2.01 Задание 10. Задание на понимание основного содержания прочитанного текста

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Long-awaited freedom

2. An excursion to the past

3. The man who touched the skies

4. Beautiful and inviting

5. Reminding of heroic deeds

6. The only famous citizen

7. Attracting people

8. Making art attractive

A. Located about 400km east of Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod is one of the most important centers of cultural, economic, and political activity in European Russia. An excellent spot to soak up the best of the city’s atmosphere, Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street lies in the heart of Nizhny Novgorod. Gorgeous buildings and fountains towering on all sides showcase the best of its architecture. Shop fronts and local souvenirs will have you pausing at every window while the charming cafés will draw you in with their tempting aromas.

B. A city yarmarka is something like a fair, and this historic former market place was restored in 1991. The site is now home to a superb modern exhibition center. The yarmarka plays host to international events, fairs, and conventions. In 2011, for the 20th anniversary of the fair, many exhibitions were organized, attended by thousands, including members of the British royal family. The fair is not only a buzzing center of business and culture, but also one of the most impressive sights.

C. Located at the meeting point of the great Volga and Oka rivers, the ancient Kremlin of Nizhny Novgorod boasts of some of the best views in the city. Designed by an Italian architect, the 13 magnificent towers and the high walls date back to 1500. On this spot in 1612, heroes of Russian history Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky defeated the invading Polish army in extraordinary circumstances. You’ll also find here an art museum, a monument to those who fought in the Second World War, and the flame eternally burning in their memory.

D. An idyllic spot from which to watch the sunset over the city, this monumental creation was constructed by the Soviet government and is unique to the city of Nizhny Novgorod. The staircase gets its name from pilot Valery Chkalov who, in 1937, became the first man to fly from Moscow to Vancouver over the North Pole. A monument to Chkalov stands at the top of the stairs. Over 1,500 stairs connect the city center with the river embankment. Nowadays the staircase is a favorite meeting place and relaxation spot for the locals.

E. The Rukavishnikovs were a family of immensely wealthy merchants originating from the region around Nizhny Novgorod. The superbly restored palace, their former home, has been transformed into a museum of Russian history and gives a realistic snapshot of the life of the wealthy in the 19th century. Expensive furnishings, priceless antiques, and glistening gold will transport you back in time to a world of balls, carriages, banquets, and tsars. Join the world of Russian noble ladies and gentlemen for a day in this stunning palace.

F. Sakharov Museum is dedicated to Russian scientist Andrei Sakharov. The nuclear physicist and human rights activist lived for six years in the very flat in which the museum is now housed. Sakharov’s support for civil reform and improved human rights in the Soviet Union earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. Sakharov could not leave the city until 1986 when an officer arrived to install a phone there. Just after the phone was installed, it began to ring. The caller was Mikhail Gorbachev, ringing Sakharov to inform him of his release.

G. Inside the walls of Nizhny’s Kremlin one of the best modern art galleries in Russia can be found. Linked to galleries in both St Petersburg and Moscow, this top-ranking exhibition center houses regularly changing displays of both Russian and international art as well as interactive exhibits and a media library. There are also plans of adding a concert hall, extending the exhibition areas, and creating a restaurant. These additions aim to make art contemporary, not simply a far-away, unfamiliar concept, but bring it closer to Russian people.

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Don't forget to rest

2. Write down and revise

3. Information and technology

4. Never put off till tomorrow

5. Set realistic targets

6. Study plans per week

7. Find a place to your liking

8. More important at college

A. Today’s young generation will also need to master a new skill – digital literacy. Digital literacy can be defined as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet”. Digital literacy, by this definition, encompasses a wide range of skills, all of which are necessary to succeed in an increasingly digital world. Students who lack digital literacy skills may soon find themselves at a disadvantage. As technology changes, students also need to keep updated. B. The key to becoming an effective student is learning how to study smarter, not harder. This becomes more and more true as you advance in your education. An hour or two of studying a day is usually sufficient to make it through high school with satisfactory grades, but when college arrives, there aren’t enough hours in the day to squeeze all your studying in if you don’t know how to make your study efficient without skipping sleep or meals. The vast majority of successful college students achieve their success by developing and applying effective study habits. C. Ever find yourself up late at night expending more energy trying to keep your eyelids open than you are studying? If so, it’s time for a change. Successful students typically space their work out over shorter periods of time and rarely try to cram all of their studying into just one or two sessions. If you want to become a successful student, then you need to learn to be consistent in your studies and to have regular, yet shorter, study sessions, with periods of rest in between. That will give your brain time to process the new information.

