reading english 1126 (russian)

He says, though, that most people simply suffer from a dryness of the eyes.. Dry eyes also make people more likely to get eye infections.. Research carried out in France recently found t

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PART 2 57

PART 3 84

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PART 1

TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 1

1 As you read through this, some 2,000 thunderstorms are tearing apart the skies across the world And every second a hundred lightning bolts are striking the ground with their terrifying roar – fingers of electrici-

ty up to 32 kilometres long that burn all they touch Britain only has about ten days of thunderstorms a year By contrast, countries close to the equa-tor suffer most from thunderstorms Countries like Nigeria, for example, tend to have a thunderstorm every two days

2 IЭ’s СКrНХв sЮrprТsТЧР that lightning was feared by earlier cultures as

a sign of anger from their gods Lightning has the power to thrill and nate It is now an active area of research for scientists, who are still strug-gling to uncover its secrets and are looking for ways to protect against the potentially disastrous effects of lightning strikes

fasci-3 For centuries, however, there was little anyone could do to protect themselves or their property from lightning And up until the 18th century, people were often given dramatic proof that lightning can strike in the same place several times The tower of San Franco in Venice has been se-verely damaged or destroyed nine tines

4 Predicting when and where it is likely to strike is one of the ways we have made lightning less threatening Forecasting lightning is taken very seriously in America, for example, where scientists keep a constant eye on weather patters that could lead to violent storms New methods enable sci-entists to warn people in threatened areas before a storm reaches them

5 A good indication of the fact that a lightning strike is directly head is when your hair stands on end If von get caught in a storm never shelter under an isolated tree, which can act as a lightning conductor, and stay away from anything made of metal

over-6 Although the number of fatalities has decreased, lightning is no less common than it was in the past The reason for the decrease in deaths is that fewer people work out in the open Lightning protection is more im-portant today than ever For example, if lightning were to strike one of the

RОКdТnР TОst 1 Choose from the list (A –G) the sentence which best summarizes each part (1 –6) of the text There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use

A Predicting lightning is a way of making it less dangerous

In the world of today the need for protection is greater than ever Scientists are actively investigating the nature of lightning

D You should know what to do

E Thunderstorms are continually sweeping around the world

F In the past people could do little to protect themselves against ning strikes

light-G Lightning causes less harm than it is generally believed

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1 These days, eyesight is under more strain than ever Computer work, watching television, driving at night and even sunshine can affect your eyes As the ozone layer is becoming thinner, more ultraviolet rays are reaching people's eyes, and they can only be protected by anti-UV sun-glasses The only problem is that many sunglasses do not provide enough protection

2 It was traditionally believed that being long-sighted or short-sighted was a condition that was inherited But new studies are showing that this is not always the case Recent research in America suggests that up to 80 per cent of American and European schoolchildren may be short-sighted Years of focusing on books causes most children to become slightly short-sighted by the age of ten

3 New problems, such as the increase in the number of people using computers, has added to eye strain Using computers means that the eye works in a different way, and also works harder – and infrared from the computer adds to the strain Experts have estimated that 25 to 30 per cent

of people have eye problems as a result of working in front of a screen

4 Office workers also suffer from additional problems because of tral heating and air conditioning The trouble here is that the eye becomes dry Dry eyes can also make you feel tired To remedy this, doctors have tried to produce artificial tears, but this has proved to be impossible Juan Duran recommends closing eyes for one minute every hour This will help

cen-to rest them and keep them moist Many people go cen-to him with what they call tired eyes, eyestrain and a variety of allergies He says, though, that most people simply suffer from a dryness of the eyes Dry eyes also make people more likely to get eye infections There are two simple remedies for keeping the eye moist: drink more and blink more

5 Other researchers say that the increase in eye problems can be cause of a bad diet During the Second World War fighter pilots were told

be-to eat carrots be-to help their vision at night The eye, like any other part of the body, needs certain nutrients to keep it healthy so it can carry out its various functions In the case of night vision, what is needed is plenty of vitamin A

