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ЕГЭ по английскому языку Задание №13 Полное понимание информации в тексте 13

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Tablets out, imagination in

In the heart of Silicon Valley is a nine-classroom school where employees of tech giants Google, Apple and Yahoo send their children. But despite its location in America’s digital centre, there is not an iPad, smartphone or screen in sight. The fact that parents working for the biggest technology companies are questioning the value of computers in education begs the question –– is the futuristic dream of  high-tech classrooms really in the best interests of the next generation?

A global report by the OECD organisation suggests that there is no link between excessive use of computers and high results for reading, maths and science. What is more, those students who use tablets and computers often tend to do worse than students who use them less frequently.

Beverly Amico from the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America explains that their teachers encourage students to learn subjects by expressing themselves through artistic activities such as painting and drawing, rather than consuming information downloaded onto a tablet. The idea is to get rid of the distraction of electronic media and to encourage stronger communication between teacher and pupil during lessons.

Amico claims one of the reasons parents who work in the digital industry are choosing a low-tech, no-tech education for their children is that it teaches students innovative thinking skills. And these are what many employers desire. She adds that students weaned on technology often lack the ability to think outside the box and solve problems.

Sarah Thorne, head of the London Acorn school, also questions the belief that limiting or removing the use of technology in class will make the students less competitive on the job market.

Students under the age of 12 at the school in Morden, London, are banned from using smartphones and computers, and watching TV or films at all times, including during holidays. The school’s students are allowed to watch TV once they reach 12 years old and then only documentaries that have been previously vetted by parents. They cannot watch films until they are 14. The Internet is banned completely for everyone under 16, both at home and at school. And computers are only to be used as part of the school curriculum for students who are at least 14.

It may sound draconian, but Thorne believes taking a more considered approach to the use of technology in class allows teachers to help students develop core skills such as leadership, decision making and creativity. Besides, much of the technology which is cutting edge today is likely to appear primitive in tomorrow’s world.

Thorne claims feedback from students about the restrictions has been positive. Younger pupils relish the chance to play and even teenagers who have come from a typical school admit they are happier.

Restricting the use of technology is also a challenge for the 21st century teachers, who are used to the easy accessibility of resources and information, thanks to interactive whiteboards and computers. “It is hard work,” admits Ian Young, a class teacher. “You definitely have to be a lot more creative in how you deliver a lesson,” he says. “You have to work with your voice more, whether it is loud or quiet, to give them incentive. You need to make sure you keep them interested in what’s coming next.” He adds: “I don’t think we are doing children any favours by teaching them through machines at that young age.”

13. What does the OECD report suggest?

1) Students should not use computers in their studies.

2) The more the students use the computers the worse their results could be.

3) Superabundant use of computers doesn’t influence students’ achievements.

4) Results in Reading, Maths and Science benefit from use of computers.

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Punctuality

There are few habits as infuriating as someone making us wait. But, despite what may be running through your mind as you’re kept waiting again, it’s unlikely your friends and colleagues are just being selfish or do not care about the time. A look into the causes of lateness (or tardiness) offers a glimpse into a mind that may be malfunctioning.

Perceptions of unpunctual people are almost always negative. “It is easy to perceive them as disorganised, chaotic, rude and lacking in consideration for others,” says Harriet Mellotte, a behavioural therapist in London. “Outside of my clinical practice, others being late can particularly get under my skin!”

But, many late people are at least somewhat organised and want to keep friends, family and bosses happy. The punctually-challenged are often excruciatingly aware and ashamed of the damage their lateness could do to their relationships, reputations and careers. Some excuses are fairly universally accepted — an accident or ailment, for example. But others aren’t so easy to swallow. Some late people will pass it off as a symptom of being concerned with loftier matters than time-keeping or having the body clock of a night owl rather than a lark.

Personality differences could also dictate how we experience the passing of time. Jeff Conte, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, ran a study in which he separated participants into Type A people (ambitious, competitive) and Type B (creative, reflective, explorative). He asked them to judge, without clocks, how long it took for one minute to elapse. Type A people felt a minute had gone by when roughly 58 seconds had passed. Type B participants felt a minute had gone by after 77 seconds. “Being consistently late might not be your fault. It could be your type. The punctually-challenged often share personality characteristics such as optimism, low levels of self-control, anxiety”, he says.

Dr Linda Sapadin, a psychologist from New York, says some persistent lateness comes from “an obsessive thinking problem”. The procrastinator focuses on a fear attached to the event or deadline for which they are running late. Rather than figuring out how to get beyond the fear, the fear becomes the excuse — usually expressed with a ‘but’ statement. For instance, you might tell yourself, “I wanted to be on time for that event but I couldn’t decide what to wear; I started to write an article but I was afraid my colleagues would find it not good enough,” she explains. “Whatever comes after the ‘but’ is what counts,” says Sapadin. She suggests changing the word ‘but’ to ‘and’. ‘But’ denotes opposition and blockage; ‘And’ denotes connection and resolution, she explains, so “the task becomes less frightening.”

Dr. Sapadin started on her path to punctuality by identifying and adapting the very thing that seemed to always make her late. “Instead of getting angry or upset because a friend or a loved one is always late, you can take a stand and set boundaries,” she says. “Talk about what you will do if the other person isn’t on time. Tell your late friend you’ll go into the movie without them if they’re more than ten minutes late. Tell that colleague who never turns his part of the project in on time that it just won’t be included next time –– and the boss will know about it.”

For me, a turning point came when a good friend drew her line in the sand. I was an hour late for a run in our local park. “That was it,” she said. “The truth is, I’m not going to make any more plans with you.” And so she set in motion the best thing for me: she put an end to my perpetual lateness.

13. The expression “get under my skin” (paragraph 2) means …

1) disappoint.

2) irritate.

3) depress.

4) surprise.

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How a Paris abbey became a science museum

A trip to Europe without visiting museums would be like a trip to Fiji without visiting a beach. It just seems wrong to ignore such an embarrassment of riches. So when I was in France last year, I dutifully walked through museums, but I soon noticed a strange phenomenon. Every time I think about going to a museum, it seems like a fascinating way to spend an afternoon, but once I get there, I almost always find myself getting very sleepy by the time I get to the second gallery. I try to be enthusiastic … but usually I’m no match for the long halls of display cases.

There is an exception to this rule, though: science museums. I love inventions and gadgets, getting to know how things work and how people went about solving very difficult problems. I can stay awake in a good science museum indefinitely. So while in Paris, I visited the Conservatory of Arts and Trades. Part of this centuries-old institution is a museum that’s open to the public, and it contains a fascinating variety of objects and exhibits including the original Foucault’s Pendulum.

The Conservatory is off the beaten path; most English guidebooks don’t even mention it. It does, however, attract a certain number of pilgrims who were fascinated by Umberto Eco’s novel Foucault’s Pendulum, part of which takes place there. In the novel, a secret passage under the floor of the nave connects with the Paris sewers. That isn’t the case in reality, but truth is perhaps more interesting than fiction. There is something under the floor of the nave, a curious part of the building’s long and strange history.

The foundation for the abbey church of St. Martin of the Fields was laid around 1059, about the time of the Norman conquest. Over the next centuries, numerous additions and renovations were undertaken. All that changed in the French Revolution when under the name of Conservatory of Arts and Trades, it became a depository for machines, models, tools, drawings, descriptions and books in all the areas of the arts and trades. It officially opened in 1802.

The museum closed for a renovation in 1993, and as part of the process, archaeological excavations were undertaken beneath the floor of the nave. For the entire history of the church, there had been stories that the site on which it stood was once a Merovingian funerary basilica, but this had never been proven. What archaeologists discovered was a large necropolis dating from the 6th or 7th century with about 100 plaster coffins inside. The tales were indeed true.

When the museum reopened a few years later, it was a typical shiny and   up-to-date science museum. But it was decided that their thousands of additional articles should be made available to scholars even when they’re not on exhibit. So they opened a satellite facility in the nearby town of Saint-Denis, where by appointment only qualified researchers can go to examine the rest of the museum’s collection.

I’ve been to the Conservatory in 2000 and in 2003. As a science museum I found it a sheer delight. The former abbey is only a portion of the museum, and the museum is only a portion of the Conservatory. But all the history of the building and the institution seems to be concentrated in the large nave with its bones beneath and gadgets above. The odd contrast of centuries of monastic simplicity with centuries of technological progress tickles me in a way I can’t easily describe. Perhaps the Pendulum says it best: as a scientific wonder that’s also meditatively simple, it symbolically bridges the illusory divide between technology and spirituality.

13. What does the author think about museums?

1) The European museums are the best.

2) He finds most of them to be boring.

3) There should be only science museums.

4) He thinks they are a waste of money.

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Are tours really so bad?

I’ve always been all for independent travel and my friends often ask me: if tours are really so bad, why so many people do them?

