ОГЭ и ЕГЭ

1. In Moscow, there are approximately 35,000 dogs living on the streets. Some of these ____HOME____ animals were born there. Others are just _____LUCKY____ pets that have been abandoned by their owners. For many dogs the city may be a ____DANGER___ place to live in. However, scientists were surprised to find out how ____EASY____ some animals can adapt to urban life. Some dogs have even learnt to use the city’s metro system! We still don't know how the dogs find out when to get off the train. One ___SUGGEST___ is that they use their excellent sense of smell to recognise the scents of their favourite destinations. Another idea is that they are able to remember the design of ___DIFFER___ stations and find the station they need.

2. Most graffiti street artists are anonymous. However there are some artists who have become globally ___FAME___. Like the twin brothers from Brazil who call themselves Os Gemeos. They paint everything from small images to huge, ___COLOUR___ pictures of people on buildings. Another celebrity among graffiti artists is Blek le Rat from Paris. He paints pictures of ___HOME___ people. In this way he hopes to encourage residents to think ____SERIOUS___ about the problems of these people. Another well-known artist is Faith 47 from Cape Town. She paints big bright pictures of people and animals. The works of this ___PAINT____ can be found on pavements, empty factory buildings, and abandoned cars. It is ____POSSIBLE____ to predict how street art will develop in the future but we can be sure that it is here to stay!

3. Kelly's family loved to watch football together. Sometimes they watched college games, but normally they watched ____PROFESSION_____ teams play. This evening was special. Two teams were playing in the final match of the ___CHAMPION____. Kelly's favourite team had actually got to the final this year, which ____RARE_____ happened. "They're going to win for sure! It will be ___FAIR_____ if they lose!" Kelly thought. Watching the football game needed the presence of the whole family and lots of tasty food. So Kelly's mum had made barbecue meatballs. Uncle Jolyon had brought a ____SPICE___ cheese sauce and chips. Aunt Katie brought some cakes.  When the game started, everyone cheered. It seemed to Kelly that every ____PLAY_____ of her team was doing their best to win-win-win! And they did!  

4. The Nobel Prize is a very prestigious award. Alfred Nobel, a successful businessman and the _____INVENT_____ of explosives, established prizes for achievements in science, literature and economics. Another award, the Oscar, is ____PROBABLE____ the most famous prize in the film industry. The ceremony is an ____IMPRESS____ event with lots of film stars. There are lots of musical awards – Grammies, Brits, and the MTV awards for music, the list is ____END_____. In Britain, a writer who wins the Booker prize can expect to see their novel at the top of the bestseller lists and compete with ‘The Da Vinci Code’ for _____POPULAR____. The Turner Prize is an award for British contemporary artists, and each year it causes heated discussions. Artists get lots of money for their ____USUAL____ and sometimes even strange works. 

5. Ecotourism is getting more and more popular. It offers two things at once: ____EDUCATE____ and entertainment. Most people agree that ecotourism is the most _____HARM_____ branch of tourism. It makes profit without destroying ______NATURE_____ resources. When tourists choose eco trips, they stay in local houses with local people, not in _____EXPENSE_____ hotels. They travel on foot, by boat, bicycle or elephant to avoid pollution.  However, such trips are not at all cheap. This is ____PROBABLE____ the only disadvantage. But you can apply the principles of ecotourism every time you go on a normal holiday. You should remember that you're only a ____VISIT_____ and be as careful as possible. 

6. Ireland is the country of myths and legends. Even the local people are not sure which of them were based on facts and which are the product of someone’s ____CREATE____ imagination. Leprechauns are ____PROBABLE____ the most famous characters from Irish mythology. They are depicted as old bearded men. Their ____RESPONSIBLE____ is to guard the treasure of the fairies. Unfortunately, rainbows always point to the _____LOCATE____ of the treasure and the Leprechaun must rehide it. And there are plenty of rainbows in Ireland! Leprechauns are always busy. They are always very ____CARE____ and try to be invisible to people. But if you manage to catch some ____LUCKY___ Leprechaun, he must either give you his treasure or grant you three wishes. 

7. It’s obvious that language skills are essential for everyone today. Foreign languages are very _____USE_______ not only for travelling, but also for studying and building a career. There are lots of ___DIFFER_____ ways to learn a new language.  However, everyone agrees that learning languages is ____POSSIBLE____ without dictionaries. The main job of any dictionary is to explain what words mean. This can be done via ____TRANSLATE_____ or the unknown word can be explained in other words. It’s also good if the dictionary contains some examples of how the word is used –  it helps to understand the ____MEAN_____ much better. If you are a busy _____LEARN_______, you probably prefer online dictionaries to paper ones. Online dictionaries are very convenient to use if you have Internet access.

8. My friend, Mary, is an extraordinary girl. She has always tried new things –  new sports and new hobbies. She says life should be _____INTEREST_______ and it should change all the time. Now she has a new idea –  she wants to be a firefighter. You may say that it is not a job for girls, but Mary will ___AGREE_____ with this. In her opinion, putting out fires is a ____DANGER_____ job but women are able to do it too. She has enrolled in a special training school where they learn skills and study firefighting ____EQUIP_____. The teenagers in the camp also learn how to work as a team, which is a very ___USE_____ skill wherever you work. And Mary is sure her team will be effective in any ___SITUATE_____. 

