Вариант 2 по английскому языку.

Вы услышите 6 высказываний. Установите соответствие между высказываниями каждого говорящего A-F и утверждениями, данными в списке 1-7. Используйте каждое утверждение, обозначенное соответствующей цифрой, только один раз. В задании есть одно лишнее утверждение.
Запишите номера ответов в порядке A-F в окошечко ниже, то есть если ваши ответы: А-3, В-5, С-6, D-9, E-8, F-6 то в окошечко ниже пишем: 356986

B1

1. I feel unhappy because I can"t change public attitude to our planet.
2. I would like to see new energy saving laws introduced.
3. I am afraid of the after-effects of human activities.
4. I am sure that wise attitude to basic earth supplies is necessary.
5. I do not want my family to live in polluted environment.
6. I am for the use of energy saving practices in house construction.
7. I find many simple ways to help our planet in everyday life.

Вы услышите диалог. Определите, какие из приведенных утверждений А1-А7 соответствуют содержанию текста (1 - True), какие не соответствуют (2 - False) и о чем в тексте не сказано, то есть на основании текста нельзя дать ни положительного, ни отрицательного ответа (3 - Not stated).
Выберите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа.

A1

When leaving school Emily already knew that she would study medicine.

True

False

Not stated

A2

Emily left Melbourne to get new experiences.

True

False

Not stated

A3

Emily moved to Finland because she found her lab work in London boring.

True

False

Not stated

A4

In Finland people at university preferred to speak Finnish with Emily.

True

False

Not stated

A5

David is not happy about his experience of learning French in France.

True

False

Not stated

A6

David would like to go by the trans-Siberian train one day.

True

False

Not stated

A7

Emily is going to London again to continue her studies of immune system.

True

False

Not stated

Вы услышите интервью. В заданиях А8-А14,
Выберите правильный ответ.

A8

The Portobello Festival differs from festivals in Cannes and Venice as it

is running its second season only.

is not so fashionable and well-known.

does not attract celebrities.

A9

The festival was initially founded to

let independent filmmakers demonstrate their work.

help different filmmakers earn money.

advertise video equipment but not to show films.

A10

According to the festival"s director they made the festival free because

they get enough money for placing advertisements.

there are no expensive prizes and launch parties.

sponsors and funds provide good financial support.

A11

One characteristic feature of the Portobello Festival is that

700 films are shown each festival season.

only short films are chosen for the festival annually.

student films are shown together with professionals" works.

A12

The festival"s director believes that their films are

of better quality than TV films.

worthy to be shown on TV.

the world"s top hits.

A13

The famous filmmaker whose first film was shown at the festival is

John Malkovich.

Guy Ritchie.

Jonathan Barnett.

A14

Speaking about future plans, the festival"s director

thinks the festival will be united with Glastonbury or Edinburgh events.

believes the festival should turn to other arts mostly.

sounds optimistic about the festival extension.

Установите соответствие между заголовками 1-8 и текстами A-G.В задании один заголовок лишний.
Запишите номера ответов в порядке A-F в окошечко ниже, то есть если ваши ответы: А-3, В-5, С-6, D-9, E-8, F-6, G-1 то в окошечко ниже пишем: 3569861

B2

1. Perfect for a quiet holiday
2. Land of nature wonders
3. Bad for animals
4. A visit to the zoo
5. Perfect for an active holiday
6. Difficult start
7. New perspectives
8. New rules to follow

B3

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания А15-А21.
Выберите правильный ответ в каждом задании.

A15

The narrator was looking forward to meeting with his father because he

hoped that his parents would get back together.

expected to get a valuable present from him.

wanted to stay with him in New York.

missed the feeling of being with him.

A16

The narrator"s request to meet was accepted by his father

unwillingly.

with great pleasure.

in business-like manner.

with much hope and expectation.

A17

it was the happiest time of his life.

he was proud of his father"s good looks.

he wanted to boast of his father to his friends.

he wished to remember their moments together.

A18

The narrator wanted to be photographed with his father because

the son was pressed for time to catch a train.

it was necessary to book in advance to enter the club.

the man feared that his son would not behave properly.

it was a closed club with no children allowed.

