Part 1 «Listening»
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Time: 10 minutes (10 points)
Listen to the text and mark the sentences 1–10 T (True), F (False)or NS (Not Stated in the text).
T F NS
1 Tea was first brought to Russia from China.
Tea was known as a strong remedy before it was brought to
2
Russia.
3 The tsar immediately loved the new drink.
Mikhail Fedorovich held regular assemblies of court in order to
4
make the nobles get used to drinking tea.
5 Russia started importing tea from China in the 18th century.
6 At first tea cost a lot of money.
7 Drinking tea helps one to fall asleep.
8 Tea was an important part of Russian life in the 19th century.
9 Russian tea is served with sugar.
The modern tradition has replaced the traditional sign of
10
hospitality with coffee.
Part 2 «Reading»
Time: 20 minutes (20 points)
Task 1
Содержание ↑
Read the passage about Lake Vostok. There are seven words with a letter and anasterisk (*)
beside them. This symbol is used in scientific texts to provideexplanations for non-scientific
readers. Match each explanation below (1–7) with thecorrect letter A–G from the passage.
1. *_____An inspection or investigation of an area, often used for making maps.
2. *_____Causing harmful effect and damaging the purity of something.
3. *_____A machine that is automatically programmed to perform a number of tasks, often
dangerous or boring ones.
4. *_____A way of using radio signals on a screen to look at things that cannot normally be
seen.
5. *___Very small organisms that live in the air, water, soil, plants and animals.
6. *_____A settlement in a distant part of a country, used for trading, military or scientific
purposes.
7. *_____A tool or machine used to make holes in something
Lake Vostok lies about 1,500 kilometres east of the South Pole, near Russia’s Vostok station, a
scientific outpost* (A) that has experienced the lowest temperatures ever recorded on Earth:
minus 89.2̊ C.
What is unique about this lake is that nobody has ever set foot on its shores. Like the oceans of
the planet Jupiter’s moon Europa, it is completely covered by ice.
The first person to realise the existence of Lake Vostok was the Russian geographer, Andrei
Kapitsa. While flying over this frozen region in 1960, he noticed an unusually flat area and
thought there might be a lake under the ice. However, his suggestions were not taken seriously at
the time and it was only after a British-led survey* (B) used radar* (C), that it became clear that
there was water there.
Lake Vostok’s ice covering is 4 kilometres thick, its water is up to 500 metres deep and it has
been completely covered in this way for at least one million years. In 1988 special hot-water
drills* (D) were used to get through the ice to within 120 metres of the lake. Work then stopped
to avoid pollution* (E). Samples were taken from the ice and found to contain living bacteria*
(F) and even some grains.
Scientists now want to send a robot*(G) down to explore and search for signs of life. If life can
exist in this lake covered by ice, maybe it can also exist in the icecovered oceans of Jupiter’s
moon.
Now choose the best way a–d of completing each sentence 8–10 according to the information in
the passage.
8. What makes Lake Vostok different from other lakes is that it is
a) so near the South Pole.
b) on Jupiter’s moon, Europa.
c) being explored by robots.
d) completely covered by ice.
9. Nobody has yet got through to the waters of the lake because
a) the ice is too thick.
b) they are afraid of polluting it.
c) they are worried about disease from the bacteria.
d) you can only see the lake on radar.
10. Lake Vostok could be a very important scientific discovery as it could show
a) how life can survive in extreme conditions.
b) how long Earth has existed.
c) how robots work.
d) how scientists write reports on their discoveries.
Task 2
Содержание ↑
Read the text and then match the beginnings 11–20 with the endings A–L according to the text.
There are two extra endings.
You’re Welcome
Bill Bryson, an American writer who had lived in Britain for ten years, returned to the USA to
rediscover his homeland. He borrowed his mother’s old Chevrolet and drove 13,978 miles
through 38 states, keeping mainly to side roads and small towns. This is Bryson’s description of
a meal in a town called Littleton in New Hampshire.
It was the friendliest little place I had ever seen. I went into the Topic of the Town restaurant. The
other customers smiled at me, the lady at the cash register showed me where to put my jacket,
and the waitress, a plump little lady, couldn’t do enough for me.
She brought me a menu and I made the mistake of saying thank you. “You’re welcome,” she
said. Once you start this there’s no stopping. She came and wiped the table with a damp cloth.
“Thank you,” I said. “You’re welcome,” she said. She brought me some cutlery wrapped in a
paper napkin. I hesitated but I couldn’t stop myself. “Thank you,” I said. “You’re welcome,” she
said.
I ordered the fried chicken special. As I waited I became uncomfortably aware that the people at
the next table were watching me and smiling at me in a slightly crazy way. The waitress was
watching me too. Every few minutes she came over and asked if everything was all right. Then
she filled my glass with iced water and told me my food would only be a minute.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
Finally the waitress came out of the kitchen with a tray the size of a table-top and started putting
plates of food in front of me – soup, a salad, a plate of chicken, a basket of hot bread rolls. It all
looked delicious. Suddenly I realized I was starving.
The waitress wanted to know if she could get me anything else.
“No, this is just fine, thank you.” I answered with my knife and fork ready to attack the food.
“Would you like some ketchup?”
“No, thank you.”
“Would you like some more dressing for your salad?”
“No, thank you.”
“Have you got enough gravy?”
There was enough gravy to drown a horse. “Yes, plenty of gravy, thank you.”
“How about a cup of coffee?”
“Really I’m fine.”
“You’re sure there’s nothing I can do for you?”
“Well, you might just push off and let me eat my dinner,” I wanted to say, but I didn’t of course.
I just smiled sweetly and said no thank you.
