На допомогу учням

Як ефективно вивчати іноземну мову?

1. Часта помилка традиційних методик - вимога перекладати. Проте людина може добре використовувати іноземну мову, але не дуже добре перекладати на свою рідну. Ще частіше буває ситуація, коли людина вже майже розуміє, що сказане в іноземній фразі, але перекласти ще не може. Перекладати потрібно учити тільки професійних перекладачів. Для останніх завдання - навчитися розуміти, висловлювати думки і думати на іноземній мові.
2. Коли дивишся у словнику переклад слова, потрібно проглянути всі його значення. Це дозволяє скласти уявлення про об'єм поняття, який часто відрізняється від аналогічного в рідній мові.
3. Щоб якісно перекласти, потрібно усвідомити сенс пропозиції цілком і потім переказати його своїми словами на іншій мові, а не переводити по словах, словосполукам і граматичним конструкціям.
4. Не треба нічого механічно вивчати. Основне завдання - зрозуміти. Коли усвідомив, запам'ятовування відбувається само собою. А не запам'яталося - запам'ятається іншим разом.
5. Вивчати слова спеціально не треба. Зустрілося в тексті слово - заглянув в словник, йдеш далі. Ще раз зустрілося - ще раз заглянув. І так до тих пір, поки не запам'ятається. Перевага методу в тому, що ті слова, які зустрічаються частіше, запам'ятовуються швидше. Також не вимагається спеціального часу і сил на заучування слів. А як це буває нудно! Правда, витрачається час, щоб дивитися в словник. Можна або використовувати електронний словник, слово набирається за 2-6 секунд. Або, якщо постійно звертатися до звичайного словника, з досвідом час пошуку знижується до 5-10 секунд.
6. Чомусь в традиційних методиках, коли викладач щось говорить, передбачається, що учень зобов'язаний тут же це запам'ятати. Якщо виявляється, що не запам'ятав, йому дають відчути, що він в цьому винен. Проте пам'ять більшості людей об'єктивно не здібна до запам'ятовування з першого разу. Від того, що людина відчуває провину, якість запам'ятовування не поліпшується. Швидше, навпаки: відповідно дослідженням негативні емоції погіршують запам'ятовування. Тому і вчителеві, і учневі потрібно навчитися повністю виключати відчуття провини з учбового процесу.
7. Оскільки з'ясовано, що позитивні емоції покращують процес запам'ятовування, треба постаратися, щоб процес вивчення мови приносив задоволення: приємна комфортна обстановка, цікавий зміст текстів і вправ, приємний викладач, що уміє настроювати на позитивні емоції і так далі.
8. Кращий спосіб навчитися грамотно і красиво виражати думки на іноземній мові - читати багато літератури, написаної гарною мовою. Вправи і роз'яснення викладача - корисні, проте можна знати правила, але не бути здатним швидко генерувати коректні фрази. Таку здатність дає тільки мовний досвід. Коли багато раз в тексті зустрічаєш конструкцію, то в якийсь момент сам мимоволі починаєш її вживати. Можна читати учбову або спеціальну літературу по своїй спеціальності на іноземній мові. Убиваються відразу два зайці: і мова, і знання.

 

Завдання ЗНО з англійської мови

http://osvita.ua/test/answers/36136/
Комплексне видання для підготовки до ЗНО 
http://informatic.sumy.ua/zno_angl_mova.php 
New Round-Up (English Grammar Practice)
https://cloud.mail.ru/public/Dxat/e5sy2qTwz

 Завдання для підготовки до олімпіади

11клас. Аудіювання.

Adapted from “A Climb That Wasn’t Fun” by William Underhill

Glossary:delirium - марення, маячіння;  crevasse - розколина, глибокатріщина (в льодовику);  awesome - жахливий, заляканий         

Imagine a snowstorm close to the summit of a 6,000-meter peak in the Andes. On the descent, your climbing partner slips in dangerous conditions. His leg is badly broken. For hours you struggle to lower him down the mountainside. The cold is unbearable, and you must battle fatigue and dehydration. Then disaster strikes afresh: tied to the rope, your friend slips over an unseen cliff. The sound of his cries is lost in the blizzard. As he dangles below, you cannot know whether he is alive or dead, but his weight is pulling you certainly to the edge. Without prompt action, you will die. Do you cut the rope?

It’s the stuff of nightmares - and now a powerful film as well. The British- made documentary, "Touching the Void," recreates the ordeal of two young British climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, who were trapped on the side of a forbidding Peruvian peak, back in 1985. So how was the moral crisis resolved? The thousands who read Simpson’s best-selling book, also called "Touching the Void," will already know: Yates cut the rope.

But the full force of both the book and the movie lies in the sequel to that decision. Against all odds, Simpson survived a 50-meter plunge into a crevasse. Unable to climb out, he crawled down into the depths in search of a route back to the daylight. His luck held. Driven by stubborn determination, he hopped and crawled down the mountainside for two agonizing days, reaching base camp in a state of delirium just as Yates was preparing to leave. Actors and stuntmen play out the story on the mountainside. But most of the narrative comes from Simpson and Yates themselves, speaking directly to the camera against a neutral background. Simpson, in particular, tells an articulate tale - but don’t expect tortured self-analysis or lyrical description. Mountaineers, especially British ones, are shy of gut-spilling./////

So much the better. The dispassionate style throws into relief the horror of the events described and the awesome savagery of the Andes backdrop. Yet the calm delivery is deceiving; neither man has quite escaped psychological scarring. Simpson has told how he suffered posttraumatic stress after revisiting the Andes with the film crew. And since filming ended, Yates has broken off all contact with the director. He’s reportedly unhappy with the film.