D. Successful students schedule specific times throughout the week when they are going to study – and then they stick with their schedule. Students who study sporadically and whimsically typically do not perform as well as students who have a set study schedule. Сreating a weekly routine, where you set aside a period of time a few days a week, to review your courses will ensure you develop habits that will enable you to succeed in your education long term. You won’t get stressed or overwhelmed by portioning your workload. E. It is very easy, and common, to put off your study session because of lack of interest in the subject, because you have other things you need to get done, or just because the assignment is hard and needs effort and perseverance. Successful students do not procrastinate studying. If you procrastinate your study session, your studying will become less effective and you may not get everything accomplished that you need to. Procrastination also leads to rushing, and rushing is the number one cause of errors. F. Always make sure to take good notes in class. Before you start each study session, and before you start a particular assignment, review your notes thoroughly to make sure you know how to complete the assignment correctly. Reviewing before each study session will help you remember important subject matter learned during the day, and make sure your studying is targeted and effective. Successful students also look through what they have written down at their lectures and seminars during the week over the weekend. G. Everyone gets distracted by something: TV, or maybe family. Some people actually study better with a little background noise. When you’re distracted while studying you lose your train of thought and are unable to focus – both of which will lead to very ineffective studying. Before you start, find a place where you won’t be disturbed. For some people this is a quiet cubical in the recesses of the library. For others it is in a common area where there is little background noise. For some it may be a park or a garden – there are so many options to choose from!

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Making you open-minded

2. Travel without travelling

3. Cheap and useful

4. Not for every tourist

5. Beneficial for career

6. Ways to spend less

7. For mind and body

8. A different perception of travel

A. More and more travellers are seeking a new kind of break. Wellness tourism is a trend taking the industry by storm. Apart from yoga and healthy diets, wellness tours also focus on meditation. Meditation is known for its multitude of benefits. Apart from improving your health and keeping you fit, meditation also focuses on your mood and helps you gain a more positive outlook on life. Vipassana Meditation, which means seeing things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation.

B. You do not always need to exit your house to travel the world. Nowadays it is possible to open the street view and pretend that you are walking down unfamiliar paths and tourist places. This way, you can also avoid the crowds while taking in the beauty of the surroundings. There are a lot of museums across the world that offer virtual tours, either for free or for a small price. Going to international museums physically might not be possible but learning about culture is something you can do from the comfort of your own home.

C. Travelling in the past was about adventure, discovery, exploration and domination. However, when you think about it, the term explorer has gone out of style. In today’s stressed out world, we travel places to treat ourselves, find out who we really are and do those things that make us truly happy. In a way, people were born to travel. As nomadic tribes, people moved in search of food. Travel in the name of religion prompted pilgrims and missionaries to journey into foreign lands to spread their god’s word with various success levels.

D. A person who engages with new ideas and cultures is more likely to hold different viewpoints on the same subject than someone who does not travel. Travel forces you to think about other cultures and ways of living. It replaces your old idea of reality with a new, more complex one. It is this process together with your brain’s reaction to it that pushes you to change and grow in a unique way. Travelling makes a person more creative, more flexible and more emotionally stable. It is an opportunity to learn and grow.

E. If there is one thing that helps develop your adaptability, it is travelling. You are going to be pushed out of your comfort zone. Travelling helps you develop your soft skills. No matter what you plan to get out of travelling, your soft skills will develop. Soft skills are highly sought after by employers. They include your leadership qualities and your ability to work in a team. The mix of people, social and professional skills, coupled with emotional and social intelligence is becoming highly valued in all spheres of our life.

