Variant 1

1 Read the text and mark (\/) the following statements «True» or «False».

The most favourite American holidays are Independence Day, Halloween

and Thanksgiving. Independence Day or the Fourth of July is

the birthday of the United States. On July 4, 1776, the people of the

American colonies declared their independence from England. On this

day families gather to enjoy a special meal outdoors, some watch sports

such as baseball. And all over America, there are beautiful shows of

fireworks.

Another favourite holiday is Halloween. We celebrate it on the

31St of October. Children dress up in costumes, looking like ghosts

and witches. They ask people for candies, go to parties and try to scare

one another.

My third favourite holiday is Thanksgiving. We celebrate Thanksgiving

on the fourth Thursday in November. Early Americans celebrated

Thanksgiving to express their thanks for the fall harvest. Today, we

celebrate it to take time to be thankful for all the wonderful things we

have, such as family, food, good health and freedom.

True False

1 The Fourth of July is also called Independence

Day.

2 The American colonies declared their freedom

from the United States.

3 Many Americans watch sports such as

basketball on July 4th.

4 On Independence Day people watch a beautiful

show of fireworks.

5 The story also discussed Halloween, which falls

on the last Thursday of October.

6 It is customary for children to ask people for

sweet things at Halloween.

7 Children like dressing up in costumes at

Halloween.

8 The third holiday mentioned, Thanksgiving,

occurs in autumn.

9 Early Americans celebrated Thanksgiving to

express thanks for rainfall.

10 Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for

good health and freedom.

6 Variant 1

2 Complete the text with the words from the table.

Edward Bellamy was born (1) 1850 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts,

to a long line of New England Baptist ministers. He was

(2) in the United States and in Germany, and at length

(3) law. Working (4) a journalist and editor in New York

and (5) Springfield, he began to publish fiction in 1879, and by

1898 he (6) published five novels and a collection of short stories.

(7) them was the novel now considered the (8) masterpiece,

Looking Backward. The visionary novel not only (9) literary

fame to Bellamy but established (10) as an important social

and economic theorist.

A B C

1 in at on

2 educating educated education

3 studyed studed studied

4 as like —

5 a the —

6 was has had

7 Through Among Behind

8 author’s authors authors’

9 broke bought brought

10 him himself his

3 Comment on the following issues.

Your family is moving. You are not sure as to whether to move out

to the country or into the city. Dwell upon:

• the advantages and disadvantages of both;

• the problems you might have living in a big city or in the country.

VARIANT 2

1 Read the text and mark (\/) the following statements «True» or «False».

Caring for a Pet Hamster

You and your parents agree that you are ready for a pet. A dog is

too big for a small flat. Mom is allergic to cats. So a hamster is the best

choice. What will it take to keep your new pet safe and happy?

Choose a hamster from a pet shop that is clean and whose staff seems

to know about the animals. If you want to tame and handle your hamster,

you’d better choose a younger pet.

Before you get your hamster, you should prepare its new home. Here

are the items your hamster must have: a cage, bedding made of wood

shavings, nesting material, an exercise wheel, a water bottle, a food

dish and food.

Almost all of your hamster’s life will be spent in the cage. So, buy

the largest cage you can afford.

Make sure that your hamster has fresh water at all times. A general

hamster mix from the pet shop will make up most of your pet’s diet. You

can also give it carrots, raisins, cheese, dog biscuits and acorns as treats.

In general, do not feed your hamster sweets or prepared foods. With daily

food and water, regular attention and a weekly cage cleaning, your

hamster should be a happy addition to your household for several years.

True False

1 The article says it is important for parents to

agree that you are old enough to have a pet.

2 Dogs make good pets when you live in a small

flat.

3 When choosing a pet shop, choose one with

a knowledgeable staff who can give you

information about the pets.

4 It is better to buy a fully-grown animal than

a young one.

5 A hamster’s cage must be big enough to allow

your hamster to move around.

6 A hamster sleeps in wood shavings.

7 The article says that it is very important to be

sure your hamster has water.

8 A hamster will consider chips and crackers

a good treat.

9 You should clean your hamster’s cage every year.

10 The article recommends that you bring your

hamster home for a visit to be sure it will be

happy in your flat.

8 Variant 2

2 Complete the text with the words from the table.

A Museum Fit for a King

Located on (1) Seine River in the heart of Paris, the Louvre

is (2) biggest art museum in the world. It has seven major areas,

(3) one hundred different rooms, and (4) 300,000 items

in (5) collection.

The Louvre is (6) of several different buildings that (7)

added over many centuries. The very first section, built more than eight

hundred years ago, was originally (8) as a fortress to protect Paris

from the Vikings. Within a hundred years, King Charles V had turned

one of the towers into a library. (9) his reign, King Henry IV added

a huge section called the Grande Galerie. After the French Revolution,

the art in the Louvre was available for everyone to enjoy. The museum

opened to the public for the first time (10) November 8, 1793.

