I-variant Reading Task 1. Read the text and circle True (T) or False (F) for the statements 1-5.
Hallowe’en Hallowe'en is a popular festival in many countries all over the world, and every year it seems to get bigger. Find out some more about the traditional festival of Hallowe'en. The origins of the name The festival of Hallowe'en has its (0) roots in Celtic and Roman traditions. Over 2,000 years ago the Celts in Britain, Ireland and parts of France celebrated Samhain to (1) mark the beginning of winter. When the Romans invaded, they merged this with Feralia, their celebration of the passing of the dead. As Christianity spread, the Church tried to replace these pagan feasts with official Church holy days. One of these was November 1. It was called All Saints Day, or "All Hallows", and October 31 was known as "All Hallows' Eve", and then Hallowe'en. Hallowe'en traditions In the past there was a tradition called "souling". Poor people went around houses asking for food. In exchange, they promised to say prayers for the dead. People no longer go souling, but the habit has been transformed into a modern Hallowe'en game for children in America, who dress up as ghosts, witches and monsters and go around people's houses, asking for sweets. This game is called ‘Trick or Treat’. Witches Hallowe'en wouldn't be fun without witches. Witches have always been part of popular folklore. Shakespeare's (2) play "Macbeth" opens with three witches. A witch was someone -usually a woman - who had special powers and had dealings with the devil. The American town,Salem, in the state of Massachusetts, is famous for the "witchcraft trials", which took place there in 1692. Pumpkins The pumpkin is a symbol of Hallowe'en. People empty a pumpkin, cut a face into the side, and put a candle inside. It's known as a Jack O' Lantern, from an Irish legend about a man called Jack, who made a deal with the devil.
1. Lots of people like Hallowe'en. 2. The Christian Church took over the older pagan festivals. 3. Only poor people play 'Trick or Treat'. 4. Witches are modern characters. 5. Jack O'Lantern was another name for the devil.
Task 2. Use of English.Please put the sentences into passive voice. 1.J.k. Rowling writes the seven Harry Potter books.
2.The Wright brothers built the first airplane.
3. I drew some paintings last week.
4. My uncle didn’t sell the bicycle.
5. The child broke all the plates in the restaurant.
Dear Ben! Thank you for your letter. I was glad to receive it. Yes, you are right : pets give us a lot of bright emotions. But there is a kind of people thinking that pets can be too noisy and angry. Nowadays some people also prefer to care for uncommon exotic animals. I find this decision rather strange : such beasts need another conditions of existing. These occasions are rare in my country : we prefer to look for cats or dogs. Now it is my turn to ask questions. What is the name of your cat? How much time do you spend with your pet? Does your mom like the cat? Well, i’ll stop now. I have to do my homework. Write me soon! Love, (Ваше имя)
Alice is feeling bored and drowsy while sitting on the riverbank with her older sister, who is reading a book with no pictures or conversations. She then notices a talking, clothed White Rabbit with a pocket watch run past. She follows it down a rabbit hole, but suddenly falls a long way to a curious hall with many locked doors of all sizes. She finds a small key to a door too small for her to fit through, but through it she sees an attractive garden. She then discovers a bottle on a table labelled «DRINK ME», the contents of which cause her to shrink too small to reach the key, which she has left on the table. She eats a cake with «EAT ME» written on it in currants as the chapter closes. Chapter 2 – The Pool of Tears: Chapter Two opens with Alice growing to such a tremendous size that her head hits the ceiling. Alice is unhappy and, as she cries, her tears flood the hallway. After shrinking down again due to a fan she had picked up, Alice swims through her own tears and meets a Mouse, who is swimming as well. She tries to make small talk with him in elementary French (thinking he may be a French mouse) but her opening gambit «Où est ma chatte?» («Where is my cat?») offends the mouse and he tries to escape her. Chapter 3 – The Caucus Race and a Long Tale: The sea of tears becomes crowded with other animals and birds that have been swept away by the rising waters. Alice and the other animals convene on the bank and the question among them is how to get dry again. The Mouse gives them a very dry lecture on William the Conqueror. A Dodo decides that the best thing to dry them off would be a Caucus-Race, which consists of everyone running in a circle with no clear winner. The White Rabbit appears again in search of the Duchess’s gloves and fan. Mistaking her for his maidservant, Mary Ann, he orders Alice to go into the house and retrieve them, but once she gets inside she starts growing. The horrified Rabbit orders his gardener, Bill the Lizard, to climb on the roof and go down the chimney. Outside, Alice hears the voices of animals that have gathered to gawk at her giant arm. The crowd hurls pebbles at her, which turn into little cakes. Alice comes upon a mushroom; sitting on it is a blue Caterpillar smoking a hookah. The Caterpillar questions Alice and she admits to her current identity crisis, compounded by her inability to remember a poem. Before crawling away, the caterpillar tells Alice that one side of the mushroom will make her taller and the other side will make her shorter. She breaks off two pieces from the mushroom. One side makes her shrink smaller than ever, while another causes her neck to grow high into the trees, where a pigeon mistakes her for a serpent.A Fish-Footman has an invitation for the Duchess of the house, which he delivers to a Frog-Footman. Alice observes this transaction and, after a perplexing conversation with the frog, lets herself into the house. The Duchess’s Cook is throwing dishes and making a soup that has too much pepper, which causes Alice, the Duchess, and her baby (but not the cook or grinning Cheshire Cat) to sneeze violently. Alice is given the baby by the Duchess and to her surprise, the baby turns into a pig. Alice is then called up as a witness. She accidentally knocks over the jury box with the animals inside, and the King orders the animals to be placed back into their seats before the trial continues. The King and Queen order Alice to be gone, citing Rule 42 («All persons more than a mile high to leave the court»), but Alice disputes their judgement and refuses to leave. She argues with the King and Queen of Hearts over the ridiculous proceedings, eventually refusing to hold her tongue. The Queen shouts her familiar «Off with her head!» but Alice is unafraid, calling them out as just a pack of cards, just as they start to swarm over her. Alice’s sister wakes her up from a dream, brushing what turns out to be some leaves, and not a shower of playing cards, from Alice’s face. Alice leaves her sister on the bank to imagine all the curious happenings for her...
Thank you for your letter. I was glad to receive it.
Yes, you are right : pets give us a lot of bright emotions. But there is a kind of people thinking that pets can be too noisy and angry. Nowadays some people also prefer to care for uncommon exotic animals. I find this decision rather strange : such beasts need another conditions of existing. These occasions are rare in my country : we prefer to look for cats or dogs.
Now it is my turn to ask questions. What is the name of your cat? How much time do you spend with your pet? Does your mom like the cat?
Well, i’ll stop now. I have to do my homework. Write me soon!
Love, (Ваше имя)
Немного больше по объёму.