- •Language Case #4f: Countries and Cities
- •Test 1 (elementary level)
- •II. English Usage.
- •III. Writing.
- •Test 2 (elementary level)
- •II. English Usage.
- •III. Writing. You are spending two weeks abroad. Complete this letter to an English-speaking friend telling him/her about your experiences ( 100-140 words).Remember the rules of letter writing.
- •Test 3 (elementary level)
- •I. Reading. Read the story about my visit to London . Then read the sentences below and write if they are true (t) or false (f)
- •II. English Usage.
- •III. Reading and Writing. Read the paragraph.
- •Test 4 (pre-intermediate level)
- •I. Reading. Read the text and do the exercises.
- •II. English Usage.
- •III. Writing. Write 5 questions using the words in brackets.
- •Test 5 (pre-intermediate level)
- •I. Reading. Read the text and do the exercises.
- •II. English Usage.
- •III. Reading and Writing. Read this information about the usa and complete the text.
Test 5 (pre-intermediate level)
I. Reading. Read the text and do the exercises.
The Taj Mahal - A Rose-Coloured Crown
Long ago , there lived an emperor who loved his empress so dearly that he wanted to build a palace for her so that she would be remembered forever.
Does that sound like the beginning of a fairy tale to you? Well, it isn't, for in 1613 there actually was an emperor of India, Shah Jahan, who married a beautiful woman named Taj Mahal. Her name meant «Crown of the Palace» because she was the favourite of the emperor.
The emperor and the empress lived happily for 18 years and had 13 children. But when she died giving birth to their 14th child, the emperor was so grieved at the loss of his lovely wife that he decided to build a palace in her memory.
The site he chose was in the small city of Agra in north central India. It was not to be an ordinary building, he decided, but the most beautiful structure in the entire world. Shah Jahan hired architects from all over empire, and time after time he turned down their plans, until finally he found one that pleased him.
Shah Jahan hired 20,000 men, and construction on the palace began in 1632. Twenty years later, when it was finished, everyone agreed that it was the most beautiful palace in the world. The outside was pink-coloured sandstone; the inside, white marble brought in from the corners of the empire. Many of the walls were inlaid with precious stones. The surrounding gardens contained 1.000 square feet of fragrant trees and exotic flowers. A long pool ran down the centre of the garden and reflected the beautiful palace.
The emperor was so pleased with the palace that he decided to build a matching one across the river. Unfortunately, he died before this could be done. His people buried him alongside his beloved wife. The palace still stands today, and is considered to be the most beautiful in the world. Visitors to the Taj Mahal say that when the sun sets, the whole palace shines like a rose-coloured crown.
Exercise 1. Comprehension. Choose the correct answer.
1) The Taj Mahal is situated in....... A) Great Britain B) India C) Africa
2) The Taj Mahal was named after..... A) an empress B) an emperor C) a brave knight
3) The emperor of India decided to build........
A) a small mansion B) the most beautiful palace in the world C) a big town
4) In.....it was finished. A) 1632 B) 1640 C) 1652
5) The Tai Mahal.....
A) was badly damaged in the 19th century B) was ruined during the Second World War C) still stands
today
Exercise 2. Language and Grammar. Choose the correct alternatives.
6) .......(There/They) are no palaces more beautiful than Taj Mahal.
7) If I went to Agra, 1 (will/would)......see the Tai Mahal.
8) When I saw the Taj Mahal, I couldn't help.......(to take/taking) pictures of it.
9) .......(Most/ Most of) people don't know what the Taj Mahal is like.
10) Very......( few/little) people can travel abroad and see magnificent palaces and monuments.