Контрольная работа

READING VIII FORM

I VARIANT

Read the text about a new kind of house.

THE HELIOTROPE

A unique eco-house in Freiburg, Germany

Freiburg is a town of 200,000 inhabitants situated in picturesque countryside on the edge of the Black Forest in southern Germany.

It is a university town, an important industrial and commercial centre, and a tourist resort. But today it is best known as the ecological capital of Germany. The old town is completely pedestrianized, recycling is a way of life and people use bicycles and public transport to commute. In one part of the town cars are forbidden: drivers must park on the edge of the suburb in a special car park with solar panels on the roof. The result is that very few residents own cars. On the outskirts of the town there is a special district where all the houses are solar-powered. Here there is a detached house which at first sight looks rather strange. When people see it for the first time, they stand in amazement trying to understand what it is. It is an experimental Eco-house called   the Heliotrope. This is the German architector Ralph Disch’s brain-child which has a shape of the cylinder with the solar panels unique system installed on the roof. It is worth mentioning that the author of the project is thought to be an ardent fan of the eco-friendly living accommodation and enthusiast on using of the alternative energy resources. Even 25 years ago he was against the construction of a nuclear power plant in his city. It looks like a smallish tower block sitting on a narrow platform. In the centre of the house there is a spiral staircase, and as you go upstairs you see large bright rooms with triple glazed windows and spacious balconies. Here you feel very comfortable, there is a lot of light and air here and you would like to stay here for a long time … … But what is happening? You feel the rotation ... ". Yes the room rotates along with you. Yes, and the most amazing thing about the house is that it turns round. The house follows the son from morning to night to maximize the energy it produces. By the way even in nasty weather the house is provided with the energy saved within the previous days. Enormous solar panels provide energy for the heating, the cooker, the fridge the light bulbs and all other domestic appliances. Although the house rotates very slowly, the movement is noticeable. It feels a bit like being on a ship in a calm sea or in a house high up in a tree. The good news is that the technology works: the house produces five times more electricity than it consumes. Freiburg is a window to the future which shows how urban life may change. Perhaps one day we will all live in houses like the Heliotrope. If we do, we‘ll never have to worry about electricity bills again. And we‘ll never be bored with the view. One wants to believe that soon, and large industrial cities, business capital will use modern technology, trying to save the ecology of our planet for future generations. This is really good intentions, finally getting rid of their humanity selfishness in relation to their home planet.

GLOSSARY:

1) On the edge of – на краю

2) Pedestrianized – делать место пешеходной зоной

3) A brain-child – детище

4) A solar panel – солнечная батарея

5) To rotate – вращаться

6) Suburbs – окраина

7) Solar-powered – работающий на солнечной батарее

8) An ardent fan – истинный поклонник

9) To be installed – устанавливать

THE TASKS

I. DECIDE IF THE STATEMENTS 1-6 ARE TRUE (T), FAULSE (F) OR NOT STATED (NS):

1. Freiburg is situated in the western part of Germany.

2. The Heliotrope is the only eco-building in Freiburg.

3. Freiburg is the best known as an ecologic town of Germany.

4. When a person is inside the eco-house he /she can’t feel the house turning round.

5. The house produces ten times more electricity than it consumes.

6. The dwellers of the town are against building the eco-houses in the surroundings.

II. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ITEM:

1. There is a special district where all the houses are solar-powered in…………

   1. in the centre of Freiburg

   2. on the outskirts

   3. not far from the centre of the town.

2. The experimental Eco-house called:

   1. the Heliotrope

   2. Sun Case

   3. Sun Happiness

3. Although the house rotates very slowly, the movement is ……….

   1. noticeable.

   2. unnoticed

   3. hardly noticeable

4.  The house follows…….

   1. the moon

   2. the sun

   3. the wind

5.  When people see the house for the first time they are ………

   1. frightened

   2. amazed

   3.  Interested

6. Freiburg is a town of ……. inhabitants located in picturesque countryside on the edge of the Black Forest in southern Germany.

   1. 300,000

   2. 100,000

   3. 200,000

III. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1.  Why did Ralph Disch decide to create this marvel?

2.   What  does the eco-house look like?

3.   What do enormous solar systems provide energy for?

4.   What town is best known as the ecological capital of Germany?

5.    If you had a chance would you live in the eco-house?  Confirm you choice.

6.    Is Ralph Disch famous only for his Heliotrope?