Культура и традиции стран изучаемого языка

1. Заполните пропуск.

The most densely-populated country of the United Kingdom is … .

1. Scotland

2. Wales

3. England

4. Northern Ireland

2. Заполните пропуск.

Christopher Columbus landed in America in … .

1. 1620

2. 1942

3. 1492

4. 1547

3. Заполните пропуск.

The highest mountain in the United Kingdom is … .

1. Snowdon

2. Ben Nevis

3. the Adirondack Mountains

4. the Ozark Mountain Range

4. Заполните пропуск.

The longest river in Canada is … .

1. the Mackenzie

2. the Columbia

3. the Fraser

4. the Saskatchewan

5. Заполните пропуск.

Range of hills known as the “backbone of England” is … .

1. the Adirondack Mountains

2. the Ozark Mountain Range

3. the Appalachian Mountains

4. the Pennine Chain

6. Заполните пропуск.

The first university in America was … .

1. Boston University

2. Harvard

3. Eton

4. Oxford

7. Заполните пропуск.

Canada’s largest city is … .

1. Ottawa

2. Toronto

3. Quebec

4. Manitoba

8. Заполните пропуск.

The longest river in Britain is … .

1. the Thames

2. the Tay

3. the Tweed

4. the Severn

9. Заполните пропуск.

Loch is … .

1. a person who is not clever

2. a lake

3. a valley

4. a dale

10. Заполните пропуск.

The national symbol of America is … .

1. the rose

2. the bald eagle

3. the shamrock

4. the Statue of Liberty

11. Заполните пропуск.

Members of … are not elected in Canada.

1. the House of Commons

2. the House of Representatives

3. the House of Lords

4. the Senate

12. Заполните пропуск.

Caesar came from Rome to British Isles in … .

1. 55 B.C.

2. 55 A.D.

3. 43 A.D.

4. 43 B.C.

13. Заполните пропуск.

The Statue of Liberty is … .

1. in California

2. in Massachusetts

3. in New York

4. in Washington

14. Заполните пропуск.

In Canada the dates 1897-1899 refer to … .

1. Gold Rush

2. growing manufacturing industry

3. growing agriculture

4. the establishment of new provinces

15. Заполните пропуск.

Misfortune fell upon London in 1665 was … .

1. the Great Flood

2. the Plague

3. the Great Fire

4. the Great Earthquake

16. Заполните пропуск.

The American parliament has … chambers.

1. 4

2. 3

3. 2

4. 6

17. Заполните пропуск.

Canada’s constitutional autonomy from Britain was confirmed in … .

1. 1949

2. 1899

3. 1931

4. 1929

18. Заполните пропуск.

… presides over the British House of Commons.

1. the Speaker

2. the Prime Minister

3. the Lord Chancellor

4. the Major

19. Заполните пропуск.

The central lowlands in the USA are called … .

1. the Mississippi valley

2. the eastern lowlands

3. the prairie

4. the Missouri valley

20. Заполните пропуск.

In Canada the Government is formed by … .

1. the Queen

2. the party that wins the largest number of seats

3. by the Governor General

4. the Senate

21. Заполните пропуск.

Religious capital in England is … .

1. Windsor

2. York

3. Canterbury

4. Coventry

22. Заполните пропуск.

The largest state in the USA compared to all other states is … .

1. Alaska

2. Texas

3. California

4. Nevada

23. Заполните пропуск.

To create trading routes in Canada aboriginal peoples and fur traders used … .

1. roads

2. waterways

3. railway

4. air

24. Заполните пропуск.

The world-known Speaker’s Corner is in … .

1. Kensington Gardens

2. St. James’s Park

3. Hyde Park

4. Green Park

25. Заполните пропуск.

The First State to ratify the Constitution of the US was … .

1. Delaware

2. Nebraska

3. Illinois

4. Washington

26. Заполните пропуск.

To encourage people to settle the Prairie provinces Canadian government … .

1. offered to pay travel expenses

2. offered land at cheap prices

3. promised gold mines

4. paid settlers to move out west

27. Заполните пропуск.

