Тексты для чтения для 7 класса
учебно-методический материал по английскому языку (7 класс)

Приложение №1

1. Olympic Symbols

The Olympic Games have their own flag and motto. The flag is white with five circles. The circles represent the five continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America. The circles are black, blue, green, red and yellow. The flag of every country in the games has at least one of these colours. The motto of the Olympics is 'Faster, higher, stronger'.

The most exciting moment of the opening ceremony is the lighting of the Olympic Flame, another symbol of the Olympic Games. Runners bring a torch from the valley of Olympia in Greece. Thousands of runners take part in the journey. The journey starts four weeks before the opening of the Games. At the opening ceremony, the final runner carries the torch to the stadium, and lights the new Olympic Flame. Then there is a very big song, dance and music show. The Olympic Flame burns until the end of the Games.

The International Olympic Committee works hard between the Games. They choose the place for the next Olympics and new sports for them too.

2. The history of jeans

Do you want to know the history of jeans? In 1850 a young man, Levi Strauss, came to California from Germany. California was famous for its gold. Many people were working there. They were looking for gold and needed strong clothes. First Levi Strauss sold canvas to workers. Canvas was strong and soon Levi used it to make jeans. All workers liked his jeans and bought them. His first jeans had no colour. Then Levi coloured his jeans. Today everyone in the world knows the famous blue jeans of Levi Strauss.

3. The Statue of Liberty

One of the most famous statues in the world stands on an island in New York. This statue is the Statue of Liberty - a woman holding a torch. Visitors can go inside the statue. The statue is so large that as many as twelve people can stand inside the torch. Many people can stand in other parts of the statue. The statue weighs 225 tons and is about 100 metres high.

The statue of Liberty, was put up in 1886. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France for America's 100th birthday. French people gave money for the statue. Americans designed and built the pedestal. The French engineer Alexander Eiffel, who was famous for his Eiffel Tower in Paris, found out how to make the heavy statue stand. People who come to the United States see the Statue of Liberty holding her torch. She symbolises a welcome to a land of freedom.

4. Animals in Great Britain

People in Great Britain like animals. There are even special hospitals, which help wild animals. There are a lot of television films about wildlife. They are very popular with children and grown ups. A lot of British families have 'bird tables' in their gardens. Birds can eat from them during the winter months. The 'bird table' should be high because cats can eat birds.

The British often think their animals are like people. For example in Britain animals can have jobs like people. British Rail has cats and pays them for their work. Their job is to catch mice. There is usually one cat per station. They get food and free medical help. The cats don't catch a lot of mice but they are very popular with the British Rail staff and travellers.

5. Marco Polo

Marco Polo is famous for his journeys across Asia. He was one of the first Europeans to travel in Mongolia and China. He wrote a famous book called 'The Travels'.

He was born in Venice, Italy in 1254. In 1272, when he was only 17 years old, he travelled to Asia with his father and uncle. The journey was very long. They visited a lot of places and saw wonderful things: eye glasses, ice-cream, spaghetti and the riches of Asia.

After three years they entered China through the Great Wall. In 1275 Kublai Khon, the Emperor of China, met the visitors at his Summer Palace in the capital of China at Xanadu. The palace was very beautiful. There were a lot of gold things and silk curtains. The Emperor gave a big banquet. There were more than a thousand people in the palace. On the emperor's birthday 5,000 soldiers rode through the city to the. palace on elephants. Marco Polo visited some huge markets, where merchants from all over the world bought and sold all kinds of things. He was happy to see one of the greatest cities of the thirteenth century and spent 18 years in China.

When he returned to Italy in 1295, he became a popular storyteller. People came to his home to hear stories about his journeys in the East. Many of them did not believe him. When he died, he said: 'I haven't told half of what I saw, because no one can believe it.'

6. Advertising: good or bad?

Advertising companies say advertising is necessary and important. It informs people about new products. Advertising hoardings in the street make our environment colourful. And adverts on TV are often funny. Sometimes they are mini-dramas and we wait for the next programme in the mini-drama. Advertising can educate, too. Adverts tell us about new, healthy products. And adverts in magazines give us ideas for how to look prettier, be fashionable and be successful. Without advertising life is boring and colourless.

But some consumers argue that advertising is a bad thing. They say that advertising j bad for children. Adverts make children 'pester' their parents to buy things for them. Advertisers know we love our children and want to give them everything. So they use children's 'pester power' to sell their products. Finally, consumers say, if there is advertising there must be rules. Some adverts advertise unhealthy things like cigarettes and make people waste their money.

