пробные задания для подготовки к ГИА
тест по английскому языку (9 класс)

Test 14

Глобальные проблемы современности

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. Late but true
2. Dangerous art
3. Found treasure
4. Total Control
5. Famous Russian sports model
6. Trevelling for a job
7. A very historical date
8. Changing political status

1. On Monday Barack Obama will urge a bruised America to renew itself by re-winning its founding principle of opportunity equality, in the second presidential inauguration ceremony. Addressing a crowd expected to total half the 1.8 million who made a pilgrimage to Washington for his swearing-in four years ago, Mr Obama will try to set a purposeful tone for his final four years in power. “This country’s gone through some very tough times before,” he said in a video message released by the White House in advance of the ceremony. “But we always come out on the other side.” Amid terrible unemployment, he said there was “nothing that can stop America” when its people had a “fair goal” to “get a great education, get a good job, look after their kids and get some basic security”. Mr Obama will speak on Martin Luther King Day, 50 years after the civil rights leader’s rousing address at the end of his March on Washington.
2. Britain may face a flood of Romanian and Bulgarian economic migrants as in December, work permit restrictions for Romanian and Bulgarian economic migrants end, and the European Union labour market is thrown open to them. British ministers, conscious of how wrong the last government got it over Polish immigration in 2004, are refusing to reveal their projections of how many migrants may come to the UK, although one Conservative MP has estimated it to be as high as 425,000. Unexpected or not, there is a mixed opinion.
3. In the highly anticipated interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network, disgraced US cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win all seven of his Tour de France titles. In the pre-recorded interview Oprah Winfrey asked the disgraced cyclist: “In your opinion was it humanly possible to win the Tour de France without doping, seven times in a row?” “Not in my opinion,” replied Armstrong. Wearing a blue blazer and open-neck shirt, Armstrong was direct and matter-of-fact. “I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times,” said Armstrong. He escaped a few questions and refused to implicate anyone else. “I don’t want to necessarily talk about anybody else, I made my decisions, they are my mistake and I’m sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I’m sorry for that,” he told Oprah. Either way, a story that seemed too good to be true – cancer survivor returns to win one of sport’s hardest events seven times in a row – was revealed to be just that.
4. The government of the Falklands has set a date for a referendum on the future sovereignty of the islands. On March 10, 2011 Islanders will go to vote on a simple yes or no question: “Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?” The Government of the Falkland Islands has arranged for outside observers to monitor the referendum in order to prove it is free and fair. Argentina claims British forces stole the territory from them 180 years ago and have ruled it as a colony ever since. Islanders have predicted an overwhelming vote for “yes.” The authorities in the Falklands hope the vote to send a firm message to Argentina that islanders want to remain British.
5. Doctors were battling to save the eyesight of the director of Moscow’s world famous Bolshoi Theatre following a horrific acid attack in the street outside his home. Sergei Filin was returning home from a reception to mark the 150th birthday of famed director Konstantin Stanslavsky at about 11pm on Thursday night when the attack happened. Speaking from his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Filin said he was just getting out of his car near his home when he was approached by an unknown man who shouted at him and then threw acid in his face. “I got scared and I thought he was going to shoot me,” a bandaged Mr Filin said in an interview with Russia’s REN TV. “I turned to run, but he raced ahead of me.” The 42 year-old former ballet star said his attacker was wearing a mask and scarf to cover his face.
6. Chinese PR officers have been instructed to step-up their online activities and tap into the social-media revolution to spread “positive energy” across the Internet. Beijing’s propaganda chief gave the order at a meeting on Thursday, according to a report in the Beijing News. Beijing’s “2.06 million” propaganda workers “should make more efforts in opinion guiding on hot topics”. It is said in an apparent reference to 60,000 directly employed propaganda officials and 2 million informal collaborators, likely including students and Party members. By expanding its presence on social media sites, the Communist Party would be able to “handle hot topics effectively, strengthen the online mainstream public opinion and improve the ‘ecology’ of online public opinion.” Referring to Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, propaganda officials should: ‘Browse on Weibo, set up Weibo accounts, send Weibo messages and study Weibo.’ Beijing appeared to tighten its control over the internet by announcing new regulations that, if necessary, would require users to register their real names before using the service.
7. An amateur prospector has discovered a massive gold nugget in Australia, worth an estimated AUS $300,000 (£200,000). The man, who wants to remain anonymous, located it with a metal detector in Ballarat, in the state of Victoria. It has not been revealed exactly where the nugget, which weighs 177 ounces, was found but Ron Wheaton at Ballarat Goldfields outdoor museum says it is likely there is more gold in the region. “If you research where the gold has been in the past, yes, there’s gold to be found in Ballarat,” said Mr Wheaton. Cordell Kent, owner of The Mining Exchange Gold Shop in Ballarat, who is selling the nugget on the finder’s behalf, says it was one of the most significant in his 20 years in the business.

Peter the Great

Born in Moscow, Russia on June 9, 1672, Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th

Gerard Depardieu ‘building a wooden house so he can go fishing in Russia’

Gerard Depardieu, the French actor who took Russian citizenship after a tax dispute earlier this month, has already started building himself a home in his adopted country, a top Russian film official has said. Depardieu, who has been in the centre of the heated debate on tax exiles as France’s Socialist government looks to rise tax levels for the wealthy, was attracted to Russia not for its 13 percent flat tax rate, but for the fishing, according to the official.

“Depardieu said in his letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would like to buy a little house near Moscow,” Nikolai Borodachev, director of the state film archive Gosfilmofond, said in one of his interviews on Friday. “When he saw our countryside, birch trees, ponds with wild ducks swimming on them, where you can go fishing, he decided to settle here.” The star of Cyranо de Bergerac was so taken with the Russian countryside that he bought a plot of land in Belye Stolby, a village outside Moscow, long before Vladimir Putin handed him a passport earlier this month, Borodachev said.

“Gerard chose the plot himself. And he asked me to start building a big beautiful house, which has to be made of wood,” he said. Work on the house apparently began in August. Borodachev, who claims Depardieu as a close friend, revealed that the Frenchman set his sights on Russian citizenship a full three years before the current scandal around taxes.

“Depardieu never ran from taxes, and has already paid the French treasury 145 million euros. He talked about his desire to take Russian citizenship three years ago, when there was no law on the new tax. Even then, he wanted to live in Russia,” Borodachev said.

“He likes that in Russia you can easily communicate, regardless of class or social status. He says that he has never seen such internal freedom as there is in Russia in any other country,” he added.

Belye Stolby is in some senses a natural choice for the actor. It also houses the national film archive that Boradachev presides over, and it is just 25 minutes from the city’s busiest airport – giving the former Oscar nominee plenty of opportunity to slip back into the celebrity life style he is accustomed to. But apparently the most important consideration for the actor is the fishing.

Depardieu has also been offered a house in Mordovia, a relatively poor region known mostly for its prison colonies that he visited during his inaugural trip as a Russia citizen earlier this month.

That gift from the regional government was not Depardieu's idea, and is still under discussion, according to Borodachev. But if he does take the offer, he will want to be near the water.

“If he wants to live there they will give him a little cottage outside Saransk next to a pond so he could sit with a fishing rod,” said Borodachev. “The countryside there is very beautiful.”

To cement his status as a committed citizen, Depardieu is said to be planning to release gift versions of Russian cartoons and present them to orphans and sick children. Boradachev said there is already a script for a historical drama about Catherine the Great in which Depardieu will play cossack rebel Yemelyan Pugachev.

A 7         Gerard Depardieu has already started to build a Russian house.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        According to the official Depardieu was not attracted to Russia by its tax laws.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        Depardieu has always been fond of fishing even in France.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        Depardieu asked Putin to build a house for him somewhere outside Moscow.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Depardieu made his decision to settle in Russia after admiring its wild nature.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        Depardieu has never had problems with tax laws in France before the new law.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        Depardieu wants to have another house in Mordovia.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         Depardieu is supposed to continue his filming career in Russia.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Karen.

White a letter to her and answer her 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

5 – extra

Задание А7-А14

A7 –3; A8 – 1; A9 – 3; A10 – 2; A11 – 1; A12 – 1; A13 – 1; A14 – 1

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – shown; B5 – have revealed; B6 – Canada’s; B7 – logos; B8 – has; B9 – were introduced; B10 – have been banned; B11– saying; B12 – went.