F. Mountain climbing can be a very serious undertaking. The more prepared you are for the physical demands, the more you will enjoy the activity. If you are considering mountain climbing, even for just one adventure, you cannot just show up with your guidebook and gear. You need to spend some energy and time and get your body’s physical system ready for the demands that climbing can put on you to help protect you from injury later on. Training for mountain climbing is an important process that should never be skipped.

G. When travelling on a budget, there are lots of ways to make your money last longer. Some places become more expensive during Christmas and New Year’s, during summer and during spring breaks. If you avoid these times of year, you will find hotels that want to fill up their properties, tours that may have discount prices in order to draw visitors in the off-season and lower flight prices. Low season does not appeal to everyone. But for those who are happy to deal with alternate weather, it can be the perfect time to travel.

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Born to be wild

2. Comparing the two species

3. The evolution of bison

4. The history of taming

5. A beautiful place to be saved

6. Reasons to domesticate cows

7. Failed attempts to protect

8. Safer than before, but not enough

A. It is likely that the modern European bison arose from the steppe bison. Recent research says it appeared as a result of an interbreeding event between the steppe bison and the ancestor of modern cows around 120,000 years ago. At one point, some steppe bison crossbred with the ancestors of the modern yak. After that, a population of steppe bison crossed the Bering Land Bridge to North America. Then the steppe bison spread through the northern parts of North America, where it lived until around 8,000 years ago.

B. The Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve is one of the smallest in Russia. It covers an area of 4,960 hectares on the terraces of the Oka River valley. This is a unique area with its natural diversity of pine and mixed forests, small rivers, streams and marshes. Here you can observe the life of animals and birds in their natural habitat. The symbol of the reserve is a bison. This is a wild forest bull, which was recently on the verge of extinction. Bison youngsters grown up to two years in the reserve are sent to replenish free-living populations.

C. Though the American and European bisons are close relatives, it is easy to spot clear differences in their behaviour and build. Adult European bisons are slimmer in build and have longer legs. European bisons tend to graze less and walk around more than their American relatives. This difference in behaviour is reflected in their build. The American bison’s head hangs lower than the European’s does. American bisons are more easily tamed than their European cousins are. They also breed with domestic cattle more readily.

D. American bisons are known for living on the Great Plains. Bisons were hunted close to extinction during the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since rebounded. The European bison owes its survival, in part, to the Chernobyl disaster. Ironically, the Chernobyl Zone has become a kind of wildlife preserve, though poaching has become a threat in recent years. The American Plains bison is no longer listed as endangered, but this does not mean the species is safe. Their fragmented herds call for active conservation measures.

E. In the middle of the 19th century people started realising how important the buffalo was. Reasons for that included not only animal cruelty, but also ecological and future resources. Someone needed to speak out, and over the years they did, but never enough at one time to count. The real extermination of the buffalo was caused by the demands of trade, aided by hunters and Indians. However, the blame really lies with the government, which in all those years permitted a few ignorant Congressmen to block the laws protecting these animals.

F. There have been several attempts to tame the buffalo, but there are a few things that stand in the way. The buffalo is very aggressive by nature; it can run up to 40 mph and can jump vertically in the air almost their entire height. Imagine trying to teach an angry, prancing sedan to stay still and respect you. All that said, there have been instances of domestic buffalo. This is possible if they are raised from calves to be only with humans. Even then, they seem to be loyal and friendly with a small set of humans, not all humans.

G. At about the same time they domesticated plants, people in Mesopotamia began to domesticate animals for meat, milk, and hides. Hides were used for clothing, storing things and for building tent shelters. Goats were probably the first animals to be domesticated, followed closely by sheep. Later, people began domesticating larger animals, such as oxen or horses, for ploughing and transportation. These are known as beasts of burden. The easiest animals to domesticate are herbivores that graze on grass, because they are the easiest to feed.

