PREPARING FOR EXAMS

Communication for Understanding

(International Youth Contacts)

A – базовый уровень
B – повышенный уровень

 I. READING

 (A) 1. Read the text and the missing sentences A–F below. Choose from the sentences the one which fits each gap (1–5). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. Put your answers into the table below.

 Myths and Reality

 Ten students from a Moscow school took part in an exchange programme. They spent three weeks in the United States in a small town, Fairfax, which is not far from Washington, D.C. Russian pupils attended classes in Fairfax High School; so they had the perfect opportunity to lead the lifestyle of typical American teenagers. Naturally all our students had their own image of the USA before the visit. (1) ________.
Russian students were shocked when they saw Fairfax School. (2)_________ But at school students are not allowed to wear hats; they also have to stay at school from 7.30 a.m. when the lessons start, till 2 p.m. They are not even allowed to leave school if they are sick.
Many Russians suppose that American people don’t speak any language except English, but it is not really true. (3) ________ Many students take some other language as an option.
Another unexpected realization was that some Americans go to school every Saturday. What is more, after the events of September 11, the school day starts with the prayer “Thank God for our nation…”.
And one more thing that struck them as unusual: some schools now have metal detectors and security guards checking students’ backpacks and lockers. Students and teachers practice what they must do if someone attacks them with a gun. They have to go to a classroom and lock the door.
In the past 5 years there has been a large increase in the number of school shootings in the USA. (4) _________ There is no simple answer to this question. There may be several causes: bullying, violent video games and films, and the absence of stricter gun control laws.
(5) __________ In the USA, social support for the poor and homeless is very well developed. And many people work in such services because they want to help people.

A. Most of them thought that Americans have much more independence.
B. If you think that all American people are selfish and just want to make profit, you are not right.
C. You can only notice the bad side of the lifestyle.
D. But some of the stereotypes were broken.
E. For example, Spanish is an obligatory subject at some schools.
F. What are the causes of this new danger?

option предмет выбора
obligatory обязательный

(B) 2. Read the newspaper texts, decide where they come from and match each of the headlines A–D to one of the texts 1–3. One heading is extra. Put your answers into the table below.

1) Before their first visit to Moscow, students and teachers of Elkhorn High School maintained communication through e-mail. The goal of the exchange program was to introduce students and educators from Elkhorn to their counterparts in Moscow, so that Russian and American students could develop friendly relationships, learn about each other’s system of education, discover common interests, and become acquainted with the art, culture, history, and the traditions of both countries.

2) Text messaging is essential for most teens in
Britain. But for many schools, mobile phones are a pain. They cause problems in lessons and are a target for thieves. Some schools ban mobile phones, whilst others fine the owners of phones that ring or bleep during lessons. “Nice teachers just ask you to turn the phone off. But some teachers are really strict. They might take your phone away,” says Luke, 16.

3) Ireland has a very old tradition in the field of education and is an ideal place to improve one’s English. The quality of teaching can only be compared with the quality of education in the British schools. Don’t forget, English is the mother tongue for most Irish. However, Irish accommodations, despite their good quality, are cheaper than the British.

A. School Near Cambridge Reported the First Case of Text-bullying Last Week
B. Russian-American Cultural Exchange
C. Ireland: Summer Vacations
D. Education in Ireland

Text	1	2	3
Heading

(extract 1)

1) to continue
2) an aim or objective

(extract 2)

3) important
4) a goal
5) to say that someone cannot do something
6) to pay money when you’ve done something against the rules
7) to emit a sharp, short sound

(extract 3)

8) a place to stay away from home
9) in spite of

II. LISTERNING

You will hear four teenagers sharing their impressions of visiting different countries and studying abroad.

(A) 1. For impressions 1–4, choose and circle the best answer A, B or C. Put your answers into the table.

Speaker 1. When I asked Eugene about her impression of visiting America, she said she had been impressed by the beauty and height of the buildings in San Francisco, by the historical part in Philadelphia, and everything in Washington D.C.

Speaker 2. The most touching occasion during our studying in an American school was the celebration of the 8th of March organized by American teachers especially for the Russian girls who were members of the group. The Americans did their best to keep the best Russian traditions of celebrating this nice holiday: they presented the Russian students and teachers with toys and roses and prepared a lot of surprises.

Speaker 3. It so happened that we spent a whole academic year studying in an American school. There was a police lady who worked at school on a permanent basis. She was responsible for discipline. She used to repeat the same aphoristic phrase: “This is a free country; but we have
rules.”

Speaker 4. What did we do yesterday? The day was very interesting. Early in the morning we visited Viking’s Adventure. It was like travelling through time. We went walking along the narrow streets of the Viking town, we chatted with locals, and observed their daily work. Our last stop was the Dublin Writers’ Museum. We always wondered how it happened that such a small country gave the world so many glorious names: Swift, Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and James Joyce…

1. Eugene said that she had been impressed by everything in...

A. San Francisco.
B. Washington, D.C.
C. Philadelphia.

2. The celebration of the 8th of Mach was organized by...

A. the American teachers for the Russian girls.
B. the Russian students for the American teachers.
C. the Russian students for the Russian teachers.

3. The police lady used to repeat the same phrase:

A. “I’m responsible for discipline.”
B. “This is a free country; but we have rules.”
C. “This is a free country; but we have laws.”

4. The teens were on their trip to...

A. England
B. Scotland
C. Ireland

(B) 2. Choose from A–E a statement that describes each speaker in the listening section. Use letters only once. There is an extra letter which you do not need to use. Put your answers into the table.

A. I am grateful to the Americans for celebrating this nice holiday.
B. I was impressed by everything in America.
C. A small country gave the world so many glorious names.
D. Historical part in Philadelphia was especially interesting.
E. That police lady worked at school on a permanent basis.

