Билет № 1

A Beautiful Mind

This 2001 drama starring Russell Crowe was loosely based on the same name
about the life of the remarkable American mathematician, John Forbes Nash. Nash
has one of the most brilliant minds ever to emerge from the United States, but
during his life he has to battle with serious mental illness.

From an early age, Nash was interested in science, and by the age of twelve he was
already carrying out scientific experiments alone in his room. He spend very little
time with his classmates, who rejected him because of his superior attitude. When
the Second World War broke out, other boys of his age were imagining themselves
as soldiers while Nash was inventing secret codes.

After graduation in mathematics, Nash went on to develop his games theory at

Princeton University where he did doctorate. This theory became known as the
“Nash equilibrium”, and it explains business arrangements between competitors.
The “Nash equilibrium” has been applied in the world of business since the 1950s.

From Princeton University, Nash moved to the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology to teach mathematics. Here he met and married one of his students,
Alicia Lopez, but it was also here that he began to experience symptoms of
paranoid schizophrenia. He soon became unable to teach or do research and he was
admitted to psychiatric hospitals for treatment several times. Alicia divorced him
and he spent the next twenty years wandering around the campus at Princeton.

However, over the years his mental condition improved, until in the late 1980s, he
began to make contact with other mathematics who realized that his new work had
value. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994 and he and Alicia
remarried soon afterwards. He is still at Princeton, where he has a post in
mathematics.
1. Why was John Forbes rejected by his classmates?
a. because of his marital status
b. because of his arrogant attitude
c. because of his character
2. What was Nash doing when World War II began?
a. imagined himself as a soldier
b. developed his theories
c. invented secret codes
3. When was this drama filmed?
a. 2001
b. 2002
c. 2003
4. Where Nash met his wife?
a. Princeton University
b. University of Massachusetts
c. Yale University

5. In 1994, Nash was awarded?

a. Nobel Prize
b. Abel Prize
c. Fields Prize
6. John Ford Nash was an American physicist.
True
False
7. Nash has been struggling with mental illness throughout his life.
True
False
8. He has been conducting scientific experiments for 20 years.
True
 False
9. Nash spends very little time with his classmates.
True
False
[Link] Forbes to marry one of his students?
True
False

Билет № 2

An unforgettable experience

The trip of my lifetime was definitely the month I spend in Ecuador on an animal
rescue project in my gap year. I’d worked temping for six months to finance my
trip, and I had most amazing time imaginable.

I stayed with eight other volunteers in the Santa Martha Rescue Centre, which is
situated in a rural part of the Andes, surrounded by volcanoes. The centre cares for
animals that have been treated badly by their owners and range from jaguars and
pumas to monkeys and parrots. Our job was to feel the animals and keep them
clean.

A typical day started at 7 a.m. when we had to get give the animals their breakfast
before having our own. After breakfast we helped the local staff with maintenance
jobs around the centre, like repairing cages and building new enclosures. We
normally stopped at around 2 p.m. and then went back to feed the animals again at
4 p.m.

I spent most of my time chopping fruit for the animals, but the best bit was
entering the cages and feeding them. My favorites were the baby monkey who
greeted me each morning by jumping all over me and pulling my hair. Watering
the young cats was slightly more dangerous and grabbed the water bowls. We
filled the adults’ bowls from outside the enclosure, which seemed like a much
more sensible idea to me.
To whole trip was unforgettable, and I would recommend everyone to take a gap
year. You gain confidence and become more self-sufficient as well as getting
hands-on experience of your degree subject. Just earn some money, book the trip
you fancy most and get out there and do it!

1. Why did the author work at pace for six months?

a. To go on a trip
b. to finance his trip
c. to repay the debt.
2. How many volunteers were in the group with the author?
a. eight
b. eighteen
c. eighty
3. What did the author do after breakfast?
a. fed the animals
b. helped the local staff
c. rested
4. What were the author's favorite animals?
a. Parrots
b. monkeys
c. panthers
5. What did the author spend most of his time on?
a. to cut fruit for the animals
b. to help the staff
c. to feed the animals
6. The volunteers had to rescue the animals from cruel owners.
True
False
7. They had to feed the animals immediately after breakfast.
True
False
8. The volunteers entered some of the cages to feed the animals.
True
False
9. They didn't open the enclosures of the big cats.
True
False
10. The writer thinks the gap years are character-building but don't help you
academically.
True
False

Билет № 3

The «Plywood Palace»

For centuries, people have tried to conquer nature. They have built tall
skyscrapers and bridges over rivers. But not all these efforts are successful.
Bridges fall down, and buildings collapse. Even the pyramids in Egypt had
problems, and the first few fell down.

