Раздел 2. «Чтение»

Раздел 2. «Чтение»

Task B1-B7

Рекомендуемое время выполнения задания - 15 минут

Trapeze Flyer

There was little in Lucy Morgan's academic record to suggest that the bright, north London girl was going to do anything other than follow a conventional career. She was naughty but hard-working at school, and her English literature degree at university was enjoyable but not terribly challenging. It was only when nearing graduation that she started to think, 'What am I going to do with my life?'

B1 ______________________ That career seemed as good a career as any.

Qualifying, though, was something else. She found training to be a lawyer interesting, but very stressful, and she soon had something else in mind. She had never considered herself a sporty sort of person, and at school competitive games had left her cold.
B2 ______________________ Aerobics at university developed into after-work gymnastics, and it was during one of these sessions that someone mentioned a trapeze course starting up at a place called Circus Space. Lucy recognised it instantly as something she had to do.
B3 ______________________ It was so much more thrilling than what she was doing at the moment.

So, at the age of 23, the trainee lawyer enrolled on a course to learn the flying trapeze. The other students on the course were surprised at her success in a totally different field. “At first, they thought I was just there for the fun of it, but I am not a half-hearted sort of person.”

When her lawyer training eventually came to an end, Lucy felt as if she was committed to a career in the legal profession, and it wasn't a comfortable feeling. She needed a break from all that. So she thought of trying to get a place in a circus school overseas. Lucy applied to one in Montreal in Canada, intending to spend only six months away.
B4 _______________________ There were just 35 students of all nationalities. These were the world’s elite there because Canada is one of the few countries where circus skills are held in really high esteem.

Lucy was assigned to Victor Fomin, a trapeze teacher from Russia. It was Fomin who changed her mind about her future. She describes having a great teacher as like having a third parent. B5 _______________________ Lucy saved hard, her parents helped, and one year she got a grant, but she managed never to have to work in her spare time. She wouldn't have had the energy. B6 ___________________

Eventually, three years on, Fomin pronounced her ready, and Lucy felt, slightly reluctantly, that it was time to return to the UK and look for offers of work in her new career. Most of these come, not as you might expect, from the traditional theatre or circus, but from the world of business.

Frustratingly, few of her performances reach the perfection she attained during the years she spent in Montreal. Shortage of time and a limited budget usually make that impossible.
B7 _______________________ But it is the physical thrill of performing on the trapeze, rather than the success and excitement, which she enjoys.

A.  The physical, mental and emotional commitment of the course was huge - and it wasn't helped by money worries.

B.  So it wasn't until after she had left school that she discovered she had some ability.

C.  In the end, she looked to her father, a legal adviser working in the entertainment industry.

D.  Lucy thought that people who did high-risk sports needed courage and energy.

E.  The idea of learning to move so gracefully high up above the ground “just sounded fantastic.”

F.  However, even though her income is not as good as it would have been had she stuck to a career in law, Lucy Morgan has a far more glamorous lifestyle than the legal profession would have allowed.

G.  However, the school proved to be captivating.

H.  At weekends she was so tired she would spend one day in bed and the other doing her laundry.

Task A1-A8

Рекомендуемое время выполнения задания - 18 минут

The streets of Manhattan’s Upper East Side tend to confirm the view of those who see the city as a frontier outpost on the brink of war. Apartment buildings are garrisons, patrolled around the clock by uniformed men. Triple-locked doors, steel bars, alarm systems – every security device except the domestic rocket launcher is prominently displayed or signalled. And this is the safe part of town. These urban bunkers are the seats of wealth and privilege, situated in highly desirable locations.

As Andre turned off Park Avenue to go down Sixty-Third Street, he wondered what it would be like to exist in a permanent stage of siege. Did it ever become something you took for granted and eventually didn’t even notice? The idea of the prison home appalled him, and yet for some people it was normality. Denoyer, for instance, spent his life behind barricades. And so, from the look of his house, did Cyrus Pine.

It was a fairly typical four-floor brownstone, perhaps a little wider than most. The short flight of steps was scoured and spotless, the front door and the ironwork protecting the lower windows were sleek with fresh black paint, the brass bell push was dazzling in the noon sunshine. There was no sign to indicate that this was a commercial enterprise, but then it was hardly the kind of business that depended on passing trade or impulse purchases.

