Задания по чтению для 11 класса

Reading

1 Match the headings 1-6 to the sentences A-E and write them in the table below. There is one heading which you don’t need to use.

1 Resistance to change

2Innovation in action

3 Changing your routine

4 A change for the better

5 Changes in social trends

6 Changing roles

A The arrival of a new baby is always a marvellous thing but the change can be disruptive and even stressful, especially for first time parents. It is difficult to cope with the sleepless nights and constant demands of a newborn so it is important to organize your day differently to accommodate for these circumstances. For example, afternoon naps can help parents catch up on much-needed sleep.

B The first time I saw Sheffield park, I was shocked because it was a mess and it obviously hadn’t been looked after in years. When I came back to the park five years later, it looked much neater and I had a nice walk around. Parks are not very trendy these days, the probably never have been, but they are an important part of a town and should be well managed.

C Popular music seems to be running out of ideas. A recent trend is to take hits as far back as the 50-s and 60-s and re-release them with the lyrics changed. For many, there is something sacrilegious in seeing classics such as Beatles’ All you need is love downloadable as I met her online. The melody is the same but the words and sense are completely different, completely distorting the original song.

D this innovative executive programme give professionals from different fields the opportunity to exchange positions for a limited period and gain a completely new insight into the business world. To give a recent example, Paula Wright, sales manager in pharmaceuticals firm, spent three months as a consultant in an accountancy company. Her feedback and comments can be found on the websiteat the top of this brochure.

E The first time that talking pictures were shown in cinemas was the 1920s with movies like The Jazz Singer. These films were expensive to make and the actual content was often little improvement on silent movies, but the quickly caught movie goers’ imagination. Talking pictures soon became trendy, in no small part thanks to technological advances which meant that dialogue sequences could be longer.

2 Read the text and complete the missing parts A-F with the clauses 1-7. Complete the table below. There is one extra clause which you do not need to use.

Canals

You won’t go far in Britain without coming across a canal. The canal network in Britain covers almost 3,500 kilometres A__________________.

Canals are still in use and they are very much part of the British landscape. It was the Romans who introduced canals to Britain, mainly to link rivers. But canal building really started in the industrial revolution, from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, B_______________________. The road system was then under-developed so an alternative was badly needed. The first major canal was the Bridgewater canal in 1761.

C_______________________, the Bridgewater canal was an engineering masterpiece and it had a dramatic effect on local industries: coal prices fell 60 %. The Bridgewater canal started what can be called a canal boom.

In the early days, boats were pulled by horses. With a boat, it was possible for a horse to pull more than ten times what it could in a cart. Horses were used D__________________________. Animal lovers certainly welcomed this change because the life of a canal horse was far from easy.

The use of canals started to fall in the middle of the nineteenth century when railways started to be built. Trains were much faster, economical E___________________________. A whole way of life changed as canals were much more than just transport. Whole families used to live on canal boats.

F________________________________, when many were just abandoned, canals have become popular again as tourist attractions or holiday destinations. Canal tours, with the boats a lot more comfortable today, are a great way of appreciating British history. Long may this tradition continue.

1 and they could just carry more things and people

2 named after the man who designed the whole project

3 despite being quite expensive compared to other forms of transport

4 but most of them are concentrated in England

5 in spite of going through a long period of decline and neglect

6 when manufacturers and customers needed cheaper and quicker transport

7 until they were replaced by steam and other power sources

3 Read the text and answer the questions. Choose the best answer 1-4

Feng Shui

On the face of it, there is little to connect the oriental art of Feng Shui with the world of hammers, power drills and paint. But the ancient Chinese philosophy, which involves changing the design of your living or working space to improve your fortune, is proving to be a big hit in the world of “Do-It-Yourself” stories, where people go to buy building materials and tools.

Two vast new DIY superstores have been designed in the UK following Feng Shui guidelines, and their business is booming. Both store managers maintain their success is due to the positive energy that has been chanelled into their shops by Feng Shui experts, who were called in for advice before the final decisions were made about the design of the new buildings.

“I first encountered Feng Shui when I went to the opening of our company’s first store in Taiwan. Everyone there takes it so seriously you cannot fail to be impressed,” said David Ingliss, store manager.

Mr Ingliss’s hosts in Taiwan told him of the Hong Kong millionaire who relocated his business empire into a new skyscraper. However, soon after the move, the business began to go down. In desperation the businessman called in the Feng Shui experts, who said that because his new office block was round “it” was like a huge cigarette, and all the energy was burning off through the roof. They said the only thing he could do was to build a swimming pool on the roof, which he did. And to this day there is an office block in Hong Kong with a swimming pool 40 floors up which no one ever uses, but there is a successful company underneath it.

“Some people may think Feng Shui is just mystical rubbish and I must admit there is a superstitious element to it,” said Mr Ingliss. “But much of it is just common sense and has a direct relevance to good selling. Experts believe that things shouldn’t be messy and crowded, so we made a policy of keeping the aisles wide and spacious.” Mr Ingliss’s store with a floor area greater than two football pitches, has been described as a DIY Disneyland, which he takes as a great compliment. And it has also been one of the most successful in its first year of any of the chain of stores.

Jon Dorset, manager of a sister store, also pays close attention to advice on colour, lighting and especially on the distribution of indoor plants to provide clear and welcoming atmosphere.

“I’m not sure that I believe in the magical side to it, but I did move a mirror at home that was facing the front door- that is very unlucky apparently- and it actually just looks better in its new place,” said Mr Dorset.

1 What did the Feng Shui experts do for the UK stores?

1. They gave some advice about business.
2. They taught the managers their philosophy.
3. They made suggestions about design.
4. They helped to build the stores.

2 What impressed Mr Ingliss in Taiwan?

1. The people’s attitude to Feng Shui
2. The opening of a new store
3. How serious everyone seemed
4. The amount of business there was

3 What does “it” refer to?

1. A cigarette
2. The building
3. Some energy
4. The roof

4 Why was the swimming pool built?

1. To provide somewhere for the employees to relax
2. To stop the building from falling down
3. To make the building safer in case of fire
4. To stop the building’s energy from being lost

5 What does Mr Ingliss think about Feng Shui?

1. It is superstitious rubbish
2. It can give you more energy
3. It can help your sales
4. It doesn’t tell you anything new

6 What is meant by ‘a DYI Disneyland’?

1. A very large building
2. A DIY store which is enjoyable to visit
3. Somewhere for all the family
4. A store where there are lots of things to do

7 What do Mr Ingliss’s and Mr Dorsett’s store both have?

1. Successful garden departments
2. Long opening hours
3. Leisure areas
4. Lots of space for customers

Answer key

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