A19

The father"s behaviour in the first restaurant was inappropriate as he

was too boisterous in an empty restaurant.

could not afford to pay the bill.

tried to boast of his knowledge of foreign languages.

treated the waiter in a rude manner.

A20

The waiter in the next restaurant refused to bring them more drinks as

the son looked pale and faint.

the boy was too young to drink alcohol.

the restaurant was closing soon.

the waiter got angry with the son.

A21

The title of the story "Reunion" actually implies that the

son found his lost father after decades of separation.

son now would be living together with his father.

son made an attempt to re-establish relations with his father.

"father - son" relations is what both sides feel the need for.

Прочитайте приведенные ниже тексты. Преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами В4-В10, так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы В4-В10.

B4

Among the e-mails waiting for me at work one morning was one from a member of my staff. It was sent from his personal e-mail address and there was only his home phone number. Thinking something was wrong, I immediately called_.

B5

A sleepy female voice answered and told me he was at work and _home late in the evening.

B6

The_moment was when I remembered that I had recently asked staff members to give me their home numbers. I went right down to the employee"s office to apologize for my call.

B7

_, however, he thanked me. I had awakened his daughter, who had an exam that morning but had forgotten to set her alarm. Thanks to my call, she hadn"t missed the exam.

B8

In English-speaking countries they celebrate Valentine"s Day and Mother"s Day. In Russia we celebrate the International Women"s Day. Though it__ "International", it is observed only in Russia and some CIS countries.

B9

Boys and____bring flowers and small presents to girls and women they work or study with.

B10

It___a tradition for husbands to do all house work on that day. There are many jokes about it being the only day of the year when they do this.

Прочитайте приведенный ниже текст. Образуйте от слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами В11-В16, однокоренные слова, так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы В11-В16.
Ответ введите в окошечко ниже в виде текста НИЖНЕГО регистра, например, "conversation" (без ковычек)

B11

Following a recent renovation, the new Hancock Observatory invites you to enjoy Chicago"s best views from the city"s highest open-air Skywalk. It has quickly gained _ with both Chicagoans and visitors of the city.

B12

Skywalk is Chicago"s highest open-air viewing area. It is 1,000 feet in the air! Everyone here can feel the strong wind and hear the dynamic buzz of the city below. The friendly staff will _ tell the real story behind Chicago"s "Windy City" nickname.

B13

For those who feel___about such a great height there are more relaxing indoor audio Sky Tours.

B14

These 30-minute personal audio tours give a unique "overview" of Chicago"s wonderful sights and _ history! Sky Tours are available in English, Spanish and German.

B15

History Wall is another popular_. More than 100 photos on a great 80-foot display show Chicago"s rise from a small settlement to a great city.

B16

As a tour guide I have been to the Skywalk _ times and still I can"t help admiring it.

Желаем успеха!

Вы услышите разговор двух подруг. Определите, какие из приведенных утверждений А1–А7 соответствуют содержанию текста (1 ), какие не соответствуют (2 ) и о чем в тексте не сказано, то есть на основании текста нельзя дать ни положительного, ни отрицательного ответа (3 ). Обведите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа. Вы услышите запись дважды.

She believes that bad eating habits start from birth.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated She thinks that grandparents often harm children without intending to.

When Declan was a teenager, his food intake was controlled by his mother.

1) True 2) False 3) Not stated Declan has now changed his eating habits.

* Задания по аудированию были предоставлены издательством Pearson Education.

A. Food is any substance or materials eaten or drunk to provide nutritional support for the body and/or for pleasure. It usually consists of plant or animal origin that contains essential ingredients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth and maintain life. The right to food is a human right derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

B. Packaged foods are manufactured outside the home for purchase. Early food processing techniques were limited by available food preservation, packaging and transportation. This mainly involved salting, drying, pickling, curdling, fermentation and smoking. Food manufacturing arose during the industrial revolution in the 19 th century. This development took advantage of new mass markets and emerging new technology such as milling, preservation, packaging, labeling and transportation.

C. People who have busy work or social schedules don’t have much time for cooking at home. Takeout meals from restaurants, pizza parlors and delicatessens have become a regular part of everyday life. Food can be picked up at a café, or people call in orders by phone and the takeaway meal is delivered to their homes. Ready-to-eat and instant processed foods that are quick to prepare are very popular. Snacks and junk food like doughnuts, popcorn, cookies, or potato chips are also easy to prepare.

