TEST   I

St. Paul’s Cathedral

 

            St. Paul’s Cathedral is situated in the City of London. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren (1632s 1723) who was not only an architect but also one of the best geometers of his day, a mathematician and astronomer.

            It took Wren 35 years to build the Cathedral which is the greatest of English Churches. It is considered to be a fine specimen of Renaissance architecture.

            The Cathedral is 515 ft long and 180 ft wide. Its famous dome is the largest church dome in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome.

            The Cathedral is Gothic in plan but the details are classic Renaissance. In one of the twin baroque towers there is one of the largest bells in the world, Great Paul, weighting 17, 5 tons.

            Inside there is a wonderful mixture of architectural work, paintings, mosaics and statues which are monuments to generals and admirals who are buried there and among them admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington (under his command the army of the allies defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815).

            When Christopher Wren was 90 he was carried here once a year so that he could see his beautiful work. He himself is buried in the Cathedral. There is no monument to Christopher Wren but on his tomb in the centre of the Cathedral there is an inscription which reads: "If you seek a monument, look around”. The inscription is in Latin.

            St. Paul’s Cathedral was partly destroyed in 1941 by a direct hit from bombs. After the war it was restored.

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dome – купол

           

I. The text is about …

            1) the interior of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

            2) Sir Christopher Wren.

            3) Renaissance architecture.

            4) Christopher Wren’s masterpiece.

II. Complete the sentence according to the text.

            In one of the towers of St. Paul’s Cathedral one can see …

1)      one of the largest bells in the world.

2)      the monument to Christopher Wren.

3)      the tombs of Nelson and Wellington.

4)      the largest church dome in the world.

III. Choose the right sentence.

1)      St. Paul’s Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren who was not only an architect but also one of the best writers of his day.

2)      The dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral is the largest church dome in the world after St. Peter’s.

3)      The Cathedral is Gothic in plan but the details are baroque and classic Renaissance.

4)      Christopher Wren is buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral, where there is a beautiful monument to him with an inscription in Latin.

5)       

IV. What explain the inscription: "IF you seek a monument, look around”?

1)      Christopher Wren needed no monument but his beautiful work - St. Paul’s Cathedral.

2)      Christopher Wren is buried there (there is a grave of his in St. Paul’s Cathedral).

3)      There are many remarkable things in the Cathedral to look at.

4)      In the Cathedral there are many monuments to famous people.

V.  Arrange the sentences according to the text.

            1)  Christopher Wren was carried here once a year.

            2)  St. Paul’s Cathedral was restored after World War II.

            3)  It took Wren 35 years to build the Cathedral.

            4)  Great Paul weight about 17, 5 tons.

                        1) 4, 3, 2, 1                 2) 3, 1, 2, 4                 3) 3, 4, 1, 2                 4) 1, 4, 3, 2

VI. Which word is different?

                        1) church                    2) cathedral                3) monastery               4) residence

 

TEST   II.
The City

 

The City occupies a site which was Norman London. It is a very small part of London (only one square mile). About ten thousand people live in the City but about 500,000 of them work there.

The City can still show the remains of its defensive wall and some other signs of the Roman time. In other parts of the City almost every stone, every wall, every house is Saxon or Norman or connected with some famous man, book or historical event.

The City of London was described by a Roman historian as a "busy emporium for trade and traders” and this description could have been applied to it at any time since then. The City still remains one of the most important commercial centres in the world.

All the principal streets lead to the heart of the City, which is represented by three buildings: the Mansion House, the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England.

The Mansion House is where the Lord Mayor lives. This is a big house built in 1739s53 which reminds us of Greek temple. The Lord Mayor also receives the guests of London there.

The Bank of England or as the Londoners call it "The Old Lady” is 250 years old and is a huge building seven storeys high. It is one of the most important banks in the world.     

The Royal Exchange has been burnt down three times by fire and three times rebuilt. It is a place of business and public meetings.

There are also a lot of insurance companies, offices and churches in the City.

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emporium - центр

temple - xpaм

 

I. The text is about ...

1) historical and business importance of the City.

2) Lord Mayor's residence.

3) principal business buildings of the City.

4) the territory and the population of the City.

 

II. Complete the sentence according to the text.

The City is a commercial and business part of London as ...

1) about ten thousand people live there.

2) all the principal streets lead to the heart of the City.

3) it is an area with a long history.

4) many offices, insurance companies, banks are concentrated there.

 

III. Choose the right sentence.

1) The City is a recently built part of London where one can't see any signs of ancient time.

2) The Mansion House reminds us of a Greek temple.

3) Many people live in the City but only a few of them work there.

4) Londoners call the Royal Exchange "The Old Lady” because it is a huge building seven    storeys high.

 

IV. Find the wrong statement.

1) The Mansion House is a residence of Lord Mayor.

2) The Lord Mayor receives the guests of London in the Mansion House.

3) The Mansion House was built in the eighteenth century.

4) There are a lot of insurance companies and offices in the Mansion House.

 

V. Arrange the sentences according to the text.

1) The City of London was described by a Roman historian.

2) In the City one can see many signs of the Roman time.

3) The Royal Exchange has been burnt down three times by fire.

4) All the principal streets lead to the heart of the City.

 

1) 4, 1, 2, 3     2) 2, 1, 4, 3     3) 4, 2, 3, 1     4) 1, 2, 4, 3    

 

VI. What word is different?

1) famous       2) well-known                        3) notorious                4) popular

 

TEST   III.
William Shakespeare (1564s – 1616)

 

William Shakespeare, the greatest English writer of drama, was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. We do not know everything about Shakespeare’s early life. But we know that he studied at the Grammar School in Stratford, and that lie became interested in the theatre when lie was still a boy.

In 1586 Shakespeare went to London, where he worked in the theatre for some years before he began to write his own plays.

Shakespeare soon became well-known in London literary circles. Every play that he wrote was good news to the people of the capital. Queen Elizabeth liked Shakespeare's plays, and the actors were often invited to play before the Queen and later before King James - a great honour in those days. By the end of the 16th century, Shakespeare and his friends had enough money to build their own theatre - the famous Globe Theatre.

But we must not think that Shakespeare had no difficulties in his life. Less talented writers, whose plays were worse than his, often quarreled with Shakespeare and attacked him, the actors in his own theatre sometimes turned against him.

People in our Country love and honour Shakespeare. Many say that they love him for his wonderful optimism: in his light comedies and even in his tragedies lie seems to promise a better and brighter future for all mankind.

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I. The text is about ...

1) Shakespeare's life.

2) the life of English people in Shakespeare's time.

3) the queen's and king's life.

4) the writers who lived in England in the 16th century.

 

II. Complete the sentence.

Shakespeare was especially good at...

1) novels.

2) detective stories.

3) mystery plays.

4) dramas.

 

III. Find the wrong statement.

1) In his childhood Shakespeare got interested in the theatre.

2) The King and the Queen of England liked his plays.

3) Shakespeare was widely known only for his Globe Theatre.

4) Shakespeare had difficulties in his life.

 

IV. Answer the question.

What kind of man was Shakespeare?

1) He was a man who liked to quarrel with people.

2) He was a man who was fond of saving money.

3) He was a man who tried to perform only in the king's palace.

4) He was a man who had wonderful optimism.

V. Why do you think Shakespeare is well-known throughout the world?

1) He was an English writer.

2) His actors disliked him.

3) He built his own theatre.

4) He wrote a lot of brilliant plays.

 

VI. Choose the synonym to the underlined word.

People in our country love and honour Shakespeare.

1) envy           2) respect        3) read             4) remember

 

 

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