Prepare 8. Reading (I семестр)

Read the text and choose the best word for every blank.

City Problems

Living in a big city can be exciting, but it also has many problems. In some neighbourhoods, you can see              [power cut, rush hour, traffic jam, pollution, graffity, rubbish, green spaces] on the walls of buildings, and streets are often full of              [graffity, rush hour, pollution, green spaces, power cut, traffic jam, rubbish], which makes the area look dirty.              [Rush hour, Rubbish, Green spaces, Pollution, Power cut, Traffic jam, Graffity]from cars and factories affects the air, and many people say there are not enough              [traffic jam, rush hour, rubbish, pollution, power cut, green spaces, graffity] where they can relax or go for a walk.

Life becomes even more stressful during              [rush hour, pollution, graffity, power cut, traffic jam, green spaces, rubbish], when thousands of people are travelling to or from work. It is easy to get stuck in a              [pollution, green spaces, rush hour, power cut, graffity, rubbish, traffic jam], sometimes for half an hour or more. And if there is a              [traffic jam, green spaces, power cut, rush hour, graffity, rubbish, pollution], which sometimes happens during storms, the whole city slows down, causing even more problems for residents.

Match the paragraphs about Los Angeles with the headings.

There are two extra headings that you don't need to use.

Read the text.

Traditional Scottish Clothes

Traditional Scottish clothes are an important part of Scotland’s culture. The most famous piece of clothing is the kilt, a knee-length skirt usually worn by men. Kilts are made of wool and have a special checked pattern called tartan. Each clan, or family group, has its own tartan, so people can often recognise someone’s background by the colours and lines on their kilt.

A complete traditional outfit includes more than just the kilt. Men wear a sporran, a small leather or fur pouch that hangs at the front. Because the kilt has no pockets, the sporran is used to carry small items. The outfit also includes long woollen socks, a white shirt, a jacket, and special shoes called ghillie brogues, which have long laces. On formal occasions, some men wear a sgian-dubh, a small decorative knife placed in the top of the sock.

Today, people usually wear traditional Scottish clothes for special events such as weddings, Highland games, parades, and national celebrations. Many Scots feel proud when they wear their traditional clothes because it helps them remember their history and show their cultural identity.

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Choose the best variant.

What is the most famous piece of traditional Scottish clothing?