6 Research carried out in France recently found that people over 60 years old who live in cities are more likely to be short-sighted than people

of the same age who live in the country The reason for this, they say, is that people who live in the country generally eat healthier food

RОКdТnР TОst 2 Choose from the list (A –G) the sentence which best summarises each part (1 –6) of the text There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use

A These days eye dryness has become a common problem

Life in cities leads to more eye problems than life in the side

country- Research proves that poor eyesight is not always inheritedcountry-

D The more balanced your diet is, the less likely you are to have eye problems

E Modern lifestyle puts more strain on eyesight than ever before

F Dry eyes make people more likely to have poor eyesight

G The spread of computers has caused an increase in eye problems

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 3

1 Swedish businessman Nils Bergqvist is delighted with the response

to his new accommodation concept, the world's first igloo hotel Built in a small town in Lapland, his igloo hotel has been attracting lots of visitors

2 Soon, however, the fun will be over In two weeks' time Bergqvist's ice creation will be nothing more than a pool of water Strangely enough this seems to be a cause for celebration rather than regret 'The most inter-esting thing is designing the igloo,' he says 'We don't see melting as a big problem I just look forward to making a bigger one to replace it.'

3 Bergqvist built his first igloo for a local art exhibition It was so cessful that he designed the current one Six workmen spent more than eight weeks piling tons of snow on to a wooden base; when the snow froze the base was removed 'The only wooden thing we have left in the igloo is the front door,' says Bergqvist proudly Everything else is one hundred per cent snow 'I decided to test out some new ideas on the igloo,' he says These include a theatre for shows, a jazz club and a large ice bar

suc-4 After their stay all visitors receive a survival certificate recording their accomplishment With no doors, nowhere to hang clothes and tem-peratures around zero, it may seem more like an endurance test than a re-laxing hotel break 'It's a great novelty for them,' Bergqvist explains, 'as well as being a good start in survival training.' He claims that guests feel warm despite the cold because snow is such a good insulator Maximum heat is maintained by ice walls that are about two metres thick

5 The popularity of the resort is beyond doubt – it is now attracting tourists from all over the world At least eight hundred people have stayed

at the igloo this season even though there are only ten rooms 'You get a lot

of people in,' explains Bergqvist 'The beds are three metres wide and can

6 Bergqvist is already excited about his next hotel, which will take more than one thousand tons of snow to construct With summer on its way Bergqvist will soon be holding his annual contest to predict when the igloo will fall Last year's winner received a large painting from an Art Hall Ex-hibition 'It's great,' says Bergqvist, 'we all sit in a big tent nearby, drinking beer and waiting for it to melt.'

RОКdТnР TОst 3 Choose from the list (A –G) the sentence which best summarises each part (1 –6) of the text There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use

A The current igloo hotel is a structure made of snow only

Staying at the igloo hotel is a kind of survival training

The approach of summer is the time of the annual contest

D Nils Bergqvist doesn't regret that his igloo hotel is going to melt soon

E The igloo hotel attracts a lot of people by its novelty

F The popularity of the igloo hotel has spread across the borders of the country

G The success of the igloo hotel gives Nils Bergqvist a lot of tion

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 4

1 When I saw the notice 'Women film extras wanted' in a local paper,

I jumped at the chance As a child I had dreamt of being a film star Now at last I would get my chance

2 The casting interview went well, and two days later I was told that I had been chosen I was to lose some of my enthusiasm for the idea, how-ever Extras are often left in the dark for some time when it comes to being told which role they will play Finally, the nature of my role was revealed;

I was asked to play a mental hospital patient Despite my disappointment, I agreed to participate

3 A week later, the day of filming came All of us extras, mainly housewives, were told to change into our costumes in the wardrobe de-partment Then we were taken to the location, a hospital in the outskirts of Glasgow It seems that it is common for old hospitals to be used in this way

