Reading

TEXTS FOR READING

Text 1. Migration

One of the greatest mysteries of nature is the instinct to migrate. Every year millions of creatures feel theneed to move for one reason or another. Most of us have seen the arrival or departure of migrating flocks of birds. Migration, however, is not confined to birds, but can be seen in reptiles (for example, turtles, frogs), insects (butterflies, locusts), fish (eels, salmon, tuna) and mammals (reindeer, seals, lemmings, whales, bats). Many of these creatures succeed in navigating over long distances. Just how they manage to do this still remains a mystery. There are several possibilities. They may navigate by using one or more of the following:

1. The sun.

2. The stars.

3. The earth’s magnetic field. (When a small bar magnet is attached to a pigeon, it is unable to navigate.)

4. A sense of smell.

5. Geographical features, (Birds flying from South America to Canada seem to follow coastlines and valleys.)

6. Changes in temperature, (Salmon can detect a change in water temperature as small as.05 of a degree F.)

7. Sound. (Whales and bats seem to use sonar.)

Experiments suggest that these navigational abilities are partly instinctive. In one famous experiment a youngseabird from the British Isles was taken across the Atlantic by plane to Boston, 3,200 miles away, It was released and was back in its nest twelve and a half days later.

Test

Mark the correct variant.

1. Navigational abilities of animals are ....                   [A. instinctive, B. experimental, C. possible, D. marvellous]

2. Most of us have seen the arrival or departure of ....                              [A. whales, B. trains, C. planes, D. migrating flocks of birds]

3. Just how birds manage to navigate still remains                [A. a mystery, B. a problem, C. a question, D. a task]

4. A seabird from the British Isles was taken across .

                       [A. the Indian Ocean, B. the North Sea, C. the Pacific Ocean, D. the Atlantic Ocean]

5. Whales and bats seem to use                     [A. sonar, B. magnetic field, C. the coastlines, D. temperature]

6. A pigeon is unable to navigate with                       [A the sun, B. a sense of smell, C. a bar magnet, D. soud]

7. Fish can detect a change                                [A. in the position of the sun, B. in water temperature, C. in soud, D. in the position of stars]

8. Among mammals with navigational abilities there are                             [A. turtles and frogs, B. butterflies and locusts, C. birds and reptiles, D. reindeer and whales]

9. Millions of creatures feel the need to migrate ....                                  [A. for the sake of their lives, B. in search of food, C. for one reason or another, D. escaping from their enemis]

10. Due to navigational abilities birds find ....                       [A. their way home, B. food, C. the British Isles, D. the Atlantic Ocean]

Match the parts of the text and their subheadings. Mark them in the table.

Mark the correct variant

1. Every year ..                             [A. millions of creatures, B. thousands of creatures, C. hundreds of creatures, D. dozens of creatures], feel the need to move for one reason or another.

2. Most of us have seen the arrival or departure of ....                                [A. migrating of the whales, B. migrating flocks of birds, C. migrating of the locusts, D. migrating of the ostriches]

3. How they manage to do it still remains ...                [A. a tragedy, B. a mystery, C. a comedy, D. a fan]

4. Experiments suggest that these navigational abilities are partly ...                  [A. instinctive, B. acquired, C. mysterious, D. fantastic].

5. In one famous experiment a young seabird from the British Isles was taken across ..                   [A. the Pacific, B. the Atlantic, C. the Antarctic, D. the Indian]. by plane to Boston

Match the correct definitions to the words.

Text 2. Gold Rush

In 1848 gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, about 100 miles east of San Francisco, and the first great goldrush began. When the news leaked out, farmers, trappers, lawyers, preachers, sailors, soldiers, and school teachers rushed to California by whatever means they could. Within a year 100,000 people, only 8,000 of whom were women, had reached the coast of California. More than half of them had travelled overland across the American continent. ‘Gold fever’ began to spread, Settlements throughout the United States were deserted. Homes, farms, and stores were abandoned as everybody raced for California, Many came by sea, and in July, 1850 more than 500 ships were anchored in San Francisco Bay, many of which had been deserted by gold-hungry sailors. A few people became fabulously rich, but it was a risky business, Law and order broke down. Even if a miner ‘struck it rich’ there were always those who would try to take it away: gamblers, outlaws, thieves, and saloon keepers. Gold and silver were discovered in Nevada a few years later, and ‘gold fever’ was an important part of the settlement of the western United States,

Mark if the following statements:

A) correspond to the contents of the text,

B) do not correspond to the contents of the text.

