Listening Comprehension Test for 8th Form
Students
Dinosaur Hunters (after Kate
McMullan)
Jim Jensen is a famous dinosaur hunter. He has been
hunting dinosaurs for years and years. Once he discovered a dinosaur with a
third eye in the middle of its forehead. Another time he discovered the biggest
dinosaur ever. He is the best dinosaur hunter there is. That’s why he’s called
Dinosaur Jim.
Of course, dinosaurs don’t live on the earth anymore.
The last ones disappeared about sixty-five million years ago. So how can
Dinosaur Jim hunt dinosaurs if there are not around?
To find out, imagine it is 140 million years ago. The
oceans are warm and shallow. The weather is always sunny and dry. Lush green
ferns and palm like trees grow everywhere. Dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes
roam the earth.
Some of the dinosaurs are no bigger than a chicken.
Others are taller than a six-storey building. Some have horns and spikes.
Others have duck bills and bird feet. There are no people yet. It is the middle
of the Mesozoic Era. It is the age of reptiles.
Picture a huge Brontosaurus walking to a lake. Its
footsteps echo like thunder through the forest. This Brontosaurus is old and
weak. It takes a last drink from the lake. Then it falls on its side in the
mud. It is dead.
In time the soft flesh of the dead Brontosaurus rots
away. But the hard bones sink deep into the mud. The mud protects the bones.
They do not rot away.
For millions of years the bones lie under the ground.
Rain falls. It seeps down through the ground, dissolving minerals in the rocks.
The rainwater carries the minerals along as it trickles down, down to the
bones.
Like all bones, the Brontosaurus bones are filled with
holes too small to see. The rainwater seeps into these holes. The water
evaporates. But the minerals in the water stay and harden in the bones. Little
by little what once was a bone turn to stone. The bones of the Brontosaurus are
now stone fossils.
Earthquakes rattle these fossil bones around.
Volcanoes erupt and bury the bones under layer of lava. Glaciers drag tons of
ice and snow over the bones. Oceans flow over the land. Their currents lay tons
of sand and broken shell over the bones. The weight presses on the mud around
the bones. Slowly the weight turns the mud around the bones to stone too.
Holiday Choice
Over 300 million people take holiday abroad every
year, and a recent survey has shown that they would rather cut back spending on
food and clothing than spend less on holidays. Choosing the ideal holiday is
not always easy, but in this day and age there is a wide range of choice, and
you should be able to find something to suit your taste and pocket.
Some people like planning their holiday independently,
while others prefer to book a package. It depends on where you are going, how
much money you have and whether you are travelling alone or with friends or
family.
The obvious advantage of a package holiday is that
it’s simple to organize. You book the holiday through a travel agent, and transport,
insurance and accommodation are all arranged for you. All you have to do is pay
the bill. If you take an independent holiday, on the other hand, you can spend
a lot of time and a small fortune checking complicated timetables, chasing
cheap flights, and trying to make hotel booking in a language you can’t even
speak. What is more, package holidays are often incredibly cheap. For the price
of a suit, you can have a fortnight in a foreign resort, including
accommodation, meals and air travel. A similar independent holiday, however,
can work out much more expensive.
Yet the advantages of planning you holiday yourself
are considerable. You are free to choose exactly where and when you want to go,
how you want to travel, and how long you want to stay. You can avoid the large
resorts, whereas holiday - makers on package tours are often trapped among
crowds of other tourists. You can eat the food of the region at reasonable
prices in local restaurants, while they are served with “international” dishes
and chips with everything. Besides, although package holidays are usually
extremely good value for money, they are not always cheaper. If you are willing
to take a little trouble, you may be able to save money by fixing up a foreign
holiday yourself.
All things considered, I would prefer to plan my
holiday independently. In my view, it is safer to do it yourself.
Listening Comprehension Test for 10th Form
Students
You’ll Never Know (after
Alan Maley)
His thoughts were interrupted by the flight
announcement. He picked up his bag and filed through to the waiting aircraft.
The rest of his trip to Paris was a blur of activity. His discussions with
Sandfurth were successful and he returned home late the next evening to his
tiny basement flat in Bayswater. He felt exhausted.
Next morning he went in late. Immediately Fergus
called for a report on his trip. It was mid-afternoon before he returned to his
office. There were two messages on his machine. Both were musical! “Lithuanians
and Let’s do it, let’s do it, let’s fall in love” , was the first. The second
was “You’ll never know…” again. He now felt sure it was some kind of joke. It
couldn’t possibly be serious. He knew it could not be anyone in the office: Daphne
was too trendy; Fiona was too serious; Cindy was too young.
The next two weeks passed normally. About once a week
he would find a new message on his machine:” I’ve never loved like this
before…”,”…with just a look. Could we have been in love once before? Is now the
time? It seems that I know you so well”. He began to realize that this was no
joke. Someone was really trying to tell him that he was loved. But who? Who
would go to all the trouble?
