Variant 1 You could have come first and won the race if you … faster

24. People who don t have a lot of time and money to go to the UK or USA should ...
A) listen to English songs more. B) learn English in Britain.
C) speak English in the class more often. D) save money to go to England.


What have recently been found in Egypt could be the earliest known writings. The clay tablets have been carbon fled to between 3300 BC and 3200 BC. This discovery will upset the belief commonly held by historians that the first people to write were the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, in about 3000 BC. Most of the tablets were found in the tomb of a king called Scorpion, south of Cairo. The writings in the form of fine drawings of animals, plants and mountains are on day tablets barely bigger than postage stamps. They have been deciphered as records of linen and oil delivered to King Scorpion l. This it seems that man's first writings were not a creative out pouring but the result of economics when the chieftains expanded their areas of control, they needed to keep a record of taxes, paid in the form of goods.
25. It is implied in the passage that the discovery of the clay tablets in Egypt …
A) apparent took place in approximately 3000 BC.
B) has not yet been officially confirmed by Europeans.
C) will change the current understanding of the history of writing.
D) has proved that the Sumerians were the first to write.
26. According to the passage the clay tablets mentioned in the passage ...
A) are the earliest examples we dace of Egyptian applied art. B) were used as ancient forms of postage.
C) were specially created to be buried with King Scorpion.
D) reveal some information about the economic dealings of ancient Egyptians.
27. From the discovery mentioned in the passage, it appears that ...
A) These tablets were a form of ancient money.
B) The tablets were bartered in exchange for oil and linen.
C) only the kings had the authority to keep written records of events.
D) the first writing was for the purpose of recording economic transactions.


As for the lifestyle in the Netherlands, the Dutch have a deserved reputation for being relaxed. But as with any country, there are some surprises for newcomers to get used to. For instance, the amount of bureaucracy strikes them as remarkable when they first move to the Netherlands. Want to light a small fire in your garden? You'll need permission from the local government. Fancy painting your house? Better check with the government first. A major problem is the lightening up of immigration laws on a large scale. The problem is that the Netherlands is a small country that is facing a lot of immigration, so they are making it tougher and tougher. But actually, racism is foreign to the Dutch culture. They are very accepting: they take you as you are.