Examination texts 4-6 (11th form)

№ 4

  I.  1. Read the part of a diary and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Anna’s diary

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1942

Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the thoughts of a thirteen­year­old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest¹.

“Paper has more patience than people.” I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands. I was bored and wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was and decided to start a diary. Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this notebook, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.

Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend. Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen­year­old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen­year­old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a bunch of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who constantly try to catch a glimpse² of me in the classroom. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.

All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get closer, and that’s a problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t trust each other. In any case, that’s just how things are. That’s why I started the diary.

To enhance³ the image of this long­awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to write only about facts, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I am going to call this friend Kitty.

¹ to get off one’s chest чистосердечно признаться в чем-либо, облегчить душу

² to catch a glimpse [ɡlɪmps] увидеть (на мгновение)

³ to enhance [ɪnˈhaːns] усилить

2.  The author writes when she decided to keep a diary. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  What close people did Anna have?

4.  Why did Anna start writing in a diary?

№ 5

  I.  1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Be kind and stay safe

Everybody knows that we should be polite and kind to people in real life and online. Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. Where can you report online abuse¹ or unkind messages to yourself or your friends? Do you know how to report and complain about harmful information online? For example, if you see an inappropriate tweet on Twitter you can click on ‘more’ and then choose ‘Report tweet’. You can then block all further tweets from that user.

Even celebrities can be cyberbullied². Tom Daley, the British Olympic diver, was abused online. His father died during the 2012 Olympic Games and Tom received some very cruel tweets about his indifference towards his father’s health.

Here are our top tips for staying safe online:

1. Be nice! Treat people online as you do in real life.

2. Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t want people in real life to see.

3. Check your privacy and security settings on social media sites and keep them as private as possible. Make sure you know exactly who can see your posts.

4. Don’t ever post personal information like your home address, your email or your phone number.

5. If you see something online that worries or upsets you, tell an adult about it straight away.

6. Take part in Safer Internet Day.

Safer Internet Day, or SID for short, tries to help people to use the Internet correctly. SID started in 2004 and is organised in February every year in 74 countries around the world to promote safe and responsible use of online technology and mobile phones. Each year there is a different topic such as cyberbullying or social networking. The focus for SID’s next campaign is “Let’s create a better internet together”. SID organisers want children and young people, parents and teachers, as well as businessmen and politicians to work together to build a better internet for all of us, but particularly for children.

There are special lessons prepared for schoolchildren on Safer Internet Day in Britain. You can find out about SID on this website: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/.

¹ abuse [əˈbjuːs] оскорбление

² to be cyberbullied [ˈsaɪbəbʊlɪd] быть преследуемым в киберпространстве

2.  The journalist writes how to stop bad messages on Twitter. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  What can we do to stay safe online? 

4.  Why is SID a good way to stop abuse on the Internet?

№ 6

  I.  1. Read the story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Christmas Tree

Just before Christmas in 1944, a letter arrived at our house in Philadelphia. The postmark was from Tuskegee, Alabama, so we all knew who it was from. We excitedly gathered around Mother as she opened it.

My Dear Mother,

I did not get the leave I expected for Christmas. I will miss all of you. Please leave the Christmas tree up until I make it back. I hope to be home by March.

Love from your son,

Clifton.

I was 17 years old at the time. My heart sank. I felt a deep sadness that my favourite brother would not be home for Christmas. He was one of the Tuskegee Airmen¹ and was responsible for maintaining² the airplanes flying off to fight in World War II. My mother, being the optimist, said, “Well, it looks like we’ll get to have two Christmases this year!” After Christmas, my sister and I worked together to make sure we kept that Christmas tree looking as pretty as possible. This was no easy feat.

By mid­January, the branches dropped so low to the ground that they became a sliding board for the decorations. Each day, ornaments would come crashing to the ground and there were new pine needles³ all over the wooden floor. My sister and I took turns sweeping them up. We moved the ornaments to the stronger branches on the tree, hoping they would stay on.

Each time we freshened that tree up, my sister and I were full of thoughts about Clifton and how happy we would be to see him again. It made us feel that he was close by, even though he was hundreds of miles away. On March 5, the doorbell rang. We ran to the door and gave Clifton a big hug. As he hugged Mother, I could see him looking over her head at the Christmas tree.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “Thank you.” Clifton opened his presents and told us all sorts of stories about his work in Tuskegee. That night as we slept, we heard a crash in the living room. We all ran to see what had happened. The tree had toppled⁴ onto the sofa and there were needles and broken ornaments everywhere.

We all had a good laugh. It was fortunate that Clifton got home!

¹ Tuskegee Airmen [tʌsˈkiːɡiːˈeəmən] пилоты из Таскиги

² to maintain [meɪnˈteɪn] обслуживать, готовить

³ a pine needle [ˈpaɪnˌ niːdl] сосновая иголка

⁴ to topple [ˈtɒpl] опрокинуться, свалиться

2.  The family got a message from Clifton. Find the extract which says about it and read it aloud.

3.  What was Clifton’s job?

4.  Which facts show that all the family loved Clifton very much?