Today, the Louvre is owned and operated by the French government.

A B C

1 a the —

2 a the —

3 more than more then most of

4 near nearly nearest

5 its his their

6 making up makes up made up

7 were was has

8 use used using

9 While During For

10 at in on

3 Comment on the following issues.

Describe a visit to a place that you will always remember.

• Write what place it was and describe it.

• Describe what you were doing there and explain why you will remember

it.

VARIANT 3

1 Read the text and mark (V) the following statements «True» or «False».

School Life for a British Schoolboy

I leave home at 6:45 and walk 20 minutes to catch a bus to school.

The journey takes an hour because the bus has to keep stopping to pick

up other students along the way. On arriving I collect my Tablet PC from

the Learning Centre and go to my Tutor Room for registration at 8:30.

We do our early morning work while our class teacher takes the

attendance register. The attendance of every child is recorded in a special

registration book each morning and afternoon. The teacher reads out

each child’s name in turn, a child replies and the teacher writes down

in the book whether the child is in school or not.

At about 8:50 we leave our Tutor Room to go to the Assembly Hall. In

the hall we listen quietly to the music playing. Each week has a different

musical theme and the children are asked to listen out for particular things.

Every day I have a different first lesson. Normally it is English but

I also have Maths, Computers, Drama and Music and French on other days.

Every student carries a swipe card. We swipe into every lesson to let

the school know that we have attended that certain lesson and to know

where we are when something happens.

The children can bring a snack from home to eat in the playgrounds.

It is usually a packet of crisps, fruit or a couple of biscuits. We play

games on either of our two playgrounds, adventure playground or in

the large playing field.

Lunch time is from noon to 1:10 p.m. Some children will have a school

dinner cooked in our school kitchen. In the afternoon the lessons resume

with reading activities. The rest of the afternoon is spent learning one

or two of our other school subjects. Afternoon lessons continue until

3:15 p.m. when we go home.

True False

1 The boy gets up early and walks to school.

2 The bus takes each child to school personally.

3 The pupils’ Tablet PCs are kept in the hearing

Centre.

4 Every morning the teachers record attendance in

a special book.

5 Each pupil swipes his card before the lessons.

6 The learning days always start with the same

lesson.

7 There is usually one student in the Assembly Hall.

8 In the Assembly Hall the pupils listen to school news.

9 The children never take snacks from home.

10 A snack is usually a packet of crisps, fruit or

a couple of biscuits.

10 Variant 3

2 Complete the text with the words from the table.

What (1) you think of when you hear the word ≪desert≫? We

usually think of deserts as hot, dry places, but there can be (2) hot

and cold deserts. Scientists define deserts as areas of land where (3)

than ten inches of rain falls per year and (4) plants can grow. In

Arctic and Antarctic regions, there is very (5) rain. Precipitation is

almost always (6) in the form of ice or snow, and because it stays

frozen on the ground, plants cannot (7) it to grow. So these regions

(8) deserts and given the special label ≪cold desert≫ to describe

(9) temperatures, which can range from 10 to 50° F (10) in

summer and from –50 to 10° F in winter.

A B C

1 do are have

2 too both either

3 less little fewer

4 little much few

5 few little many

6 freeze froze frozen

7 use to use used

8 are considered are considering have considered

9 them there their

10 at in on

3 Comment on the following issues.

Imagine you work for a television company. Present a report about

young people’s television-watching habits.

• Mention TV channels and programmes popular among teenagers;

• Describe good and bad aspects of television, its influence on young

people.

VARIANT 4

1 Read the text and mark () the following statements «True» or «False».

Elderly Neighbours

Our neighbours are an elderly couple. They live simply and quietly.

When the annual summer holiday comes, they spend a week with

the wife’s sister, and the rest of the time repainting and decorating

their home. So much of the paintwork in the house is not more than

two years old.

But last year their routine changed as the wife’s sister got into

hospital. So, they decided to take a holiday at the seaside in a caravan

camp.

They packed their bags and travelled there by train. They didn’t like

the camp at all because the caravan was dirty and the people in neighbouring

caravans were too noisy. The next day it was cold and so windy

that their caravan was shaking and rocking like a boat. That night there

was a storm. Two caravans were blown into the sea. So they packed their

bags again, and the next morning, they were at the station, waiting for

the first train home.

Now, if you ask them about holidays, they will answer you, ≪We

don’t like holidays. We’re not going to holiday again.≫

True False

1 The elderly couple lives an unusual life.

2 The wife has a sister and visits her every year.

3 In summer, they usually have a lot of work

about the house.

4 They have lived in their house for two years.

5 The couple spends every summer holiday at the

seaside.

6 Last summer, one of the couple’s relatives was

in the hospital.

7 They didn’t feel at home in the caravan they

had chosen.

8 The weather changed for the better.

9 They had to spend the night at the train

station.

10 They prefer to have their holidays at home.

12 Variant 4

2 Complete the text with the words from the table.

People talk about the (1) of consistency in forming good habits.

When I make a goal, (2) first thing I do is declare it around

my pack — my family, my dogs. We’re (3) powerful as humans

when we are in a pack. To do that involves projecting the right energy:

calm and confident.

To get into a calm and confident state, watch dogs. The first thing

they do (4) the morning is stretch. Then they walk, and you see

them (5) deeply, picking up on a scent. A good walk makes dogs

(6) . Rolling in the grass makes them (7) happy, too. We’re

also animals. So move (8) into your mission, do it every day, and

use the simplest things to keep you well-balanced and sensible. If you

(9) achieve your goal — and even if you (10) — just keep

going.

A B C

1 importance important most important

2 a the —

3 much many more

4 on in at

5 breathing are breathing breathed

6 happy happiness happily

7 feeling feel to feel

8 careful careless carefully

9 will won’t don’t

10 do are doing will do

3 Comment on the following issues.

What school subject will be the most helpful in your future career?

• Mention what favourite subject you have at school and clarify how

the knowledge of this subject might influence your future.

• Describe how much your attitude to the subject depends on the

teachers.

VARIANT 5

1 Read the text and mark () the following statements «True» or «False».

My name’s Philip and I’m going to tell you a few things about my

job. I’m an American tour guide and I spend most of my time taking

groups of American tourists around Europe; England and Italy mostly,

but sometimes France and Germany, too.

Before starting, I’d done a two-week European trip as a tourist, then

I worked in a travel agency in Chicago, and also worked for a holiday

company in Turkey.

However, I still had to go through a complicated procedure before getting

this job. First, you must fill in the application form and answer all sorts

of questions. Next, you have a formal interview and then you have to stand

up in front of a group of people and give a talk. They want to see how you

can perform in a real situation, because it’s no good being shy or too timid.

There’s a lot of competition for these jobs because they give you

a chance to travel and meet lots of new people. But to be a good travel

guide, you’ve got to have a genuine interest not only in the travel,

but also in the people. The tours can be rather long, and you’re with

the same fifty people all the time. You’re never really off duty because

you’re responsible for making sure all the arrangements go well and

keeping everyone happy.

True False

1 The most popular countries for Americans to

visit are England and Italy.

2 Philip’s experience before his current job was

travelling to Turkey with a tour group.

3 The speaker had no experience travelling before

getting his job.

4 The speaker thinks the company made getting

the job much too easy for him.

5 You cannot be a successful travel guide if you

are timid and shy.

6 Getting a job with his firm is a three-step process.

7 The speaker says the most important quality for

a travel guide is to be interested in the people

you travel with.

8 It is difficult to get a job as an American tour

guide because many young people want a job

that lets them travel.

9 Philip says that one difficulty of his job is that

when working he has too much time off.

10 A tour guide can be responsible for up to fifty

people at a time.

14 Variant 5

2 Complete the text with the words from the table.

Brazilian New Year is one of (1) traditionally celebrated festivals

for the people living there. New Year in Brazil is (2) as

Ano Nove (Portuguese) but is more popularly known as Revillion. It is

celebrated (3) January 1.

New Year is the time (4) people from various parts of the

world like to celebrate it in Brazil. Pubs, party halls, clubs, beaches and

even roads (5) overcrowded. New Year’s celebrations in Brazil

reflect (6) culture and tradition. (7) the New Year’s Day,

it’s a tradition to eat lentils and rice. It is (8) to bring in wealth,

health and good fortune in the coming year. New Year’s is celebrated

with (9) devotion and sincerity by the (10) of the city.

They believe the catch at the time reflects the catch for rest of the year.

A B C

1 most the more the most

2 knowing known knows

3 on in at

4 when which where

5 have is are

6 her his its

7 On In At

8 believes believed to believe

9 much many more

10 fishermens fishermen fishermans

3 Comment on the following issues.

What sport is of the greatest interest to you? Why?

• Name the sport you are good at or the sport you enjoy watching and

explain why you like it.

• Prove the importance of going in for sports and mention the role of

sport in the life of people.

Орієнтовні зразки екзаменаційних завдань для державної підсумкової атестації 15

VARIANT 6

1 Read the text and choose the correct item.

George, Athens

The majority of annual visitors to Greece arrive on package tours to

the Greek islands and rarely get the opportunity to explore the sights of

Athens, which is a pity because despite the noise and traffic jams, it is

one of the most exciting and fascinating cities in Europe. To make sure

you get to see the most important sights, you can book a city tour at

a very reasonable price. However, it is always wise to pre-book tours of

Athens, especially if you are going to come in August. There is a wealth

of scenery to enjoy in the surrounding countryside, too, so try to take in

other one-day excursions out of the city. At the heart of the city, nestled

at the foot of the Acropolis, is the Plaka, the oldest and most picturesque

neighbourhood in Athens. Overlooked by the glorious temple

of the Parthenon, it is a maze of narrow streets running in all directions

around the Acropolis.

Richard, Rio de Janeiro