Well, I wouldn’t be so straightforward. First of all, tours provide higher quality at better value. I’ve always been trying to break down costs for independent travel in different cities around the world, so it might seem strange when I say that tours are actually a better value. The reality is that in most places, the absolute cheapest way to travel is independently, but that means hostel bunks and street food instead of hotels and restaurants. And in a country like China, the tours are much cheaper than independent travel at any standard.

Of course, the reason for this is that a tour provider can book 20 hotel rooms every week with one phone call, so they get amazing hotel rates that independent travellers couldn’t dream of. The same is true with restaurants and even attractions, where large groups are much cheaper per person than singles. Even with a tour provider mark-up, you still get a better deal in most cases.

Another important thing for many of us is that there is little or no stress with language or culture barriers. Even in an English-speaking country, it can be confusing on your first visit, and things like finding hotels and even museums can be headaches. When in countries with other languages, the level of confusion gets multiplied, often further compounded by touts and other illegal sellers who make a living trying to steer you somewhere else. On a tour you’ll always have an English speaker who knows the local area well between you and the potential obstacles. It’s almost like having an old friend living in the area, who can tell you exactly where to go and whom to ignore.

That leads us to the next point. Tours provide security and accountability. No method of travel is 100% safe and secure, but at least when you are on a tour you know that people who know the risks are working on your behalf. Travelling on your own, if your hotel says it’s fully booked, then you are out on the street. But with a tour, it’s up to them to find you a new room nearby, which would be far easier even if it did happen.

If you get sick or injured on your own, you are on your own, while on a tour there will be an experienced person there to help get medicine or look after you. I had a large backpack stolen off a train because the luggage area works on the honour system. Had I been on a tour, someone would likely have put everything in a secure place because their reputation depends on clients making it home with all their gear.

And last but not least, itineraries on tours are designed by professionals. Everyone obviously has different tastes when sightseeing, but that doesn’t mean that independent travellers always make the right decisions. The typical first-time visitor to a big city will try to schedule 18 hours worth of sightseeing into every day, which obviously doesn’t work once you get there. These tour companies that have been around for a long time tend to do a great job maximising sightseeing time but also adding in leisure time, meal time, and sleep time. In the era of ubiquitous reviews not to mention social media, these tour companies can only survive if they provide a product that people feel good about when it’s done. Not only can they get you between sights more quickly, but they also know when clients prefer to relax and slow down.

All said and done, I am not writing this to put you off independent travel but rather to make you look before you leap.

13. According to the article, tours may be less expensive …

1) because of an agency’s massive orders.

2) if you book them for a group.

3) because of individual discounts.

4) if you choose hostels and street food.

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Learning environment

When you think of education, you likely picture a classroom setting with a teacher upfront by the board and students watching the lecture or lesson. The typical picture of in-person learning has shifted greatly, however, with the advent of online learning and the power of technology. But is it really so powerful?   

For anyone who is questioning whether online learning or in-person instruction is better, I am going to share the advantages and disadvantages of each learning environment.   

Let’s consider some of the benefits of in-person learning. Some people look forward to the academic experience they have when they are in-person with their peers and instructor. For some, it’s because it allows for hands-on learning and collaboration with peers at the same time and in the same place. For others, they may feel more comfortable asking questions in-person. When it comes to college, some students want the experience of living in a dorm, sitting in lecture halls, partaking in labs, and engaging in social activities.   

In-person learning is aimed to provide a distraction-free environment. Entering a classroom comes along with fewer distractions. The space is designed and intended for learning and since a teacher is there, you may feel more inclined to focus. It can be harder to be distracted by cell phones or anything else inside a classroom.   

On the other hand, when it comes to learning within an institution’s walls, students have no say as to when or where the class is offered. You simply receive a schedule and have to be there at that time. This can clash with one’s existing responsibilities. Moreover, since you have to be in a designated space at a certain time for traditional in-person learning, you have to factor in commuting time (and costs).   

Online learning is much more flexible. Since education takes place online, you have more flexibility in setting your own schedule. This is especially the case with pre-recorded lectures. Even without pre-recorded lectures, you have more flexibility in your schedule because you don’t have to commute anymore to a location to learn. For students in many countries, obtaining an education seems like a dream when there are no physical school locations or geographical barriers to making it to a specific place. With online learning, access to education has been maximized, allowing people from all over the world to join. As such, you can learn alongside students from different countries and connect to people from every corner of the globe, and when it comes to doing so in an educational setting, students benefit from diverse perspectives. Additionally, you could connect with someone in another location that might become your next business partner or employer.   

Next, compare the price. In the case of college, in-person learning tends to be much more expensive than online alternatives. That’s mostly because schools have high overhead costs, but they also can charge the tuition and fees that they want to, especially when they are privately owned. Given less overhead costs, online education tends to be much more cost-effective than in-person learning. In some cases, online learning can be totally free, such as from online platforms.

When comparing in-person learning to online learning, it’s hard to say that one is better than the other. That’s because it typically comes down to a student’s preference. As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to both styles of learning. Depending on your unique situation, you can determine which environment feels more fitting for you and your goals.

13. The author considers that people prefer in-person learning to online learning because …

1) there are more interesting lectures.

2) it is easier to do laboratory work.

3) it involves more interaction.

4) instructors are more available.

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iGeneration: teenagers affected by phones

One day last summer, around noon, I called Athena, a 13-year-old who lives in Houston, Texas. She answered her phone—she has had an iPhone since she was 11—sounding as if she’d just woken up. We chatted about her favorite songs and TV shows, and I asked her what she likes to do with her friends. “We go to the mall,” she said. “Do your parents drop you off?” I asked, recalling my own middle-school days, in the 1980s, when I’d enjoy a few parent-free hours shopping with my friends. “No—I go with my family,” she replied. “We’ll go with my mom and brothers and walk a little behind them. I just have to tell my mom where we are going. I have to check in every hour or every 30 minutes.”

Those mall trips are infrequent—about once a month. More often, Athena and her friends spend time together on their phones, unchaperoned. Unlike the teens of my generation, who might have spent an evening tying up the family landline with gossip, they talk on Snapchat, a smartphone app that allows users to send pictures and videos that quickly disappear. They make sure to keep up their Snapstreaks, which show how many days in a row, they have Snapchatted with each other. She told me she had spent most of the summer hanging out alone in her room with her phone. That is just the way her generation is, she said. “We didn’t know any life other than with iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people.”

Some generational changes are positive, some are negative, and many are both. More comfortable in their bedrooms than in a car or at a party, today’s teens are physically safer than teens have ever been. They are markedly less likely to get into a car accident and, having less of a taste for alcohol than their predecessors, are less susceptible to drinking’s attendant ills.

Psychologically, however, they are more vulnerable than Millennials were: rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011. It is not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones.

However, in my conversations with teens, I saw hopeful signs that kids themselves are beginning to link some of their troubles to their ever-present phone. Athena told me that when she does spend time with her friends in person, they are often looking at their device instead of at her. “I’m trying to talk to them about something, and they don’t actually look at my face,” she said. “They’re looking at their phone, or they’re looking at their Apple Watch.” “What does that feel like when you’re trying to talk to somebody face-to-face and they’re not looking at you?” I asked. “It kind of hurts,” she said. “It hurts. I know my parents’ generation didn’t do that. I could be talking about something super important to me, and they wouldn’t even be listening.”

Once, she told me, she was hanging out with a friend who was texting her boyfriend. “I was trying to talk to her about my family, and what was going on, and she was like, ‘Uh-huh, yeah, whatever.’ So I took her phone out of her hands and I threw it at the wall.”

Though it is aggressive behavior that I don’t support, on the other hand, it is a step towards a life with limited phone use. So, if I were going to give advice for a happy adolescence, it would be straightforward: put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something—anything—that does not involve a screen.

13. Which of the following does Athena do monthly?

1) Invites friends to her place.

2) Uses the Snapchat.

3) Goes to the mall with her family.

4) Changes her iPhone.

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An end to second-hand coffee

To the naked eye, this farm is just like any other. But it doesn’t take long to realise that the farm of Jesus Martin, though not huge, is anything but ordinary.

Martin grew up like many others in the Santa Ana Valley –– known as the Coffee Triangle of Colombia—on a coffee farm owned by his father and grandfather. “I am the youngest of six children and we all worked the farm,” Martin said. “My parents focused their energies on teaching us the agricultural trade, but also the love behind it.”  Despite this great dedication to coffee and respect for his family business, he ended up pursuing a different career altogether: law and business management. It didn’t come easy to him as coffee was never far away.

During every visit to his family’s humble farm, the rich aromas of beans roasting and the smell of his mother’s carrot cake caused his heart to beat faster. Coffee was his life, and in 2004, after years practicing law, he found a way to combine his legal knowledge, business education and family’s lifeline into what he called “the coffee dream project”.