Задания В13-В18

B13 – searchers; B14 – management; B15 – western; B16 – basement; B17 – electrocutions; B18 – successive.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Karen,

It’s nice to receive another letter from you. You are right to say that the Royal family is not just a common family but a symbol, I think. All of them together make more news in the country than any other political crises. Remember the latest accident with William and his wife. Some people start their day with reading about the Royals.

As for the trip to London you are going to take everything seems very easy to arrange if you refer to any reliable tourist company. But it may be rather expensive, I mean the whole trip. You should go in summer as you will be able to enjoy the beauty of London’s parks.

See you soon,

Marcus.

Test 7

Покупки. Карманные деньги

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. COMBINE ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOPPING
2. MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM
3. SHOPPING AND SERVICES
4. FASHION FOR KIDS
5. BRITAIN’S SPECIAL OFFER
6. BEST WAYS OF SHOPPING
7. ART IN SHOPPING
8. ECO SHOPPING

1. One of London’s most high-profile eco shops, Eco Age was set up by siblings Nicola and Livia Giuggioli (Colin Firth’s wife). The shop in Chiswick stocks 1700 eco-friendly, fairly traded, recyclable and durable products including gifts, gadgets, fashion and furniture…
2. Department stores are a London speciality. From Harrods to Harvey Nichols, Selfridges to Liberty, they are located across the city, stocking everything from footwear to furnishing and clothes to caviar. Most London department stores also have cafés, restaurants or bars – perfect when you need to recharge your batteries after an extended shopping session. Some even offer you the chance to unwind with a luxurious spa or beauty treatment. You’ll also find extensive cosmetics departments as well as bridal wear in the majority of larger stores.
3. Theatre De La Mode is a dynamic fusion of paper sculpture and fashion. Theatre de la Mode has collaborated with paper sculptor Andrew MacGregor to create an exhibition of sculpture, dedicated to the jacket. Later in the week, Melanie Porter’s pop-up store will showcase the designer’s stunning new collection of unique, contemporary designed chairs. Sourcing chairs from across the UK at auctions and markets, Porter transforms these pieces of forgotten furniture into beautiful works of art. Porter undertakes everything from the restoration stage to the individual upholstery, producing a one-of-a-kind piece to treasure.
4. There are many London food markets selling specialist and organic foodstuffs.
   So whether you’re searching for unusual ingredients, or just fancy treating yourself to some home-made delicacies, take a look at some at London’s best food markets. For example, the award-winning Borough Market is one of the largest food markets in the city, spreading under the railway arches at London Bridge. It’s a gourmet’s paradise, offering top quality produce and artisan foods from all over Britain and the continent.
5. If you want your toddler to look as stylish as Suri Cruise and the Beckham boys, head to Selfridges where you can pick up your favourite designer clothes in miniature. Juicy Couture, Diesel, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein are just some of the top name brands available for little people in the famous Oxford Street store.
6. Whether you’re looking to shop, dine, stroll, be entertained or experience some unique heritage, there’s plenty of things to do in London’s Covent Garden. At the heart of Covent Garden is the market with its quirky craft stalls, boutiques and restaurants. The central piazza has a thriving café culture and is buzzing with outlandish street entertainers and fun events all day, every day.
7. London is a great place to shop for the latest fashions, even if you’re on a budget. London’s high streets are packed with fantastic shops where you can bag a cheap bargain. And if you’re after cut-price designer labels, London’s regular sales are well worth a visit. This low-budget brand is massively popular with dedicated followers of fashion. In terms of quality, you get what you pay for but it’s perfect for bargain fashion that you’re only planning to wear a couple of times. You’ll often find designer-inspired pieces appearing on the rails just weeks after their catwalk debut. Stock changes constantly, so if you see something you like, snap it up!

Interviewing Pilotto

Pilotto and his design partner Christopher De Vos have their own studio, with scrupulously ordered mood boards of digital computer-aided designs, and wide, high tables with samples spread across them.

It’s a far away from the Vyner Street cupboard room where I met them five years ago, when they represented a young label singled out by Time Out as one to watch for spring/summer 2007. Back then, half-Austrian, half-Italian Pilotto and half-Belgian, half-Peruvian De Vos had just secured a first buyer for their exquisitely printed collection – Seven, an adventurous boutique in New York. Now, the brand has more than 30 buyers including Liberty, Harvey Nichols and Colette in Paris, and counts Samantha Cameron and Michelle Obama as fans.

How have you made the transition from the tiny label of five years ago to the global brand you’re managing today?

Peter Pilotto: ‘A lot of that is thanks to the Centre for Fashion Enterprise which supports and incubates young fashion businesses. It gave us security – two years not to worry about rent. It gave us a studio, the use of the sewing machines and facilities. And, very importantly, it also gave us a lot of advice about accounting. As a young designer, you don’t consider the fact that if you sell a lot in a season, that can be the riskiest moment. It can mess you up in January when you have to pay your manufacturers but you haven’t delivered to clients yet. It can all be over if you don’t manage the moment right – that’s what the CFE is there for. Young designers just think: Great, I sold a lot. And not: ‘I’m going to have to pay people a lot of money before anyone pays me.’

You’ve always shown in London. Do you feel under pressure to go to Paris and get access to a different kind of buyer and exposure?

CDV: ‘No. Not any more. We get the buyers here. I think the buyers go to every fashion week and make up their minds while they travel. Then they like to make their orders in Paris at the end of it. Even the London stores do that.

PP: ‘We are happy in London – the support has been amazing. That’s why London Fashion Week is so incredible – because all these young designers are able to show and start a business, which would be almost impossible in Paris financially. Here, because of the CFE it’s easy. We’ve been through a struggle, but still, we’re managing.’

Do you feel like there’s a kind of uprising in British fashion at the moment?

Both: ‘Totally!’

CDV: ‘I think it’s exciting that people are now staying in London, and keeping it strong. People seem to be coming back. Also, it’s London Fashion Week, but a lot of us are from everywhere.’

Yes, I was going to ask about that. How did a label with a Belgian, Italian, Peruvian and Austrian background come to be seen as British?

PP: ‘Because we’re here – we’re a London-based label. We started it here right after I graduated.’

CDV: ‘We also manufacture a lot in London. Yes, it’s expensive; the things we make here are the expensive, technical pieces. We used to manufacture everything here but now for some of the separates we’re more careful of the cost.’

A 7         Pilotto and Christopher have made a great career for a short time.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        Pilotto and Christopher have the most famous clients in all countries in the world.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        The designers are very thankful to the CFE for all they’ve done for them.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        The designers appreciated the CFE business advice as the most important.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        First the designers were under pressure away from London fashion market.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        Pilotto and his partner think they could have started their business in Paris.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        London is becoming one of the fashion capitals again.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         The designers have a British brand as they manufacture everything in Britain.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Marty.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

6 – extra

Задание А7–А14

A7 – 1; A8 – 3; A9 – 1; A10 – 1; A11 – 1; A12 – 2; A13 – 1; A14 – 2.

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – is rewarded; B5 – houses; B6 – nineteenth; B7 – will find; B8 – are used; B9 – its; B10 – is; B11 – has been; B12 – London’s.

Задания В13–В18

B13 – hostess; B14 – directly; B15 – giving; B16 – to be impressed; B17 – diners; B18 – smoked.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Marty,

Thank you for your letter. It’s a pleasure to receive it. I agree pocket money is always not enough but you should think of it yourself. It’s your duty not your parents to support you with money. If you need more you can find some week-end or part-time job. It’ll help you not to waste your time and think of your expenses.

And do not forget about your exams. Arrange your time to be able to prepare well for each subject. I usually use the help of my sister who asks me questions so that’s the way I revise the material. I try to do my best as I do care for my results.

See you soon,

Maurice.

