PREPARING FOR EXAMS TESTS

English

47

February 2013

My Friends

I. Listening

You will hear five short extracts which are related in some way. You have to match information to each extract.

–Look ahead at the information and try to predict what the extracts will be about.

–Listen carefully. You should concentrate fully on what the speakers are saying in questions.

–When you listen for the first time, underline key words and answer any of the questions you can.

–When you listen for the second time, answer the remaining questions.

1. You will hear five teenagers talking about their friends and relationships. Choose from the list A–F a sentence that describes each speaker. Use letters only once. There is an extra letter which you do not need to use.

Speaker 1: We don’t make friends with our boys. We don’t have similar interests. Our boys spend so much time playing stupid computer games that they live in a virtual world.

Speaker 2: Getting on with people can be very simple: be tolerant. Tolerance means to respect other people’s likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs. It also means not to start an argument over something you disagree with.

Speaker 3: I prefer friends that stick around. It doesn’t matter if they are different from me or similar to me. I value loyalty and responsibility in my friends.

Speaker 4: Kelly always looks on the gloomy side or finds what’s negative. It’s irritating. Nobody likes to hear every day that things are bad and even bound to get worse. She is rather pessimistic.

Speaker 5: My friends’ attitude to Sasha is not very positive, but it doesn’t matter to me. It doesn’t change my opinion of him. Our relations are as good as before. I’m the only person who understands him.

A.I’m not going to change my opinion of my friend Sasha.

B.Keep things to yourself that could hurt other people’s feelings.

C.I prefer friends that never betray me.

D.Our boys live in a virtual world.

E.We often go out with Sasha.

F.Pessimistic people irritate me.

Speaker	1	2	3	4	5
Statement

2.Listen again, and for questions 1–5, complete the sentences with a word or a phrase.

1.We don’t make friends with our boy because we don’t have _________.

2.Getting on with people can be very simple: ____________.

3.I value ______________________________ in my friends.

4.Kelly is rather__________.

5.My friends’ attitude to Sasha is not very __________.

Five-Minute Tests

1 E

Add -s if nessesary.

1.Ann would like ________________ to take up photography as a hobby.

2.My brother want ________________

to fly to New York.

3.She can ________________ speak English fluently.

4.Our cat like ________________ sour cream.

5.The car need ________________ petrol.

6.I think it may________________

snow.

7.Kate went ________________ to Italy last summer.

Key: 1. -; 2. wants; 3. -; 4. likes; 5. needs; 6. -; 7. -.

2E

Match the sentences with the answers.

1.Excuse me.

2.Could you lend me your bike?

3.Would you like to wait inside?

4.I’ve got a problem.

5.Thanks very much.

6.Could you do me a favour?

7.That’s very kind of you.

8.Have you tried to ride a horse?

A.That’s all right.

B.Yes?

C.Oh, yes? What’s the matter?

D.Sure. What is it?

E. Thanks very much.

F. All right.

G.It’s too expensive.

H.Not at all.

Key: 1. B; 2. F; 3. E; 4. C; 5. H; 6. D; 7. A;	ª
8. G.

English

TESTS PREPARING FOR EXAMS

48

February 2013

Five-Minute Tests

3I

Put in will, might, can’t or must.

1.We haven’t made definite plans for our holiday yet. We ______ go to Spain or Morocco.

2.Isn’t that Lucy over there? No, it

______ be her – Lucy never wears a baseball cap.

3.Next Saturday ________ be Mum’s birthday.

4.‘I’ve been working since nine o’clock.’ ‘You _______be tired.’

5.Sue always buys expensive clothes, so she _____ be short of money.

Key: 1. might; 2. can’t; 3. will; 4. must; 5. can’t

4I

Read the text and say whether the sentences are true or false.

An absurd fiction of history is that when Columbus said the world was round, everybody else thought it was flat. During the debates at the court of Queen Isabella, the true shape of the Earth was never an issue, its size was. The opponents of Columbus said he was underestimating the size, and he could never sail due west from Europe to the Orient. They were right. Except for the accident of an unknown continent in between. Columbus would either have turned back or been lost at sea.

1.At the court of Queen Isabella, people never argued about how big the earth was. T/F

2.When Columbus sailed due west from Europe to the Orient he knew that the world was round but he didn’t realise the true size of the earth. T/F

3.If there hadn’t been an unknown continent in between, Columbus might have been lost at sea. T/F

Key: 1. F; 2. T; 3. T

By Youdif Boyarskaya,

School No. 814, Moscow

II. Read the text and decide whether statements 1–5 below are true or false according to the text.

FRIENDSHIP

In this overstressed, hyperlinked age, some people seem wired to everything but each other. The struggle to balance career and family has had an unintended casualty: friends. Sociologists say that time of life when people have the most friends is young adulthood and old age; the time of life when people have the least friends is middle age. But I can’t say that my parents’ ability to maintain friendship ebbs and flows.

