№1 The Bermuda Triangle

№135 .Erosion in America

Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to replace petroleum scarcity as the nation's most critical natural resource problem.

The author points out in the passage that erosion in America ----.

can become a more serious problem in the future

occurs only in areas with no vegetation

has damaged 282 million acres ever since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow

has been so severe that it has forced people to abandon their settlements

№136 .Find the irrelevant sentence

Michael Schumacher

(I) Everyone who is interested in Formula One races knows Michael Schumacher. (II) Statistically he is the greatest driver of all time. (III) He used a homemade kart built by his father, who managed the local karting track. (IV) He is also the first and only German to win the drivers' championship. Furthermore, Schumacher is the most notable and well-paid figure in the recent history of Formula

III

II

I

IV

№137 Find the irrelevant sentence

Film Festivals

(I) Film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, involve showing many films over a short period of time. (II) It is a competition of sorts between all the different films produced in a given year in a country or within a certain film genre. (III) This year's Oscar Awards were given in March. (IV) Such an event doesn't only include full-length feature films. It may also be two and three minute pieces and documentaries.

III

I

II

IV

№138 .Atmosphere of Venus

Data from the Pioneer spacecraft of NASA apparently prove the theory that the high surface temperature of Venus is due to an atmospheric greenhouse effect caused mainly by a blanket of carbon dioxide. Such a greenhouse effect is created when energy in the form of sunlight easily passes through a planet's atmosphere, warms its surface, and is converted to heat radiation that is then held in by the atmosphere from top to bottom. Venus has a relatively thin atmosphere like the Earth's, but Venus' atmosphere consists of more than ninety percent carbon dioxide, compared to less than four percent in that of the Earth. Because of its higher percentage of carbon dioxide, Venus' atmosphere traps much more heat radiation than does the Earth's. Thus, the Venus studies are believed to be important to the understanding of possible adverse effects on the Earth's agriculture that could result from the long-term use of fossil fuels, which add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

According to the passage, data from the Venus study can be used to ----.

predict future agricultural problems on Earth

testthe efficiency of the spacecraft sent to Venus by NASA

increase the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

determine the topography and the surface characteristics of the Earth

№139 .How Does Brain Work?

Theories about how brain works remain a topic of debate. It is agreed, though, that the hippocampus, a part of the brain, is undeniably important for memory. When we experience something, the information is sent via our senses to the hippocampus, where it is processed. Scientists believe that brain cells called neurons first transform the sensory stimuli we experience into images in our immediate memory. Then, these images are sent to the hippocampus and stored temporarily in short term memory. In the hippocampus information is organized, and it is during this process that parts of the image of our experience fade away. Finally, certain information is then transferred to long term memory in a section in the frontal lobe of the brain known as the cerebral cortex. Scientists think this process may happen while we are sleeping, but exactly how the information is transferred from one area of the brain to another is a mystery.This reading is mainly concerned with ----.

how human brain processes and stores information

the importance of neurons in transferring sensory stimuli

illness that results in severe memory loss

why some of the information in short term memory fades away

№140. People with Extraordinary Abilities

Fictional stories about people who have extraordinary abilities have always attracted people's attention. One of them is the story of Vera Petrova, who is able to perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls. One day she comes into his father's office and puts her hands on the door of a locked safe. Suddenly she asks her father why he keeps so many old newspapers locked away there. Vera's curious talent is brought to the notice of a scientific research institute and she is given a series of tests by a special commission. During these tests she manages to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and then she describes he figures and colors of a picture hidden under a carpet. During all these tests Vera is blindfold; and, indeed, except when blindfold she lacks the ability to perceive things with her skin. It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet.As we understand from the reading, Vera Petrova ----.

is not the only fictional character who has extraordinary abilities

fails most of the tests administered by a special commission

can only perceive things with her fingers

perceives the objects only when her fingers are wet

№141 .Applying for Seasonal Employment occurs when a person requests to be considered for a job that is dependent on a particular season or time of year. Which situation below is the best example of Applying for Seasonal Employment?

Lucinda makes an appointment with the beach resort restaurant manager to interview for the summer waitressing position that was advertised in the newspaper.

The ski instructors at Top of the Peak Ski School work from December through March.

Matthew prefers jobs that allow him to work outdoors.

Doug's ice cream shop stays open until 11 p.m. during the summer months.

№142 .Violating an Apartment Lease occurs when a tenant does something prohibited by the legally binding document that he or she has signed with a landlord. Which situation below is the best example of Violating an Apartment Lease?

Valerie recently lost her job and, for the last three months, has neglected to pay her landlord the monthly rent they agreed upon in writing when she moved into her apartment eight months ago.

Tim has decided to move to another city, so he calls his landlord to tell him that he is not interested in renewing his lease when it expires next month.

Mark writes a letter to his landlord that lists numerous complaints about the apartment he has agreed to rent for two years.

Leslie thinks that her landlord is neglecting the building in which she rents an apartment. She calls her attorney to ask for advice.

№143 .An Informal Gathering occurs when a group of people get together in a casual, relaxed manner. Which situation below is the best example of an Informal Gathering?

