The word ambitious in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to the word determined - Word и Excel

The word ‘ambitious’ in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to the word

1)  determined.

2)  aggressive.

3)  arrogant.

4)  hopeful.

Moscow’s ‘Universal Provider’

Teatralnaya Square in Moscow is dominated by three imposing buildings: the Bolshoi Theatre, the Maly Theatre and TsUM  — Central Universal Department Store. All of them have a rich and fascinating history.

The building that has been known for almost 100 years as TsUM was built in 1908 as the famous Muir & Mirrielees Department Store and is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. Back at the turn of the 20th century, the building was owned by a Scottish family which was very well-known in Moscow.

Archibald Mirrielees was a 25-year-old ambitious Scotsman when he came to St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1822 to gain fame and fortune. Having started as a representative of a British company, in 1843 he founded a business under his own name. In 1852 he was joined by his young brother-in-law Andrew Muir, and so the Muir & Mirrielees company was born.

At first, the company was operating in St. Petersburg as a whole-sale business. Andrew Muir traveled all over Europe choosing the best fabrics, clothes and other fashionable goods which were then imported into Russia and sold to local shops. In 1867 the firm opened its first office in Moscow, which had played second fiddle to St. Petersburg from the time of Peter the Great, but now was rapidly developing its industries. By that time Archibald Mirrielees had already been retired for ten years and lived in England. Now his sons Archie and Fred were helping Andrew Muir to run the company.

In the middle of the 19th century the first Department stores appeared in Europe: first, The Bon Marché in Paris, and then, Whiteley’s in London. At the time when most shops were small, this was an innovation that was characterized by fixed prices, the possibility to exchange goods or get a refund, seasonal sales and daily deliveries to every part of the city. William Whiteley, who was first to open such a store in London, called his shop a ‘Universal Provider’ and indeed managed to find anything a client could ever fancy to buy.

This was the example that Muir & Mirrielees in Moscow were going to follow. In 1885, they bought a three-storey building in Petrovka, across the street from the Bolshoi. By 1892 the store had 25 departments, and in 1891 Muir & Mirrielees gave up wholesale trading and focused entirely on their Department store  — Moscow’s true ‘Universal Provider’.

Nobody knows how the big fire started. Some believe that it was jealous rivals from the smaller shops that set Muir & Mirrielees on fire. In any case, early in the evening on November 24, 1900, while Feodor Shalyapin was singing one of his leading roles across the street, the famous store went up in flames. By midnight, to the audience of both Bolshoi and Maly theatres’s spectators who’d deserted their performances in favour of a more dramatic spectacle, the building burnt down completely.

In 1908, the new Muir & Mirrielees store with 80 departments was erected in the same place, designed by the well-known architect Roman Klein. It was the first building in Russia to use walls of reinforced concrete  — a technique invented in America for sky-scrapers. It allowed for thinner walls and bigger windows. Moscow had never seen a building quite like this before. One of the attractions of the new store were two lifts that held 8 passengers each. This was also a novelty in Moscow, and not everyone trusted them.

Among the loyal customers of Muir & Mirrielees were Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy’s wife and daughter, the Tsvetayev family and many more.

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Moscow’s ‘Universal Provider’

Teatralnaya Square in Moscow is dominated by three imposing buildings: the Bolshoi Theatre, the Maly Theatre and TsUM – Central Universal Department Store. All of them have a rich and fascinating history.

The building that has been known for almost 100 years as TsUM was built in 1908 as the famous Muir & Mirrielees Dpartment Store and is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. Back at the turn of the 20th century, the building was owned by a Scottish family which was very well-known in Moscow.

In the middle of the 19‘ century the first Department stores appeared in Europe: first, The Bon Marche in Paris, and then, Whiteley’s in London. At the time when most shops were small, this was an innovation that was characterized by fixed prices, the possibility to exchange goods or get a refund, seasonal sales and daily deliveries to every part of the city. William White ley, who was first to open such a store in London, called his shop a ’Universal Provider’ and indeed managed to find anything a client could ever fancy to buy.