Two days later he returned to the office in the late afternoon
after lunch with a very difficult, unpleasant author. It was a fine May day. He
had walked back to clear the disagreeable memory of the man from his mind. The
air was full of the perfumes of spring flowers. On his machine he found two
messages. The first was the well-known “You’ll never know”. The second was,
“Meet me on the corner. I’ll be waiting there.” The second message had been
recorded tree times, as if it was specially important.
Cindy had already gone. Daphne put her head round the
door to say good night. She seemed to be looking for an excuse to stay but he
did not look up. “See you then. I’m just going for a quick drink at the wine
bar”, she said hesitating. She left. Fiona was still working in her office at
the end of the corridor. He needed to check on a detail in a letter from a
difficult author. As he was opening his door, she emerged from there. He asked
for the information, which she gave him. “I wonder if that satisfy him?” he
asked. She looked at him with her green eyes. They looked so full of feelings
in the evening light. “You’ll never know probably”, she said looking at him
intensely, and walked down the stairs.
He suddenly realized what she had said. It was Fiona.
She was the one! He grabbed his things, ran downstairs and caught up with her
as she reached the corner. Yes, the corner. “Meet me on the corner”, the song
rang in his ears. He clumsily invited her to have a glass of wine with him at
the corner wine bar. They did not see Daphne sitting in the corner when they
came in. She quickly got up and left by the side entrance. That was it really.
They realized quickly that they were “made for each other” as song might put
it. Within six months they were married.
Listening Comprehension Test for 11th Form
Students
Marie Smith
Beyond the town of Cordova, on Prince William Sound in
south-western Alaska, the Copper River delta branches out in silt and swamp
into the gulf. Marie Smith, growing up there, knew there was a particular word
in Eyak, her language, for the silky, gummy mud that squished between her toes.
The driftwood she found on the shore, acquired a different name if it had a
proper shape and was not a broken, tangled mass. If she got lost among the flat
winding creeks her panicky thoughts were not of north, south, east or west, but
of ‘upriver’, ‘downriver’, ‘downstream’ and the tribes, Eskimo and Tlingit, who
lived on either side. And if they asked her name it was not Marie but rather an
Eyak word meaning ‘ a sound that calls people from afar’.
Upriver out of town stretched the taiga, rising
steadily to the Chugach Mountains and covered with black spruce. The spruce was
an Eyak dictionary in itself, from lis, the neat conical tree, to its wiry
root, useful for baskets; from its blue - green. Flattened needles, which could
be brewed for beer or tea, to sihx, its resin, from which came pitch to make
canoes watertight. The Eayk were fishermen who, thousands of years before, were
thought to have crossed the Bering Strait in their boats. Marie’s father still
fished for a living, as did most of the men in Cordova. While the neighboring
Athapaskan tribes, who had crossed the strait on snowshoes, had dozens of terms
for the condition of ice and snow, Eyak vocabulary was rich with particular
words for black abalone, red abalone, ribbon weed and tubular kelp, drag nets
and dipping nets and different sizes of rope. One word, demexch, meant a soft
and treacherous spot in the ice over a body of water: a bad place to walk on,
but possibly a good one to squat beside with a fishing line or a spear.
This universe of words and observations was already
fading when Marie was young. In 1933 there were 38 Eyak - speakers left, and
white people with their grim faces and instructive microphones, as they always
appeared to her, were already coming to sweep up the remnants of the language.
At home her mother donned a kushsl, or apron, to make cakes in a round mixing
bowl; but at school ‘barbarous’ Eyak was forbidden. It went unheard, too, in
the salmon factory where Marie worked after fourth grade, canning in industrial
quantities the noble fish her people had hunted with respect, naming not only
every part of it but the separate stems and shoots of the red salmonberries
they ate with the dried roe.
As the spoken language died, so did the stories of
tricky Creator - Raven and the magical loon, of giant animals and tiny
homunculi with fish - spears no bigger than a matchstick. People forgot why
‘hat’ was the same word as ‘hammer’, or
why the word for a leaf was also the word for a feather, as though trees
and birds shared one organic life. They lost the sense that grouped apples,
beads and pills together as round, foreign, possibly deceiving things. They
neglected the superstitions that kept fish and animals separate, and would not
let fish-skin and animal hide be sewn in the same coat; and they could not remember exactly why they
built little wooden huts over gravestones, as if to give more comfortable
shelter to the dead.
Mrs. Smith herself seemed cavalier about the language
for a time. She married a white man, William Smith, and brought up nine
children, telling them odd Eyak words but finding they were not interested.
Eyak became a language for talking either to herself, or to God. Only when her
last surviving older sister died, in the 1990s, did she realize that she was
the last of the line. From that moment she became an activist, a tiny figure
with a determined jaw and a colorful beaded hat, campaigning to stop
clear-cutting in the forest (where Eyak split-log lodges decayed among the
blueberries) and to get Eyak bones decently buried. She was the chief of her
nation, as well as its only full-blooded member.
She drank too much, but gave it up; she smoked too
much, coughing her way through interviews in a room full of statuettes of the
Pillsbury Doughboy, in which she said her spirit would live when she was dead.