9. There is a belief that some jobs suit men better than women and some other jobs are more appropriate for women than for men. Nowadays, women more and more often take jobs that ______TRADITIONAL________ were done by men. A lot of women do ___DANGER_____ and difficult jobs, becoming astronauts, pilots, and firefighters. No one is surprised when a girl wants to be a police officer or a train _____DRIVE____. In sports you can see a similar ____SITUATE____. Girls play football, ice hockey, go boxing and do other sports that seem to be ______USUAL_________ for women. But the girls say that it is ____EXCITE_____ and they cannot see any reason why they should not go into the sport they like.

10. Mark is an old friend of mine. I’m very proud of our friendship because Mark is a very ____INTEREST_____ person. He is very talented and ____CREATE_____.  He can play the piano and the violin and the guitar but he is not a professional ____MUSIC_____. He plays only for his family and friends. We have encouraged Mark to try singing too, but he refuses and says he has an ___PLEASANT_____ voice. That is certainly not true –  he has a nice voice, though he cannot sing very ______LOUD_________. Now we are arranging a school band and I want to ask Mark to join it. I think if he starts performing in public, he’ll become a more confident and more ____SUCCESS____ person.

11. 'Surfers Against Sewage' (SAS) was founded in 1990 by water sports enthusiasts in the UK. They are an environmental ______ORGANIZE______ that tries to protect the UK’s oceans and beaches. They say that it may be really _____RISK______ to swim in the seas, and even sunbathe on the beaches because of the pollution. When SAS appeared, it informed people about the problem in quite an _____USUAL______ way. They went to public events with their surfboards and handed out leaflets. They _____QUICK____ attracted the attention of the media and people of Britain. They even managed to put pressure on the _____GOVERN_____ to forbid dumping waste in the sea, rivers and lakes. The campaign was indeed ______SUCCESS_____. Officials agreed to spend 8.5 billion pounds on cleaning up Britain’s seas and rivers. 

12. Shepherd’s pie started as an old English recipe. The pie gained _____POPULAR_____ in the middle ages. During the reign of Elizabeth I, mince meat pie became a must-have food, probably, because it was easy to cook, ____HEALTH______ and tasty. Until the 16th century potatoes were ____MAIN______ known as pig food. But later they were accepted as a ____BASE____ food in Europe. The Shepherd’s pie recipe changed to include potatoes as an ingredient. And the fame of the dish doubled. Now Shepherd’s pie is considered to be a ____TRADITION_____ British food but similar recipes can be found in other countries, although they may have different names. In Canada, for example, a ____WAIT____ in a restaurant would present it to tourists as Chinese pie.

1. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. St Patrick is _____FAME_____ for his heroic deeds. People gladly believe in ______AMAZE____ tales about St Patrick and don’t look for any historical evidence to prove them. And the facts often _____AGREE______ with the tales. For example, an old legend says that St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. This myth is actually untrue. At the time snakes appeared on the planet, Ireland was _____COMPLETE_____ covered by water. Now it is an island which means it is surrounded by water. The water makes it ____POSSIBLE____ for snakes to get to the island. The same _____SITUATE____ is true for New Zealand, Greenland, and many other islands. 
2. The festival of Halloween has its roots in Celtic traditions. 
   Over 2,000 years ago the Celts in Britain had a special holiday in late October to mark the _____BEGIN_____ of winter. Another autumn _____CELEBRATE____ was connected with the passing of the dead. These two events later became Halloween. On Halloween children often dress up as ghosts, witches and monsters and go around people's houses, asking for sweets. In most cases the ghosts and witches are not frightening at all, they are even _____FUN______! But remember that if the children don’t get the sweets, they may play some ____PLEASANT_____ joke, for example splash some water on you. Pumpkins also ______SYMBOL_____ Halloween. People ____USUAL____ make lanterns from them.
3. There are lots of products that help us fight bad moods and depression. If you feel down and ____SLEEP____, just get a bar of dark chocolate from the fridge. Chocolate will improve your mood and you’ll feel ______CHEER_____ and happy again. This ____INFORM____ is often used in chocolate adverts. Unfortunately, we can’t use this method too often. The positive effect does not last long. Meanwhile chocolate is not _____HARM_____ food. It contains fat and sugar which can make you overweight. Some people may also be allergic to chocolate and it can affect their _____APPEAR______, causing skin problems. The alternative and _____ABSOLUTE___ safe method to fight depression is doing sport. It can be recommended to everyone! 
4. It's not at all surprising that weather is a favourite topic for many people around the world. It affects where we choose to live, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our _____NATION____ character. A _____SUN_____ day can blow away the deepest depression. And a gloomy rainy day can make you feel lonely and ____HAPPY____. ‘I’m feeling a bit under the weather’ is a common complaint in Britain, _____ESPECIAL_____ on Monday mornings.  The weather can really be ____RESPONSE___ for moods and scientists have proved this fact. There is a ____CONNECT____ between our mood and the weather we are having. But remember that good weather will have good effects on your mood only if you spend more than 30 minutes outdoors a day. 
5. Scientists have found that there is a direct _____CONNECT____ between sunshine and our good mood. They noticed that people are kinder and more ____HELP____ and easy-going when the sun is out. Sunlight ____DEFINITE____ improves negative moods and makes us feel less tired and more energetic. On the other hand, very hot weather may cause strong _____COMFORT____. As a result, we may feel depressed, irritated and even aggressive. On ______RAIN______ days people say they're less satisfied with their lives. But whatever the weather is, it’s important to spend enough time outdoors. Fresh air and sports can make any day feel _____FANTASY____! 
6. People in Britain often talk about climate and weather. They usually complain about their ____CHANGE____ weather. However, there are parts of the world where extreme weather causes real dangers to the _____POPULATE____. Sandstorms, tornadoes and floods ____REGULAR____ cause massive destruction. Lots of people become ____HOME____. To prevent this destruction, it’s important to forecast disasters in advance. Japan is the world ____LEAD______ in using new technology for this purpose. The Japanese have also worked out an _____EFFECT_____ system of informing people: phone companies automatically notify their customers about emergencies and disasters. These warnings are very efficient, and free of charge. 
7. In 2005 the rock group The Rolling Stones released an album called ‘A Bigger Bang’. Many critics chose it as their favourite. This isn’t very ____SURPRISE___, but just think, it's their 25th album, and the Rolling Stones have been on the stage for more than 40 years! The lead ____SING____, Mick Jagger, the guitarist Keith Richards and the other musicians are over 60! And they are not losing their ___POPULAR____, even nowadays. However, they are still much more ____FAME____ for the songs they made in the 1960s and 70s. But, you know what? Young people _____REGULAR____ listen to the Rolling Stones with their fathers and granddads. Isn't that_____IMPRESS____? In all aspects, theirs has been a remarkable career.
8. They say that pop music is created by and for young people. It often happens this way. A young ____SING_____ makes one or two good records at the start of their career. Every year, lots of new stars become ____FAME____ but for a short time. And just a year or two later they either ____APPEAR___ or make less interesting records. It is difficult to find musicians who could make great records for a long time. Lots of popular groups from the 1970s, for example, are still better known for the songs they made in their ____SUCCESS____ past than for their more recent recordings. Some performers leave the stage but don't lose their ____POPULAR____. They continue to appear ___REGULAR___ on TV as presenters, or in chat and reality shows. 
9. Last year I decided to take an English course in Britain. When I called the language school, the ___MANAGE_____ explained to me everything about the school and the courses. They had an _____IMPRESS_____ range of courses - for all levels and ages. As for the accommodation, there were two options: staying in a student hostel or living with a host family. Naturally enough, I wanted to choose the _____NATIONAL____  community of the hostel. However, because of my parents’ strong ______AGREEMENT______ with my choice, I had to stay with the host family. And I didn’t regret it! My host family was ____WONDER______.  They told me a lot about their country and were very curious about mine. We talked a lot and when I came back home, I could speak English ____FLUENT____!
10. Yoga is a very popular activity and lots of people practise it nowadays. There is an opinion, however, that to be ___SUCCESS________ in this activity you should start yoga in early childhood. This is not true! You can start yoga at any time in your life. What you really need is enthusiasm and a good ____TRAIN_______ –  yogis often call them a guru. Yoga is not a ______COMPETE_______. You can choose any pace that is ____COMFORT______  for you. The aim is not to win but to make your body flexible and strong. It’s definitely _____POSSIBLE_______ to improve your body in a few days. t may take lots of time but it’s worth the time and effort.   Yoga is an _____EFFECT______ way to relax your mind. So it’s useful not only for your body.
11. I arrived in Liverpool in the afternoon. It was a ______RAIN______ day but the weather couldn’t spoil my excellent mood - I was in Liverpool! Many people associate this city with the _____FAME_______ musical band, the Beatles. It’s true, the Beatles are everywhere, but today it’s also _____POSSIBLE________ to imagine Liverpool without its other great passion: football! 
    The city is home to two teams: Liverpool and Everton.  Everton is older and was more ____SUCCESS_______ in the past, but since the 1990s it has been Liverpool’s time to shine. 
    I’ve been Liverpool’s _____SUPPORT______ since I was a small boy. The team is based at the Anfield Stadium. I have watched games there twice.  It was very ______EXCITE_______ and it was one of the most important memories of my childhood.
12. The 5th of November is Guy Fawkes Night. This holiday is also known as Bonfire Night as lighting bonfires is an essential part of the ____CELEBRATE___.   _____NATURAL____, it’s one of the favourite holidays for children –  they simply can’t miss the firework display. Most parents allow their children to stay outdoors till late at night. It would be ____FAIR______  to make them stay at home when the sky is lit up with colours. However, children should never be left on their own - bonfires and fireworks are potentially ____DANGER___. Emergency reports say the number of people needing medical care increases on this night. Some of them are ____CARE______ with fire. In spite of the excitement, the children may also catch a cold on this November night. Warm jumpers, coats and gloves are more ______USE____  than ever.
13. Choosing a career is one of the most difficult choices we have to make in our lives. There are lots of interesting and ____EXCITE_______ professions, but which of them is the right choice for you? Researchers who work in ____EDUCATE_______ and sociology asked people across the UK what their dream job would be. And the results were quite _____EXPECTED______. According to the survey, people find modest jobs like charity work or gardening the most ____EXPECTED_______.   Often at the top of their list are jobs such as a nurse or a ____TEACH_______. The study also shows that people in the UK are very _____PRACTICE________ and focus on the dream jobs they have a realistic chance of getting. 