Test 8

Школьная жизнь. Изучаемые предметы и отношение к ним. Каникулы. Школьные обмены

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. EXAMS NEED FUNDAMENTAL REFORM
2. HISTORY OF EDUCATION
3. ENGLISH AND MATHS TO BE TAUGHT UP TO 18
4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
5. NEW SCHOOL
6. SCHOOL DAY
7. VOCATIONS MAY HELP
8. AWAY FROM SCHOOL

1. We have had a great week out of school on the Isle of Wight and I’m sure the children will have stories to tell for days to come.  They have had a pleasure to be taken away and have been complimented on numerous occasions by the school staff.  They got involved in all activities, supported each other through difficult challenges but most importantly entertained their teachers with their smiles and comments.
2. The education committee says there is evidence of boards which offer the easiest tests. Schools are said to choose exams that will make them look good in local league tables. The committee calls for exam boards to be limited in the right to set their own tests to prevent a decline in standards. It recommends a technical and regulatory fix to stop what it says is a “public loss of confidence in exams such as GCSEs and A-levels”. This includes tighter regulation of what is recognized as one of these qualifications.
3. Pupils in England who fail to achieve at least a C grade at GCSE in English and Maths will have to carry on taking the subjects to the age of 18, the government has announced. Too many teenagers who leave education without adequate skills in literacy and numeracy are not needed by employers. It will see some pupils re-taking GCSEs and others taking less demanding tests, aimed at improving basic skills. This will apply from September 2013. The changes are set out in a written ministerial statement from Education Secretary Michael Gove.
4. Class teachers are responsible for the children’s welfare and delivery of the curriculum. Work is planned jointly, in Year Teams of three teaching staff with close contact, communication and support from our teaching assistant team. During planning, Year Teams share the preparation of work, drawing on different experiences, knowledge to ensure work is relevant and well matched to meet the needs of the children.  In this way, we are able to use the strengths of a large staff team and improve the quality of learning and teaching.
5. Schools were attached to monasteries and churches to educate clerics who were the civil servants and the scholars of the time as well as monks, nuns and priests. Education had no direct control by the state, the church had been almost a monopoly of literacy and education. There were chantry schools for boys from poor families, beating was highly recommended in such schools and was an important part of education. Song schools were attached to cathedrals and almonry schools were attached to monasteries for sons of those connected with the religious house.
6. Our school starts at 8:55 with registration. At 9:10 we go to assembly. In assembly we sing songs, listen to a story and pray. Our first lesson begins at 9:20. We have break time from 10:20 until 10:35. During break time, the children have a snack and play games outdoors. Afterwards, we go back in for another lesson until lunch at 12:00. Afternoon lessons begin at 1:10 and end at 3:15, when the children go home. We do not have a break in the afternoon.
7. Camp Buckskin located at 8100 Wayzata Boulevard in Golden Valley Minnesota is one of many at risk summer camps for teens. Camp Buckskin defines their goals as having a two-fold purpose, and that is in serving as a preventive program, and secondly acts as a bridge from one school year to the other. While at camp teens are exposed to the necessary daily life to develop habits and behaviors to improve their self confidence, social skills, academics and self esteem. Through the skills acquired during the summer camp programs, students leave with a sense of accomplishment which they carry over into their new school year.

Fab Things About Woodlands

Hi, our names are Ashleigh, Rachel, Chloe and Maddie. We are all in class 3Wa.

We have lots of news from Woodlands Junior School. We hope you like reading about us, here are the top ten best things about our school.

1. At Woodlands we have raised money for many charity programmes.

2. We have a lot of fun days called Rainbow Days where we pay money to dress up in lots of different coloured clothes.

3. We are having a New Building that is progressing very well. It started on 10th of December 2005 and it is now growing steadily each day and hopefully it will be completed in a few months time.

4. We have a set of rules at Woodlands otherwise known as The Woodlands Code. These are the four Code words: Care, Consideration, Courtesy and Community.

5. Pupils and teachers have been on TV many times. We all enjoy watching ourselves on TV.

6. We have had many important visitors. The Mayor of Tonbridge is one of them.

7. Keeping Fit is important to us.

8. Our School Dinners are delicious and healthy.

9. Teddy Trousers (Teddy with really long legs) is our Head Teacher’s best friend and helps him in assemblies.

10. Every pupil has the opportunity to join after school clubs. Here they are: choir, country dancing, cross country running, judo, football, netball and computer club.

A 7         The three girls write about the main points of their school.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        Children at Woodlands pay money for new clothes.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        Children at school are expecting a new building for their needs.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        Woodlands have code words to enter the school.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Children at school like watching TV a lot.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        Woodlands are supported by the local mayor.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        The school has a lot of sports facilities.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         Schoolchildren have a chance to socialize after classes.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Susie.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

Extra – 5

Задание А7–А14

A7 – 2; A8 – 2; A9 – 1; A10 – 2; A11 – 3; A12 – 3; A13 – 1; A14 – 1.

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – started; B5 – were placed; B6 – had been abolished; B7 – has turned; B8 – fixed: B9 – is now streamed; B10 – to come; B11 – to house; B12 – Fighting.

Задания В13–В18

B13 – children; B14 – traditionally; B15 – shared; B16 – effective; B17 – irresistible; B18 – librarians.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Susie,

I see you were really impressed by your exams. I hope the grades’re all right otherwise you’ll never raise such a topic in your latest letter. Frankly speaking I’m against abolishing the system of exam testing as it’s not the main reason for the total loss of interest in education. Children’re less creative as they’re less paid attention to by parents who work all the time.

        Your sister’s wedding’s much better to discuss. I’m already thinking about the dress myself. I think we both should find something of the same style not to look funny. As for the present you may choose some jewellery. But don’t forget to invite Marty. I really want to see him.

See you soon,

Maurice.

Test 10

Проблемы выбора профессии и роль иностранного языка

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. BAD EXPERIENCE AT EARLY AGE
2. ANOTHER CHANCE
3. CONSTANT TRAINING
4. ANOTHER POINT TO LEARN BEFORE GRADUATION
5. MAKE ANOTHER CHOICE
6. TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE
7. CREATIVE JOB HUNTING
8. ASSESS YOURSELF

1. I’m Jason Boylan and I’ve been in the workforce for about 14 years. I was laid off from the auto sector and now I’m in the Second Career program. When I was fired, I felt like I was a little bit lost and scared to make a step in my life. I heard about the Second Career program at the assessment centre in our local community. I chose Culinary Management because there are a lot of jobs created from the culinary department. After graduating from Fleming College, I have a long term goal to either owning my own restaurant or becoming an executive chef somewhere - which has always been a dream of mine to do. The Second Career program has made it very comfortable for me to go to that next step.
2. Before you can make a career choice you have to learn about yourself. Your values, interests and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers especially suitable for you and some particularly unsuitable. You can use career tests, to generate a list of occupations that are deemed appropriate. Some people choose to have career counselors or other career development professionals check these tests but many try to use free career tests that are available on the Web.
3. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes articles in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Each article contains information regarding the nature of the work, working conditions, employment outlook, education and training, and earnings for that occupation. A solid educational foundation is important, although, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, it is not as important as experience especially in such professions as actors. However, even actors with well established careers polish their skills in acting classes with other professionals. Dancers spend many hours in training as do musicians.
4. A survey by the TUC found that employees in small businesses are more satisfied at work. They were also found to be the most committed and loyal to their organisations. They also felt most engaged by their employer and had the most freedom to choose their working patterns. There were far fewer reports of bullying, lower stress levels and fewer complaints about long working hours. The Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses said ‘In terms of the way they treat their staff, small businesses consistently out perform their bigger competitors. Small business owners know that the greatest asset is their staff and they are more likely to treat them as individuals and recognize their needs. By having a committed and loyal workforce the smallest business has a bigger advantage.
5. I have enjoyed learning how to sell myself, tapping into my skills, I previously was unaware, were so important to future employers. Also, developing a greater understanding of what the employers want to see and hear on a CV and during an interview has given me confidence. I feel that the relaxed nature of this course to do assignments and quizzes at your own leisure makes this module very appealing as both a learning process and personal development. I also like the idea that anyone can do it alongside their degree, even in final year when employment possibilities really are at the forefront of our minds.
6. A graduate had been trying to get into investment banking, but without success and had exhausted all the normal routes. As a last resort, he had 100 postcard-sized CVs printed. He then went round the “Square Mile” in the City, where all the main financial organizations in London are located and proceeded to place one of these CVs under the windscreen of every Rolls Royce and top of the range BMW and Mercedes he came across. Next day, he had several phone calls offering him interviews from the senior executives whom the cars belonged to. Note that we are not advocating this approach: one graduate jobseeker put up 200 poster sized CVs around Hull and ended up being fined for bill posting!
7. As you begin the journey of choosing a career, you may be surprised to discover the ill effects of negative childhood experiences coloring your decision-making process. Tragic situations during childhood, such as extreme poverty, death, and other traumatic events affect individuals at the chemical level, strongly influencing their overall health and their choices as adults. They may believe their options are limited to careers that have no prestige or that they will be stuck in the same career forever, according to the Career Development Center. Young adults who are at the effect of traumatic childhood life events may believe they are not allowed to fail and, if they do, there is no chance of succeeding in another career.