Despite growing some of the most coveted beans in the world, most Colombians have never even tasted the Colombian coffee that is renowned around the world. Instead, local people drink what they call “second-hand coffee”, which is made from berries that haven't fully ripened, have been over-roasted or even infected with insects and diseases. Like most businesses in struggling economies, the farmers only make profits on exports—so they save their best stuff for higher paying countries. “Farming coffee for a profit is very challenging,” Martin explained, tossing a few berries in his hand. “The coffee trade intermediaries, exporters, roasters and big multinational companies are the ones that benefit the most in the coffee-trade chain.”  Martin’s dream project, however, was to turn this process around, bringing specialty coffee back to Colombia.

The project, however, was a total surprise for his family. “When I first informed them, they told me I was crazy, they said it was a wild goose chase.”

Even with his background in farming, starting the project from the ground up was difficult. Convincing his workers to focus on quality was his biggest concern; most only cared about quantity since their wage was dependent on how many beans they picked. Martin recalled many hours, days and weeks training local farmers to understand the process, from the colours of the raw berries to the smell and taste of the beans once they’d been dried and sorted.

Once the farmers understood the importance of quality, it was onto phase two: bring the roasting process in-house, instead of paying for the beans to be roasted elsewhere. Buying his own roaster—one of the only five in the entire country—was expensive, but the purchase offered a huge saving in roasting, packaging and exporting costs.

By 2008, his passion started to pay off; he opened his flagship store Café Jesus Martin in Salento. The shop and its team of trained baristas, Martin said, have done much to teach the locals about enjoying specialty coffee. The look on their face when they take their first sip is what keeps him motivated. “They are reacting so positively; they’re discovering something entirely different than what they’re used to consuming,” Martin said. “When they discover the difference in quality of their coffee, they start to care more about where and whom it’s coming from.”

13. The phrase “It didn’t come easy to him” in Paragraph 2 refers to Martin’s …

1) career choice.

2) dedication to coffee.

3) management abilities.

4) respect for his family business.

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Study habits

Effective studying is a skill. As such, it’s possible to break down your habits into ineffective study habits versus effective study habits. In an effort to optimize my academic performance, I’ve created a list of bad study habits of college students so as to avoid them.

Number one all-time favourite is cramming. Cramming goes hand-in-hand with procrastination. If you wait until the last minute to study for a test, then you’ll likely find yourself memorizing facts and information without understanding them. While this could work in the short term, you have to keep in mind that most subject matter is cumulative and builds upon what you’ve previously learned. So, in the long run, you’re doing yourself a disservice by memorizing information at the last minute because what goes in quickly is also likely to be forgotten quickly. Instead, start by studying a bit every night after class. This way, you can absorb information over time and actually remember what you learn better.

If you’re a crammer, then chances are high that you’ve pulled an all-nighter. As the term implies, it means you stay up all night to study. This is a lose-lose because not only are you stuck with memorizing over understanding, but you are also lacking sleep, while sleep is crucial for the brain’s functioning and ability to recall information.

The next thing that does more harm than good is multitasking. While multitasking might seem like a good idea because you feel like you can get several things done in less time, the truth is that you aren’t actually focused. People who focus on one thing at a time absorb more information and are more productive. When your brain is constantly switching between tasks, you are less likely to recall information. You can also wear yourself out more quickly. To avoid multitasking, make a plan and prioritize what you will do, and study first. Only once you’ve finished the first thing on your list should you move on to the next.

Studying takes time, so you have to make time to do it. As such, you’ll want to understand time management to allocate the right amount of time to study each subject. Some time management tips include prioritizing tasks, setting a schedule, breaking up big tasks, creating rewards, and waking up earlier to give yourself more time in a day.

And finally, I can’t but mention missing classes. Attending will end up boosting what you learn. Since you study the material that is first introduced to you during class, you will already have the foundational knowledge you need to understand the material deeply. When you miss a class, you’ll also have to spend a lot of time making up for what you missed by copying notes or asking your peers about what you missed. The time you spend doing that could be better spent studying and reviewing what you’ve already learned.

The only way to avoid missing class is to go to class! Make note of your schedule in advance so that you can fit in everything around your class schedule. And, if you choose to learn at an online institution, then the great news is you can be more flexible with your schedule. This is especially true if you enroll at an institution where classes are recorded, so you can choose when and where you want to study and learn.

Studying is integral to academic life. And doing it effectively is essential for one’s success because often, just earning a degree isn’t enough. Over time, you’ll start to recognize what works for you and what doesn’t. I shared these examples so you can assess whether or not you take part in them. If you do, it’s time to drop them so that you can earn better results from your studying efforts!

13. The author thinks that memorizing information …

1) should be divided into small bits.

2) at the last minute is more effective.

3) quickly doesn’t lead to good marks.

4) prevents understanding the subject.

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Life hacks for visiting Russia

Planning a holiday in Russia and don’t want to break the bank? Here are a few hacks to help your journey around the world’s biggest country on a shoestring.

Like people from all over the world, many Russians are open to volunteering in exchange for food, accommodation, and new experiences. There is, for example, the Help Exchange advertising service. Foreigners are invited as volunteers by small companies, families, children’s camps, and even the Academy of Sciences. The conditions depend on the host but be sure that for interesting offers there will be stiff competition: you have to monitor the offers and respond quickly. It helps if you have recommendations. Last year, on a competitive basis, me and my friends managed to go to Ferapontovo (an ancient monastery on the UNESCO World Heritage list), to Kamchatka and Siberia, and to a summer camp on Lake Baikal. The “hottest” time is the summer season. The obvious plus – apart from the fact that you pay almost nothing – is that many hosts provide help with visas and pay for your journey. And the minus is that you will really have to work.

Big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg offer the Russian tourist the CityPass, which entitles you to free museum admissions and excursions, admission without queuing, river cruises, discounts for taxis and restaurants, unlimited calls within Russia, and many other benefits. It may seem a bit costly but it will save you much more. You can also save money without a tourist pass. If you are not too shy, remember: in Russia, you can enter many museums and parks at the exits but I wouldn’t go for it.

Another life hack is to check on free admission days. Every museum has free admission days. At the Hermitage in St. Petersburg the first Thursday of each month is a free day, while at the New Tretyakov Gallery in the Russian capital it is every Wednesday.

As a rule, tickets to museums and art galleries cost more for foreign nationals than locals. Tourists who don’t want to pay extra can ask a Russian to buy tickets for them. And don’t waste money on an audio guide. To be honest, you won’t need it. You can download audio guides in English for many popular museums in Russia from the App Store.

As for eating out while travelling in Russia, there are a number of pretty cheap options. You can find special offers in Russian cafés and restaurants at any time of the day. Canteens (cheap restaurants that serve homemade dishes) are a win-win option. Here, a soup, main course, drink, and dessert will cost you just 250-300 rubles or cheaper.

I had the following routine when travelling around Russia. In the morning I had breakfast in canteens attached to institutes or ordinary public canteens, which you can find on 2Gis (a multilingual digital service that has city maps and tells you how much the average bill in different eateries will be). For lunch I would go to any place serving business lunches (many restaurants offer them between 12:00 and 17:00), giving preference to places with a high rating. And for dinner I would use coupons from special websites available only in Russian – a sushi selection at a 50-percent discount is very filling and very tasty. Or on some evenings I cooked my own dinner buying food in a supermarket.

Not many people know how to save while travelling but if you prepare yourself in advance by reading tips from experienced travellers, you may visit more places and spend less money while enjoying it nonetheless.

13. Which is NOT true about volunteering in Russia, according to the article?

1) Travel expenses can be covered by the host.

2) You have to go through a selection process.

3) There is a range of host institutions to choose from.

4) You have to share eating and living costs.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

What volunteering taught me

Today I am member of the UN Global Education First Youth Advocacy Group. Many young people have come to me to ask how I got to be in such an initiative. It has always been a pleasure for me to share my volunteer experiences, and it is because of these experiences that I was selected out of 500 applications to serve in this group. It all started when I was in secondary school. I was engaged in student affairs as the president of the UNESCO club, a school platform that brings students together to discuss school matters and the pressing current issues concerning them.     

After secondary school, I started volunteering within non-governmental organizations. It was at this moment that I began to understand a lot about community development. I was involved in projects and activities relating to peace, human rights and the environment. It was a great pleasure for me to contribute to the development of my community through volunteering because the impact was visible.

I had many obstacles while volunteering because people don’t value volunteer work. In Cameroon and especially in my community, people consider volunteering as waste of time and resources. They cannot conceive the fact that someone can work without remuneration or a salary. My friends and family advised me on several occasions to stop volunteering. I felt very discouraged at some point, but I could not stop because I loved doing it. Volunteering was the top priority in my life. I decided not to pay attention to their advice but to concentrate on my work.

By spending time with host families in various regions I got used to cultural differences, which was really helpful during the projects. I learned a lot about what belonged to the norms and values of the local people. For example, how to dress appropriately, eat and even how to shower and go to the bathroom the local way. Most of the things are totally different than in my area, so it took some time to adapt.