Siem Reap is a small town in Cambodia, a country in southeast Asia. It is built around a ___FAME____ cathedral. The town is charming with some fine examples of French colonial architecture. A legend says that a French ____WRITE_____ once called the town “a pearl of Cambodia”. Nowadays, this town is quite popular with tourists. They often use it as a starting point for their _____EXCITE____ travellings. The town is really remarkable. There you will find some _____IMPRESS_____ stone monuments and statues, ancient buildings and picturesque ruins. Note that it’s ___USUAL_____ hot there in the summer. Please ensure that you take ____COMFORT______ walking shoes, light clothing and plenty of water to drink. 

Piranhas are South American fish. There are lots of scary stories about them. Most people think that piranhas are very _____DANGER____ creatures. However, a ____SCIENCE___ from St Andrews University, Anne Magurran, has recently announced that to call piranhas cruel killers is not fair. They ____USUAL____ eat fish, plants and insects. According to Professor Anne Magurran, piranhas attack people and animals only when they want to defend themselves. However, most travellers strongly __AGREE_____ with this point of view. They recommend keeping away from the water where piranhas live. When the fish attack in groups, it is practically ___POSSIBLE_____ to survive. Whatever your opinion of piranhas, this is a _____USE______ piece of advice one should follow. 

Have you heard of a Tadeus Bodnar? He is a ____FAME_____ Hungarian hairdresser. Not long ago he stopped using the _____TRADITION_____ scissors and comb. Now his instruments are axes, irons and vacuum cleaners. Now he is very _____SUCCESS_____ and happy because with his innovative techniques he can express himself better. He cuts hair in his shop in Budapest by chopping it with an axe. Then he styles the hair using a vacuum cleaner, or straightens it with an iron. It’s difficult to believe but the extravagant hairdresser is very popular. Many people find him very _____CREATE____. Every day there’s an ____END____ line of people streaming to his shop. They wish to change their ___APPEAR_____ and have a thrilling, new experience. 

Axel is a 9-year-old Bulgarian orphan (сирота). He was adopted by a ____WEALTH_____ western family. His new father works as a _____BANK____ in Sweden and he is quite rich. Axel ____REGULAR____ wrote e-mails to the director of the orphanage, Jane Smitova. He told her that he was saving his Christmas and birthday money to help his friends. Axel said that he wanted the money to be spent on presents for his former playmates. Later Jane said “I understood that ____FRIEND_____ meant a lot to a small boy but I would never have imagined that Axel  could be talking about such an __POSSIBLE____ sum of money. It’s so touching and we are going to spend it in a very _____CARE____ way." The boy saved £6,000.

People are afraid of lots of things. There are many _____DIFFER____ kinds of fears called phobias. They affect at least a quarter of the ____POPULATE_____. The _____TRADITION_____ treatment for people with strong phobias is some kind of therapy. In most cases it doesn’t work but doctors still believe that phobias can be cured. ___RECENT______ they have discovered a drug which can help people to overcome their phobias. It doesn’t work for everybody but when it does, it is very ___EFFECT_____. People, who take the pill feel much better –  most of their fears ____APPEAR_____.

People travel a lot nowadays. Planes are considered to be the most ____COMFORT____ means of transport but for some people airports can be a nightmare. There are ___END_____ queues when you check in and you waste lots of time if your flight is delayed. However, there are some airports where you can ____ACTUAL_____ enjoy yourself. For example, you’ll never be bored at Hong Kong’s international airport. There are thousands of people from _____DIFFER____ countries here but the passengers never experience any problems because everything is well organised. There are attendants in red coats, who help you to get from one place to another. It’s very good for people with no sense of ____DIRECT_____. The attendants are always very polite and _____HELP_____. 

Can people live without friends? Most of us would say "no". Friends make our lives enjoyable and ___INTEREST____. Friendship is something you can't buy. It is a ____WONDER____ and valuable gift. It is ____POSSIBLE____ to live without people who care for you and who are always ready to help. However, to find a true friend is not easy. Friendship requires honesty, trust and ____KIND___. Being a friend means not only having fun together but helping each other in a difficult _____SITUATE_____. A true friend not only praises you but tells you when you are not right too. If you have already found such a person, you're ___LUCK_____. 

