Examination Card № 11

Name, surname ___________________________________ Class ________________

Examination Card № 11

I.  Reading

Read the text. For questions (1-5), choose the answer (A, B, or C) which you think fits best according to the text.

HOLLAND: SHOPPING FRENZY

         The best Christmas present for the Dutch is snow! During the holidays , they like to ice skate, but the Dutch only see white Christmas about once every three or four years. May be that is why the Dutch Sinterklaas sails to the local children from Spain, rather than from Lapland. The kids eagerly meet him at the dock, and with his assistant, an elf called Black Pete (Zwarte Piet), he gives everyone marzipan fruits, toys, gingerbread and flower-shaped candies. But this is not enough for the kids, so at night they put their shoes near the fireplace or electric heater in hope of more presents.

         Meanwhile, the adults are racing around the shops to make all the proper preparations for Christmas. One must have a Christmas tree, decorations, food for holiday dinner and, of course, presents, which in Holland are exchanged on December 25, Sinterklaas Day. In the Dutch language there is even a special word for the Christmas shopping frenzy - ker-stress. The Dutch, who promise themselves to buy only the best, can hardly resist the temptation of the bright displays in all the shop windows.

         And how one could resist, with wonderful presents like decorated ceramic beads and bells, sweets, festive decorations made from candles and fir branches, cute snowmen, figu­rines of whole Dutch families in ethnic dress and even steam engines and trains complete with Sinterklaas! And don't forget to stock up on the cooked rabbit and delicious dough­nuts that are a Christmas tradition in the Netherlands: they are sold on every corner, but only for the week before and the week after Christmas.

         For those who say that Holland is too emancipated, remember that the old European traditions are alive and well here, especially Christmas ones.

1.      Where does the Dutch Sinterklaas sail from?
 A Spain

       B Norway

      C Lapland

2.      Who is the Sinterklaas's assistant?
 A Snow Maiden

      B an elf

      C Santa Claus

3.      What do the adults do to make all preparations for Christmas?

      A They race around the shops. 

      B They decorate a Christmas tree.
      C They cook delicious dishes.

4.      What is a Christmas tradition in Netherlands?
 A the cooked rabbit

      B the cooked rabbit and doughnuts   

      C doughnuts

5.       How long are the traditional dishes sold?

      A a week before Christmas and a week after Christmas
      B a week before Christmas
      C a week after Christmas

1	2	3	4	5

        

II. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the text below. For questions (6—15) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

HOW THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED BUYING AND SELLING

As the world population gets larger and technology keeps (6) __, more people are able to do more things that they couldn't do before. The Internet is an excellent example of this. You can buy and sell just about anything over the Internet.

Anyone with a computer can sell stuff, and anyone else with a computer can buy that stuff. The Internet knows no geographic (7) __. It's probably not practical to buy oil and gasoline over the Internet, but you can buy a car that way.

People are selling (8) __: stuff they don't want, stuff they would normally throw away. You can almost anything you need (and plenty of stuff you don't) on these online auctions sites.

Many people buy books, CDs, movies, furniture, cars, and (9) __ houses online. The sites that are selling these things are not necessarily auction sites. They are online shops.

Amazon.com is a good example of a business that is totally Internet-driven. You can buy or sell all kinds of things using Amazon.com, and you'll never (10) __ in a store. Amazon has warehouses where they store the goods they sell, and they have offices where their (11) __work and where their servers rest. But you won't see an Amazon.com `store' around the corner from where you live.

(12) __businesses have websites to help their traditional sales. You can go to the store in person, or you can check out the store's website. (Some stores use their websites only to showcase their merchandise; others allow you to buy online.)

(13) __, it seems, can sell anything, as long as they can get their hands on enough supply to make the business work. For example, you could live nowhere near the things you're selling and still be successful, provided that you can guarantee the shipment of whatever it is you're selling to the people or companies that are buying from you.

If you lived in the middle of Ukraine and you really wanted to buy and sell African alligator eggs, you could do it using a computer. You'd just need to guarantee yourself a supply and a demand and make all the necessary (14) __using your computer and the Internet. Computers are constantly changing the way people do business in very exciting ways. Stay (15) __!