After finding out about his promotion, Jeremy and a few coworkers decide to go out for a quick drink after work.

The book club meets on the first Thursday evening of every month.

Mary sends out 25 invitations for the bridal shower she is giving for her sister.

Whenever she eats at the Mexican restaurant, Clara seems to run into Peter.

№144 .Posthumous Publication occurs when a book is published after the author's death. Which situation below is the best example of Posthumous Publication?

Richard's illness took his life before he was able to enjoy the amazing early reviews of his novel.

Melissa's publisher cancels her book contract after she fails to deliver the manuscript on time.

Clarence never thought he'd live to see the third book in his trilogy published.

Elizabeth is honored with a prestigious literary award for her writing career and her daughter accepts the award on behalf of her deceased mother.

№145 .The rules of baseball state that a batter Legally Completes His Time at Bat when he is put out or becomes a base runner. Which situation below is the best example of a batter Legally Completing His Time at Bat?

Jared's blooper over the head of the short-stop puts him in scoring position.

The umpire calls a strike, even though the last pitch was way outside.

The pitcher throws his famous knuckleball, Joe swings and misses, and the umpire calls a strike.

The count is two balls and two strikes as Mario waits for the next pitch.

№146 .Erratic Behavior occurs when an individual acts in a manner that lacks consistency, regularity, and uniformity. Which situation below is the best example of Erratic Behavior?

In the past month, Jeffrey, who has been a model employee for three years, has repeatedly called in sick, forgotten important meetings, and been verbally abusive to colleagues.

Rhonda has visited the dealership several times, but she still cannot decide which car to buy.

Martin has just been told that he is being laid off. Before leaving his supervisor's office, he punches a hole in the door.

Julia cannot contain her anger whenever the subject of local politics is discussed.

№147 .In the Maple Hill school district, a Five-Day Suspension occurs when a student is not permitted to attend school for five days for (1) physically assaulting another student, a teacher, or a school employee or (2) willfully destructing or defacing school property. Which situation below is the best example of a Five-Day Suspension?

Franny uses spray paint to write derogatory comments on the locker room wall and she is given a suspension.

Ms. Farmer tells her class that students who fail the midterm exam will be expected to stay after school for tutoring help.

Marc is asked to leave the classroom due to his constant disruptions.

Lillian gets caught cheating on a math test for the second time and is suspended from school.

№148 .The government is doing all it can to _______ war on dangerous driving.

Wage

Launch

Battle

Stage

№149 .Why not buy the dress on ______ then you can take it back if it doesn't fit your mother.

Approval

Affection

Affirmation

Agreement

№150 .The book _______ to a number of interesting research studies which I would really like to find out more about.

alludes

declares

Cites

Hints

№151. …-a person becomes unhealthy.

for example

First

So

Thus

№152 .A doctors Chinese medicine doesn`t try to stop a person`s cough by giving a cough medicine…., the doctor gives a mixture of herbs.

Instead

Although

In fact

specifically

№153 .…,when the body is in balance, the cough will stop naturally.

Thus

In conclusion

But

And

№154 Don`t count your chickens… they hatch.

Before

Because

When

So

№155 … life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

When

Before

Because

So

№156 .What is skim reading?

Reading to get general but not detailed understanding of the text

Also reading to get an overall but not detailed understanding of the text

Reading longer texts frequently over a period of time.

Looking at headline, pictures, typeface and layout to guess what you think a text will be about.

№157 .What is prediction?

Looking at headline, pictures, typeface and layout to guess what you think a text will be about

Either guessing the meaning of new vocabulary in the text or understanding meaning or a message in the text that is not immediately obvious

Reading longer texts frequently over a period of time.

Reading to get general but not detailed understanding of the text

№158. What is scan reading?

Reading a text to locate a specific piece of information such as a word or a number or a time. It is not necessary to understand the whole text in order to do this

Either guessing the meaning of new vocabulary in the text or understanding meaning or a message in the text that is not immediately obvious

Looking at headline, pictures, typeface and layout to guess what you think a text will be about.

Reading longer texts frequently over a period of time.

№159 .Answer the following questions according to the text.

The famous Tower of London was built as a fortress by William the Conqueror. Early in the Middle Ages the kings used it as a palace; later on it was turned into a prison, but only distinguished prisoners, including statesmen and princes, were held there. Today the Tower is

a national museum, where, among other things, the jewelry of the English kings and queens is on display. It is obvious from the passage that the functions of the Tower of London _____.

have varied greatly over the centuries.

were all established by William the Conqueror.

are all of a military nature.

have not changed at all since the Middle Ages.

№160 .What is gist reading?

Also reading to get an overall but not detailed understanding of the text

Reading to get general but not detailed understanding of the text

Reading longer texts frequently over a period of time.

Reading a text to locate a specific piece of information such as a word or a number or a time. It is not necessary to understand the whole text in order to do this

№161 .What is intensive reading?

Reading to get detailed information from the text

Reading to get general but not detailed understanding of the text

Reading longer texts frequently over a period of time.