Last spring my best friend Isabelle and I booked a holiday in Venice. We rented a small apartment for a week with a _____WONDER_____ view of the town. At the last moment another friend, Linda, asked if she could come with us. She was a ___FRIEND___, cheerful girl and we were glad to have her join us. Venice was a ______FANTASY______ place and we enjoyed our trip greatly. Linda was fond of history and she told us lots of _____INTEREST_____ facts about the town. We also liked the Italian food very much. The waiter in the nearby pizzeria was a boy from Britain, so we never had any problems with _____COMMUNICATE____. The only _____PLEASANT____ thing about Venice was the weather. It was unusually cold and windy that week. 

Last year my friend Mia and I went on holiday to Thailand. We stayed in a _____FAME______ resort which is popular with tourists. We were very ____LUCK______ with the weather and we spent most of our days on the beach. The ocean was _____FANTASY_____ – the water was clear and warm.  Thailand is a former French colony and that’s why French is very popular there. Mia was delighted with this fact because she learns French, she wants to be a ____TEACH_____ of French, and she was able to practise the language there. She is also interested in architecture and she found some fine examples of the French colonial style in Thailand. It was an _____FORGETTABLE____ trip for me too. I am a photographer and I took lots of pictures of people and nature. Several magazines found my photos ____INTEREST______ enough to publish. I feel very proud of that. 

I unexpectedly met my old friend Natalie at a metro station in Paris. I recognised her at once though we hadn’t seen each other for ten years. Now she works as a ____REPORT_______ for Le Figaro newspaper. Our ____FRIEND________ began when we were at school. After school, Natalie left Britain. French was her favourite subject and she went to university in Paris. It is one of the most ___FAME_________ opera houses in the world. Now she is a very ____SUCCESS________ journalist. Her life is busy and exciting. I was ____LUCK________ that she managed to find some time for me. Natalie made my visit to Paris ___FORGETTABLE________. She took me to the most interesting places in the city. In the evening we even watched a performance at The Grand Opera House.

Last year I decided to take an English course in Britain. When I called the language school, the ___MANAGE_____ explained to me everything about the school and the courses. They had an _____IMPRESS_____ range of courses - for all levels and ages. As for the accommodation, there were two options: staying in a student hostel or living with a host family. Naturally enough, I wanted to choose the _____NATIONAL____  community of the hostel. However, because of my parents’ strong ______AGREEMENT______ with my choice, I had to stay with the host family. And I didn’t regret it! My host family was ____WONDER______.  They told me a lot about their country and were very curious about mine. We talked a lot and when I came back home, I could speak English ____FLUENT____!

Yoga is a very popular activity and lots of people practise it nowadays. There is an opinion, however, that to be ___SUCCESS________ in this activity you should start yoga in early childhood. This is not true! You can start yoga at any time in your life. What you really need is enthusiasm and a good ____TRAIN_______ –  yogis often call them a guru. Yoga is not a ______COMPETE_______. You can choose any pace that is ____COMFORT______  for you. The aim is not to win but to make your body flexible and strong. It’s definitely _____POSSIBLE_______ to improve your body in a few days. t may take lots of time but it’s worth the time and effort.   Yoga is an _____EFFECT______ way to relax your mind. So it’s useful not only for your body.

I arrived in Liverpool in the afternoon. It was a ______RAIN______ day but the weather couldn’t spoil my excellent mood - I was in Liverpool! Many people associate this city with the _____FAME_______ musical band, the Beatles. It’s true, the Beatles are everywhere, but today it’s also _____POSSIBLE________ to imagine Liverpool without its other great passion: football! 
The city is home to two teams: Liverpool and Everton.  Everton is older and was more ____SUCCESS_______ in the past, but since the 1990s it has been Liverpool’s time to shine. 
I’ve been Liverpool’s _____SUPPORT______ since I was a small boy. The team is based at the Anfield Stadium. I have watched games there twice.  It was very ______EXCITE_______ and it was one of the most important memories of my childhood.

The 5th of November is Guy Fawkes Night. This holiday is also known as Bonfire Night as lighting bonfires is an essential part of the ____CELEBRATE___.   _____NATURAL____, it’s one of the favourite holidays for children –  they simply can’t miss the firework display. Most parents allow their children to stay outdoors till late at night. It would be ____FAIR______  to make them stay at home when the sky is lit up with colours. However, children should never be left on their own - bonfires and fireworks are potentially ____DANGER___. Emergency reports say the number of people needing medical care increases on this night. Some of them are ____CARE______ with fire. In spite of the excitement, the children may also catch a cold on this November night. Warm jumpers, coats and gloves are more ______USE____  than ever.

Choosing a career is one of the most difficult choices we have to make in our lives. There are lots of interesting and ____EXCITE_______ professions, but which of them is the right choice for you? Researchers who work in ____EDUCATE_______ and sociology asked people across the UK what their dream job would be. And the results were quite _____EXPECTED______. According to the survey, people find modest jobs like charity work or gardening the most ____EXPECTED_______.   Often at the top of their list are jobs such as a nurse or a ____TEACH_______. The study also shows that people in the UK are very _____PRACTICE________ and focus on the dream jobs they have a realistic chance of getting. 

