Тексты для чтения в 4-5 классах

Здесь приведены три варианта одних и тех же текстов по разным уровням сложности. Читая их, вы сможете понять на сколько хорошо вы знаете английский язык

Тексты ниже средней сложности:

1 About myself / О себе

Let me introduce myself. My name is Ann. I am twenty. I am a student. I study at the university. I am a prospective economist. I like this profession, that's why I study with pleasure. My parents are not economists, but they support me in my choice. We are a friendly family and try to understand and support each other in any situation. Understanding and support is what I need in friendship as well. Some of my friends study at the same university. After classes we usually gather together, discuss our plans or problems and have some fun. We have a lot of hobbies.

Sometimes we go to the disco, sometimes organize a picnic in the open air, play sports or watch a nice film. One of my hobbies is cooking. So when my friends come to my house, I bake their favourite apple pie. I also like reading. One of my favourite authors is Chekhov. I like his books, because I can analyze the characters, their way of life and find answers to my questions. My friends also like reading. We sometimes discuss our favourite authors, their books, the style of their writing and ideas depicted in their books. I like making new friends, so, if you like, you may become my friend as well.

Словарь

Let me introduce myself — позвольте представиться

a prospective economist — будущий экономист

to support — поддерживать

to gather together — собираться вместе

to have some fun — развлекаться

to analyze — анализировать

2 I go shopping / Покупка

My name is Katya. I am a student. In two years I will become a teacher of biology. My profession is my hobby as well. I visit the bookstores of my town regularly and buy new books in biology. It helps me to learn all the novelties in my profession I often discuss the books that I have bought, with my friends at the university When I go shopping, I buy not only books, but also some other things, that I need.

I live in Dnepropetrovsk. It is a large city. There are a lot of shops here. If I go shopping, it is not easy for me to choose the right place at once. I am fond of fashion and always try to buy new clothes in order to look fashionable and attractive. It is not an easy task. I have to try on a lot of dresses, skirts and blouses till I choose what I really like. If I need a dress for a special occasion, I go to a shop with my best friend Olya. She is always ready to help me and I try to follow her advice.

Sometimes Olya and I go shopping just for fun. We walk along the streets, visit different kinds of shops and buy some trifles that raise our mood. We may buy something tasty and organize a small party for our friends. I should say that shopping is my hobby, It is the best treatment for me when I am in a bad mood.

Словарь

a bookstore — книжный магазин

a novelty — новинка

a treatment — лекарство

attractive — привлекательный

3 Learning foreign languages / Изучение иностранных языков

I am a student. I am a prospective teacher of biology. One of my hobbies is the English language. It is the most popular language on earth. Many people learn in order to build a successful career or find friends abroad. As for me, I find this language one of the most beautiful in the world. That's why I decided to learn it. I like to listen to English songs. I am glad that I can understand what some song is about without anybody's help.

I started to learn English at school and now I continue to learn it at the university. I often stay at the university after classes, because I am a member оf a research group. I like research work, that's why I often search for new information Most of the articles of foreign colleagues are in English. New ideas in science happen so quickly, that it is impossible to translate everything into different languages at once. But I think it is very important to learn about new ideas as quickly as possible.

My dream is to visit one of the English-speaking countries. I would like to communicate with its people and learn something new about its culture. But now I have some friends abroad. I can send letters to them via the Internet. Most of them are also students. We often discuss our plans for the future. I think young people are very much alike all over the world. And it is very interesting to learn a foreign language and be able to understand it.

Словарь

prospective — будущий

successful — успешный

research — исследование

to be alike — быть похожим

to communicate — общаться

Тексты средней сложности:

1 About myself / О себе

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mariya I am a 20-year-old student from Donetsk. I study at the university in my native town and my future profession is bookkeeping. I live with my parents and my elder sister Lena. We are a friendly family. Lena is 2 years older than me. We share our room and tell all our secrets to each other.

We are very much alike: open-hearted, smart and merry. That's why we have a lot of friends. I like organizing parties for our friends as we often gather together, discuss our plans and have fun. My hobby is music. I play the guitar and write my own songs. They say, I have a nice voice. My family and friends often ask me to sing to guitar their favorite songs. Cooking is also my hobby. My Mom cooks very well. She has taught me how to cook a lot of delicious dishes from Ukrainian and Russian cuisine. My favorite dish is French soup, which I cook for the whole family.

In the evening, I often watch TV with my family and discuss my plans for the next day. On weekends, I often meet my friends or stay at home and read books. I like novels by Dariya Dontsova. I sometimes discuss her style and ideas with my sister. Literature, cooking, TV — I have a lot of topics to talk about and make new friends.