Despite the shortcomings of e-mails as a means of personal connection, it may help keep some relationships afloat, at least for the short term. My parents use e-mail to stay in better touch with a circle of high-school friends by sending along anecdotes, congratulations and digital photos of our family.

Maintaining those connections has bolstered them during tough times, particularly when my father was out of job and when my grandfather (my mum’s father) died of cancer a few months ago. They knew my grandfather and understood how close my mum was to him. She says, “When I need to have an “I’m loosing my mind” talk, “I go back to these friends”.

For my parents, the key is realizing that maintaining friendships takes extra effort, just the way balancing work and family does. Yet every year my mum manages to arrange a long weekend for our family and a dozen of friends. She plans the weekend with workplace efficiency, sending out invitation letters and fax-reply forms, reserving lodging space for the group and booking advance guided tours. “I’ve handled complex litigation,” she says. “Organizing a weekend isn’t that hard”.

While some folks treat their lives as a house of card that could topple if they add just one more obligation, my parents think of friendship as an integral component of their life. “You can’t wait to live your life”, they say. “If you like being around friends and want to continue to have a relationship, you can’t put them off”.

From the Wall Street Journal

1. True or False?

1.It is hard for contemporary adults to maintain friendships! _________

2.People lose friends trying to balance career and family. _________

3.Sociologists say that the ability to maintain friendships ebbs and flows with age. ________

4.E-mails help keep some relationships afloat for the long term. ________

5.It takes extra efforts to continue to have relationship with a circle of highschool friends. _______

2. Match words and expressions from the text with their equivalents.

1) wired	a) supported
2) casualty	b) connected electronically
3) maintain	c) carried as if on water
4) ebbs	d) twelve
5) afloat	e) lawsuits
6) bolstered	f) fragile construction
7) dozen	g) people
8) litigation	h) postpone
9) folks	i) a man lost through any cause
10) house of cards	j) preserve or keep in any particular state or condition
11) put off	k) flows back as the water of a tide

III. Vocabulary

1. Match these verbs with their Russian equvalents.

1) to betray		a) отказывать
2)	to forgive	b) вернуть, заменять
3)	to last	c) предавать
4) to obey		d) оценивать, дорожить, ценить
5)	to replace	e) продолжаться, длиться
6)	to refuse	f) слушаться
7) to value		g) прощать

2. Make the sentences complete using the verbs above.

1.A friend is a person who understands and ____________.

2.A false friend is a person who ____________.

3.Friendship is a thing that ____________ forever.

4.The girls invited Kate to join them but she ___________.

5.Nothing can ____________ a best friend.

6.Pete’s younger sister doesn’t ____________ his orders.

7.If you ____________ my friendship, please, do what I say.

3. Match the characteristics with their opposites.
1.	Polite	a) untidy
2.	Careful	b) merciless
3.	Tidy	c) unkind
4.	Kind	d) careless
5.	Merciful	e) trustless
6.	Trustful	f) impolite
7.	Reliable	g) thoughtless
8.	Thoughtful	h) unreliable

4. Match these characteristics with the correct definitions.

1	does stupid things	a) tidy
2.	keeps her/his things in the right place	b) silly
3.	likes to chat	c) sociable
4.	has got a lot of friends	d) careless
5.	leave his/her clothes everywhere	e) talkative
6.	never looks upset	f) cheerful

5. Match English and Russian words and expressions.

1.	to bully	a) чувствовать себя виновным
2.	to chatter	b) драться
3.	to chat	c) извиняться
4.	to fight	d) порицать
5.	to blame	e) обращать внимание
6.	to apologize	f) держать слово
7.	to call names	g) сплетничать
8.	to pay attention	h) обзывать
9.	to keep one’s word	i) ладить
10.	to get on with	j) потеряться
11.	to be lost	k) задирать
12.	to feel guilty	l) болтать (дружески)

6. Make the sentences complete using one of these words and expressions above (don’t forget to use the proper tense of the verb).

PREPARING FOR EXAMS

English

49

February 2013

1.Tom (1)__________ at Disney World. He couldn’t find his friends. He was very excited. But Nick and Paul found him.

2.If you (2)__________ it’s never too late (3)__________.

