Учим иностранные языки

Сразу виден пытливый научный ум! Названия языков всегда мужского рода, и обычно никто не задумывается почему.
Кроме lingua, язык - это ещё и idioma. Как и другие подобные слова греческого происхождения (teorema, tema, problema), оно мужского рода. L'idioma italiano (tedesco, russo) - l'italiano, il tedesco, il russo...

Xin cháo, các đồng chí! %))

Murchik

晚安

Rebecca_2011 пишет:

Bracket пишет: 19 Maxim KOVTUN RUS 65.85 = 32.29 + 33.56 - 0.00

Как приятно слушать комментарий на итальянском языке!
Э адессо, аллора, андьямо а сегвито — Максим Ковтун...

Rebecca_2011, Grazie!

bregalad пишет:

Как приятно слушать комментарий на итальянском языке! Э адессо, аллора, андьямо а сегвито — Максим Ковтун... Rebecca_2011, Grazie!

Мне тоже уже кажется, что за этот ЧМ и просмотр видео RAI2TV я смогу выучить итальянский,
Все-таки Оттавио Чинкванте нужно отдать должное за полную трансляцию ЧМ в Италии

bregalad пишет:

андьямо а сегвито

andiamo a seguire
поправляю только ради сугубо учебно-языковых целей, не обижайтесь

Хотелось поделиться наработками, да боюсь, опять сочтут за рекламу. Даже клуб бардовской песни удалили

---

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/preview?locale=en_US&trk=prof-0-sb-preview-primary-button

bregalad пишет:

"Фигурное катание — дело нашей жизни". Удивительным образом, однако, вещи эти сходятся, выясняется, что без знания ангийского языка и учиться фигурному катанию некомфортно

Ocelot1968 пишет:

L'idioma italiano (tedesco, russo) - l'italiano

Выложили новые интервью с Каролиной Костнер-все на итальянском
http://www.operaonice.eu/news-opera-on-ice.html
Наслаждайтесь итальянским языком и с нами поделитесь Апчём там речь

Rebecca_2011, мне понравилось интервью RTL - Каролина "в своей тарелке", шутит, не смущается. На Sky sport во многом совпадает, но поскучней. Поэтому «апчём» одной кучей.
Почему ведущего родители поставили в 4 года на лыжи, как Каролину на коньки, но он не добился кучи титолов и медалей, как она? В чём секрет? – Работа, терпение, любовь к свому делу, которая помогает преодолевать трудности. Уметь не принимать близко к сердцу критику. Плюс везение и ангел-хранитель, чтобы не потерять здоровье от стольких тренировок.
Ей нравится, что в этом виде спорта, кроме физической стороны, есть и творческая – она сама подбирает музыку, рисует костюмы (некоторые эскизы потом используются для производства маечек, как та, что на ней), но любит и физические нагрузки и старается хорошо докатать последние годы. Ага, в 26 лет она уже старушка, на неё начинают косо смотреть – как, ты ещё катаешься? Она начала кататься, когда ей не было и четырёх.
На комбинезон в прошлом году тоже сначала смотрели косо, потом понравился. Кто знает, насколько это влияет на оценку, но чтобы костюмчик сидел – тоже важно.
28 сентября состоится Opera on ice. В этот раз много номеров будет посвящено "Кармен", но у Каролины "Танец часов". Участники – Аракава (ею Каролина восхищается), Ламбьель – настоящий актёр, Каппеллини-Ланотте; ждут ответа от ОК России насчёт Плющенко. Может, будет Фернандес.
Каролину очень впечатлила волшебная атмосфера и энергия, которая создаётся во время этих спектаклей, она её завораживает. Когда-нибудь хотелось бы побыть зрителем. Она стала больше любить оперную музыку, которая ей вообще-то не очень нравится (она предпочитает Red hot chili peppers). Но сейчас многие арии стали ближе.
Если на соревнованиях не разрешаются песни со словами, почему бы не использовать инструментальные версии любимых песен? – Хорошие трудно найти, а обычные минусовки бездушные. Предложение ведущих – сделать спектакль, где Red hot chili peppers (а не они, так Джованотти - его Каролина тоже любит) будут петь, а она кататься.
Ведущая: «Как можно кататься с такой лёгкостью, да ещё с такими тяжёлыми коньками на ногах? Я кататься умею, но не так». (Ведущий: "Ха-ха, это как сказать Шумахеру – я, мол, тоже вожу машину, но так, как у Вас, что-то не получается"). – Тренировки, природные данные, склонность к этому. Каролина с детства танцевала дома. Хотя возникала мысль и о том, чтобы стать лыжницей, как Изольда. Братьев её танцы раздражали – им по душе хоккей. Но, кроме шуток, семья её очень поддерживает.
На Sky sport задают тупой вопрос о прыжках – удобно ли их прыгать, становится ли в какой-то момент прыжок «естественным». – Бывают дни, что хорошо прыгается, бывают, что никак. Слава Богу, что программу составляешь из разных элементов (как когда перед походом в магазин составляешь список нужных продуктов), и оценка даётся за всё в комплексе, не только за прыжки. Кстати, Каролина хорошо готовит. Типовой день – в 9 едет на каток, разминка, до 12 катается, обед. С 15 до 19 опять тренировка. Выходные себе даёт, как получится.
Хорошо, что не соревновалась в начале прошлого сезона – тренировалась, довела до ума много важных мелочей.
Планы – подготовка новых программ, а там посмотрим. Надеется дожить до Олимпиады 2014 и прожить её, как праздник, без напряжения.
На РТЛ потом играют в игру типа «городов». В подарок радиослушателю – майка по эскизу Каролины. Впрочем, он бы не отказался и от той, что сейчас на ней. [Ишь ты, фетишист! – Прим. перев.]

