III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани-

Ем текста.

1. Melinda was born in Norwich.

2. John was formerly an actor.

№10

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

The problems with my parents started when I was sixteen. I wanted to get a Saturday job but my parents ordered me to stay at home and study for my exams. Whenever I pointed out that all my friends had Saturday jobs, they always replied, «We don't care what they do, it's you we are worried about,» and yet, whenever my school marks were bad, I was always compared to everyone else. Their double standards infuriated me so much that I did whatever I could to provoke them. I purposely dyed my hair white blond and plastered my face in make-up before I went to school. However, all I managed to achieve was mass arguments before I went anywhere.

It was rule in the house that I was only allowed out once during the week and on Saturday till 10 p.m. Every time I attempted to go out in the evening, my parents asked me who I was going out with and where we were going. They even insisted on my giving them my friend's telephone number in case they needed to contact me. I always argued about the last bit; I felt that if I gave them the number they'd use it to check up on me. It never for one moment crossed my mind that they were just worried about me.

Once I asked if I could go to a party on Saturday night. The party finished at 11.30 p.m. They agreed, but on the condition that my Dad came to pick me up at 10 p.m. I argued and argued about it but in the end I had to agree. I knew I was going to be really embarrassed when my father came to pick me up, so I spent the whole party worrying. I didn't speak to my parents for three days after that. My mother tried to explain how they both felt but I didn't want to listen. It was then that I decided to break all the rales they had set down. So instead of coming home at 10 p.m., I would arrive back at 11.30 p.m. and then refuse to tell them where I had been. I somehow felt that if I broke their rules, they would realise I was old enough to look after myself and leave me alone. However, the argument got worse and worse, and the more they tried to keep me in the house, the more I sneaked out. Finally, one Saturday night I didn't come home till 2 a.m. My father wanted to know why I was so late. I refused to tell him. We had a huge argument which ended with me getting a taxi to my sister's house. What went wrong?

Test № 10

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.                                                        

1. Ann's parents didn't want her to work on Saturdays.

2. Ann's schoolmarks were sometimes bad.

3. Ann didn't believe her parents were just worried about her.

4. Ann left her parents' house.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. When did Ann's problems with her parents start?

2. What did she do to provoke her parents?

3. How often was she allowed to go out in the evening?

4. Why didn't Ann speak to her parents after the party?

III Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани-

Ем текста.

1. Ann's parents always insisted on her giving them her friend's address.

2. One Saturday Ann didn't come home at all.

№11

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

Anyone who has ever visited the centre of London cannot help but notice the number of young people who beg in the streets, and some who probably steal as well. Last summer I returned to attend a summer language course in London and stayed in the same area I had visited five years earlier. I was shocked by the increase in the number of young homeless people, living and sleeping in the streets.

There are approximately 30,000 homeless people in and around London. This has worsened due to the long recession¹ in Britain and the change in the social security system which doesn't allow any person under 18, or those without a permanent address to receive any social benefits from the governments. The numbers of homeless are growing as more young people come to London, believing that they will find work and a place to live. Unfortunately London does not live up to their dreams and a vicious circle is created: without a job they have no money to rent a place to live and without a place to live they cannot get any government social benefits or a job.

My solution to this problem may be short term but at least it would be a start for many of these young people. Squatting² should become legal again, as it once was in Britain. It is only recently that the law has been changed to make squatting illegal.

Surely it would be more profitable for the local council to let people squat in these houses if they are going to be empty for more than six months. These young people would then have an address and if over 18 years old, could get some benefits. They could then buy some decent clothes, tidy themselves up and have a greater chance of getting a job and a proper place to live. The houses may be in a bad condition but for homeless people this must surely be better than sleeping in the streets in the rain and cold. Somehow the vicious circle has to be broken.

¹ recession — worsening of economic activity

² squatting — occupying a house or a flat without permission

Test № 11

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. Homeless people do not receive any social benefits from the government.

2. People under 18 years old are not allowed to work in Britain.

3. Squatting used to be allowed in Britain.

4. The author suggests that the local councils should let homeless young people live in the houses that have been empty for more than 6 months already.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. Where did the author live when he came to London last year?

