Пробне ЗНО 2017

Task 1. Reading

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

David de Rothschild is an adventurer, an environmentalist, and an explorer. He has travelled across Antarctica, set a speed record crossing the Greenland ice cap, and reached the North Pole with hungry polar bears following him. Now he’s getting ready for his next adventure: Sailing to Australia in a boat made from recycled plastic bottles!

How did he become an explorer and environmentalist? David answers questions from National Geographic Kids:

1 __________

David: I was very inquisitive, curious, and mischievous. I was always asking questions. Asking questions leads you on adventures and adventures are breeding grounds for stories. From stories we create our dreams.

2 __________

David: I studied natural medicine, or naturopathy, and it led me to questions of why we use the things we do and thoughts of you are what you breathe. These kinds of questions led me to where I am today and led me on an adventure.

3 __________

David: I usually start very early in the morning and end very late at night. I spend a lot of time talking to people, writing, responding to lots of e-mails, and meeting with scientists and engineers working on the boat. And I take time to stay fit and healthy.

4 __________

David: It is the one that I haven’t been to. The world is so vast. I mean I’d love to go to Madagascar and back down to Antarctica again. So ask me that again when I am 70 years old!

5 __________

David: There are two really. One is to be honest. Always treat other people the way you would want to be treated. And the second one is don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. You aren’t going to know if you don’t try.

A What’s the best place you’ve ever travelled to?

B What do you daydream about?

C How did you get into your field of work?

D What’s the best piece of advice you can share with others?

E What were you like as a kid?

F Do you have any good explorer jokes?

G What’s a normal day like for you?

H What are you planning to explore in the near future?

Task 2. Reading

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Multi-tasking

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” goes the saying. Being perpetually busy – a type A personality who can check e-mail, fold laundry, send a text message, and cook dinner, all at once – is a state that modern technology supports and that society encourages as something of a status symbol. In fact, the opposite may be true: multitasking causes the brain to make more mistakes. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doing two or more things at once is a recipe for inefficiency; plus, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it.

In the study, Stanford University researchers compared university students who did a lot of multitasking – constantly switching between different media and messages, such as reading e-mail while also writing essays, surfing the Internet, and watching TV – with those who did very little. The two groups were given tests which assessed them on memory, the ability to focus, and how easily they moved from one task to another. In all three tests, the students who did the most multitasking had the worst results, in terms of being easily distracted, being unable to organise facts in their short-term memory. What’s more, the researchers suggest multitasking may lead to a type of self-perpetuating behaviour, where a person has difficulty differentiating the worthwhile from the pointless, and compulsively seeks more information – more Tweets, more text messages, more news feeds.

To quote researcher Eval Ophir, “High multitaskers can’t keep things separate in their minds. They just love more and more information, their greatest thrill is to get more.” If this description of multitasking has hit a little too close to home, take steps to reduce your media exposure – when you’re working on your laptop, turn off your phone and close your e-mail. Use a kitchen timer to spend 45 minutes on a particular task, with no distractions – you will be surprised at how much you achieve. Same goes for watching a TV program with your family or having an uninterrupted conversation. If you are struggling, ground yourself with a few minutes of deep breathing or a walk, and then redirect your mind to the designated activity.

6. According to paragraph 1, multi-tasking allows people ___________.

A to succeed in more chores

B to improve their image

C to avoid many errors

D to develop their brain

7. What does the word “those” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A students

B researchers

C messages

D essays

8. Which of the following abilities was NOT the subject of Stanford University study?

A switching between tasks

B remembering things

C concentrating on work

D doing written exercises

9. What happens to people when they multi-task?

A They become tired very soon.

B They feel proud of themselves.

C They ignore their families.

D They go for additional facts.

10. What does the author say about multitaskers?

A They are good at using several gadgets at the same time.

B They know how to relax while working on the computer.

C They experience difficulties in separating their assignments.

D They are experts in finding the necessary information fast.

Task 3. Reading

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (11–16). There are two choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

11 __________

Welcome to Stage Hotel. Our spacious family rooms are perfect for three or more people who’d like to stay together without getting under each other’s feet!

Relax in our lounge and bar, where you can enjoy a wide selection of hot and cold beverages and tasty meals throughout the day. We will cater for all tastes and dietary requirements, including an excellent choice for vegetarians.

12 __________

Carmel Hotel has a heated pool, a fitness room, free parking and complimentary Wi-Fi. First rate accommodations can make a vacation a great one. From the soothing decor and plush furnishings to the unbelievable attractions and leisure activities just minutes away. If you are looking for a pet friendly hotel, we have a limited number of rooms available and we ask that you please call the hotel for the restrictions.

13 __________

196 Bishopsgate offers serviced apartments close to Liverpool Street Station. Cater for fussy eaters and save money by cooking in a fully equipped kitchen in the apartments. There’s plenty of room for a family to spread out in the one, two-bed or penthouse suite apartments.

14 __________

Fraser Place Queen’s Gate where you’ll be close to some of London’s best family-friendly attractions including the Science Museum and Natural History Museum. Fraser Place Queen’s Gate also offers airport transfer and breakfast (charges apply).