People have built skyscrapers for years. It would seem safe to assume that
they now know how to do it. That is what a large U.S company thought when it
built its new headquarters recently. But soon after the steel-and-glass building was
finished, the windows began to fall out, crashing all over the streets. One windy
night, 65 windows fell onto the street and had to be replaced by plywood. That’s
when people started calling the building the «Plywood Palace». This continued for
years while a number of different solutions were tried, and lots of excuses were
made. Law years for the construction company even said that it is normal for
windows to fall out of skyscrapers, but that everyone was being unfair and
criticizing their building alone.
Finally investigators found a mistake in engineering. The buildings irregular shape
caused it to sway too much in the wind. The problem is solved now, and the
windows have stopped falling out. But the building still has one unusual feature.
Every day a guard examines it with binoculars to make sure the windows aren’t
starting to crack again. And the insurance company, architect, engineers, and
builders? They’re all in court, suing each other.

1. Why did people build skyscrapers and bridges?

a. Tried to conquer nature
b. improve their own way of life
c. to build a "stone jungle"

2. Why is the text called "plywood palace"?

a. because the building was made of plywood
b. because the building was light
c. because the windows of the building were replaced with plywood

3. What did I have to replace the 65 windows that fell out?

a. Plywood
b. glass
c. pieces of wood

4. Why did the windows fall out?

a. an error in the design
b. the building swayed in the wind
c. the irregular shape of the building

5. What was the mistake in the design of the building?

a. too high
b. wrong shape
c. wrong height
6. Everyone built bridges across rivers and skyscrapers were crowned with
success.
 True
False
7. The first few Egyptian pyramids have been destroyed.
True
False
8. A large American company thought that it could build skyscrapers.
True
False
9. Due to the incorrect design of the building, windows fell out.
True
False
[Link] legal adviser of the construction company said that falling windows from
skyscrapers is normal.
True
False

Билет № 4

The Great Newspaper War

Up until about 100 years ago, newspapers in the United States appealed only to the
most serious readers. They used no illustrations and the articles were about politics
or business.

Two man changed that - Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World and William
Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal. Pulitzer bought the New York World
in 1883. He changed it from a traditional newspaper into a very exciting one
overnight. He added lots of illustrations and cartoons and he told his reporters to
write articles on every crime or scandal they could find. And they did. One of them
even pretended she was crazy and was admitted to a mental hospital. She then
wrote a series of articles about the poor treatment of patients those hospitals.

In 1895, Hearst came to New York from California. He wanted the Journal to be
more sensational and more exciting than the World. He also wanted it to be
cheaper, so he reduced the price to a penny. Hearst attracted attention because his
headlines were bigger than anyone else’s. He often said “Big print makes big
news”.

Pulitzer and Hearst did anything they could to sell newspapers. For example,
Hearst sent Frederick Remington, the famous illustrator to draw pictures of the
Spanish- American War. When he got there he told Hearst that no fighting was
going on. Hearst answered , “You furnish the pictures. I’ll furnish the war”.

1. What was done in 1883?

a. Joseph Pulitzeo bought the New York World
b. Randolph Hearst bought the New York Journal
c. Joseph Pulitzeo bought the New York Journal

2. In how many nights has Joseph Pulntzer turned you from a traditional
newspaper into a very interesting one?
a. For two nights
b. for one night
c. for three nights

3. In what year did Hearst move to New York from California?

a. 1896
b. 1899
c. 1895

4. How did Hearst attract the attention of readers ?

a. Large headlines
b. Illustration
c. Caricature

5. Hearst sent a famous illustrator to draw pictures of what war?

a. Spanish-American
b. Spanish-French
c. Spanish-Portuguese
 6. 100 years ago in the United States, newspapers were only about politics and
business.
True
False
7. Joseph and William turned traditional newspapers into a very interesting
one.
True
False
8. Joseph Pulitzer himself pretended to be crazy and went to a psychiatric
hospital to write an article.
True
False
9. Hearst raised the price of newspapers.
True
False
10. Hearst was ready to arrange a war for a good sale of newspapers.
True
False

Билет № 5

New Foods and the New World.

In the last 500 years, nothing about people –not their clothes, ideas, or
languages- has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was
made from the seeds of the cacao tree by South American Indians. The Spanish
introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very
expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate
drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.