D. The expression “as American as an apple pie” means something that is typically American, but even apple pie came from somewhere else. The only true American foods are those that the Native Americans gave the first settlers, including corn, squash, pumpkin, turkey, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie which are still eaten at Thanksgiving. Immigrants have brought all kinds of dishes with them from their home countries. A typical family may eat tacos (originally from Mexico), pizza (from Italy), or apple pie (from England).

B3 Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений,

обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна из частей в списке 1–7 лишняя.

Занесите цифру, обозначающую соответствующую часть предложения, в таблицу.

Can You Alter Your Memory?

Is it possible to permanently change your memories? A group of experts thinks so. And their new techniques for altering memories are raising possibilities of one day treating people A _______________________ and other anxietyrelated conditions.

Some researchers are working with combat veterans, car-accident survivors and rape victims to replace their memories with less fear-filled ones using a familiar hypertension drug. Other doctors are studying whether behavioral therapy can one day be used to modify memories of peopleB _______________________. A person bitten by a dog as a child, for instance, might be able to overcome a canine phobia if the old memory can be replaced with a less scary one.

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК ВАРИАНТ 1

The goal of the research isn"t to erase memory outright, as depicted in popular movies over the years. That would raise ethical issues and questions of what would happen to associated memories, researchers say. Instead, "reducing or eliminating the fear accompanying the memory...that would be the ideal scenario," says Roger Pitman, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School C _______________________.

The latest research is based on a radical rethinking of how memories are stored in the brain. Experts used to believe memories are like snapshots on which the details are fixed once they are recorded. Now, many experts accept the view D _______________________; each time they are pulled down for viewing, they can be altered before being put back into storage. Altering a memory during the time it is off the shelf can create an updated memory E _______________________, scientists believe.

Sometimes a traumatic incident can trigger an enduring response of fear whenever the incident is recalled, even indirectly. A car backfiring, for instance, can set off an emotional response in a combat veteran if the loud noise becomes associated in his mind with a wartime experience.

A common therapy currently for trauma and phobias is called exposure treatment. It involves repetitive exposure in a nonthreatening way to help patients confront their fears and gradually weaken the fear response, a process known as extinction. But with extinction, the fearful memories don"t disappear or get altered, and relapse is common, says Edna Foa, an expert on post-traumatic stress disorder at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. If extinction could be enhanced,F _______________________ , she says.

Researchers are hoping new techniques will weaken the fear response for a longer period, or perhaps permanently.

1. that memories are stored like individual files on a shelf

2. that include a speeded-up heart rate

3. that could mean more efficient treatment with less relapse

4. that can be saved in place of the old one

5. who has done extensive work in this area

6. who suffer from phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder

7. who react with fear to common anxiety-producing events

Прочитайте текст и выполните задания А15–А21 . В каждом задании обведите цифру1 ,2 ,3 или4 , соответствующую выбранному вами варианту ответа.

Vacation at Home

(Life with Father by Clarence Day)

Father, Mother and my brothers went out to the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. I was finishing my freshman year at Yale, and by the time I got home they had gone. Father had written me that I had better follow on and join them, but I couldn’t. I had spent all my allowance. It wasn’t this that bothered me, however, or not going out to Chicago. It was the fact that I owed Warner Hall and other tradesmen nearly three hundred dollars, and I didn’t see how I could be so reckless, or when I could ever pay up. Worst of all, my creditors too had become pessimistic.

I borrowed a nickel for carfare from old Margaret and went down at once to Father’s office to ask for a job. They didn’t have any work for me down there and didn’t want me around, but it was lucky I went, because while I was there one of my creditors entered. He had come down to New York with a bundle of overdue bills to see whether he could collect any of them by calling upon his customers’ parents. It had never occurred to me that anyone would come to Father’s office like this. If Father had been there and I hadn’t I’d have been in serious trouble for Father had warned me repeatedly not to borrow money. I was frightened. The creditor said, as he left, that since my father was out, he would have to call on him again the next time he came to New York.