In Nigeria I taught English conversation, 3 times a day. I had the opportunity to come up with my own ideas for the classes and tried to be as creative as possible making my lessons not only informative, but also fun. Apart from having conversations, we also cooked food, listened to English music and painted. Having a lot of conversations in English on different topics, I understood how to look at things from a different perspective. It also made me think in a more creative way, out of the box, one can say. I think this will help me in the future, looking at things through different glasses.

One day, a group of young people came to me and said they had something to say. I was very surprised. They said they were all grateful for the changes I brought into their lives through peer education. I was so happy to hear this that it aroused joy in my heart. This experience made me understand that only volunteer work can have such a profound impact on people’s lives.

There are three elements that permitted me to succeed in a life dedicated to volunteering: passion, determination and patience. Volunteering helped me become a job creator, not a job seeker.

My advice to my peers is that we cannot succeed in life overnight. We have to work hard to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Even if you have a diploma from the best school in the world, it is not enough because what matters most is your skills, your talent. The best way to discover who you are in order to integrate yourself into society is to volunteer. Volunteering not only allows you to offer your services, but to learn and discover new things and improve your skills. One secret in volunteer work is to avoid thinking about money because that is where the problem is. Young people expect to be paid as they are volunteering.

13. Why did the author enjoy her work in community development?

1) She took part in interesting events.

2) She became part of the community.

3) She developed her skills.

4) She saw the results of her work.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Philanthropy

Philanthropy is defined as the love of humanity. A modern definition is “private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life”, which combines an original humanistic tradition with a social aspect developed in the 20th century.

Growing up in this state, I dreamed of attending a college one day. On fall Saturdays at the stadium, I caught a glimpse of the brick buildings and tree-lined walkways. I knew they led to information, knowledge, and a whole tribe of new minds to connect with. When the day finally came to unpack my few belongings in the residence hall, I knew I was finally where I had always wanted to be. My years on campus certainly lived up to the anticipation. The classes, professors, friends, and opportunities created a life-changing experience.     

Philanthropy is a critical part of the life and success of the whole local community, and college in particular. As a board member of the Center for Advancement, I have seen firsthand the joy of our alumni and friends as they make a difference in the life of this institution. They are delighted to pay it forward as they understand what college means to them. As a student, one does not always value how much the path was paved by those who have gone before, those who have an ability to give back. Now that my friend and I have made this community our family’s home, we have a much better understanding of how vital the long-term success of the college is for our entire state.

Through my involvement with the Center for Advancement, I truly witness the breadth of areas one can support. This institution is doing incredible researching, educating, and programming in so many areas. And our donors can discover their passion and connect in a meaningful way that goes beyond the dollars given. Whether it is the joy of the written word, the connection to first-generation college students, the atmosphere of a football Saturday, or a desire to support the cure for a hereditary medical condition, our donors become a part of the life of the college.

I have also seen philanthropy directly affect the life of the college from my experience in the Department of Finance. I work with students who have the opportunity to attend college because of the financial assistance they receive from our donors. Continued support has fostered the enhanced facility we work in today which has been reconfigured to remain relevant to today’s needs. The educational experience is much richer because of the generosity of others. Our new auditorium is one shining example that we are proud to support. Not only is this facility a marvel of world-class architecture and programming, it also strives to make the arts accessible to all citizens. These experiences spark curiosity and imagination in audiences, young and old, to remind us what it means to be alive in this era of technology and separation.

Different funds provide a real-life working experience that is as relevant as any internship. Through philanthropy, students and faculty are able to use technology that could not be supported with tuition dollars. Private gifts also allow us to assist our faculty, who are the life of the institution, and provide our students a top-notch education.

Every dollar of support to the university today replays itself over and over as successive generations of learners have an opportunity to develop the skills they need to save lives, shape minds, and transform our future. One of the values we hope to instill in our children is the understanding of the value of giving back.

13. The pronoun They, as used throughout paragraph 3, refers to …

1) future graduates.

2) former students.

3) board members.

4) the author’s friends.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

In search for a graduate job

As I write this, exhausted, fingers on the keys of an equally tired laptop, closing the twenty-something open windows before me, I find myself a little sad. Sitting here, sifting through a Google search muddle of: “Graduate job Scotland”, “Graduate schemes UK”, “Graduate work, anywhere, please?”, “Soon to be extremely poor graduate, HELP!”, I realize that I might never find the elusive placement I’m after.

Melodramatic Googling aside, the job crisis is real, and it could be hitting us harder in 2017 than ever before. These attempts –– vague Internet searches, seemingly empty threads towards one highly competitive position at a company hundreds of miles away, never ending applications –– are rather disappointing. Granted, this may not apply to those smart enough who found a job from day one. But, for the rest of us, the uncertain majority, it is increasingly clear that a university education alone is not the life-affirming trip to professional work that it once was.

Where it is fair to say that degrees are still highly regarded in the working world, they are no longer a golden ticket. In fact, last year statistics stated that around 58% of graduates are in jobs deemed to be “non-graduate” positions. Another survey revealed that graduates from the wealthiest 20% of families were still earning 30% more than the rest ten years after leaving higher education. Clearly then, despite my own fruitless search on career websites, there are positions out there. But with the majority of graduates entering into jobs without a degree requirement, and the elite minority remaining the UK’s top earners, are we experiencing a turn in graduate opportunity?

Something I have found really striking about application process is simply how costly it is. I spent the past four years building a solid CV, working in and out of university to refine my own professional skills and felt rather confident in my ability to find relevant work in Scotland. However, as filling in forms leads to booking trains or planes, arranging serial interviews, checking into inns, choosing transport routes, it seems that opportunity is twinned with your financial situation. Well, my card was recently declined in the library café, so this is something that is weighing on my mind.

While the wealthiest of graduates continue to snag the high earning positions after University, the rest of us face new competition, as graduate vacancies are once again streamlined by the rise of apprenticeships. But, where does it leave us, the soon to be un-qualified, over-qualified degree holders of 2017 that have slipped through the employment net? Is it back to full-time education for the rest of our lives? Working “for now”, saving until your dream becomes financially viable? Applying anyway? Taking out another loan (or five)? Truth is, it’s probably all of these things.

It’s probably sticking it out, demanding to be listened to, building up a CV that you are proud of and staying true to your own aspirations. It’s probably all the things we were told at the Careers Fairs, in interviews, by our parents and preached ourselves. University might no longer be the only slipway into professional work, but it is a weighted way in, and that degree (which, by the way, you will get) is something you have earned and something that will open doors for you, even if you can’t see them just yet and even if, in 2017, there is a bit more of a queue.

13. What does the author think about a university education?

1) Application process is very competitive.

2) Intelligent students benefit most from it.

3) It makes you sure about your future.

4) It doesn’t guarantee you a good job.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Regular exercise

Only a few lifestyle choices have as large an impact on your health as physical activity. But many face a problem of keeping up regular exercise. What are some of the tricks?

At first, you can keep it short and sharp. My personal trainer, Robert, says a workout doesn’t have to take an hour: “A well-structured 15-minute workout can be really effective if you really are pressed for time.” As for regular, longer sessions, he says: “You tell yourself you’re going to make time and change your schedule accordingly.”

My rule is: if it doesn’t work, change it. For example, it rains for a week, you don’t go running once and then you feel guilty. It’s a combination of emotion and lack of confidence that brings us to the point where, if people fail a few times, they think it’s a failure of the entire project. Remember it’s possible to get back on track.

If previous exercise regimes haven’t worked, don’t beat yourself up or try them again – just try something else. We tend to be in the mindset that if you can’t lose weight, you blame it on yourself. However, if you could change that to: “This method doesn’t work for me, let’s try something different,” there is a chance it will be better for you and it prevents you having to blame yourself, which is not

helpful.

“We start to lose muscle mass over the age of around 30,” says Hollie Grant, a personal-training instructor. Resistance training (which is using body weight, such as press-ups, or equipment, such as resistance bands) is important, she says: “It is going to help keep muscle mass or at least slow down the loss. There needs to be some form of aerobic exercise, too, and we would also recommend people start

adding balance challenges because our balance is affected as we get older.”

My second rule is raising the ante. If you do 5-km runs and you don’t know if you should push faster or go further, rate your exertion from one to 10. As you see those numbers go down, that’s when you should start pushing yourself a bit faster. Robert says that, with regular exercise, you should be seeing progress over a two-week period and pushing yourself if you feel it is getting easier. You’re looking for a change in your speed, endurance, or strength.

Another shortcut to regular exercise is to work out from home. If you have caring responsibilities, you can do a lot within a small area at home. In a living room, it is easy to do a routine where you might alternate between doing a leg exercise and an arm exercise. “It’s called Peripheral Heart Action training and involves doing six or eight exercises for upper and lower body. This effect of going between the upper and lower body produces a pretty strong metabolism lift and cardiovascular workout,” Robert says. Try squats, half press-ups, lunges, dips and raises. You’re raising your heart rate, working your muscles, and having a good general workout. These take no more than 15–20 minutes and only require a chair for some exercises.

