Английский язык. Тесты для историков

Task 8. Choose the right variant:

How the Americans Chose Their First President

Everyone (1. use to think; think; thinks; uses to think) of the President of the United States (2. to be; being; like; as) the most powerful man in (3. western world; the western world; West; occident). But when the representatives of the thirteen former British colonies (4. found; met; encountered; put together) to draw up constitution of the new country (5. at; by; on; in) 1788, (6. a number; a big lot; a large amount; the most) of them were not sure whether they (7. should; would; ought; must) to have a President at all. There were even (8. few; a few; little; a little) who (9. had preferred; would have preferred; should have preferred; were preferring) a king, (10. although; however; nevertheless; in spite of) their successful war against the British king, George III.

The decision was in doubt (11. until; as far as; so far as; by) the last moment. One group wanted (12. that the President was elected; the President would be elected; the President to be elected; to be elected the President) for life, while (13. another; other; the other; some other) suggested that (14. it should; it would; there would; there should) not be a President, because a Committee would govern the country better; the third group (15. would have liked; would; would like; would be liking) a President (16. that’s; whose; which; of which) term of office would last seven years but who could not stand for re-election, because they were afraid he would spend his time (17. looking for; to look for; to look at; looking at) votes at the next election.

In the end they chose George Washington as President for four years and let him (18. stand; to stand; be standing; that he stood) for re-election because they trusted him. But they were (19. so careful; too careful; careful enough; enough careful) to make rules in case a future President (20. would carry; carried; would behave; behaved) badly and these rules were used to get rid of President Nixon two hundred years later.

Task 9. Complete the following paragraphs by adding the appropriate prepositions given below:

About

against

as

at

for

from

in

of

to

with

Sitting Bill was born 1)____ 1831, South Dakota. 2)____ the age 3)____ 14, Siting Bill went 4)____ his father and other Sioux warriors to fight 5)____ a Crow tribe. Sitting Bill was very brave 6)____ the battle. His father was proud 7)____ him.

Sitting Bill soon had a reputation 8)____ bravery. He became leader 9)____

the Midnight Strong Hearts, a society 10)____ the best warriors. When the

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Sioux tribes came together 11)____ one nation, they chose Sitting Bill 12)____

their leader.

Sittng Bill was not surprised 13)____ the victory 14)____ Little Big Horn. Before the battle he had a dream. 15)____ the dream white soldiers fell 16)____

the sky 17)____ the ground. 18)____ this reason, he was not worried 19)____

what would happen.

Task 10. Correct the mistakes, if any, in the following sentences:

1.The United states of america has often been caled a nation of immigrants.

2.For centuries, people moved to the united States in search of the “American Dream”.

3.Million of people a year still apply of visas to live and work in the US. Nowadays, however, the United States has very srict immigrant controls.

4.There are two main type of visa.

5.Non-immigrant visas is given to people visiting the USA for a temporary period, for example, as tourist, or to study in an American university.

6.If you want to live in US permanent, you need immigrant visa.

7.(This is known as “green card”, although these days the visas are actually white, pink, or multi-coloured).

8.There is a number of ways in which you can qualify for a Green Card, such as having close relatives which are american citizens, or investing money to start your own busines in the US.

9.There are limited numbers of visas issued each year though, so you will propable be put on a waiting list.

10.This mean that even if you will meet all the requirements, it might be a long.

TEST ON READING

I. Read the text and choose the most suitable heading from the list A–I for each part (1–7) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0):

AFreedom to Pray

BAn Enduring Dream

COne in Seven

DThe Balance Changes

EThe Journey to Despair

FJobs and Land

GFlight from Hunger

HEurope in Crisis

IThe Great Adventure

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The Melting Pot

0 I

The USA is a land of immigrants. Between 1815 and 1914, the world witnessed the greatest migration in its history: 35 million people, mostly Europeans, left their homelands to start new lives in America. Why did these people risk everything by leaving their homes and families to see what the New World had to offer? How had the Old World let them down? There are both push and pull factors which we should consider.

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First, what forced emigrants to make the momentous decision to leave? One major cause of the exodus among European peasants was the rise in population which in turn led to land hunger. Another was politics. Nationalism saw increased taxation and the growth of armies, and many young men fled eastern Europe to avoid being conscripted. Also, the failure of the liberal revolutions in Europe caused the departure of thousands of refugees.

2

Physical hunger provided another pressing reason. Between 1845 and 1848, the terrible potato famine in Ireland ended in death of one million Irish people and the emigration of a further million who wished to escape starvation. Following the collapse of the economy of southern Italy in the 1860s, hundreds of thousands of Italians decided to start afresh in America.

3

Religion also encouraged millions to leave the Old World. We should remember that the Pilgrim Fathers had wished to escape the ungodliness of England, while the Russian Jews of the century sought to escape persecution and death in their native land.

4

In short, people chose to leave their homes for social, economic and religious reasons. As a result, by 1890 among a total population of 63 million, there were more than 9 million foreign-born Americans.

