Экзаменационные билеты.1-5

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

№ 1

I. 1. Read the newspaper opinion column and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Are you proud of being Belarusian?

I am Belarusian because my parents who gave me life and brought me up are Belarusian. And what if I were born in a different country on a different continent? In my opinion, a sense of pride in your country, a sense of belonging to a particular nation develops in a person with time. Therefore at my age, by the way I am 18, I can say quite positively, that I am proud to live in Belarus.

The real treasure of Belarus is its wonderful nature. The country has hundreds of wild forests, rolling hills, green valleys, sweet­scented meadows and golden fields. Beloveshzkaya Pushcha is the only place where you can meet mighty European bison in the wild. Belarus is also famous for its clear lakes and ribbon­like rivers, that’s why it’s called a blue­eyed one. The resorts of lakes Naroch and Braslav are open all year round and let tourists experience the unforgettable peaceful atmosphere.

I am proud of the rich heroic history of my country and its people. Although for many centuries we were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania¹, the Polish­Lithuanian Commonwelth² and then the Russian Empire³ we have managed to stay united and haven’t lost our uniqueness. Many foreigners admit that our people are extremely sociable, hospitable, and generous and we are welcoming with visitors. We are also described as resourceful and peaceful. When socializing, Belarusians are open, warm­hearted, fun­loving, humorous and outgoing in spite of all the difficulties they face in their life.

Of course I’m proud of our national holidays and traditions, especially those which are deep­rooted and typical of our nation such as Kalyady, Maslenitsa, Dazhynki. They are unique and make us stand out. Besides, they are of particular interest for tourists because they reflect our culture.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that I’m proud of my country and its people. Each time I go abroad I tell foreigners about our great past and achievements. Each time I leave the country I want to come back again, because I miss it. If I were a talented painter, I would start drawing pictures with its beautiful landscapes; if I could compose verses, I would write lyric poems about it. Belarus is the place where my heart will always belong to!

¹ the Grand Duchy of Lithuania [ˈɡrænd ˈdʌtʃɪ əv ˌlɪθjʊˈeɪnɪə] Великое Княжество Литовское

² the Polish­Lithuanian Commonwelth [ˈpəʊlɪʃ ˌlɪθjʊˈeɪnɪən ˈkɒmənwelθ] Речь Посполитая – федерация Королевства Польского и Великого Княжества Литовского

³ the Russian Empire [ˈrʌʃn ˈempaɪə] Российская империя

2. When did the author understand that he/she is proud of being Belarusian? Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What makes the author be proud of his/her Motherland?

4. What would the author do if he/she were a creative person?

II. Listen to the story about a girl and answer the questions below.

1. Why was Whitney worried about going to college?

2. How did she find a friend?

3. What lesson did Whitney learn?

III. Let’s talk about accommodation.

№ 2

I. 1. Read the newspaper opinion column and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

UNESCO World Heritage¹ List

Belarus joined UNESCO in 1954. For many years, Belarus has been building up fruitful and dynamic relations with international organizations. Belarus programme of UNESCO activities includes numerous interesting projects in the fields of education, science, information, communications, and, of course, culture. In October 1988, Belarus joined the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Today four Belarusian sites have already been included into the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 1992, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, a natural heritage object and a unique European forest reserve which has been protected since the 14th century, was the first one to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2000, the Mir Castle Complex, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century, was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The successful combination of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture² makes Mir Castle one of Europe’s most impressive castles. In 2005, two more sites were included into the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are the Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwills in Nesvizh and the Struve Geodetic Arc points³.

For centuries the Nesvizh Palace used to be the residence of the Radziwills, one of the richest families in Europe. Today the National Historical and Cultural Museum­Reserve Nesvizh is a wonderfully restored castle, which is visited by hundreds of tourists from all parts of the world. No wonder, it has become a landmark of Belarus.

The Struve Arc is a world famous construction. The same sorts of points are in ten countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, all together 265 points. According to the historical data, there were 31 geodesic points in Belarus, and only 19 survived.

Belarus is going to propose to add Independence Avenue in Minsk for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Socialist Postwar Architecture in Central and Eastern Europe.

¹ heritage [ˈheritidʒ] культурное наследие

² Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture [ˈɡɒθɪk, bəˈrɒk, rɪˈneɪsəns ˈaːkɪtektʃə] архитектура готики, барокко и ренессанса

³ the Struve Geodetic Arc points [ˈstruːv ˌdʒiːəʊˈdetɪk ˈaːk ˈpɔɪnts] Геодезическая дуга Струве, представляющая собой цепь опорных пунктов наблюдения

2. Belarus is a member of UNESCO. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Which Belarusian sites are included on the list for protection?

