Text \ exercises

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Task 1. You are going to read the text aloud. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text
silently, and then be ready to read it aloud. Remember that you will not have more
than 2 minutes for reading aloud.
We are always told that we should clean our teeth regularly to keep them healthy and to
have fresh breath. It is believed that people started using a kind of paste to clean their
teeth around 5000 years ago. However, the ingredients of these tooth powders were very
different from ours. For example, the people of ancient Egypt used salt, mint, dried flowers
and pepper to create tooth powder. Later, in the 18th century, in some countries in Europe,
people brushed their teeth with burnt bread. The first toothpaste appeared in 1890, in
Great Britain. At first it was sold in jars. Then special tubes were designed to make the
toothpaste more comfortable to use.

3.

Do you know why it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter? Most people
believe that it is because the Earth is closer to the Sun in the summer and
farther from it in the winter. But it is not like this at all! In fact, the distance
between the Earth and the Sun is largest in July and smallest in January!
Scientists suggest that the reason for different summer and winter
temperatures is the angle of the Sun’s rays. In the summer, the rays reach the
Earth almost at a right angle. Due to this, the rays are not spread out and a
smaller area of the planet's surface gets the energy. In the winter, the angle
changes and the Sun’s rays are spread out over a larger area. Besides this,
the long nights and short days do not give enough time for the land to warm
up.

4.

1
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In a supermarket
In a restaurant
2
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At home
3
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On board a plane
4
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On a picnic
5
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5.

1
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The speaker explains why he/she failed the exam.
2
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The speaker says that exams are necessary.
3
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The speaker explains why he/she is afraid of exams.
4
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The speaker talks about a successful exam experience.
The speaker talks about exam preparation.
5
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The speaker says that he/she enjoys taking exams.
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6.

A Missing Street
Mark had worked in the Сity Hall for more than twenty years. He registered the files
with the names of all the streets in Montreal. Mark lived near the City Hall and rarely
walked round the city, but he knew the location of the streets very well. He knew
Montreal better than the policemen or taxi drivers.
His job was pretty dull and monotonous, but Mark preferred the office to his flat in Oven
Street anyway. His neighbours were noisy and unpleasant. Every time he tried to
explain the importance of his work, they looked down on him as a low-level clerk. They
failed to understand that they got their mail only because Oven Street had its postal
index in one of the files in the City Hall.
Once Mark’s peaceful life was disturbed. He opened one of the drawers in his study
and found an index card stuck at the back. He drew it out carefully. Green Bottle
Street it said. Mark stared at it in wonder. He could not remember any street with that
name. He searched all the files but could not find anything. It was not on the list.

7.

1 MARK’S RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO INVENT NAMES FOR THE
CITY’S STREETS.
2 Mark’s neighbours ignored the significance of his
work.
3
OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, GREEN BOTTLE STREET HAD BEEN
WITHOUT ANY POSTAL INDEX CODE.

8.

Mark examined the card once more. There was no mistake. The paper was old and yellow. The last
inspection date marked on the card was more than fifteen years before. Mark was frozen with horror. It was a
lost, forgotten street! For so many years it had existed a mile away from the Hall, and nobody knew about it.
Deep in his heart, Mark sometimes had thought of such a possibility. There were so many winding
streets in the city that it looked like a labyrinth. But with all these files it simply could not happen. Vaguely he
remembered that at the beginning of his career his office had moved to another floor and all the cards were
made afresh. Maybe at that time one of the cards had got stuck in the drawer.
Mark slept badly that night. In the morning he put the card in his pocket and went looking for Green
Bottle Street. Though he knew its location, he passed it twice. Finally, he came up to a wooden door, behind
which a narrow street started. He opened the door and stepped inside. Green Bottle Street lay before him.
It was named after its shape. On either side of the street there were three well-kept houses with nice,
small gardens in front. At the end of the street there was a brick wall, which separated it from the rest of the
world. Everything there was quiet and safe. An old woman was watering roses in one of the gardens.
She told Mark that they used to pay taxes and get the mail until they were forgotten. Then they built a
wooden door with a lock to protect their tiny peaceful area from passers-by and officials. They helped people
who got tired of the busy city and wanted to take a break for a while. Some rooms in the houses were for
rent.
Mark understood that the yellow card he had found in the drawer could break people’s peaceful but fragile
world. He sighed and tore the card to pieces. For all he cared, Green Bottle Street could remain lost forever.

9.

4 THE CARD GREEN BOTTLE STREET WAS DELIVERED BY POST
5 IT WAS NOT EASY FOR MARK TO FIND GREEN BOTTLE STREET.
6 All the houses in Green Bottle Street were painted
green.
7 The old woman suggested that Mark could rent a room
in Green Bottle Street.
8 Mark registered Green Bottle Street and gave it
an index code.