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Staying together

2. True vegetarians

3. Home, sweet home

4. The image in culture

5. In need of protection

6. Is climate a killer?

7. Physical characteristics

8. Useful for centuries

A. Members of the deer family, which is quite large, have split hooves with 2 toes, and typically have long, slender legs and small tails – and most males have antlers. Deer species range from very large to very small. The smallest deer is the southern pudu. This deer weighs only 9 kilograms and is only about 36 centimetres tall when fully grown. The largest deer is the moose. It can be up to 2 metres tall, from hoof to shoulder, and weigh around 820 kilograms. All deer species have antlers, except for the Chinese water deer.

B. Some scientists think that reindeer were among the first domesticated animals. They were first domesticated around 2,000 years ago. For thousands of years, reindeer have provided the basis of life for many nations through meat and fat, skins for clothing, bedding and tents, sinew for sewing, and antlers for tools. Many societies in Arctic climate rely on these animals for food, clothing, and materials for shelter. For example, in Sweden, Finland and Russia, reindeer sustain herding communities that have always depended on these animals.

C. Deer species are found all over the world, except for Australia and Antarctica. While other continents have a wide array of deer, Africa only has one – the red deer. The southern pudu is native to Chile and Argentina. The white-tailed deer is common to North and South America. Deer are found in various ecosystems. They live in wetlands, deciduous forests, grasslands, rainforests and mountains. Sometimes, when human civilizations get too close to their habitats, deer will make themselves comfortable in urban settings.

D. Deer are very social creatures. They feed, travel and rest in groups called herds. These herds can include from 10 animals up to a few hundred. Some reindeer herds can have as many as 100,000 members. The herd is often led by a dominant male. Sometimes the females will have their own herd and the males will have a separate herd. In other cases, a female herd is watched over by a herd of males. Most deer are active throughout the day, though their most active times are around sunrise and dusk. They spend their days foraging for food.

E. Deer are herbivores. It means that they only eat vegetation. For the most part, a deer’s diet consists of grass, moss, small shrubs and leaves, though they will forage in trash bins and in gardens if they cannot find the vegetation they need elsewhere. In the winter, reindeer must dig through the snow to find food. On average, an adult reindeer, for example, eats around 4 to 8 kilograms of vegetation a day. Deer have one main stomach and three “false stomachs.” Like cows, they chew their cud to fully digest their food.

F. According to the Red List of Threatened Species, many deer species are currently endangered. The Pere David’s deer is extinct in the wild and now can only be found in captive populations. The wild reindeer is listed as vulnerable. The wild reindeer and the arctic caribou are migratory, and their habitat crosses territorial and national borders. It will be increasingly important for governments to implement plans that support wildlife and ecosystems that promote positive changes in the deer population in the wild.

G. One of the biggest and most studied herds of reindeer lives on the Taimyr Peninsula, in the northern part of Russia. Monitoring showed that the Taimyr herd reached its peak of 1 million reindeer in 2000, but was reduced to 600,000 by 2016. Weather could be part of the problem. Every year in the spring and fall, this herd migrates from calving ranges on the peninsula to their winter haven in boreal forests. However, climate change has changed the timing of this trek, meaning young calves can still be too small to survive the trip.

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Strange but true

2. Figuratively speaking

3. Iron and gold

4. A visitor from the space

5. Useful in many ways

6. Key facts

7. From the history of iron

8. Famous on screen

A. Iron is a chemical element. Its symbol is Fe and its atomic number is 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is by mass the most common element on our planet, forming much of the Earth’s outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth’s crust. Pure iron is rare on the Earth’s crust, basically being limited to meteorites. However, there are a lot of iron ores, but you need temperatures of 1500 °C or higher to get them.

B. Iron has been known to the mankind since ancient times. The first iron used by humans is likely to have come from meteorites. Most objects that fall to earth from space are stony, but a small proportion are ‘iron meteorites’ with iron contents of over 90%. Iron corrodes easily, so iron artifacts from ancient times are much rarer than objects made of silver or gold. Artifacts made from meteorite iron have been found dating back to about 5000 BC and so are about 7000 years old.