3.Nobody (4)__________ to Ginger at the carnival. Marcy

(5)__________ herself that Ginger ran away.

4.If my mark is better than Joel’s mark, she always

(6)__________ against me.

5.Kate’s best point is that she never (7)__________ about her classmates.

6.Mandy doesn’t (8)__________ her classmates. She

(9)__________ them sometimes.

7.Kelly’s star sign is Gemini. She likes (10)__________

with her friends.

8.Clint (11)__________ if he promises something.

9.Ted had a black eye. He (12)__________ over a bully.

7. Complete the table.

Verb	Noun	Adjective
		1
		2 careless
	support
cheer		1
		2
	forgiveness
		reliable
	understanding	1
		2
consider
		1
		2 disgusted
communicate		1
		2

8. Complete these sentences using one of the words from the table above. Don’t forget to use the correct form of the verbs.

1.He is totally self-centered – he never ______________

others.

2.His business methods __________ me.

3.There are some things true friends should agree upon, such as their outlook on life and their __________ of duty and honor.

4.He isn’t a __________ person. He can let you down.

5.People have to __________ with each other.

6.If he is a true friend, he will understand and __________

you.

7.As a rule, people need friends and expect help and

__________from each other.

8.My friends are always there when I have times of need: they are __________ and supportive.

English PREPARING FOR EXAMS

50

February 2013

IV. Use of English

1. Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.

Friends (1)________. The attitude	DIFFERENCE
of people to a person depends on
many factors: his mind, manners,
character, (2)____________,	BEHAVE
abilities and appearance. If a person
is good-looking, he or she feels
more (3)___________.	CONFIDENCE
(4)___________ to be pretty or	FORTUNATELY
handsome doesn’t mean to be
happy. Very often (5)__________	BEAUTY
people can be stupid, stubborn
and arrogant, whereas physically
(6)_________ people can be	ATTRACT
(7)________, generous and kind.	INTELLIGENCE
That is why people often say,
“Don’t judge by (8)_________”.	APPEAR
Everyone dreams of (9)_______a	HAVE
true friend, but not all of us are
(10)______enough to find one,	LUCK
since real (11) _______ – warmth	AFFECT
of heart and ability to sacrifice –
is something that requires real
(12)_____ and love.	TOLERATE

2. Complete these sentences by using the correct word from the box. Use each word once only. There is an example at the beginning (0). There is an extra word which you don’t need to use.

personality, intelligent, too, attractive, active, housework, would, walking, like, also, paint, much

Anna, my friend, has the kind of (0)	(0) personality
people describe as ‘sunny’.
She is amusing, (1) and lively.	(1) __________
She is very good-looking, (2);	(2) __________
quite tall, with long reddish-brown
hair and (3) brown eyes.	(3) __________
Anna is very (4) and always seems	(4) __________
to be doing something. She wants
to be a computer programmer. She (5),	(5) __________
plays the guitar and rides her bike.
She doesn’t like cooking (6)	(6) __________
and she hates (7). And I know	(7) __________
there is one thing she (8) secretly like	(8) __________
to do. She loves (9) in the mountains,	(9) __________
and one day she would (10) to go on	(10) __________
a trekking holiday to the Himalayas
to see the roof of the world.

KEY:

I. Listening

1.1. D; 2. B; 3. C; 4. F; 5. A

2.1. similar interests; 2. be tolerant; 3. loyalty and responsibility; 4. pessimistic; 5. positive.

II. Reading

1.1. F; 2. T; 3. T; 4. F; 5. F.

2.1. b; 2. i; 3. j; 4. k; 5. c; 6. a; 7. d; 8. e; 9. g; 10. f; 11. h.

III. Vocabulary

1.1. c; 2. g; 3. e; 4. f; 5. b; 6. a; 7. d.

2.1. forgives; 2. betrays; 3. lasts; 4. refused; 5. replace;

6.obey; 7. value.

3.1. f; 2. d; 3. a; 4. c; 5. b; 6. e; 7. h; 8. g.

4.1. b; 2. a; 3. e; 4. c; 5. d; 6. f.

5.1. k; 2. g; 3. l; 4. b; 5. d; 6. c; 7. h; 8. e; 9. f; 10. i; 11. j;

12.a.

6.(1) was lost; (2) feel guilty; (3) to apologize; (4) paid attention; (5) blamed; (6) calls, names; (7) chatters; (8) get on with; (9) bullies; (10) chatting; (11) keeps his word; (12) fought.