Ocelot1968 пишет:

Танец часов"

Где-то видела "Танец часов", главную партию в котором исполняла ( надо сказать шикарная) балерина в одних телесных стрингах. И партнер в одних лосинах. Интересно будет посмотреть на костюм Каролины, тем более у нее бывали весьма смелые ))

Ocelot1968 пишет:

Ишь ты, фетишист! – Прим. перев.]

Rebecca_2011 пишет:

интервью с Каролиной Костнер-все на итальянском http://www.operaonice.eu/news-opera-on-ice.html Наслаждайтесь итальянским языком

Спасибо!
Уже что-то понимаю ("гварда иль видео", например). На самом деле, странное ощущение: во всем интервью (по крайней мере, когда говорит Карлина — она делает это неторопливо и четко, в отличие от ведущих) для меня практически не было ни одного незнакомого слова — т.е. слова все по-отдельности ясны, а вот общий смысл не всегда складывается (какая-то дислексия). Spero, magari, un giorno capirò tutto. С английским у меня часто наоборот — смысл понятен, даже когда отдельные слова неясны, особенно когда разговор на профессиональные темы.

Кстати, вопрос про "гварда" и "гварди": почему, если я правильно понимаю, в повелительном наклонении вежливое "гварди", guarda — неформальное, но, когда говорим tu и Lei, то все наоборот? Ты смотришь — tu guardi, Вы смотрите — Lei guarda? Кстати, это правильно? Мы даже на эту тему поспорили с моим австрийским коллегой, который немного говорит по-итальянски на основе исключительно практики, т.к. его сестра живет в Италии — он сам никогда итальянский не учил и не читал никаких учебников. Мне, кстати, очень нравится читать учебники, но разговорной практики ноль (nulla, niente) — ситуация обратная.

(Тот же вопрос про scusi и scusa: как надо извиняться перед незнакомым человеком и перед своим другом? И еще — правда ли, что дистанция между Вы и ты в итальянском языке короче, чем в русском — это было сказано в "Полиглоте".)

bregalad пишет:

С английским у меня часто наоборот — смысл понятен, даже когда отдельные слова неясны, особенно когда разговор на профессиональные темы.

Это иллюзия, которой подвержены многие

Вот, кстати, тест по литературе за 7й класс американской школы. Прочитать текст и ответить на вопросы (вопросов было больше, но не все скопипейстились):


As he approached the front doors of the jewelry store, Mark straightened his tie and wiped his moist palms on the new gray trousers. He carried everything he needed in a manila folder. This included a completed job application, a copy of his high school transcript, and a letter of recommendation from the manager of the grocery store where Mark had worked the previous summer. Bagging groceries had been fine for a first job, but Mark was eighteen now. In the fall, he'd be going off to college, and he wanted to earn enough money to have a pretty healthy savings account when he started classes, which was one of the reasons he had started searching for a summer job so early. He'd heard that all the good summer jobs were taken quickly, so he had started searching in March. His parents suggested he try the jewelry store, so Mark had asked for an application the day before, and now he was returning to meet with the manager to discuss the application.

