Дополнительный материал для изучения английского языка
тренажёр по английскому языку (9 класс)

The British spend their free time in different ways. People generally use it to relax, but many people also do voluntary work, especially for charities. A lot of free time is spent in the home, where the most popular leisure activity is watching television, the average viewing time being 25 hours a week. People often record programs on video so that they can watch later, and video recorders are also used for watching videos hired from a video rental shop.

 Reading is also a favourite way of spending leisure time. The British spend a lot of time reading newspapers and magazines.

     In summer gardening is popular, and in winter it is often replaced by “do-it-yourself”, when people spend their time improving or repairing their homes. Many people have pets to look after; taking the dog for a daily walk is a regular routine.

Some leisure activities are mostly or entirely social. Inviting friends for a drink or a meal at the pub is the most usual one. Sometimes people join friends for a drink in a pub, or have dinner in a restaurant. A visit to a pub often includes a game, for example billiards or darts.

              The extra leisure time available at weekends means that some leisure activities, many of them to do with sport, normally take place only then. Traditional spectator sports include football, cricket, horse racing, motor racing and motor cycle racing. Popular forms of exercise are swimming, tennis, ice-skating or roller skating, cycling, climbing, and hill or country walking.

        Families often have a “day out” at the weekend, especially in summer, with a visit to a local event such as a festival, fair or show. Young people especially go to clubs and discos, while people of all ages go to the theatre, the cinema, art – exhibitions and concerts.

Source: Getting on – 8ºano

A – ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT:

1. How do the British spend their free time?
2. What’s the most popular free time activity?
3. How many hours a week do British watch TV?
4. Do they like reading?
5. Do British go out with friends? Explain.
6. Which sports are practiced by British?

B – COMPLETE THE SENTENCES ON THE TEXT:

1. British do voluntary ___________________________________________________________________.
2. Besides watching TV, British hired __________________________________________________.
3. During summer British like __________________________________________, whereas in winter they ______________________________________________________________________________________.
4. At the pubs games, like: ____________________________________________________________ _played by many British.
5. Their favourite sports are ____________________________________________________________.
6. Families “day out” is used to _________________________________________________________.

C – MATCH THESE WORDS WITH THEIR DEFINITIONS:

1. Leisure                                 a) fixing
2. Average                               b) free time
3. Improving                          c) rate
4. Repairing                           d) to make good use

D – WHAT / WHO DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS REFER TO?

1. Where ________________                             3. When _____________
2. They  _________________                               4. Them _______________

Maps borrowed from http://www.cryonie.com/en/world/great-britain-vs-united-kingdom.php

and http://projectbritain.com/britain/britishisles.htm

Key to the questions:

1. The British-Irish Islands
2. London
3. Edinburgh
4. Cardiff
5. Belfast
6. Dublin
7. London
8. Queen Elisabeth II
9. Pound (Sterling) (GBP)
10. Union Jack

Great Britain (in Welsh Prydain Fawr and Breatainn Mhòr in Scottish Gaelic) is an island situated to the north-west of Continental Europe.

It is the ninth largest island in the world, the largest European island and has a population of about 62.3 million people.

The entire island is territory of the state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and most of the UK’s territory is in Great Britain.

What is the capital city of Scotland? (a) Dundee/Dùn Dè (b) Glasgow/Glaschu  or

              (c) Edinburgh/Dùn Èideann?

Where is Wales? (a) north of England (b) east of England or (c) west of England?

The capital of England is London, while Cardiff (Caerdydd) is the capital of Wales (Cymru).

Can you name any other major cities in Great Britain? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Below are some interesting facts about Great Britain.  Be careful, though!  There are 5 facts which are nonsense- can you find them?

