Задания для 9-11 классов по английскому языку

Reading Comprehension

Part 1
You are going to read a magazine article about the planets of the solar system. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (1-7) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.

A Too hot for life.
В A place of contrasts.
С Red for danger.
D Gases in turmoil.
E A treat for the amateur.
F A distant wanderer.
G An unseen influence.
H Fact and fiction.

A family of worlds

1. The solar system is a family of worlds. Nearest to the sun is Mercury, a place where the day is hot enough to melt some metals and the night sufficiently cold to make a rubber ball as brittle as glass. The planet has no atmosphere to scatter light so the sun glares down from a pitch black sky.

2. Venus, on the contrary, has an atmosphere so thick that no one on its surface could ever see the sun. Though the sun is concealed, its energy reaches the planet’s surface, turning it into a baking desert where nothing can live.

3. Beyond the earth and its moon we come to the planet Mars. Its famous redness is due to oxidization — a sort of rusting process that has taken place over millions of to years. According to a now discredited theory, intelligent creatures on Mars have dug canals to harness the small amounts of water released when the planet’s polar ice¬caps melt in the Martian spring.

4. Jupiter is a giant ice-ball surrounded by an atmosphere of poisonous gases. It is an atmosphere full of storms and turmoil. The biggest storm of all — visible in the form 15 of the Great Red Spot — has lasted for over 200 years and shows no sign of dying away.

5. Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are giant stepping stones leading us into the unseen coldness of outer space. Saturn is the most distinctive planet of the three, since it has the famous rings which almost everyone has heard about. They form a halo 20 round its equator and no one knows quite how they were formed. A spectacular sight when observed through a powerful telescope, they can also be seen and enjoyed with a simple pair of binoculars.

6. Beyond Neptune orbits little Pluto. Too small and too far from the sun to receive much light, it reflects so little that it tells us very little indeed about itself. Its orbit 25 sometimes brings it nearer to the sun than Neptune; at other times it swings out into the blackness of space as if it never means to return.

7. Could there be another planet even further away than Pluto? There are clues that the answer to this may be yes. A mysterious gravitational pull is disturbing the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, suggesting that an unseen world awaits discovery.

Keys:

1    B
2    A
3    H
4    D
5    E
6    F
7    G

Part 2
You are going to read an extract from an autobiography. For questions 8-15, choose the answer (А, В, С or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

The warden led us in single file along a narrow line of paving slabs that ran past the huts. Every so often, four steps led to a front door. We could hear people inside, shouting at children.
‘The overcrowding has to be believed,’ he said as he shook his head forlornly.
We squeezed to one side as a sullen woman passed us, carrying a bucket of coal. She had the look of someone who was old before her time.
The warden went up the last set of steps, opened the door with a jangling bunch of keys, took one off the ring and handed it to me.
‘There you are. Home Sweet Home. There’s a bath in that hut by the trees; get the Ю key from me when you want one,’ he said, and he came down the steps, leaving us room to go up. ‘I hope you can make a go of it,’ he said. ‘At least we’ve got you a bit of furniture.’
We walked into a square ‘cell’ with a table and two chairs and a two-seater settee. No two of anything were the same; it all looked like furniture from a charity shop, which is I suppose it was. There was a double hotplate on top of a low cupboard, and a dead black stove against the back wall with a scuttle beside it containing a few lumps of fuel. The adjoining ‘cell’ had a double bed with a pink plastic mattress cover, glistening like wet salmon. There was a cupboard that hung open because the door catch had gone. Inside the cupboard were two meagre blankets.
The bedroom was freezing. I struggled to shut the top flap of the window, but it was jammed open by rust. There were bits of yellowing sellotape all round the wall near it, where previous inmates had tried to block the draught with cardboard.
I sat on the bed with my head in my hands, wondering how long we would have to spend here before we found a real home, and noticing, as I glanced sideways into 25 the front room, that a thin film of dust was blowing under the front door.
We took the plastic cover off the mattress because it looked worse than the stains underneath. The blankets smelled, but we had to keep warm somehow.
We had been in this place exactly a week when, on returning in the evening, we went up to our front door and heard children’s voices and a transistor radio. We peered 30 round the door at a jumble of people and things and colours. The people turned round and we all looked at each other. The muddle resolved itself into a huge woman and a little man, and two small children. They had a lot of stuff, mostly carrier bags and laundry bags with clothes spilling out, and a couple of buckets full of kitchen equipment which we’d have been glad to have ourselves.
They didn’t want to share with us any more than we did with them, but that’s what the warden had told them to do. We argued about it, though it seemed ridiculous to quarrel over accommodation which none of us really wanted anyway.