In 1908, the new Muir & Mirrielees store with 80 departments was erected in the same place, designed by the well-known architect Roman Klein. It was the first building in Russia to use walls of reinforced concrete – a technique invented in America for sky-scrapers. It allowed for thinner walls and bigger windows. Moscow had never seen a building quite like this before. One of the attractions of the new store were two lifts that held 8 passengers each. This was also a novelty in Moscow, and not everyone trusted them.

Among the loyal customers of Muir & Mirrielees were Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy’s wife and daughter, the Tsvetayev family and many more.

1. The word ‘ambitious’ in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to the word
1) determined.
2) aggressive.
3) arrogant.
4) hopeful.

2. Archibald Mirrielees lived in
1) Moscow at the beginning of the 20th century.
2) Moscow in the second half of the 19th century.
3) St Petersburg in the first half of the 19th century.
4) St Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century.

3. According to the 4th paragraph, Andrew Muir
1) was responsible for the quality of imported goods.
2) started selling musical instruments in Moscow.
3) spent his holidays in different European countries.
4) had two grown-up sons who were helping him.

4. According to the article, which of the following was NOT a novelty that made a Department store different from an ordinary small shop?
1) Clients could order goods from stores to be delivered to their homes.
2) Clients could return goods to the store and get their money back.
3) Client could pay much less if they negotiated the price at the store.
4) Clients could buy things cheaper at the store at certain seasons.

5. William Whiteley called his store a ‘Universal Provider’ because
1) he sold his goods all over the country.
2) of the variety of goods that were sold there.
3) his clients came from all social classes.
4) he provided many smaller shops with goods.

6. According to paragraph 7, on November 24, 1900
1) Feodor Shalyapin was watching the fire from across the street.
2) Feodor Shalyapin had fewer admirers listening to him than usually.
3) there was a drama played at the Bolshoi, rather than an opera.
4) performances in the Bolshoi and Maly theatres ended at midnight.

7. The new Muir & Mirrielees building seemed unusual to Muscovites because
1) from the outside it looked like a sky-scraper.
2) of the modem technologies that were used in it.
3) it was designed by an American architect.
4) of the attractive decorations on the lifts.

ВОПРОС 1: – 1
ВОПРОС 2: – 3
ВОПРОС 3: – 1
ВОПРОС 4: – 3
ВОПРОС 5: – 2
ВОПРОС 6: – 2
ВОПРОС 7: – 2

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МГИМО Английский язык

[start-test type=8]

[start-block]

Levels of Vocabulary

Most languages have several levels of vocabulary that may be used by the same speakers. In English, at least three have been identified and described. Standard usage includes those words and expressions understood, used, and accepted by a majority of the speakers of a language in any situation regardless of the level of formality.

As such, these words and expressions are well defined and listed in standard dictionaries

Colloquialisms, on the other hand, are familiar words and idioms that are understood by almost all speakers of a language and used in informal speech or writing, but not considered acceptable for more formal situations. Almost all idiomatic expressions are colloquial language

. (Part I)

Slang, however, refers to words and expressions understood by a large number of speakers but not accepted as appropriate formal usage by the majority. Colloquial expressions and even slang may be found in standard dictionaries but will be so identified. Both colloquial usage and slang are more common in speech than in writing. Colloquial speech often passes into standard speech.

Some slang also passes into standard speech, but other slang expressions enjoy momentary popularity followed by obscurity. In some cases, the majority never accepts certain slang phrases but nevertheless retains them in their collective memories.

Every generation seems to require its own set of words to describe familiar objects and events. It has been pointed out by a number of linguists that three cultural conditions are necessary for the creation of a large body of slang expressions. (Part II)

First, the introduction and acceptance of new objects and situations in the society; second, a diverse population with a large number of subgroups; third, association among the subgroups and the majority population.