Also reading to get an overall but not detailed understanding of the text

№162 .What is inferring meaning?

Either guessing the meaning of new vocabulary in the text or understanding meaning or a message in the text that is not immediately obvious

Reading to get general but not detailed understanding of the text

Reading to get detailed information from the text

Also reading to get an overall but not detailed understanding of the text

№163 What is extensive reading?

Reading longer texts frequently over a period of time. This usually done independently and not in the classrom

Reading to get general but not detailed understanding of the text

Also reading to get an overall but not detailed understanding of the text

Reading to get detailed information from the text

№164Decoding is…

knowing the words we read

Understanding based on clues direct in the text.

Understanding when clues are separated in the text

Understanding when clues are implied rather than literal

№165Literal reading skill is…

understanding based on clues direct in the text

knowing the words we read

Understanding when clues are separated in the text

Understanding when clues are implied rather than literal

№166. Reorganisation skill is…

Understanding when clues are separated in the text

Understanding when clues are separated in the text

knowing the words we read

understanding based on clues direct in the text

№167Inferring skill is…

Understanding when clues are implied rather than literal

Understanding the meaning of a word in a sentence

Expressing an opinion based on the info in the text

Forming on opinion by bringing in extra information

№168Vocabulary skill is…

Understanding the meaning of a word in a sentence

Expressing an opinion based on the info in the text

Forming on opinion by bringing in extra information

Understanding when clues are implied rather than literal

№169Reaction is…

Expressing opinion based the info in the text

Forming on opinion by bringing in extra information

Understanding when clues are implied rather than literal

Understanding the meaning of a word in a sentence

№170Evaluation skill is…

Forming on opinion by bringing in extra information

Understanding when clues are implied rather than literal

Expressing opinion based the info in the text.

Understanding the meaning of a word in a sentence

№171 Talking about headline, and pictures and decide what you think the article will say is…

Prediction

Skimming

scanning.

Gist reading

№172 Reading telephone directory is called…

scan reading

Gist reading

Intensive reading

Extensive reading

№173Look at the words immediately before and after and see if they can help you guess the meaning

extensive reading

Scanning

Skimming

Prediction

№174 Answer the following questions according to the text.

Bicycling in America has been growing at an amazing rate. Bicycles used to be sold to parents for their children. Now those same parents are buying them for themselves, as well as for their children. And grandparents are cycling, too. Moreover, people don’t simply cycle for fun and for the exercise. Many young executives ride bikes to work as an alternative to adding to the pollution of cities, and to fighting traffic jams, while college and high school students find bikes an economical alternative to cars or buses.

In the passage it is emphasized that, in America _____.

more and more people of all ages are now using bicycles.

few college students can afford to run a car

no executive feels he can cycle to work

a great many traffic jams are being caused by cyclists.

№175Cycling is also a hobby that _____.

the whole family can enjoy

only appeals to the young

has a high-accident rate.

is getting increasingly more expensive.

№176From the passage we can infer that _____.

different people have different reasons for preferring bicycles to a car

most Americans can no longer afford to run a car

young children should a lot of parents are borrowing

cycling is fun in the country but not in a city. their children’s bicycles.

№177Answer the followingquestions according to the text.

On the day of my first piano recital, I became more and more nervous. To help me calm down, my piano teacher told me to place several cabbages in the room where I practiced. I was so eager to get over my nerves that I was willing to try anything. For the next few hours, I played to an audience of cabbages. When the time of the recital finally arrived, I was still terribly nervous. My hands felt like ice. When I finally walked across the stage, I looked out into the dark audience. I could not see anyone! All those people out there could just as easily have been cabbages. As I sat down to play, my hands relaxed. Before I knew it, I had played all my pieces without a mistake. For the first time, the cabbage heads applauded.

On the day of the recital the music teacher ____.

advised the writer to put cabbages in the room where he practiced and play for them.

felt nearly as nervous about the recital as the writer did.

warned the writer not to look at the audience.

had no patience with the writer because he was nervous too.

№178. The writer stopped feeling nervous _____.

couldn’t think of a way of helping the writer to stay calm.

as soon as the concert was over

before he walked onto the stage

when he found he couldn’t see the audience.

№179. In the passage it is explained that _____.

the writer finally began to relax just before he began his recital

the room was so cold the writer’s hands felt like ice

the writer always practiced in a room where there were cabbages

the writer played to some cabbages because there was no real audience

№180. Answer the following questions according to the text.

Mountaineering has this advantage over most other sports; enjoyment depends very little indeed on natural ability or technical skill; it is a sport without winners and without losers. By all means study the technique of climbing if it interests you. But, believe me, provided you go to really good mountain country, it doesn’t much matter how you climb or what you climb. There are three things that matter; look up frequently to see the way ahead, don’t leave the holds you have until you have tested new ones do all you can to help those climbing with you.

As it is pointed out in the passage, mountaineering is a sport_____.

in which nobody wins and nobody loses

that is not suitable for the old

in which technique is not easy to learn

that most people are interested in

№181. When climbing one must _____.