Словарь

bookkeeping — бухгалтерия

older — старший (сравнительная степень сравнения англ. прилагательного old-older-the oldest), здесь: старший по возрасту

elder — старший в семье (old-elder-the eldest)

to share — делить

delicious — вкусный

a dish (es) — блюдо

cuisine — кухня

on weekends — на выходных

a novel — роман

2 I go shopping / Покупка

My name is Dima. I am a student of the second year of study. I study at the university. My hobby is music. When I have free time I usually go to the biggest music shop in my town and buy CDs with my favourite music. I have a big collection of CDs at home, but I can not resist the temptation of buying a new CD. That what I like to buy most of all.

But when it comes to buying new clothes, I am really at a loss. I do not follow fashion very much. That's why I almost always have problems with finding the clothes that suit me. When I need new clothes, I usually go to a shop with my fried or relatives. Some of them are fond of fashion and may advise me the clothes that are becoming and suit me best.

As for food, I like to go to a supermarket and buy there everything my family needs. I often go shopping with my mother. She buys healthy food for our family fruits and vegetables, fish, honey, cheese and turkey. As for me, I buy what I most of all: biscuits, candied fruit jelly, shrimps and sweets. I buy them not only for myself but also for the whole family. That's what I like shopping for. I can buy things that I like and it raises my mood.

Словарь

to resist the temptation — устоять перед соблазном

to be at a loss — быть в затруднении

candied fruit jelly — мармелад

shrimps — креветки

a turkey — индейка

to raise — поднимать

3 Learning foreign languages / Изучение иностранных языков

I am sure learning foreign languages is very important nowadays. People start learning a foreign language, because they want to have a better job, a possibility to study abroad or take part in international conferences. People want to have a possibility to get a higher education abroad or even start their career there. The most popular among foreign languages are English, German, Italian, French and Spanish.

I have chosen English as a foreign language, because it is the most widespread language on the Earth. About one billion people speak or understand English. English is the language of international communication in many areas of life: trade, tourism and sport. The latest results of scientific investigations are also translated into English. Many books of the best modern writers and poets are translated into English. Sometimes, it is the only way to read and understand the latest works of foreign authors, Japanese or Turkish, for example.

Language is a means of communication. We learn it in order to find new friends abroad and get acquainted with other cultures. Some of my friends have already moved to the USA and Canada. They often write me letters in English and I am glad that I can understand them without anybody's help. This communication helps me to learn new English words and master my speaking skills.

Словарь

widespread — распространенный

communication — общение

investigation — исследование

to get acquainted — познакомиться

to master — совершенствовать

Тексты выше средней сложности:

1 About myself / О себе

Hello! I am Jane. I am 21. I am a student. I consider it to be a special time in my life. Student life is always full of fun, new impressions and knowledge. I like being a student. Each day I learn something new and communicate with my friends. We meet almost every day. Sometimes we stay at the university after classes to prepare our homework for the next day or just to talk about our student life.

I like spending time with my friends. We often visit each other. I can talk with them for hours. They can help me and support me in any situation. I can say the same about my parents, with whom I live. My mother is a very wise woman. She understands me. We are not only close relatives, but also close friends. We have the same favourite colours — green and blue. These are the colours of nature and the sky. Our family hobby is travelling. We like seeing new places, meeting new people, exchanging our impressions. We often travel in summer and in winter. I adore Turkey, Egypt, and France. These countries have their own traditions, unique nature and culture.

My other hobbies are music and theatre. I often visit the theatre. I sympathize with the characters on the stage. I try to understand them and, finally, I find it easier to solve my own problems watching the play. I understand my family and friends better. I am grateful to them for being so close to me, for their understanding and support.

Словарь

to consider — считать

an mpression (s) — впечатление

to exchange — обмениваться

unique — уникальный

to sympathize with — сочувствовать

to be grateful to smb — быть благодарным кому-либо

2 I go shopping / Покупка

Shopping is a new kind of hobby or just a waste of time? A lot of people find it the best treatment for a bad mood. Buying new clothes may bring pleasant emotions and change image for the better. But a lot of people consider shopping to be a waste of time and money. Men usually do not like to go shopping very much. And women cannot resist the temptation of buying a new becoming dress.

I am a girl of 20 and consider clothes to be very important in my life. I like to go shopping when I need something new. Usually I do not buy anything at once. I like to try on several dresses of different styles and cut, till I choose what suits me best. I can say, that's one of my hobbies. When I have some free time I can walk along the streets for hours, look at the shop windows and decide what could suit me best. When I need a dress for a special occasion, I go shopping with my mother. She is keen on fashion and may help me choose the best cut and style. Sometimes I go shopping with my best friend Tanya; we usually help each other to buy clothes for a new season.

