Entry test
Units 2, 3
1. Choose the most suitable word in brackets.
(The/–) problem for (the /–) today’s students is how to survive financially.
Let me introduce Sally Parker, (a/the) niece of Mr Briggs.
Please do not turn on (a/the) water-heater in (a/the) bathroom.
Jane has been laid up with (–/the) pneumonia for (a/–) fortnight.
I have (a/–) terrible cold and am staying in (the/–) bed today.
I earn $5 (an/the) hour as (a/–) supermarket cashier on (the/–) Saturdays.
(The/–) charge for (an/–) excess luggage is $10 (a/the) kilo.
(A/the) train would be best; it leaves every hour.
Since they built the bridge no one uses (a/the) ferry any more.
Next year you'll be able to go by hovercraft; they're starting a new service. It'll be much quicker than (a/the) boat.
2. In the sentences below choose the article which is appropriate.
There are many ways for tourists to get around London. If you don't mind travelling in tunnels, take an/the underground; if you like to see where you're going, sit on the top deck of a/ the bus; and if you're in a hurry, take a/the taxi.
He was a supreme master of –/ a ballet.
She has returned to a /the theatre after an absence of five years.
Our lives are dominated by –/ a television.
This town is boring. What we need is a / the cinema.
You're dressed up! – Yes, we're going to –/ the opera.
3. Where you find a noun phrase without an article put in a/an or the if necessary.
One hundred and thirty-six years after his death Turner’s great gift of his paintings has found permanent home in Clore Gallery, newly built extension to Tate Gallery on Millbank. Here in splendid suite of rooms entire contents of his studio can be seen arranged in beautiful and instructive sequence following central themes of Turner’s art. Book provides readable and accessible introduction to display, and includes account of collection of works on paper, together with guide to use of Study Room in which they can be examined by public.
4. Fill in the gaps with a/an or the if necessary.
My aunt Vanessa is (1) ….. artist. She lives in (2) ….. beautiful old cottage by (3) ….. sea and she paints (4) ….. small pictures of wild flowers and birds. She doesn't like leaving (5) ….. cottage, but once (6) ….. year she travels by (7) ….. train to London and has (8) ….. tea with me at (9) ….. Savoy Hotel. At the moment I’m quite worried about her because she’s in (10) ….. hospital, but I’m sure she’ll be better soon. I’m going to visit her (11) ..... next week.
5. Insert a/an or the if necessary.
People have always wanted to be able to fly like birds in ..... sky.
Every solar system has ..... sun.
..... equator runs round the middle of ..... earth.
I'm looking for ..... atlas. Do you know where I can get one?
She's ..... mother of my best friend.
..... height of Mont Blanc is 4807 metres.
She's ..... woman of great ability.
We knew who the murderer was at ..... end of the first act.
He's ..... cousin on my father's side.
We were surprised at ..... size of the bill.
Many children have ..... fear of injection.
When they reached ..... top of the mountain, they sat down.
Unit 4
Correct any misuses of the article.
French enjoy spending holidays in a countryside.
Sue bought a Picasso I was telling you about the last week.
Go down Kingston Street and turn right into the Mill Road.
She was the first woman to cross Atlantic in the canoe.
Harrods is probably the biggest store in Europe.
It is actually the same with a number of corporations like IBM, RCF and Xerox.
The warm waters of Gulf Stream make British climate fairly mild.
You are not Marlon Brando, are you?
Rudolf Nureyev had been dancing on the stage of the Covent Garden for more than 10 years.
My mother is always happy to get Christian Dior perfume for her birthday.
We hope this time our tennis players will be more successful in Australian Open.
Unit 5
Complete these sentences using a/an or the if necessary.
He could hardly discern the outline of a house roof in ..... distance.
When you are put in ..... charge of people ...... set of essential skills will help you become ..... good manager.
If you don't mind I could give ..... hand with packing.
Who would think Colonel Baxter could take ..... fancy to this poor little creature?
It isn’t easy but I think we’re making ….. progress.
I lost ….. control of the car and crashed into a wall.
Make ….. love, not ….. war.
If you make ….. promise, you must keep it.
When buying a house, you should take into ….. consideration how near it is to public transport.
He set ….. fire to his factory so that he could claim the insurance.
100/_____
Translate form Russian into English.
В Милане Леонардо очень мало занимался живописью, зато его научная деятельность процветала.
Пока Донато Браманте строил собор Святого Петра, Рафаэль расписывал последнюю комнату новых Папских апартаментов.
Впервые Минск был упомянут в летописях 1067 года в связи с битвой на реке Немиге.
Здание Парламента – символ Лондона – величественно расположилось на северном берегу Темзы.
Гавр – второй порт Франции после Марселя, расположенный на северном побережье.
Старый Смит заплатил все свои долги, кроме долга некоему господину Грину.
Вы не хотели бы пойти в кукольный театр?
Мне, наконец, удалось посмотреть “Лебединое озеро”.
"Раненные уже прибыли", – сказала девушка, вбегая в комнату.
В 1980 году моя семья переехала жить в Ливан.
Unit 1 meaning and types of articles
The articles are important for the English language. Not only are they among the most common words in English, they are often vital for successful communication. Changing one article for another, or leaving one out, can often cause misunderstanding, for example, if you say "I like English" (the language), when you mean "I like the English" (the people). Articles can help you make the meaning clearer or choose between meanings. Mistakes with articles do not always cause misunderstanding, but they can let the rest of your English down.
There are two articles in English: the Indefinite Article a/an and the Definite Article the.
The Indefinite Article is derived from the Numeral "one". It is never used with a noun in the plural.
The Indefinite Article has two forms both in speech and writing: a [ ] book; a [ ] student; an [ n] apple; an [ n] hour.
A is used before consonants and an is used before vowels.
The Definite Article is derived from the Pronoun that. It is used with a noun in the singular and in the plural. It has only one form in writing the: The rug was stained. But there are two pronunciations: [ð ] is used before consonant sounds; [ði:] is used before vowel sounds: The same name was given to this island [ð ]. The emphasis is on discipline [ði:].
You cannot use an article on its own: I like the idea. But not "I like the"
The articles go only with nouns, or words that behave like nouns. They are therefore a kind of determiner: The town is small and undistinguished. It is only a gesture.
There may be several words between the article and its noun: for a fairly long period.
Not every noun has to have an article. There may be another determiner, like this or that, his or my, or some, or no, or there may be no article at all (sometimes called the zero article). He stuck to this story. She ate some soup and that was all. They have no money to buy a house. The flower needs water.
The articles occur as part of noun groups. A noun group is a group of words based around a head, which is usually a noun: