TEST 1 -TASK ONE

TEXT 1
Coco Chanel, a famous fashion designer was born in a poorhouse in the small city of Saumur, France,
and christened Gabrielle. Her mother died when she was just six. This left her father with Gabrielle and
four other young children. He sent them away to grow up with relatives.
In nearly twenties, while she was singing in cafes, she met two wealthy men, a soldier, and an Englishman
Arthur Capel. With the men's money and contacts, in 1913 she set up a shop in Paris selling ladies' hats.
By the 1920s, she had expanded her business to a clothing shop. In the early 1920s she introduced Chanel
No. 5, which became one of the world's favorite perfumes.
In 1939 World War II began. Coco had worked for a short time as a nurse in World War I, but during
World War II she left for Switzerland. She returned to France in 1953 and dressed many Hollywood
stars, such as Liz Taylor and Katharine Hepburn. Before her death, in 1969, Katharine Hepburn had
starred in a Broadway musical about her life.

TEXT 2
Some people who have difficulties in sleeping automatically turn to sleeping pills. But before even
thinking about them, it’s a good idea to try and prepare yourself for sleep. Here’s some advice.
Before going to sleep, don’t discuss exciting problems, quarrel with your family or watch a murder
mystery on TV. Sleep can be completely destroyed by too much excitement or worry. Also exercise
before sleep is not a good idea. You can open the door to let out your dog, but don’t take him for a long
walk.
The old advice to read in bed before sleep has now changed into a new one: be careful what you read
before sleep. An interesting detective story can keep you awake till the morning comes. It’s better to
count sheep, or listen to the news on the radio – many people find it more effective than any sleeping
pill!

TEXT 3
Most children don’t eat anything in the morning and come to school tired, empty and irritable. Many
schools now have a canteen where kids have a choice. And so, they decide to take pizza and chips instead
of salad and fish.
Modern eating habits are very destructive. Today’s children are in more danger of heart diseases and
some forms of cancer than their parents and grandparents. They also have to decide which food to choose,
genetically modified or organic.
So, where do we start if we want to eat in a healthy way? First, we should eat normally but do a lot of
physical exercises. It is very hard to keep to a diet, and it’s all too easy to start getting fat again. The best
idea is to exercise in the morning and not to eat snacks, especially late at night!
If you eat meat, chicken and fish are much better than red meat. They are good for your body and mind,
too. We should also remember that fizzy drinks, tea and coffee take water from our body and reduce the
amount of healthy substances which the body can take from food.
TEXT 4
Sequoyah was a young Cherokee Indian, son of a white trader and an Indian woman. At an early age, he
became fascinated by “the talking leaf,” an expression that he used to describe the white man’s written
records. Although many believed this “talking leaf” to be a gift from the Great Spirit, Sequoyah refused
to accept that theory. Like other Indians of the period, he was illiterate, but his determination to remedy
the situation led to the invention of a unique 86-character alphabet based on the sound patterns that he
heard.
His family and friends thought him mad, but while recuperating from a hunting accident, he diligently
and independently set out to create a form of communication for his own people as well as for other
Indians. In 1921, after twelve years of work, he had successfully developed a written language that would
enable thousands of Indians to read and write.
Sequoyah’s desire to preserve words and events for later generations has caused him to be remembered
among the important inventors. The giant redwood trees of California, called “sequoias” in his honour,
will further imprint his name in history.

TEXT 5
A superstition is a belief that specific things or behaviours can affect the future. For example, astrology
is a kind of superstition: it is the belief that the positions of stars and planets can influence a person's life
and personality.
Because of the world's many cultures, superstitions are often different or even completely opposite in
different places. For instance, in the US and many European countries, it is bad luck if a black cat crosses
your path; in Britain and Japan, however, the same thing is good luck.
People usually learn their culture's superstitions as children. In fact, some superstitions are taught for
practical reasons: spilling milk, for instance, is often said to be bad luck, because this might prevent
children from wasting such a precious item by spilling it. Because they are learned when we are children,
it can be difficult to get rid of superstitious beliefs, and even very rational people sometimes follow
superstitions because they think that it is probably better to be safe than sorry.

TEST 1 -TASK TWO

I will never forget the Saturday I took my great-grandfather to his first movie. I was nine. Granddad was
over 90 years old. The movie was a Wild West show. And that Saturday afternoon in 1920 turned out to
be a wild one too!
We were a little late when we got to the movie. The lights were already turned low. The girl at the piano
had started to play. In those days, the movies had no sound. The only sounds that went with them came
from a piano. I helped Granddad find a seat in the first row. He sat back just as Hoot Gibson came riding
across the screen on his horse. I looked at Granddad. His eyes were fixed on the screen and his lips were
moving. I saw that he was riding right along with Hoot Gibson!
Hoot was running away from criminals. Faster and faster the horses ran. The girl at the piano played
louder and louder. Suddenly Granddad jumped to his feet and shouted at Hoot at the top of his voice.
“Look out!” he cried. “Run for it, Hoot! They are getting closer!”
The girl at the piano turned around. Right behind her she saw a tall old man with arms stretched wide. It
was my granddad. She thought he had gone crazy. With a scream she climbed to the top of the piano.
Then she jumped through the movie screen, making a big hole in it. She ran out the back door of the
movie, yelling.
There were about 40 people at the movie that afternoon. Granddad was the only one there over 12 years
old. All the excitement made us boys feel we should do something.
A friend of mine named Sammy climbed up to see what had happened. Other boys followed Sammy.
Soon about 12 yelling boys were crowded around the screen. What noise! The ticket-taker came running.
“Stop the show!” he yelled. “Turn on the lights!” But no one seemed to hear him. At that moment, Sammy
shot his cap gun. Someone saw the smoke from the cap gun and screamed “Fire!”
Granddad was still standing. He called out, “Get the firemen! Where is the fire?”
Just then several men came in through the back door. The girl who played the piano had told them about
the crazy man. They were coming to get Granddad!
Before they got to him, a fireman came in the front door. He was carrying a hose. “Water!” he shouted
to the firemen behind him. Then he turned his hose on the screen full force. The hole in the screen became
larger and larger.
I’m getting out of here!” Granddad said to me. “I’ve been in many battles, but this is the worst of all.”
We pushed past the firemen and got to the street at last. By this time there was a big crowd of people.
“What’s happened? Where’s the fire?” everyone wanted to know.
But we did not wait to talk. Granddad took me to his little house and gave me some ice-cream. “I am
sorry you didn’t get to see the whole show, Granddad,” I said. “Will you go with me next Saturday?”
Granddad shook his head. “No, Robert,” he said. “I don’t like movies. They are too noisy. My first movie
will be my last!”