C. It might be interesting to know that Earth has enough iron to make three new planets, each with the same mass as Mars. Iron is ferromagnetic. Ferromagnetism is the strongest type of magnetism. Moreover, iron was the first magnetic metal discovered. It is even more interesting that some animals have a sixth sense – the magnetic sense. Among them are honey bees, homing pigeons and dolphins. The Earth’s magnetic field helps them to navigate and return home successfully.

D. Iron is the cheapest and most important of all metals, important in the sense that iron is overwhelmingly the most commonly used metal, accounting for 95% of worldwide metal production. Iron is used to manufacture steel and other alloys important in construction and manufacturing. Iron is also vital in the functioning of living organisms, transporting oxygen in blood via the hemoglobin molecule. Iron is essential for human brain development.

E. In ancient times, people did not know how very abundant iron was on Earth. Their only source of metallic iron was meteorites. From Assyrian writings we have learnt that iron was eight times more valuable than gold. In addition to its rarity, iron may also have been very desirable because of it coming from the sky. It was thought to be a gift from the gods: the ancient Egyptians called it ‘the metal of heaven’. The connection with heaven is proved by the Pyramid Texts.

F. Iron Man is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and then films. The character made his first appearance in March 1963. In the story, a wealthy American business magnate and a talented scientist Tony Stark suffers a chest injury. He creates a powered suit of iron armour to save his life. Later, Stark develops this suit, adding weapons and other technological devices. Both kids and adults love the story of Iron Man.

G. There are many expressions with the word ‘iron’ in the English language. The British sometimes use the expression ‘the iron horse’ to speak about a train or a locomotive. When a native English speaker says that they ‘have many irons in the fire’, it means that they have several things to do. The proverb ‘Strike while the iron is hot’ means that you should take advantage of the time and the situation as quickly as possible. It is quite interesting to learn such phrases.

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Learn firsthand

2. Beyond nature

3. Getting fit

4. First choice

5. Great but unsafe

6. National parks

7. Take care

8. Past into present

A. Most travellers say that a trip to Kenya is synonymous with safari. They are right there's a lot of wildlife in Kenya's national parks, especially in the Masai Mara National Reserve. The park is famous for the Big Five - lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo and the local tribe wearing traditional red clothes. But Kenya has much more to offer. There are forested mountains and large cities with exciting social and cultural scenes. You can relax on the beaches of the Indian Ocean, or go on an off-road adventure. No matter what type of trip you seek, Kenya will provide it.

B. If you dream of Africa, chances are that you dream of the Masai Mara. This reserve needs little in the way of introduction. Due to reliable rains, its ecosystem supports millions of herbivores, including elephants, giraffes, zebras, and of course gnu. The best time to visit is from July to October, when millions of gnu migrate from Tanzania in search of grass, and to give birth. They are often hunted by crocodiles and big cats. For many people, the Great Migration is not just the highlight of their Kenyan adventure but the very reason they came.

C. Driving in Kenya can be quite challenging and even unsafe. Kenya's main roads are mostly in good condition, but you'll find a lot of bumpy roads, too. Make sure you rent a car which fits the type of area you're planning to visit - check with the car rental company if you aren't sure. Knowing basic car repairs is useful; if your car breaks down, assistance can take a long time if you're somewhere far from major cities. The rules of the road can be strange and unpredictable. For safety, it's wise to drive during daylight because of poor street lighting and crime such as carjacking.

D. Turkana looks like a vast empty area on a map of Kenya, but it attracts adventurers who love challenge. Although the region has an airport, many tourists prefer to drive there, which requires a reliable car to navigate a rocky road. The UNESCO-listed Lake Turkana National Parks surround Lake Turkana, the world's largest permanent desert lake. This region is ideal for the adventurous traveller: it's hot, dry, windy, vast, and volcanic. The central part consists of three active volcanoes and three crater lakes, where you'll find the largest concentration of Nile crocodiles in the world.

