І. ЧИТАННЯ
Many people who are looking to get a pet dog get a puppy. There are many reasons why people get puppies. After all, puppies are cute, friendly, and playful. But even though puppies make good pets, there are good reasons why you should consider getting an adult dog instead.
When you get a puppy, you have to teach it how to behave. You have to make sure that the puppy is housebroken so that it does not go to the bathroom inside the house. You have to teach the puppy not to jump up on your guests or chew on your shoes. You have to train the puppy to walk on a leash. This is a lot of work.
On the other hand, when you get an adult dog, there is a good chance that it will already know how to do all of the previously mentioned things. Many adult dogs have already been housebroken. Many adult dogs will not jump on or chew things that you do not want them to jump on or chew. Many adult dogs will be able to walk on a leash without pulling you to the other side of the street.
Puppies also have a lot of energy and want to play all of the time. This can be fun, but you might not want to play as much as your puppy does. Puppies will not always sleep through the night or let you relax as you watch television.
On the other hand, most adult dogs will wait on you to play. What is more, they will sleep when you are sleeping and are happy to watch television on the couch right beside you.
There is one last reason why you should get an adult dog instead of a puppy. When most people go to the pound to get a dog, they get a puppy. This means that many adult dogs spend a lot of time in the pound, and some never find good homes. So if you are looking to get a dog for a pet, you should think about getting an adult dog. They are good pets who need good homes.
Questions Choose and tick the correct variant.
1) The author apparently thinks that puppies are
A. bad pets because they take too much work to own
B. friendly, playful, and a lot of work
C. not as cute as adult dogs
D. not as playful as adult dogs
2) As used in paragraph 2, which is the best synonym for behave?
A. listen
B. understand
C. train
D. act
3) The main purpose of paragraph 2 is to explain how puppies
A. are very immature
B. do not make good pets
C. can be very destructive
D. are a lot of work
4) As used in paragraph 3, which is the best example of a dog that is housebroken?
A. Spot goes outside to use the bathroom.
B. Rex always breaks things inside of the house.
C. Rover never jumps on guests.
D. Muffin chews on people’s shoes.
5) According to the passage, why are adult dogs easier to take care of than puppies?
I. Puppies need to learn how to walk nicely on a leash.
II. Adult dogs have less energy than puppies do.
III. It is harder for adult dogs to find a home than it is for puppies.
A. l only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
6) Based on information in the passage, which of the following statements is false?
A. Puppies have a lot of energy.
B. Puppies need a lot of attention.
C. Adult dogs do not like to play.
D. Adult dogs do not need eat very much.
7) As used in paragraph 4, which is the best synonym for relax?
A. work
B. leave
C. play
D. rest
8) The author begins paragraphs 3 and 5 with the phrase, "On the other hand." This phrase is used to
A. highlight an example
B. contrast previous information
C. contradict a later statement
D. support the upcoming paragraph
9) In the final paragraph, the author says, "many adult dogs spend a lot of time in the pound, and some never find good homes." Based on what you have read in the passage, why is this most likely the case?
A. People see adult dogs as unhappy and dangerous, while they see puppies as cute and friendly.
B. People understand that most adult dogs still need a lot of training before they understand how to behave properly.
C. People think that puppies are cute and playful and do not always think about how much work it will take to train them.
D. People do not want to get a dog that does not have much time left to live.
10) Based on information in the passage, it can be understood that someone who owns a puppy must be
A. strict
B. serious
C. careful
D. responsible
ІІ. АУДІЮВАННЯ
MUSICAL CHEERS
We met first in a wine bar off Oxford Street. I'd just been to a disastrous concert at the Wigmore Hall – a little-known Korean soprano in a Hugo Wolf song cycle. You can imagine! He came up to me, pointing to my concert programme.
'Oh well, my dear. Some you win, some you lose, I suppose! Have a nice cool drink and forget all about it.'
He ordered two glasses of Sancerre and we took them to a corner table. I don't usually accept drinks from total strangers but there was something disarming about him. He wore a bizarre assortment of clothes – a striped cricket blazer worn over a slightly grubby T-shirt, brown corduroy trousers and a pair of dirty, battered trainers. He was perhaps fifty, maybe older. He had short grey hair and a small moustache. The most attractive thing about him was his voice. It was warm and lilting. It had the sort of musical quality I associate with Ireland.
'Things aren't what they were,' he sighed, sipping his wine, 'I remember the greats you know – Beecham, Sir Malcolm Sargent, von Karajan – you name them, I knew them. Anyway, cheers.'
He raised his glass and we drank. I went to replenish our glasses.
'So you're in the music business?' I inquired.
'Me? Music is in my veins. It's the air in my lungs. It's the food in my stomach. Music? Me and music are like that.' And he interlaced his fingers to show me how close he and music were.
'But do you play yourself?' I asked.
'Not exactly play. I'm more in the broadcasting and recording area,' he confided, 'but I have an essential role in every performance,' he replied evasively. 'I've worked with them all – Zubin Mehta, Bernstein (now he was a lad, I can tell you), Arthur Rubenstein (a real ladies' man too), Pavarotti, Solti. There are plenty of stories I could tell you.'
When we left to make our way to our separate homes, we agreed to meet again the following week. From then on, we met occasionally for about six months. But, despite our common interest in music, we never went to a concert together. I suggested it once, but he refused so violently that I never suggested it again.
Yet, every time we met he would boast about his musical contacts.
'I was on with Sir Neville Marriner last week,' he said, with a modest smile, 'and next week it's the Juillard. I'm busy every night. But they're all such lovely people; lovely…' His voice trailed off nostalgically.
Now, I am not an especially curious person, but I have to admit that I was intrigued by Cheers. (When I had asked his name, he had told me, 'Just call me Cheers.') How did he come to know all these musicians so well? What did he do for a living? Who was he?
Inevitably, one evening we did find ourselves at the same concert. It was at the Royal Festival Hall. I spotted him down in the front row, dressed in his inimitable style. He seemed very agitated. As the orchestra came to the end of the first half of the concert, I saw him leap up, clapping and cheering loudly, as close as possible to the BBC radio microphones recording the concert. I suddenly realized what his 'role' was.
So, whenever you hear a live broadcast of a concert – think of 'Cheers'!
