Exam Card 4

 Reading 

 1. Read the part of the diary and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

ANNA’S DIARY

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1942

               Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the thoughts of a thirteen ­year­ old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest.

                “Paper has more patience than people.” I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands. I was bored and wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was and decided to start a diary. Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this notebook, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.

              Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend. Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen­year­old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen­year­old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a bunch of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who constantly try to catch a glimpse of me in the classroom. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.

               All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get closer, and that’s a problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t trust each other. In any case, that’s just how things are. That’s why I started the diary.

              To enhance the image of this long­awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to write only about facts, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I am going to call this friend Kitty.

 to get off one’s chest облегчить душу

 a glimpse [ɡlɪmps] взгляд

 to enhance [ɪnˈhɑːns] усилить

2. The author writes why she decided to keep a diary. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What close people did Anna have?

4. Why did Anna start writing in a diary?

Listening

II. Listen to Alice speaking about her first job and answer the questions below.

1. What job did Alice do?
2. What difficulties did she have?
3. What did she learn at work?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about Belarus.