Test 05 on engineering and handicrafts

I. Прочитайте текст и выберите вариант ответа, соответствующий содержанию прочитанных фрагментов (А-D).

A. Pioneer women used their imaginations and the materials they had at hand to make warm and beautiful bedding for their families. At the same time, they created their own unique form of art: the American patchwork quilt. Inspired by the shapes and activities around them, early American quilters developed hundreds of wonderful patterns and gave them interesting names like log cabin, windmill, evening star, and bear tracks. If there weren't enough scraps to form well-ordered blocks, a frugal pioneer woman made a crazy quilt by sewing odd-shaped scraps in a random pattern onto a base, such as an old woolen blanket. She decorated the quilt with intricate embroidery along the seams, snips of ribbon and lace, and delicate embroidered flowers, animals, and people.

B. Later, when the young woman announced her engagement, widely scattered neighbors gathered eagerly for an important social event—the quilting bee! The well-prepared country bride brought several tops she had pieced by hand, and her friends proudly displayed the friendship quilt top they'd brought as a wedding gift. Each contributor had made a block and embroi­dered it with her own initials. Together, the women began "quilting." Quilting meant sewing separate layers of fabric together like a sandwich: the patchwork on top, the soft interlining in the middle, and the backing, a large piece of seamless homespun cloth, underneath. To keep the layers taut so they could be sewn together easily, the quilters stretched them out and pinned them to wooden frames. Then tiny quilting stitches joined all three layers, outlining the patchwork shapes. Usually, quilters stitched elaborate designs of leaves, feathers, hearts, and flowers— especially along the borders and in the corners.

C. As the women skillfully worked their fine, even stitches in and out across the quilt, they exchanged gossip, recipes, quilting patterns, and fabric scraps. Boys and girls too young to sew were paid pennies for keeping the needles threaded. By the end of the day, the quilts were finished. The men and older boys, who had been helping the bride's father with farm chores, returned, and everyone enjoyed a potluck supper, games, and dancing.

D. The young couple could use their new quilts in many practi­cal ways. Quilts could be hung from ceiling beams to divide cabins into rooms, tacked up in doorways and windows to keep out winter drafts, and spread out on the grass for picnics. Quilts could cover rough wood or dirt floors as mats for babies, and they could warm travelers on chilly winter rides in sleighs or wagons. Piled on the floor or on beds, quilts often served both as mattresses and as blankets. They were sold at bazaars to raise money for churches and schools. If a crop failed, a farmer might use a handsome homemade quilt to pay a debt.

1. Quilt-making techniques are discussed in

1. Section A

2. Section B

3. Section C

4. Section D

2. One can infer that quilting was much more than just sewing from information presented in

A. Section A

B. Section B

C. Section C

D. Section D

3. Unlimited possibilities to use a quilt are suggested in

A. Section A

B. Section B

C. Section C

D. Section D

4. Connection between quilting as a folk craft and early American history is implied in

A. Section A

B. Section B

C. Section C

D. Section D

5. The author hints that quilts were part and parcel of early American lifestyle in

A. Section A

B. Section B

C. Section C

D. Section D

II. Прочитайте текст. Подберите соответствующий заголовок к каждому абзацу (1 – 7).

(1) Small electric-powered vehicles, or 'EVs', as their supporters often refer to them, are being talked about as the cars of the future. Many people probably think of them as a revolutionary concept. Yet the surprising truth is that electric cars first made their appearance as long ago as the 1830s.

(2) Early petrol-powered cars were noisy and often broke down, while electric cars were more reliable and quieter. However, despite the fact that in 1900 an electric-powered car was driven 180 miles without its batteries having to be charged, it was the restricted range of the majority of electric cars which caused them to lose out to their petrol-powered rivals. Drivers quickly tired of cars that they could only drive for a few miles before they had to stop to charge their batteries. It was only in vehicles that were needed to pull huge weights, like trains and trams, that electric engines were deemed preferable.

(3) Today the EV is starting to make a comeback. While just about every major car manufacturer a prototype electric car, the great majority of EVs that are actually out on the streets are models built by tiny independent companies or conversions carried out by amateurs. Anyone wanting to convert their own car can visit a number of sites on the Internet to find out how to go about doing this.

(4) A converted vehicle allows the driver to go between 25 and 50 miles on a charge. The exact range depends on the type of battery that you decide to install. Probably the best option is to use 8-volt batteries which result in a reasonably light, and therefore fairly quick vehicle, which can still go 40 miles before its batteries need recharging. This is adequate for the daily needs of the average driver.

(5) At present, many EV owners say they have to have a second, conventional car because their EVs are restricted to short distances. However, experimental electric-powered vehicles are breaking range records all the time. Recently, a specially-designed, light-bodied vehicle went an impressive 373 miles on a single charge. The secret of its success was its nickel-metal hydride batteries which, unfortunately, are extremely expensive at present and more than the average enthusiast can afford.

(6) Many battery types and battery chemistries are being tested. Researchers have come up with a new type of lead-acid battery. It is being tried out in vehicles being driven on the streets of Seattle and so far the researchers have been very pleased with its performance. It looks like these batteries may be able to deliver a 50 per cent increase to a vehicle's range and, most importantly, shouldn't cost the earth if they go into production.