The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it
from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so
dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during
the “Potato Famine” of 1845-6, and thousands more were forced to emigrate to
America.
 There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old
World. But some others went in the opposite direction . Brazil is now the world’s
largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other
South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia. It was first made into a
drink by Arabs during the 1400’s. According to an Arabic legend, coffee was
discovered when a goatherd named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to
the red berries on a coffee bush. He tried one and experienced the “wide-awake”
feeling that one-third of the world’s population now starts the day with.

1. What has changed in people over the past 500 years?

a. clothes
b. language
c. food
2. In what years did the Spaniards introduce the chocolate drink to the rest of
the world?
a. 1500s
b. 1600s
c. 1700s
3. The Spaniards brought potatoes to Europe from ...?
a. Portugal
b. Peru
c. Panama
4. In what years was the "potato famine"
a. 1845-6
b. 1945-6
c. 1843-4
5. Who first turned coffee into a drink?
a. Americans
b. Arabs
c. Ethiopians
 6. Chocolate drink quickly became fashionable despite the fact that it was
expensive.
True
False
7. Ireland was dependent on potatoes.
True
False
8. Ethiopia is the world's largest coffee producer.
True
False
9. The original chocolate drink was made by South American Indians.
True
False
[Link] coffee was opened when a shepherd tasted red berries on a coffee bush.
True
False

Билет № 6

The Cities Where Time Stopped.

Although the Roman Empire ended 1,500 years ago, people today know a lot
about the comfortable way of life that Roman citizens enjoyed. This is because of
two insignificant towns –Pompeii and Herculaneum – that are remembered only
because they were near the volcano Mt. Vesuvius when it erupted, August 24, 79
A.D. This eruption buried the two cities in a thick blanket of ash that suffocated
every thing alive.

The disaster was sudden and unexpected. Most people couldn’t escape, and
those that left were unable to take any of their possessions with them. As a result,
the two towns are almost perfectly preserved. You can see there entire houses
which still contain furniture and have brilliant-colored paintings on the wall. There
are even some unfinished meals still sitting on tables. Houses are so well-preserved
it seems that their inhabitants left only a few minutes ago and might come back
again – even after two thousand years.

In fact the city was buried so deep that the two towns were completely hidden
until about 200 years ago, when they were rediscovered by accident. Today the ash
has been removed and the towns attract thousands of visitors every year. The visit
can be disturbing though; Pompeii is perhaps too much like it was, and though it
fascinates the modern traveler, August 24, 79 A.D. is a day when no one wanted to
be there.

1. Where were the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum?

a. near the volcano Mt. Vesuvius

b. near Rome

c. near the volcano Merapi

2. When volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted?

a. 1,500 years ago

b. about 200 years ago

c. August 24, 79 A.D.

3. Are the houses well preserved?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Not mentioned

4. Until today, no one visits the city?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Not mentioned

5. Who lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum?

a. British

b. Americans

c. Romans
 6. All the residents of the cities were able to escape.

True

False

7. The city was buried so deep.

True

False

8. The towns attract thousands of visitors every year.

True

False

9. Pompeii and Herculaneum were near the volcano Mt. Vesuvius.

True

False

[Link] were able to take all their possessions.

True

False

Билет №7

People Who Love Adventure.

Why do people do dangerous things? Why do they climb Mt. Everest, walk to
the South Pole, or sail around the world? Some do it for money and some do it for
fame. But most people who perform great feats do it because they like a challenge.
They want to do something no one else has done.

Yuichiro Miura, a professional speed skier, decided to skier, decided to ski

down the world’s highest mountain. In 1970, his expedition made the difficult trip
up Mt. Everest. Eight men died along the way. The dangers of the climb up were
known, but no one had ever had the experience of skiing from a 27,000 foot peak
down a 6,000 foot drop that ends with a giant crevice. Miura got in two minutes,
going so fast that he needed a parachute to slow down. But he was nearly killed.
After the parachute opened, he lost control, fell, and was saved by crashing into a
rock.

Robyn Davidson is another person who enjoys a challenge. In 1977, at the age
of 25, she set out to cross the Australian desert alone. She attracted a lot of
attention, though not so much for the length of the journey as for the way she
traveled-by camel. There were difficult times. She lost her camels, almost ran out
of water and was bothered by wild animals and rude tourists. But by the time she
finished the 1700 mile trip, Robin Davidson was famous. She was famous. She
was asked why she rode a camel 195 days through the wilderness. Her answer:
“Because camels are the best means of getting across deserts. What’s all the fuss
about?