And what about doing chores? We are often told that housework and gardening can contribute to our weekly exercise targets, but is it that simple? “The measure really is you’re getting generally hot, out of breath, and you’re working at a level where, if you have a conversation with somebody while you’re doing it, you’re puffing a bit,” says Robert. With gardening, you’d have to be doing the heavier gardening – digging – and not just weeding. If you’re walking the dog, you can make it into a genuine exercise session – run with the dog, or find a route that includes some hills.

So, I think everyone can do exercise regularly and experience the health benefits of physical activity – age, abilities, ethnicity, shape, or size do not matter.

1. What is the best summary of the advice given in paragraph 2?

1) Put regular exercise into your schedule on the phone.

2) It’s vital to make a plan for an efficient workout.

3) A trainer can make your time exercising more effective.

4) A short workout is better than a longer session.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Should children be allowed to retake tests?

My daughter texted me from school, upset that she'd failed a physics test she thought she'd been prepared for. She was worried it would bring down her overall grade at the end of the first marking period. A half-hour later, she texted to say all was good. Her teacher allowed her to make corrections – she got all the problems right this time, and her grade was no longer under threat.

On the one hand, I was pleased that she'd taken the initiative to fix what she viewed as a problem. On the other hand, I wasn't sure how I felt about this infinite redo approach.

When I heard that my daughter was allowed to go back and correct her mistakes, my mind instantly went to all the professionals in the real world – surgeons, firefighters, death-row case trial lawyers, pilots, paramedics, cops and more – who really, really needed to get their jobs right the first time. With some jobs, "later" isn't an option. Heck, in the realm of less life-and-death professions, I spent years working as a live TV show producer. There were no second takes there, either.

As with all education research, both pros and cons have been tallied and reported. Some of the pros include the assertion that letting kids retake tests reduces cheating, makes them responsible for their own grades and helps them better evaluate their own learning.

Cons have been listed as: low motivation; students procrastinating until they've fallen too far behind, leading to stress; and teachers needing to teach separate lessons to different class members during the same period.

Then I turned to my focus group of one: my husband, a middle school math and physics teacher who has, for years, allowed his students to redo their homework and in-class work as many times as they wish in order to get to 100% mastery.

I asked him why he believes his technique to be beneficial. He stressed that, "Homework and in-class work is formative assessment, which is the key here. Homework and in-class work is practice. Doing the work correctly over and over again is the only way to improve. Tests are summative assessments. They measure performance after practice. I allow redos only on homework and in-class work. I don't allow resitting tests, because tests measure what they've learned after all that practice. If you are a performing artist, it's the performance that matters. For athletes, it's the game. Homework versus tests is the same thing."

That brings us back to those surgeons, firefighters, death-row case trial lawyers, pilots, paramedics, cops and more who, in real life, I would really like to get their tasks right the first time.

Their jobs can be considered the ultimate in summative assessment. But that assessment didn't come on the first day of training. It came after many, many years of formative assessments in the form of arguing mock trials, practicing approaches on flight simulators, and conducting rescue drills – not to mention taking paper-and-pencil tests as well.

So much education policy debate these days seems to be driven by a zero-sum game mindset. If we do things one way, we shouldn't be doing them another. As the late Stephen Sondheim wrote, "Is it always 'or'? Is it never 'and'?"

Just as students benefit from a cross-section of classmates, they should also benefit from a cross-section of opinions on how best to teach. It would better prepare them for living and working with a variety of people for the rest of their lives, and help them figure out how they learn best, so they can adapt accordingly.

That said, I would still prefer that my daughter got her physics equations right the first time.

13. What does the phrase "There were no second takes there" in paragraph 3 mean?

1) If you failed for the first time, nobody gave you the second chance.

2) There was only one attempt to do the job.

3) There was very little time to make a decision.

4) Only the best ones were hired.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Graduation is coming...What's next?

Graduation is less than a month away. While I cannot wait to throw my hat up into the air and officially check off Went to College on my to-do list, there is one thing that has been staring me down that I absolutely dread. Entering the workforce.

I believed that with my shiny new degree and my references on my CV, I would be able to start working at the lower end of companies I spent four years preparing myself for. Instead, in all job postings that I find I see this requirement: "3+ years of experience in related field."

Speaking from personal experience, I believed that my extracurricular activities at the university prepared me for the jobs I was applying for, but that rejection letter keeps showing up in my inbox. From the comments I have received about my application, they all ask for more experience in the field, although an entry-level job is a job that "requires minimal professional work experience".

Well, I did not have an internship or a job history in the field. I spent my time on campus – at least until COVID-19 forced me to be home for a year-and-a-half – participating in clubs and magazines. I completely forgot about internships. Now, while I would like to believe I could dismantle the idea of needing three years of experience for an entry-level job, I am just one person. So, instead, I am out here telling you to find internships as soon as possible in your field of interest.

Internships are not just for the school year. There are many internships that happen during the summer. There are also remote internships so you do not have to keep yourself geographically limited. Unpaid internships are one of the most helpful things to set you apart from others. There are some that do pay – I've seen some that pay $15 an hour, which is crazy in my eyes – which is considered a blessing, but at some point, the only thing available is an unpaid internship.

Our university has an entire webpage devoted to internships and how to get them. A free account for an internship network is created for each student upon admission to the university. You can research employers, apply for jobs and internships, begin the internship registration process and participate in on-campus mock interviews. There are multiple people to support you. Schedule an appointment with a career coach – for help in finding or developing an internship opportunity that is right for you. During the school year, you can also meet with a peer advisor for a CV or cover letter review. Visit with your academic advisor or departmental internship coordinator to find out about academic internship courses or opportunities offered through your major department.

Don't forget about networking with family, friends, and campus contacts. Let others know the types of opportunities you are looking for and share your CV with them. Finally, attend a career fair or a networking event. These are great networking opportunities!

I am not here to be gentle with you. Sometimes the internship work is gruelling for no pay, but in the end, it is worth the payoff when trying to get a higher paying job in the workforce. There is no such thing as an entry-level job because many of them are still asking for years of experience, despite being on the low-end of the corporate food chain. While they will still teach you the basics of their working environment, most companies want to have someone who already knows their way around and can throw themselves into the work without much of a fuss.

In the end, that internship is going to save you in the long run. Take it from someone who did not do an internship and is now paying the price.

13. While in college, the author expected that …

1) he would work on his CV after his graduation.

2) the university clubs would be beneficial for job search.

3) his diploma wouldn’t help him find a well-paid job.

4) references would be more important than work experience.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Agatha Christie’s secret life as an archaeologist

She is one of the best-known crime writers of all time, but few know the extent of Agatha Christie’s archaeological pedigree. What can we discover if we dig into her past?

Married in 1930 to Max Mallowan, an eminent archaeologist, Christie spent two decades living on excavation sites in the Middle East, writing her crime novels and helping out with her husband’s work. Travel by boat and on the Orient Express to Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad provided ideas for some of Christie’s best-known works of detective fiction, including “Murder on the Orient Express”, “Death on the Nile”, and “Murder in Mesopotamia”.

 Now, 3,000-year-old ivory artifacts recovered by Mallowan between 1949 and 1963 from the ancient city of Nimrud, in what is now Iraq, and likely cleaned by his famous wife using cotton wool buds and face cream, are currently on display at the British Museum in London. “Face cream in fact is quite a good thing to clean (artifacts) with. Obviously conservators now wouldn’t use that, but I don’t think it has done (the pieces) any harm,” he claimed, adding that in fact it was quite resourceful of Christie to think of applying her Innoxa face cream to the fragile, dirty pieces. “Agatha, who was very conscious of being fifteen years older than her husband, travelled everywhere with her moisturiser and it was just the right consistency for cleaning artifacts,” said Henrietta McCall, the author of “The Life of Max Mallowan: Archaeology and Agatha Christie.”

Christie’s interest in archaeology, according to McCall, went deeper than support for her husband’s work and even formed the backdrop to works such as “Murder in Mesopotamia”, in which the culprit turns out to be an archaeologist. Several of the characters in the book can be traced to the people Christie knew from a dig in Ur in what is modern Iraq, including the murder victim, which McCall believes is based on the wife of archaeologist Leonard Woolley. “She made a wonderful quote on archaeology and crime detection, that they are very similar because you have to clear away the debris to reveal the shining truth,” said McCall. And Christie’s elaborate plotting and clue building came in handy when piecing together broken artifacts.

According to the archaeologist Charlotte Trumpler, “Christie was of course fascinated by puzzles, using little archaeological fragments, and she had a gift for piecing them together very patiently.” Trumpler co-curated a 2001-2 travelling exhibition “Agatha Christie and Archaeology: Mystery in Mesopotamia” alongside Henrietta McCall.

Although Christie played an important role in her husband’s work, even financing many of his expeditions, she was, according to McCall, very modest about her contributions. She was fiercely proud of Mallowan, who is often referred to as one of the best-known archaeologists of the post-WWII period. However, Trumpler believes that though Christie never publically mentioned it, her contribution to archaeology was larger than she imagined. Her notes and black and white photographs of excavation sites are used by archaeologists and researchers even today, she said.

