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The majority of the British population live in small houses built close together. A typical house of this kind is built with two floors.The front door, which faces the street, opens into a hall with two rooms, one on each side of the hall. One of them is the dining-room, the other is the sitting-room.  The rooms upstairs are bedrooms. They are often small. Often the dining-room is the most comfortable room in the house and the one that is used all the time.  Very many houses of this type were built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the land on which they stand has become very valuable so the houses are very expensive. Ответьте на вопрос: Where do the majority of the British people live in?

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The famous composer Rakhmaninov was also a very good pianist. When he was a small boy he was asked to play at a home party at their friends’ place. Though he was only eight he was quite experienced in playing the piano and did it well. At that concert he was to play one of Beethoven’s sonatas. It must be mentioned that there are several very long intervals in that sonata. In each of these intervals the boy took his hands off the keyboard and waited. During one of these intervals the old mother of the hostess came up to him and said, «My boy, why don’t you play anything that you know very well?» Why did the boy stop playing several times?

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The nickname for the American Government is Uncle Sam. It was during the war of 1812, when Samuel Wilson was an inspector of provisions destined for the American Army, at Troy. The abbreviation of 'US' marked on the casks, was then unfamiliar to the people, and one of the workmen spread the saying that it meant 'Uncle Sam' Wilson. The old joke about Uncle Sam was spread all over the country.

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A king liked to write stories which he thought were very good. The people were afraid to criticize them. One day he showed some of his stories to a well-known critic, who said they were bad. The king got angry with him and sent him to prison. After some time the king invited the critic to his palace to dinner. Again he showed him some of his stories and again asked him what he thought of them. The critic said to the king: 'Take me back to the prison'.

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Thousands of years ago the people of Britain were pagans. In their religions, the sun, the moon, the winds, rain, animals and trees were all important, and they had festivals for them.When Christianity came to Britain, the people wanted to keep some of their old festivals. Halloween, Christmas, Saint Valentine’s Day and Easter are all examples of this.Most people have a big family dinner at Christmas. People today often live far away from their families, so they send greeting cards at special times like Christmas. The cards say things like: ’’Thinking of you across the miles’’. Other people try to get back home. Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year. It is celebrated on the December 25. As Christmas comes nearer, everyone is buying Christmas presents for friends and relatives. At Christmas parents try to give their children everything they want. Children count the weeks, then the days, to Christmas.On Christmas Eve families and friends gather for the festivities. Housewives are busy preparing food, and children are sent to bed. They are told that if they don’t go to sleep, Father Christmas will not bring them any presents. There is a tradition that children should put a long sock called a Christmas stocking at the end of their bed or by the chimney or hang it by the fireplace so that Santa Claus will fill it with presents. Santa Claus is supposed to visit each house on Christmas Eve by climbing down the chimney.

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Whales are large, intelligent, and beautiful animals. The biggest whale is the blue whale, which grows up to 29 metres long – the height of a 9-storey building.The whale is not only the largest animal in the world today, it is the largest animal which has ever lived, it’s bigger than the dinosaur. These enormous animals eat about 4 tons of tiny krill each day.All whales are mammals. We call mammals the animals which are warm-blooded, and feed their kids on milk. In spite of their big bodies, whales move easily through the water. They have adapted to life in the open oceans and never come on land. Unlike fish, whales breathe air into lungs and swim by moving their strong tail up and down. Fish swim by moving their tails left and right.Whales usually migrate over very long distances each year. They often travel in groups which are caned pods. Most whales are very acrobatic and can jump high out of the water.Whales live in social groups and have very strong social ties. The strongest social ties are between mother and calf (a whale’s kid is called a calf). Normally a female whale gives birth to one calf and feeds it on milk, which is very fat. Mother whales care for their calves for a long period of time, for a year at least, feeding them on milk and protecting them. There are still lots of fascinating facts about whales. And lots of mysteries are still waiting to be solved.

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A new survey reveals that a family sit-down at dinnertime may reduce a teenager’s risk of trying or using alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. The study surveyed more than 1,000 teens and found that those who dined with their families five to seven times a week were four times less likely to use alcohol, tobacco or marijuana than those who ate with their families fewer than three times a week.A recent UK survey also found that dining together as a family is a key ingredient in ensuring a child's happiness. Children in the survey reported higher levels of happiness when they dined together with their families at least three times a week. "Contrary to the popular belief that children only want to spend time playing video games or watching TV," said researcher Dr. Maris Iacovou of the University of Essex, "we found that they were most happy when interacting with their parents or siblings."

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French physicist Charles Fabry found ozone gas in the atmosphere in 1913. At room temperature, ozone is a colorless gas; it condenses to a dark blue liquid at -170 F. At temperatures above the boiling point of water, 212 F, it decomposes.Ozone is all around us. After a thunderstorm, or around electrical equipment, ozone is often detected as a sharp odor. Ozone is used as a strong oxidizing agent, a bleaching agent, and to sterilize drinking water. This gas is also highly reactive. For example, rubber insulation around a car's spark plug wires will need to be replaced eventually, due to the small amounts of ozone produced when electricity flows from the engine to the plug. 

