “I think he has gone home,” said Peter. “Well, we’ll go too. We can’t find that man, and I, don’t know that I want to, either. He looked a nasty bit of work to me.” In despair, Colin watched them leave Little Thicket and disappear down the field-path. The man saw them go too. He gave a little sign and got down the tree. Colin couldn’t see much of him except the top of his ears. He could still see nothing of the man as he made his way cautiously out of the thicket. He was a far, far better Red Indian than any of the Secret Seven, that was certain!

And now – was it safe for Colin to get down? He certainly couldn’t stay up in the tree all night!

 

Reading Test

1. Make the right choice.

1) The horrified man was met by: a) Peter     b) George     c) Pam.

2) The friends shouted for: a) Scamper     b) Colin     c) the man.

3) The man climbed the same tree where: a) Colin     b) George    c) Pam had hidden.

Choose the sentences you heard in the text.

1. Six Red Indians began to move silently through the bushes and long grass.
2. He didn’t want the girls to come suddenly on the man in hiding.
3. Scamper could find the man’s track.
4. The two parties separated and went to each end of Little Thicket.
5. He was a far, far better Red Indian than any of the Secret Seven, that was certain.

Choose the right ending of the sentences.

1. He began to hunt here & there, & soon the others knew
   1. that the game was over.
   2. that something had happened.
   3. that Peter was no good as a Red Indian.
   4. Colin didn’t show himself
      1. for a very good reason.
      2. because he wanted to win.
      3. because he was disappointed in his friends.
      4. After the others had hunted for Colin & called him, they
         1. began to worry.
         2. began to walk home.
         3. found him up in the tree.

Explain why:

Peter thought he was no good as a Red Indian.

1. the man didn’t notice Colin.
2. the children left Scamper behind.

 

Answer the questions Colin asked himself. Use your imagination.

1. Who was that man?
2. Why had he come over the wall?
3. Why had he hidden in Little Thicket?

 

Keys reading-comprehension 9^th Form

1.

1) a     2) b     3) a

 

2.

2, 3, 5

 

3.

1) b     2) a     3) b

 

1) because he couldn’t stalk somebody under his nose. 2) because the man stopped just below Colin. 3) because he always go too excited when they were playing Red Indians, & by his barking gave away where everyone was hiding.

 

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Reading Test 11^th Form

by Mark Twain

Years ago I arrived one day at Salamanca, New York, where I was to change trains and take the sleeper. There were crowds of people on the platform, and they were all trying to get into the long sleeper train which was already packed. I asked the young man in the booking-office if I could have a sleeping-berth and he answered: “No”. I went off and asked another local official if I could have some poor little corner somewhere in a sleeping-car, but he interrupted me angrily saying: “No, you can’t, every corner is full. Now, don’t bother me any more,” and he turned his back and walked off. I felt so hurt that I said to my companion, “If these people knew who I was, they …” But my companion stopped me there, - “Don’t talk such nonsense, we’ll have to put up with this,” he said, “If they knew who you were, do you think it would help you to get a vacant seat in a train which has no vacant seats in it?”

This did not improve my condition at all, but just then I noticed that the porter of a sleeping-car had his eye on me. I saw the expression of his face suddenly change. He whispered to the uniformed conductor, pointing to me, and I realized I was being talked about. Then the conductor came forward, his face all politeness.

“Can I be of any service to you?” he asked. “Do you want a place in a sleeping-car?”

“Yes,” I said, “I’ll be grateful to you if you can give me a place, anything will do.”

“We have nothing left except the big family compartment,” he continued, “with two berths and a couple of armchairs in it, but it is entirely at your disposal. Here, Tom, take these suitcases aboard!”

Then he touched his hat, and we moved along the platform. I was eager to say a few words to my companion, but I changed my mind. The porter made us comfortable in the compartment, and then said, with many bows and smiles:

“Now, is there anything you want, sir? Because you can have just anything you want.”

“Can I have some hot water?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, I’ll get it myself”.

“Good! Now, that lamp is hung too high above the berth. Can I have a better lamp fixed just at the head of my bed below the luggage rack, so that I can read comfortably?”

“Yes, sir. The lamp you want is just being fixed in the next compartment. I’ll get it from there and fix it here. It’ll burn all night. Yes, sir, you can ask for anything you want, the whole railroad will be turned inside out to please you.” And he disappeared.

I smiled at my companion, and said:

“Well, what do you say now? Didn’t their attitude change the moment they understood I was Mark Twain? You see the result, don’t you?” My companion did not answer. So I added, “Don’t you like the way you are being served? And all for the same fare”.

As I was saying this, the porter’s smiling face appeared in the doorway and this speech followed:

“Oh, sir, I recognized you the minute I set my eyes on you. I told the conductor so”.

“Is that so, my boy?” I said handing him a good tip. “Who am I?”