Second Career

Jeff Statham: This is my car that I’ve had for years now, made in Canada. I worked in the automotive industry for about the last 12 or 13 years, a plant in Whitby. We produced the seats for the cars built here in Oshawa. Continuous layoffs - and eventually I got hit by them - and now I’m here. I’m currently in the Second Careers program here at Durham College. I’m in the law and security administration program and my ultimate goal is to become a police officer. It’s been great. I love the program.

Ted Dionne (Instructor, Durham College): It gives someone like Jeff an opportunity to do something that he may have wanted to do. He probably had it in the back of his mind that he wanted to do something different visualizing what you want to do in the future …

Jeff Statham: I’ve wanted to go back to school for years but with shifts it’s hard to do. Money is not always there to do it so this Second Careers covers my schooling and it’s a perfect opportunity for me.

Jeanette Barrett (Second Career rep): The Second Career provides financial support to go back to school to do up to a 2-year program. Our Second Career advisor keeps in touch with them.

Jeff Statham: I’ve never really had report cards at work worthy of putting on the fridge, but at the end of my first semester I ended up on the dean’s list, so now my mother finally has a report card on her fridge.

John Milloy (Minister of Training, Colleges & Universities): For workers like Jeff, Second Career is ideal. We have a network of service providers throughout the province called Employment Ontario and they serve as an entry point for anyone who is looking for a job in the province. We work with them to find the best course of action.

Jeff Statham: We have two kids at home that we have to make sure get their homework done, so I’ll make sure I’ll get my homework done as well. Just being in school now I feel a hundred times better, so I’m really looking forward to whatever the future holds.

A 7         Jeff Statham has lost his job in the car industry.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        Jeff Statham has been studying to get a new profession.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        Jeff Statham finds the Second Career program difficult to cope with.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        The Second Career program gives a chance to take up a profession of a dream.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Jeff Statham wanted to work at school.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        Jeff Statham can only cover the schooling program in the Second Career.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        One should have a financial support from his company to do in the Second Career.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         Jeff Statham has tuned out to be an A student.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Patricia.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

5 – extra

Задание А7–А14

A7 – 1; A8 – 1; A9 – 3; A10 – 1; A11 – 2; A12 – 2; A13 – 2; A14 – 3.

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – to have; B5 – bachelor’s; B6 – need; B7 – related; B8 – is required; B9 – training; B10 – want; B11 – faster; B12 – their.

Задания В13–В18

B13 – advertising; B14 – directors; B15 – advertisement; B16 – really; B17 – creative; B18 – position.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Patricia,

Thank you for writing to me. I am always glad to know the latest news. I think your mom is right to see the advantage of knowing foreign languages for your future career. You may easily find a job in some foreign company or work abroad if necessary.

I am really surprised that you want to change the color of your walls. If I had such a choice I would take some pastel paints to create a peaceful atmosphere in the room. I don’t think it’s a good idea to paint the walls by yourself. It’s too difficult. But it’s up to you to choose it.

See you soon,

Maurice.

Test 11

Страна/страны изучаемого языка и родная страна.

Географическое положение, климат, население, города и сёла, достопримечательности

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. BAD WEATHER WARNINGS
2. CALCULATING WEATHER
3. SPORTS WEATHER
4. NEW INFORMATION FROM SPACE
5. THE NAVY SERVES THE WEATHER
6. THE POWER OF WEATHER
7. WEATHER PREVENTS NEW RECORDS
8. SPEEDY WINDS

1. The Met Office and the Environment Agency are warning the public to be prepared for possible travel difficulties as many areas see 20–40 mm of rain and some areas see up to 80 mm falling by the end of Monday. Steve Willington, Met Office Chief Forecaster said: “A deep area of low pressure is moving North from the Bay of Biscay and will bring a very unsettled kind of weather to all parts of the UK this week. The public should keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings for their area on our website and with forecasts on TV and radio. Everyone should be prepared for the effects of heavy rain and strong winds as they combine to bring the potential for travel problems and localized flooding over the next few days.”
2. Metop-B was launched by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, yesterday and once in orbit will collect critical data for weather forecasters, such as the Met Office. Along with its partner satellite Metop-A, it will orbit the Earth from pole to pole at an altitude of around 800 km, taking measurements including temperature, humidity and cloud properties, as well as snow and ice cover, sea surface temperature and land vegetation. EUMETSAT will take over control of the Metop-B satellite from the European Space Operations Centre on 20 September 2012, and will spend around six months checking the performance of the satellite in orbit and validating all data taken from its observations. Once this is completed the Metop-B satellite will be declared operational.
3. The Royal Navy submarines are to play a potentially important role helping map the effects of climate change deep under water in the world’s coldest environment. Very little is currently known about the areas of water beneath the ice of the Arctic as sensors for long-term monitoring are difficult to place. However, submarines, including those based at Devonport, routinely travel through these remote areas and now the information that crews gather will be made available to scientists. Tim Clarke, a marine scientist at the Ministry of Defence’s Science and Technology Laboratory, said it would make a big difference. “What this represents is the availability of important scientific data, previously inaccessible, which can only move the study forward,” he said.
4. One of the most famous climbers of all time, Apa Sherpa, who has conquered Everest a record 21 times, says he may not be able to do it again. Why? Because climate change is making the world’s highest and most dangerous peak unclimbable. Apa, popularly known as the ‘Super Sherpa,’ who first conquered Everest in 1989, told AFP that the absence of snow on the mountain concerns him greatly. He said:  ‘In 1989 when I first climbed Everest there was a lot of snow and ice but now most of it has just become bare rock. That, as a result, is causing more rockfalls which is a danger to the climbers’. 
5.  A major winter storm brought very strong winds across much of the UK on 3d of January, 2012. The worst affected area was southern Scotland. In this area, this storm was judged as the most severe for 13 years – since 26th of December, 1998, with wind speeds exceeding those of the recent storm of 8th of December, 2011. Very strong winds were also experienced across much of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This storm was followed by a further extremely windy period from 4th to 5th of January, 2012 – with further damaging winds across northern and eastern England. These storms followed a particularly turbulent time of weather from late November to mid-December.
6. The idea of creating a weather forecast using dynamic equations was first put forward by English mathematician, Lewis Fry Richardson, in 1922. He realized the dynamics of the atmosphere could be modelled by doing thousands of equations, thus being able to predict the weather. In a pre-computer age, however, the only way to apply his numerical method was by hand. He estimated it would take 64,000 people to perform the calculations needed to make a forecast in time for it to be useful. While this wasn’t practical, Richardson’s theory formed the basis for weather forecasting as technology improved.
7. The weather can have a huge impact on sports – from cycling to surfing, cricket to beach volleyball. As the UK’s national weather service, we’re always there when it matters, applying our science so that people can make the most of the weather. Many sports are affected by the weather in some way and conditions are important to athletes and spectators alike. Sometimes the impact of weather on sport is clear for all to see. It can help or hinder - headwinds make running and cycling harder, while tailwinds help push us forward. Some world records are invalid if set under certain conditions. Most of those participating in indoor sports like squash or badminton aren’t too worried, but for sports like hockey or windsurfing, the weather is central to the entire event.

Tube Map Used to Plot Londoners’ Life Expectancy

A version of the Tube map has been produced to show how life expectancy varies from station to station. The contrast it depicts between Tube stops is severe, with the variation in life expectancies of children born near stations only minutes apart being years different. The map - called Lives on the Line - was created by University College London by researcher Dr James Cheshire and shows some surprising results. For example, it shows there is a 20-year difference in life expectancy between those born near Oxford Circus and others born close to some stations on the Docklands Light Railway.

Newborns around Star Lane are predicted to live, on average, for 75.3 years in contrast to 96.4 years for those near Oxford Circus. There is a six-year difference between Pimlico and Vauxhall – both the stations on the Victoria line, but on the opposite sides of the River Thames. In 2008, the London Health Observatory showed that if travelling East on the Tube from Westminster, every two Tube stops represented more than a year of life expectancy lost. This work inspired Dr Cheshire’s latest research, which uses data based on government statistics showing life expectancy at birth for those living around the stations.

“I wondered if different patterns emerged across the Tube network,” he said. He said he chose to use the Tube map as “it’s famous the world over and something most Londoners can relate to”. Dr Cheshire said the map showed that “if you’re poor as a child, your diet may be poor and sadly it can follow you for the rest of your life”.

Other differences depicted on the map are no less striking. For example, if you travel eastbound between Lancaster Gate and Mile End – 20 minutes on the Central line – life expectancy decreases by 12 years.