2. Why are the numbers of homeless people growing?

3. Why is the situation with homeless people like a vicious circle?

4. Why are there many empty houses in London?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Anyone who has ever visited the suburbs of London cannot help noticing the number of people living and sleeping in the streets.

2. The author came to London to study the problem of squatting.

№12

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

Good memories are the most precious of our treasures. They remain with us all our lives, like favourite books to be plucked down and enjoyed. But sometimes an otherwise marvellous memory brings guilt and uncertainty. This happened to me. The experience goes back 36 years to my childhood in rural Virginia.

In those soft days so long ago, my closest friends were Lou Coles and her ten children. They lived in a log cabin Within hollering distance of our house. I especially liked Louis Coles and two of his brothers. Every day we would holler back and forth urgently discussing our plans.

Lou Coles was a stout woman who usually kept her head wrapped in a kerchief. The Coles cabin had two small rooms downstairs and one upstairs. It sat on a hill among large shade trees, surrounded by acres of cow pasture. I suppose I loved the Coleses as dearly as I did my own little sister. To me, their lives seemed idyllic, even though the bigger children spent long days labouring in the tobacco fields. Their water came from a hand-dug well and their light from kerosene lamps. But there was a warmth about their lives that I longed to share — and did.

The cabin had an aroma to it that I suspect has vanished from the earth forever. Even in summer, the stove was going most of the day, as old Lou boiled and simmered and fried food for the table.

It was my good fortune to have an extraordinary mother who allowed me to spend plenty of time with the Coleses—though, in reality, she couldn't have kept us apart. She gave the Coles boys strict orders to make me take turns, share everything and act nice. In this respect, our lives seemed equal. My special friend was Louis, for he was closest to my age. The palms of his black hands were light, and I remember — that summer in the South in 1948 _ telling him the old Uncle Remus fable: Once upon a time all humanity was black. Word spread that there was a special pond in which the black could be washed off. But by the time the laziest people reached the pond, there was only enough water to wash off the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. «And that,» I explained to Louis as we waded in the creek chasing crawfish, «is why I'm white all over and you're not.» And Louis cheerfully agreed.

Test № 12

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. 36 years ago the author lived in the countryside in Virginia.

2. The author loved the Coleses family because he was an only child.

3. The author and Louis were almost the same age.

4. The author's mother wanted to keep her son apart from the Coleses but she couldn't.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. What kind of house did the Coleses live in?

2. Why did the author love the Coleses family?

3. Why does the author feel guilty?

4. When did the author tell Louis the old Uncle Remus fable?

ill. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Old Lou Coles cooked food on the stove only in winter.

2. Louis cried when the author told him the fable.

№13

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

One Saturday in September 1985,1 was at my desk when the telephone rang. «My name is Louis Coles,» a voice said. «I don't know if you remember me, but...»

«Louis!» I exclaimed, my eyes brimming with tears. «How can you ask if I remember you? I've been thinking about you for thirty years!»

Louis explained that I had been a constant fixture in his memory, that he had often wanted to seek me out. We repeated the same things, asked the same questions, and I laughed as our memories mingled.¹1 learned that for the past 21 years Louis has worked at Glassboro State College in New Jersey. Louis' wife, Brenda, has worked for Mobil Oil. They have two children, and own a house on a gentle hill in the country.

Louis reported that his brothers and sisters are doing well too. They are happily settled in different spots from Virginia to New York — all working and most with families.

A few weeks later, Louis and I got together in Chatham. More than six feet tall, Louis is an affable² man, with the same energetic spontaneity he had as a child. We began to talk quietly of serious things — racism, black poverty and the old segregationist South. It was clear that we both understood how profoundly wrong the old way was, yet Louis insisted that as a child he never felt the bite of racism. I mentioned how we used to go to the movies and be separated at the door. Didn't that bother him? «Why would it, Henry?» I could sense a hidden grin. «The movies I saw were always better than the ones you saw!»

But I was still puzzled about how his home could be so important to Louis. What had he found here that could fuel his life with happiness and success?

«The most important thing came from my mamma,» he said. «She taught all of us that people are going to treat you just like you treat them. And that's all I've ever done. When you understand that, it makes it really easy to get along in life.» He brushed a tear from his eye.