Most outsiders were told to buzz of. But one scholar, Michael Krauss of the
University of Alaska at Fairbanks, shoed such love for Eyak, stakingly
recording its every suffix and prefix and glottal stop and nasalization, that
she worked happily with him to compile a grammar and a dictionary; and
Elizabeth Kolbert of the new York was allowed to talk when she brought fresh
halibut as a tribute. Without those two visitors almost nothing would have been
known of her.
As a child she had longed to be a pilot, flying
boat-planes between the islands of the Sound. An impossible dream, she was
told, because she was a girl. As an old woman, she sais she believed that Eyak
might be resurrected in the future. Just as impossible, scoffed the experts; in
an age where perhaps half the planet’s languages will disappear over the next
century, killed by urban migration or the Internet or the triumphal march of
English, Eyak has no chance. For Mrs. Smith, however, the death of Eyak meant
the not-to-be-imagined disappearance of the world.
Speaking Comprehension for 8
Form Students
1. What extreme sport would you
most like to try?
* Describe the sport, including, including the
equipment required, uniform and rules.
* Why is it
considered an extreme sport?
* What dangers can exist when somebody does an extreme sports?
2. Wikipedia has quickly become
one of the largest online reference websites.
* How have you used Wikipedia
for school or free time?
* Which doyouthink is more
reliable and accurate information found in printed
encyclopedias or information
found online?Why?
* If you were writing a
Wikipedia page on something you know, what would be the
topic?
3. Books have a positive
influence on many people's lives.
* What childhood books influenced you the
most?
* What do you think are important elements of
a good story?
* If
you could be any character from literature, who would you be and why?
4. Describe your dream house
and why you want to live there.
* What does it look like?
* Where is it located?
* What things does it have?
5. What is the most important
quality a friend can have?
* Why is this quality so important?
* Do your closest friends have this quality?
Do you?
* How can you work to improve on this quality?
6. Imagine you are transported
to another or fantasy world.
*
What does your fantasy world look like?
* What makes it strange and interesting?
* How does it differ from our world?
7. What activities do you find
enjoyable when you are by yourself?
* Why is this activity so enjoyable to you?
* How often do you spend time by yourself? Do
you feel it is important to have time
alone? Why?
*
Have you ever been afraid to spend time by yourself?
8. Discuss your favorite actor
or actress.
* What plays, films or television shows have
you seen this person in?
* Explain why they are your favourite actor or
actress.
*
Compare this person with another actor or actress and explain your choice ..
9. Choose a favorite holiday.
* Explain why you like this holiday so much.
* Tell a story from your life that illustrates
what this holiday means to you.
* Explain how your family’s traditions are
typical, or not, for Ukraine.
Speaking Comprehension for 8 Form
Students
10. If you won the lottery and decide to take a trip
around the world, what countries and places would you visit?
* What would be your first and
final destinations? Why?
* Would you prefere to travel
alone or with other person?
* If you left Ukraine for a
long time, what things from your country would you miss the
most?
11. You can choose to have one
supernatural ability or gift.
* What do you choose?
* Why will you choose this? Will you use it to
help others, for personal gain, or for both?
*
How do you think others will treat you
because of your gift?
12. You are a famous author and
you have been asked to write a new book.
* What kind of fiction or non fiction would
your book be?
*
Who would be your readers? Why?
*
Summarize the plot of your new book.
13 Imagine that you are lost in the woods.
* What five things
would you like to have with you in your rucksack?
* If you could have one other person with you,
who would you choose and why? * What is the first thing you would do once
you got out of the woods?
14. You meet up with a friend who you haven’t seen
for several years.
* Tell him\ her about the events in your family and in your school that
have happened
since you last saw him\ her.
*
Tell your friend how your goals have changed. What do you want to become?
* Invite your friend to an event that is
coming up in the near future where he\she can see
some of your other
old friends.
15. Ukrainian teenages often
have responsibilities at school and at home.
* What are some of
your responsibilities at home? At shool?
* Discuss some of the
advantages and disadvantages of working hard at school and
at home.
* How does age affect
your responsibilities?
16. A pen pal from the United
States decides to visit you in Ukraine.
* How can you help him or her prepare for this
trip?
* What Ukrainian dishes will you make to give
your friends a taste of Ukrainian food?
* Where will you take him or her in your town?
What other towns would you like to visit
with your friend?
17. Tell us about the greatest
teacher you have ever had.
*
Why did you choose him or her?
*
How did he or she influence your life?
*
How can you use what he or she taught you to help others?
Speaking Comprehension for 8 Form Students
18. How important are
experiences, such as traveling or meeting people from different cultures, in
our education?
* Do you feel that there is enough experience
in your education?
* What do you feel has been your most
important experience so far in your life?
*
Is there anything you wish you have done, but didn’t? What is it? Why didn’t
you do it?
19. Do you think exercise should
be an important part of every person’s life?
* Do you play any
sports? Dance? Go jogging? Do you like exercise?
* Can you see any difference in the people
around you who do or do not exersise?
* What are the benefits of regular exercise?
20. Your school is having a
competition in which students are designing a new school uniform.
* What colors and styles would you choose?
