8) Look at the word their in paragraph 4. Write the word that their refers to

Like all marsupials, kangaroos carry their offspring in a pouch. The mother kangaroo may nurse her young, called a joey, for up to a year. Because the joeys stay in a pouch for so long, kangaroos almost never have more than one baby at a time. They typically raise one litter per year, though environmental conditions sometimes make this impossible. If they survive childhood, kangaroos can live as long as eighteen years in the wild, even longer in captivity.

Text VII

Nasreddin

1) One day Nasreddin went to visit King Tamerlane, who took him to see his horses and donkeys, of which he was very proud. Nasreddin naturally wanted to please the King, so he praised each of the animals greatly.

2) At last they came to a beautiful cream-coloured donkey which Tamerlane had bought the week before. ‘What a wonderfully clever animal it looks!' cried Nasreddin. 'I am sure it could learn to read, Your Majesty!' As soon as he had said this, he regretted his words, but it was too late to take them back any more. Tamerlane looked at Nasreddin. 'Well, well,’ he said after a few moments, 'so you believe that you could teach my donkey to read, do you? Well, you have one month to do so.' Nasreddin knew what the King would do to him if he did not succeed in teaching the donkey to read. He took the animal's rope and led it to his own house, feeling very unhappy indeed.

3) Exactly a month later, he went to see the King again with the donkey and a very big book. He put the book in front of the donkey, and the animal began to turn the pages eagerly with its tongue. When it reached the middle of the book, it stopped and began to bray loud and long. Tamerlane roared with laughter and then said to Nasreddin, 'How did you teach it to do this trick?'

4) Nasreddin took a deep breath of relief and then said, "Well, Your Majesty, I first put some hay between the first and the second pages, so that the donkey had to turn the first page with his tongue to get the hay. Then the next day I put the hay between the second and the third pages, so that he had to turn two pages to get the hay. On the third day he had to turn three pages, and so on. Today he brayed because he was angry and disappointed when he did not find any hay in the book at all.'

Reading Comprehension Test

1) The topic of this text is

a) a very difficult life of King Tamerlane;

b) the cleverest donkey;

c) brilliant wit of Nasreddin;

d) love for animals.

2) According to the text, Nasreddin praised the donkey because

1. it was a beautifully coloured animal.

2. the donkey could read.

3. Nasreddin wanted to make fun of the King.

4. Nasreddin wanted to flatter the King.

3) The expression “Nasreddin took a deep breath of relief” in the last passage means

1. He enjoyed people laughing at his jokes.

2. Не felt uneasy and tense.

3. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

4. He became worried.

4) What did Nasreddin use to teach the donkey?

1. sweets;

2. sticks;

3. grain;

4. cut and drу grass.

5) When the donkey reached the middle of the book he became

1. excited;

2. furious;

3. happy and content;

4. indifferent.

6) According to the structure and the contents, this text is

1. a novel;

2. a story;

3. a fairy-tale;

4. a fable.

7) Who are the words “Your Majesty!” addressed to?

1. King Tamerlane;

2. Nasreddin;

3. The donkey.

8) How long did it take Nasreddin to teach the donkey to read?

1. Two months;

2. Two weeks;

3. One month;

4. Three weeks.

9) What passage gives explanation how Nasreddin has taught the donkey to read?

1. 2;

2. 3;

3. 4;

4. 1.