Simpson survived, but what about his friendship with Yates? The relationship between the two main characters did survive their ordeal. As the movie makes clear, Simpson never questions Yates’s decision to cut the rope. Indeed, among his first actions on regaining base camp is to thank Yates for his help after the original accident. One reason Simpson chose to publish his memoir was to remove the blame from Yates, who came under attack for breaking a taboo of the mountaineering brotherhood. As a climber, Simpson understood the need for realism in moments of crisis. He summarizes his own attitude with heroic understatement. Climbing was "fun," he says. "But sometimes things went wrong; then it wasn’t fun." For proof, just watch "Touching the Void."

Test for 11^th Form Students

TEST 1. Write TRUE  if the statement is true and FALSE if it is false.

1.  This story was first told as a movie and was later written as a book.

2.  Yates was faced with the decision to try to save his friend or to save himself.

3.  Yates continued down the mountainside to base camp after cutting the rope bound to Simpson.

4.  Simpson, with a broken leg, fell into a crevasse but managed to crawl to safety.

5.  Simpson blamed Yates for leaving him in the crevasse.

6.  The mountaineering community believes that climbing partners should not abandon each other.

7.  Yates understood the need to think practically and realistically in a crisis situation.

8.  This story proves that you should always be there to help your friends, no matter what happens.

9.  No matter what happens, Simpson still believes that mountain climbing is fun.

10.                This story proves that there are times when a person cannot expect a friend to save him, but must act with bravery and determination on his own.

TEST 2. Choosethe correct letter A, B, C, or D.

1.The movie, "Touching the Void," is

A.     a fictional story based on a nightmare of the producer.

B.     based on the memoir of Simpson.

C.     based on the novel by Yates.

D.     an American documentary about two climbers.

2.Simpson’s nightmare begins when

A.     he falls into a crevasse.

B.     Yates cuts the rope attached to him.

C.     he breaks his leg.

D.    he loses his way in a blizzard.

3.The setting of this adventure is

A.     a mountain in Peru.

B.     a mountain in Germany.

C.     the mountains of Nepal.

D.     Mount Denali in Alaska.

4.The moral crisis of this story is about

A.     Yates’ decision to help his injured friend down the mountainside.

B.     whether Yates can get Simpson to base camp.

C.     whether Yates should let his friend fall when his own life was also at risk.

D.     whether Yates should help his friend out of the crevasse.

5.Simpson survived because he

A.    was determined to find his way out of the crevasse and back to base camp.

B.     wanted revenge after Yates left him for dead

C.     really hadn’t broken his leg.

D.    knew Yates would be waiting for him.

6.The first thing Simpson did when he saw Yates was to

A.        tell him that he had broken the rules of mountaineering.

B.        thank him for helping him when he was injured.

C.        ask him why he had left him.

D.       discuss the idea for the movie.

7.When the crisis occurred, Yates took action based on

A.       a code of honor in which climbers help each other to the death.

B.        a book of rules that governs all climbing expeditions.

C.        a need to make a decision for self-survival.

D.        what he believed the public would think of his actions.

8.The best description of the relationship between Yates and Simpson is

A.  a friendship based on respect and understanding of the dangers of climbing.

B.  a strong distrust of each other.

C.  based on the need to change the laws of mountaineering brotherhood.

D. based on the need to produce the movie.

9.The main lesson learned from this story is

A.       never trust a friend.

B.        trust yourself when no one else can help you.

C.        only climb where no crevasses are present.

D.       always sacrifice everything for a friend.

10.The title of the movie and book is "Touching the Void." This title refers to

A.       Yates’ sense of loss when his friend falls into the crevasse.

B.        the mountaineering community’s condemnation of Yates’ action.

C.        the blizzard conditions on the mountain when the accident occurred.

D.       Simpson’s fall as he "touches" the empty space when falling into the crevasse.

11клас.

Читання.

TEXT 1: From «Pandora’s Box», Greek Myths and Legends, Literary Heritage Series.

Glossary: insatiable — ненаситний, жадібний

Pandora was modeled in the likeness of Aphrodite. She was carved out of white marble, her lips made of red rubies and her eyes of sapphires. Athena breathed life into her and dressed her in elegant garments. Aphrodite gave her jewels and fixed her mouth in a win­ning smile. Into the mind of this beautiful creature, Zeus put insatiable curiosity, and then he gave her a sealed box and told her never to open it.

She was brought down to earth and offered in marriage to Epimetheus, who lived among the mortals. Epimetheushad been warned never to accept a gift from Zeus, but he could not resist the beautiful woman. Thus Pandora came to live among mortals, and men came from near and far to stand awestruck by her wondrous beauty.

But Pandora was not perfectly happy, for she did not know what was in the box that Zeus had given her. It was not long before her curiosity got the better of her and she had to take a quick peek.