Buying food is not so interesting for me. I usually do not have much time for that. That's why I often go to the nearest supermarket, where I may buy everything I need. Along with fish, milk, fruit and vegetables that I usually buy, I also choose something sweet, like biscuits or a cake. That makes shopping in a supermarket more pleasant.

Словарь

becoming — к лицу

a cut — покрой

to resist the temptation — устоять перед искушением

consider — считать

3 Learning foreign languages / Изучение иностранных языков

Foreign languages are absolutely necessary for people nowadays. More and more people of different professions decide to study foreign languages in order to raise their professional level. Making business nowadays means the ability to speak at least one foreign language. Among the most popular foreign languages in Russia are English, German, Spanish. French and Italian.

English is the language of business correspondence, many foreign newspapers and magazines, and communication between people of different nationalities all over the world. Reading foreign literature in the original, understanding foreign films without translation, making friends with people of other nationalities may make our intellectual and cultural horizons wider.

Foreign languages often bring new perspectives in career and private life. Many aspects of our Life, like science, entertainment, business, studying became international. Many Russians decide to receive good education, start their career or just spend some time abroad. Upon returning to Russia they are able to share their knowledge, experience and information gained abroad with their colleagues and friends.

Словарь

to raise — поднимать

a perspective — перспектива

entertainment — развлечение

in the original — в оригинале

In a Small Town

Text 1

Toscanini was a great musician. He lived in America. One day he came to a very little town. He was walking along the street when he saw a piece of paper in one of the windows. He read:

MRS.SMITH.MUSIC LESSONS.

TWO DOLLARS A LESSON.

Then Toscanini heard the music. Somebody was playing Tchaikovsky.

“Mrs. Smith is playing,” he thought, “she isn’t a very good musician. She doesn’t play Tchaikovsky well. I must show her how to play it.”

He went up to the door of the house and rang. The music stopped and soon a woman opened the door.

“Are you Mrs. Smith?” asked Toscanini. “My name is Toscanini and I want to show you how to play Tchaikovsky.”

Mrs. Smith was very glad to meet the great musician. She asked him to come in. Toscanini played Tchaikovsky for her and went away.

A year later Toscanini visited the same town again. When he went up to the house where he had played Tchaikovsky the year before he again saw a piece of paper. Now it read.

MRS.SMITH. (TOSCANINI’S PUPIL)

MUSIC LESSONS.

FOUR DOLLARS A LESSON.

1. Put “+” if the sentence is right and “-“if it is wrong.

  1. Toscanini came to a very little town.
  2. He liked how Mrs. Smith was playing.
  3. He wanted to play the piano for her.
  4. Tchaikovsky visited Mrs. Smith one day.
  5. Mrs. Smith was a teacher of music.

2. Write the sentences in the right order.

  1. Mrs. Smith was very glad to meet the great musician.
  2. He lived in America.
  3. The music stopped and soon a woman opened the door.
  4. The music stopped and soon a woman opened the door.
  5. “Mrs. Smith is playing,” he thought, “she isn’t a very good musician.

3. Answer the questions.

  1. Where did Toscanini live?
  2. Toscanini was a great musician, wasn’t he?
  3. Did he want to show Mrs. Smith how to play?
  4. What did he see in one of the window?
  5. Did he think that Mrs. Smith was playing well?

4. Write down the ending of the sentence.

  1. One day he came…
  2. I must show her…
  3. The music stopped and soon…
  4. Toscanini played Tchaikovsky for …
  5. Four dollars…

5. Make up 5 questions to the text.

Shmily Text 2

My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word “Shmily” in a surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving “Smily” around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it, it was their turn to hide it once more.

They dragged “Smily” with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to wait whoever was preparing the next meal. They smeared it in the dew on the windows overlooking the patio where my grandma always fed us warm, homemade pudding with blue food coloring. “Shmily” was written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. At one point, my grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to leave Shmily on the very last sheet.

There was no end to the places “Shmily” would pop up. Little notes with “Shmily” scribbled hurriedly were found on dashboards and car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left under pillows. “Shmily” was written in the dust upon the mantel and traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much a part of my grandparents’ house as the furniture.

It took me a long time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents’ game. Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love- one that is pure and enduring. However, I never doubted my grandparents’ relationship. They had love down pat. It was more than their flirtatious little games; it was way of life. Their relationship was based on a devotion and passionate affection which not everyone is lucky enough to experience.