Finally, it is worth noting that the terms “standard,” “colloquial,” and “slang” exist only as abstract labels for scholars who study language

. (Part III)

Only a tiny number of the speakers of any language will be aware that they are using colloquial or slang expressions. Most speakers of English will, during appropriate situations, select and use all three types of expressions. (Part IV)

[question text=»Which of the following is the main topic of the passage? » answers=» Standard speech#Idiomatic phrases#*Different types of vocabulary#Dictionary usage «]

[question text=»How is slang defined by the author? » answers=» Words and phrases accepted the majority for formal usage#Words and phrases understood by the majority but not found in standard dictionaries#Words and phrases that are understood by a restricted group of speakers#*Words and phrases understood by a large number of speakers but not accepted as formal usage «]

[question text=»The word ‘obscurity’ in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by » answers=» *disappearance#influence#qualification#tolerance «]

[question text=»The word ‘appropriate’ in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to » answers=» old#large#*correct#important «]

[question text=»The word ‘them’ in paragraph 3 refers to » answers=» words#*slang phrases#memories#the majority «]

[question text=»Where in the passage does the author explain where colloquial language and slang are most commonly used? » answers=» Part I#*Part II#Part III#Part IV «]

[question text=»What does the author mean by the statement in the following lines: “Colloquialisms, on the other hand, are familiar words and idioms that are understood by almost all speakers of a language and used in informal speech or writing, but not considered acceptable for more formal situations”? » answers=» Familiar words and phrases are found in both speech and writing in formal settings#Familiar situations that are experienced by most people are called colloquialisms#*Informal language contains colloquialisms, which are not found in more formal language#Most of the speakers of a language can use both formal and informal speech in appropriate situations «]

[question text=»Which of the following is true of standard usage?’ » answers=» *It can be used in formal or informal settings#It is limited to written language#It is only understood by the upper classes#It is constantly changing «]

[question text=»The author mentions all of the following as requirements for slang expressions to be created EXCEPT » answers=» new situations#a new generation#interaction among diverse groups#*a number of linguists «]

[question text=»It can be inferred from the passage that the author » answers=» does not approve of either slang or colloquial speech in any situation#approves of colloquial speech in some situations, but not slang#*approves of slang and colloquial speech in appropriate situations#does not approve of colloquial usage in writing «]

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[end-test]

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Выполните онлайн автоматизированный тест по материалам пробного ЕГЭ (апрель, 2019). Это третье задание по чтению.

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании выберите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Scholastic Aptitude Test

The Scholastic Aptitude test or the SAT is a standardized test used in the United States for college admissions. High school students usually take the SAT at the end of their junior year (11 grade) of High School or at the beginning of their senior year (12 grade). Students are able to re-take the test as many times as they like on any of the test dates, which occur 6-8 times a year. The test is administered all over the world, and most big cities have at least one testing center.
The SAT is developed and run by College Board, an American non-profit organization created to provide teenagers with access to higher education. It was founded in 1899 and was originally called the College Entrance Examination Board (CHEB). Not only does it develop standardized testing, it also develops the Advances Placement (AP) Program. AP classes are offered in most High Schools in the U.S. and provide students with university level classes. These classes allow students to gain college credit and skip some of the basic courses at the university.
Today, the SAT is made up of three main parts: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, Mathematics and the Essay, but over its long history, the SAT has undergone several changes in format, types of questions and scoring. The first standardized exam was administered by the CEEB in 1901. It consisted of a series of essay questions on topics such as Greek, Latin and Physics, it was completed over the course of 5 days. After the development of the IQ test in 1905, the SAT changed its approach to the test, now testing not specific knowledge, but aptitude for learning. By 1961 the SAT was taken by over 800 thousand students annually.
A lot of changes were made to the SAT between 1994 and 2005: the use of calculators became permitted, the reading passages were chosen to mimic texts students might encounter in college, the scoring system was changed from 1600 to 2400, and an essay section was introduced. Some of these changes were reversed in 2016; the scoring system changed back to 1600 and the essay became optional.
In recent years, the SAT has been criticized for not being a good reflection of students’ academic ability. The test puts a lot of emphasis on speed and time management, prioritizing it over knowledge and reasoning. The reading section contains 52 questions based on 5 reading passages and has a time limit of 65 minutes. Even without the time it takes to read and understand each passage, this gives a student a little over a minute to answer each question, some of which are quite difficult. The other sections are no better. The whole exam takes 4 hours and 5 minutes to complete, and the breaks between its four sections are very short: a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing sections, 5 minutes between Writing and Math, and only 2 minutes between Math and the essay. Because of these issues, more and more universities are becoming «test-optional», meaning that they do not require their students to submit standardized test scores.
In the summer of 2018, there was a scandal regarding the August SAT. The test got leaked to the internet a few days before the exam. Because of this College Board threatened to cancel all the scores. This news resulted in a lot of panicked high school seniors, who would not have time to re-take the test before their college applications were due. A lot of desperate students turned to the ACT (American College Testing), the SAT ‘s main rival, as an alternative standardized test.