Christie’s readiness to muck in and help her husband, says Trumpler, stemmed from her desire to be a devoted wife but also from a fascination with the Middle East that stayed with her for many years. “Everyone thinks Agatha Christie was a bit like the character Miss Marple, that she lived in England and was into knitting and looking after the garden,” said Trumpler. “Actually, she wasn’t … she had such a fascinating life apart from being an author.”

13. What do we learn about Agatha Christie from the second paragraph?

1) She was responsible for the excavation work.

2) Her husband’s work put her off writing novels.

3) Her husband discussed his discoveries with her.

4) Some of her voyages and journeys inspired her.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Save a gap year until you graduate?

Taking a gap year after your graduation exams has gone out of fashion. It could be down to its notoriety, now that voluntourism schemes are widely considered self-serving. And then of course there’s the cost, which many students are avoiding in favour of travelling for a month or two. “A lot of my friends take the mick out of me saying, ‘Oh, you went to Cambodia on a gap year’,” says Beth Adams, 21, who studied politics and international relations at the University of Manchester, and took a year out after graduating. “You do feel like you’re fulfilling a stereotype a bit.”

According to researchers, the number of people deferring their university places has gone down from 8% in 2002 to around 5% last year. Instead of postponing university study, many graduates are taking a year out after receiving their degree. According to a survey carried out by YouGov and London Stansted airport, more young people are taking a gap year after university, and almost half of UK adults believe job prospects are enhanced by combining travel and learning. So is it better to save your gap year until after graduating?

Definitely, when you’ve been in education for all those years, where your life is September to July, a break is a good idea. You can recharge your batteries and see the world outside the classroom. You can practise foreign languages and improve your communication skills. You have time to figure things out and a year of being able to work on different projects. As a result, you may land in a job in the industry you like.

Although some take a gap year after university because they have a job lined up and managed to delay their start date, most are yet to secure work and are biding their time. It’s a common misconception that such individuals immediately go abroad to volunteer or travel. In reality, students don’t have the funds to do this. Many prefer to stay in their country juggling internships and part-time work.

For those who do go abroad, a gap-year stint volunteering is no longer merely a way for middle-class kids to boost their CVs. Graduates say they are making more considered choices. The practical experience of working abroad helps some of them get ready for a master’s, which is something they do not have time to do during their finals.

Graduates are also using gap years to explore different career routes. According to recruitment firm Tempo, more than half of students feel there is too much emphasis placed on graduate schemes when starting out in their career. Elena Ricci, 23, who graduated from the University of Southampton last year, agrees. “After I finished my degree, I didn’t really know what to do. So I worked for a law firm for a month, and then I went to Cambodia on a placement. If I had gone straight into a grad job, I don’t think I would have been happy,” she says.

Although graduates can bring great skills to volunteering and enhance their employability, there are some risks attached. “You are delaying your career or further study for a year and some employers may not get why you’ve done it,” says Manuel Otero, a senior lecturer in social sciences at Cardiff University who specialises in the link between education and work. His advice is not to stand still. It makes sense to work out what to do, and one of the best ways to find out what to do is to try it out.

After her year abroad, Ricci has now decided to start a master’s in September. She says graduates should ignore stereotypes and do what works for them. So, do what you want, regardless of what others might say. It’s up to you to decide. What works out for others may not work out for you, and vice versa. You never know till you try.

13. Deferring in Paragraph 2 most probably means …

1) rejecting.

2) delaying.

3) getting.

4) choosing.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Part-time work while studying

Oxbridge students are actively discouraged from working during term time, but others have no choice. More than two thirds of students rely on loans, but they don’t cover all the living expenses, which means that those who don’t have financial support from their parents are forced to take on work. For many, wages from part-time work are the only way they can make ends meet. It’s tough and it’s often the students’ academic work that loses out.

This year, many freshers will be asking a familiar question: how much can they work during term time before it impacts their degree – and what kind of jobs are most suitable?

The best and most understanding employers tend to be universities themselves. Many students have part-time jobs in cafés, bars and shops on campus. You can also work on an ad-hoc basis as a guide on open days and during freshers’ week. These will be at least minimum wage and are likely to offer a healthy number of hours to fit easily around studies.

Longer term part-time jobs tend to provide a steady, though lower income. However, you may need to consider how flexible your hours will be. My friend who worked part-time as a waitress says that although she liked meeting people in the city, the work was often unreliable. “Once I didn’t get a shift for two months and it was too late in the year to get a new job. I was really short of money,” she says.

However, be careful what you sign up for. Hannah Brown runs Manchester University’s “job shop”, which offers advice to students and advertises posts. She says more and more students are looking to work at university, but they should be careful. Her team don’t advertise anything over 20 hours a week and their advice is not to work more than 15. “We always advertise flexible jobs and avoid anything commission-based,” she says.

Before you commit to a job, make employers aware of your timetable. “There have been numerous times where I’ve been put on a shift at the same time as a lecture or seminar,” says Josh Chapman, a third-year journalism student at Sheffield Hallam. “That can be difficult, because you miss out on information and teaching.”

Meanwhile, jobs in retail and childcare – such as school pick-ups – offer more sociable hours. My other friend says studying before shifts is better than being too tired to do it at the end of the day. “I had less time to play with, so if I had work at 1 p.m., I’d get up at 8 a.m. and get four hours of studying in before I went.”

Prioritise your health. Remember that you’re paying to be at university and get a degree, so don’t let your job make you weary. If you are exhausted, you will not have the energy to study. Night club and bar work can mess with sleeping patterns.

Students from wealthier backgrounds can use their time to do relevant voluntary work and get involved in extracurricular activities. This is one reason why socioeconomic background is such a big predictor of job market success. However, Juan Garcia, employability and development adviser at Queen Margaret University, thinks part-time work that complements study can greatly enhance students’ employability after they graduate, and they should seek paid internships.

For those who achieve this, working is one way to get ahead. Onwa Wonci worked 20 hours a week while studying at university. She says it wasn’t easy, but she was committed. The employer offered her a full-time job in her final year. She wouldn’t have a job now if she hadn’t gone through those struggles. You work hard for some time, but then your efforts are rewarded.

13. These in Paragraph 3 (“These will be at least minimum wage …”) refers to …

1) jobs on campus.

2) university open days.

3) part-time jobs outside the uni.

4) volunteer work.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

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New Years’ time in Russia

To my mind, one of the best times to visit Russia is before New Year’s Eve, as it is a big celebration in Russia. During Soviet times, New Year’s Eve became a large celebration, complete with a big sit-down dinner. This tradition has continued today. Christmas is also now openly celebrated in Russia, but on a smaller scale.

As New Year’s Eve in Russia is more of a family holiday, you may not find the kind of rowdy parties that you see in other countries on New Year’s Eve. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to someone’s home, be sure to bring thoughtful gifts and possibly your own slippers, although most families will have spares. Russian hospitality is quite fantastic if you have friends who will host you. And be prepared to answer a million questions about traditions in your home country!

A common New Year’s expression is “The way you spend New Year’s Eve is the same way you’ll spend the rest of the year.” That’s why it’s so important for the last day of the year to be free from worries and arguments. You should forgive people, pay off your debts, and clean your home in order to start the new year happy and clean. A lot of Russians will also visit a Russian sauna or at least take a hot bath on the 31st of December to purify their bodies. You definitely should not sleep through the New Year, as it is considered a bad omen and will make the upcoming year sleepy and uneventful for you. Many people will also buy new clothes to wear on the New Year’s Eve to celebrate a fresh start.

If you’re in Moscow, you can head to several look-out points in the city to watch the fireworks. My friend recommended heading to Moscow State University to have the best view over the city, and I don’t regret it. Many tourists head towards the Kremlin for iconic beautiful views of the fireworks along the river, although you need to get there early and wait in the cold for hours to see the fireworks.

The New Year is a big deal everywhere in Russia. The decorations are lavish, gorgeous, and so rich that at some places they seem over the top.  Shops can be so cluttered and even a little kitschy, it makes you feel like a kid in a huge candy store –– with gaudy, colourful packaging, and lots of foil and cellophane … everything is in colour and glistening.

And still, all those heavy decorations somehow fit Russia. In territorial terms, Russia is the largest country in the world, and this affects everything in it. The buildings are enormous, as are the boulevards and the squares. And of course, they are all given a festive look before the New Year.

The facades of the enormous apartment buildings are adorned with huge decorations that light up in the dark and remind you of Las Vegas. Christmas trees are everywhere –– on every corner, in front of every shop, every square and so on. What’s more, in order to make the atmosphere full of charm, gentle classical music pours through the spaces of malls, restaurants and all other public places. I am absolutely sure that when I was in Vienna, I rarely heard classical music as often as I did in Russia in the winter.

