Form 9. Listening comprehension. Variant 1. The Second Semester.

Listen to the text and complete the sentences with the missing words.

Serhii Brin is famous for revolutionising the world of Internet search engines. He co- founded Google with his research partner Larry Page. The whole world knows about Google, but perhaps knows little about Serhii Brin. He is the President of Technology at Google and the third youngest billionaire in the world.

Brin got his master’s degree in computer science at America’s prestigious Stanford University. Together with his colleague Larry Page he wrote a paper that became the plan for creation Google. He put his studies aside to focus on his new business project. It made him rich beyond his wildest dreams. He is also an investor in Tesla Motors, which is developing a long-range electric car.

1) The world knows Serhii Brin for revolutionising the world of Internet search         .

2) Serhii Brin was a cofounder of          search engine.

3) He occupies the       place among the world’s youngest billionaires.

4) Brin got a degree in          science at Stanford University.

5) He also invests money in       Motors, which is developing a long-range electric car.

Listen to the text. Mark the following statements as true or false.

Katherine: «I love nature very much. I always try to keep places that I visit clean and safe, and I respect local people and their culture. I wish other people behaved so! Maybe a clue to this problem lies in our education. Many people wouldn’t just think that their efforts to save the environment may somehow matter. Others believe that they don’t have to do anything for their planet, as if their planet wasn’t their home... it is a home, it is just a little bigger than a flat. Our beliefs are being developed during the process of education. Maybe, if we change a few moments in the education system, not only at school but also at home, we will save our planet».

1) Katherine considers herself to be a nature lover.       [False, True]

2) She wants others to be environmentally friendly.       [True, False]

3) According to Katherine, everybody believes that they don’t have to do any- thing for their planet.       [True, False]

4) Katherine says that schools should have a special lesson on the environ- ment.       [True, False]

5) People should be taught to behave nature-friendly both at schools and at home.       [True, False]

Listen to the text. Read and choose the correct answer.

The history of iPhones is actually a remarkable story about a device that, under the normal rules of business, should not be created. Apple made iPod popular, so it should be the last company in the world to try to build something which could «kill» these music players. But in 2005 Apple’s cofounder Steve Jobs understood that it was necessary to create a universal gadget that could not only make calls but also play music and videos, and do many other things.

Fortunately for Apple, most phones on the market were not successful. The simplest phones didn’t do anything except making calls, and the more functions were added to phones, the more difficult they became to use. Getting music and video on 2005-era phones was too complicated mainly because of poor navigation. Those phones weren’t any good as entertainment gadgets. Besides, they had hard keys which were OK for typing, but ot for navigation.

Apple’s chief designers managed to create a new technology — a multitouch phone. Jobs knew it was a risk — will people find it convenient to type on a touchscreen? — but the result could be great: if the phone’s only interface was a touchscreen, you could use it not just for talking and music but for anything else.

Apple made the device over 30 months. An approximate 150 million US dollars are said to have been spent on the project.

As a result, the iPhone was introduced in San Francisco in 2007. Hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores in the US when the iPhone went on sale. Soon the iPhone was available in some European countries like France, UK and Germany. Since then Apple managed to develop a highly effective system selling its devices on the markets in different countries and regions.

From the first Apple computer in 1976 to the 2016 iPhone 7, the company has been consistently moving forward, which makes it the most successful company in history.

1) Which of the following can be inferred from the text?  

A iPod was a universal gadget.

В iPhones were created by mistake.

С iPhones replaced iPods on the market. D iPod is Apple’s newest invention.

2) What is true about 2005-era phones?  

A They were convenient only for making a call.

В Most of them had touchscreens.

С Users could easily play music and videos on them.

D They had keys which were good for navigation.

3) The phrase «the result could be great» is about…  

A telephone calls.

В iPhone’s popularity.

С the number of keys on one iPhone.

D iPhone’s price.

4) Which of the following is not true according to the text?  

A The first iPhones were introduced in the United States.

В iPhones are musical players.

С iPhones are available in different countries.

D iPhones have always been very popular.

5) According to the text, what helped Apple to become a big success?  

A iPod.

В Advertising.

С Customers.

D The company’s constant development.