The moment she opened the lid, out swarmed Greed, Vanity, Slander, Envy, and all the mis­eries that had been unknown to mortals. Horrified, Pandora shut the lid, just in time to keep Hope from flying out too. Zeus had put Hope at the bottom of the box, and it would have quickly put an end to the unleashed evils. They stung and bit the mortals as Zeus had plan­ned, but their sufferings made them wicked instead of good, as Zeus had hoped. They lied, stole, and killed each other and became so evil that Zeus in disgust drowned them in a flood.

TEST 1. Write TRUE  if the statement is true and FALSE  if it is false.

1.      Pandora looked nothing like Aphrodite.

2.      Pandora’s curiosity could best be described as uncontrollable

3.      Zeus gave Pandora the box because he knew she would open it.

4.      Pandora lived with the gods.

5.      When men saw Pandora they were uninspired.

6.      «Curiosity got the better of her» means «Curiosity helped her.»

7.      A synonym of «to swarm» is «to fly together quickly.»

8.      Pandora knew that Hope was at the bottom of the box.

9.      Zeus' plan was destroyed because Pandora opened the box.

10.  The miseries in the box killed the mortals.

    ПИСЬМОВЕ МОВЛЕННЯ.

    Do you think all children should study art at school? How great is your interest in art? Do you think children should learn history of art? Do you think painting can really be worth a million of dollars? Do you have a favourite artist? What kind of art do you like – paintings, sculpture, ceramics, etc? How would the world be different without artists?

 Tasks for the 10th and 11th forms 

Text 1

Read the text below. Choose from (A-H) the one which best fits each of (1-6). There are two choices you do not need to use.

Best Teen Jobs Advice From Bill Gates

                                                                                                               By Sonja Mishek

Whether you love or hate Bill Gates...he sure hit the nail on the head when he recently gave a speech at a high school graduation.

Here Are 10 Job Advice Rules Your Teens Are NOT Learning in School:

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! Life is especially not fair at work. (1)_____.

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. Neither does your boss. (2)_____.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. Or become a vice president out of college. If you don't believe me, just ask any recent graduate.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Or obnoxious co-workers you're stuck working with 8 hours a day.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity. I think every teen should be required to work at a fast food restaurant. (3)_____.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault. So don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. (4)_____. And not make excuses for them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. (5)_____.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. There's no spring break either. You'll be lucky if you get 2 weeks of paid vacation.

Rule 10: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. (6)_____. No one does.

If you agree with these rules...pass it on. If you can read these rules...THANK  a teacher!

A The best thing you can do for your kids is let them make their own mistakes.

B He wants the job to get done - and done well.

C Your boss doesn't care if you were popular in high school.

D There's no extra credit at work if you screw something up.

E  They got that way from paying your bills, doing your laundry, and listening to you talk about how cool you are.

F  Some work harder than others for less pay...some work less for more pay.

G They'll learn the meaning of hard work and be motivated to further their education!

H And if you don't do your job - you'll be fired.

         Text 2

Read the text below. For questions (1-7) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Running Free

Barefoot Training

                                                                                                                   By Mike Ryan

In the world of running shoes, the trend has been toward more cushion, more support, more comfort. But, to a small group of running coaches and foot specialists, modern athletic shoes are doing to feet what plush living room sofas and TV remotes have been doing to people: making them lazy, physically underdeveloped and more prone to injuries.

A few years ago when Nike was looking for the next big advance in running shoe design, they asked some of the world’s most respected track and field coaches for advice. A common response must have made their heads spin a little: We don’t need any more shoes, we need fewer shoes, in fact, and maybe we need no shoe. Give us the bare human foot.

Legendary Stanford track coach Vin Lananna said, “I believe that athletes that have been training barefoot run faster and have fewer injuries. It’s just common sense.” Vin regularly put his athletes through their paces barefoot on the grass of the university’s practice golf course. Other coaches agree, and point to the foot/ankle strength and resistance to injury seen in African and Caribbean runners who have grown up playing and running barefoot much of the time.

So, the research and development team at Nike set out to make a shoe that acted like it wasn’t there; one that trained and worked the foot as nature intended. What’s the point, you may ask? Why not just train in your bare feet?

Well, that’s fine if you have a finely groomed golf course to run on, but most athletes train in the street, in the gym, on the track, or out on the trails. This still calls for a shoe that not only offers protection from glass and pebbles, but also from the strike of the foot on hard bruising surfaces.

The first step was to measure exactly what happened to the bare foot when it ran: what the contact areas were between the foot and the ground, how the ankle and toes moved. Once they collected the data, the next step was to create a shoe that could reproduce the natural foot movement. The design team, led by Toby Hatfield and Eric Evar, struggled through innumerable concepts and finally came up with an entirely new kind of shoe. Deep slices in the sole, virtually no ankle support and room for the toes to spread out and move; all head-turning designs. Then it was off to testing again, to make sure the shoe really imitated barefoot running. There was a lot of “back to the drawing board” fine tuning but eventually the Nike Free was created and ready for real-world testing.

Earlier this year, in Germany at the University of Cologne the results of a season-long research study of university track athletes showed enhanced performance and speed by training in the Nike Free shoes. One key point is that Nike Free is a “training shoe,” and Nike Free and barefoot training are tools to make you stronger.