When he entered through the huge glass doors, a young lady behind the counter smiled and greeted him, and Mark told her he had an appointment to meet with the manager. She disappeared into the back offices, and while he waited he looked over the jewelry displayed in the sparkling cases, but he was too distracted to really admire any of it. A moment later, the young lady emerged from the back, followed by an older woman who was quite tall and dressed sharply in a red suit with a glittering pin on her lapel. She smiled, shook his hand, and introduced herself, saying, "Hello, Mark, I'm Sylvia Clarke, and I'm the general manager of this store." After the brief introduction, she invited him back to her office so they could discuss the employment opportunity. Mark followed her behind the counters, but he tripped on a seam where the carpet met the tile floor that covered the back of the store. He fell forward and reached for a glass case to steady himself, but his folder fell open, spilling its contents on the floor. Embarrassed, Mark muttered, "Oops!" and quickly gathered the papers, then followed Ms. Clarke back to the office.

He sat in a chair opposite her desk and handed her his application, his transcript, and the letter of recommendation. They talked about his school interests, his grades, extracurricular activities, and what he would be studying in college that fall. Then Ms. Clarke wanted to know about his duties at the grocery store, so he told her about bagging groceries, helping customers find specific products, assisting the cashiers with closing duties, and stocking shelves. Ms. Clarke told him that the open position was in sales, which meant that, in addition to selling, he would have to learn a great deal about jewelry. After discussing some of the responsibilities of the position, Ms. Clarke asked Mark if there were any tasks that he disliked. Unsure of how to respond, Mark shrugged and laughed, "I don't do windows," at which Ms. Clarke didn't smile at all. In fact, she told him that cleaning all the glass jewelry cases at the end of the day, as well as the glass doors at the front of the store, was one of the duties of the position. Mark flushed and stammered, "Oh, I was just kidding," thinking he could kick himself for saying something so stupid.

Ms. Clarke rose, came around to his side of the desk to hand him back his folder, and told him that they were looking for someone with experience in sales, someone they wouldn't have to spend time training, and someone who could start immediately. As she walked him back to the front of the store, she thanked him for his interest, told him it was a pleasure to meet him, and wished him luck with college. Mark was a little embarrassed about how the interview had gone, but it was obvious to him now that he wouldn't have been right for the job; after all, what did he know about jewelry? As he headed back to his car, a new idea began to form in his mind, and his spirits lifted. He climbed into the driver's seat, started the engine, and headed toward his favorite sporting goods store to pick up an application.

Where might you read a story of this type?
A. in a book of fiction for young adults
B. in a reference book for young adults
C. in a magazine on parenting
D. in a textbook of American Literature

Which of the following is the climax of the story?
A. when Mark joked, "I don't do windows?" and laughed nervously
B. when Mark realized that the jewelry store job wasn't right for him
C. when Mark wiped his palms on his new gray trousers
D. when Mark decided to apply for a job at his favorite sporting goods store

What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Mark knows more about sports than he does about jewelry.
B. Mark is nervous and clumsy at his job interview.
C. Mark is going to college soon and wants to earn a lot of money.
D. Mark goes to a job interview, but the position is not right for him.

From this story, you may assume that __________.
A. the grades on Mark's transcript are not very good
B. Mark was a good worker at the grocery store
C. Mark is always clumsy
D. Mark is an only child

Which of the following best summarizes the story?
A. Mark trips and spills his papers, and then says he doesn't like doing windows, so Ms. Clarke decides he isn't right for the job.
B. Mark's first job was at a grocery store, but now he wants to find a better paying and more enjoyable job.
C. Mark applies for a job at a jewelry store, makes a few nervous mistakes at the interview, and finds out that the job is not right for him.
D. Mark needs to save money for college, so he decides that working at a jewelry store will earn him more money than bagging groceries.