7. The USA

The USA is divided into 50 states and the District of Columbia. Some states are famous for their noisy cities. Others are famous for their trees and mountains. Some states have kilometres and kilometres of farmland. The largest state is Alaska. You can see big bears there. Michigan is situated in the valley of the Great Lakes. New Jersey, on the Atlantic coast, is famous for its gardens, and Minnesota, for its wonderful wheat fields. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president, began his political activity in Illinois and this state is called the Land of Lincoln. California is situated on the west coast and is famous for Hollywood and films. Montana is full of sheep and cows. It's also the land of cowboys, Indians and rodeo. Do you know what Florida is famous for?

8. The Millennium games

I'm having a great time here in Sydney. The different sports are exciting, and there are lots of other exciting things too. For example the mascots are really great! They are called Olly, Syd and Millie. They are Australian ' animals and they are the symbols of the Sydney Games. The kookaburra is an Australian bird. She got her name, Olly, from the word 'Olympics'. She's a symbol of friendship and honesty. Then there's Syd (from Sydney). He's a platypus with a duck's nose. He's the symbol of the city of Sydney and its people. The third mascot is Millie. She's an Australian animal - an echidna. She's the symbol of the new millennium. So now I've got a mascot too. He's called Ozzie (from Aus­tralia) and he's a cute, cuddly koala.

9. My family

Dear Ann!

I have read your letter at "e-mailfriends" and would like to make friends with you! Let me introduce myself. My name is Hans. I live in Berlin. I am 20. I live with my parents. My mother is a doctor. When I feel bad, she is the first to help. I also love her apple pie, which she makes every Sunday. Cooking is her hobby. My father is a teacher His hobby is working in a little garden in front of our house. As my future profession is agronomist, I help him look after the trees and flowers. My younger brother Nick is not fond of nature. He spends ail his free time with his computer. We are both students. We study at the same university. We are all different, but when we gather together on Sundays, we can talk for hours. We discuss our family needs and plans for the future. I think we are a united and friendly family!

I would like to know more about your family!

Yours, Hans

10. You are what you eat

I am 120 kg. I usually have tea and cakes for breakfast and sometimes I have sausages and eggs too. At 11 o'clock I often eat a bar of chocolate and some biscuits or a sandwich. I usually have a big lunch, for example sausages and chips. And then I have ice cream, which I love. When I watch TV I have tea and a sandwich. For dinner usually I have meat and potatoes. Before I go to bed usually I have a cup of hot chocolate and some small cakes.

Do you know the proverb 'You are what you eat'? It means that if you eat healthy food you can be healthy. You should not eat a lot of biscuits or chips, for example. You can eat your favourite foods, like hamburgers, but don't eat a lot of them. Eat more fresh food and vegetables.

11. My working day

I am student Classes at the university begin at 8.30, so I have to get up at 7 o'clock on week days. When I wake up, I usually lie in bed for 5 minutes and then stand up. I try to make my bed every day, but sometimes I forget to do it. Then I open the window, breathe in the fresh air deeply and do my morning exercises. I am usually in a hurry, so I do not have much time for that. Then I go to the bathroom, wash myself and clean my teeth After that I dress and brush my hair. Later, I go to the kitchen, greet my family and have breakfast.

After breakfast I take my bag and go to the university. Usually it takes me 30 minutes to get there. I try to come several minutes before the bell, because I do not want to be late for classes. I greet my groupmates and we go to the classroom. I study with pleasure, so 3—4 classes a day is not much for me. I often have to stay after classes at the university and go to the university library or a laboratory. Then I go home and have my dinner. After that I may have a short rest. Then I have to do my homework. It takes me 3—4 hours. In the evening I watch TV with my family or talk with my friends on the phone.

I go to bed at about 11 o'clock.

12. My favourite artist

I have many favourite artists. Among them are writers, painters and musicians. When I have free time I often read my favourite books or listen to my favourite music. When I have a spare day, I sometimes visit Kiev Museum of Russian Art. I like the museum, for there are many masterpieces there. But the most interesting works for me are the paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky.

Ivan Aivazovsky was born and died in Theodosia. As he studied and lived in Russia for some time, he is considered to be a Russian painter. He studied at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg Ivan Aivazovsky was a painter of seascapes. Aivazovsky produced about 6,000 paintings, depicting mainly scenes on the Black Sea and turbulent seascapes, including The Ninth Wave Black Sea, Amid the Waves, Flood i Sudak, and Storm. He also painted sea battles (such as Siege of Sevastopol) and Ukrainian landscapes (Harvest in Ukraine, Winter Scene in Ukraine, Wedding in Ukraine, Odessa at Night. Crimean View in Moonugnt, View of the Crimea, and Harvest in the Crimea). Aivazovsky established a picture gallery in Theodosia, which he donated later to the city. The Aivazovsky Picture Gallery in Theodosia has some 400 of his works, as well as paintings by Crimean seascape artists and a small collection of seascapes by Western artists. Ivan Aivazovsky depicted sea and the people who lived by the sea. He dedicated many of his works to the struggle between the people and the sea. He showed strong will and courage of those people and the power of the sea.