Wimbledon is associated with … .

1. horse-racing

2. soccer

3. tennis

4. cricket

28. Заполните пропуск.

… is the poorest district of New York, where more than one million Afro-Americans live.

1. Manhattan

2. Broadway

3. Brooklyn

4. Harlem

29. Заполните пропуск.

The first explorers came to Atlantic Canada … .

1. to establish farming communities

2. to escape wars in Europe

3. to look for gold

4. to fish and trade with First Nations People

30. Заполните пропуск.

The country’s official name became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in … .

1. 1801

2. 1603

3. 1535

4. 1921

31. Заполните пропуск.

The symbol of American advertising business is … .

1. Fifth Avenue

2. Broadway

3. Park Avenue

4. Madison Avenue

32. Заполните пропуск.

The Klondike Gold Rush occurred in … .

1. Alaska

2. Yukon

3. Northern British Columbia

4. Newfoundland

33. Заполните пропуск.

The symbol of the Lord Chancellor’s power is … .

1. the woolsack

2. the bell

3. the crown

4. the mace

34. Заполните пропуск.

… are the salaried or professional workers whose jobs generally do not involve manual labour.

1. “Blue collars”

2. “Red collars”

3. “White collars”

4. “Gold collars”

35. Заполните пропуск.

The nickname of the Canadian dollar is … .

1. the Beaver

2. the Loonie

3. the Moose

4. the Caribou

36. Заполните пропуск.

The earliest known people of Britain were … .

1. the Celts

2. the Danes

3. the Anglo-Saxons

4. the Iberians

37. Заполните пропуск.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in … .

1. New York, NY

2. Washington, DC

3. Los Angeles, California

4. Dallas, Texas

38. Заполните пропуск.

“First Nations” is a legally defined term in Canada that came into common usage in the 1980s to replace the word … .

1. European descendant

2. Métis

3. Indian

4. Inuit

39. Заполните пропуск.

The guards in the Tower of London are called … .

1. Tower Guards

2. Beefeaters

3. Security Guards

4. Castle Guards

40. Заполните пропуск.

… doesn’t belong to the five Great Lakes.

1. the Lake Superior

2. the Lake Huron

3. the Great Salt Lake

4. the Lake Ontario

ЧТЕНИЕ

TEXT 1

From the History of the Computer

(1) IBM introduced the System/360 family of computers in 1964 and then dominated mainframe computing during the next decade for large-scale commercial, scientific, and military applications. The System/360 and its successor, the System/370, was a series of computer models of increasingpower that shared a common architecture so that programs written for one model could run on another. Also in 1964, Control Data Corporation introduced the CDC 6600 computer, which was the first supercomputer. It was popular with weapons laboratories, research organizations, and government agencies that required high performance. Today’s supercomputer manufacturers include Cray Research, NEC, Hitachi, and Fujitsu.

(2) Beginning in the late 1950s, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) built a series of smaller computers that it called minicomputers. These were less powerful than the mainframes, but they were inexpensive enough that companies could buy them instead of leasing them. The first successful model was the PDP-8 shipped in 1965. It used a typewriter-like device called a Teletype to input and edit programs and data. In 1970, DEC delivered its PDP-11 minicomputer, and in the late 1970s, it introduced its VAX line of computers. For the next decade, VAX computers were popular as departmental computers within many companies, organizations, and universities. By the close of the 20th century, however, the role of minicomputers had been mostly taken over by PCs and workstations.

(3) By the mid-1970s, microchips and microprocessors had drastically reduced the cost of the thousands of electronic components required in a computer. The first affordable desktop computer designed specifically for personal use was called the Altair 8800 and was sold by Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems in 1974. In 1977 Tandy Corporation became the first major electronics firm to produce a personal computer. They added a keyboard and monitor to their computer and offered a means of storing programs on a cassette recorder. Soon afterward, entrepreneur Steve Jobs and his engineer partner Stephen Wozniak founded a small company named Apple Computer. They introduced the Apple II computer in 1977. Its monitor supported relatively high-quality color graphics, and it had a floppy disk drive. The machine initially was popular for running video games. In 1979, Daniel Bricklin wrote an electronic spreadsheet program called VisiCalc that ran on the Apple II. Suddenly businesses had a legitimate reason to buy personal computers, and the era of personal computing began in earnest.