8.    The place is
A  a prison.
В  a hostel for the homeless.
С  a holiday camp.
D  old people’s bungalows.

9.    The warden seems to think that the couple’s accommodation is
A  cosy.
В  unpleasant.
С  spacious enough.
D  well furnished.

10.    The main reason the author feels cold in the bedroom is that
A  there isn’t enough fuel for the stove.
В  the window lets in a lot of draught.
С  there aren’t enough blankets.
D  the door lets in a lot of draught.

11.    The main thing the author notices about the furniture is that
A  it looks or smells dirty.
В  most of it is in poor condition.
С  it is very cheap.
D  nothing matches anything else.

12.    The author feels
A  unhappy.
В  optimistic.
С  determined to make the best of the situation.
D  angry.

13.    Taking the plastic cover off the mattress
A  releases the smell of the blankets.
В  improves the appearance of the bed.
С  helps the couple to keep warm.
D  makes the bed look worse.

14.    The couple’s first feeling when they return home to find other people there is
A  confusion and bewilderment.
В  anger.
С  fear.
D  envy of all their kitchen equipment.

15.    The four other people are in the accommodation
A  by mistake.
В  because they have been told to share their kitchen equipment.
С  because they have been told to share the accommodation.
D  because a week is up and it is their turn to live there.

Keys

8    B
9    B
10    B
11    D
12    A
13    B
14    A
15    C

Use of English

Task 1
For questions 16-30, read the text below and decide which word А, В, С or D best fits each space.

Putting things right

We all make mistakes. Our company is no exception, and on rare occasions our customers have cause for (16) ……………We pride ourselves on our quick, efficient
and courteous way (17) …………..putting things right.
Please start by having a (18)…………..with Mark, our Customer Satisfaction Officer.
There’s every (19)…………..that he can resolve your (20) …………… to your complete satisfaction. If goods are (21)………….., he can arrange an immediate refund or replacement and can (22) ………….. send a van to your premises to (23)…………..and replace any bulky item.
Our Managing Director, Mr. Fergusson, is also (24)…………..by appointment and, if
you are still (25)…………..with any (26)…………..of our service, we hope you will
have no hesitation in (27)…………..him and letting us know how we might
(28)…………..our service in future. Our board of directors considers customers’
suggestions when they meet each month, and most are (29) …………… .
All this means that our customers are our first (30) …………. — in fact our most
important partners in business!

Keys

16        B
17        B
18        A
19        C
20        D
21        C
22        D
23        A
24        C
25        A
26        C
27        B
28        D
29        B
30        A
Task 2

For questions 31-45, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.

The blue cheese mystery

How do we choose the signs and symbols we use each day? We use green to say go and red to say stop, but just (31) …………..if traffic lights were purple and pink.
They’d work just the same, so why have we fixed on red (32)…………..the colour of warning signals and things like that?
Of course, when (33)…………..comes to fashions humans vary their choice of
colour quite freely One year, blue will be a popular colour for home decoration
while (34)…………..year pink will be all (35)…………..rage. Colours for cars change
from year to year too.
In (36)…………..of all this variation there are one or two psychological facts that
(37)…………..change. For example, humans perceive things that are yellow or red
as being nearer (38)…………..things of any other colour. This is important in road
safety terms. It means that motorists (39)…………..an oncoming red or yellow car
(40)…………..extra caution. Whereas they might try to overtake (41) …………..a
blue car’s path, they will wait (42)…………..the oncoming car is one of those danger colours — red or yellow.
And even (43)…………..blue is a popular colour in the home, one (44)…………..
ever sees a blue kitchen. It’s just (45) ………….. off-putting in the context of food. So why do people eat blue cheese? I just don’t know!