1. Big Ben does not refer to the clock, but actually the bell
2. French was the official language for about 300 years
3. Using a mobile phone on a bus or train can get you a fine of £50
4. The English drink more tea than anyone else in the world
5. Chickens outnumber humans in England
6. The Isle of Man is part of Great Britain
7. Kate Middleton is allergic to horses
8. The London Underground, opened in 1863, was the first in the world
9. Britain brought the world football, rugby and polo
10. Polish is the second most language spoken in England, and third in Britain (after Welsh)
11. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament
12. According to British superstitions, breaking a mirror brings you good luck
13. In Britain a pregnant woman can legally relive herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman’s helmet! (to relieve oneself=to go the toilet)
14. You can drink beer and wine from the age of 14 in Britain
15. London has been called Londonium, Ludenwic and Ludenburg in the past
16. Kentish is spoken by around 40% of the population of Kent

Answers:

The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh.
Wales is west of England.

Other major cities in GB include: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.

False facts about Britain:

(c)-no such law exists!  It can be considered rude, however, to use your mobile phone when using transport.

(f)-the Isle of Man isn’t part of Great Britain.

(l)- according to British superstition, this would bring you BAD luck!

(n)- You must be 16 to drink beer/wine in a pub (only with a meal), otherwise the age is 18.

(p)-Kentish?  There’s no such language! The major languages in GB include:

English, Welsh (562,000), Scots (considered a dialect of English in Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (65,000), Cornish (2,000) and Shelta.

Read the text carefully:

Technology is shaping tomorrow’s society by conquering today’s teenagers.

Nowadays, teens seem incapable of having a quality face-to-face conversation that lasts more than 2 minutes. Experts attribute this to the lack of meaningful interaction and social habits, which are a direct consequence of modern technology. Basically, people have the need to be connected to each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week but never in person.

This means that technology can be viewed as a social obstacle. I myself have been caught up in the technological web. When I feel the urge to see someone, I just video chat them on Skype. It is easier to see them that way than going to all the effort to be with them in person. In a sense, we are using it to take a few short cuts and simplify life for ourselves. Think about it: when you don’t understand the homework, do you actually phone someone and have a long conversation about that or do you just text them hoping for a quick and concise reply?

But every cloud has a silver lining and this is true of technology too. Technology can give you access to a whole new world of people and information. There are millions of credible sources and databases on the Internet just waiting for you. Without the Internet, I wouldn’t be able to find facts about things as varied as computers, cars and cameras quite as quickly and easily. Sites such as YouTube allow you to watch anything from a funny video to a videocast about quantum physics given by the very best professors at Harvard.

Just imagine life without technology like the Internet or computers. Would you still be able to survive? The Internet has become an intricate part of our modern lifestyles. It allows you to express yourself as an individual and connect with others on a global scale. If you are into photography, you can upload your photos on the webpage and share them with the world. If you have a story or a song to share, just create a link to it and in a few instants the world is tweeting you with feedback.

Thus, technology is a rather controversial subject. Some regard it as an obstacle. Others believe that it is a helper. Regardless of this, it is changing the way teens communicate with each other and the world. Today’s teens are trying out tomorrow’s technology. There really is just one question left to ask; how do you feel about technology? Obstacle? Asset(resource)? Hot topic? Or all of the above?

Teen Ink (adapted and abridged) 

A. Answer the question:

Why is technology seen as “a social obstacle”?

B. Complete the sentences according to the text:

1. If you need to learn more about things…

2. YouTube enables you…

3. You can easily share your hobbies, feelings and plans if…

C. What do these words refer to back to in the text? (they are underlined)

1. this –

2. them –

3. it –

D. Find words/expressions in the text that mean the following:

1. meaningful spoken interaction-

2. become victim of –

3. to simplify the way we do things –

4. reliable –

E. Read the text again and say in which paragraph of it does the author refer to the following? Write only the letters and the paragraph numbers.