	A	B	C	D
6	advancing	moving	going	improving
7	borders	boundaries	lines	edges
8	anything	something	nothing	everything
9	also	too	even	as well
10	set foot	Set feet	sit foot	sat feet
11	employers	employees	employs	employments
12	Others	Another	Other	The others
13	Someone	No one	None	Anyone
14	deals	arrangements	works	steps
15	turned	tune	turn	tuned

III. WRITING

Your teacher at the English courses has asked you to write a composition (80 – 120 words) describing the person who has influenced your life the most. Write the following:

• Who is this person (your relative / your friend / celebrity)?

• Why has this person influenced your life?

Easter Traditions

Letters

I was very glad to receive your postcards and I also want to tell you about the beauty of my native city. I live in an amazing city Chernihiv which is situated on the picturesque Desna river.
Chernihiv is one of the oldest European cities and famous for its beautiful churches and outstanding attractions. In the pictures you can see the historical part which is called Val. There are shady parks, snow-white churches with golden domes. There are also twelve cannons which were donated by Peter the first. You also can see a wonderful St. Catherin Church which is a visiting card of the city.
 I hope that you will come to Chernihiv one day to admire its beauty. I am looking forward to seeing you.

 Best wishes,

                     Nastya 

              Dear parents,

        I was very glad to receive your  letter, where you asked me about my host family so I`m going to tell you about them.

       Firstly, I should say that my host family is very kind, cheerful and friendly. They live in a deteched house in the heart of the city. Their home is cozy and I am extremely glad to have my own girlish room.

      My host mother is reliable and kind-hearted. She is good at cooking. My father is a wise and cheerful person. He teaches me to drive a car. We have much in common with my host brother. He is keen on sports and music.

     I prefer spending my leisure time outdoor, because every weekend we go on a picnic and we have a lot of fun.

     I miss you so much. I am looking forward to seeing you.

                          Best wishes,

                                            Nastya 

My name is Sam.I am 15 years old and l am from Ukraine. I have read your letter in which you are looking for a pan-friend on the Internet blog.I also want to have such person to communicate and practice my English with. I am keen on sports.I can not imagine my life without dancing. Also,i am fond of reading and going to the cinema.

I want to know more about you and your interests.I hope we are having much in common.

I am looking forward to hearing from you . Write me about yourself and your interests.

Best wishes,

Sam.

ДПА 9 клас - WRITING TASKS

1. You have read the letter on the Internet blog in which the person from an English-speaking country is looking for a pen friend. Write a short letter to this person including the following information:
• Give your name, age and nationality.
• Say what you like doing and why you are writing.
• Ask the person to write you about the same things.

2. Write an email (50–60 words) to your English-speaking friend saying that you would like to go on holiday with him / her and say which city/town in Ukraine you recommend to visit and why.

3. You’ve got an email from your English-speaking friend in which he / she asks you about your favourite school subject. Write a reply of 50–60 words including the following information:
• What is your favourite subject? Why?
• How will the knowledge of this subject influence your future?

4. Your English-speaking friend is interested in your hobby. Write him an email of 50–60 words telling about your hobby. Include the following:
• What are the most popular free time activities among Ukrainian teenagers?
• What is your hobby and why do you like it?
• What advice would you give to your friend who wanted to take it up?

5. You have invited your English-speaking friend to spend Christmas holidays/New Year with you in Ukraine. Write an email of 50–60 words including the following points:
• weather in December and January;
• Ukrainian Christmas/New Year traditions.

6. Imagine that you are learning English at the language course in Great Britain and are living in a host family. Write a short letter of 50–60 words home. Tell your parents about:
• your accommodation;
• your host family members and their interests;
• your leisure time activities.

7. You have decided to send a postcard of 50–60 words to your English-speaking friend with the sights of your hometown on it. Include the following information:
• name the sights in the pictures;
• write where they are and why they are famous;
• invite your friend to come and visit them one day.


8. Your English-speaking friend has asked you about the typical Ukrainian dishes, the type of food you like and your favourite recipe. Write a message of 50–60 words.

9. You’re going on holidays to another city / town and have decided to ask your friend to look after your flat. Write an email (50–60 words) in which you:
• thank your friend for help;
• give instructions on how often to water the flowers;
• give instructions on how often to feed the cat;
• inform when you come back and where to leave the keys for you.


10. Write a personal profile of a member of your family (50–60 words). Include:
• appearance and character;
• interests and activities;
• achievements and future hopes.

11. Your teacher at the English courses has asked you to write a composition (50–60 words) describing the person who has influenced your life the most. Write the following:
• Who is this person (your relative / your friend / celebrity)?
• Why has this person influenced your life?

