Culture of the world егэ

ВАРИАНТ 1

Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

The first human carrying flight technology was the hot air balloon. While unmanned balloons have been around in some form for thousands of years, the first flight with people aboard was in 1782. The large balloon on top is called an “envelope”. It holds hot air created by a heat source known a burner. The burner creates an open flame by burning a mix of propane and air. Hot air balloons are capable of floating because the hot air inside the envelope has a lower density than the colder air outside. The top of the balloon usually has a vent which allows the pilot to control the speed of ascent or descent. Passengers typically stand in a basket beneath the envelope. While most envelopes have a standard balloon shape, others are designed to look like animals, cartoon characters and other fun objects.

Task 2. Study the advertisement. You are considering celebrating your birthday at a restaurant and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

1. location
2. music choice
3. price per person
4. discounts for students

Task 3. You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2-3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Future Career Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss his future career. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: What two school subjects are the most important for your future job?

Student: _________________________________________

Interviewer: What job would you like to have in the future?

Student: _________________________________________

Interviewer: Do your relatives approve of your career choice?

Student: __________________________________________

Interviewer: What job did you use to like when you were younger?

Student: __________________________________________

Interviewer: Would you like to follow in your parents’ footsteps in choosing a career? Why?

Student: __________________________________________

Interviewer: Thank you very much for the interview!

Task 4. Imagine that you are doing a project “Types of Shopping” together with your friend. You have found some illustrations and want to share the news. Leave a voice message to your friend. In 2.5 minutes be ready to tell the friend about the photos:

• explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
• mention the advantages (1-2) of the two types of shopping;
• mention the disadvantages (1-2) of the two types of shopping;
• express your opinion on the subject of the project – which type of shopping you would prefer and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (2-3 sentences for each item of the plan, 12–15 sentences total). You have to talk continuously.

ВАРИАНТ 2

Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Many lands that had once been swamps were drained or filled in. There are different reasons why people drained swamplands. Some were drained to fight diseases caused by insects that lived in them. Because swamps were considered unpleasant places in which to live and harmful to health, many people thought that unless they were drained the land was worthless.

Other swamps were drained to make new land. As the population grew and more land was needed, people drained swamps or filled them to make room for more farms and factories, more roads and airports.

Few people thought that it might be harmful to get rid of swamps. As swamps disappeared, other things happened. There were both more floods and more droughts than before. There were also more fires, for swamps had acted as firebreaks. Hunters noticed that there was less wild game. Wild life that once lived in the swamps was dying out, because it had no place to live.

Task 2. Study the advertisement. You are going to visit a natural history museum and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

1. opening hours
2. special exhibitions
3. transport to the museum
4. ticket price

Task 3. You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2-3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Holidays and Celebrations Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss holidays and celebrations in Russia. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: What public holidays are celebrated in Russia?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: What is your favourite public holiday? Why?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: Do you like public celebrations? Why?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: How did you celebrate last Christmas?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: Where would you like to spend the best New Year holidays in your life? Why?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: Thank you very much for the interview!

Task 4. Imagine that you are doing a project “Best Ways of Sightseeing” together with your friend. You have found some illustrations and want to share the news. Leave a voice message to your friend. In 2.5 minutes be ready to tell the friend about the photos:

• explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
• mention the advantages and disadvantages (1-2) of the two ways of sightseeing;
• mention the disadvantages (1-2) of the two ways of sightseeing;
• express your opinion on the subject of the project – which way of sightseeing you prefer and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (2-3 sentences for each item of the plan, 12–15 sentences total). You have to talk continuously.

ВАРИАНТ 3

Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

People have always told stories and legends to explain natural, but mysterious, occurrences such as the Northern Lights. The Vikings believed the Northern Lights were caused by the shining weapons of warriors. The Alaskan people thought the lights were the souls of salmon, deer and other animals. The Indians told the stories of giants living in the North and thought the lights were their torches.

The Northern Lights are actually caused by electrons from solar winds. They are attracted to the poles by the magnetic fields found there. They mix with gases in the atmosphere, which causes the gases to glow. The Northern Lights are most visible in the far north. They are typically green, purple, red or blue.

Task 2. Study the advertisement. You are considering renting a bike and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

1. location of rentals
2. documents accepted
3. price per hour
4. opening hours

Task 3. You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2-3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s School Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss school uniform. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: Do you have to wear school uniform?

Student: ___________________________________________

Interviewer: Why is it important to wear school uniform? Why?