Grandma and grandpa held hands ever chance they could. They stole kisses as they bumped into each other in their tiny kitchen. They finished each other’s sentences and shared the daily crossword puzzle and word jumble. My grandma whispered to me about how cute my grandpa was, how handsome an old man he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew “how to pick ‘em”. Before every meal they bowed heads and gave thanks, marveling at their blessing: a wonderful family, good fortune, and each other.

But there was a dark cloud in my grandparents’ life: my grandmother had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every step of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that color so she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside.

Now the cancer was once again attacking her body. With the help of a cane and my grandfather’s steady hand, they still went to church every morning. But my grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally, she could not leave the house anymore. For a while, Grandpa would go to church alone, praying to God to watch over his wife. Then one day, what we all dreaded finally happened. Grandma was gone. “Shmily. It was scrawled in yellow on the pink ribbons of my grandmother’s funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members came forward and gathered around Grandma one last time. Grandpa stepped up to my grandmother’s casket and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her. Though his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby.

Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that moment. For I knew then that, although I couldn’t begin to fathom the depth of their love, I had been privileged to witness its unmatched beauty. S-H-M-I-L-Y: See How Much I Love You

Thank you , Grandpa and Grandma, for letting me see.

Laura Jeanne Alien

1. Answer the questions.

  1. What was the goal of the game have been played by the grandparents?
  2. Where could this mysterious word be found?
  3. What disease had grandmother?
  4. What song did grandfather sing to grandma when she had died?
  5. What color did grandpa paint their room when grandma was sick and why?

2 . Find sentences which prove that grandparents had true love.

3. Write the sentences in the right order.

  1. The grandpa sang a lullaby to grandma on her grave when she died.
  2. The author of this story was proud to witness the beauty of true love.
  3. The grandparents were married about fifty years.
  4. As usually grandpa helped her every step of the way.
  5. I never doubted my grandparents relations.

4. Find in the text:

  1. С помощью трости и твердой руки моего дедушки, они все еще каждое утро ходили в церковь.
  2. Это мистическое слово являлось такой же частью дома бабушки и дедушки, экак и мебель.
  3. они любили друг друга до гробовой доски.
  4. Затем день, которого мы все страшились, наступил.
  5. Они обменивались поцелуями, если сталкивались друг с другом на своей крошечной кухне.

5. Make up 5 questions to the text.

Text 3

In 1608 an Englishman whose name was Thomas Coryate visited Italy. He liked the country and noted down every interesting thing he found. But there was one thing which he found more interesting than the others. In his diary Thomas wrote, “When the Italians eat meat, they use small forks. They don’t eat with hands because, as they say , do not always have clean hands”.

Before leaving for England, Thomas Coryate bought a few forks.

At home Thomas gave a dinner party to show the invention to his friends. When the servant brought the steak, he took out a fork and began to eat like they did in Italy.

Everybody looked at him in surprise. When he told his friends what it was, they all wanted to take a good look at the strange thing. All his friends said that the Italians were very strange people because the fork was very inconvenient.

Thomas Coryate tried to prove the opposite. He said it was not nice to eat with one’s fingers because they were not always clean.

Everybody got angry at that . Did Mr. Coryate think that people inEngland always had dirty hands? And weren’t the ten fingers they had enough for them?

Thomas Coryate wanted to show that it was very easy to use the fork. But the first piece of meat he took with the fork fell to the floor. His friends began to laugh and he had to take the fork away.

Only fifty years later people in England began to use forks.

1. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

  1. In 1608 an Englishman whose name was Thomas Coryate visited Italy.
  2. But there was one thing which he found more interesting than the others.
  3. He said it was not nice to eat with one’s fingers because they were not always clean.
  4. But the first piece of meat he took with the fork fell to the floor.

2. Answer the questions:

  1. Why did the Italians eat with the forks?
  2. What did he give at home to show the invention of the Italians?
  3. Why did his friends begin to laugh?
  4. When did people in England begin to use forks?

3. Correct according to the contents of the text :

  1. They eat with the hands because, as they say, do not always have clean hands.
  2. Everybody got happy at that.
  3. Only seventy years later people in England began to use forks.
  4. When the servant brought the steak, he took out a knife and began to eat like they did in Italy.

4. Put 5 questions to the text.

London Text 4

London is the capital of Great Britain. London is a very old town. London is two thousand years old. Many years ago London was a small town on the Thames. There were a lot of villages round it. After many years London and three hundred villages grew into a very large city. Some of the names of those villages are the names of the streets in modern London-Kensington, Westminster.

