Control work in English on the topic of English grammar

Task I

Reading

Read the text and choose the best answer (a, b, c or d) to the questions that follow.

A FISH OUT OF WATER

A week earlier I had no idea that the following Friday morning I'd be about to present my screenplay for a film to my favourite film director, George Slater. Sitting alone in the waiting room outside his office, watching the carp safe in their aquarium playfully chasing each other's tails, I could hardly believe where I was. I wish I could say I was loving every minute of it. This was one fish who was definitely out of water.

How did I find myself in that situation? Well, it all started when my friend Steve asked me if I'd like to earn some extra cash helping to serve drinks at a party. He neglected to tell me that the party was to be at Mr Slater's house, so I said no. On the night of the party, Steve phoned me up again, saying that one of the guys had got ill and they were desperate. He begged me to help him out and since I was getting nowhere with the screenplay I was trying to write, I agreed.

Two hours later I found myself sitting in movie director George Slater's kitchen telling Mr Slater himself about the screenplay I had 'just finished.' He said he liked the basic idea but that he was not sure who it was aimed at or whether it would work. Although he gave me some good suggestions, I went back to serving drinks feeling disappointed.

The following day, I got a phone call from Mr Slater. At first I thought it was a friend pretending to be him, so I hung up. When he called back, I immediately realised my mistake and couldn't stop apologising. Mr Slater said he had had second thoughts and would like to read my screenplay. He had got my number from Steve and he gave me one week to 'put the final touches to it.'

From that moment until the next Friday morning I hardly slept at all. Sitting in the waiting room, watching the carp watching me, all my doubts about the screenplay came flooding back and I wondered whether I would not have been better off if I had actually been able to write on the night of Mr Slater's party.

(1) What is the writer trying to do in this text?

a) show how to get a screenplay accepted.

b) describe a chance meeting.

c) criticise the film-making industry.

d) explain how lucky he had been.

(2) How did the writer feel while he was waiting?

a) playful

b) happy

c) uncomfortable

d) impatient

(3) Why did the writer not accept his friend's first request?

a) He did not know whose party it was.

b) Steve owed him some money.

c) He was too busy working.

d) He wasn't feeling well.

(4) How did the writer feel when he got the second phone call from Mr Slater?

a) Guilty for having lied about finishing the screenplay.

b) Embarrassed for not recognising his voice.

c) Worried about finishing the screenplay.

d) Angry with Steve.

(5) What kind of person does the writer seem to be?

a) lazy

b) anxious

c) suspicious

d) confident

Task II English in use

1.Error correction.

In most lines of the following text, there is one wrong word. It is ei­ther grammatically incorrect or it doesn't fit in with the sense of the text. For each numbered line 1-13, write the wrong word in the space. Some lines are correct. Indicate these with a tick (v). The exercise begins with two examples.

0 Saints are person believed to be connected in a special person

00 manner with what is viewed as sacred reality-gods, spiritual V

1 powers, mythical realms, and other aspects of the sacred or _______
2 holy. The existence of such persons has been a widespread ________

3. phenomens throughout the religions of the world. The religious ________

4. person may have been various relationships with the sacred: as seer, ________

5. prophet, saviour, monk, nun, priest, priestess, or another such ________

6. personage. In the case of each of these, however, a specific ________

7. kind of relationship to a holy is involved. Seers, for example, ________

8. have a inspirational vision of the future; prophets proclaim ________

9. a revelation; saviours are entrusted with effecting redemption, ________

10. liberation, or other salvatory conditions; monks and nuns lead ________

11. religious live in accordance with ascetic regulations that they ________

12. generally observe as long as they live. Every one of these ________

13. religious personages may simultaneously being a saint. ________

2. For questions 1-16, read the text below and decide which an­swers А, В, С or D best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Hospice

Hospice is a 0) a or hospital established to 1)... the physical and emo­tional suffering of the dying. The 2)... life-prolonging measures rou­tinely taken in intensive-care 3)... often only increased the discomfort and 4)... of terminally ill patients and 5)... them of the opportunity to die in a 6)... and dignified fashion. In response to the absence in the medical 7)... of provisions for the supportive 8)... of this class of patients, the modern hospice was developed. The hospice 9)... as a sympathetic and reassuring 10)... dedicated to making the last days of the dying as pleas­ant as possible. The 11)... of physical pain is the first priority, and anal­gesics, tranquilizers, and physical therapy are used to alleviate physical 12).... Hospices emphasize the prevention, rather than the mere control, of pain through 13)... monitoring and by the tailoring of drugs and their dosages to patients' 14)... needs. Patients in hospices receive moral 15)... from loved ones as well as the staff itself, and a variety of 16)... are used to further their emotional and spiritual well-being.