I didn’t know what to do. But one thing was clear. I saw I must stick around Father’s office for the rest of that summer. So as soon as my parents got back from the Fair, I begged my Father to give me a job. I didn’t need any vacation, I told him, and I would be getting a lot of valuable experience if he would let me go to work.

After thinking it over, he said that perhaps I could make myself useful as an office boy while his clerks were taking turns going on their vacations. I started the very next day at four dollars a week.

I might have got slightly better wages elsewhere, but I couldn’t have made enough anyway to pay much on my bills, and the most important thing was not to make a few dollars extra but to stand on guard at the door of Father’s office to keep my creditors out. When I was sent out on an errand, I ran all the way there and back. When I was in the office, I always kept one eye on the grated window where the cashier sat in his counter, to make sure that no creditors from New Haven were coming in to see Father.

But late in the summer I got into trouble again. The cashier told Father that I had taken hold better than he had expected, and that although I was not very accurate I was punctual and quick and seemed to be especially interested in getting down early. Father was so pleased that he sent for me to come into his inner office and told me that he had decided I had earned a vacation.

I said that honestly and truly a vacation was the last thing I wanted.

A18 The creditor he met in his father’s office lived in

1) New Haven.

2) Chicago.

3) New York.

4) London.

A19 The main reason why the narrator’s father gave him a job was that

1) his wife asked him to do it.

2) he needed people while his clerks were on holiday.

3) he had a vacancy.

4) he wanted to see his son more often.

The phrase “But late in the summer I got into trouble again” implies that

1) clarence’s father wanted him to have a rest.

2) his father had met one of his creditors.

3) the cashier was displeased with his work.

4) the narrator had lost his job.

At last the narrator decided

1) to go to the World Fair.

2) to lie again.

3) to tell the truth.

4) to return to Yale.

Раздел 3. Грамматика и лексика

Прочитайте приведенные ниже тексты. Преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами B4–B10, так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Заполните пропуски полученными словами.Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы B4–B10 .

Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами А22–А28 . Эти номера соответствуют заданиям A22–A28 , в которых представлены возможные варианты ответов. Обведите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа.

Doctor Sadao Hoki was a highly skilled Japanese doctor. He was young and ambitious. His low, square stone house was set A22 ____ rocks well above a narrow beach that was outlined with bent pines. He liked his house very much and missed it when he was away. Sadao had been sent at twenty-two to America to study. He had come back at thirty,A23 _____ not only as a surgeon but as a scientist. Because of his medical research, he had not been sent abroad with theA24 ____. Also, he knew, there was some slight danger that the old General might need an operation for a condition for which he was now being treated medically, and for this possibility, Sadao was being kept in Japan.

A25_____ at the fog coming in over the beach, Sadao thought of his wife. He had met Hana in America, but he had waited toA26 _____ in love with her until he was sure she believed in traditional Japanese values. She was slender, beautiful and very kind. He oftenA27_ _____ whom he would have married if he had not met Hana.

It was at this moment that he saw something black come out of the mist. It was a man. The man was on his hands and knees, crawling. Then he saw him fall on his face and A28 ____ there.

You have 20 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Ned who writes:

… I am going to make a report on Russian painting. Could you tell me what Russian painters are the most popular in your country? Do you and your friends often visit museums and art galleries? What are your favourite pictures and why?

As for the latest news, my elder brother has just won a prize…

Write a letter to Ned.

− answer his questions

− ask3 questions about his elder brother’s prize.

Write 100 – 140 words.

Remember the rules of letter writing.

You have 40 minutes to do this task.

Comment on the following statement.

Some people think that extreme sports should be banned.

What is your opinion?

Write 200 – 250 words.

Use the following plan:

− make an introduction (state the problem)

− express your personal opinion and give reasons for it

− give arguments for the other point of view and explain why you don’t agree with it

− draw a conclusion

Инструкция по выполнению работы

Экзаменационная работа по английскому языку состоит из четырех разделов, включающих 46 заданий.

Раздел 1 («Аудирование») включает 15 заданий, из которых первое – на установление соответствия и 14 заданий с выбором одного правильного ответа из трех предложенных. Рекомендуемое время на выполнение раздела 1 – 30 минут.