1. Who is Yuichiro Miura?

a. Traveler
b. Speed skier
c. Not mentioned

2. Yuichiro Miura decided to ski down

a. Mt. Everest
b. the Australian desert
c. the South Pole

3. What did Miura use to slow down?

a. Ski
b. Rope
c. Parachute

4. Robin Davidson set out to cross the Australian desert ...

a. Alone
b. With friends
c. rude tourists

5. She traveled …

a. By foot
b. On a horse
c. By camel

6. In 1970, Miura’s expedition made the difficult trip up Mt. Everest.

 True

False

7. After the parachute opened, Miura lost control, fell, and was saved.

True

False

8. Robin Davidson had enough water for the rest of the trip.

True

False

9. In 159 days Robin crossed the desert.

True

False

[Link] the trip, Robin Davidson became famous.

True

False

Билет №8

What Makes a Soccer Player Great?

Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been
a few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way – was it
through training and practice, or are great players “born not made”? First, these
players came from places that have had famous stars in the past – players that a
young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only six
countries have ever won the World Cup – three from Sought America and three
form western Europe. There has never been a great national team – or a really great
player – from North America of from Asia. Second, these players have all had
years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as
was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.

Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighborhood – a poor
crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer or businessman,
but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which
produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years.
Pele practiced in the street with a “ball” made of rags. And George Best learned
the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums of
Belfast.

All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great.
Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The
greatest players are born with some unique quality that set them apart from all the
others.

1. How many countries have won the World Cup?

a) 12

b) 9

c) 6

2. How many times have teams from Asia won the World Cup?

a) 0

b) 2

c) 3

3. What area do many football players come from?

a) a poor crowded area

b) central area

c) Sought America

4. What did Pele practice with on the street?

a) Sword

b) a “ball” made of rags

c) a “ball” made of rope

5. What made George Best famous?

 a) acting skills

b) knowledge of mathematics

c) tricks

6. Only six countries have ever won the World Cup.

a) True

b) False

7. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of football player Pele.

a) True

b) False

8. Pele practiced in the street with a “ball” made of rags.

a) True

b) False

9. The greatest players are born with some unique quality.

a) True

b) False

[Link] players start playing this game in their teens.

a) True

b) False

Билет №9

The Big man

Walter Hudso is big. In fact, he’s enormous. He weights over 250 kilos. And yet
Walter is on a diet. He’s losing weight at an incredible nine kilos a week. He used
to weight over 630 kilos. That’s more than half a ton, and it’s heavier than a car or
a young elephant. At his maximum size Walter’s waist was 119 inches. His neck
was as thick as a woman’s waist. His biceps were as big as an average man’s chest.
His diet was just as impressive. He used to eat enough to feed three families. For
breakfast he ate two pounds of sausages, two pounds of bacon, twelve eggs, a
pound of biscuits, six Danish pastries, a pot of coffee and four pints of orange
juice. Lunch and dinner were even bigger. Then were the snacks between meals.
During the morning he ate twelve doughnuts. Each afternoon he ate ten large
packets of crisps and in the evening a couple of family sized pizzas. On top of all
that he drank 96 cans of soft drinks. That was one day’s food and Walter ate that
much every day.

Until recently the world knew nothing about Walter Hudson. In the past 28 years
he’s only been outside for two hours. That was when his family moved house. He
hasn’t seen the sun since he was 25 years old and he’s now 43. HE lived in a secret
world- a prisoner in his own house near New- York. He used to watch television
for 12-15 hours a day and he only left his bed to walk the five yards to the
bathroom. Even that was exhausting. Walter’s secret world finally hit the headlines
ten months ago. He fell over on his way back from the bathroom and became stuck
in the doorway. It took eight police officers and firemen to free him. But that
incident changed his life. While he was lying on the floor he decided that enough
was enough. The next day he started his diet. He didn’t just cut down the food, he
stopped eating completely. Every morning now he drinks a cocktail of vitamins in
a pint of orange juice, and during the day he drinks a lot of water. And that’s it. He
also takes more exercise now. He still has a long way to go, because he wants wo
get down to 85 kilos. That’s the right weight for someone of his height. “Food,”
says Walter, “is an addiction. It’s worse than drugs or alcohol. You can just stop
taking them. But you need food. And it’s everywhere.” Walter doesn’t watch TV
anymore, because too many of the adverts are about food. He hopes that his
example will help other overweight people, especially children. He encourages
mothers to put photos of him on the fridge door. “I want parents to say to their
kids, “Do you want to look this big? If you keep putting your hands in the fridge,
then that’s how you’ll look. That’s what Walter did.”