¹ to mingle —смешиваться

² affable —приветливый

Test № 13

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. Henry and Louis Coles had not seen each other for 30 years.

2. Henry and Louis had the same memories.

3. Louis's brothers and sisters were all married.

4. Louis was not bothered by racism when he was a child.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. What did Henry learn about Louis when they talked over the telephone?

2. When did Louis and Henry get together in Chatham?

3. What was the author's impression of Louis when he saw him in Chatham?

4. What had helped to fill Louis's life with happiness and success?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Louis had worked at a college in New Jersey for the past 10 years.

2. All Louis's brothers and sisters were settled in the same town.

№14

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

The first time we met, I was an innocent eight-year-old. My friends and I secretly took you down to our dark cellar, so that our parents would not find out. Later on, when I was about ten-year-old, we started to meet every weekend when my friends and I went to the noisy discotheque at our local youth club. We used to sneak out from the club up into the shady woods, where my friends and I sat with make-up on our faces and garish nail polish on our nails feeling very adult and mature.

From thirteen onwards we met several times a day, and by then my mother allowed you to come into my room. She did not want to know you,, having gone through so much to get rid of you. Naturally she was rather disappointed in me but what could she do? She kept hoping that I would «get my act together» but at this age I was unruly and rebellious and punishments and curfews did not work.

There is no doubt that you have been everything to me. You have been there when I needed a friend or when I was sad. You calmed me down when I was upset. In other words, you have been one of my best friends.

Unlike others in similar situations, I did not associate with you because it was fashionable or I thought it was tough. However, I had seen you and your equals, together with beautiful, sophisticated women; women who ate at expensive restaurants and drank red wine by candlelight. My friends and I tried to imitate those women; we wanted to live in that kind of world.

The problem was I liked you too much. There was no going back. I was caught in your trap. My flat was almost ruined because of you. My skin became a washed out pale grey. Sometimes I felt like an old woman. How was I so blind, deaf and ignorant for all those years? Why couldn't I let you go? I know the answer myself, it was because I did not care then, but I do now.

In spite of it being difficult, I am now trying to end our destructive relationship, as one must end all bad relationships. I hope I will succeed in my effort to stop smoking and that I will never buy another packet of Prince again. After more than eighteen years together I bid you farewell, my fair Prince.

Test № 14

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. The narrator is twenty-six years old now.

2. The narrator's parents didn't know that she had started to smoke.

3. The mother had given up smoking when her daughter was 13.

4. The narrator has started to take care of her health.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. Where did the narrator and her friends go at week-ends when she was ten-year-old?

2. What role did smoking play in the narrator's life?

3. Who did the narrator and her friends try to imitate?

4. What does the narrator's skin look like now?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. The first time she took a cigarette the narrator was ten-year-old.

2. From thirteen onwards the narrator was allowed to smoke in the club.

№15

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

She was in the house of a married friend, sitting on the verandah, with a lighted room behind her. She was alone; and heard people talking in low voices, and caught her own name. She rose to go inside and declare herself: it was typical of her. Then she sank down again, and waited for a suitable moment to pretend she had just come in from the garden. This was the conversation she listened to, while her face burned and her hands went clammy.'

«She's not fifteen any longer: it is ridiculous! Someone should tell her about her clothes.» «How old is she?»

«Must be well over thirty. She was working long before I began working, and that was a good twelve years ago.»

«Why doesn't she marry? She must have had plenty of chances.» There was a dry chuckle. «I don't think so. My husband was keen on her himself once, but he thinks she will never marry. Something missing somewhere.» «Oh, I don't know.»

«The other day I caught sight of her in the street and hardly recognized her. It's a fact! The way she plays all those games, her skin is like sandpaper,² and she's got so thin.»

«But she's such a nice girl. She'd make someone a good wife.» «She should marry someone years older than herself. A man of fifty would suit her... you'll see, she will marry someone old enough to be her father one of those days.»

She was stunned and outraged;³ but most of all deeply wounded that her friends could discuss her thus. And the things they had said! She tried to compose herself⁴ and went back into the room to join her treacherous friends, who greeted her as cordially as if they had not just that moment driven knives into her heart and thrown her quite offbalance; she could not recognize herself in the picture they had made of her!