Which is the correct sequence of events?
A. 1. Mark's spirits lift.
2. Mark talks about his job bagging groceries.
3. Ms. Clarke shakes Mark's hand.
4. Mark asks for an application.

B. 1. Ms. Clarke shakes Mark's hand.
2. Mark's spirits lift.
3. Mark talks about his job bagging groceries.
4. Mark asks for an application.

C. 1. Mark asks for an application.
2. Ms. Clarke shakes Mark's hand.
3. Mark talks about his job bagging groceries.
4. Mark's spirits lift.

D. 1. Mark asks for an application.
2. Mark talks about his job bagging groceries.
3. Mark's spirits lift.
4. Ms. Clarke shakes Mark's hand.

Why do you think Mark is distracted while he is looking at the jewelry in the case?
A. He is wondering how much the position will pay.
B. He is thinking about going away to college.
C. He is thinking about what he will say during the interview.
D. He is wondering how much the jewelry costs.

(продолжение следует)

profi222 пишет:

Это иллюзия, которой подвержены многие

То, что это иллюзия, на практике за многие годы (скорее даже десятилетия) еще ни разу не подтвердилось.

Гораздо чаще приходится сталкиваться с непониманием темы предмета на русском языке, когда беседуешь с непрофессионалами. Когда же говоришь с человеком, работающим в той же сфере, что и ты, проблема языка вообще исчезает (много раз в этом убеждался), вообще забываешь о том, что говоришь на неродном языке, и, более того, тебя отлично понимают, даже когда ты делаешь грамматические ошибки или когда тебе не хватает слов.

(продолжение)

When Mary and her mother arrived at the beachside condo they had rented for the summer in Florida, it was already late evening. They were relieved to have finally arrived, and though they were tired from the long drive from Tennessee, they were also very excited. This was the first time either of them had ever been to the ocean, so before even going inside the condo, they took a quick walk down to the water, taking off their shoes to walk in the surf. They found that the water was much warmer than they'd expected. As they walked back toward the condo, Mary noticed some strange trails in the sand, as though something had been dragged from the water. She stopped to take a good look at the beach but soon heard her mother calling for her to come unpack the car.

They lugged suitcases and bags inside the house and began to put their things away into cupboards and closets. They needed to find a supermarket to buy some groceries, so they looked through the information sheets that the rental agency had given them to see if there were directions. Mary noticed a bright yellow flyer that read: Turtle Hatching Season—After nightfall, please keep lighting to a minimum and close all shades. Perplexed, she showed the flyer to her mother, wondering what light had to do with turtles. Her mother merely shrugged, looking equally perplexed, but before they left for the store, she walked around the condo to make sure any unnecessary lights were turned off and that the shades were drawn.

The next morning, Mary was up before seven, and she immediately went down to the beach. She was virtually the only person out at that hour, except for a group of four people who were hammering stakes into the ground and using twine to section off small patches of the beach. She wandered over to watch what they were doing, and saw they were putting up a sign at each sectioned-off area. The signs read: Do Not Disturb—Sea Turtle Nest, Protected by Federal Law. Mary was fascinated, and she asked one of the workers, "Are there really turtle eggs in there?"

The worker smiled back at her, answering, "There were lots of sea turtles on the beach last night laying their eggs—you can still see some of the tracks they left in the sand." Sure enough, Mary could see the trails from the night before. They came up out of the water, all the way to the little plots of sand that the workers were surrounding, and then went back down to the water again. Mary asked whether the mother turtles ever come back to help the eggs hatch.

"No, for the most part, the eggs are on their own for the next two months until they hatch, and then the hatchlings will try to make it back to the ocean. Not all of them will make it, though, so we volunteers try to help them the best we can by protecting the nests and enforcing the restrictions on artificial lighting." The worker was wearing a badge around her neck that showed her name, Elise Baxter, and a permit number from the Florida Marine Wildlife Patrol.

Mary mentioned the flyer that she and her mother had seen and asked what lighting had to do with the turtles. Elise Baxter explained that when the turtles hatch at night, they look toward the natural light reflecting from the ocean to lead them safely toward the water. If there are artificial lights coming from the road or from the seaside buildings, the hatchlings get confused and wander in the wrong direction. Then they may get run over or eaten by a predator or even be scorched by the hot sun the next day. The volunteers gave her a pamphlet explaining conservation efforts to save the sea turtles, and invited her to come again that night for the turtle watch.

