2. Отметьте предложения, соответствующие содержанию текста:

1. Only Europe, Asia and Africa were known five centuries ago. ¨

1. Everybody wanted to help Christopher Columbus. ¨

2. He was sponsored by the Italian government. ¨

3. The voyage was difficult but nobody wanted to return. ¨

4. Trees, flowers and people looked strange. ¨

5. Chr. Columbus thought that he reached his destination. ¨

6. Chr. Columbus discovered Central and South America. ¨

7. It was Amerigo Vespucci who understood it was a new continent. ¨

Text 7. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare is the greatest of all playwrights and poets of all times.

Not much is known of his life. He was probably the son of a businessman and was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He probably attended the local grammar school and got a classical education. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway and had three children. Little is known of his life before 1592, when he appeared as a playwright in London. Soon he became an actor playing supporting roles like the ghost in «Hamlet». In 1599 Shakespeare became a part owner of the Globe Theatre in London.

Shakespeare’s work as a playwright is subdivided into three periods. Written in the first period, Shakespeare's plays are mostly history plays (like «Henry VI»), and comedies with strong elements of farce («The Comedy of Errors»). His mas­terpiece of this period is «Romeo and Juliet».

In the second period Shakespeare wrote a number of comedies where he moved away from farce towards romance («As You Like It»). In the third period, after 1600, appeared his major tragedies – («Hamlet», «Othello»). They presented a clear opposition of order to chaos, good to evil.

Shakespeare was a great poet and would be well known for his poetry alone.

His major achievement as a poet is his sonnets; first published in 1609. A sonnet is a poem consisting of 14 lines, with a moral at the end. The sonnets are addressed to some «W.H.» and to the mysterious «Dark Lady of Sonnets». The sonnets deal with the great themes of love, friendship, death, change and immortality. Shake­speare looks at his own poetry as a means of immortality. Shakespeare's sonnets are excellent. They are full of harmony and music; they praise love, friendship and beauty, though there is no sentimentality in them. Shakespeare spent the last years of his life at Stratford, where he died in 1616. He was buried in the church of Strat­ford. A monument was erected to the memory of the great playwright in the Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.

1. Напишите номера предложений в последовательности, отражающей информацию текста.

1. W. Shakespeare thought that his poetry was immortal. ¨

2. History plays were written in the first period. ¨

3. W. Shakespeare was buried at Stratford. ¨

4. The major tragedies were written in the third period. ¨

5. A sonnet is a poem with 14 lines and a moral at the end. ¨

6. The masterpiece of the first period is «Romeo and Juliet».¨

7. Not much is known about W. Shakespeare’s life. ¨

Text 8. BRITISH SUPERSTITIONS

It’s extremely unlucky to walk under a ladder propped against a wall or building. But if you must pass under a ladder, you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you see a dog. Another remedy is to spit on your shoe and leave the spittle to dry.

It’s unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must take a pinch and throw it over your left shoulder. It’s very bad luck to open an umbrella in the house – it will either bring misfortune to the person who has opened it or to those who live in the house. It’s unlucky to meet or pass someone on the stairs. If it’s unavoidable, cross your fingers.

It’s bad luck to see one magpie. However, its lucky to see two, etc.

It’s unlucky to put new shoos on the table.

It’s bad luck to pick up scissors that you’ve dropped.

It’s extremely unlucky to break a mirror. In means 7 years of bad luck. The number thirteen is very unlucky and Friday the 13^th is a very unlucky date.

Burning cheeks or ears mean someone is talking about you. It’s a friend if left cheek is burning. It’s an enemy if your right cheek is burning.

A black cat crossing your path will bring you good luck.

A horseshoe over the door of a new house brings good luck. But is must be the right way up. The luck runs out of a horseshoe if it’s upside down.

Clover usually has three leaves, but a few have four. A clover with four leaves is supposed to bring good luck.

It’s lucky to touch wood. If you feel you’ve said something that is tempting fate, touch some item of wood with the right hand.