5

But what were the attractions? First of all, there was the promise of land which was so scarce in Europe. Next, factories were calling out for labour, and pay and conditions were much better than back home. Men were needed to open

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up the West and build the long railroads, and settlers were needed to populate new towns and develop commerce.There was the space for religious communities to practise their faith in peace and comparative isolation.

6

This immigration meant that by around the 1850s Americans of non-English extraction had started to outnumber those of English extraction. As we know, there were losers. To start with, there were those unwilling immigrants, the slaves who had been used as a source of cheap labour for the tobacco plantations of the South. Nor should we forget the equally awful fate of the American Indians. By 1860 there were 27 million free whites, four million slaves and a mere 488,000 free blacks.

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Nowadays, the USA is still seen by millions as the Promised Land. Gone are the days when you could buy US citizenship for one dollar. Yet, even though entry is strictly limited, refugees continue to find freedom there and people from poorer countries a better way of life. As always, the USA remains a magnet to the ambitious and the enegetic who are ready to commit themselves to the land that gives them a second chance.

II. Complete the sentences by putting the verb in barckets into either the In-

finitive or the Gerund:

1.Have you ever considered ... (to emigrate)?

2.The customs officer refused ... (to let) him into the country.

3.They denied ... (to enter) the country illegally.

4.The government agreed ... (to allow) the refugees over the border.

5.They threatened ... ( to deport) her on the next flight.

6.He avoided ... (to cross) the bridge by swimming the river.

7.The tourists offered ... (to hide) her in the boot of their car.

8.Would you mind ... (to show) me your passport, sir?

9.Have you finished ... (to fill in) that form?

10.He pretended not ... (to understand) the regulations.

11.Immigration officials tend ... (to be) suspisious.

Part III

Test 1

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Task 1. Match the words in A with their definitions in B:

A

B

1)organization a) political, financial, social, etc., force or influence

2)power b) a body of people elected or appointed to serve in ad-

3)	freedom		ministrative legislative or advisory capacity
4)	union	c)	the quality or fact of being just; the administration of
5)	council		law according to prescribed and accepted principles
6)	justice	d)	a body of administrative officials, as of a political par-
7)	court		ty a government department, etc.
		e)	personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc.;
			the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political
			or civil liberties.
		f)	an association, alliance or confederation of individuals
			or groups for a common purpose, esp political
		g)	an authority having power to adjudicate in civil, military,
			criminal or ecclesiastical matters.

Task 2. Think of the words that are similar in meaning for the following in italics:

1.The Secretariat of the UN is the civil office.

2.The Atlantic Charter, drafted by Roosevelt and Churchill, said that the United Nations had to defend four freedoms.

3.NATO’s essential purpose is to defend the freedom and security of all its members.

4.Thousands of private organizations can work in a democratic society.

5.The idea of European unification was conceived to prevent future war conflicts with killings and destruction.

6.It will be more necessary for every European citizen to collaborate with people from other countries.

Your Active Vocabulary: to operate, service, to cooperate, intergration, to state, to safeguard.

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Task 3. For the questons 1–17, read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct and some have a word which should not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick ( v ) by the number in the answer boxes provided. If a line has a word which should not be there, write the word in the answer boxes:

1.The region of Alsace in the north-eastern France is like

2.a country in itself. Situated in the Vosges mountains,

3.Alsace is unique, with its breathtaking scenery,

4.high standards of living and cuisine quite unlike of

5.any other be found elsewhere. A major Alsatian city is

6.Srasbourg, controversial in itself due to its claim to be

7.the European capital because the Council of Europe it is

8.located there. This body, representing more 26 nations,

9.deals mainly with issues of culure and human body rights.

10.many major multinational companies have chosen Alsace

11.as the place to set up with their European offices. The main

12.reason for they doing so is the ideal location of the

13.region, which borders at both Germany and Switzeland.

14.Alsace has had an eventful history, having often been

15.seized by Germany in times of war. Despite of the

16.German influence which still evident in dialect, buildings

17.and customs, a strong local feeling of the independence persists.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

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Task 4. Choose the right Participle:

1.The European Parliament has created the Sakharov Prize, awarded / awarding annually to an individual or a group that has defended the cause of human rights.

2.“Maladministration” means poor or failed / failing administration.

3.The EU defends its values, promoting / promoted unity while preserving diversity.

4.The International Court of Justice has 15 judges, elected / electing for a 3-year term by the General Assembly.

5.The European Commission consists of 20 women and men assisted / assisting by about 24 000 civil servants.

6.In a democracy, government is only one element, coexisted / coexisting in a social fabric of many and varied institutions, political parties, organizations and associations.

7.The European Central Bank, managed / managing by a president, is based in Frankfurt, Germany.

Task 5. Use the right form of the Infinitive of the verbs given in brackets:

1.The members of the Security Council decide on what action should (to take) in times of crisis.

2.Ancient Athens managed to practice direct democracy with an Assembly that may (to number) as many as 5000 to 6000 persons.