1  The author compares sneakers with plush sofas and TV remotes to argue that modern athletic shoes may ______________ .

A bring harmful comfort

B support athlete’s feet

C cushion any blows

D protect against injuries

2  How did Nike designers’ react to the experts’ advice?

A They were enthusiastic.

B They were confused.

C They were skeptical.

D They were set against.

3  According to Vin Lananna, which of the following explains the need for a shoe that could reproduce the barefoot movement?

A Training barefoot is just common sense.

B It was a request by the design team at Nike.

C The traditional sneaker design was on the way out.

D Training barefoot improves runners’ stamina.

4  Why cannot modern athletes just train in bare feet?

A They don’t see the point.

B They are used to shoes.

C They may get injured.

D They haven’t thought of it.

5  The word ‘head-turning’ (designs) in the text is closest in meaning to ‘_______’.

A attractive

B sophisticated

C breakthrough

D incredible

6  By mentioning “back to the drawing board” fine tuning” the author means that the Nike designers___.

A used the drawings of the previous models

B had to start the procedures all over again

C made a lot of drawings before fine tuning

D tested their new concept back and forth.

7  According to the text which of the following is true of the Nike Free model?

A It needs a finely-groomed track.

B It lacks real-world testing.

C It relieves stress from trainings.

D It boosts training efficiency.

     11 клас

                                                                                                       

Task 1

For questions 26-29, read the article and choose the best variant from A, B, C or D, according to the text of the article.

America’s oldest art?

Set within treacherously steep cliffs, and hidden away in the secluded valleys of northeast Brazil, is some of South America’s most significant and spectacular rock-art. Most of the art so far discovered from the ongoing excavations comes from the archeologically-important National Park of  the  Serra  da  Capivara  in  the  state  of  Piaui,  and  it  is  causing  quite  a  controversy.  What is the reason for the uproar?  The  art  is  being  dated  to  around  25,000  or  perhaps,  according  to  some archeologists, even 36,000 years ago. If correct, this is set to challenge the widely held view that the Americas were first colonized from the north, via the Bering Strait from eastern Siberia at around 10,000 BC, only moving down into Central and South America in the millennia thereafter.

Prior  to  the  designation  of  130,000  hectares  as  a  National  Park,  the  rock-art  sites  were difficult  to  get  to,  and  often  dangerous  to  enter.  In ancient times, this inaccessibility must have heightened the importance of the sites, and indeed of the people who painted on the rocks. Wild animals  and  human  figures  dominate  the  art,  and  are  incorporated  into  often-complex  scenes involving hunting, supernatural beings, fighting and dancing. The artists depicted the animals that roamed the local ancient brushwood forest. The large mammals are usually painted in groups and tend to be shown in a running stance, as though trying to escape from hunting parties. Processions – lines of human and animal figures – also appear of great importance to these ancient artists. Might such lines represent family units or groups of warriors? On a number of panels, rows of stylised figures,  some  numbering  up  to  30  individual  figures,  were  painted  using  the  natural  undulating contours  of  the  rock  surface,  so  evoking  the  contours  of  the  surrounding  landscape.  Other interesting, but very rare, occurrences are scenes that show small human figures holding on to and dancing around a tree, possibly involved in some form of a ritual dance.

Due to the favourable climatic conditions, the imagery on many panels is in a remarkable state of preservation. Despite this, however, there are serious conservation issues that affect their long-term survival. The chemical and mineral qualities of the rock on which the imagery is painted is fragile and on several panels it is unstable. As well as the secretion of sodium carbonate on the rock surface, complete panel sections have, over the ancient and recent past, broken away from the main rock surface.  These have then become buried and sealed into sometimes-ancient floor deposits.  Perversely,  this  form  of  natural  erosion  and  subsequent  deposition  has  assisted archeologists in dating several major rock-art sites. Of course, dating the art is extremely difficult given the non-existence of plant and animal remains that might be scientifically dated. However, there are a small number of sites in the Serra da Capivara that are giving up their secrets through good systematic excavation. Thus, at Toca do Boqueirao da Pedra Furada, rock-art researcher Niéde Guidon managed to obtain a number of chronological periods. At different levels of excavation, she located  fallen  painted  rock  fragments,  which  she  was  able  to  date  to  at  least  36,000  years  ago.

Along with the painted fragments, crude stone tools were found. Also discovered were a series of scientifically  datable  sites  of  fireplaces,  or  hearths,  the  earliest  dated  to  46,000  BC,  arguably  the oldest dates for human habitation in the Americas.

However, these conclusions are not without controversy.  Critics,  mainly  from  North America,  have  suggested  that  the  hearths  may  in  fact  be  a  natural  phenomenon,  the  result  of seasonal brushwood fires. Several North American researchers have gone further and suggested that the rock-art from this site dates from no earlier than about 3,730 years ago, based on the results of limited radiocarbon dating. Adding further fuel to the general debate is the fact that the artists in the area of the National Park tended not to draw over old motifs (as often occurs with rock-art), which makes it hard to work out the relative chronology of the images or styles. However, the diversity of imagery and the narrative the paintings create from each of the many sites within the National Park suggests  different  artists  were  probably  making  their  art  at  different  times,  and  potentially  using each site over many thousands of years.