12. Your friend likes junk food which is not healthy. Write him a letter (50–60 words) remembering about healthy living and recommending a diet both healthy and enjoyable.
Include the following:
• Don’t eat fast food, a lot of meat, fish, eggs.
• Eat good quality bread, rice, pasta, potatoes for energy.
• Eat fruit and vegetables having a lot of vitamins and minerals.


13. Write an email (not less than 60 words) to a friend telling him/her about your impressions of celebrating Christmas/ New Year`s Day. Include this information:
•       where and with whom you celebrate the event
•       the entertainment you have
•       what you like most

14. Your friend is fond of fast food restaurants. Write an email (not less than 60 words) to him/her.
•       persuade him/her that home food is better and healthier;
•       give your advice on healthy eating habits

15. Write a short article (not less than 80 words)on the topic: “Good friend is a great blessing”. Use prompts given below.
•       What characteristics make a good person?
•       Have you got a true friend?
•       What is he like?
•       What do you have in common?

16. Your friend wants to know if you like going on picnics. Write a letter (not less than 80 words) to him/her about it. Include the following:
•       How do you usually prepare everything for a picnic?
•       What is your favourite place for a picnic (by the river, in the forest, etc.)?
•       Do you plan activities to keep your friends busy throughout the day (games and play group sports)?
•       What are your impressions after a picnic?


17. Write a letter of information (50–60 words) to Emily. Include the following:
• how the school year is scheduled;
• what languages the students learn;
• what Ukrainian students are like.


18. Write a review (50–60 words) of your favourite book/film. Include the following:
• Who are the main characters?
• What main ideas do you take from this book/film?

Chernobyl Disaster

On April 26, 1986 the world’s worst nuclear catastrophe happened in the Ukraine. A nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl power plant exploded. The radiation that escaped in Chernobyl was four hundred times the amount that was released by the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima at the end of World War II. About 100,000 people had to leave their homes immediately after the explosion.

Neighboring villages had to be evacuated and up to today nobody has been allowed to live within 30 km of the plant. Pripyat , founded in 1970 to house the workers of the power plant , has become a ghost town. Before the disaster 50,000 people lived in modern apartment buildings. Today it is completely deserted with cars still parked on the streets. Radiation levels are still so high that nobody will be able to live here for the next one to two hundred years.

An area of about 150000 square kilometers was contaminated by radioactive cesium, which has a half life of 30 years. Most of the nuclear fallout came down on Bellarus, Russia and the Ukraine itself.

Even though Chernobyl does not produce electricity anymore about 4,000 workers still work at the nuclear power plant. They can only stay for two weeks at a time because of the high radiation.

There is still almost 200 tons of radioactive material stored in the sarcophagus, which was built in only six months after the explosion in 1986. Today it is slowly breaking apart and cracks are letting radioactive material escape.

The Ukrainian government has promised to build a new shelter that will replace the old sarcophagus. This cover is expected to last for over a century but it is still not clear where the Ukrainians will get 800 million Euros to finance such a huge dome.

Debate is still continuing on how many people died in the Chernobyl disaster. 31 people were killed as a direct result of the accident. 30 more died of radiation sicknessdue to the blast. Thousands of cases of cancer have been detected in people who were children at that time.

The population in the area is still in danger. Greenpeace claims that thousands of Ukrainians are eating food that is contaminated by the nuclear blast although Ukrainian food ministry officials say that food is regularly checked. The environmental organization says milk, mushrooms and berries in the whole region will stay polluted for many decades to come.

Today, more and more tourists are coming to northern Ukraine. Tour guides in Pripyat show westerners the homes that they lived in before the explosion. Buses take them to the nuclear power station but stop a few hundred yards from the disaster site where they can spend 15 minutes on taking pictures.

Words

although = while

berry = small soft fruit with small seeds

catastrophe = disaster; event that kills many people or destroys large areas and buildings

century = a hundred years

cesium = a soft silver white metal; splitting a cesium atom produces a radioactive element

check = control

claim = to say that something is true

clean-up = to get rid of unwanted material or waste

contaminate = to make material dirty or dangerous by putting chemicals or poisons into it

continue = go on

cover = something that is put on or over an object

crack = small lines

decade = a period of ten years

deserted = empty; with nothing or nobody in it

disaster = catastrophe, tragedy

dome = round building

environmental = about the world around us

escape = to set free

evacute =to send people away from a dangerous place to somewhere where it is safe

even though = while

finance = get money to build

found –founded = to start something new

government = the people who rule a country

half life = the number of years it takes radioactive material to lose half of its radioactivity