Reading 12-18

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Task1. Note the meanings of the 9 prefixes given below. Make new words with given prefixes. Decide on the part of speech for each of the words. Then work out the approximate meaning or the words that follow before checking their meanings in a good dictionary:

over=too much co=together en=make

under= too little il, in, im, ir, un=not.

dose-___________________________

shadow__________________________

privileged___________________________

habit______________________________

large________________________________

literate________________________________

measurable_____________________________

compromising_______________________________

Can you think of three more beginning with each of the prefixes listed in the exercise?

.Task2.Note the meanings of the 5 prefixes given in the box bellow. Make new words with given prefixes.Dicide on the part of speech for each of the words. Then work out the approximate meaning of the words that follow before checking their meanings in a good dictionary:

action_____________________________

planery_____________________________

historic______________________________

going_________________________________

humorous_______________________________

consider___________________________________

colonise__________________________________

Can you think three more words beginning with each of prefixes listed in the exercise?

Task 3 . Note the meanings of the 5 prefixes given in the box below. Make new words with given prefixes .decide on the part of speech for each of the words. Then work out the approximate meaning of the words that follow before checking their meanings in good dictionary:

trans= across, to the other side dis= causes the action to be reversed anti

counter= against, in opposition to mis= in the wrong manner

continental_____________________________

clockwise________________________________

balance__________________________________

count____________________________________

reputable___________________________________

handle______________________________________

understanding___________________________________

Can you think of three more words beginning with each of the prefixes listed in the exercise?

Task 4

In each sentence one word needs the addition of a prefix to give meaning to the sentence.

Identify the words which need prefixes and them.

Known as Saint Nicholas in Germany, Santa Claus was usually accompanied by Black peter, an elf, who punished____________ obedient children.
Unemployment and costs have to ______________ acceptable levels.
If he has his opinions on a subject, he is ____________ moveable.
She headed back home and left her mission______________ accomplished.
She is rather _______________ trustful person to strangers.
It was an ___________ mistakable step of his: he had own.
It was ________________ rational to react in that manner.
It is ________________ legal to drive while intoxicated.
It was _____________ modest of them to say that.
He had made progress that was previously____________ achievable.
It would be ____________ accurate to say that she has been dismissed.
He left a growing ______________ satisfaction with himself and his position.
It is a _____________ alcoholic drink.
You were ___________ attentive at the lecture, that’s why you didn’t understand anything.
The great Himalayan region is one of the few remaining isolated and ____________ accessible areas in the world today.

Task 5 In each sentence one word needs the addition of a prefix to give meaning to the sentence. Identify the words which need prefixes and them.

He never phones his friends or goes out any more: he’s becoming really social.________________
With 600 billion people, the country faces population.__________________________
Don’t you think it was very responsible to leave a six-year-old alone in the house?________________
There are too many mistakes in this essay: I’m afraid you’ll have to write it.________________-
He added a script to his letter to say that he received her check.___________________________
I think I have done the steaks: they’re very tough._________________________________
Drugs are legal in almost every country on earth.___________________________________

Task 6 in each sentence the word in capital letters needs the additions of prefix to give meaning.