1. looking for and getting information-

2. pros and cons of technology –

3. teens and social skills –

4. online communication –

5. global communication and sharing –

F. Explain the meaning of the expression (it’s underlined) “.. a rather controversial subject”. in context:

G. Form nouns by adding a suffix to the words below:

e.g. perform       performance

1. popular                                        2. innovate        

3. modify                                        4. improve

H. Complete the sentences by adding ‘ or ´s to the noun or nouns in brackets.

1. Don’t forget to bring the _______________________ (children/videogames)

2. Technology is shaping _________________________  (tomorrow/society)

3. Texting has become ___________________________(teens/favourite hobby)

4. This is _____________________________________(James/new computer)

5. I’ve borrowed my _____________________________( mother/iPad)

I. Complete the text with the words in the box:

The average kid sponges (attaches to) in 2.5 hours of music each day, almost five hours of _______ and movies, three hours of Internet and video ___________, and just 38 minutes of old-fashioned reading, according to a new ___________ by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That adds up to 75 hours of media every __________.

“You don’t have to sit down in front of a TV anymore and ____________ television at the time a show is broadcasted,” said Vicky Rideout. “Kids can watch it on their _____________ in their bedroom. They can watch it in their mobiles on the bus to ____________.” But what about homework? Kids at Taylor Day school say all the _____________can be a distraction.

J. Turn into the passive voice. Start as suggested:

1. Teenagers are providing technical support to their families.

    a)Technical support…

    b) Families…

2. Technology can give you access to a whole new world.

    a) You…

    b) Access…

3. Researchers have showed us a new reality.

    a) We…

    b) A new reality…

K. Rewrite the sentences beginning with the word in brackets:

1. They can’t get in touch with you regularly if you are not reachable. (Unless)

2. Unless you are careful about technology, you may become addicted to it. (If)

3. She could go out if she wasn’t too tired. (Unless)

L. Write a text of 120-150 words about the following topic.

“How do you feel if you haven’t got your gadgets with you?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHTZWMr0xn8 

Watch the video and answer the following questions.

🕕  George VI

1. Who is this movie about?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .

2. What problem did he have?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. How old was he when this problem started to exist?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. When did he become a king?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Why did his older brother give up the throne?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

🕕  David Seidler, the scriptwriter

6. What inspired David Seidler to write the story for the movie?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. How long did he have to wait before he could finally tell his tale?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. What was the main theme of the story he wrote?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

🕕  The Logue attic finds

9. What did Mark Logue discover in the family attic?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

10. How often did the king see his therapist?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

11. What was their relationship like?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

12. Are the therapies shown in the film based on the real treatment?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

13. What did the king have to tell his people in the speech that gave the movie its name?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

14. What do the marks and lines on the original copy of the speech mean?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

🕕  Colin Firth and his hometown

15. What happened when Colin Firth went into a cinema to watch one of his own movies?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

16. What nationality is his wife?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

17. How long have they been married?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

18. How many children do they have?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

19. What was his parents’ occupation?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

20. How old was he when he felt he wanted to be an actor?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

21. How many films has he done so far?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

http://areti-aroundtheworldinenglish.blogspot.com/

Watch the video on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHTZWMr0xn8 

You can find the video transcript here:

The story behind "The King's Speech"        

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/20/60minutes/main20033390.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

        Answers

1. The movie is based on the true story of George VI, the father of the present queen of England.
2. He had a speech problem, “a crippling stammer”, nearly all his life.
3. He was a stutterer from the age of 8.
4. He became a king in 1936.
5. His older brother gave up the throne to marry Wallace Simpson, a divorced American.
6. David Seidler had been a stutterer himself until the age of 16, and George VI had been his childhood hero.
7. He had to wait for 25 years until the Queen Mother’s death in 2002.
8. He found the theme of the story in the clash between the king and his Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue.
9. He found his grandfather’s diaries and more than 100 letters between his grandfather and the king.
10. The king saw Lionel Logue every day for an hour, including weekends.
11. It was not the relationship between a doctor and his patient, it was a relationship between friends.
12. No, the truth is Logue didn't record his methods. The scenes are based on Seidler's experience and ideas of the actors.
13. He had to tell his people that for the second time in a generation they were at war with Germany.
14. They're deliberate pauses so that the king would be able to pronounce the next word without hesitation.
15. He found he was the only person in the cinema.
16. His wife is Italian.
17. They’ve been married 14 years.
18. They have two sons.
19. His parents were college professors.
20. He found his calling for acting at the age of 14.
21. He has done 42 films in 26 years.