* Why do you think
your design should be chosen?
* What are the advantages and disadvantages of
school uniforms
Speaking Comprehension Test
for 9th Form Students
1. Walt Disney once said, “All
our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
What do you think he meant when he said it? Do you agree with the
statement? Why or why not?
* What advice would you give to someone who is trying to pursue his
dreams?
* Do you think that determination or ability is a more important
characteristic when pursuing your dreams? Why?
* Some people argue that the circumstances of your birth (such as
family, place of birth…) are more important than any subjective character
traits like ability or determination. Do you agree with this position? Why or
why not?
2. All schools have rules. What
are some of the rules you have at your school?
* Which rules do you believe are necessary and which do you believe are
unfair?
* What are the advantages and disadvantages of having rules?
* Have you ever been caught breaking any school rules?
3. What is your favourite
subject? Why? How will this subject help
you in the future?
* Would you recommend this subject to some one else?
* How do teachers make lessons interesting for you?
* What role do you play in your own education?
4. Humans have come to dominate
all other animals, sometimes for fun. Should humans be allowed to use animals
as objects of entertainment?
* Why do you think hunting as a sport is still practiced in the modern
world?
* How do you feel about animals living in cages to provide entertainment
for people?
* How could zoos be dangerous for animals?
5. Speak about your favourite
genre of literature.
* What are some of examples of works you like from this genre?
* Why are these examples good representatives of this genre?
* What does your favourite genre say about your personality?
6. Supermarkets are becoming
more widespread and popular in the modern world, while traditional markets
(bazaars) are becoming less common.
* Where do you or your family do most food shopping?
* What advantages and disadvantages do you see with modern supermarkets?
* Do you think that traditional markets will disappear? Why or why not?
7. Zoos and ecological parks
are popular in many countries of the world with both children and adults alike.
* What do you think the purpose of a zoo is?
* Are these reasons valid? Why or why not?
* Should there be international standards that zoos must comply with?
Please explain.
8. If you had a week to travel
out of your native country and endless supply of money where would you want to
go, and how would you get there?
* Would you travel alone, with a few people, or with many people? Why?
* What are the top three things you would do in each place and why?
* What does your travel style say about your personality?
9. The way people decorate their
rooms usually says something about their personality.
* Give a brief description of your room.
* What do you think your room says about your personality?
* How important is the decoration of your room to you?
10. You are starting
your own band.
* What kind of music would you play? Why?
* Who would be in your band? What instruments would they play?
* What would your songs be about?
11. There are
thousands of different professions in the world.
* What professions are extremely important to the well-being of society?
Explain why.
* How might the word be different if these professions did not exist?
* Is it important to choose a profession based on its significance to
society? Why?
12. You are at a job
interview and are asked to describe yourself. What will you say?
* What kind of character do you have?
* How do you get along with other people?
* What are your strong and weak points?
13. Music influences different
people in different ways.
* What type of music influences you the most? How?
* Which musician has had the greatest impact on you? Why?
* How is the music of your generation different from the music your
parents listened to?
14 Describe a resent
book that you have read or a movie you have seen.
* Why was this book or movie interesting?
* Who were the characters? Describe them.
* If you could change the ending, would you? Why or why not?
15. Consider what your life will
be like in 10 years.
* Where will you be living?
* What type of job will you have?
* Will you have a family? If so, describe it. If not, explain why.
16. Your pen-pal is planning to
take a tour of Ukraine
this summer and wants to know what there is to see and do. What would you
recommend?
* Why would you recommend these places?
* How are these places interesting and what can one do there?
* What is the most important place in Ukraine to visit and why?
17. A renowned publisher has given
you an opportunity to write a book and have it published. What would you write
about?
* What would be on the cover of your book? What would its title be?
* What genre of books do you find most interesting? Why?
* What kind of obstacles might you need to overcome when writing your
book?
18. Do you think exercise should
be an important part of every person’s life?
* Do you do any sports? Dance? Go jogging? Do you like exercise?
* Can you see any difference in the people around you who exercise and
those who do not?
* What are the benefits of regular exercise?
19 Today many students
in schools have mobile phones. Many of them don’t always turn their phones off
before going to their lessons.
* Is it necessary for pupils to have mobile phones? Why do you think so?
* Do mobile phones interrupt teachers and students? How? How about text messages?
* Should teachers be able to take phones from students? In which cases
should they?
20. If you could have any talent
that you don’t already possess, what would it be?
* Why is this talent so important for you to have?
* How would you use it?
* Do you feel it is more important to gain talents through hard work or
through natural ability?
Speaking Comprehension Test
for 9th Form Students
1. Walt Disney once said, “All
our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
What do you think he meant when he said it? Do you agree with the
statement? Why or why not?
* What advice would you give to someone who is trying to pursue his
dreams?
* Do you think that determination or ability is a more important
characteristic when pursuing your dreams? Why?
* Some people argue that the circumstances of your birth (such as
family, place of birth…) are more important than any subjective character
traits like ability or determination. Do you agree with this position? Why or
why not?
2. All schools have rules. What
are some of the rules you have at your school?
