Пробне ЗНО 2010

Task 1. READING

Read the texts below. Match choices (A-H) to (1-5). There are two choices you do not need to use.

1. ________

2. ________

3. ________

4. ________

5. ________

Task 2. READING

Read the text below. For questions (6–11) choose the correct answer (А, В, C, or D).

The Magic of Friendship

Relationships make the world go round - everyone is seeking someone who will love and understand them. And that's just as true of friendship as it is of romantic relationships. In many countries, especially in tribal cultures, friendship is admired and marked by rituals - from blood brotherhood to blessed 'marriages' between friends - that formalize an unbreakable bond. Friendship can so often happen by the purest chance, but what is it that makes you compatible with one person and not another? It may lie in the stars - your Zodiac sign can reveal the type of friend you are and who might be a suitable best friend.

Certainly, with your very best friend you can feel that you are 'soul mates' - and in such cases, you can be sure that your friendship goes beyond your shared taste in music!

Historically, friendship has been regarded far more highly than it is today. As time has passed and society's emphasis has shifted from friendship to romantic partnerships, the formality surrounding our relations with friends has diminished. Friendship is very often seen as secondary to relationships between lovers.

The Greeks and Romans celebrated classical friendships - platonic relationships with many of the characteristic of modern-day love. In Greek mythology, for example, famous friendships existed between male heroes, such as Achilles and Patroclus.

Later, during the Renaissance, this type of friendship made a reappearance in the form of romantic friendship. In these relations it was not usual for friends to set up home together as 'husband and wife'.

Many of the sentimental things we see lovers doing today - writing poems, holding hands, carving each other's names on tree trunks - would then have been practised by close friends. These romantic friendships existed between women only into the early part of the 20th century, but something of their intensity still survives between best friends today.

6. The author ________.

Task 3. READING

12. ___________

If a piece of your mail has been damaged, delayed or lost by Royal Mail, there are a number of things you can do. (You must keep damaged or delayed items and the packaging, as we may need to see them). You can contact Customer Services Call 08457 740 740 (or Textphone 08456 000 606) and we‟ll take the details from you — please have all information and any proof of posting ready.

13. ___________

The most amazing and breathtaking view to see the City from the air! Delight in the vistas of New York on your 10-12 minute bird's eye tour. See the United States' most famous landmark, the Statue of Liberty, so close you can almost reach out and touch her! Your flight continues as you pass the Empire State, Chrysler, Woolworth, and Meet Life Buildings, Ellis Island along with the New York Harbor, George Washington Bridge, and the world renowned Central Park.

Reservations Call: (212)445-0848

14. ___________

Passports give you access. So does MetroCard. It takes you to all the famous places in the entire city. And, with an Unlimited Ride Card, you can hop on and off New York City Transit subways and local busses as many times as you like, all day long. It's the fastest, least expensive way to see it all.

You can buy MetroCard at the Gray Line counter in the Times Square Visitor Center. You can also buy it at subway station vending machines with your debit or credit, or cash.

For more information, call 800-638-7622.

15. ___________

Imagine yourself on a beautiful yacht, indulging in sumptuous cuisine and fine wines, dancing to delightful live music, enjoying gracious and attentive service… Well, pinch yourself; you're not dreaming! Metro-North takes you to the World Yacht Dinner Cruise. And you'll ride the train FREE if you ask for the Metro-North package when you make your reservation!

During the three-hour cruise around New York Harbor, you'll dine on an incredible four-course, sit-down feast that includes delicious signature dishes from some of New York's most acclaimed chefs. Spend the evening dancing to a live band, or strolling along the deck.

Reservations must be made at least one week in advance by calling World Yacht at (212) 630-8850.

16. ___________

$8th Smash Year!“Hilarious! The most entertaining show on or off Broadway!” — Gannett Newspapers

I Love You,

You’re Perfect,

Now Change

The Hilarious Hit Musical

Westside Theatre at 407 W. 43rd St Telecharge 212-239-6200 groups 212-889-4300

Task 4. READING

Read the text below. Choose from (A–H) the one which best fits each of (17–22).

There are two choices you do not need to use

What Do Clairvoyants Believe?

If the messages clairvoyants receive are not from friendly spirits, then where do they come from?

Clairvoyants are thought to „see clearly‟ into the lives of their clients and give them psychic information. There are a number of different ways in which these psychic abilities can be explained:

Some clairvoyants believe there is a visible vibration or frequency around the body that looks like a colourful blur. This is called the Kirilian aura and it is said to be a personal indicator of physical, mental and spiritual well-being:

A strong aura may mean that the person is healthy, open and friendly.

(17)________.

Auras have been caught on film on many occasions, and some Kirilian photographs of people with missing limbs actually show an aura around the space where their limb once was.

A more scientific view of clairvoyance is the belief in a „third eye‟. (18)________. Its usage has since diminished due to the relative safety of modem life.

This „eye‟ is able to look upon the psychic plane and see the past, present and future, or anything the clairvoyant is searching for.

