It has recently been reported that Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne of the United Kingdom, has joined a trade union. He has become a member of the trade union for writers, the Society of Authors. Prince Charles, born in 1948, is the author of two books: The Old Man of Lochnagar and A Vision of Britain. The first book is a children's story in which a mysterious old man haunts the mountain of Lochnagar in Scotland. The second book has caused a lot of discussion. The matter is the Prince of Wales is an advocate of more traditional architecture and would like to witness a return to the principles of classical architecture. It's only natural that the architectural establishment has been angered with his views.
Isn't it strange that a millionaire of royal blood chose to join the trade union? Of course, he can expect some legal services as a member of the Society of Authors. His Union could help him to check the contracts with publishers in order to make sure that he is treated fairly. He might use the Society's photocopying equipment a little cheaper. If he fell on hard times, he could get financial help from the trade union.
Mark le Fanu, General Secretary of the Society of Authors, which was founded in 1884 but became an official trade union only in 1978, is happy to welcome the Prince to the membership of the Union. He thinks it's unlikely that the Prince will ever need the Union's legal services. But he is sure that applying for membership the Prince displays a true interest in writing.
The Prince doesn't overestimate his own literary talents. However, the critics say, that unlike many other famous people, the Prince of Wales wrote every word of his books himself.
The Prince of Wales is not the only and the first notable personage - member of the Society. Such writers as Graham Greene and George Bernard Shaw have also been members. A number of people who are better known for their public standing than for their writing have been members too. Among these is Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, who was really talented with his pen. The Society unites 5000 members and many modern politicians are also applying for membership being novelists or thriller writers.
II. Questions to the text:
1. Which of the following sentences best describes what this passage is about:
(A) Prince Charles rejected the proposal to join the trade union for writers.
(B) The Prince of Wales first rejected the proposal to join the trade union for writers but then changed his mind.
(C) The Prince of Wales applied for membership and joined the trade union for writers.
(D) Prince Charles even doesn't think of joining a trade union.
2. Which of the following is true?
(A) The Prince is modest about his own literary talents.
(B) The Prince thinks highly of his own literary talents.
(C) The Prince is sure he is one of the most famous writers in the world.
(D) The Prince has never tried to estimate his own literary talents.
3. Which of the following was not mentioned in the text?
(A) The Prince's children are happy that the Prince has joined the trade union.
(B) It's unlikely that the Prince will ever need to take advantage of the Union's legal services.
(C) Mark le Fanu is happy to welcome the Prince to his membership in the Society.
(D) The Prince has become a member of the Society of Authors.
4. As a member of the Society of Authors the Prince can expect:
(A) advertising of his books.
(B) meetings with his readers arranged by the Union.
(C) legal services, such as checking his contracts with publishers.
(D) regular salary as a writer and member of the Union.
5. The book entitled A Vision of Britain has caused a lot of controversy because:
(A) Prince Charles has a strong distaste for classical architecture.
(B) Prince Charles is an advocate of classical architecture and would like to see a return to its principles.
(C) Prince Charles likes very much modern architecture and shares views of architectural establishment.
(D) Prince Charles supports every idea of modern architects.
6. The critics say that
(A) there is a group of writers who help the Prince to create his books.
(B) his wife and his mother help him to write his books.
(C) he copied works of some not very well known writers and used his
name to promote the books.
(D) he wrote every word of his books himself.
TEXT 6
I. Read the text and answer the questions following it:
THE PILIGRIMS
The Pilgrims were puritans, that is to say, people of England who objected to the form of religious feelings shown to God and religious services used in the Church of England. King James punished all who refused to follow laws and traditions of the Church of England and to give money to support it. These people had to leave their country and went to Holland trying to find religious freedom there. But they were not allowed to own land in Holland and, besides, they did not want their children to grow up and become Dutch speaking people. They wanted to remain English; so, they soon returned to England with the idea of leaving for America. There, where the lands were still wild, they hoped to build homes for themselves and start a new life based on their own ideals of religious and civil rights. Pilgrim Fathers decided to form a colony that should be governed by just and equal laws, established by common agreement.
With the idea of a New England in America some of the strongest English people crossed the broad Atlantic on the little ship known as "The Mayflower". These people were independent and God-fearing. Some of them were also learned.
The departure of the Pilgrims from England marks a period in history. Towards the end of November in 1620, this company of about a hundred persons, with Captain Miles Standish as their leader, landed on Cape Cod, not far from where Boston now is. A short time after landing, they found a suitable place to live and, about Christmas, began to cut trees and build houses. Winter came on, and they were not prepared for difficult times. Many of them got ill and about half of them died. But those who survived did not give up; they were not easily discouraged by the difficulties.
In the spring and summer following that hard winter, their crops grew, and the colony became rich. They made friends with the Indians and were not afraid of them. At last, they felt sure that they had found the land that they had hoped to find so long. In the autumn, they decided to have a great holiday and to unite in giving thanks to God for everything they had received. They also invited the Indians, and all sat down together to celebrate the first Thanksgiving Day in America.
II. Answer to the questions:
1. This text tells us about
(A) strong people from America who formed a colony not far from the place where Boston now is.
(B) strong and determined people from England who did not share religious views of the Church of England and left for America to form there a new colony based on their own religious beliefs.
(C) supporters of the Church of England who went to America to start their religion there.
(D) a lot of English people who called themselves Pilgrims and who decided to leave for America because there was a lot of land there to cultivate and to grow crops.
2. Pilgrims are
(A) people from Holland who first came to England and then to America to find a better life there.
(B) a group of English puritans who sailed to America to escape from the religious beliefs of the Church of England and to make a new kind of society based on their religious ideals and beliefs.
(C) a group of Americans who shared the religious beliefs of the Church of England and started a colony to show their religious feelings to God.
(D) European people who did not want for some reason to stay in Europe any longer.
3. The Pilgrims decided to leave for America with the idea in their minds
(A) to form a colony there which they wanted to base on equal religious and civil laws established by common consent.
(B) to find some suitable settlements where they could live far away from the Church of England.
(C) to travel about America and to learn much about it because many of them were educated people.
(D) to share their knowledge of agriculture with the American Indians.
4. They crossed the Atlantic
(A) in many boats that were badly equipped and many of them sank on their way to America.
(B) on a big ocean liner that was very quick and comfortable.
(C) on a ferry-boat on which they also brought horses, tracks and a lot of other things.
(D) in a little sailing vessel, called "The Mayflower", which landed at the end of November 1620 on Cape Cod.
5. Sometime after landing
(A) they grew crops and got very rich.
(B) they decided to return to England because winter came and they were not prepared for its difficulties.
(C) they found a place where they began to build houses and though that winter was severe and many of them died, those who had survived, grew crops next autumn, a year later, and became rich.
(D) they opened schools and hospitals in the Indian settlements.
6. The first Thanksgiving Day in America
(A) was arranged by Pilgrim settlers as a day of prayer for everything God had given them and where Indians were invited because they helped the Pilgrims to grow crops in that hungry winter of 1620 when the Pilgrims landed in those places.
(B) was arranged by the Hollanders who came to America to find a better life.
(C) was organized by the Americans who decided to thank God for the crops he, had given them.
(D) was arranged by the Indians for the knowledge of agriculture the Pilgrims had shared with them.
