N1 Read these definitions and complete the extracts with the appropriate words: Androids are anthropomorphic robots designed to look and behave like a human being. Most android can walk,
talk and understand human speech. Some react to gestures and voice inflection. Some ‘learn’ from the
environment: they store information and adapt their behavior according to a previous experience.
Expert systems is the term given to computer software that mimics human reasoning, by using a set of rules to
analyze data and reach conclusions. Some of them help doctors diagnose illnesses based of symptoms.
Neural networks are a new concept in computer programming, designed to replicate the human ability to
handle ambiguity by learning from trial and error. They use silicon neurons to imitate the functions of brain
cells and usually involve a great number of processors working at the same time.

The term (1) …………….. Is defined as the automation of intelligent behavior, but can (2) …. really be intelligent?
(3) ……..are made of units that resemble neurons. They are often used to simulate brain activity and are
effective at predicting events. (4)………..…. , also known as knowledge-based systems, mirror the structure of
an expert’s thought.

I believe that most things in our life happen for a reason. However, it’s up to us to find out which reason exactly. Once I was going through a very strange day. Since early morning I had a series of failures. At first, I spilled the entire cup of coffee on a sofa. Then, I got stuck in the lift and one of our neighbors had to call the technician. On the way to school I was hit by a bike. Consequently, I arrived late for the first lesson and was punished by our senior teacher. At the lesson of geography I got a bad mark. After all, I thought this day was never going to end. All I wanted is to get back home as soon as possible and to watch my favourite TV show. My friends noticed I was rather weird that day and asked whether everything was all right with me. I told them about the series of mishaps, which were chasing me since early morning. Hearing that, my friend Lisa said that she also had such an upsetting morning, but the day changed to better closer to the evening. She also said I just had to stay calm and ignore these mishaps. As the lessons were over, I hurried home. My parents were still at work, so no one would distract me from watching the “The Big Bang Theory”. As I was trying to unlock the front door, I heard a strange sound, like mewing. At a closer look I saw a middle-sized box next to the lawn with a small, cute kitten in it. I was lost in admiration. I had long dreamt of having a kitten but nobody would present me one. This was such an unexpected surprise. In a flash I forgot about all the incidents that I had during the day. All I wanted is to wait for my parents and thank them for a lovely present. When they returned from work, they were also shocked. Surprisingly, they didn’t buy me a kitten and we never found out who did.

перевод: Я считаю, что большинство вещей в нашей жизни случаются по какой-то причине. Однако мы сами должны выяснить, по какой именно причине. Однажды у меня был очень странный день. С самого утра у меня была серия неудач. Для начала, я пролил целую чашку кофе на диван. Затем, я застрял в лифте, и одному из наших соседей пришлось вызывать техника. По дороге в школу я попал под велосипед. Соответственно, я опоздал на первый урок, за что был наказан завучем. На уроке географии я получил двойку. В итоге, я думал, что этот день никогда не закончится. Все, чего я хотел, так это вернуться домой, как можно скорее и смотреть мой любимый сериал. Мои друзья заметили, что я был довольно странным в этот день и спросили, все ли в порядке со мной. Я рассказал им о серии неудач, которые преследовали меня с раннего утра. Услышав это, моя подруга Лиза сказала, что у нее тоже было однажды такое грустное утро, но день изменился к лучшему ближе к вечеру. Она также сказала, что я должен сохранять спокойствие и игнорировать эти неудачи. Когда уроки закончились, я поспешил домой. Мои родители были еще на работе, поэтому никто не мог отвлечь меня от просмотра «Теории Большого Взрыва». Когда я пытался открыть входную дверь, то услышал странный звук, похожий на мяуканье. Присмотревшись, я увидел коробку среднего размера на газоне с небольшим, милым котенком внутри. Я был в полном восторге. Я давно мечтал иметь котенка, но никто мне его не дарил. Это был такой неожиданный сюрприз. В мгновение ока я забыл обо всех инцидентах, которые происходили со мной в течение дня. Все, чего я хотел, так это дождаться своих родителей и поблагодарить их за прекрасный подарок. Когда они вернулись с работы, они были тоже шокированы. К удивлению, они не покупали мне котенка, и мы так и не узнали, кто это сделал.

Nowadays the theatre is less popular than the cinema. due to the popularity of television and the since appearance of video, theatre has lost a great deal of its attraction. besides, theatre tickets are very expensive, especially in good theatres. so we can say that a visit to a famous theatre has become a luxury. still, the theatre is an inseparable part of the intellectual life of any country. we can even say that the theatre as an art reflects the state of society and of the mind of the nation. in every country theatre has its own history, traditions and peculiarities. there are a lot of theatres in russia and some of them are popular all over the world. in moscow theatre-goers try not to miss the first nights at the vakhtangov, sovremennik, or khudozhestvenny (art) theatres. st. petersburg also has a variety of theatres, which meet all the tastes. lovers of classic music never miss a chance to visit the philharmonic society hall. opera and ballet lovers can go to mariinsky opera house and maly opera house. those who are fond of drama visit the bolshoi drama theatre, alexandrinsky theatre, open theatre and many others. many new theatres and studios have appeared during the last five or ten years. many theatres are famous for theirexcellent company, sets and great directors. i'm not a regular theatre-goer, but sometimes i like to go and see an interesting performance. one of my favourite theatres is the bolshoi drama theatre. it is so not only because of its wonderful company, but i like the interior as well. it is quite a problem to get a ticket there; they are sold out long in advance. the house is separated from the stage by the curtain. of all the seats i prefer to sit in the stalls or in the dress circle. from there i can get a good view of the stage and can hear and see equally well without opera-glasses. but i don’t, like to sit in the balcony. i usually buy the tickets at the box-office. when the day of the performance comes, i dress up and arrive at the theatre about twenty minutes before the performance to enjoy the atmosphere. i leave my coat and hat in the cloak-room and buy a programme from the usher because i want to know what the cast is like. at last the performance begins. the house is full. everybody is deeply involved in what happens on the stage. the setting is marvellous and the costumes are wonderful. i like the cinema too, even if it doesn't create so festive atmosphere. when i have free time i often go to see some new film. there is a cinema not far from my house. it is quite a modern building with a very large hall. before every show you can see a newsreel or a documentary. in the foyer you can see photos of film stars and advertisements for the films which will be shown soon. when i want to go to the cinema i look in a newspaper «what's on» column. they publish a list of all the cinemas in the city and what is on there today. then i phone my friend and we discuss what is worth seeing. we like films with a lot of action and suspense, and sometimes, a good comedy. my parents prefer love stories and musicals. once they persuaded me to see the famous «gone with the wind», and i did not regret doing so. the film is based on the famous novel by margaret mitchell. it was produced in the 1930s, but you do not feel that it is 60 years old. it is a powerful and moving story. the english actress vivien leigh played the main role, and her male counterpart was clark gable.