E. The Turkana Cultural Festival is a major tourist attraction that reflects the region's cultural traditions. It features traditional music and dances depicting tales of hunting, harvest, and ancestral spirits. Beyond this, the festival offers a chance to deepen your understanding of the Turkana way of life. You can taste local dishes from grilled meats to freshly harvested vegetables. You can participate in the workshops on cattle herding, beadwork, and traditional medicine. Or you can join storytelling sessions, where elders share ancient tales passed down through generations.

F. For history lovers, Lamu Old Town on Lamu Island is a perfect destination. It is the oldest Swahili settlement in East Africa, still playing its functions. Unlike other Swahili settlements, Lamu has been inhabited for over 700 years. Built in coral stone and timber, the town is characterised by the simplicity of architecture. The streets here are so narrow that cars are not used; donkeys are the best means of transport. Lamu is an important centre of Swahili culture, whose inhabitants have managed to keep their traditional values and sense of community.

G. Unlike in the past, Lamu Island is now popular with tourists as a well-being destination in East Africa. People from all over the globe arrive here to participate in the annual Lamu Yoga Festival. The instructors focus on teaching yoga, breathing, meditation, and informative wellness workshops to tourists and locals who want to practise yoga and improve their general health. Over 25 practitioners from different countries give classes that will be spread throughout the island. The participants learn various types of yoga, each offering a different path to inner balance.

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Perfect for relaxation

2. Good for health

3. Worst for travelling

4. Something for everyone

5. Calm and leisurely

6. A town and a church

7. Plan your trip

8. A cave city

A. Georgia is a magical country on the southern slope of the Great Caucasus mountain range, whose snowcapped peaks run from the Black Sea to the Caspian. The country is not large in terms of area, but it offers a huge variety of scenery and activities. Georgia's mountainous landscape and limited transport infrastructure mean that travelling there takes more time than you might imagine. While there's no need to limit yourself to just one region, it's a good idea to decide what kind of a trip you want to have, and then choose a few parts of the country to focus on.

B. Tbilisi, the charming Georgian capital, offers an interesting Old Town, a wealth of avant-garde architecture, traditional baths for complete relaxation, and numerous medieval churches. Spread out along the Mtkvari River, Tbilisi is the kind of place you have to get up high in order to really appreciate, and feel the magic of the city. Tbilisi is also the best place in Georgia to eat out, with dozens of innovative menus available at its restaurants. The city will keep you entertained for days, but it can also serve as a base from which to make day trips to other parts of central Georgia.

C. Batumi, Georgia's second city, is famous for its fantastic subtropical climate, beachfront location, charming Old Town, and an ever-growing number of skyscrapers Georgia's answer to Dubai, locals will tell you with a grin. Georgia's best beaches can be found both in Batumi and to the south of the city, between Batumi and the Turkish border. The city is built for pleasure, and functions as Georgia's unofficial temporary capital during the summer, when most of Tbilisi's locals head for the Black Sea's beaches for sunshine, partying, and leisure.

D. The spectacular Georgian Military Highway takes you to Stepantsminda, which was just a big village 20 years ago. Now it has grown into a town, with hotels everywhere, and crowds of tourists arriving in the summer months. It is a base for walking and mountain biking, with many routes leading to the world- famous hilltop church. This 14th-century church 2200m above Stepantsminda has become almost a symbol of Georgia for its photogenic setting with rocky mountains rising behind it and for the strong desire to build it in such an isolated place.

E. The cave city of Vardzia is both Georgia's cultural symbol and natural phenomenon. King Giorgi III built a fortification here in the 12th century, and his daughter, Queen Tamar, established a cave monastery that grew into a holy city. Altogether there are over 13 floors, 400 rooms and 13 churches, with more still being discovered today. In 1283 an earthquake shook away the outer walls of many caves, and the cave city began its decline. Now Vardzia has again become a working monastery, with some caves inhabited by monks and closed for visitors.

