A favourite of the film industry

Ideal for travelling around the city

Be polite on the Tube

Ghost stations

A way to save money

It started black and narrow

New design of the Underground trains

The diagram so as not to get lost

A.          

The London Underground, or the Tube, is a great means of getting around the UK capital. It is popular with locals and visitors because it is quick, easy, convenient and safe. The Tube has 11 lines and 275 stations. The walking distance between two underground stops in central London is never more than 10 minutes, sometimes less. It’s never a problem to find one. Underground trains on all lines run every few minutes between 5.30 until 00:30, Monday to Saturday, and between 7.30–23.30 on Sundays.

B.           

The London underground railway system was proposed by Charles Pearson in 1843. Twenty years later the first line was opened for traffic. In the early days, the trains were driven by steam locomotives which burnt coal and filled the tunnels with smoke. The tunnels of the first underground were made as narrow and low as possible in order to reduce the construction costs. The small size and the circular shape of its tunnels gave the underground the name The Tube.

C.           

In 1931, Harry Beck, who did some engineering jobs for the Underground, designed an unusual graphic map of the Tube. He suggested a map that displayed all the lines and stations but ignored the distances. Beck’s map looked like an electrical diagram because of the lines that went horizontally, diagonally or at different angles. Each line had a different colour. The map clearly explained how to get to the station you needed and where to change lines. City transport systems all over the world, including New York, St Petersburg, and Sydney, have used Beck's idea to make maps of their own systems.

D.          

There are 275 functioning stations across the Underground network, but at least 40 overground and underground stations are no longer used for travel. If you look through the window of the train, you may notice platforms at which trains never stop and no passengers get on or off. They are not marked on the Tube map. They are like phantoms which remind us of the past history. Some of them have really interesting and scary stories to tell.

E.           

Aldwych, a closed station on the London Underground, is located in Central London. It is certainly the most 'busy' of the ghost stations of the Tube. It is used by film and television companies who find it an ideal place for shooting detective stories, thrillers and adventure films. Among the famous films that were shot at Aldwych station are Superman IV, Patriot Games, V for Vendetta, Sherlock and others.

F.           

The original London underground trains had three different classes. In those days they cost three, four and six pence for a single journey. Today a single journey in Zone 1 costs £4.50 if you pay cash. However, there are a lot of opportunities to get a reduced price ticket. Just buy a day travel card or avoid travelling at rush hours. If you travel regularly by the Underground, a season ticket will be the best option. Most Londoners buy weekly, monthly or annual tickets.

G.          

When you travel by the Underground bear in mind that it is considered impolite to stare at the other passengers. It’s rude and it may get you into trouble. Talking and laughing loudly is not encouraged either. It’s not a good idea to eat your hamburger or ice-cream on the train – you can spoil other passengers’ clothes. And it’s always a good gesture to give up your seat to an elderly passenger if necessary.

 

Чтение 75.

 

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.

 

To change the situation with foreign languages

Eating at school

Keeping fit at school

A break to stop and look around

Accepting foreign students to British schools

Gadgets in British schools

The enjoyable school event

To make them behave well

A.          

All students in the UK have to do PE or Physical Education at school until they are 16. The schools offer different activities. The most popular sport is football which is played by boys and girls. Students also play rugby, field hockey, and netball or do individual physical activities like athletics or gymnastics. Today, some schools also offer dance, fitness, or frisbee. The school sports facilities are always available to the students at lunchtime and after classes.

B.           

Unfortunately, this school subject is not very popular with British students. The British government is considering different ways to deal with this problem. One idea is to introduce foreign languages from the age of 5. Another plan is to give students more choice. The languages traditionally studied in British schools are French, Spanish and German. Now the government wants to include Arabic and Chinese in the school curriculum.

C.           

Mobile phones are permitted at school in the UK but students are not allowed to use them in class. School students can use their phones at break time. Teachers can take away phones if these rules are broken. However, according to some teachers, students don’t always follow the rules. The lessons are sometimes disrupted when students send texts, receive calls, look at social networking sites or watch videos.

D.          

School lunches are a hot topic in the UK these days. Some students have lunch at home or take a packed lunch to school but more than a third of British school pupils have lunch in the school canteen. There is usually a main course, a dessert and a drink. School dinners must include fruit and vegetables, protein (for example meat, fish or cheese) and carbohydrates (for example rice or pasta). Parents often pay for their children’s food in advance online.

E.           

UK schools are allowed to discipline pupils who behave badly. The list of serious and not-so-serious types of bad behaviour may include: missing school without permission from parents, not doing homework, wearing unsuitable clothes for school, cheating in exams, bullying, etc. There are several ways students can be punished. Sometimes the student has to write a sentence, for example I must not shout in class, many times (for example, 100 times) on a sheet of paper.

F.           

A school prom is a formal party to celebrate an important date such as the end of secondary school. The idea is to have fun with your school friends and celebrate your time and achievements at school. Proms are held in June or July, around the end of exam time or the end of term. A secondary school prom often involves a big party and nice dresses. Most schools arrange a special dinner in the school hall.

G.          

In the past, students were only allowed to take a gap year (a period of time, when a student takes a break from formal education) if they had to retake exams or had health problems. But now universities positively encourage a gap year, and employers are happy to give jobs to students who take a gap year. They think that a gap year can give young people useful learning experiences, help them pick up new skills and make them more independent.

 

Чтение 76.

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.

 

Walking along the sea

The great market place

The way to get to the city

How the city got its name