And to finish with my advertisement, I should mention that Russians are people with a highly-developed culture, especially musically. I was amazed at their good taste for music. It is impressive how many concerts are performed in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the country’s two major cities. At the end of the year, the number of these concerts increases and tickets for the Bolshoi Theatre are sold out months in advance.

To sum up, if you want to see Russia all lit up and covered with winter beauty, dress warmly and embark on a trip in December. But don’t plan too much for the last week, as it gets very crowded with people doing last-minute preparations.

13. What does the author NOT advise foreigners to do?

1) Choose presents for hosts carefully.

2) Take an extra pair of home shoes.

3) Ask your hosts questions about traditions.

4) Get ready to speak about your culture.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

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Challenges for foreigners in Russia

If you are moving from an English-speaking country to another, some of the problems of the new location will be minimized, but moving to a foreign language country is probably one of the hardest things to do. You will probably experience culture shock and will definitely have your ups and downs. Here’s a list of challenges you can expect to run into while you adjust to Russia.

Language, of course, is a no-brainer, but I couldn’t leave it off the list! I strongly advise learning at least the alphabet before coming to Russia to avoid feeling completely isolated. While going anywhere where you don’t speak the language can knock you down for a while, Russian is especially difficult with its complex grammar structure (cases, verb aspect, prefixes), unpredictable word stress, and difficult pronunciation (the letters ы, ь, and й always get me) … which also means your successes will be especially triumphant!

Effective communication is an essential part of our lives that we often overlook when it comes so naturally, but the first time you can’t answer a cashier’s simple question or can’t properly vent to your host family about your day, you will never underestimate the power of words again.

The second challenge is expressing emotions. Most people are familiar with the stereotype that “Russians don’t smile”. From my observation, Russians tend to show little emotion outside of home. Surrounded by strangers, often in harsh or unpleasant weather, there is no reason to emote freely. Of course, you see friends laughing and couples kissing and people arguing, but for the most part (excluding driving), emotions stay on the inside. Until you get home, when Russians are comfortable and around people they trust, passions run strong.

In the United States, the expression of our emotions tends to vary little in different circumstances, but when expressed, Russian emotions can be even stronger and perhaps even more genuine and heartfelt than Americans are used to.

In addition, if you are a foreign student in Russia, the biggest challenge is a different education system. Russian higher education is very different from that in the United States. For the most part, universities are buildings scattered throughout a city, not the centralized micro-cities that many US students are used to. Russians generally take 9––11 classes per semester that meet less frequently than American courses would, and it is not uncommon to skip a class almost entirely and just cram for the final from other students’ notes or a study guide. Professors are also less available –– no office hours, they don’t always give out a school e-mail address, and in general they treat students more like colleagues.

It can be a shock going from a campus plastered with student event flyers to a cluster of half-empty academic buildings, but don’t worry –– Russians make up for it by hosting a plethora of clubs and organizations for the city in general. Especially in St. Petersburg and Moscow there are hundreds of clubs to join from language (be a star in the English conversation club; meet other foreigners in the Russian club), sports, acting, dancing,  singing, board games, movie-watching, and more! Try making some searches on the Russian social network V Kontakte to start out.

Going abroad for a long period of time has its difficulties no matter where you choose to go, but the better prepared you are for the challenges you’ll face in Russia, the faster you will adjust and be able to call this northern empire your second home.

13. The author believes that going to a foreign country without knowing its language is …

1) hard.

2) useful.

3) stupid.

4) common.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.  

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College food

Choosing a college? Well, you may want to look more closely at what’s being served. Not just in the classrooms but also the cafeterias.

What you eat and drink in college can make a big difference during college and well beyond. College may be the first time that you are away from Mommy and Daddy and are making decisions about what to put in your mouth on your own. It is when you are potentially programming some of your habits for life. You may also still be growing in college, which makes good nutrition especially important. According to a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine, overweight and obesity rates increase by more than 15% for first-year college students.

Healthy may not be the first thing you think of when you picture college eating. Instead, it may be late-night takeout, food from bags, ketchup as a vegetable, cereal for dinner and Nutella on everything. Oh, and when the cafeteria’s vegetable-of-the-day is mushroom, it may actually be “mush” served in a room. The same study found that 95% of college students fail to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, and more than 60% report not getting enough physical activity.

That is why the Healthier Campus Initiative appeared. As science has shown, once your eating habits are established, changing them can be very difficult. Yes, knowledge and a diploma aren’t the only things that you can get for life from college. That means that collegiate eating and drinking could be contributing to the continuing obesity epidemic and the host of diet-related chronic diseases that keep growing in many countries.

College applicants seem to become more and more aware of this. Back when I was applying to college, the only thing I knew about college meal plans was that they involved meals and a plan. Oh, and that they could be quite costly. By contrast, a survey conducted in 2015 showed nearly 1 in 5 potential college applicants indicated that a college’s health and wellness offerings were “likely” or “extremely likely” to alter their decisions of whether to apply to that college. And 23% felt that access to such offerings would be “absolutely essential when deciding where to apply.” Among female high schoolers, 51% deemed it either absolutely essential or very important. Modern kids are smart.

Therefore, take heed, colleges and universities. They say that a way to one’s heart is through the stomach. This may apply to the brain as well and the checkbook for college tuition. If colleges want to attract the best and brightest, they may want to make sure they are serving the yummiest and the healthiest.

Of course, not all campuses around the country have joined the Initiative yet. That doesn’t mean that all other campuses are serving just hot dogs. However, you may want to be vigilant about what colleges and universities are serving. For example, ask to see their menus and accompanying nutrition information. This should include ingredients and frequency at which they are served. An apple a year will keep no doctor away. Determine what food is available off-hours or away from the cafeteria. This should include water fountains and healthy vending machines. Know who is supplying the food and from where the food comes.

Certainly, college food is not the sole cause of the epidemics of obesity and other diet related chronic diseases that certain countries are facing right now as there are a lot of other factors involved, including economics and family traditions. But it may be a contributor. After all, college years may be very important in forming habits we keep through our whole lives.

13. Which of the following is NOT true about college eating, according to the author?

1) Food choices in college can determine your future nutrition.

2) Most students lack fruit and vegetables in their diet.

3) More senior students have extra weight than first-year students.

4) After leaving home many freshmen eat unhealthy food.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

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Highlands Express

The journey began on a September evening in London as a black cab rushed me to Euston station. I had a weekend to myself, and I meant to make the most of it by hitting the famous Highlands of Scotland on a Caledonian Sleeper, a working train also affectionately known as the Deerstalker Express. I saw it as an escape from hectic city life.

A train is a very public place, but a berth on the sleeper is one of the most private. I was shown to my little first-class cabin - a little bed, little basin, window, night light and an extra blanket, trim as a toy house. I took a nibble in the comfortable, modern dining car, and retired to bed. London had slipped away, and it was black out there. I pulled the blind, put out the lamp, and arranged myself for sleep.

The train pulled into the station at 9:43 a.m. The centre of Fort William, I quickly learned, is but a street of fishing and hiking shops, with a spiky Victorian church, a handsome stone hotel, and a lake running alongside it. Before I took a cab to the hotel, I wandered up High Street to find the local paper and a cup of tea. A few hours later, I found myself standing up to my knees in the River Lochy, fishing with the expert assistance of a local guide, Martin Brown. The hotel staff was quite helpful and had arranged the outing with Martin. My aim was to learn the basics of fly-fishing. While Martin effortlessly handled yards and yards of fishing line so that his fly touched a small pool across the river, I splashed my fly into the river a few yards off. My first few casts were a mess, but I gradually improved. Soon, I hooked something. The rod grew heavy and lively. Eventually, I got very cold feet and aching arms and some sense of the pleasures of fishing, just as I had hoped.

That evening, after Martin dropped me off at the hotel, I found a place to sit among the armchair atolls in the oceanic great hall. Later, I was summoned to my table in one of the dining rooms, walls hung with prints. My meal was unassuming but tasty.  I had a bit of meat pie, and a bit of cheese.

The following morning, I struck out on the well-marked walk that takes just a few hours but plunges you immediately into the grandeur of the Highlands. In the distance I saw an odd sight: a group of hikers dancing madly about the stream, waving their arms and shaking their heads.

I spread my coat on the grass and settled down to my picnic - superior crab sandwiches provided by the hotel. In a moment, I was on my feet, slapping my face and rubbing my hair while grabbing up my sandwiches with a free hand. I had forgotten the bane of the Highlands: flies, which are particularly active in late summer.

At Fort William’s excellent West Highland Museum, housed in a late Georgian building on Cameron Square, you can learn how people left a mark on this ancient landscape. They worked its trees and stones, leaving beautiful ax heads from the Stone Age, Celtic jewellery, the blade of a bronze sword. There are suggestions of myth and magic, the cement that connected people to their surroundings and the darker world beyond: amulets, cures, and trophies. And there are objects so rare and weird that they seemed to have dropped from the world beyond: so-called drift-seeds, which floated ashore from the West Indies and were turned into charms, odd-shaped or queerly colored pebbles that drew fevers, or brought a loved one home.

