Билет № 19

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EVERGREENS

Trees may be divided into two groups: those with leaves that drop off at some season each year, and those with leaves that remain on the twigs and branches for a much longer time. Trees that do not lose all their leaves at least once a year are called evergreens.

People value evergreen trees not only for their use but also for their beauty. In the spring, summer and autumn the dark, rich green of their foliage causes that of the other trees to appear more delicate or more brilliant. In the winter this lovely green background may often be na­ture's only bit of colour in an otherwise entirely white countryside.

Many animals and birds, if only they could speak, would tell how highly they, too, value the evergreens. These trees are a home to them and furnish them with food. Perhaps you have sometimes seen squirrels eating the soft parts of the pinecones. During the long winter months you will find many birds using the evergreens as shelter from the cold, icy winds.

Most people, when they hear the word evergreens, think only of trees with very narrow leaves, such as the pine, spruce, cedar, or hemlock. There are, however, some evergreen trees with broad leaves, such as the palm and live oak. They grow in regions where there are no sudden changes of season, and so lose their foliage gradually.

Зав. кафедрой Полушина Л.Н.

Билет № 20

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MIRACLES IN OUR LIFE

We often hear and read about unusual phenomena and events. We get to know about them from the mass media or other people. There is a lot of information and it's quite diverse - from scientific hypotheses about human origins and the death of dinosaurs, the newest discoveries in astronomy and biology, to the most absurd rumours about ghosts and aliens. Of course, there is no reason to believe everything people say; and it is well known how the most incredible rumours can arise from nothing.

But, on the other hand, it is not necessary to reject at once everything that deviates from our normal life. For example, we shouldn't ignore often-reported events like the disappearances of ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle, or observations of unidentified flying objects in the sky.

In this case we should pay attention to one interesting phenomenon connected with the psychology of people: we sometimes replace the true meaning of a notion with something else that is associated with it in our everyday life. For example, the word "ecology" means for us environmental pollution, animal species dying and other problems; but ecology is just a science about the environment. The same thing happens with the term "UFO" - Unidentified Flying Object. In this case it says nothing about the UFO as an alien ship, but thanks to a lot of articles about "flying saucers" these two concepts are mixed up by many people.

Generally speaking, people's attitude to miracles is inconsistent and confused; on the one hand, we are interested in everything unusual and mysterious, and on the other hand, we are afraid of everything new and unknown. Curiosity induces men to make explorations and discoveries, but fear makes them ridicule everything strange.

Men are different, and they themselves choose how something should be treated; so some people believe unconditionally in Darwin's theory and deny the possibility of life after death; others look for Atlantis in the Mediterranean Sea or try to catch Nessy. Of course, a person's outlook depends on his age, his social condition, and other things, but the common picture is such: according to a recent opinion poll in the USA, 75 percent of Americans accept the possibility of life on other planets, and nearly 70 percent don't have any doubts of the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Of course, it's a personal choice, to believe or not to believe in life after death, horoscopes and alien beings; but it's necessary to recognize that all these extraordinary events and phenomena, which sometimes happen in our life, make it more interesting and cause us to think about the world. And we can tell amazing stories about miracles, can't we?

Зав.кафедрой Полушина Л.Н.