But not all the Tube lines show a trend depending on which direction you travel. “London is a city that’s very diverse and one of its great characteristics is that rich and poor people live side by side,” Dr Cheshire said.

A 7         Dr James Cheshire made a new map of the London Tube.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        Lives on the Line is a new novel by Dr James Cheshire about the London Tube.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        People are predicted to live different number of years on the opposite sides of the  River Thames.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        Dr Cheshire’s latest research was supported by the government.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Diet is an important factor which has a great influence on life expectancy.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        Dr Cheshire used the map of the London Tube as it is very reliable for Londoners.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        Life expectancy may fall from station to station up to twelve years.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         London is a combination of the rich and the poor.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Patricia.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

6 – extra

Задание А7–А14

A7 – 2; A8 – 2; A9 – 1; A10 – 3; A11 – 1; A12 – 1; A13 – 1; A14 – 1.

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – has taken; B5 – its; B6 – fifth; B7 – Manchester’s; B8 – coming; B9 – taken; B10 – biggest; B11 – to live; B12 – travelling.

Задания В13-В18

B13 – proportion; B14 – buildings; B15 – Environmental; B16 – mistaken; B17 – inordinate; B18 – ahead.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Patel,

It’s nice to receive another letter from you. I also like geography but I don’t think I’d like to take it as my future career. I know you are fond of travelling but it’s not quite all connected with that kind of job. You should think over all the advantages and disadvantages of your future job and what professional education you are to get for it.

As for the cycle I strongly recommend you to buy some of the latest make as you will be able to use all the facilities of the new gadgets for cycles. I am not sure of the make myself so you’d better speak with the consultant in you sports shop.

See you soon,

Carl

Test 14

Технический прогресс

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. NO LONGER FIRST
2. NEW MACHINE OF ITS OWN
3. DO NOT WORRY, JUST WAIT
4. UNSATISFIED POLITICIANS
5. FOR COMPETITION NOT FOR CUSTOMERS
6. DO YOU REALLY NEED AN EMPLOYMENT?
7. ON-LINE AND PRIVATE

8. A FREE LETTER MORNING

1. Apple should be a lot more worried about its latest bug than it appears to be. Scheduling the Do Not Disturb function in iOS has been broken since New Year’s Day and as with any error from Apple, it’s got plenty of press. The bug, caused by the way the underlying operating system handles the change in year, will fix itself by January 7 but the inconvenience is a sign post to something bigger. This isn’t the first time iOS has suffered from date-related bugs. In November 2010, iOS 4 got confused by the switch to Daylight-saving time, left alarms unadjusted and caused users to oversleep. Then in January 2011, iOS 5 suffered from a bug where non-repeating alarms set before the New Year failed to ring. Apple’s response then was the same as to the Do Not Disturb issue now – wait and it will fix itself. When something goes wrong with an Apple product, the company’s tone is often one of weary surprise that anyone is bothered, as if faults are just features you haven’t noticed before.
2. Many people have felt the awful sensation of something they thought was private on a social networking site going public. Facebook’s privacy settings are pretty secret, and frequently shift without notice. When you try to set things below the absolute maximum, it becomes difficult to work what is or isn’t private. Can friends see it? Can friends of friends see it? What I may have wanted to share as a 19-year-old student I may not want to have seen as a 24-year-old user. Without extreme, painstaking attention, it’s very hard for long term users to clean their old potentially embarrassing posts; indeed, the recent flap about private messages being shown online publicly was all traceable to old but very private posts that older users couldn’t believe they had shared openly five or six years ago.
3. The Government’s attempts to computerise the chaotic Job Centre system have taken a turn today, with the announcement that in future it will use online cookies to follow job seekers around the Internet, and make sure they are actually looking for jobs. The Job Centres will know how many searches you’ve done on the government jobs website, and if you’ve turned down any good opportunities. You can turn off the cookies, but that takes away low-skilled jobs, making it even harder for people to get out of being unemployed.
4. Vodafone subscribers were unable to send and receive emails or access the web on Friday morning following a technical fault. The outage lasted for part of the morning with Vodafone customers taking to Twitter to complain about the problem. A BlackBerry spokesman said that the problem was with Vodafone. “All BlackBerry services are operating normally but we are aware that a wider Vodafone service issue is impacting some of our BlackBerry customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa. We are supporting Vodafone’s efforts to resolve the issue as soon as possible.” Vodafone said the outage was caused by a router error and that services were being restored.
5. Apple could launch a cheaper version of the iPhone later this year, according to reports. A cheaper iPhone has been rumoured for years but, according to reports, Apple could launch the device later this year. The cheaper handset could be similar to the current model but with a cheaper, less expensive body, the Wall Street Journal reports. Apple is considering an iPhone with a polycarbonate plastic case, which would be cheaper to make than the glass iPhone 4 and 4S or the aluminium iPhone 5. The paper says Apple might still decide not to launch the device but that a cheaper iPhone is needed to help the company compete with cheap smartphones running Google’s Android operating system.
6. The world’s biggest technology companies come to Las Vegas every year hoping the products they launch will become international hits. The Japanese giants that used to dominate the industry are now rarely jackpot winners at the international Consumer Electronics Show. In an industry increasingly dominated by Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft – Sony, Sharp and Panasonic have all unveiled more misses than hits. As a consequence they are between them battling losses that will top £12bn this financial year alone. Sony hopes that its waterproof, and class-leading, mobile phone will help it turn the corner. Sharp, if it survives its admitted “material doubt” that it can service its debts, thinks big TV screens are the way forward.
7. In the land of the coffee maker, the pod is the king. Led by Nespresso and George Clooney, millions of pounds is being spent on machines that meld the convenience of quality coffee in pods with our unending love of coffee. Yet Starbucks, the chain that support that fascination, has not had a machine of its own. Until now. The Verismo 580 is a £149 machine, putting it squarely in the mid-range. Cheaper models are available, but the build quality needed to maintain the required pressure for decent coffee means this is the sort of price where good quality becomes an expectation. Indeed, with some of the excellent Nespresso machines from companies such as Magimix available for less, the Verismo ought to be fantastic. Sadly, it’s not. On the plus side, it heats up water in just 15 seconds, and is quickly ready to use.

Peter the Great

Born in Moscow, Russia on June 9, 1672, Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th

Stop talking rubbish about 3D printing

Pick up any technology magazine, and you’ll find sentimental articles about how the world is going to be completely transformed by 3D printing – everyone from Wired to the Economist has speculated on changes to society that 3D printing will bring. The ability to turn objects into data – to copy physical things – has led many people to predict an attack of 3D piracy. It has been written a lot about the criminal possibilities connected with the machines. Yesterday, the founder of Makerbot came out to say his product will “fuel the next industrial revolution”.

Having talked to a bunch of manufacturing engineers, I’m not so sure. All the enthusiasm for the “revolution” seems to come from journalist observers of the 3D printing scene, the companies offering the “revolutionary technology”, and a handful of Lefty academics thrilled by the idea of abolishing property. People actually involved in manufacturing are not so sure that it’s magic. Let’s take a British example.

There was a huge internet furore a few months back when Games Workshop, a British toy soldier manufacturer, felt it had been the world’s first victim of digital piracy, and issued a takedown notice on a 3D printing pattern for a vehicle similar to one from its Warhammer 40,000 game. A huge wave of copying, a minefield of intellectual property issues, was predicted.

In actual fact, very little of that has happened.

Patterns for model soldiers exist on file-sharing sites like the Pirate Bay. However, the economics just don’t support pirating on that scale. Unlike, say, pirating music, where the act of listening is free, printing out models costs money. A box of model soldiers goes for about £20 online, about £25 in the shops – but the plastic to print them out at home currently costs around £35, and the most common printer – the Makerbot – costs about £2,000. So an epidemic of piracy seems unlikely. Printing is also a fairly exacting process – it takes time, effort, and often you get a pile of goo at the bottom of your machine rather than the thing you wanted. Widespread physical copying won’t happen, in the same way that photocopiers didn’t lead to an epidemic of photocopying books.

The technology just isn’t there yet – even successful prints create models that look like they’ve been left on a radiator for a few hours. And if it’s not good enough for model soldiers, it’s certainly not good enough for things with complex moving parts. One engineer told me: “You have to appreciate how expensive and how specialised most factory tooling is. You can run a 3D Printer for six months and never make the same item twice.”

He thought it would be 10 to 15 years before printers able to create factory-quality products would appear, and those ones able to do in metal would probably never make it into the home. He did, however, confidently predict being able to print out parts for his BMW on the factory level ones in a few years’ time, but pointed out that those machines weren’t going to drop below a million pounds a piece any time soon, and that even if they did, the materials to make the parts at the right tolerance for a car were incredibly expensive to buy.

