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22.05.2023 05:23 •  Английский язык

Robert Bruce was the most famous of the Kings of Scotland. For many years he fought against the English invaders trying to drive them out of Scotland. But the English defeated him and he was almost deserted by his countrymen.
One morning after receiving the last unpleasing information from Scotland, Bruce was lying on his wretched bed. He did not know what to do. While he was thinking of what he should do, he looked upward to the roof of the cabin in which he lay. His eye was attracted by a spider, which, hanging at the end of a long thread was trying to swing itself from one beam in the roof to another. The spider wanted to fix the line on which it meant to stretch its web.
The spider made the attempt again and again but without any success. Bruce counted that the spider had tried to swing itself to another beam six times but with no result. Then Bruce remembered that he had himself fought just six battles against the English invaders and their allies but also without any success. The poor spider was exactly in the same situation as he himself. It had made as many attempts and had been as often disappointed in what it aimed at.
“Now,” thought Bruce, “as I don’t know what is best to be done, I’ll be guided by the spider’s luck. If it makes another attempt to fix its thread and is successful, I’ll make the seventh attempt to drive out the invaders.”
While Bruce was forming his resolution, the spider made another attempt and succeeded in fixing its thread to another beam. Bruce seeing the success of the spider, resolved to try his own fortune. He gathered his countrymen and attacked the invaders. And though he had never before won a victory, he never afterwards had any considerable or decisive defeat.
Vocabulary
spider – павук
desert – кидати, залишати
swing – гойдатися
beam – балка, брус
web – павутиння
ally – союзник
thread – нитка
decisive – остаточний

Task 1. Mark the right statements “True” and the wrong ones “False”.
1. Robert Bruce was a king of Scotland.
2. For a long time he fought against the British oppression in Scotland.
3. He defeated the British army and drove them out of Scotland.
4. Bruce was lying on his bed thinking about his victory.
5. In the roof of the cabin he saw a spider.
6. The spider was fixing his thread from one beam to another.
7. The spider did it six times but failed.
8. Bruce remembered that he had fought six successful battles against the English.
9. Bruce was more lucky than the spider.
10. The spider made the seventh attempt and fixed the thread to another beam.
11. Bruce decided to make the seventh attempt to fight the English.
12. Bruce lost the seventh battle.

Task 2. Supply the missing words or phrases from the text.
1. Robert Bruce was the most famous of …
2. For many years he tried to …
3. … Bruce was lying on his …
4. He did not know what …
5. Suddenly he saw …
6. The spider was trying to…
7. The spider made … again and again but …
8. Bruce remembered that he had himself fought just … but also without any …
9. The poor spider was exactly in the same … as Bruce …
10. Bruce decided to … by the spider’s luck.
11. The spider made another … and succeeded in … its thread to another …
12. Bruce resolved to try his …
13. He gathered … and attacked …
14. Never afterwards he had any …

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