1. How much did Walter Hudson weigh before?

a) 630 kilos

b) 250 kilos

c) 119 kilos

2. How many inches was Walter's waist?

a) 630
 b) 250

c) 119

3. How many hours did he watch TV a day before?

a) 2 hours

b) 12-15 hours

c) He never watched TV

4. How many kilos he wants wo get down to?

a) 225

b) 119

c) 85

5. How many cans of soft drinks did he drink?

a) 96

b) 85

c) 12

6. Его бицепсы были размером с грудь среднего мужчины.

a) True

b) False

7. He weights less than 250 kg.

a) True

b) False

8. In the past 28 years he’s only been outside for 12-15 hours.

a) True

b) False

9. Walter claims that food is an addiction.

a) True
 b) False

[Link] up to 85 is the right weight for a person of his height.

a) True

b) False

Билет №10

I survived nine days alone in plane of death.

When the small plane crashed in the Burmese jungle, Monika Kamphuis ,31, from
the Netherlands was the only survivor. This is her amazing story.

Three month ago I flew to Myanmar (Burma) to be with my boyfriend, Johan.

He worked for an international bank and he was helping to set up a branch of the
bank in Rangoon. Johan wanted to go for the weekend to the beautiful old city of
Mandalai. I was very excited. I had a feeling that he would ask me to marry him
and I knew that I would say yes. I loved him very much. We had got the last two
seats on the flight to Mandalai and on Friday afternoon we set off for the airport in
a taxi. We were the very last passengers to check in, but we made it with only five
minutes to spare. Our seats were near the back of the small plane and I was next to
the window. There were about 25 other passengers. The sky looked very black as
we took off, and throughout the flight, we kept our seatbelts fastened. Twenty
minutes later we flew into a terrible storm. The plane rolled, bounced, and
shuddered in the violent turbulence. We were both very scared.

I can’t remember anything after that until I opened my eyes. I didn’t know where I
was. Slowly I realized that the plane had crashed. I was in terrible pain and I
couldn’t move. `Johan `, I called, but he didn’t reply. It was dark, but I knew that
he wasn’t in his seat. I heard groans and I worked out that possibly six other
people were still alive. When daylight came, I could see all the bodies around me
in the wreckage. Johan was on the other side of the aisle, but I knew that he was
dead. After a day or two the other voices stopped and I was alone. But the rescuers
didn’t come. `They must be on their way`, I told myself. If didn’t know that we
were in a swamp in the middle of a jungle and that the helicopters couldn’t fly in
the heavy rain. Outside the window the flood water was creeping slowly up the
side of the fuselage. But that water saved my life. I knew that dehydration was a
great danger. I tore a piece of cloth from my clothes and I pushed it through the
broken window into the water. Then I pulled the soggy cloth back in and squeezed
the dirty water into my mouth. That whole operation took twelve hours. Later I
found a piece of metal and I used it to scoop up water.

At night the mosquitoes came. I was terribly hungry and I slipped in and out of
consciousness. Then I heard voices. I pushed my hand out of the window and
amazingly someone grabbed it. The rescue team had arrived… nine days after the
crash. They took me to a clinic in Rangoon and from there to a hospital in
Singapore.

I had a collapsed lung, a fractured jaw, and my pelvis, my left leg, and all the toes
on my left foot were broken.

I still dream that I am in the wreckage with the insects and the snakes. I can’t
accept Johan`s death. I like to believe that he survived through me. I want to forget
everything about his death and remember everything about his life.

1. Where is Monica Kamphuis from?

a) Netherlands

b) Burmese jungle

c) Myanmar

2. What seats did Monica and Johan have on the flight?

a) two seats in the back of the plane

b) two seats in the front of the aircraft

c) not mentioned

3. With what did she drink water?

a) from the bottle she took with her

b) she didn't drink water

c) with the help of cloth

4. How many days later did the rescue team arrive?

a) 6

b) 9
 c) the rescue team has not arrived

5. How many people were saved from the plane crash?

a) 6

b) 1

c) 2

6. There were about 25 passengers on the plane.

a) True

b) False

7. When she regained consciousness, she immediately realized that they were
in the Burmese jungle.

a) True

b) False

8. Monica had plenty of water and food.

a) True

b) False

9. Monica was immediately taken to the hospital in Singapore.

a) True

b) False

[Link] has come to terms with Johan's death.

a) True

b) False