Раздел 2 («Чтение») включает 9 заданий, из которых 2 задания на установление соответствия и 7 заданий с выбором одного правильного ответа из четырех предложенных. Рекомендуемое время на выполнение раздела 2 – 30 минут.

Раздел 3 («Грамматика и лексика») включает 20 заданий, из которых 13 заданий с кратким ответом и 7 заданий с выбором одного правильного ответа из четырех предложенных. При выполнении заданий с кратким ответом вы должны самостоятельно записать ответ в соответствующем месте работы. Рекомендуемое время на выполнение раздела 3 – 40 минут.

По окончании выполнения заданий каждого из этих разделов не забывайте переносить свои ответы в бланк ответов № 1.

Раздел 4 («Письмо») состоит из двух заданий и представляет собой небольшую письменную работу (написание личного письма и письменного высказывания с элементами рассуждения). Рекомендуемое время на выполнение этого раздела работы – 60 минут. Черновые пометки делаются прямо на листе с заданиями (они не оцениваются), и только полный вариант ответа заносится в бланк ответов № 2.

Общее время проведения экзамена – 160 минут.

Желаем успеха!

Вы услышите беседу журналиста с основателем эко-коммуны. Определите, какие из приведенных утверждений А1–А7 соответствуют содержанию текста (1 ), какие не соответствуют (2 ) и о чем в тексте не сказано, то есть на основании текста нельзя дать ни положительного, ни отрицательного ответа (3 ). Обведите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа. Вы услышите запись дважды.

B2 Установите соответствие между заголовками 1–8 и текстами A–G . Занесите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифрутолько один раз .В задании один заголовок лишний.

A. In the USA the three main sports are baseball and American football, followed closely by basketball. Baseball developed from the British game of “rounders” (which is still played by children in Britain) in the early 19 th century. American football developed from the football played by British colonists in the 17th century. In the early 19th century it was taken up by college students and at first it was a rough, tough game with variable rules. In 1880 the standard number of 11 men and new rules were adopted.

B. Extreme sports are dangerous but they are becoming more and more popular with teenagers. They say they go in for extreme kinds of sports because extreme sport is exciting and gives them an adrenalin rush. Every year in the USA, over 700 000 young people go to hospital because of sporting injuries. Most injuries are from extreme sports like baseball, skydiving, bungee jumping, BMX biking, surfing, white-water rafting, rugby, etc.

C. Sport is a physical activity done for exercise and amusement. It is usually played in a special area and according to special rules. It is very often used instead of the words “game” or “pastime.” Among popular team sports are football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, hockey, athletics, etc. People play different sports at different times of the year, so they go skiing in winter and swimming in summer..

D. Over a century ago, the novelist Anthony Trollope listed the sports “essentially dear to the English nature”. These included hunting, shooting, rowing and horse racing. He was, of course, referring to the “gentleman class”, which through the public school system established football, rugby and cricket as national games. But hunting, rowing, yachting and horse racing, because of the expense involved, have remained primarily upper class pastimes. Attendance at Henley Regatta, the high point of rowing season, and Royal Ascot, for horse racing, remain the pinnacles of the upper class summer season.

E. Many sports that are most known internationally originated in Britain. Football known officially as “association football” and sometimes called “soccer” is said to have been played as early as the 12 th century. The present form of the game was laid down by the Football Association in 1863. Rugby football (informally called “rugger”) arose from the game played at Rugby School, Warwickshire, in 1823 and subsequently developed into two distinct games: Rugby Union and Rugby League.

F. Organized sport for athletes with a disability is generally divided into three broad disability groups: the deaf, people with physical disabilities and people with intellectual disability. Each group has a distinct history, organization, competition programme and approach to sport. Formal international competition in deaf sport began with 1924 Paris Silent Games . These games evolved into the modernDeaflympics . Currently, Paralympic sport is popular all over the world.

G. Sports have many affinities with art. For example, figure skating, skateboarding, gymnastics, dance sport can be considered artistic spectacles. Perhaps the best example is bull fight, which is reported in Spain in the arts pages of newspapers. Arts and sports were clearly linked at the time of Ancient Greece when gymnastics and calisthenics evoked admiration and athletic appreciation for the physical build, skill and grace displayed by participants.

What people wear says a lot about who they are and what they do, and it is not surprising that teenagers are so concerned about their clothes. Nevertheless, their parents think that following fashion is a waste of time.

