Тесты контроля домашнего чтения №5
тест (английский язык, 8 класс) по теме

The cop and the anthem

Winter was coming, and Soapy, one of the many thousands of New York pickpockets, felt uneasy. He knew the time had come for him to look for the shelter. Soapy’s desires were not great. Three months in prison was what he wanted. There he was sure of a little food and a bed, safe from the winter wind and the cold.

For years prison had been his shelter during the winter. Now the time had come again.

Having decided to go to prison, Soapy at once set about fulfilling his desire. There were many easy ways of doing this. The pleasantest was to dine well at some expensive restaurant, and then, after saying that he couldn’t pay, be quietly arrested by a policeman and sent to prison by the judge.

Soapy got up and walked out of the square and across the level sea of asphalt, where Broadway and Fifth Avenue flow together. He stopped at the window of a brightly lit café. Soapy was freshly shaven, and his coat and tie were decent. But his boots and trousers were shabby. “If I can reach the table in the restaurant without being seen”, he thought, “everything will be all right. The upper part of me that will show above the table will raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted duck, two bottles of wine, a cup of coffee, and a cigar will make me happy for the journey to my winter quarters”.

But just as Soapy entered the restaurant door, the head waiter’s eye fell upon his shabby trousers and boots. Strong hands turned him round and pushed him to the sidewalk.

Soapy turned off Broadway. He had to think of another way of getting to prison. At a corner of Sixth Avenue he saw a brightly lit shop window. Soapy took a coble stone and threw it at the glass and broke it. People came running around the corner, a policeman at their head. Soapy stood still, with his hands in his pockets, and smiled when he saw the policeman’s blue coat.

“Where is the man that has done it?” shouted the policeman.

“Do you think I have done it?” said Soapy in a friendly way.

The policeman did not understand Soapy’s hint. Men who break windows do not usually remain to speak to policeman. They run away. Just then the policeman saw a man hurrying to catch a car. Club in hand, he rushed after that man. Soapy had failed again.

On the opposite side of the street was small and cheap restaurant. Soapy entered it, sat down at the table, and ate a beefsteak and an enormous apple-pie. “Now call a blue-coat, I cannot pay. I have no money”, said Soapy. “And don’t keep a gentleman waiting.”

“No blue-coats for you”, said the waiter, and seizing Soapy by the collar threw him out of the restaurant. Soapy got up and beat the dust from his clothes. He was in despair. A sudden fear seized him that some magic was keeping him from arrest and prison.

“Disorderly conduct”, was his last resort. Soapy began to yell at the top of his voice. He danced and howled like a madman. A policeman who was standing nearby turned his back to Soapy, and remarked to a passer-by: “It is one of those University lads. They are celebrating their traditional holiday. They are noisy; but they mean no harm. We have instructions to let them in peace.” Soapy stopped in despair. He buttoned his thin coat against the cold wind and the rain, and walked on.

He was just passing a cigar store, when he saw a well-dressed man entering the store and leaving his umbrella at the entrance. Soapy stepped in, took the umbrella, and slowly continued his way. The man saw him. He turned and followed hastily. “My umbrella”, he said sternly.

“Oh, is it yours?” said Soapy. “Why don’t you call a policeman? I took it. Why don’t you call a blue-coat? There stands one in the corner.”

The umbrella owner slowed his steps.

“Of course”, said he, “That is, - you know how these mistakes occur – I – if it’s your umbrella, I hope you’ll excuse me – I picked it up this morning at the restaurant – if you recognize it as yours, - I hope you’ll…”

The ex-umbrella man retreated. Soapy walked on muttering insults against the policeman who did not want to arrest him. At last he reached a street where there was a little traffic and few pedestrians. At a quiet corner he suddenly stopped. There was an old church in front of him. Though one window a soft light shone, and he heard the sweet music of the organ which made him approach the iron fence. The moon was above, cold and beautiful, and the music made Soapy suddenly remember those days when his life contained such things as mother and roses, and clean collars. Soapy listened to the music, looked at the moon and murmured to himself, “There is time yet. I will reform. I will become an honest man. I will get out of the mire. I am still young. I will be somebody in the world. I will …”

Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.

“What are you doing here?” asked the blue-coat.

“Nothing”, said Soapy.

“Then come along”, said the policeman, “Thinking of robbing the church, eh?”

“Three months imprisonment”, said the judge in the Police Court next morning.

1. Find in the text these word combinations:

Наступила зима, желания Соупи были небольшими, искать убежище, три месяца в тюрьме, он принялся за выполнение своего желания, много способов сделать это, хорошо пообедать, быть арестованным, его пиджак и галстук были приличными, поношенные брюки и ботинки, официант вытолкнул его на тротуар, он разбил стекло, терпеть неудачу, я не могу заплатить, официант выбросил его из ресторана, он услышал приятную органную музыку, я исправлюсь, думаешь ограбить церковь, тогда пойдемте.

2. Fill in the prepositions: at, for, to, upon, on, in, of.

1. The time had come for Soapy to look …. shelter.
2. He stopped ……… the window ……… a brightly lit café.
3. A cup ……. coffee and a cigar will make me happy …….. the journey …… my winter quarters.
4. The head waiter’s eye fell ……. his shabby trousers and boots.
5. He had …… think ……. another way …….. getting ………. prison.
6. Soapy sat down ……... a table and ate a beefsteak.
7. He saw a well-dressed man entering that store and leaving his umbrella …….. the entrance.
8. There stands a policeman ………. the corner.
9. There was an old church …….. front ………. him.
10. Soapy listened to the music, looked …….. the moon and murmured …….. himself.

3. Agree or disagree using:

1. I am afraid that’s wrong.
2. That’s not quite right to the text.
3. That’s quite right.
4. According to the story…
5. Soapy was one of New York workers.
6. Winter was coming, and the time had come for him to look for a hotel.
7.  Soapy’s desires were not great, six months in prison was what he wanted.
8. He was freshly shaven, his trousers and tie were shabby, but his coat and boots were decent.
9. As Soapy entered the restaurant, the head waiter’s eye fell upon his shabby trousers and boots.
10. Soapy saw a policeman and told him that he had broken the shop window.
11. At a small and cheap restaurant a waiter came up to Soapy and told him to go away.
12. The umbrella owner called a policeman and told him that Soapy had taken his umbrella.
13. He heard the sweet music of the organ and this made him go into the church.
14. Finish the sentences:
15. Soapy, a New York pickpocket felt uneasy because ……
16. He wanted to get into …….
17. The pleasantest way was to dine ……
18. Soapy was freshly shaven and his coat and tie were decent but …….
19. He threw a cobble stone at the glass and ……..
20. Soapy entered a small and cheap restaurant, sat at a table, and ……..
21. He danced and hawled like ………..  
22. The man followed him and asked ………..
23. He reached a street where ……….
24. Soapy heard the music and said ………..
25. The policeman arrested Soapy, and the next morning the judge sentenced him to ………

4. Retell the story:

as it is;

as Soapy;