In memory of a devoted friend

A long way home

The first pet with a name

Doing more than was expected

A.          

Barry worked as a rescue dog in the mountains of Switzerland. Barry saved at least 40 people who got lost in the Alps during heavy snow. Once Barry discovered a child and started barking loudly for the monks to find them (which he was trained to do). The monks couldn't climb the cliff and the dog carried the boy all the way down the mountain (which he was not trained to do).

B.           

The powerful ancient horse Bucephalus carried Alexander the Great into many victories. Bucephalus’ head looked like a bull’s head. That is where Bucephalus got his name; it means ‘ox’s head’ in ancient Greek. When Bucephalus died, Alexander founded an entire city in his honour and named it Bucephala. This city is in modern-day Pakistan.

C.           

Long ago and far away lived a pet cat. He was the pet cat of Pharaoh Thutmose III. This cat got the name of Nedjem. While it was an honour to be the friend of a Pharaoh, this cat had a greater honour yet. He is the world’s earliest pet cat on record with his own proper name. Before Nedjem, history records that cats were just called ‘cats’.

D.          

St Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum is one of the largest and most reputable museums in the world. Few visitors, however, know what lies beneath its magnificent halls. There, dozens of Hermitage cats protect the museum’s collection from mice and rats. The history of the cats dates back to the tsar, Peter the Great, who brought the first cat to the Winter Palace on his return from a trip to Holland. Later, the palace cats received official status.

E.           

In 1923, Bobbie, a two year-old Scotch Collie, travelled with his family from Oregon to Indiana, USA. Unfortunately, during the vacation, Bobbie got lost. Six months later, in February of 1924, Bobbie appeared on the doorstep of his home. He was extremely skinny, dirty, and weak. Bobbie had walked 4,105 km across the United States to return home. His story quickly spread around the country and the dog was featured in newspaper articles, books, and films.

F.           

Pope Leo X received a white elephant, named Hanno, as a gift on his coronation from the King of Portugal. Hanno was well trained and extremely intelligent, able to understand and obey orders given to him in both Indian and Portuguese. Hanno quickly became the Pope’s favorite pet; and he was paraded during the most important ceremonies in Rome.

G.          

When the warship, Bismark, sank in 1941, Sam the cat was the only survivor picked up by the British battleship the HMS Cossack. However, the same year the HMS Cossack was damaged by a torpedo and sank. The cat again survived this shipwreck. He had earned his fame as Unsinkable Sam, and started to live on the HMS Ark Royal, which was also torpedoed. Luckily, the crew members were safe, and Sam was found, floating on a plank in an ‘angry but unharmed’ condition. After that, Sam stayed away from ships and died peacefully in 1955.

 

Чтение 57.

 

Прочитайте тексты и установите соответствие между текстами и их заголовками: к каждому тексту, обозначенному буквами A–G, подберите соответствующий заголовок, обозначенный цифрами 1–8. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании есть один лишний заголовок.

 

Green medicine

Meeting celebrities

Magic powers

Good for some, not for others      

Dangerous for kids

Different varieties

Surviving at the expense of the others

The meaning of the name

A.          

Mistletoe[1] is the name of a round-shaped plant that is naturally found on old willow and apple trees. It attaches to the tree, spreads its roots under the tree bark and goes up its branches. This is how mistletoe gets water and all the ingredients that are necessary for its growth from the trees it lives on.

[1] Mistletoe – омела, вечнозелёное кустарниковое растение.

B.           

Mistletoe in Europe is a popular Christmas decoration. The tradition of hanging it in the house dates back to the ancient times. According to mythology, the plant brings good luck to the household and defends it from evil spirits. It also makes love and friendship stronger, which led to the custom of kissing under it.

C.           

All kinds of mistletoes have oval, evergreen narrow leaves. In south-western Europe they can be found with white or cream berries that grow in groups of two or six. Mistletoes growing in the north of Europe, however, are very much alike, but have coloured berries. Regardless of colour, each berry has only one seed.

D.          

Birds like mistletoe berries very much. They carry the seeds long distances which helps the plant find new trees to live on. Mistletoe can be toxic to people, but its berries and leaves provide high-protein nutrition for many animals. A lot of bird species eat mistletoe berries and use its stem as nesting material. The nectar of the plant is drunk by butterflies and bees.

E.           

For centuries, mistletoe has had a reputation as a nearly all-purpose herbal remedy. Mistletoe is used to treat nervous disorders, heart tonic, asthma, arthritis and other diseases. It is also used as a folk remedy for cancer. Scientists have proved that the extract of the mistletoe plant stimulates the immune system and kills cancer cells.

F.           

All parents want their sons and daughters always to be safe. However, during the Christmas holidays risks can creep up where parents least expect them. Be careful with holiday plants! Try to keep mistletoe out of reach of a child. If eaten, mistletoe can cause severe stomach pain and can even be fatal. It doesn’t take much – just three mistletoe berries can be toxic to a little child.

G.          

Lately most foreign stars and TV hosts have used mistletoe at charitable Christmas auctions. The opportunity to kiss a musician or a famous politician under the mistletoe costs as much as an expensive car. Nevertheless, the shows attract many people who are ready to pay big sums of money for charity.

 

Чтение 58.

Прочитайте тексты и установите соответствие между текстами и их заголовками: к каждому тексту, обозначенному буквами A–G, подберите соответствующий заголовок, обозначенный цифрами 1–8. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании есть один лишний заголовок.

 

Royal hobby