None of the current methods of home 3D printing – the thermal fusing of plastic filaments, using UV light to cut polymer resin, depositing glue to bind resin powder, cutting and laminating paper, or even using a laser beam to fuse metal particles – are even close to reaching the standards a machine would require. It’s all very well to upload weapon parts to the internet, but without the means to do metal you’ve printed yourself a cool accessory for your Halloween gangster costume – and if you’re stupid enough to press the trigger, it’s more likely to take your arm off than actually fire a bullet.

It strikes me that 3D printing is the microwave of manufacturing. If you look back at newspapers from the 1970s, people predicted that microwaves would be the only device in a kitchen, and that every dish would be microwaved. That never came to pass. Like microwaves, 3D printing will be important, but this isn’t the industrial revolution that techno-libertarians would have you believe.

A 7         It seems 3D printing has been spoken and argued a lot about in the press.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        According to the founder of Makerbot 3D printing will make copying physical things possible.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        The revolutionary technology of the 3D printing will take place in the 21st century.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        3D printing will definitely encourage pirating objects.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        The quality of 3D copied objects is rather doubtful.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        It will take a quarter of a century to make 3D printing successful.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        3D printing is technologically so difficult that it will never come home.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         3D is comparable to microwaving in its history and development.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Fillip.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

4 – extra

Задание А7–А14

A7 – 1; A8 – 1; A9 – 3; A10 – 2; A11 – 1; A12 – 1; A13 – 1; A14 –1.

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – fourth; B5 – more; B6 – had failed; B7 – was; B8 – is fully installed; B9 – counting; B10 – its; B11 – to stimulate; B12 – more secure.

Задания В13–В18

B13 – customers; B14 – chosen; B15 – storage; B16 – import; B17 – Amazon’s; B18 – automatically.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Fillip,

I am writing to your previous letter about the iPhone. I guess everyone really wants to have one as it is very convenient. You may do a lot using an iPhone but on the other hand it is extremely expensive especially for a teen. Not everyone can afford it that’s why everyone wants it.

As for the book you are asking about, I can say that there is a wide choice in any e-library where you can easily download it from. I’ll send you one of the references. There is a list of classical and modern e-books. You’ll see yourself which one to take.

See you soon,

Gloria.

Test 14

Глобальные проблемы современности

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. Late but true
2. Dangerous art
3. Found treasure
4. Total Control
5. Famous Russian sports model
6. Trevelling for a job
7. A very historical date
8. Changing political status

1. On Monday Barack Obama will urge a bruised America to renew itself by re-winning its founding principle of opportunity equality, in the second presidential inauguration ceremony. Addressing a crowd expected to total half the 1.8 million who made a pilgrimage to Washington for his swearing-in four years ago, Mr Obama will try to set a purposeful tone for his final four years in power. “This country’s gone through some very tough times before,” he said in a video message released by the White House in advance of the ceremony. “But we always come out on the other side.” Amid terrible unemployment, he said there was “nothing that can stop America” when its people had a “fair goal” to “get a great education, get a good job, look after their kids and get some basic security”. Mr Obama will speak on Martin Luther King Day, 50 years after the civil rights leader’s rousing address at the end of his March on Washington.
2. Britain may face a flood of Romanian and Bulgarian economic migrants as in December, work permit restrictions for Romanian and Bulgarian economic migrants end, and the European Union labour market is thrown open to them. British ministers, conscious of how wrong the last government got it over Polish immigration in 2004, are refusing to reveal their projections of how many migrants may come to the UK, although one Conservative MP has estimated it to be as high as 425,000. Unexpected or not, there is a mixed opinion.
3. In the highly anticipated interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network, disgraced US cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win all seven of his Tour de France titles. In the pre-recorded interview Oprah Winfrey asked the disgraced cyclist: “In your opinion was it humanly possible to win the Tour de France without doping, seven times in a row?” “Not in my opinion,” replied Armstrong. Wearing a blue blazer and open-neck shirt, Armstrong was direct and matter-of-fact. “I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times,” said Armstrong. He escaped a few questions and refused to implicate anyone else. “I don’t want to necessarily talk about anybody else, I made my decisions, they are my mistake and I’m sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I’m sorry for that,” he told Oprah. Either way, a story that seemed too good to be true – cancer survivor returns to win one of sport’s hardest events seven times in a row – was revealed to be just that.
4. The government of the Falklands has set a date for a referendum on the future sovereignty of the islands. On March 10, 2011 Islanders will go to vote on a simple yes or no question: “Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?” The Government of the Falkland Islands has arranged for outside observers to monitor the referendum in order to prove it is free and fair. Argentina claims British forces stole the territory from them 180 years ago and have ruled it as a colony ever since. Islanders have predicted an overwhelming vote for “yes.” The authorities in the Falklands hope the vote to send a firm message to Argentina that islanders want to remain British.
5. Doctors were battling to save the eyesight of the director of Moscow’s world famous Bolshoi Theatre following a horrific acid attack in the street outside his home. Sergei Filin was returning home from a reception to mark the 150th birthday of famed director Konstantin Stanslavsky at about 11pm on Thursday night when the attack happened. Speaking from his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Filin said he was just getting out of his car near his home when he was approached by an unknown man who shouted at him and then threw acid in his face. “I got scared and I thought he was going to shoot me,” a bandaged Mr Filin said in an interview with Russia’s REN TV. “I turned to run, but he raced ahead of me.” The 42 year-old former ballet star said his attacker was wearing a mask and scarf to cover his face.
6. Chinese PR officers have been instructed to step-up their online activities and tap into the social-media revolution to spread “positive energy” across the Internet. Beijing’s propaganda chief gave the order at a meeting on Thursday, according to a report in the Beijing News. Beijing’s “2.06 million” propaganda workers “should make more efforts in opinion guiding on hot topics”. It is said in an apparent reference to 60,000 directly employed propaganda officials and 2 million informal collaborators, likely including students and Party members. By expanding its presence on social media sites, the Communist Party would be able to “handle hot topics effectively, strengthen the online mainstream public opinion and improve the ‘ecology’ of online public opinion.” Referring to Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, propaganda officials should: ‘Browse on Weibo, set up Weibo accounts, send Weibo messages and study Weibo.’ Beijing appeared to tighten its control over the internet by announcing new regulations that, if necessary, would require users to register their real names before using the service.
7. An amateur prospector has discovered a massive gold nugget in Australia, worth an estimated AUS $300,000 (£200,000). The man, who wants to remain anonymous, located it with a metal detector in Ballarat, in the state of Victoria. It has not been revealed exactly where the nugget, which weighs 177 ounces, was found but Ron Wheaton at Ballarat Goldfields outdoor museum says it is likely there is more gold in the region. “If you research where the gold has been in the past, yes, there’s gold to be found in Ballarat,” said Mr Wheaton. Cordell Kent, owner of The Mining Exchange Gold Shop in Ballarat, who is selling the nugget on the finder’s behalf, says it was one of the most significant in his 20 years in the business.

Peter the Great

Born in Moscow, Russia on June 9, 1672, Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th

Gerard Depardieu ‘building a wooden house so he can go fishing in Russia’

Gerard Depardieu, the French actor who took Russian citizenship after a tax dispute earlier this month, has already started building himself a home in his adopted country, a top Russian film official has said. Depardieu, who has been in the centre of the heated debate on tax exiles as France’s Socialist government looks to rise tax levels for the wealthy, was attracted to Russia not for its 13 percent flat tax rate, but for the fishing, according to the official.

“Depardieu said in his letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would like to buy a little house near Moscow,” Nikolai Borodachev, director of the state film archive Gosfilmofond, said in one of his interviews on Friday. “When he saw our countryside, birch trees, ponds with wild ducks swimming on them, where you can go fishing, he decided to settle here.” The star of Cyranо de Bergerac was so taken with the Russian countryside that he bought a plot of land in Belye Stolby, a village outside Moscow, long before Vladimir Putin handed him a passport earlier this month, Borodachev said.

“Gerard chose the plot himself. And he asked me to start building a big beautiful house, which has to be made of wood,” he said. Work on the house apparently began in August. Borodachev, who claims Depardieu as a close friend, revealed that the Frenchman set his sights on Russian citizenship a full three years before the current scandal around taxes.

