Task 1. Read the text. Then read the statements after the text and mark them as

T (true) or F (false).

 

Example: The Elgin Marbles are statues which date back to the 5^th century AD.    Answer: F

                                                     

The Elgin Marbles

 

The Elgin Marbles are statues which date back to the 5^th century BC. Although they were created in Greece and were located there until the late 18^th century, they are now exhibited in the British Museum, London.

The statues were bought in 1799 by the Englishman Lord Elgin, who wanted to bring them back to Britain as part of his personal art collection. However, on the sea voyage back to England, the ship carrying them was sunk and the ‘Marbles’ were temporarily lost. It would be an incredibly expensive operation to recover them. Nevertheless, Elgin did so, and even though he was a very rich man, he placed himself in enormous debt. Despite his own desires, he had to sell the Marbles to the British Government to recover his losses.

In recent times, however, the statues have become the subject of debate between Britain and Greece. While the Greek authorities have requested the return of the Marbles on many occasions, the request has always been refused. There are arguments on both sides. Some people believe that it would be foolish to return them because of the pollution that is affecting the Parthenon and the possibility of earthquakes in Greece.

Of course, there are arguments for their return, especially on the moral level. It cannot be denied, despite the material safety the statues enjoy in Britain, that they are part of the Greek heritage. Many people also refute the argument that Athens would not be a safe place for them. They claim that if the statues were returned to Greece, a new building would be constructed to house them, where they would be both safe and in their rightful environment. Furthermore, the British authorities have long used the argument that works of art should not be subject to ‘ownership’, but should be kept where they are accessible to most people. Yet in the past they have returned a number of cultural artefacts from other civilizations to their origins.

The argument continues, and is likely to do so for some time in the future.

 

1. Lord Elgin brought the ‘Marbles’ to Britain because he wanted them to be accessible to British people.

2. The Elgin Marbles are housed in the British Museum now.

3. Lately, however, the statues have become the topic of argument among British historians and archaeologists.

4. Some people think that if the ‘Marbles’ are restored to the Parthenon, they could be exposed to damage, whereas they are safe in the British Museum.

5. The British authorities have never sent back any works of art to the countries where they were created.

 

Task 2.  Choose the correct answer to the following questions.

6. Why were the ‘Marbles’ taken out of their homeland at the end of the eighteenth century?

 

1. They were to be exhibited in the British Museum in London.
2. They were sold to one of the British collectors.
3. They were sent to British specialists for restoration.
4. They had to be put up for auction in London.

 

7. Why were the ‘Marbles’ temporarily lost on their way to England?

         

1. They were stolen by some pirates.
2. The ‘Marbles’ were lost because of the shipwreck.
3. The sailors lost their way and sailed to China.
4. They were sent back to Greece.

 

8. What was the reason for Lord Elgin’s selling the ‘Marbles’?

 

1. He wanted the ‘Marbles’ to be kept where they were accessible to most people.
2. He wanted the British Government to return these cultural artefacts to their origins.
3. He wanted the ‘Marbles’ to be a part of his private collection, but being short of money, he had to sell them.
4. The British Government forced Lord Elgin to sell the ‘Marbles’.

 

9. What arguments are put forward by those who believe that the ‘Marbles’

     should be sent back to their homeland?

 

1. The statues were stolen by Lord Elgin and must be returned to their rightful owner.
2. The ecological situation in Britain leaves much to be desired and the statues are not safe there.
3. The Greek authorities have already paid a large sum of money as a contribution for the return of the ‘Marbles’.
4. These statues are the priceless inheritance of Greece and must be returned to the place where they were created.

 

 

10. What measures were suggested to guarantee the safety of the ‘Marbles’ in

       Greece?

 

1. Some people suggest making a new up-to-date building to protect them from damage.
2. The ‘Marbles’ will be guarded by the police.
3. The statues will be exhibited in the National Museum.
4. Only the copies of the ‘Marbles’ will be restored to the Parthenon because of the possibility of earthquakes in Athens.

 

Task 3.  Fill in the gaps choosing the right grammar form.

 

11. Yesterday evening’s Nature Scope about … sun’s future worried a large number of viewers.

A. a   B. an   C. –   D. the

 

12. … Cape of Good Hope was rounded by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.

A. a   B. an    C. –   D. the

 

13. Ann wants to tell Tom, but I’d rather she … him.

A. didn’t tell   B. don’t tell   C. hasn’t told   D. hadn’t told

 

14. By the end of the year he … mountains for ten years.

A. will climb                   B. will be climbing

C. will have climbed       D. will have been climbing

 

15.  ’Bill wants to go alone, ’said Ann, ‘but I’d rather he went with a group.’

A. Ann said that Bill wants to go alone but that she’d rather he went with

     a group.

B. Ann said that Bill wanted to go alone but that she’d rather he had gone

     with a group.

C. Ann said that Bill wants to go alone but that she’d rather he has gone

      with a group.

D. Ann said that Bill wanted to go alone but that she’d rather he went with

     a group.

 

16. She’s one of the kindest people … I know.

A. that   B. what   C. who   D. whose

 

17.  I didn’t apply for the job. I don’t want to work there. I would have applied for the job if I … to work there.

A. want   B. wanted   C. have wanted   D. had wanted

 

18. They needed someone who was both an excellent administrator and manager. … was not easy to find.

A. Such a person   B. A such person   C. Such   D. Such person

 

19.  John was the first person I saw … leaving hospital.

 A. by   B. on   C. in   D. under

 

20. The headmaster finished his speech and went on … the prizes.

A. presenting   B. to be presented   C. to present   D. present

 

Task 4.  Read the text and fill in the gaps choosing the correct answer (A, B, C or D) from the table given below.

 

Bill Radford has a job in a small factory. He doesn’t like 21___ job very much, but he enjoys the relationships with the 22___ workers, and he gets 23___ well with the boss. He belongs to a trade union and helps to organize the work of the local branch. Sometimes he has a chance to travel 24___ business, 25___ he enjoys very much.

His wife, Ann,  26___ for the last two years. She stays at home and looks after the house. After 27___ their six-year-old daughter Sally ready and driving her to school, she starts on the housework. Although she likes 28___ on her own, she finds housework 29___, and doesn’t like to stay at home all day. So she tries to get through the washing up, the washing, the ironing, the shopping and so on as quickly as possible. This takes her anywhere between two and three hours; after that she usually has 30___ lunch. She doesn’t like to waste time, so after lunch she goes off to the public library and reads books on politics or history until it’s time to fetch Sally from school. In the evenings Bill and Ann share the cooking.