Контрольная работа по английскому языку 8 класс. США.
тест по английскому языку (8 класс) на тему

Thomas Jefferson

April 13 [April 2 – old style] 1743 – July 4, 1826)

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was born in Virginia. When he was fourteen years old, his father died and the young boy was left to choose for himself what to do. He was a farmer for some time. He was also a scientist, an inventor, a philosopher and an architect. He designed his own house and some buildings in the state of Virginia. Jefferson studied literature and languages. He could speak French, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek. He also studied law. Many of Jefferson’s ideas became basic principles of the government of the United States. He wrote many of Virginia’s laws. One of the laws was to allow every child to go to school free, without paying. In those days schools in America were only for the children whose parents were rich.

Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). Its main idea was that power belonged to the people. Jefferson wanted free elections, free press, and free speech. Jefferson lived a long life.

True or false?

1. Thomas Jefferson was born in England.
2. He became the 3rd president of the USA.
3. During his life Thomas Jefferson had a lot of jobs.
4. Jefferson spoke several foreign languages.
5. Thomas Jefferson worked out some laws on school education.
6. Jefferson wanted schools only for the rich.
7. The main idea of the Declaration of Independence was that power belonged to the president.
8. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence.
9. Jefferson lived for 80 years.

№ 2

Choose the right answer

1. The USA is washed by _____ .

1. the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans
2. the Atlantic and the pacific Oceans
3. the Mississippi

2. The greatest river of North America is _____ .

1. the Missouri
2. the Colorado
3. the Mississippi

3. The main tourists’ attraction in the USA is _____ .

1. the Rocky Mountains
2. the Grand Canyon
3. the Appalachians

4. The _____ river formed the Grand Canyon over millions of years.

1. Mississippi
2. Colorado
3. Missouri

5. America is called “a melting pot” because _____ .

1. there are no old customs and traditions
2. all people who live there are called “Americans”
3. its people are a mixture of different nationalities

6. America is also called _____ .

1. the New World
2. the Old World
3. the Wild West

Reading test

 (подберите подходящий заголовок к текстам,

 выберите один из текстов и переведите его на русский язык)

1.   The United States of America stretches from the Atlantic Ocean across North America and far into the Pacific.

         Because of such a huge size of the country the climate differs from one part of the country to another. The coldest climate is in the northern part, where there is heavy snow in winter and the temperature may go down to 40 degrees below zero. The south has a subtropical climate, with temperature as high as 49 degrees in summer.

2. America was founded by Columbus in 1492.

 Columbus was mistaken in thinking he had reached India. There is still a great deal of confusion about the East and the West. As Columbus discovered, if you go west long enough you find yourself in the east and vice versa. In the New World most of the eastern half of the country is called the Middle West although it is known as the East by those who live in the Far West.

3. Americans eat a lot. They have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

       Most of Americans don’t eat at home but prefer to go to restaurants. They can choose from many kind of restaurants. There is a great number of ethnic restaurants in the United States. Italian, Chinese and Mexican food is very popular. An American institution is the fast food restaurant, which is very convenient but not very healthy.

4.        The eagle became the national emblem of the country in 1782. It has an olive branch (a symbol of peace) and arrows (a symbol of strength). You can see the eagle on the back of a dollar bill.

5. Washington  is located in the District of Columbia. The district is named in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. Many people consider Washington to be one of the most beautiful cities - in the world. There are many parks, wide streets and impressive buildings in it. In the centre of the city, there is Capitol Park, where visitors’ eyes focus on the Capitol, the home of American Congress.

6.        This monument is the symbol of American democracy. It stands on Liberty Island in New York. It is one of the first things people see when they arrive in New York by sea. This National Monument was a present from France to the USA. France gave the statue to America in 1886 as a symbol of friendship. Liberty carries the torch of freedom — in her right hand. In her left hand she is holding a tablet with the inscription «July 4, 1776» — American Independence Day.

1.  Nature of the USA
2.   Climate
3.  Discovery of America
4.  Traditional food
5.   The statue of Liberty
6.   The capital of the States
7.  American Symbols
8.  Presidents of America

Are you an expert on the USA?

1. What is the capital of the USA?

a) Ottawa             b) Washington, D.C.    c) New York

2. How many states are there in the USA?

a) 52                     b) 50                        c) 51

3. What is the American flag called?

a) Union John       b) Union Jack          c) Stars and Stripes

4. When did Christopher Columbus discover America?

a) in 1492               b) in 1592               c) in 1392

5. How often do American people choose a new President?

a) every 5 years      b) every 3 years      c) every 4 years

6. What is the most expensive part of New York?

a) Long Island        b) Manhattan          c) Staten Island

7. What colour are the taxis in New York?

a) black                  b) yellow                 c) green

8. If you go to New York, you will see ……….

a) Big Ben                b) The Capitol               c) The Empire State Building

9. The territory of  the USA is washed by?

a) the Pacific ocean         b) the Indian ocean        c) Atlantic ocean       d) Black Sea

e) Carribian Sea              f) the Gulf of Mexico

10. What is the home of the President?

a) The Capitol        b) The White House         c) the House of Representatives

11. Who was the 1st  President:

        а)Lincoln       b) Kennedy       c) Johnson        d) Washington.

12.  What states are not connected to the other states?

  а). Texas        b) Kansas         c)Alaska        d) Oregon        e)Hawai

13. What river American called “the father of waters”?

    а). Missouri           b) Colorado         c) Mississippi

14. What river formed the Grand Canyon?

а).  Missouri        b) Colorado         c) Mississippi