Around nine o'clock that evening, Mary and her mother went down to the beach to watch. It wasn't long before they saw a huge, black mass crawl out of the ocean, looking like some kind of dinosaur. It made its way across the beach by using its flippers like oars, as if it were rowing through sand. The turtle settled into its nest for a while and then slowly made its way back to the ocean, eventually disappearing into the surf. Two months, thought Mary— in two months those eggs will hatch, and if I'm lucky, I'll still be here to see it!

After reading this passage, you can assume that Mary and her mother generally __________.
A. follow directions
B. go on vacation every year
C. don't follow directions
D. don't take vacations together

The fifth paragraph suggests that __________.
A. Elise Baxter was the only volunteer trying to help the turtles
B. to work with the sea turtles, you must have a permit from the Florida Marine Wildlife Patrol
C. to work with the sea turtles, you must be a marine biologist
D. Elise Baxter was the only volunteer wearing a badge

(продолжение следует)

(продолжение)

When I left my native country eighteen years ago, I knew I would make something of myself. I grew up in war-torn Lebanon and lived in a three-room apartment with my four siblings and my parents. It took years before my father saved enough money to send me to the United States. I was ambitious and adventurous and vowed that in time, I would send for them to join me.

I took a high-speed boat to the island of Cypress where I boarded the plane. I could not leave from the capital city, Beruit, because it was divided between two different religions. It was too dangerous for me to travel there, since I belonged to one of the religions and not the other.

The plane touched down on the New York City tarmac in the summer of 1984. I disembarked with wide eyes and a pounding heart—I was unsure if it was beating quickly out of fear or excitement. Speaking virtually no English, it took countless hand gestures by airport attendants to direct me to the proper gate. Within hours, I was in Providence, Rhode Island, being hugged and kissed by my aunt and uncle. It was a bittersweet reunion, a decade overdue.

I immediately started work at my uncle's restaurant. Middle Eastern foods dominated the menu and I felt great comfort surrounded by the aromas of dishes from home. It was in the kitchen that I learned to speak English. When not washing dishes, the cooks had me fetching ingredients, chopping vegetables, and stirring their savory concoctions. If asked for cucumbers, I incorrectly brought them tomatoes. If it was flour they wanted, I mistakenly gave them salt. Though embarrassed by my blunders, my vocabulary grew at lightning speed.

I saved every penny I earned. My routine was like clockwork: I walked to school, took a bus to work as soon as the final bell rang, washed dishes until the restaurant closed, completed my homework, and went to bed. That schedule did not vary a smidgen for five years. The thought of my family and the promise I made kept my spirits high for I knew that every day was a step closer to being together again.

A multicultural festival in the city of Boston proved to be my big break. My uncle prepared enormous trays of falafel, a ball-like Middle Eastern favorite made from ground chickpeas and garlic. I set up a small stand and sold pita wraps with falafel, hummus, and tabouleh by the dozen. The food was a hit, and I was secretly pleased that my uncle was too under the weather to run it himself. At five dollars a sandwich, I returned to the restaurant with my head in the clouds and my pants pockets stuffed with cash. Never in my life had I seen so much money at once; it took grueling work and several months to make the same amount at my father's bakery.

I informed my uncle that night that I could only work for him for another two months. Armed with my broken English, I was ready to go it alone. I found a small shop on a rural college campus, bought kitchen equipment, a few small tables, and a hodgepodge of stools. With a hand-written sign in the window advertising my authentic Middle Eastern dishes, I hoped for the best. What I earned by working every day without a single night off was entirely invested in the four walls surrounding me.

The restaurant was an instant success. Students and faculty devoured the food. Being so different from the well-established pizza and sandwich shops they were accustomed to, my unique little store was a hit. In no time at all, I saved enough money to bring my entire family over from Lebanon. My father sold the bakery and as I promised six years earlier, my family was gloriously reunited.

With more people to work, I expanded the size of my business and extended the menu to include additional Lebanese and Syrian dishes. My Arabic name, Bahij, was difficult for customers to remember. In an attempt to fit into the American culture, I began to tell people that my name was Dave. It was nice and simple and easy to pronounce. I am now affectionately referred to by most of the community as Falafel Dave.