4. What other sites does the Belarusian government want to be on the UNESCO List?

II. Listen to the career counsellor speaking about choosing a career and answer the questions below.

1. Why is choosing the right job very important?

2. Which jobs are popular among young people at present?

3. What advice does the speaker give?

III. Let’s talk about the education.

№ 3

I. 1. Read the newspaper opinion column and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

My ideal school

My ideal secondary school is a safe haven¹. It shouldn’t be a place you hate going to, but a place you enjoy attending. I believe it should be social, as well as educational experience. A school should always have a soul… there should always be laughter ringing through the corridors. (Angela, 15, Moscow)

My ideal school is a school quite unlike any school we’ve heard of. This school consists of a large library and basic recreational facilities. There are no classrooms. The school is built on the idea of active learning. No student is forced to learn. (Tanya, 14, Rome)

School is the mould², which shapes our future. It’s where we spend most of our valuable time — childhood. Yet I know from firsthand experience that many aspects should be changed: the impersonal attitude of some teachers who do everything only for results, instead of creating happy moments and valuable life experience for young people. These young people are far from being an ‘empty pot’ who are ready to be filled with knowledge. They are simply locked boxes full of potential which should be discovered by caring and encouraging teachers. (Anna, 15, Riga)

Schools may be getting good results but they are not helping the students as individuals. It seems to me that it’s the learner who should ask questions. Give us the freedom to ask questions and do help us to find answers. Don’t you see we learn more from our experience and when people trust and respect us? We learn from our mistakes as well. (Hero Joy, 14, Kent)

I think differences make the world go around. Good teachers know it more than Maths rules. I think school must teach differences. And at the moment some schools are doing the opposite, trying to make everyone normal. (Kate, 13, London)

Schools should develop creativity and dreams. When schools teach people not to seek knowledge on their own, people become passive. Everybody has the right to be free and choose what to be and what not to be, schools do not give that option, they have a ‘well organised’ systematic life for you, in which you have to fit. (Luis, 15, Boston)

¹ a safe haven [ˈheɪvn] надёжное, безопасное место

² a mould [məʊld] матрица, шаблон

2. One of the children says that school should have a soul. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What do the children want to change at school?

4. Why do the children want more freedom?

II. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below.

1. What is wrong with the accommodation?

2. Why did the boy oversleep?

3. What agreement did he reach with the person on Reception?

III. Let’s talk about the environment.

№ 4

I. 1. Read the part of a diary and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Anna’s diary

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1942

Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the thoughts of a thirteen­year­old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest¹.

“Paper has more patience than people.” I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands. I was bored and wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was and decided to start a diary. Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this notebook, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.

Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend. Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen­year­old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen­year­old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a bunch of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who constantly try to catch a glimpse² of me in the classroom. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.

All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get closer, and that’s a problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t trust each other. In any case, that’s just how things are. That’s why I started the diary.

To enhance³ the image of this long­awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to write only about facts, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I am going to call this friend Kitty.

¹ to get off one’s chest чистосердечно признаться в чем-либо, облегчить душу

² to catch a glimpse [ɡlɪmps] увидеть (на мгновение)

³ to enhance [ɪnˈhaːns] усилить

2. The author writes when she decided to keep a diary. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What close people did Anna have?

4. Why did Anna start writing in a diary?

II. Listen to Alice speaking about her first job and answer the questions below.

1. What job did Alice do?

2. What difficulties did she have?

3. What kind of knowledge and skills did she get at her first job?

III. Let’s talk about Belarus.

№ 5

I. 1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Be kind and stay safe

Everybody knows that we should be polite and kind to people in real life and online. Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. Where can you report online abuse¹ or unkind messages to yourself or your friends? Do you know how to report and complain about harmful information online? For example, if you see an inappropriate tweet on Twitter you can click on ‘more’ and then choose ‘Report tweet’. You can then block all further tweets from that user.

Even celebrities can be cyberbullied². Tom Daley, the British Olympic diver, was abused online. His father died during the 2012 Olympic Games and Tom received some very cruel tweets about his indifference towards his father’s health.

Here are our top tips for staying safe online:

1. Be nice! Treat people online as you do in real life.

2. Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t want people in real life to see.

3. Check your privacy and security settings on social media sites and keep them as private as possible. Make sure you know exactly who can see your posts.

4. Don’t ever post personal information like your home address, your email or your phone number.

5. If you see something online that worries or upsets you, tell an adult about it straight away.

6. Take part in Safer Internet Day.

Safer Internet Day, or SID for short, tries to help people to use the Internet correctly. SID started in 2004 and is organised in February every year in 74 countries around the world to promote safe and responsible use of online technology and mobile phones. Each year there is a different topic such as cyberbullying or social networking. The focus for SID’s next campaign is “Let’s create a better internet together”. SID organisers want children and young people, parents and teachers, as well as businessmen and politicians to work together to build a better internet for all of us, but particularly for children.

There are special lessons prepared for schoolchildren on Safer Internet Day in Britain. You can find out about SID on this website: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/.

¹ abuse [əˈbjuːs] оскорбление

² to be cyberbullied [ˈsaɪbəbʊlɪd] быть преследуемым в киберпространстве

2. The journalist writes how to stop bad messages on Twitter. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What can we do to stay safe online?

4. Why is SID a good way to stop abuse on the Internet?

II. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below.

1. Where does the conversation take place?

2. What is the man interested in?

3. How much do you need to pay monthly?

III. Let’s talk about Great Britain.