“Depardieu never ran from taxes, and has already paid the French treasury 145 million euros. He talked about his desire to take Russian citizenship three years ago, when there was no law on the new tax. Even then, he wanted to live in Russia,” Borodachev said.

“He likes that in Russia you can easily communicate, regardless of class or social status. He says that he has never seen such internal freedom as there is in Russia in any other country,” he added.

Belye Stolby is in some senses a natural choice for the actor. It also houses the national film archive that Boradachev presides over, and it is just 25 minutes from the city’s busiest airport – giving the former Oscar nominee plenty of opportunity to slip back into the celebrity life style he is accustomed to. But apparently the most important consideration for the actor is the fishing.

Depardieu has also been offered a house in Mordovia, a relatively poor region known mostly for its prison colonies that he visited during his inaugural trip as a Russia citizen earlier this month.

That gift from the regional government was not Depardieu's idea, and is still under discussion, according to Borodachev. But if he does take the offer, he will want to be near the water.

“If he wants to live there they will give him a little cottage outside Saransk next to a pond so he could sit with a fishing rod,” said Borodachev. “The countryside there is very beautiful.”

To cement his status as a committed citizen, Depardieu is said to be planning to release gift versions of Russian cartoons and present them to orphans and sick children. Boradachev said there is already a script for a historical drama about Catherine the Great in which Depardieu will play cossack rebel Yemelyan Pugachev.

A 7         Gerard Depardieu has already started to build a Russian house.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        According to the official Depardieu was not attracted to Russia by its tax laws.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        Depardieu has always been fond of fishing even in France.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        Depardieu asked Putin to build a house for him somewhere outside Moscow.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Depardieu made his decision to settle in Russia after admiring its wild nature.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        Depardieu has never had problems with tax laws in France before the new law.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        Depardieu wants to have another house in Mordovia.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         Depardieu is supposed to continue his filming career in Russia.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Karen.

White a letter to her and answer her 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

5 – extra

Задание А7-А14

A7 –3; A8 – 1; A9 – 3; A10 – 2; A11 – 1; A12 – 1; A13 – 1; A14 – 1

Раздел 3

Задание В4–В12

B4 – shown; B5 – have revealed; B6 – Canada’s; B7 – logos; B8 – has; B9 – were introduced; B10 – have been banned; B11– saying; B12 – went.

Задания В13-В18

B13 – searchers; B14 – management; B15 – western; B16 – basement; B17 – electrocutions; B18 – successive.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Dear Karen,

It’s nice to receive another letter from you. You are right to say that the Royal family is not just a common family but a symbol, I think. All of them together make more news in the country than any other political crises. Remember the latest accident with William and his wife. Some people start their day with reading about the Royals.

As for the trip to London you are going to take everything seems very easy to arrange if you refer to any reliable tourist company. But it may be rather expensive, I mean the whole trip. You should go in summer as you will be able to enjoy the beauty of London’s parks.

See you soon,

Marcus.

Test 15

Здоровый образ жизни

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. TRACK OF YOUR OWN STEPS
2. DANGEROUS SPORTS
3. SPACE SPORTS
4. HOW TO LIVE LONGER
5. RIGHT TIME FOR SPORTS
6. NO FAST FOOD
7. DRINK MORE
8. QUICK SKATER LEGS

A. The effect of exercise on sleep according to a study published in the February 1997 issue of “Sleep,” exercise enhanced the sleep quality of the older adult participants. Specifically, aerobic exercise can aid sleep by helping you doze off faster and sleep better. But another study, published in the June 2009 “Journal of Sleep and Sleep Disorders Research,” found that sleep didn’t improve with increased exercise. Workouts stimulate you and your metabolism, so avoid exercise right before bed. Consider body temperature as well. A cool body temperature helps to encourage sleep, so allow for a cool-down period well before bedtime. Late afternoon exercise is optimal.

B. Speed skating requires strength, precision, power and quickness. While some sports such as long-distance running require slow, steady muscle contraction, speed skating involves high-speed contractions that are considered explosive or power moves. To get speed skater legs, the Pittsburgh Speed Skating Club recommends a training program including power moves such as bounce jumps, broad jumps and jump thrust squats.

C. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that healthy adults get 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. By taking 10,000 steps every day, you can reach this level of activity. A pedometer is an excellent way to track your steps. It also helps establish a baseline for your normal activity level so you know how much more activity you need.

D. Once dieters decide to change their eating habits for weight loss purposes, many focus on solid foods alone. However, the amount of calories you ingest from drinks like soda, fruit juice and alcohol may be the true culprit for excess fat storage. Making simple changes to your beverage consumption habits may be the ticket to losing unwanted body fat. Good old-fashioned water is one of the best drinks to help you lose body fat. Not only is it usually free and helps cleanse toxins out of your body, but it may also help to boost your metabolism. You should drink at least six to eight glasses a day. Try adding a splash of lemon or lime to give it a zesty flavor.

E. Astronauts must maintain their physical fitness levels while they work aboard the International Space Station. Exterior equipment maintenance and repair may require energy-sapping spacewalks; astronauts must also be prepared to execute physically taxing emergency landing operations aboard their transport vehicles. At the same time, astronauts lose bone and muscle mass while they live in a gravity-free environment. A well-structured exercise program provides the astronauts with the best chance to maintain physical readiness.

F. A 2007 study in the “Journal of the American Medical Assosciation” found that people who exercise regularly live longer due to a number of factors. According to Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, head of the department of kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, individuals who are middle-aged have an average muscle mass loss of approximately 1 percent per year. Strength training offsets this muscle loss later in life, translating to fewer falls, which is among the leading causes of death in the elderly. A 2009 study in the “American Journal of Neuroradiology” found that older individuals who exercise at least 180 minutes per week for 10 consecutive years also have brain blood vessel activity similar to that of younger individuals, providing neurologic longevity.

G. On your journey to health and well-being, there may come a point when you cannot exercise. For example, you may need a workout break or suffer an illness or injury. Fortunately, while you are recoverring, you can stay fit by avoiding the consumption of bad foods, like donuts and cheeseburgers. While this may sound easy, fast food restaurants are located on every corner and avoiding unhealthy foods is a challenge. However, not eating bad foods may help keep you in shape until you can hit that treadmill again.

Peter the Great

Born in Moscow, Russia on June 9, 1672, Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th

My Toughest Workout: Olympic Triple Jumper Christian Taylor

Though he’s also a top competitor in the long jump and 400-meter relay, Christian Taylor narrowed his goals. Now he wants to beat the world record in the triple jump.
“The coach says it’s better to exceed in one than to be average in several,” he says.

Taylor’s personal best, 17.96, won him gold at the World Championships in South Korea in 2011. Finally, he’s looking to top the world record, set by Jonathan Edwards at 18.29 in 1995.

He hopes that the Olympic crowds will help him get more energetic.

“That’s my fuel, my energy source,” he explains. “I’m a big believer in feeding off the energy of the people around you.”

There is another thing that will help him fly. A 2-minute drill that he likes to do with Will Claye, a former teammate of Taylor’s at the University of Florida who will also be representing the U.S. in London.

The drill is a series of jumps that tests consistency, stamina and mental toughness. The goal is to hit the same mark as many times as you can. “It’s a really intense workout,” Taylor says. “After the first minute, when it really hits you, you are just burnt out.”

It’s that kind of power that he’s used to propel himself to the top. “I wouldn’t call myself a competitor or an athlete if I wasn’t trying to be the best, ever,” he says. “I feel like I am flying, and I get so excited that I want to come back down and see where I am.”

The drill is simple, but exhausting. Taylor repeats a triple jump as many times as he can in two minutes. As soon as he hits the sand, he runs back to the starting mark and repeats, trying to hit the same mark each time. He performs two sets with a 20-minute rest in between, just because it’s so rough. In two minutes, he estimates he gets about 20 jumps in.

The jump drill is part of a set that includes a lot of technical work, sprinting, and jumping. His warm-up lasts about 45 minutes (little bounds, accelerations, 60–75 meter sprints). Then he goes to the runway for light drills, standing long jumps, alternating bounds, little things to wake up the fast-twitch muscles. That’s when he starts going into the different jump drills, like the one above. But he also adds medicine ball drills, as well as weights work.

It’s hard to say what will really help Christian Taylor to win, his self assurance that he must win or long trainings every day with the set of exercises.

