VARIANT 2
TASK 1
You are going to read the text aloud. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, and then be ready to read it aloud. Remember that you will not have more than 2 minutes for reading aloud.
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States fought from 1861 to 1865. The Union faced secessionists in eleven Southern states grouped together as the Confederate States of America. The Union won the war, which remains the bloodiest in U.S. history.
Among the 34 U.S. states in January 1861, seven Southern slave states individually declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America. War broke out in April 1861 when Confederates attacked the U.S. fortress Fort Sumter. The Confederacy grew to include eleven states; it claimed two more states and the western territory of Arizona. The Confederacy was never diplomatically recognized by any foreign country. The states that remained loyal including border states where slavery was legal, were known as the Union or the North. The war ended with the surrender of all the Confederate armies and the collapse of the Confederate government in the spring of 1865.
TASK 2
You are going to take part in a telephone survey. You have to answer six questions. Give full answers to the questions. Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.
Electronic assistant: Hello! It’s the electronic assistant of Municipal Leisure Service Organization. We kindly ask you to take part in our survey. We need to find out what students think about our pastime programme. Please answer six questions. The survey is anonymous – you don’t have to give your name. So, let’s get started.
Electronic assistant: What’s your hobby? And why are you interested in it?
Student: ________________________
Electronic assistant: How much time a week do you spend on your hobby?
Student: ________________________
Electronic assistant: Do your parents support you in your hobby?
Student: ________________________
Electronic assistant: What hobbies are the most popular with teenagers nowadays?
Student: ________________________
Electronic assistant: Why do you think people take up hobbies?
Student: ________________________
Electronic assistant: What would you advise a person who wants to start a hobby?
Student: ________________________
Electronic assistant: This is the end of the survey. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
TASK 3
You are going to give a talk about weather and seasons. You will have to start in 1.5 minutes and speak for not more than 2 minutes (10—12 sentences).
Remember to say:
• what season do you like most of all, and why;
• how the climate affects our behavior and activities;
• whether the weather forecast is reliable, and why.
You have to talk continuously.