13. I go shopping

My name is Katya. I am a student. In two years I will become a teacher of biology. My profession is my hobby as well. I visit the bookstores of my town regularly and buy new books in biology. It helps me to learn all the novelties in my profession I often discuss the books that I have bought, with my friends at the university When I go shopping, I buy not only books, but also some other things, that I need.

I live in Dnepropetrovsk. It is a large city. There are a lot of shops here. If I go shopping, it is not easy for me to choose the right place at once. I am fond of fashion and always try to buy new clothes in order to look fashionable and at­tractive. It is not an easy task. I have to try on a lot of dresses, skirts and blouses till I choose what I really like. If I need a dress for a special occasion, I go to a shop with my best friend Olya. She is always ready to help me and I try to fol­low her advice.

Sometimes Olya and I go shopping just for fun. We walk along the streets, visit different kinds of shops and buy some trifles that raise our mood. We may buy something tasty and organize a small party for our friends. I should say that shopping is my hobby, It is the best treatment for me when I am in a bad mood.

14. A wedding in Chicago

My name's David. We're in a small village near Chicago. My cousin's getting married. My father and her father are twins. A lot of relatives are here for the wedding party. We're very busy. My uncle's friend is making palov. My sister Susan and Aunt Keane are making cakes. My mother's helping her niece with her wedding dress. My grandparents are here too. They're very old. They live in Chicago. I'm making a video and taking photos. It's great. I want to be a reporter.

15. Camels

For many years, in the desert camels were the only kind of transport. Be­fore the age of modem trains, camel trains carried all the things between Central Asia and Europe. People made camel trains with 10,000 to 15,000 animals. Each camel could carry approximately 200 kilos and could travel twenty miles a day. This kind of transport was so important that people called camels the 'ships of the desert'

16. Climate

We say 'weather' when we talk about how the weather is today. In some places the weather is the same all day. In other places there are several kinds of weather in one day. We use 'climate' when we talk about the usual weather and temperature of a place. We must record the weather every day for a long time. Then we know the climate of a place.

The climate is very cold in winter and warm in summer. In winter the animals and birds are white. In summer they change their colour to brown and grey. The winter is very long (8-9 months). In winter we cannot see any plants. There is a short summer (about 3 months). It is very beautiful. There are a lot of flowers and grass. There are no trees.

17. Fast food

Fast food came from America. McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut are famous and popular fast food restaurants. Millions of Americans eat in fast food restaurants. McDonald's is a symbol of American life and culture. The typical American food is fast food: pizza, fries, hamburgers and hot dogs are famous kinds of fast food. Fast food is not usually expensive. It is quick and quite cheap. Now there are fast food restaurants in a lot of countries. For example, we can find McDonald's in China, Russia and England.

18. Houses and homes

Dear Fred

Thanks for your letter. You ask me to describe my house. It is a two-storey house. Upstairs there are three bedrooms, a bathroom and a toilet. My bedroom is next to  my  parents room. Look That's mine! Downstairs there is a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. There is a small garden in front of the house and a small road behind the house. Please write to me about your house. Write soon. Love Lucy.

Dear Lucy

Thanks for your letter and the photos of your house. It looks great. I live in a big house. There are five rooms in it. There is a living room, a dining room, three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. In the living room there is a big white carpet on the wall. There are three armchairs, a sofa, a table and five chairs. There is a big TV set and a nice cassette recorder too. We have beautiful short white curtains. There is a garage. Here is a photo of our house and a picture of our living room. I'm happy your house and our house have two storeys.

Come and visit us. Come soon. Love Fred.

19. I love summer

Five years ago my grandparents lived in the village of Smalville in Florida. We visited them every summer. Every day we helped with their farm. They didn't have a car, but they had a brown horse and a cart. They also had two cows and a very big bull. I wasn't afraid of him because he was good. He was three years old and was born on the farm. My grandparents had some hens and sheep too and a beautiful dog, Ted, but they didn't have any cats. Near their house there was a river. My grandad swam but I didn't because I was too small. We liked the farm. We were very happy there. Last year my grandparents sold their house and some of their ani­mals and moved to a village near Los Angeles. I am glad they didn't sell their horse or their dog. Last month we visited them. Their new house and village are beautiful. I want to visit them again soon.

20. Supermarkets and shops

In Britain people buy food in supermarkets, small shops and markets. Supermarkets sell fruit, vegetables and all kinds of food and TVs, books and other things too. Some are open all night. Small shops sell food and other things too. For example, people can buy pens there. Some shops are open every day. Others are not open on Sundays. Shops usually open at 9.00am. They usually close at 5.30 or 6.00pm. Some shops close at 9.00 or 10.00pm and some supermarkets are open 24 hours. Markets do not open after 5.30pm or on Sundays.