Now London is a beautiful city with large squares and parks. The city of London is the business centre. East End includes the poor districts. West of London is the West End where rich people live.

Trafalgar Square is in the centre of the West End of London. In the centre of Trafalgar Square there is the column made of granite. On the top of the column there is a 17-feet-tall statue of Admiral Nelson who defeated the French at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1809. The total high of the monument is 184 feet (44 meters).On the pedestal is a bronze relief cast from a captured French cannon, representing Nelson’s victory.

On the North side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery.

The National Gallery has one of the finest collections of pictures in the world.

Trafalgar Square is one of the busiest place in London, where people go to and from the work, it is hard to cross the street.

1. Ответьте на вопросы по тексту.

  1. What is the capital of Great Britain ?
  2. How many years is London?
  3. What includes the poor districts?
  4. Where do rich people live?
  5. Where is the Admiral Nelson column?

2. Продолжите предложение.

  1. On the top of the column …
  2. London is two…
  3. On the north side…
  4. The total high…
  5. There were…

3. Какие предложения соответствуют содержанию текста “+”, а какие не соответствуют “-”

  1. London is a new town.
  2. London is on the Thames.
  3. The West End of London is a place where rich people live.
  4. In London there aren’t a lot of squares and parks.

4. Найдите в тексте

  1. Национальная галерея имеет одну из прекраснейших коллекций в мире.
  2. Трефальгарская площадь находится в центре Вест Енда в Лондоне.
  3. Сейчас Лондон –один из красивейших городов с большими площадями и парками .
  4. Спустя много лет Лондон и три сотни деревень превратились в один большой город.
  5. Некоторые из этих деревень стали названиями в современном Лондоне.

The Christmas Tree Text 5

No one _1_ for sure who decorated the first Christmas tree . The_2_ of bringing an evergreen tree indoors and _3_ it at Christmas started in Germany. One _4_ says that Martin Luther started the practice. Luther was an important Christian_5_ . According to the story, he noticed the starlit sky as he walked home one Christmas Eve about the year 1513.He thought the stars looked as if they were shining on the branches. When he arrived home, Martin Luther placed a small fir tree _6_ his house. He decorated it with lighted candles.

Decorating Christmas trees became _7_ in Germany. Prince Albert of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, the German husband of Queen Victoria, took the tradition to England. Both German and English people brought it to America. And now nearly every family in Great Britain and the USA has a _8_ tree.

The biggest Christmas tree in Britain is put up in Trafalgar Square in _9_ .

The people of Norway still give this tree every year to the _10_ to thank them for helping Norway against Hitler in the second World War.

1. Chose the right answer:

a) knows

b) begins

c) decides

d) is

a) tree

b) legend

c) story

d) custom

a) showing

b) giving

c) putting

d) decorating

a) story

b) legend

c)fairy

d) novel

a) man

b) saint

c) leader

d) woman

a) inside

b) outside

c) upside

d) offside

a) comfortable

b) beautiful

c) public

d) popular

a) Christmas

b) fir

c) pine

d) birch

a) London

b) Paris

c) Moscow

d) Madrid

a) French people

b) British people

c) Irish people

d) Russian people

2. Answer the questions:

  1. Where was started the tradition of decorating Christmas tree?
  2. Who started this tradition?
  3. Who brought it to Britain?
  4. Why do people of Norway still present a tree to Britain?

3. Ask 5 questions .

Text 6

THE STORY OF MY TROUBLES

From my childhood I was an easily taught and obedient boy. My kindness was so noticeable that my friends made fun of me. I was especially fond of animals and had a great number of pets. With these I spent most of my time, and never was so happy as when feeding and playing with them. My character did not change much when I grew up.

I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a character very much like my own. Seeing my love for pets she never lost a chance of getting the most pleasant animals. We had birds, gold-fish, a fine dog, rabbits, a small monkey, and a cat.

This cat was a remarkably large and beautiful animal, quite black and surprisingly clever. In speaking of his cleverness, my wife, who was a superstitious woman, often mentioned the old popular belief, which considered all black cats to be in disguise.

Pluto- this was the cat’s name-was my favourite pet and playmate. I alone fed him, and he followed me everywhere about the house. It was even with difficulty that I could prevent him following me through the streets.

Our friendship lasted for several years, during which my character (I blush to confess it) had changed for the worse. I became day by day more moody and irritable. It often happened that I hurt the feelings of others; I suffered myself as I was rude to my wife. At last I even hit her.