4 On arriving we were given coffee and tea, which looked and tasted like cement Then we were rushed off to make-up My hair was pinned back and make-up was applied that gave me a pale appearance Then we were sent to the minibus for a few hours, as the cameras rolled elsewhere After the second hour had passed I was becoming bored Stars are never treated like this I thought I had expected to be so busy that I hadn't come prepared for a long wait Many of the others had brought a book or knit-ting

5 Three hours had now passed Then at last we were called to do our scenes A large room in the hospital had been transformed into a dayroom for that purpose When the director came in, we were instructed what to do and where to stand Along with a few others, I was told to sit at a table and weave baskets This was not an easy task The cane we had to use was very long On several occasions my basket fell apart On others I only succeed-

ed in hitting a cameraman in the eye Life for other extras was far from easy Jean, who was barefoot, had to circle the floor Poor Alice was asked

to pretend to bang her head against the wall Meanwhile, Veronica swept the floor

6 Thankfully, after just a few attempts, the scenes were done And so

my first taste of this 'glamorous' career was over Although I found the perience very interesting, my first screen role will almost certainly be my last

RОКdТnР TОst 4 Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A –G) for each part

of the text (1 –6) There is one extra heading which you do not need to use

A Some of the enthusiasm lost

The day of the filming came

Lucky chance

D Not a star treatment

E Every child's dream

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 5

1 In September 1982, Dr Joe Farman, a British scientist working in the Antarctic, found that a dramatic change had taken place in the atmos-phere above his research station on the ice continent His instruments, set

up to measure the amounts of a chemical called ozone in the atmosphere, recorded that half the ozone had disappeared

2 H couldn't believe his eyes, so he came back to Britain to get a new instrument to check his findings But when he returned the following year

at the same time, the same thing happened He had discovered a hole in the ozone layer that turned out to extend over an area of the sky as wide as the United States When he published his findings in scientific journals, they caused a sensation Scientists blamed pollution for causing the ozone hole

3 The ozone layer is between 15 and 40 kilometres up in the phere higher than most airplanes fly This region contains most of the at-mosphere's ozone, which is a special form of the gas oxygen Ozone has the unique ability to stop certain dangerous invisible rays from the sun

atmos-diation This damages living cells, causing sunburn and more serious eases The ozone layer is vital to life on the surface of the Earth

dis-4 Until the ozone layer formed, about two thousand million years ago,

it was impossible for any living thing to survive on the surface of the

plan-et All life was deep in the oceans But once oxygen was formed in the air, and some of that oxygen turned to ozone, plants and animals could begin to move on land

5 But now humans are damaging the ozone layer In the past ten years scientists have discovered that some man-made gases, used in everything from refrigerators and aerosols to fire extinguishers, are floating up into the ozone layer and destroying the ozone

6 The damage is worst over Antarctica, and near the North Pole, where scientists have seen small holes appear for a short time each spring since 1989 So far, these holes have healed up again within a few weeks by natural processes in the atmosphere that create more ozone But each year,

it seems to take longer for the healing to be completed If we stop using all ozone-destroying chemicals within the next five years, it is likely to be at least the middle of the 21st century before the ozone hole stops forming over Antarctica each year

RОКdТnР TОst 5 Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A –G) for each part

of the text (1 –6) There is one extra heading which you do not need to use

A Before the ozone layer formed

The consequence of human activities

Ignoring the findings

D The function of the ozone layer

E The presence of the ozone hole is proved

F The healing process gets slower

G Unexpected results

TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 6

To most of us, buried treasure is the subject of a childhood pirate story But to Norman Scott, president of Global Explorations, it's his business and his life's work Being a professional treasure hunter is not the glamor-ous job it might sound What few people realize is how much research and preparation go into treasure hunting Experts in history and archeology have to be consulted and documents (sometimes in very ancient languages) have to be translated It is only when there is a really good chance of find-ing something worthwhile that the decision to go ahead is taken