After living abroad for a long time,
11 A bring him some coffee.
Bryson wanted to
He feels that once you’ve started
12 B looked at him.
saying thank you, you
He was uncomfortable about the
13 C like some ketchup.
way people
14 When the food came he wanted to D got enough gravy.
15 The waitress asked if he would E ask for some more.
16 She wanted to know if he F could do for him.
17 She asked if he had G go away.
18 She wondered if she could H have to continue.
Bryson was sure there was nothing
19 I eat, not talk.
the waitress
20 He didn’t really tell the waitress to J like some more chicken.
K get to know the USA again.
L would like some more dressing.
Part 3 «Use of English»
Time: 30 minutes (40 points)
Task 1
Содержание ↑
For questions 1–8, 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. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Nothing to Match It!
There’s nothing to match the (0)__warmth__and cosiness of a genuine log-fire. The WARM
luxury and sheer (1)_____ of sitting back and watching the progress of fire and RELAX
flame is almost (2)_____. BELIEVE
A log-fire appeals to all the senses. Yes, you can (3)_____ taste and smell the ACTUAL
(4)_____ of newly cut timber – and then enjoy the sight and sound of the minor FRESH
(5)_____ as it burns. EXPLODE
All of this is very (6)_____, and the thing that makes it more (7)_____ than ever is DRAMA
that one’s feet are up and one’s whole body is being bathed in tropical heat. It’s a ENJOY
(8)_____ experience! MARVEL
Task 2
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For questions 9–35, read the text below. Open the brackets and use the right form of the verb.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
Isaac Newton (0 – so interest)_was so interested__ in different problems that he became quite
absent-minded. One day a gentleman (9 – come) _______________ to see him, but he (10 – tell)
_______________ that Isaak Newton was busy in his study and that nobody (11 – allow)
_______________ to disturb him.
As it (12 – be) ____________ dinner time, the visitor (13 – sit) ____________down
in the dining room (14 – wait) for the scientist. The servant came in and (15 – place)
_______________ on the table a boiled chicken under a cover. An hour (16 – pass)
_______________ but Newton (17 – not appear) _______________. The gentleman (18 – feel)
_______________ really hungry. After he (19 – eat) _______________ the chicken, he (20 –
cover) _______________ up the skeleton. He (21 – ask) _______________ the servant to
prepare another one for his master. Before the second chicken (22 – cook) _______________,
however, the scientist (23 – enter) _______________ the room and (24 – apologize)
_______________ for his delay. Then he added, “As I (25 – feel) _______________ rather tired
and hungry, I (26 – hope) _______________ you (27 – excuse) _______________ me a little
longer, while I (28 – take) _______________ my dinner, then I (29 – be) _______________ at
your service.” With these words he (30 – lift) _______________ the cover, and without emotion
(31 – turn) _______________ round to the gentleman and (32 – say) _____________, “See how
strange scientists (33 – be) _____________. I quite (34 – forget) that I (35 – dine)
_______________ already.”
Task 3
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Match two halves of Mark Twain’s quotes from his world-known stories 36–40 and A–F. There
is an example for you.
Example: _0_ – B
Good friends, good books, and a sleepy
0
conscience:
36 If you tell the truth, A you don’t have to remember anything.
37 ′Classic′ – a book which people praise B this is the ideal life.
38 A lie can travel half way around the world C the man who cannot read.
what may be done the day after tomorrow
39 Never put off till tomorrow D
just as well.
The man who does not read has no
40 E and don’t read.
advantage over
F while the truth is putting on its shoes.
Part 4 «Writing»
Содержание ↑
Time: 30 minutes (15 points)
At your Literature lessons, you’ve learnt a lot about legends and myths of ancient Russia.
Imagine you are preparing a school conference project on the topic “Legends of our
Motherland Influence our Character Greatly”. Write a few paragraphs to your teacher to give
her/him general information about your work.
Remember:
to explain your choice of the topic
to describe your favourite legend
to prove that legends are important in building our character and give an example (from
literature or your personal experience) that people get a lesson from legends
to make a conclusion
Write 100 – 140 words.
Audioscript
Содержание ↑
Аудиозапись ↑
Look at Part 1. Listen to the text and mark the sentences 1–10 T (True) , F (False) or NS (Not
Stated).
You will hear the text twice.
You have 30 seconds to look at the questions.
(Pause 30 seconds)
Now we are ready to start.
Tea was introduced to Russia in 1640 when the Russian ambassador boyarin Vasily Starkov
returned from the Mongol horde and brought a gift of 200 tea packages, 500 grammes each, to
tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. It was praised for its medicinal powers and ability to refresh
and to purify the blood. Starkov himself didn’t like the taste of the drink but he feared the tsar’s
anger and brought it to court. There are different legends about the way Romanov felt about the
exotic foreign drink. One of them claims the tsar liked it and exclaimed ‘More!’ But many
historians hold the opposite opinion because tea trade did not start in Moscow until 36 years
later.
The next shipment of tea arrived from China. In 1679 Russia and China signed a special tea
treaty. In the beginning tea was very expensive and only rich people could afford it. Also very
few people knew the secrets of its brewing.
Traditionally, common Russian people drank forest herbal teas – vzvars – made of herbs, dried
leaves and fruits.
But very soon tea had become very popular, and now Russians could not imagine their lives
without it. It was also noted that tea would keep one awake during a long church service.
By the 18th century, tea was part and parcel of Russian life and had become very much a
national drink. Family affairs were settled around the tea table. Asking one to sit down to tea
became a traditional sign of hospitality. Tradition demanded that the water be boiled in a
samovar if possible. Russian tea is served with a lump of sugar and lemon, along with various
jams and preserves, honey and Russian cookies or pies. People in the West even call tea served
with lemon Russian tea.
Now you have 30 seconds to fulfil the task.
(Pause 30 seconds)