From my point of view, it is important to look smart and attractive because we cannot go through life with the same hairstyle or make-up. I also believe it is necessary for teenagers to follow fashion. When you are up with fashion, you feel confident. What is more, everyone should find their own style to express their individuality. I hate when people dress alike. Personally, I prefer hand-made or designer clothes and try to look stylish.

However, many parents do not understand why teens spend so much time and money on their clothes. Quite a lot of adults are old-fashioned and do not accept modern trends in clothing. They say that fashion comes and goes but classical style remains.

As for me, I cannot agree with them because teenage fashion is quite specific. Nobody likes to dress in styles that are too old for them, and it is no fun being teased because of it. Moreover, clothes will be especially important in our future career, so learning to choose the right clothes is worth spending time and money.

Прочитайте тексты и установите соответствие между текстами и их заголовками: к каждому тексту, обозначенному буквами А–G, подберите соответствующий заголовок, обозначенный цифрами 1–8. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании есть один лишний заголовок.

1. Meaningful name

2. Times and associations

3. Still the first in the list of destruction

4. Severe and powerful

5. Unique in many ways

6. Too much to remain pure

7. Natural flow preserved

8. Center of development

A. The fifth longest river in the world is the Yenisei which flows north from Mongolia through Russia to the Arctic Ocean. Originally, nomadic tribes - the Kit and Yugh people - lived along the banks of the Yenisei. Russian explorers first reached its shores in 1605. Much of the Yenisei is ice-bound six or more months in the year. Explosives are used to keep the water flowing, thereby avoiding serious flooding. A series of massive hydroelectric dams provide energy to support Russian industry.

B. Known as the “cradle of Chinese civilization”, the Yellow River in China is the 6th longest river in the world. It’s been a major center of Chinese population and culture since the 3rd century B.C. However, the Yellow River has another name - “China’s Sorrow”. For thousands of years, the river has regularly flooded, destroying the surrounding countryside and populations. Today over a dozen dams control the flooding and also provide electricity for millions.

C. Every year schoolchildren everywhere learn the names of the world’s great rivers. Everyone knows the longest river is the Nile. Or is it? Brazilian and Peruvian scientists now argue that the Amazon should be considered the longest (using complicated measurements only scientists can understand). But for now, the Nile still wins the title of “longest river” in textbooks. The Nile has always been the lifeline of Egyptian civilization. The annual flooding of the river creates rich agricultural soil, ideal for growing wheat and flax and other crops.

D. When people think of the Mississippi River, their first thought is usually of Mark Twain and the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. They may not recall from their childhood geography lessons that the Mississippi is the fourth longest river in the world. For thousands of years, Native Americans lived along the Mississippi, mostly living as hunter-gatherers and herders. That life changed forever when Europeans first arrived in the 16th century; today the Mississippi plays a crucial role in the economic life of dozens of cities and small towns situated along its shores.

E. The third longest river is the Yangtze River in China. The river plays a very important role in China’s history, culture and economy. Nearly one-third of China’s huge population lives along the Yangtze river. The Yangtze is one of the world’s busiest waterways. Everything is transported along the Yangtze: coal, cars, produce and people. The river also attracts many tourists who take cruises through the famous Three Gorges area. Sadly, because of the heavy traffic on the river and industry along its, banks the Yangtze is very polluted.

F. The Nile may still earn the title for longest river, but the Amazon - the second longest - has the greatest volume by far. The Amazon contains approximately one-fifth of the water flowing in the world’s rivers. Uniquely, there are no bridges crossing the Amazon anywhere along its long route. Most of the Amazon flows through tropical rainforests, where there are few roads or cities - and therefore no need for bridges. The Amazon Rainforest is the home of more than one-third of all animal and plant species in the world.

G. From its origins in the Altay Mountains in China, the Irtysh flows north-west through Kazakhstan, and finally merges with the Ob, in western Siberia, Russia. The Ob is 7th longest river in the world. In the 1960s and 1970s proposals to reverse the flow of the Irtysh among other Northern rivers were seriously and widely discussed. These gigantic water management schemes meant to supply water to central Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Thanks to Kazakh and Russian environmentalists and lack of money they were not implemented.