Unexpected things have been found, while some famous treasures are still being looked after The excavation of a Sacred Well in Mexico re-

valuable items, which had been thrown down the well with them Global Explorations is currently investigating possible hiding places of thousands

of works of art taken by the Nazis during World War II

The expense of the operation matches the rewards A typical search will cost between a quarter and one and a half million dollars

The major expense is the complex machinery, which can save a lot of unnecessary and costly work by 'seeing' beneath the ground to discover whether things are buried under it Treasure hunting can sometimes lead to unexplained fatal accidents It is a dangerous enterprise Already eleven treasure hunters have been killed – some in mysterious circumstances Scott believes that some discoveries from the past could make life difficult even for people in the present

The business can be highly profitable for the companies involved The location of treasure can influence how much profit the finder makes In some cases, finds have to be given to or shared with the government but, in the late 1980s, a ship loaded with a billion dollars in gold was found off the coast of America and, since it was 320 km from the coast, nothing had to

be given to the government Treasures are taken 'to court' to find out who they belong to In Britain, there is a law controlling the finding of treasure But even if the treasure is kept by the government, the finder is entitled to receive the full market value of his discovery

RОКdТnР TОst 6 Choose the answer ( , , or D) which you think fits best accord- ing to the text

1 According to the text, professional treasure hunting is

A a very exciting job

every child's dream

not as attractive as it may seem

D only found in childhood pirate stories

2 Treasure hunting starts after

A they have consulted experts in treasure hunting

they have found out that there is a chance of making a profit they have got the permission of Global Explorations

D a lot of documents have been studied

3 These days, Global Explorations

A has discovered most of the well-known treasures

has found treasures in most unexpected places is doing the vation of a Sacred Well in Mexico

exca-D is looking for works of art that disappeared during World War II

4 In treasure hunting, most of the money is spent on

A rewards

getting professional advice

special equipment

D excavation works

5 Norman Scott believes that

A some discoveries from the past can affect the life of people living today

the job of a professional treasure hunter is surrounded by mysteries some treasures were found in mysterious circumstances

D some treasures will never be discovered

6 According to the British law controlling the finding of treasure,

A the government receives the full value of the discovered treasure the finder receives the full value of the discovered treasure

the company doesn't have to share the finds with the government if the treasure is found in the sea

D the discovered treasure has to be taken to 'court' to find out who it belongs to

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 7

John Seymour is completely self-sufficient He lives entirely off the land he farms in Southern Ireland Seymour is the author of the Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, which has been very popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland He started running courses teaching people how to be self-sufficient in 1993 Before that people used to read the book and some-times find him on his farm to ask questions He decided to start proper week-long courses as a result People as varied as doctors, teachers and schoolchildren come from many countries to learn What really pleased Seymour was when a group of Irish farmers came with their wives to learn about organic farming On the course I attended there was a Swiss zoology student with her husband Michael It is her second visit Her husband works for a telephone company but wants to find a farm in Ireland like John Seymour's He'll be lucky to find one as well situated though It is surrounded by trees above a bend in the river Barrow, which flows past on its way to the sea This part of Ireland is, in fact, extremely rural The near-est village is several kilometers away

Visitors cannot stay at the farmhouse but there is plenty of camping space We stayed at a nearby guesthouse, and visited Seymour every day for our lessons The way Seymour teaches is to show you something and then let you do it yourself, while he talks to you about his farming meth-ods For example, he explains that a cow provides too much milk to drink,

so you have to make butter and cheese Also, there's not much you can do with left-overs except feed them to pigs, so you keep pigs During our

evening meal, Seymour's partner Angela Ashe points out that everything

we eat comes from their land: bread, butter, cheese, potatoes, salad and wine Angela is also involved in teaching – she runs bread-making courses

at the farm She teaches how to prepare and mill flour and make several types of bread