7.

verb	noun	adjective
care	care	1 careful
		2 careless
support	support	supportive
cheer	cheer	1 cheerful
		2 cheerless
forgive	forgiveness	forgiving
rely	reliance	reliable
understand	understanding	1 understandable
		2 understanding
consider	consideration	considerate
disgust	disgust	1 disgusting
		2 disgusted
communicate	communication	1 communicable
		2 communicating

8. 1. cares; 2. disgust; 3. understanding; 4. reliable; 5. communicate; 6. forgive; 7. support; 8. considerate.

IV. Use of English

1.1. differ; 2. behaviour; 3. confident; 4. unfortunately;

5.beautiful; 6. unattractive; 7. intelligent; 8. appearance;

9.having; 10. lucky; 11. affection; 12. tolerance.

2.1. intelligent; 2. too; 3. attractive; 4. active; 5. paints;

6.much; 7. housework; 8. would; 9. walking; 10. like.

By Youdif Boyarskaya,

School No. 814, Moscow

	PREPARING FOR EXAMS		English
Speaking About SEASONS			51
			February 2013
and the WEATHER

Аудирование в 4-м классе (3-й год обучения)

Обучение аудированию, как восприятию и пониманию на слух речи на английском языке, становится все более актуальным в настоящее время, так как наряду с говорением оно обеспечивает возможность общения.

При этом аудирование является самым сложным для обучения видом речевой деятельности, ввиду того, что следует уметь понимать полно и глубоко речь разного темпа, разного интонационного оформления и разного уровня правильности.

В реальном общении нам приходится много слушать, и то, насколько точно и полно мы воспринимаем полученную информацию, может определить наши последующие действия. Научить понимать звучащую речь – одна из важнейших целей обучения.

К сожалению, материалы для аудирования редко публикуются в методической литературе, поэтому учителю приходится самостоятельно разрабатывать данный материал с учетом особенностей уровня обученности учащихся в своей группе и пройденной темы. Зная об этих трудностях, я думаю, что предложенный мною материал для аудирования в 4-м классе (3-й год обучения общеобразовательный школы) будет полезным для многих коллег, особенно молодым специалистам.

Цель: проверить уровень сформированности навыков аудированияуучащихсяпотеме: “Speaking about seasons and the weather”.

Vocabulary (семантизировать лексику на доске):

A day off	[ … ]	выходной
Frosty	[ … ]	морозный
Then	[ … ]	затем

My Winter Day Off

There are four seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. There are three winter months in Russia but there are four winter months in Great Britain. They are November, December, January and February. November is the first winter month in Great Britain, but in Russia the first winter month is December.

Winter is my favourite season. It’s cold and snowy in winter. Sometimes it’s cloudy and windy. I often ski, toboggan and skate in winter.

Last Sunday we went to the park with my friends. It was a frosty and sunny day. We made a beautiful snowman in the park. It looked very funny. Then we played snowballs. After that we skied, but some of us skated.

When we came home, we were happy. We had dinner with my parents. I drew a picture of our snowman and put it on the wall. Then I watched TV and at 10 p.m. I went to bed. My day off was nice. I liked it very much.

TASKS

I. Answer the questions, choosing the right answer.

1.What are the winter months in Russia?

a)December, January, February.

b)February, March, April.

c)November, December, January.

d)January, February, March.

2.What is the boy’s favourite season?

a) summer	c) winter
b) autumn	d) spring

3.	What is the weather like in winter?
	a) sunny and hot	c) warm and rainy
	b) cold and snowy	d) rainy and snowy
4.	When did they go to the park?
	a) last Friday	c) last Sunday
	b) last Saturday	d) last Monday
5.	What did he do after dinner?
	a) played computr games	c) did his homework
	b) watched TV	d) drew a picture

II. Complete the sentences, using the right variant:

1.	…is the first winter month in Great Britain.
	a) February	c) November
	b) January	d) December
2.	Last Sunday we went to the park with...
	a) my friends	c) my dog
	b) my parents	d) my children
3.	We made a beautiful...in the park.
	a) fireman	c) sportsman
	b) snowman	d) snow woman
4.	When we came home, we were...
	a) sad	c) happy
	b) angry	d) busy
5.	I liked my...very much.
	a) holiday	c) day off
	b) present	d) birthday

Key: I. 1. a; 2. c; 3. b; 4. c; 5. d; II. 1. c; 2. a; 3. b; 4. c; 5. c

Критерии оценивания:

9–10 баллов – отлично (5); 7–8 баллов – хорошо (4); 5–6 баллов – удовлетворительно (3); 4 и менее баллов – неудовлетворительно (2)

Екатерина Сергеевна Березникова, ГОУ СОШ № 254, СВАО, г. Москвы