¹ clammy —влажный

² sand paper —наждачная бумага

³ outraged —оскорбленный

⁴ to compose oneself —успокоиться

Test № 15

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. Mary hadn't intended to listen to the conversation.

2. Mary was the same age as her friend.

3. The conversation was between Mary's friend and her husband.

4. Mary was keen on sports.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. Where was Mary that night?

2. Why did Mary's friend hardly recognize her when she caught sight of her in the street?

3. Who did Mary's friend think she should marry?

4. What did her friends do when she came back into the room?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Mary was amused by the conversation she heard.

2. She thought the picture her friends had made of her was true.

№16

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

Annie Stewart has been a keeper at Woburn Animal Kingdom for the past twelve years, and for eight years before that she worked at another safari park. It's hard physical work, out in all weathers — animals have to be fed and looked after every day of the year.

«My working day normally begins at 8 a.m., but if an animal is sick I may have to be up all night with it. Week-ends and bank holidays are our busiest times while we're open to visitors between March and October. I begin by loading feeds onto my car, then I drive to the eland (a type of larger antelope). I feed and check them. Then I go through a similar process with the giraffe and the hippo.

We always have to take special care in our dealings with the rhino — remember that they are dangerous wild animals. They have to be watched all the time in case something upsets them. And the eland can be especially unpredictable¹ when the strangers are around. They only trust two of us to go near them, so if there are any problems with them on my day off I might easily be called in.

During the season when we're open to the public, it's part of the keepers'

job to patrol the park watching the public as much as the animals. People

can be amazingly silly, ignoring signs and warnings. They seem to have no

idea of the possible danger. Some get out of their cars to take photographs

when they are frighteningly close to an animal that could kill them in an

instant. We have to try and be diplomatic and maintain a sense of humour.

I get to know all the animals in my care individually. I fill in a daily

diary and a weekly report, making a note of any changes of behaviour.

This is a job that requires dedication and hard work. I was first attracted

to it when I saw a documentary about this place 20 years ago. I had

experience of looking after dogs in boarding kennels², and I was fascinated

by the safari park concept. So I wrote to them and was lucky enough to

get a job, learning as I went along. It's like a wild animal farm here —

the animals have plenty of freedom and I enjoy the independence and

responsibility which are central to my job».

¹ unpredictable — непредсказуемый

² kennels — псарня

Test № 16

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. Annie Stewart has been a safari park keeper for 20 years.

2. When there are queues of traffic Annie can be called in even on her days off.

3. Annie's first job in Animal Kingdom was looking after dogs in boarding kennels.

4. Annie had to do some learning before she was accepted to the Animal Kingdom.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. What are the busiest times for Woburn Animal Kingdom?

2. Why do the rhino have to be watched all the time?

3. Why do people need watching as much as the animals?

4. What things about Annie's job are the most important for her?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Ann was attracted to Animal Kingdom when she came across a newspaper article about it.

2. One of Annie's responsibilities is filling in monthly reports.

№17

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

Elaine and Roy Fullwood had no intention of educating their children themselves until things went badly wrong at school. When a new headteacher with what Roy describes as «trendy educational methods» took over at the local school, the work of their eldest child, Alex, suffered and she became bored and aimless.

Despite a meeting with the headteacher, the Deputy Director of Education and other concerned parents nothing changed. At this point Elaine and Roy decided to take Alex, aged 8, and Anna, aged 6, away from school.

A year later Elaine was concerned about whether the girls were making enough progress. «For advice, we took the girls' work to the heads of the schools where they would have been pupils. In both cases they were well ahead for their age. This reassured us that we were on the right way.»

Alex and Anna have now been at home for two years and are joined in their morning studies by six-year-old sister Miriam, who has never been to school. Four-year-old John occasionally joins in and 14-month-old Luke is often crawling nearby.

Having no teacher-training, it was necessary to plan work very carefully in the early days but now Elaine finds that it's become second nature.

Roy trained as a teacher but has never actually taught. Now he spends as much time with the family as his job allows.

Roy and Elaine make it quite clear that being at home is not a soft option¹. They put a lot of emphasis on responsibility and self-discipline. For example, Alex and Anna are in charge of the animals — hens, a horse and a goat — which they have to feed and clean out in all weathers. No one stands over them but they know that if they shirk their responsibilities² then the animals will go. The children themselves will decide whether they want to do «O» and «A» levels. Roy and Elaine certainly won't try to influence them.