III. VOCABULARY

(A) 1. Complete this table.

(B) 2. Complete these sentences using the correct form of one of the words from the table.

1. A dose of cultural exchange helps _____ world’s peace.
2. Do you know that_______ in England are more expensive than in Ireland?
3. Oxford University Press ______ already several of her novels.
4. This train _______ with the other at Birmingham.
5. They _______ the results of an election yesterday.
6. He ______ into the Cabinet two months ago.
7. They _______ this crime since April.
8. Have they drawn a _______ yet?

IV. USE OF ENGLISH

(B) Read the text. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.

fastness крепость

An English-speaking World

V. GRAMMAR

(A) Future Forms (Future Simple, going to, Present Continuous, Present Simple)

(A) 1. Complete these sentences using the correct future form of the verbs in brackets. There may be more than one possibility.

1. I expect they _________(to stay) with their friends.
2. Do you promise to phone me? Don’t worry. I _________(to phone) you as soon as I _________(to get) there.
3. – Why you_________(to turn on) TV?
– I _________(to watch) a quiz.
4. Look at the timetable! When we _______(arrive) in London?
5. You ________(to fail) the exam if you ________(not to study) more.
6. Look at that skateboarder! He _________(to fall).
7. They say the weather _______(to get) better in a couple of days.

VI. PHRASAL VERBS WITH "LOOK"

(A) 1. Match the phrasal verbs in list A with their meanings in list B.

(A) 2. Complete these sentences using the correct form of one of the verbs from list A above.

1) __________in the forest. You can lose your way in the dark.
2) Could you__________ the information on their website?
3) I ______ (just) these newspapers. There is nothing interesting.
4) The police should_______ this crime.
5) This car is rather old. _________it_________ carefully before you decide to buy it.

VII. WRITING

(C1) 1. This is a postcard that your friend Mark Bignold sent you from Guilford. Read it and answer him. Don’t forget to thank him for his seasonal greetings and presents. He lives in Guilford, at 29 Weybrook Drive, GU1 1EZ

(East 17: an English pop group from East End, London)

TEST

(A) 1. For questions 1–7, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.

Would You Like to Take Part in Exchange Programmes?

If you (1)__________ part in an exchange programme you (2)_________ in a new country and learn about (3)_________ different culture. Every day you will learn (4)_________ new about the culture you are living in, about the language you are (5)__________, about people, art, music, literature, religion, trade, politics – and about yourself. If you take part in a month or a semester programme, you will also attend school where you will make friends and learn what life is (6)_______ for teens in another country. No (7)_________ what you do or where you go, you will learn from your host family, friends and teachers. You will learn new ways to deal with people and to make friends. You will enhance your chances of getting into the college of your choice and widen your scope of career opportunities.

1. A. will take
B. take
C. taking
D. would take

2. A. are living
B. will live
C. lived
D. would live

3.A. –
B. a
C. the
D. any

4. A. everything
B. anything
C. something
D. most

5.  A. talking
B. telling
C. saying
D. speaking

6. A. like
B. round
6. A. like C. around
D. about

7.A. matter
B. care
C. case
D. reason

(A) 2. Complete these sentences by using the correct word from the box. There is an extra word which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0). Check your answers. Does the completed text make sense?

Oxford Words

(A) 3. Read the completed text again and decide if these statements are true or false.

1. You have learnt about two special Oxford words.
2. You have learnt about two special Cambridge words.
3. The Oxford English Dictionary defines more than 1,500,000 words.
4. “Bulldog” is the name given to University fast runners.
5. “Punt” is a word used in both Oxford and Cambridge.

(C3) 4. Give a 2 minute talk why you would like to take part in exchange programmes. Exercise 1 will help you.

Begin with:

I think that living in a new country and learning about a different culture sounds like a kind of challenge.

KEYS:

I. Reading

1. 1. D; 2. A; 3. E; 4. F; 5. B
2. 1. B; 2. A; 3. D
3. 1. to maintain; 2. a goal; 3. essential; 4. a target; 5. to ban; 6. to fine; 7. to bleep; 8. accommodation; 9. despite

II. Listening

1. 1. B; 2. A; 3. B; 4. C
2. 1. D; 2. A; 3. E; 4. C

III. Vocabulary

1.

2. 1. promote; 2. accommodations; 3. has already published;4. connects; 5. declared; 6. was introduced; 7. have been investigating; 8. conclusion

IV. Use of English

1. wonderful; 2. nearly; 3. exist; 4. beginning; 5. European; 6. fifth; 7. began; 8. fastnesses; 9. their; 10. later; 11. people; 12. existing; 13. Chinese; 14. speakers; 15. people; 16. spelling; 17. words; 18. different; 19. phrasal; 20. truly; 21. scientific; 22. entirely; 23. used; 24. more; 25. are; 26. commonly

V. Grammar

1. 1. will stay; 2. will phone, get; 3. are you turning on, I am going to; 4. do we arrive; 5. are going to fail/will fail, don’t study; 6. is going to fall; 7. will get/is going to get

VI. Phrasal Verbs with “Look”.

1. 1. d; 2. f; 3. a; 4. b; 5. c; 6. e; 7. g
2. 1. look out; 2. look up; 3. have just looked through; 4. look into; 5. look it over

VII. Writing

Sample

TEST

1. B (take); 2. B (will live); 3. B (a); 4. C (something); 5. D (speaking); 6. A (like); 7. (A) matter

2. 1. everywhere; 2. published; 3. half; 4. volumes; 5. special; 6. given; 7. wear; 8. at night; 9. runners; 10. used; 11. both; 12. boat; 13. moved; 14. long

3. 1. T; 2. F; 3. F; 4. F; 5. T

By Youdif Boyarskaya, Moscow, School No. 814