Keys

16        imagine
17        as
18        it
19        another
20        the
21        spite
22        never/don’t
23        than
24        treat
25        with
26        in
27        if
28        when/though/if
29        hardly
30        so

Task 3
For questions 46-55, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

46. The firemen had to break the door down.
necessary
It…………………………………………….to break the door down.
47. I’ve never eaten walnuts before.
time
It’s…………………………………………….eaten walnuts.
48. Tom was definitely first in the queue.
doubt
There’s…………………………………………….first in the queue.
49. Mary knows a lot of people in France.
acquaintances
Mary…………………………………………….in France.
50. Anthony travelled to Spain.
journey
Anthony…………………………………………….to Spain.
51. The books were so dear that I couldn’t afford them.
expensive
The books were…………………………………………….to buy.
52. I couldn’t bear the noise any longer.
put
I couldn’t…………………………………………….the noise any longer.
53. I told John to bring his problems to me.
come
I told John…………………………………………….his problems.
54. I slowed down at the traffic lights.
speed
I …………………………………………………… at the traffic lights.
55. I couldn’t understand what I was reading.
sense
I couldn’t …………………………………………. what I was reading.

Keys

46        was necessary for the fireman
47        the first time I’ve ever
48        no doubt (that) Tom was
49        has a lot of/many acquaintances
50        made a journey/went on a journey
51        too expensive for me
52        put up with
53        to come to me
54        reduced my speed
55        make sense of

Writing

You work for an international company that often sends its employees to work in overseas branches. You have been asked to write an article for the in-house magazine on business customs in your country.

Write your article.

You should write 250 words.

Speaking

Student 1
Task 1

Look at the list below. Discuss some of the important achievements that have occurred in these areas and how they have influenced the world we live in. Then decide which achievement have offered the greatest benefit.

transportation        politics         medicine engineering

Task 2

Compare and contrast these photographs, saying what ambitions these people might have, what they might be doing to achieve their ambitions, and what problems they might be facing. You think the man is more likely to achieve his ambition.

Speaking

Student 2
Task 1

Look at the list below. Discuss some of the important achievements that have occurred in these areas and how they have influenced the world we live in. Then decide which achievement have offered the greatest benefit.
sport space exploration buildings science

Task 2

Compare and contrast these photographs, saying what ambitions these people might have, what they might be doing to achieve their ambitions, and what problems they might be facing. You think the boy is more likely to achieve his ambition.

Listening

Task 1
You will hear a radio interview with Philip Samson, a famous mountain bike racer.
For each question, put a tick (✓) in the correct box.

1. Why did Philip start riding mountain bikes?

A He was tired of doing other sports.
В He was keen to enter a competition.
С He was sure he had the skills for it.

2. Before Philip took part in the World Cup, his mother

A suggested he spent more time training.
В said he had no chances of winning.
С encouraged his fans to go and support him.

3. What does Philip like to do as soon as he finishes a race?

A give TV interviews
В chat with his fans
С sign autographs

4. Philip says that, compared to other racers, he

A works harder in the gym.
В trains on more difficult roads.
С has the best bike available

5. What does Philip say about mountain bike magazines?

A They have few articles about competitions.
В They sell more copies than they used to.
С They are mostly read by professional racers.

6. As well as racing, what is Philip planning to do?

A appear in a film
В publish a book
С advertise bikes

Keys 
1    B
2    B
3    C
4    A
5    A
6    C

Task 2
You will hear a travel agent talking on the radio about a holiday in Sri Lanka. For each question, fill in the missing information in the numbered space.

A Holiday in Sri Lanka

Visitors come to the west coast of Sri Lanka for the (7) ………………………… as well as the walks and bird life.
In the hotel gardens there are more than (8) ………………………… types of tree.
Every hotel room has a (9) ………………………… on the ceiling.
On one of the organized tours, visitors can learn how (10) ………………………… are made.
There will be a visit to a country house where visitors can meet the (11) ………………………… and see works of art.
The holiday price does not include either the (12) ………………………… or the travel insurance.

Keys
7    (sandy) beaches
8    70/seventy
9    fan
10    teabags/ tea bags
11    owner
12    flight(s)