Test 8.
2 TASK 5
TASK 4
Read the text below. Choose from (A—H) the one which best fits each
space (17—22). There are two choices you do not need to use.
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876—right?
Well, actually, a German schoolteacher managed to do it fifteen years
before Bell, (17) ______________ .
In 1860 Philip Reis rigged up what (18) ______________ .
This instrument was built from an improbable assortment of
items: a violin, a knitting needle, an ear carved in wood, even a piece of
sausage. "I succeeded in inventing an apparatus by which ...one can
reproduce sounds of all kinds at any desired distance....I named the
instrument [the] 'telephone.'"
It worked—but poorly. So Reis kept tinkering with it. He hooked
up a wire between his workshop and the school, which convinced his
students that he was using the telephone to eavesdrop on them. (19)
______________ . and his models became more and more
sophisticated.
Eventually Reis sent some improved models of his telephone to
scientists around the world. They could transmit music fairly well, (20)
______________ . "Single words were perceptible indistinctly," said
one listener. Nobody seemed very impressed.
Most scientists at the time regarded the Reis telephone as little
more than a toy. Crushed, (21) ______________, and died of
tuberculosis in 1874. Two years later, Alexander Graham Bell filed the
patent that earned him the glory and (22)______________ .
A but speech came out garbled at best
В he worked on his telephone for several years
C financial rewards of telephone invention
D he tried to build a better telegraph
E but he d i d n ' t have very good PR
F it was of no importance in a business light
G he described as an "artificial ear"
H he abandoned work on it
Read and complete the text below. For each of the empty spaces
(23—32) choose the correct answer (A, В, C or D). WHERE DID
WE GET THE NAMES OF THE DAYS OF THE WEEK?
Early England was a much-conquered country. The Romans
and Saxons were two of the conquerors who left their (23)
______________ on the development of the English language.
Originally, all the days of the week had Roman names (24)
______________ the planets. The Romans (25) ______________
that the first hour of each day was ruled by a different planet, and the
days of the week were named accordingly. After the Saxon invasions
certain days were renamed for Teutonic gods. The name (26)
______________ of the days of the week are listed below:
Sunday is an English translation of the Latin "Sun's Day," the
old Teutonic people's (27) ______________ day of the sun. Monday
is from the Anglo-Saxon "Monan-daeg," (28) ______________
Moon's Day. Tuesday is named in (29) ______________ of the
Teutonic god Tiw, the son of Woden. Wednesday is named after the
supreme Teutonic god Woden. Thursday is named for Woden's son,
Thor, god of thunder and lightning. Friday is from the Anglo-Saxon
"Frigg-daeg," named to honor Frigg, the wife of Woden and the
goddess of marriage and love. Saturday is from the Anglo-Saxon
"Saeter-daeg", and named for the Roman god of Saturn, (30)
______________ a day of bad omen.
The Quakers and more modern Israelis have a more exact, less
pagan-(31) ______________ system for naming the days. They (32)
______________ call them first day, second day, third day, etc. The
Quakers are very practical, if not very romantic.
23 A brand В mark C note D feature
24 A representing В expressing C showing D acting
25 A understood В believed C learned D heard
26 A foundations B origins C reasons D births
27 A favorite B preferred C sacred D chosen
28 A formulating B intending C planning D meaning
29 A fame B honor C respect D praise
30 A considered B imagined C accepted D dreamt
31 A powered B modified C impressed D influenced
32 A absolutely B really C simply D totally
TASK 6
Read the texts below. For each of the empty spaces (33—42)
choose the correct answer (А, В, C or D).
TELEPHONE
In a period when several inventors (33) ______________
toward more effective communication by wire, Alexander Bell, a
teacher of the deaf, came in first with his invention of the telephone.
It was his fascination with the human ear, especially the way sound
waves cause the soft membrane of the eardrum (34)
______________ , that led h im to believe that voices could be sent
mechanically. The patent was granted (35) ______________ March
7, 1876. Three days later, Bell's assistant became the first person to
receive a phone call. Bell, who (36) ______________ acid on his
clothes, called over the phone, "Mr Watson, come here. I want you."
Just over a year (37) ______________, the first telephone line
was installed.
33 А have worked В had worked C work D were working
34 А vibrate В to vibrate C vibrated D vibrates
35 А on В at C in D since
36 А spilled B was spilling C has spilled D had spilled
37 А lately B late C latest D later
WHY DO MILITARY UNIFORMS OFTEN HAVE BUTTONS
UP THE CUFF OF THE SLEEVE?
According to legend, the answer dates back to the time of
Napoleon. (38) ______________ emperor was quite a snappy
dresser and a perfectionist when it came to the appearance of his (39)
______________ . He hated the sight of soldiers (40)
______________ their noses on the sleeves of their uniforms. (41)
______________ this nasty habit, he had large buttons (42)
______________ onto the uniform sleeves.
Have you ever tried to wipe your nose on a sleeve full of brass
buttons? Not a pleasant experience, but still preferable to a trip to the
guillotine for disobeying orders.
38 A The В А C - D An
39 A man В men C man's D men's
40 A to wipe В wipe C wiping D were wiping
41 A To discourage B То be discouraging C Having discouraged D
Discourage
42 A were sewing B sewing C sewn D been sewn
WRITING
43 Your penfriend would like to try snowboarding, but isn't sure
he/she will succeed as he/she hasn't done much sport before. Write a
letter in which: explain that snowboarding can be quite risky
• tell about other winter sports
• advise to start with joining a gym
• tell about your latest visit to the skating rink.