I know that people see a successful restaurant and assume I always lived comfortably. It is a rarity to have someone inquire about my youth, or what I did before coming to this campus. I will never forget, however, the struggles and obstacles I overcame to get here. My love for Lebanon lives on in my soul and in my cooking. I am satisfied knowing within myself what can be accomplished through hard work, an iron will, and the love of family.
What is the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence?

At five dollars a sandwich, I returned to the restaurant with my head in the clouds and my pant pockets stuffed with cash.
A. hungry
B. pleasantly surprised
C. feeling wealthy
D. frightful

Which of the following settings was not mentioned in the story?
A. Boston, Massachusetts
B. Damascus, Syria
C. Beirut, Lebanon
D. New York City, New York

How many years had it been since Dave last saw his aunt and uncle?
A. five years
B. ten years
C. fifteen years
D. six years

Why did Dave give his uncle notice on the same day he worked the festival?
A. Dave wanted to be outdoors working festivals rather than indoors washing dishes.
B. Dave was tired of washing dishes and wanted to find a way to get his family to the United States faster.
C. Dave enjoyed working at the festival more than he enjoyed working at his uncle's restaurant.
D. Dave realized he could make much more money selling Middle Eastern food than washing dishes at his uncle's restaurant.

Which of the following is not a job listed as something Dave did?
A. bake bread
B. wash dishes
C. cut vegetables
D. sell falafel

What is the tone of the following sentence?
I know that people see a successful restaurant and assume I always lived comfortably.
A. tragic
B. sarcastic
C. direct
D. humorous

You can conclude that the anesthesia __________.
A. is supposed to make Robin fall asleep
B. is supposed to numb only Robin's mouth
C. is supposed to make the procedure slightly less painful
D. is supposed to numb Robin's whole body while she is awake

What is the main idea of this passage?
A. On the way to the dentist's office, Robin worries about having her teeth pulled.
B. Almost everyone has to have their wisdom teeth taken out when they become a teenager.
C. Robin is very nervous about having her wisdom teeth pulled until the anesthesia puts her to sleep.
D. Robin was too nervous to tell Dr. Carruthers how scared she really was.

What does the word reverie mean in the second paragraph?
A. daydream
B. mood
C. opinion
D. argument

After reading this story, you can predict that __________.
A. Robin will not be able to relax enough and will not fall asleep
B. Robin falls asleep and will not feel any pain while her teeth are pulled
C. Robin will speak up in time to tell the doctor that she does not want her wisdom teeth removed
D. the anesthesia will not work and Robin will not have her teeth extracted

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Elijah had a secret that he kept from his friends at school. While he knew that the other students in his class liked him—they enjoyed playing video games or basketball together—he worried that revealing his secret would change everything. He feared that his friends would no longer spend time with him if they knew he was a musical prodigy. At thirteen, he could play most string instruments, as well as the piano, and he wrote many of his own compositions.

Of course, some of his classmates took music lessons or played in the school orchestra, but he often heard them complain about practicing for fifteen minutes or having to lug their instruments around. Although Elijah kept his talents hidden, he adored music. How could he explain this to his friends who disliked simply carrying their instruments? Elijah not only toted around different instruments, but he also practiced for hours at a time.

Elijah faced a dilemma; he did not want to expose his secret, but his friend needed some help. His friend Hadeel had an upcoming piano recital. She had to play a piece by Chopin, one of Elijah's favorite composers. During lunch Hadeel told the students at their table about what a difficult time she had with this piece of music.

"This Chopin guy wants my fingers to go all over the keys," she sighed. "It's not even the real concerto, only a version for beginners, and I still can't play it!"

Although Hadeel had been complaining, Elijah sensed that Hadeel actually liked playing the piano. He wanted to help her understand the complexities of Chopin's music, but he did not want to come across as a know-it-all.