15 __________

The High Beech is a beautiful 3-star country house hotel nestled between the historic towns of Hastings and Battle. It is the ideal location for both touring and beach. The hotel offers luxury accommodation, rooms with Jacuzzi bathrooms available. Extensive menus offering superb French/English cuisine. Banqueting and Conference facilities for up to 200 guests make the hotel the ideal venue for weddings, dinner dances, private parties and seminars.

16 __________

Kids at The Ritz are treated just as well as their parents, if not better! Children staying at The Ritz enjoy free ice cream, a teen concierge, milk and cookies and their own bathrobes and slippers. The hotel also offers interconnecting rooms, babysitting and complimentary baby cots.

Which hotel is the best choice if you __________?

A have certain food restrictions

B prefer to save on a taxi to the hotel

C want to see a recreated historic battle

D plan to take a small dog with you

E need someone to look after your little sister

F and your family travel on a tight budget

G want someone to arrange excursions for you

H need a place to celebrate a family anniversary

Task 4. Reading

Read the text below. Choose from (A–H) the one which best fits each space (17–22). There are two choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Life at Wild Dog Research Camp

Imagine living in a place (17) __________. Where everyone lives in tents, and there’s a fire burning all the time for warmth and cooking. Where wild animals walk or run past day and night.

Madison McNutt, 12, and his brother Wilder, 8, live in the southern African country of Botswana at Wild Dog Research Camp, (18) __________ and their mother works with local children, teaching them about conservation of the natural world.

More than a dozen adults live at dog camp, including their teacher, workers to help cook and keep the camp clean, and college students (19) __________. Wilder describes the set-up: “Fifteen tents in camp: ten for researchers and five for camp staff. We also have an office and an underground office (’cause it gets hot in the day and underground it is cool), a kitchen, a garage tent, and a laundry tent.” And they have a small museum (20) ___________.

The boys live in their own tent attached to their parents’, several feet off the ground like a tree house. Sometimes at night the boys spot animals like hyenas (21) __________.

Madison, (22) __________ when he grows up, likes the wild dogs the best: “They are very social animals and are always nice to each other.” Both boys have learned a lot about the animals their father works to understand and protect.

A who have come to learn about wildlife

B who is rather tricky and dangerous

C that come to the birdbath in camp for a drink

D where you and your brother are the only kids

E where they keep all the bones of animals they find

F that the nearest village is a 20-minute ride away

G who wants to train dogs for the movies

H where their father studies wild dogs

Task 5. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the text below. For questions (23–32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson is Britain’s (23) __________ naval hero who is most often associated with the Battle of Trafalgar, but on the Caribbean isle of Nevis, his biggest association was with a woman (24) __________ Fanny Nisbet.

In his (25) __________ exploits at the Battles of Cape St. Vincent, the Nile, and Copenhagen, his (26) __________ romance with Lady Emma Hamilton, and his epochal victory and tragic death at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson seems always to be a little larger than life.

It was in the Caribbean, on the island of Nevis, that Nelson met and married Fanny Nisbet, and the island still bears (27) __________ of the young captain’s presence. His (28) __________ at the time was commander of the Leeward Islands Squadron. Nelson’s legacy is visible there as well, in the fine (29) __________ Georgian dockyard that now (30) __________ his name. What follows is a (31) __________ look at the life of Horatio Nelson. For those who desire a more extensive portrait, we recommend a visit to the Nelson Museum on Nevis, a modest institution that has the distinction of maintaining the largest (32) __________ of Nelson memorabilia in America.

Task 6. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the texts below. For questions (33–42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Hurricane Names

Have you ever wondered about the system used for naming hurricanes? Where did those names come from, anyway? Will we have to suffer through (33) __________ “Hurricane Andrew”? Hurricanes used to be designated by a system of latitude-longitude, (34) __________ was a great way for meteorologists to track them. However, once the public began receiving storm warnings and trying to keep track of a particular storm path, this got very (35)__________. A system of names to refer to them was (36) __________ to track and remember.

In 1953, the National Weather Service picked up on the habit of Naval meteorologists of naming the storms after women. In 1979, male names (37) __________ to alternate with female names.

Task 7. USE OF ENGLISH

Read the texts below. For questions (33–42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Going Whole Hog

“This room is a pigsty!” your father says, and you promise to clean it up – some time soon. But if you (38) __________ a pig, you will notice that a pigsty is not (39) __________ bad place to live. In fact, the pig’s pen (40) __________ be cleaner than your own bedroom!

No one knows for sure why pigs have their bad names. However, they have been slandered for thousands of years. Actually, pigs are smart, clean, curious, and social.

Smart pigs (41) __________ to hunt small game and sniff out truffles, the delicious, hard-to-find mushrooms that (42) __________ underground. They probably find as many truffles in a day as a dog could find in a week.

WRITING

43. You have received a letter from your pen-friend in which he/she tells you that he/she has been admitted to a university and will have to move to another city and live in a students’ hostel. He/she is anxious about the situation because he/she can’t cook. Write a letter in which you say

➢whether you often cook and why (or why not)

➢how you share household duties in your family and

➢give a recipe for a simple dish (ingredients and preparation)

Write a letter of at least 100 words. Do not use your real name or any personal information. Start your letter in an appropriate way.