With fierce debates thus ranging over the dating, where these artists originate from, is also still very much open to speculation. The traditional view ignores all the early dating evidence from the South American rock-art sites.  In  a  revised  scenario,  some  paleo-anthropologists  are  now suggesting  that  modern  humans  may  have  migrated  from  Africa  using  the  strong  currents  of  the Atlantic  Ocean  some  60,000  years  or  more  ago,  while  others  suggest  a  more  improbable colonization coming from the Pacific Ocean. Yet, while either hypothesis is plausible, there is still no  supporting  archaeological  evidence  between  the  South  American  coastline  and  the  interior.

Rather, it seems possible that there were a number of waves of human colonization of the Americas occurring possibly over a 60,000 – 100,000 years period, probably using the Bering Strait as a land bridge to cross into the Americas.

Despite  the  compelling  evidence  from  South  America,  it  stands  alone:  the  earliest  secure human evidence yet found in the state of Oregon in North America only dates to 12,300 years BC.

So this is a fierce debate that is likely to go on for many more years. However, the splendid rock-art and its allied archaeology of northeast Brazil, described here, is playing a huge and significant role in the discussion.

26. The question mark at the end of the title is used to emphasise that

A the figures of wild animals and human beings cannot be called ‘art’ in the modern sense of the word.

B South and North Americas are competing for having been populated earlier in the history of mankind.

C the time when the rock-art was created has not yet been determined with compelling evidence.

D critics from North America claim that some oldest findings such as hearths may in fact be a natural phenomenon.

27. According to the first paragraph, the rock-art in Serra da Capivara may revolutionise accepted ideas about

A the way primitive people lived in North America.

B the date when the earliest people arrived in South America.

C the origin of the people who crossed the Bering Strait.

D the variety of cultures which developed in South America.

28. How did the ancient artists use the form of the rock where they painted?

A To mimic the shape of the countryside nearby.

B To emphasise the shape of different animals.

C To give added light and shade to their paintings.

D To give the impression of distance in complex works.

29. What does the writer say is unusual about the rock-artists of Serra da Capivara?

A They had a very wide range of subject-matter.

B Their work often appears to be illustrating a story.

C They tended to use a variety of styles in one painting.

D They rarely made new paintings on top of old ones.

For questions 30-36 choose

A (YES)    if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

B (NO)    if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

C (NOT GIVEN)  if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

30. Archaeologists have completed their survey of the rock-art in Piaui.

31. The location of the rock-art suggests that the artists had a significant role in their society.

32. The paintings of animals show they were regarded as sacred by the ancient humans.

33. Some damage to paintings is most likely due to changes in the weather of the region.

34. The fact that some paintings were buried is useful to archaeologists.

35. The tools found near some paintings were probably used for hunting animals.

36. The North American researchers have confirmed Niéde Guidon’s dating of the paintings.

For questions 37-40 complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.

37. Materials derived from plants or animals 38. The discussions about the ancient hearths 39. Theories about where the first South Americans originated from 40. The findings of archaeologists in Oregon

A are giving rise to a great deal of debate among paleo-anthropologists. B do not support the earliest dates suggested for the arrival of people in America. C are absent from rock-art sites in the Serra da Capivara. D have not been accepted by academics outside America. E centre on whether or not they are actually man-made. F reflect the advances in scientific dating methods.

 

Task 3

For questions 16 – 25 fill in the gaps with the words, derived from the words on the right. Put the words in the correct grammar form. There is an example (0) for you.

It must be said that Dover was not 0. vastly improved by daylight,           VAST

but I liked it. I liked its small scale and cosy air, and the way 

everyone said ‘Good morning’, and ‘Hello’, and ‘Dreadful weather

– but it must 16 ______ up’, to each other, and the sense that this              BRIGHT

was just one more in a very long series of quiet, well-ordered, 

pleasantly 17 __________days. Nobody in the whole                                  EVENT

Dover would have any particular reasons to remember 21 March

1973, except for me and a 18 __________of children born that day.            HAND

I didn’t know how early one could decently begin asking for a

room in England, so I thought I would leave it till mid-morning.

With time on my hands, I made a thorough search for a guesthouse

that looked 19 ______ and quiet, friendly and not too costly,                     ATTRACT

and at the stroke of ten o’clock presented myself on the doorstep of

the one I had carefully selected, taking care not to 20 ________  the          COMPOSE

milk bottles.

It was a small hotel that was really a guesthouse. I don’t 

remember its name, but I well remember the 21 _________. She                 PROPRIETOR

showed me to a room, then gave me a tour of the facilities 

and 22 _______ the many complicated rules for residing there.                     LINE

Task 4

Read the text and complete the gaps (1–5) with the sentences (A–F). There is one extra sentence.

A   In keeping with these experiences, our sense of humour is more sophisticated.

B    This proves they must be somehow attached to the principle or person being ridiculed or put down in the joke.

C    It is hard to believe that you can find anything to laugh about in situations like that.

D   A lot of what goes on seems ridiculous and surprising, which strikes them as funny.

E    It is a fact of life that culture and community provide lots of stories for jokes.

F    It is a time of life when you lack confidence.

Why don’t we all laugh at the same things?