I have decided to write my 1 _________________ -Biography! Now, you may think at 25 that I am too2_______________- MATURE to embark upon such an ambitious project but I think age is completely 3__________________ RELEVANT. Anyway, I’m sure that my literary abilities will allow me to 4____________ COME that hurdle only too easy. It will be written in a form of a 5______________ LOGUE in which I tell the world about some of the 6 ______________ BELIEVABLY interesting events in my life so far. I also intend to clear up some very common and totally 7 _______________ LOGICAL 8_____________ CONSEPTIONS about the 9____________NATURAL and finally convince people that all those pseudo-intellectuals at universities have got it all wrong. Being my friend, I hope you will buy a copy or it would be extremely 10_______________ LOYAL not to do so, after all.

Task 7 Complete this chart using the prefixes in the box to make the opposites of the adjectives and verbs given.

In- im- un- mis- dis-

Adjective/ Verb	Opposite
active	1____________________
secure	2
capable	3
experienced	4
possible	5
fortunate	6
conscious	7
healthy	8
understand	9
calculate	10
approve	11
obey	12

Task 8 Form nouns from the given words with the help of the prefixes with the opposite meaning.

Example: employment- unemployment

honesty-____________________

difference-______________________

fortune-________________________

understanding-_______________________

dependence-_________________________

importance-__________________________

security-___________________________

expensive-_________________________

obedience-__________________________

population-__________________________

alcoholic-__________

___________________

Task 9 Supply the right adjectival forms.

Example: I suspect he isn’t honest. In fact he’s quite dishonest

This arrangement isn’t strictly legal. Some people would regard it is _________________
Sometimes she doesn’t behave in a responsible manner. She’s quite___________________
Such a situation is barely imaginable. It is quite_____________________________________
Bob’s not very capable. He’s ____________________ of making sound decisions.
This fish hasn’t been cooked enough. It’s _________________________________________
This scheme isn’t very practical. In fact, it’s quite_____________________________________
This dates from before the war. It’s_______________________________________________

Task 10. Form adjectives from the given ones with the help of the prefixes and point out the changes in meaning.

Example: practical- impractical

possible__________________

urban______________________

appointing_____________________

conscious _______________________

informed__________________________

accurate___________________________

believable___________________________

acceptable_____________________________

legal_________________________________

able_________________________________

complete______________________________

married________________________________

bearable_______________________________

successful______________________________

calculation_____________________________

approval________________________________

measurable______________________________

expensive________________________________

modest___________________________________

Keys.

Task 1. Possible answers: overdose, overshadow, underprivileged, cohabit, illiterate, immeasurable, uncompromising

Task2. Possible answers: interaction, interplanetary, prehistoric, foregoing, posthumous, reconsider, recolonise

Task3. Possible answers: transcontinental, anticlockwise, counterbalance, discount, disreputable, mishandle, misunderstanding

Task4. Possible answers: 1. disobedient, 2. unacceptable, 3 immovable, 4 unaccomplished, 5distruthful, 6. Unmistaken, 7. Irrational, 8. Illegal, 9. Immodest, 10.u,nachievable 11.unaccurate, 12.dissatisfaction

13 non-alcoholic,14 inattentive, 15 inaccessible

Task 5. 1 anti-social, 2. over-population, 3. irresponsible, 4. rewrite, 5. postscript, 6. overdone, 7 illegal

Task6 1. AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 2. IMMATURE, 3. IRRELEVANT, 4 OVERCOME, 5. MONOLOGUE/DIALOGUE

6. UNBELIEVABLY, 7 ILLOGICAL, 8. MISCONSEPTIONS, 9. SUPERNATURAL, 10. DISLOYAL

Task7 .1 inactive, 2 insecure, 3 incapable, 4 inexperienced, 5 Impossible, 6 unfortunate, 7 unconscious, 8 unhealthy, 9 misunderstand, 10 miscalculate, 11 disapprove, 12 disobey

Task8 dishonesty, indifference, misfortune, misunderstanding, independence, unimportance, insecurity, inexpensive, disobedience, overpopulation, non-alcoholic

Task9 illegal, irresponsible, unimaginable, incapable, uncooked, impractical, pre-war

Task10 impossible, interurban, disappointing, unconscious, unavailable, misinformed, inaccurate, unbelievable, unacceptable, illegal, unable, incomplete, unmarried, unbearable, unsuccessful, miscalculation, disapproval, immeasurable, inexpensive

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