Texts 10th Form

CANADA. ITS GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

    Canada covers all of the North American continent to the north of the USA except Alaska and the small French Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. It is the second largest country in the world after Russia. But the population of Canada is not very big – only 27,4 million people who live mostly in the south of Canada, along the border of the USA. Canada is bordered by three oceans, the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Pacific. The capital of the country is Ottawa.

    Canada is a nation in North America composed of two linguistic and cultural groups: French and English. To these major groups, and to the small native population of Indians and Eskimos, have been added many thousands immigrants representing the major European cultures. The two official languages of Canada are English and French. In the north of the country there are 330,000 Indians and 25,000 Eskimos who are the original peoples of the North , Central and South America. They have no equal rights with other citizens of the country and they have fought for their rights for many years.

    The interior of the country is a vast plain. The plain extends from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains. In the north the plain ends in the islands of the Arctic Ocean. In the south Canada shares the Great Lakes with the United States. The most admirable sight which attracts tourists from all over the world is the Niagara Falls. They are on the Niagara River between the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

    All parts of the country have cold weather in winter. Winter in Canada lasts from four to five month with heavy snowfalls. Summer is usually warm, though quite short.

I. Find true and false sentences

1) Canada is situated in the south of the North American continent.

2) Alaska is included in the territory of Canada.

3) Canada is the second largest country in the world.

4) It is bordered by two oceans: the Atlantic and the Arctic. 

5) The population of Canada is over thirty million people.

6) The capital of the country is Ottawa.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1) Canada is a nation in North America composed of two linguistic and cultural groups: … and … .

2) In the north of the country there are 330,000 … and 25,000 … who are the original peoples of the North , Central and South America.

3) They have no equal … with other … of the country.

4) The interior of the country is a vast … .

5) In the south Canada shares the … … with the United States.

6) The most admirable sight which attracts tourists from all over the world is the … .

III. Answer the questions.

1) Where is Canada situated?

2) What oceans is Canada bordered by?

3) How much is the population?

4) What are the two official languages of the country?

5) Where are the Niagara falls situated?

6) What can you say about the climate of Canada?

IV. Make up a plan to retell the text

 THE ANGRY FAN

This happened in Australia, during a water-polo game that was one of the main sports events of the season. There was nothing ex­citing at the beginning of the game; but suddenly one of the players jumped out of the water and ran to the referee. He said that one of the forwards of the other team had bitten him in the leg while he was swimming under the water.

At first the referee thought that it was some kind of a joke, but when the player pointed to blood on his leg, he had to believe that it was serious. He called the forward and asked him why he had done such a strange thing; and though the forward insisted that he had not bitten anybody, the referee made him leave the game.

They began again, but a few minutes later, two players, one from each team, climbed out of the water, shouting that somebody had bitten them. There was blood on both players' legs. The game was stopped, and they began to let the water out of the pool. When almost all the water was let out, everybody saw a young crocodile at the bottom of the pool. Somebody had put the crocodile into the pool, but why? The truth became known when the players returned to their dressing room after the game and found a letter there.

"I have been a water-polo fan for many years", the author of the letter wrote, "and I am not satisfied with the way the players seem to act. They have allowed the game to become slow and uninteresting, and I have decided that I must do something to make them move faster. I don't think I can do this well myself, and I have decided that my crocodile will do it better".

I. Put "+" next to the true sentences and "-" next to the false ones.

a)      Water-polo is very popular in Australia.

b)    The players were very excited at the beginning of the game.

c)     One of the players was bitten in the leg.

d)    d) It was a joke.

e) There was a crocodile at the bottom.

f) The crocodile was put in the pool in order to kill the best

player of the opposite team.

II. Choose the correct answer.

1.     How many water-polo players were bitten by the crocodile?

a)      one

b)     two

c)     three

2.     How was the crocodile found?

a)     the water was let out of the pool

b)    the players put the net into the pool

c)     the water was let into the pool

3.     Who put the crocodile into the swimming pool?

a)     the referee

b)    the player

c)     the water polo fan

4.     What did he do it for?

a)     to play a joke

b)    to make them move faster

c)     to frighten them

5.     When did they know the truth?

a)     in the afternoon

b)    when they returned to their dressing room

c)     when they returned to the living room

6.     Who could make them move faster?

a)     a coach

b)    a shark

c)     a crocodile

III. Fill in the suitable words

At fast the 1._____ thought that it was some kind of a joke? But when the player pointed to 2._____ on his leg? He had to 3._____ that it was serious. He called the 4._____ and asked him why he had done such a strange thing; and though the forward insisted that he had not 5._____ anybody, the referee made him 6._____ the game.

A)   Leave                                               D) referee

B)    forward                                   E) believe

C)   bitten                                      F) blood

IV. Ask 6 questions to the text

MARK TWAIN'S FIRST MONEY

Somebody once asked Mark Twain whether he could remember the first money he ever earned.

"I remember quite well", the famous writer answered. "It happened at school. Schoolboys in those days had very little respect for their teachers and even less for their desks. The boys used pens and pencils and even knives to draw stars and faces, or to write their names on their desks. At last, the school principal said; 'The next time anybody does such thing, he will have to pay five dollars, or he will receive a beating in front of the whole school'.