The Fullwoods are clearly a close-knit family but they also have many friends. Although the children may never go to school again there is no anti-school feeling in the home. «The door's open. If ever they want to go they can».

¹ soft option —легкий выбор

²to shirk responsibilities — уклоняться от выполнения обязанностей

Test № 17

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) следую­щие утверждения.

1. In the beginning Elaine and Roy didn't plan to educate their children at home.

2. Three of the Fullwoods children have never been to school.

3. Neither of the parents has ever had any teacher-training.

4. Roy and Elaine will decide later whether their children will do «O» and «A» level exams.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. At what moment did things go wrong at school?

2. What was Elaine concerned about during the first year of home education?

3. How much time does Roy spend with his family?

4. What do Roy and Elaine put a lot of emphasis on in the upbringing of their children?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. At the end of the first year of home education Elaine and Roy took the girls to the heads of the schools where they would have been pupils.

2. Although the children will never go to school again there is no anti-school feeling in the home.

№18

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

From inside the zoo director's office, the tiger is living very comfortably. Saved from having to earn its own living in the tough outside world, it has all its meals provided and doesn't even have to walk anywhere. I have heard one zoo director describe the zoo as a «welfare state» for animals. But the zoo director also tells us that the tiger is earning its keep by educating the public. When their existence is put into question zoos always answer by saying that they educate people. The argument goes like this: all the nature and wildlife documentary films in the world can't replace flesh and blood. There's just nothing like the experience of coming face to face with real, live, wild animals. Having seen wild animals close up, zoo visitors will be so enthusiastic about the wonders of the natural world that they will start to care deeply about what is happening to wild animals, go off and do something about it. Along with all the other caged animals, the tiger — to use a favourite zoo phrase — is an «ambassador for the wild».

As someone who studies human behaviour, I'm interested in why people go to zoos, what they get from looking at animals in cages and what zoos say they get. Having spent hours watching people watching animals, my feeling is that no zoo can fulfil the educational aim it says it has. No zoo can bring about a meaningful meeting between people and animals because by its very nature, the zoo — good, bad, best in the world — presents a false picture of wild animals and our relationship with them.

The time I have spent outside the cages has shown me how the zoo hinders¹ any true understanding of animals.

The only way we can bring about any healthy and relaxed meeting between people and imprisoned animals is to do away with² the idea of zoos and to start again. Start with the animals, not the people. Start by asking what reasons there could be for keeping animals in cages. Start by finding ways of offering them somewhere which can realistically replace the wild, an imaginative space of the right size, a chance to relate to other animals as they would in the wild, a chance to get away from the public stares — a chance, basically, to live their own lives.

¹ hinder —мешать

² to do away with —покончить с чем-то

Test № 18

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) сле­дующие утверждения.

1. According to the director of the zoo, animals have a safer life at zoos than in the outside world.

2. The author believes that documentary films can't replace seeing wild animals face to face.

3. People who visit zoos are enthusiastic about the wonders of wild life.

4. The author suggests that it's impossible to create any place where animals can live their own life.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. How, according to the zoo director, does the tiger earn its keep?

2. What experience helped the author to get a good idea of zoos?

3. Why, according to the author, can't zoo bring a meaningful meeting between people and animals?

4. What, in the author's opinion, should people do about zoos?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. From the point of view of the zoo visitors the tiger is living very comfortably.

2. As someone who studies the behaviour of animals the author is interested in why people go to zoos.

№19

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

If you are thinking of buying a dog you must also be ready to devote a good deal of time to training the dog when it is young and giving it the exercise it needs throughout its life, unless you live in the country and can let it run freely. Dogs are demanding pets. Whereas cats identify with a house and are content if their place there is secure, a dog identifies with its master and consequently wants him to show proof of his affection.

The best time to buy a puppy is when it is between six and eight weeks old so that it can transfer its affection for its mother to its master. If puppies have not established a relationship with a human being until they are over three months old, their strongest relationship will always be with dogs; if they are kept in kennels' for this length of time, they are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets.