I’ve worked in an office for many years. It’s a very ____STRESS_____ job and recently I’ve taken up a new hobby - gardening.  My grandmother was a very good ____GARDEN_____. She never did gardening as a job but for pleasure and ______ENTERTAIN_____.  She had the so-called green fingers - the flowers and fruit trees she planted grew very _____QUICK_______.  I wish I were as skillful as she was.  It’s a pity my family does not share my interest. My children ____LIKE____ working outdoors.  They prefer using the computer indoors. I don’t argue with them. Arguing and quarrelling makes me feel ___NERVE_____ and unhappy but cannot change the situation. I hope one day they will join me in the garden. 

Recently my neighbour Michael Wilkins got a job in sales.  However, soon he found out that being a sales _______MANAGE______ did not make him happy. He had to work long hours, and the job was ____STRESS______ and demanding. The atmosphere in the office was very ____FRIENDLY______ and the workers often quarreled with each other. So Michael decided to look for a more ______ATTRACT_______ job. In the local newspaper, he saw an ______ADVERTISE_______ from a pizzeria. It was close to his house and they needed a waiter. Michael decided to apply and didn’t regret it. “It’s good to feed people. I enjoy seeing them smile –  it’s important, isn’t it?” Michael says. Next week he’s going to take a cooking course. On completing it, he will be able to make ____TASTE________ pizzas himself!

There is a popular opinion that all children are talented. It’s true - children are curious and have a good _____IMAGINE_____.  It helps them make ____AMAZE____ things from very routine objects like stones, leaves, or strips of fabric. Coloured paper, watercolours and pencils stimulate their ______CREATE____ minds a lot too! However, sometimes parents may ____APPROVE___ of their children’s artistic activities like drawing on the walls and indoor experiments with fireworks.  But _____PUNISH______ is not a good solution! Any art activity develops children’s brains and stimulates their ability in science. Be _____CARE_____ with your children’s natural talents. Never stop them doing an activity but instead create an appropriate and safe environment for it.

Early in her reign, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, had a plan to hold a great world-wide exhibition of modern art and design. Sir Joseph Paxton, a botanist and landscape ___DESIGN_____, won the competition to create the central exhibition hall. The _____BUILD____ he produced is still admired by architects today. Although at that time many thought it was ________POSSIBLE_____ to realize such a project. In 1851, Paxton constructed his Crystal Palace –  an ____AMAZE_____ glass and iron pavilion, over a third of a mile long, with 800,000 square feet of floor space. The construction was an ultramodern iron frame with glass panels. The exhibition was very _______SUCCESS____ – it drew over six million visitors.  _____UNFORTUNATE_____, it was taken apart in 1854. 

Ray Kurzweil is a very popular figure in the field of science. He is a leading computer _____SCIENCE_____ who has made lots of predictions about the future of humanity. So far he has written six books about artificial intelligence, and four of them have become ___NATION____ best sellers in the USA. Ray strongly believes that soon computer intelligence will be a billion times more ___POWER_____ than the human brain. However, lots of experts don’t believe it and say that it is absolutely ___POSSIBLE_____. Kurzweil disagrees with them and says that we are already a human-machine civilization. We already use high level technology to diagnose diseases, provide ____EDUCATE____, and develop new technologies. Kurzweil thinks that by 2030, computers will do more ___IMPRESS____ tasks. They will be able to understand ordinary spoken language and show emotions. 

Jenny doesn’t have many friends, but she has lots of books. Jenny likes fantasy stories best. She has a rich ____IMAGINE_____ which takes her to magical lands. Jenny often feels like she is a part of the story. She enjoys being in someone else's shoes, living in an _____ABSOLUTE____ different world. When reading, Jenny may turn into a princess or become a mountain ____EXPLORE______. She can see _____FANTASY_____ creatures and amazing places with her own eyes. Books are ideal friends for Jenny. They are entertaining and helpful. They can give her some _____PRACTICE_____ advice when she needs it and keep quiet when she doesn’t want to communicate. Books never _____AGREE____ with her and they never argue.

Koalas are cute animals. _____FORTUNATELY_______, it causes them lots of problems. There are people who want to keep the cute exotic animal as a pet which may put the koala in a really ____DANGER_____ situation. The problem is that the koala’s diet is very specific. To stay ______HEALTH______ they should only eat eucalyptus leaves. The leaves need to be young and fresh, which means a person who keeps a koala should also have a lot of eucalyptus trees. Andrew Page, a ___SCIENCE_______ who has been studying koalas for years, says that it’s a bad idea to keep this animal as a pet. According to him, people who try to do it usually have very little _____INFORM________ about koala’s lifestyle. And their ignorance can often cost the ___BEAUTY______ animal its life.