(4) IBM introduced its Personal Computer, or PC, in 1981. As a result of competition from the makers of clones (computersthat worked exactly like an IBM PC), the price of personal computers fell drastically. Today’s personal computer is 400 times faster than ENIAC, 3,000 times lighter, and several million dollars cheaper. By the late 1990s, it was possible to buy a powerful PC for less than 1,000 dollars. In rapid succession computers shrank from tabletop to lap-top and finally to palm size. With some personal computers, called pen-pads, people can even write directly on an etched-glass, liquid-crystal screen using a small electronic stylus, and words will appear on the screen in clean typescript.

(Britannica Student Encyclopedia Library)

1. Определите, является ли утверждение:

New programmes incredibly reduced the cost of electronic components of the computer.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

2. Определите, является ли утверждение:

With the help of the first computers people could reduce their work, play high-quality games and make complicated calculations.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

3. Определите, является ли утверждение:

Apple Computer was introduced at the beginning of the 20^th century by CDC Corporation.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

4. Определите, является ли утверждение:

The first supercomputer was popular with different laboratories and organizations dealing with weapons and government.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

5. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

The appearance of first minicomputers dates back to the middle of the 20th century.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

6. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

Nowadays personal computers are available not only to organizations and firms but to any individual.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

7. Ответьте на вопрос:

What main devices were necessary for proper work of the first PC?

1. A keyboard, high-quality color graphics and video games.

2. The means of storing software, a monitor and an input device.

3. A floppy disk drive, electronic spreadsheet program and a monitor.

4. A cassette recorder, microchips and a microprocessor.

8. Определите основную идею текста.

1. The history of success of digital equipment corporations.

2. The drastic price changes in the progress of PC evolution.

3. The description of main parts and devices of computers.

4. The main stages of development of mainframes, supercomputers and minicomputers.

TEXT 2

The Internet

(1) The Internet is a large, international computer network linking tens of millions of users around the world. It is used daily by many individuals for the main purposes of sending and receiving electronic mail (e-mail), obtaining mountains of information on almost any subject, or to communicate with coworkers on projects. Access to the Internet is obtained only by subscription, and an Internet address is needed to receive a message or to send a message to another Internet user. Such addresses have a specific format that specifies the name of the user, the machine they are working on, and where that machine is located.

(2) The Internet began as a network of computers, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, or ARPANET, supported by the U.S. Defense Department. In the 1980s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) supplied funding to extend the network to connect research-based supercomputers at various sites across the U.S. By the end of the decade, the Internet had extended to connect countries from around the world. By the early 1990s the Internet had encompassed all research universities, four-year colleges, federal agencies and laboratories, and computer vendors. At the close of the 1990s, lower personal computer prices and the ready availability of numerous online services encouraged increased personal and home connections to the Internet, particularly via the World Wide Web, an application that gathers resources from the Internet into a series of menu pages, or screens. The advent of the World Wide Web, with its relative ease of use, is undoubtedly one reason for the explosion of home computer use experienced at the close of the twentieth century.

(3) Although no single authority governs the use of the Internet, users voluntarily adhere to a telecommunications protocol. Because there is no governing body, however, controversy sometimes arises as to issues of privacy and what information may or may not be allowed into the network. In 1996, a new law designed to regulate indecent material on the global Internet computer network was declared an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment guarantee of free speech by a panel of three U.S. Federal judges.

(4) The legislation, known as the Computer Decency Act, had been approved as part of the broad Telecommunications Act of 1996 that won Congressional approval and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in February. The law's supporters said it was designed to stop the dissemination of pornography and other unsuitable material over the Internet network, which was used by tens of millions of adults and children around the world. Under the legislation, the distribution of “indecent” material over the Internet was punishable by a $250,000 fine and up to two years in prison. The decision was the first judicial ruling that Internet materials should be extended the same protection from censorship as printed materials.