My pets, of course, could feel the change in my character. In fact, I began to treat them cruelly. As for Pluto, I held back from cruelty as I did treat cruelly the rabbits, the monkey, or even the dog when they came in my way. But my illness took hold of me- for what other illness is like alcohol!- and at last even Pluto ,who was now becoming old, even Pluto began to feel the effects of my temper.

1. Answer the questions:

  1. What kind of pets do they have?
  2. What was the cat’s name?
  3. What illness had the author?
  4. Was he a kind man?
  5. How long did their friendship last?

2. Ask questions.

  1. Yes/No
  2. Who
  3. Where
  4. or
  5. “tag” question

3. Translate:

  1. I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a character very much like my own.
  2. Our friendship lasted for several years, during which my character (I blush to confess it) had changed for the worse.
  3. In speaking of his cleverness, my wife, who was a superstitious woman, often mentioned the old popular belief, which considered all black cats to be in disguise.

4. Name antonyms:

Happy, beautiful, kind, black, begin.

5. Find in the text:

I got day by day more changeable.



The Great Romantic



Lord Byron (1788-1824) didn’t live a long life. He was an aristocrat and a fashionable man. But he loved freedom (свободу) and a simple country life. His personality attracted Britain and all Europe. He brought to his poetry romanticism of his times. He was talented and handsome, noble and brave. London admired him.

George Gordon Byron was born on January 22nd, 1788. He was the son of John Byron and his wife, Catherine, whose ancestors (предки) were of the royal house of Stuart. He spent his early years outside the capital. He lived in the north. Later his mother took him to Aberdeen. There they lived for several years. George went to Aberdeen Grammar School and there is a monument to him outside the school. Now it is a museum and art gallery. Later he studied at Harrow School and the University of Cambridge.

When Byron was 19, he came to London. One day the poet wrote, “I woke up (проснулся) and found myself (обнаружил, что я) famous.” It happened after the publication of his autobiographic poem “Childe Harold” in 1812.

The fact is that from 1809 to 1811 he had traveled in different parts of Europe and in the poem he described everything that had happened to him.

In the summer of 1816 Byron left Britain forever (навсегда). He traveled around Europe and soon he became a member of the Greek liberation movement (освободительное движение), for which he died. But he did not lead the Greeks in battle as he wished. He died of fever (лихорадка). (262words)



I. Переведите на английский язык.


1) Он любил свободу и простую сельскую жизнь.

2) Он принес в свою поэзию романтизм того времени.

3) Сейчас это музей и галерея искусства.



II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.


1) When and where was G. Byron born?

2) Where did he study?

3) What did he describe in the poem?

4) When did he die?



CHRISTMAS


The 25th of December is Christmas Day. It’s a happy holiday for many people in different countries.

Some week before Christmas English people are busy. They send greeting cards to all their relatives and friends. You can buy Christmas cards or you can make them. Many children make their cards at school.

People buy a Christmas tree and decorate it with toys, coloured balls and little coloured lights.

On Christmas Eve people put their presents under the tree. When children go to bed, they put their stockings near their beds.

At night Father Christmas comes. He has got a big bag of presents for children. He puts the presents in the children’s stockings.

Every year there is a very big Christmas tree in the centre of London, in Trafalgar Square. This is a present from the people of Norway to the people of Great Britain. They send it to Londoners every year and Londoners decorate the Christmas tree.

In the evening before Christmas people like to come to Trafalgar Square to look at the tree. On Christmas Eve streets in London are decorated, too.

The shops are very busy at Christmas. People want to buy presents for their family and friends (for their nearest and dearest). And they buy a lot of food and drink for all the Christmas parties.

People open their presents on Christmas morning and they all are happy with what they get.

For Christmas lunch people eat turkey, potatoes and green vegetables. Then they have the Christmas pudding. At five o’clock it’s time for tea and Christmas cake.

On Christmas people wish their nearest and dearest a merry Christmas.

The day after Christmas is Boxing Day. People usually visit their relatives and friends. They do not work on that day.


1. Answer the questions.

1) Why are people busy some weeks before Christmas?

2) Where can people get Christmas cards?

3) Where is a Christmas tree from?

4) What are the traditional Christmas dishes?

5) What is Boxing Day?

6) Do English people like Christmas?


2. Complete the sentences

1. Many children make their cards at …….

2. Father Christmas puts the presents in the children’s ………..

3. There is a very big Christmas tree in the centre of ………

4. On Christmas people wish their nearest and dearest a ……….

5. They do not………. on that day.




Прочитайте текст

Monsters of the sea?


People have always been afraid of sharks. Films like “ Jaws” have shown them as monsters. But now these animals are in danger, like many others.