In just one week we also learned how to make wine, beer, bread, ghurt, butter and cheese But Seymour says that not everyone wants to be totally self-sufficient Some think they do – until they realize what's in-volved and decide it's not for them Of course it's better to learn that before selling their homes and buying animals that they are unable to look after

yo-RОКdТnР TОst 7 Choose the answer ( , , or D) which you think

fits best according to the text

1 John Seymour's book is about his experience of

A teaching people who want to be self-sufficient

leading a self-sufficient life

doing organic farming

D living in Southern Ireland

2 John Seymour started teaching people how to be self-sufficient because

A he believes all people should be self-sufficient

running courses is a profitable business

people had been coming to the farm to ask questions

D he enjoys teaching

3 According to the text,

A it won't be easy for Michael to find a farm which is as well situated

as John Seymour's farm

it won't be difficult for Michael to find a farm which is as well ated as John Seymour's farm

situ- there is only one farm in this part of Ireland which is as well

situat-ed as John Seymour's farm

D it wasn't easy for John Seymour to find the farm which is so well situated

4 During the evening meal Angela

A teaches how to make several kinds of bread

explains that all the food they eat is produced on the farm

5 John Seymour believes that not everybody

A is able to change his lifestyle

likes living in the countryside

is able to look after animals

D realizes what it means to be self-sufficient

6 According to the text, self-sufficiency means

A living in a rural part of the country

working on a farm of your own

living entirely on what you get from your land

D using new farming methods like organic farming

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Our first sighting of the ship took place from Alvin, a miniature marine As we began our two and a half hour descent to the ocean floor,

sub-we discovered our sonar wasn't working Without that, sub-we had to rely on our ship Atlantis, on the surface, to guide us to the Titanic's location Then

we discovered another problem Salt water was entering the batteries which powered Alvin Without them, we would have very little time at the bottom of the ocean, if any at all To add to our problems, the tracking sys-tem from Atlantis wasn't working The surface ship should have known where we were and where the Titanic was Instead we were lost, with no way of knowing that we were within yards of the ship As more sea water was entering the batteries, we grew worried and decided to return to the surface Then a voice suddenly came from Atlantis telling us that the Ti-tanic was only 50 yards away We slowly moved to the right until we were stopped by an enormous piece of black steel rising from the bottom of the ocean At last we reached our goal The Titanic was only a few inches away In that instant we became the first people to see the Titanic in her watery grave After gazing for a few minutes in silent wonder, we were forced to return to the surface

Most of the eleven dives that followed were more rewarding They produced scenes which will also remain with me forever We saw the head

of a child's doll and a cup on top of one of the ship's steam boilers On other dive, as we moved past the Titanic, the round windows seemed to me like rows of sightless eyes filled with great tears of rust

an-RОКdТnР TОst 8 Choose the answer ( , , or D) which you think fits best accord- ing to the text

1 The first sighting of the Titanic

A made the author feel sorry for the ship

made an unforgettable impression on the author

was the most exciting moment of the author's life

D disappointed the author

2 After decades of lying on the ocean floor the ship

A was completely destroyed

remained the most graceful of ships

lost its beauty and grace

D was difficult to identify

3 During the descent on the ocean floor the submarine was guided

by the surface ship because

A salt water was entering the batteries

the submarine sonar wasn't working

the submarine could spend very little time at the bottom of the ocean

D the submarine tracking system wasn't working

4 The crew of the submarine felt lost when

A the tracking system from the surface ship stopped working,

more sea water was entering the batteries

the surface ship couldn't locate the Titanic

D the submarine was stopped by an enormous piece of black steel

5 The first sighting of the Titanic was very short because

A the order came from the ship telling them to return to the surface the crew of the submarine was worried about their safety

there was nothing interesting to see

D the submarine had problems with the batteries

6 Most of the dives that the author made

A filled him with silent wonder

filled his eyes with tears

produced unforgettable scenes

D were less exciting than the first sighting

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 9

boom in language learning for business people But psychologists say that your body language is much more important than what you say Doing the wrong thing, making eye contact, touching, using people's first names, even how you eat and drink – can all be hazardous to people who are un-familiar with certain cultures