3.Not all of the specialized agencies of the EU have the word “agency” in their title: they may (to call) a center, an institute, a foundation, an office, etc.

4.On the national level legislators can (to choose) from districts that each elect a single representative.

5.The European Central Bank’s main objective is to ensure price stability so that the economy will (not to damage) by inflation.

6.In the EU the decisions on specific matters of joint interest can (to make) democratically at European level.

Task 6. Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the

Verbals:

1.The leaders of the Assembly were not elected but chosen by lot, since Athenians believed that any citizen was capable of holding public office.

2.It was democratic Athens, after all, which condemned to death the philosopher Socrates – thereby, earning the undying enmity of Socrate’s most celebrated pupil and fervent antidemocrat, Plato.

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3.The role of the United Nations Organization excludes interfering in the working of a country and forcing a country to take action.

4.The EU’s first Environment Policy Review, adopted in December 2003, is an important development – offering for the first time a clear overview of recent progress in protecting Europe’s environment, and identifying what is still to be done to make sustainable development a reality.

5.It goes without saying that in a country which has an unwritten/uncodified constitution the sources of the constitution are many.

6.In theUK, the process for passing legislation to lower the voting age, reform the House of Lords or devolve power to Scotland and Wales is no different from that to enact policy changes concerning rail privatization, raising the school-leaving age or establishing a national lottery.

7.The current state of democracy in some countries does not have promising future.

8.The NATO was formed by the independet states with a common interest in maintaining peace and defending the freedom.

9.CIS is a loose organization of former Soviet republics, excluding the Baltic states, formed in 1991.

Task 7. Put articles where necessary:

(1 ...) pursuit of (2 ...) human rights was (3 ...) central reason for (4 ...) creating (5 ...) UN. (6 ...) World War II atrocities and genocide led to (7 ...) ready consensus that (8 ...) new organization must work to prevent any similar tragedies in (9 ...) future. (10 ...) early objective was creating (11 ...) legal framework for considering and acting on complaints about (12 ...) human rights volations. (13 ...) UN Charter obliges (14 ...) all member nations to promote “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights” and to take “ joint and separate action to that end”. (15 ...) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though not legally binding, was adopted by (16 ...) General Assembly in 1948 as (17 ...) common standard of (18 ...) achievement for all. (19 ...) Assembly regularly takes up (20 ...) human rights issues.

Task 8. Put the verbs in brackets into the Gerund or the Infinitive. Sometimes, both may be possible. Look carefully at the context you are given:

1.Don’t forget ... (to go) to the travel agent’s, will you? The plane tickets need ... (to pick up).

2.I shall never forget ... (to see) the Statue of Liberty for the first time.

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3.Oh, no! It’s starting ... (to rain).

4.I like ... (to play) tennis but I wouldn’t like ... (to play) with her. She’s such a bad loser.

5.Lucia started ... (to study) English six years ago.

6.I meant ... (to tell) you about the party but I completely forgot.

7.I didn’t tell her about the party because it would have meant ... (to invite) her and her boyfriend.

8.Do try ... (to make) less noise. I’m trying ... (to concerntrate).

9.He remembers ... (to drive) up to the crossroads but nothing else after the accident.

10.Have you ever stopped ... (to wonder) why she behaves like that?

11.We really need ... (to do) some shopping, we’re running out of everything.

12.I’ve tried ... (to jog) and aerobics, but I still can’t loose weight.

13.I’m terribly sorry but I forgot ... (to post) your letter.

14.Did you remember ...(to do) your homework?

15.I’ll stop ... (to lend) you money if you waste it on cigarettes.

16.“I can’t get this table through the door”. “Really? Have you tried ... (to take off) the legs?

Part IV

Test 1

OUSTANDING PEOPLE

Task 1. Match the words in A with their definitions in B:

	A		B
1)	inherit	a)	a person with exceptional ability, esp. of a highly orig-
2)	glorious		inal kind
3)	fame	b)	to receive (property, a right, title, etc.) by succession
4)	outstanding		or under a will
5)	gifted	c)	the period during which a person or thing is dominant,
6)	triumph		influential, or powerful
7)	reign	d)	a person, esp. a child, of unusual or marvellous talents

8)genius e) superior, excellent, distinguished

9)skilled f) possessing or demonstrating accomplishment, skill, or

10) prodigy

special training

11)victory g) having or full of glory; illustrious

h)the state of being widely known or recognized; renown; celebrity

i)having or showing natural talent or aptitude

j)the feeling of exultation and happiness derived from a victory or major achievement

k)a success attained in a contest or struggle or over an opponent, obstacle

Task 2. For questons 1–11, read the text below. Use the words given in capitals at the end of the text to form a word that fits in the space. Write your word in the answer boxes provided:

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams was born in 1914 and spent his (1) ... in (2) ...

Mississippi. His real name was Thomas Lanier Williams, but like many people in the (3) ... of fame, he adopted a pen-name. During his (4) ... he worked in various (5) ... including a period as a shoe salesman

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