The Living Giants

The sequoia trees are the oldest living things in the world/ Millions of years ago, in the age of dinosaurs, they grew in large forests throughout much of the world. There were many kinds of sequoias but most of them disappeared during the Ice Age.

Today, there are only two kinds of the sequoia tree left on our planet, and one of them, the giant sequoia, can be found only in the north of California.

The name sequoia comes from the name of an American Indian, Sequoyah, who invented a written alphabet for his tribe.

No one knows how long a sequoia can live. Many trees in Sequoia National Park, in California, are more than 3, 000 years old. Before a law was passed that protected sequoias from being cut, one of the oldest and largest of them was chopped down. The growth ring at the centre of this giant sequoia dated back to 1305 BC. It means that it was more than a thousand years old at the time of the birth of Christ!

One of the biggest sequoias in Sequoia National Park and in the whole world is the General Sherman tree. It is 83.8 metres high, and the diameter of its trunk is 31.4 metres – wider than an average city street. The trunk, scientists say, weighs nearly 1, 385 tons!

Sequoias are very durable. None of these trees has died from old age or disease yet. The bark of the tree has a special tannin or juice. This protects the tree from fire and insects. However, lightning often destroys the tops of the largest sequoia trees.

Today, these rare and remarkable trees are protected. It is illegal to cut them down. Great care is taken to avoid any injury to the trees.

2. Дайте відповідь на запитання:

1) What are the oldest living things in the world?

2) How many kinds of the sequoia tree are left on the Earth?

3) What did Sequoyah do for his tribe?

4) Where do the biggest sequoias grow?

3. Заповніть пропуски відповідною формою дієслова to be: am, is або are. Перекладіть речення на українську мову:

1) …your farther a carpenter? – No he …

2) John …(not) a student, he … a doctor.

3) That book …(not) very interesting. Take this one.

4) The best seats … 10 dollars.

5) Kyiv …the capital of Ukraine.

4. Перекладіть речення українською мовою. Пам’ятайте про те, що в сталих виразах дієслово to have втрачає своє основне значення “ мати (щось)»:

1) Granny has a chat with me in the afternoon.

2) I like to have a swim in the sea before breakfast.

3) Have a look at her! She is really beautiful today.

4) Would you like to have a rest?

5) My granddad is unwell. He has a cold.

5. Заповніть пропуски одним із поданих у дужках дієслів. Перекладіть речення українською мовою:

1) The Pan-American Highway …(are, is) the longest road in the world.

2) The Beatles..(are, were, was) pop group.

3) She … (meet, met, will meet) them in the Globus theatre last afternoon.

4) You … (arrive, arrived, will arrive) in Paris tomorrow evening.

5) Diana …(comes, come, will come) to the party tomorrow?

6. Перекладіть наступні речення:

1) Моя бабуся не любить гучну музику.

2) Рита не дивиться телевізор увечері

3) Вибачте, я був зовсім неправий.

4) Учора було дуже холодно.

5) Днями я куплю нову книгу про комп’ютери

7.. Оберіть правильну відповідь:

1) I have made up my … to become an economist.

A) brains

B) mind

C) head

D) decision

2) It was … place I had ever seen.

A) more beautiful

B) most beautiful

C) The most beautiful

D) the beautifulest

3) S he was the sort of woman who was always bothering about ….

A) what other people would think

B) what would think other people

C) what would other people think

D) what other people think

4) Jane is afraid of ….

A) ours

B) our

C) us

D) we

5) You’ve never heard this song.

A) isn’t it

B) haven’t you

C) have you

D) is it

6) You’ve made … mistakes in your dictation.

A) too many

B) so much

C) very little

D) a lot