Cultures are divided into 'low context' and 'high context' In 'low text' cultures such as North America, Britain, Sweden and Germany, peo-ple say things very plainly, and rely on clear verbal communication 'High context' cultures such as France, Japan, Spain and China often use silence

con-or hand signals to communicate, and this can sometimes be as impcon-ortant as speaking Shaking hands is often the most common form of greeting peo-ple, but even this can create problems

In England, people shake hands firmly not – but not very often - while

in places like Italy and France people shake hands all the time but not as firmly as the English

People from ‘Хoа МoЧЭОбЭ' МЮХЭЮrОs ЭОЧН Эo ХooФ into each other's eyes, but in 'high context' cultures such as Chinese or Japanese, this can be inter-preted as aggressive behaviour As a rule, though, close physical greetings such as kissing are not a good idea For the British kiss each other once, on the right cheek, the French kiss each other twice, first on the left cheek and then on the right, but in some cultures, especially in the Middle East, they kiss up to our times and still shake hands!

Trying to make people from other cultures feel comfortable can be confusing as well Americans often use first names as a way of making instant friends, but this does not always work, especially

with the Germans and the English For although all three are 'low ЭОбЭ’ МЮХЭЮrОs, ЭСО BrТЭТsС КЧН GОrЦКЧs КrО ЧoЭ quite as 'open' as the North Americans One thing that the British and Americans

con-do share when meeting each other, however, is the desire to break the ice by making a joke Some cultures, especially the 'high context' ones could find this rude or disrespectful Cultures and people vary so much, though, that it is impossible to please all of the people of the time The best thing you can do under these confusing circumstances is to be polite to everyone you meet

RОКdТnР TОst 9 Choose the answer ( , , or D) which you think fits best accord- ing to the text

1 What should people who do business internationally know?

A More people are currently learning foreign languages

B These days most business people can speak foreign languages Learning a body language is more important than learning foreign languages

D Besides the knowledge of foreign languages you need the knowledge of other cultures

2 What is the most essential characteristic of communication in 'low context' cultures?

A Using simple words

Speaking clear

Speaking in a loud voice

D Speaking with reserve

3 What is the most frequent way of greeting?

A Shaking hands

Shaking hands firmly

Making eye contact

D Smiling to the person you greet

4 Why aren't you recommended to look into other people's eyes in some 'high context' cultures?

A They can think you are badly brought up

They can think you are aggressive

They can think you are unfamiliar with their culture

D Making eye contact is not a good idea in any culture

5 In what part of the world does the use of people's first names help make people feel comfortable?

A Germany

England

North America

D The Middle East

6 What is the best way of treating people you meet if you don't want

to create confusion?

A Trying to please people all the time

Trying to be polite to everyone

Making jokes

D Trying to be sociable

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 10

On the wall outside my bedroom, there is a photograph of my ther, my father and myself Although my grandfather died a long time ago, this picture often reminds me of my childhood In those days, he regarded

grandfa-me as his companion to go hunting and fishing with Not so long ago I took his old hunting jacket out of the cupboard and on an impulse sniffed it Immediately, I was a child again This was no ordinary memory though It was as if he was really there with me I could feel his cheek against mine

and smell his unique mixture of age, wool and dust All of this happened

be as strong a sense as sight If you think about the time when a tasty meal

is being prepared, you realize just how strong this sense really is, and also how much pleasure we can get from smelling things But as powerful as the sense of smell is, we have a very small vocabulary about the subject of smell Unlike pictures or musical notes, smells do not have many features with which to describe them We often have to search for the words to identify even familiar smells

Women seem to be better at identifying smells than men are Perhaps this is because they pay more attention to smells – cooking, sniffing meat and fish to find out if it's fresh, using spices and perfumes Children smell and taste everything Older people put more spices in food as they start to lose their sense of smell

Rats have a very powerful sense of smell They sniff carefully before taking even a tiny bite of anything new Then they sit and wait to see what will happen before taking another bite Animals protect themselves from being poisoned and will not eat any food if they think it smells like some-thing that once mad them sick

