III Essay Writing

My future profession

Signature of the examiner_______________

EXAM CARD IV

I Reading

Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie was sure the world's best selling crime writer. Moreover, she was an immensely prolific writer. 79 shot stories, 4 non-fiction ones and that strange woman wrote 19 plays. They were translated into 136 languages. Over 3 billion books by Agatha Christie were sold worldwide. She is popular for ingenuity of plots, which are classical murder mysteries: marooned places and a well-mannered murderer. Her way to present the stories was quite definite from that of her colleagues. At first her stories appealed to the readers' detective inside, so you can't find much blood and violence in her stories.

Agatha Christie created two major characters for her stories. Hercule Poirot, a Belgian, used to work in the Police, but by the time of the action he was already retired. He can be described as a funny little man taken by many readers as a comic. He had luxurious moustaches and he was really proud of them.

Miss Marple was absolutely opposite to Poirot. She wasn't a professional and had never been one. She was just an old spinster, very modest but perceptive and not a flamboyant personality, who acted as a detective just by virtue of taking thought.

Agatha Christie's favourite way of murdering was by poisoning. She accurately described the process because she had learned a lot about poisons and other chemicals during World War II, while working in a hospital.

The reader has to solve the mystery and decide who the murderer is hand-in-hand with the author. Most of the crimes were committed in some closed surroundings with a limited number of people to suspect. Finally the identity of the murderer is revealed and a hooked reader starts looking for another book by Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie lived between 1890 and 1976. She started writing stories at a very early age, at first to entertain herself. However, she managed to become famous. Not many people know that she used to write under a pen-name of Mary Westmacott. Later, already being a world-known writer, she tried to avoid publicity and stayed out of public eye.

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II Grammar

1.  I like ________ TV.

watching

look

looking

2.  I ______ breakfast every morning.

am have

having

have

3. _________ any orange juice?

is there

are there

there is

4. _______ have a sandwich?

I can

am I

can I

5. We ______ always stay at home.

doesn't

not

don't

6. She ____ play the piano.

can to

do can

can

7. Where _________ yesterday?

you were

you was

were you

8. Her brother is ______ than me.

tallest

more taller

taller

9. ______ sushi?

have you eaten ever

have you ever eaten

did you ever eat

10. I would like _____ to the beach.

going

go

to go

III Essay Writing

My favorite artist

Signature of the examiner_______________

EXAM CARD V

I Reading

English Traditions.

If you arrive in Great Britain you'll hear the word “tradition” everywhere. Englishmen have sentimental love for things and traditions. They never throw away old things.

In many houses in Great Britain they have fire-places and though their bedrooms are awfully cold, the English people do not want to have central heating because they do not want to have changes.

Therefore the Yeomen-Warders are dressed in traditional medieval clothes and the traditional dress of the Horse Guards regiment has existed since the twelfth century.

In the House of Lords of the British Parliament there are two rows of benches for lords and a sack of wool for the Lord Chancellor to sit on it. This is so because in the old times wool made England rich and powerful. In the House of Commons you will see two rows of benches for the two parties: the government on one side and the opposition — on the other. In front of the benches there is the strip on a carpet and when a member speaking in the House puts his foot beyond that strip, there is a shout “Order!”. This dates from the time when the members had swords on them and during the discussion might want to start fighting. The word “order” reminded them that no fighting was allowed in the House.

Another old custom remains from the time when there were a lot of robbers in London. In those days the shouting “Who goes home?” was often heard in the Houses of Parliament and the members went in groups along the dark narrow streets of the old city. In modem London with its well-lit streets the shouting “Who goes home?” is still heard.

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