Andre pressed the bell and identified himself to the intercom. Sixty seconds later, the door was opened by a stray from Fifth Avenue[1] – a willowy young lady who looked as though she had spent most of the morning and a good deal of her father’s money shopping for her outfit for the day. A sweater, a skimpy flannel skirt, and the kind of shoes – high heeled and with paper-thin soles – that are priced by the ounce. The way she smiled at Andre, she might have been waiting for him all her life. “Follow me,” she said. Which he did with pleasure as she led him across the black and white tiled hallway and into a small study.

“Mr. Pine will be right down. Can I get you an espresso? Some tea? A glass of wine?”

Andre asked for white wine, feeling a little uneasy at being treated with such consideration. His call to Pine had been brief, he hadn’t gone into any detail about the purpose of his visit. Pine must have assumed that he was a potential customer. He smoothed his jacket, straightened his tie and looked down at his shoes, dull against the chestnut shine of the study’s parquet floor, and inspected the room. It had a feeling of a quiet corner in a comfortable, long-established gentlemen’s club – wood-panelled walls, armchairs of veined and cracked leather, a fine but faded Oriental rug, two good eighteenth-century occasional tables, the faint aroma of beeswax. Andre was surprised by the absence of paintings, or indeed of anything that suggested Pine’s trade. “How are you, Mr. Kelly? I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” Andre turned to see the beaming face and outstretched hand of Cyrus Pine.

Andre was trying to place his accent, a charming and cultivated hybrid of an accent that seemed to fall somewhere between Boston and Saint James’s. “You are English, though, aren’t you?” “Well, I still have the passport. But I haven’t lived there for forty years.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to rush you, but a lot of my business is done with a knife and fork, and I’m afraid I have an early lunch date in half an hour. Let’s sit down.”

Pine sat motionless, his chin resting on clasped hands, letting Andre speak without interruption. He had heard similar stories before – paintings that had slipped out of circulation, followed by unconfirmed rumours of their reappearance in Switzerland, in Saudi Arabia, in California, in Japan. He himself had assisted once or twice in discreet maneuvers designed to minimize inheritance taxes. Paintings valued in millions were often too expensive to keep. These days, you had to be very careful when and where and how you died. As Andre talked on, Pine began to feel stirrings of interest. Odd little incidents like this deserved to be taken seriously in a business that had once been described as shady people peddling bright colors.

Andre finished talking and picked up his glass. “Mr. Pine, let me ask you something. What do you think that painting’s worth? Just a guess.”

“Ah. The same question occurred to me while you were talking. Let’s start with what we know. A year or so ago, the Getty Museum bought a nice painting by the same artist for more than thirty million dollars. That was the reported price. Now, if certain obvious requirements are met, like proof of authenticity and the good condition of the canvas you are talking about, I’d have to say that it could fetch much more. The fact that it once belonged to Renoir doesn’t hurt, of course; nor does its long absence from the market. Collectors sometimes find those things extremely attractive. It’s difficult to put a price on them.” Pine stood up. “Let me have your number. I’ll ask around. I’ve no doubt someone will know something. If there’s anything to know.”

A1 Which is true of the streets of Manhattan’s Upper East Side?

Their inhabitants are at war with each other. The buildings are occupied by soldiers and officers. Private houses and flats are fortified against break-in. Some houses are protected with domestic rocket launchers.

A2 What did the house of Cyrus Pine look like?

It was a recently built building. It was a very well kept building. It seemed to be protected better than other houses. It advertised the owner’s trade.

A3 The girl who opened the door

had been shopping in the morning. was wearing expensive clothes. lived in Fifth Avenue. was waiting for Andre’s arrival.

A4 Andre was feeling a little uneasy because he

thought that Pine might be hoping to sell him something. had to wait for Pine in a small study for some time. wasn’t dressed properly for the meeting. found the girl’s flirting with him uncomfortable.

A5 Which is true of the interior of the room?

It didn’t give any clues to its owner’s occupation. It looked exactly the way Andre had expected. It showed that the owner was a frequent guest in gentlemen’s clubs. It had a set of matching furniture.