“Mr McClellan, Mayor of New Your”, he said and disappeared again.

 

Reading Test

Mistaken Identity

 

(by Mark Twain)

I. Choose the right translation.

1. years ago                                                 a  сесть в спальный вагон

2. to take the sleeper                                   b  много лет назад

3. went off                                                   c  в вашем распоряжении

4. at your disposal                                      d  ушел прочь

5. Can I be of any service to you?              e  Могу я оказать вам какую-либо услугу?

 

II. Choose the right variant to complete the sentence.

1. Years ago I arrived at Salamanca, …, where I was to change trains.

1. Washington
2. New York
3. Boston
4. еye
5. ears
6. head
7. to pronounce
8. to say
9. to spell
10. I was Mark Twain
11. I had deceived them
12. I was indifferent
13. Chief
14. Mayor
15. Master

2. I noticed that the porter of a sleeping-car had his … on me.

3. I was eager … a few words to my companion.

4. Didn’t their attitude change the moment they understood … .

5. “Mr McClellan, … of New Your”, he said.

III. Mark the right variant of translation.

1. If these people knew who I was, they …

1. Если бы эти люди знали, кто я такой, они бы…
2. Если эти люди узнают, кто я такой, они …
3. Если, вдруг, эти люди определят, кто я такой, они…
4. Они бы предоставили вам свободное место?
5. Неужели вы думаете, что это помогло бы вам достать свободное место?
6. Неужели они помогли бы вам с вакансией?
7. Затем он взял под козырек, и мы ушли прочь.
8. Затем он приложил руку к шапке, и мы пошли дальше.
9. Затем он приложил руку к фуражке, и мы пошли по платформе.
10. Можно я повешу более яркую лампу в купе?
11. Вы можете повесить более яркую лампу прямо у меня над головой?
12. Вы можете помочь мне прикрепить большую лампочку над головой?
13. Он сделал купе комфортным.
14. Он уверил нас, что купе комфортное.
15. Он удобно устроил нас в купе.

2. Do you think it would help you to get a vacant seat?

3. Then he touched his hat, and we moved along the platform.

4. Can I have a better lamp fixed just at the head of my bed?

5. He made us comfortable in the compartment.

 

IV. Match the characters in column A to their actions in column B.

A                                                                     B

1. Mark Twain                                     a) interrupted him angrily saying “Every corner is

full. Don’t bother me any more”.

2. The Conductor                                b) came forward, his face all politeness.

3. The Porter                                       c) arrived one day at Salamanca, New York

4. A local official                               d) took his suitcases a board.  

 

V. Prove that Mark Twain was an ambitions man.

 

Reading – Comprehension Test 8^th Form
A Dangerous Place
(from “Interaction’ by Robert O’Neill ).

Paula had always wanted to go to New York and now she had the chance at last. She was a journalist and her newspaper was sending her there to do a series of articles on the city. But before she left her home in London, several friends warned her to be careful and not to go alone at night in New York. “It’s a dangerous place. People get robbed or even killed in broad daylight!” they told her.

But when she got there, the only thing she was afraid of was exhaustion (изнурение). It was such an exciting city that she never got any sleep. It took her two weeks to do the articles and she had to interview a lot of people but she enjoyed every minute of it. She completely forgot all her friends’ warnings until the day she went back to London. It all began in a bar.

She was having lunch there when she suddenly felt someone watching her. She looked up and noticed a man sitting at a table opposite her. He was staring at her but looked away. She noticed that he had a scar on his cheek. He was about 30 and had short, curly hair. Paula was not worried at all. She had to go to an airline office to re-book her flight home. She wanted an afternoon flight instead of a morning one, as originally planned. On her way there, she stopped to look at something in a shop-window. To her surprise she saw the man follow her. She could see his reflection in the glass. He had stopped just behind her. Suddenly she felt afraid. She walked on. Then she stopped and looked behind her again. But this time she could not see him.

Just then she noticed she had come to the airline office. She went in and after she had finished her business, decided to phone a friend from a telephone booth there. She was carrying a small, portable but very expensive tape-recorder. It was in a black case in which she kept her money and passport as well. But the booth was so small that she had to leave the case outside. When she came out, it had disappeared. Then she saw the red-haired man hurrying out of the office. He had the case in his hand. She screamed but it was too late.

 

Reading – Comprehension Test
A Dangerous Place
( from “Interaction’ by Robert O’Neill ).

 

1. Choose the words from the text:

Warnings, preference, a scar, an airport, a shop-window, reflection, a telephone booth, expensive.