Experts say that several obvious differences in people affect what they find humorous. The most significant seems to be age.

Infants and children are constantly discovering the world around them. (1 _____ ). What’s funny to a toddler consists of short and simple concepts. Along with the ridiculous and the surprising, children – much to their parents’ disappointment – also appreciate jokes where cruelty is present and what we refer to as ‘toilet humour’. Psychologists claim that to children, dealing with bodily functions is simply another way of exploring their fascinating new environment.

The pre-teen and teenage years are, almost universally, tense and rebellious. Lots of adolescents and teens laugh at jokes that focus on sex, food, authority figures etc. (2 _____ ). So young people often use humour as a tool to protect themselves or to feel superior.

As we mature, both our physical bodies and our attitudes towards life and the world grow and change. Since there is a certain amount of intelligence involved in ‘getting’ a joke, our sense of humour becomes more developed as we learn more. By the time we have matured, we have experienced much of life, including tragedy and success. (3 _____ ). We laugh at other people and ourselves in shared common embarrassments. The adult sense of humour is usually characterised as more subtle, more tolerant and less judgmental about the differences in people. The things we find funny as a result of our age or developmental stage seem to be related to the stressful experiences we go through during this time. Basically, we laugh at the issues that stress us out.

Another factor that affects what we find funny is the culture or community from which we come. Have you ever laughed at a joke and realised that if you were from anywhere else in the world, it just wouldn’t be funny? (4 _____ ). There are economic, political and social issues that are easy to laugh about, but only the people living in that culture may understand it. For example, a joke from a small country might not have universal appeal because it would be so little understood. The big, influential, much-observed United States might be the exception to this rule. Thanks to media and movies, most people around the world know what is going on here. So jokes about a situation in the United States can be enjoyed pretty much across the globe.

When people say ‘that’s not funny’, the theorist Veatch says they mean either ‘It’s offensive’ or ‘So, what’s the point?’ Some people find a joke or situation offensive. (5 _____ ). So racist and sexist jokes are offensive to many people who feel strongly about fighting prejudice in the world. According to Veatch, when someone says, ‘So, what’s the point?’ it indicates the presence of a moral or emotional attachment or commitment to the joke’s ‘victim’.

Listening Comprehension Test for 11^th Form Students

I.        You will hear a lecture about different learning styles. On your answer sheet put T if the statement is true, F if it is false.

1    Learning styles are different approaches to or ways of learning

2    Visual learners need to feel the teacher’s body language and facial expressions to fully understand the content of a lesson. 

3    Visual learners should try to avoid visual obstructions.                                                            

4    Visual learners get more from a lesson if the teacher helps each of them individually.                        

5    Auditory learners will find it difficult to understand a text unless they listen to it being played                

very loudly.

6 Tactile learners can find it hard to focus on the task.                                                                            

7        If you want to benefit from your learning style, you need to make use of different styles.                  

8        Painting exhibitions, texts with pictures, film presentations are useful to visual learners.                   

9        Auditory learners should use a tape recorder during lectures.                                                 

10    Tactile type of learners should take frequent breaks.           

II.                Listen again and match each piece of advice (1–10) with one learning style. There are some extra pieces of advice. Tick (✓) on your answers sheet.

Auditory

Tactile

Visual

Extra piece of advice

1

Tell a lot of stories

2

Buy an exercise bike

3

Go for colour

4

Think in terms of contrast

5

Get some chewing gum

6

Take time out to relax

7

Get some maps and charts

8

Avoid obstructions

9

Talk things through

10

Work at a standing position

                                                   

Tape script 11

Lecturer: Good morning, everyone. Today I will talk to you about different learning styles and how to adopt them. So, what are learning styles? Well, they are simply different approaches to or ways of learning. There are three major learning styles. We can differentiate between visual, aural or auditory and tactile learners: visual learners learn through seeing; aural or auditory learners learn through listening, and tactile learners learn through moving, doing and touching. Now let me describe the qualities of each of these types.

As I just mentioned, visual learners are those who learn through seeing. These learners need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expressions to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people’s heads). They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays, including diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, charts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.

Auditory learners learn through listening. They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to the tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.

Finally, there are tactile learners. They learn through touching, moving and doing. Tactile persons learn best through actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.

You may wonder then how you can make your learning style work for you. It’s not difficult. To help you cope with your learning, it is important to identify your learning style. Once you have figured out the way you learn, you will need to use specific strategies to fit into your way of learning. Let me briefly talk about some more practical suggestions pertaining to each learning style.

For example, if you are a visual learner, you could use a highlighter when reading a text book. The bright colour would appeal to your artistic sense and help you concentrate on the reading. You could also use visual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc., use multi-media (e.g. computers, videos and filmstrips) or read illustrated books. In the classroom, it is a good idea to have a clear view of your teachers when they are speaking so you can see their body language and facial expression and take notes or ask your teacher to provide hand-outs. While studying, I advise you to illustrate your ideas as a picture before writing them down, visualise information as a picture to aid memorisation and finally study in a quiet place away from noise.

Auditory learners should participate in class discussions/debates, make speeches and presentations, use a tape recorder during lectures instead of taking notes and read text out aloud.

To help memorise things they could create musical jingles. A good idea would be to discuss their ideas and use analogies and storytelling to demonstrate their point.