A6 What did Pine mean when he said “A lot of my business is done with a knife and

fork“?

He pays a lot of attention to his table manners. He thinks doing business deals is quite easy. He is in the habit of discussing business issues at mealtime. He usually draws up his own business plans at mealtime.

A7 What was Pine’s reaction to Andre’s story?

He got annoyed with Andre trying to involve him into a shady deal. He thought Andre’s case might be worth looking into. He thought Andre was asking for help in finding a valuable painting. He understood that Andre wanted him to estimate possible inheritance taxes.

A8 Why did Pine think that the canvas in question could cost more than the museum

painting?

The reported price of the painting was lower than the price actually paid. The canvas was in a much better condition than the museum painting. The canvas had been undoubtedly proved to be an authentic one. The history of the painting made it more valuable.

Task B8-B16

Рекомендуемое время выполнения задания - 12 минут

Which person

В8		stresses the necessity of mutual support?
В9		admits that culture influences the age of children’s financial independence?
В10		thinks that young people expect adult life to be easy?
В11		feels that parents should prepare their children for future life without depriving them of happy days in their teens?
В12		is sorry that there are parents who look forward to when their children will be able to take care of themselves?
В13		expresses surprise that they were asked to present financial information about their parents to get financial aid?
В14		speaks about the parents who help their children through the period of “getting an education”?
В15		claims that parents’ refusal to support their children can make them stronger?
В16		stresses the importance of developing skills of being financially independent?

SHOULD PARENTS CONTINUE TO FINANCE THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THE CHILDREN ARE 18 is a problem for both young people and their parents.

A Tom Hall “At 18 people should start to take on more responsibility for themselves. Before that age, they need to be prepared for adulthood, that is, to be taught independence and a sense of responsibility but not to the extent that they miss out on childhood. It’s good for them to learn to manage their pocket money and save a little

every week. They should be thinking about how they are going to take care of themselves. Then when they turn 18, they start making decisions. But I don' think they should just be cut off from their family on their 18th birthday. Parents should still support and help them. My opinion is, as long as my son is working toward making something of himself and trying his hardest, I will continue to help him.”

B Dolly Mager “There are parents who always say, “I’ll be glad when you are 18, and on your own, and I won’t have to support you anymore.” Generally, those kinds of parents aren’t doing a whole lot for you before you’re 18 anyway, and can’t wait until you are 18, and they don’t have to even try anymore. Why do people like this have children, they don’t develop a relationship with them, and just can’t wait until they’re out of the house!”

C Susan Dorset “It depends on the maturity and strengths of the ‘adult’. I personally think that 18 is way too young to take on full responsibility. Yes, I do agree that a mature adult should be able to stand on their own two feet by 18. I did, and so have my kids, but even though I had my own place at 18, there were times I needed my mom and she was there for me. If you have parents still living when you reach your 40s you might still have need of them, and try to help them too. That’s what family is for.”

D Adam Harrison “I agree that children should start being more responsible for themselves and should not just be passive consumers. But I don't think ALL financial responsibilities by the parents should end when children are 18. In my society a lot of 'children' over 20 still live with their parents or in their parents' house, myself included. When I was 18 I usually had to save for my own cellphone, my own clothes, and stuff like that. But I was backed by my family until I graduated at 20, and I'm very thankful for that.”

E Peter Hudson “Kids’ idea of how it will be for them when they grow up is unrealistic and has potential disaster written all over it! They are way different than my generation and seem lazier than ever and expect that things will just be handed to them instead of having to work for it like the rest of us had to do.”

F Justin Herlihy “My family didn’t do anything at all for me after age 18. While other kids were living at home and saving money and driving nice cars, I was struggling to pay the rent and I had to borrow a lot of money to go to college. It was amazing because in order to get help from the state, I had to show my parents’ financial records.

I finally graduated from college with good grades. I gave a lot of effort my whole life. I graduated at 29 not BECAUSE of my parents but IN SPITE of them. On the other hand, I don’t think I could have become a success without those years of struggling behind me.”

[1] Fifth Avenue is one of the most expensive shopping streets in New York