(Britannica Student Encyclopedia Library)

1. Определите, является ли утверждение:

At the end of the 20^th century the Internet was available to all research institutions, colleges and laboratories.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

2. Определите, является ли утверждение:

By now many governments in different countries have accepted numerous laws to control the Internet.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

3. Определите, является ли утверждение:

You may use the Internet any time you need without special registration.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

4. Определите, является ли утверждение:

There are some legal restrictions to use the Internet materials.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

5. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

The Internet was originally designed for the purposes of governmental and military institutions.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

6. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

The breaking of the law concerning the Internet is strictly punished.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

7. Ответьте на вопрос:

What are the main tasks and purposes of the World Wide Web?

1. Sending messages to the other users of the Internet.

2. Obtaining and sending all kind of electronic information for working, studying and entertainment.

3. Usage of home computers as a series of menu pages or screens.

4. Allowing or prohibition issues of private information with the help of the network.

8. Определите основную идею текста.

1. Expanding the Internet to connect different countries all over the world.

2. The description of basic functions of the Internet and some means of regulating the process of getting information.

3. Creating the united system of controlling research-base supercomputers in the USA.

4. Designing the telecommunication protocol known as the Computer Decency Act.

TEXT 3

Advantages and Disadvantages of Automated Systems

(1) Should a system be automated? Before this question can be answered, the various positive and negative effects of introducing automation must be considered. Two primary types of effects are technical and economic. There are others, but they are more complex. One reason for the complexity is that the benefits and problems of automating a system vary considerably not only with each area of application but also with the people who work with the system or who are affected by it.

(2) Because automated systems are able to perform routine decision-making tasks, they enable a company or organization to increase productivity. In other words, more goods are manufactured or more services rendered. Often quality can be improved as well. Such has been the case with the automation of the supermarket. The number of grocery items that can be checked out per minute has been greatly increased – in some cases nearly doubled – and the extensive delays occasionally experienced when a checkout clerk does not know the price of an item have been eliminated. More important, the automated reordering of goods has helped to even out the workload at warehouses and distributors, which is of particular importance to large supermarket chains. In addition, studies show that the computerized checkout system reduces errors in charging customers by as much as 75 percent.

(3) Automation also makes possible the performance of tasks that are well beyond the limits of human capabilities, as for example the launching, tracking, and control of the United States space shuttle. A project of this kind requires so many complex computations and such rapid control responses that it can only be accomplished through the employment of high-speed computerized systems.

(4) Automated systems, however, do have certain limitations and drawbacks. Although usually very reliable, they can malfunction. Moreover, an entire system may fail to operate properly if there is a single error in setting it up. A backup system has to be provided or a human “override” capability built into the system so that operations can be handled manually. Automated systems also lack the flexibility of humans. Any significant change in their function may thus require extensive redesigning of the equipment. This problem has been mitigated by the use of computer programs that can be modified with relative ease, but action, sensing, and control components still have to be tailored to specific applications. This is one reason that large amounts of money are required as a company or industry becomes increasingly more automated. In the long term, automation generally yields economic benefits. An exception would be a situation where an operation has to be automated for technical or safety reasons only.

(Britannica Student Encyclopedia Library)

1. Определите, является ли утверждение:

Automated systems can be extremely complex only because of the area of application.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

2. Определите, является ли утверждение:

Automated reordering of goods can make the whole system work more efficiently.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

3. Определите, является ли утверждение:

The US space shuttle program needs many accurate calculations and fast responses that can be provided by computers only.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

4. Определите, является ли утверждение:

Complex automated systems should be designed so as an operator could control them manually.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

5. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

The automation of supermarkets may improve the functioning of service, check-outs and distribution of goods.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

6. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

The quality work can be dependent on only one error during the system loading.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

7. Ответьте на вопрос:

How do automated systems improve the work of a company or an organization?

1. The number of grocery items is increased.

2. More products are manufactured and more services are provided.

3. A check out clerk always knows the price of every item.

4. Distributors don’t need to contact the company.

8. Определите основную идею текста.