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Huge beasts such as the dinosaur have never really become extinct. Mothra, a giant caterpillar who later becomes a moth, destroys Tokyo, and stars in the 1962 Japanese film named for him. Mothra is born, dies, and reborn regularly on classic movie channels. In Japan Mothra is one of the most popular films ever made. Mothra has survived the creation of more current scary creatures such as giant apes, extraterrestrial beings and swamp creatures. More than 30 years after his creation, Mothra still lives. The main subject of the passage is:    

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Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of 14, I thought that my father was the most ignorant of all men. But when I got to be 21, I was surprised at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” What did Mark Twain think about his father?

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One day my cousin George and I decided to visit our Granny in London. After lunch we all three decided to sail down the Thames to have a look at the old ships. But suddenly it started raining, so we had to change our plans. We decided to visit Madame Tussaud’s instead. George hadn’t been there before. It was great fun seeing all the wax figures. There were some new ones I hadn’t seen before. After an hour Granny felt a little tired and wanted to sit down and rest for a moment. George and I went to look at all the murderers in the cellar. We promised to come back in half an hour. When we came back we saw two American tourists standing in front of Granny and taking a photo of hers. We heard one of them say, “She is sure to look like a real woman!” You should have seen their faces a moment later when Granny opened her eyes!

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Charles has just entered school. “What is your name?” the teacher asked. “Charles”, was the answer. “Charles what?” the teacher questioned. “Oh, that’s all right,” the boy said, “”just call me Charles.” What has happened to Charles?

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After the War of Independence the USA needed a capital city. It was difficult to choose it because different cities in different parts of the country wanted to be the nation’s capital. In the end it was decided to build a new city. In 1791 George Washington, the first president, chose the place where the city now stands. He thought it was a good place because the Potomac River was large enough for ships to come as far as the site of the city. The land round the city was called the District of Columbia, after Christopher Columbus; and the city on it was named Washington, in honour of the country’s first president.  

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London is famous as a city where businessmen carry umbrellas and wear bowler hats. But do you know how the umbrella came to England? The word umbrella is Italian, meaning a little shade. The Italians did not invent the umbrella, however, it was used many centuries ago in the East as a protection against the sun. In England it was used more as a protection against the rain and the first man to appear in the streets of London with an umbrella more than a hundred and fifty years ago was Jonas Hanway. But the first umbrella user did not have an easy time: he got into trouble with coachmen. They did not want people to use umbrellas in rainy weather, they wanted them to ride in their coaches. But the Londoners were so grateful to Jonas Hanway that when he died they erected a monument to his memory in Westminster Abbey, where it may still be seen to this days.   

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For the people who live along the banks of the St. Lawrence River the arrival of the ice-breakers is a very important event each year. When the ice-breakers arrive everyone knows that spring will soon come and that long Canadian winter is almost over. The slow movement of the ice-breaking ships up the river to Montreal is reported over the radio and in the newspapers. Whole families go on Sunday excursions to the river bank where they spend hours watching the ship at work. In March many ships gather in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, waiting for the signal telling them that the way to Montreal is free. As soon as the signal is given, a race begins for the port. The winning ship is given a great welcome, and the captain receives a special prize. The arrival of the ice-breakers means that ... .

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A very rich man asked a famous artist to draw something for him in his album. The artist did so, and asked for one hundred dollars. “Why!” cried the rich man. “It took you only five minutes to do it!” “Yes,” answered the artist. “But it took me twenty years to learn how to do it in five minutes.”  Why did the famous artist ask for money for his work?

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Jane came home after her first day at school. “Well, dear”, asked her mother, “what did they teach you?” “Not much,” answered the child. “I have to go again.”  What did her mother ask her?    

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There are more than fifty theatres in the West End of London. And many other small theatres and theatre clubs are in Greater London. Some of the plays last for a few weeks. Some go on for years. Many of the shows are light comedies but some theatres put on more serious plays. One of the England's leading companies is the Royal Shakespeare Company. They put on new and old plays and Shakespearian plays. The National Theatre is also one of London's most famous theatres. The building is modern, and the plays are classic and new productions. The theatres are mainly concentrated in London. 

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Balzac, the famous French writer, was a man of great talent. But he himself was proud of his ability to tell a person’s character by his or her handwriting. One day a woman brought him a young boy’s exercise-book. She said she wanted to know what Balzac thought of the boy’s character. Balzac studied the boy’s handwriting carefully. Then he said that the boy was a lazy fellow. “It’s very strange,” said the woman smiling. “This is a page from your own exercise-book, which you used when you were a boy.”  Balzac … .  

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Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor's dramatic performance is primary, and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

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We can understand from the reading that _____.

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The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers an area of nearly 2.8 million square miles, which is nearly the size of the continent of Australia. The Amazon Rainforest gets its life from the majestic Amazon River, the world's second largest river, which runs directly through the heart of the region. The rainforest itself is simply the drainage basin for the river and its many tributaries. The vast forest itself consists of four layers, each featuring its own ecosystems and specially adapted plants and  animals. The forest floor is the lowest region. Since only two percent of the sunlight filters through the top layers to the understory, very few plants grow here. The forest floor, however, is rich with rotting vegetation and the bodies of dead organisms, which are quickly broken down into nutrients integrated into the soil. Tree roots stay close to these available nutrients and decomposers such as millipedes and earthworms use these nutrients for food. The understory is the layer above the forest floor. Much like the forest floor, only about 2-5 percent of the sunlight reaches this shadowy realm. Many of the plants in the understory have large, broad leaves to collect as much sunlight as possible. The understory is so thick that there is very little air movement. As a result, plants rely on insects and animals to pollinate their flowers.

Put the sentences in correct order to complete the conversation (only three sentences).