Soon after that, I had to go to my father and ask him to give me five dollars. I was honest enough to explain that I could agree to receive a beating instead, but he said: 'No, I can't allow you to connect our name with such things. So I'll pay the five dollars. But you must suffer for what you have done. I'll give you the beating here, at home'.

So he beat me, and then gave me the five dollars to take to school. But I decided that the beating didn't hurt so much, and an­other beating at school wouldn't be worse. So I told them to give trie a beating in front of the whole school, and I kept the five dol­lars. And that was the first money I ever earned".

I.  Put "+" next to the true sentences and "—" next to the false ones.

a)  Mark  Twain  had  to  work  to  earn  money when  he was  a schoolboy.

b)    The pupils were punished for drawing and writing on then
desks.

c)  The pupils had to pay for the desks they had spoilt.

d) The pupils had to pay money instead of getting a beating
in front of the school.

e)      Mark Twain preferred being beaten to paying.

f)   He was suffering hard from the beating he had got in front
of the school.

II. Answer the questions

1. What did the boys use their pens, pencils and knives for?

A) to make smth for their friends

B) to play different games

C) to draw or to write on the desks

2. Why did the school principal invent such a strict punishment for student.

A) to make pupils to learn well

B) to stop writing and drawing on the desks

C) to make pupils to do their home task well

3. Why did the boy’s father decide to pay five dollars?

A) he couldn’t allow his son to be beaten in front of the whole school

B) he didn’t want his son to suffer

C) he wanted his son to buy some pens

4. How much money did they have to pay?

A) some dollars

B) five pounds

C) five dollars

5. How did the boy earn the money for the first time?

A) he let him beat

B) he sold food

C) he worked in an office

6. What did he do with the money that father gave him?

A) he spent them

B) he kept them for himself

C) he gave them to his father

III. Give the antonyms to the words

pay

honest

instead

agree

suffer

allow

IV. Ask 6 questions to the text

A CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER GRACE PALEY

         My father is eighty-six years old and in bed. His heart, that bloody motor, is equally old and will not certain jobs any more. It still floods his head with brainy light. But won’t let his legs carry the weight of his body around the house. Despite my metaphors, this muscle failure is not due to his old heart, he says, but to a potassium shortage. Sitting on one pillow, leaning on three, he offers last minute advice and makes a request.

    “I would like to write a simple story just once more,” he says,” the kind de Maupassant wrote, or Chekhov, the kind you used to write. Just recognizable people and then write down what happened to them next

    I say, “Yes, why not? That’s possible.” I want to please him, though I don’t remember writing that way. I would like to try to tell such story, if he means the kind that begins: “There was a woman…” followed by plot, absolute line between two points which I’ve always despised. Not for literary reasons, but because it takes all hope away. Everyone, real or invented, deserves the open destiny of life.

    Finally I thought of a story that had been happening for a couple of years right across the street. I wrote it down, then read it aloud. “Pa,” I said, “how about this? Do you mean something like this?”

    Once in my time there was a woman and she had a son. They lived nicely, in a small apartment in Manhattan. This boy at about fifteen became a junkie, which is not unusual in our neighborhood.

    In order to maintain her close friendship with him, she became a junkie too. She said it was part of the youth culture, with which she felt very much at home. After a while, for a number of reasons, the boy gave it all up and left the city and his mother in disgust. Hopeless and alone, she grieved. We all visited her.

I.  Put "+" next to the true sentences and "-" next to the false ones.

1. My father is an energetic 68-year-old man.

2. He wants his daughter to write a complex epic novel.

3. He likes simple stories with recognizable people.

4. I will write him a simple story.

5. The woman’s boy was 10 years old.

6. Her son left her wealthy and well cared for.

II. Circle the correct letter

1. My father spends his time in …

a) bed; b) church; c) the cafes; d) pain and sufferings

2. His heart is weak but has not reduced the follow of blood …

a) to his legs; b) to his strong arms and shoulders; c) to his head; d) to his liver

3. He thinks I write simple stories like …

a) Shultz and Dilbert; b) Bulgakov and Shevchenko; c) Chekhov or de Maupassant; d) Chekhov and Marquis de Sade

4. I was … to write a simple story for my father.

a) unwilling; b) eager; c) saddened; d) unable

5. The woman and her son lived in …

a) Sumy; b) Poland; c) Manhattan; d) Washington D. C.

6. The boy became a junkie, which was … where we lived.

a) common; b) uncommon; c) looked down upon; d) held in high esteem

III. Fill in the blanks

Once in my time there was a woman and she had a son. They lived 1_____, in a small apartment in Manhattan. This boy at about fifteen became a 2_____, which is not 3_____ in our neighborhood.

In order to 4_____ her close friendship with him, she became a junkie too. She said it was part of the 5_____culture, with which she felt very much at home. After a while, for a number of reasons, the boy gave it all up and left the city and his mother in 6_____. Hopeless and alone, she grieved. We all visited her.

1.nicely                                 2.unusual                                 3. youth

4. disgust                              5. junkie                                   6. maintain

IV. Make up  5 questions of different types.