Страноведение

     Whatever the real origin of the fire, the truth is that it was inevitable, given the near-drought conditions of the time and the fact that much of the city consisted of densely packed wooden shacks served by an undermanned fire department. It seems that Mrs. O’Leary and her cow were perhaps no more than convenient and vulnerable scapegoats on which a devastated populace could center its frustrations.

Question 1.

Why is the fire known as the Great Fire of Chicago?

1.  Because it was such a destructive fire
2.  Because the O’Leary-cow story is a great story
3.  Because the fire has become a staple ingredient of American folklore
4.  Because American children are taught by it

Question 2

What would be a good title for the passage?

1.  The Great Fire of Chicago
2.  The Legend of Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow
3.  Daisy and Other Scapegoats
4.  “Peg Leg” Sullivan’s Testimony

Question 3

Why does the author mention Peshtigo, Wisconsin, in paragraph 2?

1.  To give an example of another fire that occurred that night
2.  To question why there is not a story called Great Fire of Peshtigo
3.  To show how organized terrorist groups were
4.  To compare the undermanned fire departments of both cities

 
 
 
 

                      Exercise R3.

Read the text and choose the right answers to questions below.

     On December 4, 1872, the brigantine Mary Celeste, carrying 1,700 barrels of crude alcohol en route from New York to Genoa, was found abandoned and drifting in the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Portugal. The crew of the Dei Gratia, the cargo ship that found the Mary Celeste, inspected her carefully and then sailed her to Gibraltar to collect the large salvage reward. Their report given at the inquiry suggests that the captain, his wife, his young daughter, and the seven-man crew had deserted the ship in a great hurry. The captain’s bed was unmade, something unheard of in a well-run ship, which the Mary Celeste was known to be. The oilskin boots and pipes belonging to the crew had also been left, although the chronometer, sextant, and lifeboat were missing. The arrangement of the sails also suggested sudden abandonment. The cargo was intact, although some barrels had leaked and two of the hatches were not in place.

     Several theories have been propounded to explain why those aboard left a perfectly seaworthy vessel to risk their lives in an open boat. It has been suggested that they were the victims of alien abduction or sea-monster attacks. Such outlandish notions are hardly credible. The idea that the ship was a victim of piracy can also be discounted, since the cargo and other valuables were untouched. Likewise, mutiny does not seem plausible, since the captain and first officer were known to be fair and experienced, the voyage was relatively short, and mutineers would probably have taken over the ship, not forsaken it.

     A possible explanation is that some event made the captain fear for the safety of the ship. In fact, recently studied seismic records indicate that a violent earthquake, whose epicenter was on the seafloor in the region where the Mary Celeste was sailing, occurred some days before the ship’s discovery. If the ship had been subjected to intense shocks caused by the quake, all aboard may have hastily abandoned ship to avoid what they imagined might be its imminent destruction from an explosion of the combustible cargo. A severed rope found dangling from the side of the Mary Celeste suggests that the evacuees trailed behind in the lifeboat, attached to the ship, waiting for the crisis to pass. Great waves may then have snapped the rope and capsized the smaller boat, whose occupants would have disappeared without a trace.

Question 1

Which of the following is the main topic of paragraph 1?

1.  The finding of the Mary Celeste
2.  The salvaging of the Mary Celeste
3.  The abandonment of Mary Celeste
4.  The fate of  the Mary Celeste

Question 2

What does the author mean by outlandish notions?

1.  It is odd that the mutineers would also abandon ship.
2.  It is strange for a pirate not to take the cargo of a ship.
3.  Mutinies do not occur when captains are fair and experienced.
4.  Alien abductions and sea-monster attacks are unlikely explanations.

Question 3

What can be understood about the theories the author of the passage presents in paragraph 3?

(A) Some were validated by the facts presented in the inquiry.

2.  None explain the mystery satisfactorily.
3.  None take into account the Dei Gratia’s part in the mystery.
4.  Some are convincing, considering the outcome.

 

  LIST OF REFERENCE BOOKS

1. Н.В. Баграмова, Т.И.Воронцова Книга для чтения по страноведению. Соединенные Штаты Америки. Страна и люди.
2. Encyclopedia Britanica On Line 2007
3. Mission by Virginia Evans - Jenny Dooley, Express Publishing, 2002
4. M. Harris, D. Mower, A. Sikorzynska “ Opportunities” Intermediate. Longman,2002
5. M. Harris, D. Mower, A. Sikorzynska “ Opportunities” Upper Intermediate. Longman,2002

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Леонтьева Тамара Нодариевна

Льонченко Татьяна Тимофеевна

Маслова Людмила Сергеевна

 

Английский  язык. Страноведение.

 

Практикум для студентов 1 курса

 
 

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