What is the most eco-friendly transport? I believe it’s the bicycle. There are a lot of bicycles on the streets of our town and that is probably why it looks so green and ____BEAUTY___. There are cycle lanes all over the town so using your bike to get to school or to the office is safe and convenient. ___FORTUNATELY____, some people still prefer driving cars even for short distances. They make the environment less _____HEALTH_____. As for me, I enjoy riding my bike very much and all my friends say that I’m a good ____RIDE____. Next month I’m going to take part in a regional cycling _____COMPETE_____ and I hope to win it. I don't think I will stop riding my bicycle till I’m ____REAL____ old.

Not everyone likes street art. ____USUAL________ nobody asks owners’ permission before drawing graffiti on their houses. Sometimes the drawings may be ___INTEREST_____ and nice but sometimes messy and ugly. What is graffiti –  a form of art or vandalism? It depends on the drawing, I think. A friend of mine, John, is a street __ART____. He says that street art is a form of ____COMMUNICATE____. A person can tell you nice or rude things, can’t he? As for John, he is a really nice and ___CREATE_____ person. He enjoys drawing _____VARY_______ characters from animated films. When my neighbours saw his drawings, they asked him to paint some pictures on the wall of their house. Just to make it look brighter and more positive.

I’m not a child but I still like cartoons and animated films. ___RECENT____, I enrolled in an animation course in our university. The ____TEACH_____ of the course explained to us how animated films are made. Basically, animation is just a series of pictures with a character. Each picture is a little ____DIFFER_______. When you show the pictures really fast, it looks like they are moving. Some people say animation is not a serious thing. I strongly ___AGREE_____. Animated films may be ___FUN_____ but clever and useful to learn new skills. I believe they can be used in many spheres, and most importantly of all in ___EDUCATE_____.

Learning languages is important nowadays. It is interesting and ___USE____. Language skills help people to travel, study, and establish ___PROFESSION____ links with colleagues from other countries.  Some people say that learning languages is easy but others strongly ___AGREE____. They say that learning languages takes a lot of time and they are not happy with their progress anyway. Meanwhile, there are some strategies that can make you a successful language _____LEARN____ and save your time. The first idea is watching films in the original. If the films are ____INTEREST____, learning is just fun, not hard work. Online and live ___COMMUNICATE____ with people in the language you are learning also helps a lot.

Russia is a large country with great diversity in flora and fauna. There are several large ____NATION_________ parks in Russia. A lot of different animals live there. Wolves are probably the best known, and are very well studied animals, so we have enough ______INFORM________ about their diet and behaviour. The wolf is a good ______HUNT_________. They usually hunt wild animals like deer and hares, but sometimes they can attack sheep, goats, and cows. The wolf tries to avoid people and only goes into villages when he is _______REAL______ hungry. In some ______RUSSIA________ tales, the wolf is often represented as a clever animal that helps the main character, Ivan. The wolf is usually direct and _____CREATE________ and helps Ivan to cope with many difficult problems.

In Moscow, there are approximately 35,000 dogs living on the streets. Some of these ____HOME____ animals were born there. Others are just _____LUCKY____ pets that have been abandoned by their owners. For many dogs the city may be a ____DANGER___ place to live in. However, scientists were surprised to find out how ____EASY____ some animals can adapt to urban life. Some dogs have even learnt to use the city’s metro system! We still don't know how the dogs find out when to get off the train. One ___SUGGEST___ is that they use their excellent sense of smell to recognise the scents of their favourite destinations. Another idea is that they are able to remember the design of ___DIFFER___ stations and find the station they need.

Most graffiti street artists are anonymous. However there are some artists who have become globally ___FAME___. Like the twin brothers from Brazil who call themselves Os Gemeos. They paint everything from small images to huge, ___COLOUR___ pictures of people on buildings. Another celebrity among graffiti artists is Blek le Rat from Paris. He paints pictures of ___HOME___ people. In this way he hopes to encourage residents to think ____SERIOUS___ about the problems of these people. Another well-known artist is Faith 47 from Cape Town. She paints big bright pictures of people and animals. The works of this ___PAINT____ can be found on pavements, empty factory buildings, and abandoned cars. It is ____POSSIBLE____ to predict how street art will develop in the future but we can be sure that it is here to stay!

Kelly's family loved to watch football together. Sometimes they watched college games, but normally they watched ____PROFESSION_____ teams play. This evening was special. Two teams were playing in the final match of the ___CHAMPION____. Kelly's favourite team had actually got to the final this year, which ____RARE_____ happened. "They're going to win for sure! It will be ___FAIR_____ if they lose!" Kelly thought. Watching the football game needed the presence of the whole family and lots of tasty food. So Kelly's mum had made barbecue meatballs. Uncle Jolyon had brought a ____SPICE___ cheese sauce and chips. Aunt Katie brought some cakes.  When the game started, everyone cheered. It seemed to Kelly that every ____PLAY_____ of her team was doing their best to win-win-win! And they did!  

The Nobel Prize is a very prestigious award. Alfred Nobel, a successful businessman and the _____INVENT_____ of explosives, established prizes for achievements in science, literature and economics. Another award, the Oscar, is ____PROBABLE____ the most famous prize in the film industry. The ceremony is an ____IMPRESS____ event with lots of film stars. There are lots of musical awards – Grammies, Brits, and the MTV awards for music, the list is ____END_____. In Britain, a writer who wins the Booker prize can expect to see their novel at the top of the bestseller lists and compete with ‘The Da Vinci Code’ for _____POPULAR____. The Turner Prize is an award for British contemporary artists, and each year it causes heated discussions. Artists get lots of money for their ____USUAL____ and sometimes even strange works. 