(7) It is the common belief that electric vehicles are slow and boring to drive. The reality is quite different, however. Recently, the land speed record for an EV was broken when one reached 183 miles per hour, and this record will certainly go on being exceeded. The low centre of gravity achieved by placing the batteries down low in an electric car gives it tremendous cornering ability. Moreover, whereas petrol engines have to build up power, an electric engine delivers instantaneous power to the driver the moment it is turned on. Once motorists have got used to the smoothness of electrically-powered vehicles, they find petrol engines rough and jerky by comparison.

A. Handling Long Journeys.

B. Ideal for Running about Locally

C. Dream Vehicle to Drive.

D. Big Companies Add Their Weight

E. Stepping Forward.

F. Not Such a New Idea

G. Drivers Get Fed Up

H. Cars for Enthusiasts

I. Why Go Electric?

III. Прочитайте текст и выполните послетекстовые задания.

(1) George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor, not a botanist, was fond of hunting. In 1948, after a day in the woods and fields with his dog, he sat down to the familiar chore of removing burs from his wool socks and from the dog's hair. He started wondering what it was that made the burs cling so. Under a microscope he saw that each bur had thousands of tiny hooks, each facing a different direction. The wool in his socks was a tangle of loops — just right to catch the hooks of the burs. He couldn't dislodge them with a simple twist because just as one set of hooks was free, another set would grab the loops. George knew he wanted to duplicate the action of the bur. The new fastener he had in mind would not have to be snapped, buttoned, or zipped. One press to fasten, one pull to unfasten. He spent the next eight years trying to imitate what nature did so effortlessly every fall.

(2) At first he had two cotton tapes made by hand. They were flimsy, but they did stick. By a wonderful accident, some nylon thread was delivered to his shop. He realized at once that if he could handle this new, tough fiber, he could make a firmer and more durable tape. But problems mounted. The fuzzy side of the tape had to have at least three hundred loops per square inch for the hooked side to hold. Glue was needed to hold the loops so they wouldn't slip. The hooks themselves had to be shaped from nylon thread. Eventually George found that he could mold the thread into short loops with infrared heat. Next he cut each loop in half with clippers to leave two hooks facing each other.

(3) By 1958 George had his fastener. He called it "Velcro," from the French words velours (velvet) for the soft, fuzzy part and crochet (hook) for the hooks. At first people did not want Velcro on their shoes or clothes. It was the American space program that found first uses for the product. Away from Earth's gravity, anything not fastened down will drift around, bouncing off walls and astronauts. So Astro-Velcro was used to hold tools, food, and clothing in place. After that, the fastener was everywhere!

Выберите вариант ответа, соответствующий содержанию прочитанного текста (задания 1—5).

1. The idea of inventing the fastener came to the inventor while

A. hunting

B. removing burs from his wool socks

C. combing the dog's hair

2. The inventor couldn't dislodge the burs from the wool socks with a simple twist because

A. as one set of hooks was free another set would snatch the loops

B. he didn't have enough strength in his hands

C. as one set of loops was free another set would grab the hooks

3. He spent the next eight years trying to

A. imitate what nature did with enormous effort

B. make a fortune with the help of his invention

C. duplicate what nature did so easily

4. By a wonderful accident, the nylon thread

A. was invented by a chemist, not a botanist

B. found its way into the inventor's shop

C. became a tougher and firmer fiber

5. American space program found uses for Velcro, because

A. no one else wanted it on their shoes and clothes

B. it was convenient to hold tools and food in place

C. it was a great technological breakthrough

Определите значение указанного слова в тексте (задания 6 – 8).

6. wonder (1)

A. think B. walk C. doubt

7. mount (2)

A. increase B. encourage C. decrease

8. fuzzy (2)

A. furry B. clear C. soft

Выберите правильный вариант перевода в соответствии с содержанием текста (задания 9-12).

9. The new fastener would not have to be snapped, buttoned, or zipped (1).

A. Новую застёжку не пришлось бы защёлкивать, застёгивать на пуговицы или молнию.

B. Новую застёжку не надо было защёлкивать, застёгивать на пуговицы или молнию.

C. Новую застёжку не придётся защёлкивать, застёгивать на пуговицы или молнию.

10. Не started wondering what it was that made the burs cling so (1).

A. Он начал размышлять о том, что заставляет колючки цепляться именно таким образом.

B. Он начал бродить по окрестностям, думая о том, что заставляет колючки цепляться именно таким образом.

C. Он начал размышлять о том, что заставляет колючки так крепко цепляться.

11. Eventually George found that he could mold the thread into short loops with infrared heat (2).

A. Случайно Джордж узнал, что он может преобразовать нить в коротенькие петли при помощи инфракрасного тепла.

B. В конце концов, Джордж обнаружил, что нить можно преобразовать в маленькие петли при помощи инфракрасного тепла.

C. После одного случая Джордж нашел нить, которую можно преобразовать в небольшие петли при помощи инфракрасного излучения.

12. At first people didn't want Velcro on their shoes and clothes (3).

A. Сначала люди не хотели использовать "липучки" при изготовлении обуви и пошиве одежды.

B. Впервые люди не захотели использовать "липучки" при изготовлении обуви и пошиве одежды.

C. Сначала люди не хотели иметь одежду и обувь с "липучками".