0

A home

В house

С apartment

Dflat

1

A dismiss

В relax

С relieve

D vary

2

A tough

В aggressive

С zealous

D aggrieved

3

A elements

В blocks

С units

D parts

4

A lonely

В single

С remote

D isolation

5

A deprived

В bare

С lost

D despoiled

6

A neutral

В peaceful

С restful

D smooth

7

Apian

В method

С system

D pattern

8

A care

В concern

С pressure

D trouble

9

A jobs

В functions

С missions

D purposes

10

A context

В conditions

С environment

D situation

11

A interdiction

В frustration

С obstruction

D prevention

12

A hardship

В suffering

С passion

D torture

13

A keen

В guarded

С vigilant

D sharp

14

A single

В individual

С unique

D unusual

15

A blessing

В loyalty

С comfort

D support

16

A measures

В rules

С norms

D types

3. Read the sentences below and decide which answer А, В, С or D nest fits each blank.

l. At the station they are usually met by a man from the travel bureau...?

A. are they

B. isn't they

C. are they not

D. aren't they

2. Now he seemed half as ... as he used to be before his illness.

A. strong

B. stronger
С strongly

D. the strongest

3. At last we found ... in a big room with large windows.

A. our self

B. our own

C. ourself

D. ourselves

4. Edna isn't in her office. She must... home.

A. go

B. have gone

C. had gone

D. has gone

5. The key will... with the clerk downstairs.

A. leave

B. be leaving
С. be left

D. be leaved

6. If she approved of the article now I... it to the newspaper.

A. would send

B. should send

C. would be sent

D. should have sent

7. When we want to write ... letter, we take ... piece of... paper and
pen.

a. a, -, , - .

B. а, а, а, а

C. а, а, -, а

D. a, the, -, -

8. I'm afraid I ate too much cake with my tea. You ... it.

A. should not have done it

B. should have done

C. should do

D. should not do

9. I... to go to the cinema a lot, but I never get the time now.

A. am used to go

B. is used to go

C. used to going

D. used to go

10. He'd rather ... tennis than swim.

A. play

B. played

C. had played

D. to play

11. It became ... that he was lying.

A. clear

B. clearly

C. clearing

D. clearful

12. It tastes nice if you add ... salt.

A. many

B. few

C. a few

D. a little

13. It was ... interesting meeting.
A. such

B. such a

С so I

D. such an

14. The police have issued a detailed ... of the missing woman.

A. inscription

B . excretion

C. description

D . postscript

15. It's the first time she ... by the news in her life.

A. was astounded

B. is astounded

С has been astounded D. is astounding

16. It was ... than I thought.

A. much so worse

B. much worse

C. worser

D. the worst

4. Using idioms.

Complete each sentence with a suitable idiom. Use each only once.

A. as busy as a bee

B. keep an open mind

C. behind someone's back

D. to someone's credit

E. drop a brick

1. This decision was taken ....

2. The king,..., opposed the establishment of a military government.

3. Yesterday she was ... papering the walls in her room.

4. He ... in front of the president by calling her "sir".

5. I think we should ... on this until we know all the facts.

5. Word formation.

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word given at the end. As you do the exercise think about the kind of word that is needed in the sentence - verb, noun, or adjective.

1. He is the owner of the company, but his deputy is the real ... force behind it. drive

2. The car's fuel... is very high. consume

3. His illness seems to have ... him quite noticeably. ageing

4. She is ...to the fur of cats. allergy

5. The opposition leaders were ... on the orders of the dictator. liquidation

6. Aunt Mary's a real ... . She's totally opposed to women going out to work. conservatism

7. It soon became ... when the fire went out. chill

8. The agency offers practical... to people starting their own business guide

9. The colours don't seem to ... with each other at all. harmony

10. This music is quite ... . listen