Different breeds² require different training methods. German shepherd dogs, for example, respond favourably to mild punishment but terriers usually resent it and become more aggressive. The best way to tram a dog is by reward, not punishment, but the reward must be immediate so that the dog connects it with what it has done. In general it is better to teach a dog by preventing it from doing things than by punishing it afterwards.

Pet food is a profitable business and there are firms concerned to make you believe that your dog will suffer if you do not buy it some special biscuit. In fact, dogs require a well-balanced diet, like human beings, except that they do not need fruit and vegetables because their bodies produce their own vitamin C.

In the same way beauty parlours³ for dogs would like you to think that it will be unhappy if it does not have its nails cut or its hair combed. Some dogs may benefit, but the essential point to remember is that you should take it regularly to a vet to ensure that it is healthy. In that case you should have a faithful companion for ten years or more.

¹ kennels — псарня

² breed —порода

³ beauty parlour —косметический салон

Test № 19

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) сле­дующие утверждения.

1. Dogs want more attention than cats.

2. If you live in the country your dog needs more exercise.

3. Pet food produced by pet food firms is the most well-balanced diet for dogs.

4. According to the author, dogs will be happier if they have their nails cut and their hair combed.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. Why do they recommend to buy puppies when they are 6 or 8 weeks old?

2. What happens if puppies don't establish a relationship with a human being till they are three months old?

3. Why don't dogs need fruit or vegetables?

4. What is the most essential rule that you have to observe if you want to have a happy and healthy dog?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. If puppies are kept in kennels until they are 3 months old they may be too aggressive to become good pets.

2. Dogs require a well-balanced diet like cats.

№20

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

A visitor from Barcelona arrives at Madrid government office in mid-afternoon, and is surprised to find only the cleaning lady there. «Don't they work in the afternoons?» he asks. «No,» she replies, «they don't work in the mornings. In the afternoons they don't come.»

Lazy Madrid, busy Barcelona: it is just one of many stereotypes about Spain's great rivals. Mostly, the stereotypes are born of Barcelona's bitterness at its second-class status. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a proudly autonomous region, but Madrid is the capital of Spain. This causes resentment. It makes Barcelona the largest city in Western Europe not to be a national capital.

Over the years governments in Madrid did their best to limit Barcelona's political power. Barcelona has the liberalism that often characterizes port cities. An old-fashioned seriousness in Madrid, isolated high up on Spain's central plateaus, contrasts with the light-heartedness of Barcelona, open to Europe.

These old caricatures still hold true. No visitor to government buildings in the two cities can fail to be struck by the contrast between them. In Madrid, there are ancient wooden floors, antique furniture and walls covered with paintings by Spanish old masters. In Barcelona, designer chairs and tables are evidence of the place's obsession with modernism. And yet, these days, the similarities between the two cities are as striking as the contrasts. Madrid is hardly lazy any more. Nor is it old-fashioned. Indeed, it has become almost outrageously modern. To judge by the local cuisine¹, you would think the place was a port: although far from the sea, seafood is a miraculous Madrid speciality.

As banks and businesses have been drawn to Madrid, it has become as much a commercial and industrial centre as an administrative one. Barcelona, meanwhile, has been experiencing a rise in bureaucracy.

The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona is bound to remain fierce, not least on the soccer field, when Real Madrid and Barcelona compete for Spanish supremacy. ¹ cuisine —кухня

Test № 20

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) сле­дующие утверждения.

1. According to the old Catalan joke, people at a Madrid government office are lazier in the morning than in the afternoon.

2. Barcelona is the largest city in Spain.

3. Visitors to Madrid find that it is hardly lazy any more.

4. Nowadays Barcelona doesn't feel competitive with Madrid.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. What was the policy of Madrid towards Barcelona for many years?

2. Which of the two rivals has traditionally been more oriented towards Europe?

3. What are Madrid's government buildings decorated with?

4. Why can one think, to judge by the local cuisine, that Madrid is a

port?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Barcelona has liberalism which is usually characteristic of big cities.

2. These days similarities between the two cities are more striking than the contrasts.

№21

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What is a hero? This not an easy question to answer. When we look closely at the life stories of many popular heroes, we find that they are not always very good or very likeable people. They have become heroes because of their actions, not because of their characters. People may be famous while they are alive, but after they are dead, stories are told and songs are written which make them into heroes.