If you are a tactile type of learner, you should move around to learn new things (e.g. read while on an exercise bike) and work at a standing position. While studying, you should take frequent breaks, but if you wish you could listen to music or chew gum. It would be a good thing to dress up your work space with posters.

Read the text and answer questions 20-30 below by marking letters A, B, C or D.

The Battle of Gettysburg

1.      In June 1863, a Confederate army under the command of General Lee encountered a Union army commanded by General Meade near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The ensuing battle, which lasted three days, is considered the most important single engagement of the American Civil War in that it effectually ended the Confederates’ last major invasion of the North. Once the Southern Confederate army’s offensive strategy was destroyed at Gettysburg, the Southern states were forced to fight a defensive war in which their weaker manufacturing capacity and transportation infrastructure led ultimately to defeat.

2.      General Lee had ordered his Confederate army to invade the northern state of Pennsylvania in the hope of enticing the Union army into a vulnerable position. The strategy was also aimed at increasing the war weariness of the North and ultimately at leading Abraham Lincoln’s government into concluding a peace deal and recognizing the independence of the Confederate South.

3.      On the morning of July 1, the battle opened with Confederate troops attacking a Union cavalry division to the west of Gettysburg at McPherson Ridge. The Union forces were outnumbered but managed to hold their positions initially. Reinforcements came to both sides, but eventually the Union forces were overpowered and were driven back to the south of Gettysburg. Thousands of their soldiers were captured in this retreat. During the night the bulk of the Union army arrived and the troops labored to create strong defensive positions along Cemetery Ridge, a long rise of land running southward from outside the town, and on two hills just to the north and east of this crest. When it was fully assembled, the whole Union army formed a defensive arc resembling a fishhook. The Confederate forces, about one mile distant, faced the Union positions from the west and north in a larger concave arc.

4.      Throughout July 2 Lee’s forces attacked both Union flanks, leaving thousands of dead on both sides. To the south the Confederates overran the Union’s advance lines, but they failed to dislodge the Union forces from their main positions. A strategically important hill on the Union army’s left flank known as Little Round Top was stormed by the Confederates, but Meade’s forces fought a skillful defensive battle and the attacks were unsuccessful. There was a devastating number of casualties on both sides.

5.      On the third day of battle, General Lee decided to concentrate his attack on the center of the Union forces ranged along Cemetery Ridge.    _A_    He reasoned, against the advice of others in his senior staff, that since the Union forces had reinforced both their flanks, their central defensive positions would be weaker and easier to overrun.    _B_    As a prelude to the attack, the Confederate artillery bombarded the ridge for two hours, but inflicted less damage than they had expected, due to poor visibility.    _C_    When the bombardment ceased, a Confederate infantry force of about 13,000 men charged courageously across the open land towards the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge about a mile away.    _D_    This attack, now known as Pickett’s Charge after the general whose division led it, failed in its objective to break the Union line.

6.      With the failure of Pickett’s Charge, the battle was essentially over and Lee’s retreat began the following day. His exhausted army staggered toward safer territory in the South, leaving behind a scene of terrible devastation. Both sides had suffered excessive losses of men, but the Union had succeeded in preventing the Confederates from invading the North. So Gettysburg proved to be a decisive turning point in the Civil War and was celebrated as the biggest Union victory of the war.

20.    In paragraph 1, the author suggests that the Confederates lost the Civil War largely because their:

A       leaders were ineffective

B       industrial capacity was weaker

C       soldiers were unprofessional

D       strategy was poorly planned

21.    Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the following sentence? General Lee had ordered the Confederate army to invade the northern state of Pennsylvania in the hope of enticing the Union army into a vulnerable position.

A General Lee tried to lure his soldiers into invading the North in order to defeat the Union army.

B The Union army was in danger of an invasion by General Lee’s army due to its location in Pennsylvania.

C     In the hope of luring the Union army into an exposed situation, General Lee’s forces marched into Pennsylvania.

D The state of Pennsylvania was a suitable location for drawing out the Union army into a dangerous situation.

22.    What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the North’s attitude about the war?

A       It was angry at the loss of freedoms.

B       It was keen on continuing the war.

C       It was keen on independence.

D       It was tired of waging war.

23.    We can infer from the text that, at Gettysburg, the Union army largely played which kind of strategy?

A       An offensive strategy

B       A strategy of hit and run

C       A defensive strategy

D       A strategy of wait and see

24.    The phrase “this crest” in paragraph 3 refers to

A       the Confederate forces

B       Cemetery Ridge

C       Union army reinforcements

D       the town of Gettysburg

25.    Why does the author say the positions of the Union army resembled a fishhook?

A       To give the reader a mental picture of the troops’ positions

B       To explain the appearance of the sharp pointed hooks used as weapons

C       To suggest that taking a fishhook formation is a good tactic in war

D       To imply that the ridge had a curved shape like that of a fishhook

26.    The word “devastating” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

A       important

B       desperate

C       decisive

D       ruinous

27.    All the following are implied in paragraph 5 as contributing to the failure of Pickett’s Charge EXCEPT

A       General Lee’s refusal to listen to his generals’ opinion

B       the Confederate artillery’s failure to cause much damage

C       the Union’s center being stronger than anticipated

D       the Confederate infantry not performing at full strength

28.      Look at the four gaps A, B, C and D in paragraph 5 that indicate where the following        sentence could be added to the paragraph to fit it best:

They were subjected to heavy artillery and rifle fire and sustained a huge number of casualties.

