The original taste of coffee

A chance discovery

A place for communication

An illegal drink

A long journey to Europe

Growing coffee plants

Different recipes

A. Coffee was first found in Eastern Africa in the area we know today as Ethiopia. A popular legend says that one day a man called Kaldi was watching his goats eating grass and leaves. He noticed that after eating berries from a certain bush the goats became very active. Curious, Kaldi tried the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him additional energy. The story quickly spread throughout the region.

B. The first coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to Arabian countries and then they were cultivated in Yemen. From there, coffee travelled to Turkey where coffee beans were roasted for the first time over open fires. The roasted beans were crushed and then boiled in water, creating the drink we enjoy today. Finally, in the seventeenth century coffee arrived in France, Britain and Italy.

C. The first coffeehouses opened in Mecca and quickly became popular centres of social and political activity. The government believed that coffee stimulated radical thinking, and the governor even thought it might unite his opposition. As a result, coffee was forbidden in Mecca. The same thing happened in Turkey a century later, when coffee drinkers were severely punished.

D. They say, in 1776 the thirteen American colonies adopted coffee as their national drink instead of tea. When the British tried to raise the tax on tea, Americans refused to buy it and switched to coffee. In fact, by drinking coffee Americans demonstrated their political views and their dislike for the British – the famous tea-lovers.

E. The Italians drink their espresso with sugar, the Germans and Swiss add an equal part of hot chocolate, the Mexicans prefer it with cinnamon, and the Belgians – with chocolate. Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices. The Egyptians, on the other hand, are extremely fond of pure, strong coffee. They add neither milk nor cream.

F. Plain and simple, nothing else. People discovered that if they drank coffee slowly they could taste bitterness, sourness, sweetness and saltiness. For a long time such a taste was new and more than enough. It needed no improvement. Only later did they start experimenting with coffee by adding milk, chocolate, and other flavors. However, nothing can hide the taste of real coffee.

G. When the first European coffeehouses opened, they quickly grew into places where people played chess, exchanged gossip, sang and danced. Coffeehouses were very popular because anyone could go and enjoy a cup of the drink. The price of a cup of coffee was reasonable. European coffee houses became meeting points for intellectuals, writers and businessmen.

A	B	C	D	E	F	G

Прочитайте текст. Определите, какие из приведённых утверждений 10-17 соответствуют содержанию текста (1 – True), какие не соответствуют (2 – False) и о чём в тексте не сказано, то есть на основании текста нельзя дать ни положительного, ни отрицательного ответа (3 – Notstated). В поле ответа запишите одну цифру, которая соответствует номеру правильного ответа.

 

Joseph Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling is considered to be one of the greatest English writers. He was born in 1865, in Bombay, India. At the time of his birth, his parents were recent arrivals in India. They had come to India with plans to start a new life. The family lived quite well. His father, an artist, was the head of the Department of Architectural Sculpture at the School of Art. For young Kipling, India was a wonderful and happy place.

However, at the age of 6, Kipling's life changed greatly. He was sent to England to receive a formal British education. These were hard years for Kipling. The boy suffered from strict school discipline, his classmates’ insults and bullying. His only comfort was books: he enjoyed reading. By the age of 11, Kipling was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Fortunately, Kipling’s mother placed him in a new school. There, Kipling found friends and discovered his talent for writing, eventually becoming the editor of the school newspaper.

In 1882, Kipling was told by his parents that they didn't have enough money to send him to college, and he returned to India. It was a powerful moment in the young writer's life. He found a job with a local newspaper. Kipling's experience as a reporter formed the backbone for lots of his stories. Later, his collection of 40 short stories called Plain Tales from the Hills gained wide popularity in England.

Seven years later, Kipling returned to England in the hope of becoming a famous writer. In London, he met Wolcott Balestier, an American publisher who became one of Kipling's great friends and supporters. Later, Kipling happily married Wolcott’s sister, Carrie.

As a writer, Kipling flourished. His portfolio contained gems like The Jungle Book, The Naulahka: A Story of the West and East and The Second Jungle Book. Kipling loved children and understood them very well. His tales fascinated boys and girls all over the world.

Kipling travelled a lot, but in 1902 he returned to Great Britain with his wife and children. The Kiplings bought a large estate in Sussex and many of his most famous books were written there. One of them was Just So Stories. The book's name had, in fact, come from his daughter, who asked her father to repeat each tale several times, or "just so," as she often said.

In 1907 he was the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. It was international recognition of his talent.

In 1914, the First World War began and Kipling was a passionate supporter of the fight against Germany. He even encouraged his son John to join the army though John had a serious problem with his eyesight. Kipling and his son were very close. Unfortunately, in October of 1915, John was killed in France. Kipling, feeling guilty about persuading his son to become a soldier, was terribly depressed.

Due to these sad circumstances, for the last twenty years of his life Kipling did not write any more of his wonderful children's tales.

 

10. Kipling was born into the family of a writer.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

11. His school teachers considered the young Kipling a capable student.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

12. Kipling studied at college.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

13. Kipling met his future wife due to his friend.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

14. The book Just So Stories got its name due to Kipling’s daughter.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

15. At the beginning of the 20th century, Kipling was given a prestigious literary award.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

16. Kipling’s son returned from the war with a problem with his eyesight.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

17. Kipling continued creating tales for children until the end of his life.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated

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