In recent years, shark meat has become a popular food in America. Too much fishing has begun to reduce the numbers of some kinds of shark. Some people say this is a good thing. Sharks kill about twenty-five people a year near the world’s beaches. Are we going to help sharks, or are they going to become extinct?

It’s hard to solve the sharks’ “ image” problem and change people’s minds about them. Sharks are hunters and so they naturally kill. But actually elephants kill more people than sharks every year – and every–one likes elephants.

Sharks are very important for the world’s oceans. They eat unhealthy fish and keep the numbers of different kinds of sea animals in balance. Now scientists are trying to find way to protect these animals. They have been in the oceans for 350 million years. Perhaps they can survive a little longer.



Выберите соответствующие содержанию текста предложения.


  1. Films have shown sharks as monsters.
  2. Sharks are in danger like others.
  3. Shark meat has become a popular food only in Canada.
  4. The number of some kinds of shark has reduced because of much fishing.
  5. All people say this is good that a number of some kinds of sharks has reduced.
  6. Sharks are not monsters because they don’t kill anybody.
  7. It’s not hard to solve sharks ‘image’ problem.
  8. Sharks are hunters so they naturally kill.
  9. Elephants kill less people than sharks, so people like them .

10.Sharks are very important for the world’s oceans because they kill unhealthy fish.

11.Sharks have been in the oceans for 200 years.





PACKING by Jerome K. Jerome

Holiday time was near now, and we, that is, Harris and George and I met to discuss our plans. Harris said that the first thing was to discuss what to take with us. He also said that we couldn't take the whole world in a boat. They could take what they really needed.

"It is very important," Harris said, "to have everything we need for a long swim every morning before breakfast." He also said that a long swim always gave him fine appetite. "If you're going to eat more than you usually do," George said, "I think we'll let you go swimming not more than once in three or four days. If you go swimming every day, we'll never have enough food for you. We won't be able to carry so much in the boat. "

So we discussed the food question. "Begin with breakfast," George said. "For breakfast we must have a tea-pot," Harris said, "ham, eggs, bread and butter and jam. It's easy to prepare breakfast with such things. And for lunch — cold meat, bread and butter and jam — but no cheese. "

We agreed. Cheese in a boat in summer, little by little becomes the master of all the food. You may think you're eating sausage or meat and potatoes or cake, but it all seems to be cheese.


Test A

Choose the right variant

1. George, Harris and Jerome decided to discuss ....

a) future holidays b) the weather c) the newspaper article

2. It happened in ....

a) summer b) spring c) winter

3. Harris liked ... very much.

a) boating b) swimming c) playing football

4. He wanted to ... after swimming.

a) eat b) drink c) sleep

5. They decided ... cheese.

a) not to take b) to take c) to buy

Test В

Answer the questions:


  1. What is the text about?
  2. Where did the friends want to go?
  3. What could give Harris a good appetite?
  4. Why was cheese the "master" of all food in summer?
  5. Whose idea was to take few clothes?






The Earth.

We live on the Earth. It is very, very big. There is a lot of water on the Earth. It is in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. There are a lot of forests and fields, hills and mountains on it.

The Earth is full of wonders. Different animals live on the Earth. Different plants grow on it. The Earth is beautiful.

There are large countries and small countries. There are warm countries and cold countries. There are some countries where there are four seasons in a year and some countries where there are only two.

When it is day in one country it is night in another country.

When the sun shines it is day, when the sun does not shine it is night. You can see the moon and the stars in the sky at night.

People live in different countries. They speak different languages.

Our country is Russia. Russia is the largest country in the world. Our country is so large that when it is morning in the east, it is evening in the west. When it is winter in the north it is summer in the south.

There are a lot of long rivers, beautiful lakes, large forests and fields and high mountains in Russia.

People who live in Russia speak more1 than one hundred different languages but they can speak Russian too.

2) Answer the questions.

1.Where do people live?

2.Is the Earth big or small?

3.What is there on the Earth?

4. Where is there water on the Earth?

5.The Earth is beautiful, isn't it?

6.Why do we say that the Earth is full of wonders?

7.Why do people speak different languages.?


Every nation and every country has its own traditions and customs. In Britain traditions play a more important role in the life of people than in other countries. They say British people are very conservative . They are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. But when we speak about British traditions we always remember that there are four parts in Britain — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Traditions are different in these parts of the country.

You already know some of the English traditions and holidays. We hope you remember St. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Hallowe'en which have also become traditional American holidays. Here are some more facts about old English traditions.