29.    According to the text the battle of Gettysburg ended with

A       Lee signing a document of surrender

B       the Southern territories becoming much safer

C       Lee’s army devastating the countryside in their retreat

D       a high death toll for both the Union and the Confederates

30.    According to the text why was the battle of Gettysburg so decisive?

A       The Confederates lost so many troops.

B       It created war weariness on both sides.

C       The Confederates failed to capture Northern territory.

D       The Union troops gained confidence.

Listening Comprehension Test for 10^th Form Students

Directions:

In this Test you will carefully listen to a text read aloud twice. The text is followed by 20 tasks. You should do tasks 1 through 10 following the first reading of the text on the basis of what is stated or implied in the text. The text will be read a second time and you should do tasks 11 through 20 following the second reading of the text on the basis of what is stated or implied in the text. For each task you will choose from four possible answers (A, B, C, or D), or from two letters (T, F) as specified prior to each task. Choose the best answer and mark the letter of your choice on the Answer Sheet.

Glossary:   rupture: to break or to burst

Questions 1 through 10 (on your answer sheet put ‘T’ if the statement is true, ‘F’ if it is false).

1.  Harry Houdini was a master of transformation.

2.  Houdini sat for a portrait.

3.  The sketch was done by a professional painter from the academy.

4.  Houdini expected the following blow from one of his visitors.

5.  Joselyn Gordon came to Houdini to check whether Harry could stand any punch to the belly.

6.  Houdini died on the same day after the fatal punch.

7.  Houdini immediately sent for a doctor after the punch.

8.  Houdini felt feverish and weak during his performance.

9.  He died in 1926 and was buried in the family plot in LA.

10.           It was not discovered that he had suffered a ruptured appendix.

Questions 11 through 20 (on your answer sheet circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D).

11. This passage deals mainly with:

A.      the quality of medicine in the 1920s.

B.      Houdini’s final days.

C.       the death of a famous magician.

D.      student’s carelessness.

12. The McGill University student visited Houdini a second time because he:

A. wanted an autograph.

B.  wanted to bring a friend.

C. wanted to make a sketch.

D. had been invited.

13. Harry Houdini died of:

A.      a complication from a broken ankle.

B.      a ruptured appendix.

C.      peritonitis, an inflammation of the intestine.

D.      a breakdown during a performance.

14. Houdini died in:

A.      5 days after the punch.

B.      7 days after the punch.

C.      9 days after the punch.

D.      11 days after the punch.

15. After he broke down on the stage he:

A.      was immediately hospitalized.

B.      was given a medical examination.

C.      refused from being examined.

D.      left the stage.

16. Houdini:

A.      did not notice any immediate problem after the incident.

B.      started to tell the boys that the success lied in his well-trained abdominal muscles.

C.      did not want to continue the conversation with boys after the punch.

D. felt feverish that evening.

17. When Houdini found out about his illness he:

A. refused to take  part in the show for about a week.

B. decided to spend the following days resting.

C. asked the helper to find that boxer to talk to him.

D. fought the inevitable for about a week.

18. The dangerous thing about the punch was:

A. its great force.

B. its unexpectedness.

C. the fact that the boxer struck his belly.

D. the fact that Houdini could never withstand the punch to the belly.

19. At that time peritonitis was always fatal because:

A.   there were no drugs to cure it.

B.    it was hard to diagnose it.

C.   it usually broke out suddenly.

D.   there were no specialists to diagnose it.

20. Houdini:

A.     prepared himself for a punch.

B.      was not expecting his guest to strike him.

C.     was glad to help the amateur boxer to check the information he had heard.

D.     received one blow.

Tape Script

His Final Escape

Many accounts have circulated concerning the death of this renowned magician and escape artist. The true story is an interesting but tragic one.

Houdini suffered an ankle injury in October of 1926. On the twenty - second day of that fateful month, he was relaxing in his dressing room at the Princess Theatre in Montreal, the injured foot stretched out before him, when he was visited by a young student from McGill University. The student had previously done a sketch of Houdini, and, having been invited to meet him again, decided to bring two of his friends along. One of them, an amateur boxer named Joselyn Gordon Whitehead, asked Houdini whether he could truly withstand any punch to the belly without flinching, as he had once asserted. Houdini apparently nodded somewhat absent-mindedly, not expecting what followed. Whitehead leaned down and struck him in the abdomen with great force. It is uncertain how many blows were delivered. Houdini gasped and explained that it was necessary to tighten the abdominal muscles before being struck.

Houdini did not notice any immediate problem after this incident, but during his performance on the following Saturday he felt feverish and weak. He broke down on stage the next Monday, and was immediately given a medical examination. It was discovered that he had suffered a ruptured appendix. Worse, peritonitis, an inflammation of the intestine, had set in. At that time the disease was always fatal, since drugs to combat it had not yet been developed. Although he fought the inevitable, in typical Houdini fashion, for about a week, he finally died on October 31, 1926. He was buried in the family plot in a cemetery in Queens, New York.