Reading test. 10th form.

READING

Task 1. Read and questions 1-5 below. For each question, mark the correct letter A, B, C or D.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is not only England's most famous poet and playwright, but perhaps also the greatest writer the world has ever known. Even today, his works are read more widely than those of any other writer.

He was born on 23^rd April 1564 in Stratford- upon- Avon, where he grew up and went to school. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who was then 26. At some time around 1588 he went to London, joined a theatre company as an actor and began writing plays.

His plays were soon very popular and he became quite a rich man. He bought New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford, and in 1599 the Globe theatre in London was built. It burned down in 1613 and it was rebuilt in 1614. It stood on the bank of the river Thames in Southwark district, near several other famous theatres of the time. In those days, people from all levels of society, rich and poor, used to go to the theatre. The poorer people stood near the stage, with no covering against the sun or rain, while wealthier people sat in rows of seats around the inside of the walls. Plays were performed in the daytime, because there was no artificial lightning. The stage had no curtains, and the scenery was not often used, but the actors wore colourful costumes. In Shakespeare's times, women were not allowed on stage, so the women's parts were played by boys dressed up in women's costumes.

King James I enjoyed watching Shakespeare's plays, and he chose Shakespeare's company of actors to be his official entertainers. It was around this time that many of Shakespeare's greatest plays were written.

W. Shakespeare died in Stratford on 23^rd April, 1616- his 52^nd birthday.

1. What is the author telling us about?

A.The author is comparing Shakespeare's life with the other writers' lives.

B. He is describing Stratford- upon- Avon of those times.

C. The author is telling us a short biography of a great writer.

D. He is describing the Globe theatre in London.

2. What does the author say about Shakespeare's popularity?

A. Shakespeare's plays weren't really popular, he couldn't earn any money.

B. His plays were successful and he became really wide known.

C. Shakespeare's plays became popular after his death in 1616.

D. Shakespeare wrote some plays, but it didn't bring him any popularity.

3. King James I enjoyed

A. meeting with Shakespeare's actors.

B. watching Shakespeare's plays.

C. watching rehearsals.

D. acting in Shakespeare's plays.

4. What were the conditions in the theatre for the poorer people?

A.The conditions were really perfect.

B.The poorer people couldn't come to the theatre at all.

C.The poor and the rich people had the same conditions.

D.The poor people didn't have the same conditions as the rich people did.

5. What would the visitors from the 17^th century say if they saw the Globe Theatre now?

A.The Globe Theatre has changed a lot.

B.The theatre still has no covering against the sun and rain.

C.There are no women on the stage.

D.The theatre welcomes only very rich people.

Task 2. Read the text and mark statements 6-15 below as T (true) or F (false).

Police Spell Out Graffiti Mania Fears

A secret police report has built up a profile of the typical graffiti vandal. It seems that the average vandal is usually a male, aged 15 to 19, from poor family.

His "addictive habit" costs million of pounds every year, according to the report by British Transport Police anti - graffiti squad. They estimate that more than 2 million pounds is spent cleaning trains in London alone.

The report suggests that graffiti is the work of small groups. They are motivated by the need to get attention by making some form of statement. More than a third of the vandals who are caught do it again, which suggests that graffiti is addictive.

The survey of 150 graffiti vandals arrested last year showed that 40 per sent of offenders are university students or still at school - and 99 per sent are male. Just over 17 per sent are unemployed.

The report says graffiti is dangerous - four youngsters have been killed while trying to paint trains in the Underground.

The police have been visiting schools and writing to parents to try and prevent young people becoming vandals. They are also using handwriting experts to identify the "tags" of graffiti artists. In London alone there were over 150 graffiti arrests last year, but police recognize the vandals will continue unless they are stopped, because graffiti writing is so addictive.

6. Most graffiti vandals are men.___________

7. The police do not use handwriting experts. _______________

8. The majority of graffiti vandals are students. ______________

9. It is easy for graffiti vandals to stop. _________________

10. Graffiti writing can be dangerous._____________

11. Graffiti writing is against the law._________________

12 .Graffiti artists act in big groups. _____________________

13. Graffiti is a form of statement.____________

14. There were 150 graffiti arrests last year. _______________

15. Forty per cent of 150 arrested vandals are unemployed. ______________

Task 3. Read the text and choose the missing sentences (16-20). There is one sentence that you won't need.

"Sasser" - a computer virus.

On the evening of his 18th birthday, a teenager from a tiny village in northern Germany clicked "send" on his computer.

(16)_________________________________, computers in hospitals and banks in Hong Kong had crashed, and trains in Australia and the USA had stopped.

In court a few months later, the teenager, Sven Jaschan, was charged with criminal damage. He was found guilty of putting the terrible "Sasser" computer virus on the Internet and received a 21-month suspended sentence. He avoided the prison. (17)__________________________________ . The virus infected millions of computer systems across the world, and caused millions of dollars of damage.

Sven admitted his guilt to the detectives who came to his home last year. He had spent an enormous amount of time creating the Sasser virus on the computer in his bedroom. He often spent ten hours a day in front of the computer. (18)__________________________________________________ .

When he released the virus on the Internet, he didn't realize it would cause so much damage. He was just delighted that it had worked. "I felt as if I had written a first- class essay", said Sven."I told my classmates- they thought it was terrific". (19)____________________________________ . He was terrified when he saw a TV news report about the virus and the damage it had caused.

Detectives arrested Sven after one of his classmates contacted Microsoft and told them about him. As for Sven's teachers, they were astonished that Sven had created the virus. (20)_______________________________________. "There are others in the class who are better than him", one teacher said.

He now works for a computer company, making "firewalls" - vital pieces of software that protect computers from viruses.

A. The police offered $ 250, 000 reward.

B. Just because he was only eighteen when he committed the crime.

C. They said that he wasn't a brilliant computer student.

D. Within three hours a postal service in Taiwan was in chaos.

E. But his feelings changed very quickly.

F. Unfortunately his parents hadn't known what he was doing at that time.

Reading

Task1

Task 2

Task 3