Тест по чтение "Интересные факты о Британии".

READING TEST

Read the text Great Britain is not an island now and do the task.

Vocabulary

The Channel - пролив Ла-Манш, отделяющий Великобританию от Франции

drills- буровые установки

A long time ago there was no sea water between Britain and France. But about eight thousand years ago the sea water went up and Britain became an island. The Channel was born.

Today there are many ways to travel from England to France. You can take a plane, a ship or a boat. But you can also take a train and travel from Lon­don to Paris by train! That’s why some people say that Britain is not an island! The trip in the Channel Tunnel is fast and comfor­table. The journey time in the tunnel is 21 minutes. Eight hundred passengers can travel in one train. The tunnel is 130 metres under the sea and it is 50 kilo­metres long. In fact, there are three tunnels under the sea, not one. There are two tunnels for trains and one is a service tunnel. You can also take your car with you — there are special car trains!

Their speed is 130 kilometres per hour. Passenger trains can go as fast as 160 kilome­tres per hour. The Channel Tunnel was opened in 1994. It took them six years to build the tunnels. The builders used very big drills from France and England. These spe­cial drills moved slowly underground and made walls of the tunnels and railway at the same time. The French engineers took their drills out when the work was finished. The English engineers didn’t do that, they left them in the tunnels because it was too ex­pensive to take them out.

Some people are not happy about the Channel Tunnel. Bill Smith, a teacher, says: “We don’t want the tunnel! It is going to change our traditional British way of life. Britain is not an island.” But most people think that the Tunnel is a great thing. John Kerry, a busi­nessman, says: “The tunnel saves me a lot of time and I can do my work on the train!” His wife Helen says: “I think it is great! I hate travelling by sea. I always feel sick. Now, with the tunnel, I can go to France by train.”

1. Choose True, False, Not stated

1. About seven thousand years ago the sea water went up and Britain became an island.

2. The Channel became the widest in the world.

3. The trip in the Channel Tunnel is slow and uncomfortable.

4. It takes 21 minutes to travel through the tunnel.

5. When the work was finished, the English engineers took their drills out.

6. People, who hate travelling by sea, can go from Britain to France by train.

2. Put the tick if the sentence right:

a) France was an island 8000 years ago. b) Britain was an island 8000 years ago.

a) It takes you more than half an hour to get from Paris to London by train.

b) It takes you less than half an hour to get from Paris to London by train. a) Passenger trains are faster than car trains. b) Passenger trains are slower than car trains.

a) French engineers took the drills out. b) English engineers took the drills out.

a) Everybody thinks that the tunnel is a great thing. b) Most people think that the Tunnel is a great thing.

3. Choose the right answer:

1. Britain became an island _____.

a) in 1994 b) 8000 years ago c) when the tunnel was built

2. Now you can also get from Britain to France by____ .

a) plane b) train c) bus

3. Some people say that Britain is not an island because_____ .

a) there is no sea water between Britain and France b) you can get from Britain to France by train

c) the sea water went up

4. The trip from Britain to France by train is

a) expensive b) slow c) comfortable

5. ______________ built the Channel Tunnel.

a) The English b) The French c) The French and the English

6. Most British people___________ the Channel Tunnel.

a) are happy about b) don’t use c) dislike

4. Fill in the missing words: service, fast, per, between, drills, work, say, sea.

• A long time ago there was no sea water ……………………Britain and France.

• That’s why some people ………… that Britain is not an island!

• The trip in the Channel Tunnel is…………….. and comfor­table.

• The tunnel is 130 metres under the…………….. and it is 50 kilo­metres long.

• There are two tunnels for trains and one is a……………………… tunnel.

• Passenger trains can go as fast as 160 kilome­tres …………..hour.

• The builders used very big …………………from France and England.

• The French engineers took their drills out when the ……………was finished.