Задание1. Прочитайте журнальную статью о книге и выполните задания 1 – 5, выбирая букву A, B, C или D. Установите соответствие номера задания выбранному вами варианту ответа.

"A good book for children should simply be a good book in its own right." These are the words of Mollie Hunter, a well-known author of books for youngsters. Born and bred near Edinburgh, Mollie has devoted her talents to writing primarily for young people. She firmly believes that there is always and should always be a wider audience for any good book whatever its main market. In Mollie's opinion it is essential to make full use of language and she enjoys telling a story, which is what every writer should be doing: ''If you aren't telling a story, you're a very dead writer indeed,'' she says.

When Mollie was a child her home was still a village with buttercup meadows and strawberry fields – sadly now covered with modern houses. "I was once taken back to see it and I felt that somebody had lain dirty hands all over my childhood. I'll never go back," she said. "Never." ''When I set one of my books in Scotland," she said, "I can recapture my romantic feelings as a child playing in those fields, or watching the village blacksmith at work. And that's important, because children now know so much so early that romance can't exist for them, as it did for us."

To this day, Mollie has a lively affection for children, which is reflected in the love she has for her writing. "When we have visitors with children the adults always say, "If you go to visit Mollie, she'll spend more time with the children." Molly believes that parents don't realize that children are much more interesting company and always have something new and unexpected to say.

1. In Mollie's opinion a good book should

А) be attractive to a wide audience.

B) be attractive primarily to youngsters.

C) be based on original ideas.

D) include a lot of description.

2. How does Mollie feel about what has happened to her birthplace?

А) confused

B) ashamed

C) disappointed

D) surprised

3. In comparison with children of earlier years, Mollie feels that modern children are

А) more romantic.

B) better informed.

C) less keen to learn.

D) less interested in fiction.

4. Mollie's adult visitors generally discover that she

А) is a lively person.

B) is interesting company.

C) talks a lot about her work.

D) pays more attention to their children.

5. Mollie thinks that the parents

А) are not aware of their children’s gifts.

B) overestimate their children’s talents.

C) sometimes don’t understand what their children say.

D) don’t spend much time with their children.

Задание 2.Прочитайте отрывок из романа и выполните задания 1 – 7, выбирая букву A, B, C или D. Установите соответствие номера задания выбранному вами варианту ответа.

I had first become acquainted with my Italian friend by meeting him at certain great houses where he taught his own language and I taught drawing. All I then knew of the history of his life was that he had left Italy for political reasons; and that he had been for many years respectably established in London as a teacher.

Without being actually a dwarf – for he was perfectly well-proportioned from head to foot – Pesca was, I think, the smallest human being I ever saw. Remarkable anywhere, by his personal appearance, he was still further distinguished among the mankind by the eccentricity of his character. The ruling idea of Peska's life now was to show his gratitude to the country that had given him a shelter by doing his utmost to turn himself into an Englishman. The Professor aspired to become an Englishman in his habits and amusements, as well as in his personal appearance. Finding us distinguished, as a nation, by our love of athletic exercises, the little man, devoted himself to all our English sports and pastimes, firmly persuaded that he could adopt our national amusements by an effort of will the same way as he had adopted our national gaiters and our national white hat.

I had seen him risk his limbs blindly unlike others at a fox-hunt and in a cricket field; and soon afterwards I saw him risk his life, just as blindly, in the sea at Brighton.

We had met there accidentally, and were bathing together. If we had been engaged in any exercise peculiar to my own nation I should, of course, have looked after Pesca carefully; but as foreigners are generally quite as well able to take care of themselves in the water as Englishmen, it never occurred to me that the art of swimming might merely add one more to the list of manly exercises which the Professor believed that he could learn on the spot. Soon after we had both struck out from shore, I stopped, finding my friend did not
follow me, and turned round to look for him. To my horror and amazement,
I saw nothing between me and the beach but two little white arms which struggled for an instant above the surface of the water, and then disappeared from view. When I dived for him, the poor little man was lying quietly at the bottom, looking smaller than I had ever seen him look before.

When he had thoroughly recovered himself, his warm Southern nature broke through all artificial English restraints in a moment. He overwhelmed me with the wildest expressions of affection and in his exaggerated Italian way declared that he should never be happy again until he rendered me some service which I might remember to the end of my days.

Little did I think then – little did I think afterwards – that the opportunity of serving me was soon to come; that he was eagerly to seize it on the instant; and that by so doing he was to turn the whole current of my existence into a new channel. Yet so it was. If I had not dived for Professor Pesca when he lay under water, I should never, perhaps, have heard even the name of the woman, who now directs the purpose of my life.

1. Peska taught

A) drawing.

B) Italian.

C) English.

D) politics.

2. Peska impressed people by being

A) well-built.

B) well-mannered.

C) strange.

D) ill-mannered.

3. Peska tried to become a true Englishman because he

A) was thankful to the country that had adopted him.

B) enjoyed Englishman's pastimes and amusements.

C) loved the way the English did athletic exercises.

D) was fond of the eccentric fashions of the English.

4. ‘… risk his limbs blindly’ means Peska

A) didn’t look where he went.

B) was unaware of danger from others.

C) caused a problem for others.