Student: ___________________________________________

Interviewer: What clothes do you usually wear to school?

Student: ___________________________________________

Interviewer: Did your parents use to wear school uniform in the past?

Student: ___________________________________________

Interviewer: Should all school students wear uniform in the future? Why?

Student: ___________________________________________

Interviewer: Thank you very much for the interview!

Task 4. Imagine that you are doing a project “Best Places to Live for a Teenager” together with your friend. You have found some illustrations and want to share the news. Leave a voice message to your friend. In 2.5 minutes be ready to tell the friend about the photos:

• explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
• mention the advantages (1-2) of the two places for living;
• mention the disadvantages (1-2) of the two places for living;
• express your opinion on the subject of the project – which place for living you would prefer and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (2-3 sentences for each item of the plan, 12–15 sentences total). You have to talk continuously.

ВАРИАНТ 4

Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Japan is an island nation in East Asia, located in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Asian continent. Japan comprises the four main islands in addition to numerous smaller islands. Tokyo is the country’s capital and largest city. Mountains dominate Japan’s landscape, covering 75 to 80 per cent of the country. Historically, the mountains were barriers to transportation, limiting the economic development of isolated areas. However, with the development of tunnels, bridges, and air transportation in the modern era, the mountains are no longer an obstacle. The Japanese have long celebrated the beauty of their mountains in art and literature, and today many mountain areas are preserved in national parks. Most of Japan’s people live on plains and lowlands found mainly along the lower courses of the country’s major rivers, on the lowest slopes of mountain ranges, and along the sea coast. This concentration of people makes Japan one of the world’s most crowded countries.

Task 2. Study the advertisement. You are considering buying a new smartphone and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

1. price
2. battery life
3. image and video quality
4. number of cameras

Task 3. You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2-3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Languages Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss foreign languages. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: Do you like studying foreign languages? Why?

Student: _____________________________________

Interviewer: Why is it important to speak a foreign language?

Student: _____________________________________

Interviewer: How can you improve your language skills?

Student: _____________________________________

Interviewer: Could you speak English when you were five?

Student: ______________________________________

Interviewer: What foreign language would you like to learn in the future? Why?

Student: ______________________________________

Interviewer: Thank you very much for the interview!

Task 4. Imagine that you are doing a project “Zoos” together with your friend. You have found some illustrations and want to share the news. Leave a voice message to your friend. In 2.5 minutes be ready to tell the friend about the photos:

• explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
• mention the advantages (1-2) of zoos;
• mention the disadvantages (1-2) of zoos;
• express your opinion on the subject of the project – should zoos exist in the future and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (2-3 sentences for each item of the plan, 12–15 sentences total). You have to talk continuously.

ВАРИАНТ 5

Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Since ancient times, humans have loved and cherished cats as their pets. Today more than 80 million cats reside in US homes, with an estimated three cats for every dog on the planet. Yet there is still a lot we don’t know about our feline friends – including what they think of their owners. After observing pet cats for several years, scientists have come to an intriguing conclusion: cats don’t really understand people the way dogs do. They tend to feel it is they who own their masters, not vice versa. On the contrary, dogs perceive people as being very different from themselves. As soon as they see a human, they change their behaviour. The way a dog plays with a human is completely different from the way it plays with a dog. Cats are independent creatures and they can easily change their owner without changing their habits.

Task 2. Study the advertisement. You are considering going on a bus tour and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

1. price for a person
2. audio guide in English
3. starting point
4. duration of the tour

Task 3. You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2-3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s IT Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss the Internet. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: How often do you use the Internet?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: What do you usually use the Internet for?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: Can the Internet be dangerous? Why?

Student: _______________________________________

Interviewer: Did you use the Internet for studying last year?

Student: ________________________________________

Interviewer: Would you like to study online instead of attending classes at school?

Student: ________________________________________

Interviewer: Thank you very much for the interview!

Task 4. Imagine that you are doing a project “Ways of Spending Leisure Time” together with your friend. You have found some illustrations and want to share the news. Leave a voice message to your friend. In 2.5 minutes be ready to tell the friend about the photos:

• explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
• mention the advantagesc(1-2) of the two ways of spending leisure time;
• mention the disadvantages (1-2) of the two ways of spending leisure time;
• express your opinion on the subject of the project – which way of spending your leisure time you would prefer and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (2-3 sentences for each item of the plan, 12–15 sentences total). You have to talk continuously.