The British hero who still remains larger than life is, of course, Robin Hood. Historians tell us that little — if any — of his story is true, but people love the idea of an outlaw¹ who stole from the rich to give to the poor and they continue to believe it. In 1991, the Robin Hood Festival attracted 100,000 tourists to Sherwood Forest. They wanted to see Robin's favourite hiding-place, the «Major Oak» — a tree which was planted a couple of hundred years after the hero's death. They crowded into St. Mary's Church, where Robin married Maid Marian — a marriage between a fourteenth-century hero and a woman who was added to the story two hundred years later (in a church which was completely rebuilt four hundred years later). They queued to get into The Tales of Robin Hood, an exhibition about the life of the outlaw who, according to the Dictionary of National Biography, never existed.

Villains², like heroes, are the subjects of stories and songs which often have little to do with historical facts. Just as heroes are always stronger, braver and more heroic than they are in real life, villains are always more wicked, more cruel and more villainous. For example, there are stories about Blackbeard the Pirate which tell us that he acted with great cruelty to his own men when he was drunk and could cut a man in two with one blow of his sword. In fact, Blackbeard probably encouraged these stories to make himself more frightening to the captains and crews of the ships he attacked. There are just as many stories which say that he avoided battles and showed some kindness to his enemies, but we like our villains to be black-hearted and that is the way we remember him.

Test № 21

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) сле­дующие утверждения.

1. Historians often make into heroes people who were famous while they were alive.

2. According to historians, Robin Hood married Maid Marian in St. Mary's Church.

3. Blackbeard was much more cruel in reality than in the stories about him

4. People like villains and heroes to be black and white.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. What do we find out when we look closely at the life stories of man> popular heroes?

2. Why is Robin Hood people's favourite hero?

3. When was «Major Oak», Robin's favourite hiding place, planted?

4. Why did Blackbeard encourage stones about his cruelty and wickedness?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. According to the Dictionary of National Biography Robin Hood lived in the 14^th century.

2. There are few stories which say that Blackbeard showed some kindness to his enemies.

№22

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Nine months ago Victor and Sally Wilkings withdrew¹ their two elder children from a small country school which, Sally says, «had nice teachers and a friendly atmosphere.» It was not this particular school but a belief that all schools have a damaging effect that prompted the withdrawal of Seth, aged nine, and Esther, aged six and a half.

Sally feels that schools rob children of the personal responsibility for use of their own time. She also thinks that children are exposed² to conflicting opinions and examples which confuse³ them. The influence of television also worries her.

A typical education-at-home day begins with a few domestic chores. These done, Seth and Esther settle down at the table in their cosy kitchen. The children usually choose what they do, select three or four subjects from a list which includes story-writing, reading, maths games and puzzles, science, history and music. The children keep a daily diary of their work and Sally corrects the balance if on occasions she feels something is being neglected. She also encourages them to finish whatever they begin. After a couple of hours it's time for refreshments and a story. The afternoons, when Victor is sometimes free to join them, are usually spent out of doors — gardening, or enjoying an outing or nature walk. During the evenings and at week-ends the children often attend local clubs.

Victor admits that he was a bit uneasy about home education when Sally first talked about it. «I suppose I thought that other people might think we were being irresponsible. In fact it's quite the opposite. I was also worried that it would be too much for Sally to take on. What made   the decision easier for me was going to a conference organised by Education Otherwise and finding that even academics were disillusioned with the school system. After that we decided to give it a year's trial.

Now that I see how happy the children are I wouldn't dream of sending them back to school.»

¹ withdraw —забирать

² to be exposed to —быть незащищенным от

³ to confuse —запутывать

Test № 22

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) сле­дующие утверждения.

1. Victor and Sally withdrew their children from school because it was a small country school.

2. Sally believes that watching television does the children a lot of good.

3. When Sally finds that something is neglected she makes the children keep a diary.

4. Sally was the first to think about educating their children at home.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. Why, according to Sally, is it not good for children to hear conflicting opinions?