The „third eye‟ is also important in several forms of spiritual healing, such as Reiki. The third eye is located at the brow Chakra.

(19)________. Parapsychologists have long held this view and believe that it is only our limited senses that prevent us from perceiving a fourth dimension on which time exists as a whole.

(20) . In the fourth dimension, clairvoyants are able to make contact with spirits from the past and even from the future, for example, the spirits of children not yet born.

Though not all people are gifted with clairvoyance, there is no shortage of those who are. (21)________.

The difference between clairvoyants today is not so much measured by their psychic power, but rather by what they choose to do with their abilities for the service of other people. (22)________. The very nature of this gift, however, would make it very difficult for it to be used to hurt others. Many clairvoyants also believe that to use their gift for the wrong reasons, such as for financial gain, would be a betrayal.

Task 5. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the text below. For questions (23–34) choose the correct answer (А, В, C, or D).

There Was a Crooked Man!

David Suchet plays disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell

Maxwell

BBC2 Friday

There's a „you couldn't make it up‟ quality to the life story of newspaper baron Robert Maxwell. He was born into extreme poverty in Czechoslovakia in 1923, and (23)________ he arrived in this country (24)________ the age of 17, he couldn't speak a (25)________ of English. Yet he (26)________ to become a war hero, fighting (27)_______ a captain in the British Army, and one of the most high-profile — and controversial — business magnates of the 20th Century.

This week's BBC2 drama Maxwell (28)_________ the story of the final months of his life, leading up to his mysterious drowning off the coast of Tenerife in 1991.

His media empire, which included the Daily Mirror, Macmillan Publishing and the New York Daily News, was haemorrhaging cash. In a desperate attempt to staunch the losses, Maxwell (played by David Suchet) started to raid the pension funds of his companies, stealing about £500,000.

„He (29)________ nothing to become this huge business magnate and massively colourful figure,‟ says David, best known for his role as Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

„Even though Maxwell gatecrashed society events and made (30)________ he was photographed with powerful figures such as Russia's President Gorbachev, he never felt embraced by society. He became a media tycoon (31)________ he was desperate to have influence.‟

David (32)________ hours of footage of Maxwell and says he developed a strong sense of his character's intimidating natural authority.

„Playing Maxwell, I felt the (33)________ power of the man,‟ he says. “That's dangerously intoxicating for everyone. Down the centuries, nothing has been abused more than power — from Napoleon and Hitler to Saddam Hussein. If you know that when you (34) your fingers people will jump to attention, it can be very seductive.‟

Task 6. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the text below. For questions (35–46) choose the correct answer (А, В, C, or D).

18th-century America's Santa Claus was not the only St. Nicholas-inspired gift-giver to make an appearance at Christmastime. Similar figures were popular all over the world. Christkind or Kris Kringle (35)________ to deliver presents to well-behaved Swiss and German children. Meaning “Christ child”, Christkind is an angel-like figure often (36)________ by St. Nicholas on his holiday missions. In Scandinavia, a jolly elf named Jultomten was thought to deliver gifts in a sleigh drawn by goats. English legend explains that Father Christmas visits each home (37)________ Christmas Eve to fill children's stockings with holiday treats. Pere Noel is responsible for filling the shoes of French children. In some regions of Russia, it is believed that an elderly woman called Babushka (38)________ gave the wise men wrong directions to Bethlehem so that they couldn't find Jesus. Later, she felt remorseful, but could not find (39)________ to undo the damage. To this day, on January 6, Babushka visits Russian children leaving gifts at (40)________ bedsides in the hope that one of them is the baby Jesus and she will be forgiven. In Italy, a similar story exists about a woman called La Befana, a kindly witch who rides a broomstick down the chimneys of Italian homes to deliver toys into the stockings of lucky children.

Planting the Seeds of Change

The Green Wave project aims to help meet the goals of the United Nations Convention (41)________ Biological Diversity by (42)________ young people on the importance of biodiversity. In an ambitious program, students from schools all across the world (43)________ to mark the International Day for Biodiversity by planting a single tree of an indigenous or locally important species. At 10 a.m. local time on May 22, 2009, (44)________ student groups will each plant or water their tree — uniting to send a „green wave‟ from east to west around the planet. Promoting planning, research and learning about nature, long-term care and commitment, and encouraging team-work and partnership across countries and continents, The Green Wave (45)________ a positive step toward (46)________ biodiversity all over the world.

Task 7. Writing

You have found out that the local council is planning to build a new supermarket not far from your school instead of a sports centre. You have decided with your friends to write about this plan to the major newspapers published in your city/region. Write a letter to the editor of an English language newspaper in which you:

• say why you are writing
• explain why sport is important to people
• explain why a supermarket should not be built in your area
• give your reasons why a sports centre would serve your city/region well

Write a letter of at least 100 words. Do not write any dates and addresses. Start your letter with

Dear Sir or Madam,