One of the old English legends says that London can be the capital of the country, rich and great until twelve black ravens live in the Tower of London. Each has got its name and the keepers carefully look after them. If one of the birds dies, another younger raven takes its place. Londoners believe this legend and always bring some food to give to the birds when they come to the Tower. The keepers cut the birds' wings a bit as they are afraid that they may fly away.

Another old English tradition is Guy Fawkes Day. Children go out into the streets on the 5th of November with figures like scarecrows. They stand in the streets and squares asking for the usual "Penny for the Guy". Then with the money they have collected they buy fireworks and burn the guy (the figure like a scarecrow) on their bonfire.

People watch fireworks and some people go to parties in the evening.

Though different countries have different traditions and holidays people all over the world know some of them. They are — Easter, Christmas and New Year.

I. True or False.

  1. Every country has its own traditions and customs.
  2. There are no common traditions all over the world.
  3. English people celebrate Maslenitsa.
  4. There are some common holidays in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  5. London can be great until 10 black ravens live in the Tower.
  6. English people celebrate Guy Fawkes Day on the 5th of November.

II. Choose the best title for the text.

1. BRITISH ARE JUST TRADITIONS CRAZY!

2. MORE ABOUT BRITISH TRADITIONS.

3. GUY FAWKES DAY.

III. Match the words from the left column with their Russian equivalents from the right column.

  1. look after a. фейерверк
  2. scarecrow b. обычай
  3. firework c. заботиться
  4. custom d. костер
  5. bonfire e. чучело



A. Read the text.

SCOTLAND

Although Scotland forms a part of the United Kingdom, it has a distinct character of its own. In area it is more than half as big as England. Its population is, however, only one-eighth as great — about 5 200 000.

Scotland is a land of romance and it has had a most eventful history. The Picts and Celts lived there before the coming of the Romans to Britain. Those Northern tribes worried the Romans so much that the Great Wall was built to protect the Roman camps in the Northern part of England.

It was in the 11th century that the Normans began to settle in Scotland. Almost all of Scotland's history is accociated with and reflected in many castles and forts that are to be seen all over the country. They are very picturesque, having retained their medieval features: stern, proud, impressive, perched high on a rock or at a hillside. Mary, Queen of Scots, the beautiful Mary Stuart was married in one of them, her son James (who was to become James I of England) was born in another.

And now some words about the Highlands. For centuries the Highlands were a strange land, where the king's law common to all the rest of the country, wasn't even known, where wild people spoke a language no one could understand. Long after the rest of Britain adopted modern ways they kept to the old life.

In 1603 King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England too, and from then onwards the countries were under the same monarch, though the Act of Union was not passed until 1707. This Act incorporated Scotland with England in the United Kingdom, but the Scots kept their own legal system, religion and administration, centred in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh – the capital of Scotland has always been admired as one of the most beautiful cities. Glasgow – its second city – always had a bad reputation. It was too often seen as a dirty, run-down urban area. But no longer. The buildings have been cleaned up, the streets are tidy and the people now take an obvious pride in their city. Glasgow was chosen to be the cultural capital of Europe 1890.

Not far from Glasgow there is one of the most famous of Scotland's many lakes (called «lochs»), Loch Lomond. Scottish numerous valleys are known as «glens». Scotland is a country with an intense and living national tradition of a kind only too rare in the modern world. It has its distinctive national dress, the kilt, worn only by men. It also has its own typical musical instruments (the pipes, sometimes called «the bagpipes»), its own national form of dancing, its own songs, language, traditions and education. Scotland has even its own national drink, a fact so widely known that one need only ask for «Scotch».


Notes

The Picts and Celts – пикты и кельты (племена)

tribe — племя

camp — лагерь

to pass the Act — принять Акт/Закон (в парламенте)


В. Comprehension Check. Complete the sentences.

1. Scotland forms...

a) a part of England;

b) a part of the United States;

c) a part of the United Kingdom.

2. The Northern tribes...

a) began to settle in Scotland in the 11th century;

b) lived in Scotland before the coming of the Romans;

c) came to Scotland together with the Normans.

3. Mary Stuart...

a) was a Queen of the United Kingdom;

b) was the Queen of Scots;

c) was not a queen.

4. The kilt...

a) is a musical instrument;

b) is a form of national dancing;

c) is a type of national dress.


C. Answer the questions.

1. What is the population of Scotland?

2. Why was the Great Wall built?

3. Why are there so many castles in the country?

4. What have you learnt about the Highlands?

5. When was the Act of Union passed?

6. What's the country's second city?

7. What do they call Scottish valleys and lakes?

8. Are national traditions still alive in Scotland?