2. What does a typical education-at-home day begin with?

3. Who recommends the children which subjects from the list they should select?

4. Why was Victor uneasy about home education at first?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. At week-ends the children often attend the local cinema.

2. Going to a conference made Victor feel uneasy about home education.

№23

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Bert Rogers has two sons. His younger son, Howard, is an artist; he is married and has two small daughters.

BERT: «I missed out on quite a big part of Howard's childhood. When he was little I was working very long hours. I had to be content with seeing my children at week-ends.»

«From an early age he was always working with paints and pencils. He had a natural talent for it — all I needed to do was guide and encourage him. We used to draw together because I, too, had always enjoyed painting and drawing.

«By the time he was 13, Howard had made up his mind that he wanted to be an artist. I would have preferred him to have followed a more academic career, but he left school at 16 and went to art college; I was disappointed, but I had no choice but to support him and try to take pride in his achievements.

«Even now, we still argue. Howard is impulsive and volatile¹; temperamentally, he's far more like his mother than he is like me. He has quite strong left-wing views and we often clash. When we're arguing he gets quite emotional, but I respect him for his views, even though I think he's often wrong.

«As an artist and a man who's expressing himself, he's on top of things. In a way, I envy him because he was able to do what he wanted to do. I'd hoped to train as an engraver², but my father wouldn't support my apprenticeship³. I suppose because my own talent was wasted I made a point of encouraging Howard's, and I think it has been well worthwhile.»

HOWARD: «My childhood memories of my father are pretty vague. He wasn't a powerful presence because he wasn't at home much. It's only now that I'm a father myself that I can understand what sort of person he is. He's kind and very understanding. I can talk to him more openly than Г ve ever done.

«Since my children were born, I've seen much more of Dad than I used to. I love to see the pleasure he gets from them. The children have bridged some of the gap between us.

«Despite all the difficulties we've had in the past, I do love my father very much, and I think it's only quite recently that I've realised this.»

Test № 23

I. Определите, верны (True) или неверны (False) сле­дующие утверждения.

1. Bert used to draw together with his son to teach him to use paints and pencils.

2. Howard takes after his mother in character.

3. Bert failed to become an engraver because he was less talented than his son.

4. Father and son have been seeing less of each other since the birth of Howard's children.

II. Ответьте на следующие вопросы.

1. Why was Bert disappointed when Howard went to art college?

2. Why does Bert envy his son in a way?

3. At what time in his life did Howard understand what sort of person his father is?

4. What features of character does Howard value in his father?

III. Исправьте предложения в соответствии с содержани­ем текста.

1. Howard got interested in painting and drawing at the age of 13.

2. In spite of all the difficulties father and son have had lately Howard loves his father very much.

№24

Прочитайте текст два раза и выполните следующие задания.

Men have walked on the moon, transplanted hearts and invented machines to think for them. But they cannot cure the common cold. A spokesman at the world-famous cold research center in Salisbury sounded. understandably bad- tempered when I spoke to him about it. They've been working on the problem for years but the most optimistic he could be was to hope that they would find a cure within the next 10 years. So what was their advice on coping with a cold meanwhile? «Ignore it», he said.

In urban areas we have about three colds a year and they are caused not by wet feet or sitting in a draught, but by a virus, or rather many viruses which are always changing so that a vaccine prepared from one is useless against the next. But every year the pharmaceutical companies spend millions of pounds trying to persuade us that their product will banish¹ the miseries of sneezing, running noses, sore throats, headaches and coughs. They admit they can't cure the cold, but they do promise to relieve² the symptoms.

We looked at 10 well-known brands of cold remedies and asked a doctor to explain, exactly what they contain, each ingredient is for, and his opinion on their effectiveness. Although none of the preparations had exactly the same ingredients, they fell into certain categories.

Nearly all contained a painkiller, either aspirin or paracetamol. These help to reduce temperature and relieve general aches and pains. Aspirin can irritate the stomach, so paracetamol is generally preferred.

None of the preparations was harmful, as long as you observed the warnings on the packets. The worst thing about them was the cost. Advertising and packaging had inflated the price of relatively cheap ingredients, and in many cases you could get the same relief from straightforward paracetamol taken with a warm drink of lemon and honey.

¹ to banish —отгонять

² to relieve —облегчать

Test № 24