RОКdТnР TОst 10 Choose the answer ( , , or D) which you think fits best accord- ing to the text

1 What made the author recollect his childhood a short time ago?

A The photograph on the wall

His grandfather's photograph

The smell of his grandfather's jacket

D The smell of fish

2 Why, in the author's opinion, do psychology books say little about the sense of smell?

A To humans taste is more important than smell

People can identify very few smells

D It's difficult for humans to identify smells

3 When can the sense of smell be especially powerful?

A When the smell is very pleasant

When the meal is very tasty

When a tasty meal is being cooked

D When you recollect your childhood

4 Why is the number of words with which to describe smells very small?

A Smells do not have many characteristics with which they can be scribed

de- Only some of the characteristics of smells can be identifiedde-

There are few smells which can be described D Only familiar smells can be described

5 Who is generally better at identifying smells?

A Young children

Women

Men

D Older people

6 What proves that rats have a very powerful sense of smell?

A They never eat the food that can make them sick

They never eat the food which smells like something that once made them sick

They never take even a tiny bite of anything new

D They sniff carefully before eating anything new

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 11

They can hardly walk or talk, but some toddlers are more familiar with computers than their parents Bianca Henir, for example, is obviously something of a computer whiz-kid She stares closely at the screen while her hands fly across the keyboard There is nothing strange in that except that Bianca is only twenty months old She is the youngest in a class of toddlers who are learning to use computers before they can even talk or walk properly Bianca's mother does not hide the fact that she thought it was a bit ridiculous in the beginning Just now she has really changed her whole view of computer learning 'I think it's an excellent introduction to education and basic learning of numbers and words It's really good', she admits now The classes are run by Dr April Jones in Liverpool Dr Jones has always wanted to work from home However, it was not until her ten-month-old son became interested in playing with her home computer that she had the idea of teaching computers to toddlers 'I realized it was a way

to lead kids away from computer games,' she says 'Instead of wasting uable time trying to get the highest score, they could do interesting and

val-Armed with two computers, Dr Jones started her project in her front room Now, three years later, she has a growing business and 120 students, the youngest of whom are still in nappies Even though it is a revolutionary way of dealing with children's education before they go to primary school,

Dr Jones seems to be quite satisfied with the process and the results She believes that the process of learning becomes more enjoyable this way The children don't realize they're learning as they play Moreover, they also learn to combine play and studying, which can have amazingly good re-sults

The programmes she uses for her students of two to three years old volve letters and numbers from the very beginning Dr Jones takes ad-vantage of the fact that the computers have speakers In this way, the kids learn to recognize the sound associated with each letter and as a result they are much better prepared when they start school Another advantage is that when they begin lessons at school, they are already used to handling com-puters What remains to be seen is whether her methods and ideas will spread nationwide, or even be applied internationally

4 she thought it was a bit ridiculous in the beginning

5 However, it was not until her ten-month-old son became interested

in playing with her home computer

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 12

Recent research in America has shown that shyness is determined by our genes; some people are simply born that way The 13-year research has now identified the gene that causes shyness, and the scientists believe that

in fact we are all born more or less shy It's just that some people are able

to deal with it better than others

Shyness may not seem to be a serious complaint, but for some who suffer from it, it can become unbearable Even talking to a small group of people you know can seem difficult – it can feel as if you've been asked to give a speech on the topic you know very little about to a number of ex-perts You start to fee] hot and shaky, your heart beats faster, your knees feel weak and the whole experience seems to last forever Shyness means you are harder to approach, so you become more isolated As one shy per-son put it, 'It's like in a prison, and it's very hard to break out.'