1.When the news about gold leaked out, people of different jobs rushed to California by whatever means they could.   [A, B]

2.Other discoveries were made in Victoria and Kalgoorlie,   [A, B]

3.Within a year 100,000 people had reached the coast of California,   [A, B]

4.Settlements through the USA were deserted. '   [A, B]

5.This led to another stampede, and many rich finds were made,   [A, B]

6.A few people became fabulously rich, but it was a risky business,   [A, B]

7.Many people came to California by sea.   [A, B]

8.Insome places massive nuggets of gold were found accidentally, just lying about on the ground,   [A, B]

9.By the turn of the century gold had been found in South Africa,   [A, B]

10.Gold fever is in many ways irrational.   [A, B]

Match the correct definitions to the words in italics.

Match the correct definitions to the words in italics

Text . Sport in America

Practising sports is a popular leisure activity. It is generally known that people who do physical exercises keep fit and healthy. Moreover, taking up a sport has also many psychological benefits. First, it relieves the stresses of everyday life and second, it helps individuals identify with a group and replace their loneliness with the sense of belonging. Sport plays a very important part in the American lifestyle. The President himself jogs every morning, plays tennis and golf, and is a leading advocate of fitness. The present-day interest in physical education and great enthusiasm for diets, exercising and jogging, dates from the late sixties when Major Kenneth Gordon published his bestseller 'Aerobics'. Since that time the sporting way of life has been popularized by such cult figures like Jane Fonda, Victoria Principal or Sylvester Stallone.

The favourite American sports today are baseball, basketball, soccer and football. Jogging has also become very popular recently. The early morning joggers have their jogging shoes, their jogging suits, their joggingwatches and even their jogging magazines! However, even if they practise jogging out of sheer snobbery, it is stillgood that they make an effort to be in good condition.

Unfortunately, many Americans prefer watching sports on television. Every year about 150 million peoplewatch basketball matches. Tennis, ice-hockey and skating also attract millions of viewers. The great popularity ofthese sports itself bears some of the responsibility for turning ‘America into a nation of spectators.

However, it is important to remember that only active participation in sports activities may ensure fitness and well-being.

Mark the correct variant.

1. Why is practising sports very popular leisure activity?   [A, B, C, D]

A.Becaitse it helps to make money.

B. Because it helps to become popular.

C. Because it helps to keep fit and healthy.

D. Because it helps to waste time.

2. Why do sports play an important part in the American lifestyle?   [A, B, C, D]

A. They bring fame to the country.

B. The President of the USA is a leading advocate of healthy way of life.

C. They help to be successful in life.

D. Americans are great fans of sport, especially watching it on TV.

3. What does American President do every morning?   [A, B, C, D]

A. The President himself jogs every morning.

B. The President himself jogs, plays tennis and golf every morning.

C. The President plays football every morning.

D. The President plays cricket every morning.

4. What is the most popular American kind of sport?   [A, B, C, D]

A. playing tennis

B. jogging

C. swimming

D. skating

5. When did Major Kenneth Gordon publish his bestseller ‘Aerobics’?   [A, B, C, D]

A. in the late seventies

B. in the late sixties

C. in the early seventieth

D. in the late seventieth

6. What cult figures began to popularise the sporting way of life?   [A, B, C, D]

A. Whitney Huston, Paul Newman

B. Kym Bessinger, Richard Geer, Leo Dicaprio

C. Ricky Martin, Michal Jackson

D. Jane Fonda, Victoria Principal, Sylvester Stallone

7. Why is America called a nation of spectators?   [A, B, C, D]

A. Because many Americans prefer watching sports on television.

B. Because many Americans participate actively in sports activities.

C. Because many Americans take part in different sport shows.

D. Because many Americans do not like to participate in sports activities.

8. What can ensure fitness and well-being?   [A, B, C, D]

A. winning medals

B. activate participation in different sports

C. much money

D. visiting doctors

9. Why has sport many psychological benefits?   [A, B, C, D]

A.  Because it develops one’s character.

B. Because it brings fame.

C. Because it sometimes hurts.

D. Because it shows low human emotions,

10. What kinds of sport attract millions of American TV viewers?   [A, B, C, D]

A. golf and badminton

B. tennis, ice-hockey and skating

C. swimming and running

D. figure skating and boating

Mark one odd out word.

1.   [A, B, C, D]

A. swimming

B. sailing

 C. rowing

D. wind-surfing

2.   [A, B, C, D]

A. judo

B. boxing

C. wrestling

D. volleyball

3.   [A, B, C, D]

A. tennis

B. table tennis

C. boxing

D. volleyball

4.   [A, B, C, D]

A. baseball

B. tennis

C. football

D. golf

5.   [A, B, C, D]

A. basketball

B. tennis

C. baseball

D. football 

Match the following words and expressions with their Ukrainian equivalents.