Ecotourism is getting more and more popular. It offers two things at once: ____EDUCATE____ and entertainment. Most people agree that ecotourism is the most _____HARM_____ branch of tourism. It makes profit without destroying ______NATURE_____ resources. When tourists choose eco trips, they stay in local houses with local people, not in _____EXPENSE_____ hotels. They travel on foot, by boat, bicycle or elephant to avoid pollution.  However, such trips are not at all cheap. This is ____PROBABLE____ the only disadvantage. But you can apply the principles of ecotourism every time you go on a normal holiday. You should remember that you're only a ____VISIT_____ and be as careful as possible. 

Ireland is the country of myths and legends. Even the local people are not sure which of them were based on facts and which are the product of someone’s ____CREATE____ imagination. Leprechauns are ____PROBABLE____ the most famous characters from Irish mythology. They are depicted as old bearded men. Their ____RESPONSIBLE____ is to guard the treasure of the fairies. Unfortunately, rainbows always point to the _____LOCATE____ of the treasure and the Leprechaun must rehide it. And there are plenty of rainbows in Ireland! Leprechauns are always busy. They are always very ____CARE____ and try to be invisible to people. But if you manage to catch some ____LUCKY___ Leprechaun, he must either give you his treasure or grant you three wishes. 

It’s obvious that language skills are essential for everyone today. Foreign languages are very _____USE_______ not only for travelling, but also for studying and building a career. There are lots of ___DIFFER_____ ways to learn a new language.  However, everyone agrees that learning languages is ____POSSIBLE____ without dictionaries. The main job of any dictionary is to explain what words mean. This can be done via ____TRANSLATE_____ or the unknown word can be explained in other words. It’s also good if the dictionary contains some examples of how the word is used –  it helps to understand the ____MEAN_____ much better. If you are a busy _____LEARN_______, you probably prefer online dictionaries to paper ones. Online dictionaries are very convenient to use if you have Internet access.

Drones will replace cars in the future.

        Modern technology takes root in our life. The issue of replacing traditional cars with unmanned aircrafts causes heated debates. Some people reckon this awaits us in the near future, while others disagree with them.

        To my mind, the likelihood of that people will use drones instead of cars is quite high. Firstly, such invention moves rather rapider and it is very handy because the pace of our life is becoming faster and faster and people need to travel quickly. Secondly, drones are ecologically clean vehicles because they fly with the help of rotating turbines, not fuel polluting the air.

        However, there is an opposing opinion, supporters of which are convinced that traffic jams and accidents will replace into the air, in addition, they will become more dangerous being off the ground and in some cases without a driver.

        Nevertheless, I cannot agree with the view stated above because there will be no need in building and repairing the roads. Probably, the green areas in cities will expand.

        To sum up, I want to stress that drones are able to replace familiar cars because the advantages of using them overweigh. Science is developing in at a fast pace and it will correct all defects to make using drones safe.

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It is better to travel abroad then to explore your own country.

        Travelling is very popular nowadays and before holidays people think where to go. Some of them reckon that traveling to a foreign country is the best choice, while others do not agree with them.

        From my point of view, going abroad has lots of advantages. First of all, it is a great opportunity to improve language skills talking with foreigners, listening their speech and to correct accent. Secondly, you can lean more about culture of chosen country, its national traditions and customs. In addition, it is a good chance to try new cuisine.

        However, there are some people who do not share my opinion. The are convinced that it is too expensive to visit a foreign country because of the cost of the airplane tickets. Moreover, VISA is required in many countries but it is very complicated to apply for it.

        Nevertheless, I cannot agree with the view stated above because there lots of various bus tours which include visiting even several countries at a low price. Such trips are very popular particularly in Europe.

        To sum up, I want to stress that benefits of traveling abroad overweigh. It provides an amount of opportunities to get acquainted with new people and cultures.

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Social media interaction is important for modern teenagers.

        We live in the world of modern technologies. The issue of Internet communication among young people is on the rise. Somebody reckons it is significant for teens, while others do not agree with them.

        From my point of view, social media plays an important role in teenagers’ life. First of all, they need to exchange information very quickly, for instance, to share news and send different messages. Teens need to keep in touch during the whole day and night. Secondly, social media allows young people to follow the trends and to keep up with the times. In addition, teens can track the life of other people and show theirs.

        However, there is an opposing opinion, supporters of which are convinced that verbal communication cannot be replaced by online dialogue and it should be a priority. Teenagers lose the opportunity to feel the real emotions.

        Nevertheless, I cannot agree with the view stated above because social networks let friends to communicate even if thousands of kilometers separate them. Modern technologies make such functions as video call or live broadcast available.

        To sum up, I want to stress that social media is important for young people and make our live easier and more mobile.

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