Text a. Cambridge

1. Cambridge is the second oldest university in Britain, Oxford being the first oldest. Cambridge University was opened in 1284 with the construction of the first college, Peterhouse. At the present Cambridge University comprises twenty eight colleges of which one is only for men and two of them are woman’s colleges (the first woman’s college was opened in 1869); the remaining twenty five take both men and women.

2. Lying on the river Cam. The city of Cambridge takes its name from the river. The old university city where mostly teachers and students live is full of ancient buildings, chapels and libraries buildings are located there, too.

3. In the old time students’ life was full of restrictions. Students of Cambridge were not allowed to play games, sing, hunt, and fish or even to dance; they had to wear special dark clothes and the «squares», the academic caps they still wear in our days. During the course all students have to live in the college; there are over 9 000 students in residence.

4. Cambridge has won international fame as the university where historical figures and personalities of literature and science received their education, Cromwell, Newton, Byron, Tennyson and Darwin among them. The great Russian scientist I.P. Pavlov came to Cambridge to receive the degree of the Honorary Doctor of Cambridge. Cambridge University has made the city of Cambridge internationally famous as a centre of science where Rutherford, Kapitza and other famous scientists have worked.

Text b. Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

1. Edison is known as one of the greatest inventors of his name. He invented so much that it is difficult to say which of his achievement is the greatest. He was an experimenter and a practical man more than a theoretician.

2. Edison did not have any education. He went to school only for three months. Then he left it because the teacher considered him a dull boy. His mother became his teacher. The boy loved books and his mother said that he had a wonderful memory. When he first visited a public library and saw a lot of shelves with books he decided that he would read all the books and then he would know everything in the word.

3. Most people know that Thomas Edison invented the first working light bulb, but they don’t know anything else about him. Edison invented over 1000 different things. Among Edison’s inventions are: the photograph, the movie camera and the movie projector. All his inventions were the result of hard work. He continued to invent all his life.

3. Edison invented his electric light bulb in 1879. No one knew how to use electricity outside of a laboratory before Edison. He and his workers had to create a safe electric system. First they had to build a factory. Then they had to build the dynamos (generators) to make the electricity. Next they had to send out the electricity. Edison founded the Edison Electric Light Company and continued to supply electricity to New York and other places.

Вариант № 4

I. Перепишите следующие предложения, содержащие разные формы сравнения, и переведите их на русский язык.

1. He is the best student in the group.

2. Their house in the country is less comfortable than their flat in the town.

3. We discussed most important problems at the meeting yesterday.

4. The more we learn, the more we know.

5. It is the most important point of his report.

II. Перепишите и переведите предложения, определите в них видовременные формы глаголов и укажите их инфинитив.

1. We had written all the exercises by the time we went home.

2. The environment of the plant also includes the soil.

3. We were watching TV when he was preparing for his exams.

4. The institute has trained a generation of efficient scientists.

5. Last month Professor Smith gave two lectures at our university.

6. The farms use electricity in most agricultural processes.

III. Перепишите и переведите предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол или его эквивалент.

1. You can start the experiment today.

2. We had to introduce many fertilizers to enrich the soil.

3. We must preserve natural resources.

4. He may come every minute.

5. He was able to answer all of the questions during the discussion.

IV. Перепишите и переведите предложения. Подчеркните Participle I, Participle II, установите их функции (определение, обстоятельство или часть глагола-сказуемого).

1. When I came to the library I saw a man there working with my friend.

2. Entering the room she turned on the light.

3. The work performed by this young scientist showed good result.

4. They had passed exams by the time the holidays began.

V. Прочтите и устно переведите весь текст. Письменно переведите абзац 2.