* Which rules do you believe are necessary and which do you believe are
unfair?
* What are the advantages and disadvantages of having rules?
* Have you ever been caught breaking any school rules?
3. What is your favourite
subject? Why? How will this subject help
you in the future?
* Would you recommend this subject to some one else?
* How do teachers make lessons interesting for you?
* What role do you play in your own education?
4. Humans have come to dominate
all other animals, sometimes for fun. Should humans be allowed to use animals
as objects of entertainment?
* Why do you think hunting as a sport is still practiced in the modern
world?
* How do you feel about animals living in cages to provide entertainment
for people?
* How could zoos be dangerous for animals?
5. Speak about your favourite
genre of literature.
* What are some of examples of works you like from this genre?
* Why are these examples good representatives of this genre?
* What does your favourite genre say about your personality?
6. Supermarkets are becoming
more widespread and popular in the modern world, while traditional markets
(bazaars) are becoming less common.
* Where do you or your family do most food shopping?
* What advantages and disadvantages do you see with modern supermarkets?
* Do you think that traditional markets will disappear? Why or why not?
7. Zoos and ecological parks
are popular in many countries of the world with both children and adults alike.
* What do you think the purpose of a zoo is?
* Are these reasons valid? Why or why not?
* Should there be international standards that zoos must comply with?
Please explain.
8. If you had a week to travel
out of your native country and endless supply of money where would you want to
go, and how would you get there?
* Would you travel alone, with a few people, or with many people? Why?
* What are the top three things you would do in each place and why?
* What does your travel style say about your personality?
9. The way people decorate their
rooms usually says something about their personality.
* Give a brief description of your room.
* What do you think your room says about your personality?
* How important is the decoration of your room to you?
10. You are starting
your own band.
* What kind of music would you play? Why?
* Who would be in your band? What instruments would they play?
* What would your songs be about?
11. There are
thousands of different professions in the world.
* What professions are extremely important to the well-being of society?
Explain why.
* How might the word be different if these professions did not exist?
* Is it important to choose a profession based on its significance to
society? Why?
12. You are at a job
interview and are asked to describe yourself. What will you say?
* What kind of character do you have?
* How do you get along with other people?
* What are your strong and weak points?
13. Music influences different
people in different ways.
* What type of music influences you the most? How?
* Which musician has had the greatest impact on you? Why?
* How is the music of your generation different from the music your
parents listened to?
14 Describe a resent
book that you have read or a movie you have seen.
* Why was this book or movie interesting?
* Who were the characters? Describe them.
* If you could change the ending, would you? Why or why not?
15. Consider what your life will
be like in 10 years.
* Where will you be living?
* What type of job will you have?
* Will you have a family? If so, describe it. If not, explain why.
16. Your pen-pal is planning to
take a tour of Ukraine
this summer and wants to know what there is to see and do. What would you
recommend?
* Why would you recommend these places?
* How are these places interesting and what can one do there?
* What is the most important place in Ukraine to visit and why?
17. A renowned publisher has given
you an opportunity to write a book and have it published. What would you write
about?
* What would be on the cover of your book? What would its title be?
* What genre of books do you find most interesting? Why?
* What kind of obstacles might you need to overcome when writing your
book?
18. Do you think exercise should
be an important part of every person’s life?
* Do you do any sports? Dance? Go jogging? Do you like exercise?
* Can you see any difference in the people around you who exercise and
those who do not?
* What are the benefits of regular exercise?
19 Today many students
in schools have mobile phones. Many of them don’t always turn their phones off
before going to their lessons.
* Is it necessary for pupils to have mobile phones? Why do you think so?
* Do mobile phones interrupt teachers and students? How? How about text messages?
* Should teachers be able to take phones from students? In which cases
should they?
20. If you could have any talent
that you don’t already possess, what would it be?
* Why is this talent so important for you to have?
* How would you use it?
* Do you feel it is more important to gain talents through hard work or
through natural ability?
Speaking Comprehension Test for 10th
Form Students
1. Social networking sites like Facebook are
seemingly all over the place. Do you see this as a good thing or bad thing?
Why?
*If all social networking sites were
shut down forever, how would it affect your life?
* Aside from socializing with
friends, what other users do social networking sites have?
* How can social networking sites be
used as an agent of social change in Ukraine?
2. Many people think that parents are the most important role models.
* Are your parents your role models? If not,
who are your role models?
* What qualities do you feel are important in a
good role model?
* What responsibilities do role models have?
3. Some people
argue that a film is never as good as its book version
* Do you agree with this statement?
* What differences generally exist between
books and their film adaptations?
* If you could make any book into film, which
would you choose and why?
4. A resent study suggests that half of Europe's teenagers use the Internet without parental
supervision.
* Do you
believe that teenagers should be able to use the Internet without supervision?
* What are some potential problems with
unsupervised internet use?
* What measures should teenagers take to
protect themselves against these threats?
5. If you could live in any time period in Ukraine:
* When would you choose to live?
* Where in the country would you want to live?
* What would you want to be doing in that time
period?
6 “People behave differently when they wear different clothes.”