It was not yet dark when the London sleeper slid out of Fort William Station. I did not brood for long on the triumphs and tragedies of Highland history. When I next opened my eyes, I saw the huddled rooftops of suburban London, and a cheerful attendant, passing me a cup of tea.

13. It in Paragraph 3 (and a lake running alongside it) refers to the …

1) lakeshore.

2) street.

3) shop.

4) church.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

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Coffee decaffeination processes

Every day it seems that medical researchers come out with a new study about coffee, how it is extremely unhealthy for you and/or full of amazing benefits. The focus of most of these studies is more particularly about the effects of caffeine on human health. As caffeine, coffee’s most potent element, is a stimulant, it can produce both positive and negative effects. It can wake you up in the morning, but it can also lead to sleeplessness, a racing heartbeat, and anxiety.

It is therefore no surprise that many people have decided to cut caffeine out of their diets. As for me, I have grown to like the taste of coffee, but to me the main purpose of drinking it is to get an extra jolt of energy. That is why I will admit to a certain prejudice against decaf, perhaps prompted by bad experiences with weak and tasteless brew, because it is true that the actual process of removing caffeine from coffee can degrade the taste beyond repair.

Early decaffeination attempts involved soaking the green beans in water and then using various solvents to separate the caffeine in the resulting water solution. The beans were then re-introduced to the caffeine-free solution in order to absorb some of the flavor they had lost. Solvents used included benzene, chloroform, and trichloroethylene, all of which were later found to have toxic effects. In the 1970s, dichloromethane came into use to replace the earlier solvents before it too was deemed possibly carcinogenic.

In response to these concerns about solvents, some coffee companies began to run the water solution through charcoal filters as a means of removing the caffeine. The so-called Swiss Water Process, developed in Switzerland in the 1930s, goes one step further. After a batch of coffee beans has been steeped in hot water, that water is filtered, and then is used to soak the next batch of beans to be processed. In this way, the beans lose caffeine as they soak, but lose less of their flavor.

Yet another method that aims to safely remove caffeine from coffee beans involves a fascinating compound procedure. The solvent used in this method is neither water nor one of the earlier toxic solvents. Instead, caffeine in the coffee beans is dissolved by means of carbon dioxide. In order to accomplish this, the carbon dioxide must become a supercritical fluid, created when it is compressed and heated to the point that it has the same density in liquid and gaseous forms.

As this supercritical CO2 is passed through the beans, it can penetrate them because of its gaseous properties, and yet is able to dissolve the caffeine they contain because of its liquid properties.

In 2004, Brazilian scientists identified a new strain of coffee beans with a naturally low level of caffeine. They found three coffee plants from Ethiopia that contain almost no caffeine as they seem lack an enzyme necessary to caffeine production. If these plants can be crossed with commercial strains of coffee plants, we may one day see more coffee on the market that is naturally low in caffeine.

With these advances, and the current methods of decaffeination, decaf junkies are sure to be able to get their fix of coffee that not only tastes great, but won’t keep them up half the night.

As for me, I do want to stay up half the night, so I’ll stick to my full-strength brew.

13. The author believes that caffeine in coffee …

1) is part of a healthy diet.

2) is quite low.

3) can’t be removed completely.

4) may determine its taste.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

How Harry Potter saved one small town

Mallaig is far from the prettiest of Highland settlements, even when the weather is fine. Several rows of what could be prewar council houses stretch across the hill beyond the harbour. A mishmash of car parks, jetties and workaday buildings squats close to the railway terminus. When I last stayed in Mallaig, it was known as the biggest herring port in Europe.

Today, the herring have vanished, and yet Mallaig remains a busy place. Ferries come and go and fishing boats land shellfish, which is driven away in lorries to the markets of France and Spain. None of this activity, however, explains the hundreds of people who can be seen roaming Mallaig’s few streets every afternoon between the beginning of May and the end of October, or the presence of so many restaurants. What do explain them are two enthusiasms, one for low fact and the other for high fiction, which are kindled in childhood and among many adults never entirely disappear.

The railway reached Mallaig from Fort William and the south in 1901. It was among the last big lines to be built in Britain, late enough to have its viaducts built of concrete. It traversed one of Europe’s most spectacular and emptiest landscapes, with hardly anything large enough to be called a village along its 40-mile length.

The construction needed a large government subsidy, but the traffic never grew much beyond the two or three trains a day that carried fish boxes and a few dozen travellers to and from the Hebrides. It made little economic sense. Only 60 years after the line opened, it began to be threatened with closure. Few people would have guessed then that its commercial salvation would be owed to a novel and a film, and first of all, to a hobby.

Railways became an amateur pastime as well as a means of transport during the last decades of the 19th century. Then professional men such as vicars and lawyers began to see the large variety of trains and their technical progress as a hobby offering a similar kind of pleasure to philately and butterfly-hunting. By the end of the century they had their own magazine and their own club, the Railway Club, the world’s first society for railway enthusiasts. It was founded in London in 1899 and had its own premises with a library and leather armchairs. It was from these elite beginnings that the 20th century’s great cult of trainspotting spread, reinforcing a more general fondness for steam locomotives that many people had without knowing quite why. So a sense of loss ran through Britain when, in the 1960s, it became clear that their day was nearly done.

Hundreds of them were saved from the scrapyards and restored to working order; dozens of branch lines repaired and reopened so that in the holidays Britain could be charmed by how it once was. It’s hard to think that anywhere in the world has seen a more popular or successful preservation movement, or at least one run and largely funded by volunteers. Out of this business grew the West Coast Railway Company, which hires out engines, coaches and crew for steam excursions.

A film producer looking to shoot a fantastical train in a dramatic location would naturally turn to such a company, and so in three Harry Potter films the train to Hogwarts is seen crossing Glenfinnan’s viaduct.

Today, the Jacobite Express fills with Potter fans from all parts of the globe and always stops for a photo opportunity at Glenfinnan, which is where the real Bonnie Prince Charlie really raised his standard in '45 and marked as such by a real memorial. All of which reality is cast into shadow by the film of a modern fairytale.

13. The word mishmash in “A mishmash of car parks …” (paragraph 1) means …

1) a ruin.

2) a mixture.

3) a sight.

4) a queue.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Пример ответа: 1

Online learning

Online courses are widely used in college –– providing easy access to course materials, classroom discussions, and feedback to instructors. The course materials and activities may be accessed from any computer, whether it is from
the University, or from the comfort of your own home. I have taken two online courses and benefited from those classes. There are a few reasons why I am drawn to an online education course as opposed to taking courses in a traditional classroom setting. First of all, I have a full-time job, which limits my opportunities to attend classes scheduled during normal school hours. Also, online classes allow me to work on my own and move at my own pace. Finally, these classes offer more of a one-on-one teacher-student relationship, rather than teachers having
to spread their focus among thirty other students.

Having a full-time job makes it very difficult to schedule your classes.
The hours I have scheduled at my job are in conflict with the times that most classes are offered. The use of online courses has made life at work easier. When
a person has to work full time, it is hard for that person to successfully juggle their job responsibilities along with homework and study. This person can always take an online course to deal with the time constraints that a job will put on them.
The use of online courses allows you to cover the material needed in school while maintaining your workload.

I have learned that to be a successful distance learner, you have to be self-disciplined and able to work well on your own. Since you will not be physically going to class each week, you can take part in class from the comfort of your own home. However, the instructor is not constantly there to remind you of assignments or of project deadlines. Other obligations include keeping up with all the work for the course.

When I took my first online course, I just thought that the work for
the course could be put off until I had time to do it. In doing this, I got very far behind. It took me quite a while to catch back up with the assignments, and I promised myself that I would never let that happen again. Students who procrastinate about their assignments usually wind up withdrawing from the course late in the semester. Students should leave time in their schedule to complete their online courses successfully. Although online classes are more convenient than traditional college classes, they should be looked at as typical college classes and not be taken lightly.

Being able to communicate with instructors and other students has made me be a more active participant during the courses. With the two online courses I have taken, I never felt it was difficult to communicate with my instructors in order to ask for help or clarification of an assignment. The instructors and the students taking these classes have been very helpful to me. The online courses offer
a discussion board to send posts to your fellow students. You get a chance to read and critique each other’s work and respond to the comments of your classmates.
I have learned that by discussing each other’s ideas, we are in turn challenging each other to examine our own thoughts and feelings. Thus we get a chance
to share personal experiences during the discussion while improving our writing style.

Any student who is interested in taking an online course should do research on the class and speak with the instructor before enrolling, in order to make sure they are up for the challenge. Online courses are a great alternative for the student who holds a full-time job. They are not only convenient, but they teach you how to become a more disciplined scholar.

13. Juggle in Paragraph 2 ("… to successfully juggle their job responsibilities …") most probably means …

1) manage.

2) ignore.

3) enjoy.

4) shift.