Text 2.

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office. He had no wife and he lived in a very large house with a housekeeper called Mrs. Macready and three servants. He himself was a very old man with shaggy white hair which grew over most of his face as well as on his head, and they liked him almost at once; but on the first evening when he came out to meet them at the front door he was so odd-looking that Lucy (who was the youngest) was a little afraid of him, and Edmund (who was the next youngest) wanted to laugh and had to keep on pretending he was blowing his nose to hide it.

STATE TRUE OR FALSE SENTENCES:

1. The four children went to live in a house in the country.
2. The Professor was very old with brown hair.
3. Lucy was the youngest child.
4. The Professor lived two miles from the nearest post office.
5. The names of the four children are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Betty.
6. This story is about four children’s trip to Paris.

TEXT 3. WHAT IS HALLOWEEN?

Halloween was first celebrated many centuries ago in Ireland and Scotland by Celtic priests called Druids. They observed the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. The Druids thought that Halloween was the night when the witches came out. As they were afraid of witches they put food and small gifts near the doors of their houses for the witches.

It is considered that Halloween was brought to America by the immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. In the 19^th century they celebrated Halloween according to their old traditions (the integral part of the festival was a lantern made of a pumpkin with holes in the forms of eyes, and nose and a mouth). Nowadays people hold parades on Halloween. On the 31^st of October they dress as witches, demons, ghosts and the like, with large ‘pumpkins’ in their hands, take part in the festival that lasts till early morning.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT VARIANT:

1. Halloween was first celebrated A) in the 19^th century B) many years ago

C) many centuries ago D) two centuries ago

2. It was first celebrated A) at the end of autumn B) at the end of winter

C) in the middle of autumn D) in the middle of winter

3. The Druids placed small gifts for A) children B) witches C) neighbours D) guests

4. Halloween was brought A) to Ireland from Scotland B) to Scotland from America

C) to America from Ireland D) to Ireland from America

5. In the 19^th c. Americans A) didn’t celebrate Halloween B) didn’t have Halloween

C) celebrated according to the new rules D) celebrated according to the old customs

6. The integral of the festival was A) a lantern made of cabbage B) a melon with holes

C) a cabbage with holes D) a lantern made of pumpkin.

7. On the 31^st of October people are dressed as A) good spirits B) pumpkins

C) evil spirits D) animals