.* Do you agree or disagree with the above
statement?
* What kinds of different clothes do you wear,
and does it influence your behavior?
* How can someone’s appearance affect the way
people judge them?.
7. Holidays are an important time to spend with friends and family.
* What is your favorite holiday?
* How do you celebrate this holiday?
* What traditions do you and your family and
friends have?
8. Eating organic food (food grown without chemicals) has become very
popular.
* Why do people prefer organic food to
inorganic food?
* How have supermarkets and fast food
restaurants responded to this trend?
* Do you think this trend will last? Why or why
not?
9. You are going on a trip to another country for two weeks. How would you
plan your trip?
* Where would you go? With whom would you go?
Why?
* Would you travel more for adventure, to
learn, or to see historical sites?
* What kind of preparations would you make? Describe one day in your itinerary?
10. Some people argue that the content of
mainstream media such as TV, movies, video games,
and the Internet has a negative influence on
young people.
* Do you think that mainstream media negatively
influences young people?
* What are some positive and negative aspects
of the content of these media?
* If there are negative effects, what can we do
to combat them?
11. Because of increasing globalization, many
cultures have started to lose some of their own
traditions while gaining those of others.
* What do you think about this phenomenon?
* How important are your cultural traditions to
you? What are the disadvantages of losing
your
own cultural traditions?
* What are the advantages of knowing the
culture and traditions of others?
12. Do you think the “traditional” roles of men and women are changing in Ukraine?
* How have men’s roles changed? What new roles
do they have?
* How about women? What’s changed with them?
* Do you think these roles should change to
meet the needs of present times? Why?
13. Imagine that you are a villain from your
favorite book or movie. Give an apology to the hero of the book or movie.
* What have you done wrong?
* What do you regret?
* How will you make amends?
14 The Internet and television have
made the world a much smaller place, as virtually everyone is aware of pop
culture icons like David Beckham and Lady Gaga.
* Is it important to keep up with pop culture?
Why or why not?
* If you stopped paying attention to pop
culture, would you be able to participate in the
same
kinds of conversation with your friends?
* Does pop culture create similar interests in
people throughout the world regardless of
culture?...
15. You interact with teachers daily.
* What do you think of teaching as a
profession? Is it important or not? Is it hard or easy?
* What position do teachers occupy in society?
* How do you think the profession of will
change in your lifetime?
16. Some people say that they can't live without
their mobile phone. Give example of an item you can't live without.
* .Why is this so important to you?
* What was your life like before you had this
item?
* What would you do if you lost it tomorrow?
17. It is said that learning more than one language allows you to
"broaden your horizons", do you agree or disagree?
* How has learning English affected your life?
* Are there any other languages you wish to
speak? Why?
* How has learning English helped you
understand your culture?
18. Discuss your favourite actor or
actress.
* What plays, films or television shows have
you seen this person in?
* Explain why they are your favourite actor or
actress.
* Compare this person with another actor or
actress and explain why your choice is best.
19. Do you think that money can buy happiness?
* When did money make your life easier?
* When did money make your life more difficult?
* There are some who say that it is impossible
to be both rich and to have morals. Do you
agree
or disagree? Explain
20. What is the most important quality a friend can have?
* Why is this quality so important?
* Do your closest friends have this quality? Do
you?
* How can you work to improve on this quality?
Speaking Comprehension Test
for 11th Form Students
1. Do you believe that the
majority of youth in Ukraine prefers watching movies to reading?
* What benefits, if any, does reading provide that watching movies does
not?
* Should reading be encouraged more among youth? Who should do it? How?
* What are the positive and negative aspects of acquiring information
from TV and books?
2. Fantasy books such as Harry
Potter and Game of Thrones have been very popular recently. Why do you think
this genre is so popular?
* Do you think that fantasy books and films are intended for younger
audience or do they have broad appeal?
* If you could bring a character from a fantasy book to life, who would
it be? Why would you choose that character?
* Some argue that fantasy books and films are forms of escapism which
serve only to distract people from important issues and problems in the real
world. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
3. Nowadays it is becoming more
popular for students to get a job while studying at a university.
* What is your opinion about working while being a student?
* What are the advantages and disadvantages of working while studying?
* What types of jobs would be most suitable during this period of life?
Explain.
4. Art and music classes should
be abandoned
in
schools in order to provide more time for lessons that are considered more
academic such as foreign languages, maths and sciences.
* Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?
* How would abandoning art and music affect your school and your
country?
* What do art and music bring to or take away from your school?
5. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of dating someone from another culture?
* What problems might someone face? How could these problems be solved?
* Describe a typical date in your culture and how this would be
different from another culture?
* What are the social rules of etiquette when dating in your culture?
6. Social networking sites like
Facebook are seemingly all over the place. Do you see this as a good thing or
bad thing? Why?
*If all social networking sites were shut down forever, how would it
affect your life?
* Apart from socializing with friends, what other users do social
networking sites have?
* How can social networking sites be used as an agent of social change
in Ukraine?
7. In English there is a saying
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, which means that children are not
very different from their parents.