Experts on the subject have come up with various possible solutions, and one has been singled out as being the key to success – namely, finding

an interest in common with other people Spending a lot of time watching other people and envying them because they are much more sociable doesn't help; remembering that some of the people you most envy are probably shy themselves, does The secret is how you deal with it And experts have come up with four things you can do today to help

Firstly, you can start by listening to other people You will find self interested in what they're talking about and asking questions – and be-fore you know it, you'll be having a conversation Secondly, you could try asking neighbours if you can walk their dog Like children, pets can be

your-excellent icebreakers for conversations with passers-by Thirdly, try ing a class to learn something like tap-dancing or flamenco, where people are likely to laugh a lot You'll feel relaxed, and also you'll be much too busy concentrating on what you're doing to feel shy Lastly, try telling yourself that it doesn't matter if you say or do something silly Most people make a fool of themselves ever so often – and it's not the end of the world

join-if you do!

Reading Tes t 12 Choose the appropriate Russian equivalents for the following Eng- lish phrases and sentences

1 Some people are simply born that way

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 13

Charity shops were first set up as a new way of raising money for the big charities in England These shops dealing in second-hand goods were seen as the ideal solution for big organizations trying to raise money from the general public People doing their shopping could stop off at a charity shop to make a donation or buy some second-hand things while helping a good cause Also, it made people feel better

The Imperial Cancer Research Shop is one of the shops trying to do something different Nowadays, there is often a large selection of new goods displayed in the front windows This new direction is a decision made by the charity to try to increase profits A person speaking for charity said that they had found it harder to make money during the recession They believe that by selling new goods instead of second-hand ones, they will begin to attract a new type of customer She said that during the reces-sion, the charity did not receive as many donations People were wearing their clothes for longer, and when the clothes did come into the shop, they were often in very bad condition

One charity shop where you will find very few new goods is the SA shop (Save Animals shop) That charity introduced new items into its shops two years ago The staff discovered though, that people didn't want

to buy new goods They preferred to buy items that had been donated The experiment lasted only one year After that they removed most of the new items from the shop and had only second-hand ones for sale The only new things they sell now are mugs and postcards

At the Barnados shop the staff are busy getting prepared for their latest project: this will be a grand sale of second-hand jeans Last year this par-ticular shop made £26,000, but only £2,500 of that figure came from the sale of new things This may be proof that the public really prefer buying

shops it stocks the lowest percentage of new items He added that the staff were proud of the prices the shop could offer Prices ranged from £5 to

£30 But the manager said when it came to prices the shops faced a

dilem-ma They would like to help the poor by keeping prices very low, but were also faced with the problem of trying to raise much-needed money for the charity

6 The staff discovered though, that people didn't want to buy new goods

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TОбt Пor RОКdТnР 14

In the countryside in the heart of England there stands a high security fortress It is no ordinary fortress however It is a laboratory, and the secu-rity is not for stopping things from getting in, but stopping things from get-ting out We are about to enter Britain's Virus Laboratory where the most deadly viruses known to men are kept

The virus is the simplest form of life and can only exist inside cells These can be plant, animal or human cells Once inside these cells, they begin to multiply, often with deadly results Where they come from is often

a mystery as well Dr Graham Lloyd, who works at the laboratory, is trying

to discover where viruses come from Some viruses, they believe, can come from insects, animals and even water They have been making tests

on a variety of possible sources, from rats to spiders, in an effort to find out which one is responsible for passing killer viruses on to humans They work in very high-security conditions – in fact, there is more security in the Virus Laboratory than anywhere else in the country But even so, when Dr Lloyd first went to work at the laboratory in 1976 a fellow worker was in-fected with a deadly virus by accident As we go through another high se-curity door, we are faced with steel cabinets in which the viruses live There are long rubber gloves attached to these cabinets and by putting their arms through these, the scientists can make contact with the viruses Even though Dr Lloyd is very careful, the long rubber gloves look very delicate when you think that there is a deadly killer at the end of them What if a hole should appear in a glove? Dr Lloyd says if this happens, then alarms

go off, and through a variety of technical methods they have made sure that infected air can never escape from these cabinets

The Virus Laboratory is clearly a place for people who take security very seriously They only employ people who have a great deal of experi-ence in working with viruses They do not employ aggressive people, or