F. Sighnaghi is perhaps Georgia's most attractive town. Full of 18th and 19th century architecture, it has an Italian feel, with terracotta roofs, cobbled streets and a slow pace of life. The town sits on a hilltop above a long valley and is surrounded by a wall with 23 towers. You can climb up some of the towers and take a slow walk along the wall. Or you can visit the town museum, which has one of the best collections of paintings by Niko Pirosmani. Despite tour groups, due to its easy charm the town is a lovely place to spend several days.

G. The glorious 19th-century spa town of Borjomi lies amid the thickly wooded hills of the Lesser Caucasus. Borjomi's salty-sour mineral water is Georgia's most famous export and is instantly recognized by almost anyone from the former Soviet Union. However, the elegant resort town that produces it is worth a visit even if you've never heard of its famous sulfurous water. As well as enjoying the fresh air in Borjomi Central Park, you can use the town as an excellent base for hiking in the Borjomi National Park, or take a train to the nearby alpine resort.
 

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Humans cause harm 

2. Where is the taiga found?

3. Clever habits

4. Adding two more

5. Young and beautiful

6.Surviving flora 

7. What’s the weather like?

8. Native people’s habits

A. The taiga biome stretches across the Northern Hemisphere. It takes in large areas of North America and Eurasia, especially Canada and Russia, respectively. It also spans across Alaska and Scandinavia. The taiga biome occupies about 27 % of the Earth’s surface. It is located south of the tundra biome, which is characterized by a frozen land and constant snow. Because of its location, the taiga biome is rather cold. It is to the north of the temperate forests and grasslands, which are much warmer.

B. There are cold winds that blow cold Arctic air into the taiga biome, making it very cold most of the year. Therefore, this climate is called the subarctic climate. The earth rotates around the sun annually. Due to the tilt of the sun, the taiga biome faces away from the sun, resulting in long snowy winters, which are extremely cold. Another effect is that there is less radiation from the sun to heat the land up. For these reasons, the summer is barely three months long, and the winter is double that.

C. The taiga is home to various species of plants. These plants are used to an extremely cold climate and mainly consist of coniferous trees, evergreens, and spruces. The absence of sunlight in the biome is an important factor, which means plants must have adaptable leaves. The evergreens have green leaves throughout the year, so they have enough food due to the presence of chlorophyll in their leaves. They keep the same leaves for a very long time, enabling them to use minimal solar energy.

D. There is a limit to the number of animals that can survive in the taiga, due to the cold temperatures. Still, there are many animal species, including mammals, birds, and insect species. Like the taiga plants, animals in the biome must have adaptive features to survive in this climate. During the summer, more animals are in sight than during the winter. This is because most of them either migrate to warmer biomes where they can cope easily, especially for birds, or spend the winter sleeping until the next summer season.

E. Surprisingly, there are six seasons, as identified by the native people of the boreal forest or taiga. The seasons are spring, break-up, summer, autumn, freeze-up, and winter. The period in October, when the trees lose their leaves and the lakes become frozen, is known as freeze-up. This period occurs after autumn and ends when winter starts. The other period is when the snow melts, and the ground looks bare. This season is called the break-up season and may last quite long – until all the ice in the lakes has melted.

F. Compared to certain trees that grow in more temperate climates, most of the trees in the boreal forest or taiga are young. Forests are typically less than 100 years old throughout the western boreal zone, and mainly younger than 200 years old in the eastern boreal zone. Due to frequent natural disasters that are the result of an ecological loop that renews the boreal forest, scientists do not believe this amazing forest to be ancient. But they all agree that it is the largest biome on land.

G. The boreal forest contributes greatly to the earth’s oxygen supply by collecting carbon dioxide produced by people. It helps a lot in the preservation of the ozone layer thanks to its green vegetation. However, human activities such as deforestation are destroying the boreal forest’s structure. When a tree is harmed, it takes a long time to grow back, because the biome has an extremely slow growth rate. That’s why the boreal forest has drawn the attention of the environment protection specialists worldwide.