* Speak about the ways in which you are similar to and different from
your parents or other relatives.
*Are you or your brothers or sisters more like one parent than the
other.
* Do you believe that the environment or genetic make-up determines a
child’s character?
8. If you could choose to be any
character in a book or movie, who would you be? Why?
* What aspects do you find appealing about this character?
* Are you similar to or different from this character? How?
* What don’t you like about the character’s life? Why?
9. Difficult tasks often require
something positive to motivate us.
* What factors best motivate you when you have a difficult task to
accomplish?
* Which people play a role in motivating you? Why?
* For what tasks do you need to be motivated? Why?
10. Zoos are a fun place for
children and can make people happy. What are the benefits of zoos? What are the
negative aspects?
* How are zoos good and bad for animals? What can be done to improve
zoos?
* Is it important for animals to be in their natural environment?
* What if people were put into zoos? How would society be different?
11. We should not just prepare
for life, but live it.
* What does this statement mean to you?
* Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
* Right now, do you feel as though you are preparing for life or living
it? In what ways?
12. Fashions come and
go. How important do you think being fashionable is?
* What kind of clothes is in fashion now? What do you think of these
styles?
* What fashions that you see today might be out of style within two
years?
* What kind of clothes do you usually wear? Who and what influence your
style?
13. Personal style plays an
important role in our self-expression.
* Describe your personal style (clothing, hair, image etc.)
* What does this say about your personality?
* How important is it for you to be in style? Why?
14. Global warming is receiving
more attention as a concern and problem throughout the world.
* Do you think global warming is an important environmental issue? Why?
* What are three sources of global warming, and how does each contribute
to the problem?
* What are three solutions to stopping, or at least slowing, the effects
of global warming?
15. Throughout history
great societies have produced great artists, musicians and authors of all
genres
* What role do the arts play on creating a well-rounded person?
* How have the arts affected you or someone you know?
* How would a lack of arts in someone’s life affect him or her?
16. Many small towns
in Ukraine
have problems with school leavers moving to other towns.
* Do you think it is better to live in a small town or a big city?
* What projects do you think could help to keep youth in smaller towns?
* How might the town improve the quality of life for youth?
17. Do you think the private
lives of celebrities should be open to the public?
* Why is the public interested in the lives of the famous?
* How would you feel if press investigated your private life?
* Would you like to know more about the life of a particular celebrity?
Why?
18. Do think a universal
language would be useful for modern life?
* Which language would you suggest as the common language?
* What are the disadvantages of having a universal language?
* How do you think knowing more than one language can affect your life?
19. Extreme sports such as
skydiving, mountain climbing, and bungee jumping are very popular, but also
very dangerous. What is so appealing about these sports that people will risk
their lives to do them?
* Is there an extreme sport you want to try and one you don’t? Which one
and why?
* What would be your family’s reaction to your doing an extreme sport?
.
20. Often we can
identify a culture through its traditional and popular music.
* Is one country’s music better than another’s?
* Is there good and bad music? Explain your answer.
* How does your country’s music reflect its culture?
Writing Comprehension Test for 8th Form Students
A Dog’s Best Friend - You
We learned a lot from Nellie, the proud mother of four
handsome puppies. ”When my puppies were born, I fed them and kept them warm,
safe and clean. Soon, they will go to new homes. Each will need a friend to
care for it. So if you want to be the very best friend a dog could have, here
is what to do”.
Pamper your puppy. Before you bring your new puppy
home, make sure you have prepared a comfortable puppy home. A cardboard box or
a cage that is big enough for the puppy to stretch in makes a fine bed. Line
the box or cage with soft cushions or blankets. Put newspaper under and around
the bed until the puppy is house trained. Place toys in the bed, and dishes for
food and water nearby.
Pay attention to your puppy feelings. Puppies have
ways of showing you what they like and do not like. Talk to your puppy often,
but try not to shout. Do not cuddle your puppy so tightly that it squirms
uncomfortably. And never, ever poke or tease it.
You’ll need to teach your puppy to behave well indoors
and to get along with other people. It also must learn to tell you when it
needs to go outside to the bathroom. Puppies do not need treats to learn trick.
The more you work with your puppy, the more it will learn. Patiently show it
what to do over and over again, and say ”Good dog!” when it catches on. And when your
puppy makes a mistake, a firm “No!” is all that is needed. Never punish it by
shouting, handling it roughly, or spanking it.
When your dog is full-grown it still depends on you
for its health and happiness. You are the dogs best friend.
Many people like
to keep pets? What pet have you got?
- What kinds of animals are best as pets? Why?
- Are there some animals that should not be kept
as pets?
- Why
do you think so many people like to keep pets?
- What responsibilities do owners have to their pets?
Connemara - the Hidden Heart
of Ireland
Think of Ireland. The chances are you will make up a
romantic image of a rural idyll. For most people Ireland is a country of green
fields with horses and donkeys; of isolated houses and picturesque thatched
cottages; of quaint, sleepy towns that you reach along winding, country roads;
of people always ready to stop and chat; of windswept mountains and clear
running streams. While the Irish Tourist Board still portrays the country in
this way, the reality is that Ireland has come a long way over the last years.
