B) Viking I

ОҚ ЫЛЫМ БӨ ЛІМІ / БЛОК ЧТЕНИЕ

Text 1

Nobel’s Award

After inventing dynamite, Swedish-born Alfred Nobel became a very rich man. However, he foresaw its universally destructive powers too late. Nobel preferred not to be remembered as the inventor of dynamite, so in 1895, just two weeks before his death, he created a fund to be used for award­ing prizes to people who had made worthwhile contributions to mankind. Originally there were five awards: literature, physics, chemistry, medicine, and peace. Economics was added in 1968, just sixty-seven years after the first awards ceremony.

Nobel's original legacy of nine million dollars was invested, and the in­terest on this sum is used for the awards which vary from $30, 000 to $ 125, 000.

Every year on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death, the awards (gold medal, illuminated diploma, and money) are presented to the winners. Sometimes politics plays an important role in the judges' decisions. Americans have won numerous science awards, but relatively few literature prizes. No awards were presented from 1940 to 1942 at the beginning of World War II. Some people have won two prizes, but this is rare; others have shared their prizes.

1. When did Alfred Nobel become a very rich man?

A) after creating dynamite

B) after stealing dynamite

C) after selling dynamite

D) after burning dynamite

E) after buying dynamite

2. What kind of power does dynamite have?

A) constructive

B) creative

C) destructive

D) demonstrative

E) active

3. What did Alfred Nobel establish in 1895?

A) a bank

B) dynamite

C) electricity

D) a fund

E) a political party

4. Which of the following is notlisted as fund’s awards?

A) chemistry

B) literature

C) peace

D) medicine

E) sociology

5. When did the first award ceremony take place?

A) 1895

B) 1901

C) 1962

D) 1968

E) 1940

6. Why was the Nobel prize established?

A) to recognize worthwhile contributions to humanity

B) to resolve political differences

C) to honor the inventor of dynamite

D) to spend money

E) to solve economical problems

7. How many awards were there in Nobel’s fund after 1968?

A) 4

B) 6

C) 7

D) 5

E) 8

8. When do winners receive their awards?

A) on November, 10

B) on February, 10

C) on December, 10

D) on March, 10

E) on September, 10

9. What does Nobel’s award consist of?

A) silver medal, illuminated diploma, sum of money

B) gold medal, illuminated diploma, sum of money

C) gold medal, red diploma, sum of money

D) bronze medal, illuminated diploma, sum of money

E) gold medal, red diploma, bag of money

10. In which area have Americans received the most awards?

A) literature

B) peace

C) economics

D) science

E) medicine

Text 2

Mars

Of the six outer planets, Mars, commonly called the Red Planet, is the closest to Earth. Mars, 4, 200 miles in diameter and 55% of the size of Earth, is 34, 600, 000 miles from Earth and 141, 000, 000 miles from the Sun. It takes this planet, along with its two moons, Phobos and Deimos, 1.88 years to circle the Sun, compared to 365 days for the Earth.

For many years, Mars had been thought of as the planet with the man-made canals, supposedly discovered by an Italian astronomer, Schiaparelli, in 1877.With the United States spacecraft Viking I’s landing on Mars in 1976, the man-made canal theory was proven to be only a myth.

Viking I, after landing on the soil of Mars, performed many scientific experiments and took numerous pictures. The pictures showed that the red color of the planet is due to the reddish, rocky Martian soil. No biological life was found, though speculated by many scientists. The Viking also monitored many weather changes including violent dust storms. Some water vapour, polar ice and permafrost (frost below the surface) were found, indicating that at one time there were significant quantities of water on this distant planet. Evidence collected by the spacecraft shows some present volcanic action, though the volcanoes are believed to be dormant, if not extinct.

1. Man-made canals were supposedly discovered by …...

A) Schiaparelli

B) Viking I

C) Phobos

D) Deimos

E) Martian

2. Mars has been nicknamed …...

A) Viking I

B) Phobos

C) Deimos

D) the Red Planet

E) Schiaparelli

3. The Viking I exploration accomplished all of the following except.....

A) performing scientific experiments

B) collecting information showing volcanic action

C) monitoring weather conditions

D) discovering large quantities of polar ice and permafrost

E) taking many photos

4. The number of outer planets is......

A) 6

B) 5

C) 2

D) 3

E) 1

5. Viking I is the name of.....

A) Italian astronomer

B) man-made canal

C) volcano

D) American astronomer

E) spacecraft

6. Mars, compared to Earth, is.....

A) larger

B) of the same size