Category Archives: Тести
Task 17. A Philosophy Professor and His Students
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students answered together, “Yes”.
The professor then showed two cans of beer from under the table and began to pour their entire contents into the jar – effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now”, said the professor, as the laughter stopped, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, and your children. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff”.
“If you put the sand into the jar first”, he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups.There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal”.
“Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand”.
One of the students raised her hand and asked what the beer represented.The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers”.
Country Study Test 7
TEST 1
Choose the correct answers.
1) What’s the capital of the Republic of Ireland?
A) Cardiff
B) Dublin
C) London
D) Belfast
2) Where in Britain can you find Loch Ness?
A) England
B) Wales
C) Scotland
D) Northern Ireland
New Life in the Country
to fetch— сходити за кимось, принести
plodding – повільний і важкий
prank— витівка
to look on — дивитися як на, вважати за
whereabouts— приблизне місцезнаходження
to urge— примушувати, поганяти
to wander — мандрувати, блукати
errand— доручення
The Mole People
mole [maul] — кріт
inhabitant— житель
solitude— усамітнювання, самотність
runaway— втікач
menial— зневажлив. слуга, лакей
perception— сприйняття, відчуття
scared— наляканий
hostility— ворожість
dweller — житель
New York is famous for its 24-hour street life. But below street level, in New York’s thousands of tunnels, there is a very different city with a population of around 14,000. This is where the “Mole People” live. The “Mole People” don’t like being called “Mole People”. Many don’t like being called “the underground homeless” either because they have finally found somewhere to call home in the network of subway and railroad tunnels. In some areas these tunnels are often seven levels below the street. Unlike most American homes, the smell of waste hits you in face. But the people that live there get used to that quite quickly and learn the places where there’s less of a smell… and fewer rats! (although, some actually eat the rats!)
People live here for a variety of reasons; two very common ones are that it’s safer and warmer than the streets or they are hiding from abusive family members. Some inhabitants say they were attacked when they were homeless on the streets and are too scared to live there again. Other more “extreme” tunnel inhabitants simply reject the outside world and “the system”. Although some live in solitude, the population generally divides into different communities. Runaways and drug addicts are two large groups but there are more. Some inhabitants are mentally ill. Some are women who don’t want their children taken away from them, so they take them to live in the tunnels. Many inhabitants criticize mothers doing this, saying that it’s a terrible place for children to live in. It’s not most adults’ choice either.
The best place to live is not too near the surface because there can be too much noise from the trains (and the rats live at the top), but not too deep either. “There are some who live so deep down that nobody sees them and they don’t really speak”, says one inhabitant. This is many people’s perception of how most of the tunnel people are, but this is incorrect; some have menial jobs above ground, in some tunnels there are fresh water pipes, and although it is dark most of the time in the tunnels, some have power cables so that electrical devices and lights can be used. Some tunnels even have their own mayor or representative. Although some tunnel inhabitants never leave, others beg for food during the day. In theory, it’s hard to starve in New York because people and restaurants tend to throw so much food away.
Another way of surviving is to collect cans. Some stores will give a couple of cents per can collected.
The outside world is not invited into the tunnels, visitors are not welcome and are often treated with suspicion and hostility. It is for this reason there is not much written about them. Many tunnels have “guards”, others require a “code” to get in. As the tunnel dwellers are not part of “the official city”, they are not given much help with their health or welfare.
Task 16. Doctor Jones and His Patient
The telephone rang and doctor Jones took up the receiver. His patient’s servant asked him to come to their place. “I can do nothing with the old man,” he said and doctor agreed to come at once.
He had thought much about his patient since his last visit and knew what the matter was. His patient, a rich old man, liked to buy things at high prices. In a short period of time he had spent very much money. His friends were afraid that he would soon be pennyless, that’s why they wanted the doctor to do something to stop him.
The doctor was thinking about it when he entered his patient’s house that day. “Good morning!” he greeted the old man. “How are you today? I want to tell you something.” The old man who was sitting in an armchair turned to him. “What is it? More medicine or some other idea?” he asked. “Would you like to study art?” asked the doctor. “It will do your health much good.” “Why should I? I don’t understand it,” the old man answered. “It doesn’t matter. You must study it. I can get a student from an art school, who will come here once a week and give you lessons,” the doctor said. His patient who wanted to be sound agreed.
A few days later the doctor found an art student who was glad to accept his offer.Five dollars a lesson was not bad at all. The next morning the lessons began. The old man studied hard and often visited art exhibitions. He even stopped buying things at high prices. He decided to exhibit one of his own pictures. It was a very bad picture and the doctor could not understand why the exhibition accepted it.
Some days passed. One morning the old man received a letter. “Read it to me,” he asked the doctor, “I am tired.” “Your picture has received the first prize,” the doctor said. “Now, I believe, you like art more than anything else.” “Oh, no! Art is nothing,” said the old man. “I’ve bought the exhibition.”