immediately = at once; quickly

level = amount

mushroom = simple plant that grows on the ground; it has a stem and is round and some can be eaten

official = someone who is in a high position in an organization or a country

pollute = to make something dirty so that you cannot use it any more

power plant , power station = building that produces electricity

radiation = form of energy that comes from nuclear reactors; in large amounts it is very harmful to your body and can kill you

release = to set free

sarcophagus = in old times it was a stone box used to keep dead bodies: here: a building that does not let anything escape from it

shelter = cover, protection

site = location

store = save, keep

Examination Card № 10

Name, surname ___________________________ Class ________________

Examination Card № 10

I.  Reading

Read the text and decide if the statements (1-5) are true (T) or false (F).

OSCAR

         It's been called 'the Academy statuette', 'the golden trophy' and 'the statue of merit'. The entertainment trade paper. Weekly Variety, even attempted to popularize 'the iron man'. Thankfully, the term never stuck. Born in 1928, the Academy Award of Merit -which we know as simply 'the Oscar' - depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword, stand­ing on a reel of film with five spokes, signifying the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers and Technicians.

         Weighing 3.5 pounds and standing 13.5 inches tall, the statuette was designed by a chief art director Cedric Gibbons. Frederic Hope, the Gibbons' assistant, created the original Belgian black marble base; an artist George Stanley sculpted the design; and the California Bronze Foundry hand cast the first statuette in bronze plated with 24-karat gold.

         A popular story has been that the nickname caught on after the Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick said that the statuette resembled her uncle Oscar. Its first documented mention came after the sixth Awards Presentation in 1934 when the Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used it in reference to Katharine Hepburn's first Best Actress win. The Academy itself didn't use the nickname officially until 1939.

         Oscar has changed his look on occasion. From the 1930s through the 1950s, juvenile players received miniature replicas of the statuette: the ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was presented with a wooden statuette with a movable mouth; and Walt Disney was honoured with one full-size and seven miniature statuettes on behalf of his animated feature Snow White and Seven Dwarfs.

         In support of the World War II effort between 1942 and 1944, Oscars were made of plaster, to be traded in for golden statuettes after the war. Additionally, the base was raised and changed from marble to metal in 1945. And in 1949, the Academy Award statuettes began to be numbered, starting with No. 501.

1.Five spokes of the Merit signify the original branches of the Academy.

2.The first statuette was made of gold.

3.The Academy did not use the nickname Oscar officially until 1939.

4.Wait Disney was honoured with seven miniature statuettes on behalf of his ani­
mated film Snow White and Seven Dwarfs,

5.Oscars were made of plaster between 1942 and 1944 in support of the World War II.

1	2	3	4	5

II. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the text below. For questions (6—17) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

THE FROG IN THE WELL

There was a frog that (6) __ in a shallow well.

«Look how well off I am here! » he (7) __ a big turtle from the Eastern Ocean. «I can (8) __ along the coping of the well when I go (9) __, and rest by a crevice in the bricks on my return. I can wallow to my heart's content with only my head above water, or (10) __ankle deep through soft mud. No crabs or tadpoles can compare with me. I am the master of the water and the lord of this shallow well. (11) __ more can a fellow ask? Why don't you come here more often to have a good time? ».

Before the turtle from the Eastern Ocean could get his left foot into the well, (12) __, he (13) __ his right claw on something. So he halted and stepped back, then began (14) __ the ocean to the frog.

«It's more than a thousand miles across and more than ten thousand feet deep. In ancient times there were floods nine years out of ten, yet the water in the ocean (15) __».      

         And later there were droughts seven years out of eight, yet the water in the ocean has never grown less. It remained quite constant throughout the ages. That is why I'd (16) __ live in the Eastern Ocean».

Then the frog in the shallow well was silent and felt a little (17) __.

	A	B	C	D
6	live	lived	living	lives
7	tell	told	telling	has told
8	hop	to hop	hopping	hopped
9	in	out	from	behind
10	to stroll	stroll	strolling	strolled
11	Which	Who	Why	What
12	however	furthermore	moreover	thus
13	catch	catched	caught	caughted
14	describe	description	to describe	described
15	have never increased	has never increased	is never increased	never increased
16	rather	rather to	prefer	like
17	shame	ashame	ashamed	ashaming

III. WRITING

Write a personal profile of a member of your family (80 – 120 words). Include:

• appearance and character;

• interests and activities;

• achievements and future hopes.