1. Choose the best variant:

1. Paula had always to go to … a) London   b) New York   c) Washington   d) Los Angeles

2. It took her … to do the articles. a) 5 days   b) 2 weeks   c) 3 days   d) 3 weeks

3. Paula wanted an … flight. a) morning   b) evening  c) afternoon  d) night

4. She was carrying a portable and very expensive … a) tape-recorder  b) telephone  c) note-book  d) camera

5. When she came out of the telephone booth her … disappeared. a) portfolio   b) case  c) hand bag  d) suitcase

 

3. Write “True” or “False” according to the text:

1. People get robbed or even killed at nights.
2. The man at a table opposite her didn’t even look at her.
3. On her way to the airline office she stopped to look at something in a shop-window.
4. To her surprise she saw the man follow her.
5. Paula decided to write a letter to her friend.

 

4.  Answer the questions:

1. What was Paula?

2. What made her forget all her friends’ warnings?

3. What did she have to do after lunch?

4. Where did she keep her money and passport?

5. What happened after she came out of the booth?

 

5.  Have you ever experienced a dangerous situation? Describe your actions and attitude to it in no more than 5 sentences.

 

 

Reading 5 th form

THE TRAVELLERS AND THE BEAR

It was a wonderful day. Through the thick leaves of the trees the sunlight played on the grass and flowers on the bushes. But the two travelers who were walking through the forest were not happy at all. Their loud voices rang through the trees.

“Will you stop worrying?”¹ cried one of the travellers in a loud voice. “Nothing is going to happen. I’ll look after you. Everything will be all right. So let’s try to enjoy the fine weather”.

His friend heard all this, but it didn’t help. He was so afraid that every little sound made him jump. He was sure that wild animals were waiting to jump at them.

A second later a great bear jumped out in front of the travellers. There was no time to think. It was too late to run away. The first traveller, who had promised so much, was light and quick on his feet. He climbed up the nearest tree as fast he could and disappeared among the thick green leaves.

The second traveller was not so quick. When he saw that his friend and left him, he fell flat on the ground, held his breath², and lay very still.

The bear looked at him, quite surprised. This was something new and strange that the animal could not understand.

The bear moved slowly around the man, it sniffed³ him over, it touched the traveller’s ear with its nose. The traveller lay quite still, like a dead man. Was it true that bears didn’t touch dead bodies? Would the bear leave him alone?

Seconds passed. Each one seemed as long as a lifetime. At last the bear lifted its head. With an angry cry it left the man and ran off into the woods again.

The traveller in the tree climbed down. His face was white. “Tell me, my friend,” he said, “what did the bear whisper in your ear?”

“He told me,” answered the other, “to be careful with a friend who runs away when danger comes”.

 

1 Will you stop worrying? – Перестань волноваться!

2 held his breath – затаил дыхание

3 to sniff – обнюхивать

THE TRAVELLERS AND THE BEAR

1. 1. Number the facts below in the order in which they come in the story. You may look back at the story.

 

1. The man in the tree came down.
2. The bear sniffed around his head and then went away.
3. One of the travellers was very frightened as they walked through the forest.
4. A bear jumped out at the travellers.
5. The travellers were passing through the woods.
6. The first traveller climbed a tree.
7. The traveller who had been in the tree was curious to know what the bear had whispered in his friend’s ear.

 

1. 2. Find the correct ending:

1. One of the travelers promised to defend his friend if there was danger because …

1 – he was a strong man.

2 – he liked to boast.

3 – he was not afraid of wild animals.

4 – he did not think there would be any serious danger.

 

3. Answer the questions:

1. Why were the travellers talking in such loud voices in the beautiful forest?
2. Why did the first traveller forget about his promise to defend his friend?
3. Why didn’t the bear touch the second man?
4. Did the second man understand what kind of man his friend was?
5. How can you tell a true friend?

Reading Comprehension Test 6^th Form
THE LETTER

Dear Fred,

How are you? Thank you for your letter. You want to know about school in England. Let me tell you. My school is open all day. Well, school starts at nine o'clock when we all meet in school for Registration, so our Form Teacher can see if everybody is at school or not. We have Morning Registration at 9.15 and Afternoon Registration at 2 o'clock. Each teacher has her own class which she always teaches in. Some of the rooms look very interesting, because our school is 200 years old. But it is clean and nice and very modern: we have got computers and Internet in our school. We don't get much homework. We usually get homework in two subjects each day. We only have real tests at the end of the school year, in June. Then we do tests in every subject. This is not bad, really, and I think they are not difficult, they are easy for me and I never get bad marks. In History you usually get 15 or 20 questions but you can answer 2 or 3 of them. But in some subjects, like Maths and Nature Study, there is usually one important question that everybody must answer. French is different again. We get quite a lot of grammar questions every lesson but we don't have tests. I'm in the Form 3W. That means that I'm in the Third Year and the first letter of my Form Teacher's name is “W”. He's called Mr. Walker and he's OK. He teaches us History. I'm in the school swimming team because I'm very good at swimming. There is a swimming pool

in our school and we have our P.E. lessons there. But some Students don't like them because the teacher is not always kind.

Are things different at your school?

Best wishes,

Bob.