Тексты для отработки навыков чтения в 5-7 классах

Weather

The weather is a subject we can always talk about. It often changes and brings cold and heat, sunshine and rain, frost and snow. One day is often unlike the next. In summer the sun shines, often there is no wind and there are no clouds in the sky which is blue and beautiful. We can see stars and the moon at night and people like walks, outdoor games and sports in the fresh air. When autumn comes, the days become shorter and colder. It gets dark earlier and often heavy clouds cover the sky bringing rain with them. Sometimes there is heavy rain, so that an umbrella or a raincoat is necessary if we don't want to get wet through. Then you can hear people say, "What bad weather! When is this rain going to stop?" Many people then catch cold and must go to bed. Then a fire at home is so pleasant. At last frost and snow come. Fields, forests and houses are covered with snow and rivers and lakes with ice. But spring again brings sunshine and warm winds. Sometimes it snows but snow will not remain long, it will melt in the warm sun. Spring will bring bright sunshine, green grass and flowers. We usually say: "A nice day", "Not a bad day" or "It's nice weather for the time of the year" if the weather is fine. We can say: "It looks like rain", "It looks like snow" of "It's bad weather" when the weather is bad.

Walt Disney and his heroes

Walt Disney was born in Chicago, his father being Irish Canadian, his mother of German-American origin. He revealed a talent for drawing and an interest in photography early on and after service with the American Red Cross in the First World War. In 1923 he left with his brother Roy for Hollywood and for some years struggled against poverty while producing a series of cartoon films. In 1927 he had some success with the series called "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit", but it was not until September 1928, when "Steamboat Willie" appeared, the first "Mickey Mouse" with sound, that he achieved lasting success. Mickey Mouse became a household word together with such companions as Minnie, Pluto, and — perhaps the favourite of them all — Donald Duck. "The Three Little Pigs" and " Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", with their still familiar songs by Frank Cherchill, immediately spring to mind. After the Second World War Disney turned his attention to real-life nature studies and non-cartoon films with living actors. After a rather unsuccessful feature cartoon "The Sleeping Beauty", he made a triumphant come-back with the very successful "Mary Poppins". In 1955 he branched out into a different enterprise —"Disney-land", a huge amusement park in southern California. Disneyland is situated 27 miles south of Los Angeles, at Ana-hemi. Of all the show-places none is as famous as Disneyland. This superb kingdom of fantasy linked to technology was created by Walt Disney. The park is divided into six themes and there is so much to see and do in each that no one would attempt to see all of them in one visit. For extended visits, there are hotels nearby. Walt Disney died in California at the age of 65. His works have given so much pleasure for many years to many people, young and old, in many countries.

Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a legendary hero of England. He lived in the twelfth century. The legend said Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest with his merry men. Robin Hood and his merry men took money from the rich and gave it to the poor. There are many stories about them. Here is one of them. One day Robin Hood was walking through the Forest with his men when he saw a young man. The young man was wearing a very fine red coat and singing merrily. The next morning Robin Hood saw the same young man without his fine coat. The young man was looking very sad. Robin Hood sent Little John to bring the young man. When the young man came to Robin Hood the latter asked him, "What is your name?" The young man answered that his name was Allan-a-Dale. Then Robin Hood asked:"Have you any money?" Alan-a-Dale answered, "I have only five shillings and a ring that I have kept for seven years. I wanted to marry a nice young girl. Yesterday I went to marry her, but her father is against it. He wants to marry her to a rich old man. Now I am unhappy." Robin Hood asked the young man: "What will you give me and my merry men if we help you to get your girl back again?" Allan-a-Dale had neither money nor gold, but he promised to be Robin Hood's true servant. So Robin Hood decided to help Allan-a-Dale and they all went to the town where the girl lived. When they came to the town they saw the girl Allan loved. She was going into the church with the rich old man. Robin Hood and his men went into the church and asked the priest to marry the girl to Allan-a-Dale. When the priest refused, Robin Hood pulled off the priest's coat and put it on Little John. So Little John married the young people and they returned together to the merry Greenwood.