Substantial European Union grants have transformed the country. The famous
stony tracts that once linked the country towns have almost all gone. Ireland
now boasts some of the best road networks in Europe. New business parks stand
on the sites where old, decaying industrial eyesores once stood.
Today’s Ireland is at the cutting edge of the 21
century. But does that mean that the “real” Ireland - the fairytale land of
legend and leprechauns - has lost out to the land of high-tech towns of glass
and steel? Fortunately for all who care about the soul of Ireland, this is not
so!
For those curious enough to search for it there is a
hidden corner of Ireland that time seems to have forgotten. This is a very
special place. Here the traditional ways of life still exist alongside the new.
This sense of mystery and magic is captured in the very name of this unique
place: “Connemara”. Connemara is as lyrical as it sounds. It is a land of
majestic mountains, gushing streams and huge lakes full of fish. Connemara is
fringed by one of the most wild, rugged and impossibly beautiful coastlines
anywhere in Europe. Small attractive towns are scattered throughout the region.
And in many remote places whitewashed thatched cottages lend enchantment to the
scene of perfect solitude. And yet, despite this, most visitors to Ireland pass
Connemara by without ever realizing what they are missing.
“Travelling is
no longer necessary because modern technology has made it possible to learn
about the rest of the world from computers and televisions”
-
Do
you agree with this statement?
-
Why do people like travelling?
-
Do
you think foreigners could really understand Ukrainian life and culture without
visiting Ukraine? Explain.
Writing Comprehension Test
for 10th Form Students
The Bear Essentials
The sun is setting, the tent is pitched and you are
rustling up some grub when you hear strange huffing sounds… and suddenly see a
snarling bear barreling right at you.
A real bear is far from being cute and amusing as the
kid’s books depict. What should we do
then, if we happen to come upon this unpredictable creature?
First order of business is not to freak; it is to
identify the bear. Depending on whether it is a grizzly or a black bear, you’ll
need to use different self- defense tactic. Grizzlies (whose coats are usually
reddish - brown, but something almost black), weigh from 500 to 1,000 pounds
and are up to seven feet tall, but their distinguishing feature is hump. Black
bears which range in color from brown to
black, are sleeker and weigh 200 to250 pounds. It is safer to assume you are
dealing with a grizzly, even if it’s a black bear.
With grizzlies, the worst thing you can do is run
screaming. They can sprint up to 35 miles an hour. If the bear is just standing
there, retreat slowly and quietly. If it moves towards you, stand as still as
possible. If the bear does attack, play dead, face down with your hands crossed
behind your neck. With black bears, on the other hand, whoop it up: clap your
hands, yell, bang pans, throw something (aim for its feet).
Bears have an acute sense of smell and are interested
in absolutely everything you’ve got. So don’t leave food in your car or on the
picnic table while you collect wood. Store food 100 feet away from you, ten
feet up and four feet out on a tree branch, to keep bears at bay.
What we learn of bears is from books. Can it help us
when we meet a real bear? Some people argue that learning from a book is not
useful and that your experiences in life will teach you everything that you
need to know. Others believe that learning from books is more significant.
-
What
do you think is more significant in a person’s life: book learning or
experience?
-
Can
you have one without the other? Why or why not?
-
What
are advantages and disadvantages?
Weather Beaten (by Jim
Cantore)
To look ahead, we must look back. This is especially
true when it comes to weather - which might not be the kind of thing you expect
to hear from a guy whose job is to forecast storms and draughts, not to reflect
on past ones. All forecasts are initially based on good data, and the margin of
error increased the further out we project. Our ability to create even five day
forecasts is a relatively resent development - about as good as our ability to
create tree day forecasts 20 years ago. This, of cause, means that predicting
all four seasons in the next year is impossible, but the previous year does
provide a good starting point.
The earth’s complex atmosphere includes large-scale
global patterns and phenomena such as La Ni a and El Ni o and last year saw many
of these coming together at the right time (which of course means the wrong time) to create a historic
season of heartache and havoc. The numbers, as compiled by the U.S. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), were jaw dropping. In one
tree-day stretch in April, 343 tornadoes struck in a swath from Alabama to
Virginia. Precipitation in the Ohio Valley exceeded normal level by 300%,
leading to flooding along the Mississippi River. Drought-fueled wind fires
burned more than a million acres in Texas alone. State and federal budgets,
already stretched tight, took a big hit. The U.S. saw a dozen or more weather
events that did at least $1 billion each in damage - and $54 billion
collectively - according to the NOAA.
The resent devastating event was the enormous
hurricane that struck Florida. Though predicted, it had an enormous damaging
effect.
In recent years
natural disasters have devastated several countries and thousands of lives.
Countries have been caught off guard by the amount of damage and the work
required to recover to recover from such disasters.
-
How
can countries better prepare for large natural disasters?
-
Pick
a natural disaster and discuss what makes it so dangerous.
-
After
a disaster strikes, what can a government do to ensure the safety of survivors
and a speedy recovery?
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