A 7         Christian Taylor is the champion in the long jump.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        Christian Taylor believes that a sportsman should be good at somewhat one.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        Christian Taylor find people as a source of energy that helps to fight.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        Will Claye was famous for his long jump at the competition.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Will Claye has worked out his own set of exercises to train mental and physical skills.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        The exercises include repetition of the same task with the same goal.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        Any sportsman should have an inner desire to win.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         Technical work, sprinting, and jumping are just some of Christian’s every day traning.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Kevin.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100–120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

2 - extra

Задание А7-А14

A7 – 2, A8 – 2, A9 – 1, A10 – 3, A11 – 1, A12 – 1, A13 – 3, A14 – 1.

Раздел 3

Задание В4-В12

B4 – more, B5 – do you know, B6 – best, B7 – ways, B8 – helps, B9 – feel, B10 – pull, B11 – will add, B12 – lives.

Задания В13-В18

B13 – mistake, B14 – unlikely, B15 – National, B16 – drinkers, B17 – observational, B18 – dependence.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Hi Kevin,

It’s nice to receive a letter from you so soon. As for keeping fit I agree it’s difficult enough to have regular exercise as it takes time and effort. You should have some definite goal to keep yourself working every day. It’s easier to talk about it but hard to do. Sometimes friends that go in for sports together with you can really help.

Reading about your new plans I think it good to have a part-time job to have pocket money all the time. You’d better start in summer, find some job in a café as it seems the easiest to start with.

Love,

Jim.

Test 16

Глобальные проблемы современности

Раздел 2. (задания по чтению)

1. Limited natural resources
2. Unequal financial resources
3. Our obligation before future
4. Against the east
5. Nuclear weapons
6. Climate change
7. Religious world of today
8. Women’s rights

A. The earth is ours to use as we please without regard for the future, for our children, for the earth itself.  We must reassume our historical responsibility for our children’s future by protecting their heritage.  The reckless anarchy of the exploitation of the earth must be replaced by responsible dialogue among the users, and among the governments of the earth.  At present, we have a gathering of the Big 7 or 8 on how to manage the world to their own advantage.  Such a dialogue, however, brings up questions of justice and fairness in the allocation of the resources of the earth.  A new protocol must be worked out whereby the universal declaration of human rights is more than a God’s wish-list that is lost in the fight of big corporations to use the resources of the earth.  

B. The oil, the water, the old growth forests are all limited resources.  They must be conserved for the most important future uses.  Oil is necessary for the operation of all sorts of machinery, yet it is not being conserved but endlessly pumped out of the earth and sold to the highest prices.  Drinkable water, too, is increasing rare; indeed, it is sold in stores for the same price of colas.  But underground water is needed for crops, and the underwater reserves are running out.  Here, national and international management are required.  

C. We are faced with the problem of Global Terrorism which has been called the shadow of the process of Globalization. As the world is becoming one place, so it is that the effects of terrorism have global effects. Also it may be understood that the causes of this global terrorism are likewise global in nature, with disaffected individuals and groups caught up in ideologies of global scope and participating in causes that go beyond international and even inter-continental barriers. We see this particularly in the Muslim world, where issues in Palestine, Bosnia, Afghanistan or Iraq can mobilize people on the other side of the world to want to make interventions.

D. Global poverty and hunger are increasing each year instead of decreasing.  The agricultural land of the earth is owned by fewer and fewer people.  Much of what is left in the hands of small farmers is being bought up by international agribusinesses - by multinational corporations distant from land but close to big money. The big oil, the pharmaceutical companies, the media conglomerates, the insurance companies, including medical insurance have more influence on government policies than the poor or even the general population.  Government policies seem more oriented to maintaining the economy than in the economic and physical well-being of their populations.  

E. Another major problem that looms on the horizon and one that probably is already upon us and exerting its effects, is the phenomenon of Global Warming. It can be argued endlessly whether Global Warming is man-made or whether it’s a natural phenomenon, however the empirical evidence certainly shows that Global Warming is indeed occurring. This is made manifest in the melting glaciers and polar ice caps, the increase in hurricane activity (with category 4 and 5 hurricanes, the most intense, doubling in frequency over the past 50 years), changing rainfall patterns and of course the actual increases in measured surface temperatures.

F. It seems that the danger posed by an arsenal of 50,000 missiles in Russian and America is less today than 15 or 20 years ago when Jonathan Schell’s The Fate of the Earth saw catastrophe on the horizon and a real possibility of giving the earth back to the insects and grasses.  The cold war between Russia and the U.S. has thawed, but the proliferation of weapons goes on, and the growing masses of nuclear waste.  Why?  Because the military ways of thinking go on, the national security imperative still drives small countries to spend most of their small budget on weapons instead of social programs.  We need to outgrow the dangerous and costly structures of thinking that are our legacy from modernity.  Instead of endless debates, we need dialogue and negotiations—not just in Ireland, Russia, East Timor, Pakistan, the Balkans, the Middle East—but in the United Nations about the natural resources, power concentrations, poverty, human rights of the populations of the world.  

G. The UN system continues to give particular attention to the issue of violence against women.  The 1993 General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women contained “a clear and comprehensive definition of violence against women and a clear statement of the rights to be applied to ensure the elimination of violence against women in all its forms”.  It represented “a commitment by States in respect of their responsibilities, and a commitment by the international community at large to the elimination of violence against women”.

Peter the Great

Born in Moscow, Russia on June 9, 1672, Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th

Simple Solutions to Global Problems

What if the answers to global crises - from devastating hurricanes to the malaria epidemic to global warming  - were simple and relatively inexpensive?

Journalist Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Levitt, the authors of "SuperFreakonomics," say that throughout history, ’cheap and simple fixes’ often solved the world’s biggest problems.

Take the medical crisis that more than 50 years ago frightened every American child and nearly broke the American health care system. The problem was polio, and the solution was not more hospitals or more efficient iron lungs that would make breathing easier. The answer was a vaccine.

“Polio’s just one of thousands of examples like that, where a simple solution will prevent so much heartache going down the road,” Dubner said.

The "SuperFreakonomics" duo argue that it's no different in modern times. “We love to think the world is terrible and difficult, and that it’s much worse now than it’s ever been. But the fact of the matter is that’s almost always wrong” Dubner said. “The world is actually better now than it ever was and all the unsolvable problems that appear keep getting solved.”

Intellectual Ventures, a company in Bellevue, Wash., has been in the business of solving global problems since 2000. The self-proclaimed invention company uses inventions from some of the smartest scientists, mathematicians, software engineers and patent experts in the world, including Nathan Myhrvold, the former chief technology officer at Microsoft.

“Our only job is to invent. And so we try to swing for the fences and try to solve really big problems. And sometimes we do!” Myhrvold said.

Although their ideas are sometimes strange and outrageous, Intellectual Ventures currently ranks in the top 50 among companies that file patents worldwide. Myhrvold said the key components are “simple, and cheap and effective. And when you’re lucky and when things are going all right, you can come up with an idea that’s all of them.”

A 7         The solutions of all global problems are not expensive.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 8        The American medical system was ruined about fifty years ago.        

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 9        The way out of the polio crisis was vaccine.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 10        The solution to the polio crisis was quickly found.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 11        Simple solutions may also be used nowadays.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 12        The world has changed for the better as Dubner thinks.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 13        Intellectual Ventures is a big company which always solves global problems.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

A 14         Intellectual Ventures’ ideas are very often odd for common people.

        1) True                2) False                 3) Not stated

Раздел 3. (задания по грамматике и лексике)

Раздел 4 (задания по письму)

You have 30 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Kat.

White a letter to him and answer his 3 questions.

Write 100-120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

Ключи

Раздел 2

Задание В3

Задание А7-А14

A7 -2, A8 – 2, A9 – 1, A10 – 3, A11 – 1, A12 – 1, A13 – 2, A14 – 1.

Раздел 3

Задание В4-В12

B4 - to be called, B5 - will happen, B6 – vary, B7 -  Earth’s, B8 – technologies, B9 - are also mentioned, B10 – is mainly based, B11 – began, B12 - is largely rejected.

Задания В13-В18

B13 – globalization, B14 – interrelationship, B15 – appearance, B16 – delivery, B17 – existence, B18 – ecological.

Раздел 4

Задание С1

Hello Kat,

It’s nice to get another letter from you. I hope everything is OK. I wonder why you are worried about such global problems as pollution. I guess you are right to think that it is the major problem of today. If we cope at least with this one our world will be much better and cleaner.

As for the laptop you are going to buy I don’t really know which one is better for you as everyone has his own preferences. I find macbook as one of the best makes of all the laptops possible. But it’s up to you to decide which one to choose. Of course, a lot depends on the sum you are going to spend.

Best wishes,

Max.