Form 8. Reading. Variant 1. The Second Term.

Complete the dialogue with the replies from the box.

— Have you got any interesting book to read, Nick? —   (1)

— Not really. But just now I don’t care for anything too serious — I feel tired. Can you give me anything for light reading? — I’ve recently read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. I couldn’t stop laughing while reading it.   (2)

— Actually I’ve already read it, and I didn’t like it very much. I think it’s too simple.

—   (3)

— I have read many of them. Which book do you mean?

— Have you read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas?

— No, not this one.   (4)

— That’s why you must like this one, too. Well, it’s a book you can spend hours with.   (5)

— Yes, with pleasure. Thanks a lot, Nick.   (6)

— Certainly.

Read the text and the statements to it. Write if the statements are true or false.

Although nowadays the majority of people prefer to learn out about the news from the Internet or TV, reading is still an important leisure activity in Britain and there is a very large number of books, newspapers and magazines devoted to a wide variety of subjects. The biggest-selling magazines in Britain (after TV guides which sell over 3 million copies a week) are women’s and pop music publications. The best-selling books are not great works of literature but stories of mystery and romance which are sold in huge quantities (Agatha Christie’s novels, for example, have sold more than 300 million copies). It has been estimated that only about 3 per cent of the population read «classics» such as Charles Dickens or Jane Austin, whereas popular book sales can be enormous, particularly if the books are connected with TV shows or dramatisations.

1) People in Britain don’t read nowadays because they prefer watching TV.       [true, false]

2) Women’s and pop music publications are very popular in Britain.       [true, false]

3) Not many people buy TV guides.       [true, false]

4) Stories of mystery and romance are more popular than great works of literature.       [true, false]

5) Only a few people in Britain read classical literature.       [true, false]

6) Agatha Christie’s novels are still popular in Britain.       [true, false]

Read the text and answer the questions.

The British Isles lie off the north-west coast of Europe. There are two main islands — Great Britain and Ireland. There are also hundreds of smaller ones, especially off the coast of Scotland in the north. Northern Ireland is on the same island with the country of Ireland, but it’s part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has lots of coastal towns. Rolling plains cover much of the interior land. There are mountains, too. Ben Nevis, in Scotland, is the highest at 1,346 metres. England has an area of mountains and lakes called the Lake District. Wales is almost entirely covered with craggy mountains and deep, green valleys.

1) How many islands do the British Isles include?

Read the text and answer the questions.

The British Isles lie off the north-west coast of Europe. There are two main islands — Great Britain and Ireland. There are also hundreds of smaller ones, especially off the coast of Scotland in the north. Northern Ireland is on the same island with the country of Ireland, but it’s part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has lots of coastal towns. Rolling plains cover much of the interior land. There are mountains, too. Ben Nevis, in Scotland, is the highest at 1,346 metres. England has an area of mountains and lakes called the Lake District. Wales is almost entirely covered with craggy mountains and deep, green valleys.

2) What countries are there on the island of Ireland?

Read the text and answer the questions.

The British Isles lie off the north-west coast of Europe. There are two main islands — Great Britain and Ireland. There are also hundreds of smaller ones, especially off the coast of Scotland in the north. Northern Ireland is on the same island with the country of Ireland, but it’s part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has lots of coastal towns. Rolling plains cover much of the interior land. There are mountains, too. Ben Nevis, in Scotland, is the highest at 1,346 metres. England has an area of mountains and lakes called the Lake District. Wales is almost entirely covered with craggy mountains and deep, green valleys.

3) What is special about the Lake District?