1. The main disadvantage of a complex automated system is the lack of money and inflexibility.

2. The effectiveness of automated systems provides the rapid development of companies but still they’ve got some serious negative effects.

3. The economic and technical development of any company depends on automated systems.

4. Sometimes the system may fail and it requires extensive redesigning of equipment.

TEXT 4

Glimpses of History of Physical Chemistry

(1) In 1896, Henri Becquerel and the Curies had discovered the phenomenon of radioactivity. This laid the basis for nuclear chemistry and physics. In 1919 Ernest Rutherford produced the first artificial transmutation of elements, and in 1934 the Joliot-Curies discovered that all elements could be made to be radioactive. By 1939 Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, and Lise Meitner had established the occurrence of uranium fission. By the early 1940s nuclear reactions had been used to make radioactive isotopes of all elements from atomic number 1 to 98 inclusive. Glenn Seaborg contributed much to this work. In the first 25 years of the 20th century, Rutherford's work laid the basis for the interpretation of the structure of atoms. Gilbert Lewis, Irving Langmuir, and Niels Bohr submitted the first qualitative concept of atomic structure in the period 1912-25. The more workable picture was given by the wave theory of matter (1925). In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Linus Pauling contributed much to knowledge of the nature of the chemical bond and of the relationship between the structure of atoms and molecules and their properties.

(2) One of the most notable achievements in chemistry has been the development or synthesis of whole new classes of materials. Early plastics such as Parkesine, for example, developed before 1862, and celluloid had little commercial success until the 20th century. The early plastics had relied on the large molecules in cellulose, usually derived from wood pulp. However, in 1909 Leo H. Baekeland, a Belgian-born inventor in the United States, took out a patent for Bakelite, a hard, chemically resistant plastic that he had developed. As a nonconductor of electricity it was useful for all sorts of electrical appliances.

(3) The commercial success of Bakelite sparked great interest and investment in the plastics industry, in the study of coal-tar products and other hydrocarbon compounds, and in the theoretical understanding of complex molecules. This activity led to new dyes and detergents, but it also led to the successful manipulation of molecules to produce materials with particular qualities such as hardness or flexibility. Techniques were developed, often requiring catalysts and elaborate equipment, to make these polymers – that is, complex molecules produced by the building up of simpler structures. Among the more important results from the advance of chemistry in this direction has been the development of the industries for producing synthetic fibers for use in textiles and other applications, and for producing synthetic rubber.

(4) An even more dramatic result of the growth in chemical knowledge has been the expansion of the modern pharmaceutical industry. Notable early achievements include the development of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) in 1899, Salvarsan (an antisyphilis drug) in 1910, and Prontosil (an effective antistreptococcal drug) in 1932, as well as the discovery of penicillin in 1928.

(Britannica Student Encyclopedia Library)

1. Определите, является ли утверждение:

The modern pharmaceutical industry became the starting point for the growth in chemical knowledge.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

2. Определите, является ли утверждение:

The main discovery in chemistry was the combination of absolutely different groups of materials, such as plastic and celluloid.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

3. Определите, является ли утверждение:

The particular qualities of polymers can be widely used in different brunches of industry.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

4. Определите, является ли утверждение:

At the beginning of the 20^th century the great contribution was made to the knowledge of the nature of the chemical bond.

1. истинным

2. ложным

3. в тексте нет информации

5. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

Some of the most outstanding pharmaceutical discoveries were made in the late 19th – early 20th centuries.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

6. Укажите, какой части текста (1, 2, 3, 4) соответствует следующая информация:

The discovery of radioactivity gave start to numerous experiments and it was proved that any element could be made radioactive.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

7. Ответьте на вопрос:

What was the result of the commercial success of a hard, chemically resistant plastic – Bakelite?

1. It made the great interest to chemistry possible.

2. Many new dyes and detergents appeared and it was for the commercial success of penicillin.

3. The investments to the plastic industry grew considerably, further study of complex molecules was made and it led to the producing of new materials.

4. The successful manipulation on molecules allowed studying theoretical foundation of the complex molecules.