D) acted rather thoughtlessly.

5. The author didn't look after Peska carefully because

A) they both had been engaged in the peculiar English exercise.

B) foreigners were generally bathing not far from the shore.

C) the author was sure that Peska would learn swimming on the spot.

D) the author was sure that Peska was a very good swimmer.

 6. Peska wanted to do the author some favour as

A) it was in his warm nature.

B) the author had saved his life.

C) the author was his best friend.

D) he wanted to look English.

7. Peska managed to

A) change the author’s life completely.

B) become English to the core.

C) meet a woman who later directed his life.

D) turn his existence into a new channel.

Задание 3. Прочитайте отрывок из романа и выполните задания 1 – 7, выбирая букву A, B, C или D. Установите соответствие номера задания выбранному вами варианту ответа.

Pitcher, a confidential clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell, allowed a look of mild interest and surprise when his employer briskly entered at half-past nine in company with a young lady. Miss Leslie had been Maxwell’s stenographer for a year. She was beautiful in a way that was decidedly unstenographic. On this morning she was softly and shyly radiant. Her eyes were dreamily bright, her expression a happy one, tinged with reminiscence. Pitcher, still mildly curious, noticed a difference in her ways this morning. Instead of going straight into the adjoining room, where her desk was, she stayed for a while, slightly irresolute, in the outer office. Once she moved over by Maxwell’s desk near enough for him to be aware of her presence.

The man sitting at that desk was no longer a man; it was a machine, moved by buzzing wheels and uncoiling springs.

“Well – what is it? Anything?” asked Maxwell sharply.

“Nothing,” answered the stenographer, moving away with a little smile.

This day was Harvey Maxwell’s busy day. Messenger boys ran in and out with messages and telegrams. Maxwell himself jumped from desk to door sweating. On the Exchange there were hurricanes and snowstorms and volcanoes, and those powerful disturbances were reproduced in miniature in Maxwell’s office. The rush and pace of business grew faster and fiercer. Share prices were falling and orders to sell them were coming and going and the man was working like some strong machine. Here was a world of finance, and there was no room in it for the human world or the world of nature.

When the luncheon hour came, Maxwell stood by his desk with a fountain pen over his right ear. His window was open. And through the window came a delicate, sweet smell of lilac that fixed the broker for a moment immovable. For this odour belonged to Miss Leslie; it was her own, and hers only. She was in the next room – twenty steps away.

“By George, I'll do it now,” said Maxwell half aloud. “ I’ll ask her now. I wonder why I didn’t do it long ago.” He dashed into the inner office and charged upon the desk of the stenographer. She looked at him with a smile.

“Miss Leslie,” he began hurriedly, “I have but a moment to spare. I want to say something in that moment. Will you be my wife? I haven’t had time to approach you in the ordinary way, but I really do love you.”

“Oh, what are you talking about?” exclaimed the young lady. She rose to her feet and gazed upon him, round-eyed.

“Don’t you understand?” said Maxwell. “I want you to marry me. I love you, Miss Leslie. I wanted to tell you, and I snatched a minute. They are calling me for the phone now. Tell them to wait a minute, Pitcher. Won’t you, Miss Leslie?”

The stenographer acted very strangely. She seemed overcome with amazement; then tears flowed from her wondering eyes; and then she smiled sunnily through them.

“I know now,” she said softly. “It is this old business that has driven everything else out of your head for the time. I was frightened at first. Don’t you remember, Harvey? We were married last evening at 8 o’clock in the Little Church Around the Corner.”

1. Harvey Maxwell was

A) a stenographer.

B) a clerk.

C) Pitcher’s boss.

D) Pitcher’s partner.

2. Pitcher was mildly interested and surprised because

A) Miss Leslie moved decidedly to Maxwell's desk.

B) Miss Leslie arrived with Maxwell.

C) Maxwell came late at half past ten.

D) Maxwell looked irresolute that morning.

3. It was Harvey Maxwell's hard day because

A) he had no one to help him.

B) all messenger boys had gone.

C) the weather was hot.

D) the Exchange was a busy place.

4. ‘On the Exchange there were hurricanes and snowstorms and volcanoes’ means

A) the Exchange was about to be destroyed.

B) the financial situation was difficult.

C) natural disasters often happened in that area.

D) those were powerful disturbances of nature.

5. Maxwell dashed into the inner office at lunch time because

A) he liked the lilac smell.

B) the smell reminded him of Miss Leslie.

C) Pitcher called him for a phone call.

D) he needed to send a message.

6. Harvey Maxwell made a proposal between phone calls because he

A) was rather pressed for time.

B) used to make business proposals in such a way.

C) always acted very strangely.

D) was afraid Miss Leslie would leave him.

7. Miss Leslie was astonished by the proposal because

A) she had never heard anyone make it in such a way.

B) she had never expected it from Harvey Maxwell.

C) she had married the man the day before.

D) it came too quickly and without warning.

Ответы к заданиям по чтению ( высокий уровень)

1. 1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-A
2. 1-B; 2-C; 3-A; 4-D; 5-D; 6-B; 7-A
3. 1-C; 2-B; 3-D; 4-B; 5-B; 6-A; 7-C