Despite his fears, Elijah found himself knocking on Hadeel's door after school. She looked surprised to see him, so he quickly explained that he could help her with the Chopin concerto. She invited him in, and they sat down together at the piano. He told Hadeel that Chopin composed as if he were having a conversation with his piano, and, if you listened closely enough, you could hear the back-and-forth rhythm. Once you got the hang of it, you could play the "conversation" as Chopin had intended. Hadeel looked skeptical, so Elijah played a few bars of music, paused, then played a few more. After a while, Hadeel got the hang of the conversation, and she found it easier to play the concerto.

The following week, Hadeel thanked Elijah and told him that her recital had been a success. She asked him why he had never told her that he also enjoyed playing the piano. Elijah smiled, thankful that he now had one friend with whom he could share his love of music.

When does the story reach a climax?
A. when Elijah knocks on Hadeel's door
B. when the author reveals that Elijah is a musical prodigy
C. when Hadeel announces that she is having trouble
D. when Hadeel thanks Elijah for his help

Who is a supporting character in the story?
A. Chopin's teacher
B. Elijah's mother
C. Elijah
D. Hadeel

***
The terms buried treasure, peg leg, and Jolly Roger are associated with the legends of pirates. Through various novels, movies, and comic strips, these terms have gained popularity. Long used as frightening, fictional characters, pirates became part of the storytelling mystique. The images of pirates, though they seem fictional, are actually based on true stories that sailors recounted about their journeys.

In the early years of the sixteenth century, merchant ships delivered goods via ocean trade routes. Piracy originated when certain countries attempted to gain control of these routes by sending out pirate ships. The ships were inhabited by buccaneers, hunters named for the French word for barbeque, boucan; by corsairs, hunters found in the Mediterranean and Dominican Republic; or by the most dangerous of the three, privateers, who destroyed the merchant vessels of other nations to gain riches for their country.

The captain of a pirate ship is usually depicted in movies as cruel and overbearing. In some cases, this may have been true. Usually, though, the captain was chosen by his crew because of his ability to win prizes and riches, and because he had the courage and daring needed to take over other ships. When a crew no longer supported its captain, he was simply thrown overboard, or marooned on a deserted island.

From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, a pirate ship's flag was known to evoke fear and terror in the hearts of any sailors in its view. Each pirate captain had a differently designed pirate flag, or Jolly Roger. The Jolly Roger, either black and white, or red, bore pictures meant to scare sailors, like the classic skull and crossbones design. The origin of the Jolly Roger's name is unclear, but it may have evolved from a nickname for the devil, Old Roger. Another possibility is that the name originates from the French words for pretty and red, jolie rouge. Sight of the black and white flag warned sailors of an impending attack. Many ships would surrender at the mere sight of it. An even more terrifying sight, though, was the red flag, which meant that sailors would not be given the option to surrender prior to the attack, but were instead forced to fight to the death.

Many researchers believe these pirate tales represent scare tactics meant to encourage caution among sailors. For example, one such tale explained that a black flag was raised to warn sailors that a plague or illness was on board. Regardless, during the last century, by increasing naval patrolling and by labeling piracy an international offense, the prevalence of piracy has been greatly minimized. Hence, we will probably never discover the truth behind these pirate legends.

Where would you read this type of passage?
A. a sixteenth century historical review
B. a children's science magazine
C. a pirate's autobiography
D. a collection of piracy short stories

From which of the following points of view is this passage written?
A. second person
B. first person objective
C. third person
D. first person subjective

Which of the following topics would not have been mentioned if the author were a pirate?
A. captain and crew
B. buried treasure
C. pirate flags
D. naval patrols

Which of the following is not a reason that the pirate flag would evoke fear in passing sailors?
A. It sometimes symbolized a guaranteed attack.
B. It sometimes symbolized that sailors would be shown no mercy.
C. It sometimes symbolized that a plague was on board.
D. It sometimes symbolized that the captain was overbearing.

What is the meaning of the word "prevalence" in paragraph five?
A. ingratitude
B. scarcity
C. melodrama
D. frequency

Which answer best restates the information in the third paragraph?
A. The crew often got rid of a captain for no apparent reason.
B. The captain of a pirate ship was cruel and overbearing.
C. Marooning involves intentionally abandoning someone.
D. Pirate captains were picked and removed by the crew.

profi222,
зачем в форуме выкладывать такие объемные тексты (которые интересны далеко не всем)? Разве нельзя положить их на какой-нибудь сервер в Интернете и дать ссылку?